Day 31 - Psalm 31

 Michelle

This psalm appears to be another of David.  It speaks of his trials and how he called to God and was rescued.  It is basically this over and over with different situations.  At the end it says "Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him...Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."   This appears to be another reminder of David's faithfulness to God and God's faithfulness to David, his believer.  And that God doesn't leave him even when he feels like he has been forsaken, God is always there and will bring us out of our trials and struggles in the end. 

Julie

It was said that anyone could find themselves in this lament and I will say that as I was reading it, I was thinking that I could relate to feeling some of those ways. However, yes, there is a praise in that even feeling that way or experiencing those things, if we are faithful to God through it all he will protect us and get us through. 

Day 30 - Psalm 30

 Julie

Genesis is finished and we will be moving into the next book in a couple of days. I read the overview of Genesis the is part of the ESV Study Bible that I am using and I really should have done that before I read the book. While it does not clear up a lot of things is does as to give some leeway in understanding just how long ago this all happened and how different things were at that time compared to now, and that we need to be careful in comparing. It also suggests not expecting everything to be perfect just because God is in involved. The one thing that does help in reconciling some of the things that happened in this book is that says to focus on the creation, sin and recreation which is what God is trying to accomplish in the end and to show that salvation is coming for man through the lines that he has blessed along the way. 

Psalm 30 seems to be another song of thankfulness to God for all that he has done and the protection that he provided. It also mentions in an explanation that this after David's death...not really sure how to interpret that, although I may not have really read that correctly.

 

Michelle

I might need to get that bible.  That is helpful info to keep in mind.  While we know that was a long ago time and things are very much different, I think some of the things we have gone thru so far, we have been able to get some lessons from, even though it brought about more questions.  The sins we believe they are constantly committing are far into a dark place for us, but at that time may have been the norm.  But I do believe it still showed that doing some of the things they did caused them more struggle than blessing and that is something to keep in mind as well.  I am thankful for a catch-up day because I wasn't in the right mindset the past few days to really feel like I was getting anything out of these passages.  I read them a couple times, but there was alot of distraction going on in my home and I couldn't really focus like I wanted to.  Today is quiet in the house this morning and that helps me to focus and really feel and open up to whatever I am supposed to see.

 The psalm in my bible prefaces with "For the dedication of the temple of David."  This may be coming from the people in relation to David's death.  It does sound like a song of praise.  It says I called out to you and you came to my aid, you turned my wailing into dancing and clothed me with joy.  I will sing your praises forever.  Yet another reminder to be thankful and give praise.

Day 29 - Genesis 49-50 & Psalm 29

 Julie

Today's passage lays out the blessings that Jacob leaves for his sons and highlights Joseph and Judah as receiving the most positive blessings of continued goodness. It also reiterates the fear that Joseph's brothers have in that he would have retribution against them for what they did to him. Again, he tells them that although they meant him harm, God was using that to save the lives of many. The verse actually reads, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20). I think that this is very powerful and, again, something that we need to remember. I know that I have said this before, but I think it helps to reiterate it, in that we assume that the bad/negative things in our life are being done to us by God because we have done something wrong. However, most of the time he is putting us through trials so that we can help others or to make us stronger for something bigger. Joseph's outlook is so refreshing and very God-like in that he is forgiving regardless of what they have done to him.

Psalm 29 is another thank you to God for all that he does, provides, and watches over for us. 

 

Michelle

I agree that we assume the challenges in life are God's punishment.  Even with all we've been told, this assumption never goes away.  I think we tend to punish ourselves by thinking this, which is not really the direction we should go either.  I believe these trials are meant for us to grow and become something better, but in the midst of it that's not what I am thinking and when it's over I don't know what I was supposed to learn.  Sometimes I wish it was made clearer to me.  

In chapter 49 a few things stood out to me.  In the very beginning he says "Gather so that I can tell you what is to come."  He seems to be telling of how their futures will go.  I see now that he goes back to Reuben's act with his father's concubine from earlier chapters.  It's interesting some of these though.  It does seem that some are not getting favorable blessing.  In Judah's blessing vs 10 stands out for some reason.  It says, "The scepter will not depart from Judah...until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his."  I am curious who this is speaking of as it seems to be of prophecy foretold.  Joseph's blessing does seem favorable compared to the others.  That he will continue to be blessed.  It almost sounds that it could be burdensome as well in the last verse for his blessing it says "Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers."  That he will be and is the favored child of all twelve and while there seems to not be a jealousy anymore, the brothers are still fearful of what will happen to them.  I don't feel like Joseph sees it as a burden but that last line makes me feel that way for some reason.  As Julie stated, he does reassure his brothers that he does not hold any ill will toward them for what they did to him in the past.  He has clearly forgiven and forgotten, which I think we as humans don't do well.  I know I struggle with that.  But he knows that God placed him where he is for a reason and understands it was not their doing alone but God's path for him.  I wish I had that kind of understanding.  Sometimes it is hard to let go.  

