As Jesus spoke of His impending suffering and death, His disciples argued about status and jockeyed for positions of honor. Does that sound childish and insensitive? Discover why we shouldn’t be so quick to judge them, on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
True Affection
Despite Saul’s promising beginnings as Israel’s first king, before long he floundered and failed. His problem was not a lack of ability but a lack of obedience. So Samuel confronted Saul about his rebellion against God’s word and told him that God had rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23). Evidently, Samuel had some affection for Saul, which is why Saul’s failure shook the prophet, causing him to grieve.
Though Samuel enjoyed a privileged and distinctive position as the one who brought the word of God to the people, he was not removed or distanced in his response to all that unfolded. Because the prophet loved those under his care, it was only fitting that he grieved over their sin and suffering. And this sadness also led him to prayer. At one point, dismayed by the people’s actions, he declared, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). The prophet grieved for them and prayed for them because he cared for them.
Leadership brings with it particular privileges. But those privileges are partnered with perils. Effective leadership requires an emotional investment in those being led—and so the burdens of leadership are in large measure directly tied to those who are being led. Sometimes those people disappoint greatly and sometimes they suffer greatly, and both occurrences will weigh on a good leader. As we see with Samuel, it is not the shepherd’s role to condemn when those in his care stumble and fall. Rather, the role of the shepherd is marked by grief. If it means anything for us to be united in heart, mind, and purpose, then it must mean something to us when those for whom we have affection stumble and fall.
Though this is particularly true of leadership, Samuel’s example should cause all of us to stop and ask, “What makes me cry? What makes me smile? And what do I do when I cry and when I smile?” The answer to these questions is a real indication of where you are in your spiritual progress. Seek to make sure that your life is marked by true affection for those around you, and especially those the Lord has given you responsibility for in some way—a true affection that grieves over sin and suffering in the lives of those you care for. And then be sure to respond as Samuel did: with faithful prayer to the one who promises that, one day, as you stand in His presence, He will “wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4).
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Timothy's Encouraging Report
6But mnow that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of nyour faith and love and reported othat you always remember us kindly and plong to see us, as we long to see you— 7for this reason, brothers,2 in all our distress and affliction qwe have been comforted about you through your faith. 8For now we live, if you rare standing fast in the Lord. 9For swhat thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly tnight and day uthat we may see you face to face and vsupply what is lacking in your faith?
11Now may wour God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, xdirect our way to you, 12and may the Lord ymake you increase and abound in love zfor one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may aestablish your hearts blameless in holiness before wour God and Father, at bthe coming of our Lord Jesus cwith all his saints.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
You Shall Call His Name Jesus
You shall call his name Jesus.
When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers that everything about Him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. “Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia,” said David,1 as if the very vestments of the Savior were so sweetened by His person that he could not but love them. It is certain that there is not a spot where His hallowed foot has trod, there is not a word that His blessed lips have uttered, nor a thought that His loving Word has revealed that is not precious to us beyond all price.
And this is true of the names of Christ—they are all sweet in the believer’s ear. Whether He is called the Husband of the church, her Bridegroom, her Friend; whether He is referred to as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world—the King, the Prophet, or the Priest—every title of our Master—Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, the Mighty Counselor—every name is like the honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops that distill from it.
But if there is one name sweeter than another in the believer’s ear, it is the name Jesus. Jesus! It is the name that moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! The life of all our joys. If there is one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is the melody of our psalms. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring, a song in a word, an ocean for comprehension, a matchless oratorio in two syllables, a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.
Jesus, I love Thy charming name,
‘Tis music to my ear.
1) Psalm 45:8
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for February 8
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
1After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and wblighted by the east wind. 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8So in the morning xhis spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the ymagicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10When Pharaoh was zangry with his servants aand put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11bwe dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, che interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13And das he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14eThen Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they fquickly brought him gout of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. hI have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph answered Pharaoh, i“It is not in me; jGod will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”1 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, kin my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And lI told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; mGod has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also nseven years of famine. 28It is as I told Pharaoh; oGod has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29There will come pseven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30but after them there will arise qseven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. rThe famine will consume the land, 31and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the sthing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land2 of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35And tlet them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Joseph Rises to Power
37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, uin whom is the Spirit of God?”3 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40vYou shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.4 Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, wI have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh xtook his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and yclothed him in garments of fine linen zand put a gold chain about his neck. 43And he made him ride in his second chariot. aAnd they called out before him, “Bow the knee!”5 Thus he set him bover all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and cwithout your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46Joseph was thirty years old when he dentered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, elike the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
50Before the year of famine came, ftwo sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.”6 52The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has gmade me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”7
53The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and hthe seven years of famine began to come, ias Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
56So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses8 and jsold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe kover all the earth.
