Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

 15 The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt. “

The coming Messiah prophesied by Isaiah goes back to the Root of Jesse.  It’s not simple heredity which is a point worth making again and again. 

The scepter of Judah and the Root of Jesse both point to a Messianic King who would rule with a different spirit and power than all other natural descendants in a normal dynastic line.  This Messiah’s reign will be one of wisdom and understanding, power, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah. 9:6-7)

Questions for further thought:

How does moving beyond the rules of normal inheritance and a dynastic line keep us from believing Jesus was just a regular man, fully human, but never actually the Son of God, (which is what many cults assert)?  They believe that Jesus was just really well-behaved. God liked that and made him a god. Yikes. That’s the stuff of cults. Jesus was fully God before all time and added full humanity as the Incarnated Christ.

David was a murderer and was not the suitable one to build God’s temple, though it was in his heart to do so.  God had Solomon build it.  In what way was the Davidic line not suitable for the Messiah directly, but the Root of Jesse was? See 1 Kings 11 regarding Solomon.

Prayer: 

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for being the wonderful counselor, our mighty God, our everlasting Father, and our Prince of peace. We praise You and thank You that Your government and Your peace will be eternal, everlasting!  You will reign over Your people forever and ever.  We thank You, Lord, that You have accomplished this for us. We offer You praise and exalt Your Name! Amen.

Let’s return to the idea of a family tree as we continue our look at Jesus’ lineage and the remnant of faith.  Each person in the remnant is rooted back in a family tree, but not all on the family tree are part of the remnant.  That’s an important point of the genealogy in Luke: this goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, as God pulls His remnant of faith through the fabric of centuries…but it’s not a simple matter of heredity.

Time and again, God reminds us that 1 Samuel 16:7 “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Reading in 1 Samuel 16:10 “Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has not chosen these.’” There was a full number, symbolic of completion in seven sons.  Seven not chosen, all sons of Jesse, all part of that same family tree. 

But there was another…and the remnant would be with him.

1 Samuel 16: 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”   12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”  13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. “

Questions for further thought:

Why might God reject the idea of a family tree and inclusion in the brotherhood of Christ as a function of heredity?

How does heredity lend itself toward a system that is inegalitarian and elitist, a dynasty?

What might be some reasons Jesus never had biological children and we never read of children of the original twelve disciples, though some were married?

Read Matthew 12: 46 “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

A family of faith—a remnant of faith—is clearly prioritized over heredity?  Why? 

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, that I don’t have to be born into the right family, born into the right circumstances and privileges, but rather, in Christ, I can be born again and called a child of God.  How great is Your love that You have lavished upon us (1 John 3:1) that we might become Your children by faith in Christ and in His finished work. We praise You and thank You that we have a family of faith with whom we will spend eternity. We praise You and thank You Lord that Your salvation is not works– based on our part– but it’s a gift available to anyone who is willing to receive from You.  We ask, Lord, that You would help us do the good things You prepared in advance as our response to the gracious gift You have given us. Help us to bear much fruit knowing this would be to Your glory. For it’s in Your Name we pray, Amen.

Continuing our look at Jesus’ genealogy and the remnant being increasingly one of faith while becoming more inclusive we read, Luke 3:32 “the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon”.

Again, Matthew’s gospel fills us in on some points worth noting.  Matthew 1:5 “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,”

As if it isn’t bad enough with Rahab, the prostitute,
now we have Ruth often called “the Moabitess”.

Yeah, she was from Moab.  Nothing good happens in Moab.  The people of Moab descended from the elder of Lot’s two daughters (remember how they got pregnant by dear old dad, drunk dad?)  Genesis 19:32-38 tells the whole seedy story of girls with bad ideas.

Ruth, however, had a noble pledge to her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi:  “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Hers would be a story of inclusion, faith, and turning away from idolatrous Moab.  Her legacy would be as part of redemption.  Her reward, in part, was to be included in the line of Christ.

Questions for further thought:

In Ruth 4:11-12, we read, “Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”   In verse 13, Ruth conceived a son.  In what ways did God fulfill that blessing?

Do you see “Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel” and Perez’s family line as the remnant of faith?

Boaz’s grandson Jesse is the father of King David.  How does that further inform your understanding of fulfilling the scepter line of Judah? 

Prayer:

Thank You God for fulfilling the blessing upon Boaz and for the way You have included outsiders in the family of faith. We praise You and thank You for the legacy of redemption. We ask Lord that You would help us to look at others through the lens of inclusion; through the lens of faith; and we would see people who are trying to turn away from the culture and who have place their faith in You as members of our family. Thank You for Jesus Christ and for His humble birth and inconspicuous early life. How amazing that You redeemed the world through Him and His shed blood on the Cross. Help us to always remember all that You have done for us while we were yet sinners. We offer You praise; we offer You glory; and for Your Name’s sake, we pray. Amen.

