Our Birthright

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OUR BIRTHRIGHT

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

Why does a father enjoy seeing his son become a man’s man, spending his time in the open country, being strong and stealthy to secure the game in the hunt? While a quiet son, who perhaps has some inner talent, like Jacob, who possibly took up the skill of cooking is not thought of much by the father, however, he might be considered more of a mother’s boy. This is how this is recorded as to which parent prefers which son. Esau does have the birthright, yet is it Jacob who is the one who would be in the line of Jesus. It is Jacob who would become Israel and have the twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel, just as Jesus would choose twelve to become his disciples. Interestingly, God’s plan for Jacob would come to pass through some deception, which of course is the meaning of the name Jacob is the heal-holder or supplanter. We do wonder why Esau would despise his birthright, just for a bowl of stew. Did he not care that all his father’s estate would be his? Was he so invested in being a man of the open country, that he had no interest in being the family patriarch, overseeing all the male servants, and maidservants, keeping track of all the family wealth, in essence being in charge of everything. Then again, we also wonder why God chose Jacob to be the one to gain the birthright and do it through such a means as we are told here. Of course, that does show that Jacob can get things done that he desires, the birthright, to gain all that belongs to his father, to be the man in charge, the leader, the governor of the family, a real man’s man, so to speak. What is our lesson from this narrative? How do we see this in our lives today? Surely we should neither try to have personal gain through deception nor through despising what is rightfully ours. It would seem our best lesson comes from Esau because we currently have a birthright as a son of God. Our birthright indeed comes through Jesus; however, it came into effect the moment we were born-again, or born from above, and became a child, or a son of God. We merely have to read what ours is for being an overcomer, or victorious. Our birthright is eternal life, to live even though we die. Our birthright is to have our name in the Book of Life, to wear a white robe, to have a new name written on a white stone, to eat from the Tree of Life in the paradise of God, to live in the new city of Jerusalem, to sit on the throne with Jesus and have Jesus acknowledge our name before the Father. Why would we ever despise all that? The Hebrew would translated as despise, which carries the meaning of disdain, to hold in contempt, of no value. We wonder how much value we put on this birthright when we consider what our daily lives look like. How much do we value our relationship with our Lord? What percentage of our day is spent doing other things, not related to our faith, compared to the amount of time our faith is the central theme of our daily activities. If we know the result of our birthright, should we not want to be that overcomer, the one who overcomes the world, and all it has to offer? How do we live in the world but not be of it? We need the daily things, we need an income, a residence, and all that includes, yet it is but stuff that will fade away. We should not get too comfortable with all the stuff but be fully invested in our birthright. 

Praying God's Will

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PRAYING GOD’S WILL

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

We skipped the clans of Ishmael, as he no longer is part of the story about Jesus, the coming Messiah as Isaac and Rebekah are the two who shall bring forth the next in the line of Jesus. We are being introduced to Esau and Jacob. Of course, in time we will be introduced to the twelve tribes of Israel, from the loins of Jacob. However, what can we learn as a life lesson from this account of their birth? Perhaps the idea of prayer might be seen here, as because Rebekah was barren Isaac prayed on her behalf. Again, we see the LORD answered and opened her womb and she became pregnant. We do wonder because that had to be the plan of God all along, that Jacob would become the father of the tribes or nations of Israel. Yet, God may have been waiting for Isaac to pray for his wife so that His plan would come to pass. We do wonder if this was the providence of God that Rebekah would birth Esau and Jacob, He waited until Isaac prayed. This may be a clue to one of the greatest truths regarding the will of God and how that is played out in the lives of people. Certainly, we are not mere puppets being controlled by strings in the hand of God. Yet, at the same time, He does have a plan for our lives. We are not meant to be born, live pursuing our own pleasures and passion, collecting as much of everything we can, and then just die, ending up in hell, even if we thought we were a good person and would go to heaven. We were born meant to be the person God intended us to be for he knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb. We were intended to be a part of the kingdom of God, however, God did not hit us over the head with a hammer to get our attention, someone had to pray that we would hear his voice, or He used someone to send us on the right path to our meeting with him. We still have the choice to listen or ignore this new path, Just as Abraham, Isaac and we will see Jacob did. However, they heard from God, and they obeyed the path he sent them on because the world needed Jesus. We may not ever know the results of the path he has sent us on, some of us will have heirs some may not, so we can only consider the path we now walk and our prayers. What is the main focus of the prayers of our hearts? Of course, we know Isaac was interested in having an heir, that is the way of a man’s life. But what do we focus on in our prayers? Do we pray for success, for the blessing of God in what we do, or do we pray that God would have his way with us, that His will would be accomplished in and through our lives? Surely, Isaac was aware of the promise God made to his father, Abraham about the number of his descendants, and they would have to come through himself and Rebekah, yet she was barren. Therefore, God waited until Isaac prayed, and then His will was accomplished. Should we not be praying for God’s will to be accomplished in and through our lives? Although the Spirit had not yet been sent, it could still have been the moving of the Spirit who caused Isaac’s prayer to be perfectly in line with the will of God. Let us always sense the urging of the Spirit in our prayer for God’s will to be done in and through us. Then we saw how long it took for Abraham and Sarah, they were in their old age, so we can also know that we can still be within the plan of God in our lives, accomplishing his will in our old age. No matter how young or old we are, we should always be for praying God’s will to be accomplished in us and through us. 

