Title: New Year's vow (Genesis 28:16-22)
Contents
New Year's vows (Genesis 28:16-22)
I. I will live by faith with God alone (21)
“If I return to my father’s house in peace, the Lord will be my God,” he said.
Ships sailing on the sea sometimes encounter headwinds and countercurrents. In such a case, it is very difficult to sail on the course planned by the captain. In this world we live in, there is a strong wind of religious beliefs. We must overcome this religious headwind with faith in God. There are various snares and traps along the way. There are all kinds of sweet temptations. Heretical elements and anti-Christian ideas are infiltrating our culture. Our culture is getting sick. We must look at this era, face this culture, and live a life that glorifies the sanctified life with their lives, rather than pairing with them. In times like these, we will “live God-centered” “We will not lean to the left or right, we will only live centered on God.” It's time to make a wish
II. I will live centered on the temple (17~19)
“Then he was afraid and said, “Awesome, this place is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 Jacob got up early in the morning, took the stone that had been used as a pillow, and set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on it. 19 The name of the place was called Bethel, and the old name of the city was Luz.”
The “house of God” here refers to the place where sacrifices are made to God. “The temple of God” refers to the altar where sacrifices are made.
When this altar was developed, sacrifices were offered at the tabernacle when the Israelite community moved out of Egypt and moved into poverty, and later, when the Israelites lived a settled life, sacrifices were made in the temple. And when the Lord was on this earth, there was a temple and a synagogue. Because the temple was located only in Jerusalem, people from all over the country could not go to the temple often, so a synagogue was built in the area and Bible studies and discussions were held there. And after Jesus was resurrected, the Lord ascended to heaven, leaving behind His body, the Church. When Jacob erected a stone pillar and anointed it with oil, it meant that he had offered sacrifices to God. The place where Jacob built an altar and offered sacrifices to God was in Luz. But the place was called “Bethel.” Bethel means the house of God. The fact that Jacob built an altar meant that he vowed to live in the center of the altar, that is, in the center of the temple. To put it in today's expression, it means to live centered on the church. Our members have a mission to worship in Bethel, that is, the church, the house of God.
Hebrews 10:24,25 says, “Let us look out for one another, encouraging love and good deeds, 25 not forbidding gathering together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging them, and all the more as the day draws near.”
Saints! Let us pray that we will also lead our religious life centered on the altar, that is, the church. I hope that you will enjoy spiritual benefits and become rich in faith.
Ⅲ. I will practice the life of tithing (22)
“This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be the house of God, and of all that you give me I will surely give to God a tenth.”
Mal 3:10 says, “Put your whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”
In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were commanded to eat and not to eat. Good and evil were not to be touched. Tithing is not mine either. If you earn ten, you must give one of them because God requires it. In Genesis 14:17, it is recorded that Abraham met Melchizedek, the high priest at that time, and paid tithes. This was 400 years before tithing was established as a law.
In Genesis 28, it is recorded that Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, vowed to pay tithes to God.
In Leviticus 27:30, it is said that tithes are “holy things offered to God.” In 2 Chronicles 31 and Deuteronomy 14, God also commands us to pay tithes. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus also told us not to forsake the things (tithes) that were kept in the Old Testament.
IV. What blessings do the saints who make a vow to God receive?
① It is the blessing of Immanuel who God walks with
After Jacob made a vow, God continued to walk with him from the time he worked in Laban's house.
Gen 31:5, 9, 24 Gen 31:3, 32:1 In a word, Jacob received the blessing of Immanuel. In this way, when God is with me, we can go through difficult things, but do not get discouraged and move forward. We can overcome any tribulation and hardship. Saints! Make a vow to God in the new year, and I hope that you enjoy the blessing of Immanuel that God is with you in the new year.
② He also provides for our physical needs.
Jacob the fugitive, Jacob's appearance as he fled was humble. After 20 years, Jacob, who had fled empty-handed, returned to his hometown after being rejected by many families and servants, and after that, the Han Dynasty was born as his descendants. To those who strive to keep their vows before God, God enjoys blessing them today.
The gates of heaven and blessings that were opened to Jacob are still open today. God still wants to bless us. Saints! By making a religious decision and vows in the new year, I hope that we can all enjoy greater blessings this year than in the past.