A Loving Pursuit: Part 24 ( Grace That Is Greater)

November 4, 2015 at 7:36 pm (A Loving Pursuit, About Sin, Assurance, chastisement, correction, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Family, Glory, Grace, Guidance, Home Education, Homeschooling, Hope, Judging, Life, Lighter Burdens., Love, Marriage, Mercy, Our Unchanging God, Parenting, Patience, Provision, Relaxed Homeschooling, Salvation, Sins, Sovereignty of God, Trusting, Truth, value, Veteran Homeschoolers, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

Scripture reference;

“For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” Hebrews 7:14 KJV

“²³ But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

²⁴ But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

²⁸ And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

²⁹ That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹ That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-31 KJV

 

Have you ever read the 38th chapter of Genesis? If this is the first time you are in for a surprise. There is so much that is surprising to first-time readers of the Bible. Well, it was surprising to me. We have a holy God, and He has made it perfectly clear in His word what is sinful, and that He hates sin. However, so much about His ways of dealing with people is past our understanding. Here is where I left off in my last post:

 

“⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

⁷ And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

⁹ And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.

¹¹ Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

¹² And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

¹³ And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

¹⁴ And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

¹⁶ And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

¹⁷ And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

¹⁸ And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹ And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰ And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.

²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

²² And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

²³ And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

²⁴ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

²⁶ And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

²⁷ And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

²⁸ And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

²⁹ And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

³⁰ And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.” Genesis 38:6-30 KJV

 

Fornication is a sin. Had Judah forgotten that? Did he not realize that “both” Tamar and he himself  had committed the same sin when he requested that she be brought forth to be punished? What do you think he might have been thinking?

Have you ever been disgusted at the moment you witnessed someones sinful behavior, and then moments later recalled something shameful that you yourself thought said or did…something that you hoped would never be revealed, or even worse…it was revealed?  I have.  Did it make you cringe?  I did. Aren’t you glad that the Lord has promised to forgive us if we confess our sins…if we confess that we are sinners, and receive Jesus as our Savior?

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 KJV

“⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13 KJV

 

Now here is something remarkable:

“¹ The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

³ And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

⁴ And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

⁵ And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

⁶ And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

⁷ And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

⁸ And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

⁹ And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

¹⁰ And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

¹¹ And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

¹³ And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

¹⁴ And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

¹⁵ And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

¹⁶ And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Matthew 1:1-16 KJV

 

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

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