C. H. Spurgeon
In his presence is fullness of joy; in his absence is depth of misery.
The Family Tree Of Jesus
Matthew 1:2-17
One of the very first things that Matthew does in his account of the life of Jesus is to trace his heritage back to Abraham, through a listing of the line, or genealogy, of Jesus. And while many simply skim these verses, or skip them all together, there are some critical elements here that can help us understand the gospel of Matthew much more clearly.
Two of the four Gospels contain genealogies, Luke and Matthew. Luke 3:23-38 was written for Gentiles, and goes all the way back to Adam. Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience, and Jewish history begins with Abraham. Some see this as contradictory, but it is not; the two lists were written for completely different purposes and completely different audiences. And typically, genealogies are focused on the first name of the list. Matthew reverses that trend and makes the focus the last name, the name of Jesus Christ.
He begins with Abraham. God had promised Abraham that through his seed all the world would be blessed in Genesis 22:18: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
So Matthew begins with Abraham and traces the lineage of Jesus down through the ages, naming some of the greatest of the ancestors of Jesus, Abraham and David. Both of these important people had received promises from God that the Messiah would be their descendant. This may or may not be a complete listing of the lineage of Jesus. Some generations may have been skipped or condensed in order to fit a pattern, or to summarize a series of generations. Either way, Matthew gives forty-two generations in three groups of fourteen each. They cover 2000 years: the first group covers 1000 years; the second covers 400 years; and the third group covers 600 years of time.
Matthew seems to count David twice, first as a patriarch, and second as one of the kings. It could be argued that David could fit into either category, and Matthew inserts him into both, as sort of a bridge between the two, and as recognition of David’s critical importance as part of Israel’s history.
Coffee Break – 05.21.2018
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
On this day in history: In 1471, King Henry VI was killed in the tower of London. Edward IV took the throne. In 1542, Hernando de Soto died along the Mississippi River while searching for gold. In 1819, bicycles were first seen in the U.S. in New York City. They were originally known as “swift walkers.” And in 1927, Charles Lindberg completed the first solo nonstop airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The trip began May 20.
Today Is National Memo Day!
Did you get the memo?
The Confusion Of Expensive Coffee – Just because a specific coffee is pricier doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better.
8 Tips To Keep Your Desk Clutter Free – I had to replace my computer last week, and it threw me off for a few days, as I got it situated and organized. In the process, I reorganized my desk and removed a lot of stuff that was just in the way. Here are some great tips for achieving a clutter free work area.
Slavery In The Modern Era – We tend to think that slavery is a thing of the past, and that it doesn’t exist anymore. But it does, in many forms, and as difficult a topic as it is, this is a very interesting story.
The Bobbit Worm – This is a small sea worm found in Indonesia, and it’s the stuff nightmares are made of. I’m kinda glad they are super small…
Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:57-60
Everything that the psalmist has written in Psalm 119 to this point, and especially the last couple of stanzas, culminates in this passage. He has sought God’s love, God’s protection, even God’s comfort. And here, he finds God himself. You can see this passage in Psalm 119:57-60:
The main thrust of God’s Word, the reason we need to spend time reading and studying it, is not simply for comfort or the ability to see some aspect of God more clearly, as important as those things may be. The main purpose for a careful study of God’s Word is to get to know God himself. One can know everything there is to know about God and about his Word, but if he does not know God himself, he has missed the point. Scripture was given to us so that we can know its author, the author of life itself, as intimately as we can.
That’s why the psalmist identifies God here as his “portion.” We don’t really understand this concept in the 21st century as well as we should. To our minds, a portion is a serving, our fair share, the right amount needed, such as a portion of the food served at dinner, or an equal portion of candy for my kids, or even our fair share of an estate or some other possession.
But to the Israelites, this is a word with some depth to it. When the nation of Israel left the wilderness after wandering in it for forty years, having left Egypt behind, they came to the Promised Land and began its conquest. As they entered the land, and the previous inhabitants were driven out before them, each tribe was given their own section of the land, their inheritance, their portion. That’s where they settled, and it was a part of their heritage.
All the tribes received a portion. All but the tribe of Levi. Instead of an area of land, the people of Levi were given forty-eight cities around the land, scattered among the rest of the tribes, so that their services as priests could be easily available throughout the nation. They received no piece of the land, but received something far better. Joshua 13:33 states, “But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance (portion), as he promised them.”
We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.
William Gurnall
To really hear the gospel is to be shaken to your core. To really hear the gospel is to change.
Mark Dever
Coffee Break – 05.07.2018
On this day in history: In 558, the dome of the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople collapsed. It was immediately rebuilt as ordered by Justinian. In 1789, the first U.S. Presidential Inaugural Ball was held in New York City. And in 1946, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp. was founded. The company was later renamed Sony.
Today Is National Melanoma Monday!
As one who has suffered from skin cancer, I encourage you to check your skin regularly!
Brewing Coffee With The Coffee Sock – How many ways can coffee be brewed? I’m not sure there is an answer to that. And the coffee sock seems to be an exceptionally easy way to do it. You can get one for just a few bucks at their website.
National Geographic 360° Videos – Set aside some time and watch a few of the videos on this list. They are completely interactive, so you can drag the screen to see different views. Utterly fascinating!
The Mysterious Death Of The Namesake Of The Douglas Fir – Have you ever heard of the Douglas Fir? Have you ever heard of the man it was named after? And have you heard the mystery and controversy surrounding his death?
Lady Bug Wings – These little bugs have a very intricate wing system, especially when it comes to folding them up. This is a brief but interesting video.