Living Blessed

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LIVING BLESSED

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

That is a rip old age, one hundred and seventy years, and he had many more sons who became the fathers of other people groups, although it would seem those sons did not count in the promise of God that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars or the grains of sand on the beach. All those would come through his son Isaac, his only son whom he had with his wife Sarah in their old age. Interestingly, when Abraham breathed his last and it was time to bury him, Ishmael showed up. Both he and Isaac were together to pay the respect due to their father, taking his body to the same place he brought from the Hittites and putting him next to the body of Sarah. Now it was time for Isaac's life to fully begin as he was now the sole heir of all his father’s estate, everything that was owned by Abraham and all the manservants and maidservants, were all now Isaac’s which meant he was a very wealthy man, and God blessed him. Of course, he also had the love of his life, his wife, Rebekah at his side. However, the story here is the fact that God blessed him. How can anyone live with pleasure, or with a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, completeness, and contentment, unless they are in a relationship with God Almighty, the creator of all that was ever created? How can anyone be happy unless God blesses them? It seems we have all tried to make ourselves happy or feel satisfied but it is doubtful that in our own strength we would ever accomplish those feelings, and never would feel the sense of contentment, for we are always bent on wanting more, wanting better, or bigger than what we have. We may never feel satisfied, fulfilled, happy, and content unless we are blessed by God. That very word blessed carries all those meaning within it and once we have committed our ways to the Lord, as Abraham did as he believed God. When we live believing God as well as we believe in God, following His voice, His direction for our lives, and His leadership, we will be happy, fulfilled, satisfied, content, blessed by our Lord, living until a ripe old age, that God has ordained for us,  even before we were born. What a joy to live as one blessed by God. 

Love and Comfort

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LOVE AND COMFORT

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

We are not told the thoughts of Rebekah or Isaac as they met for the first time in this field, but we can only imagine it was a sight to behold. Isaac would have been a strong young and most likely handsome young man, and Rebekah, a young virgin girl who may have been beautiful. This is a captive sight that has been repeated over and over again for centuries. We understand the wonder of first seeing that woman of our dreams as she becomes our loving life’s partner. We would imagine the woman would think much the same as she sees the man who would be her life’s partner, in marriage, the institution established by God, that a man and a woman should live as one, in the sanctity of holy matrimony. Isaac took Rebekah into his mother’s tent and she became his wife. It would seem there was no marriage ceremony as we are accustomed to, however, throughout the years, even as those ceremonies started, the marriage was not complete unless it was consummated, and in some cases, witnessed. This may have been the only method of marriage in the time of Isaac and Rebekah. He took her into his mother’s tent and their moment of intimacy was the marriage in the eyes of God. Isaac loved her and she comforted him. This is the way of this wonderful union between a man and a woman. Love and comfort are what make the two become one. How can we live apart from the incredible union? It has happened over the years, as age creeps up or something happens to disrupt that union or tear it apart through death. Yet, if we are still blessed to walk this life with this union intact, let us always be thankful to our Lord for each day we can live as one flesh, with love and comfort in our hearts and spirits. For us men, the beauty of our bride is always there, never leaving, as we experience this oneness with her. And we would hope that she always sees that strong young man full of life and feeling her comfort as on the day of marriage. Let us always be full of love and comfort all the days of our lives together. 

I Will Go

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

I WILL GO

Gen 24:54-61

When they got up the next morning, he said, "Send me on my way to my master." 55 But her brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; then you may go." 56 But he said to them, "Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master." 57 Then they said, "Let's call the girl and ask her about it." 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" "I will go," she said. 59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her," Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." 61 Then Rebekah and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

NIV

Once again we see the ugly deceptive Laban that we know from when he becomes a father and his dealings with the son of Isaac, Jacob. After the agreement was made, and the bother and mother had received very wealthy gifts they wanted the servant of Abraham to wait ten days before leaving with Rebekah. Maybe they thought the servant had more gifts and he would offer them greater gifts so to leave at once. We are not told that but, just knowing the deceptive nature of Laban, we can only imagine he and his mother had some ulterior motives. But the servant would have nothing of being detained in doing his master’s will. They agreed to ask the girl, and she was willing to go right now, so she and her maids got ready, mounted their camels, and went back with the servant of Abraham. We take our lesson today from the response of the servant when he told them, “ Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey”. When the Lord shines his light on the path we are to take, and we step out on our journey following Him, we should not allow anything or anyone to detain us because simply following Jesus, keeping in step with the Spirit, doing that which is the will of the Father, we are being successful. Surely the enemy of our soul would try in the most deceptive ways, to detain us from following the light on our path. He could even try to get us to stumble off the path, and get stuck in the mud of his darkness. Of course, we would not purposely step into the darkness ever again, but just a slip off the path is all he is interested in to detain us from accomplishing the will of the Father. “Just wait ten days, then you can be your way” could be one of those deceptions like one of Laban. He could try anything to keep us from being on our way, doing the will of our Master, and having success on our journey. But, we will not be fooled by the schemes of the devil, for God has clothed us in his armor and the Spirit who dwells within has manifested His gift of discernment within us, so we can see plainly the blocks that the enemy of our soul is trying to use to detain us. Maybe it has taken us longer on our journey than it should have. Maybe we are the reason for detaining ourselves by getting distracted, just by the things or ways of this world. It is not that we turned away from the path, but that we simply stopped for a while to enjoy success in the world rather than the journey our Master sent us on. Then again, maybe that distraction was from that old devil, just to slow us down, because although he does not know our path, he cannot read the mind of God, nor ours, but he does know we are trying to follow the light that is shining on our path and our desire is to please the Lord, being successful on the journey he is leading us on. Let us focus our eyes on Jesus, keeping our focus on the path, so that we can be successful for our master. When He asks if we will go with Him, we take our cue from Rebekah, and say, “I will go”. 

Give Testimony

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GIVE TESTIMONY

Gen 24:42-54

42 "When I came to the spring today, I said, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar," 44 and if she says to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too," let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master's son.'  45 "Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' 46 "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 "I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' "Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn." 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed." 52 When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