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

Continuing our look at the remnant through Jesus’ genealogy, we’re at verse 32 in Luke 3:  32 “the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon”.

Now we’re getting to some familiar names and people whose lives we know with more detail, if only for the children they bore.  “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab” (Matthew 1:5).  It would appear from Scripture that Salmon’s two claims to fame are having Rahab as his wife and Boaz as his son.  And in both cases, God highlights exemplary redemption of a remnant.

Who exactly was Rahab?  According to Scripture in Joshua 2, she was a prostitute. (Yeah, just as Tamar pretended to be, as God worked behind the scenes to preserve the faithful Messianic line).  She was not just any prostitute though; she was from Jericho (of the “walls come tumbling down” fame).  It happened by faith according to Scripture in Hebrews 11:30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

And here again, as with Tamar who was a Canaanite, we see the beauty of God’s working those outside the Israelite community into the faith remnant, and though they are all sinners, they are included among the redeemed in the line of Christ.

Questions for further thought:

Many scholars have tried to sanitize Rahab’s occupation to being a simple innkeeper.  How does that action betray their view that prostitution is a worse sin than the sin of Adam?

In the eyes of God, is any sin worse than the sin of Adam which has consequences lasting to this very day?

Every person in the lineage of our sinless Messiah was a sinner.  This is now the second woman whose sin is known, but whose faith was of importance to God.    How does the Hebrews passage above highlight her faith while not whitewashing her sin?

Prayer:

Thank You, Father that You don’t demand that we clean up our act before You will redeem us and save us from our sin. We thank You, Lord, for the testimony provided in the lineage of our Savior–that You can use people who are sinners; that You can give them extraordinary faith; and that by Your power and by Your Spirit (and not by our works) You provide redemption for all who would come to You by faith. We thank You, Lord, that this remnant is and has always been a faith remnant and not a simple genealogy remnant. Oh “what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). We praise You, Lord, and we thank You for all You have done and continue to do for us. Give us this day, hearts and actions of faith as we eagerly look forward to the day of Jesus return. For Your glory Amen.

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

On the timeline of Jesus’ genealogy, with the Hebrews now in the Promised Land after a backstory of Moses, the Exodus, and the wilderness, we pick up with Luke 3:33 “the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah.”

What this simple line does not tell you is what Matthew’s gospel does: Perez was the son also of Tamar.  “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar” (Matthew 1:3).  It is unusual for a genealogy to include mention of the mother, but in this case, it is significant because (as we saw in Advent 16) it was Tamar’s faithfulness to the inheritance laws that continued the line of the Messiah. 

Judah’s oldest two sons were wicked.  His youngest son by a mother other than Tamar, named Shelah (but not the one in the ancestry of Christ from verse 35) became the Shelanites of whom we hear very little.  They fade into the pages of Scripture because Judah’s sons by the daughter of Shua are not the remnant.  And of the twins born to Tamar, Perez and Zerah, only Perez is mentioned with prominence. 

What are we to learn from this?  Among other things, it displays how God prepares the way for the emergence of a younger child (Perez) to carry forth the faithful remnant when all seems lost for the true family line.  God is in the details and working behind the scenes, even with a woman like Tamar, even outside the traditional community of faith.

16 This is what the LORD says– he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters… See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. (Isaiah 43:16, 19-21)

Questions for further thought:

Can you think of other instances in the Bible that display God working behind the scenes, preparing the way?  Think of Joseph with the cupbearer, baker, and Pharaoh, all having dreams.

How did this preserve the Israelites through the famine?

Or Zechariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist?

Can you think of instances in your life where God was working behind the scenes, preparing the way for you or preparing to resolve an issue where all seems lost?

How might these times cultivate faith?

Prayer:

Father God, we praise You for the way You work behind the scenes! You are a God of all wisdom, You know all things and how they work together. You see the grand plan and bring it forth to fruition. We thank You for the way that You work in our lives even in situations we don’t understand, and in situations we did not cause that seemed to come against us. We praise You, Lord, that You are in the redemption business, and You redeem all things for our good and Your glory. We praise You, Lord, for the wisdom of Your plan and for the way You watch and protect over Your faithful ones. We thank You for this remnant by faith which You will protect and preserve all the way to the return of Your Son Jesus whose coming we greatly anticipate. We praise You, Lord, in Jesus’ mighty Name, Amen.

Yeah, even Moses. 
Leaders are not exempt from following God’s commands regarding faith. 
Moses couldn’t enter the Promised Land
but was only permitted to have a scenic overlook.
The remnant, however, entered and took the words of life to heart.

