# 362 A Recap

The Book of Genesis

Day 362

This chapter served as a sordid interruption in the story of Joseph, and it’s not one that you’ll find in any children’s devotional. Quite frankly when I first did these devotions on the air, I wanted to skip this chapter because of the subject matter, yet when all is said and done, I hope you have been richly blessed by our time spent here. If we look past the sordid details, there are great lessons for us!

Some of the important spiritual truths that we have pulled from this chapter include: (1) Don’t depart from your brothers! Judah made a conscious decision to walk away from the ways of his people. He moved into the world, adopted their ways, and his sin snowballed!

(2) We learned of the levirate law and how important it was, especially to the Jewish people as they were the ones who were to bring Jesus physically to this world through the seed of Abraham! This levirate law served as a type of New Testament great commission, where the church is charged with bringing Christ to the world in a spiritual sense!

We learned about the importance of trusting God to bring life into the world! In our modern day love affair with birth control we have sought to determine who is brought into this world. We want to be in “control!” 

Hopefully, we have been able to view the creation of souls through the lens of eternity.  (Has not God said in Mal 2:15, “But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.”

The good news of this chapter is that in spite of man’s efforts to thwart the effect of the levirate law, God moved forward with His plans to bring the Savior to the world. This may be the most important lesson of all. God sits in heaven and laughs at man as we set ourselves up as gods. In spite of all our rebellion and man made plans to control our destiny, He says, “Yet I have set My King, on My holy hill of Zion.” Despite Judah’s attempts to disengage himself from the Old Testament great commission, God brought it to pass! And despite our lack of interest in the urgency of the New Testament great commission, God still stirs up times of revival all in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus.

Jesus will come again, but not as a baby in the manger to live die and rise from the dead to save us from our sins. This time he will come bringing the iron rod of judgment. It will happen. Man can in no way control the timing of this event, all we can do is surrender our lives to Jesus and then be willing participants in the Great Commission of bringing His Good News to the world!

Mt 24:46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.