NIV

We hear all this as it was happening and now the servant of Abraham is telling the family of Rebekah the whole account of what happened and how this was a direct sign from God, that she was meant to be the wife of Isaac. It is always good to give a testimony of how God’s hand is working in our lives. The servant asks if they would show kindness and faithfulness to his master. It is good for us to always show kindness and faithfulness to others, but especially toward our Lord. Now the servant brought more costly gifts to Rebekah, her brother, and her mother. Interestingly, we are not told he gave anything to the father. What is our lesson for today? What do we find within this portion of the exchange between the servant of Abraham, the brother, father, and mother of Rebekah, that gives us something to ponder? We have already touched on one that could be the one we need to explore. This gives how he gave a testimony of how God had directed his footsteps right to the correct place. We should always be ready and willing to give our testimony regarding all that God has done in our lives. Of course, the first and foremost testimony is the story of our salvation, how God intervened in our lives and revealed himself to be the Almighty God of heaven and earth. We should always give an account of the miracles he did in us, for us, and how he is working through us. How can we remain silent when God is so powerfully ordering our footsteps, so we will be in the right place at exactly the right time. Not only does our testifying of God’s hand on us, and all that he has done, his faithfulness, but it helps to boost the faith in those who hear our testimony of God’s power at work. We do need to be mindful not to boast in ourselves but always boast in the Lord. Yes, we have received so much from him. Yes, he has blessed us abundantly, way more than we deserve. Yes, he has provided materially for us. But, in the spiritual realm, in the calling on our lives, the mission he has given us, to be able to share his word with others, to speak up and be heard. Abraham’s servant gave testimony of how the Lord ordered his footsteps right to the place he was supposed to be. We always need to give the Lord all the credit for his direction in our lives. Sometimes, we might get too inward in our thinking and believe we choose where to live, work, worship, and play. But never ever are we in control, although he gave us the freedom to choose, but that is regarding serving him or rejecting him. Once we elected to serve the Lord, we need to follow his leadership, hear his voice, and walk the path he has laid out before us. Then testify of his ordering all our footsteps. We should never fail to give testimony. 

Reason For Hospitality

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

REASON FOR HOSPITALITY

Gen 24:28-41

28 The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 "Come, you who are blessed by the LORD," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." 32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say." "Then tell us," [Laban] said. 34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.' 39 "Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?' 40 "He replied, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. 41 Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you — you will be released from my oath.'

NIV

There is more to this narrative, but we cannot take it all for it is too much to handle in one devotion. However, there is something here that gives us pause to consider. When Rebekah ran home and told her mother’s household about what happened at the well, with this stranger it is interesting it was the mother’s household instead of her father’s household. Why would the author make that distinction? Perhaps this is how those families considered the households. The man was the warrior, hunter, and gatherer, and the wife ran the household, taking care of all matters around the home. However, it is Laban, Rabekah’s brother who offered hospitality to the servant of Abraham, but it was only after he saw the expensive gifts given to his sister. So far only Laban the brother is involved in offering this hospitality and we will not meet the father until the offer is considered. This is the same Laban we will meet later who deceived Jacob regarding his two daughters Leah and Rachel. We see him being impressed by the fine gifts given to his sister, and perhaps this was his motivation to offer hospitality to the servant, his men, and the camels. Maybe he thought more gifts were coming to his father’s household which he would inherit. At first, it appeared Laban was an upright man, offering such hospitality, and as only the brother or son, without his father’s approval, or at least we are not told Bethuel was the one offering the hospitality. We know later that Laban is not a righteous man in his dealings with Jacob, so we would think he is not that righteous in his dealings with the servant of Abraham, but only interested in the possible wealth he might get. It makes us wonder how we, the church, as well as personally judge who we might befriend, or invite into our midst. Are we over-eager to invite those who appear to have wealth, but are not so eager about having the poorer ones enter our arena, our church, or our homes. Would we rather spend the time, being more hospitable to those who could improve our standing or our church, than those who would require our assistance? Do we forget that we are told it is more blessed to give and receive because we like to receive more than we like giving? Just a thought and maybe a supposition regarding Laban. Nevertheless, let us consider how, whom and the reason we offer hospitality. 

A Servant's Heart

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A SERVANT’S HEART

Gen 24:10-27

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water. 12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' — let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." 15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. 16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. 17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." 18 "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. 19 After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful. 22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.   23 Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor." 25 And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night." 26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, 27 saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."

NIV

How do we divide this narrative because it has no stopping point until this break between the conversation at the well, and what happens at the house. Because we know the whole story, we know Rebekah will be the true love of Isaac and she will become the mother of Jacob and Esau. However, the story here, the lesson for us is in the servant's attention to his master's happiness. He prayed for the success of his mission of finding a wife for his master, Abraham's son from his clan, and indeed Rebekah was a cousin of Isaac. Being so intent on being faithful to his master is where we take our cue, our lesson for life. We too are servants, although Jesus told us we are friends, rather than servants, but nevertheless, we still serve our God Most High. He is our Master, our King, our God. How can we not be diligent in pursuing his happiness? How can we not make every effort in our mission to find a bride for Christ? We are that bride, we are the one Jesus desires as a bride, and he wants us to be from his own clan, for we are descendants of Adam, the man he formed with his own hands. We are people of his own, and we are both servants, looking to the happiness of our Lord, and the person, willing to go and become his bride. Yet, it is this servant attitude we must take on in this sense, that the Lord is our master. Our purpose in life is to please him. Lord, let us have success in making you happy, and pleased with our mission. We are intent on your pleasure. We know you take pleasure when we pray, spending time in your presence. We know you are pleased when we worship you, both in our quiet place and when we gather together in the sanctuary. We know you take pleasure in our worship in music, no matter the style, as long as it is focused on you, Lord. Even if we are out of tune, as long as we are making a joyful noise onto you, Lord, you hear a perfect heart of praise. It does not matter if we meet in the thousands, hundreds, or less than fifty, forty, thirty, or ten, as long as we come together to worship and praise your Holy Name, to meet you, the Living God in the sanctuary of our hearts. The one mission of this servant of Abraham was to find a bride for Isaac, to be successful for his master. Our one mission is to be successful for our Master, the Lord. Successful in all we do for His purpose in our lives. Living for him, being that living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him. Let us serve, not out of a sense of duty, but with a heart of gladness. Let us worship with an open heart, full of love, full of gratitude, full of thanksgiving, and full of praise. Let our voices rise to your ears, with all that we have, all that we are, not just reciting words, but raising them up with the full volume of our hearts. Let us serve you will all we are, all we have, and all we do, we are here for your pleasure, Lord. As the Lord led the servant of Abraham to the right place, we pray, Lord as you have, always lead us to the right place. Let us always have this same servant's heart. 