45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you– they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

48 On that same day the LORD told Moses, 49 “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:45-52)

Questions for further thought:

God’s law is our life (Deuteronomy 32:47).  “They are not just idle words.”  Wow.  How often do we treat God’s Word like an add-on or fit for Sundays, but not for living?

In what way are leaders held to greater account by God?  Why is that?

Why don’t people hold their leaders accountable for their actions, for their selfish gain at the expense of those they are supposed to serve, or their failure to lead to righteous living by setting the example?  How does this lack of accountability contribute to the decline of true leadership? 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, may always treat Your words as words of life not just idle words on a page or that are being discussed in a blog, but rather true words of life for all who follow them.  Thank You for the example of Moses to remind us that even those in leadership don’t get a pass. There are no two systems of justice in Your world.  We ask, Father, that whether we are leaders or those who follow Christ as the least of these, we will recognize the Life, the Truth and the Way that Jesus represents for us.  May we keep our eyes focused on Him during this season in which we celebrate His birth for which we are truly grateful. Amen.

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

Not all who marched on dry land in deliverance out of slavery in Egypt would be part of the ongoing remnant.  It’s not just heritage, remember? There’s something called faith, seeing the signs and wonders of God and taking them to heart. 

Faith?  Some just wouldn’t keep it.

Numbers 14:10 Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?…

God may be slow to anger, but it doesn’t mean He’ll never say, “Time’s up!” or “Enough!”  Moses appeals to the character of God and His great love to forgive instead of God’s destroying them all for their unbelief.

Numbers 14:19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”  20 The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.  

Pardon, however, didn’t restore a reward of the Promised Land. 
God would give the reward to their children
while those old enough to have seen God’s miraculous deliverance
and chose instead to be faithless would die in the wilderness.

Numbers 14: 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth,  22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times– 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it…. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. (Numbers 14:10-11, 19-23, 31)

Questions for further thought:

Are there any ways in which you’ve seen God working in your life, but then taken His actions for granted?  Or you’ve attributed it to your own ability?
Does God’s pardon for sin restore the reward for faith? 
Even in an age of God’s grace, how does forgiveness by the blood of Christ stand apart as a totally separate issue from the reward for faith by one’s actions? See 1 Corinthians 3:10-14.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus please open my eyes to see the pardon for sin and the grace You have shown. Help me to display works of faith not because it earns anything in this life but because it brings glory to You. May I bring a sacrifice of praise in honor of You. For Your glory we pray, Amen.

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

The remnant of faith always arises from within the larger culture.  Oftentimes, the remnant is persecuted or maligned, ridiculed or insulted, or in this case, enslaved.  The Hebrews, as a remnant people, were enslaved and mistreated for 400 years (as God had previously spoken).

“Then the LORD said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
(Genesis 15:13-14)

It was now the very time of their deliverance from that land of slavery into a beautiful land of plenty.  But even that would take a while as God continued to separate the remnant from the overall.

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”…That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.  And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.”  (Exodus 14:13-14, 30-31)

Questions for further thought:

What was the outcome of the deliverance?  Aside from plundering the Egyptians on their way out (as had been foretold and to fund their journey), what did the deliverance do spiritually?

In Exodus 15, they open with a song, but by verse 24, they’re grumbling against Moses.  By Exodus 16, that’s just one chapter and the fifteenth day of the second month after they came out of Egypt, they not only grumbling against Moses, but Aaron, too.  Discontent and ingratitude are contagious.

Exodus 16:3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

What does it say about human nature that we forget the goodness of God and His deliverance so quickly?

Prayer:

Forgive us, Father, for forgetting Your deliverance and goodness, taking for granted the salvation that You provided at the high cost of the Son of God and His precious blood shed for us.  We praise You for Your mercy; we praise You for Your grace; and we praise You for Your love that is beyond all comprehension and beyond anything we could ask or imagine.  We praise You for Your perfection and plan of salvation that is from old.  We ask, Lord, that You would ignite it afresh in our hearts this day, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

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Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

The Passover is oddly ranked last among the seven Jewish holidays according to a website called JourneyZ. Historically or as secular Jews, maybe it makes sense, but seriously?  Passover comes in dead last out of 7 Jewish holidays? 
1. Shabbat;
2. Rosh Hashanah;
3. Yom Kippur;
4. Sukkot;
5. Shemini (Sh’mini Atzeret) Atzeret;
6. Hanukkah;
7. Passover

I’m just going to leave that there for your thought.  But let’s turn to the record of Jesus Christ’s actual practice.

As an observant Jew, He would have done all the ones commanded in the Law of Moses, but not necessarily those according to the gospel of JourneyZ.  Furthermore, while silence is not indicative, regarding the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14,), Rosh Hashanah (no NT reference), Yom Kippur (not a single Gospel reference to atonement but Romans 3:24-26, Hebrews 9:7, 10:3, 19-22), Sukkot (John 7, of particular note is v 37), Sh’mini Atzeret (no NT reference except perhaps John 7:37), Hanukkah (no specific NT reference), and Passover (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-20; and John 2:13, 11:55).

