The Lord's Blessing

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE LORD'S BLESSING

Gen 26:7-15

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful." 8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her." 10 Then Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." 11 So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: "Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." 12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

NIV

We could focus on the idea of "Like father, like son." But that is not a truth we would want to learn as a life lesson, other than not to repeat our ancestors' mistakes. That could translate into not living by the traditions our former believers established or following the traditions of their ancestors because, somewhere, some established them because of their culture, but they may not have been altogether biblical. However, our story today is about Isaac receiving a hundredfold harvest because the LORD blessed him. Jesus taught about receiving hundred times more, or in that parable about the sowing of the seed, the word of God, when planted in the good soil, produced a crop multiplying thirty, sixty, even a hundred times. However, that too would be due only to the Lord's blessings. How could we expect to increase in any way, physically, emotionally, but especially spiritually, on our own, or without the Lord's blessing? We may never attain the material wealth, as Isaac did, but we surely will be spiritually wealthy because the Lord blessed us.  However, that does not mean the Lord will not bless us materially, providing all our needs. Although that might be true for some in our culture, the content of that material blessing could differ across cultures. When the Philistines stopped up the wells that Abraham's servant had dug, it could apply, in some sense, to a lesson we should ponder. There will always be those who would want to stop up the well of God's truth, filling it in with dirt- that could be false teaching, or false doctrine, traditions rather than truth, or maybe even attitudes that become actions, like unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, pride, or even gossip. There is a fountain flowing deep and wide, or, in another way, there is a fountain flowing with our Savior's blood. Let us never allow anything to stop it. The Lord blesses us hundredfold. 

Our Way or His Way

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OUR WAY OR HIS WAY

Gen 26:1-6

26:1 Now there was a famine in the land — besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time — and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws." 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

NIV

Once again, we see the LORD's faithfulness as he directed Isaac's path and blessed him. Issac thought he should go to another land because of the famine where he was living, but the LORD had other plans. The Lord told him to live in the land he told him to live in, to stay where he told him to stay. As a result of doing what the LORD said, he would be with him and bless him. Although the LORD gave Isaac the same blessing about his descendants that he gave to his father, Abraham, the great life lesson lies in the LORD's will for Isaac. "Do not go." "Live where I tell you." Stay when I say stay." These were very specific instructions with the bonus of the LORD's blessing. All throughout the lives of these men of old, we see the pattern: when they make their own choices, things do not go well with them, but when they listen to the LORD's plans and obey, things go well with them. Should we not learn from that pattern? Why would we insist on making our own choices in life, when we know our choices will not go well,  for they are usually, if not always, self-centered? Why would we not want to live a God-centered life, simply following His leading, His direction, to not go, live here, stay where he wants? If we are listening, if we have ears to hear, then we will know where we are to go, where we are to live, and how long we are to stay. We made the confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, which Lord means overseer, leader, supreme authority; so then should we not follow his instructions to a T? Again, that would require having ears to hear and listening to his voice, for as we stop talking, we would hear his commands, and as we follow, he will bless us far more than we could imagine or do on our own. We can see the incredible blessing on Abraham because he obeyed and kept his requirements, commands, decrees, and laws. It comes down to either living poorly or richly, our way or his way. 

Follow His Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FOLLOW HIS PLAN

Gen 25:27-34

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." 32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" 33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