The Triumphal Entry
1iNow when they drew near to Jerusalem, to jBethphage and Bethany, at kthe Mount of Olives, Jesus1 sent ltwo of his disciples 2and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, mon which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8And many nspread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, o“Hosanna! pBlessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is qthe coming rkingdom of sour father rDavid! oHosanna tin the highest!”
11uAnd he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, vhe went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12wOn the following day, when they came from Bethany, xhe was hungry. 13yAnd seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for zit was not the season for figs. 14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15aAnd they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of bthe money-changers and the seats of those who sold cpigeons. 16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, d‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But eyou have made it a den of robbers.” 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and fwere seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because gall the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19hAnd when evening came they2 went out of the city.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
20iAs they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21And Peter remembered and said to him, j“Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22And Jesus answered them, “Have kfaith in God. 23lTruly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, m‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not ndoubt in his heart, but obelieves that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, pwhatever you ask in prayer, obelieve that you qhave received3 it, and it will be yours. 25And whenever ryou stand praying, sforgive, tif you have anything against anyone, so that uyour Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”4
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27vAnd they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28and they said to him, w“By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30Was the baptism of John xfrom heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, y‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—zthey were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was aa prophet. 33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Job Continues: My Life Has No Hope
1“Has not man ra hard service on earth,
and are not his sdays like the days of a hired hand?
2Like a slave who longs for tthe shadow,
and like ua hired hand who looks for his vwages,
3so I am allotted months of wemptiness,
xand nights of misery are apportioned to me.
4yWhen I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
5My flesh is clothed with zworms and adirt;
my skin hardens, then bbreaks out afresh.
6My days are cswifter than da weaver's shuttle
and come to their end without hope.
7“Remember that my life is a ebreath;
my eye will never again see good.
8fThe eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
while your eyes are on me, gI shall be gone.
9As hthe cloud fades and vanishes,
so he who igoes down to Sheol does not come up;
10he jreturns no more to his house,
nor does his kplace know him anymore.
11“Therefore I will not lrestrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will mcomplain in nthe bitterness of my soul.
12Am I the sea, or oa sea monster,
that you set a guard over me?
13pWhen I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,’
14then you scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than my qbones.
16I rloathe my life; I would not live forever.
sLeave me alone, for my days are ta breath.
17uWhat is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
18vvisit him every morning
and wtest him every moment?
19How long will you not xlook away from me,
nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
20If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me yyour mark?
Why have I become a burden to you?
21Why do you not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in zthe earth;
The Remnant of Israel
1I ask, then, hhas God rejected his people? By no means! For iI myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,1 a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2jGod has not rejected his people whom he kforeknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3l“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4But what is God's reply to him? m“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5So too at the present time there is na remnant, chosen by grace. 6oBut if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7What then? pIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest qwere hardened, 8as it is written,
r“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
seyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9And David says,
t“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.”
Gentiles Grafted In
11So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass usalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion2 mean!
13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as vI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and wthus save some of them. 15For if their rejection means xthe reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16yIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17But if zsome of the branches were broken off, and you, aalthough a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root3 of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you bstand fast through faith. So cdo not become proud, but dfear. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, eprovided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise fyou too will be cut off. 23And geven they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
The Mystery of Israel's Salvation
25hLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:4 ia partial hardening has come upon Israel, juntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
k“The Deliverer will come lfrom Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27“and this will be my mcovenant with them
nwhen I take away their sins.”
28As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are obeloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the gifts and pthe calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as qyou were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now5 receive mercy. 32For God rhas consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33Oh, the depth of the riches and swisdom and knowledge of God! tHow unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34“For uwho has known the mind of the Lord,
or vwho has been his counselor?”
35“Or wwho has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36For xfrom him and through him and to him are all things. yTo him be glory forever. Amen.
Get the Program, Devotional, and Bible Reading Plan delivered daily right to your inbox.