I keep going back to ch. 40 vs 28 for some reason, "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel...".  For some reason I wonder if there are still today 12 tribes in Israel.  If some of the things we read about in the bible are still places of worship or highly regarded as being sacred, if some of the tribes or families are still in existence and know of their lineage.  Not sure why this is important, but I think about it sometimes.  I worked with someone from the middle east and he talked about the culture in the area he is from.  It reminds me some of the things we read in the bible.  Like one of the things was about the elder son which we kind of discussed the other day.  It's just interesting and I wonder if some of the prominent families of that area today are long past descendants of some of these tribes.  I'm not really sure why this is important but it stands out to me.

The psalm has yet another word I had to look up.  Ascribe, which defines as attribute something to.  So it goes on to say ascribe to the Lord glory and strength due his name, worship in the splendor of his holiness.  This does sound like another psalm of praise to the Lord calling out some of the attributes we should be mindful of. 

Day 28 - Genesis 47-48 & Psalm 28

 Julie

I don't know that I feel that there was much of a lesson in today's passages. It seems more of an informational reading to understand whom Joseph's line will extend through. I do find a bit confusing though when it goes back and forth between the different names for one person. In one verse he is called Israel and in the next Jacob. I wonder if that has anything to do with how he is acting at the time. In any case, it is also interesting how it bothers them when the younger son is blessed over the older one. I know that it is and always has been common for the oldest to inherit, but maybe God saw something more in the younger and knew that that line would be better through that son.

Almost all of the Psalms up to this point seem to be doing the same thing, which really asking for protection from evil and evildoers and proclaiming faith and trust in God. This is really just more of an observation than anything. They are all useful in prayer especially because it seems that even today we are plagued with some of these same things where we are trying to fall trap to evil or being accused by other of wrongdoing when that is not the case. 

 

Michelle

I am with you.  I am not certain of the lessons from today.  It speaks of Joseph and his family going to live in the land of the Pharaoh in Egypt.  I do find it interesting that there comes a time when the Egyptians give them selves to servitude to Pharaoh in exchange for food/grain.  In exchange they vow to give a 5th of everything they grow to Pharaoh.  It doesn't say how long that is to be but there is a vs that states it is still in force today.  They did not take from the priests though as they were provided already.  The fact that the younger continues to find favor and grow beyond their older sibling is very interesting.  Even today that is not normal for those that come from that area of the world.  It is the eldest that is responsible for the line and what is to move from father to son.  You may be right about seeing the younger as being the better option.  Maybe it shows that it doesn't have to be that way always, as God has shown he uses those you don't expect.  His father even says he knows he is blessing the younger to become greater than his elder brother, but states even the elder will become great.  Good observation about the reason for calling him the different names.  I didn't even think of that but you could be right.  As stated previously it seems to be his character that has encouraged the name changing. 

The psalm seems to be yet another call to God.  Turning to him in the time of need and praising him.  He seems to be crying out for help from whatever bad things are happening to him now.  I don't remember the story of David off the top of my head, but these psalms seem to say that he is always going thru something or being persecuted for something.  Wasn't he a king?  I feel like it's King David, although I don't really remember the story there.   

Day 27 - Genesis 45-46 & Psalm 27

 Julie

Our discussion yesterday focused on the fact that we did not believe that Joseph was trying to be vindictive or deceitful and we were correct in that assessment. As he tells his brothers who he is, he does so with loving kindness and true happiness that he is with them again. I want to focus on one line specifically out of these two chapters. "...it was not you who sent me here, but God." Joseph places absolutely no blame on his brothers for what they did. This can be a hard thing for people wrap their head around. We want to blame someone for the bad things in our lives instead of trying to see how or why they might be happening. People also think that they are having to go through these things because they were not doing something right or not living in the way God had intended. However, I think that this line should help us all to remember that regardless of our situation, whether good or bad, or whatever adversity or goodness we might be experiencing that God is putting us there and for his own purposes and reasons. We do not always know why during the experience, but when we come out the other side it becomes apparent how he wants us to use that situation. Today's passage is such a great lesson in not blaming others for our situations in life, but trusting and knowing that God has places us here and has a plan for us.

Psalm 27 is another prayer of trust in God and his direction. Even through adversity or battling enemies they place their total faith in him and that he will help through whatever they are going through. This plays right into what we read today in Genesis, it's almost as if Joseph could have prayed this as he endured some of the things that he did.

