A Broken Bond

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A BROKEN BOND

Gen 16:4-6

4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

NIV

It seems strange to begin with the idea of Abram having Hagar as a secondary wife, or concubine and that she conceived was the brainchild of Sarai, since she was unable to conceive. Since Abram was able to produce a child with Hagar it proves all the more to Sarai that she is the reason she does not conceive a child for her husband. It is also interesting that Hagar despised Sarai. However, we also thought from some of our sources that Hagar could have been putting on airs, thinking how special she was because she conceived a child for Abram. At the same time, Sarai, the wife of his youth was unable, so Sarai felt this bitter feeling from her own fault and was not happy about it and that could have caused some tension in the family, which Hagar was more than happy to see. This brings us to a truth that should remind us that no outside forces or situations should ever disrupt the pure relationship between a husband and wife. They are bound in the eyes of the Lord and as such that bond should not be broken. We see Sarai now blaming Abram for the wrong she is suffering from the attitude of Hagar toward her. Now there is this tension, this accusatory attitude of Sarai. She wants the LORD to judge between them, tension at its best. It looks like Sarai thought that she was not at fault, and she wanted the LORD to judge her husband. A bond had been broken and Abram in defense reminds Sarai that Hagar is her maidservant, and she can do with her as she pleases. More tension, more bad choices, more rotten attitudes, and these were supposed to be people who served the LORD. Abram was a man of faith, who God credited his faith as righteousness, and who should have had a loving devoted wife. Now everything is just upside down and tempers flared, and words were spoken out of anger. This should be a great lesson for us today that we should always be ready to be slow to speak and find forgiveness in our hearts before we say anything we will regret. We know in our hearts that love covers a multitude of offenses, and thus forgiveness should be our first response, so there would not be any tension of attitudes develop that shake that God-ordained bond between a husband and a wife. As one there should be no separation into two, if that happens there are only two halves and how does a half live rightly by itself? Let us always be ready to forgive and live as one in peace with our oneness, with that God-ordained union, that bond that cannot be broken. Abram and Sarai had a broken bond, something we should be careful not to allow to happen with our bond. 

A Poor Choice

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

  A POOR CHOICE

Gen 16:1-4

16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

NIV

We are coming to the birth of Ishmael but first, we need to deal with this agreement by Abram and his wife Sarai. We do not understand why Abram would agree with this arrangement unless he thought that was how God had determined his descendants would outnumber the stars. God did say that a son coming from his own body it be his heir, but did not include Sarai in that promise. Although it is strange that Abram would agree to have two wives, unless that was acceptable in those days, since he must have been aware of the beginning history of mankind, and that God created one man and one woman establishing the union between them, as a single entity. However, Abram is still a man, and his need for a son drives him to agree to the plan of his wife Sarai. Interestingly, and this is not any condemnation, just interesting that it was Eve who was deceived first and gave Adam the fruit, and he agreed to taste it, and the devastating result that occurred, and now Sarai is the one who made this plan and Abram agreed and from history, we know that plan had devastating results. Perhaps Abram should have thought this plan out more thoroughly and he should have asked God about it before going into the tent of Hagar. Once again, we see that any of our plans should be the plan of God rather than our half-baked ideas. It is far better to move slowly, checking with the Lord, before jumping into bed with the wrong idea. Then we must consider we all suffer from being human with human needs, desires, aspirations, and ideas or plans in an attempt to make them happen. This may have been in the mind of Abram, as his wife Sarai was still barren, no matter how much or many times they tried to conceive a son. We know both of them were in their eighties as we know Abram was eighty-eight when Ishmael was born, and sometime later Sarai conceived the son Isaac, the rightful heir. Life was still longer in those days, but man was also still making poor choices which seems to be our custom. Why do we still make poor decisions, and poor choices, and not first go to God and seek his will in the matter? Is our humanity that stupid, or are we driven by those same needs, desires, and ambitions as Abram might have been? Why do we think we have a better plan than God’s plan? We need to move slowly, in fact, not move at all, unless we first check with God, and hear from him. Unless we hear from the Lord, we should just stay the course that He has put us on, keep it simple, no changes, no half-baked moves, so that we might avoid a devastating result. Let's make an effort not to make poor choices. 

The Covenant

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE COVENANT

Gen 15:7-21

7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates — 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

NIV

We now see that after Abram had questioned once, the LORD assured him and the LORD made it clear that the land Abram was on would be his and his descendants. However, Abram questions the LORD again, “How will I know?” and the LORD answers by making a Covenant with Abram. Once again, we do not know what or how deep of a sleep Abram fell into and who exactly was the smoking firepot with a blazing torch, although he must have been either the LORD or Jesus or maybe an angel of the LORD because it was the time the LORD make this covenant with Abram as He passed between the pieces, we think it was the LORD himself. We know that God came down and walked the talked with Adam in the garden and all things are possible with God, for nothing is impossible and thus it would be possible for God, or the LORD to show up once again on the earth in a form of some sort, such as a blazing torch. What we learn here is that we too can have a conversation with God only when we speak to him through or in the name of Jesus. Nevertheless, we can talk with God and there is no doubt that God can and will talk to us. It might be in a vision, it might be when we are in a deep sleep, or when we least expect it, a voice from heaven. We also learn that it is alright to question what God has told us, and we can be certain, that He will assure us in some way that the plan and path He has marked out for us is the way He has determined for us. God is always willing to assure us of his will. Of course, we know much of his will because of his written word. We can also be certain that just as He made a covenant with Abram, He has made a covenant with us through Jesus. We have this new covenant that is far superior to any previous covenant because if we accept and agree to this covenant, we will have eternal life. God promised Abram a land and God has promised us a land that is coming down from Him in heaven. As God fulfilled His covenant with Abram, God will fulfill His covenant with us. 

