In this episode of the Daily Bible Podcast, PPJ and PR delve into the biblical definition of goodness, contrasting the actions of believers and non-believers such as Bill Gates. The discussion also addresses the theological debate on the morality of good deeds from a God-centered perspective. The episode transitions to church logistics, tackling questions about multiple church services and whether it creates multiple congregations. The hosts support the use of multiple services to accommodate growth while still maintaining the unity of the church. The episode wraps up with an exploration of Genesis 30-31, examining the moral complexities of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah, and emphasizing the importance of humility in interpreting biblical narratives.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:14 Defining Goodness from a Biblical Perspective

01:54 Addressing Listener Questions

02:04 Discussion on Multiple Church Services

07:59 The Importance of Community Groups

08:17 Genesis 30-31: A Dramatic Soap Opera

08:24 Rachel and Leah's Rivalry

11:14 Jacob's Wealth and Deception

12:22 Jacob and Laban's Confrontation

13:43 Closing Prayer and Reflections

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the daily Bible podcast.

3

What's up.

4

Y'all.

5

You are actually not here today.

6

Oh, I am.

7

No, you're not.

8

I am.

9

No, but you're leaving.

10

Yes, but I am here today.

11

Yeah, almost guaranteed.

12

I have to come to the office because this

is where we're going to be departing from.

13

Yes.

14

We're going to be meeting here so that we

can check in and then depart to blooming.

15

Springs grooming Dale, blooming

Grove homey Grove blooming Grove.

16

Texas, which is where

our house is going to be.

17

It's really beautiful.

18

I cannot wait to get there.

19

Yeah, but all that to say you're

re revival, winter edition, RWE.

20

It kicks off today.

21

RWE.

22

And this is probably the last year.

23

I think.

24

That will do a Thursday, Friday,

Saturday, and the next year.

25

I'm pretty confident we could do

Friday, Saturday, come back Sunday

26

and join you guys for church.

27

There we go.

28

Or somewhere thereabouts.

29

Yeah.

30

Yeah.

31

Cause our setup team and tear

down team will be so robust.

32

So many people will be doing it and we'll

have worship covered and we'll have David

33

Rapido will be, it's going to be quickly.

34

yeah, absolutely.

35

A hundred percent.

36

Yeah.

37

God-willing well, we're praying

for a great weekend for you guys.

38

Great time away.

39

Thank you.

40

Yeah, safety and everything else.

41

And a heated pool.

42

Hopefully.

43

It's pretty pricey.

44

I was looking at him, so

the guy texted me back.

45

Okay.

46

So get this.

47

Everybody.

48

Listen.

49

Ready?

50

For treat DFW is the

company that we're using.

51

We're putting everybody

on blast right now.

52

Okay.

53

They've been great.

54

They've been great.

55

We used them two years in a row.

56

Now this will be our second year.

57

And this year at this

PO this place that we.

58

Rented.

59

They're saying that they charged

to heat the pool, which I thought,

60

oh, I thought they'd be included.

61

Yeah.

62

No.

63

It's okay.

64

We're being a pretty Benny for this.

65

Yeah.

66

Anyway they're charging for

the propane and it's not cheap.

67

I.

68

I don't buy propane with any regularity.

69

So this is a, this is

more than I expected it.

70

Can you be like, can you heat it?

71

Like some.

72

Okay.

73

Can you subsidize it right?

74

I have a little bit, at least.

75

Can you just raise it like a few degrees?

76

So that's not as cold.

77

I don't know, man.

78

I don't want them to take away our HVAC.

79

And then I say, okay, you can use

the heating in the house, but we're

80

going to charge you extra for that.

81

I'm sorry guys.

82

I like these guys.

83

They're nice people.

84

I've interacted with them now multiple

times because of our retreats.

85

So I'm just confused as well.

86

It's cold out there, man.

87

It's 29 right now.

88

Yeah, and it's supposed

to be here's the thing.

89

It was almost supposed to snow,

it's almost 10 days ago now when

90

we had the snow that came in.

91

Yeah.

92

And they're predicting snow for this week

because of how cold it was going to be.

93

So I'm really thankful

you don't have snow.

94

Cause that could have been

a really awful situation.

95

Postponing rescheduling.

96

I don't want to do that.

97

So I'm thankful that it's not happening.

98

Yep.

99

Same here.

100

I'm glad that that you're going in and

a couple of my kiddos are going to you.

101

We don't take good care of them.