 

Michelle

Wow, what a great observation.  You are correct. More times than not, we are looking for someone to blame for whatever situation we are in, be it someone else or from decisions we have made.  Most people though are looking for someone else to blame.  What we fail to realize is that ultimately we are not in control.  We have free will to make choices and those choices will lead us in various directions but in the end we are where we need to be when we need to be there.  Sometimes we just make the road harder with our choices.   I do wish I knew where I was being taken though, cuz I am constantly asking why I am where I am or asking why things are going the way they are.  And God has yet to answer my questions.  I am working on stopping with the why and just trusting and having faith.  

The psalm does sound like a reminder that we should turn to God and trust in God thru whatever adversities and trials we are facing.  Faith seems to be the recurring theme so far in all we are reading.  There is a devotional attached to this one that points out the verse 14, wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  It also talks of David escaping the pressure of fear and warfare by retreating to God's holy presence.  So in our time of difficulty we should be turning to God in whatever way that may need to be for us, scripture, song, prayer, whatever it is turn to him and be in his presence and that will help us get thru.  

Day 26 - Genesis 43-44 and Psalm 26

 Julie

Joseph seems to be testing his brothers here. I am not clear on exactly why, unless he is trying to see if they have changed. He had requested that they come back with his youngest brother, which is his full brother, and their father was highly resistant to let that happen since he believes Joseph to be dead. Then Joseph tricks them to keep Benjamin, his youngest brother. However, his older brother begs for Benjamin to return and he offers to stay in his place. This is a big switch from when they sold Joseph. He knows that his father loves Benjamin more just as he did Joseph, but they don't seem to be jealous of Benjamin in the way that they were with Joseph. 

Sometimes we want to test others and their integrity to find out if they are true to their word, especially if we have been wronged before. I wonder if that is what Joseph is trying to do here or if he is just trying to make his brothers sweat. That is something we are prone to do as well.

Psalm 26:6-7 stood out the most to me today. "I wash my hands in innocence and around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds". The whole Psalm speaks to this, but I feel like this is the center of this Psalm. He is saying that he has refused to fall into the trap of the evil and does not follow their path. However, he also shares to the goodness of God regardless/in spite of the evil that is surrounding him. I am not the best at sharing with others, especially because the subject of God and faith and our beliefs can be a touchy subject for some people. I think this a reminder that we should rejoice in what God gives and does for us and that we should not be ashamed or fear sharing that with everyone. I would hope that I would be faithful enough to do this.

 

Michelle

 It does seem like he is testing his brothers in some way.  Trying to find out their motives maybe.  He doesn't seem malicious in any way here but rather cautious.  Although I don't understand why, as he has risen in status and is more powerful than all of them, I don't see what the need is for it.  I thought maybe it was out of spite, but the passage doesn't really read spiteful.   I also don't get why he keeps sending the silver back with them.  Is he trying to be giving?  I can't really tell at this point.  Hopefully there is more to the story and it will show where we are being led.  

I agree we tend to show this type of behavior with others.  I know I have done it, whether right or wrong.  I also think it is yet another example of God using those that are not perfect.  I realized that is the expectation I had of all the people from the bible that were important to God, that they were used because they were righteous in their behavior, but that is not at all what I have read so far.  It seems that it is more about faithfulness and less about good behavior that makes them righteous.  After our discussion last night I started to think about it.  I don't think we really know what righteousness looks like, but from the readings so far it has shown that being faithful to God and following the path and direction he is giving you is what makes a person righteous.  Even though some have strayed or tried to take matters into their own hands, they are always pulled back to God and reminded that they need only follow him and have faith that he will do the things promised.  

The psalm has me perplexed for some reason. I think because it starts with him asking for vindication.  From what exactly?  It almost sounds like he is pleading his case for doing the right things but still being persecuted.  Which I can understand.  Sometimes even doing the right thing seems like it doesn't lead you on a path that you would expect, but just more struggle.  Doing the right thing is hard, doing the wrong thing is easy yet will cause you more trouble in the long run.  And I have to admit that there are many times I would rather do the wrong thing because it is easier and I get tired of the hard things in life.  Sometimes I wish I could do the wrong thing but then I think about the consequences that would come along with that and I stop myself.  Oh, but I think about it.  

