The Jesus Bible, NIV Edition

SAMPLER
The Jesus Bible, NIV Edition

Copyright 2016 by Zondervan
All rights reserved
The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by Zondervan
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Book introductions, sidebar notes, articles, and essays copyright 2016 by Passion Publishing.
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Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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F E AT U R E D C O N T R I B U T O R S
Rooted in the confession

of Isaiah 26:8, PASSION
exists to glorify God by uniting
students in worship, prayer
and justice for spiritual
awakening in this generation.
From its start in 1995, the
Passion movement has had
a singular missioncalling
students from campuses
across the nation and around
the world to live for what
matters most. For us, what
matters most is the name and
renown of Jesus. We believe
in this generation and are
watching God use them to
change the climate of faith
around the globe.
LOUIE GIGLIO is the
pastor of Passion City

Church in Atlanta, Georgia,
and the founder of Passion
Conferences, a global
movement uniting collegeaged people to live for the
fame of Jesus. With a desire
to elevate Gods glory above
all else, Louie has authored
The Comeback, The Air I
Breathe, I Am Not But I Know
I Am, and Indescribable,
which was co-authored with
Grammy-Award winner,
Matt Redman. Louie, and
his wife Shelley, live in
Atlanta, Georgia.
MAX LUCADO is a
preacher with a storytellers

gift a pastors heart
and a poets pen. Maxs
message is simple: God
loves you; let him. Max
serves the people of Oak
Hills Church in San Antonio,
Texas. He preaches and
writes to the hurting,
the guilty, the lonely, the
discouraged.
JOHN PIPER is founder and

teacher of desiringGod.org
and chancellor of Bethlehem
College & Seminary. For 33
years, he served as pastor of
Bethlehem Baptist Church,
Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is
author of more than 50 books,
including Desiring God, The
Pleasures of God, Future
Grace, and Let the Nations
Be Glad.
RAVI ZACHARIAS is
President and Founder of

Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries (RZIM). Their
global outreach grew from
humble roots in 1984 and
includes fielding a team
of itinerant speakers who
operate from offices located
around the world including
the U.S., the UK, Romania, the
Middle East, India, Singapore,
Hong Kong, and Canada.
The hallmark of Ravis heart
is his strong evangelistic
and apologetic spirit that
manifests itself from a
position of compassion.
RANDY ALCORN is an
author and the founder

and director of Eternal
Perspective Ministries (EPM),
a nonprofit ministry dedicated
to teaching principles of
Gods Word and assisting the
church in ministering to the
unreached, unfed, unborn,
uneducated, unreconciled,
and unsupported people
around the world. A New York
Times bestselling author,
Randy has written over 50
books, including the Gold
Medallion winner Safely
Home.
F E AT U R E S
Book introductions
highlight the story of
Jesus in every book
LUKE
TIBERIUS CAESAR
IS ROMAN EMPEROR
JOHN THE BAPTISTS

MINISTRY
c. AD 14 37
c. AD 25 27
JESUS MINISTRY,
DEATH,
RESURRECTION
c. AD 27 30
Jesus was sent by God to save sinners. Luke was one such sinner saved by the perfect life and
substitutionary death of Jesus, the Messiah. Though Luke never met Jesus personally, it is
clear that his life was radically transformed by the message he received from those who had.
Luke, a physician by trade, compiled information concerning the Christ from eyewitnesses to his life, death and resurrection. The letter is addressed to Theophilus, presumably a Gentile convert who served among the Christian community established through
Jesus work. This neophyte church was facing persecution, and Luke sought to reassure
Theophilus of Gods faithfulness throughout history, seen most clearly in the sending of
Jesus Christ. God would surely not abandon his people in the face of persecution when he
had already gone to such great lengths to secure their salvation through Christ.
Lukes Gospel is the only one with a sequel the book of Acts. There Luke continues
to describe the ongoing acts of God through the power of the Holy Spirit as the church
spread throughout the known world of the first century. Through the churchs proclamation
of Jesus, God continues to seek and save sinners.
This mission is vividly portrayed in the life of Christ seen throughout Lukes Gospel.
Jesus was sent by God to fulfill his pledge to save his people from their sins. Though many
would fail to trust him, Jesus relentlessly pursued them in his love. This passionate, gracious
love is portrayed in the three stories found in Luke 15 a lost sheep, a lost coin and two
lost sons. There Jesus is pictured as a loving Savior who will go to any length to find what
belongs to him.
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7 compelling essays on the

grand narrative of Scripture
by Louie Giglio, Max Lucado,
John Piper, Ravi Zacharias,
and Randy Alcorn
BEGINNINGS
JESUS AS THE SUPREME DISPLAY OF THE GLORY OF GOD

JOHN PIPER
GENESIS 1 2
After the question Does God exist? (to

which God answers, I Am, Ex3:14), the next
question that can shape your life most deeply is
Why did God create the world?
The short answer that resounds through the
whole Bible like rolling thunder is this: God created the world for his glory. Well see what that
means below, but first lets establish the fact.
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters
from the ends of the earth everyone who is
called by my name, whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made (Isa43:6 7). Even
if the narrower meaning here is I brought
Israel into being for my glory, the use of the
words created, formed, and made are
pointing us back to the original act of creation.
This is why Israel ultimately exists. Because
this is why all things ultimately exist for the
glory of God.
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR

When the first chapter of the Bible says, God
created mankind in his own image, in the image of
God he created them; male and female he created
them (Ge1:27), what is the point? The point of
an image is to image. Images are erected in public to display the original. Point to the original.
Glorify the original.
9780310444671_int_01_gen_deut_niv_jesus_bible_FINAL.indd 8
God made humans in his image so that the world

would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of
God. Billions of statues of God. So that nobody
would miss the point of creation. Nobody (unless
they were spiritually blind) could miss the point
of humanity, namely, God! Knowing, loving,
showing God.
The angels cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory
(Isa6:3). Its full of human image-bearers. Glorious ruins. But not only humans. Also nature!
Why such a breathtaking world for us to live in?
Why such a vast universe? Scientists now say (I
cant verify it!) that there are more stars in the
universe than there are words and sounds that
all humans of all time have ever spoken. Why is
it so gigantic?
The Bible is crystal clear about this: The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps19:1). If someone asks, If earth is the only inhabited planet in
the universe, and man the only rational inhabitant among the stars, why is there such a large and
empty universe? The answer is: Its not about
us. Its about God. Which means its not an overstatement; its an understatement. God created
us to know him and love him and show him. And
then he gave us a hint of what he is like the
universe.
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F E AT U R E S
Over 300 full-page

articles reveal Jesus
throughout all of
Scripture
DEUTERONOMY 18:15 19
CHRIST, THE PROMISED PROPHET

Throughout
the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), Moses served the people of Israel
in three primary offices or ways: prophet (Dt 34:10 12), priest (Ex 32:31 35) and as a type of king
or ruler (Ex 18:24 26). The people of God relied on Moses to lead them as a forming nation and in
religious practices according to Gods Word, as well as petitioning the Lord on their behalf. Moses
foretold of another prophet that God would raise up to serve Israel in the same vein. Deuteronomy
18:15 states, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from
your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. This verse established a culture of anticipation that
went unfulfilled for hundreds of years. The people of Israel longed for the next great leader, one who
would lead them as a king, priest and prophet. Moses foreshadowed the one for whom Israel waited.
He was a type of Christ, looking forward to the Messiah who was yet to come.
Jesus proved
to be the long-anticipated prophet, following in the offices of Moses and fulfilling the anticipation of Israel recorded in the Old Testament (Mt 4:12 17; Lk 4:16 21). Although
many Israelites looked for a military leader, Jesus came as a humble servant, even willing to face the
most humiliating form of execution within the Roman Empire (Php 2:5 8). He is a king whose
kingdom is not of this world who came to serve his people by atoning for their sin on a cross to
rescue them from the judgment of God. He is a prophet who proclaimed the commands of God and
showed his followers the right path to please the Lord (Jn 14:15,23). Finally, he is a priest, going
before the Father on behalf of the people of God, an office he currently fulfills at the right hand of
the Father without ceasing (Heb 7:23 25).
Ultimately,
all of the Old Testament authors from Moses to David and the other prophets
looked forward to the day when the Messiah would come and bring finality to their anticipation, a
day when they would see their ultimate Prophet, Priest and King.
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72 // GENESIS 42:37
Nearly 700 sidebar

articles comment on
the text and show the
Then Reu
ben said to his father, You may put both of my sons to death if I do
Christ-connectedness
not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.
But Jacob
son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead
ofsaid,
theMypassage
37
38
and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the jour ney you are tak ing,
you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sor row.
The Second Journey to Egypt
GENESIS 43:8 9
BECOMING A SLAVE
SO A SLAVE COULD
GO FREE
Judah makes a risky and bold move in
this passage in complete contrast to
his cowardly and unrighteous behavior earlier (Ge37:26 27; 38:11 26).
When Judah was forced to act on this
pledge (44:33 34), he remained
faithful to his promise, offering himself as a slave so that his brother
could avoid a similar fate (44:17).
His substitutionary act would have
allowed Benjamin to return to his father as a free man.
Centuries later, one of Judahs descendants would offer himself in the
place of sinners so that they might
be freed from their penalty and slavery. Judahs pledge of his life as the
substitute for his younger brother is
a striking parallel to Jesus substitutionary sacrifice of his life for his
adopted brothers and sisters the
church (Ro 8:17,29). Unlike Judah,
however (Ge 37:26 27), Jesus did
not contribute to the slavery of the
church. Instead, Jesus graciously
pledged himself as a substitute so
that he might bring home his redeemed ones, right into the heavenly
Fathers very presence.
43
Now the fam ine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all
the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, Go back
and buy us a lit tle more food.
3 But Judah said to him, The man warned us solemn ly, You will not see my
face again un less your brother is with you. 4 If you will send our brother along
with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we
will not go down, because the man said to us, You will not see my face again
un less your brother is with you.
6 Israel asked, Why did you bring this trouble on me by tell ing the man you
had another brother?
7 They replied, The man questioned us closely about our selves and our fami ly. Is your father still liv ing? he asked us. Do you have another brother? We
simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, Bring your
brother down here?
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, Send the boy along with me and we will
go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself
will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personal ly responsible for him. If I
do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame
before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and
returned twice.
11 Then their father Israel said to them, If it must be, then do this: Put some
of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as
a gift a lit tle balm and a lit tle honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio
nuts and al monds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a
mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God
Al mighty a grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother
and Benja min come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of sil ver, and Benja min
also. They hur ried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When
Joseph saw Benja min with them, he said to the steward of his house, Take these
men to my house, slaughter an an i mal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with
me at noon.
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Josephs house. 18 Now
the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, We
were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first
time. He wants to at tack us and over power us and seize us as slaves and take
our don keys.
19 So they went up to Josephs stew ard and spoke to him at the entrance to the
house. 20 We beg your pardon, our lord, they said, we came down here the first
time to buy food. 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened
our sacks and each of us found his silver the ex act weight in the mouth of his
sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought additional silver
with us to buy food. We dont know who put our silver in our sacks.
23 Its all right, he said. Dont be afraid. Your God, the God of your father,
has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver. Then he brought
Simeon out to them.
24 The stew ard took the men into Josephs house, gave them water to wash
a14
Hebrew El-Shaddai
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F E AT U R E S
Room for
notes and
journaling
throughout
ROMANS 3:20 // 1749
25 Circumci sion has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you
have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who
are not circumcised keep the laws requirements, will they not be regarded as
though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physical ly and
yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the a writ ten
code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A per son is not a Jew who is one only out ward ly, nor is circumci sion merely
out ward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inward ly; and circum
cision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spir it, not by the writ ten code. Such a
persons praise is not from other people, but from God.
Gods Faithfulness
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in cir
cumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted
with the very words of God.
3 What if some were un faith ful? Will their un faith ful ness nul li fy Gods faith
ful ness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every hu man being a liar. As it is writ
ten:
So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge. b
5 But if our un righteousness brings out Gods righteousness more clearly, what
shall we say? That God is unjust in bring ing his wrath on us? (I am using a hu
man argu ment.) 6 Cer tain ly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?
7 Some one might ar gue, If my falsehood en hanc es Gods truth ful ness and so
increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sin ner? 8 Why not say as
some slanderously claim that we say Let us do evil that good may result?
Their condem nation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we
have al ready made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the pow
er of sin. 10 As it is writ ten:
There is no one righteous, not even one;

there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one. c
13 Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit. d
The poison of vipers is on their lips. e
14
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. f
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16
ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know. g
18
There is no fear of God before their eyes. h
11
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the
law, so that every mouth may be si lenced and the whole world held accountable
to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in Gods sight by the works
of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
a27
d13
h18
b4 Psalm51:4
c12 Psalms 14:13;53:13; Eccles.7:20
Orwho, by means of a
e13 Psalm140:3
f14 Psalm10:7 (see Septuagint)
g17 Isaiah59:7,8
Psalm5:9
Psalm36:1
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OLD
TESTAMENT
6/27/16 12:53 PM
JESUS:
OUR
GLORIOUS
CREATOR
GENESIS
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GENESIS
CREATION
Unknown
ABRAM GOES
TO CANAAN
c. 2091 BC
JACOB AND
HIS FAMILY
GO TO EGYPT
c. 1876 BC
The book of beginnings starts with the most significant words of all time: In the beginning
God. With these words, the story of Gods grand and glorious plan for humanity commences. The opening book of the Bible is about Gods created design for his world, humankinds fall into sin and rebellion, and Gods gracious plan to rescue his beloved people from
the terrible implications of their sin. The stories of famous people such as Abram/Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and Joseph fill the book and trace the story of Gods grace toward his chosen
people. At the outset of the Bible, right after the first sin, God promised to send One who
would defeat Satan and sin forever. J esus, the creative Word by which God spoke all things
into being (Jn 1:1) would one day make his dwelling in a fallen world in order to save sinful
humanity.
God, through Moses, prepared these documents to present a unified picture of the
nature and character of himself and his work in the world to the second generation of those
freed from slavery in Egyptthose who were poised to take the land of promise. This
record of Gods dealings with humanity, starting with his created design, connected this
generation to Gods continued grace, mercy and guidance.
The first few chapters of Genesis introduce the God of creation and his goal for his
created image-bearers. Human sin contaminated and marred Gods created world, but
it has not thwarted his purposes. He will still be known and worshiped, and his glory
will fill the earth. In order to demonstrate his holiness and hatred of sin, God acted in
judgment (Ge3:1619). This judgment, however, did not obscure the abundance of grace
6/27/16 12:53 PM
seen throughout Genesis. He pledged to send a child, an offspring of the woman, who would
one day crush the head of Satan forever (Ge 3:15). In this way, God declared that he had a
plan to reclaim rebellious image-bearers from their sin. Throughout Genesis, God repeatedly made these promises in the form of a series of covenants in which he pledged his loyalty, faithfulness and grace to humans, who were then called to respond to this grace with
worshipful obedience.
Gods created design and mission in the world have not changed. He is still intent on
filling the earth with his glory and using his created image-bearers to accomplish that goal.
Christ, in his wrath-bearing death and life-giving resurrection, allows people to fulfill the
very purpose for which they were created. His death fulfilled the covenant promises of God
to make a way for people to have a right relationship with God in spite of human sin. Jesus
perfect obedience demonstrated the values of the kingdom of God and defined the hope
that we look forthe coming day when sin and death will be eradicated forever.
IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS

AND THE EARTH.
Genesis 1:1
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS
GENESIS 1:3
LET THERE BE LIGHT

God brings light into darkness. That
is a recurring theme throughout the
Bible, and it begins here. In this
verse, the spoken words of God create physical light to brighten a dark
world. The New Testament records
God sending his Son, J esus, to be the
light of the world (Jn1:114). And
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth
that salvation occurs when God
commands the light of his own glory
displayed in the face of Christ to
shine on the darkness of sinful
hearts (2Co 4:6). Light represents
the glory and salvation of God as it
is expressed in Jesus Christ. Jesus
is the exact representation of God,
and he revealed God to a world sitting in darkness. Those who trust in
Jesus are brought from the darkness
of sin into Gods lightwhere there
is joy, peace and hope forever. In the
end, there will be no more darkness,
and the light of Gods glory will shine
brightly in Gods eternal kingdom
(Rev21:23).
GENESIS 1:2627
MADE IN GODS
IMAGE
Human beings are uniquely created
in the image of God. When the rest
of creation was being birthed, it was
good. God created the birds, fish,
plants and stars to display his splendor and oh, how amazing they are.
(continued on page 6)
The Beginning
In the beg inn ing God created the heavens and the e arth. 2Now the e arth
was formless and empt y, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the
Spirit of God was hoveri ng over the waters.
3 And God said, Let t here be l ight, and t here was l ight. 4God saw that the l ight
was good, and he sepa rated the l ight from the darkness. 5God c alled the
l ight day, and the darkness he c alled night. And t here was even ing, and
t here was morni ng t he f irst day.
6 And God said, Let t here be a vault bet ween the waters to sepa rate water from
water. 7So God made the v ault and sepa rated the water under the v ault
from the water a bove it. And it was so. 8G od c alled the v ault sky. And
t here was even ing, and t here was morni ngt he second day.
9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry g round appear. And it was so. 10God c alled the dry g round land, and
the gathered waters he c alled seas. And God saw that it was good.
11T hen God said, Let the land produce vegetat ion: seed-beari ng p
lants
and t rees on the land that bear f ruit with seed in it, accordi ng to t heir var
ious k inds. And it was so. 12 T he land produced vegetat ion: plants beari ng
seed accordi ng to t heir k inds and t rees beari ng f ruit with seed in it accord
ing to t heir k inds. And God saw that it was good. 13A nd t here was even ing,
and t here was morni ngt he t hird day.
14 And God said, Let t here be l ights in the vault of the sky to sepa rate the day
from the n
ight, and let them s erve as s igns to mark s acred times, and days
and years, 15a nd let them be l ights in the vault of the sky to give l ight on
the earth. And it was so. 16God made two g reat l ightst he greater l ight
to govern the day and the lesser l ight to govern the n
ight. He also made
the stars. 17God set them in the v ault of the sky to give l ight on the e arth,
18to govern the day and the n
ight, and to sepa rate l ight from darkness. And
God saw that it was good. 19A nd t here was even ing, and t here was morn
ing t he fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the water teem with living creat ures, and let b
irds fly
above the earth across the vault of the sky. 21So God created the g reat crea
tures of the sea and every livi ng t hing with w
hich the water teems and that
moves about in it, accordi ng to t heir k inds, and every w
inged bird accord
ing to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God b
lessed them and said,
Be fruitf ul and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let
the birds increase on the earth. 23A nd t here was even ing, and t here was
morni ng t he f ifth day.
24 And God said, Let the land produce livi ng creat ures accordi ng to t heir k inds:
the livestock, the creat ures that move a long the g round, and the wild an
imals, each accordi ng to its kind. And it was so. 25God made the wild an
imals accordi ng to t heir k inds, the livestock accordi ng to t heir k inds, and
all the creat ures that move a long the g round accordi ng to t heir k inds. And
God saw that it was good.
26T hen God said, Let us make mank ind in our image, in our likeness,
so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over
the livestock and all the wild ani mals,a and over all the creat ures that move
a long the ground.
a26
Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth
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GENESIS 1:1
JESUS CREATED EVERYTHING AND

HOLDS IT ALL TOGETHER
Jesus has been from the beginning. We live in a pluralist society where many people believe
in some type of god. Therefore you probably would not get a whole lot of pushback when you say,
God created the heavens and the earth. However, understanding that Jesus created everything
changes how one views the whole of Scripture. Colossians 1:1517 says that, The Son [Jesus] is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together. Paul writes that all things were created by, through and for Jesus.
John makes a similar claim at the outset of his Gospel. The New Testament was written in
Greek to a largely Greco-Roman audience. The Greeks believed that there was a unifying force that
holds the entire world together. They defined that force as the Logos. The Gospel of John defines
the Logos as J esus. John 1:12 says, In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word [Logos]
was with God, and the Word [Logos] was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word of
Godthe very agent God used to create all thingstook on flesh and made his dwelling on earth
in the person of Jesus Christ.
John and Paul affirm this is the agent of creationthe eternal Word of God who was used
by God to make something out of nothing. Understanding that Jesus created everything and holds
everything together should shape how we read the whole of Scripture. Jesus does not make his
first appearance in the book of Matthew. Gods Trinitarian nature is on display from the outset of
the Scriptures. And, in many ways, the various stories found throughout the Old Testament help
explain the nature, character and work of Jesus Christ. Time and time again, God sets the stage for
the sending of the Son to fulfill his eternal plan to save those who were dead in their sins.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
6 // Genesis 1:27
(Made in Gods Image,

continued)
God said these creations were good.
However, when it came to humans,
the tone changed. He said that the
creation of humans was very good.
Human beings are an extra-special
creation for at least three reasons.
First, it is clear that humans have an
identity that is rooted in God. When
God said, Let us make mankind in
our image, he reiterated the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in
the act of creation (see article on
Ge1:1). Humans are special because
Jesus, as a part of the Trinity, created
them in his image. Second, humans
are special because they were created for a unique purpose. No two
humans are the same. Other aspects
of creation serve general functions,
but only humans have a unique, individual purpose. Third, humans are
designed to have a one-on-one relationship with God through Jesus,
powered by the Holy Spirit. As a right
of being created in the image of their
Creator, humans can relate directly
to him. It is through Jesus that this
relationship is made possible. He
came and tore down the dividing wall
of hostility that separated his special
creation from God (Ro8:3439).
GENESIS 1:28
GODS CREATED
MISSION
Adam and Eve lived on mission. This
is seen in a couple of ways. First, they
were to multiply and fill the earth. As
created image-bearers, were it not
for sin, they would naturally multiply
and fill the earth with more and more
image-bearing worshipers of God. As
worshipers spread, the glory of God
(continued on next page)
27 So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitf ul and increase in num
ber; fill the e arth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the b
irds
in the sky and over every livi ng creat ure that m
oves on the ground.
29T hen God said, I give you every seed-beari ng p
lant on the face of the
whole e arth and every tree that has f ruit with seed in it. They will be y ours
for food. 30A nd to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky
and all the creat ures that move along the g roundeveryt hing that has the
breath of life in itI give every g reen p
lant for food. And it wasso.
31G od saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And t here was
even ing, and t here was morni ngt he s ixth day.
Thus the heavens and the e arth were completed in all t heir vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doi ng; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his work. 3T hen God blessed the seventh day
and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creati ng that
he had done.
Adam and Eve

4T his is the acc ount of the heavens and the e arth when they were create d,
when the Lord God made the e arth and the heavens.
5Now no s
hrub had yet appeared on the e artha and no p
lant had yet s prung
up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and t here was no one to
work the g round, 6 but streams b came up from the earth and watered the whole
surface of the g round. 7T hen the Lord God formed a manc from the dust of the
g round and b
reathed into his nost rils the breath of life, and the man became a
livi ng bei ng.
8Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and t here he
put the man he had f ormed. 9T he Lord God made all k inds of t rees grow out of
the g roundt rees that were pleasi ng to the eye and good for food. In the midd le
of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10A river wateri ng the garden f lowed from Eden; from t here it was sepa rated
into four headwaters. 11T he name of the f irst is the Pishon; it w inds t hrough the
ent ire land of Havi lah, where t here is gold. 12(The gold of that land is good; aro
matic resi n d and onyx are also t here.) 13T he name of the second river is the Gi
hon; it w inds t hrough the ent ire land of Cush.e 14T he name of the t hird river is the
Tig ris; it runs a long the east side of Ashu r. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15T he Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of it. 16A nd the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to
eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowl
edge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.
18T he Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be a lone. I will make a
helper suitable for him.
19Now the Lord God had formed out of the g round all the wild ani mals and
all the b
irds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he w
ould name
them; and whatever the man c alled each livi ng creat ure, that was its name. 20So
the man gave n
ames to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild
animals.
But for Adamf no suitable helper was found. 21So the Lord God caused the
man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleepi ng, he took one of the mans
a5Orland; also in verse6 b6Ormist c7
TheHebrew for man (adam) sounds like and

may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah); it is also the name Adam (see verse20).
d12Orgood; pearls e13Possibly southeast Mesopotamia f20Orthe man
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 3:16//7
ribsa and then closed up the place with f lesh. 22T hen the Lord God made a wom
an from the ribb he had taken out of the man, and he b
rought her to the man.
23T he man said,
This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called woman,
for she was taken out of man.
24T hat
is why a man leaves his fat her and mother and is united to his wife, and
they become one flesh.
25Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
The Fall
Now the serpent was more c rafty than any of the wild ani mals the Lord God
had made. He said to the woma n, Did God really say, You must not eat from
any tree in the garden?
2T he woma n said to the serpent, We may eat f ruit from the t rees in the gar
den, 3but God did say, You must not eat f ruit from the tree that is in the midd le
of the garden, and you must not t ouch it, or you will die.
4 You will not cert ainl y die, the serpent said to the woma n. 5For God k nows
that when you eat from it your eyes will be o
pened, and you will be like God,
knowi ng good and evil.
6W hen the woma n saw that the f ruit of the tree was good for food and pleasi ng
to the eye, and also desirable for gaini ng wisdom, she took some and ate it. She
also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7T hen the eyes
of both of them were o
pened, and they rea li zed they were naked; so they s ewed
fig l eaves together and made coveri ngs for themselves.
8T hen the man and his wife h
eard the s ound of the Lord God as he was walk
ing in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God a mong
the t rees of the garden. 9But the Lord God c alled to the man, Where are you?
10He ans wered, I h
eard you in the garden, and I was a fraid bec ause I was
naked; so I hid.
11A nd he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the
tree that I commanded you not to eat from?
12T he man said, The woma n you put here with meshe gave me some f ruit
from the tree, and I ateit.
13T hen the Lord God said to the woma n, What is this you have done?
The woma n said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
14So the Lord God said to the serpent, Bec ause you have done this,
Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspringc and hers;
he will crushd your head,
and you will strike his heel.
16To the woma n he said,
I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;

with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.
a21Ortook part of the mans side b22Orpart c15Orseed d15Orstrike
(Gods Created Mission,

continued)
would be seen throughout the world
God had created. Second, people
were to exercise dominion over Gods
world. They were to do more than
simply care for the worldthey were
to harness the latent potential built
into Gods very good created design
in order to magnify the order, beauty
and capabilities inherent in all things
made by God. Sin changed all that
God created, but it did not obliterate this mandate. In Christ, men and
women can fulfill their God-given
mission to fill the earth with worshipers and develop the world in such a
way as to bring God great glory.
GENESIS 3:1517
THE PROMISED ONE

Gods judgment of sin is interrupted
by a stunning picture of his grace.
Because of human sin, there are
vast implicationsfrom men and
women to the very creation itself.
But God promises that sin will not
have the final word. This first reference to the plan of God to save fallen
sinners, sometimes referred to as the
protoevangelium (the first gospel),
declares Gods commitment to his
creation. He will not abandon it to
destruction but will pursue it in love.
His promise is cleara descendant
of the woman will crush the head of
the serpent. The heel of this male heir
of the first parents will be struck,
though the child will emerge victorious by crushing the head of the evil
one. The exact nature of the plan is
yet to be explained, but the plan is
already in place. Jesus, the promised
seed of the woman, would leave no
doubt as to the fulfillment of this
promise. It would appear that Satan
6/27/16 12:53 PM
BEGINNINGS
JESUS AS THE SUPREME DISPLAY OF THE GLORY OF GOD

JOHN PIPER
GENESIS 12
After the question Does God exist? (to

which God answers, I Am, Ex3:14), the next
question that can shape your life most deeply is
Why did God create the world?
The short answer that resounds through the
whole Bible like rolling thunder is this: God created the world for his glory. Well see what that
means below, but first lets establish the fact.
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters
from the ends of the eartheveryone who is
called by my name, whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made (Isa43:67). Even
if the narrower meaning here is I brought
Israel into being for my glory, the use of the
words created, formed, and made are
pointing us back to the original act of creation.
This is why Israel ultimately exists. Because
this is why all things ultimately existfor the
glory of God.
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR

When the first chapter of the Bible says, God
created mankind in his own image, in the image of
God he created them; male and female he created
them (Ge1:27), what is the point? The point of
an image is to image. Images are erected in public to display the original. Point to the original.
Glorify the original.
God made humans in his image so that the world

would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of
God. Billions of statues of God. So that nobody
would miss the point of creation. Nobody (unless
they were spiritually blind) could miss the point
of humanity, namely, God! Knowing, loving,
showing God.
The angels cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory
(Isa6:3). Its full of human image-bearers. Glorious ruins. But not only humans. Also nature!
Why such a breathtaking world for us to live in?
Why such a vast universe? Scientists now say (I
cant verify it!) that there are more stars in the
universe than there are words and sounds that
all humans of all time have ever spoken. Why is
it so gigantic?
The Bible is crystal clear about this: The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps19:1). If someone asks, If earth is the only inhabited planet in
the universe, and man the only rational inhabitant among the stars, why is there such a large and
empty universe? The answer is: Its not about
us. Its about God. Which means its not an overstatement; its an understatement. God created
us to know him and love him and show him. And
then he gave us a hint of what he is liket he
universe.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
We can see the purpose of creation even where

the apostle Paul describes how we have fallen
short of it. He says in Romans 1:2021:
Gods invisible qualitiesh is eternal power
and divine naturehave been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so
that people are without excuse. For although
they knew God, they neither glorified him as
God nor gave thanks to him.
The great tragedy of the universe is that, while
human beings were made to glorify God, we have
all fallen short of this purpose and exchanged
the glory of the immortal God for images made
to look like a mortal human being (Ro1:23).
GOD HELPS US FEEL THIS TRUTH

So, resounding through the whole Biblef rom
eternity to eternitylike rolling thunder is
Gods great purpose for all things: He created the
world for his glory. Besides Isaiah 43:7 (created
for my glory), Isaiah presses home the reality
over and over to help us feel it and make it part of
the fabric of our thinking:
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low ... And the glory of the
Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it
together (Isa40:45).
I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not

yield my glory to another (Isa42:8).
The Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays
his glory in Israel (Isa44:23).
For my own names sake I delay my wrath;
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you
... I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do
this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will
not yield my glory to another (Isa48:911).
He said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in
whom I will display my splendor (Isa49:3).
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor ... They will
be called oaks of righteousness, a planting
of the Lord for the display of his splendor
(Isa61:13).
GLORIFY IS DIFFERENT
FROM BEAUTIFY
This is why God created the worldthat he may
be glorified. Which does not mean that he may
be made glorious. Dont take the word glorify and
treat it like the word beautify. To beautify means
to take something plain and make it beautiful. We
dont take a plain God and make him beautiful.
That is not what glorifying God means.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
10
BEGINNINGS
(CONTINUED)
GENESIS 12
When God created the world, he did not create

out of any need or any weakness or any deficiency.
He created out of fullness and strength and complete sufficiency. As Jonathan Edwards said, Tis
no argument of the emptiness or deficiency of a
fountain that it is inclined to overflow.
worldthis history as it is unfoldingw as

created and is guided and sustained by God so
that the grace of God, supremely displayed in
the death and resurrection of Jesus for sinners,
would be glorified throughout all eternity in the
Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed.
Or switch to the word magnify. We magnify his

glory like a telescope, not a microscope. Microscopes make small things look bigger than they
are. Telescopes make unimaginably big things
look more like what they really are. Our lives are
to be telescopes for the glory of God.
Or lets just keep it short: This world exists for

the glory of Gods grace revealed in the saving
work of Jesus. There is an unbreakable connection between the glory of God, the glory of grace,
the glory of Christ, the glory of the cross.
WHY THIS PARTICULAR WORLD?

But we cant leave it here. Its too general. Its too
disconnected from the specific persons of the
Trinity and from the flow of history the way God
is guiding it. The question is not just, Why did
God create the world? but why this world? Why
these thousands of years of human history with
a glorious beginning, and a horrible fall into sin,
and a history of Israel, and the coming of the Son
of God into the world, a substitutionary death,
a triumphant resurrection, the founding of the
church and the history of global missions to where
we are today? Why this world? This history?
And the short answer to that question is for the
glory of Gods grace displayed supremely in
the death of Jesus. Or to say it more fully, this
THE GLORY OF GOD AND

THE CROSS OF CHRIST
Let me show you this from Gods Word in five
steps.
1. The apexthe highpointof Gods display
of his own glory is the display of his grace.
God predestined us for adoption to sonship

through J esus Christ, in accordance with his
pleasure and willto the praise of his glorious
grace (Eph1:56). In other words, the glory
of Gods gracewhat Paul calls the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his
kindness to us in Christ J esus (Eph2:7)is
the highpoint and endpoint in the revelation
of Gods glory. And the aim of predestination
is that we live to the praise of his glorious
grace forever.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
11
This is the endpoint of his glory, and everything

elseeven Gods wrathserves this. So Paul
said, Choosing to show his wrath and make
his power known, bore with great patience
the objects of his wrath ... to make the riches
of his glory known to the objects of his mercy
(Ro9:2223). Wrath is penultimate. The glory
of grace on the objects of mercy is ultimate.
2. God planned thisthe praise of the glory
of his gracebefore creation.
God chose us in him before the creation of

the world ... to the praise of his glorious grace
(Eph1:4,6).
Grace was not an afterthought in response to
the fall of man. It was planned before creation.
It was the plan, because grace is the summit of
the mountain of his glory. And he created the
world for his glory. He planned the world for
the glory of his grace.
3. Gods plan was that the praise of the glory
of his grace would come about through the
Son of God, Jesus Christ.
He predestined us for adoption to sonship

through J esus Christ ... to the praise of his glorious grace (Eph 1:56). This predestination to the praise of the glory of Gods grace
happened through Jesus Christ. In the eternal fellowship of the Trinity, the Father and
the Son planned that Gods grace would be
supremely revealed through the saving work

of the Son.
4. From eternity, Gods plan was that the glory
of Gods grace would reach its highpoint in
the saving work of Jesus on the cross.
We see this in the title that was already on

the book of the redeemed before the creation
of the world. Before there was any human sin
to die for, God planned that his Son would be
slain for sinners. We know this because of the
name given to the book of life before creation.
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the
beastall whose names have not been written
in the Lambs book of life, the Lamb who was
slain from the creation of the world (Rev13:8).
The name of the book before creation was
the Lambs book of life, the Lamb who was
slain from the creation of the world. The plan
was glory. The plan was grace. The plan was
Christ. And the plan was death. And that
death for sinners like us is the heart of the gospel, which is why Paul calls it the gospel that
displays the glory of Christ (2Co4:4).
5. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of creating
and guiding and sustaining this worldthis
historyis the praise of the glory of the grace
of God in the crucifixion of his Son for sinners.
This is why Revelation 5:9 and 13 show that

for all eternity we will sing the song of the
6/27/16 12:53 PM
12
BEGINNINGS
(CONTINUED)
GENESIS 12
Lamb. We will say with white-hot admiration

and praise, You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and
people and nation (Rev5:9).
YOUR BRIGHTEST TREASURE

So we ask again, in conclusion, Why did God
create the world? And we answer with the Scriptures: God created the world for his glory. God did
not create out of need. He did not create the
world out of a deficiency. He was not lonely. He
was supremely happy in the fellowship of the
TrinityFather, Son and Holy Spirit. He created the world to put his glory on display that
his people might know him, and enjoy him and
show him.
And why did he create a world that would become

like this world? A world that fell into sin? A world
that exchanged his glory for the glory of images?
Why would he permit and guide and sustain
such a world? And we answer: for the praise of the
glory of the grace of God displayed supremely in the
death of Jesus.
I ask:
Is the glory of God the brightest treasure on
the horizon of your future? Paul expressed
the Christian heart in Romans 5:2, We
boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Is the glory of grace the sweetest news to
your guilty soul?
Is the glory of Christ in your life the present,
personal embodiment of the grace of God?
Is the glory of the cross the saddest and happiest beauty to your redeemed soul?
Note: When italics are used in the Scripture references above, they have been added by the author to show emphasis.
BEGINNINGS
GENESIS
12
(pg. 8)
REVOLT
GENESIS
311
(pg. 24)
PEOPLE
GENESIS 12 to
MALACHI
(pg. 266)
INTERTESTAMENTAL
PERIOD
(pg. 1508)
SAVIOR
GOSPELS to
ACTS 1
(pg. 1560)
CHURCH
ACTS 2 to
REVELATION 20
(pg. 1736)
FOREVER
REVELATION
2122
(pg. 1996)
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 3:17
THE FIRST ADAM AND THE

RUIN OF HUMANITY
Adam and Eve represent a profound paradox. They are simultaneously the crowning achievement of Gods creation, created in his very image, and the symbol of mankinds greatest failure. In
verse 1 the serpent appeared in Paradise with no introduction. The serpent symbolizes something
both fascinating and loathsome. Yet neither Adam nor Eve saw the danger embodied in the serpent.
The danger of this creature was quickly realized in verse 8 after Adam and Eve were enticed by its
suggestion and drawn into the depth of sin. According to his custom, God came walking through
the garden in the cool of the day, and for the first time Adam and Eve hid from him in shame because
of their sinful disobedience.
In Romans 5:1221
Paul takes his readers back to this very moment in history and offers
a divinely inspired interpretation. He explains that Adams sin led to the downfall and death of the
entire human race. Through one man (Adam), death came. Yet through one Man (Jesus Christ),
grace and the gift of God (eternal life) was given.
The works of these two men, Adam and Jesus, are not merely opposites of one another. Christs
workthe work of redemption accomplished on the crossis far greater, for it brings Gods life
and redemption to those who are spiritually dead. The death of Adam spread to all, but the life of
Christ overcame it. Through Adams disobedience, death reigned and the world stood condemned
before God.
In the face of this condemnation, Jesus offered humanity the free gift of salvation by faith
that resulted in justification. That is to say, the aim of this gift is to justify (remove condemnation)
from those who stood condemned. This glorious promise provides remarkable hope for those who
are in Christ. They have been reborn, by the power of God, and their status is transferred from
being in Adam to in Christ. In turn, they receive the inheritance promised to all those who are
in Christ and avoid the wrath of those who are in Adam. So much greater is the work of J esus
than the sin of Adam!
6/27/16 12:53 PM
14 // Genesis 3:17
(The Promised One, continued)

had done far more than strike the
heel of the Son of God as Jesus hung
lifeless on a cross. But God would
have the final word. Through Jesus
victorious resurrection, he would
crush the head of Satanpermanently declaring victory over sin and
death and fulfilling the promise made
at the outset of the Bible.
17To Adam he said, Bec ause you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the
tree a bout w
hich I commanded you, You must not eat fromit,
Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.
20Adama named his wife Eve,b bec ause she would bec ome the mother of all
the livi ng.
21T he Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and c
lothed
them. 22A nd the Lord God said, The man has now become like one of us, know
ing good and evil. He must not be allowed to r each out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. 23So the Lord God banished him
from the Garden of Eden to work the g round from w
hich he had been taken.
24A fter he d
rove the man out, he p
laced on the east sidec of the Garden of Eden
cherubim and a flami ng s word flashi ng back and f orth to g uard the way to the
tree of life.
Cain and Abel
Adama made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth
to Cain.d She said, With the help of the Lord I have b
rought f orthe a man.
2L ater she gave b
irth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept f locks, and Cain w
orked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain
brought some of the f ruits of the soil as an offeri ng to the Lord. 4A nd Abel also
brought an offeri ngfat port ions from some of the firstborn of his f lock. The
Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offeri ng, 5but on Cain and his offeri ng
he did not look with favor. So Cain was very ang ry, and his face was downcast.
6T hen the Lord said to Cain, Why are you ang ry? Why is your face down
cast? 7If you do what is r ight, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what
is r ight, sin is crouchi ng at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule
overit.
8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, Lets go out to the f ield.f W hile they were
in the f ield, Cain attacked his brother Abel and k illed him.
9T hen the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel?
I d
ont know, he replied. AmI my brothers keeper?
10T he Lord said, What have you done? Listen! Your brothers b
lood c ries out
to me from the g round. 11Now you are under a c urse and driven from the g round,
which o
pened its m
outh to receive your brothers b
lood from your hand. 12W hen
you work the g round, it will no longer y ield its crops for you. You will be a restless
wanderer on the earth.
13Cain said to the Lord, My puni shment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you
are drivi ng me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a
restless wanderer on the e arth, and whoever f inds me will killme.
15But the Lord said to him, Not sog ; anyone who k ills Cain will suffer ven
geance seven t imes over. Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who
a20,1OrThe man b20
Eve probably means living. c24Orplaced in front d1 Cain

sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired. e1Orhave acquired f8Samaritan
Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have Lets go out to the
field. g15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 5:24//15
f ound him w
ould kill him. 16So Cain went out from the Lords presence and l ived
in the land of Nod,a east of Eden.
17C ain made love to his wife, and she bec ame pregn ant and gave birth to
Enoch. Cain was then buildi ng a city, and he n
amed it after his son E
noch. 18To
Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the fat her of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the
fat her of Met hushael, and Met hushael was the fat her of Lamech.
19L amech marr ied two women, one n
amed Adah and the other Zillah. 20Adah
gave b
irth to Jabal; he was the fat her of t hose who live in t ents and r aise live
stock. 21His brothers name was Jubal; he was the fat her of all who play s tringed
instruments and pipes. 22Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who f orged all k inds
of tools out ofb bronze and iron. Tubal-Cains sister was Naa mah.
23L amech said to his wives,
Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.
25Adam
made love to his wife again, and she gave b

irth to a son and n
amed
him Seth,c sayi ng, God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since
26
amed him Enosh.
Cain k illed him. Seth also had a son, and he n
At that time people began to call ond the name of the Lord.
From Adam to Noah
This is the written account of Adams fami ly line.
When God created mank ind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2He cre
ated them male and female and b
lessed them. And he named them Mank inde
when they were created.
3W hen Adam had l ived 130 y
ears, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own
image; and he named him Seth. 4A fter Seth was born, Adam l ived 800 years and
had other sons and daughters. 5A ltogether, Adam l ived a total of 930 y ears, and
then he died.
6W hen Seth had l ived 105 y
ears, he became the fat herf of E
nosh. 7A fter he be
came the fat her of Enosh, Seth l ived 807 y ears and had other sons and daughters.
8A ltogether, Seth l ived a tot al of 912 y
ears, and then he died.
9W hen E nosh had l ived 90 years, he bec ame the fat her of Kenan. 10A fter he be
came the fat her of Kenan, E
nosh l ived 815 y ears and had other sons and daugh
ters. 11A ltogether, Enosh l ived a total of 905 y ears, and then he died.
12W hen Kenan had l ived 70 years, he bec ame the fat her of Mahalalel. 13 A fter
he became the fat her of Mahalalel, Kenan l ived 840 years and had other sons
and daughters. 14A ltogether, Kenan l ived a total of 910 y ears, and then he died.
15W hen Mahalalel had l ived 65 years, he bec ame the fat her of Jared. 16 A fter
he became the fat her of Jared, Mahalalel l ived 830 years and had other sons and
daughters. 17A ltogether, Mahalalel l ived a total of 895 y ears, and then he died.
18W hen Jared had l ived 162 years, he bec ame the fat her of E noch. 19 A fter he
became the fat her of E
noch, Jared l ived 800 y ears and had other sons and daugh
ters. 20A ltogether, Jared l ived a total of 962 y ears, and then he died.
21W hen E noch had l ived 65 years, he bec ame the fat her of Met huselah. 22A f
ter he became the fat her of Met huselah, E
noch w
alked faithf ully with God 300
years and had other sons and daughters. 23 A ltogether, Enoch l ived a total of 365
24
alked faithf ully with God; then he was no more, because God
years. Enoch w
took him away.
GENESIS 5:5
DEATH REIGNS
UNTIL CHRIST
The pace of chapter 5 demonstrates
the tragedy of human sin. Person after person appears and then is gone.
The repetition of the phrase and
then he died reminds the reader
of the implications of the curse. No
longer can people live forever; they
appear for a moment and then return to the ground (Ge3:19). There
is no escaping this reality. The just
and the unjust, the righteous and the
unrighteous, all die. From Adam to
Noah, death reigns universally. Jesus,
knowing and experiencing this reality
personally when confronted with the
death of his friend Lazarus, makes a
remarkable claim. Those who believe
in him, even though their physical bodies will die, will be raised to
new life forever (Jn11:2526). Like
Christ, they will pass through death
only to emerge victorious. Belief in
Christ is the only antidote to the lineage of death recounted in Genesis
and seen throughout all subsequent
generations.
a16
Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14). b22Orwho instructed all who work in
Seth probably means granted. d26Orto proclaim e2Hebrewadam f6 Father
may mean ancestor; also in verses 7-26.
c25
6/27/16 12:53 PM
16 // Genesis 5:25
25W hen
Met huselah had l ived 187 y ears, he bec ame the fat her of Lamech.
he bec ame the fat her of Lamech, Met huselah l ived 782 years and had
other sons and daughters. 27 A ltogether, Met huselah l ived a tot al of 969 years,
and then he died.
28W hen Lamech had l ived 182 y
ears, he had a son. 29He named him Noaha
and said, He will comfort us in the labor and painf ul toil of our h
ands c aused
by the g round the Lord has c ursed. 30A fter Noah was born, Lamech l ived 595
years and had other sons and daughters. 31 A ltogether, La mech l ived a tot al of
777 years, and then he died.
32A fter Noah was 500 years old, he bec ame the fat her of Shem, Ham and Ja
pheth.
26A fter
Wickedness in theWorld
GENESIS 6:18
NOAH AND
THE FLOOD
The story of Noah offers a clear
picture of the saving mercy of God.
In the midst of humanitys sin and
rebellion, God made a way for the
salvation of the human race through
Noah and the ark. Were there not
a man and a family who by Gods
grace stood out from the wickedness
of their day, there would have been
a new beginning on the part of God
that would have omitted all of us!
Mercifully, God provided Noah and
his family with the ark to escape the
floodwaters. The ark is a powerful
picture of Jesus Christ in whom salvation would come to everyone who
believed in him. Jesus, like the ark,
would one day be lifted high above
the floodwaters of our sin to endure
the full wrath of God. By putting our
hope in Jesus, we are rescued like
Noah and his family.
When human bei ngs began to increase in number on the e arth and daugh
ters were born to them, 2t he sons of God saw that the daughters of humans
were beaut if ul, and they marr ied any of them they chose. 3T hen the Lord said,
My Spirit will not contend withb humans forever, for they are mortalc; t heir days
will be a hund red and twent y years.
4T he Nephi l im were on the e
arth in t hose daysa nd also afterwardwhen
the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had child ren by them.
They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5T he Lord saw how g
reat the wickedness of the human race had become on
the earth, and that every inclinat ion of the t houghts of the human h
eart was only
evil all the time. 6T he Lord reg retted that he had made human bei ngs on the
earth, and his h
eart was deeply troubled. 7So the Lord said, I will wipe from the
face of the earth the human race I have createda nd with them the ani mals,
the b
irds and the creat ures that move a long the g roundfor I reg ret that I have
made them. 8But Noah f ound favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and theFlood