Of Heaven and Of Earth

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OF HEAVEN AND OF EARTH

Gen 24:1-9

24:1 Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?" 6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. 7 "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land' — he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

NIV

According to records, Abraham is about one hundred and forty at this time and as this is still a strong patriarchal society, the Father arranges the marriage of his son. Once again Abraham uses the more relational name of God, Yahweh, Elohiym, the Lord God. He calls him the Lord, God of heaven and earth. It is interesting that if these are the very words of Abraham written by the author, Moses, we would think they are as Moses did speak face to face with God and would have been inspired to record this exactly. So, then Abraham was fully aware of the absolute rule of God both in heaven and on earth. Nothing would happen in either if Yahweh, Elohiym did not order it. With this understanding of who the LORD God is, Abraham knows his son should have a wife from his own clan and some other line of descendants from his father's household. Much could be said about the oath taken with the hand of the chief steward under the thigh of Abraham. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used can mean the loins, or the genitive part, and the part of sacramental consecration, when all men were circumcised as ordered in the covenant God made with Abraham. This is an oath of oaths, and the chief servant must follow it without fail. We make all sorts of promises, but not in this manner as this oath. We break our promises sometimes, but this oath cannot be broken unless, the circumstance Abraham gives for a reason of releasing the servant from this oath. Two truths we should remember. First, our Lord God is the God of both heaven and earth. Our lives do not belong to us, as we agreed to the terms of the new covenant by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This means that we live totally under the rule of the covenant God made with us, and he is our Sovereign, Almighty God, who leads us, orders our footsteps, and that our lives are for his expressed purpose. Being a follower of Jesus, who many call a Christian, means that we are not just living our lives, doing our thing, and adding Jesus, or God as our religious activity, or spiritual part of our lives. God is our divine influencer, our ruler, our lamp onto our feet. We do not do what he has not ordered but only do what he has ordered in our lives. Does he give us some latitude? We would think we have some choices in life, but we also think we should be careful in those choices, knowing, or at least contemplating what consequences they could bring. The second truth is regarding giving our word, or as in this passage, an oath. This would apply first in our marriage. We made some kind of vow when we wed our spouse, and even if the face of trouble should show up, the vow should still stand. Secondly, when we work for an earthly employer, we are actually working as onto the Lord, so our word, our faithfulness to our assigned task is our word. We agreed to the agreement, and we gave our word that we would do what was required. Thirdly, and most importantly, we gave the Lord God our word that we would follow Jesus, that we would bear his image, being his ambassador in this foreign land, which also implies this world is not our home, our treasures are laid up beyond the blue. Our reward is in heaven, although God may bless us in the here and now. But our task, our calling, is to do the bidding of our God. We cannot escape his call, just as Abraham believed, and followed, we follow because we believe the LORD God of heaven and of earth. 

The Supernatural Church

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE SUPERNATURAL CHURCH

Gen 23

23:1 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. 3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 4 "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead." 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 "Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead." 7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you." 10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11 "No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead." 12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there." 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead." 16 Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants. 17 So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre — both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field — was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

NIV

Although this is the whole account of the death of Sarah and Abraham dealing with Ephron the Hittite for a burial site for Sarah, there is something we should take note of regarding Sarah that before we have not considered. She was ninety-one when Isaac was born and she nursed him, which is well beyond anything natural. We would then conclude that the birth of Isaac resulted from a promise from God and was supernatural. Sarah is one woman who was even mentioned in the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, and most interestingly, Paul makes her the mother of the promise of Isaac the son of the supernatural, as well as uses the term, free woman, while Ishmael, the son born naturally, the son of a slave woman, in his letter to the Galatians. This would make Sarah a type of the church, in that Mary was the other woman in the bible who gave birth to a son as a result of a promise of God, in a supernatural way, because she was still a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, the head of the church. This also means that if we are going to live under the promise of God, then according to the words of Jesus, we will never see the kingdom of God being born naturally, but must be born again, or born from above supernaturally, as Jesus told Nicodemus. This Sarah was one of the two most important women in the scriptures unless we include Eve, the mother of all life. However, Sarah and Mary were mothers by the promise of God, born sons supernaturally. It would be fitting for Abraham to make such a huge deal about finding and paying for the perfect place of rest for the body of Sarah, his beloved wife, who gave him Isaac, his heir who through him would make Abraham the father of many nations. This would also happen through the supernatural when Jesus, was born, as Mary was a descendent of Abraham, and, in fact, although Joseph was not the father of Jesus, he too was a descendent of Abraham. Through Jesus, all those who are born again, or born from above come from many nations, who now are the church, in the spiritually, supernatural way, because we are born from above, we are spiritual descendants of Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and Sarah. It is therefore fitting that we honor Sarah, the mother of the supernatural church, as both the author of Hebrews and Paul did before us. 

I will Surely Bless You

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU

Gen 22:15-19

15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

NIV

And all this has happened just as the Lord God told Abraham. Israel is a great nation, although it took many years for them to regain the land they once possessed. Nevertheless, they are in the homeland of Abraham, the land God promised him and his descendants. They may not have all of it as the Philistines have that area known as the Gaza Strip. The lesson we learned today is to always obey the word of our Lord God Almighty. He is our Sovereign God, and when he tells us to do something we need to do it, without hesitation. He did test Abraham, and we know we have gone through that test once, and we are confident that God knows we trust him and will do what he tells us. It is possible that he could test us again, but that is up to him, yet we know that whatever he tells us will happen, it will come to pass. Of course, we know our ultimate future because he told John in his revelation to write it all down. But he spoke directly to Abraham, and speaking personally, I can be sure that over the years of my life, he has spoken several times directly to me. Two of those times it was about moving locations and moving into a new home, he directed me right to them and provided me with all I needed to make it happen. However, he speaks to all of us through his written words, and through the inspiration of the Spirit who dwells within us. There are times when the Spirit gives us that impulse, that nudging, that sense of knowing it is God speaking to us from within and our response is to obey the voice of God. He put a call upon Abraham years ago, and he has been following the word of God since then. Has he made some mistakes, sure, all humans do, but his belief in God and his obeying God resulted in his righteousness, and God blessed him abundantly. This is the life we should live, following the word of God, obeying his call upon our lives, doing that which he directs us. Our faith in Jesus is credited to us as righteousness, this is not much different than Abraham’s faith in God. But it is after that faith and what our lives look like is still up to our Lord’s direction, for he orders our footsteps, he makes our path straight and smooth when we walk according to his cadence, keeping in step with the Spirit, doing that which is ordered. Abraham did not without his son, and we should not without ourselves from God, in fact, we are told to offer ourselves as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. If we never withhold ourselves from God, we will hear, “I will surely bless you”. 

