My prayer is that you read and study these devotional passages with me in an earnest desire to seek the Lord (Phil)
¨¨¨ These devotionals are much easier to read on-line ¨¨¨
THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Always praise God for what He continually gives you
“The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
Psalm 18:46 (KJV)
Genesis 31
As long as you continually listen to the Lord for direction, no matter what it may cause you to do, God will always have your back
Genesis 31:1-3 (KJV), “1 And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory. 2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.”
Genesis 31:11-13 (KJV), “11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.”
Jacob confronts Laban with what God had done to protect him. Never be hesitant to give credit where the credit is due
Genesis 31:42 (KJV), “Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.”
When Jacob made a covenant with Laban, by making a pillar for sacrifice, Labon called it Jegar Sahadutha and Jacob called it Galeed
Jegar-sahadutha is an Aramaic phrase meaning “heap of witness.” Jacob called it Galeed, which has the same meaning in Hebrew.
Aramaic was most likely the language in which Labon spoke. Jacob primarily spoke Hebrew, though he likely had some understanding of Aramaic.
Mizpah
So, what is Mizpah and what is the importance of it?
Genesis 31:48-49 (KJV), “48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; 49 And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.”
This is the first time the word ‘Mizpah’ is used in the bible
Mizpah, derived from the Hebrew word meaning “watchtower,” holds significant meaning as both a place and a concept. In a literal sense, it refers to a watchtower or lookout point.
More importantly
It also signifies an emotional bond, particularly between people who are separated, with the idea that God is watching over them.
The Jews kept the name Mizpah (“Watchtower”) due to Jacob’s importance in Jewish history. Find out more about placement of Mizpah in the bible here
Isaiah 22
Valley of Vision
The city that should have treasured God’s revelations instead trembles under impending judgment
Isaiah 22:1 (KJV), “The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?”
Isaiah 22:5 (KJV), “For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.”
Elam and Kir are mentioned as part of a military force threatening Jerusalem. Specifically, Elam is described as taking up the quiver with chariots and horsemen, while Kir uncovers the shield. These details suggest that both Elam and Kir are contributing troops to an army, likely the Assyrian army, that is preparing to attack
Isaiah 22:6 (KJV), “And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.”
Jerusalem looked to themselves for protection instead of God
Isaiah 22:11-12 (KJV), “11 Ye (Jerusalem) made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. 12 And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth.”
Isaiah 22:13-14 (KJV), “13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. 14 And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.”
Shebna
Shebna is a high-ranking official in King Hezekiah’s court who is rebuked by the prophet Isaiah for his pride and self-serving actions
Isaiah specifically addresses Shebna, condemning him for focusing on building a lavish tomb instead of attending to his duties as steward of the royal household
Isaiah 22:15-16 (KJV), “15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, 16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?”
Sepulchre
Lexical Summary (6913) – qeber: Grave, tomb, sepulcher.
If you are ever put in a position of leadership like Shebna was, it is best to remember that God got you there and not to be selfish or self-serving putting those under you in a potentially fatal position
Isaiah 22:17-19 (KJV), “17 Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. 18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. 19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.”
God will find someone loyal and righteous to lead His people
Isaiah 22:20-21 (KJV), “20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.”
Psalms 18
God the Sovereign Savior
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul
Just like David did, we should always give God all the glory He deserves
Psalm 18:1-2 (KJV), “1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
God puts us in situations for His reasons. For many of His reasons, it is to see how strong our faith is. How we handle the test. Who do we turn to?
Psalm 18:3-6 (KJV), “3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”
The reward
Psalm 18:17-20 (KJV), “17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.”
True faith in God through all thick and thin gets rewarded
Psalm 18:21-24 (KJV), “21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. 23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.”
God is our strength in everything
Psalm 18:32 (KJV), “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”
Philippians 4:13 (KJV), “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
We are protected from damnation by God’s shield of faith
Psalm 18:35 (KJV), “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.”
Ephesians 6:16 (KJV), “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
David should be an example to all of us
Psalm 18:46 (KJV), “The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
My Rock
David was not just referring to God as a hard and strong defense
Brown-Driver-Briggs – 2. a. figurative of God. Proper name, of deity.
Source of Salvation and Refuge
Throughout the Psalms the Rock is explicitly tied to salvation. The term therefore undergirds assurance: rescue is as firm as stone, yet divinely animated.
Grow in the Word of the Lord 