NOTE: Please remember I am simply recording thought.
I am a child looking for her Father's hand. I am not teaching.
I am a child looking for her Father's hand. I am not teaching.
MATTHEW 1
Readings: Day 1
| Given Titles of, or in, Chapters:
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Matthew 1:
The Genealogy of the Birth of Jesus... 'The son of the son of the son...and *yawn* so on...' It's tempting to skip over Matthew 1:1-17, isn't it. Well, it has been for me. I've read it before and thought little of it since. Even now, as I'm looking for God's hand in His word, I want to skip the first half of this chapter, doubting I'd see His hand. But His hand was in it, wasn't it. The line that Jesus would be born into not only had to be recorded over time, but protected, also. I'm not a scholar of the Old Testament, but I do know there was a lot of struggles back then, all of which had the lineage of the Messiah under threat. Surely God had His hand on these people in order to bring forth His Son...?
Speaking of purpose:
v18-24:
Without wanting to take anything away from Mary and Joseph, I love the symbolism found here. Actually, I love finding symbolism wherever it is, but this is pretty awesome, I think.
The symbolism I see in this: You're going about your life, making plans, looking forward to a set future, or maybe simply doing what's expected of you, then, when the moment is right in God's eyes, God handpicks you and, by His Spirit, 'impregnates' you with purpose. His purpose... And His purpose becomes your purpose. A purpose that will work to bring forth the message "God with us" to the world; a message (in whatever talents and abilities and power God has given you) that will help 'save His people from their sin'. You're not the Messiah, you're not the Saviour of the World, but you are His chosen vessel...
*Upon this happening to you, chances are those who are closest to you won't have a clue what's going on with you, and, in wanting to back away from this unplanned event, they may seek to disown you unless they are given a revelation directly from God Himself -- as it was with Joseph.
*Joseph was a good man, wasn't he. He wanted to remain faithful to the law, and he did not wish to disgrace Mary. He could've called for a stoning, couldn't he? He could've shamed her, damned her, or reacted out of his ego in one way or another, but he chose the way of love. His seems like a protective heart to me... *sigh* I love that guy... The world honours Mary for being the mother of Jesus, and I'm not saying don't do that, but, gee, somebody applaud this man.
Looking for God's hand in v18-24:
The Genealogy of the Birth of Jesus... 'The son of the son of the son...and *yawn* so on...' It's tempting to skip over Matthew 1:1-17, isn't it. Well, it has been for me. I've read it before and thought little of it since. Even now, as I'm looking for God's hand in His word, I want to skip the first half of this chapter, doubting I'd see His hand. But His hand was in it, wasn't it. The line that Jesus would be born into not only had to be recorded over time, but protected, also. I'm not a scholar of the Old Testament, but I do know there was a lot of struggles back then, all of which had the lineage of the Messiah under threat. Surely God had His hand on these people in order to bring forth His Son...?
Speaking of purpose:
v18-24:
Without wanting to take anything away from Mary and Joseph, I love the symbolism found here. Actually, I love finding symbolism wherever it is, but this is pretty awesome, I think.
The symbolism I see in this: You're going about your life, making plans, looking forward to a set future, or maybe simply doing what's expected of you, then, when the moment is right in God's eyes, God handpicks you and, by His Spirit, 'impregnates' you with purpose. His purpose... And His purpose becomes your purpose. A purpose that will work to bring forth the message "God with us" to the world; a message (in whatever talents and abilities and power God has given you) that will help 'save His people from their sin'. You're not the Messiah, you're not the Saviour of the World, but you are His chosen vessel...
*Upon this happening to you, chances are those who are closest to you won't have a clue what's going on with you, and, in wanting to back away from this unplanned event, they may seek to disown you unless they are given a revelation directly from God Himself -- as it was with Joseph.
*Joseph was a good man, wasn't he. He wanted to remain faithful to the law, and he did not wish to disgrace Mary. He could've called for a stoning, couldn't he? He could've shamed her, damned her, or reacted out of his ego in one way or another, but he chose the way of love. His seems like a protective heart to me... *sigh* I love that guy... The world honours Mary for being the mother of Jesus, and I'm not saying don't do that, but, gee, somebody applaud this man.
Looking for God's hand in v18-24:
- God had handpicked Mary and Joseph. God handpicked you.
- Mary and Joseph had a purpose. They were given a part to play in bringing forth God's will, God's Son, and salvation to the world. You have a purpose. You have been given a part to play in bringing forth God's will, God's Son and salvation to the world.
- To handpick something, the 'picker' must have their eye on it, making sure it's good; making sure it's worth the price they must pay for it. God must've had His eye on Mary and Joseph in order to say, "Yes, I want that one and that one..." God must have/must have had His eye on you for Him to want to select you for such an important task as presenting His Son to the world; for Him to say, "Yes, I want that one..."
SIDENOTE: (Yes, I do tend to get sidetracked a lot. :) ) Did you know MATTHEW means Gift from God? Seems appropriate for the first Book of the New Testament, don't you think? :)