Here I Am

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HERE I AM

Gen 22:1-14

22:1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?""Yes, my son?" Abraham replied." The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

NIV

What do we say about this, God tested Abraham. Did he not already make a covenant with Abraham. Did he not change his name by putting part of His name within him. Did he not already know that Abraham believed in God? Did God not open the womb of Sarah in her old age and give Abraham a son and even give them the name he was to be called? And yet now God tests him, why? God asks Abraham to offer his only son, the one he loved, to God as a sacrifice and Abraham does not even question this but goes about doing that which God told him to do. He answers God, “Here I am”.  Of course, this foreshadows God giving his only Son the one He loves as a sacrifice for all his creation. Isaac carried the wood, Jesus carried the wood, Isaac was bound, and Jesus was bound and flogged, however, Jesus was nailed to the cross. Abraham took Isaac up Mt Moriah, which later Jerusalem would be built and where Jesus would be sacrificed.  Speaking very personally here, I think I went through this same test many years ago. God knew I loved him, and I started my walk with him on faith, although I did ask him to prove himself to me, so in a sense I  tested God and he accepted that test, and performed the miracle I challenged him to in proving He was God. Then later he asked the same of me, although I did not get a chance to sacrifice my son, my only son, God took him as he was about to be born. We still had to bury him and go through that test, which it would seem we passed, for God has been blessing us over the years, time and time again, and our faith has never been shaken. Of course, we have not become the father of many nations, but still, the story about God always providing the exact need when it is required. The ram in the bushes just at the right time. God has always provided us with just the right thing always at the right time in our lives. Now in my old age, he calls me to shepherd a flock, to pastor a church, and all I can say is, Here I am, Lord.

 

 

Treaty

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

TREATY

Gen 21:22-34

22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you." 24 Abraham said, "I swear it." 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. 26 But Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today." 27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?" 30 He replied, "Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well." 31 So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. 32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

NIV

This recorded exchange between Abraham and Abimelech could not be in chronological order, as it seems to be the rest of the treaty formed because Abraham and Sarah said they were brothers and sisters, and Abimelech took Sarah as a wife. However, we still have a treaty being made, with an oath, but this is also about some dispute about a well. We find this matter resolved peacefully, which is our lesson for today. We would think that within the body of Christ, the church, there would never be any disputes that need to be resolved. However, our thinking is wrong because we have witnessed disputes that have turned ugly with not only unforgiveness occurring, but the gossip about the offense making this public knowledge made the matter worse. The acknowledgment of hatred was confessed as they professed their righteousness as a believer. We have seen all sorts of disputes arise, most of them ending up with someone simply leaving the church, rather than resolving the matter, resulting in everlasting hurt feelings, and unforgiveness. Unresolved disputes should not happen in the church; however, we are all flawed humans, and sometimes issues occur that need to be resolved. Sometimes, issues arise that are only a dispute within our minds, with never putting a voice to it. That is when we have these unkind thoughts about another believer, either spawned by jealousy, envy, pridefulness, or self-righteousness. There could be other reasons, but we cannot think of any at the time. This internal dispute needs to be put to rest, making a treaty within, going on, and living in peace and harmony within the body. We should be joyful for all believers, yet, if a fellow believer is acting inappropriately as an image bearer of God, should we not confront them with truth and grace in private to reveal their behavior? Just a question we need to ponder on if that is right or if we should just resolve it internally and go on loving them anyway. The fact is all believers should be living with a treaty with Jesus, then we would all be in harmony. 

Spring of Water

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SPRINGS OF WATER

Gen 21:14-21

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

NIV

Another intervention by God, another miracle as God continues to work in the lives of people. However, we find it a bit strange that an almost twenty-year-old boy would be crying. We know that Abraham was eighty-six when Ishmael was born to Hagar, and he was one hundred when Isaac was born to Sarah. We do not know how time had elapsed before Sarah insisted Hagar be sent away. But we know it was after Isaac was weaned which in those days he could have been between three and five years old. So here is Ishmael since called a boy at near twenty and he was crying. The Hebrew word translated as boy has a direct meaning of someone born, offspring, a lad, son, a young man. We would think that at that age he should have been looking after his mother instead of her thinking he was going to die because he was crying due to the water running out and they were sent away to wander on their own. But God sent an angel to Hagar and opened her eyes to see a well of water. It could be possible that God provided a well of water where there was not a well of water. God opened or may it be possible for her to observe this well of water. Either way, this is once again, God doing what man cannot do for themselves. We also see the compassion of God, at least that is what appears to be, as he responds to the crying of Ishmael. Once again, proof that God hears our appeals, our cries for help, our outpouring, even tears for relief for a situation that seems hopeless, that we or anyone else cannot do by our own abilities. Before God opened her eyes she could not see there was a well, if there was one. But when God moves in our lives, he does the miraculous, he provides water. This could also be symbolic of providing water as Jesus is the spring of living water. As that well of water refreshed Hagar and Ishmael giving life, where death may have been imminent, Jesus refreshes our spirits, and our souls, and gives us this living water that overflows from within us, so that we have life where before we knew Jesus, death would have taken us. Let us always drink from this spring of living water, filling our lives with Jesus. However, the other interesting truth, is that God opened her eyes, and as we sing, “Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, reach out and touch him, say that we love him, open our ears, Lord, help us to listen, open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. 

