Genesis 42, Mark 12, Job 8, Romans 12

Date	Version	Reading Plan
@February 9, 2024	ESV (2016)	M’Cheyne Plan 2024

Genesis 42

Genesis 42:9 (ESV) 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt to buy grain and bowed before Joseph who had become governor of the land. Not recognized by his brothers, Joseph withholds his identity, responds to them harshly and accuses them of being spies. In this midst of this, a moment comes to Joseph in which he remembers his dreams he had many years earlier: the sheaves bowing to the sheaf (Gen. 37:7) and the sun, moon and stars bowing down to him (Gen. 37:9). It is a fascinating detail to include and reinforces the sovereign plan God had for Joseph.

Mark 12

Mark 12:25–27 (ESV) 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

The Sadducees, who disbelieved resurrection from the dead, sought to trap Jesus with a hypothetical scenario of marriage. Jesus rebukes them for neither knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God then addresses their objection to resurrection with the account of Moses, the bush and his encounter with God. Jesus quotes Exod. 3:6 where God told Moses, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” This reference brilliantly illustrates the eternality of God by pointing to the patriarchs and that resurrection is essential based on what we know of God’s character.

Job 8

Job 8:2 (ESV) 2 “How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind? … If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation. 7 And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.

Bildad addresses Job’s protests of God by asking how long his mouth will be a great wind. Bildad had less patience with Job than Eliphaz and accuses Job’s criticisms of God as unwarranted. He doubted Job’s righteousness, blaming his plight on wrongdoing of some kind and that he needed to plead for God’s mercy. Again, this is demonstrative of unhelpful guidance based on a myopic perspective.

Romans 12

Romans 12:1 (ESV) 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

This stands as one of the most powerful passages on the Christian life in all of Scripture. By God’s mercy, we are to present our bodies (the Greek word here is sōma, which means the entire person) as a living sacrifice. Our lives are to be completely laid down in service of Christ, putting to death all selfish ambition and deeds of the flesh. Every time I read this passage I am convicted all the more of what is required to be a follower of Christ.

Carson on Mark 12

Whatever answer Jesus gave [in regard to the paying taxes to Caesar], he would be a loser. But he refuses to yield. Instead, he asks for a coin, asks whose image is on it, and argues that it is right to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Jesus thereby neatly escapes their snare, and his interlocutors are amazed.

The Pharisees and Herodians thought they had Jesus pinned, but He astounded everyone with His reply. His perfect answer completely neutralized their scheme, preventing further questioning and leaving them only to marvel at Him. It is an amazing instance where we see the power of truth embodied and expressed in Jesus.

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Justin Houtz