TODAY’S
WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 15, 2013.
INNOCENCE
DEFINITION:
Free
from moral wrong; without sin; without evil intent or motive.
SCRIPTURE:
How
then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? Genesis 39:9
For
it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent and separated
from the sinners and the undefiled, exalted above the heavens. Hebrews 7:26.
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
In
the first eleven verses of Genesis 37 we read about Joseph's life as a young
boy. Joseph was Jacob's favorite son and his brothers resented him for it. The
older brothers were off attending their father's flock and Jacob would send
Joseph to check on them. Unfortunately, Joseph found them doing bad things and
had to give his father a bad report. This added to the brother's resentment of
Joseph. Joseph was innocent. He was trying to do right for his father.
Joseph
again innocently further provoked his brothers hostility when he told his
family about his God-given dreams which portrayed that he would rule over them.
Again Joseph told them innocently and he had no evil motive or intent.
Although
Joseph had done no wrong his brothers plotted to kill Joseph but settled on
selling him to slave traders. We need to note that this was God’s plan for
Joseph. His brothers took his robe and put blood stains on it and returned it
to their father as evidence that Joseph was dead. The slave traders sold him to
Potiphar, a high Egyptian official. At the young age of perhaps 17, Joseph was
separated from his family and living in a strange country far from home and as
a mere slave.
In
spite of the hardships of life as a slave, Joseph remained faithful to God and
God blessed him. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him but Joseph refused her
saying, "How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God."
(Genesis 39:9) She then lied to Potiphar and falsely accused Joseph of trying
to seduce her. Joseph was then thrown into prison even though, once again, he
was innocent.
Joseph
is seen as a type of Christ; an innocent person who suffered because of the
wickedness of others and through him the chosen people were delivered from
certain death. Joseph's silence as his brothers debated his fate reminds us of
the silence of Christ before His judges.
Jesus
was falsely accused. He was innocent of any wrong doing as was Joseph. Joseph
was thrown into prison but Jesus was crucified. By His death, Jesus delivered
us from eternal death when He gained the victory over death by rising from the
dead.
Jesus
is alive and our high priest today. Like the high priests in the Bible, He is
the perfect High Priest because He is Holy, innocent and undefiled. As our High
priest, Jesus makes continuing intercession for us before God.
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in Luke 9:23
And
He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny
himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
PRAYER:
Thank
You for the reminder You have given us in the life of Joseph preparing us to
look to You for our salvation from the evils of this world. Help me to lead my
family to trust in You and to put You first in all that we do as individuals
and as a family.
