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Genesis 22 – The Only Son

“Father, thank you for your only Son. Once again, we open your Word and ask you to speak to us through Abraham’s son, Isaac. Please give us clarity of mind and help us understand the depth of your love for us. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Pause and read Genesis 22 before continuing our lesson for today.

For weeks we have studied Abraham’s life. We watched him struggle with his faith, waited with him for the promise and cheered at the birth of his son.

And now this??

Abraham faithfully followed God’s path – even if it meant giving up his only son.

Today’s reading probably blew your mind. Maybe it made you angry. Why would God take away the very child He promised? Why would He ask Abraham to kill his son? And why would Abraham be willing to do so?

Hebrews 11:17-19 will help us understand Abraham’s willingness to do this. “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”

Abraham completely believed God’s promise to bring his line of descendants through Isaac. He believed it so firmly that he trusted God would bring Isaac back to life. Amazing faith!

Early the next morning, they left. He acted quickly and with great confidence in the God He served. I can’t imagine the emotions of his heart. How would he explain it to his son? Could he actually follow through with it?

When it dawned on Isaac that they didn’t bring a sacrificial lamb with them, he asked his father about it. Abraham’s words echo his thoughts. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (vs. 8)  Yes, God had provided the lamb: Isaac, his only son. No greater sacrifice could even be imagined.

The words on the page seem almost mechanical. Abraham built the altar, bound his son, and lifted the knife.  How could anyone love God enough to give up his own promised son, just because He asked?

Then God intervened.

I can’t fathom his relief. Joy filled his soul. Undoubtedly, he rushed to untie Isaac and embrace him. Suddenly, they heard a ram caught in the bushes.  With great thanksgiving, they offered the ram as their offering to God.

“Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (vs. 12) Abraham’s faith in God led him to simple obedience, without question. He made up his mind to obey, no matter the cost, even if he didn’t understand. The angel referred to fear, but not terror. Instead, he meant the deep respect which causes you to not even consider disobedience.

But why would God ask this? Why was it necessary to test Abraham in this way? Does God seriously want parents to be willing to kill their children?

No. Emphatically no. God never intended for Abraham to kill his son.

Don’t miss the point.

God Himself will provide the sacrifice.

This story points us to the New Testament. Genesis once again foretells the coming of the Messiah.  “. . . through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (vs. 18)

Through Isaac’s bloodline, Jesus would come.

Abraham and Isaac teach us about another Father who was willing to sacrifice His Son, totally confident in His own power to resurrect Him from the dead.

Jesus.

Jesus, the only Son of God, came to earth as an infant, just like Isaac. But He had an even greater miraculous birth, being born of a virgin.

The people of both Abraham’s and Jesus’ day followed the sacrificial system. Through God’s instructions, they offered animals as a form of payment for their sins against God. God taught them the cost of disobedience through the death of the animals. Just like death is separation from life, sin causes separation from God.

God provided a sacrifice for Isaac by sending a ram as a substitute. And God provided a sacrifice for us by sending Jesus to die in our place. Jesus was separated from God, so we don’t ever have to be separated from God.

If we believe, obeying God as Abraham did, then we will be raised from the dead, just as Jesus was raised.

Abraham’s Life.

Abraham lived to be 175. He married again after Sarah died, and had more children, but he gave everything he owned to Isaac, his promised child.  (Genesis 25:1-11) The book of Genesis continues with Isaac’s life, and the lives of his children and grandchildren. From his grandchildren come the beginnings of the nation of Israel. Throughout the rest of the Old Testament, you can follow their story.

Throughout the stories of the Old Testament, you will meet God and understand more of His character. He is serious about our obedience, and serious about His love for us. Love deep enough to be willing to allow His Son to die. Love powerful enough to raise Him from the dead.

This concludes our study of Abraham, but I hope you will continue to read the book of Genesis. Watch for more stories of God’s faithfulness and more foretelling of God’s plan. The whole Old Testament points to Jesus. In fact, the entire Bible is one story – the story of God’s love for us and plan to rescue us through His Son Jesus.

Questions for thought:

Group Discussion: Take a few moments to look back through your notes from our study of Abraham. What have you learned about God’s character through Abraham’s life?
Application for your life: Abraham thought he knew what God was going to do, but thankfully, he was wrong. In his joy, Abraham named the place where the angel stopped him “The Lord Will Provide.” (Genesis 22:15) In what ways have you seen God provide for you in unexpected ways?
For further study: Abraham is used in James 2:14-24 as a picture of faith and actions working together. As you read this passage, consider your own faith, and whether your actions match what you believe.

The post Genesis 22 – The Only Son appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 21 – Promises Kept

Somewhere along the path, you will discover God’s promises fulfilled.

“Father, we are so grateful for your faithful promises. Please help us to wait patiently with confident hope, because we know you are good. You will keep your word in our lives too, just like you did for Sarah and Hagar. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Please open your Bible and read Genesis 21.

The Lord did what He had promised

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.” What an absolutely beautiful verse!

Did Sarah deserve it? Was her faith finally strong enough to gain God’s attention?

No, she gave up believing God would do it a long time ago. When she gave her husband away to another woman, she proved her lack of faith in God’s willingness to do it within her.

Then, when her body no longer regularly prepared itself for pregnancy, she figured God’s window of opportunity to keep his promise closed forever. He no longer could keep His promise.

But God’s faithfulness comes to us solely by virtue of His never-ending love. We don’t deserve it. It’s His outrageous gift of grace to us. It’s not based on our faith, nor our actions. His ability to fulfill His promise is not even based on the laws of nature. God’s power supersedes everything. There’s NOTHING He can’t do.

He always keeps his promises.

Joy and Anger

Joy filled Sarah’s heart. Laughter bubbled up within her. It makes me smile that God had already told Abraham to name his son Isaac, meaning “he laughs.” What else can you do when astonished joy consumes you? You burst out in laughter!

