My prayer is that you read and study these devotional passages with me in an earnest desire to seek the Lord (Phil)
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THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The daily devotion
Wise and choiceful words spoken should be received with encouragement
“11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”
Proverbs 25:11-12 (KJV)
Genesis 36-37
Genesis 36 is a listing of the genealogy of Esau (Edom)
Genesis 37
This is the story of Joseph. As you can see from the diagram below, Joseph was the second youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, the eleventh son in total
Outside looking in, the majority of sons were from Leah and Jacob so the others, primarily Joseph and Benjamin, were their step brothers
Isaac lived as a “stranger” or “sojourner” in the land of Canaan
Hebrews 11:8-9 (KJV), “8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.”
Genesis 37:1 (KJV), “And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.”
Joseph was feeding the flocks with his other older stepbrothers from Bilhah (Dan and Naphtali) and Zilpah (Gad and Asher)
Genesis 37:2 (KJV), “These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.”
More than likely Benjamin was NOT with the other brothers when thy conspired to kill Joseph. He was the youngest of all Jacob’s children and the beloved son of Rachel
Genesis 37:17-20 (KJV), “17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”
Reuben apparently had stepped away from the area after he told his brothers not to kill Joseph
Genesis 37:21-22 (KJV), “21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.”
Since Reuben was not there, Judah stepped in
Genesis 37:26-28 (KJV), “26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.”
And then when Reuben returned
Genesis 37:29-30 (KJV), “29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?”
There are a couple of different theories of the Ishmaelites and the Midianites
Theory One – two different groups
Joseph’s brothers intended to sell him to Ishmaelites, but it was the Midianite traders who actually pulled him from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, who then took him to Egypt. While Genesis 37:27 states the brothers “sell him to the Ishmaelites,” Genesis 37:28 clarifies that the Midianites were the ones who sold him to the Ishmaelites. Later, when Joseph is sold to Potiphar in Egypt, the text states he was bought “from the hand of the Ishmaelites”.
Before the Ishmaelites Joseph’s brothers were waiting for arrived, a group of Midianite traders happened upon the pit. These Midianite merchants then took Joseph out and sold him to the Ishmaelites.
Theory Two – One in the same
Abraham’s descendants included both Ishmael
Genesis 25:12 (KJV), “Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham.”
and Midian. Consequently, some lines of Ishmael and Midian would have shared ethnic and cultural connections.
Genesis 25:1-4 (KJV), “1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.”
• Ishmaelites: Descendants of Abraham through Ishmael.
• Midianites: Descendants of Abraham through Keturah
By the time of Joseph, these clans traded and traveled extensively across the same regions. Over generations, some distinctions between them could have blurred or merged through intermarriage and shared nomadic lifestyles.
Isaiah 31
The folly of not trusting in God
Isaiah 31:1 (KJV), “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!”
Let’s look at the key verbs in the verse
Woe – in this context it addresses a sinful nation (past, present, or future)
Brown-Driver-Briggs – Ah! sinful nation Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries; especially preparatory to a declaration of judgment.
Trust in
Brown-Driver-Briggs – I. trust. c. things.
Who do look (not)
Brown-Driver-Briggs – gaze (steadily, with interest, etc.). man subject, regard God (with trust, devotion), with.
In other words
“Ah! sinful nation who trust in things and gaze at things other than a regard, trust, and devotion to God.”
God’s judgement is fair and warranted
Deuteronomy 32:4 (KJV), “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
2 Chronicles 19:7 (ESV), “Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
Romans 9:14 (KJV), “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.”
To those who choose things other than God
Joshua 24:15 (KJV), “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
To our verse in Isaiah 31
“Ah! sinful nation who trust in things and gaze at things other than a regard, trust, and devotion to God.”
Isaiah 31:2 (KJV), “Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.”
God gave us free will to choose to listen and follow Him or not to listen and follow Him
Genesis 2:17 (KJV), “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Just as Israel (Jerusalem) was chosen by God to be His people, so are those who choose Jesus Christ
Isaiah 31:4-5 (KJV), “4B … so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.” 5 As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.”
Psalms 23
All you (we) need in life is God
Psalm 23:1 (KJV), “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Proverbs 25
Solomon’s proverbs and wisdom were so revered, all subsequent kings make it a point to not only read and memorize them but copied them to ensure preservation
Proverbs 25:1 (KJV), “These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.”
God being the creator of everything, has the honor and distinction to conceal all that He has created from everyone
Proverbs 25:2a (KJV), “2a It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.”
God gave man a brain (mind) and a free will to search out the glory of which God has created
Proverbs 25:2b (KJV), “but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
>>> The following are additional wise sayings by Solomon that we should always try to adhere to <<<
Seek the counsel and the wisdom of God before proceeding with legal matters
Proverbs 25:8-10 (KJV), “8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: 10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.”
Wise and choiceful words spoken should be received with encouragement
Proverbs 25:11-12 (KJV), “11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.”
Everything in moderation
Proverbs 25:16 (KJV), “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.”
How do you show kindness and active love to enemies, which can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and a desire for repentance in them, thereby overcoming evil with good?
Proverbs 25:21-22 (KJV), “21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.”
Grow in the Word of the Lord 