NIV

This narrative presents two truths, or two identities, in Esau and Jacob. Esau is shown as a man's man, a skillful hunter, representing the ideal man of the times, a warrior-type man, living in the open country. Jacob is shown as a gentle man, a cook, someone who stays home. We also see a somewhat dysfunctional family: Isaac loved his hunter-class son, while Rebekah loved her gentle, quiet son who learned the homely skills. Yet our story is about Esau's birthright. As the firstborn, he was entitled to inherit all his father's estate. Everything Isaac owned would belong to Esau; as the inheritor, his bloodline would be the family's proper lineage. However, the LORD had other plans, as Jacob was the chosen man through whom Jesus would come into the world. Was it the LORD who caused Esau to despise his birthright, to not care about it, to sell it for a bowl of soup? Jacob is known for his deceitful actions, first toward his brother, then his father, yet this is still the plan of God, so Jacob would be the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Of course, he did not deceive Esau, yet Jacob cherished the birthright. That appears to be the hand of God at work in his heart, so that the LORD's plan would be accomplished. This gives us a clue to life. Sometimes we might think situations that happen in our lives cause us some trouble or hardship. Sometimes we experience good things, but our lives should reflect God's plans for us. We can bring harm upon ourselves by making bad choices without God's counsel. We can bring pleasures upon ourselves, also without God's counsel.  However, if we want to live as God intends, then we better not make a move without first consulting him. This would require ears to hear and eyes to see the way we should go. He directed the paths of both Esau and Jacob to carry out his plan and purpose. He will direct our path for his plan and purpose; we only need to follow his plan. We remember a television program years ago, "Father Knows Best," but now we know our Heavenly Father always knows what is best. We just need to follow his plan. 

Asked and Answered

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ASKED AND ANSWERED

Gen 25:19-26

19 This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.   26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

NIV

Now we look at part of Isaac's life. There is no question this man is special in the eyes of the LORD, as he was the one promised to Abraham and Sarah. What is notable about both Isaac and his wife Rebekah is that they both inquired of the LORD. First, Isaac sought the LORD on Rebekah's behalf because she was barren. They could not conceive a child. As always, the LORD heard Isaac's prayer, answered, and Rebekah became pregnant. We can be assured that the LORD always hears, always answers, but we first must ask, then listen. We can also learn that the answer may take time, as Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah and sixty when Rebekah gave birth to the two sons. However, we do not know the time frame between when Isaac prayed and when Rebekah became pregnant. The time could have been within a day, a week, or a year; we are not told. However, we are told the LORD answered, and all this was according to his will. There is no logical reason the LORD would simply ignore a prayer, ignore our request, our petition, for he has done it so many times, demonstrating that it is his nature to hear and to answer. We see he did the same for Rebekah when the twins Esau and Jacob jostled each other within her, although she did not know until the LORD told her she would have two sons. He answered her and gave her specific information about the twins within her. We learn that the LORD did not want Rebekah to be in the dark about what was going to happen with her two sons. This gives us another truth about the LORD. It is not his nature to keep his people in the dark, but to shine the light of his truth upon them. He has already told us what will happen; he has assured us that his will concerning his people has been recorded for us. Yet, there are those times, those individual moments in our lives, as it was with Isaac and Rebekah, when we need a specific answer to a special need in our lives. The Lord does not turn a deaf ear to our prayer, and he does not hear and do nothing, as he will always answer in some way. How often do we use the excuse that he might say no or later because we do not see the result we want? No, we cannot make an excuse for God. His will is always accomplished in our lives; at the same time, he will always answer our prayers if they align with his plan and purpose for our lives. Still, we can ask about what he wants to do within us and through us, and he will always show us. It comes down to asking and being answered. 

Fulfilled

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FULFILLED

Gen 25:12-18

12 This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. 17 Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 18 His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

NIV

The twelve tribes of Ishmael inherited their hostility directly from the hostility Ishmael felt toward Isaac during the feast Abraham held in Isaac's honor.  He and his mother, Hagar, were sent away, and they have been away from the grandson of Abraham, Jacob, to this day. The twelve sons of Ismael settled in the northwest part of the Arabian Peninsula, just a little northeast of Egypt. This makes them the ancestors of the Arab nations, which means Mohammed is a descendant of Ishmael, fulfilling the prophetic word that they lived in hostility toward all their brothers. The Islamic people hate the Israeli people and are determined to destroy them. This hatred has driven the Islamic people to want to destroy all people who do not serve Allah, their name for God. Although the Arabic word for God has its roots in words that make up the name Allah and believe he is the creator of the universe, their theology is not compatible with the character of God Almighty. The Lord God is not a Divine God who drives hatred for others, but He is the God of love; in fact, God is love. It is God's very word that the descendants of Ishmael would live in hostility toward all their brothers. How then could people who serve God Almighty live in hostility to others who serve God Almighty? We wonder: if those who live with Islamic beliefs are united in hatred toward non-Islamic people, why are those of us who serve the triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not united in love toward our brothers? Although their hatred or hostility is the prophetic word of God, written and recorded by 40 different authors over a span of 1500 years, Islam is from the mind of one man, one author who wrote the Koran over a period of 23 years. How can a book of hatred compare with a book of love? However, the point remains: we are seeing God's word fulfilled. That should also give us faith, believing that God Almighty's word is always fulfilled concerning us. 