Confirmation from God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

Gen 21:6-13

CONFIRMATION FROM GOD

 

6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

NIV

One moment there is jubilee and laughter because Sarah is now a mother, even in her old age, and then that laughter turns to jealousy, perhaps through protecting her own son, but nevertheless, that jealousy just about turned into wrath. This is troubling to us because it was Sarah who gave her maidservant to Abraham so that she would bear him with a son. If that were to happen today, many would judge Sarah as not being very Christlike, and forgiving. However, God intervened once again and assured Abraham that Ishmael would be made into a great nation because he was the son of Abraham. God did not want Abraham to become distressed over the matter, but to take the counsel of his wife in this matter. Perhaps Sarah was not wrathful, but she wanted to make sure Ishmael had no claim to Abraham’s inheritance. No sharing, no charity or love for anyone but herself and her son. This is what it looks like to us. However, that may have been the way in those days, and we should not judge people of the past by the standards we live by today. But it is a lesson for us about jealousy and wrath, or revenge and forgiveness. If they held to their own right living, the firstborn would have the right of inheritance, even though he was through a second wife. He was still Abraham’s first-born son. However, Abraham did have the promise of God that He and Sarah would have a son, and his name was to be Isacc. Once again, God told Abraham Isaac would be the one his offspring would be reckoned. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated as reckoned has a direct meaning of seed, but can also be used as descendants or offspring, and is used as a moral quality, a practitioner of righteousness. Both the word seed and righteousness, point to Jesus. Because we have hindsight, with the knowledge of the fulfillment through Isaac we can see Jesus, but all Abraham had was the word of God, the promise of God. Once again, we take that lesson to heart. We have the word of God and his promise to us through faith in Jesus. Because Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness. Because we believe and have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it is credited to us as righteousness in the eyes of God. Abraham did what God told him, and we should do what God tells us. Sarah may not have been completely in the right, but she protected her son's rights. Let us always be listening to the voice of God, and sometimes the counsel of a good wife if God confirms it as his will, as he did with Abraham. We always need the confirmation from God.

 

Gracious and Faithful

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GRACIOUS AND FAITHFUL

Gen 21:1-5

21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

NIV

We see two of the character traits of God within this portion of the text: graciousness and faithfulness to his promise. This was not an ordinary act of man, because Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was well beyond the age of childbearing. If left alone, without the intervention of God, there would have been no child born to Sarah. This gives us one example to live by, knowing there are times in our lives when we need the intervention of God with his graciousness and faithfulness to his promise. So often we think we can do it, that we have the ability, we educated ourselves, we worked at our careers, professions, or employment trying to make our way in life, making an effort to aim for the golden ticket for retirement. We also know that even though we might try to make our plans, God orders our footsteps. We are confident Abraham and Sarah tried many times to have a child but she was barren, never bearing a child for her husband, and then at their old age, when it is not longer even possible, God makes it happen. God ordered their footsteps, although Abraham had already been walking in step with God, leaving his home and family to travel to a place where God directed them. God is gracious to them and to us. Sending Jesus to do that which we could not do, save ourselves from death because of our sins. Jesus is the grace of God and the fulfillment of his promise. But God's graciousness did not stop there, for every day we continue to breathe, is an act of his graciousness. But he also acts, and intervenes in our lives at times when we least expect, but have desired and where we may not have any of the human abilities to achieve on our own. However, is that not the way of God. If Sarah had borne a son to Abraham in a natural way, she might have become prideful, fulfilling her responsibility to produce an heir for her husband. But she could not and did not until God intervened and she knew it was God, for she and Abraham heard the words, the promise of having a son, and even his name of Isaac. Sarah could not boast of herself but only boast about God, which we will see later. We understand this and make every effort not to boast in ourselves, but to always give God all the credit for who we are, and what we are doing. He may intervene in different ways for each of us, but we know and expect to see God working in and on behalf of our lives, blessing us, even though we are not worthy. He is always gracious toward us; he has always fulfilled his promise to us over the years. God is faithful, we can trust him completely to finish the work in our lives in both the spiritual and physical. He brings us along on the path he has planned for us, growing our knowledge of him, building us up into his temple, a living stone, placed just where he wants us. He grows our understanding in his ways, as the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. He feeds us his food, solid spiritual food for our souls. He heals our bodies so we can serve him. He sustains our lives so we can continue to do his bidding all the days of our lives. As with Abraham and Sarah, he was their source, he is our source for doing the supernatural beyond our natural abilities. Thank you, Lord, for being gracious and faithful to your promise. 

Fear God and Speak Truth

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FEAR GOD AND SPEAK TRUTH

Gen 20:8-18

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

NIV

Page two, the rest of the story. Even a place where there is no fear of God, and a king that does not either fear or have knowledge of the God Abraham knows as the one true God can do what is right. Of course, Abimelech did have this conversation with God in the night and we think that God put the fear of himself in Abimelech telling that he is as good as a dead man. Even if Abraham was right about the place being Godless, or there is no fear of God in that place, at least the king now knows and has the fear of God. This could be true in that we cannot put that fear of God in someone, no matter how we witness to them, but then it has become more popular to share the love of God with others, rather than the fear of God. We should also take notice the Hebrew translated as fear, has a direct meaning of moral, reverence. It would be right to teach the reverence of God. However, keeping to the point that God certainly used a man that did not fear him, to both teach and bless Abraham. Then we are not sure that Abraham got the lesson as he gave this lame excuse that Sarah is truly his sister, in reality, half-sister, if both of them had the same father but not the same mother. Nevertheless, Abraham tried to excuse his behavior in this matter, instead of confessing up and telling Abimelech that he was wrong to do such a thing and ask for his forgiveness. Still, the king did not want anything on his conscience now knowing this God who came to him in his dream. Therefore, he blessed Abraham giving him sheep, cattle, men, and maidservants, and the freedom to roam all the land of his kingdom. He also told Sarah that in addition, a thousand shekels of Silver would vindicate the offense against her, which would have been by Abraham. Now Abraham prays for him, after all, he received from the king's hand, and might have learned a valuable lesson about, first, trusting God, and second, speaking the truth. Is this not how we live, trusting God and speaking the truth? Or do we try to protect ourselves by putting up our façade so people cannot know the real us, but only what we let them see? Do we speak the truth, or cover up our misdeeds, again guarding our own weaknesses by our feeble human efforts? Should we not live rightly before God and men, trusting God to make things right, making our path smooth before us, so we can be truthful with one another about ourselves. Is this not what God desires? Should we not live in reverence to God, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It comes down to fearing God and speaking the truth. 