9T his is the account of Noah and his fami l y.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless a mong the people of his time, and he
walked faithf ully with God. 10Noah had t hree sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corr upt in G ods sight and was full of violence. 12G od saw
how corr upt the e arth had become, for all the people on e arth had corr upted
t heir ways. 13So God said to Noah, I am goi ng to put an end to all people, for the
earth is f illed with violence because of them. I am surely goi ng to destroy both
them and the earth. 14So make yourself an ark of cypressd wood; make rooms in
it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15T his is how you are to build it: The ark is
to be t hree hund red cubits long, fift y cubits wide and thirt y cubits high.e 16Make
a roof for it, leavi ng below the roof an openi ng one cubitf high all a round.g Put a
door in the side of the ark and make lower, midd le and upper decks. 17I am go
ing to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every
creat ure that has the breath of life in it. Everyt hing on earth will perish. 18But I
will establ ish my covenant with you, and you will enter the arkyou and your
sons and your wife and your sons w ives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark
two of all livi ng creat ures, male and female, to keep them a live with you. 20Two
of every kind of bird, of every kind of ani mal and of every kind of creat ure that
moves a long the g round will come to you to be kept a live. 21You are to take every
kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.
22Noah did everyt hing just as God commanded him.
a29
Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort. b3OrMy spirit will not remain in
Themeaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. e15 That is,
about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and
14 meters high f16 That is, about 18inches or about 45 centimeters g16 The meaning
of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
c3Orcorrupt d14
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 6:18
SIN
The exact nature
of the sin described in these verses is perplexing to most readers. While the
actions are somewhat unclear, what is abundantly evident is the fact that Gods good, created order
has been corrupted by human rebellion. The people have done the very thing God commanded
them to do in the gardenthey have been fruitful and multiplied and filled the earth (Ge 1:28).
Sadly, rather than filling the earth with image-bearers who reflect Gods glory, they have instead
filled the earth with brokenness.
Interestingly, the sin recounted here describes the people seeing something as beautiful and
pursuing that thing in rebellion to Gods command, as did Adam and Eve. Rather than submitting
to the command of God and trusting the goodness of his dictates, the first couple chose to trust
their eyes and follow the lusts of their hearts (Ge 3:17). At its core, this is the nature of all sin.
God, the Creator of all things, knows best how the human life should be lived. He provides
clear guidance on his good and gracious plans for humanity, which are ultimately for good. Sin
is rooted in unbelief in the promises of God. Rather than trusting in the ways of God, all people
choose to follow the desires of their own hearts and, in so doing, elevate themselves to the position of God. People believe they know better than God; therefore, they run after the lusts of their
hearts and the desires of their eyes. John warns, however, that these things are passing away and
so are those who live their lives in pursuit of them. Only those who do the will of God can live
(1Jn2:1617).
But, how does one
do the will of God? The implications of Adams sin and the fall are not
merely that all people make bad decisions, yet if they try hard enough they can keep Gods law.
Rather, sin renders all people unable to keep Gods law and trapped in the shackles of their sin. Jesus
perfectly and completely lived the life they could not live, no matter how hard they tried. Those who
are aware of their inability to keep Gods law can turn to Christ in repentance and faith and be given
the free gift of righteousness. By grace, God credits the perfection of Jesus to men and women who
could never earn it by their own merit (2Co 5:21).
6/27/16 12:53 PM
18 // Genesis 7:1
7
GENESIS 7:23
THE REALITY
OF NOAH AND
THE FLOOD
In the days of Noah, the wickedness
of mankind had reached a breaking
point. The sin that started with Adam
and Eve in the garden had spread
throughout the entire world and
every inclination of the thoughts of
the human heart was only evil all the
time (Ge6:5). In response to the rebellion of humanity, God sent a flood
to destroy every living creature on the
earth. People diedold people and
young, beautiful and brave along with
the grisly and gray. Only Noah and
those with him escaped the terrible,
universal death of the wicked. Even
the survival of Noah and his family
was the result of undeserved mercy,
because they were broken and sinful like everyone else (Ge9:2027).
Many people have rejected the story
of Noah and the flood as folklore
without any historical merit. However, J esus affirmed the reality of the
days of Noah when he compared
them to the last days (Mt24:3738;
Lk 17:2627). Peter also used the
story of Noah and the flood as a pattern for the final judgment (1Pe3:20;
2Pe2:5; 3:56).
The Lord then said to Noah, Go into the ark, you and your whole fami ly,
because I have f ound you righteous in this generat ion. 2Take with you seven
pairs of every kind of c lean ani mal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every
kind of unclean ani mal, a male and its mate, 3a nd also seven p
airs of every kind
of bird, male and female, to keep t heir various k inds a live throughout the earth.
4Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for fort y days and fort y n
ights,
and I will wipe from the face of the e arth every livi ng creat ure I have made.
5A nd Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
6Noah was six hund red years old when the floodw aters came on the e
arth.
7A nd Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons w
ives entered the ark to es
8
cape the waters of the f lood. Pairs of c lean and unclean ani mals, of b
irds and of
all creat ures that move a long the g round, 9male and female, came to Noah and
entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10A nd after the seven days the
floodwaters came on the earth.
11I n the six hund redth year of Noa hs life, on the seventeenth day of the sec
ond m
onthon that day all the s prings of the g reat deep b
urst f orth, and the
floodgates of the heavens were o
pened. 12A nd rain fell on the e arth fort y days
and fort y nights.
13On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with
his wife and the w
ives of his t hree sons, entered the ark. 14T hey had with them
every wild ani mal accordi ng to its kind, all livestock accordi ng to t heir k inds,
every creat ure that m
oves a long the g round accordi ng to its kind and every bird
accordi ng to its kind, everyt hing with w ings. 15Pairs of all creat ures that have the
breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 T he ani mals goi ng in
were male and female of every livi ng t hing, as God had commanded Noah. Then
the Lord shut himin.
17For fort y days the f lood kept comi ng on the e arth, and as the wat ers in
creased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18T he waters rose and increased
greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19T hey rose
greatly on the e arth, and all the high mountains under the ent ire heavens were
covered. 20T he waters rose and covered the mountains to a d
epth of more than
fifteen cubits. a,b 21Every livi ng t hing that m
oved on land perishedbirds, live
stock, wild ani mals, all the creat ures that s warm over the earth, and all man
kind. 22Everyt hing on dry land that had the b
reath of life in its nost rils died.
23Every livi ng t hing on the face of the earth was w iped out; people and ani mals
and the creat ures that move a long the g round and the birds were w iped from the
earth. Only Noah was left, and t hose with him in the ark.
24T he waters flooded the e
arth for a hund red and fift y days.
But God remembered Noah and all the wild ani mals and the livestock that
were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters
receded. 2Now the s prings of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had
been closed, and the rain had stopped falli ng from the sky. 3 T he water receded
steadily from the earth. At the end of the hund red and fift y days the water had
gone down, 4a nd on the seventeenth day of the seventh m
onth the ark came
to rest on the mount ains of Ara rat. 5T he waters cont inued to recede unt il the
tenth month, and on the f irst day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains
became visible.
6A fter fort y days Noah o
pened a window he had made in the ark 7a nd sent out
a raven, and it kept flyi ng back and forth unt il the water had d
ried up from the
earth. 8T hen he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of
the g round. 9But the dove could find nowhere to p
erch because t here was water
over all the surface of the e arth; so it ret urned to Noah in the ark. He r eached out
his hand and took the dove and b
rought it back to himself in the ark. 10He wait
ed seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11W hen the dove
a20
That is, about 23feet or about 6.8 meters b20Orrose more than fifteen cubits, and the
mountains were covered
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 9:14//19
ret urned to him in the even ing, t here in its beak was a freshly p
lucked olive leaf!
Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven
more days and sent the dove out a gain, but this time it did not ret urn to him.
13B y the f irst day of the f irst month of Noa hs six hund red and f irst year, the
water had d ried up from the earth. Noah then removed the coveri ng from the ark
and saw that the surface of the g round was dry. 14By the twent y-seventh day of
the second month the e arth was completely dry.
15T hen God said to Noah, 16Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your
sons and t heir w
ives. 17Bring out every kind of livi ng creat ure that is with you
the birds, the ani mals, and all the creat ures that move a long the g roundso
they can mult iply on the e arth and be fruitf ul and increase in number onit.
18So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons w
ives.
19A ll the ani m als and all the creat ures that move a
long the g round and all the
birdseveryt hing that m
oves on landcame out of the ark, one kind after an
other.
20T hen Noah built an alt ar to the Lord and, taki ng some of all the clean ani
mals and clean birds, he sacr if iced b
urnt offeri ngs on it. 21T he Lord smelled the
pleasi ng aroma and said in his h
eart: Never again will I c urse the g round be
eart is evil from
cause of humans, even t hougha every inclinat ion of the human h
childhood. And never a gain will I destroy all livi ng creat ures, as I have done.
22 As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.
Gods Covenant With Noah
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, sayi ng to them, Be fruitf ul and in
crease in number and fill the e arth. 2T he fear and d
read of you will fall on
all the b
easts of the e arth, and on all the b
irds in the sky, on every creat ure that
moves a long the g round, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your
oves about will be food for you. Just as I gave
hands. 3Everyt hing that l ives and m
you the g reen p
lants, I now give you everyt hing.
4But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood s
till in it. 5A nd for your life
blood I will surely demand an accounti ng. I will demand an accounti ng from
every ani mal. And from each human bei ng, too, I will demand an accounti ng
for the life of another human bei ng.
6 Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans shall their blood be shed;
for in the image of God
has God made mankind.
7A s
for you, be fruitf ul and inc rease in number; mult iply on the earth and in
crease uponit.
8T hen God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9I now est abl ish my cov
enant with you and with your descendants after you 10a nd with every living
creat ure that was with yout he birds, the livestock and all the wild ani mals,
all t hose that came out of the ark with youevery livi ng creat ure on e arth. 11I
establ ish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the wa
ters of a f lood; never a gain will t here be a f lood to destroy the earth.
12A nd God said, This is the sign of the covenant I am maki ng bet ween me
and you and every livi ng creat ure with you, a covenant for all generat ions to
come: 13I have set my rainbow in the c louds, and it will be the sign of the cov
enant bet ween me and the earth. 14W henever I bring clouds over the e arth and
a21Orhumans, for
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 9:1216
THE BOW IN THE HEAVENS

The rainbow is a symbol of Gods promise never to destroy the earth again with a flood. More
importantly, it serves as a tangible reminder of the faithfulness of God to fulfill his promises to his
people. To modern ears, the notion of God remembering something may sound strange. How can
an all-knowing God forget anything? Rather, the text points out that God would consistently call to
mind his covenant promises, even when the peoples rebellion seemingly knew no end.
These promises
stem from the task given to Adam and Eve in the garden (Ge 1:2631). They
were not merely to relax and enjoy their home. They were to represent God by exercising dominion
and rule over the world in which they were placed. They were also to multiply and fill the earth with
image-bearing worshipers.
Sin holistically altered the nature of this task, but it did not change the mission. The mission continues even after the systemic nature of sin was demonstrated in unthinkable ways, causing
God to lament his work of creation (Ge 6:6). God acted in judgment, though he sustained a chosen
remnant from the flood. Following their deliverance in the ark, God reinstated his mission with
Noah and his family (Ge 9:1). They were called to multiply and fill the eartha task made possible
by the grace of God.
God affirmed his role in their lives and mission through a covenant. Throughout the ancient
world, covenants were often used to describe the relationship of a king to his subjects. In it, the
nature of the relationship was described along with the subjects responsibilities for obedience and
life in the kingdom. This was certainly the case with Noah.
The foundation
of Gods covenant with Noah and his family was grace and mercy. He called
them, protected them and pledged his faithfulness to them. The death of Jesus fulfilled Gods covenant to Noah. As the pointed spear of a Roman soldier pierced J esus side while he hung on a
criminals cross, Gods wrath was directed at Gods only Son (Jn 19:34). In that climactic moment,
the wrath of God and the grace of God met, and all of Gods promises found their fulfillment in
Jesus (2Co 1:20).
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 10:7//21
the rainbow appears in the c louds, 15I will remember my covenant bet ween me
and you and all livi ng creat ures of every kind. Never again will the waters be
come a f lood to destroy all life. 16W henever the rainbow appears in the c louds,
I will see it and remember the everlasti ng covenant bet ween God and all livi ng
creat ures of every kind on the earth.
17So God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant I have est abl ished be
tween me and all life on the earth.
The Sons of Noah

18T he sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth.
(Ham was the fat her of Canaan.) 19T hese were the t hree sons of Noah, and from
them came the people who were scattered over the w
hole earth.
20Noah, a man of the soil, proc eededa to p
lant a vineyard. 21W hen he d
rank
some of its wine, he became d runk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham,
the fat her of Canaan, saw his fat her naked and told his two brothers outside.
23But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it a
cross t heir shoulders; then
they walked in backward and covered t heir fat hers naked body. T heir faces were
t urned the other way so that they w
ould not see t heir fat her naked.
24W hen Noah a
woke from his wine and f ound out what his youngest son had
done to him, 25he said,
Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers.
26He also said,
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!

May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend Japhethsb territory;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.
28A fter the f lood Noah l ived 350 y
ears. 29Noah l ived a total of 950 y ears, and
then he died.
The Table of Nations
10
This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noa hs sons, who them
selves had sons after the flood.
The Japhethites
2 The sonsc of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Mada i, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.
3 The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
4 The sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kitt ites and the Roda n ites.d 5(From t hese the
marit ime peoples spread out into t heir terr itor ies by t heir clans withi n
t heir nat ions, each with its own lang uage.)
GENESIS 10:1
JESUS FROM
THE FAMILY OF NOAH
Though not every ancient people
group is listed in this chapter, it is
seen here that all of the people of
the earth, regardless of locale or language, descended from Noah. From
this line Abraham and ultimately
Jesus will emerge. It was Abraham
with whom God made an everlasting
covenant, promising that kings would
come from his line (Ge17:6). In the
first line of the New Testament, Jesus
is introduced as Messiah and the
son of Abraham (Mt1:1). It is clear
to see, even this early on in Scripture,
that God had a plan that was ultimately revealed in Jesus. The coming
of Jesus as the Promised One in the
line of Abraham established the continuity of the promise and plan of God
from Genesis to Revelation.
The Hamites
6 The sons of Ham:
Cush, E
gypt, Put and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush:
Seba, Hav ilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabtek a.
a20Orsoil, was the first b27
Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for extend. c2 Sons may

mean descendants or successors or nations; also in verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 20-23, 29 and 31.
d4 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Septuagint
and 1Chron. 1:7); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Dodanites
6/27/16 12:53 PM
22 // Genesis 10:8
The sons of Raa mah:
Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush was the fat hera of Nimrod, who bec ame a m
ighty warr ior on the e arth.
9He
was a m ighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, Like Nimrod, a
ighty hunter before the Lord. 10T he f irst centers of his kingdom were Babylon,
m
Uruk, Akk ad and Kalneh, inb Shinar.c 11From that land he went to Ass yria, where
he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, d Calah 12 a nd Resen, which is bet ween Nineveh
and Calahwhich is the g reat city.
13 Egypt was the fat herof

the Lud ites, Anam ites, Lehabites, Napht uh ites, 14 Pathr usites, Kaslu
hites (from whom the Phil ist ines came) and Caphtor ites.
15 Canaan was the fat herof
Sidon his firstborn, e and of the Hitt ites, 16 Jebusites, Amor ites, Girga
shites, 17 H iv ites, Ark ites, Sin ites, 18 A r vad ites, Zema r ites and Ha math
ites.
Later the Ca naan ite clans scat tered 19a nd the borders of Canaan reached
from Sidon tow ard Gerar as far as Gaza, and then tow ard Sodom, Gomorrah,
Admah and Zeboyi m, as far as Lasha.
20T hese are the sons of Ham by t heir c
lans and lang uages, in t heir terr itor ies
and nat ions.
The Semites
21Sons were also born to Shem, w hose older brother wasf Japheth; Shem was
the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.
22 The sons of Shem:
Elam, Ashu r, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.
23 The sons of Aram:
Uz, Hul, Get her and Meshek.g
24 Arphaxad was the fat her of h Shelah,
and Shelah the fat her of Eber.
25 Two sons were born to Eber:
One was n
amed Peleg,i because in his time the earth was div ided; his
brother was named Joktan.
26 Joktan was the fat herof
Almod ad, Sheleph, Haz arm aveth, Jer ah, 27 Hador am, Uzal, Dik l ah,
28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29O phir, Havi lah and Jobab. All t hese were sons
of Jok tan.
30T he reg ion w here they l ived stretched from Mesha tow ard Sephar, in the east
ern hill count ry.
31T hese are the sons of Shem by t heir c
lans and lang uages, in t heir terr itor ies
and nat ions.
32T hese are the c
lans of Noa hs sons, accordi ng to t heir l ines of descent, with
in t heir nat ions. From t hese the nat ions s pread out over the earth after the flood.
The Tower of Babel
11
Now the whole w

orld had one lang uage and a common speech. 2 A s people
moved east ward, j they f ound a p
lain in Shinarc and sett led there.
3T hey said to each other, Come, l ets make b
ricks and bake them t horoughly.
a8
Father may mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24 and 26.
b10OrUruk and Akkadall of them in c10,2That is, Babylonia d11OrNineveh with
its city squares e15Orof the Sidonians, the foremost f21OrShem, the older brother of
g23 SeeSeptuagint and 1Chron. 1:17; Hebrew Mash. h24 Hebrew; Septuagint father of
Cainan, and Cainan was the father of i25 Peleg means division. j2Orfrom the east; or
in the east
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 11:30//23
They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mort ar. 4T hen they said, Come,
let us b
uild ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we
may make a name for ourselves; otherw ise we will be scattered over the face of
the w
hole earth.
5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were
buildi ng. 6T he Lord said, If as one people speaki ng the same lang uage they
have beg un to do this, then nothi ng they plan to do will be impossible for them.
7Come, let us go down and conf use t heir lang uage so they will not understand
each other.
8So the Lord scattered them from t here over all the earth, and they stopped
buildi ng the city. 9T hat is why it was c alled Babela bec ause t here the Lord
conf used the lang uage of the whole w
orld. From t here the Lord scattered them
over the face of the w
hole earth.
From Shem to Abram

10T his is the account of Shems fami l y line.
Two years after the f lood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the fa
therb of Arphaxad. 11A nd after he became the fat her of Arphaxad, Shem l ived 500
years and had other sons and daughters.
12W hen Arphaxad had l ived 35 years, he bec ame the fat her of Shelah. 13A nd
after he became the fat her of Shelah, Arphaxad l ived 403 y ears and had other
sons and daughters.c
14W hen Shelah had l ived 30 years, he bec ame the fat her of Eber. 15 A nd after
he bec ame the fat her of Eber, Shelah l ived 403 y ears and had other sons and
daughters.
16W hen Eber had l ived 34 years, he bec ame the fat her of Peleg. 17A nd after he
became the fat her of Peleg, Eber l ived 430 y ears and had other sons and daugh
ters.
18W hen Peleg had l ived 30 y
ears, he became the fat her of Reu. 19A nd after he
became the fat her of Reu, Peleg l ived 209 y ears and had other sons and d
aughters.
20W hen Reu had l ived 32 years, he bec ame the fat her of Ser ug. 21A nd after he
became the fat her of Ser ug, Reu l ived 207 y ears and had other sons and daugh
ters.
22W hen Ser ug had l ived 30 years, he bec ame the fat her of Nahor. 23 A nd after
he became the fat her of Nahor, Ser ug l ived 200 years and had other sons and
daughters.
24W hen Nahor had l ived 29 years, he bec ame the fat her of Terah. 25 A nd after
he bec ame the fat her of Terah, Nahor l ived 119 y ears and had other sons and
daughters.
26A fter Terah had l ived 70 years, he bec ame the fat her of A bram, Nahor and
Haran.
Abrams Family
27T his is the account of Terahs fami l y line.
Terah bec ame the fat her of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran bec ame
the fat her of Lot. 28W hile his fat her Terah was still a live, Haran died in Ur of the
Chaldea ns, in the land of his b
irth. 29Abram and Nahor both marr ied. The name
of Abrams wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahors wife was Milk ah; she was the
daughter of Haran, the fat her of both Milk ah and Isk ah. 30Now Sarai was child
less because she was not able to conceive.
a9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused. b10 Father may mean
ancestor; also in verses 11-25. c12,13 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also Luke 3:35, 36 and note
at Gen. 10:24) 35 years, he became the father of Cainan. 13And after he became the father of
Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters, and then he died. When
Cainan had lived 130 years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father of
Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters
6/27/16 12:53 PM
REVOLT
LOUIE GIGLIO
GENESIS 311
Something is wrong with humanity. While we

might try to put on our best face for the world,
evil lurks deep inside us all. To deny this reality
is to close our eyes to history, for the checkered
past of humankind is a monument to the fallen
nature we all bear.
Should we ever think otherwise, we need only visit
the gas chambers of Auschwitz, where haunted
walls recount unspeakable murderous acts; the
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where
blacks were brutalized because of the color of
their skin; the jungle of the Congo, where child
soldiers were forced to maim or kill their families;
or the brothels of Delhi, where innocent young
girls are bought and sold to appease twisted cravings. A brief stop in any of these places should jar
us back to grim reality again.
We are capable of committing outrageous
wrongs. Those sins, both the ones we act out and
those we harbor in our thoughts, are equal in the
eyes of God.
So it was in the beginning, starting with Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
REBELLIOUS FROM THE START

Since that time, humankinds capacity to rebel
against God has not diminished. We are born
with a propensity to go our own way. The first
humans arrived on earth with a choice: the free

will to follow God toward abundant life or to
do things their own way and come face-to-face
with death. Adam and Eve chose death, and we
all bear the consequences of their fall (Ro5:12).
How easy it is for us to condemn the first couple
for their derelict behavior. God himself walked
with them in the cool of the day, and everything
about their world was perfect. They were naked,
yet unashamed; free from sickness, weariness,
brokenness, pain and death. Before them were
trees of every kind, gifts of God for their enjoyment. Adam and Eves purpose was to manage
and care for the plants and creatures on the earth.
Their very being was fashioned in the image of
God. Among the trees of the garden, God placed
the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil in the center. He instructed Adam
to steer clear of the fruit of the latter lest he die.
One tree to avoid versus countless trees to enjoy,
all set in paradise. An easy choice, right?
However, another voice, the voice of a serpent
personifying Satan himself, entered Gods story
and blurred the lines between good and evil.
Satan, like humankind, at one time also had a
choice. He could have worshiped God in the
company of the angels or revolted. Foolishly,
Satan chose his own glory and was jolted from
heaven like a falling star. In his rebellion, God
granted him limited freedom on earth. With that
freedom he sold a lie to Adam and Eve, convinc-
6/27/16 12:53 PM
25
ing them that God was trying to rob them of a

greater joy by keeping them from this one tree.
wisdom, pursue our own pleasure, and straightup say no when he calls us to his path and plan.
The serpent called Gods trustworthiness into

question, undermining Gods character and
goodwill toward his creation. Adam and Eve took
the bait and turned their backs on God, reaching
for the heights of God-like status, yet falling to
the depths of futility, rebellion and death.
If the word revolt sounds too strong, consider

that God is the originator and owner of us all.
Yet, we attempt to dismiss and belittle the One
who formed us from the dust. We spit in Gods
face and slam the door on his love. Often without a thought or even a twinge of regret, we treat
God worse than we treat most of our friends and
neighbors. We repeatedly say toward heaven,
No, thanks, Im doing just fine without you!
Immediately, paradise was shattered into a billion tiny pieces. Guilt ended innocence. The
couple hid from the presence of God. Judgment
fell. Death entered the scene. Adam and Eves
perfectly harmonious tenure in the Garden of
Eden was over.
I WILL DO IT MY WAY
What happened in the garden is called sin. But
there is no better way to characterize it than
using the word revolt. Humankind said on that
day what we still say every day. I WILL DO IT
MY WAY!
Its hard to imagine anyone spitting in the face
of a friend, tracking mud through the home of
a neighbor on a rainy day, cutting off a funeral
procession in traffic, or mocking a person with
a disability. Common human decency causes us
to recoil at the thought. Yet, we casually ignore
the Almighty, rebuff his counsel, laugh at his
God has graciously invited us into his story,

breathed into us the very breath that gives us life,
and invited us to know and walk with him. To do
less, to choose less, is to shove our will in the face
of the Almighty. And every time we do, we turn
his best for us upside down.
In Gods eyes all people are in the same predicament. Thats what Scripture indicates when the
New Testament writer Paul says, All have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23).
The prophet Isaiah amplified our plight when he
wrote, We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each
of us has turned to our own way (Isa53:6). The
psalmist wrote, All have turned away, all have
become corrupt; there is no one who does good,
not even one (Ps14:3).
Like Adam and Eve, we seek to elevate ourselves
to Gods status, free ourselves from his authority
6/27/16 12:53 PM
26
REVOLT
(CONTINUED)
GENESIS 311
and define for ourselves what is wrong and what

is right.
God for a lie, and worshiped and served created

things rather than the Creator (Ro1:25).
Comparing our behavior against someone elses

in an attempt to make ourselves look more desirable does us no good. Revolt has never been
about the magnitude of our sin but the fact that
we are willing to look into the face of a good and
loving God and turn and run the other way.
When we turn our God-intended worship

toward a person or pleasure or thing, we break
ranks with God and violate the first of his Ten
Commandments (Ex20:3).
TRADING TRUTH FOR LIES

Left to ourselves, we will do what Adam and Eve
did in the garden. We exchange the glory of the
immortal God for images made to look like a
mortal human being (Ro1:23). God promised
life and sought to protect people from destruction and death. The serpent twisted Gods words,
and the world around us does the same. We often
discard what is best for us from Gods perspective
for what is easiest. We ditch what is good for what
is convenient. Our culture scoffs at what is innocent and pure while it celebrates what is perverse
and immoral. More and more, honesty, decency
and modesty are marginalized and even vilified.
This exchange of truth for lies does not happen
without consequences. Once jettisoned from
Eden, humankind did not cease to worship (which
we were created to do); humans just exchanged
the true worship of holy God for something else.
Scripture says, They exchanged the truth about
Sin shatters Gods perfect plan for us and leaves

us with powerless idols that soak up our affection while returning nothing of spiritual benefit
to our lives.
But thats not all. It gets worse.
Like we see in Eden, a holy, righteous and just
God cannot turn a blind eye toward our revolt.
He cannot simply wink and magically make it
disappear. While we rationalize away our sin,
God cannot deny his own character.
Our sin derailed our worship, separated us from
God, introduced us to hardship and toil, put
hostility between us and others, filled our hearts
with selfish intentions, brought pain into childbirth, and spawned a global epidemic of hatred
and war and injustice that marches on in full
force today.
Even creation itself was rocked by humankinds
sinful revolt. Natural disasters continue to mar
our world, and nothing in creation on this earth
is as it was meant to be (Ro8:1922). Every-
6/27/16 12:53 PM
27
thing has been broken because of sin. Decay and

death now mark every inch of human existence.
Families fracture. Marriages fail. Litigations
flourish. Deception darkens. Addiction crushes.
Complacency numbs. Violence escalates. Insanity imprisons. Pleasures disappoint. Riches
disappear. Prejudice blinds. Insecurity mars.
Jealousy rots. Power corrupts.
GODS WRATH
Yet, our sin does something more. Our revolt
places us in the crosshairs of Gods wrathh is
righteous indignation that is set on eradicating
all wrong from the face of the earth.
While Gods wrath gets a bad rap, any of us, if
we thought it through, would act in the same
way. We want the weight of justice to fall on
those who abuse and injure us or others. In the
same way, yet on a much grander scale, Gods
wrath will fall on every rebel heart. Humankind
is without excuse, guilty before a holy God and
deserving of eternal punishment.
Revolt didnt simply make us bad. It left us spiritually dead (Ro 6:23). But, fortunately this is
Gods story and not ours. The story does not end
in death; rather, the seeds of salvation are sown
in Edens soil. The God of mercy trumped revolt
with redemption in an outrageous plan to buy
back the rebels at the cost of his one and only Son.
While judgment rained down on Adam and Eve

and the earth and the serpent, grace was on the
horizon. The first sign of grace was Gods banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of
Eden. In this act of kindness, he prevented those
he loved from eating from the tree of life, thus
saving them from living forever in their state of
death. Outside Eden, a heavenly mission could
ensue, one foreshadowed as God made coverings
for the man and the woman.
Once sin smashed Edens innocence, Adam and
Eve were filled with shame. No one told them to
be ashamed, as if guilt is a human-induced effect
meant to give control of the people to religious
higher-ups. Adam and Eve were convinced on
their own that something was amiss. Their consciences shouted run and hide as the Spirit of
God brought conviction to their hearts.
GODS MERCY AND GRACE

Though God judged their actions, his mercy
intervened to cover their shame. Using fig leaves
from a nearby tree, Adam and Eve tried to hide
their nakedness. But God went a step further by
clothing them with animal skin. This was a picture of the sacrifice of the One who would ultimately shed his blood so that all people could
have an opportunity to be saved.
This kind of grace is staggering, especially in light
of the fact that there is no record of so much as an
6/27/16 12:53 PM
28
REVOLT
(CONTINUED)
GENESIS 311
Im sorry from Adam or Eve. Once their deed

was exposed, Adam danced the dance we often
dance as well, passing the blame to Eve in a weak
attempt to deflect Gods attention from his disobedience and the responsibility only he himself bore.
One would think Adam would have quickly
blurted out, Please forgive me, God! I am a fool
and I cannot believe what Ive done. But Adam
couldnt bring himself to confess, so he blamed
someone else.
Yet, Gods redemption plan was undeterred.
Not only did he make a covering for their nakedness, God promised that a descendant of Adam
and Eve would one day crush the serpents
head, though he would be harmed in the process (Ge3:15). This promise and plan, while far
from clear in Genesis 3, would define the story
that unfolds in the rest of the Bible. God fulfilled
his promise by seeing to it that Jesus Christ, a
descendant of the woman, would crush Satan,
sin and death forever.
God wasnt going to turn his back on those
who were made to bear his image in the world.
BEGINNINGS
GENESIS
12
(pg. 8)
REVOLT
GENESIS
311
(pg. 24)
PEOPLE
GENESIS 12 to
MALACHI
(pg. 266)
While humankind chose their own way, Jesus

yielded to the Fathers plan. Taking on f lesh,
Jesus was tempted like every other human, yet
Jesus did not sin. Jesus exchanged his life for
every rebel who turns to him to accept the price
he paid for their sin and trust in him for salvation.
The final sacrifice for sin was made as Jesus
took our blows, carried our sin, bore our
shame and was crushed by the wrath of God
in our place. In the process, God made him
who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God
(2Co5:21). Rebels could now be forgiven. Sinners could be made clean. And all those who
drifted far from their heavenly Father could
come home again.
The key to this brand-new life is our willingness
to end the revolt. To be forgiven, we must admit
our sin. To say that we have no sin is to make God
a liar and seal our fate (1Jn1:10). But to admit our
wrongs and raise the white flag of surrender is to
truly find freedom and enjoy life in Gods presence that will never end.
INTERTESTAMENTAL
PERIOD
(pg. 1508)
SAVIOR
GOSPELS to
ACTS 1
(pg. 1560)
CHURCH
ACTS 2 to
REVELATION 20
(pg. 1736)
FOREVER
REVELATION
2122
(pg. 1996)
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 11:19
THE SIN AT BABEL

At the heart of sin is the desire for humanity to believe that they know better than God. In the
garden Satan tempted Eve by asking her, Did God really say...? in regards to his admonition to
not eat the fruit from the tree. When it comes to Babel, the same reality is in play; the people believe
they have come up with a better way than what God commanded.
After human beings had been wiped from the planet by the flood, God made a covenant
with the lone survivors, Noah and his family, to fill the earth (Ge 9:1). However, by the time we
get to the story of Babel, the people have concocted a plan that would keep them from having to
keep this command (Ge 11:4).
In Babel we see a combination of arrogance and insecurity. The tower demonstrates mankind
taking matters into their own hands, in essence showing God that they know better than he does.
Their actions show that they are not relying on God for their well-being; they can handle life on
their own. The reality is that the people, by seeking to make a name for themselves, were in competition with God.
In not wanting
to scatter over the earth, the people again were showing that they did not trust
God for their security. They felt that scattering included too many unknowns, thus leading them
to believe that they would be better off staying in one place. This insecurity paralyzed them into
believing they needed their own plan. Ultimately God came and shattered the selfish plans of the
people by confusing their language and scattering them throughout the earth.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus says his followers are to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. However,
once the power of the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, the result was not a scattering to the ends of the
earth, but a staying in one place, Jerusalem. This all changed when Stephen was stoned to death
in Acts 7 and persecution came against the church. This tyranny resulted in the church spreading
throughout the known world.
Ultimately what Babel and the early church in Jerusalem show us is that God is asking us to trust
him. However, in the face of human pride and disobedience, he will choose to allow calamities to
occur in order for his plans to move forward.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
30 // Genesis 11:31
31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughterin-law Sarai, the wife of his son A
bram, and together they set out from Ur of the
Chaldea ns to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they sett led there.
32Terah l ived 205 y
ears, and he died in Harran.
The Call of Abram
12
The Lord had said to A

bram, Go from your count ry, your people and
your fat hers household to the land I will show you.
2 I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.a
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.b
4S o A bram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. A bram
was sevent y-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5He took his wife Sa
rai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had acc umulated and the people
they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they
arr ived there.
6Abram traveled t hrough the land as far as the site of the g
reat tree of Moreh
at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7T he Lord appeared
to Abram and said, To your offspringc I will give this land. So he built an altar
t here to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8From t here he went on tow ard the h ills east of Bethel and p
itched his tent,
with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. T here he built an altar to the Lord
and c alled on the name of the Lord.
9T hen Abram set out and cont inued tow ard the Negev.
Abram in Egypt
10Now t here was a famine in the land, and A bram went down to E gypt to
live t here for a while because the fami ne was severe. 11A s he was about to enter
Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, I know what a beaut if ul woma n you are. 12W hen
the Egypt ians see you, they will say, This is his wife. Then they will kill me but
will let you live. 13Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake
and my life will be s pared because of you.
14W hen Abram came to Egypt, the Egypt ians saw that Sarai was a very beaut i
ful woma n. 15A nd when Pharaohs off icials saw her, they p
raised her to Pharaoh,
and she was taken into his palace. 16He treated Abram well for her sake, and
Abram acquired sheep and catt le, male and female donkeys, male and female
servants, and camels.
17But the Lord inf licted ser ious diseases on Pharaoh and his household be
cause of Abrams wife Sarai. 18So Pharaoh summoned Abram. What have you
done to me? he said. Why d
idnt you tell me she was your wife? 19W hy did you
say, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife.
Take her and go! 20T hen Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they
sent him on his way, with his wife and everyt hing he had.
Abram and Lot Separate
13
So A
bram went up from E
gypt to the Negev, with his wife and everyt hing
he had, and Lot went with him. 2Abram had become very w
ealthy in live
stock and in silver and gold.
a2Orbe seen as blessed b3Orearth / will use your name in blessings (see48:20)
c7Orseed
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 12:13
ONGOING PROMISES OF A FAITHFUL GOD

The covenant between God and Abraham (often referred to as the Abrahamic covenant)
occupies the central focus of the next several chapters of the Bible. Genesis 12 begins with a vital
prologue that sets the stage for the promises and ceremonies that would follow. They testify to the
irrevocable nature of the promises of God.
The passage begins with a task given to Abram. He was called to leave all that he had
knownh is home, most of his family and his country of originand travel to an unknown location that God would reveal in due time. While the passage begins with an act of obedience, it is clear
that the covenant is based on the promises of God.
Seven promises follow in rapid succession. (1) God promised to make Abram into a great
nationa pledge that would find fulfillment in the birth of the Hebrew nation. (2) God promised
to bless Abram, his family and the nation that would emerge with his loving care and continued
provision. (3) Abram, later renamed Abraham, would be given a name that would live on long after
his earthly life concluded. (4) The nation would be a blessing to other nations as they modeled conformity to Gods law and demonstrated proper worship of the awe-inspiring God. (5) God would
bless those who blessed the nation. (6) God would stand in judgment against those who oppressed
his people. (7) All people would be blessed through Abram and the generations that followed him.
These grand and glorious promises were rooted in the nature and character of God. In spite of
the peoples unbelief, rebellion, idolatry and spiritual adultery, God remained faithful to his promises because the covenant was based on grace and not on law. Paul writes that God gave Abraham
these promises long before the law was given on Mount Sinai (Gal 3:1617).
As one born in the line of Abraham, Jesus was the means by which these promises could be
fulfilled. All those in Christ, born again by the grace of God, are children of Abraham and recipients
of the promises of God that were fulfilled in J esus. Paul testified to this reality when he claimed that
all those who respond in faith to the good news of Jesus are heirs of the promises given to Abraham
(Gal 3:2829).
6/27/16 12:53 PM
32 // Genesis 13:3
3From the Negev he went from p
lace to p
lace unt il he came to Bethel, to the
lace bet ween Bethel and Ai w
p
here his tent had been earl ier 4a nd where he had
f irst b
uilt an altar. T here A
bram called on the name of the Lord.
5Now Lot, who was movi ng a
bout with Abram, also had f locks and herds and
tents. 6But the land c ould not support them w
hile they s tayed together, for t heir
possessions were so g reat that they were not able to stay together. 7A nd quar
reli ng a rose bet ween Abrams herders and Lots. The Canaanites and Peri zz ites
were also livi ng in the land at that time.
8So Abram said to Lot, Lets not have any quarreli ng bet ween you and me, or
bet ween your herders and mine, for we are close relat ives. 9Is not the whole land
before you? L ets part company. If you go to the left, Ill go to the r ight; if you go
to the r ight, Ill go to the left.
10L ot looked a round and saw that the w hole plain of the Jordan tow ard Zoar
was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of E
gypt. (This was
before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomor rah.) 11So Lot c hose for himself
the w
hole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted
company: 12Abram l ived in the land of Canaan, while Lot l ived a mong the cities
of the p
lain and p
itched his t ents near Sodom. 13Now the people of Sodom were
wicked and were sinn ing greatly a gainst the Lord.
14T he Lord said to A
bram after Lot had parted from him, Look a round from
where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15A ll the land that
you see I will give to you and your offspringa forever. 16I will make your offspring
like the dust of the e arth, so that if anyone c ould c ount the dust, then your off
spring c ould be counted. 17Go, walk t hrough the length and b
readth of the land,
for I am givi ng it to you.
18S o A
bram went to live near the g reat t rees of Mamre at Hebron, w
here he
pitched his tents. T
here he b
uilt an altar to the Lord.
Abram Rescues Lot
14
At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,b Ar ioch king of El lasar,
Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyi m, 2t hese k ings went to
war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Ad
mah, Shemeber king of Zeboyi m, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 A ll t hese
latter k ings joined forces in the Valley of Sidd im (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).
4For t welve years they had been subject to Kedorl aomer, but in the thirteenth
year they rebelled.
5I n the fourt eenth year, Kedorlaomer and the k ings allied with him went
out and defeated the Repha ites in Ashteroth Karnai m, the Zuz ites in Ham, the
Emites in Shaveh Kiriat hai m 6a nd the Hor ites in the hill count ry of Seir, as far as
El Paran near the desert. 7T hen they t urned back and went to En Mishpat (that
is, Kadesh), and they conquered the w
hole terr itor y of the Ama lekites, as well as
the Amor ites who were livi ng in Hazezon Tamar.
8T hen the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king
of Zeboyi m and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up t heir
batt le lines in the Valley of Sidd im 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal
king of Goyi m, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasarfour k ings
against five. 10Now the Valley of Sidd im was full of tar pits, and when the k ings
of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to
the h ills. 11T he four k ings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all
t heir food; then they went away. 12T hey also carr ied off Abrams nephew Lot and
his possessions, s ince he was livi ng in Sodom.
13A man who had esc aped came and reported this to A
bram the Hebrew. Now
Abram was livi ng near the g reat t rees of Mamre the Amor ite, a brotherc of Esh
kol and Aner, all of whom were all ied with A
bram. 14W hen A
bram heard that his
a15Orseed; also in verse16 b1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse9 c13Ora relative; or
an ally
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 15:14//33
relat ive had been taken capt ive, he c alled out the 318 t rained men born in his
household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 Dur i ng the n ight Abram div id
ed his men to attack them and he routed them, pursui ng them as far as Hobah,
north of Damascus. 16He recovered all the goods and brought back his relat ive
Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 A fter Abram ret urned from defeati ng Kedorlaomer and the k ings all ied with
him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is,
the K ings Valley).
18T hen Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest
lessed A
bram, sayi ng,
of God Most High, 19a nd he b
Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.
GENESIS 15:6
Then Abram gave him a t enth of everyt hing.

21T he king of Sodom said to A
bram, Give me the people and keep the g oods
for yourself.
22But A bram said to the king of Sodom, With r aised hand I have s worn an
oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23t hat I will ac
cept nothi ng belongi ng to you, not even a t hread or the s trap of a sandal, so that
you will never be able to say, I made A
bram rich. 24I will accept nothi ng but
what my men have eaten and the s hare that belongs to the men who went with
meto Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have t heir share.
The Lords Covenant With Abram
15
After this, the word of the Lord came to A

bram in a vision:
Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield,a
your very great reward.b
2 But A bram said, Sovereign Lord, what can you give me s ince I rem ain
childless and the one who will inheritc my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? 3A nd
Abram said, You have given me no child ren; so a servant in my household will
be my heir.
4T hen the word of the Lord came to him: This man will not be your heir,
but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. 5He took him out
side and said, Look up at the sky and count the starsi f indeed you can count
them. Then he said to him, So s hall your offspringd be.
6Abram bel ieved the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7He also said to him, I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chal
dea ns to give you this land to take possession ofit.
8 But A bram said, Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain poss es
sion ofit?
9S o the Lord said to him, Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each t hree
years old, a long with a dove and a y oung pigeon.
10A bram b
rought all t hese to him, cut them in two and arranged the h
alves
opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11T hen birds of
prey came down on the carcasses, but A
bram d rove them away.
12A s the sun was sett ing, A
bram fell into a deep sleep, and a t hick and dread
ful darkness came over him. 13T hen the Lord said to him, Know for cert ain
that for four hund red y ears your descendants will be strangers in a count ry not
t heir own and that they will be enslaved and mist reated t here. 14But I will pun
ish the nat ion they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with g reat
a1Orsovereign b1Orshield; / your reward will be very great c2
FAITH AND
OBEDIENCE
Faith and obedience were hallmarks
of Abrams life (Heb 11:1819).
When God made Abram promises,
he believed. And when he was commanded, Abram obeyed (Ge 12:4;
22:3). At times this faith required
great risk on Abrams part. Abram
left what was known to him in order
to step out into what God was calling him to. It is faith like Abrams
faith in the only living Godthat
saves sinners (Eph 2:8). It was
Abrams faith in Gods promise to
give him many descendants that
caused God to count him as righteous
(Ge15:16). Abrams faith was well
founded in the God who always keeps
his promises. Its important to note
that it wasnt Abrams own righteous
living nor good deeds that made him
righteous in Gods eyes; it was simply
faith.
Themeaning of the
Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. d5Orseed
6/27/16 12:53 PM
34 // Genesis 15:15
possessions. 15You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at
a good old age. 16In the f ourth generat ion your descendants will come back here,
for the sin of the Amor ites has not yet r eached its full measure.
17W hen the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoki ng firep ot with a
blazi ng t orch appeared and p
assed bet ween the pieces. 18On that day the Lord
made a covenant with Abram and said, To your descendants I give this land,
gypt to the g reat river, the Euphrates19t he land of the Ke
from the Wadia of E
nites, Keni zz ites, Kadmonites, 20 Hit t ites, Per i zz ites, Repha ites, 21 A mor ites, Ca
naanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.
Hagar and Ishmael
GENESIS 16:15
VISITATION
FROM GOD
Hagar, a slave, got caught up in
Abram and Sarais attempt to bear
the son that God had promised them.
Though Hagar became pregnant with
a son, the conception was not according to the Lords plan and she
grew dismayed (Ge 16:45). After
being mistreated by Sarai, Hagar
ran away and was met by the angel
of the Lord. The site and outcome
of Hagars visitation from the angel
of the Lord are beautiful. She was
found by a spring of water in the
desert, which closely represents her
situationpregnant with a child,
yet feeling abandoned and hopeless.
She was comforted by this visitation
(Ge16:13) despite being told that her
son, Ishmael, would not be the son of
promise but would experience hostility in all of his relationships and that
he would roam the desert like a wild
donkey (Ge16:1112; Gal4:2223).
16
Now Sarai, A brams wife, had borne him no child ren. But she had an
Egypt ian slave named Hagar; 2so she said to A
bram, The Lord has kept
me from havi ng child ren. Go, s leep with my slave; perhaps I can b
uild a fami ly
t hrough her.
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3So after Abram had been livi ng in Canaan
ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egypt ian slave Hagar and gave her to her hus
band to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mist ress. 5T hen
Sarai said to A
bram, You are responsible for the w
rong I am sufferi ng. I put my
slave in your arms, and now that she k nows she is pregnant, she despises me.
May the Lord judge bet ween you andme.
6 Your slave is in your h
ands, A
bram said. Do with her whatever you t hink
best. Then Sarai mist reated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7T he angel of the Lord found Hag ar near a s
pring in the desert; it was the
spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8A nd he said, Hagar, slave of Sarai, where
have you come from, and w
here are you goi ng?
Im runn ing away from my mist ress Sarai, she answered.
9T hen the angel of the Lord told her, Go back to your mist ress and subm it to
her. 10T he angel added, I will increase your descendants so much that they will
be too numerous to count.
11T he angel of the Lord also said to her:
You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,b
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyones hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
c all his brothers.
toward
13She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: You are the God who sees
me, for she said, I have now seend the One who sees me. 14T hat is why the well
was c alled Beer Lahai Roie; it is still t here, bet ween Kadesh and Bered.
15So Hagar bore A
bram a son, and A
bram gave the name Ishmael to the son
she had borne. 16Abram was eighty-six y ears old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
The Covenant ofCircumcision
17
When A
bram was ninet y-nine y ears old, the Lord appeared to him and
said, I am God Alm ightyf ; walk before me faithf ully and be blameless.
2T hen I will make my covenant bet ween me and you and will greatl y inc rease
your numbers.
3Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4As for me, this is my covenant
a18Orriver b11
Ishmael means God hears. c12Orlive to the east / of d13Orseen

the back of e14 Beer Lahai Roi means well of the Living One who sees me. f1Hebrew
El-Shaddai
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 18:6//35
with you: You will be the fat her of many nat ions. 5No longer will you be c alled
bram a; your name will be Abraham,b for I have made you a fat her of many na
A
tions. 6I will make you very fruitf ul; I will make nat ions of you, and k ings will
come from you. 7I will est ablish my covenant as an everlasti ng covenant be
tween me and you and your descendants after you for the generat ions to come,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8T he w
hole land of
Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasti ng posses
sion to you and your descendants after you; and I will be t heir God.
9T hen God said to Abraham, As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and
your descendants after you for the generat ions to come. 10T his is my covenant
with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every
male a mong you s hall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and
it will be the sign of the covenant bet ween me and you. 12 For the generat ions to
come every male a mong you who is eight days old must be circumcised, includ
ing t hose born in your household or bought with money from a foreignert hose
who are not your offspring. 13W hether born in your household or bought with
your mone y, they must be circ umc ised. My covenant in your f lesh is to be an
everlasti ng covenant. 14A ny uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised
in the f lesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.
15G od also said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call
her Sarai; her name will be Sara h. 16I will b
less her and will surely give you a son
by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nat ions; k ings of peoples
will come from her.
17Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, Will a son be born
to a man a hund red y ears old? Will Sara h bear a c hild at the age of ninet y? 18A nd
Abraham said to God, If only Ishmael m
ight live under your blessi ng!
19T hen God said, Yes, but your wife Sara h will bear you a son, and you will
call him Isaac.c I will establ ish my covenant with him as an everlasti ng covenant
for his descendants after him. 20A nd as for Ishmael, I have h
eard you: I will sure
ly b
less him; I will make him fruitf ul and will greatly increase his numbers. He
will be the fat her of t welve rulers, and I will make him into a g reat nat ion. 21But
my covenant I will est ablish with Isaac, whom Sara h will bear to you by this
time next year. 22W hen he had finished speaki ng with Abraham, God went up
from him.
23O n that very day Abrah am took his son Ishm ael and all t hose born in his
household or b
ought with his money, every male in his household, and circum
cised them, as God told him. 24Abraham was ninet y-nine years old when he was
circ umcised, 25a nd his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26Abraham and his son Ish
mael were both circ umcised on that very day. 27A nd every male in Abrahams
household, includi ng t hose born in his household or bought from a foreigner,
was circumcised with him.
The Three Visitors
18
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the g reat t rees of Mamre w

hile he
was sitt ing at the ent rance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham
looked up and saw t hree men standi ng nearby. When he saw them, he hurr ied
from the ent rance of his tent to meet them and b
owed low to the ground.
3He said, If I have f ound favor in your eyes, my lord,d do not pass your serv ant
by. 4L et a litt le water be b
rought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest
under this tree. 5L et me get you somet hing to eat, so you can be ref reshed and
then go on your waynow that you have come to your servant.
Very well, they answered, do as you say.
6So Abraham hurr ied into the tent to Sara h. Quick, he said, get t hree sea hse
of the finest f lour and k nead it and bake some bread.
GENESIS 18:12
A KNOWABLE GOD
Gods tender affection for his people
is shown by his willingness to reveal
himself, often through his spoken
word, to his people. It is clear that
the people of God were stunned that
God would even speak to them. They
often stood at a distance, in fear and
awe, at the revelation of God to his
people (Ex20:21). These appearances in the Old Testament find perfect
fulfillment in the incarnation of J esus
Christ. In his birth, Jesus willingly
laid aside the glories of heaven to
take the form of a servant in order to
make a way for sinful people to come
to the Father (Php2:111). In his deity, J esus demonstrated and declared
to the world the nature and character
of God in a way that allowed humanity to see not only a temporary glimpse
of his glory but the exact imprint of
Gods glory in a permanent, ongoing
fashion (Heb1:3). Jesus made himself known so that fallen men and
women can know God.
a5
Abram means exalted father. b5 Abraham probably means father of many.

