No Room for Misery

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO ROOM FOR MISERY

Gen 16:7-16

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." 11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

"You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

NIV

Although Hagar was Egyptian, the LORD did not withhold from her visiting or speaking the truth into her life. Interestingly, the LORD already knew everything that had happened and was happening in Hagar's life. Yet, his first communication with her was a question: "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?"  The story continues, and the LORD directs her to return to her mistress and submit to her. Does any of this relate to our lives? We should notice the LORD tells her to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. The Hebrew word Ishmael means "the LORD hears." We should understand that the Lord also hears our hearts' cry. We may not be in the same misery that Hagar experienced, but there are many forms of misery. However, we can be assured that as we go through those times when we feel a sense of misery, the Lord hears our hearts. He already knew Hagar's misery, and he already knows ours, or that we will experience some. That is not to say we must feel misery, for we can live with joy; in fact, we can live full of peace and joy. When Jesus said that he was the vine and we are the branches, and about the Father's love, he told us that he gives us his joy and puts his joy in us, so that our joy will be complete. Hagar knew only misery, not that joy. We should remember when those times come when we might submit to misery, feeling alone, left out, not experiencing or sensing the presence of the Lord, not receiving a healing or some other blessing, that Jesus put his joy within us. We know we are redeemed; our salvation is secure in Jesus; he will come back to take us where he is, so why should we want the pain of misery when we can have the joy of Jesus? We sing that we have the joy, joy, joy down in our hearts, where? Down in my heart, we've got the joy, joy, joy down in our hearts to stay. Because the joy of Jesus is there to stay, there is no room there for misery. 

Own it

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OWN IT

Gen 16:1-6

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. 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

Whose idea was it that Abram took Hagar and was intimate with her, so that she conceived? It was Sarai who put that into motion. Hagar was her maidservant, meaning she had no rights and had to do as her mistress desired or ordered. Yet, after Hagar became pregnant, she began to despise Sarai. We don't know exactly why, but we wonder if Hagar was fine with getting to be intimate with her mistress's husband, but she was not counting on getting pregnant, although that was Sarai's purpose for giving her to Abram. The story, or the point that is a lesson for us, is how Sarai responded. Once what she had purposed happened, she blamed Abram because of the way Hagar was acting toward her. He would have nothing to do with it, telling her Hagar was in her hands, not his. This is your own fault; don't blame me. We are right back to Adam blaming Eve, and Eve blaming the serpent. We should understand that if, for any reason, we fall on hard times, it is nobody's fault but our own. All too often, we hear people blame the government for charging us high taxes, for the price of this or that, or for their inability to get ahead. Who is in charge of our lives? Do believers blame the Lord because they are experiencing difficult times? Do we have nothing to do with how our lives play out? We do not think Sarai consulted with the LORD before making her choice that caused her pain. How many choices in life do we make without consulting the Lord? We are not just pawns in his heavenly chess game; he has given us the freedom to choose or to make mistakes all on our own. So then, when we make that mistake, we need to own it, not blame anyone else, including the Lord. There is no excuse good enough; it was our choice; we need to own it. 

Being Still

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BEING STILL

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

This is the moment the LORD made a covenant with Abram. The three animals, each three years old, have significance because three is perfect; it represents the triune God. Cutting them in half was a cultural way of the time for making a peace covenant between two parties. Abram must have known that when he was given those instructions by the LORD, there was going to be a covenant. However, there is something very important for us to notice. When the sun set, Abram fell into a deep sleep; a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. In other words, Abram was in some kind of trance,  completely void of any thoughts of his daily concerns with life. This is when he was visited by the LORD, who spoke to him and made the covenant. Some people wonder why they have never heard the voice of the Lord. That is not to say that we always hear his voice, but we wonder if the reason we do not hear from the Lord is that we have become too preoccupied with the concerns of life. Psalm 46:10 puts it in the right order. First, we must be still; then we can know he is God. What does "be still" look like? God caused Abram to be still, to be in a deep sleep. But we may not experience that kind of sleep, but we still must quiet our hearts and our minds if we are going to hear from the Lord. He is not going to break in while we are so busy with ourselves, our own cares, concerns, worries, or pleasures. When we are so wrapped up in selfness, we will never be still enough to know he is God. Although we understand the new covenant through Jesus, we cannot survive as believers with just knowledge. If we are going to not just survive, but live abundantly, we need to quiet ourselves, listen, meditate on the Lord, and we will know he is God. He will confirm himself to us, show himself in a way that we will know who he is, and we might just hear his voice. 

