Genesis 37-50 Dear RTB’ers, It’s Good Friday, not a day where we put a “Happy” in front of that salutation, but rather a day for reflection. So it’s a good day for us to ponder Jesus and His sacrificial death on our behalf. I hope we’ll see one another at church this evening. No new …
Category Archives: RTB 2024 – Search the Scriptures, Part 1
March 28 / Genesis 50
Genesis 50 Dear RTB’ers, “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:19b). This verse stands out for me in all of Genesis, second only to Abraham’s offering of Isaac in Genesis 22. Things happen, good and bad, over which we have no control. Our response needs to be to trust …
March 27 / Genesis 49
Genesis 49 Dear RTB’ers, Jacob’s blessings on his twelve sons. We see Jacob’s most abundant blessings falling on Judah and Joseph. Why not Reuben, his firstborn? While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it. (Genesis 35:22) So Jacob bypassed Reuben. Why not Simeon …
March 26 / Genesis 47:13-48:22
Genesis 47:13-48:22 Dear RTB’ers, Two major stories in today’s reading: Joseph/Pharaoh now owns everything in Egypt – the livestock, the land, and the people – and Jacob places Joseph’s younger, Ephraim, before the firstborn, Manasseh. Joseph now owns the land and the people, so it is his decision to settle the people in the cities …
March 25 / Genesis 46:1-47:12
Genesis 46:1-47:12 Dear RTB’ers, Carol and I have our Maryland daughter, Nancy here with us this week, together with her two children, Matthew age 6 and Isabelle age 3, so I may have some difficulty getting these early-morning post out. But Holy Week might be a good time for me to fall short – and …
March 24 / Genesis 45
Genesis 45 Dear RTB’ers, Joseph and his brothers, again. A few days ago I spoke of confession: Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened …
March 23 / Genesis 44
Genesis 44 Dear RTB’ers, Joseph and his brothers, again. The bulk of today’s reading (Genesis 44:16-34) is Judah speaking to Joseph, recounting Jacob’s relationship with Benjamin and offering himself up as Joseph’s servant in place of Benjamin. He had made this offer to his father in yesterday’s reading (Genesis 43:9) and now he is following …
March 22 / Genesis 43
Genesis 43 Dear RTB’ers, Joseph and his brothers, again. There is one character in today’s chapter who is seldom acknowledged, Joseph’s house steward. Yet, beyond the main characters (Jacob, the brothers, Joseph) he plays a key role as an intermediary. He is simply following Joseph’s orders: … he said to the steward of his house, “Bring …
March 21 / Genesis 42
Genesis 42 Dear RTB’ers, Joseph and his brothers, again. Put yourself into the story today. I’m playing the part of one of the brothers. I go back to Genesis 37 where we sold Joseph into slavery and tricked our father into believing that he is dead. Now we’re being charged with spying the land and …
March 20 / Genesis 41:14-57
Genesis 41:14-57 Dear RTB’ers, Joseph and Pharaoh. Joseph is living a yo-yo life. He’s up, he’s down, he’s up, he’s down, he’s up. He is his father’s favorite; he is hated by his brothers and gets sold off to Potiphar; he is in charge of all of Potiphar’s house and fields; he gets sent to …