Isaac means he laughs. d3Oreyes, Lord e6 That is, probably about 36pounds or
about 16kilograms
c19
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 17:15
FATHER OF MANY NATIONS

Gods grand mission
to restore his rebellious worshipers, as broad as it seems, was as narrow

as a single manA bram. But the scope of that mission was about to become much broader. God
told Abram that he was going to make him the father of many nations and accordingly renamed him
Abraham. The Lord would indeed make Abram into Abraham, and he would do it in two ways.
In a purely physical sense, Abrahams sons Ishmael and Isaac would become the fathers
of nations. Ishmael, in spite of his shame and rejection, would father a great nation (Ge 17:20). His
children would go on to become the Ishmaelites (25:1316; 37:2728). Isaacs two sons, Esau and
Jacob, were both the source of nations. Esau would become the father of the Edomites (36:9), who
lived on the borders of Canaan. Abrahams grandson Jacob was renamed Israel by Godt he
name of the great nation he would father (35:1011).
In a spiritual sense, Abrahams descendants would form a massive number of individuals

from many nations. God used Abraham as a father of many spiritual descendants who, like him,
entered into a relationship with God by faith. This cross-national, interracial people group was
what God was working to establish through Abraham.
Gods promise to make Abraham the father of many nations involved two major campaigns
into the hostile territory of the rebellious Gentile nations, drawing worshipers who would place
their faith in God. The first campaign to reach the nations occurred as God called Israel to be his
witness to the Gentiles (Isa 42:57). While limited in success, many representatives from other
nations were reached during this time; Israels witness to the Gentiles included unique missionaries
like Jonah and memorable converts such as Rahab and Ruth.
Gods second campaign
to bring his promise to completion involves his new crossnational, interracial peoplet he church. From its very onset, the church was intended to finish
the work of reaching the nations (Ac 2:511). As the church expands, bringing the message of
Abrahamic faith to the nations, Gods promise to Abraham is slowly coming to fruition.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 18:32//37
7T hen he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a ser
vant, who hurr ied to prepare it. 8He then brought some c urds and milk and the
calf that had been prepared, and set t hese before them. W
hile they ate, he s tood
near them under a tree.
9 Where is your wife Sara h? they a
sked him.
There, in the tent, he said.
10T hen one of them said, I will surel y ret urn to you a
bout this time next year,
and Sara h your wife will have a son.
Now Sara h was listeni ng at the ent rance to the tent, which was beh ind him.
11Abraham and Sara h were already very old, and Sara h was past the age of child
beari ng. 12So Sara h laughed to herself as she t hought, After I am worn out and
my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?
13T hen the Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sara h l augh and say, Will I reall y
have a child, now that I am old? 14Is anyt hing too hard for the Lord? I will ret urn
to you at the appointed time next year, and Sara h will have a son.
15Sara h was a
fraid, so she lied and said, I did not laugh.
But he said, Yes, you did laugh.
Abraham Pleads for Sodom

16W hen the men got up to leave, they looked down tow ard Sodom, and Abra
ham w
alked a long with them to see them on t heir way. 17T hen the Lord said,
Shall I hide from Abraham what I am a bout to do? 18Abraham will surely be
come a g reat and powerful nat ion, and all nat ions on earth will be blessed
t hrough him. a 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his child ren and
his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doi ng what is r ight and
just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.
20T hen the Lord said, The outc ry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so g reat
and t heir sin so grievous 21t hat I will go down and see if what they have done is
as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.
22T he men t urned away and went tow ard Sodom, but Abrah am rem ained
stand i ng before the Lord.b 23T hen Abraham approached him and said: Will
you s weep away the righteous with the wicked? 24W hat if t here are fift y righ
teous people in the city? Will you really s weep it away and not sparec the place
for the sake of the fift y righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such
a t hingto kill the righteous with the wicked, treati ng the righteous and the
wicked a like. Far be it from you! Will not the J udge of all the e arth do right?
26T he Lord said, If I find fift y righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will
spare the whole p
lace for t heir sake.
27T hen Abraham spoke up again: Now that I have been so bold as to speak
to the Lord, t hough I am nothi ng but dust and ashes, 28w hat if the number of
the righteous is five less than fift y? Will you destroy the w
hole city for lack of
five people?
If I find fort y-five t here, he said, I will not destroyit.
29Once again he s
poke to him, What if only fort y are found there?
He said, For the sake of fort y, I will not doit.
30T hen he said, May the Lord not be ang ry, but let me s
peak. What if only
thirt y can be f ound there?
He answered, I will not do it if I find thirt y there.
31Abraham said, Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if
only twent y can be f ound there?
He said, For the sake of twent y, I will not destroyit.
32T hen he said, May the Lord not be ang ry, but let me s
peak just once more.
What if only ten can be f ound there?
He answered, For the sake of ten, I will not destroyit.
a18Orwill use his name in blessings (see48:20) b22
Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew

scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham c24Orforgive; also in
verse26
6/27/16 12:53 PM
38 // Genesis 18:33
33W hen the Lord had fini shed speaki ng with Abraham, he left, and Abraham
ret urned home.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
19
GENESIS 19:24
SODOM AND
GOMORRAH
Sodom and Gomorrah stand as testimony to the judgment of God. Though
the inhabitants of these cities
shared the common depravity that
has reigned since Adam, their sin
was uniquely and justly condemned
by God and judged in a most memorable way. The very names Sodom
and Gomorrah are known to this day
to be marks of heinous sin and immorality. Gods judgment was not the
act of a vindictive or capricious deity;
rather, it followed his gracious allowance of time and space to repent.
Peter writes that this episode should
serve as a warning to all those who
rebel against God and fail to repent
of their sin (2Pe2:6,910). He will
surely and rightly judge those who
live in disobedience. But he will do so
after granting them space and time
to repent, lest they suffer the same
fate as Sodom and Gomorrah. Our
God is a gracious judge, who will one
day perfectly condemn sin.
The two angels arr ived at Sodom in the even ing, and Lot was sitt ing in the
gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and b
owed
down with his face to the g round. 2My lords, he said, please turn aside to your
servants house. You can wash your feet and spend the n ight and then go on your
way early in the morni ng.
No, they answered, we will s pend the n
ight in the square.
3But he insisted so strongl y that they did go with him and entered his house.
He prepared a meal for them, baki ng b
read without y east, and they ate. 4 Before
they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodomboth
young and old surrounded the house. 5T hey called to Lot, Where are the men
who came to you ton ight? B
ring them out to us so that we can have sex with
them.
6L ot went outside to meet them and shut the door beh ind him 7a nd said, No,
my f riends. D
ont do this wicked t hing. 8L ook, I have two daughters who have
never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you
like with them. But d
ont do anyt hing to t hese men, for they have come under
the protect ion of my roof.
9Get out of our way, they replied. This fellow came here as a foreigner, and
now he w ants to play the judge! Well t reat you worse than them. They kept
bringi ng pressure on Lot and moved forward to b
reak down the door.
10But the men inside r
eached out and p
ulled Lot back into the h
ouse and shut
the door. 11T hen they s truck the men who were at the door of the h
ouse, y oung
and old, with blindness so that they c ould not find the door.
12T he two men said to Lot, Do you have anyone else heresons-in-law, sons
or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,
13bec ause we are goi ng to destroy this place. The outc ry to the Lord a
gainst its
people is so g reat that he has sent us to destroyit.
14So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marr ya
his daughters. He said, Hurr y and get out of this p
lace, bec ause the Lord is
about to destroy the city! But his sons-in-law t hought he was joki ng.
15W ith the comi ng of dawn, the angels u
rged Lot, sayi ng, Hurr y! Take your
wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be s wept away when the
city is punished.
16W hen he hesit ated, the men g rasped his hand and the hands of his wife and
of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was mercif ul
to them. 17A s soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, Flee for your
l ives! Dont look back, and dont stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the moun
tains or you will be s wept away!
18But Lot said to them, No, my l ords,b please! 19Yourc serv ant has f ound favor
in yourc eyes, and youc have s hown g reat kindness to me in spari ng my life. But
I cant flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and Ill die. 20L ook,
here is a town near enough to run to, and it is s mall. Let me flee to itit is very
small, i snt it? Then my life will be spared.
21He said to him, Very well, I will g
rant this request too; I will not overt hrow
the town you speak of. 22But flee t here quickly, because I cannot do anyt hing
unt il you r each it. (That is why the town was c alled Zoar.d )
23B y the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24T hen the
Lord rained down burni ng sulf ur on Sodom and Gomorrahf rom the Lord
out of the heavens. 25T hus he overt hrew t hose cities and the ent ire plain, de
stroyi ng all t hose livi ng in the citiesa nd also the vegetat ion in the land. 26But
L ots wife l ooked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
a14Orwere married to b18OrNo, Lord; or No, my lord c19
d22
TheHebrew is singular.
Zoar means small.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 20:14//39
27E arl y the next morni ng Abrah am got up and ret urned to the p
lace w
here
he had stood before the Lord. 28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah,
toward all the land of the p
lain, and he saw d
ense s moke risi ng from the land,
like s moke from a furnace.
29S o when God destroyed the cities of the p
lain, he remembered Abraham,
and he b
rought Lot out of the cat ast rophe that overt hrew the cities w
here Lot
had lived.
Lot and His Daughters

30L ot and his two daught ers left Zoar and sett led in the mount ains, for he
was a fraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters l ived in a cave. 31One day
the older daughter said to the younger, Our fat her is old, and t here is no man
a round here to give us child renas is the custom all over the earth. 32L ets get
our fat her to d rink wine and then s leep with him and preserve our fami ly line
t hrough our fat her.
33T hat n
ight they got t heir fat her to d rink wine, and the older daughter went in
and s lept with him. He was not a ware of it when she lay down or when she gotup.
34T he next day the older daughter said to the younger, Last n
ight I s lept with
my fat her. L
ets get him to d
rink wine a gain ton ight, and you go in and s leep with
him so we can preserve our fami ly line t hrough our fat her. 35So they got t heir
fat her to d rink wine that n
ight also, and the younger daughter went in and slept
with him. A
gain he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she gotup.
36S o both of L ots daught ers bec ame pregn ant by t heir fat her. 37 T he older
daughter had a son, and she named him Moaba; he is the fat her of the Moab
ites of today. 38T he younger daughter also had a son, and she n
amed him BenAmmib; he is the fat her of the Ammonitesc of today.
Abraham and Abimelek
20
Now Abraham moved on from t here into the reg ion of the Negev and
l ived bet ween Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 a nd t here
Abraham said of his wife Sara h, She is my sister. Then Abimelek king of Gerar
sent for Sara h and took her.
3But God came to Abimelek in a d
ream one n
ight and said to him, You are as
good as dead because of the woma n you have taken; she is a marr ied woma n.
4Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, Lord, will you destroy an
innocent nat ion? 5Did he not say to me, She is my sister, and d
idnt she also say,
He is my brother? I have done this with a c lear conscience and c lean hands.
6T hen God said to him in the d
ream, Yes, I know you did this with a clear
conscience, and so I have kept you from sinn ing a gainst me. That is why I did
not let you touch her. 7Now ret urn the mans wife, for he is a prophet, and he will
pray for you and you will live. But if you do not ret urn her, you may be sure that
you and all who belong to you will die.
8E arl y the next morni ng Abimelek summoned all his off ic ials, and when he
told them all that had happened, they were very much a fraid. 9 T hen Abimelek
called Abraham in and said, What have you done to us? How have I w ronged
you that you have brought such g reat g uilt upon me and my kingdom? You have
done t hings to me that should never be done. 10 A nd Abimelek asked Abra ham,
What was your reason for doi ng this?
11A brah am replied, I said to mys elf, There is surel y no fear of God in this
place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she really is my sister,
the daughter of my fat her t hough not of my mother; and she became my wife.
13A nd when God had me wander from my fat hers household, I said to her, This
is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, He is my
brother.
14T hen Abimelek brought s heep and catt le and male and fem ale s laves and
a37 Moab sounds like the Hebrew for from father. b38 Ben-Ammi means son of my fathers
people. c38Hebrew Bene-Ammon
6/27/16 12:53 PM
40 // Genesis 20:15
GENESIS 21:17
GOD IS FAITHFUL
Isaacs birth previews the coming of
Jesus. Isaac was born because God
is faithful and promised Abraham a
son, just as he promised sinners a
Savior. The birth of Isaac came as
a demonstration of Gods grace, just
as it was demonstrated at the coming of Christ. Abraham and Sarah
were quite elderly when Isaac was
bornso far beyond the years of
child bearing that Sarah laughed at
Gods plan (Ge18:912)yet God
often does the humanly impossible to
fulfill his purposes. Jesus, after all,
was born of a virgin, conceived by the
Holy Spirit (Mt1:18). Though Abraham and Sarah devised what they
thought to be a more practical plan to
fulfill Gods promise by using Hagar
as a surrogate (Ge16:14), it was
ultimately Gods faithfulnessnot
human effortwhich brought forth
Isaac. In a similar way, Jesus came
to earth because God is faithful and
fulfills all of his promises. After Isaac
was born, Sarah laughed once again,
but this time it was not out of unbelief and mockery but out of astonishment and joy (Ge 21:56). Today,
believers should also be filled with
joy and astonishment at the faithfulness of God to keep his promises.
gave them to Abraham, and he ret urned Sara h his wife to him. 15 A nd Abimelek
said, My land is before you; live wherever you like.
16To Sara h he said, I am givi ng your brother a thous and shekelsa of silver.
This is to cover the offense a gainst you before all who are with you; you are com
pletely vind icated.
17T hen Abraham p
rayed to God, and God h
ealed Abimelek, his wife and his
female slaves so they c ould have child ren again, 18for the Lord had kept all the
women in Abimeleks household from conceivi ng bec ause of Abrahams wife
Sara h.
The Birth of Isaac
21
Now the Lord was gracious to Sara h as he had said, and the Lord did for
Sara h what he had promised. 2Sara h became pregnant and bore a son to
Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave
the name Isaacb to the son Sara h bore him. 4W hen his son Isaac was e ight days
old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5Abraham was a hun
dred y ears old when his son I saac was born to him.
6S ara h said, God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about
ould have said to Abraham
this will laugh with me. 7A nd she added, Who w
that Sara h would n
urse child ren? Yet I have b
orne him a son in his old age.
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8T he c
hild grew and was weaned, and on the day I saac was w
eaned Abra
ham held a g reat feast. 9But Sara h saw that the son whom Hagar the Egypt ian
had b
orne to Abraham was mocki ng, 10a nd she said to Abraham, Get rid of that
slave woma n and her son, for that woma ns son will never s hare in the inheri
tance with my son Isaac.
11T he matter dist ressed Abraham greatl y bec ause it conc erned his son. 12But
God said to him, Do not be so dist ressed about the boy and your slave wom
an. Listen to whatever Sara h tells you, because it is t hrough I saac that your off
springc will be reckoned. 13I will make the son of the slave into a nat ion also,
because he is your offspring.
14E arl y the next morni ng Abrah am took some food and a skin of water and
gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the
boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.
15W hen the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bush
es. 16T hen she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she t hought, I
cannot w
atch the boy die. And as she sat t here, shed began to sob.
17G od heard the boy cryi ng, and the angel of God c alled to Hagar from heaven
and said to her, What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be a fraid; God has heard the
boy cryi ng as he lies t here. 18L ift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will
make him into a g reat nat ion.
19T hen God o
pened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and f illed
the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20G od was with the boy as he grew up. He l ived in the desert and bec ame an
archer. 21W hile he was livi ng in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for
him from Egypt.
The Treaty at Beersheba

22At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abra
ham, God is with you in everyt hing you do. 23Now swear to me here before God
that you will not deal falsely with me or my child ren or my descendants. Show
to me and the count ry w
here you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I
have shown to you.
a16
That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms b3 Isaac means he laughs.

Hebrew; Septuagint the child
c12Orseed d16
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 22:17//41
24Abraham said, I s
wearit.
25T hen Abraham complained to Abimelek a

bout a well of water that Abime
leks servants had s eized. 26But Abimelek said, I d
ont know who has done this.
You did not tell me, and I h
eard about it only today.
27So Abraham b
rought s heep and catt le and gave them to Abimelek, and the
two men made a treat y. 28Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the f lock,
29a nd Abimelek a
sked Abraham, What is the meani ng of t hese seven ewe lambs
you have set apart by themselves?
30He replied, Acc ept t hese seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug
this well.
31 S o that place was c alled Beer s heba, a bec ause the two men s wore an oath
there.
32A fter the treat y had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the com
mander of his forces ret urned to the land of the Phil ist ines. 33 Abra ham planted
a tama r isk tree in Beersheba, and t here he c alled on the name of the Lord, the
Eternal God. 34A nd Abraham stayed in the land of the Phil ist ines for a long time.
Abraham Tested
22
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham!

Here I am, he replied.
2T hen God said, Take your son, your only son, whom you loveIsaaca nd
go to the reg ion of Mor ia h. Sacr if ice him t here as a b

urnt offeri ng on a mountain
I will show you.
3E arl y the next morni ng Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with
him two of his servants and his son I saac. When he had cut e nough wood for the
burnt offeri ng, he set out for the p
lace God had told him a bout. 4On the t hird day
Abraham l ooked up and saw the place in the distance. 5He said to his servants,
Stay here with the donkey w
hile I and the boy go over t here. We will worship
and then we will come back to you.
6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offeri ng and p
laced it on his son Isaac,
and he himself carr ied the fire and the k nife. As the two of them went on togeth
er, 7Isaac s poke up and said to his fat her Abraham, Fat her?
Yes, my son? Abraham replied.
The fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt
of fer i ng?
8Abraham ans wered, God himself will prov ide the lamb for the burnt offer
ing, my son. And the two of them went on together.
9W hen they r
eached the p
lace God had told him a bout, Abraham b
uilt an al
tar t here and arranged the wood on it. He b
ound his son I saac and laid him on
the altar, on top of the wood. 10T hen he r eached out his hand and took the k nife
to slay his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abra
ham! Abraham!
12Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anyt hing to him. Now I
know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your
only son.
13Abraham looked up and t here in a thicket he saw a ramb c aught by its horns.
He went over and took the ram and sacr if iced it as a burnt offeri ng instead of his
son. 14So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Prov ide. And to this day it is
said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be prov ided.
15T he angel of the Lord c
alled to Abraham from heaven a second time 16a nd
said, I s wear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and
have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely b
less you and make
your descendants as numerous as the s tars in the sky and as the sand on the
a31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath. b13 Many manuscripts of the
Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the
Masoretic Text a ram behind him
GENESIS 22:5
CONFIDENCE IN GOD
Abrahams confidence in light of his
impending task testifies to a deeper
confidencehis profound confidence in God. Not only had God asked
him to do this startling task, but
Abraham was certain that God would
provide a means of deliverance. He
told his servants to wait while he
and Isaac, his son, went to worship
God on the mountain. Knowing that
God commanded him to sacrifice
his son, Abraham told the servants
that he and the boy would come back
soon. We will worship and then we
will come back to you, he said. He
knew that God had promised to create a great nation through Isaac
(Ge 12:13; 13:1416; 15:121;
17:122; 18:115). For this reason,
Abraham knew that God would either
deliver Isaac from death or resurrect
him following his death (Heb11:19).
Either way, God would keep his word.
Jesus also trusted God in the face of
impending death. The ultimate son
of the promise, Jesus asked that God
take away the cup of his suffering
(Lk22:42). Yet Jesus knew that God
would be faithfuleither by providing deliverance from death or through
his subsequent, victorious resurrection. Unlike Isaac, Jesus would willingly and confidently walk not only to
the brink of death but through death
itself and once again demonstrate the
faithfulness of God to his promises.
GENESIS 22:1718
BLESSED TO BLESS
God promised Abraham that he and
his descendants would be a blessing
to all people (see also Ge12:23).
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 22:118
THE SACRIFICIAL SON

Without question, this story of Abraham and Isaac is one of the most shocking and memorable narratives in all of Scripture. And yet in its outcome, it is one of the greatest stories describing
the loyalty of God to his covenant and the foreshadowing of his plan to save the world. In Genesis 3:15, God made a promise to destroy evil and redeem humanity through the offspring of the
woman.
In this story God puts Abrahams faithfulness to the test by asking him to do the unthinkable,
to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham had another son, Ishmael, but Isaac was the
only son (Ge 22:2) in which all of Gods promises resided because he was born of Sarah. Isaac
represented the continuation of Gods promise to bless all the nations of the earth through Abrahams descendants (Ge 12:13), and the ultimate promise to destroy evil in the world (Ge 3:15).
Everything about Isaacs life was the result of Gods supernatural plan and provision. Against all
odds Sarah, Abrahams wife, became pregnant with Isaac despite being 90 years old (Ge 17:17).
And now, in spite of all that Isaac represented, God asked Abraham to surrender his beloved son.
The toll of this command on Abraham and Sarah must have been enormous. What a powerful
picture of what God did to his only Son for us! Little is said of Abrahams thoughts, or the thoughts
of the boys mother. All we read is the account of the fathers complete obedience to Gods command (Ge 22:3). Abraham laid the wood for the offering on his sons back, and Isaac carried it to
the altar. Isaac was confused, The fire and wood are here ... but where is the lamb for the burnt
offering? Then Abraham offers a glimpse of his faith in Gods provision by saying, God himself
will provide the lamb (Ge 22:78, emphasis added). Abraham understood, like the apostle Paul
after him, that God must keep his promises in order to uphold his own righteousness. The sacrifice
of Jesus not only fulfilled Gods promise to destroy evil and save the world, but it also proved Gods
righteousness by providing a punishment for the sin of the whole world. Just as God provided Jesus
himself to demonstrate his righteousness and take the punishment we deserved, so also he provided
a ram himself to uphold his promise by keeping Isaac alive.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 24:3//43
seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of t heir enem ies,
18a nd t hrough your offspringa all nat ions on earth will be b
lessed,b because you
have obeyedme.
19T hen Abraham ret urned to his serv ants, and they set off together for Beer
sheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
Nahors Sons
20Some time later Abraham was told, Milk ah is also a mother; she has b
orne
sons to your brother Nahor: 21Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the fa
ther of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bet huel. 23 Bet huel became
the fat her of Rebeka h. Milk ah bore t hese e ight sons to Abrahams brother Na
hor. 24His concubine, w
hose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham,
Tahash and Maak ah.
The Death of Sarah
23
Sara h l ived to be a hund red and twent y-seven years old. 2She died at Kir
iath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to
mourn for Sara h and to weep over her.
3T hen Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hitt ites.c He
said, 4I am a foreigner and stranger a mong you. Sell me some propert y for a
buria l site here so I can bury my dead.
5T he Hitt ites replied to Abraham, 6Sir, listen to us. You are a m ighty prince
a mong us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you
his tomb for buryi ng your dead.
7T hen Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hit
tites. 8He said to them, If you are willi ng to let me bury my dead, then listen to
me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9so he will sell me the
cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his f ield. Ask him
to sell it to me for the full p
rice as a buria l site a mong you.
10Ephron the Hitt ite was sitt ing a
mong his people and he replied to Abraham
in the heari ng of all the Hitt ites who had come to the gate of his city. 11No, my
lord, he said. Listen to me; I gived you the f ield, and I gived you the cave that is
in it. I gived it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.
12A gain Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13a nd he said to
Ephron in t heir heari ng, Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the p
rice of the f ield.
Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.
14 E phron an s wered Abra h am, 15Listen to me, my lord; the land is w
orth
four hund red shekels e of silver, but what is that bet ween you and me? Bury your
dead.
16Abraham a
greed to E
phrons t erms and w
eighed out for him the p
rice he had
named in the heari ng of the Hitt ites: four hund red shekels of silver, accordi ng to
the w
eight current a mong the merchants.
17S o Ephrons f ield in Machpelah near Mamreboth the f ield and the cave
in it, and all the t rees withi n the borders of the f ieldwas deeded 18 to Abraham
as his propert y in the presence of all the Hitt ites who had come to the gate of the
city. 19A fterward Abraham buried his wife Sara h in the cave in the f ield of Mach
pelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the f ield and
the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hitt ites as a buria l site.
Isaac and Rebekah
24
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had b

lessed him in every way.
2He said to the senior serv ant in his household, the one in c harge of all
that he had, Put your hand under my t high. 3I want you to s wear by the Lord,
a18Orseed b18Orand all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings
(see48:20) c3Orthe descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20 d11Orsell
That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
e15
(Blessed to Bless, continued)

The obedience of Gods people would
lead to this blessing of the nations.
This promise demonstrated the vast
mission of the nation of Israel. They
were a chosen nation, not merely
for their own blessing, but so that
through them God would declare
and demonstrate his glory to every
other nation as well. God affirmed
this promise once again to Abraham
and declared the means by which the
blessing would happenthe obedience of Gods people. Likewise, in
Gods church, Jew and Gentile alike
are called by God to be a blessing to
the nations. As Gods chosen people,
a new and holy nation purchased by
Christs blood, the church serves as
a light to the nations by obeying God
(1Pe2:910).
GENESIS 24:153
FINDING A BRIDE
Abrahams servant was commissioned to undertake a difficult journey to find a bride for Isaac. After
a journey of about three weeks, this
man arrived with impressive gifts
but an unlikely taskfind a woman
in a distant land, who is of a particular family, and who will respond in
faith to leave her land and become
Isaacs wife. Despite the seeming impossibility of the mission, the servant
cried out to God for help and God orchestrated the events to ensure that
Isaac received a wife and the promise of a descendant who would bring
universal blessing to mankind.
In a similar sense, J esus carried out a
mission to bring his bride to himself.
No distance or cost or improbability would keep him from getting his
bride. He came from heaven to earth
6/27/16 12:53 PM
44 // Genesis 24:4
(Finding a Bride, continued)

in order to rescue his church. He paid
a price for his bride that exceeded the
greatest kingly riches imaginable; his
blood secured her as his own. Moreover, the sovereign hand of God orchestrated the events of the gospel
and the plans of peoples lives so that
the improbablerebels becoming
worshipers of Godwould become
a reality.
the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites, a mong whom I am livi ng, 4but will go to
my count ry and my own relat ives and get a wife for my son Isaac.
5T he serv ant a
sked him, What if the woma n is unw illi ng to come back with
me to this land? S hall I then take your son back to the count ry you came from?
6Make sure that you do not take my son back t here, Abrah am said. 7 The
Lord, the God of heaven, who b
rought me out of my fat hers household and my
nat ive land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, sayi ng, To your off
springa I will give this landhe will send his angel before you so that you can
get a wife for my son from t here. 8If the woma n is unw illi ng to come back with
you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son
back t here. 9So the servant put his hand under the t high of his master Abraham
and s wore an oath to him concerni ng this matter.
10T hen the serv ant left, taki ng with him ten of his mast ers camels loade d
with all k inds of good t hings from his master. He set out for Aram Naharai mb
and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11He had the camels k neel down near
the well outside the town; it was toward even ing, the time the women go out to
draw water.
12T hen he p
rayed, Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successf ul
today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13See, I am standi ng beside
this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are comi ng out to draw water.
14May it be that when I say to a young woma n, Please let down your jar that I may
have a d
rink, and she says, Drink, and Ill water your camels toolet her be
the one you have chosen for your servant I saac. By this I will know that you have
shown kindness to my master.
15Before he had fini shed prayi ng, Rebeka h came out with her jar on her shoul
der. She was the daughter of Bet huel son of Milk ah, who was the wife of Abra
hams brother Nahor. 16T he woma n was very beaut if ul, a virg in; no man had ever
slept with her. She went down to the s pring, f illed her jar and came up again.
17T he serv ant hurr ied to meet her and said, Please give me a litt le water from
your jar.
18Drink, my lord, she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her h ands and
gave him a drink.
19A fter she had given him a d
rink, she said, Ill draw water for your camels
too, unt il they have had e nough to d
rink. 20So she quickly empt ied her jar into
the t rough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew e nough for all his
atched her closely to l earn whether
camels. 21W ithout sayi ng a word, the man w
or not the Lord had made his journey successf ul.
22W hen the camels had fini shed drinki ng, the man took out a gold nose ring
weighi ng a bekac and two gold bracelets weighi ng ten shekels.d 23T hen he a sked,
Whose daughter are you? P
lease tell me, is t here room in your fat hers house for
us to s pend the night?
24She ans wered him, I am the daughter of Bet huel, the son that Milk ah bore
to Nahor. 25A nd she added, We have plent y of straw and fodder, as well as room
for you to s pend the night.
26T hen the man b
owed down and worshiped the Lord, 27sayi ng, Praise be to
the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness
and faithf ulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to
the h
ouse of my masters relat ives.
28T he young woma n ran and told her mothers household about t hese t hings.
29Now Rebeka h had a brother named Laban, and he hurr ied out to the man at
the spring. 30A s soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sis
ters arms, and had heard Rebeka h tell what the man said to her, he went out to
the man and f ound him standi ng by the camels near the spring. 31Come, you
a7Orseed b10That is, Northwest Mesopotamia c22
That is, about 1/5ounce or about

5.7 grams d22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 24:58//45
who are blessed by the Lord, he said. Why are you standi ng out here? I have
prepared the house and a p
lace for the camels.
32S o the man went to the h
ouse, and the camels were unloaded. S traw and
fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash t heir
feet. 33T hen food was set before him, but he said, I will not eat unt il I have told
you what I have to say.
Then tell us, Laban said.
34S o he said, I am Abrah ams serv ant. 35T he Lord has blessed my mast er
abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and catt le, sil
ver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36My masters
wife Sara h has b
orne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everyt hing
he owns. 37A nd my master made me swear an oath, and said, You must not get a
wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in w
hose land I live, 38but
go to my fat hers fami ly and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.
39Then I a sked my master, What if the woma n will not come back withme?
40He replied, The Lord, before whom I have w alked faithf ull y, will send his
angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my
son from my own clan and from my fat hers fami ly. 41You will be released from
my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to yout hen you will
be released from my oath.
42 When I came to the s
pring today, I said, Lord, God of my master Abraham,
if you will, please g rant success to the journey on which I have come. 43See, I am
standi ng beside this spring. If a young woma n c omes out to draw water and I say
to her, Please let me d rink a litt le water from your jar, 44a nd if she says to me,
Drink, and Ill draw water for your camels too, let her be the one the Lord has
chosen for my masters son.
45Before I fini shed prayi ng in my heart, Rebeka h came out, with her jar on
her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her,
Please give me a drink.
46She quickl y lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, Drink, and Ill wa
ter your camels too. So I d
rank, and she watered the camels also.
47I a
sked her, Whose daughter are you?
She said, The daughter of Bet huel son of Nahor, whom Milk ah bore to him.
Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48a nd I b
owed
down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abra
ham, who had led me on the r ight road to get the granddaughter of my masters
brother for his son. 49Now if you will show kindness and faithf ulness to my mas
ter, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know w
hich way to turn.
50L aban and Bet huel ans wered, This is from the Lord; we can say nothi ng to
you one way or the other. 51Here is Rebeka h; take her and go, and let her become
the wife of your masters son, as the Lord has directed.
52W hen Abrah ams serv ant heard what they said, he b owed down to the
g round before the Lord. 53T hen the servant b
rought out gold and silver jewelr y
and art icles of clothi ng and gave them to Rebeka h; he also gave costly g ifts to her
brother and to her mother. 54T hen he and the men who were with him ate and
d rank and s pent the n
ight there.
When they got up the next morni ng, he said, Send me on my way to my mas
ter.
55But her brother and her mother replied, Let the young woma n remain with
us ten days or so; then youa maygo.
56But he said to them, Do not det ain me, now that the Lord has granted suc
cess to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.
57T hen they said, Lets call the young woma n and ask her a
bout it. 58So they
called Rebeka h and asked her, Will you go with this man?
I will go, she said.
a55Orshe
6/27/16 12:53 PM
46 // Genesis 24:59
59So they sent t heir sister Rebeka h on her way, a
long with her n
urse and Abra
hams servant and his men. 60A nd they b
lessed Rebeka h and said to her,
Our sister, may you increase

to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess
the cities of their enemies.
61T hen Rebeka h and her attendants got r
eady and mounted t he camels and
went back with the man. So the servant took Rebeka h and left.
62Now I saac had come from Beer Lah ai Roi, for he was livi ng in the Negev.
63He went out to the f ield one even ing to medit ate,a and as he looked up, he saw
camels approachi ng. 64Rebeka h also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down
from her camel 65a nd a sked the servant, Who is that man in the f ield comi ng
to meetus?
He is my master, the servant ans wered. So she took her veil and covered
herself.
66T hen the serv ant told I saac all he had done. 67Isaac b
rought her into the tent
of his mother Sara h, and he marr ied Rebeka h. So she became his wife, and he
loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mothers death.
The Death of Abraham
25
Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Ket urah. 2She bore
him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midia n, Ishbak and Shua h. 3 Jokshan was
the fat her of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashu rites,
the Let ushites and the Leu mm ites. 4T he sons of Midia n were E
phah, Epher, Ha
nok, Abida and Eldaa h. All t hese were descendants of Ket urah.
5Abraham left everyt hing he o
wned to I saac. 6But w
hile he was s till livi ng, he
gave g ifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son I saac
to the land of the east.
7 Abraham l ived a hund red and sevent y-five years. 8 T hen Abraham breathed
his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was
gathered to his people. 9H is sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of
Machpelah near Mamre, in the f ield of Ephron son of Zohar the Hitt ite, 10t he
f ield Abraham had b
ought from the Hitt ites.b T here Abraham was buried with
his wife Sara h. 11A fter Abrahams death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then
l ived near Beer Lahai Roi.
Ishmaels Sons
12T his is the account of the fami l y line of Abrahams son Ishmael, whom Sar
ahs slave, Hagar the Egypt ian, bore to Abraham.
13T hese are the n
ames of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of t heir b
irth:
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,
Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jet ur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16T hese were the sons of
Ishmael, and t hese are the names of the t welve triba l rulers accordi ng to t heir
sett lements and camps. 17 Ishmael l ived a hund red and thirt y-seven years. He
breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 18 His descendants
sett led in the area from Havi lah to Shur, near the eastern border of E
gypt, as you
go toward Ashu r. And they l ived in host ilit y towardc all the t ribes related to them.
Jacob and Esau

19T his is the account of the fami l y line of Abrahams son Isaac.
Abraham became the fat her of Isaac, 20a nd Isaac was fort y years old when he
mar r ied Rebek a h daughter of Bet huel the Ara mea n from Paddan Aram d and
sister of Laban the Ara mea n.
a63
Themeaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. b10Orthe descendants of Heth
That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
c18Orlived to the east of d20
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 26:11//47
21Isaac p
rayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.
The Lord ans wered his p
rayer, and his wife Rebeka h became pregnant. 22T he
babies jost led each other withi n her, and she said, Why is this happeni ng to
me? So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23T he Lord said to her,
Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.
24W hen the time came for her to give birth, t here were twin boys in her womb.
25T he f irst to come out was red, and his w hole body was like a h
airy garment; so
they n
amed him Esau.a 26A fter this, his brother came out, with his hand grasp
ing E
saus heel; so he was named Jacob.b Isaac was sixt y years old when Rebeka h
gave birth to them.
27T he boys grew up, and Esau bec ame a skillf ul hunter, a man of the open
count ry, w
hile Jacob was content to stay at home a mong the t ents. 28Isaac, who
had a t aste for wild game, l oved Esau, but Rebeka h loved Jacob.
29Once when Jacob was cooki ng some stew, Esau came in from the open coun
try, famished. 30He said to Jacob, Quick, let me have some of that red stew! Im
famished! (That is why he was also c alled Edom.c)
31Jacob replied, First sell me your birthr ight.
32Look, I am a
bout to die, Esau said. What good is the birthr ight tome?
33But Jac ob said, Swear to me f irst. So he s wore an oath to him, selli ng his
birthr ight to Jacob.
34T hen Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lent il stew. He ate and d rank,
and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthr ight.
Isaac and Abimelek
26
Now there was a famine in the landbes ides the prev ious famine
inAbrahams timea nd Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Phil ist ines
in Gerar. 2T he Lord appeared to I saac and said, Do not go down to Egypt; livein
hile, and I will be with
the land w
here I tell you to live. 3Stay in this land for a w
you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all t hese lands
and will conf irm the oath I s wore to your fat her Abraham. 4I will make your
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all t hese
lands, and t hrough your offspringd all nat ions on earth will be blessed,e 5be
cause Abraham obeyed me and did everyt hing I required of him, keepi ng my
commands, my decrees and my instruct ions. 6So I saac s tayed in Gerar.
7W hen the men of that place a sked him a
bout his wife, he said, She is my sis
ter, because he was a fraid to say, She is my wife. He t hought, The men of this
place m
ight kill me on account of Rebeka h, because she is beaut if ul.
8W hen I saac had been t here a long time, Abimelek king of the Philist ines
looked down from a window and saw I saac caressing his wife Rebeka h. 9So
Abimelek summoned I saac and said, She is really your wife! Why did you say,
She is my sister?
Isaac ans wered him, Bec ause I t hought I m ight lose my life on account of
her.
10T hen Abimelek said, What is this you have done to us? One of the men
m ight well have s lept with your wife, and you w
ould have b
rought g uilt uponus.
11So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: Anyone who harms this man or
his wife s hall surely be put to death.
GENESIS 26:25
HEIR OF THE
PROMISE
God designed a world for his created image-bearers to multiply and
fill. His covenant with Abraham established the ongoing validity of this
goal, even in the face of human sin
(Ge 12:13). In this passage, God
reiterates his promise to Isaac and
pledges to be faithful to his promise
by multiplying Isaacs descendants,
giving them a great land and blessing all the earth through his family.
Peter demonstrates that these promises find their fulfillment in the birth
of the New Testament church and the
sending of Gods Spirit (Ac3:25). In
the church, all those who bear Jesus
name, both Jews and Gentiles alike,
can be grafted into one heavenly
family (Gal3:8). As Abrahams offspring, the church is now the heir of
the promises of God and entrusted
with the mission of filling the earth
with image-bearing worshipers who
are a blessing to the nations.
a25 Esau may mean hairy. b26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he
deceives. c30 Edom means red. d4Orseed e4Orand all nations on earth will use
the name of your offspring in blessings (see48:20)
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 25:23
FINGERPRINTS OF GRACE
What a scandalous claim! In the original readers culture, the claim that an older brother
would serve a younger brother was outrageous and disgraceful. But in Gods dealings with people,
this sort of role reversal is just the opposite; it is a work of grace (Ro 9:1013). Grace turns the
natural order of things on their head. Time and again throughout the book of Genesis, the headlines
to these narratives seemed shocking to their original audience. Perhaps in the mind of the modern
reader this wonder is lost, but the implications for Christians are gigantic. God seeks to restore worshipers to himself by graciously pouring out his favor upon them. Consider the following headlines
in light of Gods scandalous grace:
God gave
animal skins to Adam and Eve instead of retribution (Ge 3:21). Adam and Eve
deserved death for their rebellion (2:17), but God gave them grace instead.
Abel gained favor with God over Cain (Ge 4:45). In another example of the younger sibling receiving the grace of God, Abel was granted Gods favor because he brought a simple sacrifice
out of faith (Heb 11:4), while Cain only revealed his sinful heart in the encounter (Ge 4:57).
God spared
a flawed man and his family by means of an ark. It would be easy to skim over or
avoid Genesis 9:2027 due to its awkward and uncomfortable content. It serves as a contradistinction to the man who the writer first introduced as having found favor in the eyes of the Lord
(Ge 6:8). The fact remains that Noahs favor with God was not because he was or would always be
a perfect man.
Abraham received
a unilateral covenant from God. The ramifications of Gods pledge to

Abram in Genesis 15 are vast. From this fountainhead, the rest of the Scriptures pour out. But the
history of this blessed man was far from pristine. Joshua wrote that Abrams father worshiped other
gods (Jos 24:2) and Abram lied to protect himself (Ge 12:1020; 20:2). Gods grace turns Abram
into the father of many nations and a source of everlasting blessing to the whole world.
Every narrative of the book of Genesis is covered in the fingerprints of grace. All of these
upheavals and role reversals are the handiwork of a gracious God who pours out his favor in order
to bring maximum glory to himself.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 27:7//49
12Isaac plante d c rops in that land and the same year reaped a hund redfold,
because the Lord blessed him. 13T he man became rich, and his w
ealth cont in
ued to grow unt il he became very w
ealthy. 14He had so many f locks and h
erds
and servants that the Phil ist ines env ied him. 15So all the w
ells that his fat hers
servants had dug in the time of his fat her Abraham, the Phil ist ines s topped up,
filli ng them with earth.
16T hen Abimelek said to I saac, Move away from us; you have bec ome too
powerf ul forus.
17So Isaac m
oved away from t here and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where
he set t led. 18Isaac reopened the w
ells that had been dug in the time of his fa
ther Abraham, w
hich the Phil ist ines had stopped up after Abraham died, and
he gave them the same n
ames his fat her had given them.
19Isaacs serv ants dug in the valley and discovered a well of f resh water t here.
20But the herders of Gerar quarreled with t hose of Isaac and said, The water is
ours! So he named the well Esek,a because they disputed with him. 21T hen they
dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.b
22He m
oved on from t here and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it.
He named it Rehoboth, c sayi ng, Now the Lord has given us room and we will
flourish in the land.
23From t here he went up to Beersheba. 24T hat n
ight the Lord appeared to him
and said, I am the God of your fat her Abraham. Do not be a fraid, for I am with
you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the
sake of my servant Abraham.
25I saac built an alt ar t here and c alled on the name of the Lord. T here he
pitched his tent, and t here his servants dug a well.
26Meanw hile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzz ath his per
sona l adv iser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27Isaac a sked them, Why
have you come to me, s ince you were host ile to me and sent me away?
28T hey ans wered, We saw clearl y that the Lord was with you; so we said,
There ought to be a s worn agreement bet ween usbet ween us and you. Let
us make a treat y with you 29t hat you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm
you but always treated you well and sent you away peacef ully. And now you are
blessed by the Lord.
30Isaac then made a f east for them, and they ate and d
rank. 31Early the next
morni ng the men s wore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on t heir
way, and they went away peacef ully.
32T hat day Isaacs serv ants came and told him about the well they had dug.
They said, Weve f ound water! 33He c alled it Shibah,d and to this day the name
of the town has been Beersheba.e
Jacob Takes Esaus Blessing