Righteousness

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Gen 15:1-6

15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

NIV

This is not Yahweh coming down and speaking face to face, but in a vision, which could mean that Abram was in some kind of ecstatic state which could mean an altered state of conscience, almost in a trace, or out of touch with ordinary life and may not be able to communicate with others. We wonder if anyone has ever experienced that kind of communication with God today. Nevertheless, because of the way God came to Abram, he wanted to make sure Abram was not afraid of how this vision was taking place. God wanted to ensure Abram, as he does with us, that the I AM is his and our shield, his and our very great reward. There is no question we have no greater reward in this life than to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior for we will inherit eternal life. There is no other reward in life than to live forever in the presence of our God. However, we can also learn a lesson from Abram as he questions God about the fact he has no offspring, that God had told him he would. When we ask a question of God, even in our doubt, in our time of not understanding what is true, He assures us, confirming his truth to us, and that He is always with us, in fact, dwelling within as the Spirit, and that we can stand firm. God reaffirmed Abram and as we must also learn, Abram believed the LORD, and so God credited that kind of faith as righteousness. It takes that kind of faith within us to be credited as righteousness, although, it is slightly or maybe majorly different. For our faith must be in Jesus Christ. We must believe the LORD or as we call him, God, that Jesus came to earth as a man, was crucified, paying our penalty for our sins, and was buried and raised from the dead and then ascended back into heaven. We must believe that is true and accept it on faith, without any proof other than the word of God, the bible. We may never have a vision, we may never hear the voice of God, or be so inspired by the Spirit, nevertheless, we believe, we have faith in Jesus and because of our faith in Jesus, God credits us as righteous. He sees us as holy and blameless, because of the righteousness of Jesus and that we are in Christ, and He is in us. Faith in the LORD caused Abram to be credited as righteousness, and faith in Jesus credits our righteousness.  

Who Gets the Credit

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHO GETS THE CREDIT

Gen 14

14:1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High,Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High,who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me — to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

NIV

How do we make any sense out of this except the hearts of men like to war? We see this desire to gain more power and possessions that belong to others, more control of land and people. There are way too many kings in this narrative, some who make allies, and war against others who make allies. However, the bottom line here is that Lot got taken up in the taking of land and people, and Abram heard of the trouble his nephew Lot had gotten into. Interestingly, much time must have passed on in that Abram had over three hundred trained fighting men that had been born into his household. It is almost that Abram had become a country of his own. If there were three hundred and eighteen trained fighting men in his household, how many more untrained men would there have been, plus how many had wives and children, plus the others that would have been in the household, that number could be as large as a small city. So Abram takes up the cause of his nephew and he and his fighting men rout all those kings and take back Lot in the process. However, look at the righteousness of Abram as he is unlike any other. He wants none of the spoils of war, except the tenth of it he gives to the priest of God Most High, Melchizedek, who was also the king of Salem, or king of Peace, who had no beginning and no end as we know from Hebrews chapter seven. We wonder, by what is recorded that Abram said about not wanting someone to believe he made Abram rich if that was not a bit prideful. It is right to act in righteous defense of family, as Abram did for Lot, but it is not right to walk pridefully because of one’s great act of righteousness. Have we not learned to walk humbly before our Lord and before men? Have we not learned that boastfulness is wrong? Although it is better to give than to receive, it appears Abram was willing to give that tenth to Melchizedek and give everything else to the king of Sodom. However, we still detect that prideful speech of Abram. Let us remember, that even in our good deeds, our motivation should not be to receive praise from men or boast of our deeds, which gives way to pride. We must always be cognizant that all we are, all we do, and all we have is totally due to the hand of God, and not of our own efforts. The question is always; who gets the credit? 

God Gives

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD GIVES

Gen 13:14-18

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

As we already know Isaac will be the beginning of descendants as numerous as the dust, but Abram can only accept these words from the LORD on faith. It will be a seed from his own body that will start all this, however, it is the LORD who will make it happen, just as all the land his eyes see, the LORD will give Abram all that land. It is a gift from the LORD. The LORD is doing so much in the life of Abram, because Abram has always responded in the affirmative when the LORD called him from Ur, from Haran. Abram always called upon the name of the LORD, and always built altars to the LORD, as we know, Abram was a man of faith. Here is where we, once again, take our lesson from the LORD. He started the work in the life of Abram and He is going to finish His work in the life of Abram. All Abram needed to do was believe in the LORD, or have faith, and follow the LORD’s directions. There is no doubt that we believe in God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. There is no doubt that we have faith, we are men of faith, and we know that it was God who started the work in us, He is the one who sent the Spirit to convict us of our sins and need to repent, or change the way we think, and He is the one who revealed Himself to us and He is the one who has been providing for us ever since, giving our places to live, our food, and everything else. He is the one who has directed our paths and has brought us where we are to worship, where there is an altar that has been built upon the Lord. All our life, it has been the Lord working for us, within us, and through us, for His glory. We live and move and have our being because of the LORD. Everything we see, smell, taste, touch, and hear is because of the LORD, for He has created all things and put us in the midst of it all, giving it all to us, for His glory. Let us always hear His voice and move as he lights our path, for the Lord gives, and gives and gives. 

No Quarreling

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO QUARRELING

Gen 13:5-13

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." 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.

NIV

We wonder why men quarrel, especially about possessions. Of course, these possessions were great flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and a large caravan of camels. The problem was there was not enough grass and water to support such a large amount of animals. However, why the quarreling is still not fully explained. Maybe Abram's herdsmen felt they should have first dibs on pastures and water because Abram was the Patriarch of the family, while Lot was just a nephew. We think at times there could be some quarreling in the church, but it is far more subtle than what may have occurred between those herdsmen. We think it might show up because some think more highly of themselves than they should, believing they are the important people of the church and should have a greater say in how things are run. However, we should take our cue from Abram, his humility in leadership tells us the true story of a man of faith. He could have told Lot which way to go after he decided the way he would go first, but that was not the case. Abram allowed Lot to make the choice as to which way he would take his flocks and herds, and Abram would take the direction that was left. Abram did not want any quarreling among himself and Lot or their herdsmen. Are we noticing someone who is a peacemaker? Could that be why God blessed Abram because blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. It is always best to be the one to seek forgiveness than to allow friction within the church. We cannot allow quarreling, or contention as the Hebrew word can mean, among believers, those who profess to follow Jesus. Sometimes we think just calling ourselves Christians is not enough. If we are followers of Jesus, then peace and harmony should follow within the body, for we all need each other. Let’s not quarrel 

