A Sweet Amora

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A SWEET AROMA

Gen 13:10-18

10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. 14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

NIV

Well, we know what is going to happen in Sodom because the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD. Was it by chance that Lot chose the plain of the Jordon and set out toward the east, or was it planned by the LORD? IF Lot had chosen the other direction, it would have been Abram who would have been near Sodom. However, Abram had another visit from the LORD in some manner, as we are told the LORD spoke to Abram and told him to lift up his eyes, and that as far as he could see in all directions, the LORD would give it to his offspring forever. From a worldview perspective, Israel has had and will continue to have the land God promised to Abram. We have another promise from the LORD. However, this promise is for whosoever believes in Jesus Christ, will not perish, but have everlasting life. That eternal life will be spent in the place Jesus has prepared for those who accept him as their Lord and Savior. That is the new paradise, the new city of Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. It will be on the mountain of God, just as the existing Jerusalem sits on Mt. Moriah, although the new mountain will be much larger, wider, and higher. In a sense, because Abram will become Abraham, the man of faith, we are also his descendants, and we will inherit this new land forever. As Abram built another altar to the LORD, we are supposed to be an altar, or, as it is put, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. That is, we offer ourselves to God, to do with as he pleases. Abram may have sent up a sacrifice that would have been a sweet aroma to the LORD; we are supposed to be that sweet aroma before the Lord. How is that possible when we get so distracted by self? Let us remember who we are supposed to be: a sweet aroma before the LORD. 

No Quarreling

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO QUARRELING

Gen 13:5-9

5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."

NIV

Both Abram and Lot had become wealthy men with large herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, goats, donkeys, male and female, and camels. They both had herdsmen, employees who watched over the livestock. We can imagine, as we are told, that the land could not support both of their herds. Arguing, maybe even fighting, broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and those of Lot. Abram demonstrated a life truth in this narrative of his and Lot's story. In essence, Abram said, "Let's not have any quarreling between us, brothers. " There should not be any quarreling among believers, for we all are brothers and sisters in the Lord. Abram, who was the senior member of the clan, instead of insisting things happen according to his plan or way, humbly allowed Lot to pick which direction he would take his herds, and Abram would go the other way. We wonder how many churches function in that manner. How many church boards, worship teams, and leadership teams function without someone wanting their way while another insists their way is better to the point where nothing gets done, except hard feelings. Look, if you want to go left, we will go right; in other words, someone has to be big enough, like Abram, to allow the other to make the choice. This could go past a point of no return if no one steps up with a suggestion or if everyone acts like Abram, just going along with whatever. Abram took the lead and gave Lot the choice. Lot did not make any suggestion for a solution; it was all Abram. This also shows that there needs to be a leader, but to lead with humility, not with an iron fist or as the decision-maker. However, we should all be on guard against quarreling,  as we look for solutions together, and honor one another in love. 

Call Then Listen

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CALL THEN LISTEN

Gen 13:1-4

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

NIV

We wonder why we are told of how much wealth Abram had accumulated, although we are not told how. Was all that just given to him by the Egyptians, or did he trade goods or something to buy all he had? If so, where did he get everything to start with? Was part of his wealth an inheritance from his father? We will never know for certain how he became so wealthy. However, the greater question is about Abram calling on the name of the LORD. Did Abram not call on the name of the LORD when he was in Egypt? Shouldn't he have been walking with the LORD from the time he was called to leave his home and his father's household in Haran? We know the last time he had pitched his tent in the place between Bethel and Ai, he had built an altar and called on the name of the LORD. But now he is back at the same place, and we are told he called on the name of the LORD. Didn't Abram ever talk to the LORD other than at this place? Didn't He give thanks for all he had accumulated? Was Abram just a successful businessman, doing his thing, getting wealthy, and then every once in a while he goes to church, the altar he built, and prays or calls on the name of the LORD? That just does not seem right, since he already had a promise from the LORD about his descendants having the land of Canaan. He had to live in constant awareness of the LORD. Yet, he was not a perfect man, as he lied when he went into Egypt. But we use Abram as an example of a man of faith. We do not wait until we are at the altar we built, the church, to call on the name of the Lord. We live each day in his presence, aware of his moving in our lives. We know the Spirit dwells within us, and we walk and talk with the Lord every day. Is there a difference in how we normally pray, always asking for some need in our lives and in the lives of those we care about, and just calling on the name of the Lord? We don't know the words Abram used, but we know we don't have to use any special words either, words that sound religious or spiritual just because we are talking with the Lord. He knows our hearts, our pains and joys, our needs and concerns. Maybe all that is needed is for us to call on the name of the Lord. Oh Lord, I am here; I call on your name; I seek more of you in my life. Maybe that is all we need to do: just call on his name. If we call, he will answer; then we are supposed to listen. 