34W hen Esau was fort y y
ears old, he marr ied Jud ith daughter of Beer i the Hit
tite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hitt ite. 35T hey were a source of g rief
to Isaac and Rebeka h.
When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,
he c alled for Esau his older son and said to him, My son.
Here I am, he answered.
2Isaac said, I am now an old man and d
ont know the day of my d
eath. 3Now
then, get your equipmentyour quiver and bowa nd go out to the open coun
try to hunt some wild game for me. 4Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and
bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessi ng before I die.
5Now Rebeka h was listeni ng as I saac s
poke to his son Esau. When Esau left for
the open count ry to hunt game and bring it back, 6Rebeka h said to her son Jacob,
Look, I overheard your fat her say to your brother Esau, 7Bring me some game
27
a20
Esek means dispute. b21 Sitnah means opposition. c22 Rehoboth means room.
Shibah can mean oath or seven. e33 Beersheba can mean well of the oath and well of
seven.
d33
6/27/16 12:53 PM
50 // Genesis 27:8
and prepare me some t asty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessi ng in the
presence of the Lord before I die. 8Now, my son, listen caref ully and do what I
ring me two c hoice y oung g oats, so I can pre
tell you: 9Go out to the f lock and b
pare some t asty food for your fat her, just the way he l ikes it. 10T hen take it to your
fat her to eat, so that he may give you his blessi ng before he dies.
11Jacob said to Rebeka h his mother, But my brother Esau is a hairy man w hile
I have smooth skin. 12W hat if my fat her touches me? I would appear to be trick
ing him and w
ould b
ring down a c urse on myself rather than a blessi ng.
13H is mother said to him, My son, let the c
urse fall on me. Just do what I say;
go and get them forme.
14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared
some t asty food, just the way his fat her l iked it. 15T hen Rebeka h took the best
clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her
ands and the s mooth part of his neck
younger son Jacob. 16She also covered his h
with the goatskins. 17T hen she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the
bread she had made.
18He went to his fat her and said, My fat her.
Yes, my son, he answered. Who isit?
19Jacob said to his fat her, I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me.
Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessi ng.
20Isaac a
sked his son, How did you find it so quickly, my son?
The Lord your God gave me success, he replied.
21T hen Isaac said to Jac ob, Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know
whether you really are my son Esau or not.
22Jacob went close to his fat her I saac, who touched him and said, The voice is
the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23He did not recogn ize
him, for his hands were hairy like t hose of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to
bless him. 24Are you really my son Esau? he asked.
I am, he replied.
25T hen he said, My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give
you my blessi ng.
Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he d rank.
26T hen his fat her I saac said to him, Come here, my son, and kissme.
27S o he went to him and k issed him. When I saac c
aught the smell of his
clothes, he b
lessed him and said,
Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you heavens dew
and earths richness
an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed.
30A fter I saac fini shed blessi ng him, and Jac ob had scarcel y left his fat hers
presence, his brother Esau came in from hunti ng. 31He too prepared some t asty
food and brought it to his fat her. Then he said to him, My fat her, p
lease sit up
and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessi ng.
32H is fat her I saac a
sked him, Who are you?
I am your son, he answered, your firstborn, Esau.
33Isaac trembled violentl y and said, Who was it, then, that hunted game and
brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed hima nd indeed he
will be blessed!
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 28:11//51
34W hen Esau h
eard his fat hers words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry
and said to his fat her, Bless meme too, my fat her!
35But he said, Your brother came dec eitf ull y and took your blessi ng.
36E sau said, Isnt he rightl y n amed Jac oba? This is the second time he has
taken advantage of me: He took my birthr ight, and now hes taken my blessi ng!
Then he a sked, Havent you reserved any blessi ng forme?
37Isaac ans wered Esau, I have made him lord over you and have made all his
relat ives his servants, and I have sust ained him with g rain and new wine. So
what can I possibly do for you, my son?
38E sau said to his fat her, Do you have only one blessi ng, my fat her? Bless me
too, my fat her! Then Esau wept aloud.
39H is fat her I saac ans wered him,
Your dwelling will be

away from the earths richness,
away from the dew of heaven above.
40 You will live by the sword
and you will serve your brother.
But when you grow restless,
you will throw his yoke
from off your neck.
41E sau held a g rudge against Jacob bec ause of the blessi ng his fat her had giv
en him. He said to himself, The days of mourni ng for my fat her are near; then I
will kill my brother Jacob.
42W hen Rebeka h was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her
younger son Jacob and said to him, Your brother Esau is plann ing to avenge
himself by killi ng you. 43Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my
brother Laban in Har ran. 44Stay with him for a w
hile unt il your brothers fury
subsides. 45W hen your brother is no longer ang ry with you and forgets what you
did to him, Ill send word for you to come back from t here. Why s hould I lose both
of you in one day?
46T hen Rebeka h said to Isaac, Im disg usted with livi ng bec ause of t hese Hit
tite women. If Jacob t akes a wife from a mong the women of this land, from Hitt ite
women like t hese, my life will not be w
orth livi ng.
So I saac c alled for Jacob and b
lessed him. Then he commanded him:
Do not marr y a Canaanite woma n. 2Go at once to Paddan Aram,b to the
house of your mothers fat her Bet huel. Take a wife for yourself t here, from a mong
the daughters of Laban, your mothers brother. 3May God Alm ightyc bless you
and make you fruitf ul and increase your numbers unt il you become a commu
nit y of peoples. 4May he give you and your descendants the blessi ng given to
Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land w
here you now reside as
a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham. 5T hen Isaac sent Jacob on his way,
and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bet huel the Ara mea n, the brother
of Rebeka h, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan
Aram to take a wife from t here, and that when he b
lessed him he commanded
him, Do not marr y a Canaanite woma n, 7a nd that Jacob had obeyed his fat her
and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then rea li zed how displeasi ng
the Canaanite women were to his fat her Isaac; 9so he went to Ishmael and mar
ried Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham,
in add it ion to the w
ives he already had.
28
GENESIS 28:1022
A STAIRWAY
FROM HEAVEN
Fleeing to Harran to escape his brothers wrath, Jacob stopped for the
night. Jacob dreamed that a stairway
stretched from heaven to earth, with
angels ascending and descending
the heavenly staircase. The picture
portrayed the grand, cosmic reality of
life on this earth. While it may seem
that all that is real is that which can
be seen, there is an eternal, heavenly
world closely connected to this one.
The heavenly realm is consistently
interacting with this world in ways
that lie beyond what the human mind
can comprehend and the human eye
can see.
Jesus birth would bring this reality
into greater focus. The fully divine
and human Son of God would serve
as the ladder between heaven and
earth (Jn1:51). At his baptism, the
heavens were opened and the Spirit
of God descended on the Son of God,
indicating his divine status and Godordained mission (Mt 3:1317). In
Jesus, heaven met earth, and with
him came glimpses of the coming
kingdom as the lame walked, the
blind regained sight and prisoners
gained freedom (Lk4:18). At the incarnation, the Son of God descended
the heavenly staircase in order to
usher sinful humanity into the kingdom of God.
Jacobs Dream at Bethel

10Jac ob left Beers heba and set out for Harr an. 11W hen he reached a cert ain
place, he s topped for the n
ight because the sun had set. Taki ng one of the s tones
a36
b2
Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6 and 7 c3Hebrew El-Shaddai
6/27/16 12:53 PM
52 // Genesis 28:12
t here, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12He had a d ream in which
he saw a stairway resti ng on the e arth, with its top reachi ng to heaven, and the
angels of God were ascendi ng and descendi ng on it. 13T here above ita stood the
Lord, and he said: I am the Lord, the God of your fat her Abraham and the God
of I saac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lyi ng.
14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to
the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will
be blessed t hrough you and your offspring.b 15I am with you and will watch over
you wherever you go, and I will b
ring you back to this land. I will not leave you
unt il I have done what I have promised you.
16W hen Jac ob awoke from his s leep, he t hought, Surel y the Lord is in this
place, and I was not a ware of it. 17He was a fraid and said, How awesome is
this place! This is none other than the h
ouse of God; this is the gate of heaven.
18E arl y the next morni ng Jac ob took the s
tone he had p
laced under his head
and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19He called that place Bethel,c
t hough the city used to be c alled Luz.
20T hen Jacob made a vow, sayi ng, If God will be with me and will w
atch over
me on this journey I am taki ng and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
21so that I ret urn safel y to my fat hers household, then the Lordd will be my God
22a nde this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be G ods house, and of all that
you give me I will give you a tenth.
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
29
Then Jacob cont inued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern
peoples. 2T here he saw a well in the open count ry, with t hree f locks of
sheep lyi ng near it because the f locks were watered from that well. The stone
over the mouth of the well was large. 3W hen all the f locks were gathered t here,
the shepherds would roll the stone away from the w
ells m
outh and water the
sheep. Then they w
ould ret urn the s tone to its p
lace over the mouth of the well.
4Jacob a
sked the shepherds, My brothers, where are you from?
Were from Harran, they replied.
5He said to them, Do you know Laban, Nahors grandson?
Yes, we know him, they answered.
6T hen Jacob a
sked them, Is he well?
Yes, he is, they said, and here c omes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.
7Look, he said, the sun is still high; it is not time for the f locks to be gath
ered. Water the s heep and take them back to past ure.
8 We c ant, they replied, unt il all the f locks are gathered and the stone has
been rolled away from the m
outh of the well. Then we will water the sheep.
9W hile he was still talki ng with them, Rac hel came with her fat hers s heep,
for she was a shepherd. 10W hen Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban,
and Labans s heep, he went over and r olled the stone away from the mouth of
the well and watered his uncles sheep. 11T hen Jacob k issed Rachel and began to
weep a loud. 12He had told Rachel that he was a relat ive of her fat her and a son of
Rebeka h. So she ran and told her fat her.
13A s soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sisters son, he hurr ied to
meet him. He embraced him and k issed him and brought him to his home, and
t here Jacob told him all t hese t hings. 14T hen Laban said to him, You are my own
f lesh and blood.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole m
onth, 15Laban said to him, Just
because you are a relat ive of mine, should you work for me for nothi ng? Tell me
what your wages s houldbe.
a13OrThere beside him b14Orwill use your name and the name of your offspring in
blessings (see48:20) c19 Bethel means house of God. d20,21OrSince God... fathers
household, the Lord e21,22Orhousehold, and the Lord will be my God, 22then
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 30:8//53
16Now Laban had two daught ers; the name of the older was Leah, and the
name of the younger was Rachel. 17L eah had weaka eyes, but Rachel had a lovely
figu re and was beaut if ul. 18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, Ill work for
you seven years in ret urn for your younger daughter Rachel.
19L aban said, Its better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay
here with me. 20So Jacob s erved seven y ears to get Rachel, but they s eemed like
only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21T hen Jac ob said to Laban, Give me my wife. My time is complete d, and I
want to make love to her.
22So Laban b
rought together all the people of the p
lace and gave a f east. 23But
when even ing came, he took his daughter Leah and b
rought her to Jacob, and
Jacob made love to her. 24A nd Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as
her at tendant.
25W hen morning came, t here was Leah! So Jac ob said to Laban, What is
this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, d idnt I? Why have you de
ceivedme?
26L aban replied, It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in
marr iage before the older one. 27Finish this daughters brida l week; then we will
give you the younger one also, in ret urn for another seven years of work.
28A nd Jac ob did so. He fini shed the week with Leah, and then Laban gave
him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29L aban gave his servant Bilhah to his
daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love
for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another
seven years.
Jacobs Children
31W hen the Lord saw that Leah was not l oved, he enabled her to conc eive, but
Rachel remained childless. 32L eah became pregnant and gave b
irth to a son. She
named him Reuben, b for she said, It is because the Lord has seen my misery.
Surely my husband will love me now.
33She conc eived a
gain, and when she gave birth to a son she said, Because
the Lord heard that I am not l oved, he gave me this one too. So she n
amed him
Simeon. c
34A gain she conc eived, and when she gave b
irth to a son she said, Now at last
my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him t hree sons.
So he was n
amed Levi.d
35She conc eived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, This time I
will p
raise the Lord. So she named him Judah.e Then she stopped havi ng chil
dren.
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became
jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, Give me children, or Ill die!
2Jac ob bec ame ang ry with her and said, AmI in the place of God, who has
kept you from havi ng child ren?
3T hen she said, Here is Bilh ah, my serv ant. S
leep with her so that she can
bear child ren for me and I too can b
uild a fami ly t hrough her.
4So she gave him her serv ant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5a nd she
became pregnant and bore him a son. 6T hen Rachel said, God has vind icated
me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son. Because of this she n
amed
him Dan.f
7R achels serv ant Bilhah conc eived a
gain and bore Jacob a second son. 8T hen
Rachel said, I have had a g reat strugg le with my sister, and I have won. So she
named him Naphtal i. g
30
a17Ordelicate b32
Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name
means see, a son. c33 Simeon probably means one who hears. d34 Levi sounds like and
may be derived from the Hebrew for attached. e35 Judah sounds like and may be derived
from the Hebrew for praise. f6 Dan here means he has vindicated. g8 Naphtali means
my struggle.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
54 // Genesis 30:9
9W hen Leah saw that she had stopped havi ng child ren, she took her serv ant
Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10L ea hs servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
11T hen Leah said, What good fort une!a So she n
amed him Gad.b
12L ea hs serv ant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13T hen Leah said, How hap
py I am! The women will call me happy. So she named him Asher.c
14D uring w heat harv est, Reub en went out into the f ields and found some
mand rake plants, w hich he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah,
Please give me some of your s ons mand rakes.
15But she said to her, Wasnt it enough that you took away my husband? Will
you take my s ons mand rakes too?
Very well, Rachel said, he can sleep with you ton ight in ret urn for your sons
mand rakes.
16So when Jacob came in from the f ields that even ing, Leah went out to meet
him. You must sleep with me, she said. I have h ired you with my sons man
drakes. So he slept with her that night.
17G od listened to Leah, and she bec ame pregnant and bore Jacob a f ifth son.
18T hen Leah said, God has rew arded me for givi ng my serv ant to my husband.
So she n
amed him Issachar.d
19L eah conc eived a
gain and bore Jacob a s ixth son. 20T hen Leah said, God
has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will t reat me with
honor, because I have b
orne him six sons. So she n
amed him Zebu lun.e
21Some time later she gave b
irth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22T hen God remembered Rac hel; he listened to her and enabled her to con
ceive. 23She became pregnant and gave b
irth to a son and said, God has taken
away my disg race. 24She named him Joseph,f and said, May the Lord add to
me another son.
Jacobs Flocks Increase

25A fter Rachel gave b
irth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me on my way
so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give me my w
ives and child ren, for
whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work Ive
done for you.
27But Laban said to him, If I have f ound favor in your eyes, p
lease stay. I have
learned by divi nat ion that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 He added,
Name your wages, and I will pay them.
29Jacob said to him, You know how I have w
orked for you and how your live
stock has f ared under my care. 30T he litt le you had before I came has increased
greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may
I do somet hing for my own household?
31 What s
hall I give you? he asked.
Dont give me anyt hing, Jacob replied. But if you will do this one t hing for
me, I will go on tendi ng your f locks and watchi ng over them: 32Let me go t hrough
all your f locks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted s heep,
every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my
wages. 33A nd my honest y will test if y for me in the fut ure, whenever you c heck
on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or
spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.
34Agreed, said Laban. Let it be as you have said. 35T hat same day he re
moved all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled
or spotted female g oats (all that had w hite on them) and all the dark-colored
lambs, and he p
laced them in the care of his sons. 36T hen he put a t hree-day
journey bet ween himself and Jacob, while Jacob cont inued to tend the rest of
Labans flocks.
a11OrA troop is coming! b11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop. c13 Asher
means happy. d18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward. e20 Zebulun probably
means honor. f24 Joseph means may he add.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 31:23//55
37Jac ob, howe ver, took f resh-cut branche s from poplar, almond and plane
t rees and made w hite s tripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the
white inner wood of the branches. 38T hen he placed the peeled branches in all
the wateri ng t roughs, so that they w
ould be directly in f ront of the f locks when
they came to d
rink. When the f locks were in heat and came to d
rink, 39t hey mat
ed in f ront of the branches. And they bore y oung that were s treaked or speckled
or spotted. 40Jacob set a part the y oung of the f lock by themselves, but made the
rest face the s treaked and dark-colored ani mals that belonged to Laban. Thus
he made sepa rate f locks for himself and did not put them with Labans ani mals.
41W hene ver the stronger females were in heat, Jacob w
ould p
lace the branches
in the t roughs in f ront of the ani mals so they w
ould mate near the branches,
42but if the ani mals were weak, he would not place them t here. So the weak an
imals went to Laban and the s trong ones to Jacob. 43I n this way the man grew
exceedi ngly prosperous and came to own l arge f locks, and female and male ser
vants, and camels and donkeys.
Jacob Flees From Laban
31
Jacob h
eard that Labans sons were sayi ng, Jacob has taken everyt hing
our fat her owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to
our fat her. 2A nd Jacob not iced that Labans att it ude toward him was not what
it had been.
3T hen the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fat hers and to your
relat ives, and I will be with you.
4S o Jac ob sent word to Rac hel and Leah to come out to the f ields w here his
f locks were. 5He said to them, I see that your fat hers att it ude toward me is not
what it was before, but the God of my fat her has been with me. 6You know that
Ive worked for your fat her with all my strength, 7yet your fat her has cheated me
by changi ng my wages ten t imes. However, God has not allowed him to harm
me. 8If he said, The speckled ones will be your wages, then all the f locks gave
birth to speckled y oung; and if he said, The s treaked ones will be your wages,
then all the f locks bore streaked young. 9So God has taken away your fat hers
livestock and has given them tome.
10In breedi ng season I once had a d ream in w hich I l ooked up and saw that
the male g oats mati ng with the f lock were s treaked, speckled or spotted. 11T he
angel of God said to me in the d ream, Jacob. I answered, Here I am. 12A nd he
said, Look up and see that all the male goats mati ng with the f lock are streaked,
speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doi ng to you. 13I am
the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me.
Now leave this land at once and go back to your nat ive land.
14T hen Rac hel and Leah replied, Do we s
till have any s hare in the inheri
tance of our fat hers estate? 15Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has
ealth that
he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16Surely all the w
God took away from our fat her belongs to us and our child ren. So do whatever
God has told you.
17T hen Jacob put his child ren and his w
ives on camels, 18a nd he d
rove all his
livestock a head of him, a long with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan
a
Aram, to go to his fat her I saac in the land of Canaan.
19W hen Laban had gone to s
hear his s heep, Rachel s tole her fat hers house
hold gods. 20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Ara mea n by not telli ng him he
was runn ing away. 21So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and
headed for the hill count ry of Gilead.
GENESIS 31:2224
RESTORING PEACE
IN A BROKEN WORLD
Gods rescue operation for humanity
integrally involved the descendants
of Jacob. God had promised to Jacob,
as his father and grandfather before
him, that his grand plan for restoring
shalom back to the universe was via
a massive blessing in and through
his descendants (Ge 28:1315).
Hope for blessing rested in the safety
and expansion of this fledgling family. And God would ensure that Jacob
would move forward under divine
protection and multiplication. In this
passage, Jacob risked his life and the
Messiahs line. His aggressive business relationship with Laban and
ensuing flight from his father-in-law
put him in a dangerous spot. God
continued to demonstrate his faithfulness to Jacob, in spite of the seeming chaos. Ultimately, the potential
risks that threatened to short circuit
Gods plan in Jesus were also overcome in his sovereignty and power.
This story of the protection and progress of Gods plan for the redemptive
Messiah plays out again and again in
the pages of Scripture.
Laban Pursues Jacob

22On the t hird day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taki ng his relat ives
with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill
a18
That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
6/27/16 12:53 PM
56 // Genesis 31:24
count ry of Gilead. 24T hen God came to Laban the Ara mea n in a d
ream at n
ight
and said to him, Be caref ul not to say anyt hing to Jacob, eit her good or bad.
25Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill count ry of Gilead when Laban overtook
him, and Laban and his relat ives c amped t here too. 26T hen Laban said to Jacob,
What have you done? Y
ouve deceived me, and y ouve carr ied off my daughters
like capt ives in war. 27W hy did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why d idnt
you tell me, so I c ould send you away with joy and singi ng to the music of tim
brels and h
arps? 28You d idnt even let me kiss my grandchild ren and my daugh
ters goodbye. You have done a foolish t hing. 29I have the power to harm you; but
last n ight the God of your fat her said to me, Be caref ul not to say anyt hing to
Jacob, eit her good or bad. 30Now you have gone off because you l onged to ret urn
to your fat hers household. But why did you s teal my gods?
31Jacob ans wered Laban, I was a fraid, bec ause I t hought you would take your
daughters away from me by force. 32But if you find anyone who has your gods,
that person shall not live. In the presence of our relat ives, see for yourself wheth
er t here is anyt hing of yours here with me; and if so, take it. Now Jacob did not
know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
33So Laban went into Jacobs tent and into Lea hs tent and into the tent of the
two female servants, but he f ound nothi ng. After he came out of Lea hs tent, he
entered Rachels tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them
inside her camels sadd le and was sitt ing on them. Laban s earched t hrough ev
eryt hing in the tent but f ound nothi ng.
35R ac hel said to her fat her, Dont be ang ry, my lord, that I cannot s
tand up
in your presence; Im havi ng my per iod. So he s earched but c ould not find the
household gods.
36Jacob was ang ry and took Laban to task. What is my c
rime? he a sked La
ban. How have I w ronged you that you hunt me down? 37Now that you have
searched t hrough all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your house
hold? Put it here in f ront of your relat ives and mine, and let them judge bet ween
the two ofus.
38I have been with you for twent y years now. Your sheep and goats have not
ring you ani
miscarr ied, nor have I eaten rams from your f locks. 39I did not b
mals torn by wild b
easts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment
from me for whatever was stolen by day or n
ight. 40T his was my situat ion: The
heat consumed me in the dayt ime and the cold at n ight, and sleep fled from my
eyes. 41It was like this for the twent y y ears I was in your household. I worked for
you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your f locks, and you
changed my wages ten t imes. 42If the God of my fat her, the God of Abraham and
the Fear of I saac, had not been with me, you w
ould surely have sent me away
empt y-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last
n ight he rebuked you.
43L aban ans wered Jacob, The women are my daughters, the child ren are my
child ren, and the f locks are my f locks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do
today about t hese daughters of mine, or a bout the child ren they have b
orne?
44C ome now, l ets make a covenant, you and I, and let it s
erve as a witness be
tweenus.
45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46He said to his relat ives, Gath
er some s tones. So they took stones and p
iled them in a heap, and they ate t here
by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadut ha, and Jacob called it Galeed. a
48L aban said, This heap is a witness bet ween you and me today. That is why
it was c alled Galeed. 49It was also c alled Mizpah,b bec ause he said, May the
Lord keep watch bet ween you and me when we are away from each other. 50If
you mist reat my daughters or if you take any w
ives besides my daughters, even
t hough no one is with us, remember that God is a witness bet ween you andme.
a47TheAramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
b49
Mizpah means watchtower.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 32:23//57
51L aban also said to Jacob, Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set
up bet ween you and me. 52T his heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that
I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past
this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53May the God of Abraham and the
God of Nahor, the God of t heir fat her, j udge bet weenus.
So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his fat her Isaac. 54 He offered
a sacr if ice t here in the hill count ry and inv ited his relat ives to a meal. After they
had eaten, they s pent the n
ight there.
55E arl y the next morni ng Laban k issed his grandchild ren and his daughters
and b
lessed them. Then he left and ret urned home.a
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 W hen Jacob
saw them, he said, This is the camp of God! So he named that p
lace
Mahanai m. c
3Jac ob sent messengers a head of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir,
the count ry of Edom. 4He instructed them: This is what you are to say to my
lord Esau: Your servant Jacob says, I have been stayi ng with Laban and have
remained t here till now. 5I have catt le and donkeys, s heep and goats, male and
female servants. Now I am sendi ng this message to my lord, that I may find favor
in your eyes.
6W hen the messengers ret urned to Jacob, they said, We went to your brother
Esau, and now he is comi ng to meet you, and four hund red men are with him.
7I n g reat fear and dist ress Jac ob div ided the people who were with him into
two g roups, d and the f locks and h
erds and camels as well. 8He t hought, If Esau
comes and attacks one g roup,e the g roupe that is left may escape.
9T hen Jac ob prayed, OGod of my fat her Abrah am, God of my fat her I saac,
Lord, you who said to me, Go back to your count ry and your relat ives, and I
will make you prosper, 10I am unwort hy of all the kindness and faithf ulness
you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I c rossed this Jordan, but
now I have become two c amps. 11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother
Esau, for I am a fraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with t heir
child ren. 12But you have said, I will surely make you prosper and will make your
descendants like the sand of the sea, w
hich cannot be counted.
13He s
pent the n
ight t here, and from what he had with him he selected a gift
for his brother Esau: 14t wo hund red female goats and twent y male goats, two
hund red ewes and twent y rams, 15 t hirt y female camels with t heir young, fort y
cows and ten b
ulls, and twent y female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put
them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, Go
a head of me, and keep some s pace bet ween the herds.
17He instructe d the one in the lead: When my brother Esau meets you and
asks, Who do you belong to, and where are you goi ng, and who owns all t hese
ani mals in f ront of you? 18t hen you are to say, They belong to your servant Jacob.
They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is comi ng beh indus.
19He also instructed the second, the t hird and all the others who followed the
herds: You are to say the same t hing to Esau when you meet him. 20A nd be sure
to say, Your servant Jacob is comi ng beh ind us. For he t hought, I will paci f y
him with t hese g ifts I am sendi ng on a head; later, when I see him, perhaps he
will receive me. 21So Jacobs g ifts went on a head of him, but he himself s pent
the n
ight in the camp.
b
Jacob Wrestles With God

22T hat n ight Jac ob got up and took his two w ives, his two fem ale serv ants
and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23A fter he had sent them
a55
In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1. bIn Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is
numbered 32:2-33. c2 Mahanaim means two camps. d7Orcamps e8Orcamp
6/27/16 12:53 PM
58 // Genesis 32:24
a cross the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24So Jacob was left a lone, and
a man wrest led with him till daybreak. 25W hen the man saw that he could not
overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacobs hip so that his hip was w renched
as he wrest led with the man. 26T hen the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak.
But Jacob replied, I will not let you go unless you blessme.
27T he man a sked him, What is your name?
Jacob, he answered.
28T hen the man said, Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,a bec ause
you have strugg led with God and with humans and have overcome.
29Jacob said, Please tell me your name.
But he replied, Why do you ask my name? Then he b
lessed him there.
30 S o Jac ob c alled the place Pen iel, b sayi ng, It is bec ause I saw God face to
face, and yet my life was spared.
31T he sun rose a
bove him as he p
assed Pen iel,c and he was limpi ng because of
his hip. 32T herefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the
socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacobs hip was t ouched near the tendon.
Jacob Meets Esau
33
Jacob l ooked up and t here was Esau, comi ng with his four hund red men;
so he div ided the child ren a mong Leah, Rachel and the two female ser
vants. 2He put the female servants and t heir child ren in f ront, Leah and her chil
dren next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3He himself went on a head and
bowed down to the g round seven t imes as he approached his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he t hrew his arms a
round his
neck and k issed him. And they wept. 5T hen Esau l ooked up and saw the women
and child ren. Who are t hese with you? he asked.
Jacob ans wered, They are the child ren God has grac iously given your ser
vant.
6T hen the female serv ants and t heir child ren approached and bowed down.
7Next, Leah and her child ren came and b
owed down. Last of all came Joseph and
Rachel, and they too b
owed down.
8E sau a
sked, Whats the meaning of all t hese f locks and h
erds I met?
To find favor in your eyes, my lord, he said.
9But Esau said, I already have plent y, my brother. Keep what you have for
yourself.
10No, please! said Jacob. If I have found favor in your eyes, acc ept this gift
from me. For to see your face is like seei ng the face of God, now that you have
rought to you, for
received me favorably. 11Please accept the present that was b
God has been gracious to me and I have all I need. And because Jacob insisted,
Esau acceptedit.
12T hen Esau said, Let us be on our way; Ill accompany you.
13But Jacob said to him, My lord k
nows that the child ren are tender and that
I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursi ng t heir young. If they are driv
en hard just one day, all the ani mals will die. 14So let my lord go on a head of his
servant, while I move a long slowly at the pace of the f locks and herds before me
and the pace of the child ren, unt il I come to my lord in Seir.
15E sau said, Then let me l eave some of my men with you.
But why do that? Jacob a sked. Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.
16S o that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 Jac ob, howe ver, went to
Sukkoth, w
here he b
uilt a p
lace for himself and made shelters for his livestock.
That is why the p
lace is c alled Sukkoth.d
18A fter Jac ob came from Padd an Aram,e he arr ived safel y at the city of She
chem in Canaan and c amped withi n s ight of the city. 19For a hund red pieces
a28
Israel probably means he struggles with God. b30 Peniel means face of God.
Sukkoth means shelters. e18 That is,
Northwest Mesopotamia
c31Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel d17
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 32:28
A NEW NAME
God gave Jacob
a new name. Throughout the Old Testament, a name carried an identity. For
example, God changed Abrams name to Abraham to indicate that he would be a father of many
nations (Ge 17:5). The new name indicated the favor of God and pointed forward to the coming
promise of God.
In a similar fashion, after wrestling with God, Jacob was renamed Israel. This name was
then used to refer to the entire nation that derived from his family lineage. This name was not chosen by Jacob but was given to him by God as a gift and a promise. For the rest of his life, this new
name reminded Jacob of the favor of God in allowing him to wrestle with God and live, and of his
privileged place within Gods redemptive plan. Gods chosen people throughout the Old Testament
would be reminded of their status as Gods people when anyone referred to them by the name Israel.
The New Testament church
is no longer defined by an ethnic heritage like the nation of

Israel. Now, Jews and Gentiles alike are grafted into one diverse family with God as their Father.
God grants all those who are saved by faith in Jesus the glorious privilege of being called a child
of God (Jn 1:12). As children, they are granted a unique identity given to them by virtue of their
relationship with God. In fact, within the church, Gods people are called Christians because of
their relationship with J esus Christ. This name denotes far more than mere proximity to J esus.
Gods people are those who are in Christcalled into relationship with him and given a role to
play in his redemptive mission.
This new identity also indicates the changes that are brought by Gods Spirit in the life of
his children. If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
(2Co 5:17). The saving work of God fundamentally changes the identity of those saved by faith.
No longer dead in trespasses and sins, Gods people are declared holy and blameless and are given
a right relationship with God. Like the change of a name, this change of identity should produce
radical transformation in the worship, life and mission of Gods children.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 33:120
ENEMIES MADE FRIENDS

Genesis 33 recounts the unthinkable reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. These estranged
brothers had seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against the restoration of their relationship.
Their history had been marked by strife, deceit and mutual harm. The relationship between these
two men was ravished by sin, and they became bitter enemies. But Esau, in an act of love and mercy,
pursued his brother and received him back into fellowship with lavish generosity.
Like Jacob,
all of humanity is guilty of rebellion and sin against God, thus altering their relationship with their Creator. Image-bearers, created to walk with God in fellowship, find themselves
estranged from God and unable to right the relationship by their own choosing. This broken fellowship takes those who were created to be friends of God and makes them his enemies (Ro 5:10). All
people, like Jacob, should rightfully cower in fear and shame because of the judgment they surely
deserve.
Gods mercy
is seen in the restorative act that he works on behalf of his enemies. Rather than
expecting them to grovel in his presence or clean themselves up through obedience, God pursues
his enemies in love. The biblical notion of reconciliation captures this profound image. God takes
those who were his enemies and works on their behalf to bring them back into a right relationship
with himself (Col 1:2122). Like Esau, God pursues his enemies, recognizes their need and blesses
them with a restored relationship as an act of mercy.
Jesus elaborates on this work of reconciliation in his parable of a loving father and his wayward son (Lk 15:1132). The son requested his inheritance early, only to squander everything and
end up longing to eat from the trough of the pigs he fed. Only then did the young man realize his
sin. The son expected to meet his fathers displeasure and anticipated taking the posture of a hired
servant. As the son returned, his dad saw him while he was a long way off and ran to meet him.
Rather than shame or condemnation, the son was greeted by his fathers loving embrace. The father
gave him a heros welcomek illing the fattened calf in order to throw a party and celebrate the
return of his son. Like Esau and the loving father, God is pictured as a merciful heavenly Father who
pursues his enemies in love and invites them into a restored relationship made possible through
Jesus death.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 34:30//61
of silver, a he bought from the sons of Hamor, the fat her of Shechem, the plot
of g round where he pitched his tent. 20T here he set up an altar and called it El
Elohe Israel. b
Dinah and the Shechemites
34
Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the
women of the land. 2W hen Shechem son of Hamor the Hiv ite, the ruler
of that area, saw her, he took her and r aped her. 3His h
eart was d
rawn to Dinah
daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woma n and spoke tenderly to her. 4A nd
Shechem said to his fat her Hamor, Get me this girl as my wife.
5W hen Jacob h
eard that his daughter Dinah had been def iled, his sons were
in the f ields with his livestock; so he did nothi ng a bout it unt il they came home.
6T hen Shechems fat her Hamor went out to talk with Jac ob. 7 Meanw hile, Ja
cobs sons had come in from the f ields as soon as they heard what had happened.
They were s hocked and fur ious, because Shechem had done an outrageous t hing
inc Israel by sleepi ng with Jacobs daughtera t hing that s hould not be done.
8But Hamor said to them, My son Shechem has his heart set on your daugh
ter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9Intermarr y with us; give us your daugh
ters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You can sett le a mong us; the land is
open to you. Live in it, t raded in it, and acquire propert y init.
11T hen Shec hem said to Din ahs fat her and brothers, Let me find fav or in
your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12Make the price for the bride
and the gift I am to bring as g reat as you like, and Ill pay whatever you ask me.
Only give me the y oung woma n as my wife.
13 Bec ause t heir sister Dinah had been def iled, Jacobs sons replied dec eitf ull y
as they spoke to Shechem and his fat her Hamor. 14T hey said to them, We cant
do such a t hing; we cant give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That
would be a disg race to us. 15We will enter into an agreement with you on one
cond it ion only: that you become like us by circumcisi ng all your m
ales. 16T hen
we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. Well set
tle a mong you and become one people with you. 17But if you will not agree to be
circumcised, w
ell take our sister andgo.
18T heir proposa l s
eemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 T he young
man, who was the most honored of all his fat hers fami ly, lost no time in doi ng
what they said, because he was del ighted with Jacobs daughter. 20So Hamor and
his son Shechem went to the gate of t heir city to speak to the men of t heir city.
21These men are friendl y tow ard us, they said. Let them live in our land and
t rade in it; the land has plent y of room for them. We can marr y t heir daughters
and they can marr y ours. 22But the men will agree to live with us as one people
only on the cond it ion that our m
ales be circ umc ised, as they themselves are.
23Wont t heir livestock, t heir propert y and all t heir other ani mals become ours?
So let us a gree to t heir t erms, and they will sett le a mongus.
24A ll the men who went out of the city gate a
greed with Hamor and his son
Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
25T hree days later, w hile all of them were still in pain, two of Jacobs sons, Sim
eon and Levi, Dinahs brothers, took t heir swords and attacked the unsuspecti ng
city, killi ng every male. 26T hey put Hamor and his son Shechem to the s word
and took Dinah from Shechems house and left. 27T he sons of Jacob came upon
the dead bodies and looted the city w
heree t heir sister had been def iled. 28T hey
seized t heir f locks and herds and donkeys and everyt hing else of t heirs in the
city and out in the f ields. 29T hey carr ied off all t heir w
ealth and all t heir women
and child ren, taki ng as plunder everyt hing in the houses.
30T hen Jac ob said to Sime on and Levi, You have b
rought trouble on me by
a19Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and
value. b20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
c7Oragainst d10Ormove about freely; also in verse21 e27Orbecause
6/27/16 12:53 PM
62 // Genesis 34:31
maki ng me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Peri zz ites, the people livi ng in this
land. We are few in number, and if they join forces a gainst me and attack me, I
and my household will be destroyed.
31But they replied, Should he have treated our sister like a prost it ute?
Jacob Returns to Bethel
35
GENESIS 35:17
A PLACE
FOR WORSHIP
God told Jacob to return to the
place where he first saw Gods glory
(Ge28:1019). The rationale behind
this command was unclear at the
time. All Jacob knew was that God
told him to return to Bethel, and once
he arrived, he must worship God on
an altar that he must build. Like his
grandfather, Abraham, Jacob heard
God and obeyed. His actions were
predicated on his knowledge of Gods
past faithfulness and his awareness
of the Lords continued care. Jacobs
obedience positioned him to receive
the blessing of God.
Like Jacob, Jesus followers obey
the commands of God based on his
faithfulness in their lives and their
desire to worship him as he deserves
(Jn15:14). Obedience positions Gods
people to fulfill his purposes for their
lives and receive the blessing he
has promisedperhaps not in this
life, but certainly in the life to come
(Jn10:10).
Then God said to Jacob, Go up to Bethel and sett le t here, and b

uild an
altar t here to God, who appeared to you when you were fleei ng from your
brother Esau.
2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Get rid of the
foreign gods you have with you, and pur if y yourselves and c hange your c lothes.
3T hen come, let us go up to Bethel, w here I will build an alt ar to God, who an
swered me in the day of my dist ress and who has been with me wherever I have
gone. 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the r ings in t heir
ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5T hen they set out, and
the terror of God fell on the t owns all a round them so that no one pursued them.
6Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of
Canaan. 7T here he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,a because it
was t here that God revealed himself to him when he was fleei ng from his brother.
8Now Deborah, Rebeka hs nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside
Bethel. So it was n
amed Allon Bakuth.b
9A fter Jac ob ret urned from Padd an Aram,c God appeared to him a
gain and
blessed him. 10God said to him, Your name is Jacob,d but you will no longer be
called Jacob; your name will be Israel.e So he named him Israel.
11A nd God said to him, I am God Alm ightyf ; be fruitf ul and inc rease in num
ber. A nat ion and a commun it y of nat ions will come from you, and k ings will be
a mong your descendants. 12T he land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to
you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you. 13T hen God went up
from him at the p
lace w
here he had t alked with him.
14Jacob set up a s
tone pillar at the p
lace w
here God had t alked with him, and
he p
oured out a d
rink offeri ng on it; he also p
oured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the
place w
here God had talked with him Bethel.g
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

16T hen they m
oved on from Bethel. W
hile they were s till some distance from
Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had g reat diff ic ult y. 17A nd as she was
havi ng g reat diff ic ult y in childbirth, the midw ife said to her, Dont despair,
for you have another son. 18A s she breathed her lastfor she was dyi ngshe
named her son Ben-Oni.h But his fat her n
amed him Benjam in.i
19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
20O ver her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachels
tomb.
21I sr ael m
oved on a gain and p
itched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22W hile
Israel was livi ng in that reg ion, Reuben went in and s lept with his fat hers con
cubine Bilhah, and Israel heard ofit.
Jacob had t welve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:
Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebu lun.
24 The sons of Rachel:
Joseph and Benjam in.
a7
El Bethel means God of Bethel. b8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping. c9 That is,
Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse26 d10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew
idiom for he deceives. e10 Israel probably means he struggles with God. f11Hebrew
El-Shaddai g15 Bethel means house of God. h18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
i18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 36:19//63
25 The sons of Rachels servant Bilhah:
Dan and Naphtal i.
26 The sons of Lea hs servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27Jac ob came home to his fat her I saac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is,
Hebron), w
here Abraham and I saac had s tayed. 28Isaac lived a hund red and
eighty years. 29T hen he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his peo
ple, old and full of y ears. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Esaus Descendants
36
This is the account of the fami ly line of Esau (that is, Edom).
2Esau took his w ives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon
the Hitt ite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibe
on the Hiv ite 3also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basem ath bore Reuel, 5 a nd Ohol iba m ah
bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. T hese were the sons of Esau, who were born
to him in Canaan.
6E sau took his w
ives and sons and daughters and all the members of
his household, as well as his livestock and all his other ani mals and all
the g oods he had acquired in Canaan, and m
oved to a land some distance
from his brother Jacob. 7T heir possessions were too g reat for them to re
main together; the land w
here they were stayi ng c ould not support them
both because of t heir livestock. 8So Esau (that is, Edom) sett led in the hill
count ry of Seir.
9T his is the account of the fami l y line of Esau the fat her of the Edomites in the
hill count ry of Seir.
10 These are the n

ames of E
saus sons:
Eliphaz, the son of Esaus wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esaus wife
Basemath.
11 The sons of Eliphaz:
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.
12 Esaus son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him
Ama lek. T hese were grandsons of Esaus wife Adah.
13 The sons of Reuel:
Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. T
hese were grandsons of E
saus
wife Basemath.
14
The sons of Esaus wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter
of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau:
Jeush, Jalam and Korah.
15T hese were the c
hiefs a mong E
saus descendants:
The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau:
Chiefs Tem an, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Kor ah, a Gat am and Ama lek.
T hese were the c hiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were
grandsons of Adah.
17 The sons of E
saus son Reuel:
Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. T hese were the chiefs de
scended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esaus wife Base
math.
18 The sons of E
saus wife Oholibamah:
Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. T
hese were the c hiefs descended from
Esaus wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
19T hese were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and t hese were t heir chiefs.
a16
Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (also verse11 and 1Chron. 1:36) does not have Korah.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
64 // Genesis 36:20
20T hese were the sons of Seir the Hor ite, who were livi ng in the reg ion:
Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. T hese sons of
Seir in Edom were Hor ite chiefs.
22 The sons of Lotan:
Hori and Homam.a Timna was Lotans sister.
23 The sons of Shobal:
Alvan, Mana hath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
24 The sons of Zibeon:
Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot s pringsb in the
desert w
hile he was grazi ng the donkeys of his fat her Zibeon.
25 The child ren of Anah:
Dishon and Ohol iba mah daughter of Anah.
26 The sons of Dishonc:
Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.
27 The sons of Ezer:
Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.
28 The sons of Dishan:
Uz and Aran.
29 These were the Hor ite chiefs:
Lot an, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. T
hese were
the Hor ite c hiefs, accordi ng to t heir div isions, in the land of Seir.
The Rulers of Edom