Then she saw Abraham’s 14-year-old son laughing – and her heart quickly turned to jealous anger. Suddenly, she wanted all traces of Ishmael out of her life. He wasn’t the chosen son – not the one promised by God. She demanded Abraham send him away.

Oh Sarah, you are the cause of the problem before you. If only you had waited for God’s plan. Ishmael may not be your son by birth, but he is Abraham’s son. Can’t you trust the God who has miraculously kept His promise to you?

When Abraham called out to God in sorrow, God’s response surprises us. “Listen to Sarah,” God said. Woah. Wait. Abraham sent away Hagar and Ishmael?! The blame for this situation laid completely with Abraham and Sarah. Why did Hagar and Ishmael have to pay the price?

In the desert again!

I can almost hear Hagar’s thoughts.

Well, here I am again, out in the middle of the desert. You found me here last time, God. You told me to go back and submit to Sarai. Look where that got me! She threw us out now that she has her own baby! This is the boy you promised me. You said I would have so many descendants they would be too numerous to count. Are you going to keep your promise?? Are you listening?

Things turned from bad to worse for Hagar and Ishmael when they ran out of water in the desert. Hagar could not bear to watch Ishmael die of thirst, so she tucked him under a bush and collapsed a short distance away. She could not bear to watch. Both cried out to God with tears too deep for words.

God heard.

None of this situation surprised God. Not Sarah’s reaction, not Hagar’s need, not Ishmael’s existence. He knew they would be in this predicament at no fault of their own. That’s why He made the promise to Hagar long ago. There’s hope. God will keep His promise.

God knew Ishmael

When God spoke, He reiterated his promise to her and then opened her eyes to see a well – not a mirage, but real, life-giving water.

In verses 20-21, we are assured that God was with the boy as he grew up, giving him work as an archer, and a wife from Egypt. The desert became his home.

Genesis 25:12-18 lists Ishmael’s descendants. In time, they multiplied, just like God said. God made a way for them – and knew them. They did exactly as God said they would. “They lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” (Compare God’s words to Hagar in Genesis 16:12 to what happened in Genesis 25:18.)

God’s words are always true. He knows us. And He keeps His promises.

What about me?

Perhaps you are thinking of your own life right now. Maybe you think God has not made any promises to you – you have nothing from God’s mouth to rely upon for hope.

You can hear from God through the Bible. Let me show you some promises in the Word of God for you.

I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Wow. One of the greatest promises of God is the offer of forgiveness – a chance to become clean again before our holy and righteous God. No matter who you are, or what you’ve done, forgiveness is available for you when you admit your sin to God.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

This is an amazing promise of God! If we believe in Jesus, He promises us eternal life after death.

Romans 10:9-11 – “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’”

When we openly proclaim our faith in Jesus, He will make sure that in the end, we will not be ashamed. Wow. Shame is one of the most crippling emotions we face. God promises to eliminate it. We can lift our heads and look into the face of our loving Father, knowing we are forgiven.

You are loved!

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You are loved. He promised. Nothing can take that away from you!

Romans 8:26 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

I love this. Often, I do not know what to do, or how to even ask. But the Spirit of God understands how weak I am and prays for me.

Matthew 6:25-26, 33 – “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . . . But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God knows everything you need and is willing to provide it when you seek Him first.

Our God is good. These are only a few of the promises in His Word for you. Please open it and read it. Let Him speak to you today. He will keep His promise. Don’t lose faith or hope.

Questions for thought:

Group Discussion: God kept His promise to Sarah, to Abraham, to Hagar, to Ishmael and to Isaac in today’s story. Will you share with us about a time when God kept His promise to you? Sharing the story helps others dare to believe God will intervene in their story too.  (I invite you to read the story of God’s faithfulness to me in Song of a Wounded Heart, soon to be available at your favorite bookstore.)
Application for your life: Sarah’s anger in today’s story gives me cause to pause. There is no need for us to have vindictive anger. God is capable of handling all of His promises. He does not have to deny someone else in order to provide for me. His resources are unlimited. Today are you laughing with joy because of God’s faithfulness to you, or jealously angry toward God’s faithfulness to someone else?
For further study: In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses Hagar and Sarah as an allegory to compare living in slavery to living in faith. If we try to earn a place in heaven by our obedience to the law, no matter how hard we try, we cannot become perfectly obedient to it. We become slaves to it, with no hope of freedom, like Hagar. But if we repent, relying on the death of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of our sin, as He promised, then we become a promised child of God, like Isaac.

The post Genesis 21 – Promises Kept appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 19-20 – Judgment and Mercy

“Father, today’s story of judgment is difficult to understand. Will you help us learn from your Word and apply it to our lives today? Forgive us Lord, we deserve your judgment, and need your mercy and your love, just like Lot and Abraham. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Remember from last week’s lesson on Genesis 18, there was an outcry for God to do something about the wickedness of Sodom. At the same time, Abraham prayed for mercy for the city on behalf of his nephew, Lot. How will God respond?

Pause and read Genesis 19-20.

Be careful to notice where your path leads.

Lot at the City Gate

As God listened to both the prayers for justice and the prayers for mercy, the two angels arrived in Sodom. Lot greeted them at the gate, bowed before them as his Uncle Abraham had done earlier in the day, and offered them a place to stay in his own home. Both responses reflected his culture and upbringing. He honored the men as traveling guests and pledged to care for them.

Why was Lot sitting at the gate of the city? The text does not tell us. Some suggest he has become one of the leaders of Sodom, earning the right to represent the city at the gate. On the other hand, people conducted business at the city gate – either selling their wares or buying those carried by caravans or travelers. Perhaps he is closing up shop at the end of the day. Maybe he waited at the gate in an attempt to protect guests who might find themselves in danger in the city square at night. Certainly, he knew the heart of the people he lived among. Or perhaps he simply was in the right place at the right time by God’s design.