102

They should have a good time.

103

I'm confident.

104

Hey we addressed a couple of questions

yesterday, but some more questions today.

105

Pastor rod arranged marriages.

106

Let's talk about that.

107

Because we're reading about this, right?

108

Hey, go get a wife for

my son, for my relatives.

109

And we had somebody that wrote in that.

110

How some experience

living in other cultures.

111

Yeah, that really, this is one of

the first times living in the United

112

States was his marriage arranged.

113

I don't think so.

114

I don't believe so that's a bummer.

115

He might write into correct

us, but I don't believe so.

116

But he wrote in, in, in this is

unfortunate, but he said, one of the

117

things that they've noticed about

being in the American culture is how

118

prevalent divorces and that's true.

119

Mueller has talked about this numerous

times on the daily briefing on how

120

no fault divorce has increased the

prevalence of divorce and the ease

121

of divorce and everything else.

122

And he even found some.

123

This this color, this email.

124

I call her included some

graphs for for our graphs too.

125

Yeah.

126

And it shows the United States

is not favorable when it comes to

127

comparing other countries to divorce

rates compared to the United States.

128

And so he wonders if a

part of this might be too.

129

Reflection on our motivations and

the way we go about finding a wife.

130

And so he asks some questions based on

Genesis 22 through 24 that we've been

131

reading in the daily Bible reading.

132

He says can we say from Genesis 22 through

24, that relying on God's Providence and

133

wisdom from others is a better approach

than the one, our culture champions.

134

I think we could yes.

135

A hundred percent.

136

But unpack that a little bit.

137

How what's some of the differences

there that we might find.

138

Yes, we agree.

139

And we would say that application

can be pointed either way.

140

Whether it's do arranged marriage or

whether it's through personal preference

141

marriage, because a marriage like

that, even in an American culture,

142

if you had a young man and a young

woman seeking the leadership and the

143

wisdom of the collective church that

they attend saying help us to discern

144

the appropriateness of this marriage.

145

That's going to be good.

146

Because then you'll have the ability

to get some of the same input.

147

From people that love you care

about you and know you really well

148

to determine is this a good fit?

149

And a similar situation.

150

If you had mom and dad do it.

151

And I don't, I'm not against that.

152

I prefer to do that for my kids.

153

Cause I think I'd make a better

decision than they would.

154

I'd like that.

155

But assuming that things

don't change in our culture.

156

If you had mom and dad do it, I think

there's going to be similar benefits.

157

They love you.

158

They care about you.

159

They have a vested interest in you.

160

But I think you can get much of

those benefits from the church.

161

So taking advantage of the church

as your safety net to say, I really

162

like this person, can you help us

discern the appropriateness of this

163

marriage or even to meet with the.

164

A pastor.

165

I had a couple of meet with me

recently to say, Hey, we're really

166

serious about our relationship.

167

What do you think about us pursuing this?

168

And so we met 2, 3, 4 weeks.

169

I can't remember exactly how many, but

at the end of it, they decided not to

170

before it, and I would call that success.

171

Yeah.

172

Because it's better that they figure

that out on the front end, then it on the

173

back end, after they made a commitment,

a hundred percent agree with you.

174

Yeah.

175

Yeah.

176

He goes on and asks that with the

challenges of divorce in the United

177

States compared to other places,

should we interpret the arranged

178

marriage in Genesis 23, purely as

a cultural way of doing things?

179

Or is this maybe.

180

Typically better wait, man, this is hard.

181

Because.

182

I as a college pastor.

183

I often told our college students.

184

Because I would get the question.

185

Hey, is it wrong to want

somebody to be attractive?

186

Is that wrong to, to look for in a spouse?

187

There's this biblical idea that, that

has crept in and not biblical idea

188

that there's this fraudulent notion

that has crept in that somehow.

189

To only care about the

attractiveness or to care about the

190

attractiveness at all is shallow.

191

And we shouldn't as Christians

care about the attractive, this

192

is really about the inner beauty.

193

What you got to say by this bro Como.

194

And we've had this conversation

before we have had the conversation

195

and I don't agree with that at all.

196

And yet, man.

197

I Isaac didn't get a choice of Rebecca.

198

Abraham said to his servant, go

find a wife and it appears that

199

he was attracted to Rebecca when

he was in the field meditating.

200

He was probably praying for that.

201

It's oh Lord, please.

202

Beautiful.

203

She not have fallen out of the ugly tree

and hit every branch on the way down.