31T hese were the k ings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:
32 Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was n
amed Dinhabah.
33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king.
34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him
as king.
35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midia n in the
count ry of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was n
amed Avith.
36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrek ah succeeded him as king.
37 When Samlah died, Shau l from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as
king.
38 When Shau l died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.
39 When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadadd succeeded him as king. His
city was named Pau, and his w ifes name was Mehetabel daughter of
Mat red, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
40T hese were the c hiefs des cende d from Esau, by name, acc ordi ng to t heir
c lans and reg ions:
Tim na, Alv ah, Jet heth, 41 Ohol iba mah, Elah, Pi non, 42 Kenaz, Teman,
Mibzar, 43Magd iel and Iram. T
hese were the c hiefs of Edom, accordi ng
to t heir sett lements in the land they occupied.
This is the family line of Esau, the fat her of the Edomites.
Josephs Dreams
37
Jacob l ived in the land w

here his fat her had s tayed, the land of Canaan.
2T his is the account of Jacobs fami l y line.
Joseph, a y oung man of seventeen, was tendi ng the f locks with his brothers,
the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his fat hers w ives, and he b
rought t heir
fat her a bad report a bout them.
a22Hebrew Hemam, a variant of Homam (see 1Chron. 1:39) b24
Vulgate; Syriac
discovered water; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. c26Hebrew
Dishan, a variant of Dishon d39 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan
Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1Chron. 1:50); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Hadar
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 37:28//65
3Now Isr ael loved Jos eph more than any of his other sons, bec ause he had
been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornatea robe for him. 4W hen his
brothers saw that t heir fat her l oved him more than any of them, they hated him
and c ould not s peak a kind word to him.
5Jos eph had a d ream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hate d him
ream I had: 7We were bindi ng
all the more. 6He said to them, Listen to this d
sheaves of g rain out in the f ield when suddenly my sheaf rose and s tood upr ight,
while your s heaves gathered a round mine and b
owed down toit.
8H is brothers said to him, Do you intend to r
eign over us? Will you act ua lly
rule us? And they hated him all the more bec ause of his d ream and what he
had said.
9T hen he had another d
ream, and he told it to his brothers. Listen, he said,
I had another d ream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were
bowi ng down tome.
10W hen he told his fat her as well as his brothers, his fat her rebuked him and
said, What is this d
ream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers
act ua lly come and bow down to the g round before you? 11H is brothers were
jealous of him, but his fat her kept the matter in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12Now
his brothers had gone to g raze t heir fat hers f locks near Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph, As you know, your brothers are grazi ng the f locks
near Shechem. Come, I am goi ng to send you to them.
Very well, he replied.
14So he said to him, Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the
f locks, and b
ring word back to me. Then he sent him off from the Valley of He
bron.
When Joseph arr ived at Shechem, 15a man found him wanderi ng a round in
the f ields and a sked him, What are you looki ng for?
16He replied, Im looki ng for my brothers. Can you tell me w
here they are
grazi ng t heir flocks?
17 They have moved on from here, the man ans wered. I heard them say,
Lets go to Dot han.
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dot han. 18But they
saw him in the distance, and before he r eached them, they plotted to kill him.
19Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other. 20Come now, lets kill
him and t hrow him into one of t hese cisterns and say that a feroc ious ani mal
devoured him. Then w
ell see what c omes of his dreams.
21W hen Reuben h
eard this, he t ried to rescue him from t heir h
ands. Lets not
lood. T
hrow him into this cistern here
take his life, he said. 22Dont shed any b
in the wilderness, but dont lay a hand on him. Reuben said this to rescue him
from them and take him back to his fat her.
23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robet he or
nate robe he was weari ng24a nd they took him and t hrew him into the cistern.
The cistern was empt y; t here was no water init.
25A s they sat down to eat t heir meal, they l ooked up and saw a carav an of Ish
maelites comi ng from Gilead. T heir camels were loaded with spices, balm and
myrrh, and they were on t heir way to take them down to Egypt.
26Judah said to his brothers, What will we gain if we kill our brother and cov
er up his blood? 27Come, l ets sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on
him; after all, he is our brother, our own f lesh and blood. His brothers agreed.
28S o when the Midia nite merc hants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up
out of the cistern and sold him for twent y shekelsb of silver to the Ishmaelites,
who took him to Egypt.
13a nd
a3
Themeaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and32.
That is, about 8ounces or about 230 grams
b28
6/27/16 12:53 PM
66 // Genesis 37:29
29W hen Reuben ret urned to the cistern and saw that Jos eph was not t here,
he tore his clothes. 30He went back to his brothers and said, The boy isnt t here!
W here can I turn now?
31T hen they got Josephs robe, slaughtered a goat and d
ipped the robe in the
blood. 32T hey took the ornate robe back to t heir fat her and said, We f ound this.
Exa mi ne it to see whether it is your s ons robe.
33He recogn ized it and said, It is my sons robe! Some feroc ious ani mal has
devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.
34T hen Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many
days. 35A ll his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he ref used to be
comforted. No, he said, I will cont inue to mourn unt il I join my son in the
g rave. So his fat her wept for him.
36 Meanw hile, the Midia nites a sold Joseph in E
gypt to Potiphar, one of Phar
aohs off icials, the captain of the guard.
Judah and Tamar
38
At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of
Adul lam named Hi rah. 2T here Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite
man named Shua. He marr ied her and made love to her; 3 she became preg nant
and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4She conceived a gain and gave birth
to a son and named him Onan. 5She gave birth to still another son and named
him Shelah. It was at Kez ib that she gave b
irth to him.
6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tam ar. 7But Er, Ju
dahs firstborn, was wicked in the Lords s ight; so the Lord put him to death.
8T hen Jud ah said to Onan, Sleep with your brothers wife and fulf ill your
duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother. 9But Onan
knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brothers
wife, he spilled his semen on the g round to keep from prov idi ng offspring for
his brother. 10W hat he did was wicked in the Lords s ight; so the Lord put him
to d
eath also.
11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, Live as a widow in your fa
thers household unt il my son Shelah g rows up. For he t hought, He may die too,
just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her fat hers household.
12A fter a long time Judahs wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had
recovered from his g rief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were sheari ng
his sheep, and his f riend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13W hen Tamar was told, Your fat her-in-law is on his way to Timnah to s
hear
his sheep, 14she took off her widows clothes, covered herself with a veil to dis
guise herself, and then sat down at the ent rance to Enai m, w
hich is on the road
to Timnah. For she saw that, t hough Shelah had now g rown up, she had not been
given to him as his wife.
15W hen Judah saw her, he t hought she was a prost it ute, for she had covered
her face. 16Not rea li zi ng that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by
the roadside and said, Come now, let me s leep with you.
And what will you give me to s leep with you? she asked.
17Ill send you a y
oung goat from my f lock, he said.
Will you give me somet hing as a p
ledge unt il you send it? she asked.
18He said, What p
ledge should I give you?
Your seal and its cord, and the s taff in your hand, she answered. So he gave
them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19A fter she left,
she took off her veil and put on her widows c lothes again.
20Meanw hile Judah sent the young goat by his f riend the Adullamite in order
to get his pledge back from the woma n, but he did not find her. 21He asked the
men who l ived t here, Where is the s hrine prost it ute who was beside the road
at Enai m?
a36
Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse28); Masoretic Text
Medanites
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 39:19//67
There hasnt been any s hrine prost it ute here, they said.
22So he went back to Judah and said, I d idnt find her. Besides, the men who
l ived t here said, There hasnt been any s hrine prost it ute here.
23T hen Judah said, Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughi ng
stock. After all, I did send her this y oung goat, but you d
idnt find her.
24A bout t hree months later Jud ah was told, Your daughter-in-law Tam ar is
g uilty of prost it ut ion, and as a result she is now pregnant.
Judah said, Bring her out and have her b
urned to death!
25A s she was bei ng b
rought out, she sent a message to her fat her-in-law. I am
pregnant by the man who owns t hese, she said. And she added, See if you rec
ogn ize w
hose seal and cord and s taff t hese are.
26Jud ah reco gn ized them and said, She is more right eous than I, s
ince I
wouldnt give her to my son Shelah. And he did not s leep with her again.
27W hen the time came for her to give b
irth, t here were twin boys in her womb.
28A s she was givi ng birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midw ife took a
scarlet t hread and tied it on his w
rist and said, This one came out f irst. 29But
when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, So this is how
you have broken out! And he was named Perez.a 30T hen his brother, who had
the scarlet t hread on his w
rist, came out. And he was named Zerah.b
Joseph and Potiphars Wife
39
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egypt ian who
was one of Pharaohs off icials, the captain of the g uard, b
ought him from
the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2T he Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he l ived in the house of
his Egypt ian master. 3W hen his master saw that the Lord was with him and that
the Lord gave him success in everyt hing he did, 4Joseph f ound favor in his eyes
and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in c harge of his household, and he
ent rusted to his care everyt hing he owned. 5From the time he put him in charge
of his household and of all that he o
wned, the Lord blessed the household of
the Egypt ian bec ause of Joseph. The blessi ng of the Lord was on everyt hing
Potiphar had, both in the house and in the f ield. 6 So Pot iphar left every t hing
he had in Josephs care; with Joseph in c harge, he did not concern himself with
anyt hing except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7a nd after a while his masters wife
took not ice of Joseph and said, Come to bed withme!
8But he ref used. With me in charge, he told her, my master does not con
cern himself with anyt hing in the h
ouse; everyt hing he owns he has ent rusted
ouse than I am. My master has withheld
to my care. 9No one is greater in this h
nothi ng from me except you, because you are his wife. How then c ould I do such
a wicked t hing and sin against God? 10A nd t hough she spoke to Joseph day after
day, he ref used to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11O ne day he went into the h
ouse to attend to his dut ies, and none of the
household servants was inside. 12She caught him by his cloak and said, Come
to bed with me! But he left his c loak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13W hen she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the
house, 14she called her household servants. Look, she said to them, this He
brew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with
me, but I screamed. 15W hen he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside
me and ran out of the house.
16She kept his c loak beside her unt il his master came home. 17T hen she told
him this stor y: That Hebrew s lave you b
rought us came to me to make s port of
me. 18But as soon as I s creamed for help, he left his c loak beside me and ran out
of the house.
19W hen his master heard the stor y his wife told him, sayi ng, This is how your
a29
Perez means breaking out. b30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.
GENESIS 38:30
AN UNLIKELY FAMILY
Perez and Zerah were unexpected
recipients of the blessing of God.
These twin children of the licentious relationship between Judah
and his daughter-in-law Tamar established families within the house
of Judah (1Ch2:39). Though Tamar
displayed suspicious behavior and
was probably a Canaanite, she was
grafted into the people of God and
became a member of the family of
promise (Ru4:12,1822). Her name
is mentioned again in a most unlikely
placethe lineage of Jesus Christ,
the Messiah (Mt1:3).
While recounting the Jewish origins
of the Messiah, Matthew included the
names of scores of unlikely people
who became the recipients of Gods
grace and were a part of ushering
in the birth of the promised Son of
God. Gods family is defined, not by
ethnicity or morality, but by the grace
of God. He uses all sorts of people,
even those with questionable pasts,
to demonstrate the stunning riches of
his grace in kindness to all people in
Christ J esus (Eph2:7).
GENESIS 39:123
TRUST AND
TEMPTATION
Josephs resistance to temptation is
a testimony to his trust in Gods work
on his behalf. Not only would giving in
to the temptation have catered to his
masculine desires, but also it would
have surely secured the favor of a
powerful woman. Still Joseph rejected
the advances of Potiphars wife and
entrusted himself to the care of God.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
68 // Genesis 39:20
(Trust and Temptation,

continued)
In a similar way, at the beginning
of his earthly ministry, Jesus faced
temptation by Satan himself. Had he
capitulated to Satans ploy, he could
have attained glory and power in a
moment. However, knowing this was
not the plan of God, he rejected Satan
and entrusted himself to Gods grand
purposes (Mt4:111). Like Joseph,
Jesus rested in the faithfulness
of God. Jesus sets an example for
Christians seeking victory over temptation. Gods people are to entrust
themselves to God, knowing that In
all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose
(Ro8:28).
slave treated me, he b

urned with anger. 20Josephs master took him and put him
in prison, the p
lace w
here the k ings prisoners were conf ined.
But w
hile Joseph was t here in the prison, 21t he Lord was with him; he s howed
him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22So the
warden put Joseph in c harge of all t hose held in the prison, and he was made re
sponsible for all that was done t here. 23T he warden paid no attent ion to anyt hing
under Josephs care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in
whatever he did.
The Cupbearer and the Baker
40
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of E
gypt offend
ed t heir master, the king of E
gypt. 2Pharaoh was ang ry with his two off i
cials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3a nd put them in custody in the
house of the captain of the g uard, in the same prison w
here Joseph was conf ined.
4T he capt ain of the g
uard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
After they had been in custody for some time, 5each of the two ment he cup
bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bei ng held in prisonhad a
d ream the same n ight, and each d
ream had a meani ng of its own.
6W hen Joseph came to them the next morni ng, he saw that they were deject
ed. 7So he a sked Pharaohs off icials who were in custody with him in his masters
house, Why do you look so sad today?
8 We both had d
reams, they ans wered, but t here is no one to interpret
them.
Then Joseph said to them, Do not interpretat ions belong to God? Tell me your
dreams.
9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his d
ream. He said to him, In my d ream
I saw a vine in f ront of me, 10a nd on the vine were t hree branches. As soon as it
budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into g rapes. 11Pharaohs cup was
in my hand, and I took the g rapes, squeezed them into Pharaohs cup and put
the cup in his hand.
12This is what it m
eans, Joseph said to him. The t hree branches are t hree
days. 13W ithi n t hree days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your
posit ion, and you will put Pharaohs cup in his hand, just as you used to do when
you were his cupbearer. 14But when all goes well with you, remember me and
show me kindness; ment ion me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15I
was forcibly carr ied off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done
nothi ng to deserve bei ng put in a dungeon.
16W hen the c
hief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretat ion,
he said to Joseph, I too had a d ream: On my head were t hree baskets of b
read.a
17I n the top basket were all k inds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were
eati ng them out of the basket on my head.
18 This is what it m
eans, Joseph said. The t hree baskets are t hree days.
19W ithi n t hree days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a
pole. And the b
irds will eat away your flesh.
20Now the t hird day was Pharaohs birthday, and he gave a f east for all his of
ficials. He lifted up the h
eads of the c hief cupbearer and the c hief baker in the
presence of his off icials: 21He restored the c hief cupbearer to his posit ion, so that
he once a gain put the cup into Pharaohs hand22but he impaled the chief bak
er, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretat ion.
23T he c
hief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Pharaohs Dreams
41
When two full y ears had p

assed, Pharaoh had a d
ream: He was stand
ing by the Nile, 2w hen out of the river t here came up seven cows, sleek
and fat, and they g razed a mong the r eeds. 3A fter them, seven other cows, ugly
a16Orthree wicker baskets
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 41:36//69
and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and s tood beside t hose on the riverbank.
4A nd the cows that were ugly and g
aunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then
Pharaoh wokeup.
5He fell a
sleep a gain and had a second d
ream: Seven h
eads of g rain, h
ealthy
and good, were growi ng on a sing le s talk. 6A fter them, seven other h
eads of g rain
sproutedt hin and scorched by the east wind. 7T he thin heads of g rain swal
lowed up the seven h
ealthy, full h
eads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a
dream.
8I n the morni ng his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the mag ic ians and
wise men of E
gypt. Pharaoh told them his d
reams, but no one c ould interpret
them for him.
9T hen the c
hief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, Today I am rem inded of my
shortcom i ngs. 10Pharaoh was once ang ry with his servants, and he imprisoned
me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the g uard. 11Each of us had a
d ream the same n
ight, and each d ream had a meani ng of its own. 12Now a young
Hebrew was t here with us, a servant of the captain of the g uard. We told him our
d reams, and he interpreted them for us, givi ng each man the interpretat ion of
his d ream. 13A nd t hings t urned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was
restored to my posit ion, and the other man was impaled.
14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickl y b
rought from the dungeon.
When he had s haved and c hanged his c lothes, he came before Pharaoh.
15Pharaoh said to Jos eph, I had a d
ream, and no one can interpret it. But I
have heard it said of you that when you hear a d
ream you can interpretit.
16I cannot do it, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, but God will give Pharaoh the
answer he desires.
17T hen Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my d ream I was standi ng on the bank of
the Nile, 18when out of the river t here came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they
g razed a mong the reeds. 19A fter them, seven other cows came upscrawny and
very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of E
gypt. 20T he
lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up f irst. 21But even after they
ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as be
fore. Then I wokeup.
22In my d
ream I saw seven heads of g rain, full and good, growi ng on a sin
gle stalk. 23A fter them, seven other h
eads sproutedw ithered and thin and
scorched by the east wind. 24T he thin heads of g rain swallowed up the seven
good heads. I told this to the mag icians, but none of them could explain it tome.
25T hen Jos eph said to Pharaoh, The d
reams of Pharaoh are one and the
same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26T he seven good
cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of g rain are seven years; it is one
and the same d ream. 27T he seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are
seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of g rain s corched by the east
wind: They are seven years of fami ne.
28It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has s
hown Pharaoh what he is a bout to
do. 29Seven years of g reat abundance are comi ng throughout the land of E
gypt,
30but seven years of fami ne will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt
will be forgotten, and the fami ne will ravage the land. 31T he abundance in the
land will not be remembered, because the fami ne that follows it will be so se
vere. 32T he reason the d
ream was given to Pharaoh in two f orms is that the mat
ter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
33And now let Pharaoh look for a disc erni ng and wise man and put him in
charge of the land of E
gypt. 34 L et Pharaoh appoint com m issioners over the
land to take a f ifth of the harvest of Egypt duri ng the seven years of abundance.
35T hey should collect all the food of t hese good years that are comi ng and s
tore
up the g rain under the aut horit y of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.
36T his food should be held in reserve for the count ry, to be used duri ng the sev
en y ears of fami ne that will come upon E
gypt, so that the count ry may not be
rui ned by the fami ne.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
70 // Genesis 41:37
37T he plan s
eemed good to Pharaoh and to all his off icials. 38 So Pharaoh asked
them, Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of Goda?
39T hen Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this k
nown to you,
t here is no one so discerni ng and wise as you. 40You s hall be in charge of my
palace, and all my people are to subm it to your orders. Only with respect to the
t hrone will I be greater than you.
Joseph in Charge of Egypt

41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in c
harge of the w
hole land of
gypt. 42T hen Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Josephs
E
finger. He d ressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain a round his
neck. 43He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,b and people
shouted before him, Make wayc! Thus he put him in c harge of the w
hole land
of Egypt.
44T hen Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one
will lift hand or foot in all E
gypt. 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name ZaphenathPanea h and gave him Asenath daughter of Pot iphera, priest of On,d to be his
wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46Jos eph was thirt y years old when he entered the serv ice of Pharaoh king
of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaohs presence and traveled through
out Egypt. 47Duri ng the seven years of abundance the land produced plent if ul
ly. 48Joseph collected all the food produced in t hose seven years of abundance
in E
gypt and s tored it in the cities. In each city he put the food g rown in the
f ields surroundi ng it. 49Joseph stored up huge quant it ies of g rain, like the sand
of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keepi ng records because it was beyond
measure.
50Before the years of fami ne came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath
daughter of Pot iphera, p
riest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh e and
said, It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my fat hers
household. 52T he second son he named Ephrai mf and said, It is because God
has made me fruitf ul in the land of my sufferi ng.
53T he seven years of abund ance in Egypt came to an end, 54a nd the seven
years of fami ne began, just as Joseph had said. T
here was fami ne in all the other
lands, but in the whole land of E
gypt t here was food. 55W hen all E
gypt began to
feel the fami ne, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the
Egypt ians, Go to Joseph and do what he t ells you.
56W hen the fami ne had s
pread over the w
hole count ry, Joseph o
pened all the
storehouses and sold g rain to the Egypt ians, for the fami ne was severe through
out Egypt. 57A nd all the world came to Egypt to buy g rain from Joseph, because
the fami ne was severe everywhere.
Josephs Brothers Go toEgypt
42
When Jacob learned that t here was g rain in Egypt, he said to his sons,
Why do you just keep looki ng at each other? 2He cont inued, I have
heard that t here is g rain in E
gypt. Go down t here and buy some for us, so that
we may live and not die.
3T hen ten of Josephs brothers went down to buy g rain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob
did not send Benjam in, Josephs brother, with the others, because he was a fraid
that harm m
ight come to him. 5So Israels sons were a mong t hose who went to
buy g rain, for there was fami ne in the land of Canaan also.
6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold g rain to all its
people. So when Josephs brothers arr ived, they bowed down to him with t heir
faces to the g round. 7A s soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recogn ized them,
a38Orof the gods b43Orin the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot
c43OrBow down d45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse50 e51 Manasseh sounds like
and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget. f52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for
twice fruitful.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 42:36//71
but he pretended to be a stranger and s poke harshly to them. Where do you
come from? he asked.
From the land of Canaan, they replied, to buy food.
8A lt hough Joseph recogn ized his brothers, they did not recogn ize him. 9T hen
he remembered his d
reams a bout them and said to them, You are s pies! You
have come to see w
here our land is unprotected.
10No, my lord, they ans wered. Your serv ants have come to buy food. 11We
are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.
12No! he said to them. You have come to see w
here our land is unprotected.
13But they replied, Your serv ants were t welve brothers, the sons of one man,
who l ives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our fat her, and one
is no more.
14Joseph said to them, It is just as I told you: You are s
pies! 15A nd this is how
you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh l ives, you will not l eave this p
lace unless
your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of your number to get your broth
er; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see
if you are telli ng the t ruth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh l ives, you are
spies! 17A nd he put them all in custody for t hree days.
18O n the t hird day, Joseph said to them, Do this and you will live, for I fear
God: 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while
the rest of you go and take g rain back for your starvi ng households. 20But you
must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be veri f ied and
that you may not die. This they proceeded todo.
21T hey said to one another, Surely we are bei ng punished bec ause of our
brother. We saw how dist ressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but
we w
ould not listen; t hats why this dist ress has come onus.
22Reuben replied, Didnt I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldnt
listen! Now we must give an accounti ng for his b
lood. 23T hey did not rea li ze that
Joseph could understand them, since he was usi ng an interpreter.
24He t urned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke
to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and b
ound before t heir eyes.
25Joseph gave orders to fill t heir bags with g
rain, to put each m
ans silver back
in his sack, and to give them prov isions for t heir journey. After this was done for
them, 26t hey loaded t heir g rain on t heir donkeys and left.
27At the p
lace where they s topped for the n
ight one of them o
pened his sack to
get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the m
outh of his sack. 28 My silver
has been ret urned, he said to his brothers. Here it is in my sack.
Their hearts sank and they t urned to each other trembling and said, What is
this that God has done tous?
29W hen they came to t heir fat her Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him
all that had happened to them. They said, 30The man who is lord over the land
spoke harshly to us and treated us as t hough we were spyi ng on the land. 31But
we said to him, We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We were t welve broth
ers, sons of one fat her. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our fat her
in Canaan.
33Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, This is how I will know
whether you are honest men: L
eave one of your brothers here with me, and take
food for your starvi ng households and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to
me so I will know that you are not s pies but honest men. Then I will give your
brother back to you, and you can t radea in the land.
35A s they were empt yi ng t heir s
acks, t here in each m
ans sack was his p
ouch
of silver! When they and t heir fat her saw the money pouches, they were fright
ened. 36T heir fat her Jacob said to them, You have deprived me of my child ren.
Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjam in.
Everyt hing is againstme!
a34Ormove about freely
6/27/16 12:53 PM
72 // Genesis 42:37
37T hen Reuben said to his fat her, You may put both of my sons to d
eath if I do
not b
ring him back to you. Ent rust him to my care, and I will b
ring him back.
38But Jacob said, My son will not go down t here with you; his brother is dead
and he is the only one left. If harm c omes to him on the journey you are taki ng,
you will b
ring my gray head down to the g rave in sorrow.
The Second Journey to Egypt
GENESIS 43:89
BECOMING A SLAVE
SO A SLAVE COULD
GO FREE
Judah makes a risky and bold move in
this passage in complete contrast to
his cowardly and unrighteous behavior earlier (Ge37:2627; 38:1126).
When Judah was forced to act on this
pledge (44:3334), he remained
faithful to his promise, offering himself as a slave so that his brother
could avoid a similar fate (44:17).
His substitutionary act would have
allowed Benjamin to return to his father as a free man.
Centuries later, one of Judahs descendants would offer himself in the
place of sinners so that they might
be freed from their penalty and slavery. Judahs pledge of his life as the
substitute for his younger brother is
a striking parallel to Jesus substitutionary sacrifice of his life for his
adopted brothers and sistersthe
church (Ro 8:17,29). Unlike Judah,
however (Ge 37:2627), Jesus did
not contribute to the slavery of the
church. Instead, Jesus graciously
pledged himself as a substitute so
that he might bring home his redeemed ones, right into the heavenly
Fathers very presence.
43
Now the fami ne was s till severe in the land. 2So when they had eaten all
the g rain they had b
rought from E
gypt, t heir fat her said to them, Go back
and buy us a litt le more food.
3But Judah said to him, The man w
arned us solemnly, You will not see my
face again unless your brother is with you. 4I f you will send our brother a long
with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5But if you will not send him, we
will not go down, because the man said to us, You will not see my face a gain
unless your brother is with you.
6Israel a sked, Why did you bring this trouble on me by telli ng the man you
had another brother?
7T hey replied, The man quest ioned us closel y a
bout ourselves and our fam
ily. Is your fat her s till livi ng? he asked us. Do you have another brother? We
simply answered his quest ions. How were we to know he w
ould say, Bring your
brother down here?
8T hen Judah said to Israel his fat her, Send the boy a
long with me and we will
go at once, so that we and you and our child ren may live and not die. 9 I myself
will guara ntee his safet y; you can hold me persona lly responsible for him. If I
do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the b
lame
before you all my life. 10A s it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and
ret urned twice.
11T hen t heir fat her Isr ael said to them, If it must be, then do this: Put some
of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as
a gifta litt le balm and a litt le honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio
nuts and almonds. 12Take double the a mount of silver with you, for you must re
turn the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a
mistake. 13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14A nd may God
Alm ighty a g rant you merc y before the man so that he will let your other brother
and Benjam in come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.
15S o the men took the g
ifts and double the a mount of silver, and Benjam in
also. They hurr ied down to E
gypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16W hen
Joseph saw Benjam in with them, he said to the stewa rd of his house, Take t hese
men to my h
ouse, slaughter an ani mal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with
me at noon.
17T he man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Josephs h
ouse. 18Now
the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They t hought, We
were b
rought here because of the silver that was put back into our s acks the f irst
time. He w ants to att ack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take
our don keys.
19So they went up to Josephs stewa rd and spoke to him at the ent rance to the
house. 20We beg your pardon, our lord, they said, we came down here the f irst
time to buy food. 21But at the place w
here we stopped for the n
ight we o
pened
our sacks and each of us found his silvert he exact weighti n the mouth of his
sack. So we have b
rought it back with us. 22 We have also brought add it iona l silver
with us to buy food. We d
ont know who put our silver in our sacks.
23Its all r ight, he said. Dont be a
fraid. Your God, the God of your fat her,
has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver. Then he b
rought
Simeon out to them.
24T he stewa rd took the men into Jos ephs h
ouse, gave them water to wash
a14Hebrew El-Shaddai
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 44:18//73
t heir feet and prov ided fodder for t heir donkeys. 25T hey prepared t heir g ifts for
Josephs arr iva l at noon, because they had h
eard that they were to eat there.
26W hen Joseph came home, they presented to him the g
ifts they had b
rought
into the h
ouse, and they b
owed down before him to the g round. 27He a sked them
how they were, and then he said, How is your aged fat her you told me about?
Is he s till livi ng?
28T hey replied, Your serv ant our fat her is s till a live and well. And they
bowed down, prost rati ng themselves before him.
29A s he looked a
bout and saw his brother Benjam in, his own mothers son, he
asked, Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me a bout? And he said,
oved at the sight of his brother, Jo
God be gracious to you, my son. 30Deeply m
seph hurr ied out and looked for a p
lace to weep. He went into his private room
and wept there.
31A fter he had w
ashed his face, he came out and, cont roll ing himself, said,
Serve the food.
32T hey served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egypt ians
who ate with him by themselves, because Egypt ians c ould not eat with Hebrews,
for that is detestable to Egypt ians. 33T he men had been seated before him in the
order of t heir ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each
other in astonishment. 34W hen port ions were served to them from Josephs ta
ble, Benjam ins port ion was five t imes as much as anyone e lses. So they feasted
and d rank freely with him.
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44
Now Joseph gave t hese instruct ions to the stewa rd of his house: Fill the
ens sacks with as much food as they can carr y, and put each mans sil
m
ver in the mouth of his sack. 2T hen put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of
the youngest o
nes sack, a long with the silver for his g rain. And he did as Joseph
said.
3A s morni ng d
awned, the men were sent on t heir way with t heir donkeys.
4T hey had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his stewa rd, Go after
t hose men at once, and when you c atch up with them, say to them, Why have
you repaid good with evil? 5Isnt this the cup my master d rinks from and also
uses for divi nat ion? This is a wicked t hing you have done.
6W hen he c aught up with them, he repeated t hese w
ords to them. 7But they
said to him, Why does my lord say such t hings? Far be it from your servants to
rought back to you from the land of Canaan the
do anyt hing like that! 8We even b
silver we f ound inside the m
ouths of our s acks. So why w
ould we s teal silver or
gold from your masters h
ouse? 9If any of your servants is f ound to have it, he will
die; and the rest of us will become my l ords slaves.
10 Very well, then, he said, let it be as you say. Whoe ver is f ound to have it
will become my s lave; the rest of you will be free from blame.
11E ach of them quickl y lowered his sack to the g round and opened it. 12T hen
the stewa rd proceeded to s earch, beg inn ing with the oldest and endi ng with the
youngest. And the cup was found in Benjam ins sack. 13At this, they tore t heir
clothes. Then they all loaded t heir donkeys and ret urned to the city.
14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they
t hrew themselves to the g round before him. 15Joseph said to them, What is this
you have done? Dont you know that a man like me can find t hings out by div
inat ion?
16 What can we say to my lord? Judah replied. What can we say? How can
we p
rove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants g uilt. We are now
my lords slaveswe ourselves and the one who was f ound to have the cup.
17But Jos eph said, Far be it from me to do such a t hing! Only the man who
was f ound to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your
fat her in peace.
18T hen Jud ah went up to him and said: Pardon your serv ant, my lord, let
6/27/16 12:53 PM
74 // Genesis 44:19
GENESIS 45:47
AN APPOINTED TIME
Joseph beautifully summed up his
experience for his brothers, declaring
the providence of God in the face of
their evil actions. Joseph stated his
confidence in the timing of God, the
love of God and the grace of God.
Gods timing put Joseph in the right
position at the right time to save the
lives of his family. The providential
care of God was still at work behind
all the chaosproviding for his chosen ones in the coming drought. And
Gods grace gave hope and forgiveness in spite of the hurt and sin that
Joseph had experienced through the
ordeal.
me speak a word to my lord. Do not be ang ry with your servant, t hough you are
equal to Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, Do you have a fat her or
a brother? 20A nd we ans wered, We have an aged fat her, and t here is a y oung
son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his
mothers sons left, and his fat her l oves him.
21Then you said to your serv ants, Bring him down to me so I can see him for
myself. 22A nd we said to my lord, The boy cannot leave his fat her; if he leaves
him, his fat her will die. 23But you told your serv ants, Unless your youngest
brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again. 24W hen we went
back to your servant my fat her, we told him what my lord had said.
25Then our fat her said, Go back and buy a litt le more food. 26But we said, We
cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot
see the m
ans face unless our youngest brother is withus.
27 Your serv ant my fat her said to us, You know that my wife bore me two
sons. 28One of them went away from me, and I said, He has surely been torn to
pieces. And I have not seen him since. 29I f you take this one from me too and
harm c omes to him, you will b
ring my gray head down to the g rave in misery.
30So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your serv ant my fat her,
and if my fat her, w
hose life is closely b
ound up with the b
oys life, 31sees that the
boy isnt t here, he will die. Your servants will b
ring the gray head of our fat her
oys safet y to my
down to the g rave in sorrow. 32Your servant guara nteed the b
fat her. I said, If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you,
my fat her, all my life!
33Now then, please let your serv ant remain here as my l ords slave in p
lace of
the boy, and let the boy ret urn with his brothers. 34How can I go back to my fa
ther if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that w
ould come
on my fat her.
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45
Then Joseph could no longer cont rol himself before all his attendants,
and he c ried out, Have everyone leave my presence! So t here was no
one with Joseph when he made himself k nown to his brothers. 2A nd he wept so
loudly that the Egypt ians h
eard him, and Pharaohs household heard aboutit.
3Jos eph said to his brothers, I am Jos eph! Is my fat her still livi ng? But his
Similarly, Jesus was sent by the Fa- brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terr if ied at his pres
ther at the appointed time (Gal4:4 ence.
4T hen Joseph said to his brothers, Come close to me. When they had done
5). God precisely ordained the time
5
of Christs coming so that the events so, he said, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! A nd now, do
not
be
dis
t
ressed
and
do
not
be
an
g
ry
with
your
s
elves
for
sell
i
ng
me here, be
would properly unfold, resulting in
it was to save l ives that God sent me a head of you. 6For two y ears now t here
the salvation of many lives (Ro5:10). cause
has been fami ne in the land, and for the next five years t here will be no plowi ng
His love was the grand motive for and reapi ng. 7But God sent me a head of you to preserve for you a remnant on
his coming (Jn3:16), and his grace earth and to save your l ives by a g reat delivera nce.a
8So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me fat her to
even offered hope for those who
had put him to death (Lk 23:34; Pharaoh, lord of his ent ire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9Now hurr y back to
my fat her and say to him, This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me
Ac2:2224,3638).
lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; dont delay. 10You shall live in the reg ion of
Goshen and be near meyou, your child ren and grandchild ren, your f locks
and h
erds, and all you have. 11I will prov ide for you t here, because five years of
fami ne are still to come. Otherw ise you and your household and all who belong
to you will become dest it ute.
12 You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjam in, that it is real
ly I who am speaki ng to you. 13Tell my fat her about all the honor accorded me
in E
gypt and a bout everyt hing you have seen. And b
ring my fat her down here
quickly.
a7Orsave you as a great band of survivors
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 45:128
A DWELLING PLACE FOREVER

While Joseph
did not know it, his work in Egypt was preparing a place for a provision for his
family. God had seen fit to bring Joseph to Egypt, bestowing wisdom upon him, and positioning
him to prepare the nation for the impending famine. Joseph gave himself to the work of developing
a strategy, building facilities and preparing the people to store massive amounts of grain. Though
they did not recognize Joseph, his hungry brothers asked for his gracious provision of food. Joseph
revealed his identity to his brothers who reported the stunning news to their aging father. Josephs
work through his years in Egypt had prepared a blessing for those in his family.
Jesus also indicates that he is preparing a place of blessing for his people. Like Joseph, the
path to this position is unexpected. He would suffer and die on a Roman cross, be raised to life by
the power of God and ascend to the right hand of the Father. There he works to prepare a place of
blessing for the people of God. God pictures the heavenly dwelling like a house with many rooms
(Jn14:23). He will work to prepare this place for his people between the resurrection and the
coming day when God will make all things new.
It is difficult
to fathom the splendor of this dwelling place. Creator God made all things that
exist in the span of six days. The vast mountain ranges, breathtaking beaches and sprawling forests
demonstrate the handiwork of God at the dawn of creation. Now, thousands of years later, God is
working to prepare a new dwelling in which his people will live forever. Quoting the prophet Isaiah,
Paul exclaimed that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has
prepared for his people (1Co 2:9).
The biblical images
of heaven seem to make people grapple for words to describe the glory
of this place. The heavenly dwelling, free from the implications of sin, is described as containing
streets made of gold and seas as beautiful as crystal. There, Gods people will be given the bountiful
provision of Gods blessing. Free from sin, they will be able to worship God by enjoying fellowship
with God, loving one another, giving of themselves in meaningful work and feasting on the storehouse of Gods good gifts that he has prepared for them to enjoy.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
76 // Genesis 45:14
14T hen he t hrew his arms a round his brother Benjam in and wept, and Ben
ja m in embraced him, weepi ng. 15A nd he k issed all his brothers and wept over
them. Afterward his brothers t alked with him.
16W hen the news reached Pharaohs palace that Josephs brothers had come,
Pharaoh and all his off icials were p
leased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, Tell your
brothers, Do this: Load your ani mals and ret urn to the land of Canaan, 18a nd
bring your fat her and your fami l ies back to me. I will give you the best of the land
of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.
19 You are also directed to tell them, Do this: Take some c arts from Egypt for
your child ren and your w
ives, and get your fat her and come. 20 Never mind about
your belongi ngs, because the best of all E
gypt will be yours.
21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them c arts, as Pharaoh had com
manded, and he also gave them prov isions for t heir journey. 22To each of them
he gave new clothi ng, but to Benjam in he gave t hree hund red shekelsa of silver
and five sets of clothes. 23A nd this is what he sent to his fat her: ten donkeys load
ed with the best t hings of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with g rain and
bread and other prov isions for his journey. 24T hen he sent his brothers away, and
as they were leavi ng he said to them, Dont quarrel on the way!
25S o they went up out of Egypt and came to t heir fat her Jac ob in the land of
Canaan. 26T hey told him, Joseph is still a live! In fact, he is ruler of all E
gypt. Ja
cob was stunned; he did not bel ieve them. 27But when they told him everyt hing
Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carr y him
back, the spirit of t heir fat her Jacob rev ived. 28A nd Israel said, Im conv inced!
My son Joseph is still a live. I will go and see him before I die.
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46
So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he
offered sacr if ices to the God of his fat her Isaac.
2A nd God s
poke to Israel in a vision at n ight and said, Jacob! Jacob!
3I am God, the God of your fat her, he said. Do not be a fraid to go down to
Egypt, for I will make you into a g reat nat ion t here. 4I will go down to Egypt with
you, and I will surely b
ring you back a gain. And Josephs own hand will c lose
your eyes.
5T hen Jacob left Beersheba, and Israels sons took t heir fat her Jacob and t heir
child ren and t heir w ives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.
6S o Jac ob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taki ng with them t heir livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7Jacob brought with him to
Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughtersa ll his
offspring.
8T hese are the n
ames of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who
went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.

9 The sons of Reuben:
Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karm i.
10 The sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, Jam in, Ohad, Jak in, Zohar and Shau l the son of a Canaanite
woma n.
11 The sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merar i.
12 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land
of Canaan).
The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.
a22
That is, about 71/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 47:2//77
13 The sons of Issachar:
Tola, Puah,a Jashubb and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebu lun:
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15T hese were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,c besides his daugh
ter Dinah. T
hese sons and daughters of his were thirt y-t hree in all.
16 The sons of Gad:
Zephon, d Hagg i, Shun i, Ezbon, Eri, Arod i and Arel i.
17 The sons of Asher:
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishv i and Ber ia h.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Ber ia h:
Heber and Malk iel.
18T hese were the child ren born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to
his daughter Leahsixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacobs wife Rachel:
Joseph and Benjam in. 20In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephrai m were born to
Joseph by Asenath daughter of Pot iphera, p
riest of On.e
21 The sons of Benjam in:
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
22T hese were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacobfourteen in all.
23 The son of Dan:
Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtal i:
Jahz iel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
25T hese were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his
daughter Rachel seven in all.
26A ll t hose who went to E
gypt with Jacobt hose who were his direct descen
dants, not counti ng his sons w ivesnumbered sixt y-six persons. 27 W ith the
two sonsf who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacobs fami ly,
which went to Egypt, were sevent yg in all.
28Now Jac ob sent Judah a
head of him to Joseph to get direct ions to Goshen.
When they arr ived in the reg ion of Goshen, 29Joseph had his chariot made ready
and went to Goshen to meet his fat her Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before
him, he t hrew his arms a round his fat herh and wept for a long time.
30I sr ael said to Jos eph, Now I am ready to die, s ince I have seen for mys elf
that you are s till alive.
31T hen Joseph said to his brothers and to his fat hers household, I will go up
and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, My brothers and my fat hers house
hold, who were livi ng in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32T he men are
shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought a long t heir f locks and
herds and everyt hing they own. 33W hen Pharaoh calls you in and asks, What
is your occupat ion? 34you s hould answer, Your servants have tended livestock
from our boyhood on, just as our fat hers did. Then you will be allowed to sett le
in the reg ion of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egypt ians.
Joseph went and told Pharaoh, My fat her and brothers, with t heir f locks
and h
erds and everyt hing they own, have come from the land of Canaan
and are now in Goshen. 2He chose five of his brothers and presented them be
fore Pharaoh.
47
a13
Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah
b13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and
1Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob c15That is, Northwest Mesopotamia d16Samaritan
Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion e20 That is,
Heliopolis f27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children g27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5
and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five h29Hebrew around him
6/27/16 12:53 PM
78 // Genesis 47:3
3Pharaoh a sked the brothers, What is your occ upat ion?
Your servants are shepherds, they replied to Pharaoh, just as our fat hers
were. 4T hey also said to him, We have come to live here for a while, because the
fami ne is severe in Canaan and your servants f locks have no past ure. So now,
please let your servants sett le in Goshen.
5Pharaoh said to Jos eph, Your fat her and your brothers have come to you,
6a nd the land of Egypt is before you; sett le your fat her and your brothers in the
best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any a mong
them with special abilit y, put them in c harge of my own livestock.
7T hen Joseph b
rought his fat her Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh.
After Jacob blessed a Pharaoh, 8Pharaoh a sked him, How old are you?
9A nd Jacob said to Pharaoh, The years of my pilg rimage are a hund red and
thirt y. My y ears have been few and diff icult, and they do not e qual the y ears of
the pilg rimage of my fat hers. 10 T hen Jacob blessed b Pharaoh and went out from
his presence.
11So Joseph sett led his fat her and his brothers in E
gypt and gave them prop
ert y in the best part of the land, the dist rict of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed.
12Joseph also prov ided his fat her and his brothers and all his fat hers household
with food, accordi ng to the number of t heir child ren.
Joseph and the Famine

13T here was no food, howe ver, in the w hole reg ion bec ause the fami ne was
severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away bec ause of the fami ne. 14 Joseph
collected all the money that was to be f ound in E
gypt and Canaan in payment
for the g rain they were buyi ng, and he b
rought it to Pharaohs palace. 15W hen
the money of the people of E
gypt and Canaan was gone, all E
gypt came to Jo
seph and said, Give us food. Why s hould we die before your eyes? Our money
is all gone.
16Then bring your livestock, said Joseph. I will sell you food in exchange for
rought t heir livestock to Jo
your livestock, s ince your money is gone. 17So they b
seph, and he gave them food in exchange for t heir horses, t heir s heep and g oats,
t heir catt le and donkeys. And he b
rought them t hrough that year with food in
exchange for all t heir livestock.
18W hen that year was over, they came to him the followi ng year and said, We
cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our mone y is gone and our live
stock belongs to you, t here is nothi ng left for our lord except our bodies and our
land. 19W hy s hould we perish before your eyeswe and our land as well? Buy
us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage
to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may
not become desolate.
20So Joseph b
ought all the land in E
gypt for Pharaoh. The Egypt ians, one and
all, sold t heir f ields, because the fami ne was too severe for them. The land be
came Pharaohs, 21a nd Joseph reduced the people to serv it ude,c from one end
of Egypt to the other. 22However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because
they received a regu lar allotment from Pharaoh and had food e nough from the
allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell t heir land.
23Joseph said to the people, Now that I have bought you and your land today
for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can p
lant the g round. 24But when the
crop c omes in, give a f ifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-f ifths you may keep
as seed for the f ields and as food for yourselves and your households and your
child ren.
25 You have saved our l ives, they said. May we find favor in the eyes of our
lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.
26S o Jos eph est abl ished it as a law conc erni ng land in E
gyptstill in f orce
a7Orgreeted b10Orsaid farewell to c21
Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see

also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 48:16//79
todayt hat a f ifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the
priests that did not become Pharaohs.
27Now the Israelites sett led in Egypt in the reg ion of Goshen. They acquired
propert y t here and were fruitf ul and increased greatly in number.
28Jacob l ived in E
gypt seventeen y ears, and the y ears of his life were a hund red
and fort y-seven. 29W hen the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son
Joseph and said to him, If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under
my t high and promise that you will show me kindness and faithf ulness. Do not
bury me in Egypt, 30but when I rest with my fat hers, carr y me out of Egypt and
bury me where they are buried.
I will do as you say, he said.
31Swear to me, he said. Then Joseph s wore to him, and Israel worshiped as
he l eaned on the top of his staff.a
Manasseh and Ephraim
48
Some time later Joseph was told, Your fat her is ill. So he took his two sons
Manasseh and Ephraim a long with him. 2W hen Jacob was told, Your son
Joseph has come to you, Israel rallied his s trength and sat up on the bed.
3Jac ob said to Jos eph, God Alm ightyb appeared to me at Luz in the land of
Canaan, and t here he b
lessed me 4a nd said to me, I am goi ng to make you fruit
ful and increase your numbers. I will make you a commun it y of peoples, and I
will give this land as an everlasti ng possession to your descendants after you.
5Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will
be reckoned as mine; Ephrai m and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and
Simeon are mine. 6A ny child ren born to you after them will be yours; in the ter
ritor y they inherit they will be reckoned under the n
ames of t heir brothers. 7A s
I was ret urni ng from Paddan,c to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan
w hile we were still on the way, a litt le dist ance from Ephrath. So I buried her
t here beside the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
8W hen Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he a sked, Who are these?
9They are the sons God has given me here, Joseph said to his fat her.
Then Israel said, Bring them to me so I may b
less them.
10Now Israels eyes were faili ng bec ause of old age, and he c ould hardl y see.
So Joseph brought his sons c lose to him, and his fat her k issed them and em
braced them.
11Israel said to Joseph, I never expected to see your face a
gain, and now God
has allowed me to see your child ren too.
12T hen Jos eph removed them from Isr aels k nees and bowed down with his
face to the g round. 13A nd Joseph took both of them, Ephrai m on his r ight to
ward Israels left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israels r ight hand, and
brought them close to him. 14But Israel reached out his r ight hand and put it on
Ephrai ms head, t hough he was the younger, and crossi ng his arms, he put his
left hand on Manassehs head, even t hough Manasseh was the firstborn.
15T hen he b
lessed Joseph and said,
May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.
a31OrIsrael bowed down at the head of his bed b3Hebrew El-Shaddai c7
That is,
Northwest Mesopotamia
6/27/16 12:53 PM
80 // Genesis 48:17
GENESIS 49:10
THE RULING KING

FROM JUDAH
The royal lineage of Jesus is foreshadowed in the images of this text.
The scepter was an ornate rod used
by kings to communicate their authoritative dictates. Those in power
could grant laws and enact judgment
should one fail to submit to their
rule. He to whom it belongs is an
obscure phrase, likely referring to the
divine King and lawgiver who would
come from the line of Judah to fulfill
the promises of this passage. To this
King, all people, not simply those of
a certain earthly kingdom, would owe
their allegiance.
Jesus, the King from the tribe of Judah, ushers in the kingdom of God
and announces the rule and reign of
God through his incarnation. One day,
all people (in heaven, on earth and
under the earth) will bow at his very
name (Php 2:911). As the great
suffering servant, his earthly ministry and his execution via a criminals
death seem to undermine his cosmic
rule. But his victorious resurrection
and glorious ascension vindicate his
claim to deity and establish him as
the King of kings and Lord of lords
and the one to whom all people owe
their worship (Ro1:4).
17W hen Joseph saw his fat her placi ng his r

ight hand on Ephrai ms head he was
displeased; so he took hold of his fat hers hand to move it from Ephrai ms head to
Manassehs head. 18Joseph said to him, No, my fat her, this one is the firstborn;
put your r ight hand on his head.
19But his fat her ref used and said, I know, my son, I know. He too will become
a people, and he too will become g reat. Nevert heless, his younger brother will
be greater than he, and his descendants will become a g roup of nat ions. 20He
blessed them that day and said,
In youra name will Israel pronounce this blessing:

May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.
So he put Ephrai m a head of Manasseh.
21T hen Israel said to Joseph, I am about to die, but God will be with youb and
take youb back to the land of yourb fat hers. 22A nd to you I give one more r idge of
landc than to your brothers, the r idge I took from the Amor ites with my s word
and my bow.
Jacob Blesses His Sons
49
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Gather a round so I can tell you
what will happen to you in days to come.
2 Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your fathers bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers

their swordsd are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8 Judah,e your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your fathers sons will bow down to you.
9 You are a lions cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lionesswho dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the rulers staff from between his feet,f
until he to whom it belongsg shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
a20TheHebrew is singular. b21TheHebrew is plural. c22
TheHebrew for ridge of

land is identical with the place name Shechem. d5 Themeaning of the Hebrew for this
word is uncertain. e8 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
f10Orfrom his descendants g10Orto whom tribute belongs; the meaning of the Hebrew
for this phrase is uncertain.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
Genesis 49:27//81
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.a
13 Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.
14 Issachar is a rawbonedb donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.c
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.
16 Dand will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horses heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.
18 I look for your deliverance, Lord.
19 Gade will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
20 Ashers food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
21 Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.f
22 Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.g
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayedh limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your fathers God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty,i who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
26 Your fathers blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
j the bounty of the age-old hills.
than
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince amongk his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.
a12Orwill be dull from wine, / his teeth white from milk b14Orstrong c14Orthe
campfires; or the saddlebags d16 Dan here means he provides justice. e19 Gad sounds
like the Hebrew for attack and also for band of raiders. f21Orfree; / he utters beautiful
words g22OrJoseph is a wild colt, / a wild colt near a spring, / a wild donkey on a terraced
hill h23,24Orarchers will attack... will shoot... will remain... will stay i25Hebrew
Shaddai j26Orof my progenitors, / as great as k26Orof the one separated from
6/27/16 12:53 PM
82 // Genesis 49:28
28A ll t hese are the t welve t ribes of Israel, and this is what t heir fat her said to
them when he b
lessed them, givi ng each the blessi ng appropriate to him.
The Death of Jacob

29T hen he gave them t hese ins truct ions: I am a
bout to be gathered to my
people. Bury me with my fat hers in the cave in the f ield of E
phron the Hitt ite,
30t he cave in the f ield of Machpelah, near Mamre in Can aan, w hich Abrah am
bought a long with the f ield as a buria l p
lace from E
phron the Hitt ite. 31T here
Abraham and his wife Sara h were buried, t here Isaac and his wife Rebeka h were
buried, and t here I buried Leah. 32T he f ield and the cave in it were bought from
the Hitt ites. a
33W hen Jacob had fini shed givi ng instruct ions to his sons, he drew his feet up
into the bed, b
reathed his last and was gathered to his people.
Joseph t hrew himself on his fat her and wept over him and k issed him.
2T hen Joseph directed the physic ians in his serv ice to embalm his fat her
Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3taki ng a full fort y days, for that was the
time required for embalmi ng. And the Egypt ians m
ourned for him sevent y days.
4W hen the days of mourni ng had p
assed, Joseph said to Pharaohs court, If I
have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5My fat her made
me swear an oath and said, I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself
in the land of Canaan. Now let me go up and bury my fat her; then I will return.
6Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your fat her, as he made you s
wear todo.
7S o Jos eph went up to bury his fat her. All Pharaohs off ic ials acc ompan ied
himt he dign it aries of his c ourt and all the dign it aries of E
gypt8 besides
all the members of Josephs household and his brothers and t hose belongi ng to
his fat hers household. Only t heir child ren and t heir f locks and herds were left
in Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen b also went up with him. It was a very large
company.
10W hen they r
eached the threshi ng f loor of Atad, near the Jordan, they la
mented loudly and bitterly; and t here Joseph observed a seven-day per iod of
mourni ng for his fat her. 11W hen the Canaanites who l ived t here saw the mourn
ing at the threshi ng f loor of Atad, they said, The Egypt ians are holdi ng a solemn
ceremony of mourni ng. That is why that p
lace near the Jordan is c alled Abel
Mizrai m. c
12S o Jac obs sons did as he had comm ande d them: 13T hey carr ied him to
the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the f ield of Machpelah, near
Mamre, which Abraham had b
ought a long with the f ield as a buria l place from
Ephron the Hitt ite. 14 A fter buryi ng his fat her, Joseph ret urned to Egypt, together
with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his fat her.
50
Joseph Reassures His Brothers

15W hen Josephs brothers saw that t heir fat her was dead, they said, What if
Joseph h
olds a g rudge against us and pays us back for all the w rongs we did to
him? 16So they sent word to Joseph, sayi ng, Your fat her left t hese instruct ions
before he died: 17This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forg ive your
brothers the sins and the w rongs they comm itted in treati ng you so badly. Now
please forg ive the sins of the servants of the God of your fat her. When t heir mes
sage came to him, Joseph wept.
18H is brothers then came and t hrew thems elves down before him. We are
your s laves, they said.
19But Jos eph said to them, Dont be a fraid. AmI in the place of God? 20You
intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now
bei ng done, the savi ng of many l ives. 21So then, d
ont be a fraid. I will prov ide
for you and your child ren. And he reassured them and s poke kindly to them.
a32Orthe descendants of Heth b9Orcharioteers c11
Abel Mizraim means mourning
of the Egyptians.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
GENESIS 50:1521
MEANT FOR EVIL, USED FOR GOOD

God rules
and reigns over all things and orchestrates the events of this world to perfectly fulfill
his good intentions for his creation. This hope is magnified in light of the depth of human sin and
the systemic evil at work in the world. God is capable of taking every facet of life, even great evil,
and working it together to accomplish his will.
This truth is demonstrated profoundly in Josephs life. The outcast brother, sold into slavery
and forgotten in prison, finds himself second in command in all of Egypt. His brothers actions,
though malicious, were used by God in order to position Joseph to save his brothers and his family
when they needed food in order to escape the famine. While Joseph may never have chosen the
path his life took, he could look back at the course of his life and see the ever-present hand of God.
Joseph affirmed the grand scope of the sovereignty of God when he reassured his brothers that the
things they meant for evil were ultimately under the authority of God. No evil plan of humans could
thwart the purposes of a sovereign God.
God demonstrates his sovereign hand throughout the continued history of his people. He
takes all things, even their rebellion, and uses them to accomplish even greater good. The greatest experience of human depravity is seen in the brutal murder of the perfect Son of God. At the
cross, it would seem that the religious leaders, Roman authorities and Satan himself had emerged
victorious. Yet, as with the life of Joseph, God was orchestrating these unthinkable acts in order to
accomplish the great good of satisfying the wrath of God through the death of his Son.
Believers can find hope to face the complex, and often tumultuous, circumstances of
life in a fallen world with the knowledge of the sovereign rule and reign of God. Paul reminds the
church in Rome that in all things, even suffering and sin, God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28). God is not surprised by evil. He is
not at a loss for how to respond. His plans cannot be defeated, and he will accomplish everything
exactly as he intends.
6/27/16 12:53 PM
84 // Genesis 50:22
GENESIS 50:24
THE GOD
OF ABRAHAM,
ISAAC AND JACOB
Approaching death, Joseph reassured
his family of the covenant faithfulness of God. The threefold repetition
of the names Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is used through the Pentateuch
to describe the recipients of the
promises God made to Abram in Genesis 12:13 (Ge 48:15; 49:2931;
Ex 2:24; 3:16). Joseph recognized
that his death was not the culmination of the work of God on behalf of
the people of God. This work did not
depend on Joseph; rather it rested on
the faithfulness of God. Joseph knew
that God was always faithful to his
promises and would surely bring the
nation of Israel into the good land
that he had pledged to them as their
inheritance. Gods covenantal faithfulness led him to send Jesus as the
fulfillment of the promises he made
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The
hope of Josephs life found its fulfillment in the sending of the Savior.
The Death of Joseph

22Jos eph s
tayed in Egypt, a long with all his fat hers fami ly. He l ived a hun
dred and ten y ears 23a nd saw the t hird generat ion of Ephrai ms child ren. Also
the child ren of Mak ir son of Manasseh were p
laced at b
irth on Josephs knees.a
24T hen Jos eph said to his brothers, I am a
bout to die. But God will surely
come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 25A nd Joseph made the Israelites s wear an oath
and said, God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carr y my b
ones
up from this place.
26S o Jos eph died at the age of a hund red and ten. And after they embalmed
him, he was p
laced in a coff in in Egypt.
a23
That is, were counted as his
6/27/16 12:53 PM
NEW
TESTAMENT
9780310444671_int_05_matt_acts_niv_jesus_bible_REVISED.indd 1511
6/30/16 9:07 AM
JESUS:
OUR
PROMISED
KING
MATTHEW
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW
BIRTH OF J ESUS
c. 5 BC
HEROD ANTIPAS
RULES GALILEE
AND PEREA
JESUS MINISTRY,
DEATH,
RESURRECTION
4 BCAD 39
c. AD 2730
Kings came and went throughout the Old Testament. With each successive king, the hope
of the people of God continued to fade. Israel longed for the promised king who would usher
in Gods peace and deliverance. With their own eyes, they witnessed the failure of even the
best kings, the demise of the nation and the exile of Gods people. Though the prophets
spoke of a coming day when God would prove faithful, the lengthy silence after Malachis
writing left the fate of Gods people seemingly in question.
Matthews Gospel proclaims Jesus to be the long awaited King of kingsthe one to
whom the entire Old Testament points. Matthew, a Jewish believer, began his summary of
Jesus life and ministry with a lengthy genealogy that served to connect the Lords coming
to the promises God made to David so long ago. He was a king like David, but one who
would succeed where David failed and accomplish what David had been incapable of doing
in his life. At the conclusion of the book, the sign that hung above Jesus head on the cross
ironically makes the same claim: this is jesus, the king of the jews (27:37). Between
these two bookends, Matthew makes a clear and compelling argument for the divine origin
of J esus and his kingly role among his people.
Though many Jews in Jesus day were blind to his identity, Matthew anchors Jesus life
and mission in the Old Testament promises of God. Using more than 70 quotations or allusions
from the Old Testament, Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the promised king who came to
fulfill the hope of his people. Matthew invites his readers to embrace the rightful king through
faith and repentance and submit to life in the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Those who come under the rule and reign of the King find this king to be a righteous
and loving ruler who humbly serves his beloved kingdom citizens. This king invites his
people to participate in his mission to the world and the establishment of his kingdom on
earth as it is in heaven (28:1820). In his kingdom, Jews and Gentiles alike find forgiveness
of sin, peace with God and hope for this life and the next.
SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN
TO YOU AS WELL.
Matthew 6:33
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW
MATTHEW 1:117
THE GENEALOGY
OF JESUS
Part of Matthews goal in writing
his Gospel was to show Jesus as the
true Messiah for whom the Jews had
been waiting. Because the Messiah
had to come from the line of David, it
was important for Matthew to show
Jesus legitimacy by connecting him
not only to David, but all the way
back to Abraham (v.2; Ge12:3). Another interesting point in Matthews
genealogy is the mention of five
women, specifically Tamar (Mt1:3),
Rahab (v.5) and Bathsheba (simply
called Uriahs wife in v.6). Tamar
had deceitfully posed as a prostitute
to bear her children (Ge38), Rahab
was a prostitute in the city of Jericho (Jos2), and Bathsheba was the
woman with whom David committed
adultery (2Sa11). Not only was it unusual for women to be mentioned in
genealogies, but it was even stranger
that Matthew decided to list three
women of relatively low moral standing. The inclusion of Tamar, Rahab
and Bathsheba shows that God is
able to use anyone to accomplish
his plan. God could have handpicked
anyone to be in the genealogy of
Jesus, but he included these and
many other imperfect people to comprise the line that would eventually
bring his Son into the world. These
women are an incredible image of
Gods sovereign desire to take what
is broken and make it new. Matthew
begins his Gospel by showing the legitimacy of Jesus and the redemptive
power of God.
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
This is the genea log y a of Jesus the Messia hb the son of Dav id, the son of Abra
ham:
2 Abraham was the fat her of Isaac,

Isaac the fat her of Jacob,
Jacob the fat her of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the fat her of Perez and Zerah, w hose mother was Tamar,

Perez the fat her of Hezron,
Hezron the fat her of Ram,
4 Ram the fat her of Amm inadab,

Amm inadab the fat her of Nahshon,
Nahshon the fat her of Salmon,
5 Salmon the fat her of Boaz, w
hose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the fat her of Obed, w
hose mother was Ruth,
Obed the fat her of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the fat her of King Dav id.