The Dream

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE DREAM

Gen 20:1-7

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

NIV

By rights, we should cover the whole of this chapter for it is the whole of the event or interactions between Abraham, Abimelech, and God. However, we are struck by something God did concerning this bothersome problem of Abraham and Sarah agreeing to say they were brother and sister. First, it is difficult to understand that at the age they were, Sarah would be a desirable woman that a king would kill her husband to take her for his own. We know Abraham was at least ninety-nine for that is when he and every male in his household were circumcised. Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born and that is going to happen within the year, so here we have a ninety-year-old woman still beautiful enough to be desirable to take as a wife. However, our focus here is how God intervened in this situation. God did not come down to speak to Abimelech but did appear to him in a dream. We know dreams can be extremely vivid and our minds create some powerful images and actions as if we were awake, but still we sleep. However, Abimelech’s dream was not of his mind’s creation, but of God speaking into his thoughts during his sleep, yet this narrative says that God came to him in a dream. Still, here we see God telling him that he is as good as dead because his taking Sarah as his wife, and that she is already married. His dream included a complete conversation with God, which seems it was not a typical dream, which we would think so if God came to him in his dream. So here is where we get our lesson or understanding more about God. He kept a man, one who was not a believer, but rather a pagan, from sinning against Him and committing an offense against Abraham. We do wonder if God was more interested in Abimelech not sinning or protecting Abraham although he was the one who committed a wrong against both Abimelech and God. It might be a little different in our lives since we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, that God would not have to come to us in a dream, but at the same time, the Spirit could intervene within us, either as in a dream or when we are awake if we are about to commit a sin against someone and thus against God. However, we are also able to quench the Spirit, putting him down, ignoring him completely, and following our own path of offense against God. It might not be some grievous act like taking another man’s wife, although we know that could happen somewhere within the church at large. But our offense might be more like greed, unforgiveness, holding a grudge, gossip, envy, jealousy, lust, or pridefulness, just to name a few. But we would believe that God would intervene, and yet here we are, still committing offenses which seem we do not care about God. How can that be, why does he not intervene to keep us from committing such sins? Maybe he does, and unlike Abimelech, we do not pay attention when God comes to us in a dream, or the Spirit speaks within us. Are we that callous? Are we that selfish? It cannot be, we want God to intervene. Our desire is to do what is right in his sight, but why do we fail? Even if we are weak, He is strong, and we would think he would come to us somehow, but at the same time, we must be willing to listen and obey, even if he comes in a dream. 

Drunk

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DRUNK

Gen 19:30-38

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

NIV

This was not a proud moment in the life of Lot and his two daughters. However, it is the history of the beginning of the Moabites and Ammonites who ended up not being friends with Israel, although their father Lot was the nephew of Abraham the father, or the beginning of Israel. Still, incest had its hand in this and it was not the custom, but the wicked plan of the oldest daughter who, for whatever reason, needed to become a mother, which according to the context of this narrative was the custom for women. Because they were hiding, this was the only way these daughters were going to preserve the bloodline of their father. Certainly, this was not condoned by God for this was morally wrong, yet it was history, and we are informed of what happened. How do we learn a lesson from this action of these two daughters? There could be a lesson taken from Lot, in that he allowed himself to drink enough wine that he was not aware the woman he was lying with was his daughter. That seems absurd to think one could be so drunk, and still be able to physically be able to perform this intimate act with a woman and not remember doing it. Yet, this is what is recorded. Maybe that is our lesson about wine. Although God does not prohibit the drinking of wine, in fact, Jesus’s first miracle was turning water into the best wine for the wedding feast in Cana. We are admonished not to get drunk on wine, but instead be filled with the Spirit. If what took place with Lot, being drunk on wine is certainly not close to having just a little too much wine that one feels a little tipsy, however, nothing should replace being filled with the Holy Spirit. We do wonder if the idea of being drunk, as in the case of Lot where he was so filled with or completely influenced by the wine he was unaware of his actions, that if we are filled with the Spirit should have some effect on our lives. Could being so filled with the Spirit that our behavior is completely influenced by the Spirit. Then we ponder on what that would look like. We would believe this is what is meant by keeping in step with the Spirit, walking in the Spirit. Certainly, this would be different than just saying we are Christian and attend church. Being filled or under the influence of the Spirit would include every action of our lives. All that we are and all that we do must be done according to the divine influence of the Spirit within us. Then we could say we would be drunk on the Spirit.

Brought Out

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BROUGHT OUT

Gen 19:27-29

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

NIV

When the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was finished and both the cities, and the plains around them, with all the wicked people within, were completely consumed by the fire, the burning sulfur, that was rained down from heaven, from God, all that was left was a dense smoke rising from the land. We understand that the revelation given to John talks about those who take the mark of the beast will be tormented with burning sulfur and the smoke, the dense smoke will rise forever and ever, much like this smoke rising from Sodom because of the complete destruction of everything. Can that be the same for eternity for those thrown into the lake of burning sulfur? Will that torment be forever and there will be no rest day or night. However, in eternity we understand that there will be no day and night, at least for those who get to live in the new city of Jerusalem, for it will always be day as God will be the Light. Does “no rest day or night” mean forever, or that fact they will not find or enter into the rest of God, because they were tormented or vexed with pain body and mind, or completely destroyed, like all those in Sodom? God did remember Abraham and saved Lot because both Abraham and Lot were righteous men. The righteous will always be remembered by God and will be saved, although our righteousness is because we are in Christ. In some sense, it does not matter if the wicked who are tossed into the lake of burner sulfur are tormented day and night, or forever, or if they are burned up, completely gone, perished, are no more. What matters is that anyone can find the rest of God through faith in Jesus. This is a free gift from God, for he does not desire that anyone perish. Lot attempted to share the righteousness of God with the people of Sodom, but they would have no part of God, for they burned with the lust of their own desires. We are blessed beyond measure that we were found by God, that the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sins, and we became born again, or born from above because we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have eternal life and will live within the rest of God, forever and forever, we have been brought out from the catastrophe that happened to them and will happen to anyone found to be wicked on that last day. In fact, we use the term rapture, but more correctly, we will be brought out. 