204

Yeah.

205

I think physical attraction

is part of the way that God

206

designed us towards our spouse.

207

And I think that's okay.

208

I used to tell our college students

that should be on your list of things

209

you're looking for in a spouse.

210

You should want to be

physically attracted to them.

211

You shouldn't just marry someone.

212

'cause it's oh, they're there.

213

The godliest person I could find.

214

And yet they look like they got

beat with the ugly steak like that.

215

That's not.

216

I don't think that's what we're

called to do as Christian.

217

I get arranged marriages

work and I get that.

218

Th that culturally it's a thing

in some cultures where it works.

219

And yet, I also know that we,

as human beings were created.

220

Physically to be attracted to people.

221

And I think God uses that in the way

that to your point with wisdom and

222

the input of other people that we as

Christian seek a godly spouse, I think

223

physical attraction enhances that.

224

And it's a good thing.

225

And it's worthwhile to have,

and I don't know that I would

226

have wanted to trust my parents.

227

To be like, yeah, we think she's cute.

228

Sorry, Dr.

229

Berner.

230

Yeah.

231

Yeah sorry.

232

Dorothy.

233

Yeah.

234

Okay.

235

And here's my only pushback because

we've had this conversation before.

236

I'll just give you my 2 cents on this.

237

Physical attraction can be directed.

238

That's my point.

239

Physical attraction is malleable

and variable to an extent.

240

I, yes.

241

If you go throughout human history,

the standards of beauty have

242

shifted and changed dramatically.

243

To the point where someone

beautiful today probably would not

244

qualify as beautiful back then.

245

So I would say.

246

It is shaped in a lot of ways by culture.

247

But it also can be shaped by

your own design and desire.

248

So for instance, one of the

things that I pray for constantly

249

is my own marriage, obviously.

250

And so I pray that God would help me to

make a Christian my standard of beauty.

251

And we've both changed since we've

been married, we looked different.

252

Not fundamentally different.

253

But we both changed.

254

And we both love each other through that.

255

In fact, I would say my relationship

with my bride is deeper and more

256

profound and more attractive than

what she was when I first met her.

257

Which I would say is

evidence that human desire.

258

Our willingness to willingness,

our ability to be attracted

259

can be enhanced or.

260

Unenhanced.

261

Detracted by our own choice and

that it's a larger dependent

262

upon what you do with it.

263

So I think this makes a

case for arranged marriages.

264

Yeah.

265

Except that you're talking about micro

evolution now, not macro evolution.

266

Okay.

267

Perhaps, I'm just making the

point that this is possible.

268

And I'm not saying this is a

Darwinian evolutionary situation.

269

Please don't confuse this right.

270

I'm just saying it's possible.

271

And I think for most people, if

they're willing to let God lead them

272

and let's just say it meant some.

273

Some awful situation happens

to one of our spouses.

274

And it disfigures their

faces fundamentally.

275

I don't think.

276

Would it be a struggle to have

the same kind of affection?

277

I guess in one sense.

278

Yes.

279

But I think God would give us

grace to love them and even say

280

that they're beautiful, how they

are and even be more attracted.

281

I know this puts you in

a really bad situation.

282

You can't say anything about this.

283

It'd be like you're the bad guy.

284

I don't want to do that.

285

I'm just saying it's okay.

286

I'm the shallow pastor.

287

You're the pastor with

the deep loving, romantic.

288

I had topian ID.

289

This is not what I'm saying.

290

I'm just thinking you could,

I think you can do it.

291

And I think it's super malleable

in fact, oh, here's another point.

292

Our broken culture.

293

Is attracted to everything in anything.

294

Sure.

295

Sure.

296

It's wrong and it should not be

that way, but that tells you are.

297

Our drive and our

attraction can be shaped.

298

Yes, but I think it's part of what

he uses to attract us to espouse.

299

Or it can go the other way.

300

We know an arranged couple.

301

Yeah.

302

And they.

303

They love each other.

304

Yeah.

305

And I think there's attraction there.

306

Yeah, that probably became after the fact.

307

I don't know, maybe.

308

They didn't have a choice.

309

Yeah.

310

So they might as well be attractive.

311

I don't know, man, if we go range.

312

Do you set five pictures down in

front of your kid and be like, okay,

313

you can choose one of these five.

314

I was struck deals with.

315

The gallery is better

on this one over here.

316

Not so much on this one over here.

317

So maybe.