Dav id was the fat her of Solomon, whose mother had been Uria hs wife,
7 Solomon the fat her of Rehoboa m,

Rehoboa m the fat her of Abijah,
Abijah the fat her of Asa,
8 Asa the fat her of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the fat her of Jehoram,
Jehoram the fat her of Uzz ia h,
9 Uzz ia h the fat her of Jot ham,

Jot ham the fat her of Ahaz,
Ahaz the fat her of Hezek ia h,
10 Hezek ia h the fat her of Manasseh,

Manasseh the fat her of Amon,
Amon the fat her of Josia h,
11 and Josia h the fat her of Jecon ia h c and his brothers at the time of the exi le

to Babylon.
12 After the exi le to Babylon:
Jecon ia h was the fat her of Shea lt iel,
Shea lt iel the fat her of Zer ubbabel,
13 Zer ubbabel the fat her of Abihud,

Abihud the fat her of Elia k im,
Elia k im the fat her of Azor,
14 Azor the fat her of Zadok,

Zadok the fat her of Akim,
Akim the fat her of Elihud,
15 Elihud the fat her of Elea z ar,

Elea zar the fat her of Matt han,
Matt han the fat her of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the fat her of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the

mother of J esus who is c alled the Messia h.
17T hus t here were fourteen generat ions in all from Abraham to Dav id, fourteen
from Dav id to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
a1Oris an account of the origin b1OrJesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek)
both mean Anointed One; also in verse 18. c11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse12
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 2:16//1517
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18T his is how the birth of J esus the Messia h came abouta : His mother Mary
was p
ledged to be marr ied to Joseph, but before they came together, she was
found to be pregnant t hrough the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was
faithf ul to the law, and yetb did not want to expose her to publ ic disg race, he had
in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had cons idered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in
a d ream and said, Joseph son of Dav id, do not be a fraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,c because he will save his
people from t heir sins.
22A ll this took place to fulf ill what the Lord had said t hrough the prophet:
23 The virg in will conc eive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Im
manuel d (which m
eans God withus).
24W hen Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded
him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their mar
riage unt il she gave b
irth to a son. And he gave him the name J esus.
The Magi Visit the Messiah
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, duri ng the time of King Herod,
Magie from the east came to Jer usalem 2a nd a sked, Where is the one who
has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to
worship him.
3W hen King Herod h
eard this he was dist urbed, and all Jer usalem with him.
4W hen he had c alled together all the peoples c hief priests and teachers of the
law, he asked them where the Messia h was to be born. 5 In Bethlehem in Judea,
they replied, for this is what the prophet has written:
6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.f
7T hen Herod c
alled the Magi secretly and f ound out from them the exact time
the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and s earch
caref ully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may
go and worship him.
9A fter they had h
eard the king, they went on t heir way, and the star they had
seen when it rose went a head of them unt il it s topped over the p
lace w
here the
child was. 10W hen they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On comi ng to the
house, they saw the c hild with his mother Mary, and they b
owed down and wor
shiped him. Then they o
pened t heir treasures and presented him with g ifts of
gold, franki ncense and myrrh. 12A nd havi ng been warned in a d
ream not to go
back to Herod, they ret urned to t heir count ry by another route.
The Escape to Egypt

13W hen they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a d
ream.
Get up, he said, take the c hild and his mother and escape to E
gypt. Stay t here
unt il I tell you, for Herod is goi ng to s earch for the c hild to kill him.
14S o he got up, took the c
hild and his mother duri ng the n
ight and left for
Egypt, 15where he stayed unt il the d
eath of Herod. And so was fulf illed what the
Lord had said t hrough the prophet: Out of E
gypt I c alled my son.g
16W hen Herod rea li zed that he had been outw itted by the Magi, he was fur i
ous, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinit y who were
a18OrThe origin of J esus the Messiah was like this b19Orwas a righteous man and
c21
Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves. d23Isaiah7:14
e1Traditionally wise men f6Micah5:2,4 g15Hosea11:1
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1518 // Matthew 2:17

two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the
Magi. 17T hen what was said t hrough the prophet Jerem ia h was fulf illed:
18 A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.a
MATTHEW 3:12
JOHNS BAPTISM
OF REPENTANCE
John the Baptist was the son of
Zechariah and Elizabeth and was a
cousin of J esus (Lk1). His birth was a
signal of the coming of the Messiah,
and Jesus himself said that there was
none greater than John the Baptist
(Mt 11:11). John called his followers to repent from their wrongdoing
because of the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. In order for people
to repent, they had to recognize and
acknowledge the fact that they were
not living lives that glorified God. In
Matthew 4:17, Jesus echoes Johns
call as he preaches the same message of repentance. Believers are
expected to live lives that honor and
glorify God. Throughout Jesus ministry, he explained what it means to
live according to the standard that
God has setin a way that mirrors
the Fathers heartand he also
lived a life that believers are meant
to imitate. Obviously it is impossible
to be completely like Jesus; after all,
he was perfect. But the first step for
anyone to begin to live according to
Scripture is to repent and turn away
from that which is wrong or sinful.
The Return to Nazareth

19A ft er Hero d died, an angel of the Lord app eared in a d ream to Jos eph in
Egypt 20a nd said, Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for t hose who were tryi ng to take the c hilds life are dead.
21S o he got up, took the c hild and his mother and went to the land of Isr ael.
22But when he h
eard that Archelaus was reigni ng in Judea in p
lace of his fat her
Herod, he was a fraid to go t here. Havi ng been warned in a d
ream, he withd rew
to the dist rict of Gali lee, 23a nd he went and l ived in a town called Naza reth. So
was fulf illed what was said t hrough the prophets, that he would be c alled a Naz
a rene.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
In t hose days John the Bapt ist came, preachi ng in the wilderness of Judea
2a nd sayi ng, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. 3T his is he
who was spoken of t hrough the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.b
4Johns c
lothes were made of camels hair, and he had a leather belt a round his
aist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jer u
w
salem and all Judea and the w
hole reg ion of the Jordan. 6 Confessi ng t heir sins,
they were bapt ized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many of the Phari sees and Sadduc ees comi ng to w
here he
was bapt izi ng, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who w
arned you to flee
from the comi ng w
rath? 8 Produce f ruit in keepi ng with repentance. 9A nd do not
t hink you can say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our fat her. I tell you that
out of t hese s tones God can raise up child ren for Abraham. 10T he ax is already at
the root of the t rees, and every tree that does not produce good f ruit will be cut
down and t hrown into the fire.
11I bapt ize you withc water for repent ance. But after me c omes one who is
more powerf ul than I, w
hose sandals I am not wort hy to carr y. He will bapt ize
you withc the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowi ng fork is in his hand, and he will
clear his threshi ng f loor, gatheri ng his wheat into the barn and burni ng up the
chaff with unquenchable fire.
The Baptism of Jesus

13T hen Jesus came from Gali lee to the Jord an to be bapt ized by John. 14But
John t ried to deter him, sayi ng, I need to be bapt ized by you, and do you come
tome?
15Jesus replied, Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulf ill all righ
teousness. Then John consented.
16A s soon as Jesus was bapt ized, he went up out of the water. At that moment
heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descendi ng like a dove and
alighti ng on him. 17A nd a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased.
a18Jer.31:15 b3Isaiah40:3 c11Orin
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 3:1317
MY BELOVED SON
The Father confirmed the identity of the Son at his baptism. Though Jesus had no sin, he
willingly submitted to Johns baptism. This action further identified him with those he came to
save. As the author of Hebrews writes, Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in
their humanity (Heb2:14). His association with frail humans allowed him to understand their
pain, sympathize with their weakness and enter into their suffering.
It is fitting that God spoke from the heavens upon this significant event. Jesus knew his identity
as the preexistent Son of God, who was the central agent of Gods created handiwork at the dawn of
creation (Col1:1520). Yet, God the Father publically proclaimed that Jesus was his beloved Son
before he fully inaugurated his earthly mission. This statement was certainly a source of encouragement to Jesus, but it was also a public testimony to all those who heard that Jesus was, in fact, Gods
Messiahthe One who was promised so long ago (Ge3:15).
The same motive
lies at the heart of the Gospel writers, who sought to demonstrate that
J esus was the Son of God. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, established that Jesus was the
fulfillment of both the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants (Mt1:17). Mark used Jesus miracles
and message to show that he was the Son of God (Mk1:1). Luke complied an orderly account of
the life and ministry of Jesusfocused on his death, burial and resurrectionin order to prove
the validity of the message concerning Jesus the Christ (Lk1:14). John focuses on Christ as the
logos. Jesus reveals the Father to Gods people in a way that is reminiscent of, but much clearer
than, the Word of God that had revealed him throughout the Old Testament (Jn1:114). Though
the contextual realities differed, each Gospel story sought to affirm Jesus identity and convince
the original hearers, and all subsequent humanity, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and
that by believing you may have life in his name (Jn20:31). The Fathers pronouncement at Jesus
baptism is affirmed whenever a person repents of their sins and trusts in Christ.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1520 // Matthew 4:1
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempteda by the
devi l. 2A fter fasti ng fort y days and fort y n ights, he was hung ry. 3T he tempt
er came to him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell t hese s tones to become
bread.
4Jesus ans wered, It is written: Man shall not live on b
read a lone, but on every
word that c omes from the m
outh of God.b
5T hen the devi l took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highe st
point of the temple. 6If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
MATTHEW 4:111
THE TEMPTATION
OF THE SON
OF GOD
As a human, Jesus experienced everything that any other human has
experienced, including temptation.
Matthew 4 describes Jesus experience of being tempted by the devil
for 40 days and 40 nights. J esus was
tempted by the opportunity to use his
power to meet his own needs rather
than relying on God (v.3), to put God
to the test in order to win a large
following (v. 5) and to compromise
with Satan to win the kingdoms of
the world, thereby avoiding the cross
(v.9). Jesus experience was no less
real than any sort of temptation that
other people experience. However,
the difference is that Jesus did not
give in to the temptation he faced
(Heb4:15). J esus boldly and convincingly refuted with Scripture each of
the temptations he faced. Jesus defeated Satan by using a weapon that
every believer has at their disposal:
the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God (Eph6:17).
He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.c
7Jesus ans wered him, It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.d
8A gain, the devi l took him to a very high mount ain and s howed him all the
kingdoms of the w
orld and t heir splendor. 9All this I will give you, he said, if
you will bow down and worshipme.
10Jesus said to him, Away from me, Sat an! For it is written: Worship the Lord
your God, and s erve him only.e
11T hen the devi l left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus Begins to Preach

12W hen Jesus h
eard that John had been put in prison, he withd rew to Gal
i lee. 13L eavi ng Naza reth, he went and l ived in Capernau m, w hich was by the
lake in the area of Zebu lun and Napht al i14to fulf ill what was said t hrough
the prophet Isaiah:
15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.f
17From that time on Jesus began to p
reach, Repent, for the kingdom of heav
en has come near.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18A s Jesus was walki ng beside the Sea of Gali lee, he saw two brothers, Simon
c alled Peter and his brother And rew. They were casti ng a net into the lake, for
they were fishermen. 19Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to
fish for people. 20At once they left t heir nets and followed him.
21G oi ng on from t here, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and
his brother John. They were in a boat with t heir fat her Zebedee, prepari ng t heir
nets. Jesus c alled them, 22a nd immed iately they left the boat and t heir fat her
and followed him.
Jesus Heals the Sick

23Jesus went throughout Gali lee, teachi ng in t heir synagogues, proclaimi ng
the good news of the kingdom, and heali ng every disease and sickness a mong
the people. 24News a bout him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him
all who were ill with various diseases, t hose sufferi ng severe pain, the demonpossessed, those having seiz ures, and the para lyzed; and he h
ealed them.
a1
TheGreek for tempted can also mean tested. b4Deut.8:3 c6Psalm91:11,12
d7Deut.6:16 e10Deut.6:13 f16Isaiah9:1,2
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 5:22//1521
crowds from Gal i lee, the Decapol is, a Jer usa lem, Judea and the reg ion
across the Jordan followed him.
25 L arge
Introduction to the Sermon onthe Mount
Now when Jesus saw the c rowds, he went up on a mount ainside and sat
down. His disciples came to him, 2a nd he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persec ute you and falsel y say all
k inds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because g reat is
your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persec uted the prophets who
were before you.
Salt and Light

13 You are the salt of the e
arth. But if the salt loses its salti ness, how can it be
made s alty again? It is no longer good for anyt hing, except to be t hrown out and
trampled under foot.
14 You are the l ight of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nei
ther do people l ight a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its
stand, and it g ives l ight to everyone in the house. 16I n the same way, let your
l ight shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glor if y your
Fat her in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law

17Do not t hink that I have come to aboli sh the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulf ill them. 18For truly I tell you, unt il heaven and
earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least s troke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law unt il every t hing is accomplished. 19 T herefore
anyone who sets a side one of the least of t hese commands and teaches others
accordi ngly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever pract ic
es and teaches t hese commands will be c alled g reat in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasse s that of the Phari s ees
and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
MATTHEW 5:2
JESUS AND THE LAW

The Sermon on the Mount includes
Jesus explanation of how he is the
fulfillment of the law. This discourse
was not meant to replace Old Testament law, but rather it points to the
ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual
intention of the law. Jesus explained
the true meaning and purpose of the
Old Testament law. The law was designed not to confine people to their
own futile efforts but rather to show
complete dependence on God.
Here in the book of Matthew, Jesus
created a standard that no human
can fully achieve. He did not preach
such a high standard of law in order to discourage his followers from
obeying it, but rather he taught it in
such a way as to show how necessary
is human dependence on the Spirit of
God. Jesus expects his followers to
give their fullest effort to obey his
commandments, yet he knows they
will fall short. He gives them his
Spirit to empower them whenever
they ask.
Murder
21 You have h
eard that it was said to the people long ago, You shall not mur
der,b and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. 22But I tell you that
a25
That is, the Ten Cities b21Exodus20:13
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1522 // Matthew 5:23

anyone who is ang ry with a brother or sistera,b will be subject to judgment.
gain, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca,c is answerable to the court.
A
And anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23Therefore, if you are offeri ng your gift at the alt ar and t here remember that
your brother or sister has somet hing a gainst you, 24leave your gift t here in f ront
of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25Sett le matters quickl y with your adversary who is taki ng you to c
ourt. Do
it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over
to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the off icer, and you may be
t hrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will not get out unt il you have paid
the last penny.
Adultery
27 You have h
eard that it was said, You s hall not comm it adultery.d 28But I tell
you that anyone who looks at a woma n lustf ully has already comm itted adultery
with her in his h
eart. 29If your r ight eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and
t hrow it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to be t hrown into hell. 30A nd if your r ight hand causes you to stumble, cut
it off and t hrow it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for
your w
hole body to go into hell.
Divorce
31It has been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a cert ific ate of
divorce.e 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexua l im
moralit y, makes her the vict im of adultery, and anyone who marr ies a divorced
woma n comm its adultery.
Oaths
33Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break
your oath, but fulf ill to the Lord the vows you have made. 34But I tell you, do not
swear an oath at all: eit her by heaven, for it is G
ods t hrone; 35or by the e arth, for
it is his footstool; or by Jer usalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36A nd do not
swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37A ll you
need to say is simply Yes or No; anyt hing beyond this comes from the evil one.f
Eye for Eye

38 You have h
eard that it was said, Eye for eye, and t ooth for t ooth.g 39But I tell
you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone s laps you on the r ight cheek, turn to
ants to sue you and take your shirt,
them the other cheek also. 40A nd if anyone w
hand over your coat as well. 41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them
two m iles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one
who w
ants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies

43 You have heard that it was said, Love your neighborh and hate your enemy.
44But
I tell you, love your enem ies and pray for t hose who persecute you, 45t hat
you may be child ren of your Fat her in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and s ends rain on the righteous and the unr ighteous. 46If you
love t hose who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors
doi ng that? 47A nd if you g reet only your own people, what are you doi ng more
than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heav
enly Fat her is perfect.
a22
The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether
man or woman; also in verse23. b22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause
c22AnAramaic term of contempt d27Exodus20:14 e31Deut.24:1 f37Orfrom
evil g38 Exodus21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21 h43Lev.19:18
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 6:24//1523
Giving to the Needy
Be caref ul not to pract ice your righteousness in f ront of others to be seen by

them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Fat her in heaven.
2So when you give to the n
eedy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypoc rites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received t heir reward in full. 3But when you give to
the needy, do not let your left hand know what your r ight hand is doi ng, 4so that
your givi ng may be in secret. Then your Fat her, who sees what is done in secret,
will reward you.
Prayer
5And when you pray, do not be like the hypoc rites, for they love to pray stand
ing in the synagogues and on the s treet corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received t heir rew ard in full. 6But when you pray, go into your
room, c lose the door and pray to your Fat her, who is unseen. Then your Fat her,
who sees what is done in sec ret, will rew ard you. 7A nd when you pray, do not
keep on babbling like pagans, for they t hink they will be h
eard because of t heir
many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Fat her k nows what you need before
you ask him.
9This, then, is how you s
hould pray:
Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,a
but deliver us from the evil one.b
14For if you forg ive other people when they sin a
gainst you, your heavenly Fat her
will also forg ive you. 15But if you do not forg ive others t heir sins, your Fat her will
not forg ive your sins.
Fasting
16 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypoc rites do, for they disf igu re
t heir faces to show others they are fasti ng. Truly I tell you, they have received
t heir rew ard in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your
face, 18so that it will not be obv ious to others that you are fasti ng, but only to
your Fat her, who is unseen; and your Fat her, who sees what is done in sec ret,
will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
19Do not s
tore up for yourselves treasures on e arth, w
here moths and verm in
destroy, and where t hieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves trea
sures in heaven, where moths and verm in do not destroy, and where t hieves do
not b
reak in and s teal. 21For w
here your treasure is, t here your h
eart will be also.
22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are h
ealthy,c your w
hole body
will be full of l ight. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy,d your w
hole body will be full
of darkness. If then the l ight withi n you is darkness, how g reat is that darkness!
24No one can s
erve two masters. Eit her you will hate the one and love the
a13
TheGreek for temptation can also mean testing. b13Orfrom evil; some late
manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
c22 TheGreek for healthy here implies generous. d23 TheGreek for unhealthy here
implies stingy.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1524 // Matthew 6:25

other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and money.
Do Not Worry
MATTHEW 7:1314
THE WIDE AND

THE NARROW GATES
J esus explained that the roads to life
and destruction are roads guarded by
narrow and wide gates, respectively.
In doing so, he taught that many people walk down the road that leads to
destruction, while few people choose
to walk down the road that leads to
life. The road that leads to destruction is easy to find (Pr14:12). Anyone
who chases after the cares of the
world without the mind of the Spirit
(Php2:111) walks along the broad
road that leads to destruction, and
they do so with many other people. In
contrast, the narrow road is smaller,
and fewer people travel upon it. In
John 14:6, Jesus said, I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through
me. J esus is the narrow gate, and by
following him and living in his power,
believers are able to walk upon the
path of life.
25Therefore I tell you, do not worr y about your life, what you will eat or d rink;
or a bout your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothes? 26L ook at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store
away in b
arns, and yet your heavenly Fat her f eeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worr yi ng add a sing le hour to your
lifea?
28And why do you worr y a
bout c lothes? See how the flowers of the f ield grow.
They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was d
ressed like one of t hese. 30If that is how God c lothes the g rass of the f ield,
which is here today and tomorrow is t hrown into the fire, will he not much more
clothe you you of litt le faith? 31So do not worr y, sayi ng, What s hall we eat? or
What s hall we d
rink? or What shall we wear? 32For the pagans run after all
t hese t hings, and your heavenly Fat her k nows that you need them. 33But seek
f irst his kingdom and his righteousness, and all t hese t hings will be given to you
as well. 34T herefore do not worr y about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worr y about
itself. Each day has e nough trouble of its own.
Judging Others
Do not j udge, or you too will be j udged. 2For in the same way you j udge oth
ers, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured
to you.
3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no
attent ion to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, Let
me take the s peck out of your eye, when all the time t here is a p
lank in your own
eye? 5You hypocrite, f irst take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye.
6Do not give dogs what is sac red; do not t hrow your p
earls to pigs. If you do,
they may trample them under t heir feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock

7Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; k nock and the door
will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who k nocks, the door will be opened.
9 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks
for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, t hough you are evil, know how to
give good g ifts to your child ren, how much more will your Fat her in heaven give
good g ifts to t hose who ask him! 12So in everyt hing, do to others what you would
have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates

13Enter t hrough the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and b
road is the road
that leads to destruct ion, and many enter t hrough it. 14But small is the gate and
narrow the road that l eads to life, and only a few findit.
True and False Prophets

15 Watch out for f alse prophets. They come to you in s
heeps clothi ng, but in
ward ly they are feroc ious wolves. 16B y t heir f ruit you will recogn ize them. Do
people pick g rapes from thornbushes, or figs from thist les? 17 L ikew ise, every
good tree b
ears good f ruit, but a bad tree b
ears bad f ruit. 18A good tree cannot
bear bad f ruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good f ruit. 19Every tree that does not
bear good f ruit is cut down and t hrown into the fire. 20T hus, by t heir f ruit you
will recogn ize them.
a27Orsingle cubit to your height
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 8:17//1525
True and False Disciples

21Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heav
en, but only the one who does the will of my Fat her who is in heaven. 22 Many will
say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophes y in your name and in your
name d rive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? 23T hen I will
tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
The Wise and Foolish Builders

24 Therefore everyone who h
ears t hese words of mine and puts them into
pract ice is like a wise man who b
uilt his h
ouse on the rock. 25T he rain came
down, the streams rose, and the w inds blew and beat a gainst that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundat ion on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears
t hese words of mine and does not put them into pract ice is like a foolish man
who built his h
ouse on sand. 27T he rain came down, the streams rose, and the
w inds blew and beat a gainst that house, and it fell with a g reat crash.
28W hen J esus had fini shed sayi ng t hese t hings, the c
rowds were a mazed at
his teach i ng, 29bec ause he t aught as one who had aut horit y, and not as t heir
teachers of the law.
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
When J esus came down from the mountainside, l arge c rowds followed him.
2A man with lepros ya came and k nelt before him and said, Lord, if you are
willi ng, you can make me clean.
3Jesus r
eached out his hand and touched the man. I am willi ng, he said. Be
clean! Immed iately he was cleansed of his lepros y. 4T hen Jesus said to him, See
that you dont tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift
Moses commanded, as a test imony to them.
The Faith of the Centurion

5W hen Jesus had entered Capern au m, a cent ur ion came to him, aski ng for
help. 6Lord, he said, my servant lies at home para lyzed, sufferi ng terr ibly.
7Jesus said to him, Shall I come and heal him?
8T he cent ur ion replied, Lord, I do not des erve to have you come under my
roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be h
ealed. 9For I myself am a
man under aut horit y, with sold iers under me. I tell this one, Go, and he goes;
and that one, Come, and he c omes. I say to my servant, Do this, and he doesit.
10W hen Jesus heard this, he was a mazed and said to t hose followi ng him,
Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such g reat faith. 11I say to
you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take t heir places
at the f east with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the
subjects of the kingdom will be t hrown outside, into the darkness, w
here t here
will be weepi ng and gnashi ng of teeth.
13T hen Jesus said to the cent ur ion, Go! Let it be done just as you bel ieved it
would. And his servant was h
ealed at that moment.
Jesus Heals Many

14W hen Jesus came into Peters house, he saw Peters mother-in-law lyi ng in
bed with a fever. 15He t ouched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and
began to wait on him.
16W hen even ing came, many who were demon-poss essed were b
rought to
him, and he d
rove out the spirits with a word and h
ealed all the sick. 17T his was
to fulf ill what was spoken t hrough the prophet Isaiah:
He took up our infirmities

and bore our diseases.b
a2
TheGreek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting
the skin. b17Isaiah53:4 (see Septuagint)
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 8:117
JESUS POWER OVER DISEASE

Matthew 8
begins with three stories of Jesus healing miracles. Throughout the Gospels,
Jesus healed many people; in doing so, he fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah 53:4: He
took up our pain and bore our suffering. Not only did Jesus heal physical infirmities while he was
on earth, but he also healed all infirmities, physical and spiritual, through his death on the cross.
The stories of Jesus healing miracles are precursors to his ultimate healing miracle on the cross.
The key phrase worth noting in the story of the man with leprosy is Lord, if you are willing (Mt8:2). As a leper, this man was a social outcast because leprosy was thought to be highly
contagious. This man was incredibly bold even to approach J esus in light of his disease, yet he did
so confidently. He knew that having faith was no guarantee that Jesus would heal him, but he knew
Jesus could heal him (Da3:1718).
The next story
shows, for the first time in the Gospels, Jesus interacting with someone who
was not Jewish. As a Gentile, the centurion had little reason to interact with, let alone believe in,
Jesus. However, he showed faith similar to that of the leper in asking Jesus to heal his servant. The
centurion, a man in charge of roughly 80 to 100 soldiers, rebuffed Jesus offer to come into his home.
He knew that if Jesus would only say the word, his servant would be healed, which even further
showed his confidence in Jesus power. Jesus was astonished at the faith of the centurion: Truly
Itell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith (Mt8:10).
These two stories are remarkable in Scripture specifically because they tell stories of two
individuals great faith despite the supposed odds against Jesus acting on their behalf. The social
outcast and the Gentile showed more faith in Jesus than he had seen before, and they reaped the
rewards of their faith and trust.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 9:11//1527
The Cost of Following Jesus

18W hen Jesus saw the c rowd a
round him, he gave orders to cross to the other
side of the lake. 19T hen a teacher of the law came to him and said, Teacher, I will
follow you wherever yougo.
20Jesus replied, Foxes have dens and b
irds have nests, but the Son of Man has
no place to lay his head.
21A nother disc iple said to him, Lord, f irst let me go and bury my fat her.
22But J esus told him, Follow me, and let the dead bury t heir own dead.
Jesus Calms the Storm

23T hen he got into the boat and his disc iples followed him. 24 Sudden l y a fu r i
ous s torm came up on the lake, so that the w
aves s wept over the boat. But J esus
was sleepi ng. 25T he disciples went and woke him, sayi ng, Lord, save us! W
ere
goi ng to drown!
26He replied, You of litt le faith, why are you so a
fraid? Then he got up and
rebuked the w inds and the w
aves, and it was completely calm.
27T he men were a mazed and a
sked, What kind of man is this? Even the w inds
and the w
aves obey him!
Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

28W hen he arr ived at the other side in the reg ion of the Gada renes,a two de
mon-possessed men comi ng from the tombs met him. They were so violent that
no one c ould pass that way. 29What do you want with us, Son of God? they
shouted. Have you come here to tort ure us before the appointed time?
30S ome dist ance from them a l arge herd of pigs was feedi ng. 31 T he demons
begged Jesus, If you d
rive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.
32He said to them, Go! So they came out and went into the pigs, and the
w hole herd r ushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
33T hose tendi ng the pigs ran off, went into the town and reporte d all this, in
cludi ng what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34T hen the w hole
town went out to meet J esus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to
leave t heir reg ion.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
Jesus stepped into a boat, c rossed over and came to his own town. 2Some
men brought to him a para lyzed man, lyi ng on a mat. When Jesus saw t heir
faith, he said to the man, Take h
eart, son; your sins are forg iven.
3A t this, some of the teachers of the law said to thems elves, This fellow is
blasphemi ng!
4K nowi ng t heir t houghts, Jesus said, Why do you entert ain evil t houghts in
your hearts? 5W hich is easier: to say, Your sins are forg iven, or to say, Get up
and walk? 6But I want you to know that the Son of Man has aut horit y on earth
to forg ive sins. So he said to the para lyzed man, Get up, take your mat and go
home. 7T hen the man got up and went home. 8W hen the c rowd saw this, they
were f illed with awe; and they praised God, who had given such aut horit y to
man.
The Calling of Matthew

9A s Jesus went on from t here, he saw a man n
amed Matt hew sitt ing at the tax
collectors booth. Follow me, he told him, and Matt hew got up and followed
him.
10W hile Jesus was havi ng dinner at Matt hews house, many tax collectors
and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11W hen the Pharisees saw
this, they a sked his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and
sinners?
a28
Some manuscripts Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 9:18
THE SON OF MAN HAS AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS

This story
has been a favorite of children and adults over the centuries. The image of these
concerned and loving friends breaking through every obstacle to get their friend to the Lord is
endearinga very physical, material story of faith and persistence. Yet in the midst of this story,
Jesus redirects those who read this story as he redirected the men who believed that their friend
would be healed. What must they have been thinking as they heard this great healer, who had performed many healing and other miracles in the region, declare that their friends sins were forgiven?
Imagine their puzzlement.
This is not what they were expecting. Yet J esus decided to

use this very public forum to demonstrate his power to forgive sins as well as his power to heal this
mans body.
Jesus had performed other miracles before this one, yet this is the first instance in which
he claimed to forgive someones sins. Jesus wanted to prove that his ministry did not only involve
healing people of their illnesses; his ministry was so much more than that, and in this instance he
gave further notice of what he truly came to earth to accomplish. How easy would it have been to
merely say that the man who was paralyzed was forgiven of his sins, yet J esus showed that he was
able to back up everything he claimed: that not only could he provide physical healing, but that he
could provide spiritual healing as well. His words and this miracle point to the ultimate purpose
of J esus ministry on earth: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed
(Isa53:5). Through Jesus ministry in his life, death and resurrection, we are completely, and gloriously, healed.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 9:38//1529
12On heari ng this, J esus said, It is not the h
ealthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. 13But go and learn what this means: I desire merc y, not sacr if ice.a For I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14T hen Johns disc iples came and a sked him, How is it that we and the Phar
isees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?
15Jesus ans wered, How can the g
uests of the brideg room m
ourn w
hile he is
with them? The time will come when the brideg room will be taken from them;
then they will fast.
16No one sews a patch of unshrunk c
loth on an old garment, for the patch will
pull away from the garment, maki ng the tear w
orse. 17Neit her do people pour
new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the s kins will b
urst; the wine will run out
and the wineskins will be rui ned. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins,
and both are preserved.
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals aSick Woman

18W hile he was sayi ng this, a syna gogue leader came and k
nelt before him
and said, My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and
she will live. 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20Just then a woma n who had been subject to bleedi ng for t welve years came
up beh ind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, If I only
touch his cloak, I will be healed.
22Jesus t urned and saw her. Take h
eart, daughter, he said, your f aith has
healed you. And the woma n was h
23W hen Jesus entered the synagogue leaders house and saw the noisy c rowd
and people playi ng pipes, 24he said, Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.
But they laughed at him. 25A fter the c rowd had been put outside, he went in and
took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this s pread t hrough all that
reg ion.
Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

27A s Jesus went on from t here, two blind men followed him, calli ng out, Have
merc y on us, Son of Dav id!
28W hen he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he a
sked them,
Do you bel ieve that I am able to do this?
Yes, Lord, they replied.
29T hen he touched t heir eyes and said, Accordi ng to your f aith let it be done
arned them sternly, See that no
to you; 30a nd t heir s ight was restored. J esus w
one k nows about this. 31But they went out and s pread the news a bout him all
over that reg ion.
32W hile they were goi ng out, a man who was demon-possessed and c
ould not
talk was brought to Jesus. 33A nd when the demon was driven out, the man who
had been mute s poke. The c rowd was a mazed and said, Nothi ng like this has
ever been seen in Israel.
34But the Phari sees said, It is by the p
rince of demons that he d
rives out de
mons.
The Workers Are Few

35Jesus went t hrough all the t owns and villages, teachi ng in t heir synagogues,
proclaimi ng the good news of the kingdom and heali ng every disease and sick
ness. 36W hen he saw the c rowds, he had compassion on them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37T hen he said to his dis
ciples, The harvest is plent if ul but the workers are few. 38A sk the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
a13Hosea6:6
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1530 // Matthew 10:1
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
10
Jesus called his t welve disciples to him and gave them aut horit y to d rive
out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2T hese are the n
ames of the t welve apost les: f irst, Simon (who is c alled Peter)
and his brother And rew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and
Bar t holomew; Thomas and Mat t hew the tax col lec tor; James son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who bet rayed him.
5T hese t welve Jesus sent out with the following ins truct ions: Do not go
a mong the Gent iles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost
sheep of Israel. 7A s you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven has
come near. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse t hose who have lepros y,a d rive
out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your b
elts10no
bag for the journey or ext ra s hirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is w
orth his
keep. 11W hatever town or village you enter, s earch there for some wort hy per
son and stay at their house unt il you leave. 12A s you enter the home, give it your
greet i ng. 13If the home is deservi ng, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your
peace ret urn to you. 14I f anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
leave that home or town and s hake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it
will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than
for that town.
16I am sendi ng you out like s
heep a mong w
olves. Therefore be as s hrewd as
snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your g uard; you will be handed over to
the local councils and be f logged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will
be brought before governors and k ings as witnesses to them and to the Gent iles.
19But when they arrest you, do not worr y about what to say or how to say it. At that
time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaki ng, but the Spirit
of your Fat her speaki ng t hrough you.
21Brother will bet ray brother to d
eath, and a fat her his c hild; child ren will
rebel a gainst t heir parents and have them put to d
eath. 22You will be h
ated by
everyone because of me, but the one who s tands firm to the end will be s aved.
23W hen you are persec uted in one p
lace, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will
not finish goi ng t hrough the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24The student is not above t he teacher, nor a serv ant a
bove his master. 25It is
enough for students to be like t heir teachers, and servants like t heir masters. If
the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members
of his household!
26So do not be a fraid of them, for there is nothi ng conc ealed that will not be
disclosed, or hidden that will not be made k nown. 27W hat I tell you in the dark,
speak in the dayl ight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the r oofs.
28Do not be a fraid of t hose who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather,
be a fraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29A re not two
sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the g round outside
your Fat hers care.b 30A nd even the very h
airs of your head are all numbered. 31So
dont be a fraid; you are w
orth more than many sparrows.
32 Whoe ver ac k nowledges me before others, I will also ack nowledge before
my Fat her in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown be
fore my Fat her in heaven.
34Do not suppose that I have come to b
ring peace to the e arth. I did not come
to b
ring peace, but a s word. 35For I have come to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
36 a mans enemies will be the members of his own household.c
a8
TheGreek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting
the skin. b29Orwill; or knowledge c36Micah7:6
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 11:22//1531
37Anyone who loves t heir fat her or mother more than me is not wort hy of
me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not wort hy of
me. 38W hoever does not take up t heir c ross and follow me is not wort hy of me.
39W hoe ver f inds t heir life will lose it, and whoe ver lose s t heir life for my sake
will findit.
40Anyone who welc omes you welc omes me, and anyone who welc omes me
welcomes the one who sent me. 41W hoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will
receive a prophets reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righ
teous person will receive a righteous persons reward. 42A nd if anyone g ives even
a cup of cold water to one of t hese litt le ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you,
that person will certainly not lose their reward.
Jesus and John the Baptist
11
After Jesus had finished instructi ng his t welve disciples, he went on from
t here to t each and p
reach in the t owns of Gali lee.a
2W hen John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messia h, he sent
his disciples 3to ask him, Are you the one who is to come, or s hould we expect
someone else?
4Jesus replied, Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 T he blind
receive sight, the lame walk, t hose who have lepros yb are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6Blessed
is anyone who does not stumble on account ofme.
7A s Johns disc iples were leavi ng, Jesus beg an to s peak to the c rowd about
John: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed s wayed by the
wind? 8I f not, what did you go out to see? A man d
ressed in fine c lothes? No,
t hose who wear fine c lothes are in k ings palaces. 9T hen what did you go out to
see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10T his is the one a bout
whom it is written:
I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.c
11Trul y I tell you, a mong t hose born of women t here has not risen anyone greater
than John the Bapt ist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he. 12From the days of John the Bapt ist unt il now, the kingdom of heaven
has been subjected to violence, d and violent people have been raidi ng it. 13For
all the Prophets and the Law prophesied unt il John. 14A nd if you are willi ng to
accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15W hoever has ears, let them hear.
16To what can I compare this generat ion? They are like child ren sitt ing in the
marketplaces and calli ng out to others:
17 We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.
18For
John came neit her eati ng nor drinki ng, and they say, He has a demon.
19T he Son of Man came eati ng and drinki ng, and they say, Here is a glutton and
a drunka rd, a f riend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is proved r ight
by her deeds.
MATTHEW 11:23
THE CHRIST
Today, the title Christ naturally
follows the name of Jesus. However,
during the time that the Gospels were
written, people sparingly and carefully used the word Christ, the Greek
form of the Hebrew word Messiah,
which literally means Anointed
One. In the Old Testament, the three
types of people who were anointed
were prophets (1Ki 19:16), priests
(Ex28:41) and kings (1Sa16:13). In
the New Testament, Jesus is Gods
preeminent Anointed One who was
anointed by God to be the ultimate
prophet, priest and king (Mt27:11;
Heb6:20; cf. Isa61:1). The Pharisees
and religious leaders during that time
viewed such a claim as blasphemous
and punishable by death. However,
the word Christ is used to refer to
Jesus 470 times throughout the New
Testament. When the word Christ
was used anywhere in the New Testament, the author was very aware
of the implications of his use of that
wordwhat it meant for him as an
author, and what it said about his
Savior.
Woe on Unrepentant Towns

20T hen Jesus beg an to denounce the t owns in w hich most of his mirac les
had been performed, bec ause they did not repent. 21 Woe to you, Chor az in!
Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been
performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the
a1Greek in their towns b5 TheGreek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for
various diseases affecting the skin. c10Mal.3:1 d12Orbeen forcefully advancing
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 10:142
JESUS SENDS OUT THE TWELVE

Matthew 10
is the first place where Jesus referred to the twelve disciples as apostles. The
word apostle is derivative of the Greek word apostello, which means to send. Here Jesus gave the
apostles the authority to drive out evil spirits and heal the sick, which up until this point only J esus
had been able to do. He then sent them to go into other towns and preach the message that the
kingdom of heaven has come near (v.7).
It is one thing that Jesus was able to heal and cast out demons himself, but the fact that he
was able to give the same authority to his disciples only further shows the strength of his divine
nature and power. To represent the fact that these apostles did not act in their own strength, but
fully relied on Gods provision, J esus told them not to take provisions for themselves (vv.910).
Jesus instructed them to rely solely on God. His power was enough to sustain their entire journey.
Jesus also warned
them that they would face opposition. Verses 16 through 23 of this chapter have been both a warning and a comfort to believers in Jesus around the world for centuries.
As the apostles found out, some will not accept the message that believers in J esus have to bring
to a broken and fallen world. Millions have faced the opposition that Jesus was describing in these
verses and have faithfully withstood persecution of many types, even to the point of death, relying
on the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say in the face of persecution. Jesus told the apostles
not to worry when they were arrested, and notice he said when and not if (v.19). Later each of
the disciples, with the exception of Judas, experienced the opposition that J esus described. They
were called to a gritty, physical, desperate, minute-by-minute faith and reliance on the person and
work of Jesus to be manifested in their lives.
The authority that Jesus gave to each disciple was enough to get them through any hardship
that they might have faced upon their journey, and the same is true for believers today.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 12:21//1533
day of judgment than for you. 23A nd you, Capernau m, will you be lifted to the
eavens? No, you will go down to Hades.a For if the mirac les that were per
h
formed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this
day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judg
ment than for you.
The Father Revealed in the Son