A Good Old Age

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A GOOD OLD AGE

Gen 25:1-11

25:1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. 7 Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

NIV

Interestingly, Abraham took another wife who bore him six sons, who gave him seven grandsons, and three great-grandsons, all of whom became different people groups; the story is still about Abraham. Abraham had eight sons, including Ishmael and Isaac, but he left everything he had to his promised son Isaac, the one son whom Sarah bore according to the word of the LORD. Abraham also gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, who were different from the sons of his wives, Sarah and Keturah. However, our story is about Abraham, who lived to a good old age of one hundred and seventy-five years, an old man full of years. This is a blessing from the LORD, who blessed Abraham, for his believing the LORD and being obedient, to live to be a man full of years. The Hebrew word sabea’ means satisfied, or full, as in satisfied years. In some sense, that could mean Abraham lived out his life satisfied, blessed by the LORD. In another sense, it could mean the years of his life were full, or finished as determined by the LORD, as in all our days are numbered, or determined by the Lord. Living to a good old age is simply a blessing from the LORD. But the point is that all our days should be good if we are in relationship with the LORD. Even if we experience some troubles, whatever kind they might be, our days are good because we belong to the Lord, the master of the universe, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. We live in the palm of his hand, as Jesus promised that no one can snatch us from the palm of the Father's hand. Then can we say that all the days of our lives are good and that, whatever the number, we will have lived to a good old age? 

Two Become One

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

TWO BECOME ONE

Gen 24:62-67

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

NIV

This last portion of Abraham's servant bringing a wife for Isaac includes two main events. First, we are told that Isaac went into a field to meditate. The word ponder may better capture the Hebrew word used. We wonder if Issac recalled that moment when his father took him up to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him in obedience to the LORD, and how the LORD provided the substitute, the ram in the thicket. It makes us ponder the fact of our guilt and how we should have been put to death, but how the LORD provided Jesus as our substitute, who took our punishment on the cross. Although that is the one or primary truth for our lives, there is this event when Isaac takes Rebekah into his mother's tent, and she becomes his wife. Although we are not told anything about any ceremony, or that Isaac presented his bride before his father, Abraham, in the original Hebrew text there is no word for "married,” as this translation uses. It just says that he took her into his mother's tent and she became his wife. We know that in Jesus' time, Jewish people had large wedding feasts that could last several days, such as the wedding at Cana. However, we do not know whether there was any type of feast or celebration. Isaac simply took Rebekah into the tent, and she became his wife. This takes us back to creation when God formed Adam and Eve, and they were one flesh: a man and his wife, the suitable helpmate. God chose Eve for Adam, and in this story we are told the LORD chose Rebekah for Isaac. It is not by chance that all the events happened, but by the hand of God. This is the divine will of God: that a man should leave his parents and be united with his wife, and that they should become one flesh, a union decided by the will of God. There have been times when parents arranged the marriage of their sons and daughters; however, in our current culture, we make our own choices, although that may be a misnomer, as our unions- the one whom we marry could still be by the will of God. He could have led us to the right one, and that is still the truest sense of rightness: a man takes his bride to become his wife; one man, one woman, and the two will become one. That is not to say we cannot make mistakes when we operate outside the will of God, which leads to such a high rate of divorce, even in the church. The world and all its alternative ways of union are certainly outside the will of God. Let us praise the Lord, as he has worked his plan for the two of us to become one. That is also, in some sense, a mystery: that the two of us, Jesus and us, have become one, as He and the Father are one.