318

I obviously, I'm not going to start a

movement, not gonna start a revolution.

319

Do you think it could be really cool?

320

Hopefully that helps answer that question.

321

We do find problems with the

way that culture obviously

322

says you should seek a spouse.

323

And a lot of that is self centered, right?

324

And, to your point PR we can go.

325

So far on the physical side of things that

we forfeit something that God may desire

326

for us or a gift that he may be given us

in a spouse, because we're so consumed

327

with the superficial in the outward.

328

Expression of beauty when internally.

329

It doesn't matter the most.

330

Yeah.

331

That is what matters most.

332

Yeah.

333

Let's get to our texts.

334

We've had 10 minutes of Googling,

but we haven't had this much good.

335

This is Christianne fault.

336

It's going to blend.

337

We're just going.

338

There it is.

339

This is your fault.

340

But thank you.

341

That was fun, but it was

an intelligent question.

342

It was really good.

343

Yeah.

344

Hey, Genesis 32 first 21 verses here.

345

Jacob sets out again after this

interaction with Laban and fears.

346

His impending encounter with Esau.

347

So he prays here that God's going to spare

him from any harm and appeals to God's

348

promises of blessing that he received

in connection with the Abraham at Kevin.

349

So he's anticipating meeting up with

Esau again, and he's nervous just because

350

of everything that's gone on here.

351

Versus 32 or chapter 32,

then verses 22 through 32.

352

He has this interesting encounter with gun

interesting as an under statement here.

353

It's the scene at Bethel there

where he ends up having a

354

dream and in, or not at Bethel.

355

Sorry.

356

Where he ends up a wrestling.

357

He.

358

He wrestles with God, not knowing at the

time that it was God until afterwards.

359

And during this altercation, God allows

him to hold on to him, so to speak.

360

And that's what's going on here.

361

He's he, God is not losing to Jacob.

362

All right.

363

God is teaching Jacobs something

through this encounter.

364

And so even though it seems that Jacob

is quote unquote winning or prevailing.

365

God is teaching him something,

allowing him to be retained by Jacob.

366

And Jacob recognizes something

different enough about this situation

367

that he asks for this blessing.

368

And the man.

369

Who is God, pre-incarnate

probably Jesus in the.

370

At this point in time, blesses

Jacob, but at the same time touches

371

Jacob's hip and leaves him crippled.

372

And so it's this.

373

Two edged sword.

374

Say that anymore, bro.

375

Leaves him lame.

376

Physically disabled.

377

Okay.

378

I can't say those words,

it's still attractive.

379

You're going to get us rated R okay.

380

Anyways, he leaves him hurt.

381

And one of the study

Bibles, the net study Bible.

382

And I thought this was insightful,

said to be successful with

383

God meant that he had to be.

384

They use the CRI P L E D word.

385

In his own self-sufficiency so the

net was saying that God was going

386

to bless him and yet humble him at

the same time through this encounter

387

in this wrestling match here.

388

And then his name is going to be

changed to Israel, which means

389

either fights with God or God fights.

390

And it, God fights is probably the

better approach there that God is going

391

to fight for Israel from this point.

392

This is God's people and

he's going to take Jacob and

393

make Jacob into this nation.

394

Through his descendants,

this nation of Israel here.

395

Interesting encounter between

Jacob and God in chapter 32.

396

Yeah, I think it's really cool

that he allows him to win.

397

Yeah.

398

That's I think that's interesting in that.

399

It's not directly related to prayer,

but I think there's something about

400

that prevailing with God in prayer.

401

Gives you a sense of the intensity

that our prayers could take shape with.

402

Yeah, I agree.

403

Yeah.

404

Chapter three, Jacob and Esau

reunite briefly, I had somebody text

405

me and say, Hey, was this was the

blessing really stolen from Esau?

406

If the younger was always going

to prevail over the older, was

407

the blessing really stolen.

408

If God was always going to do it this way.

409

And that's an insightful question.

410

I think.

411

At the end of the day, though,

from a humanistic point of view.

412

Yes.

413

From earthly point of view.

414

Yes.

415

There are things that we can look

at from a God's eye view and say

416

from God's eye God's perspective.

417

No, because he's sovereign and

this, that, and the other thing.

418

But on the ground.

419

It can have a totally

different implication.

420

And I think that's what we have here.

421

And so Jacob and Esau is frustration

or anger, even though God sovereignly

422

ordained that the younger was going

to rule over the older that the

423

older was going to serve the younger.