Regardless of the reason, it’s plain to see Lot had been drawn into Sodom little by little. In Genesis 13:12-13, the Bible tells us Lot “pitched his tents near Sodom” even though the people were wicked. In Genesis 14, Abraham rescued Lot after a group of invading kings took him captive, along with other inhabitants of Sodom. Genesis 14:12 clearly tells us Lot was living in Sodom at that time.  Now, in chapter 20, he is greeting people at the gate.

Why?

Drawn to Sodom

Well, we must consider the enticement of sin. All of us are prone to it. Maybe it’s the desire to experience the thrill of the wrongdoing, maybe it’s the influence of friends or family, but we are all drawn to do wrong by our nature.

James 1:13-15 makes it very clear: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Is that it? Was Lot drawn to the sin in Sodom? That may have been the case.

But I Peter 2:6-9 says, “If he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.” [emphasis mine]

Regardless of what drew Lot to Sodom, it bothered Lot greatly to see the sin of his city. Perhaps he was part of the outcry to God against Sodom! But sadly, even as a righteous man, we will soon see that living there blurred his lines of right and wrong.

Surrounded by Wickedness

By the time Lot’s door closed behind the angels, the wickedness of the city surrounded Lot’s house. It’s astounding to think an entire city of men desired to rape, and probably kill, innocent guests to their city. Clearly, the outcry to God concerning the morality of this city is accurate. The time for judgment has come.

And then Lot offers the men his daughters in appeasement.

Are you kidding me? This is the righteous man? Is this OK with God?

NO, it’s not OK with God. The Bible repeatedly teaches purity in sexual matters. I Corinthians 6:13b says, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord.” The Greek word for sexual immorality means “the surrendering of sexual purity, promiscuity of every type.” This was against God’s will. Protecting the angels did not require the sacrifice of his daughters.

The men, however, were uninterested in the girls. They turned on Lot, accusing him of casting judgment on them, and threatened to kill him. In an instant, the angels intervened. Clearly, Lot needed help. They reached out, grabbed Lot, shut the door and struck the men blind. Try as they might, they could no longer find the door.

Quickly, the angels explained to Lot that God’s judgment would soon destroy the city. They directed him to gather his family and prepare to leave. Lot slipped out the back door to find the men who pledged to marry his daughters, and beg them to leave with him. They thought he was joking.

By the time he came back home, the sky lit with the coming of the dawn. The angel’s said, “Time’s up. We gotta go!”

It intrigues me that Lot still hesitated to leave. Why?

Merciful Prayer

Even if he had good intentions of trying to help this community find God, even if he bristled every time he saw the wickedness in his city – part of him still wanted to stay. Why?  I don’t know. But he could have left a long time ago, and he didn’t. Maybe he didn’t want to start over. Or maybe he doubted it would really be destroyed. Perhaps he didn’t want to leave the potential sons-in-law behind. Or maybe over the years, he lost his ability to see sin clearly. When we surround ourselves with sin, our judgment gets cloudy.

The angels grabbed him, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and drug them out of the city. God’s mercy rescued them, even though they didn’t want to leave. Why?

Because God doesn’t give up on us even when we do stupid things, especially when someone is praying for us.

Verse 29 clearly says, “. . . when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe. . .” Lot received God’s mercy instead of God’s judgment because Abraham prayed.

The Consequences

By the time Lot and his little family reached the little town of Zoar, Sodom and Gomorrah went up in smoke. Burning sulfur overtook the land – and Lot’s wife – who lagged far enough behind she was caught in the fallout. She just didn’t want to go…  Sodom’s full-grown sin gave birth to death, just like the verses we read from James (see above).

Lot lived in fear in a cave in the mountains. He should’ve traveled back to Uncle Abraham and found a place to start over. He should have admitted that he submitted his family to a terrible predicament. But he didn’t. He stayed hidden in the mountains and bore the consequences of his terrible choice with his daughters. With terrible irony, they raped him. They thought the end justified the means. They were wrong.

And the sin of Sodom continued. It moved with them because they lacked repentance. It didn’t have to end that way. God’s mercy waits with open arms.

Abraham’s Reaction

Looking down on the burning plain shook Abraham. Soon he moved his flocks and tents to a new area with a different ruler. Perhaps he couldn’t bear to look down on the destruction anymore. I wonder if he thought God didn’t answer his prayer for Lot. He didn’t necessarily know Lot hid in the mountains. The darkness of discouragement and doubt seemed to overshadow him.

Fear overtook him in the new land, and he once again claimed Sarah as his sister instead of his wife. She must have been a real beauty even at 90 years old because sure enough, the King of Gerar sent for Sarah He wanted her to be his wife.

Wait! Isn’t she pregnant? Well, probably. But they may not know it quite yet.

What in the world are you doing Abraham? You just gave away your wife, who is going to have YOUR baby this time next year. God did save Lot, and He is going to keep His promise to you too! What a mess we make when we act out of fear and discouragement.

Is God OK with Abraham claiming Sarah is his sister and giving her to the king? NO, he is not! This, too, is sexual sin.

But God doesn’t give up on us even when we do stupid things. He always keeps His promises. He promised a baby, and a baby would come. In addition to this, God once again proved to Sarah that this promise is for her too! He protected her from the king’s touch. There would be no way to doubt that God had kept His promise to both Abraham and Sarah.

God intervened by sending a dream to Abimelech. It scared the poor man out of his wits. “You are as good as dead,” God said, “because you took another man’s wife.” Well, that certainly got his attention. The very next morning, the king gave Sarah back to Abraham, along with plenty of gifts.

Once again, God dared Abraham to believe He will keep His promise.

God is so merciful – even in his judgment. He longs for us to believe.

Questions for thought:

Group Discussion: How can we influence our culture without being drawn into sin with it?

Application for your life: Who are you praying for? Just as Abraham prayed for mercy for Lot, we can pray for mercy for those in our lives who are being influenced by sin. Being a part of a small group Bible study with other believers will help you stay faithful to God. Together, you can help each other discern right from wrong. Are you part of a group like that?

