The Bible by David Alley

The Bible by David Alley

di David Alley
Miglioramento personaleCristianitàReligione
Stagione 1

Genesis 29 - Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 29 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 29 Jacob arrives in Haran, and helps his cousin Rachel to water her sheep. The custom at that place was to cover the well with a stone, and Rachel was too weak to move it on her own, and for this reason shepherds, who were probably young, would gather at the same time to water. Cooperation here between the shepherds is an interesting point and reminds us that ministers of the gospel should work together for Christ. Jacob then works seven years for his wife Rachel. This is quite different to how Isaac obtained a wife immediately without having to work. Abraham of course paid great wealth to get a wife for Isaac, but Jacob is empty handed. Jacob is also about 77 years of age here which is surprising. But then Jacob is deceived by his Uncle Laban and finds he didn’t actually marry his sweetheart Rachel, but wakes up on the morning after the wedding to find her sister Leah in the tent with him. Imagine the shock. This video gives five reasons how this could have happened. But the deception is a clear example of reaping what one has sowed. Despite God’s promises to Jacob, the consequences of his former life are still being worked out.
S1 · E29
1 apr 2022
11:44

Genesis 28 - Jacob's Dream at Bethel | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 28 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 28 Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother, and Esau finally realises (at the age of 77) that his Canaanite wives displease his parents. Esau now takes another wife (this makes 3) for himself from one of Ishmael’s daughters - a cousin of his. Here we see an example of him now trying to honor his parents, after having been quite oblivious about its importance before this. But he once again does so in his own manner, without actually considering how they might have advised. Jacob leaves for Haran and has a dream of heaven, with angels coming and going via flight of stairs. God repeats his promise previously made to Abrraham, and Isaac, and after this Jacob is awed and makes the Lord his God. In a big way, it's a type of conversion experience for him, and we all must make such a choice to follow the Lord. He also names the physical place Bethel, but in the New Testament the house of God is within us, so we are Bethel.
S1 · E28
31 mar 2022
12:03

Genesis 27 - Jacob Receives Isaac's Blessing | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 27 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 27 contains the fascinating story of Jacob’s deceit of his father Isaac so as to steal the blessing from his brother Esau. Isaac is at this point 137 years old and Jacob and Esau are 77, which is much older than we often think. Esau previously despised his inheritance and dishonoured his parents and may be receiving a spiritual backhander here as a result. Jacob does the wrong thing, but demonstrates how highly prized the blessing was. Isaac mistakenly thought there was only one blessing, but we see in the scriptures that there is a blessing for all of God’s people. So go and seek it out. Find your fathers in the faith and ask them to bless you. Today in churches most Christians think little of the blessing, as maybe just a nice collection of words, but for Jacob and Esau the blessing was something to fight for. When our attitudes match Jacob’s we will find the power of the blessing influences us for good much more. Finally Jacob flees for his life, and is advised at the ripe age of 77 to go to his relatives in Haran, and Isaac suggests he might get a wife there. Why such suggestions waited 77 years is an interesting point to contemplate, but reminds us that we need to be involved in the lives of our children as much as possible, guiding them and blessing them.
S1 · E27
30 mar 2022
15:21

Genesis 26 - Isaac and Abimelech | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 26 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 26 tells of how Isaac prospered during a famine. He went to the land of the Philistines where he not only prospered, but repeated the sins of his father ABraham in lying about his wife. This shows us that we must be careful how we act, because our children pick up our values and way of life. Later in the chapter Isaac redigs wells that his father Abraham had dug. This must have been frustrating for him, but illustrates spiritual truth to us. Sometimes we have to go back to prayer and fight again to reobtain victories that were previously obtained. Each generation has to find its own breakthrough and shouldn’t rest on the laurels of those gone before, otherwise we may take for granted what was obtained. Later in the chapter Esua does take his parents for granted and dishonors them by taking local wives. Abraham had gone to great effort to get a wife from afar that wasn’t tainted with the sins around him in Canaan, but Esau seems not to care. So he dishonoured his parents, and even though the ten commandments were not yet given, he showed that honour was not in his heart. Is honour in your heart towards your spiritual leaders? Do you care about the effort they go to for you in prayer, preaching and care?
S1 · E26
29 mar 2022
10:33

Genesis 25 - The Death of Abraham | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 25 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 25 shows us that Abraham actually had many more children and outlines who they are and their descendants. Abraham dies at 175, which was old enough to have met his grandsons, Esau and Jacob who would have been 15 at the time. Isaac was 75 when he buried his father and Ishmael was 88. We then go on to hear the story of the birth of the twins, Jacob and Esau who were born when Isaac was 60 and Abraham was 160. The second Jacob tried to grab his brother's heel and was named accordingly. His name means deceiver, and it clearly had an effect on him as his behavior reflected this throughout his life. Later God intervenes to change Jacob’s name and this was a great mercy, but Jacob had to fight for it. God also gives us the opportunity of a changed identity and if we follow Him we become new creations and are given a new identity too. Finally Esau is convinced by Jacob to give up his birthright. This is the double share of inheritance that a firstborn obtains. Esau simply doesn’t care enough, but Jacob cares much, and later on in scripture we see that his attitude by Esau was not pleasing to God. What spiritual inheritances do you despise and simply not care about?
S1 · E25
28 mar 2022
12:40