Of all of them, rather than dead last,
the Passover is highlighted by Christ in the Gospels,
and it formed the occasion for the “Last Supper.” 

Now, let’s return to the first Passover and bring it all together.  You can review the commands in Exodus 12:1-14.  Then God told Moses,

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt…When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down” (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).

Had there been any firstborn Hebrew by heritage who failed to obey the instructions, preferring instead to be a gawker, maybe waiting for the destroying angel by hanging around outside, that Hebrew—by heritage—would have been destroyed along with the firstborn of Egyptians, foreigners, animals, etc.

In this way, God highlighted the remnant has always been by faith,
preserved by the blood…
and the Passover was to be a lasting ordinance to remind people of that.

Questions for further thought:

Do you think any firstborn Hebrews might have been tempted to go outside to have a look as the loud sound of wailing filled the night air?

Temptation, yes, but think about how that might have been evidence enough to keep one safely inside and one’s curiosity in check.  Fear, that what one was hearing was precisely God doing exactly what He said He would do.  Faith, that God is reliable and does what He says.  Fear of God reminding, “Don’t do it. Stay faithful to what you have heard.” How ought the Word of God Himself be enough incentive to obey?

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord for historically recording Your preservation of a remnant by faith. We praise You and thank You that You distinguished between Your holy people by faith and those of the world who do not follow Your ways, who do not know You, and choose to live in sin and rebellion.  The faithless so often mock those who choose to live in obedience to You. We trust Your Word for we know these words are the very words of life. Lord, please give us the strength, the encouragement, and the perseverance to share Your Word with a watching world.  So that even if they ridicule us, we will have been faithful to share Your gospel with all men before Your return. We praise You Lord Jesus for Your work on the Cross, for the salvation that is possible in You, and we ask, Lord for windows of opportunity to take that good news and proclaim it widely for Your glory. Amen.

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.

Acts 7:17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. 20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.”

Stephen recounts the Hebrew history in Acts 7, but Jesus’ genealogy is silent on specifics.  A few names, but we aren’t able to pinpoint dates or locations until we get to the later names of Salmon, Boaz, and Ruth.

Back to Stephen’s recounting of history, Moses is not in Jesus’ genealogy, but he did prefigure Christ as a prophet who would lead an exodus out of the land of slavery. All we know is at this point, they were slaves in Egypt, and God would raise up Moses to lead them out…including the silent people in the line of Christ.  That Exodus would occur somewhere around 1446 BC, if we’re calculating back from King Solomon’s reign.

It is important to note that by the Exodus, the Hebrews were an identifiable people group from twelve tribes, and the remnant would be the smaller group within a larger overall group.  The small group would be by faith, not by heritage or tribal affiliation alone.

This is an important distinction we can make at this point.  Who is a Jew?

I read online sometimes people claiming there are fake Jews and real Jews which is rather unproductive language, though I can understand the reasoning. It’s similar to real Christians and those Christian hypocrites who claim the identity at Christmas, but don’t actually follow Christ. 

For the Jews, it’s even more complicated.  As I see it, there is a heritage of Hebrews—the Jews scattered in nations throughout this world, a national group of Jews who live in the nation-state of Israel, and out of both there is a faith remnant, the descendants of Abraham by faith.  The Jews of faith whether the Messianic Jews or the remnant to yet be grafted in.

***

But let’s make one thing clear: the Church is not the faith remnant out of the Hebrews. 
That remnant was here until Christ’s birth, is now hardened,
and is yet to come according to Romans 11: 25-27. 

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)

Questions for further thought:

Why are the terms fake and real unproductive?

How does that foment criticisms of antisemitism?

Are there “fake” and “real” Christians?  How can we identify who is real and who is fake (Matthew 7:15-29)?  Who knows the truth of the hearts of those claiming to follow Christ?

Prayer:

Help me, Lord, to be a peacemaker on this earth- a peacemaker between those of the Jewish heritage and those who are rooted in their Christian heritage by their devotion to Jesus Christ.  Help me to appreciate that Jesus was raised with the faith doctrines and traditions of Judaism.  Remind and teach me that the roots of my faith as a Christian include not just the New Testament but also the words of life that Christ fulfilled from the Old Testament.  Help me to love my Jewish brothers and sisters.  Help me to teach any with ears to hear that Christians are not their enemies but their loving helpers. For those Jews by heritage who follow Christ, help me to be their partners in being a light to the nations.  We ask Lord that, in Your time, You will graft back in that original Jewish heritage so that we all might reach fullness together in Christ, and may it hasten the Day of His Return.  It is for Christ’s glory we pray. Amen. 

===

Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.