I also felt like those same verses stood out.   I am also not one to share normally.  There are very few people that know my beliefs.  I think because it's hard to explain how I got here and also because I am not yet comfortable in my level of knowledge of the bible that keeps me from talking about it.  I actually had a moment where I gave myself to God.  I haven't shared with anyone I know aside from my friend Joyce and she is the one that took me and Nathan to church.  It was a year or so after mom died and I was in a really bad place, not just from her death but just going thru alot of changes in life and having a really hard time mentally dealing with it all and trying to understand who I was at that point.  Nathan came home one day and asked why we didn't go to church and who God was and I had no idea what to tell him.  How do you answer that question when you are questioning your own beliefs?  When you don't understand it yourself?  So after my friend had asked me like a hundred times to join them, I finally called her up and asked if we could attend with her.  I still cry when I think about it.  It was so hard for me, but Nathan just latched on and learned so much.  And I stuck it out.  They were starting a series called Transformed, so my friend got me the book they gave out at church and invited me to attend her life group.  I hate new people so that was really uncomfortable for me.  And I feel judged around new people, prob cuz I judge people alot, although someone told me it's really just observations, but I digress.  So I did it and went thru the series, attended every Sunday, went to Life group while Nathan went to the kids class, and I was somehow transformed.  That sounds stupid but that is actually how it happened.  Some other things had happened before that lead up to this but this is the short version.  The series though, had you look at different areas of your life and related it back to the bible and what and how God wants you to do these things.  It was so informative and something just spoke to me every week and made me feel better every time I went.  It has been such a change in my life.  And I continue to feel changes in myself.  There have been times when I have slid back and times when my mind takes me places I shouldn't go, but somehow I get moved back to God and drawn back to where I am supposed to be.  I think that whole faith thing is hard and that is why I keep going back and forth.  But I stay closer to it now than I ever have.  I strive to be faithful in everything to God.  And having faith that if I share my story those that are meant to stay in my life will is hard too.  Cuz I think we want people to stay even when it's time for them to go and that is very difficult for me to come to terms with.  I get comfortable and change is uncomfortable and hard for me to deal with mentally.  So I guess there is some fear that if I share too much that some that are important to me now will go away, even though I know it may be for the best.  It's still hard.  And not being comfortable in my knowledge does not help that at all.  Doing this study, I am hoping that it will help me gain more confidence so that I become more comfortable sharing with others.  

If you want to watch my story from church, here is the link.  Hopefully I copied it right.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5GTn5PFfQw

Day 25 - Genesis 41 - 42 & Psalm 25

 Michelle

This passage tells of Joseph gaining favor with Pharaoh and becoming in charge of all of Egypt.  He is brought in to interpret Pharaoh's dream as the cup bearer finally remembered him and suggested he be brought for this task.  In 42, Joseph's dream from youth comes to fruition in that his brother's are brought before him and are now bowing and asking for something from him, not knowing of course who it is.  I can't tell if he is being deceitful toward his brother for malicious reasons or not.  I don't remember the rest of this story and haven't read ahead, but it doesn't feel like it's from a bad place.  As before we see that Joseph is still in favor with God and continues to prosper no matter his position or place in life.  He seems to find ways to make the best of whatever situation he is in.  And in this time, if I remember correctly, most Pharisees are not very accepting of those that are believers.  So it is a blessing that this Pharaoh is accepting of his beliefs and trusts him with everything he has.  There is a devotional attached to Gen 41 that talks of God's silent work.  It says that he is silently working.  "Joseph could have grown bitter and inflamed by the dreadful circumstances of his life.  Sold into slavery by his family, sent to prison for refusing to sin."  We see that his circumstances changed after these events, and even during these events, he did not despair, he kept the faith and prospered in his situation only to then have his circumstances changed even more for the better.  This does make me think we need to have this same attitude.  I can admit this is not a normal attitude I have when things are not going my way.  I have a short fuse and get irritated and frustrated very easily when life throws me curve balls.  More so as I have gotten older.  But I think this says we need to keep the faith and know that God is working on us and in ways we cannot see.  We just need to turn to him and he will lead us in the way we should go.

This psalm seems to be one of praise and guidance, stating "I put my trust in you...Show me your ways, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me...Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways (forgive me is what I read here)".  It feels like he is asking for guidance for the righteous path and saying he is trusting God to lead him.  I think sometimes I don't ask this but have more of an expectation, if that makes sense.  I guess because I can't or don't always see or understand how I am being guided is why this is difficult to me.  Probably why I wish I could understand my dreams more.  I don't know how to discern God's voice from the one in my head most of the time, but I know he comes to me in dreams, but they are often very confusing or I just wake up with various feelings and can't figure it out.  Maybe I am not putting my trust fully in God and that is why it is all jumbled.  I am not sure. 

Julie

I think this passage does show the righteousness of Joseph. Regardless of all that his family and the Pharoah's wife have put him through he does not appear to be vindictive or out for revenge. I do think he is trying to make his brothers sweat. I also do not recall exactly how this story plays out, but I agree that I don't believe that Joseph is going to be malicious as he was not malicious when other did not live up to their word with him. He does seem to be accepting of his current circumstances, regardless of how he got there and moves through with trust in the Lord.

This Psalm shows trust in the Lord and help with suffering at the hand of others. I found it interesting that they say this lament does not end positively as most of the others do, but it does not really explain what exactly is meant by that.