For further study: The Bible mentions Sodom many times as an example of judgment. One of those passages refers to the final judgment of the earth. Read Jesus’ words in Luke 17:20-37.

 

The post Genesis 19-20 – Judgment and Mercy appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 18 – Is Anything Too Hard for God?

“Father, I know nothing is too hard for you, but sometimes I really struggle to believe it. Please use today’s story to encourage my heart to believe you will keep your promises to me too!”

Take a few minutes to read Genesis 18. You will discover it’s two stories in one chapter.

Too Hard to Believe

Now that the long journey seemed to be over, the fulfillment of the promise seemed too hard to believe!

Chapter 18 begins with Abraham sitting under the tree in front of his tent in the heat of the day. I can only imagine what is mulling around in his 99-year-old head. I picture him with a weathered hand over his face, mulling over how to tell Sarah she’s going to have a baby this time next year. That would be an interesting conversation to start out of the blue. “Oh, by the way, God appeared to me again and said you are going to have a baby next year.” (See last week’s study of Genesis 17.)

Maybe he already told her. If he did, I doubt the conversation went well. Why would she believe him? The waiting had been too hard for her.

But Abraham believed God. That’s why he was willing to circumcise everyone. He just didn’t know how it could be possible for them to have a baby now. He stared at his once strong hands and wondered if he can still teach a young pup how to hunt and fish.

I can’t imagine the wrestling in his heart between faith and disbelief. How can an old woman have a baby? What if she dies giving birth?

He looked up to see 3 men approaching. He jumped up to greet them with the normal hospitality of his culture – but when he recognized one as the Lord, he bowed low to the ground. I don’t know if he recognized the other two as angels, but the Bible clearly tells us their identity in Genesis 19:1.

It makes me smile a little to read in verse 7 that Abraham ran to the herd. Maybe he really can keep up with a toddler.

Sarah’s Shock

When the meal was prepared, Abraham brought it to his guests, and stood nearby, like a servant. Sarah huddled close to the tent doorway to listen to the conversation. Her ears pricked up when the men asked the whereabouts of Abraham’s wife. Nothing could have prepared her for the man’s next words, however.

“I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Sarah smiled. Yeah right. God promised me a baby a long time ago, but now I’m an old woman. It’s no longer possible for me to have a baby. That pleasure will never be mine. She laughed bitterly inside at the ridiculous image in her head of herself giving birth. Who was this guy?

But the guy kept talking. He repeated the words from her thoughts to Abraham! The he said these words: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

It scared her. Is this the LORD? Is this the man Abraham met so long ago? How else could he know her thoughts? Could it be possible? Is she going to have a baby??

Oh. My.

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

I love that the Lord returned to tell Abraham the same message again. In both Genesis 17:21 and again in Genesis 18:14, the Lord said Sarah will have a baby next year. Therefore, these two visits from the Lord were close together. Perhaps He returned because Abraham had not had the courage to tell Sarah, or perhaps He returned so that Sarah could hear it for herself.

And then maybe He returned because He knew the news was too hard for two old people to really absorb without hearing it again.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Hebrews 11:11-12 says, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the starts in the sky…”

Abraham considered God a promise keeper. Do you?

The Lord Confides in Abraham

While Sarah’s thoughts swirled in circles out of her control, the men prepared to leave. Abraham walked along with them to bid them farewell.

Again, the unexpected happened.

The Lord chose to confide in Abraham where the angels were headed and why. An outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah had spurred the Lord into action. The angels were being sent to check out the report.

Immediately, Abraham’s heart panicked for his nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom.

Remember, Abraham fought for the city back in Genesis 14. He rescued Lot and Sodom’s people and returned their goods after several invading kings captured them. Even then, Abraham knew their reputation and made it very clear that his alignment was not with Sodom, but with God. But Lot stayed in the city.

Many years have passed, and the evil of the city had continued to escalate. Now, God planned to destroy it. What will happen to Lot?

Pleading for Mercy

Abraham began to plead for mercy for the city of Sodom. Although he did not mention Lot by name, we see his deep love and defense for his nephew as he begged God not to destroy the righteous along with the wicked. As the numbers got smaller and smaller, I wonder if Abraham was mentally counting the members of Lot’s family, hoping beyond hope that they were all righteous.

Although Abraham feared God’s anger, God did not chastise him for the repetitive prayer. Instead, he patiently answered each scenario request. No, He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 10 righteous people living there.

If it weren’t for God’s great mercy, we would all be destroyed.

Why did God include Abraham in this decision? Genesis 18:17-19 tells us. Abraham will become a great and powerful nation. God wants him to lead his family to keep the way of the Lord and do what is right. So, God let Abraham see what happens when a group of people follow their own desires instead of God’s. The result is a community like Sodom, so full of sin that the righteous cry out for God to do something. He heard both – the cry for judgment from the righteous and the cry for mercy from a loving uncle Abraham.

And in His goodness, He responded to both cries. Because nothing is too hard for Him. We will see his answer next week in chapter 19.

Questions for thought:

Group Discussion: It’s difficult for us to fully grasp both God’s judgment and his mercy. Sometimes we cry out for His judgment and sometimes we cry out for His mercy. How do you decide how to pray when you see evil winning around you?
Application for your life: Is there a situation in your life that seems too hard for God to handle? When you are struggling to trust Him to do what is both merciful and just, remember that he hears your thoughts and fears, just like he heard Sarah in the tent. Talk to Him honestly, like Abraham did.
For further study: Read Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47. Moses retells the story of the people of Israel (Abraham’s family). Here you can see both God’s judgment and his mercy for his people.

 

The post Genesis 18 – Is Anything Too Hard for God? appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 16-17 – Our impatience, God’s faithfulness

Father, as we read today, help us to heed the warning of this story. Please stop us when we try to force you to act and forgive us for our impatience. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.  