What A Reward!

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHAT A REWARD!

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

We should focus just on the fact that God told Abram that he was his shield and very great reward. Is that not a promise for us as well? We know that God is our shield; he is our protection, our protector against the forces of evil. We know that he clothes us in his armor, which includes the shield of faith.  If we think that our faith is the shield, we are sadly mistaken, for whom do we have faith in? We also know that faith is a gift from God, as he gives every man a measure of faith. So we would have to believe the shield of faith is God himself. He is our shield, but we must stand behind that shield; we must believe in God. First, we should believe that he is our very great reward. We wonder how much we struggle in this life to receive some kind of reward. These earthly rewards could be financially based or emotional, such as recognition, prestige, or being looked up to (pride-based), or success in varied areas of life (self-based). However, the only reward that is worth everything is knowing God, for he is our very great reward. Everything we struggle to obtain in this world will all fade away, vanish, disappear, and literally perish. However, God, our very great reward, is eternal. Secondly, we should note that Abram believed the LORD. The Hebrew does not include the word "in"; it simply states, "Abram believed the LORD." That is the basis of our lives. It may be good to say that we believe in God, or we believe in Jesus, but then many people who do not know God, or who are not living for God, may say they believe in him, but who believes God is the question. If we believe God, then our lives should reflect that fact. We do need to be careful about being distracted and starting to believe other things that we think are important.  Because Abram believed the LORD, he was credited as being righteous. We know that Jesus is our righteousness; therefore, as we are in Christ, we are credited as righteous. What a reward! 

Look to the Lord

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LOOK TO THE LORD

Gen 14:18-24

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

Although we looked at the blessing of Abram by Melchizedek, we did not consider this tenth of everything that Abram gave him. This is one of those beginning verses where we take the rule of tithing to the Lord, or rather to the church. However, we generally take our cue, or rule, from the verses in Malachi about how a man robs God by not bringing a tenth into the storehouse that they might be food in his house. In ancient times, this was meant for provisions in the temple for the Levite priests who served in the temple courts and to maintain the temple provisions. In our modern times, it is still fitting that the tenth of our income should support the material needs of the church. Today's church has financial expenses the temple did not, such as heat, air conditioning, lights, salaries for staff, support of missionaries, etc. Sometimes the cost of staff can get blurred with pastors living so large that it is obnoxious. But there is another story here that deserves our attention. Abram would not keep any of the spoils for himself, as he did not want the king of Sodom to think he made Abram rich, for Abram believed that God would provide for him. We should take our lesson from that principle. Sure, we must work, or labor all the days of our lives, which was the command of God to Adam. He must labor for his own sustenance. Again, we might have taken that in another context: we do work, but not all the days of our lives; instead, we work to store up for our retirement. Then stop working to do whatever we please. However, the point is that we should not be looking to our own efforts, but always look to the LORD for everything in our lives. We should not need others to give into our hands, but raise our hands to the LORD; He will bless us. He will direct our paths, how we should work, and how we should earn our sustainability. Then, because all comes from the hand of God, we give him back a tenth of it, keeping the rest. On the other hand, Abram did believe others deserved their share because of their part in the victory. Nevertheless, let us always look to the LORD, praising and thanking him for his provisions for our lives. Let us not look to others to make us rich; but look to the Lord; he will see we have enough. 

Setting the Captives Free

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

Gen 14:1-20

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.