Behind or Ahead

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BEHIND OR AHEAD

Gen 19:12-26

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

NIV

Of course, the story of about Lot’s wife looking back and becoming a pillar of salt. It is not that she wanted to see the devastation, but that her look back was with a yearning regarding her fine life there with all her possessions, her home, that she had made for her family, and all she knew for many years. Now she was looking to start over in some strange place. It is simple, there is no sense in looking to the past, it is our future that matters. The past is behind us, and we are told to leave it behind, including all our past sins, and strain forward toward the mark. Looking back should also help us to be aware of not becoming too attached to our possessions that we would not want to leave them. We noticed that even Lot hesitated for a moment, so the angels had to take them by the hand and lead them away, physically moving them out of danger. Even then Lot wanted to change the command of the angels about fleeing to the mountains, which they agreed to, and show him mercy, waiting until he was well out of the way before the fire came down from heaven. This too gives us another look at the result of the wicked life, being subject to fire from heaven, ultimately the lake of burning sulfur, and extreme heat within that will result in perishing, as John foretells about God so loving the world he sent his only son so whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. We wonder if this is not rather straightforward that there are two options, everlasting life, or perish. Interestingly, the Greek word translated as perish means to be fully destroyed, to be put out of the way entirely, to put an end to, ruin. We do not think that can be any plainer than only the ones who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will have an eternal life. The others will not have an eternal life of burning up in a lake of burning sulfur, but they will be fully destroyed just as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the burning sulfur rained down from heaven. Again, the believers will see the mercy of the Lord, and the wicked will see total destruction. Yes, this is hellfire and brimstone theology, but that is what the Lord has said. We know the idea of being in hell forever is against the scriptures, and we do not know who came up with that idea, but we know according to the Lord’s own words, hell, and Hades will give up their dead and will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. Hell is not a permanent place of torment according to God’s word. Let us not look back, or hold to our possession tightly, for all that will perish,  but always keep the prize of eternal life before us, straining for what is ahead. 

Divine Power

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DIVINE POWER

Gen 19:3-11

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

NIV

How wicked can men become that they would want to take strangers, visitors to this town and want to abuse them by forcible raping men for their own male pleasures. We are getting the picture of the city of Sodom, in fact, that is where we get the English word sodomy. However, the real story, the truth to glean from this portion of the narrative is that Lot made a gallant effort to stop the men of the town from barging into his home and taking the men by force. Lot even offered his two virgin daughters as a way to appease the men, but they were not interested in having women, they only desired the two men. This must have been both a sad and frightening day in the life of Lot and his family. The rage of these men of Sodom even turned on Lot. It would appear he had been accepted in the town, even welcome enough to sit at the gate. But as he made his appeal to them, it was useless. However, we see the divine intervening where human power is useless. First, the two reached out the door and pulled Lot back into the house. We would have thought when they opened the door to pull Lot back into the house it would have been the time for the town's men to storm the door. But, that was not the case, because they no longer could see the door, for after the two divine people, called angels in this narrative, stuck the townsmen blind. Here is the power of God at work when human efforts can only fail. We could learn a powerful lesson here. So often we try or want to live by our own abilities, as weak as they may be. We think we have some power over the things of this world. So many have multitudes of causes that they both demonstrate for or against, agendas they want enacted to save the planet, some species that might become extinct in the next hundred years, or some trees that should not be cut down because of a bird that lives in that area. Then we have the human causes regarding all sorts of perversions God speaks against, but they insist the human cause is greater than God if he even exists. Nevertheless, we see the divine intervening when human effort fails, and the power of God enacted against those wicked men. Let us always be aware of the power of God, and live within his divine protection, and with the knowledge that all things are possible with God, especially in light of our powerlessness. Just from a logical human perspective, we think that it would behoove us to always be living by faith in God rather than in self. It is always right to think of the power of the divine. 

Exhibiting Grace

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

EXHIBITING  GRACE

Gen 19:1-2

19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

NIV

As we recall, three men approached the tent of Abraham, one remained standing before Abraham and heard his prayer for the deliverance of Sodom if there were ten righteous men found there. The other two of this trinity of men went to Sodom to see and to judge the wicked. However, Lot was sitting at the gate. This we know was where either business was conducted or judgment was made, as in someone being a magistrate, or where town leaders met. Although we are not told, it is also possible that Lot sat there to forewarn travelers or traders of the danger of entering Sodom, as Lot was a righteous man. Interestingly, as the two angels approached the town gate, Lot went out to meet them bowing down with his face to the ground. The Hebrew gives us a clearer picture in that Lot prostrated himself with his face firmly to the earth, usually down toward royalty, or divinity, as how one bows before God. Did Lot see something we missed when the trinity of men showed up at Abraham’s tent? Could this be the holy trinity? The Father is the one to receive prayers, hear them, and respond, showing both the divine sovereign will of justice for the wicked and the grace to deliver the righteous. Could the two others, be a pre-incarnate Jesus and the Spirit? When Lot bowed before them, he used the word ‘adoney, transfigured as ‘adown which is a form of ‘Adonai, the name used of the divine person of God. Could we see the Holy Triune Godhead here, or is this a stretch or an image in our imagination? Whoever these two are do not accept Lot’s invitation to his home, but want to see for themselves the wickedness of this town, staying in the street for the night. Lot cannot understand why they would do such a thing, knowing the wickedness of the town he lives in. We do not understand why Lot moved into a city rather than living in tents as he had been accustomed to when he was still in the household of Abraham. Lot had many sheep and cattle for that is why they split up in the first place, the pastures could not support both and the herdsmen and shepherds of both Abraham and Lot were arguing over pastureland. So what happened to all of Lots, herds and sheep and his menservants who looked over them? Did Lot sell off all his animals to buy this house in Sodom? Was it because of his wife wanting more than a tent to raise her girls? These are just questions, however, knowing that his wife turned back to look with longing, as the Hebrew word for looked back means with favor, in regard to pleasure. But we get ahead of ourselves. Nevertheless, Lot lived in the city of Sodom, and he wanted to spare these two lords the harm they would endure if they spent the night in the square. A righteous man will always desire to exhibit grace.