Family Talk -- Matthew 10, TCR 108, New Church Day -- These Twelve Jesus Sent Forth

SENDING OUT THE SEVENTY Rev. Norman H. Reuter Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.” So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there….” So they took their livestock and their goods…and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him…. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy (Genesis 46:2-3,6,27). After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals…. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages….” Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:1-4,7,17). The Old and New Testament passages we just read have two features in common, which you may have noted. Each story concerns seventy people, and both groups of people were active in the beginning of a new church. The seventy souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were the early beginnings of the Hebrew or Israelitish ...