Deceptive or Truthful

 DEVOTION

DECEPTIVE OR TRUTHFUL

Gen 12:10-20

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

NIV

When we think of Abram, we usually think of a man who followed the LORD; after all, he did leave his country and his father's household and struck out for Canaan,  just as the LORD had told him. Then we have that time when his faith was accounted to him as righteousness. But here is a time in his life when Abram was deceptive, lying so to save his own skin. We could focus on the fact that Sarai was a very beautiful woman, very desirable to look upon, and in fact the Egyptians thought the same thing and brought her to Pharaoh. We do wonder what Abram was thinking, letting his wife be taken as the Pharaoh's wife; meanwhile, he was accumulating sheep, cattle, donkeys, menservants, maidservants, and camels. Did he really care more about gathering more possessions, becoming wealthy at the expense of his wife? But the LORD was not going to have anything to do with that plan, so he inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household. Now the truth came out, and Abram was rejected from Egypt, sent packing under the orders of Pharaoh. We do not know how long he was there, and if the famine was over, but now he had to provide food for all his staff- the menservants, maidservants- and plus he had to find pastures for all the livestock to eat and live. But the troublesome part of this narrative is Abram's deception. This is the man we use as an example of doing everything the LORD told him to do. But we should not use the example he set in going to Egypt and lying to save his own life. We have been told that honesty is the best policy, especially in our relationship with the Lord, but just as importantly with each other. There is really no reason to deceive someone about who we are. We call that as building a façade. That is what Jesus said about the Pharisees: that they looked good on the outside, but inside they were like dead men's bones.  Do we build that façade of being holy and righteous, while on the inside, we may not be like dead men's bones, but we are not free of sin either. We could harbor unforgiveness, hurt feelings, envy, greed, or lust, or even pride, all hidden beneath that covering of holiness and righteousness, trying to prove that by doing good deeds. Abram could have been truthful rather than deceptive. Let us learn that lesson. 

Moving On

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

MOVING ON

Gen 12:4-9

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

NIV

Once Abram reached the land of Canaan, where the descendants of Ham, the Canaanites, lived, he traveled as far as the great tree of Moreh in Shechem. Although this only takes a verse, the road distance from Haran to  Shechem is about 600 miles. Considering Abram was traveling with his wife, Sarai, his nephew, Lot, and the people he had acquired in Haran, all his possessions, herds of sheep, cattle, or camels, they could not move very quickly, so this journey could have taken days, even months.  It was definitely different than our travel times. They would have to stop each night, pitch the tents, set up camp, prepare food, and whatever, but the point is Abram stayed the course, doing exactly what the LORD had told him to do, even if it might have been difficult and took some time. Once Abram arrived at the great tree of Morah at Shechem, the LORD appeared to Abram. This was Jehovah, the self-existent one, who appeared to Abram. How is it that Abram saw God and lived? What did he appear as? What did Abram see? Whoever Abram was visited by must have made it one of the most pivotal moments of his life. He was told the LORD was going to give this land to his descendants. We know Abram was seventy when he set out from Haran, and at that time he had no son, but he heard that his descendants would have this land. Abram had to have believed because he set up an altar there where Jehovah had appeared to him. Faith is a mighty force. Again, it is far different from believing in God and believing God. Abram believed the LORD. We are not told that Abram argued with the LORD, or said, "How is that possible? I am an old man already; how long will it be before I have any descendants? How long is this going to take"? Do we ever ask questions like that when or if we hear from the Lord? Has the Lord ever appeared to us in some way? Why are we Christians? What reason do we believe God? What caused us to follow Jesus? We must have had some kind of experience like Abram did for us to do what we have been instructed to do, as Abram was, and follow through on what the Lord has told us. Abram was given specific instructions as to where he was to leave from and travel to. We have to believe the Lord still has specific instructions for us as to where he wants us to go, or be, and what to do there. As believers, as followers of Jesus, we cannot just wander around in life doing our own thing, show up at some church one day a week for one hour, and think the will of God is being done on earth, in our lives, as it is in heaven. Of course, Abram had to do the daily living, but he was doing that as he was going where the LORD told him to go. We cannot settle for just living our daily lives; we must always be moving on with God. 

