Isaac

Listen to today’s reading:

Genesis 27:19

Jacob said to his father, “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 blessing.”

Psalm 120:2

Save me, Lord,
from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.

Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Today’s Reading:

Nevada faced Delaware in the 2018 American Legion World Series championship. In the bottom of the 6th with one out and runners on first and second, the pitcher turned off the rubber toward the runner at second for an attempt at a pickoff. His teammate covering the bag dove without a chance of catching the ball. The runner watched the pitcher slap his thigh in frustration and decided to take third. Quickly, we soon find the ball in the third baseman’s glove, tagging the runner. He was out! What in the world happened? Well, the pitcher didn’t actually throw the ball at all! This is one form of the “hidden ball trick.” You might already know about it. In the hidden ball trick, everyone in the field is in on the plan to trick the runner into thinking there was a bad throw, when actually, the player doesn’t throw the ball at all. Not only does Satan like to trick or deceive, we do it to each other! In Genesis, in the case of Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s wife Rebekah told her son Jacob to trick his father into giving him his brother Esau’s blessing. He lied to his old, blind father and even put on a disguise to cheat him into thinking he was his older brother - the customary recipient of the family birthright and blessing. When Isaac figured out what had been done, scripture says he violently trembled at the thought of what he had been tricked into doing. As human beings, we are susceptible to dishonesty from everywhere and even our own minds at times. It is reassuring that our king Jesus is not fazed or intimidated by our schemes. In Matthew 22, Jesus catches the Pharisees in their evil attempt to “trap him in his words.” Again and again throughout scripture in the gospel accounts, Jesus had the upper hand. Jesus is the wisest of the wise and withstands any evil plot. When Jesus sends out the twelve in Matthew 10, like himself, he tells them to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We too need to maintain all innocence as we accomplish his purposes in a world full of evil ideologies and philosophies. Now, in practice before the season, most coaches have started to train their players to look for the ball into the outfield as they dive back to the bag to avoid falling prey to the hidden ball trick. Baserunners should not react to the other team’s expressions because it could lead into a trap! Not only be on guard yourself, but disciple your disciples and talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ about recognizing things that are not true. Be on guard. Ask for wisdom. As Christ followers, we are not called into playing the deception game. We strive to reveal truth. Even when we are tricked, and in the case of Isaac, we can trust that God uses circumstances to fulfill his purposes. King Jesus was born through the line of his son Jacob. God is not and is never deceived, and through Jesus, all truth will come to light in the end. 

Today’s Prayer Guide:

Praise – Praise God that he can never be tricked and is a sovereign God. 

Confession – Confess that you have deceived others. Confess your inaptitude to pick up on many deceptions. Tell Him you are far from sovereign.

Ask – Ask God to forgive you for deceiving others, and ask God to give you wisdom and the ability for innocent responses to evil with love.