Devotional
God's Sovereignty Over All
“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17)
This verse follows a detailed genealogy leading to the family in which Christ was born in Joseph’s lineage. When we look at these verses, we should be thankful for God’s sovereignty over the affairs of humans.
First, as Matthew points out, through God’s plan He ordained that exactly 14 generations should separate four key pivotal points in biblical history: 1) the giving of the promise of God’s seed (Christ) to Abraham, 2) the messianically prophetic rule of King David, 3) the prophetic period of time until Judah’s destruction and exile to Babylon, and 4) the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
The second thing we notice is that this lineage, while having a number of godly parents, also contains wicked and evil sons. But at the end of this list of names comes the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Christ is the eternal God, He humbled Himself to become a man, lived a sinless life, and became our prophesied redemption. His genealogy is another good example of how God uses the failings of evil men to bring about His purposes.
In the same way, God demonstrated His goodness in the life of the patriarch Joseph, who had been sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, and then made the second-highest ruler in Egypt. With hindsight, Joseph said, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20). – Jeffrey P. Tomkins, PH.D. Days of Praise Devotional
This Week
Advanced Announcements
Family Skate
Everyone is invited to a family skate on Saturday, February 11, from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. You are welcome to invite extended family and friends. We have rented the ice at the Canlan Sports Arena at 159 Dynamic Dr, Scarborough, ON M1V 5L8. Helmets are recommended for everyone but are only mandatory for youth 16 years old and younger. You are also invited to the church for a pizza lunch after the skate. The cost is $10 per person. Please use the sign-up sheet in the church’s foyer and see Jonathan McAnally for payment.
