Chapter 29 launches us into the next major phase of Jacob’s life. Having arrived safely in the region of Haran, Jacob discovers to his joy that he is near the household of his uncle Laban. In the heat of midday, Jacob was met with several reminders of the Lord’s providence. As though to highlight the […]

Chapter 28 launches the biography of Jacob as an independent personality, the patriarch of the next generation of the covenant family, the man who would eventually give his other name, “Israel,” to the descendants of Abraham. Coming on the heels of Esau’s threat, Jacob’s entry into the world as the next patriarch began in the […]

One of the things that Protestant Christians must understand is that if we get the doctrine of justification wrong we are getting the gospel wrong. But equally true is that if we get the doctrine of sanctification wrong we are getting the gospel wrong. As Reformed Christians we rightly treasure the biblical doctrine of justification […]

The events described in chapter 27 are tragic. What is unfolded before us is the dissolution of a family. And this is not just another family. It is the family of Isaac, the patriarch, the son of Abraham and father of Jacob. Isaac was the child of promise conceived by Abraham and Sarah via the […]

The Lord’s Covenant of Grace runs like a thread through this passage, holding the whole of it together. God’s covenant with his people is a promise of his saving presence. Three times in this passage, the Lord’s presence with Isaac is confirmed. The first two confirmations came from the Lord himself who spoke to Isaac […]

The question, “What is the church’s mission,” is enormously important. How we understand the church’s mission will shape our message and our ministry. Fortunately, God has made the mission of the church quite clear. The mission is made abundantly clear in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:16ff). Our Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations […]

At this point in Numbers, the first generation of Israel that fled Egypt during the Exodus had died and now the second generation was preparing to see the promise of the land fulfilled. And yet, because of their sin, Israel was once again experiencing God’s judgment. This passage is one of those that you can […]

It has been said that God did not need a family, he wanted one. The creation of Adam and Eve began the theme of household that can be traced from Genesis to Revelation. Throughout the generations God preserved for himself a people, a collective of believing households, who would be called the family of God. […]

James is not an easy letter to read. The Apostle has our number. He corrects, rebukes, and admonishes his readers by naming specifically some our favored sins. And yet there is also deep encouragement in the letter that we must not fail to learn from. The closing section is one example of this encouragement. And […]