Just as He Promised

 DEVOTION

JUST AS HE PROMISED

Gen 21:1-7

21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

NIV

This is the basic singular truth within all Scripture. The truth that shapes our faith, the reason we are who we are. First, God was gracious to Sarah. We know God has been gracious to us by sending Jesus to take our place and die on that cross, so we do not have to. Second, and this is also extremely important in our relationship with the Lord. He did for Sarah what he had promised. She bore a son at the very time God had promised. God has promised those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who have decided to follow Jesus, who are born again, or born from above, that Jesus would come back and take us to where he is. He promised us eternal life. He promised us a room, a dwelling place in his house. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower us with various gifts and to manifest his fruit in our lives. Everything in the life of Abraham and Sarah, having the son and naming him Isaac, went exactly as the Lord had promised them. We can know that God's plan for our lives will go exactly as he planned, and he will accomplish his purpose. One of the keys to God giving them a son in their old age is shown to us when Abraham circumcised Isaac, just as God commanded him. We should do no less. We are supposed to do everything the Lord God commands. That may apply to the church at large, but this truth applies to each individual believer. There are the general commands of God, such as to love others as we love ourselves. You must be born again to see the kingdom of God. We must change and become like a child; that is the faith of a child, believing with no doubts, or we will not see the kingdom of God. However, sometimes God speaks directly to us on a personal, intimate level, leading us to be who he purposed us to be, do what he planned for us to do, and live where he wants us to live. He did that in Abraham's life, and he does that in our lives. We do not belong to ourselves, making our own choices in life; we belong to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, God Almighty, the King of the Universe. We live under his mighty hand, as he sees fit. We live within the covenant he made with us through Jesus, just as he promised. 

Restoration

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

RESTORATION

Gen 20:8-18

8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." 10 And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?" 11 Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"  14 Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." 16 To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah.

NIV

There is restoration through the truth spoken between these two men, Abimelech and Abraham. What could have brought about a great conflict ended well for both of them. Again, we cannot judge Abraham's exact motive for deceiving Abimelech by saying Sarah was his sister rather than his wife, but it seems he did so for self-protection. When we hide the truth or hide from it, we try to protect ourselves from some form of pain, either emotional or physical. Abraham feared he would be killed because the king of the land would want Sarah for his wife. That may have been acceptable of a husband in those days, although that proved wrong; husbands today are required to love their wives, to treat them with love and grace, to protect them, rather than self-protection. Abimelech wanted to make things right, but then we wonder if his motive was self-interest. God had visited Abimelech in a dream and given him the choice of death or life. Who, in their right mind, would choose death? Of course, he was motivated to make things right. When he summoned Abraham, who had wronged him, he gave Abraham sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. We might have thought Abraham should have given Abimelech something for the trouble he caused. However, this was all about the work of the LORD. We do not know how long Sarah was in the household of Abimelech, but it must have been long enough so that he knew all the women in his household- his wife and all the slave women- could not have children. It would have been very obvious they were all now barren because of Abraham and Sarah. Restoration was the way to healing for Abimelech. The shift from deception to praying for Abimelech healed Abraham as well. It is always good to clear the air, speak the truth, and find a path to communion and fellowship with one another. Whenever there is any kind of conflict, which should not exist among believers, but unfortunately, being human, it does happen, we need to find a path of restoration. If we are in fellowship with the Lord, he will show us the way. Restoration will never happen when we refuse to listen to Him, want our own way, insist the other person was wrong, and expect them to repent and seek our forgiveness. Abimelech was wronged, and because he heard from the LORD, he initiated the restoration. Let us always be in alignment with the way of the Lord, and always be the one who desires and initiates restoration.   

Covenant Relationship

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

Gen 20:1-7

20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." 4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." 6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."