Today, let’s read the chapters one at a time. Please start with Genesis 16.

Sarai’s Impatience

Sometimes the destination seems so far away, our impatience with the journey grows until we switch paths.

Up until now, we have not had a glimpse into Sarai’s heart or attitudes. Whether she has been bitter all along, or whether the waiting simply got to her, we don’t know. But in today’s reading, she has had her fill of waiting. She determined there must be another way to get a baby. God took too long.

You can’t blame her really. It’s been ten long years of living in a tent in this land God promised her husband. I get impatient waiting ten minutes for a hamburger. Sigh. She probably got really excited for a while. After all, God said there would be a baby from Abram’s body. That surely meant her. But now, well, she’s 75 years old, and it just doesn’t look like God is going to come through on that promise.

So, she comes up with a new plan.

It makes me so sad when I consider where Sarai probably gained her Egyptian maidservant. Remember the way God rescued Sarai from the Pharaoh in Egypt? (12:17-20) His fierce protection of her should have proved to Sarai that she was part of the promise. But instead, she blamed the Lord, and in a sense, went back to her Egyptian bondage. She tries to force God to fulfill the promise through Hagar, the Egyptian.

Oh, the consequences of impatience.

When Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarai. Of course she did. This baby would be raised by Sarai. Hagar was nothing more than a means to an end.

Then it simply gets worse. Sarai blames the situation on Abram and dares to call the Lord in as a judge between them. Seriously? What would the Lord say? No one sought his advice on this little plan, neither Abram nor Sarai. It was a decision borne of impatience.

Jealousy turns to cruelty.

One sin leads to another, and we fall down a slippery slope. I don’t think Sarai really thought this through. Once Hagar was pregnant, her jealous anger only grew, and she began to mistreat the mother of her “promised” baby. Hagar saw no choice but to run away.

God sees the hurt.

Hagar may have run into the desert, but God knew exactly where she was. He sent his angel to find her. He gave her the chance to tell him what happened to her, and then he told her what to do. “Go back to your mistress and submit to her” must have been difficult for Hagar to consider (vs. 9). But the angel followed the directive with a promise that sounded like the one she had heard Sarai repeat for years. “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (vs. 10)

Could this be? Could there be a promise for her too?

With tears undoubtedly spilling down her face, she listened to details about her baby. It’s a boy. His name is to be Ishmael which means “God hears.” God has heard what’s happening to you. Your son will be a wild man who will live against his brothers.

Whether she absorbed all of the information didn’t matter, because she heard loud and clear “The Lord has heard of your misery.” (vs. 11) It emblazoned in her heart so firmly that she gave a new name to the Lord: The God who sees me (El Roi Raiti). She even named the well where God found her: Beer Lahai Roi, well of the Living One who sees me.

Now she knew God is real, and that He sees her and understands her. She knows there’s a promise for her child too. Now she can face anything. She returned to Sarai and gave birth to a son. Abram believed her and named him Ishmael.

It’s not as difficult to obey God once you are convinced that He’s real.

God’s faithfulness

Please pause and read Genesis 17.

Time went by, and Ishmael grew up. Abram probably decided Ishmael was the promised child. After all, the promise Hagar said she heard from the Lord seemed to match the one Abram heard – except it might have bothered him that the angel mentioned Ishmael’s brothers. He must have wondered where those brothers would come from.

Then, when Abram turned 99, God appeared to Abram. The word of the Lord came to Abram several times in his life, but this is the second time that God appeared to Abram. The last time was 24 years ago, when Abram came to the promised land (Genesis 12:7). Now God appeared and declared Himself to be God Almighty, El Shaddai. Abram fell to his face.

I can only imagine what I will do when I come face to face with God Almighty. You might want to pause and listen to the song, “I Can Only Imagine.”

The message from God was intense, and full of information.

First – a new name

God gave Abram a new name: Abraham, meaning “father of many”. There’s that question that has been nagging him – is there going to be another son, or is Ishmael going to have many children? God didn’t explain, He just reiterated the promise of so long ago. This time He added that this will be an everlasting covenant.

Second – a sign of the covenant

God asked Abram to bear a physical sign of his faith in the covenant with God. He was to be marked as a follower of God Almighty by circumcision. He was to circumcise all of the males in his household, whether his offspring, or simply a servant, young or old.

Third – a birth announcement

Finally, God renamed Sarai, as well. Her name will be Sarah, meaning “princess” instead of “my princess.” The scripture does not explain her name change, but I wonder if it was a subtle way to say that Sarah was not solely Abram’s – she belonged to God. He had chosen her to bear the promised child.

Abram fell facedown again, but this last statement from God seemed crazy. How could a baby be born to a 90-year-old woman? Abram’s response shows his disbelief, and maybe his effort to try to help God remember they had a child already. “If only Ishmael might live under you blessing.” (vs. 18)

God remained unruffled. The time had come for the promise to be fulfilled. God promised to bless Ishmael, as Abraham asked, but He made it clear: Sarah will give birth to a son this time next year, and you are to name him Isaac. His faithfulness had nothing to do with Abram’s faith.

Abraham had the sense to not argue with God. As soon as God left, he gathered all the men in his household, and they were all circumcised. The embers of his faith began to glow.

I wonder when he told Sarah to prepare a nursery?

Questions for thought:

Group Discussion: Each of the characters in today’s story struggled with God. Sarai was angry with impatience. Abram had given up on God’s promise, so he didn’t bother asking for guidance. Hagar was simply used and abused and ran away. But God chose to interact with all three and make promises to all three. What does that say about God’s character?
Application for your life: Which person do you identify with? Abram, Sarai or Hagar? Why?
For further study: Deuteronomy 10:12-22; 30:6, and Romans 2:28-29 speak of circumcision of the heart. Circumcision is symbolic of cutting away sin and living a life marked as God’s.