That is a lot of kings and a lot of rebellion, fighting, killing, violence, which is normal for mankind. There will always be war between those who have, but want more. Each of those men was a king of their own city or area of land, living the good life. But greed is at the center of their plans to take from another so they could have more. None of this involved Abram until those kings overcame the city of Sodom and took the people captive and their possessions, including Lot. So, because they messed with his relative, Abram went into action and routed those kings and their armies, taking back Lot, his possessions, together with the women and the other people. Abram took care of his own family and did what was needed to secure Lot and return him to his home. All this culminated in Melchizedek, the king of Jerusalem, serving bread and wine to Abram. Of course, this foreshadows the bread and wine Jesus served his disciples in Salem, or Jerusalem. Jesus has also been referred to as a priest in the order of Melchizedek according to the writer of Hebrews, with a quote from the Psalms. Melchizedek has no lineage, as there is no record of a father or mother. Again, foreshadowing the high priesthood of Jesus. Although Jesus uses the term Father, Jesus is God, having no beginning and no end. We could spend days with Melchizedek and Jesus, but the truth we want to focus on is this blessing he gave Abram and Abram's response with the tenth of everything. First, Melchizedek made sure Abram knew that the God Most High was the Creator of heaven and earth. Everything was created by God Most High, and in his great power and might, his mighty hand was responsible for Abram's victory over his enemies. Sure, Abram, with his 318 fighting men, had to fight a battle and put forth an effort to win, but the victory was won because God Most High was with Abram and caused the victory. We can take that lesson for our lives. We cannot sit in our easy chair and wait for God Most High to give us everything; we must go forth to fight the battle and put forth effort; however, that effort must be under the direction of the Lord. Abram did not fight just to fight, but to free Lot from captivity. Abram had to be inspired by the LORD to free Lot. We believe it matters what we do in life, because we live among people whom we can have some influence on in their lives, so that they may know the power of God Most High.  Abram fought for the release of Lot. Jesus set the captive, us, free. Are we meant to simply live for ourselves, or to live for each other, fighting for their release from captivity by the prince of darkness? 

A Sweet Amora

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A SWEET AROMA

Gen 13:10-18

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

NIV

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

No Quarreling

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO QUARRELING

Gen 13:5-9

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

NIV

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

Call Then Listen

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CALL THEN LISTEN

Gen 13:1-4

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

NIV

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

Deceptive or Truthful

 DEVOTION

DECEPTIVE OR TRUTHFUL

Gen 12:10-20

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

NIV

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

Moving On

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

MOVING ON

Gen 12:4-9

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

NIV

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

Do as Told

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DO AS TOLD

Gen 12:1-5

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

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

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

NIV

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

 

Follow

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FOLLOW

Gen 11:10-32

 

10 This is the account of Shem.

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

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

27 This is the account of Terah.

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

NIV

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

Pride Comes Before the Fall

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL

 

Gen 11:1-9

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." 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 story is about what the LORD God did because of man's inclination to make a name for himself by building a tower to reach the heavens. We do not know how tall that tower was before God intervened and confused their language so that they sounded like they were just babbling to each other and had to abandon construction of the city tower. Strangely, today we have skyscrapers that must be far taller than they could have built with bricks, and God allowed men to build them. We also have been able to communicate with almost all of each other, no matter what language we speak, and God has not intervened to confuse us further. It seems in our post-modern time, mankind has accomplished far more than the people of Babel. It is also the same in the sense of people wanting to make a name for themselves, to be considered great achievers. That pride of desiring to make a name for oneself reaches into every sector of life: science, business, entertainment, sports, or any other area not mentioned. What is most troubling is that same kind of pride has invaded the religious world. When the Lord tells us to learn from him, for he is humble and gentle of heart, we should be living humbly before the Lord and all mankind. But what seems to be a drive to become a famous preacher or to have the largest church- that the number matters, the tithe matters, so the preacher can live in luxury is all based on pride, not humility. What the church in general has become is not about bringing people to Jesus, but bringing them to a pew or seat in their church. How can we get more people in our church? If we just get them in, even if we have to steal them from another church, then we will be able to afford that building project to increase our capacity for more people in the church. Of course, pastors should care about the spiritual walk of those God has placed under their care. Pastors should be preaching the word of God, leading the church to worship in spirit and in truth. But the church is also filled with purveyors of deception, garnishing followers for their own benefit and pride. Let us lead each other, let us admonish each other, and encourage each other to walk humbly before God and each other, for pride comes before the fall. 

Shem

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SHEM

Gen 10:1-32

10:1 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth: 6 The sons of Ham: 22 The sons of Shem: 32 These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