Always Calling

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ALWAYS CALLING

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

Once again, Abram called on the name of the LORD. We wonder what kind of day-to-day living Abram lived. He was at this same place where he had built an altar and called on the name of the LORD before the famine when he decided to go into Egypt and where he made the horrible decision of telling his wife to say she was his sister. However, the result was he became a very wealthy man, as well as did Lot. Nevertheless, did he not ever call upon the name of the LORD while he was in Egypt? Did he only call upon the name of the LORD when he pitched his tent in some special place, or where he could build an altar? What if our lives were like that? What if we only called upon the name of the LORD when we moved to some place or built a new church, or just waited until Sunday when we were in Church? What if we lived Monday through Saturday never calling on the name of the LORD, and just doing our own thing, looking to gain whatever in life, and then on Sunday, we go to Church and sort of just go through the motions of worship, but never really call upon the name of the LORD. What kind of life would that be? No, this is not our lives. We spend every day in the presence of our Lord. In fact, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and we cannot go forward throughout each day without calling on the name of the LORD. There is always the sense of his presence and even when we are involved in some activity, work, or play, we know God is with us, and our mind and our spirit get these thoughts of worship. Can we get caught up in something, so intensely consumed with doing a particular activity that we forget about who we are, and our relationship with our LORD? Maybe, that might happen from time to time, but that would just be for a moment, then the Spirit reminds us, and we come back to our senses, and call upon the name of our LORD. Maybe that was what Abram was like. Perhaps we should not be so judgmental, after all, he was enshrined in the hall of faith, being remembered as one “By faith”. Still, we must remember we cannot wait for some moment to call on the name of our LORD but live in the Spirit, walk in step with the Spirit, be in the presence of our Lord, listen and discuss our daily walk, being guided by the path he has laid out for us, and seeing those footsteps he has ordered for us. Can we get distracted by our own will? Sure, that might happen, but it may be for a moment, then we remember, we are his and he is our LORD. Let us always be calling upon the name of our LORD, for He is always calling us.  

Stupidity and God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

 STUPIDITY AND GOD

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

Here is a man who God called and who answered that call and followed God’s instructions and has been enshrined in the hall of faith by the writer of Hebrews and here he does this stupid act, this movement of human weakness. Interestingly, we know Abram was seventy-five when he left Haran to set out for the land of Canaan. We do not know if years had passed or just months after he pitched his tent east of Bethel. Still, at this age, Sarai wasn’t that much younger because we know both were old and she was passed the age of being able to conceive. Yet, she was a beautiful woman who may have been in her seventies as well. But this was one of the worst moments in the life of Abram to put his wife in that situation where the Egyptians would think she was his sister and as we see Pharaoh thought she was free game and took her as his wife. However, God was not going to let the stupidity of Abram get in the way of His plan for him. However, God did allow Abram to amass more sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants, maidservants, and camels. Maybe, this was God’s plan all along so that Abram would become a very wealthy man, wealthier than he had ever been. We cannot imagine that God’s plan for Abram was to put Sarai in that position. We believe this was simply a dumb decision, and God had to get involved to straighten it all out, even at the cost of making a man violently sick. It appears that is our lesson for today. Even when we make poor choices, dumb decisions, or just being stupid, God is still there ordering our footsteps, watching over those he loves and has plans for. God not only moves mountains so we go in the direction he planned for us, but he moves people in and out of our lives so that we take those right steps he ordered. God is actively involved in our lives, making sure we get to the right place, even when we have those moments of stupidity, and think of our own well-being, as Abram did. God had and still has a plan for us, and He is the one who started the work in us, just as he did with Abram, and God is the one who will finish his work in us, just as he did with Abram. Although it is too late for us to make the hall of faith, let us live with faith because God will accomplish his plan in our lives, just as he did with Abram. 

Calling On The Lord

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CALLING ON THE LORD

Gen 12:8-9

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

First, it is interesting that Bethel in Hebrew can be interpreted as the ‘House of God’, yet we think from some research it is simply a place now located in Palestine. It is also interesting to think about a pitched tent. Having been in Israel and seeing the tents of the Bedouins and how big they were, almost large enough to have several rooms, we wonder if this was the kind of tent Abram and Lot had. If so it was not a small feat to pitch a tent and we are not told how long he stayed there, but the important point is that Abram built an altar to the Lord and called on the LORD. No matter what is going on in life, it is always good to call on the name of the Lord. We believe both Abram and Lot would be shepherds or at least owners of large flocks of sheep. The people they acquired in Haran would be the flock workers, the shepherds, or the watchers. By now, Abram had to be a wealthy man, having people working for him. However, he always called on the name of the LORD, no matter what was going on in his life. Of course, he was following the direction of the LORD and perhaps wanted to know what he was supposed to do after arriving in the hills east of Bethel. Once again, this allows us to gather a clue as to how our lives should be. Although we do not have tents, we pitch our homes in the place God directed us. We set up our living space in the city, the neighborhood where God has directed us. We have found a place of worship, an altar of sorts where he has brought us. We call upon his name there, but is once a week enough? As we have thought before, there should be an altar in our hearts, one that we have built onto the LORD. It is with our mouth we confess Jesus is Lord, but it is with our heart we believe, and so the change in our lives the day we confess Jesus is Lord, our heart changes its focus. We no longer desire the things of this world, but our desire is to live for Jesus, so in that sense, the altar we have is in our hearts. It is in our hearts that rings the melody of heaven’s harmony as we call on the name of the LORD. This should always be the story of our lives, calling on the name of the Lord. 

God Appeared

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD APPEARED

Gen 12:6-7

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.