Genesis 24 - Isaac and Rebekah | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 24 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, and tells of how Abraham at the age of 140 organised a wife for his son Isaac. He didn’t want to get a wife from among the Canaanites, even though he was to inherit the land, but from his family. He sent his servant on a long journey, which took about 17 days each way, with ten fully loaded camels, to Haran where Bethuel lived. There the servant prays and God helps in finding a wife. In this we learn how practical Godo is, answering prayers every day in situations all of the time. After finding Rebekah, the servant gives her jewelry worth more than $6000 US Dollars according to estimates with online websites, and that must have helped put Rebekah’s mind at ease knowing her future master was wealthy. Ultimately they gave her, and her family many other things too. But what really settled the deal was knowing it was the will of God. We make many choices in life, and just because the circumstances are correct doesn't mean we should proceed. What we need to know is if the Lord is in it, and thus we need to be people who seek him.
S1 · E24
27 mar 2022
16:09

Genesis 23 - The Death of Sarah | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 23 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 23 seems like a story that while interesting has little to do with the rest of scripture. It recounts the death of Sarah at great old age of 127. Isaac is 37 years old at the time of her death and she is the only woman in scripture whose age at death is named. The passage goes on to describe a negotiation between Ephron the Hittite and Abraham for the purchase/sale of the burial plot, which is a field with a cave in it. Both seem keen to do what they think the other wants, which for Abraham is to pay a good price, and for Ephron to give the field away. In the end they concede to each other and Abraham purchase the field for 400 shekels of silver, which was a good deal. This passage, as well as showing some interesting historical things, also highlights preferential honor in relationships. Clearly these two men had a great deal of respect for each other, and as Christian believers, there is a calling for preferential treatment of each other also.
S1 · E23
26 mar 2022
9:18

Genesis 22 - The Sacrifice of Isaac | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 22 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 22 tells the incredible story of the testing of Abraham. Up until now, the whole narrative has been about how Abraham had to exhibit faith so as to obtain a son. Now that he has a son, he is asked to give him up by sacrificing him. While this is also a test of faith, it is really a test of values. Does Abraham value his son more than God? Does Abraham really love God, or only love what God can do for him? Many of us love God because of the blessings we receive from Him, such as Heaven, or His promises here and now. Later in scripture Job loses everything and rerfuses to give up on God, and thus goes through the same type of test, but without knowing it. Job is found to value God above what God can do for hm, and in the process all is restored in greater measure. Many of us are also called to go through tests of what we value, and whether God has a higher place than these things. This passage also raises questions about child sacrifice, and God’s requests of us. Does God ask us to do things which are wrong? Listen and find out.
S1 · E22
25 mar 2022
10:10

Genesis 21 - The Birth of Isaac | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 21 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 21 tells the story of Isaac’s birth, which is a great culmination of all the faith and promises in all the previous chapters of Genesis. Abraham perseveres in trusting God even though it has gotten to the point that the evidence is now against anything happening. So he is a great example to copy. But a battle of inheritance now begins between the two boys, but really between the two mothers who both want their son to be the one who inherits. First born sons inherit a double share, and Ishamel was the first born. But Sarah says he is the son of a slave and doesn't count. First this is an example of a son, who is not the firstborn inheriting everything. This happens in other places too, such as with Jacob and Esau and later with Joseph and the brothers. Even Seth, the third son of Adam is the prominent one. This is a recurring theme and illustrates how God chooses the unexpected one for his purpose, and we are the weak, foolish and unexpected choice. We can identify with not being the prominent one, but having God’s grace. At the same time, Christ is the true firstborn son, who does inherit everything, but the New Testament shows us that he does so by laying it all down and not claiming it. So Christ sets an example of not fighting for one’s rights, but serving others, and inheriting God’s blessing through service. But Isaac does become the firstborn, despite being second, because Ishamel is in some senses illegitimate. Ishamel is the son of human effort, and not the son of God’s promise. Paul writes about this in Galatians later on. So we too will find God’s best for us through his promises, and not through our efforts.
S1 · E21
24 mar 2022
11:03

Genesis 20 - Abraham and Abimelech | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

This is part of a video series covering the entire Bible in 4 years, one chapter at a time. Start at the beginning with Genesis 1 (Youtube link: https://youtu.be/wC2qD4RGOdo) and work through the playlist. Or go to https://www.peace.org.au/bible.html for more information. In this video listen to Genesis 20 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. Genesis 20 tells the story of Abraham’s visit to Gerar and how Abimelech took Sarah to be his own wife, without realising she was Abraham’s wife. A curse comes on Abimelech’s house as a result of his ignorant sin, and God warns him in a dream. In this story we see Abraham repeating behaviour that he previously demonstrated in Genesis 12. (Youtube link: https://youtu.be/I026wntk-bA) As humans we often repeat behaviour that we should stop, and the temptation here is to firstly think this story is fabricated because it sounds like the earlier story, but instead it is a mark of authenticity. Secondly its a reminder to consider our own repeated mistakes. But next we see that we sometimes have life’s circumstances turn against us without knowing why also, and we need to find a way through in prayer. Often we too have sinned unknowingly (oro maybe knowingly) and we need to find repentance and rectification as did Abimelech. Other times like later with the biblical character Job, the curse is more mysterious. But in the same way, we must seek the face of God and find a way through the situation, but in doing so, also find a way into greater maturity as believers.
S1 · E20
23 mar 2022
8:30
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