NIV

This is a very shortened version of the whole of Chapter 10, which is an account of the sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, and on of each of the clans of people and the territories they spread out to. One that is notable was the grandson of Ham, Nimrod, whom we are told grew into a mighty warrior, a great hunter before the LORD. He built the city of Nineveh, the city that God sent Jonah to, who had to spend those three days in the belly of a great fish before he obeyed and went to declare the judgement of God on that city. We know that story, plus the judgement brought through Nahum and Zephaniah. We are only told that the line of Japheth became maritime people, who could have become what is known as Vikings, who were a war-like people. Only the line of Shem will bring the good news to mankind, for Jesus comes through his line. We know that Canaan, the son of Ham, was to be slaves to the sons of Shem, whose line would become Israel, who occupied the land of Canaan.  Shem was the one who covered the nakedness of his father. This reminds us that Jesus covers our nakedness, for without the righteousness of Christ we will stand naked before the Lord. Anyone who is not covered by the righteousness of Christ will stand naked before the judgement seat of the Lord, having no defense, no covering for their sins, and will be completely destroyed in the flames of the lake of burning sulfur. The word used is perish. However, those of us who have been adopted as children of God through our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior have had our nakedness covered by the righteousness of Jesus, washed clean by his blood, so we will stand in white robes, whiter than new-driven snow before the throne of God and hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master." Although Jesus said these in a parable, the words will ring true on that last day when we are covered in his righteousness. 

Love or Gossip

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LOVE OR GOSSIP

Gen 9:18-29

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. 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." 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.

NIV

The first question is: if Noah was a man of the soil, why is it recorded that he planted a vineyard, but we are not told that he planted any corn, wheat, barley, or other food grains?  This vineyard would have taken a few years to produce grapes, and then some time for them to ferment into wine, which caused Noah to become drunk and pass out in his tent. Yet all that is covered in one verse. What Ham did was wrong, and if we consider what he did, we could say that he gossiped about his father, because he told his brothers about their father being drunk and passed out naked in his tent. Had Ham covered his father and kept his mouth shut, he would have never been under a curse. This could be the main clue about the horrible act of gossip and how the Lord does not look with favor upon it. Certainly, when we are not cursed if we gossip, for we live in the age of grace, that should not mean we have the right or the freedom to speak about the happenings of another, which would bring about some negative feelings about them. On the other hand, Shem and Japheth covered their father's nakedness, without looking upon him. This shows an act of love that covers a multitude of sins. Love is the opposite of gossip. We have Jesus' command to love others as we love ourselves. Why would we gossip about ourselves? If we love others, why would we gossip about them? There was a reason Noah was not pleased with what Ham did, and why he responded by cursing Ham, who became the father of the Canaanites, where God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to Canaan and gave them their land. Let us not give ourselves over to the same fate as Ham; let us decide to love, not gossip. 

Signs to Remember

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

 SIGNS TO REMEMBER

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

God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants as well as with all the living things that came out of the ark with him, all life, all that has the breath of life in it. We are those descendants of Noahwith whom the LORD God has this covenant. We never have to worry about another flood destroying all living creatures on earth. He gave himself a sign to remember his covenant, which is more like a promise. God set the rainbow in the sky to remind himself and us of his covenant. This is an affront to God for those who live some alternate lifestyle to claim the rainbow as their symbol. The rainbow is a symbol of God's eternal covenant between him and all mankind, and every living creature that shares this planet. However, God also said another pending destruction is in the works. We only have to pay attention to the Revelation that was given to John to know how the end and the beginning will take place. But for now, we live under the protection of this covenant between God and us, with the rainbow as a reminder. However, we have a newer covenant God made with us through the Cross of Jesus. He came to earth in the most humble of circumstances, not as a king or powerful ruler. He came to take our place on a cross. He died in our place, so that we would not have to die, but that we could live. This new covenant does not replace the one God made with Noah and his descendants with the rainbow. Still, this new covenant through Jesus is also an eternal one, an everlasting promise that whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. Of course, that means all who live that alternate lifestyle, the one that is an affront to God, will not see this everlasting life, but instead they will perish. That is the sad reality of making the wrong choice of refusing to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Yet, we have a promise, a covenant, both the Rainbow and the Cross, signs to remember. 

