Daily Readings & Thought for October 26th. “SO THOSE WHO RECEIVED HIS WORD WERE BAPTISED”
Today’s readings.. (2 Chronicles 23), (Daniel 4), (Acts 2)
What is it to receive Godâs word?  Countless millions have read Godâs word. Go back into ancient history; the world before Noah, his wife and family, turned right away from God. Soon the descendants of Noah were turning away again, resulting in God confounding human languages at Babel, a word which is significantly translated into Greek as Babylon.Â
Then God saw in the man Abraham, a man of true faith.  God had many dealings with him and we read 2 days ago in 2 Chron 20 the prayer of King Jehoshaphat as he stood before the assembly and made an impassioned prayer to the LORD saying they were âthe descendents of Abraham your friend.â [v.7] But the quite common Hebrew word here is almost always translated elsewhere as love and loves! In Godâs message through Isaiah he is addressed âthe offspring of Abraham, my friendâ [41 v.8], it is the same Hebrew word.Â
In a few days we will read Danielâs desperate âprayer and pleas for mercy ⌠O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him âŚâ [Ch.9 v.3,4] âLoveâ is the same Hebrew word!
As we read Johnâs Gospel earlier this month we saw Jesusâ response to those who proudly said, âAbraham is our fatherâ â meriting the response, âIf you were Abrahamâs children you would be doing what Abraham didâ â [8 v.39]   It maybe that some of these were hearing Peterâs speech which we read today in Acts 2. The effect of the Spirit inspired preaching of Peter caused many to be âcut to the heartâ [v.37] and âwith many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, âSave yourselves from this crooked generationâ so those who received his word were baptisedâ [v.40-41] What a crooked generation it is today!
Back to our opening question; âWhat is it to RECEIVE Godâs word?â It is one thing to hear (or to read), it is something else to âreceive.â The âreceivingâ means that Godâs word becomes part of your thinking â and therefore of your doing. And âthose who received his word and were baptised and âdevoted themselves to the apostlesâ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.â [v.42]. Before Christ returns may more receive Godâs word and do this.Â