NIV

Do what is right and live, and do what is wrong and die. That is the truth of this narrative about Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech. We still wonder why Abraham and Sarah would be that deceptive, considering the LORD called Abraham a prophet. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated as prophet first means a spokesman, a speaker. Who else would he speak for other than the LORD? Someone whom the LORD has declared as his spokesman was still a man, with the flaws of all men. He was concerned about his life because Sarah was a very beautiful woman. But she was still in her later years, and we had not yet seen Isaac born. This story will unfold according to God's will, but for now we need to consider Abraham's deception. All of us are flawed people, for there is none righteous, not one, including Abraham, a man of God. This brings us to the question of how God would call a flawed man into ministry. Of course, Paul's letter to Timothy gives us the qualifications for being an overseer, which translates to today's position as pastor.  Did Abraham meet those qualifications before they were given to the church? Then again, because God testified to Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet, we wonder if that was in the sense of one of the gifts given to the church at large, the office of prophet. We know there are men today fulfilling, or at least occupying, the position of pastor and teacher, but they are still flawed men, some of whom have fallen into immoral sin while in that position. But then we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; just as Abraham was without sin, so are we. How do we possibly stand in judgement of Abraham's flaws, his sins, when we face the same condition of being flawed, having sin in our lives? Nevertheless, God still had a covenant with Abraham and would use him in a mighty way. God also has a covenant with those who will accept and agree to his covenant through Jesus. That is the truth of the story of Abraham, and the truth of our story, living in a covenant relationship with the Lord. 

His Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HIS PLAN

Gen 19:30-38

30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

NIV

This is a difficult story to comprehend; the reason for this strange happening. We can understand why Lot's two daughters would want to have a family, but lying with their father does not seem right. However, the outcome has lasted for many years, as their sons became the start of the Moabites and Ammonites. Both these nations had a complex relationship with Israel. The Moabites refused Israel passage through this land during the Exodus. They even attempted to curse Israel through their god Balaam, but it is also interesting that it was a Moabite woman who became the great-grandmother of King David. Still, we do not understand how Lot would have been so drunk that he did not know he was lying with his daughters, yet we are told he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up. However, he had to be physically aware for his daughters to conceive sons. Then we wonder, what Lot must have thought when he became aware that both his daughters were pregnant, and he was the only man in the cave. Can life just happen without our awareness? Do situations happen in our lives that we are not aware of or understand? Because Lot was Abraham's nephew, and of his actions toward the two angels, we would believe that Lot understood who God was and had some kind of relationship with him. He was with Abrahamin Haran when God called Abraham to go to the land of Canaan. He was with Abraham when he built an altar and worshipped the LORD. Yet, now he had to realize he had sex with his daughters. It might have been acceptable in those days, but if his daughters had to deceive their father by getting him drunk, then it would not have been right. Hopefully, as we are in a relationship with the Lord God Almighty, we do not want to do that, which is unacceptable. Yet life happens, but God is sovereign, and what happens in our lives aligns with his design, plan, and purpose for us. Could we say that about the two sons being the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites? Was that God's plan all along so that Ruth, a Moabite woman, would marry Boaz, through that line would come King David, whose line would come the Messiah? Sometimes we just have to understand that God is in control, and his plan will always be accomplished; so if something seems strange or difficult to understand at the moment, we simply need to seek the Lord for understanding his plan. 

Brought Out

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BROUGHT OUT

Gen 19:27-29

27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

NIV

Before we get to where Lot's two daughters conspire, doing something that will have long-lasting effects, we first should focus on what Abraham saw and on mercy. When God speaks, he always speaks the truth. He spoke the truth when he told Noah he was going to destroy everything that had the breath of life in it; all mankind would perish, and it happened just as God said it would. He told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and he rained down hail and fire, burning up those cities and the places of the plains. Abraham stood where he had stood before the LORD and looked down on the plains, and the smoke was like that of a great furnace. The people perished in flames just as the LORD said. The Lord has also said that on the last day, all the wicked who finished wicked will stand before the LORD and be judged for their wickedness, and be sent to another flame, the lake of burning sulfur. It has always been strange in light of John 3:16; the LORD uses the word perish as the opposite of everlasting life. He correlates perishing, the Greek word that means to be put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, destroyed. In the Revelation God gave to John, he called the lake of burning sulfur the second death. Theologians have argued the two positions: eternal torment and annihilation. However, if researched with the Spirit, we will know that God can destroy both the body and the soul. However, he showed mercy to Lot because he was a Godly man; at least, he was family to Abraham, had witnessed the power of God, and hosted the two angels to keep them safe from the city's wickedness. A day is coming when another great day of catastrophe will happen. Still, those who put their trust in the LORD, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, those who have been born again, will be remembered by the LORD and brought out of the catastrophe; the dead will rise first, and those still alive will be caught up in the air to meet our Lord. We call that the rapture of the church. We know for certain that a catastrophe will happen, and we will be brought out. 