The post Genesis 16-17 – Our impatience, God’s faithfulness appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 15 – Questions and Answers

Thank you for studying the Word of God with me. Please join me in prayer for a moment, but then I urge you to continue a prayer of your own. Father, I ask that your powerful message from this passage will soak into our hearts today and fill us with courage to seek answers to our questions, and to trust your answers. 

Please turn in your Bible, or follow the link, to read Genesis 15. It’s a short passage today, but it is full of many life lessons. Read it slowly and carefully.

Sometimes fear comes after success

Sometimes we are uncertain if we are following the right path, and our hearts fill with questions.

“After this”, (verse 1) the Lord came to Abram and told him not to be afraid. Let’s pause and remember what has just happened. Abram fought against 4 kings and won. He brought back the goods stolen from the King of Sodom, but bravely told him that he would not align with him. Abram fought with courage and won! He stood with honor and did the right thing! Why would God need to tell him to not be afraid now?

Well, because he is human. I can imagine what is going through Abram’s mind. Will those kings come back and retaliate against me? Why didn’t I align with the King of Sodom – he might fight against me now…

Abram heard from God. He experienced his powerful deliverance from his enemies. He stood on faith. And now when the battle is over, he is afraid. Crazy. We are so fickle as humans.

I’m so grateful for a God who knows and understands our weaknesses!

God came to Abram and said, “Do not be afraid. I am your shield.” He not only knew Abram’s emotions, but He knew what he was afraid of. A shield protects us from battle and only fails when it’s not in the right place. When God is our shield, He knows exactly where we need protected. He knows the enemy’s tactics and plan. We have nothing to fear.

Questions for God

Abram’s fear came from two sources: his enemies, and the unfulfilled promise. So, God didn’t stop with “I am your shield,” He also said, “and your very great reward.” What happens next encourages my heart even more than knowing I can stand behind God’s shield. Here’s my paraphrase of Abram’s words:

Ok, but God, you haven’t kept your promise, so how can I be sure of anything? You said I would have so many descendants that I wouldn’t be able to count them all, but I don’t even have a single one. Now whatever I have left when I die will go to my servant. Is that what you had in mind? I don’t get it.

God responded gently. He told him the promise again, and He answered Abram’s question! Wow. No, his servant is not his heir. There will be an heir from Abram’s own body. Abram should have known that – God promised offspring or descendants. The very definition of the word is clear. But maybe Abram has been trying to figure out if there’s a way he misunderstood, or way he missed the meaning. So, he asked.

This is so encouraging to me! God didn’t get angry with Abram. He told him the promise again. God understood Abram’s confusion. The promise was made a long time ago in human years. Why the wait? Notice that God didn’t explain the why, but He did go back over the promise again for Abram’s benefit, and made it completely clear what God intended to do.

So – when I’m doubting God’s promise, when I think I must have misunderstood, when I don’t understand why God hasn’t acted – I can ask! How comforting. My job is to believe Him – just like Abram did.

Clean before the Lord

When Abram believed, God credited it to him as righteousness. (vs. 6) Because Abram believed in God, God cleared Abram’s sin away and declared him pure. What an amazing free gift.  It wasn’t because Abram had perfect faith, in fact he still had more questions for God. No, he didn’t earn this gift, it was simply because of God’s great love for Abram.

As the conversation continued, Abram dared to ask how he could know that he will gain possession of the land. The promise just seemed too big, too incredible. Maybe he wanted a sign to help him know it would really come to pass.

I doubt Abram ever forgot the image God gave him.

Abram’s vision

God told him to get 5 animals: a ram, a heifer, a goat, a dove and a pigeon. He cut the large animals in two and arranged them in two lines, with half of each animal across from each other. In doing so, Abram is preparing a covenant ritual. The parties making the agreement together would walk between the severed animals, symbolically agreeing to the penalty of death for breaking the covenant.

Then Abram waited for God. As night came, he fell into a deep sleep and saw a vision of the future of his descendants. They would live as slaves in a foreign country. After 400 years of misery, God will punish the nation who enslaved them, and bring them into the land where Abram lived.

Then God’s Spirit passed between animal pieces, once again declaring the promise that this land would belong to Abram’s descendants. This time, he gave the boundaries of the promised land.

There is great significance to the fact that only God passed between the animal pieces. In doing so, He declared this to be a sacred promise that fell only to God’s responsibility. There was nothing for Abram to do – no way to earn it, nor lose it. God’s solemn word declared it.

I can’t imagine Abram’s thoughts upon waking. God gave his solemn promise. Abram would have descendants who would own the land on which he stood. But the fulfillment of that promise was hundreds of years away and would come after great cost to his family. There would truly be no way to absorb it all.  His destiny was firmly in God’s hands. But perhaps God had told him more than he really wanted to know.

The future

We know from the rest of the Bible, that God did exactly what He said He would do. Everything that He said would happen, did happen. The people of Israel were slaves to Egypt for 4 generations. God punished Egypt and brought the Israelites into the land described in Genesis 15.

And God blessed the world through Abram’s descendant, Jesus. Through Him, God still gives us righteousness in exchange for faith. Romans 4:18-25 says clearly that God will credit righteousness to those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. It is because of his great love for you. Dare to believe it.

Questions for thought:

Group discussion: What is the difference between asking God questions and questioning God?
Application for your life: Are there questions you would like to ask God? Take your Bible and your notebook and spend some time alone with Him. Pour out your heart, and then listen.
For further study: Jeremiah 34:8-22 describes a covenant that was ratified by the ritual in today’s passage. When the people were not willing to keep their promise, God makes it clear what will happen to them.
The reason the smoking firepot and blazing torch are interpreted to be God’s Spirit is because of verses such as these: Exodus 3:2-4; 13:21; 19:16-19; 24:17

The post Genesis 15 – Questions and Answers appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Mom’s Easter Sunday Morning

Delmer & Lanora Webb
April 1, 1945
Easter Sunday Morning

My mom and dad were married Easter Sunday Morning in 1945.