NIV

We do not know if this was just one gigantic tree that was that notable to be labeled or known as the Great Tree of Moreh. Perhaps it was a landmark by which people used to know which way they were traveling. We are also told the descendants of Canaan lived in this land. This was the son of Noah who saw his father naked and gossiped about that fact to his brothers, and as a result, Noah cursed Canaan. We do not know what kind of people these are, however, years later the Israelites will drive them out of the land. But for now, here we are with Abram, the man who followed the voice of God and left Ur, left Haran and his father’s household to arrive here in this land. Once again, God appeared to Abram and gave him more information. We wonder if God told him that this land was not for him at that time, but for his offspring, who were the Israelites under the command of Joshua. However, the point is that God appeared to Abram. The word used for LORD is Yahweh, the self-existent God. So then was it the Father, Himself, or could it have been Jesus, the Christ? Still, it was the LORD, Yahweh who showed himself to Abram and spoke to him about what would happen. This must have been some event, for we know that Sarai, the wife of Abram was barren, and they were getting old, and she would have been past the age of conceiving a child. Yet, God told him, his offspring would be given this land. Abram’s response to this news was to build an altar and worship Yahweh. This is our story, although it might take a slightly different twist. We may now get an appearance of God, but we already have God, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and leading us into all truth. Therefore, we would also believe the Spirit leads us, that our footsteps are ordered by God, and that we are revealed truths, and perhaps at certain times in our lives, we hear the voice of God giving us directions. What is our response to God speaking into our lives? We have and will continue building that altar within us, being that living sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to our Lord. We will worship our God, and follow him, always being willing to be where he wants us. We may not always see God, but we know by faith, he is here with us, just as he was with Abram. 

On the Move With God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ON THE MOVE WITH GOD

Gen 12:4-5

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

This is the beginning of somewhat of a travel log of Abram, but we are impressed to stop at the start of this record of his journey. We know that God called Abram to leave all that he knew, his family, although he had Sarai and Lot and all the people he had acquired, which would have been employees or slaves, along with a great number of sheep. Some were Abram’s, some were Lot’s. What this tells us is this was not just one man following God, what might be described as a tribe of people under the leadership of Abram who is the man God speaks to. Abram was responsible for more than just himself, but the point we want to focus on is that when God told him to leave his country, family, and father’s household and go somewhere unfamiliar to him, he did what God told him. This should always be our story, to do what God tells us. Abram arrived at the land of Canaan, just as God said to him that was where he should be. It is interesting that when we follow the voice of God we will be exactly where he wants us to be. With Abram, it was a physical place, and that could apply to us as well. But we must always listen and hear the voice of God before we make any physical relocation. God will also speak to our hearts about any changes in our vocation, especially in ministry. The fact is that any change in our lives should be due to the call and direction of God, who may well be working through the Spirit who dwells within or through an audible voice, or it could be through what he has already said that is recorded for us within the written word. However God chooses the speak to us is obviously up to him, all we need to be is good listeners and obedient followers. It should be plain to us that our lives are not our own, that we are not the captain of our own ships, or the pilot of our own aircraft, or whatever other metaphor there might be that makes it clear, that we are in the hands of God. He is the one who breaks us, melts us, molds, us into the shape and size of a vessel he can fill, using us for his purpose, just as he did in the life of Abram. Our prayer should always be that God has his way with us and that we will always be in his perfect will for our lives. Let us always let God move us, let us always be on the move with God. 

Leave and Go

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LEAVE AND GO

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

The call of Abram is the call of every person who hears the voice of the Lord. That is the difference that is everything. We are told that the LORD had said to Abram, that he was to leave his country, his people, his father’s household and go where the LORD would show him. This is the call we hear when the Lord speaks to our hearts and minds. We wonder if Abram heard the audible voice of God, or if this was one of those deep inner senses, that one just knows it is God speaking. Either way, when we hear God calling us, we too must leave our country. We abdicate our citizenship in the world we were living in, the world in which we were known as a sinner, living for our own personal pleasures and gains, where we did not concern ourselves other than our “self”. We needed to leave all that world behind and go to a land, a kingdom that God would show us, a place where Jesus went to the cross for us and redeemed us, and so God offered us a place in his kingdom. We also needed to leave our people and our father’s household. It is interesting as soon as we make the journey across that bridge, the wooden cross, from that city of sin, darkness, and death, to the city of light, and life, those people we once lived in sin with no longer want to be near us, because we are now speaking about the things of God, the grace we received and that we no longer what to live in the same manner as they. The leaving seems to be twofold, we leave them and they leave us because they love the darkness and are ignorant of the death that awaits them. We may also need to leave our father’s household, which could mean family, Jesus spoke about how he would cause families to separate from each other because of one finding grace, and the other refusing grace. The journey of God will always take us to that place he wants to show us, to reveal to us the city of God, the place of eternal rest and joy being in a place prepared for us by Jesus. So, when we heard the voice of God, we left where we were and followed Him. God blessed Abram, and God has been blessing us because, like Abram left as the LORD had told him, we left as the LORD had told us. It is all about leaving and going. 

The Ordered Footsteps

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE ORDERED FOOTSTEPS

Gen 11:27-32

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 died in Haran.

NIV

We are once again passing by the list of men who begotten men to come to Abram. We could list them but the interesting thing is the lifespans were diminishing through each one. We noticed that Shem whose genealogy this is, the one whom both Ham and Japheth were to bow to, Ham was to be a slave to Shem and Japheth was to live in the tent of Shem, who Noah blessed. It is through this line of Shem that Jesus would come into the world. However, we need to get to Abram, so we must at least start with his father Terah. We notice Abram had two brothers, Harah was the father of Lot, and now we have Abram and his nephew Lot for the great story that will unfold to us in the next chapters of this account of the beginning of mankind. We are also introduced to Abram’s wife Sarai and are already told that she is barren, which again is setting up the great story that will unfold. The importance of our being told that Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram is they all left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. Still, they settled in Haran, before getting to Canaan. We know from later in this chapter of the beginning of mankind, that God told Abram he called him from Ur, although the time of his calling was when he was in Haran. This leads us to know that God’s hand was at work in the life of Terah, the father of Abram to get them the move to where God wanted Abram to be, in the land of Canaan. Why is this relevant in our lives? What do we learn that improves our lives in Christ? We know that we might make our plans, and we know that God orders our footsteps. God ordered the footsteps of Terah from Ur to Haran, and we know he ordered the footsteps of Abram all the way from Ur to Canaan. This should tell us that our footsteps are not random but are also ordered by God. This should also give us a clue that we should always be aware of the voice of God, for ignoring his call upon our steps will lead us into not only temptations but also danger. How can we live without the order of God, or without his ordering our way, our footsteps? Life itself is dependent on listening to and obeying the voice of God. When we heard the call of God to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, for we did not do that on our own accord, that was not the end of God but just the beginning of God ordering our way through this life and to life everlasting. Therefore, we will never stop listening, we will stop following the order of God in our footsteps in joyful anticipation of where we are and where we might be. We will just follow him, as Jesus said, follow me. 

