Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church
[1] It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. [2] And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
[3] For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. [4] When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, [5] you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
[6] Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? [7] Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. [8] Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
[9] I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—[10] not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. [11] But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. [12] For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? [13] God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Jacob Meets Esau
[1] And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. [2] And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. [3] He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
[4] But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. [5] And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” [6] Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. [7] Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. [8] Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” [9] But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” [10] Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. [11] Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
[12] Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” [13] But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. [14] Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
[15] So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” [16] So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. [17] But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
[18] And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. [19] And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. [20] There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
What did God show you? Comment below!
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As I was reading today, I thought it was neat how all the passages had to do with either dealing with sin or restoration. So cool to see that expressed in different ways all together.
Something that the Lord showed me in reading today really touched my heart. I never realized or thought about that Joseph was with Jacob when he met Esau again. Joseph – who I’ve always read about and learned about forgiving his brothers in spite of the terrible things they did to him. Joseph, witnessed his father and Uncle meeting after years of hurt and fear apart from one another. So, he actually got to witness a powerful example of forgiveness and restoration as a child. It just really deepens who Joseph was for me and connects these lives in a new way. It really is amazing how deep and wide and full the word of God is.
That is really cool to consider that Joseph got to witness the reconciliation between his father and his uncle. I never thought of that before. So encouraging to think about all the amazing things children in our own families get to witness and how God can use that to prepare them for his purposes for them.
“To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
[1] Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
[2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
…[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.”
From the first couple of verses from Psalm 51 we see that David knows he is solely reliant on God to cleanse him from his sin and there is nothing he can do to deal with it except turn to the Lord. There is nothing he can do to remove the stain that sin has left except to rely on God’s love, mercy, and grace. The Lord is continuing to teach David in love here that there isn’t a sacrifice to be made or a work to be done but the Lord is after David’s heart. “[6] Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”
Lord may we be quick to turn to you when the Holy Spirit convicts. Thank you Lord for the love, mercy, and grace you have poured out on us through your son Jesus.
[Acts 3:19-20 ESV] “[19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…”