The world outside the little church struggled with war. But inside, a young bride straightened her white wool dress and beamed at her beau in his dark suit. They planned to be the “special music” during the Easter service, a surprise for the congregation.

Lanora’s mind filled with thoughts. She had waited almost four years for this day, some of them wasted with worry for her soldier at war. He wrote letters. She sent pictures. The weeks turned into months inch by inch.

Then suddenly, the unexpected happened. As the result of a short hospital stay, Delmer came home. (For Dad’s story, click here.) Immediately, the simple wedding plan began. Buy a dress. Get some flowers. Talk to the preacher.  They simply were not willing to wait another day.

The wedding march began, pulling her mind to the present. The couple walked the aisle. In a moment, with a few words, she became Mrs. Delmer Webb. He vowed never to leave her – always to love her.

Easter Sunday Morning. The day everything changed.

What a beautiful day to make a promise of love.

Just like the first Easter Sunday Morning.

The disciples’ world outside the tomb still struggled with fear, bewilderment, anger. No one expected this outcome. They all believed Jesus would deliver them from the oppression of Rome. In fact, He TOLD them He was the Messiah. How could he be dead?

They didn’t know He wouldn’t stay dead. They should have. He told them that too.

In the heavenlies, the angels watched for their cue. When the earth shook, everyone sprang into action. They rolled the stone away to reveal the empty grave and sat down to wait for the women to come. Soon everyone would know. The day had finally arrived.

With excitement, everyone in heaven observed as Jesus appeared to each disciple. No one grew weary of watching the story unfold. One-by-one, each believer saw Him. Some absorbed the news quickly, and others grew silent for a while, but before long, all of them were shouting with joy.

All of heaven burst into celebration. He’s alive!

The resurrection proved Jesus’ power over death. With it came the promise of forgiveness, of eternal life, of hope. He vowed never to leave us – always to love us.

Easter Sunday Morning. The day everything changed.

There’s another Easter coming.

Sunrise at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, Liberal, KS
Photo by Emily Jones

My mom passed from this world on her wedding anniversary two years ago. It wasn’t Easter Sunday Morning that year on earth, but it was in heaven.

The day everything changed.

Jesus kept His promise of eternal life. He raised her from the dead and gave her a new home. She reunited with Dad – and her son, her son-in-law, her grandson, her granddaughter, and her great granddaughter, not to mention her own Mom and Dad and a host of family and friends. Can you imagine the celebration?

If only we could have heard it on earth. When I close my eyes, I can imagine it. The beautiful fulfillment of His promise of love.

Easter Sunday Morning.

 

 

 

My book, Song of a Wounded Heart, is now available as an e-book at Barnes & Noble,

or your favorite online bookstore. You can pre-order the paperback there as well. It will be released in June.

 

The post Mom’s Easter Sunday Morning appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 13-14 – Faith to Start Over

Abram finds a way to start over

As you open your Bible, let’s go to our Lord in prayer. Father, as we read your Word today, we ask for insight into the life of Abram. Thank you for giving him a chance to return to his faith in you. It gives me hope. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Please pause to read Genesis 13-14.

When you wander off the path of faith, repentance makes a way to start over and find the path again.

Can you imagine the tension in the air when Sarai rejoined Abram? To some degree his plan worked – he gained wealth in Egypt – but it came at great cost to Sarai. Her heart must have tangled with a mixture of relief to be free again, and anger at her brother/husband. How would Abram rebuild his damaged relationship with God and Sarai?

He wandered for a while, but he returned to Bethel – and called on the name of the Lord. (12:7-8; 13:3-4)

It’s the only way to start over – go back to God and ask for forgiveness. We don’t know what Abram said to God, but we can see by his actions that he has gone back to his faith. He returned to both the land of promise and his altar and cried out to God. (I hope he also apologized to Sarai.)

It appears he also pondered his relationship with his nephew, Lot.

Remember that God’s directive for Abram included leaving his family? (12:1) His father detained Abram’s obedience by settling for a time in Haran, but eventually, Abram was free to continue the journey upon his father’s death. But his nephew Lot still tagged along. What about him?

It appears that Abram considered this and used the fact that their herds were very large to help them separate. Graciously, he gave his nephew first choice of the land. Lot chose the very best, and the two parted company.

The promise renewed

I find it interesting that God spoke to Abram after Lot left (13:14). Each time we take a step of obedience, God responds. In unending faithfulness, God clearly reiterated his promise to Abram, again adding more details.

Abram, look around you. As far as your eyes can see, this land is yours. It belongs to you and your offspring forever. There will be so many in your family, there will be no way to count them all. It would be like trying to count the grains of dust at your feet.  Go, look it over. Enjoy.

Receiving forgiveness and following it with obedience changes your life. It gives you the chance to start over, and the chance to marvel in God’s goodness.

So, Abram traveled throughout the land. When he finished, he settled at Mamre, a tree grove near Hebron. Life filled with anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promise. I hope Sarai forgave Abram and put her faith in the promise which saved her from life as a concubine of Pharaoh, but the Bible is silent about her at this point.

Chaos Enters the Picture

Abram lived as a nomad in the land among its people. People groups with their kings surrounded him on every side, each one striving to gain more power or wealth. Before long, a war broke out. A coalition of four kings began to take control of their neighbors, defeating them one by one. In desperation, five of the remaining kings formed an alliance in order to save their kingdoms.

Five kings stood their ground against the four invading kings, but their attempt to save their cities fell far short. The raiding army seized their possessions and left with all of their food supply – and some of their people.

Word came to Abram from one of the survivors: his nephew Lot had been carried away by the marauders.

Clearly Abram was prepared for battle. He gathered 318 trained men born in his household. Wow. These were servants, or staff who lived with him. (Genesis 12:5 indicates both Lot and Abram acquired servants in Hebron. They apparently lived with him and raised families who also served Abram.) Without a doubt, Abram had become an affluent man.