Do as Told

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DO AS TOLD

Gen 12:1-5

12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

2 "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth  will be blessed through you."

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

NIV

We are told that Abram's father, Terah, died in Haran, but it is not clear if the LORD called Abram before his father's death or after, because he was told to leave his father's household. The Lord made a promise that could be seen as a covenant between himself and Abram. That promise was made specifically to Abram and for what would happen by following the command of the LORD to leave his country, his people,and his father's household. In other words, just take off to parts unknown. We do not think we can take any of that promise the LORD made to Abram in a personal sense, but we do have instructions from the LORD for our lives. There are general instructions, or commands for all believers, but then we each may have some specific instructions as to what we are to do as part of the body of Christ. There is this one major promise that God made to all mankind: if someone confesses with their mouth and believes in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, they will be saved. In essence, this being saved is the act of being born again, for that confession and believing is a type of resurrection of the dead to being alive in Christ, for we were dead in our sins, doomed, but now we have been given life. That is the greatest blessing anyone could receive. However, there is this one truth that we need to focus our attention on. So Abram left, as the LORD had told him. He left what he knew, of course, took all he had with him, possessions and people, and struck out under the leadership of the LORD to the land of Canaan. Here is where it can get dicey in our lives. First, we need to know what the Lord wants us to do in or with our lives; then we need to follow his directions. We may be told to leave someplace, do something, give something, or serve in some capacity. We may each be told something different, but the point is that we first need to listen and then do as we are told. In some sense, we all had to leave someplace behind to set out on the path the Lord has for us. That which we left behind might have been a life of sin, but it could also be a life of religion or traditional religious thinking. Truth be told, we simply need to follow Jesus, or do as the LORD told us.

 

Follow

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FOLLOW

Gen 11:10-32

 

10 This is the account of Shem.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

NIV

Once again, we are going to jump past some of the verses in chapter 11 because they are just the lineage of each man, at what age they had the next in line, and how long they lived. We did notice, however, that each had their sons earlier in life and lived a shorter number of years, starting with Shem living 500 years, to the father of Terah living only 119 years. However, the point is that through the line of Shem we get to Abram, from whom his grandson, Jacob, will be the father of the tribe of Israel. But first we must visit with Abram for some time and find some truths for our lives through his life. Abram lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, as did his father Terah. It was Terah who took his son Abram and his grandson Lot and Abram's wife Sarai and set out to go to Canaan, except they did not get there; instead, they settled in Haran. This is the place where God called Abram to leave his father's household and go where he would show him. What do we learn from this narrative? We notice that Abram followed his father's decision to leave Ur and go to the land of Canaan. Abram was already a married man, which should have meant He would have left his father and mother and been united with his wife as they became one flesh, just as God said when he made Adam and Eve. So then why did Abram stay with and follow his father to Haran? Was it out of respect for his father that he followed? Abram was not a man of God; at least we are not told he even knew the God of creation, but rather lived in a pagan city with pagan gods. But this does show us that he respected his father, Terah, enough to submit to his leadership and travel the path to another place. Yet, there is the possibility that this is more like the true reason Abram went with his father to set out for Canaan. This was God's divine plan. Here is where he would call Abram to follow his divine lead. Here is where Abram would become a son of God, so to speak. God always had a divine plan and purpose for Abram, and that also means God has a divine plan and purpose for each of us. At this point in Abram's life, he followed his earthly father, but he will follow his Heavenly Father. Jesus calls us to follow him. Let us follow where he leads.