Dread and Harmony

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DREAD AND HARMONY

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

This blessing upon Noah gives us the clue as to how God intended his creation to live in harmony with one another. Here, God tells Noah that from now on fear and dread of man will fall upon all the beasts of the earth, the birds, and every creature that moves along the ground, and all the fish. Once, as it was before the flood, man lived in harmony with all the animal kingdom, as well as it lived in harmony with man and each other. It would seem, although we are not specifically told, that all creatures, including man, were vegetarians, eating green plants, which, in our opinion, meant that the prey-and-predator system did not exist; the lion would have lain down next to the lamb. However, now God gives everything; that means the meat of animals for food. This would also have meant that the wild kingdom would become what it is today; the lamb would be prey for the lion. God also established his law concerning murder, and the justice for such an offense. All of us are made in the image of God; therefore, we do not have the right to kill someone who has been made in the image of God. The world has gone so far from the law of God; killing has become commonplace, for whatever reason man can fathom. Whole people groups have been subject to genocide, while one individual murders because of racism or some emotionally revengeful state. We, believers, have been given a stronger admonishment by Jesus. He correlated hatred with murder. If we were to get so upset and become angry with another believer that we refuse to love them, or refuse to forgive them for any offense, then we could be guilty of the same thing as murder. Jesus tells us that if we have any contempt toward another believer, we are subject to judgment. We wonder when we gossip if that is a form of contempt, or at least killing someone's reputation, thus killing them. It all goes back to the two commands of Jesus: that we are to love the Lord with our whole being and to love others as we love ourselves. We would never gossip about ourselves, nor would we do anything that would harm ourselves in any way. We want the best in our lives; we want the blessing of God in our lives, so that would mean we want the same for others. Although we may no longer be able to live in harmony with the animal kingdom, for they fear and dread us, we should be able to live in harmony with God and each other. 

A Pleasing Aroma

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A PLEASING AROMA

Gen 8:15-22

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. 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 ordeal of the flood and the time of Noah and his family being within the ark had come to its conclusion. God told Noah it was time to come out of the ark. We can imagine how grateful Noah was that he and his family had survived, that he had found favor in the eyes of the LORD, and that he had been instructed exactly how to build that ark of safety. Noah saw, firsthand, the mighty power and salvation of the LORD. Was it any wonder that Noah built an altar and made a thanksgiving offering to the LORD? We are told the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, then made that promise of never cursing the ground again because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. This is where we must come to grips with our imperfection as mankind. From birth, we are born with our hearts bent toward evil. We cannot simply evolve into righteousness, for we never had it and will never have it unless we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior; then he becomes our righteousness. That must come at some point in our lives. For some, it may not happen until later in life, as a full-grown adult, while some can choose early in life, as a child, maybe one living with believing parents. Either way, we each must take that step, first into the ark of safety, the cross of Jesus; then we must follow Jesus through the path he has laid out for us, as Noah did. Although Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals, we must be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the LORD.  Our lives should be a sweet-smelling aroma, pleasing to God. What does that look like in the practical sense? Although the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become pleasing to God, we must then proceed with our daily lives, doing all that life requires. It is how that plays out that matters: how we follow the Lord's instructions, his guidance, influence on our hearts, walking the path he has laid out for us, all the while doing what is needed to live, to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, all the while being a sweet aroma to the LORD. The other truth is in his promise: as long as the earth endures, which is the key truth, for he is the one who sustains the earth until his designated time for the end and the beginning of all things. In the meantime, let us live as a pleasing aroma to God.  

Let Us See

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LET US SEE

Gen 8:6-14

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.

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.

NIV

By our calculations, which could be right or wrong, from the time the rain began in the 600^th year, 2^nd month and 17^th day, until the 601st year, 2nd month, 27th day, when the earth was completely dry, is 1 year and 10 days that Noah was in the ark. Although that is not the story for us today, it is interesting that God wanted us to know the exact times this event took place. Next, we will see that God told Noah to come out of the ark. Although Noah had a window so that he could send out the raven and then the dove, it was doubtful that he could see much of what was out there, as he had not yet removed the covering over the ark. However, on the day recorded, Noah removed the covering from the ark and was able to see that the ground was dry. We do not know what this covering was made of, but it could have been some kind of canvas-type cloth or boards of cypress wood that were able to come apart. Whatever it was, Noah was able to remove it and see that the surface of the ground was dry. This is where we get the clue for our lives. We wonder if it is possible that we had a covering or, for that matter, still have a covering over our hearts that keeps us from seeing the truth of God. When we remove that covering from our hearts, we can see the truth of what God has done, is doing for us and in us, and what he wants to accomplish through us. Noah removed the covering over the ark, so it would seem that we are the ones who should remove the covering over our hearts and minds. Yet, at the same time, the Father sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, so that he could uncover our hearts and minds, opening them and exposing them to his divine presence and influence. However, because God never forces himself upon us but gently persuades, we can refuse and keep that covering in place, so we can do what we want to do, when and how we want to. That brings us to the question of whose influence we listen to: ours or His. Lord, if there is any covering left, remove that cover, and let us see. 