Not Confused

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NOT CONFUSED

Gen 11:5-9

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel — because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

NIV

This vacated city became Babylon, as the Hebrew word Babel has a direct meaning of confused as God confused their language so all they heard from each other sounded like babel which in English is defined as a confused noise made by many voices. Either way, God did not want man to think he could do anything he wanted to do, that is nothing would be impossible for them if they all understood each other perfectly. We do wonder what God thinks about mankind now as we have overcome this confusion of language and now have built spaceships that have taken us to the moon and now have their sites on Mars. That is far more than a tower to reach the heavens. But it is the pride, the arrogance of believing they can do anything, that it is the impossible only takes us longer to figure out how to accomplish. However, we know that is not true, for many things are impossible for man, but nothing is impossible for God. The largest impossible action of man is to get into the heavenly place built by God. This is what those people of the past were trying to achieve, get to heaven. the Hebrew word used when it is described as they were trying to reach the heavens, is to mean the abode of God, although the direct meaning is sky, or the abode of the stars. Man can reach out to God, but not by building his own tower, but by doing the work that God requires to reach him, and that is to believe in that one he sent, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer, the Savior who became the perfect sacrifice and thus because we have faith in Jesus we have indeed reached God, in fact, He dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. We can get no closer to God than we already are, and we do not have to do anything, build anything through our own works, our own abilities, or through any advanced amount of learning. We reach God through faith in Jesus and that can be done by anyone, anytime, anyplace without anything but faith, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Can we learn more about God, about his person and his plans? Of course, for he has made sure we have a record of all he has done, all his interactions with mankind. He has revealed himself to us through his own words. We can study and learn more about him and have more knowledge about his ways for us to live with all the love, peace, and joy he has to offer us. Let us not try to build our way to God, but simply allow God to reach out to us and accept his hand at work in us, building us into the person he desires, then we will not be confused about who he is and who we are. 

Prideful or Humble

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PRIDEFUL OR HUMBLE

Gen 11:1-4

11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

NIV

We bypassed chapter ten for it was just the names of the descendants of Ham, Shem, and Japheth with names of several cities they founded, and the various languages each had. The reason for the bypass is seen in the first statement in this chapter. That genealogy of descendants does not fit in chronological order as before they all scattered to different places with languages of their own, they all spoke the same language and had common speech. Here is where the arrogance of man begins to be seen, at least for the first time after the flood. We would think that knowing the history of the flood and that all of them were descendants of Noah and were of the line of one of his three sons, they would know that God was not pleased with man because the inclination of their hearts was evil all the time. We would think these new people would be careful not to displease God in any way but would rather follow the example of Noah and give thanks and praise to God. Instead, they wanted to build a tower too great, one they thought could reach the heavens or would mean a tower to reach God, thus making a name for themselves. How impressed we are with ourselves because of what great things we are capable of doing. Men have become so narcissistic, so self-absorbed, and over-confident they could just do whatever they desired and be known for how great they are. It does not make much sense, but it seems there is still this type of thinking in the world today. Even though we will see the response of God by giving them all different languages to confuse them, man has found ways to communicate with each other all over the world, and now we are back at the arrogance of man thinking they as great and they can do mighty things. The only difference between them is this generation of man is not trying to reach God, although they have reached, in a sense, the heavens with their space programs, they have created their own gods, so they can believe they are in touch, or they can reach out and touch their god. We should be careful not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, meaning living with humility would be more suited for those of us who confess we follow Jesus. Yes, there are still different positions in life that might appear to have some higher calling than others, which could be a result of higher education or higher incomes. Yet, if we follow Jesus, no matter our position in this life, we should walk humbly with our Lord, and before men. Arrogance and pride have no place in the life of a believer. We cannot understand how some believers allow themselves to think they are that important, or they are better than others because of some human standard. Let us always be aware that all we are, all we have, and all we do is because of the hand of God at work in us, for us, and through us. Let humility be our lifestyle. It is always a question of who we are, prideful or humble. 

Living Respectfully

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LIVING RESPECTFULLY

Gen 9:20-27

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.  27 May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave."

NIV

So Noah was a farmer, or at least a vineyard keeper, and one of the first things he did when the time came to make a life in the new world after the flood, was to plant a vineyard. We know that it took many years for the grape plants to grow and to produce a yield of grapes. We also know that the yield of grapes once harvested and processed so stored in some containers to ferment for many years, and all we are told is Noah planted a vineyard and drank too much wine and got drunk. We also know that Noah was a man who found favor with God, who God declared would be saved with his family so they could begin multiplying the new world. Now we have a man who found favor with God getting so drunk he passed out naked in his tent. He certainly would not pass the test today as a man finding favor with some denominations, as well as those believers who put themselves back into the bondage of laws, although, in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he tells them not to be drunk on wine but be filled with the Spirit. The idea is that drunkenness leads to debauchery, at least with those Ephesians. However, the word does not forbid drinking wine, but as with Noah, to be drunk and pass out is not pleasing to God, or at least we believe that is true. We are never told that God rescinded his favor on Noah.  Nevertheless, the response of his three sons also has a lesson for us. Ham was no more than a gossip telling his two brothers about how he found his father. What we do not know is why Ham went into the tent of his father. Was the tent of Noah a private space? What about Noah’s wife, where was she when Noah started drinking so much wine? Is it any wonder Ham did not find any favor with Noah and ended up being cursed? Is that the story we should focus on? If we do not find favor with God we will end up being cursed. That is a truism because the only way to find favor with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. When a person comes to Jesus, accepting him as Lord and Savior, they find favor with God and will enter into his rest. They will be among those who start another new world living in a paradise with God. However, those who, like Ham, who first, showed no respect for his father, then told others about the condition of his father, will find a curse, being sent into the lake of burning sulfur. This is the truth about either showing respect or refusing to respect the Heavenly Father of all mankind. Shem and Japeth gave us the example of being respectful to our Heavenly Father, by how they respected their father. They did not bring shame to, or humiliate him, thus we should live so as not to bring shame upon our Father. It is not about living under the law but living respectfully toward men and God. 

