Not by Birth but by Choice (Advent 14, 2022)

This brings us to the final of the three patriarchs of the Jewish faith that was practiced by our Lord Jesus.  This is important and ought to give us every reason to be thankful for the faithful Jews who carried this faith and its traditions all the way to Christ.  Of course, God had a hand in all that.

This final patriarch has a few names.  Jacob (meaning heel-catcher referring to his birth, supplanter referring to his receiving the birthright blessing instead of Esau though Jacob was the second born) and Israel (after God changed his name following a hip injury during wrestling match with the angel of the Lord).

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, (Luke 3:34)

So here is Jacob.  Chosen by God to remind us that He alone chooses how the remnant moves forward. 

Questions for further thought:

Both Rebekah and Jacob (whom Scripture describes as “a peaceful man, living in tents”) deceived Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing instead of Esau (who had sold his birthright blessing for a bowl of lentils).  How do you reconcile Esau selling his birthright and Jacob’s deception of Isaac and yet God bringing it to pass?  Why would God allow human deceptions to accomplish His will?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Why can’t God demand perfection from people before they do His will?

Prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, that You do not demand that we clean up our lives before You come to redeem us. We thank You that even though we are sinners that You loved us enough to rescue us.  We have been saved by Your grace through faith You have given to us.  We praise You that even our mistakes can be worked together for Your glory. We ask now that You would continue the good work of redeeming our lives from the land of sin, shame, and guilt.  Thank You for bringing us into Your family as children of God by faith.  Thank You Lord Jesus.  For it’s in Your Name we pray. 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.

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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.