424

Esau, his frustration

here is understandable.

425

His brother tricked him out of

his blessing, which, he's not.

426

When God.

427

Sovereignly told his mom, Hey, that the

younger is going to rule over the older.

428

He didn't know that.

429

He's in utero at that point in time.

430

This conflict this frustration that you

saw, how does that I think is well founded

431

here, but they reunite briefly and.

432

You saw his credit.

433

He seems to be quite merciful

towards his brother and even tells

434

his brother, Hey, don't worry

about giving me all this stuff.

435

I'm well taken care of

and well provided for him.

436

Why don't you just come and live

with me and let's reunite together.

437

But Jacob either.

438

Doesn't fully trust his brother, which

appears to be the case or one commentary.

439

He said maybe he was concerned

that the land wouldn't be able to

440

support all their flocks together.

441

He either way, it makes this

decision not to go with Esau.

442

And so he splits off

and go somewhere else.

443

While Esau goes to where

Esau was planning to go.

444

Chapter 34 then We get it.

445

A little bit of an abrupt shift

because we leave off Jacob and Esau

446

and starts to talk about one of Jacobs.

447

Offspring here and that is, is Dinah.

448

Dinah was the daughter of Leah.

449

The only daughter that we find

mentioned that Jacob had here.

450

And she goes out into this

region where Jacob is into the

451

Canaanite region to see the women

in Atlanta and there's questions.

452

Should she have done this?

453

Was this wrong of her to go and do this.

454

Was she taking UN.

455

Unwarranted interest in.

456

Pagan, religion, and pagan

things going on here either way.

457

This man named check him the son

of a more sees her and defiles.

458

Keep it PG and saying that and Jacob

finds out about this in verse five.

459

And when he finds out about

this, his initial reaction is

460

he's not going to do anything.

461

He keeps his peace until

his sons come back.

462

We talked about this last year and

I think PR you and I were going back

463

and forth on, on what was warranted.

464

What was good about this?

465

And I think action was warranted, but I.

466

It seems that Simeon and Levi what

they end up doing in this chapter.

467

Because beyond the pale of

what was just, or at least they

468

were taking into their own.

469

Their own hands, what they should have

trusted to God in this situation, or

470

perhaps, maybe Jacob should have led

the response against this rather than

471

his sons standing up and doing this.

472

Either way.

473

I think it's.

474

It's a failure of

leadership on Jacob's part.

475

And this is the way that he responds.

476

Amen.

477

Bro.

478

He abdicated his role.

479

As leadership, he lets his sons do

what they do knowing full well the

480

implications because he did nothing.

481

It feels very Davidic to me, David,

eventually, he doesn't, he just sits

482

back and just lets it all happen.

483

I don't understand, man.

484

I look at godly men like this end, David,

and say, Lord, please guard me from that.

485

I know.

486

My temptation like Adam, the first Adam.

487

Is to just sit back and let my wife

lead and let her make the decisions

488

and, or let my kids do whatever.

489

And just hope that things turn out.

490

Okay.

491

And then I want to be actively involved.

492

And I think that would have prevented

them from a lot of trouble here.

493

Yeah.

494

I would agree a hundred percent.

495

Yeah, this is not a good scene

that we find in Genesis 34.

496

, let me pray.

497

And then we'll be done with this

episode of the daily Bible podcast.

498

God, thanks for your wisdom and your word

and guidance and principles of guidance.

499

Even as we talk about marriage

and what the right things

500

to pursue are, and we can.

501

Look at different cultures

and how that works out.

502

And yet at the end of the day, we want

to find a spouse for ourselves, and

503

we want to find our children to find

a spouse that is going to ultimately

504

let us worship you in glorify Christ.

505

Better.

506

As a result of our marriage

to them than we would.

507

Otherwise that's super crucial

for us is that is concerned.

508

And so whether we're married now or.

509

Single listening to this, or a

young person listening to this.

510

That's the target is a

marriage that glorifies God.

511

And we're both spouses are more

like Jesus as a result of that.

512

So that's our desire.

513

That's our heart.

514

And so we are thankful for

Gabby marriages in our church.

515

We pray that you'd make more

of them and keep them strong to

516

keep us a strong church as well.

517

We pray this in Jesus' name.

518

Amen.

519

All right, we'll keep her in your Bibles

and turn it again tomorrow for another

520

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

521

I'd love.

522

Bye.