The Heavely Sign

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE HEAVENLY SIGN

Gen 9:8-17

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you — every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." 17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

NIV

The everlasting covenant God made with every living creature is one of the beautiful signs in the sky during or just after a slight rain shower. The rainbow is a sign that God put there so that both He and all living creatures remember his everlasting covenant. However, man has distorted and captured the rainbow for all sorts of human inventions of hope, love, happiness, and acceptance. Some think when we see a rainbow, it may be a message of hope from a deceased loved one or a guardian angel. It is also thought when we notice a rainbow it could signify, that we are on a spiritual journey. Another writer thinks that in Western art and culture, rainbows are frequently represented as a sign of hope and promise of a better future. The list goes on and on from the human perspective as to the rainbow, but they do not include God in their ideas about the rainbow. However, we know it is all about God, for he made a covenant with us because we are among all living creatures. No matter how severe the weather may get, we can also be sure the earth will never have a flood that destroys all life on Earth. God will also remember his everlasting covenant with all living creatures and it is he who causes the clouds and it is he who causes the rainbow as a sign between him and us. God told Noah that he set the rainbow in the clouds. When we see a rainbow, we know God’s hand is at work. There is no pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but there is the promise of God, His covenant with us. It does not matter if some fraction of humanity has made the colors of the rainbow their symbol for some alternative lifestyle other than what God established. In fact, there is thinking that if a believer were to wear some clothes that include the colors of the rainbow, it signifies we agree with that fraction of humanity. But God established the rainbow, and it is from God as a sign to us that he would never flood the earth again. We know the truth and we should make sure every time we see that rainbow we tell the story of God. Let the true sign in the heavens and on earth be told that God’s hand is at work. Thank you Lord for your sign to us in the heavens, we will remember it is a sign of your covenant with all of us.

It's Up to Man

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

IT’S UP TO MAN

Gen 9:1-7

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. 7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

NIV

Up until now all living creatures on the earth ate only the vegetation, but now the system we are living under has come into effect. Noah was now allowed to eat the meat of animals as long as he first drained its lifeblood. This most likely meant the whole predator system between all the beasts of the earth went into effect. The lamb and lion lying together was no more. This was also the time God instilled within Noah and his family that killing a man was now forbidden by the law of God. He made it clear to Noah that taking a life would be punished by God and he would take that person’s life. He also reminded Noah, or told him, if he had not already known, that he was made in the image of God. In fact, God was telling Noah that all mankind is made in the image of God and therefore should be respected as God's image bearer. The problem that happened over time, after Noah, was that mankind no longer remembered God and wanted to make gods of their own forms. Isn’t that just like mankind, to think they have control over what a god should look like and behave, which is to just sit there saying nothing and hearing nothing, and not interfering in their way of life? This kind of thinking still exists today with each person forming their own image of a god to worship. Some simply worship themselves, while others worship money, success, fame, and glory. But this worship of self may be the most damaging of all or is at the root of all worship that is not toward the Almighty God, the creator of all that is created. To worship anything or anyone who is not God has its roots bent toward evil. Someday each man must give an account to God. However, this account now is about who accepted and who rejected his grace, who is Jesus Christ crucified for our sins, buried and raised from the dead to ascend to the place of righteousness at the right hand of the Father. Because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior God has declared us holy and blameless and we too will be raised from the dead to live at his right hand forever and ever. This is to the glory of God. However, there is a punishment waiting for those who have made their own gods rejecting the grace of God. They will also stand before him, but only to be sent to the eternal burning lake of sulfur. God will hold all mankind accountable, as it began with Noah, leaving the ark. It is now up to man as to what choice he will make. 

A Pleasing Aroma

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

 A PLEASING AROMA

Gen 8:20-22

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

NIV

The last years of Noah had not been the greatest in one respect, and the greatest in another respect. Although God informed Noah of what would happen, he spent a hundred of years at hard labor building, perfecting the largest structure ever done by man. In Addition, he built a boat where there was nowhere in the sight of water and most likely had to endure ridicule by the people whose inclination of their hearts was evil all the time, from childhood, we are now told. Then Noah had to spend all those months closed up in the ark, with all the animals that he and his family most of spent much of their days making sure each animal was fed the right food, which Noah and his family had to gather and put in stores as God commanded. When the rain came and the springs of the deep opened up, and the ark began to float, Noah and his family were now to endure forty days and nights of extreme weather conditions they had never experienced before, with raging waters that must have tossed the ark around. After all that the ark landed on dry ground, God told Noah it was time to get out of the ark, release all the animals, and get on with life. What is the first thing Noah does? He builds an altar to the LORD. Noah praises the LORD; Noah gives thanks to the LORD, with an offering of thanksgiving, a sweet amora of praise that pleased the LORD. Although Noah sacrificed clean animals and birds in praise to the LORD, we have been told to offer ourselves as a sweet amora of praise, a living sacrifice that is pleasing to the LORD. Of course, we have not endured all that Noah did, but we can say that we have had various times when our bodies have not been so kind to us. We have endured pain in our bodies, and pain in our hearts when our family members may go through the valley of death. We may have gone through various hardships in life, but we still have built altars of thanksgiving and praise in our hearts to the LORD. We continue to offer ourselves as a sweet amora of praise to the Father for his great salvation through Jesus on that cross, just as Noah must have felt about his salvation because of the ark God commanded him to build. Let us always be at that altar of praise and thanksgiving to our Lord and Savior and to God the Father and for the Spirit who dwells in us guiding us into all truth. Let us be a pleasing aroma to God. 

