January 27 (Genesis 49–50; Psalm 24; Mark 3)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: January 27, 2025
Scriptures Covered: Genesis 49–50; Psalm 24; Mark 3
Host/Author: Crossway

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Introduction

In the January 27 episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry," listeners embark on a profound journey through pivotal scriptures from the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament. This episode delves into Genesis chapters 49 and 50, Psalm 24, and Mark chapter 3, offering deep insights and reflections that enrich the understanding of these foundational texts.

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Old Testament Reading: Genesis 49–50

Jacob’s Final Blessings and Legacy

The episode begins with a poignant reading from Genesis 49–50, where Jacob, nearing the end of his life, calls his twelve sons to impart final blessings and prophecies about their futures.

• [00:05] Jacob: “Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob...”

Jacob’s blessings are rich with symbolism and foretell the destinies of the tribes of Israel. Notably:

• Judah’s Prominence:

  • [00:49] Jacob: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him.”

  This prophecy underscores Judah's leadership role, ultimately pointing to the lineage of King David and, by extension, Jesus Christ.

• Joseph’s Resilience and Favor:

  • [03:50] Jacob: “Joseph is a fruitful bow... Yet his bow remained unmoved.”

  Joseph’s steadfastness and divine favor are highlighted, illustrating themes of perseverance and God’s providence.

The Passing of Jacob

The narrative moves to the death of Jacob, detailing his burial in the cave of Machpelah and Joseph’s obedient actions to honor his father’s last wishes.

• [04:12] Joseph: “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying...”

Joseph's dedication ensures the proper burial of Jacob, reflecting familial respect and faithfulness.

Joseph’s Assurance to His Brothers

After Jacob's death, Joseph addresses his brothers, offering forgiveness and reassurance despite their past transgressions.

• [10:14] Joseph: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.”

This powerful declaration emphasizes reconciliation and the overarching theme of redemption.

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Psalm Reading: Psalm 24

The Majesty and Sovereignty of God

Psalm 24 is a majestic hymn attributed to David, celebrating God's dominion over the earth and His holiness.

• [07:23] David: “The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

This opening verse sets the tone for recognizing God’s supreme authority.

Qualities of Those Who Seek God

The Psalm outlines the necessary attributes for those approaching God, highlighting purity and integrity.

• [07:52] David: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart...”

These qualities underscore the importance of righteousness in one's relationship with God.

The King of Glory

The concluding verses glorify God as the "King of Glory," inviting all creation to acknowledge His reign.

• [07:55] David: “Lift up your heads, O gates... Who is this king of glory?”

• [08:14] David: “He is the King of glory. Selah.”

These declarations affirm God's eternal sovereignty and majesty.

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New Testament Reading: Mark 3

Jesus’ Ministry and Teachings

In Mark 3, the focus shifts to Jesus' earthly ministry, showcasing His miraculous works, the commissioning of the apostles, and profound teachings.

• Healing on the Sabbath:

  • [08:23] Joseph: “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand...”

  Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, challenging prevailing interpretations of the law and emphasizing compassion over rigid observance.

• Appointment of the Apostles:

  • [09:37] Joseph: “And he appointed 12, whom he also named, apostles...”

  Jesus selects twelve apostles, entrusting them with the mission to preach and perform miracles, laying the foundation for the early Church.

Confrontation with Religious Leaders

The chapter highlights tensions between Jesus and the religious authorities, particularly the Pharisees and Herodians.

• [10:21] Joseph: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself...”

  Jesus refutes accusations of demonic influence, articulating the incoherence of such claims and affirming His divine mission.

Family and True Kinship

In a profound moment, Jesus redefines family relationships based on obedience to God's will.

• [10:47] Joseph: “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

This teaching expands the concept of family to include all who follow God's commandments, emphasizing spiritual kinship over biological ties.