Don't Look Back

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DON'T LOOK BACK

Gen 19:12-26

12 The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here — sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it — it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." 21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.) 23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

NIV

Two truths, maybe more, but the two that stand out are regarding the two men pledged to marry Lot's daughters, and Lot's wife. These two sons-in-law were told the truth about what was going to happen to Sodom, that the LORD was about to destroy the city. We are told they thought he was joking and did not respond by getting out, so that they perished. We wonder if they thought he was joking about the LORD, or what the LORD was going to do. Did they even believe there was a God, as they were residents of Sodom, living among wickedness? We don't know the character of these two, although we would think that if Lot approved them to marry his daughters, they should have been better than the rest of the men of Sodom. Nevertheless, they thought he was joking. How many people today think we are joking about what is going to happen to this earth? Of course, that would depend on us telling them that God is going to destroy this earth, instead of just telling them of the love of Jesus. Yes, Jesus loves them, but should we not be like Lot and warn those around us? Secondly, why did Lot's wife look back? Did she want to see the destruction, or was it one last look at what she once had? We have always thought it was the look back at her possessions being gone, but maybe that look back was about watching those wicked people getting their just due. But she was not supposed to look back, because as she did, God caused her to turn into a pillar of salt. This gives us two clues for life. First, we should not put too much value on any possessions, because they can be destroyed, or we can lose them at any time. Second, we should not watch someone go through destruction or hardship with the attitude that they are receiving their just reward. Because we are told to love others as Jesus loves us, we should warn others about what will happen, show compassion and love to those experiencing trouble, and not look back or put too much value on our stuff. 

Blindness

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BLINDNESS

Gen 19:1-11

19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." 3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." 9 "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

NIV

Now, the story of the wickedness of Sodom shows us there is nothing new under the sun. Of course, before the days of the flood, the wickedness of mankind was so great that the LORD was grieved he had made man and decided to wipe them all off the face of the earth, except Noah and his family, because he found favor in the eyes of the LORD. The men of Sodom were just like those before the flood, with evil in their hearts all the time. Their hearts were perverted from the natural to the unnatural. Lot knew the sins of this city, yet he lived among them, and even sat at the gate, which was either the place of business or judgement as a magistrate, hearing cases of dispute. We wonder if Lot was there to warn weary travelers of the problems of the city, to either turn them away or invite them into his home for protection. This is what he did to the two angels, but the men began to force their way, wanting Lot to send the two men out for their perversion. The power of the Most High was in the hands of those angels as they struck the townsmen with blindness, so they could not find the door to Lot's house. Could this be a metaphor of all who practice perversions in the flesh? Our world is not much better, if not worse, than what was going on within Sodom. This world even celebrates its perversions to the point where it demands equal rights, or special rights, protections by law for its wickedness, holds great demonstrations and parades, flaunting its perversion before the world. As the rest of this story of Sodom unfolds, we will see God's judgment, and we know his judgment will stand again against the evil of this present age. We wonder if the men of Sodom would have turned from their wicked ways, God would have relented his judgment of hail and fire against them. We know anyone can find forgiveness today because of his offered grace through Jesus. But it still comes down to this: turning away from wickedness and turning to Jesus. It is still a quandary as to how we, in the church, deal with our wickedness, because we profess our faith in Jesus. Do we just pretend we are all holy and righteous, ignoring our wicked ways, our sin? Sure, we are not like those of Sodom or of these perversions of this present age, but what about those traits of envy, jealousy, gossip, unforgiveness, pride, and such that continue to be part of our humanity? Does God overlook our transgressions because we are in Christ? The angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness so they could not find the door. Let us not be blind to our sin so that we can find the door.