Open the Door

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OPEN THE DOOR

Gen 8:13-19

13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you — the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground — so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." 18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds — everything that moves on the earth — came out of the ark, one kind after another.

NIV

It is amazing just to think about how much water there was to cover all the mountains of the earth and then all that water receded, so the land was completely dry. The surface of the ground was dry, meaning it was a wasteland as the Hebrew word implies. This could have only happened due to the hand of God. However, we also notice that Noah saw the earth was dried up and still did not leave the ark. We also believe he might not have been able to leave as God had shut him and his family and all the living things that were with them when God shut the door. If this door was large enough for the elephants, or wooly mammoths, giraffes, and all the larger dinosaurs, then it would make sense that Noah could not open the door and leave the ark until God opened it. This brings us face to face with the majesty of heaven and earth, the Almighty Sovereign God, who can shut up and open up everything, and everyone who has the breath of life in them. Now it was time for God to open the door and for Noah and his family and every living animal in the ark to leave and go throughout the land and multiply and be fruitful and increase in numbers. We are back to that stay until we are told to go, and we can no longer stay, but we must go because of the command of God. Noah and his family now had to leave the safety of the ark. This ark had been their home for at least five months. Of course, there was most likely still some food supplies left as well as any extra personal supplies they at put in the ark. They could have brought the fire with them for cooking, because the earth may not have produced enough food for them. We are going to see something about food later, but for now let us consider that God had their lives completely within his hands, just as he does with ours. Once again, we believe we are not the captain of our own lives. We have been given life by God as he knit us together in our mother’s womb. He has chosen to what family we would be raised in, just as he chose Joseph and Mary to raise Jesus. He directed our footsteps even if we were unaware to bring us to the place where we could find him, or recognize our sinful state and repent, changing our thinking about our life and God. He has always been involved since, providing our needs, as he did so with Noah, only that time it was with an ark, but this time it was with a cross. However, God also has provided all our other needs, housing, transportation, food, clothing, everything we need to live on the face of the earth and be fruitful. Noah could not have survived without the hand of God, nor can we survive without his hand upon us. We are confident without God ordering our footsteps, shutting us up in the cross, we would perish with the rest of mankind who have made their own gods, refusing the God of glory. Thank you, Lord, for all you do for us, in us, and through us, just as you did for Noah, the man who found favor with you. Thank Almighty God that we have found favor with you. We have no idea where in life we would be if you had not opened that door for us. 

Stay or Go

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

STAY OR GO

Gen 8:6-12

6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

NIV

It is a bit strange the way it is recorded, but this raven did not stay flying for some twenty-one days until the waters had completely receded, from the Hebrew text, we find the raven, a carnivorous bird, which is now the new plan of God that we will see when everything and everyone came out of the ark, most likely found food from what was flooding in the waters, and then returned to perch upon the outside of the ark. This view is supported by the flying back and forth in the Hebrew, to and fro. However, we still know all that happened in those days was according to the plan or the will of God. Noah did send forth a dove that was not of the same new nature of the raven, and it needed a branch to rest on or eat from some vegetation as we see it found nothing on the first flight, but seven days later it found an olive leaf. The water had receded enough for olive trees to begin to have new growth. Still, Noah waited. He had not yet heard from God to leave the ark. He will as we will get to in the following verses, but the point we must consider is that although Noah had enough evidence to think the water had receded enough that it was safe to leave the ark, he did not because he has not heard from God that it was time to leave. This truth still should apply to our lives if we are truly followers of Jesus. We do not get to decide when we should stay or go as that is totally up to the will of God for our lives. To stay or go can apply to various aspects of our lives. First, this would mean where we live. This might infer just selling our current home and moving across town, just to live in either a newer, bigger, or smaller house or a new different neighborhood. It could apply to moving completely from one state to another or even another country. It could apply to changing churches or changing a ministry. However, we believe any staying or moving must first result from hearing from God. We know he speaks to us through the Spirit and even at times in an audible voice, or at least a voice inside our ears. However, the main point is that we must want to hear from God and when we do, obey his instructions. If we are just living life according to our plans and desires and just calling ourselves Christians because we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or because we go to church on Sunday, sometimes, unless we have something better to do, then we might want to reevaluate our life’s focus. Noah stayed until he heard God tell him to go. This should be the way we live, listening for God to tell us to stay or go. 

Our God Reigns

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OUR GOD REIGNS

Gen 8:1-5

8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

NIV

First, we are not convinced we need that holy but, as the Hebrew word only refers to remember. It might be more correct to say that God remembered Noah. Does that imply that God forgot Noah? That simply cannot possibly be the case, for God never forgets, for if he did, then maybe he lied when he said that he would always be with us and never forsake us. If he finally remembered Noah, then we would have to believe he did forsake him, at least for a while. God remembered Noah, forget the but, as then we could understand that God remembered, as he always knew where Noah was, and watched over the ark, as that was his plan in the first place. Now it was time to make the water recede, so God caused the rain to stop, he caused the springs of the deep to shut up, and over days all the water receded into what we now know as the oceans that take up seventy-four percent the surface of the earth, but their depth or deepest depths have yet to be fully explored, while we live only on the surface of the remaining twenty-six percent and, in fact, less than that, for we do not occupy the high mountains or the great polar regions. All that water receded from the mountains first because of the hand of God. Once again, we are faced with God's Almighty Power and man's powerlessness, for Noah could do nothing but float around in the ark until God did something about his situation. Here is the same situation we find ourselves in today. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Moses told Pharoah those very words when he said he would pray for the hail to stop. The Psalmist used those same words, and Paul used them in his letter to the Corinthians. Three times we are told the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, all who live on it, meaning us. God is in sovereign control of all things concerning the earth. Man has absolutely zero control concerning the earth, the land, water, and the atmosphere, for man lives on the earth and is completely under the control of God.  He caused the flood, He caused the rain, the springs of the deep to open and he caused the deep to shut up and the rain to stop and the water to recede. There is no doubt in our minds, and our spirit, that our God reigns. Our lives are in his hands, we are his to do with as he desires, for God reigns. He is the one who makes our path straight, He shines the light onto our feet, directing the way we should go, for our God reigns. We are simply to follow Jesus, for our God reigns. 