Came to Rest

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CAME TO REST

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

Interestingly, the word remembered seems to indicate that God had forgotten Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. That just cannot be, for how could God forget Noah? Was God's pain too much to think about Noah? Did he enact his revenge or judgement so severely on all mankind that he gave up on thinking he had Noah, who found favor in his eyes? That is not how the scripture reads, because the 'but' comes after the floodwaters had covered the whole earth, but God did not forget about Noah and all those who were with him in the ark, so he sent a wind to begin the process of drying up the water to expose the dry land. This gives us great encouragement because no matter where we are in life, God does not forget us. He always remembers us whether we are floundering in the water, being tossed to and fro by the storms of life, or we are resting in the ark, the cross of safety, secured on the top of the mountain of God. As the waters receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. It was just the bottom of the hull, so the ark was no longer floating around, but stood still while God caused the water to go down. This reminds us of when Jesus was sleeping on the boat, and the disciples, although at least four of them were fishermen, thought they were going to drown and woke him up. He calmed the storm, and they were safe. It does not matter what is going on in our lives, whether we are in a storm or resting in the cross, God always remembers us, always looks over us. Just as he caused the ark with Noah and his family to come to rest on the mountains of Ararat, he can cause us to come to rest, in a sense, on his mountain. This could be seen as the hills of Golgotha, the place where the cross of Jesus stood. From a certain angle, the hill takes on the appearance of a skull, so it is called the place of the skull. However, the point is that it is where we find rest for our souls, in Christ Jesus. All the storms of life, the waters, are caused to recede by the voice of God. There is where we came to rest. 

Saved From Perishing

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SAVED FROM PERISHING

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

That is a whole lot of water, when we consider the highest mountain was twenty feet under the water. We are told in Genesis 8 that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat,  which is in present-day Turkey. Where it was built remains a complete mystery. However, the story is about rain and the flood gates of the deep covering the whole earth so that nothing on the land that had the breath of life in it could survive; everything perished. There are many theories about how everything came to be and how various layers of sediment formed; mostly, those theories come from people who refuse to accept creation by God and use dates of millions of years. But the story of creation holds water, and floodwaters are part of many cultures. We do not know what actually went on within the ark, as the storm raged outside. At some point, as the floodwaters began to rise, the ark started to shift and lift upwards on the surface of the water. We wonder what happened just outside the ark when the rain began- something no one had ever seen before. When it kept raining day after day, and the waters started to rise, could some of the people have screamed at Noah and banged on the ark, wanting him to open the door and let them in? However, God had shut him in; the door was sealed by God. Even if Noah wanted to let them in, he could not open the door. Did he experience pain in his heart, knowing his relatives were going to perish? Was there excitement in the ark, knowing they were safe by the instruction of God? Did they have any fear about the ark holding together in what must have been rough seas? Did the hundred and fifty days of the flood include the forty days and forty nights of rain, or were they counted after the rain stopped? Either way, that was a long time to be within the ark with all the animals. They must have kept busy feeding all the living things in the ark. However, everything was going just as God had planned it; everything was according to the divine will of God. We should take our clue from that singular fact. God is sovereign, and his will is always accomplished. Are we in the safety of the cross because God ordained that we would accept Jesus? Did we have the choice to reject Jesus? Perhaps God caused a rain or floodwaters, metaphorically, in our lives so that we would get into the ark, the cross of Jesus, which he built for us, so that we would not perish. However, we came to be in the ark of safety, the cross; we will be eternally grateful to God for his great mercy, compassion, and love for us, for just like Noah and his family, we have been saved from perishing. 