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Conclusion

The January 27 episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year" offers a rich exploration of pivotal biblical passages. From Jacob’s enduring blessings and Joseph’s unwavering faith in Genesis, through the solemn declarations of God’s sovereignty in Psalm 24, to Jesus’ authoritative ministry and teachings in Mark 3, listeners are invited to deepen their understanding and faith. Jackie Hill Perry, through Crossway, facilitates a transformative journey, bridging ancient texts with contemporary faith experiences.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jacob on Judah’s Future:

  • [00:49] “The scepter shall not depart from Judah...”

• Joseph’s Assurance:

  • [10:14] “...God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.”

• David on God’s Dominion:

  • [07:23] “The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof...”

• Jesus on True Kinship:

  • [10:47] “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

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This episode serves as a vital component of the year-long journey through the ESV Bible, providing listeners with deep scriptural insights and spiritual enrichment.

Transcript

[Narrator]

A reading from the Book of Genesis.

[Jacob]

Then Jacob called his sons and said, gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel. Your father, Reuben. You are my firstborn, my might and the first fruits of my strength. Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power, unstable as water. You shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed. Then you defiled it. He went up to my couch. Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their counsel. O my glory. Be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce in their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. Judah, your brother shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub from the prey. My son, you have gone up. He stooped down he crouched as a lion, and as a lioness. Who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him. And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foil to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. He has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant at forced labor. Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O Lord. Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is a fruitful bow, A fruitful bow By a spring his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him and harassed him severely. Yet his bow remained unmoved. His arms were Made agile by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel. By the God of your Father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breast and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents. Up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of him who is set apart from his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil. All These are the 12 tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. Then he commanded them and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. In the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife. And there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were brought from the Hittites. When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 40 days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him 70 days. And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the.

[Joseph]

Household of Pharaoh, saying, if now I.

[Jacob]

Have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, my father made me swear, saying, I am about to die in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan.

[Joseph]

There shall you bury me. Now therefore let me please go up.

[Jacob]

And bury my father. Then I will return. And Pharaoh answered, go up and bury your father as he made you swear. So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation. And he made a mourning for his father seven days. When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, this is a grieving mourning by the Egyptians. Therefore the place was named Abel Mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan. Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them. For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, it may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. So they sent a message to Joseph saying, you, father gave this command before he died. Say to Joseph, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin because they did evil to you. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father. Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants. But Joseph said to them, do not fear, for am I in the place of God. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. So do not fear, I will provide for you and your little ones. Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he in his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were counted as Joseph's own. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely visit you and and you shall carry up my bones from here. So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him and he was put in A coffin in Egypt.

[Narrator]

A reading from the Book of Psalms. A psalm of David.

[David]

The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who does not lift up his soul.

[Jacob]

To what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

[David]

He will receive blessing from the Lord.

[Joseph]

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

[David]

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of.

[Jacob]

The God of Jacob. Selah.

[David]

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up old ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this king of glory?

[Jacob]

The Lord of hosts.

[David]

He is the King of glory. Selah.

[Narrator]

A reading of the Gospel According to Mark.

[Joseph]

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with a withered hand, come here.

[Jacob]

And he said to them, is it.

[Joseph]

Lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea. And a great crowd followed from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan, and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him.

[Jacob]

For he had healed many, so that.

[Joseph]

All who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, you are the Son of God. And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired.

[Jacob]

And they came to him.

[Joseph]

And he appointed 12, whom he also named, apostles, so that they might be with him, and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons, he appointed the twelve Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, sons of Thunder, Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Then he went home and. And the crowd gathered again so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him. For they were saying, he is out of his mind.

[Jacob]

And the scribes who came down from.

[Joseph]

Jerusalem were saying, he is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons. He cast out the demons, and he called them to him and said to them in parables, how can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And and if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

[Jacob]

And if Satan has risen up against.

[Joseph]

Himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

[Jacob]

But no one can enter a strong.

[Joseph]

Man'S house and plunder his goods. Unless he first binds the strong man.

[Jacob]

Then indeed he may plunder his house.

[Joseph]

Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin. For they were saying, he has an unclean spirit. And his mother and his brothers came and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him. And they said to him, your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you. And he answered them, who are my mother and my brothers? And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.