Live or Perish

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LIVE OR PERISH

Gen 7:17-24

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.     21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished — birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

NIV

Although it seems the fact that everything that had the breath of life perished is repeated, God wants us to know exactly what he caused to happen. Forty solid days and nights of heavy rain constantly pouring out of the sky would certainly cause flooding. We think of the foolish thinking of some people today who think the ocean level is rising an inch because of climate change melting the icebergs. God caused the oceans to rise to cover the highest mountains in the world. That was a change in the climate of the whole earth that wiped out all living beings.  What we cannot imagine is the horror people must have gone through as they tried to climb to higher ground to escape the flooding. Then they were in competition with the animals stampeding to higher ground. But no matter how much people tried to live, they failed and perished. This could be the greatest life lesson of all time. When people turn their backs on God and the inclination of their hearts is evil all the time, no matter if they have the breath of life in them, they will perish. It is not the will of God, for he would desire that none would perish but that all would be saved through his provision of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, the fact remains when people live without accepting God’s grace, Jesus, they are living only as people whose heart is bent toward self, and the greatness of mankind and its power over the earth, which in the terms of God, is evil. We know there are only two choices a person can make, life or perish. Noah found favor with God he lived, while all others chose self and perished. Praise his holy name, he sent the Spirit, and he broke through our stubborn hearts, melting them so we could see the truth of God, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and so we have found favor with God and we will live. It is sad that one day, another cause of God will happen and this earth and all who refuse God, thus refuse Jesus, will once again perish. Anyone can find favor with God and live because of Jesus. Should we not share the good news?

 

 

God's Power and Control

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD’S POWER AND CONTROL

Gen 7:6-16

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month — on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

NIV

We should have taken these phrases in pieces, and yet it is one story, perhaps told to us in a couple of different ways. We do not know exactly how long it took to build the ark. We know that it was not until Noah was five hundred years old that he had those three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now he was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came onto the earth. The three sons had to grow old enough to marry before the beginning of the construction of the ark. God told Noah to build it and he and his wife and his three sons and their wives were to enter it. Still, we have to remember it took hundreds of years to build and to build it so solidly to be able to withstand the floodwaters for forty days and forty nights. Two keys to this narrative bring it home for us. First, it was God who caused the flood, as it is God who has all the power over all the earth. He is the one who opened up the deep on a specific day of His choice. It was the seventeenth day of the second month. This means the earth and the atmosphere are under the absolute power of God. He caused the flood, and we will see that he caused the rain to stop, and the flood waters to recede. There is this foolish thinking today that man can affect the earth, the waters, and the atmosphere. This absurd thinking has gone so far, for example, some think we caused a hole in the ozone layer. The truth is God created the ozone layer to be from eight to fifteen thousand feet thick and it is gas, just like the air we breathe. A hole cannot exist in the air, nor the ozone. Man cannot conceive that God has absolute power over all the earth, the land, water, and the atmosphere. Let us always be thankful to our Lord for all he does to sustain our lives and this earth until the day he has decided to make a new creation, a new earth, and heaven. Secondly, we notice that God shut him in the ark, God closed and sealed the door, first so no one could open it from the outside, or from the inside. This brings us to the fact God has absolute power and authority over all creation, which includes all people. Once again, if we think we are the captain of our own ship, being able to determine our own destiny, again, it is nothing more than foolish thinking. Yes, Noah found favor with God in the middle of a corrupt world. Yet it was God who decided everything and the destiny of all mankind. Let us always be, first, living so we find favor with God, that is live or remain in Jesus, which God has decided the destiny or the destination of all who do live in Christ. Second, let us always be aware of the voice of God so that we know that God has shut us in, clothed us with his righteousness, and is and will continue to keep us from the harm he is going to bring once upon this earth, however, this time it will be by fire. God has everything under his command. 

All The Lord Commands

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ALL THE LORD COMMANDS

Gen 7:1-5

7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made."

5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

NIV

If anyone ever had any doubt about God speaking to a man, this account must put that doubt in a steel safe and had it dropped in the Challenger Deep in the Marina Trench somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, so it would never be found. God speaks to men, and here he is giving Noah specific instructions. Of course, it had never rained before and this is the second time this Hebrew word, Matar is used. The first time is when God had not caused rain, but a mist would come up each morning to water all plants. Now God speaks of rain to Noah, which is the first time he has heard of it since God told him before he would cause a flood of water. Noah was a man of faith; he did all the LORD commanded him. So he gets his whole family and they go into this ark, all that God commanded him to, and there they waited for seven days for rain. From the genealogies we know Noah has brothers and sisters, and most likely many cousins. We cannot account for whether his father Lamech saw Noah building the Ark, but he may have died before the flood, nevertheless, we would think Noah’s siblings might thought Noah a bit crazy, for spending so much time building this Ark. What must have people thought when they saw all the animals of creation come to Noah in pairs of two so to enter the ark. Just the fact that Noah did all the LORD commanded must have caused all the wicked people, who included his siblings to either make fun of him or simply did not believe he heard God speaking to him, if they even believed that was a God. We wonder what people think of us doing all the LORD commands. Certainly, we can hear the voice of the LORD when he commands us. If we don’t then how do we know what to do, or how to live? Are we just living according to our own ideas of life and simply include faith in God and try to follow some guidelines we find in the bible, and then pick and choose which ones we will follow and which ones we will ignore? Are we living in accordance with what God has commanded, and then as with Noah, to each of us with specific instructions as to what we are to do. These instructions would be different than all others, for just as with Noah, God only gave him those instructions. Therefore, no matter what people may say about us, let us always be ready to hear the voice of God and do all that he commands.