25At that time J esus said, I p
raise you, Fat her, Lord of heaven and e arth, be
cause you have hidden t hese t hings from the wise and learned, and revealed
them to litt le child ren. 26Yes, Fat her, for this is what you were p
leased todo.
27All t hings have been comm itt ed to me by my Fat her. No one k
nows the
Son except the Fat her, and no one k nows the Fat her except the Son and t hose to
whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28Come to me, all you who are wear y and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you and l earn from me, for I am gent le and humble in h
eart,
and you will find rest for your s ouls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light.
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
12
At that time Jesus went t hrough the grainf ields on the Sabbath. His dis
ciples were hung ry and began to pick some h
eads of g rain and eat them.
2W hen the Phari sees saw this, they said to him, Look! Your disc iples are doi ng
what is unlawf ul on the Sabbath.
3He ans wered, Havent you read what Dav id did when he and his compan
ions were hung ry? 4He entered the h
ouse of God, and he and his companions
ate the consecrated breadwhich was not lawf ul for them to do, but only for the
priests. 5Or h
avent you read in the Law that the p
riests on Sabbath duty in the
temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that somet hing
greater than the temple is here. 7I f you had k nown what t hese w
ords mean, I
desire merc y, not sacr if ice, b you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For
the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
9G oi ng on from that place, he went into t heir synagogue, 10a nd a man with a
shriveled hand was t here. Looki ng for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,
they a sked him, Is it lawf ul to heal on the Sabbath?
11He said to them, If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sab
bath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a
person than a s heep! Therefore it is lawf ul to do good on the Sabbath.
13T hen he said to the man, Stretch out your hand. So he stretched it out and
it was completely restored, just as s ound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went
out and plotted how they m
ight kill J esus.
Gods Chosen Servant

15Aware of this, Jesus withd rew from that place. A large c rowd followed him,
and he healed all who were ill. 16He warned them not to tell others about him.
17T his was to fulf ill what was spoken t hrough the prophet Isaiah:
18 Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.c
a23
That is, the realm of the dead b7Hosea6:6 c21Isaiah42:1-4
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1534 // Matthew 12:22
Jesus and Beelzebul
MATTHEW 12:3842
JONAH AND THE

RESURRECTION
J esus referred to those who asked for
a sign as proof of Jesus identity as
a wicked and adulterous generation (Mt12:39), saying that the only
sign they would receive was the sign
of Jonah. But what did this mean?
Jonah had spent three days and
three nights in the belly of a fish; in
the same way, Jesus said he would
spend three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth (v. 40).
Jesus was clearly foreshadowing
his death, burial and resurrection;
yet it is doubtful that the Pharisees
understood what he was saying. In
John 20:29, J esus said, Blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have
believed; Jesus frustration with the
Pharisees stemmed from the fact
that they saw and heard him and yet
still did not believe. They were the opposite of the blessed he referred to
in John 20:29. His purpose in referring to Jonah, however, was twofold:
to give a picture of his death and resurrection and to call those who heard
these words to repentance, in imitation of the people of Nineveh now that
One greater than Jonah had come.
22T hen they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute,
and J esus h
ealed him, so that he c ould both talk and see. 23A ll the people were
astonished and said, Could this be the Son of Dav id?
24But when the Phari s ees heard this, they said, It is only by Beelz ebul, the
prince of demons, that this fellow d
rives out demons.
25Jesus knew t heir t houghts and said to them, Eve ry kingdom div ide d
against itself will be rui ned, and every city or household div ided against itself
will not stand. 26I f Sat an d rives out Sat an, he is div ided against himself. How
then can his kingdom stand? 27A nd if I d rive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom
do your people d
rive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if it is by
the Spirit of God that I d rive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come
upon you.
29Or a gain, how can anyone ent er a s trong m ans house and carr y off his
poss ess ions unless he f irst ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his
house.
30 Whoe ver is not with me is against me, and whoe ver does not gather with
me scatters. 31A nd so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forg iven, but
blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forg iven. 32A nyone who s peaks a word
against the Son of Man will be forg iven, but anyone who s peaks a gainst the Holy
Spirit will not be forg iven, eit her in this age or in the age to come.
33Make a tree good and its f ruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its f ruit
will be bad, for a tree is recogn ized by its f ruit. 34You b
rood of vipers, how can
you who are evil say anyt hing good? For the mouth s peaks what the heart is full
of. 35A good man brings good t hings out of the good stored up in him, and an
evil man brings evil t hings out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that
everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empt y word
they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words
you will be condemned.
The Sign of Jonah

38T hen some of the Phari sees and teachers of the law said to him, Teacher,
we want to see a sign from you.
39He ans wered, A wicked and adulterous generat ion asks for a sign! But none
will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was t hree
days and t hree n ights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be t hree
days and t hree n ights in the heart of the earth. 41T he men of Nineveh will stand
up at the judgment with this generat ion and condemn it; for they repented at the
preachi ng of Jonah, and now somet hing greater than Jonah is here. 42 T he Queen
of the S outh will rise at the judgment with this generat ion and condemn it; for
she came from the ends of the e arth to listen to Solomons wisdom, and now
somet hing greater than Solomon is here.
43 When an impure spirit c omes out of a person, it goes t hrough arid places
seeki ng rest and does not find it. 44T hen it says, I will ret urn to the house I left.
When it arr ives, it f inds the h
ouse unocc upied, s wept clean and put in order.
45T hen it goes and t akes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and
they go in and live t here. And the final cond it ion of that person is worse than the
f irst. That is how it will be with this wicked generat ion.
Jesus Mother and Brothers

46W hile Jesus was still talki ng to the c rowd, his mother and brothers stood
outside, wanti ng to speak to him. 47Someone told him, Your mother and broth
ers are standi ng outside, wanti ng to s peak to you.
48He replied to him, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? 49Point
ing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever
does the will of my Fat her in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 13:28//1535
The Parable of the Sower
13
That same day Jesus went out of the h

ouse and sat by the lake. 2 Such large
c rowds gathered a round him that he got into a boat and sat in it, w hile
all the people s tood on the s hore. 3T hen he told them many t hings in parables,
sayi ng: A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4A s he was scatteri ng the seed, some
fell a long the path, and the b
irds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on r ocky plac
es, w here it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, bec ause the soil was
shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they with
ered bec ause they had no root. 7Other seed fell a mong t horns, w hich grew up
and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, w here it produced a
cropa hund red, sixt y or thirt y t imes what was sown. 9W hoever has ears, let
them hear.
10T he disc iples came to him and a
sked, Why do you s peak to the people in
parables?
11He replied, Bec ause the knowledge of the sec rets of the kingdom of heaven
has been given to you, but not to them. 12W hoever has will be given more, and
they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will
be taken from them. 13T his is why I s peak to them in parables:
Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14I n them is fulf illed the prophec y of Isaiah:
You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this peoples heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.a
16But
blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17For trul y I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you
see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hearit.
18Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19W hen anyone hears
the message a bout the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one c omes
and snatches away what was sown in t heir h
eart. This is the seed sown a long the
path. 20T he seed falli ng on rocky g round refers to someone who hears the word
and at once receives it with joy. 21But s ince they have no root, they last only a
short time. When trouble or persecut ion comes because of the word, they quick
ly fall away. 22T he seed falli ng a mong the t horns refers to someone who hears the
word, but the worr ies of this life and the deceitf ulness of w
ealth c hoke the word,
maki ng it unf ruitf ul. 23But the seed falli ng on good soil refers to someone who
hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yieldi ng
a hund red, sixt y or thirt y t imes what was sown.
The Parable of the Weeds

24Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who
hile everyone was sleepi ng, his enemy came
s owed good seed in his f ield. 25But w
heat sprouted
and s owed w
eeds a mong the w
heat, and went away. 26W hen the w
and f ormed heads, then the w
eeds also appeared.
27The owners serv ants came to him and said, Sir, d
idnt you sow good seed
in your f ield? W here then did the w
eeds come from?
28An enemy did this, he replied.
a15Isaiah6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1536 // Matthew 13:29

The servants a sked him, Do you want us to go and pull themup?
29No, he ans wered, bec ause w hile you are pulli ng the weeds, you may up
root the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together unt il the harvest. At that time
I will tell the harvesters: First collect the w
eeds and tie them in bund les to be
burned; then gather the w
heat and b
ring it into my barn.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed andtheYeast

31He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a must ard
seed, which a man took and planted in his f ield. 32T hough it is the smallest of all
seeds, yet when it g rows, it is the largest of garden p
lants and becomes a tree, so
that the birds come and p
erch in its branches.
33He told them s
till another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like y east that
a woma n took and m ixed into about sixt y poundsa of f lour unt il it worked all
t hrough the dough.
34Jesus s
poke all t hese t hings to the crowd in parables; he did not say anyt hing
to them without usi ng a parable. 35So was fulf illed what was spoken t hrough
the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.b
The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36T hen he left the c
rowd and went into the h
ouse. His disciples came to him
and said, Explain to us the parable of the w
eeds in the field.
37He ans wered, The one who s
owed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38T he
f ield is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The
weeds are the people of the evil one, 39a nd the enemy who sows them is the devi l.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40As the weeds are p
ulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of
the age. 41T he Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his
kingdom everyt hing that causes sin and all who do evil. 42T hey will t hrow them
into the blazi ng furnace, w
here t here will be weepi ng and gnashi ng of t eeth.
43T hen the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of t heir Fat her. Who
ever has ears, let them hear.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure andthePearl

44 The kingdom of heaven is like treas ure hidden in a f ield. When a man
f ound it, he hid it a gain, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and b
ought
that field.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merc hant looki ng for fine pearls.
46W hen he found one of g
reat value, he went away and sold everyt hing he had
and boughtit.
The Parable of the Net

47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the
ulled it up on
lake and c aught all k inds of fish. 48W hen it was full, the fishermen p
the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but t hrew
the bad away. 49T his is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come
and sepa rate the wicked from the righteous 50a nd t hrow them into the blazi ng
furnace, w
here t here will be weepi ng and gnashi ng of teeth.
51Have you understood all t hese t hings? Jesus asked.
Yes, they replied.
52He said to them, Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a dis
ciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a h
ouse who b
rings out of his
storeroom new treasures as well as old.
a33Orabout 27kilograms b35Psalm78:2
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 13:150
JESUS AND HIS PARABLES

Jesus commonly taught
the crowds and his followers through parables, which are stories
that illustrate a moral or spiritual truth. In Matthew 13, J esus told parables relating to soil, weeds,
a mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, a pearl and a fishing net. J esus parables cover a spectrum
of topics and truths, and they also represent the confirmation of a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah
6:910: Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but
never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and
turn and be healed.
Jesus told parables
to teach Gods truth to those who were ready and willing to hear it,
but he also knew there were people in his audience who would not understand his words because
their hearts were calloused. At times, parables were Jesus tools to reveal truth to the faithful and to
conceal it from those who would object to it and seek to stop his ministry and mission.
Jesus used six of the seven parables in this chapter to describe the nature of the kingdom of
heaven. The people who rejected Jesus teaching because of their inability to understand it, including the Jewish religious leaders, only further blinded themselves to the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God. On the other hand, those who had ears to hearincluding believers who read these
stories todayreceive a great blessing in knowing and understanding Jesus truth.
As to the parables themselves, notice that even Jesus disciples, the men who had left their
jobs, businesses and families for the sake of this amazing teacher, misunderstood some of Jesus
parables (Mt13:36). J esus carefully and patiently explained to the disciples who sought to learn
more. They asked for wisdom, and Jesus provided it (Jas1:5) along with meaningful word pictures
of the coming kingdom loaded with meaning and nuance. For believers today, these parables and
teachings provide a rich picture of the kingdom as it exists and also as it is to come.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1538 // Matthew 13:53
A Prophet Without Honor
MATTHEW 14:1321
FEEDING THE
FIVE THOUSAND
Jesus feeding of the five thousand
is the only pre-crucifixion miracle
recorded in all four Gospels, and it
is significant for a multitude of reasons. Through this miracle, J esus fulfilled the expectation of those looking
forward to a new prophet after Moses
(Jn1:21; Ac3:22; 7:37). While Moses
was their prophet-leader, the Israelites received manna from heaven.
Jesus provision of bread parallels
the miracle that the Israelites experienced under Moses and thus fulfills
Deuteronomy 18:15 (quoted twice in
Acts, referred to above). Also, Jesus
showed that he could supply both
the physical and the spiritual daily
bread requested in the prayer in
Matthew 6:11. Finally, Jesus showed
that he is the Messiah who will provide the coming Messianic banquet
(Ps 132:15; Isa 25:6; Mt 22:114;
26:29). Not only does the feeding of
the five thousand preview that kingdom banquet, but it also provides a
wholesome contrast to the degenerate banquet held by Herod in Matthew 14:112. In giving the people
physical bread, Jesus showed that he
was the compassionate provider that
his people needed.
53W hen Jesus had fini shed t hese parables, he moved on from t here. 54Com
ing to his hometown, he began teachi ng the people in t heir synagogue, and they
were a mazed. Where did this man get this wisdom and t hese miracu lous pow
ers? they asked. 55Isnt this the carpenters son? Isnt his mothers name Mary,
and a rent his brothers J ames, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56A rent all his sisters
with us? W
here then did this man get all t hese t hings? 57A nd they took offense
at him.
But J esus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own t own
and in his own h
ome.
58A nd he did not do many miracles t here bec ause of t heir lack of faith.
John the Baptist Beheaded
14
At that time Herod the tet rarch heard the reports a bout J esus, 2a nd he said
to his attendants, This is John the Bapt ist; he has risen from the dead!
That is why miracu lous powers are at work in him.
3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison bec ause
of Herod ias, his brother Philips wife, 4for John had been sayi ng to him: It is not
lawf ul for you to have her. 5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was a fraid of the
people, because they considered John a prophet.
6O n Hero ds birthd ay the daught er of Herod ia s d anced for the guests and
pleased Herod so much 7t hat he promised with an oath to give her whatever she
asked. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, Give me here on a platter the head
of John the Bapt ist. 9T he king was dist ressed, but because of his o
aths and his
dinner g uests, he ordered that her request be granted 10a nd had John beheaded
11
in the prison. H is head was b
rought in on a platter and given to the girl, who
carr ied it to her mother. 12Johns disciples came and took his body and buried it.
Then they went and told J esus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13W hen J esus h
eard what had happened, he withd rew by boat privately to a
solitary p
lace. Heari ng of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14W hen J esus lande d and saw a l arge c rowd, he had compass ion on them and
healed t heir sick.
15A s even ing approached, the disc iples came to him and said, This is a re
mote p
lace, and its already gett ing late. Send the c rowds away, so they can go to
the villages and buy themselves some food.
16Jesus replied, They do not need to go away. You give them somet hing to
eat.
17 We have here only five l oaves of b
read and two fish, they answered.
18Bring them here to me, he said. 19A nd he directed the people to sit down
on the g rass. Taki ng the five loaves and the two fish and looki ng up to heaven,
he gave t hanks and b
roke the l oaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the
disciples gave them to the people. 20T hey all ate and were satisf ied, and the disci
ples p
icked up t welve basketf uls of broken pieces that were left over. 21T he num
ber of t hose who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and child ren.
Jesus Walks on the Water

22I mmed iatel y Jesus made the disc iples get into the boat and go on a head of
him to the other side, while he dism issed the crowd. 23A fter he had dism issed
them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was
t here a lone, 24a nd the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buf
feted by the w
aves because the wind was a gainstit.
25Shortl y before dawn Jesus went out to them, walki ng on the lake. 26W hen
the disciples saw him walki ng on the lake, they were terr if ied. Its a g host, they
said, and c ried out in fear.
27But J esus immed iatel y said to them: Take courage! It is I. D
ont be afraid.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 15:26//1539
28Lord, if its you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water.
29Come, he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward
J esus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was a fraid and, beg inn ing to sink, c ried
out, Lord, saveme!
31I mmed iately Jesus r
eached out his hand and c aught him. You of litt le
faith, he said, why did you doubt?
32A nd when they c limbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 T hen t hose
who were in the boat worshiped him, sayi ng, Truly you are the Son of God.
34W hen they had c
rossed over, they landed at Gennesa ret. 35A nd when the
men of that p
lace recogn ized J esus, they sent word to all the surroundi ng coun
try. People b
rought all t heir sick to him 36a nd begged him to let the sick just t ouch
the edge of his c loak, and all who t ouched it were healed.
That Which Defiles
15
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jer usa
lem and asked, 2Why do your disciples b
reak the trad it ion of the elders?
They dont wash t heir h
ands before they eat!
3Jesus replied, And why do you b
reak the command of God for the sake of
your trad it ion? 4For God said, Honor your fat her and mothera and Anyone who
curses t heir fat her or mother is to be put to death.b 5But you say that if anyone
declares that what m
ight have been used to help t heir fat her or mother is devot
ed to God, 6t hey are not to honor t heir fat her or mother with it. Thus you null if y
the word of God for the sake of your trad it ion. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was r ight
when he prophesied a bout you:
8 These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.c
10Jesus c alled the c rowd to him and said, Listen and understand. 11W hat goes
into someones mouth does not def ile them, but what c omes out of their m
outh,
that is what def iles them.
12T hen the disc iples came to him and a sked, Do you know that the Phari sees
were offended when they h
eard this?
13He replied, Every plant that my heavenl y Fat her has not plante d will be
lind g uides.d If the b
lind lead the
pulled up by the r oots. 14L eave them; they are b
blind, both will fall into a pit.
15Peter said, Explain the parable tous.
16Are you s
till so dull? J esus a sked them. 17Dont you see that whatever en
ters the m
outh goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the t hings
that come out of a persons mouth come from the heart, and t hese def ile them.
19 For out of the heart come evil t houghts murder, adultery, sexua l immoralit y,
t heft, false test imony, slander. 20T hese are what def ile a person; but eati ng with
unwashed h
ands does not def ile them.
MATTHEW 15:19
TRADITIONS
OF THE ELDERS
The tradition of the elders referred to
in verse two was not the Law of Moses. It was the oral tradition that had
had been built up over the centuries
and was based on human interpretations of the law. But these rules were
not of God; rather they were simply
traditions invented by humans. Jesus
used this opportunity to expose these
men in the hypocritical way in which
they lived their lives. They cared
more about the ceremonial washing
of hands than they did about faithfully obeying Gods commands. God
cares more about the hearts of his
followers than any human tradition
(1Sa16:7).
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21L eavi ng that p
lace, Jesus withd rew to the reg ion of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Ca
naanite woma n from that vicinit y came to him, cryi ng out, Lord, Son of Dav id,
have merc y on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and sufferi ng terr ibly.
23Jesus did not ans wer a word. So his disc iples came to him and u rged him,
Send her away, for she k eeps cryi ng out afterus.
24He ans wered, I was sent only to the lost s
heep of Israel.
25T he woma n came and k
nelt before him. Lord, help me! she said.
26He replied, It is not r
ight to take the child rens b
read and toss it to the dogs.
a4Exodus20:12; Deut. 5:16 b4Exodus21:17; Lev. 20:9 c9Isaiah29:13 d14Some
manuscripts blind guides of the blind
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1540 // Matthew 15:27

27 Yes it is, Lord, she said. Even the dogs eat the c
rumbs that fall from t heir
masters table.
28T hen Jesus said to her, Woma n, you have g
reat f aith! Your request is grant
ed. And her daughter was h
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

29Jesus left t here and went a long the Sea of Gali lee. Then he went up on a
mount ainside and sat down. 30Great c rowds came to him, bringi ng the lame,
the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and
he h
ealed them. 31T he people were a mazed when they saw the mute speaki ng,
the crippled made well, the lame walki ng and the b
lind seei ng. And they p
raised
the God of Israel.
32Jesus c alled his disc iples to him and said, I have compassion for t hese peo
ple; they have already been with me t hree days and have nothi ng to eat. I do not
want to send them away hung ry, or they may collapse on the way.
33H is disc iples ans wered, Where c ould we get enough bread in this remote
place to feed such a crowd?
34How many l oaves do you have? J esus asked.
Seven, they replied, and a few s mall fish.
35He told the c rowd to sit down on the g round. 36T hen he took the seven l oaves
and the fish, and when he had given t hanks, he broke them and gave them to
the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37T hey all ate and were satisf ied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketf uls of broken pieces that were
left over. 38T he number of t hose who ate was four thousand men, besides wom
en and child ren. 39A fter Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and
went to the vicinit y of Magadan.
The Demand for a Sign
16
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by aski ng him
to show them a sign from heaven.
2He replied, When even ing c
omes, you say, It will be fair weather, for the
sky is red, 3a nd in the morni ng, Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and
overcast. You know how to interpret the appeara nce of the sky, but you cannot
interpret the signs of the t imes.a 4 A wicked and adulterous generat ion looks for
a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Jesus then left them
and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5W hen they went across the lake, the disc iples forgot to take bread. 6Be care
ful, Jesus said to them. Be on your g uard against the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.
7T hey disc ussed this a mong thems elves and said, It is bec ause we d idnt
bring any bread.
8Aware of t heir disc ussion, J esus a
sked, You of litt le faith, why are you talki ng
a mong yourselves about havi ng no bread? 9Do you s till not understand? Dont
you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketf uls
you gathered? 10Or the seven l oaves for the four thousand, and how many basket
fuls you gathered? 11How is it you d
ont understand that I was not talki ng to you
about b
read? But be on your g uard a gainst the yeast of the Pharisees and Saddu
12
cees. T hen they understood that he was not telli ng them to g uard against the
yeast used in b
read, but a gainst the teachi ng of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13W hen J esus came to the reg ion of Caesa rea Phil ippi, he a
sked his disciples,
Who do people say the Son of Manis?
a2,3
Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes... of the times.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 17:13//1541
14T hey replied, Some say John the Bapt ist; others say Elijah; and still others,
Jerem ia h or one of the prophets.
15But what a
bout you? he a sked. Who do you say Iam?
16Simon Peter ans wered, You are the Messia h, the Son of the livi ng God.
17Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed
to you by f lesh and blood, but by my Fat her in heaven. 18A nd I tell you that you
are Peter, a and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadesb will
not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will bec bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on e arth
will bec loosed in heaven. 20T hen he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that
he was the Messia h.
Jesus Predicts His Death

21From that time on Jesus beg an to explain to his disc iples that he must go
to Jer usalem and suffer many t hings at the h
ands of the elders, the chief p
riests
and the teachers of the law, and that he must be k illed and on the t hird day be
raised to life.
22Peter took him a
side and began to rebuke him. Never, Lord! he said. This
shall never happen to you!
23Jesus t urned and said to Peter, Get beh ind me, Sat an! You are a stumbling
block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human
concerns.
24T hen J esus said to his disc iples, Whoe ver w
ants to be my disc iple must
deny themselves and take up t heir c ross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to
save t heir lifed will lose it, but whoever loses t heir life for me will find it. 26W hat
good will it be for someone to gain the w hole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or
what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27For the Son of Man is goi ng to
come in his Fat hers glor y with his angels, and then he will reward each person
accordi ng to what they have done.
28Trul y I tell you, some who are standi ng here will not t aste d
eath before they
see the Son of Man comi ng in his kingdom.
The Transfiguration
17
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of
J ames, and led them up a high mount ain by themselves. 2T here he was
transf igu red before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became
as white as the l ight. 3Just then t here appeared before them Moses and Elijah,
talki ng with Jesus.
4Peter said to J esus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up
t hree sheltersone for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
5W hile he was s
till speaki ng, a b
right c loud covered them, and a v oice from
the c loud said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well p
leased. Listen
to him!
6W hen the disc iples heard this, they fell facedown to the g round, terr if ied.
7But Jesus came and touched them. Get up, he said. Dont be a fraid. 8W hen
they l ooked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9A s they were comi ng down the mount ain, J esus instructed them, Dont tell
anyone what you have seen, unt il the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
10T he disc iples a sked him, Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah
must come first?
11Jesus replied, To be sure, Elijah c
omes and will restore all t hings. 12But I tell
you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recogn ize him, but have done to
him everyt hing they w
ished. In the same way the Son of Man is goi ng to suffer at
t heir hands. 13T hen the disciples understood that he was talki ng to them about
John the Bapt ist.
a18
The Greek word for Peter means rock. b18 That is, the realm of the dead
TheGreek word means either life or soul; also in verse26.
c19Orwill have been d25
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 16:1317
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

A critically important
question Jesus asks his followers is: Who do you say I am?
(Mt16:15). Jesus knew that a proper understanding of who he is would lead to a right relationship
with God. He first asked the disciples to tell him who other people thought he was, then who they
thought he was. Peter answered by professing what millions have come to acknowledge throughout
the centuries: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (v.16). This answer could not be a
more accurate description of who Jesus is. And Peter was only beginning to find out what his statement of belief would mean not only to his life, but to the life of the church that J esus would establish
on the basis of his testimony (v.18).
The faith
of any believer today can be determined by their answer to this question. True believers are those who say that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, and anyone who says otherwise
does not fully understand the character and nature of Jesus. Some say that Jesus was simply a great
moral teacher or a prophet, but Jesus never claimed to be anything other than the Son of God.
When theories abounded about who he might be, he acknowledged that Peter alone had a correct
understanding of who he was.
For believers today,
it is crucial that they understand the power and truth of Peters proclamation of Jesus as the Son of God. To say that J esus was, and is, the Son of God is to say that he
is the truth and the one way to enter into a right relationship with God. Through Jesus, believers
are able to experience everything that comes with knowing God and having a relationship with his
Song race, peace, mercy in this life, and eternity with him in the next.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 18:9//1543
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14W hen they came to the c
rowd, a man approached J esus and k nelt before
him. 15Lord, have merc y on my son, he said. He has seiz ures and is sufferi ng
greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your dis
ciples, but they c ould not heal him.
17 You unbel ievi ng and perverse generat ion, Jesus replied, how long s hall
I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.
18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at
that moment.
19T hen the disc iples came to Jesus in priv ate and a sked, Why c ouldnt we
d rive it out?
20He replied, Bec ause you have so litt le faith. Trul y I tell you, if you have faith
as s mall as a must ard seed, you can say to this mount ain, Move from here to
t here, and it will move. Nothi ng will be impossible for you. [21]a
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

22W hen they came together in Gali lee, he said to them, The Son of Man is go
ing to be del ivered into the hands of men. 23T hey will kill him, and on the t hird
day he will be r aised to life. And the disciples were f illed with grief.
The Temple Tax

24A ft er
J esus and his disc iples arr ived in Capernau m, the collectors of the
two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and a sked, Doesnt your teacher pay
the temple tax?
25 Yes, he does, he replied.
When Peter came into the h
ouse, Jesus was the f irst to s peak. What do you
t hink, Simon? he a sked. From whom do the k ings of the e arth collect duty and
taxesf rom t heir own child ren or from others?
26 From others, Peter ans wered.
Then the child ren are exempt, J esus said to him. 27But so that we may not
cause offense, go to the lake and t hrow out your line. Take the f irst fish you c atch;
open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them
for my tax and yours.
The Greatest in the Kingdom ofHeaven
18
At that time the disc iples came to Jesus and a sked, Who, then, is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2He c alled a litt le c hild to him, and placed the c hild a
mong them. 3A nd he
said: Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like litt le child ren, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 T herefore, whoever takes the lowly posit ion
of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 A nd whoever welcomes
one such c hild in my name welcomes me.
MATTHEW 17:2427
PAYING THE
TEMPLE TAX
The temple tax was paid annually
by every adult Jewish male over 20
years old to fund maintenance of
the temple. This tax was based on
Exodus 30:13 and amounted to two
days wages for a common laborer.
Evidently, Jesus had not yet paid the
tax, and the temple tax collector was
following up. However, instead of
speaking to Jesus, the tax collector
spoke to Peter regarding his teachers
payment. Through the resulting conversation, J esus showed that he (and
his followers) are a part of a different kingdom, a heavenly kingdom. He
does not live by the rules set by mankind but by the will of God the Father.
However, not wanting to cause offense, Jesus paid the temple tax, but
he delivered it in a way that showed
that he was the Son of God.
Causing to Stumble
6If anyone cause s one of t hese litt le onesthose who bel ieve in met o
stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung a round t heir
neck and to be d rowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of
the t hings that c ause people to stumble! Such t hings must come, but woe to
the person t hrough whom they come! 8I f your hand or your foot causes you to
stumble, cut it off and t hrow it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or
crippled than to have two h
ands or two feet and be t hrown into eternal fire.
9A nd if your eye cause s you to stumble, g
ouge it out and t hrow it away. It is bet
ter for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be t hrown into
the fire of hell.
a21
Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark9:29.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1544 // Matthew 18:10
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10See that you do not despise one of t hese litt le ones. For I tell you that t heir
angels in heaven always see the face of my Fat her in heaven. [11]a
12 What do you t hink? If a man owns a hund red s
heep, and one of them wan
ders away, will he not leave the ninet y-nine on the h
ills and go to look for the
one that wandered off? 13A nd if he f inds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about
that one s heep than a bout the ninet y-nine that did not wander off. 14I n the same
way your Fat her in heaven is not willi ng that any of t hese litt le ones s hould
perish.
Dealing With Sin in the Church

15If your brother or sisterb sins,c go and point out their fault, just bet ween the
two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not lis
ten, take one or two others a long, so that every matter may be establ ished by the
test imony of two or t hree witnesses. d 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the
church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, t reat them as you would
a pagan or a tax collector.
18Trul y I tell you, whate ver you bind on earth will bee bound in heaven, and
whatever you l oose on earth will bee loosed in heaven.
19Again, trul y I tell you that if two of you on earth a
gree about anyt hing they
ask for, it will be done for them by my Fat her in heaven. 20For w
here two or t hree
gather in my name, t here am I with them.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21T hen Peter came to Jesus and a sked, Lord, how many t imes shall I forg ive
my brother or sister who sins a gainst me? Up to seven times?
22Jesus ans wered, I tell you, not seven t imes, but sevent y-seven times.f
23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wante d to sett le ac
counts with his servants. 24A s he began the sett lement, a man who owed him
ten thousand bags of goldg was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay,
the master ordered that he and his wife and his child ren and all that he had be
sold to repay the debt.
26At this the serv ant fell on his k
nees before him. Be pat ient with me, he
begged, and I will pay back everyt hing. 27T he servants master took pity on him,
canceled the debt and let himgo.
28But when that serv ant went out, he found one of his fellow serv ants who
owed him a hund red silver coins.h He g rabbed him and began to choke him. Pay
back what you owe me! he demanded.
29His fellow serv ant fell to his k nees and begged him, Be pat ient with me,
and I will pay it back.
30But he ref used. Instead, he went off and had the man t hrown into prison
unt il he c ould pay the debt. 31W hen the other servants saw what had happened,
they were outraged and went and told t heir master everyt hing that had hap
pened.
32 Then the mast er c
alled the serv ant in. You wicke d serv ant, he said, I
canc eled all that debt of yours bec ause you begged me to. 33Shouldnt you have
had merc y on your fellow serv ant just as I had on you? 34I n anger his master
handed him over to the jailers to be tort ured, unt il he should pay back all he
owed.
35 This is how my heavenl y Fat her will t reat each of you unless you forg ive
your brother or sister from your heart.
a11
Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke19:10. b15 The Greek word for
brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in
verses 21 and 35. c15 Some manuscripts sins against you d16Deut.19:15 e18Or
will have been f22Orseventy times seven g24Greekten thousand talents; a talent was
worth about 20years of a day laborers wages. h28Greeka hundred denarii; a denarius
was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 19:27//1545
Divorce
19
When J esus had finished sayi ng t hese t hings, he left Gali lee and went into
the reg ion of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed
him, and he h
ealed them there.
3Some Phari sees came to him to test him. They a
sked, Is it lawf ul for a man
to divorce his wife for any and every reason?
4Havent you read, he replied, that at the beg inn ing the Creator made them
male and female,a 5a nd said, For this reason a man will leave his fat her and
mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one f leshb? 6So they
are no longer two, but one f lesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no
one sepa rate.
7 Why then, they a
sked, did Moses command that a man give his wife a cer
tificate of divorce and send her away?
8Jesus replied, Mos es perm itt ed you to div orce your w ives bec ause your
hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beg inn ing. 9I tell you that any
one who divorces his wife, except for sex ua l im moral it y, and mar r ies another
woma n comm its adultery.
10T he disc iples said to him, If this is the situ at ion bet ween a husband and
wife, it is better not to marr y.
11Jesus replied, Not everyone can acc ept this word, but only t hose to whom
it has been given. 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there
are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by othersa nd there are those who
choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who
can accept this s hould acceptit.
The Little Children and Jesus

13T hen people brought litt le child ren to Jesus for him to place his h ands on
them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14Jesus said, Let the litt le child ren come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as t hese. 15W hen he had placed his
hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16Just then a man came up to J esus and a
sked, Teacher, what good t hing must
I do to get eternal life?
17 Why do you ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. There is only One
who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.
18 Which ones? he inquired.
Jesus replied, You shall not murder, you shall not comm it adultery, you shall
not s teal, you s hall not give f alse test imony, 19honor your fat her and mother,c
and love your neighbor as yourself.d
20All t hese I have kept, the y
oung man said. What do I s till lack?
21Jesus ans wered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, followme.
22W hen the young man heard this, he went away sad, bec ause he had g reat
wealth.
23T hen Jesus said to his disc iples, Trul y I tell you, it is hard for someone who
is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel
to go t hrough the eye of a need le than for someone who is rich to enter the king
dom of God.
25W hen the disc iples heard this, they were greatly ast onished and a
sked,
Who then can be saved?
26Jesus l ooked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God
all t hings are possible.
27Peter ans wered him, We have left everyt hing to follow you! What then will
t here be forus?
MATTHEW 19:1626
WEALTH AND THE

KINGDOM OF GOD
This storys application is not to imply
that believers need to give away all of
their possessions in order to get into
heaven. Rather, it is intended to show
that Jesus cared about the hearts of
those who were following him. Knowing all things, he knew that this rich
young mans heart was preoccupied
with his wealth. So when he asked
about eternal life, Jesus showed him
that right standing with God flows
from a pure heart. It is not enough
merely to follow external standards.
That sort of life tends to foster a
spirit of self-righteousness. Followers of Jesus are expected to rely on
Jesus alone as the one and only way
to heaven, and to have a heart for
God and his kingdom before all else
(Mt6:33).
a4Gen.1:27 b5Gen.2:24 c19Exodus20:12-16; Deut.5:16-20 d19Lev.19:18
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1546 // Matthew 19:28

28Jesus said to them, Trul y I tell you, at the renewa l of all t hings, when the
Son of Man sits on his glor ious t hrone, you who have followed me will also sit on
t welve t hrones, judgi ng the t welve t ribes of Israel. 29A nd everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or fat her or mother or wifea or child ren or f ields for
my sake will receive a hund red t imes as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But
many who are f irst will be last, and many who are last will be first.
The Parable of the Workers intheVineyard
20
MATTHEW 20:2028
SERVANTHOOD
This exchange provides an interesting view on J esus perception of what
it takes to be able to sit in the seat
of power. Here, two disciples were
seeking to advance their own status.
James and John were the ones asking, but the other ten were indignant
as well, so all of the disciples attitudes are on display in this story.
Each of the twelve wanted to occupy
seats of authority and power in heaven. However, they did not understand
that those seats required partnership
in suffering (v.22). J esus cup was
not only that he, as God, allowed himself to become human, but also that
he was to be crucified on the cross as
the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the
sins of humankind (Php2:69). The
cup for James and John would be
one of suffering for the kingdom. As
Jesus often did, he was emphasizing
that one must be willing to sacrifice
their own comfort and livelihood in
order to follow him.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the
morni ng to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denar
ius b for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3About nine in the morni ng he went out and saw others standi ng in the mar
ketplace doi ng nothi ng. 4He told them, You also go and work in my vineyard,
and I will pay you whatever is r ight. 5So they went.
He went out again a bout noon and a bout t hree in the afternoon and did
the same t hing. 6About five in the afternoon he went out and f ound still others
standi ng a round. He a sked them, Why have you been standi ng here all day long
doi ng noth i ng?
7Bec ause no one has h
ired us, they answered.
He said to them, You also go and work in my vineyard.
8 When even ing came, the owner of the viney ard said to his forem an, Call
the workers and pay them t heir wages, beg inn ing with the last ones h ired and
goi ng on to the first.
9The workers who were h ired about five in the afternoon came and each re
ired f irst, they expected to
ceived a denarius. 10So when t hose came who were h
receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11W hen they re
ceived it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12These who were h ired
last worked only one hour, they said, and you have made them e qual to us who
have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.
13But he ans wered one of them, I am not bei ng unfair to you, friend. Didnt
you a gree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the one
who was h ired last the same as I gave you. 15Dont I have the r ight to do what I
want with my own money? Or are you env ious because I am generous?
16So the last will be f irst, and the f irst will be last.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

17Now Jesus was goi ng up to Jer usalem. On the way, he took the T
welve a side
and said to them, 18We are goi ng up to Jer usalem, and the Son of Man will be
del ivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn
ocked and f logged
him to d
eath 19a nd will hand him over to the Gent iles to be m
and crucif ied. On the t hird day he will be r aised to life!
A Mothers Request
20T hen the mother of Zebedees sons came to J esus with her sons and, kneel
ing down, a sked a favor of him.
21 What is it you want? he asked.
She said, Grant that one of t hese two sons of mine may sit at your r ight and
the other at your left in your kingdom.
22 You dont know what you are aski ng, Jesus said to them. Can you d rink
the cup I am goi ng to drink?
We can, they answered.
23Jesus said to them, You will indeed d rink from my cup, but to sit at my r
ight
or left is not for me to g rant. T
hese places belong to t hose for whom they have
been prepared by my Fat her.
24W hen the ten heard about this, they were ind ignant with the two brothers.
a29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife. b2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a
day laborer.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 21:16//1547
25Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers of the Gent iles
lord it over them, and t heir high off icials exercise aut horit y over them. 26Not so
with you. Instead, whoever wants to become g reat among you must be your ser
vant, 27and whoever wants to be f irst must be your s lave28just as the Son of Man
did not come to be s erved, but to s erve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Two Blind Men Receive Sight

29A s Jesus and his disc iples were leavi ng Jericho, a large c rowd followed him.
30Two
blind men were sitt ing by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus
was goi ng by, they shouted, Lord, Son of Dav id, have merc y onus!
31T he c
rowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the
louder, Lord, Son of Dav id, have merc y onus!
32Jesus s
topped and c alled them. What do you want me to do for you? he
asked.
33Lord, they ans wered, we want our sight.
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched t heir eyes. Immed iatel y they
received t heir s ight and followed him.
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
21
As they approached Jer usalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of

Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2sayi ng to them, Go to the village a head
of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied t here, with her colt by her. Unt ie
them and b
ring them to me. 3If anyone says anyt hing to you, say that the Lord
needs them, and he will send them r ight away.
4T his took p
lace to fulf ill what was spoken t hrough the prophet:
5 Say to Daughter Zion,
See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.a
6T he disc iples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7T hey brought the
donkey and the colt and placed t heir c loaks on them for J esus to sit on. 8A very
large c rowd s pread t heir c loaks on the road, w
hile others cut branches from the
t rees and spread them on the road. 9T he c rowds that went a head of him and
t hose that followed shouted,
Hosannab to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!c
Hosannab in the highest heaven!
10W hen Jesus entered Jer usalem, the w hole city was stirred and a sked, Who
is this?
11T he c
rowds answered, This is J esus, the prophet from Naza reth in Gali lee.
Jesus at the Temple

12Jesus entered the temple c
ourts and d
rove out all who were buyi ng and sell
ing t here. He overt urned the tables of the money changers and the benches of
ouse will be c alled a
t hose selli ng doves. 13It is written, he said to them, My h
house of prayer, d but you are maki ng it a den of robbers.e
14T he blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
15But when the c
hief p
riests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderf ul t hings
he did and the child ren shouti ng in the temple courts, Hosanna to the Son of
Dav id, they were ind ignant.
16Do you hear what t hese child ren are sayi ng? they a sked him.
Yes, replied J esus, have you never read,
a5Zech.9:9 b9 AHebrew expression meaning Save! which became an exclamation of
praise; also in verse15 c9Psalm118:25,26 d13Isaiah56:7 e13Jer.7:11
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 21:111
JESUS COMES TO JERUSALEM AS KING

Jesus coming
to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, to the accolades and praise of the gathered

crowd, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of J esus as King. Isaiah 62:11 calls for Daughter
Zion to watch for this King, and Zechariah 9:9 depicts the King lowly and riding on a donkey, on
a colt, the foal of a donkey. While most royal processions feature incredible extravagance, Jesus
humbly entered town on a simple donkey. While horses were ridden during times of war, rulers rode
donkeys during times of peace as a sign of humility toward the people (1Ki1:3840). Here, J esus
exemplified the peaceful return of a king to Jerusalem. By riding on a donkey, he showed that he
came to bring grace and not judgment. Also, it is significant that J esus rode a colt, which is a young
and untrained donkey. Normally, it would be incredibly difficult for someone to ride an unbroken
animal through a crowded and chaotic scene with an unfamiliar burden on its back. But this was
Jesus, Creator of the world!
This scene was nothing less than a royal procession (2Ki9:13), yet up until this point, Jesus
had consistently avoided such displays (Mt8:4; 9:30; 12:16). However, he was now ready to present
himself publicly as the Messiah and King. This was J esus last trip to Jerusalem, and he chose to
enter in such a way as to leave no doubt that he was the promised Messiah who had come to save the
nation. No one in the city could possibly miss the procession or the prophecy-fulfilling reference
Jesus entry conveyed.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 21:38//1549
From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praisea?
17A nd he left them and went out of the city to Betha ny, w here he s pent the
night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

18E arl y in the morni ng, as J esus was on his way back to the city, he was hun
gry. 19Seei ng a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothi ng on it except
leaves. Then he said to it, May you never bear f ruit again! Immed iately the
tree withered.
20W hen the disc iples saw this, they were a
mazed. How did the fig tree wither
so quickly? they asked.
21Jesus replied, Trul y I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only
can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain,
Go, t hrow yourself into the sea, and it will be done. 22If you bel ieve, you will re
ceive whatever you ask for in prayer.
The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23Jesus entered the temple c
ourts, and, w
hile he was teaching, the c hief
riests and the elders of the people came to him. By what aut horit y are you do
p
ing t hese t hings? they asked. And who gave you this aut horit y?
24Jesus replied, I will also ask you one quest ion. If you ans wer me, I will tell
you by what aut horit y I am doi ng t hese t hings. 25Johns bapt ismwhere did it
come from? Was it from heaven, or of human orig in?
They disc ussed it a mong themselves and said, If we say, From heaven, he
will ask, Then why d
idnt you bel ieve him? 26But if we say, Of human orig in
we are a fraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.
27So they ans wered J esus, We d
ont know.
Then he said, Neit her will I tell you by what aut horit y I am doi ng t hese things.
The Parable of the Two Sons

28 What do you t hink? T
here was a man who had two sons. He went to the f irst
and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard.
29I will not, he ans wered, but later he c
hanged his mind and went.
30 Then the fat her went to the other son and said the same t hing. He an
swered, I will, sir, but he did notgo.
31 Which of the two did what his fat her wanted?
The f irst, they answered.
Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prost it utes are
enteri ng the kingdom of God a head of you. 32For John came to you to show you
the way of righteousness, and you did not bel ieve him, but the tax collectors and
the prost it utes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and bel ieve
him.
The Parable of the Tenants

33List en to anothe r para ble: T here was a lando wne r who plante d a vine
yard. He put a wall a round it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.
Then he rente d the viney ard to some farmers and moved to another place.
34W hen the harv est time approached, he sent his serv ants to the tena nts to
collect his fruit.
35The tena nts seized his serv ants; they beat one, k illed another, and stoned
a t hird. 36T hen he sent other servants to them, more than the f irst time, and the
tena nts treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. They
will respect my son, he said.
38But when the tena nts saw the son, they said to each other, This is the heir.
a16Psalm8:2 (see Septuagint)
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1550 // Matthew 21:39

Come, lets kill him and take his inheritance. 39So they took him and t hrew him
out of the vineyard and k illed him.
40Therefore, when the owner of the viney ard c
omes, what will he do to t hose
tena nts?
41He will bring t hose wretches to a wretched end, they replied, and he will
rent the vineyard to other tena nts, who will give him his share of the crop at
har vest time.
42Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Script ures:
MATTHEW 22:114
THE WEDDING FEAST

When families planned Jewish weddings, they sent out two invitations
(similar to our save-the-date mailings that sometimes come before the
actual invitation). In this instance,
the first invitation portrays the
ministry of John the Baptist. He told
people to repent and prepare, for the
kingdom of God was coming (Mt3:2).
The indifferent response describes
Israelspecifically, the religious
authoritiesat the time of Jesus
earthly ministry. They ignored Johns
call to repent, and they opposed the
arrival of the second invitation as
well in the ministry of Jesus. But
God is in the business of drawing
people to himself, so the king in the
story still instructs his servants to
invite others to attend his wedding.
Those who accept these gracious
invitations and are truly prepared to
engage in this banquet as citizens
of the kingdom (which the religious
leaders were not, 22:1113) are welcomed in. The point of this parable
is to portray how God shows grace in
extending invitations to his kingdom
while at the same time mandating
requirements for entrance.
The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyesa?
43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people who will produce its f ruit. 44A nyone who f alls on this s tone
will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it f alls will be crushed.b
45W hen the c
hief p
riests and the Pharisees h
eard Jesus parables, they knew
he was talki ng a bout them. 46T hey looked for a way to arrest him, but they were
a fraid of the c rowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22
J esus s poke to them a gain in parables, sayi ng: 2The kingdom of heaven
is like a king who prepared a wedd ing banquet for his son. 3He sent his
servants to t hose who had been inv ited to the banquet to tell them to come, but
they ref used to come.
4 Then he sent some more serv ants and said, Tell t hose who have been in
vited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened catt le have been
butchered, and everyt hing is ready. Come to the wedd ing banquet.
5But they paid no attent ion and went offone to his f ield, another to his
business. 6T he rest s eized his servants, mist reated them and k illed them. 7T he
king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed t hose murderers and burned
t heir city.
8Then he said to his serv ants, The wedd ing banquet is ready, but t hose I in
vited did not deserve to come. 9So go to the s treet corners and inv ite to the ban
quet anyone you find. 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered
all the people they c ould find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedd ing hall
was f illed with guests.
11But when the king came in to see the g uests, he not iced a man t here who
was not weari ng wedd ing c lothes. 12He a sked, How did you get in here without
wedd ing c lothes, friend? The man was speechless.
13Then the king told the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and t hrow him
outside, into the darkness, w
here t here will be weepi ng and gnashi ng of teeth.
14For many are inv ited, but few are chosen.
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

15T hen the Phari sees went out and laid p
lans to trap him in his w
ords. 16T hey
sent t heir disciples to him a long with the Herod ia ns. Teacher, they said, we
know that you are a man of integr it y and that you teach the way of God in accor
dance with the t ruth. You a rent swayed by others, because you pay no attent ion
to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it r ight to pay the imper ia l
taxc to Caesar or not?
18But Jesus, knowi ng t heir evil intent, said, You hypoc rites, why are you try
ing to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for payi ng the tax. They brought him a
hose inscript ion?
denar ius, 20a nd he a sked them, Whose image is this? And w
a42Psalm118:22,23 b44
Some manuscripts do not have verse44. c17 Aspecial tax

levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 23:7//1551
21 Caesars, they replied.
Then he said to them, So give back to Caesar what is Caesars, and to God
what is Gods.
22W hen they heard this, they were a
mazed. So they left him and went away.
Marriage at the Resurrection

23T hat same day the Sadducees, who say t here is no resu rrect ion, came to him
with a quest ion. 24Teacher, they said, Moses told us that if a man dies with
out havi ng child ren, his brother must marr y the widow and raise up offspring
for him. 25Now t here were seven brothers a mong us. The f irst one marr ied and
died, and since he had no child ren, he left his wife to his brother. 26 T he same
t hing happened to the second and t hird brother, r ight on down to the seventh.
27 Finall y, the woma n died. 28Now then, at the resu rrect ion, w hose wife will she
be of the seven, since all of them were marr ied to her?
29Jesus replied, You are in error bec ause you do not know the Script ures or
the power of God. 30At the resu rrect ion people will neit her marr y nor be given
in marr iage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resu rrect ion
of the deadhave you not read what God said to you, 32I am the God of Abra
ham, the God of I saac, and the God of Jacoba? He is not the God of the dead but
of the livi ng.
33W hen the c
rowds heard this, they were astonished at his teachi ng.
The Greatest Commandment

34Heari ng
that J esus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this quest ion: 36Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
37Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.b 38T his is the f irst and greatest commandment.
39A nd the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.c 40A ll the Law and
the Prophets hang on t hese two commandments.
35O ne
Whose Son Is the Messiah?

