Readings:
Isaiah 22
Proverbs 12
Romans 4:1-12

Isaiah 22

In the second half of this chapter, Isaiah is told to address a prophecy to an official named Shebna. He was the steward of the kingdom, a position very similar to a modern day prime minister. Apparently this man had been a self serving politician, as they mostly are, and padded his own pockets at the expense of the people. God tells him that he will be cut down, and another take his place.

Isaiah tells him that Eliakim will be appointed as the new steward of the kingdom. The next few lines will sound very familiar to us all, when he says that Eliakim will be given the keys to the kingdom and what he shuts will remain shut, what he opens will stay opened. When Jesus gives Peter the keys, he isn’t inventing some new position (although that would be completely in his purview to do so) he is establishing Peter as the steward of the new kingdom that he is setting up. Jesus is the eternal king of the universe, and he established Peter as his prime minister.

Romans 4:1-12

Paul talks about the faith of Abraham and how he was justified not by his actions but through his faith. He wasn’t paid with justification that was owed to him because of his actions, he was justified as a gift because he believed what God was telling him. He was also justified prior to circumcision, so Paul says that obviously he wasn’t saved by that, but that circumcision was given to him a sign of his faith. He points this out to show that justification isn’t for Jews alone, but also available to the gentiles.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Isaiah 23
Proverbs 13
Romans 4:13-25