Slices
Prepare
What does it mean to you that God is your Father? Praise him for these things.
Bible passage
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched round them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Explore
The first three people mentioned in today’s passage – Isaac, Jacob and Joseph – are described as having faith because at the end of their own lives their focus was on God’s plans for their descendants.
Many people today are interested in finding out more about their family heritage: whether through DNA home testing kits or through family trees, with results that can be surprising or even shocking. Often the reason people give for starting on this journey is a desire to know who they really are: their true identity.
We see something similar in Moses, who chose to identify with the family he was born into rather than with Egyptian royalty (vs 24–27). Rahab (v 31), on the other hand, left the family of her birth to become part of God’s family.
Just like us, the people in today’s passage were members of God’s family because they trusted in him, not because they followed the Law, which wasn’t introduced until late in Moses’ life. Whether your ancestors prayed for and blessed you (vs 20–22) or whether you are the first in your family to have come to faith (v 31), your identity is secure because of your faith in Christ.
Respond
Pray for family members who are not part of God’s family or for Christians you know who have challenging family backgrounds.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 33,34; Acts 2
Pray for Scripture Union
Trustee Sarah Smart is excited by hearing what God is doing through SU at Board meetings. She asks us to pray that the Board of Trustees will continue to seek God’s wisdom, listening to God for innovative ways to engage with children and young people while staying true to our vision and mission.