41W hile the Phari sees were gathered together, Jesus a
sked them, 42What do
you t hink about the Messia h? W hose son ishe?
The son of Dav id, they replied.
43He said to them, How is it then that Dav id, speaki ng by the Spirit, c alls him
Lord? For he says,
44 The Lord said to my Lord:

Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.d
then Dav id calls him Lord, how can he be his son? 46No one could say a
word in reply, and from that day on no one d
ared to ask him any more quest ions.
45I f
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
23
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2The teachers of the
law and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat. 3So you must be caref ul to do ev
eryt hing they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not pract ice what
they preach. 4T hey tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other peo
ples shoulders, but they themselves are not willi ng to lift a finger to move them.
5Everyt hing they do is done for people to see: They make t heir phylacteriese
lace of honor at ban
wide and the tassels on t heir garments long; 6t hey love the p
quets and the most important s eats in the synagogues; 7t hey love to be greeted
with respect in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by others.
a32Exodus3:6 b37Deut.6:5 c39Lev.19:18 d44Psalm110:1 e5
MATTHEW 23:139
HYPOCRISY
Throughout his ministry, Jesus consistently confronted hypocrisy, especially in the Jewish religious leaders
of his day. Chapter 23 includes J esus
angry condemnation of those who
were much more concerned about
securing their power base than they
were about bringing their followers
closer to God. The rules that they
forced on others were manmade
responses to their study of the law,
and while they required strict adherence to those rules, they themselves
did not practice what they preached
(v.4). Notice the language with which
the perfect, sinless Son of God addressed them: lazy (v. 4), prideful
(v.6), hypocrites (vv.25,27,29), blind
(v.26), full of hypocrisy and wickedness (v.28), deluded (v.30), self-incriminating (v.31), hell-bound vipers
(v.33), murderers (v.34), and condemned because of their blood-guilt
(v.35). Jesus righteous indignation
burned against these self-important
men who were leading others astray.
Their devotion was not to God but to a
set of rules they held over the people
beneath them, and J esus was not shy
to point out the contradiction that
manifested itself in their daily lives.
In contrast, Jesus lived without any
misalignment between his heart and
his actions. He lived with perfect integrity in service to God, and believers are called to desire to be like him
and share his mindset (1Co2:16).
That is, boxes
containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1552 // Matthew 23:8

8But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all
brothers. 9A nd do not call anyone on earth fat her, for you have one Fat her, and
he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor,
the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For t hose who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and t hose who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law andthePharisees

13 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari sees, you hypoc rites! You shut the
door of the kingdom of heaven in peoples faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor
will you let t hose enter who are tryi ng to. [14]a
15 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari sees, you hypoc rites! You travel
over land and sea to win a sing le convert, and when you have succeeded, you
make them t wice as much a c hild of hell as you are.
16Woe to you, blind g uides! You say, If anyone s
wears by the temple, it means
nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.
17You b
lind f ools! W
hich is greater: the gold, or the temple that m
akes the gold sa
eans nothing; but anyone
cred? 18You also say, If anyone s wears by the altar, it m
lind men! W
hich
who s wears by the gift on the altar is b
ound by that oath. 19You b
is greater: the gift, or the altar that m
akes the gift sacred? 20 T herefore, anyone
who s wears by the altar swears by it and by everyt hing on it. 21A nd anyone who
swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who d
wells in it. 22 A nd anyone
who s wears by heaven swears by G
ods t hrone and by the one who sits onit.
23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari sees, you hypoc rites! You give a
tenth of your spicesm int, dill and cumi n. But you have neg lected the more
important matters of the lawjust ice, merc y and faithfulness. You s hould
have pract iced the latter, without neg lecti ng the former. 24You blind g uides! You
strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari sees, you hypoc rites! You c
lean
the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of g reed and self-indul
gence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the
outside also will be clean.
27 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari sees, you hypoc rites! You are like
whitewashed tombs, which look beaut if ul on the outside but on the inside are
full of the b
ones of the dead and everyt hing unclean. 28In the same way, on the
outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hy
pocr is y and wickedness.
29 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Phari s ees, you hypoc rites! You build
tombs for the prophets and decorate the g raves of the righteous. 30A nd you say,
If we had l ived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with
them in shedd ing the b
lood of the prophets. 31 So you test if y against yourselves
that you are the descendants of t hose who murdered the prophets. 32Go ahead,
then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 You s nakes! You b
rood of vipers! How will you escape bei ng condemned
to hell? 34T herefore I am sendi ng you prophets and s ages and teachers. Some of
them you will kill and crucif y; others you will flog in your synagogues and pur
sue from town to town. 35A nd so upon you will come all the righteous blood that
has been shed on e arth, from the b
lood of righteous Abel to the b
lood of Zech
ar ia h son of Berek ia h, whom you murdered bet ween the temple and the altar.
36Trul y I tell you, all this will come on this generat ion.
37Jer us alem, Jer us alem, you who kill the prophets and s tone t hose sent to
you, how often I have longed to gather your child ren together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her w ings, and you were not willi ng. 38L ook, your house is left
to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again unt il you say, Blessed
is he who c omes in the name of the Lord.b
a14
Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark12:40 and Luke20:47.
b39Psalm118:26
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 24:35//1553
The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
24
J esus left the temple and was walki ng away when his disciples came up
to him to call his attent ion to its buildi ngs. 2Do you see all t hese t hings?
he asked. Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one
will be t hrown down.
3A s Jesus was sitt ing on the Mount of Oli ves, the disc iples came to him pri
vately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of
your comi ng and of the end of the age?
4Jesus ans wered: Watch out that no one dec eives you. 5For many will come
in my name, claimi ng, I am the Messia h, and will deceive many. 6You will hear
of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not a larmed. Such t hings
must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nat ion will rise against nat ion, and
kingdom a gainst kingdom. T here will be fami nes and earthquakes in various
places. 8A ll t hese are the beg inn ing of birth pains.
9 Then you will be hande d over to be persec ute d and put to d
eath, and you
will be hated by all nat ions because of me. 10At that time many will turn away
11
from the f aith and will bet ray and hate each other, a nd many f alse prophets
will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness,
the love of most will grow cold, 13but the one who s tands firm to the end will be
reached in the whole w
orld as a
saved. 14A nd this gospel of the kingdom will be p
test imony to all nat ions, and then the end will come.
15So when you see standi ng in the holy place the abomi n at ion that caus
es desolat ion, a spoken of t hrough the prophet Daniellet the reader under
stand 16t hen let t hose who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17L et no one on
the housetop go down to take anyt hing out of the house. 18L et no one in the f ield
go back to get t heir cloak. 19How dreadf ul it will be in t hose days for pregnant
lace in winter
women and nursi ng mothers! 20Pray that your f light will not take p
or on the Sabbath. 21For then t here will be g reat dist ress, unequaled from the
beg inn ing of the w
orld unt il nowa nd never to be e qualed a gain.
22If t hose days had not been cut s
hort, no one w
ould surv ive, but for the sake
of the e lect t hose days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you,
Look, here is the Messia h! or, There he is! do not bel ieve it. 24 For false messia hs
and f alse prophets will appear and perform g reat signs and wonders to deceive,
if possible, even the e lect. 25See, I have told you a head of time.
26So if anyone t ells you, There he is, out in the wilderness, do not go out; or,
Here he is, in the inner r ooms, do not bel ieve it. 27For as lightn ing that comes
from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the comi ng of the Son of Man.
28W here ver t here is a carc ass, t here the vult ures will gather.
29 Immed iatel y after the dist ress of t hose days
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.b
MATTHEW 24:114,3642
THE SECOND COMING

(PART 1)
Here Jesus described the second
coming by using symbolic language.
While these words and various
proposed timelines have been interpreted differently by committed
Christians over the centuries, we do
know that Jesus second coming will
be preceded by persecution and opposition (vv.910), marked by false
prophets claiming to be the Messiah
(v.5), and will include a time of testing for believers whose persistence
and commitment will be rewarded
(v.14). Above all, the second coming
of Christ will be sudden (v.36). Altogether, Jesus made it clear that there
will be no mistaking the second coming when it happens, and it is important for his followers to be prepared,
each and every day, for that day.
30 Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the
ourn when they see the Son of Man comi ng on the
peoples of the e arthc will m
clouds of heaven, with power and g reat glor y.d 31A nd he will send his angels with
a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his e lect from the four w
inds, from one
end of the heavens to the other.
32Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its t wigs get tender and
its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all
t hese t hings, you know that ite is near, r ight at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this
generat ion will cert ainly not pass away unt il all t hese t hings have happened.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my w
ords will never pass away.
a15Daniel9:27; 11:31; 12:11 b29Isaiah13:10; 34:4 c30Orthe tribes of the land
d30See Daniel 7:13-14. e33Orhe
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1554 // Matthew 24:36
The Day and Hour Unknown
MATTHEW 25:146
THE SECOND COMING

(PART 2)
The final section of this discourse
involves judgment, which is not a
new theme in the Gospel of Matthew (3:12; 6:2; 13:30; 18:2335;
21:3343; 22:114). Because Matthew spent a significant portion of
his Gospel focusing on the coming of
the kingdom, he also needed to discuss the judgment that comes with
it. In the first two parables in this
chapter, Jesus spoke about the judgment that will come upon those who
are not prepared for his return, and in
the last parable he focuses on all of
the nations of the earth. To fully understand Jesus, it is important to see
not only his love but also the reality
that his coming will be accompanied
by judgment. With the opportunity for
people to accept his sacrifice and
the grace and forgiveness that come
with it, there also is an opportunity
for people to reject that same sacrifice. Jesus came so that those who
love God may devote their lives to following him, but his offer has another
side: judgment on those who willfully
choose to turn their backs on God.
36But about that day or hour no one k nows, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son,a but only the Fat her. 37A s it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the
comi ng of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the f lood, people were eati ng
and drinki ng, marr yi ng and givi ng in marr iage, up to the day Noah entered the
ark; 39a nd they knew nothi ng about what would happen unt il the f lood came
and took them all away. That is how it will be at the comi ng of the Son of Man.
40Two men will be in the f ield; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women
will be grindi ng with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42Therefore keep w
atch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will
come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had k nown at what time
of n ight the t hief was comi ng, he would have kept watch and would not have let
his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man
will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 Who then is the faithful and wise serv ant, whom the master has put in
charge of the servants in his household to give them t heir food at the proper time?
46It will be good for that servant w
hose master f inds him doing so when he returns.
47Truly I tell you, he will put him in c
harge of all his possessions. 48But suppose
that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is staying away a long time,
49a nd he then beg ins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and d
rink with drunk
ards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him
and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place
with the hypocrites, w
here t here will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virg ins who took t heir
lamps and went out to meet the brideg room. 2Five of them were foolish
and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took t heir lamps but did not take any oil with
them. 4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars a long with t heir l amps. 5The bride
groom was a long time in coming, and they all became d
rowsy and fell asleep.
6At midn ight the cry rang out: Heres the brideg room! Come out to meet
him!
7 Then all the virg ins woke up and t rimmed t heir lamps. 8T he fooli sh ones
said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our l amps are goi ng out.
9No, they replied, there may not be e
nough for both us and you. Instead, go
to t hose who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.
10But w
hile they were on t heir way to buy the oil, the brideg room arr ived.
The virg ins who were r eady went in with him to the wedd ing banquet. And the
door was shut.
11Later the others also came. Lord, Lord, they said, open the door forus!
12But he replied, Trul y I tell you, I d
ont know you.
13Therefore keep w
atch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Parable of the BagsofGold

14Again, it will be like a man goi ng on a journey, who c alled his serv ants and
ent rusted his wealth to them. 15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two
bags, and to another one bag,b each accordi ng to his abilit y. Then he went on his
jour ney. 16T he man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his
money to work and gained five bags more. 17So also, the one with two bags of gold
gained two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in
the g round and hid his masters money.
19Aft er a long time the mast er of t hose serv ants ret urned and sett led ac
rought the
counts with them. 20T he man who had received five bags of gold b
a36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son. b15Greek five talents... two talents...
one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborers
wage.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 26:2//1555
other five. Master, he said, you ent rusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have
gained five more.
21His master replied, Well done, good and faithf ul serv ant! You have been
faithf ul with a few t hings; I will put you in charge of many t hings. Come and
share your masters happiness!
22The man with two bags of gold also came. Master, he said, you ent rusted
me with two bags of gold; see, I have g ained two more.
23His master replied, Well done, good and faithf ul serv ant! You have been
faithf ul with a few t hings; I will put you in charge of many t hings. Come and
share your masters happiness!
24Then the man who had rec eived one bag of gold came. Master, he said, I
knew that you are a hard man, harvesti ng w
here you have not sown and gath
eri ng w
here you have not scattered seed. 25So I was a fraid and went out and hid
your gold in the g round. See, here is what belongs to you.
26His master replied, You wicked, lazy serv ant! So you knew that I harvest
where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then,
you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I re
turned I w
ould have received it back with interest.
28So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
29For whoe ver has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Who
ever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 A nd t hrow
that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where t here will be weepi ng
and gnashi ng of teeth.
The Sheep and the Goats

31 When the Son of Man c
omes in his glor y, and all the angels with him, he
will sit on his glor ious t hrone. 32A ll the nat ions will be gathered before him, and
he will sepa rate the people one from another as a shepherd sepa rates the s heep
from the g oats. 33He will put the s heep on his r ight and the g oats on his left.
34Then the King will say to t hose on his r ight, Come, you who are blessed by
my Fat her; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you s ince the cre
at ion of the w
orld. 35For I was hung ry and you gave me somet hing to eat, I was
t hirsty and you gave me somet hing to d
rink, I was a stranger and you inv ited me
in, 36I needed clothes and you c lothed me, I was sick and you l ooked after me, I
was in prison and you came to visitme.
37 Then the righteous will ans wer him, Lord, when did we see you hung ry
and feed you, or t hirsty and give you somet hing to d rink? 38W hen did we see you
a stranger and inv ite you in, or needi ng c lothes and c lothe you? 39W hen did we
see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
40The King will reply, Trul y I tell you, whate ver you did for one of the l east of
t hese brothers and sisters of mine, you did forme.
41Then he will say to t hose on his left, Depart from me, you who are c ursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devi l and his angels. 42For I was hung ry
and you gave me nothi ng to eat, I was t hirsty and you gave me nothi ng to d rink,
43I was a stranger and you did not inv ite me in, I needed c
lothes and you did not
clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look afterme.
44 They also will ans wer, Lord, when did we see you hung ry or t hirsty or a
stranger or needi ng c lothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?
45He will reply, Trul y I tell you, whate ver you did not do for one of the least of
t hese, you did not do forme.
46 Then they will go away to etern al puni shment, but the righteous to eter
nal life.
The Plot Against Jesus
26
When Jesus had finished sayi ng all t hese t hings, he said to his disciples,
2As you know, the Passover is two days awaya nd the Son of Man will
be handed over to be crucif ied.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1556 // Matthew 26:3

3T hen the c
hief p
riests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace
of the high p
riest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4a nd they s chemed to arrest J esus
secretly and kill him. 5But not duri ng the fest ival, they said, or t here may be
a riot a mong the people.
Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6W hile J esus was in Betha ny in the home of Simon the Leper, 7a woma n came
to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perf ume, which she poured on his
head as he was reclini ng at the table.
8W hen the disc iples saw this, they were ind ign ant. Why this w
aste? they
asked. 9This perf ume c ould have been sold at a high price and the money given
to the poor.
10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, Why are you botheri ng this woma n? She
has done a beaut if ul t hing to me. 11T he poor you will always have with you,a but
you will not always have me. 12W hen she poured this perf ume on my body, she
did it to prepare me for buria l. 13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached
throughout the w
orld, what she has done will also be told, in memor y of her.
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14T hen one of the Twelvet he one c alled Judas Isc ariotwent to the c hief
priests 15a nd asked, What are you willi ng to give me if I del iver him over to you?
So they counted out for him thirt y pieces of silver. 16From then on Judas watched
for an opport un it y to hand him over.
The Last Supper

17On the f irst day of the Fest iv al of Unleavened Bread, the disc iples came to
J esus and a sked, Where do you want us to make prepa rat ions for you to eat the
Passover?
18He replied, Go into the city to a cert ain man and tell him, The Teacher
says: My appointed time is near. I am goi ng to celebrate the Passover with my
disciples at your house. 19So the disciples did as J esus had directed them and
prepared the Passover.
20W hen even ing came, Jesus was reclini ng at the table with the Twelve. 21A nd
while they were eati ng, he said, Truly I tell you, one of you will bet rayme.
22T hey were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, Surel y you
dont mean me, Lord?
23Jesus replied, The one who has d ipped his hand into the bowl with me will
bet ray me. 24T he Son of Man will go just as it is written a bout him. But woe to
that man who bet rays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not
been born.
25T hen Jud as, the one who w
ould bet ray him, said, Surely you dont mean
me, Rabbi?
Jesus answered, You have said so.
26W hile they were eati ng, J esus took b
read, and when he had given t hanks,
he b
roke it and gave it to his disciples, sayi ng, Take and eat; this is my body.
27T hen he took a cup, and when he had given t hanks, he gave it to them,
lood of theb covenant, which is
sayi ng, Drink from it, all of you. 28T his is my b
poured out for many for the forg iveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not d rink from
this f ruit of the vine from now on unt il that day when I d rink it new with you in
my Fat hers kingdom.
30W hen they had sung a hymn, they went out to the M
ount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peters Denial

31T hen J esus told them, This very n
ight you will all fall away on account of
me, for it is written:
a11SeeDeut.15:11. b28
Some manuscripts the new
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 26:58//1557
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.a
32But after I have risen, I will go a
head of you into Gali lee.
33Peter replied, Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.
34Trul y I tell you, Jesus ans wered, this very n ight, before the rooster c rows,
you will disown me t hree times.
35But Peter declared, Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.
And all the other disciples said the same.
Gethsemane
36T hen J esus went with his disc iples to a place c
alled Gethsema ne, and he
said to them, Sit here while I go over t here and pray. 37He took Peter and the
two sons of Zebedee a long with him, and he began to be sorrowf ul and troubled.
38T hen he said to them, My soul is overw helmed with sorrow to the p
oint of
death. Stay here and keep w
atch withme.
39G oi ng a litt le fart her, he fell with his face to the g round and prayed, My
Fat her, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as
you will.
40T hen he ret urned to his disc iples and f ound them sleepi ng. Couldnt you
men keep watch with me for one hour? he asked Peter. 41Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptat ion. The spirit is willi ng, but the f lesh is weak.
42He went away a second time and p
rayed, My Fat her, if it is not possible for
this cup to be taken away unless I d rink it, may your will be done.
43W hen he came back, he again found them sleepi ng, bec ause t heir eyes were
heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the t hird time,
sayi ng the same thing.
45T hen he ret urned to the disc iples and said to them, Are you still sleepi ng
and resti ng? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is del ivered into the
hands of sinners. 46R ise! Let us go! Here c omes my bet rayer!
Jesus Arrested
47W hile he was s
till speaki ng, Judas, one of the T
welve, arr ived. With him was
a large crowd a rmed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief p
riests and the
elders of the people. 48Now the bet rayer had arranged a signal with them: The
one I kiss is the man; arrest him. 49Goi ng at once to J esus, Judas said, Greeti ngs,
Rabbi! and k issed him.
50Jesus replied, Do what you came for, friend.b
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51W ith that,
one of Jesus companions r eached for his sword, drew it out and struck the ser
vant of the high p
riest, cutt ing off his ear.
52Put your s word back in its place, Jesus said to him, for all who draw the
s word will die by the s word. 53Do you t hink I cannot call on my Fat her, and he
will at once put at my disposa l more than t welve leg ions of angels? 54But how
then w
ould the Script ures be fulf illed that say it must happen in this way?
55I n that hour Jesus said to the c rowd, AmI leadi ng a rebell ion, that you have
come out with s words and c lubs to capt ure me? Every day I sat in the temple
courts teachi ng, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that
the writi ngs of the prophets m ight be fulf illed. Then all the disciples deserted
him and fled.
Jesus Before theSanhedrin

57T hose who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high p
riest, w
here
the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58But Peter followed him at
a distance, r ight up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down
with the g uards to see the outcome.
a31Zech.13:7 b50OrWhy have you come, friend?
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 26:1435
OLD TESTAMENT FULFILLMENTS

The events that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus directly parallel what was prophesied about
the Messiah as the Suffering Servant in the Old Testament. But not only did J esus fulfill Old Testament prophecy; others around Jesus did as well.
Judas betrayed Jesus
for 30 pieces of silver (v.14), which was the equivalent to the

price of a slave (Ex21:32). Zechariah wrote about this exact price in his Messianic foreshadowing (Zec11:1213). Thirty pieces of silver was not a very large sum of money in that era, and in
Matthew, Judas story provides a stark contrast to the verses preceding his betrayal (Mt26:613).
While Mary went to great expense to anoint Jesus with precious oil, giving to Jesus what was probably her entire dowry (and therefore her entire future), Judas turned against Jesus for a relatively
small price. Great is the cost of devotion, but cheap is the price of betrayal.
After the description
of Judas betrayal, Matthew transitioned to the preparations of the

Passover meal. The Passover was celebrated in remembrance of God freeing his people from Egypt
(Nu9:2). However, for believers, Jesus completely transformed the way the meal was celebrated.
It is now in remembrance of God freeing his people from sin and death through J esus. In honoring
old traditions, Jesus also created new traditions for believers to follow today. During this Passover
celebration, Jesus represented the very fulfillment of the Passovers promise of deliverance from
sin, ushering in a new covenant to replace the old covenant. This new covenant had been promised
in the Old Testament multiple times (Jer31:3134; Eze34:2531; 37:2628), and Jesus finally
fulfilled it.
In addition to Judas and Jesus, Peter and the rest of the disciples also fulfilled Old Testament
prophecies. While Peters denial was a blatant betrayal against Jesus, it is important to remember
that Peter was not the only disciple to avoid being associated with Jesus after his arrest. None of
the other disciples had the courage to follow J esus on that night; they all hid, which J esus referred
to by quoting Zechariah 13:7 (Mt26:31). After Jesus resurrection, ever the Good Shepherd, Jesus
brought his flock back together (28:1620), as he will again in the last days (Ac2:1721).
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 27:11//1559
59T he chief priests and the w hole Sanhed rin were looki ng for false evidence
a gainst Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60But they did not find any,
t hough many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward 61a nd declared, This fellow said, I am able to de
stroy the temple of God and rebuild it in t hree days.
62T hen the high p
riest s tood up and said to J esus, Are you not goi ng to an
swer? What is this test imony that t hese men are bringi ng against you? 63But
Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, I charge you under oath by the livi ng God: Tell us
if you are the Messia h, the Son of God.
64 You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: From now on you
will see the Son of Man sitt ing at the r ight hand of the Mighty One and comi ng
on the c louds of heaven.a
65T hen the high priest tore his clothes and said, He has spoken blasphemy!
Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
66W hat do you think?
He is wort hy of d
eath, they answered.
67T hen they spit in his face and struck him with t heir f ists. Others slapped him
68a nd said, Prophes y to us, Messia h. Who hit you?
Peter Disowns Jesus

69Now Peter was sitt ing out in the courty ard, and a serv ant girl came to him.
You also were with J esus of Gali lee, she said.
70But he den ied it before them all. I d
ont know what youre talki ng about,
he said.
71T hen he went out to the gatew ay, w
here another servant girl saw him and
said to the people t here, This fellow was with J esus of Naza reth.
72He den ied it a
gain, with an oath: I d
ont know the man!
73A fter a litt le w
hile, t hose standi ng t here went up to Peter and said, Surely
you are one of them; your accent g ives you away.
74T hen he beg an to call down curse s, and he s wore to them, I dont know
the man!
Immed iately a rooster crowed. 75T hen Peter remembered the word J esus had
spoken: Before the rooster crows, you will disown me t hree t imes. And he went
outside and wept bitterly.
Judas Hangs Himself
27
Early in the morni ng, all the chief p

riests and the elders of the people
made their plans how to have Jesus exec uted. 2So they bound him, led
him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
3W hen Judas, who had bet rayed him, saw that J esus was condemned, he was
seized with remorse and ret urned the thirt y pieces of silver to the chief p
riests
and the elders. 4I have sinned, he said, for I have bet rayed innocent blood.
What is that to us? they replied. Thats your responsibilit y.
5So Judas t hrew the mone y into the temple and left. Then he went away and
hanged himself.
6T he c
hief p
riests p
icked up the c oins and said, It is against the law to put this
into the treasury, s ince it is b
lood money. 7So they decided to use the money to
buy the potters f ield as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called
the F
ield of B
lood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was
fulf illed: They took the thirt y pieces of silver, the p
rice set on him by the people of
Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potters f ield, as the Lord commanded me.b
Jesus Before Pilate

11Meanw hile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor a sked him,
Are you the king of the Jews?
a64SeePsalm110:1; Daniel7:13. b10
SeeZech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
SAVIOR
THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS

RAVI ZACHARIAS
GOSPELS TO ACTS 1
A common phrase heard in the West for years

was Jesus is the answer. Tired of that glib statement, some replied cynically, But what is the
question?Under this taunting response actually lies a gem of truth, for we cannot understand
the depth of our own questions until we first
understand ourselves as questioners. Indeed,
one of the most thought-provoking scenes in
Scripture is the exchange between Jesus and
Pilate, the Roman governor. The question
Pilate asked is one of the most important questions of life: What is truth? (Jn18:38). How
tragic that he asked it of the One who embodied the answer, but never waited to hear that
answer. He proved that intent is prior to content:
before the mind receives any content, the intent
of the heart is already influencing perception
(Mt13:13).
Is it not often the same with us? I remember
many times in my youth how I dreaded the truth
in incriminating situations. Like the poet Francis Thompson wrote in the Hound of Heaven, I
fled him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled him, down the arches of the years. We
may ask Jesus why he is the truth, yet we never
take the time to examine why he made such a
claim.The answer has ramifications for us that
often we dont want to hear.
Yet the fact remains that we will never understand who we are until we understand who Jesus
is. He made the incredible statement to Pilate,
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me
(Jn18:37).
John, who knew Jesus personally and closely,
declares in the first chapter of his Gospel the
definitive way in which Jesus is not merely
unique but is the consummate embodiment of
truth:In the beginning was the Word,and the
Word was with God,and the Word was God.He
was with God in the beginning.Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made.In him was life,and
that life was the lightof all mankind (Jn1:14).
Truth is primarily a property of propositions.
Truthfulness is the embodiment of truth. Jesus
was the Word and the Word made flesh. In him,
Word and incarnation combined in truth.
John tells us that J esus not only proclaims the
words of God but is the Word, who is God.
Through him all things were made; without
him nothing was made. Reflect upon that stupendous phrase! In Jesus we see the blending of
all reality lived out in truth.Scottish theologian
James Stewart wrote that in Jesus we find a startling coalescence of contrarieties. This is how
he worded it:
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1561
He was the meekest and lowliest of all the

sons of men: yet He said that He would come
on the clouds of heaven in the glory of God.
He was so austere that evil spirits and demons
cried out at terror of His coming: yet He was
so genial and winsome and approachable
that the children loved to play with him, and
the little ones nestled in His arms; and His
company in the innocent gaiety of a village
wedding was like the sunshine. No one was
ever half so kind or compassionate to sinners:
yet no one ever spoke such red-hot, scorching words about sin. He would not break the
bruised reed, and His whole life was love: yet
on one occasion He demanded of the Pharisees how they expected to escape the damnation of hell. He was a dreamer of dreams
and a seer of visions: yet for sheer stark naked
realism He has all our self-styled realists
beaten. He was the servant of all, washing
the disciples feet: yet masterfully He strode
into the Temple, and the hucksters and traders fell over one another in their mad rush to
get away from the fire they saw blazing in His
eyes. He saved others: yet at the last, Himself
He would not save.There is nothing in history like the union of contrasts that confronts
you in the Gospels. The mystery of Jesus is
the mystery of divinepersonality.*
A contradiction, according to Websters Dictionary, is a statement or proposition that denies

another statement or itself and is logically incongruous. Acontrariety, however, holds two aspects
of an issue in balance and in tension without
violating the logical congruency of either. For
example, the two poles of meekness and authority are not contradictory. They both have their
excellences, and when blended in perfection,
they embody truth. In the contrarieties within
Jesus we see how he represents to us the answer
for all the tensions we feel within ourselves. His
being and incarnation are unique.
How is J esus unique so as to claim our hearts?
There are many reasons, but consider four distinctives:
1. Jesus description of the human condition:
Out of the heart come evil thoughts
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft,
false testimony, slander (Mt15:19).
Malcolm Muggeridge wisely remarked, The

depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time
the most intellectually resisted fact. That is
well put. And ironically, the more we argue
against it, the more we end up proving the
point.
*James Stewart, The Strong Name (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1972), 7273.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1562
SAVIOR
(CONTINUED)
GOSPELS TO ACTS 1
I was at the 2014 World Cup of football in Brazil. There were fans from all over the world,
ranging from those closest to the field of
play to those proverbially described as in the
nosebleed section. But no one was as close
as about one hundred able-bodied men surrounding the playing field at the perimeter.
Ironically, they did not witness the game.
They had their backs to the game, and their
sole purpose was to watch the fans and keep
them from disruptive or violent behavior.
They were there to protect the players. Other
security personnel were in the stands to protect the spectators from each other! On the
field were the uniformed referees to keep the
players from violating the rulesand even to
keep them from taking a bite off an opposing
players shoulder!(Yes, that did happen, and
the culprit was a player considered by many
to be the best all-round player in the world.)
Later we found out that the very officials leading the organization were corrupt. Nobody
was watching them. The insidiousness of
human sin is quite amazing.
The systemic human bent toward autonomy
and pride spares no one. G.K. Chesterton once
responded to the question, Whats wrong
with the world? with I am. Yours truly, G.K
Chesterton. Evil is within us before it is out
there. Take a look at our world today as it
skids out of control. None of our efforts to
tame the heart, from laws to education, have

changed the horrific things we do to ourselves
and each other. The heart is at rebellion with
God and therefore at rebellion with ourselves
and our fellow human beings (Mt 9:35;
12:3335; Mk7:21; Jn12:40).
2. Jesus provision for our malady.
The provision he gives for you and me is absolutely one of a kind, and it is not cheap. It is the
cross. The graciousness of Gods forgiveness is
singularly true. In every other religion, whether
pantheistic or monotheistic, the devotee has to
earn salvation. One pays either through karma
or by being weighed in the balances at deaths
door. J esus alone tells us our forgiveness is a
gift. The grace of God provides it for us. If we
chose to receive the gift, the heart changes.
When Jesus paid with his own sacrifice, justice and mercy blended in remarkable splendor. Yes, there is only one place in the world
where law and love, justice and forgiveness are
embodied in one person.That is on the cross
of Calvary. Jesus Christ claimed to be the way,
the truth, and the life because he is what the
absolute truth really is. Our greatest malady is
sin. Our greatest need is a Savior. In his life he
was perfect. In his death he died for imperfect
humanity. The truth is awe-inspiring.
In May of 2014, NBA basketball superstar
Kevin Durant made a memorable speech
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1563
when he received the MVP award. He said,

Theres only one who deserves this, and that
is my mother, the true MVP. The media said
it was the greatest speech at an award ceremony. Apply that to the cross. Jesus traded
the award for the recognition he wanted to
make. Jesus was the ultimate being of purity
and worth. He transferred his purity to us. He
proved our worth by his sacrifice.
3. The purity of Jesus own life.
Pontius Pilate could find no fault in Jesus

(Lk23:4). The thief on the cross said, We are
punished justly, for we are getting what our
deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong (Lk23:41). A lamb without blemish or defect is the description given to him
(1Pe1:19). J esus is unique.We can be covered
by his perfect life. No one who has claimed to
be divine or prophetic has claimed or demonstrated purity. Jesus alone is spotless.
4. Jesus resurrection from the dead.
This event is deemed the most relevant and

critical aspect in demonstrating J esus divinity. The Danish philosopher Sren Kierkegaard said, Life can only be understood
backwards; but it must be lived forwards. The
end or purpose of life must define the journey to get there. The destiny and destination
determine the path taken. Without the resurrection, two realities become inescapable: the
finality of all earthly relationshipsa loss of

hope, and the impossibility of ultimate justicet he weakness of law. In the Christian
faith, the resurrection of Jesus promises both
hope and justice. This alone ought to make us
aware of how important his grace is when we
come to him for forgiveness.
We are meant to live for eternity in a relationship that will never be broken. Love has its
eternal expression. Laws demands were met
and death was conquered. Justice was kissed
by grace. That is why Jesus sent the message
of hope specifically to Peter, who had denied
him.
The resurrection is so definitively important
that if the early skeptics had wanted to debunk
Jesus divinity, all they had to do was produce
the body. The very claim that he would bodily
rise again was an enormously tangible promise. Two of the most inquiring minds, Saul of
Tarsus and Thomas, submitted to the lordship of the resurrected Jesus. Thomas said
he wouldnt believe until he touched and felt
Jesus wounds. Saul of Tarsus had persecuted
the church. He stood by as Stephen was murdered by a hostile crowd of Jewish leaders.
Sauls transformed life following his encounter with the risen Jesus changed history. One
headed west and the other headed east. Both
were willing to pay with their lives because
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1564
SAVIOR
(CONTINUED)
GOSPELS TO ACTS 1
they defined life on the basis of that resurrection hope. Today there are churches in both
extremities of the world because of these mens
contact with the resurrected Son of God.
The Christian message can be summarized this
way: The greatest ethic is love. Where love is a
reality, freedom has to be given. Where there is
freedom, there will always be the possibility of
sin. Where there is sin, there is the need of a Savior. Where there is a Savior, there is the hope of
redemption. Only in the Judeo-Christian worldview does this sequence find its total expression
and answer. That in a nutshell is the entire gospel
BEGINNINGS
GENESIS
12
(pg. 8)
REVOLT
GENESIS
311
(pg. 24)
PEOPLE
GENESIS 12 to
MALACHI
(pg. 266)
story, and that is uniquely true of the message of

Jesus Christ.
We know behind every question is a questioner.
In Gods Word we find that behind the ultimate
answer is also a personthe very Word of
God who is the way and the truth and the life
(Jn14:6). He is the answer to the cry of every
human heart for a Savior, a Champion and a
personal Redeemer. Jesus is the ultimate hope
for our destiny. No one else comes even close to
meeting our greatest need and our greatest longing. He invites you to know him and find ultimate freedom.
INTERTESTAMENTAL
PERIOD
(pg. 1508)
SAVIOR
GOSPELS to
ACTS 1
(pg. 1560)
CHURCH
ACTS 2 to
REVELATION 20
(pg. 1736)
FOREVER
REVELATION
2122
(pg. 1996)
6/30/16 9:07 AM
Matthew 27:43//1565
You have said so, J esus replied.
12W hen he was acc used by the c hief priests and the elders, he gave no an
swer. 13T hen Pilate a sked him, Dont you hear the test imony they are bringi ng
against you? 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a sing le chargeto the g reat
amazement of the governor.
15Now it was the governors custom at the fest iv al to release a prisoner chosen
by the crowd. 16At that time they had a well-k nown prisoner whose name was
Jesus a Barabbas. 17So when the c rowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, Which
one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the
Messia h? 18For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus
over to him.
19W hile Pilate was sitt ing on the judges seat, his wife sent him this message:
Dont have anyt hing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a g reat
deal today in a d
ream because of him.
20But the chief p
riests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas
and to have Jesus executed.
21 Which of the two do you want me to release to you? a
sked the governor.
Barabbas, they answered.
22 What s
hall I do, then, with J esus who is c alled the Messia h? Pilate asked.
They all answered, Crucif y him!
23 Why? What c
rime has he comm itted? asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, Crucif y him!
24W hen Pil ate saw that he was gett ing now here, but that instead an uproar
was starti ng, he took water and washed his hands in f ront of the crowd. I am
innocent of this m
ans b
lood, he said. It is your responsibilit y!
25A ll the people ans wered, His b
lood is on us and on our child ren!
26T hen he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus f logged, and handed
him over to be crucif ied.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27T hen the governors sold iers took Jesus into the Praetor iu m and gathered
the whole company of sold iers a round him. 28T hey stripped him and put a scar
let robe on him, 29a nd then twisted together a c rown of t horns and set it on his
head. They put a s taff in his r ight hand. Then they k nelt in f ront of him and
mocked him. Hail, king of the Jews! they said. 30T hey spit on him, and took
the staff and s truck him on the head again and again. 31A fter they had mocked
him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him
away to crucif y him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus

32A s they were goi ng out, they met a man from Cyrene, n
amed Simon, and
lace c alled Golgot ha (which
they f orced him to carr y the c ross. 33T hey came to a p
34
means the p
lace of the skull). T here they offered Jesus wine to d rink, m ixed
with gall; but after tasti ng it, he ref used to d
rink it. 35W hen they had crucif ied
him, they div ided up his c lothes by casti ng lots. 36A nd sitt ing down, they kept
laced the written charge a gainst
watch over him t here. 37Above his head they p
him: this is j esus, the king of the jews.
38Two rebels were cruc if ied with him, one on his r
ight and one on his left.
39T hose who passed by hurled ins ults at him, shaki ng t heir heads 40a nd say
ing, You who are goi ng to destroy the temple and build it in t hree days, save
yourself! Come down from the c ross, if you are the Son of God! 41I n the same
way the chief p
riests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42He
saved others, they said, but he cant save himself! Hes the king of Israel! Let
him come down now from the c ross, and we will bel ieve in him. 43 He t rusts
in God. Let God resc ue him now if he w ants him, for he said, I am the Son of
a16
Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1566 // Matthew 27:44

God. 44I n the same way the rebels who were crucif ied with him also heaped
insults on him.
The Death of Jesus

45From
noon unt il t hree in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
t hree in the afternoon J esus c ried out in a loud v oice, Eli, Eli,a lema
sabachthani? (which m
eans My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?).b
47W hen some of t hose standi ng t here h
eard this, they said, Hes calli ng Eli
jah.
48I mmed iatel y one of them ran and got a sponge. He f illed it with wine vin
egar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to d rink. 49T he rest said, Now leave
him a lone. L
ets see if Elijah c omes to save him.
50A nd when J esus had c
ried out a gain in a loud v oice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curt ain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The e arth s hook, the rocks split 52a nd the tombs broke open. The bodies of many
holy people who had died were r aised to life. 53T hey came out of the t ombs after
Jesus resu rrect ion and c went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54W hen the cent ur ion and t hose with him who were guardi ng J esus saw the
earthquake and all that had happened, they were terr ified, and exc laimed,
Surely he was the Son of God!
55M any women were t here, watching from a dist ance. They had followed
Jesus from Gali lee to care for his needs. 56A mong them were Mary Magdalene,
Mary the mother of J ames and Joseph,d and the mother of Zebedees sons.
46A bout
MATTHEW 27:6266
WORRIED ABOUT
A RESURRECTION
Matthew made sure to emphasize
the fact that the tomb was sealed
in order to show that there was no
possible way for the disciples to steal
the body. The Jewish leaders and the
guard were instructed to make the
tomb as secure as you know how
(v.65), and they did so by placing a
seal on the stone that was rolled in
front of the tomb and also by placing
a guard there. After the grave was reported empty and the disciples began
telling others about the resurrection,
those who opposed Jesus attempted
to spread the rumor that the disciples
had stolen the body (Mt28:1115).
However, Matthew made it clear in
his Gospel that the religious leaders
had sealed the tomb specifically for
the purpose of preventing anyone
from stealing the body and faking
a resurrection, which directly contradicts the false narrative they attempted to spread. There is no way
the disciples could have stolen the
body of Christ, and Matthew did well
to show that despite the chief priests
and Pharisees attempts to guard the
tomb, there was nothing they could
do to prevent Jesus actual, physical
resurrection from the dead.
The Burial of Jesus

57A s even ing approached, t here came a rich man from Ari mat hea, named Jo
seph, who had himself become a disciple of J esus. 58Goi ng to Pilate, he a sked for
Jesus body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body,
w rapped it in a c lean linen cloth, 60a nd placed it in his own new tomb that he
had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in f ront of the ent rance to the tomb
and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitt ing t here oppo
site the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb

62T he next day, the one after Prepa rat ion Day, the c
hief p
riests and the Phari
sees went to Pilate. 63Sir, they said, we remember that w
hile he was s till a live
that deceiver said, After t hree days I will rise a gain. 64So give the order for the
tomb to be made secure unt il the t hird day. Otherw ise, his disciples may come
and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This
last decept ion will be w
orse than the first.
65Take a g uard, Pilate ans wered. Go, make the tomb as sec ure as you know
how. 66So they went and made the tomb sec ure by putt ing a seal on the stone
and posti ng the guard.
Jesus Has Risen
28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the f irst day of the week, Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2T here was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from
heaven and, goi ng to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appear
ance was like lightn ing, and his clothes were white as snow. 4T he g uards were so
a fraid of him that they s hook and became like dead men.
5T he angel said to the women, Do not be a
fraid, for I know that you are look
ing for Jesus, who was cruc if ied. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay. 7T hen go quickly and tell his disciples: He
a46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi b46Psalm22:1 c53Ortombs, and after J esus
resurrection they d56Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph
6/30/16 9:07 AM
MATTHEW 28:1620
JESUS ASSIGNMENT TO HIS DISCIPLES

The Great Commission (vv.1920) is a command that rests on the authority of Christ
described in the preceding verse. The phrase Go and make disciples is commonly spoken among
believers, but it is important to note the word therefore that comes before. Followers of Jesus are
expected to go and make disciples solely because of who Jesus is and with the power and authority
that he has been given (v.18). J esus has all authority on heaven and earth, and he doesnt give this
command without empowering his followers to go and tell others about who he is.
The Great Commission
is not the first call for world evangelism in the Bible. In fact, Genesis 12:13 describes Gods promise that Abraham and his descendants would be a blessing to all
nations. Jesus was simply building on what God had already told his people long before. Believers
are expected to share the true and life-giving story of Jesus to every nation far and wide; this command has always been true for people who follow Jesus.
Jesus command involves a simple three-step process; go, baptize and teach. Within this
phrase, Jesus clarified exactly what he expects of his followers. They are to first go and tell others
about him so that others can know and understand his story. Then they are to baptize those who
have heard the story so that they can publicly declare their belief in who he is. Finally, believers need
to teach and encourage one another (Col3:16). Believers will never stop teaching each other and
learning about the nature of God. The command to go, baptize and teach was J esus last command
in the book of Matthew, and it is of the utmost importance for followers of Christ.
However,
Jesus did not ask his disciples to do so alone. He promised that although he was leaving them physically he would always be with them through his Spirit. As long as believers hold fast
to Jesus and rely on the Holy Spirit, the pathway is open for his followers to do what they have been
called to do (Php4:13).
6/30/16 9:07 AM
1568 // Matthew 28:8

has risen from the dead and is goi ng a head of you into Gali lee. T
here you will see
him. Now I have told you.
8So the women hurr ied away from the tomb, a
fraid yet f illed with joy, and ran
to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly J esus met them. Greeti ngs, he said. They came
to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10T hen Jesus said to them, Do not
be a fraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Gali lee; t here they will seeme.
The Guards Report

11W hile the women were on t heir way, some of the g uards went into the city
and reported to the chief priests everyt hing that had happened. 12W hen the
chief p
riests had met with the elders and dev ised a plan, they gave the sold iers
a large sum of money, 13telli ng them, You are to say, His disciples came duri ng
the n ight and s tole him away w
hile we were a sleep. 14I f this report gets to the
governor, we will satisf y him and keep you out of trouble. 15So the sold iers took
the money and did as they were instructed. And this stor y has been widely cir
culated a mong the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission

16T hen the eleven disc iples went to Gali lee, to the mount ain w
here Jesus had
told them to go. 17W hen they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18T hen J esus came to them and said, All aut horit y in heaven and on e
arth has
been given to me. 19T herefore go and make disc iples of all nat ions, bapt izi ng
them in the name of the Fat her and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20a nd teach
ing them to obey everyt hing I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.
6/30/16 9:07 AM
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SAMPLER

The Jesus Bible, NIV Edition

Rooted in the confession

LOUIE GIGLIO is the

pastor of Passion City

preacher with a storytellers

JOHN PIPER is founder and

President and Founder of

author and the founder

JOHN THE BAPTISTS

7 compelling essays on the

JESUS AS THE SUPREME DISPLAY OF THE GLORY OF GOD

After the question Does God exist? (to

THE BIBLE IS CLEAR

God made humans in his image so that the world

Over 300 full-page

CHRIST, THE PROMISED PROPHET

Nearly 700 sidebar

The Second Journey to Egypt

ROMANS 3:20 // 1749

There is no one righteous, not even one;

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS

LET THERE BE LIGHT

JESUS CREATED EVERYTHING AND

(Made in Gods Image,

(continued on next page)

27 So God created mankind in his own image,

Adam and Eve

TheHebrew for man (adam) sounds like and

d12Orgood; pearls e13Possibly southeast Mesopotamia f20Orthe man

I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;

(Gods Created Mission,

THE PROMISED ONE

(continued on page 14)

JESUS AS THE SUPREME DISPLAY OF THE GLORY OF GOD

After the question Does God exist? (to

THE BIBLE IS CLEAR

God made humans in his image so that the world

We can see the purpose of creation even where

GOD HELPS US FEEL THIS TRUTH

I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not

When God created the world, he did not create

worldthis history as it is unfoldingw as

Or switch to the word magnify. We magnify his

Or lets just keep it short: This world exists for

WHY THIS PARTICULAR WORLD?

THE GLORY OF GOD AND

God predestined us for adoption to sonship

This is the endpoint of his glory, and everything

God chose us in him before the creation of

He predestined us for adoption to sonship

supremely revealed through the saving work

We see this in the title that was already on

This is why Revelation 5:9 and 13 show that

Lamb. We will say with white-hot admiration

YOUR BRIGHTEST TREASURE

And why did he create a world that would become

THE FIRST ADAM AND THE

(The Promised One, continued)

Cursed is the ground because of you;

Cain and Abel

Eve probably means living. c24Orplaced in front d1 Cain

made love to his wife again, and she gave b

From Adam to Noah

This is the written account of Adams fami ly line.

Noah and theFlood

But, how does one