Shut In

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SHUT IN

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

The flood came at the specific appointed time God determined. He waited until Noah had finished the ark. We do not know the exact amount of time it took him. However, we know he was 500 years old when he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japhet and that it was in his 600th year when he entered the ark. His sons had grown old enough to marry, but we do not know whether he had already started construction before or after their marriages. We are not told for a reason, because that is not the important issue; still, an estimate is somewhere between 50 and 75 years. The 100-year theory does not meet the time frame of Noah's life. Nevertheless, the important issue is God's almighty power and ability, combined with his sovereignty. First, God commanded Noah to use cypress wood, which God would have made in abundance, so Noah would have enough to build such a large ship. Second, God inspired and commanded pairs of each living thing to come to where Noah was building the ark. This was no small feat, but then nothing is impossible for God. Once all the animal kingdom was in place, Noah and his family got in, again, just as God had commanded Noah. Then this incredible statement: Then the LORD shut him in. We cannot be sure, but we can only imagine that as Noah and his wife stood and looked out, they may well have seen a crowd, because this was a sight to behold. Noah might have made eye contact with a brother or sister, aunt or uncle, niece, or nephew. He could have felt pain in his heart, knowing they would perish in the floodwaters, and maybe wanted to invite them to join him one more time, but the LORD shut him in. However big the door was, large enough for elephants, giraffes, and maybe even dinosaurs, with a ramp leading up to it, the LORD shut the door, not Noah. This was a supernatural shutting and sealing of the door so that it would be waterproof, as well as shutting Noah and his family off from all the evil and violence of the world. Could we dare say that in some metaphorical sense the LORD has shut us in, protecting us from the evil and the violence in this world? Surely the 12 Apostles experienced death at the hands of the wicked. Certainly, we know in some parts of the world believers are being murdered by the thousands. We know the Jews were persecuted by Hitler unmercifully. Yet, although man may kill the body, the LORD has shut and sealed our souls, our spirits, in safety in Christ Jesus. 

There's Room

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THERE'S ROOM

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

This is the second time we are told that Noah did all that the LORD commanded him. The point is well made about doing that which the LORD commands. Again, we wonder how well we do when it comes to doing everything, all, following completely that which we are commanded to do. Noah did have an incentive to do all the LORD commanded him to do because all mankind was going to perish except him, his wife, their three sons and their wives, 8 people that would be safe in the ark while the whole earth would be covered with water and everyone and everything would drown. It is only through our imagination that we can visualize the scene. This ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, just sitting on dry land, nowhere near any body of water big enough to float it. Then God tells Noah to get in the ark, for water is going to come from the sky, something that had never happened up to then; at least that is what we are told when the whole earth was watered with a mist, or dew-like wetness, for the LORD had not sent rain on the earth. Noah would not have known about rain other than through this divine revelation God gave him. But our story is about the ark of safety. Today, there is no ark like the one Noah made, but the cross of Jesus stands as our ark of safety. God promised he would never flood the earth again, and he put the rainbow in the sky as a sign of his promise. Sinful man has hijacked God's sign, a holy sign, a holy commitment to his creation. They use that sign for the purpose of evil, of contempt against God. But it is the ark of safety, the cross of safety; for this wicked-filled earth will see the wrath of God poured out upon it, this time with fire, hail, water will be turned to blood, and all sorts of disasters will be upon the earth: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, violent events that will shake the core of the wicked. It is not that God wants them all to perish, but all that will happen is to bring them to repentance and come to the safety of the cross of Jesus. This should give us enough reason to make some attempt to invite them into the cross of safety before the pending disaster. What are we doing about inviting them? Are we just satisfied to be in the cross and not be concerned about anyone else? Although we are not told, we would think that Noah warned people, especially his brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, even his grandfather, Methuselah. We wonder if any of them had repented, if God would have told Noah to bring them into the ark. But no one did; the whole earth was full of violence and wickedness, and everyone perished except those in the ark. The ark only had so much room, but there is always room at the cross. 

Just as He Commands

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

JUST AS HE COMMANDS

Gen 6:11-22

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.   16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

