January 4 ▪ Day 4

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 3:3–4
Genesis 7–8
Matthew 4
Psalms 4

Verse Focus (Proverbs 3:3–4)

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
     bind them around your neck,
     write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴Then you will win favor and a good name
     in the sight of God and man.

Meditation

Today’s verse focus offers more wisdom as it talks about the importance of love and faithfulness in your life. If these qualities characterize your life, you will “win favor and a good name” not just in the sight of God, but also in the sight of man. One way of interpreting this verse is to think of loyalty to family, friends, community and country. In this case, the individual demonstrates love and faithfulness in their actions with other people. But you can also think of the “love and faithfulness” as talking about God Himself since these are qualities for which He is magnified. Either way, Scripture cites two values that should be foundational to how we live.

Our chapters in Genesis continue the story of Noah and the flood. Noah is particularly commended because he “did everything” that God commanded (v. 5). There are the familiar miracles — how God brings the animals to the ark in pairs, and when the time is right, God himself shuts them up securely in the ark.

We see some patterns with numbers. Noah is told to enter the ark and then the flood will start in seven days (v. 4, 10). The flood starts on the 17th day of the second month, and the flood continues for 5 months (150 days), so that the exact day the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat is the 17th day of the seventh month. It still takes two and a half months before the waters recede enough for them to be able to see the tops of all the mountains. After that, Noah waits 40 days before testing to see if it’s safe yet to leave the ark. This is reminiscent of the initial 40 days that it rained at the start of this journey. Then another 14 days before the dove no longer returns — by now it’s nearing the end of the 11th month. By the first of the year, Noah is able to take the cover off the ark. God finally tells them they and all the animals may leave the ark on the 27th day of the second month — 1 year and 10 days after they had been shut in (but 1 year and 17 days after they had entered the ark).

We marvel at Noah’s faith in building the ark in the first place. But I think of that 7-day period before the rains started — it must have been excruciating. I can just imagine the neighbors seeing all the animals entering the ark. They would drop by and shout to Noah and the family, all the while shaking their heads and laughing. Similarly, how painful it must have been to wait for the ground to be dry enough for them to disembark.

At the end of chapter 8 God promises that he will never again “curse the ground” because of mankind’s wickedness. There is a promise that the seasons will abide so long as the earth exists. It’s worth noting, however, that the problem with mankind has not been solved. God wiped out the evil and violence of those who had been living on the earth, but the heart problem abides.

So today we read Matthew chapter 4. Yesterday, I said that Christ’s baptism marked the beginning of his ministry. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say it marked the change in his life from living and working as an ordinary carpenter.

The first thing that happens is that the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Does this seem weird to any of you? What’s going on here? God’s Spirit is orchestrating a time of temptation?

Well, yes. The Spirit does orchestrate that. But that’s not all that happens, even though Scripture doesn’t give us many details. To begin with, Jesus spends that time in the wilderness fasting and praying. He is alone with God, deeply focused on spiritual matters. It is perhaps this time of fasting and prayer that most prepares Jesus for the coming three years of ministry. I note that the “40 days” is reminiscent of the time Moses spent up on the mountain with God when the Israelites were first given the law.

So when Jesus comes to the end of this time of fasting and prayer, he was “hungry.” (Don’t you just love that understatement?!!!) And that’s when Satan comes to tempt him.

Much has been and can be written about the temptations of Christ. There is a lot of fruit for meditation here. But I will only point out that the weapon Christ uses to protect himself from the temptations is Scripture. Satan is crafty: after the first temptation is warded off by referencing the Scripture from Deuteronomy, Satan actually quotes Scripture in the second temptation. The point is, simply, that Scripture is not a magic bullet. God’s enemies can misuse Scripture — that’s why it’s so important for us to actually know what the Scriptures say. So that we’ll know the breadth and depth of Scripture as well as specific contexts in which certain things are said.

Satan tempts Jesus with physical needs (hunger); he attacks Christ’s sense of identity; and then he brings up power and authority. Most devastating about this third temptation is that Satan is offering a shortcut. Fortunately for us, Jesus resisted these temptations — and he willingly walked the difficult path to the cross.

Matthew again points out how Jesus fulfilled prophecy by starting his ministry in Capernaum. Jesus calls the first disciples, and he begins teaching and preaching and healing. Does it surprise you, though, to find out that Jesus’ early messages are almost identical to what John the Baptist was preaching? Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near (v. 17).

Psalm 4, our psalm today, has many beautiful verses. Perhaps one of them will strike you as the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart. I think I tend to focus on individual verses when I read this particular psalm; I don’t always consider it as a whole. However, when I consider the psalm today, it seems to me like there is a conversation going on between David and God. David starts by demanding that God speak to him; he is in distress and needs help (v. 1). God responds by asking a question: how long will the Israelites dishonor God and seek after idols (v. 2)? David replies that he has been set aside as God’s servant; God hears him (v. 3). God again responds to David (v. 4-5), and finally David asks for God’s blessing and expresses his trust in the Lord (v. 6-8).

I think verses 4 and 5 are the heart of what God asks of us when we come before him. “Search your hearts and be silent,” and “offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD.”

Father God, thank you for all the good gifts you have given us: your covenant promises to never again destroy all life because of man’s wickedness, the promise of enduring seasons, but most of all thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus, who came to once and for all solve this heart problem that we have. By your Spirit, search my heart and show me how I have hurt you. Cleanse my heart and mind, and renew my spirit so that I may offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise. Enable me to trust you and walk closely with you today, and in the days ahead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.