DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY JANUARY 10
WORD OF WISDOM
There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the
river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Look and Live
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:14-17
When the Children of Israel griped and complained about the manna that God
was miraculously providing them every day, God sent poisonous snakes into
the camp. In desperation, the people came to Moses and confessed their sin.
When Moses prayed, God gave him the solution. It was not what the people
asked for, the removal of the snakes, but instead a cure. "And Moses made a
serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a
serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived"
(Numbers 21:9).
As Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, He used this event to illustrate the
means of salvation. As a Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus would have been
well acquainted with the story. It is a powerful demonstration of God's
grace because it shows that deliverance and salvation can only come from
Him, and specifically from faith in Him. God did not instruct the people to
follow a certain ritual or offer elaborate sacrifices for their healing.
Instead they only had to look at the serpent on the pole and their lives
would be spared.
We do not get saved because of anything that we do or don't do. We do not
get saved because of our bloodlines and heritage, because we belong to a
certain church, or because of where we live. We get saved because we look to
Jesus in faith for the help that only He can provide. There is no human
remedy for the poison of sin. We are utterly without hope unless we accept
what Jesus provides.
Salvation only comes by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus
Christ.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 28-30 New King James Version
Jacob Sent to His Uncle Laban
28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and [a]charged him, and said to
him: "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to
Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself
a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
3 "May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
4 And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In[b] which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham."
5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of
Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Esau Marries Mahalath
6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to
take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a
charge, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan," 7
and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan
Aram. 8 Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father
Isaac. 9 So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael,
Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the
wives he had.
Jacob's Vow at Bethel
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to
a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he
took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down
in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up
on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of
Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will
give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the
dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the
north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the
earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep[c] you
wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave
you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome
is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the
gate of heaven!"
18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put
at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he
called the name of that place [d]Bethel; but the name of that city had been
Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me,
and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and
clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace,
then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a
pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give
a [e]tenth to You."
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the
East. 2 And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were
three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the
flocks. A large stone was on the well's mouth. 3 Now all the flocks would be
gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water
the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth.
4 And Jacob said to them, "My brethren, where are you from?"
And they said, "We are from Haran."
5 Then he said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?"
And they said, "We know him."
6 So he said to them, "Is he well?"
And they said, "He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the
sheep."
7 Then he said, "Look, it is still [f]high day; it is not time for the
cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them."
8 But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and
they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep."
9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's
sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw
Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban
his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the
well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 Then
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told
Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. So
she ran and told her father.
13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his
sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and
brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban
said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him
for a month.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you
therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?" 16 Now
Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the
younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were [g]delicate, but Rachel was
beautiful of form and appearance.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for
Rachel your younger daughter."
19 And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should
give her to another man. Stay with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years for
Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had
for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled,
that I may go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the
place and made a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took
Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And
Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to
pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, "What
is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why
then have you deceived me?"
26 And Laban said, "It must not be done so in our [h]country, to give the
younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this
one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven
years."
28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter
Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter
Rachel as a maid. 30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved
Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.
The Children of Jacob
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was [i]unloved, He opened her womb; but
Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his
name [j]Reuben; for she said, "The Lord has surely looked on my affliction.
Now therefore, my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and
bore a son, and said, "Because the Lord has heard that I am [k]unloved, He
has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name [l]Simeon. 34
She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will
become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his
name was called [m]Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and
said, "Now I will praise the Lord." Therefore she called his name Judah.[n]
Then she stopped bearing.
Jacob's Children
30 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her
sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!"
2 And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the
place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3 So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a
child on my knees, that I also may [o]have children by her." 4 Then she gave
him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah
conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case;
and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his
name [p]Dan. 7 And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a
second son. 8 Then Rachel said, "With [q]great wrestlings I have wrestled
with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called his name
[r]Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and
gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11
Then Leah said, [s]"A troop comes!" So she called his name [t]Gad. 12 And
Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "I am happy,
for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name [u]Asher.
14 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the
field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,
"Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my
husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?"
And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's
mandrakes."
16 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet
him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my
son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.
17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my
husband." So she called his name [v]Issachar. 19 Then Leah conceived again
and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a
good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him
six sons." So she called his name [w]Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a
daughter, and called her name [x]Dinah.
22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my
reproach." 24 So she called his name [y]Joseph, and said, "The Lord shall
add to me another son."
Jacob's Agreement with Laban
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to
Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go;
for you know my service which I have done for you."
27 And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes,
for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your
sake." 28 Then he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it."
29 So Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your
livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little,
and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you [z]since my
coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?"
31 So he said, "What shall I give you?"
And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing
for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all
your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep,
and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among
the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer
for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every
one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the
lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me."
34 And Laban said, "Oh, that it were according to your word!" 35 So he
removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the
female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white
in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand
of his sons. 36 Then he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob,
and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and
chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was
in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks
in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so
that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks
conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled,
and spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face
toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his
own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban's flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that
Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that
they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he
did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's.
43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female
and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Footnotes
Genesis 28:1 commanded
Genesis 28:4 Lit. Of your sojournings
Genesis 28:15 protect
Genesis 28:19 Lit. House of God
Genesis 28:22 tithe
Genesis 29:7 early in the day
Genesis 29:17 Or weak
Genesis 29:26 Lit. place
Genesis 29:31 Lit. hated
Genesis 29:32 Lit. See, a Son
Genesis 29:33 Lit. hated
Genesis 29:33 Lit. Heard
Genesis 29:34 Lit. Attached
Genesis 29:35 Lit. Praise
Genesis 30:3 Lit. be built up by her
Genesis 30:6 Lit. Judge
Genesis 30:8 Lit. wrestlings of God
Genesis 30:8 Lit. My Wrestling
Genesis 30:11 So with Qr., Syr., Tg.; Kt., LXX, Vg. in fortune
Genesis 30:11 Lit. Troop or Fortune
Genesis 30:13 Lit. Happy
Genesis 30:18 Lit. Wages
Genesis 30:20 Lit. Dwelling
Genesis 30:21 Lit. Judgment
Genesis 30:24 Lit. He Will Add
Genesis 30:30 Lit. at my foot