NIV

God instructed Noah, as we know from previous verses, because Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. God knew Noah was not like all the rest of mankind who had corrupted their ways and lived as violent people. We cannot imagine how horrible it must have been to live during that time. Since the flood and the refilling of the earth with people, there have been times and places where violence was, and still is, the way of life for some people. People still corrupt their ways, yet at the time of Noah, it must have been so corrupt that it caused pain in God's heart, and he decided to wipe out all mankind. We have thought about that before, but now we have Noah, whom God looked upon with favor. We can recreate what the ark looked like; in fact, one man has done that, at least what it was like on the outside, and possibly what it could have been on the inside. Some think they have located the site where the ark came to rest, finding the overall dimensions, or a reasonable facsimile. Interestingly, God caused all the animals, birds, and whatever moves along the ground to come to the place where Noah was building the ark. All the food for Noah, his family, and all living creatures would still have been made up of some type of plants, as everything that grows was food for them; they had not yet been given meat to eat. However, as interesting as all the building of the ark and God sending all living things in pairs to Noah is, there is this one basic truth that applies to those of us who have put our faith in Jesus and decided to follow him. We are told that Noah did everything just as God commanded him. We wonder how successful we have been and are at doing everything God commands us to do. We believe the first part of being obedient to his command is being willing to listen. It seems all too often when we pray, we do more talking than listening. How are we supposed to know what God wants us to do unless we hear from him? There may be times we may not actually hear his voice, but he still wants to show us what we are to do. Maybe it is just an open door, a sign, a prophecy, or some other way he gets our attention. What we can know for sure is that because we have decided to follow Jesus, we are not alone in this life. God wants to be involved and use us for his divine purpose, as he did with Noah. The choice we have is whether we are going to ignore him and do our own religious thing, or we are going to do everything he commands us to do. Have we decided what we want to do for the kingdom, or have we decided to do everything he wants us to do? We simply cannot do both. In reality, our ways are still corrupt, no matter how good we think we are. When we follow what we think is the best, it is not the best. Let us be willing to listen and then do everything just as he commands us to do. 

Finding Favor

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FINDING FAVOR

Gen 6:5-10

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

NIV

Man's wickedness is horrible to consider, regarding just how far their wickedness had gone that it caused pain in the heart of God, and that he grieved, or he was sorry that he had ever made man on earth. To think that God's heart was filled with pain. Then to think the inclination of man's heart was only evil all the time. That would mean there was never, ever, a moment in time when man's thoughts were about God. Man never gave any thought whatsoever about doing anything good, or seeking God, but only put his imagination to work finding more ways to do wicked things. Here is the proof of what will happen someday when he sits in judgment upon all those who continue to live in wicked ways. God wiped out all those whose hearts were inclined to evil all the time. Once again, a time is coming when God will wipe out all those whose hearts are bent toward evil all the time, those who refuse his salvation through Jesus. It will be different than causing a worldwide flood so that all the wicked would drown. This time the wicked will be sent into the lake of burning sulfur. We cannot even imagine how horrible that is going to be: to drown in burning sulfur, or to burn up and simply just perish, to be no more, to be completely destroyed. Why would someone choose that end for themselves? We know that kind of thinking, as once we were among those whose hearts were bent toward evil all the time, not even considering God, or that there was a God. However, somehow in a miraculous way the Lord broke through into our hearts and caused us to change the way we think about him. Here is where Noah comes onto the scene of history. He was a righteous man. There are two Hebrew words to define Noah: just and complete. He walked with God. This is where we come into this story. When we walk with God, we are then just and complete, or as we use the word, righteous; however, our righteousness is in Jesus. If we had not accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and responded to his call to follow him, we would not have any righteousness whatsoever. However, because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are in Christ, and walk with God, we have found favor in his eyes. Being in Jesus is the only way to find favor. 

People of Renown

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PEOPLE OF RENOWN

Gen 6:1-4

6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days — and also afterward — when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

NIV

This may be one of the most misunderstood passages in Genesis. Some think these sons of God were fallen angels, immoral beings who took human wives, and their offspring were these giants of men, the heroes of old. However, the original language does not support that interpretation. At this point in human history, we have women who are descendants of Cain and Seth. We also know that at that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD. What the Hebrew words tell us is that there were men who were great men of God, called sons of God. We who follow Jesus, who take our faith to the fullest, living for God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are told we have the right to be called children of God, or sons of God, holy and righteous because of Jesus. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word "ben," children, or son. Men who called on the name of the LORD, however, that does not mean they were all that righteous, for they intermarried with any women they chose, without discrimination of their birthright, or from what line or whose descendant they were, and of what spiritual qualities they possessed.  They chose wives for their outward beauty. The offspring of the giants, in the land, or tyrants, they produced are called heroes of old, men of renown. What we learn from this narrative is that this world has become obsessed with outward beauty. This seems to be the reason we are drawn to someone at the start. Our culture has created one of the largest businesses, all based on products to enhance the outward beauty, which God looks at the heart. We are told not to choose a mate based on their outward appearance alone, and that believers should not intermarry with unbelievers, that we should not be unequally yoked. As men of God, we should have wives who are women of God; it is that simple, although that may not be as it always is. There is also this truth that, as men and women of God, we should be known as heroes of people of renown, people of faith, who believe and trust God, whose lives reflect his glory. Let us live as heroes, people of renown.