IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

The Woman and the Dragon

Date: Dec. 14, 2018

Passage

Revelation 12:1-17 (ESV)

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 12:11

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

1. They triumphed over Satan by the blood of the Lamb (1-12)

The woman is Israel who gives birth to the Messiah. He will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. God clothed her with the glory of the sun, moon, and stars. The enormous red dragon appears with seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns to devour the child. But God snatches the baby to his throne and sends the woman into the wilderness. This dragon, Satan was already defeated by Michael and thrown into the earth but now leads the whole earth astray furiously for his time is short. But salvation and the power and kingdom of God, the authority of the Messiah has already come on earth. The church triumphs over Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony at the cost of their lives.

2. The woman flew in the wilderness (13-17)

The dragon hot pursues the woman. So the woman runs into the wilderness. But God grows his church in the wilderness where there is nothing to depend on but God alone. Thus hardships by Satan will be a chance for the church to grow in her faith. They will grow to keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus through hardships.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, thank you for the Lamb of God who gives us victory over Satan.

One Word: Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Daily Bread

The Lord Sends Jacob Back to the Land

Genesis 31:1-30

Key Verse: 31:3

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

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