Matthew 1:1 (NLT) This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
The ancestors of Jesus the Messiah began through the descendant of David and of Abraham. This week, I began reading in the book of Genesis and many of the Psalms. I began to observe a recurring idea throughout the story and life of Abraham and David.
The recurrent topic is worship. It was who, what, when, where and how Abram and David worshipped that altered a life-changing encounter and experience with God that changed each from being an ordinary man into becoming extraordinary men.
In Gensis, Abram sought the Lord. He spent time with Him. The scriptures teach that he rose early, built an altar, and called on the name of the Lord. His worship was special. His worship was sensible. His worship was significant. His worship was sustaining. His worship was satisfied. His worship was sincere.
It was his worship and time with God that led him to be an incredible man of God. Abram was a man who did inconceivable, impossible and adventuresome things with and through the Lord. Yet, he was still just a simple man and because that simple man counted on and believed the LORD, it was his deposit of faith that made him right with the LORD.
It was his faith that kept him moving in the journey. The voyage made with family, friends, neighbors, cities, communities and even kingdoms in order to fulfill the promise, the covenant and blessing bestowed upon him. After all, the next several generations would be glancing back upon history (HIS STORY) to see where His lineage originated and how these covenants would be fulfilled.
In Psalms, the same thing can be said about David. The Bible says in chapter 78:70-71 “He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants – God’s own people, Israel.” David was a man after God’s own heart.
Both Abram and David were faithful, human men. They loved God deeply. They honored Him. And? That is what God was after in each of them. Therefore, he also reciprocated that same love and honor upon man.
Matthew astonishes me with his writings. He begins verse one by focusing on the change in Abraham that took place through God. (Notice that he listed his name as Abraham and not Abram.) Although he is tracing the lineage back, Matthew was looking ahead at the work that was accomplished and made complete in Christ through these men’s lives.
Matthew was perceptive as a writer. He omprehended and understood the scripture and reminded the reader how the Old Testament concealed (Genesis 22:18 “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”) is actually the New Testament revealed here in Matthew chapter one. These men were the sons of the “anointed” and “poured on” one.
No one understood this better than Matthew because we later read that Christ did the same work in Levi that he personally did in Abraham. He changed Him by pouring HIMSELF into Matthew. What an investment! Matthew became a new creature in Christ. All those old things about Levi passed away and behold all thing were made new in his life as Matthew. Here we have a small glimpse of that new beginning.
My friend, I realized that there must be that same recurring idea and theme throughout the story and life of Traci Alexander too after reading and studying this. The recurrent theme of my life MUST be worship. It is who, what, when, where and how I worship that can bring about a life-changing encounter and experience with God that changes me from being an ordinary woman to and extraordinary one.
My worship must be special, sensible, significant, sustaining, satisfying and most of all it must be sincere. We can each enjoy worship and time with God. It will develop us into incredible women of God so that we too can be women who do inconceivable, impossible and adventuresome things with and through the LORD.
Both Abram and David were faithful, human men. We can be that too! They loved God deeply. They honored Him. And? That is what God was after in each of them. I believe it is also what He desires and is after in each of us as well!
As Andrea has stated, “Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith.” I relish in how she describes how He’s the bookends of our beginnings and endings. We should fit somewhere in the middle of who He is!
The ancestors of Jesus the Messiah began through the descendant of David and of Abraham. This week, I began reading in the book of Genesis and many of the Psalms. I began to observe a recurring idea throughout the story and life of Abraham and David.
The recurrent topic is worship. It was who, what, when, where and how Abram and David worshipped that altered a life-changing encounter and experience with God that changed each from being an ordinary man into becoming extraordinary men.
In Gensis, Abram sought the Lord. He spent time with Him. The scriptures teach that he rose early, built an altar, and called on the name of the Lord. His worship was special. His worship was sensible. His worship was significant. His worship was sustaining. His worship was satisfied. His worship was sincere.
It was his worship and time with God that led him to be an incredible man of God. Abram was a man who did inconceivable, impossible and adventuresome things with and through the Lord. Yet, he was still just a simple man and because that simple man counted on and believed the LORD, it was his deposit of faith that made him right with the LORD.
It was his faith that kept him moving in the journey. The voyage made with family, friends, neighbors, cities, communities and even kingdoms in order to fulfill the promise, the covenant and blessing bestowed upon him. After all, the next several generations would be glancing back upon history (HIS STORY) to see where His lineage originated and how these covenants would be fulfilled.
In Psalms, the same thing can be said about David. The Bible says in chapter 78:70-71 “He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants – God’s own people, Israel.” David was a man after God’s own heart.
Both Abram and David were faithful, human men. They loved God deeply. They honored Him. And? That is what God was after in each of them. Therefore, he also reciprocated that same love and honor upon man.
Matthew astonishes me with his writings. He begins verse one by focusing on the change in Abraham that took place through God. (Notice that he listed his name as Abraham and not Abram.) Although he is tracing the lineage back, Matthew was looking ahead at the work that was accomplished and made complete in Christ through these men’s lives.
Matthew was perceptive as a writer. He omprehended and understood the scripture and reminded the reader how the Old Testament concealed (Genesis 22:18 “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”) is actually the New Testament revealed here in Matthew chapter one. These men were the sons of the “anointed” and “poured on” one.
No one understood this better than Matthew because we later read that Christ did the same work in Levi that he personally did in Abraham. He changed Him by pouring HIMSELF into Matthew. What an investment! Matthew became a new creature in Christ. All those old things about Levi passed away and behold all thing were made new in his life as Matthew. Here we have a small glimpse of that new beginning.
My friend, I realized that there must be that same recurring idea and theme throughout the story and life of Traci Alexander too after reading and studying this. The recurrent theme of my life MUST be worship. It is who, what, when, where and how I worship that can bring about a life-changing encounter and experience with God that changes me from being an ordinary woman to and extraordinary one.
My worship must be special, sensible, significant, sustaining, satisfying and most of all it must be sincere. We can each enjoy worship and time with God. It will develop us into incredible women of God so that we too can be women who do inconceivable, impossible and adventuresome things with and through the LORD.
Both Abram and David were faithful, human men. We can be that too! They loved God deeply. They honored Him. And? That is what God was after in each of them. I believe it is also what He desires and is after in each of us as well!
As Andrea has stated, “Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith.” I relish in how she describes how He’s the bookends of our beginnings and endings. We should fit somewhere in the middle of who He is!
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