The army of one household traveled over 100 miles north, from Mamre to Dan, in pursuit of the army of four kings. I find it almost amusing that the outcome is simply, “He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.” (Genesis 14:16)

It really doesn’t matter how big the army is when God is on your side.

Choosing an Alliance

When Abram returned, two kings met him: the king of Salem and the king of Sodom.

Salem had not been part of the war, but it’s king came to greet Abram. Melchizedek was both king of Salem (later day Jerusalem), and priest of God Most High. Recognizing the hand of God upon Abram, Melchizedek blessed him. In response, Abram gave the priest a tenth of the spoils as an offering of gratitude to God.

This seems like a random addition to the story, but it is an important, precious hint toward the future. It is an unusual thing in history to be both priest and king. But when God fulfilled his promise to bless all the people of the earth through Abram’s offspring, he did so through another who received the honor of both priest and king: Jesus. (Hebrews 4:14; John 12:12-16; Revelation 17:14)

Abram responded very differently to the King of Sodom. We will see as we continue in Genesis, that Sodom was a wicked city. Abram knew this and was unwilling to even receive his own share of the spoils from the king of Sodom when he returned their goods and people. He explained, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High.” (14:22) In saying this, Abram clearly states that he is not aligning with Sodom in any way. Nor does he want the king of Sodom to claim he aided Abram in any way with his wealth. His wealth came from God alone. He made his choice to align with the Lord God.

Lot, on the other hand, returned to Sodom to stay. This too, is a clear indication of his alliance, even though it bothered his conscience to live there. (II Peter 2:7-8) We will soon see the consequences of this choice.

Life returned to normal, and the wait for the fulfillment of God’s promise continued. Abram’s decision to start over with God gave him the courage and faith to stand firm, even with kings. He would no longer compromise out of fear as he had with the King of Egypt.

Questions for thought:

Group discussion: What makes it difficult to start over with God? What kind of things stand in our way?
Application for your life: In what ways have you compromised with the world instead of standing in faith? It’s not too late to start over.
For further study: Many years later, Abram’s family, the Israelites, were enslaved by the Egyptians. When God miraculously rescued them and brought them to the promised land, he led them to the Valley of Eshcol, which was another name for Mamre – the very place where God told Abram the land would belong to his family 600 years earlier. Read the story in Numbers 13-14.
To learn more about the comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek, read Hebrews 6:13-7:28.

The post Genesis 13-14 – Faith to Start Over appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 12 – The Promise

God’s direction and promise to Abram: “Go from your country . . . to the land I will show you.”

Abram’s Promise from God

Today, we will begin our study in Genesis 12. As you open your Bible to read, please join me in prayer. Father, thank you for your words in the Bible. Please open our minds and hearts to help us understand this chapter today. Show us how we are like Abram and Sarai. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

A most astonishing thing happened to Abram. The Lord God talked to him! Nearly 2800 years have passed since the last recorded conversation between God and man (Noah).  The message changed Abram’s life just as much as Noah’s life changed when God told him to begin building an ark.

“Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (12:1) Can you imagine? Some of you probably can. Often careers, the military, the ministry…require us to move away from our families, at least for a time. But we usually know where we are going, and we will still be able to talk with our families when we get there.  But in Abram’s day, that would have meant little to no communication – much like the pioneers who moved from east to west in our country, often never seeing their families again.

It’s not every day you hear a directive from God that changes your life completely, especially one which included a dramatic promise.

“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.” (12:2) Wow. It must have made his heart beat faster as he considered its implications. But God wasn’t finished. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (12:3)

Gulp. Think about how his mind must have run with it…

Really? I’m going to be famous?! My household will grow so big that I’ll become my own nation! Everyone will know about me and the whole earth will be blessed by me? Why, that must mean I’ll be rich! But – wait – you are going to curse people who try to hurt me? Why would you do this for me?

Although it looks like Abram left the next day, it wasn’t quite like that. According to Acts 7:2, God told Abram to leave while he still lived in Ur. Genesis 11:31 tells us Abram’s father, Abram and Sarai, and Abram’s nephew Lot left Ur together, and traveled around 850 miles to Haran, in modern day Turkey.

I wonder why his father went along, even though the instructions said to leave his father’s household?

Perhaps Terah didn’t give them the choice. He might have been unwilling to miss out on this deal – or just didn’t want to say good bye to his children. (Sarai was Abram’s half-sister.) Or maybe Abram needed his father’s courage to make the trip. Joshua 24:2 tells us that Terah worshiped other gods instead of the Lord. We don’t know if he ever changed his mind, nor if he believed Abram had heard from God. It might be why Abram was supposed to leave his father behind.

They settled in Haran for a while until Terah passed away. We have no idea how long it was from the initial directive from God to Abram’s departure from Haran. But Abram didn’t forget. When the opportunity came, Abram continued the journey toward the unknown promised land.

Some 300 miles later, when he got to the right place, the Lord appeared to show him the land, just as He had promised. What an amazing affirmation to Abram after a long, two-part journey! I wish I would have been there to watch him gasp with joy when God appeared.

It proved Abram had heard correctly. He hadn’t been following a pipe dream. And what’s more, this time God’s words made the promise a little bit clearer: “To your offspring, I will give this land.”

Wow. To my offspring – not just my household! I’m going to be a father!!

Astonishment washed through Abram. In humble adoration, he built an altar in praise to the God of the universe. In the days that followed, he moved throughout the land God promised him, dreaming of the days to come. It pleased his God. Take a moment to read Hebrews 11:8-10 to see what God thought of Abram (whose name later became Abraham).

But life has this way of distracting us.

Severe famine came to the land. In order to eat, Abram and Sarai went to Egypt to live for a while. Entering a foreign culture, Abram became afraid for his life. He believed that the Egyptians would see Sarai’s beauty and kill him, so they could have her. So, he concocted a plan to save himself. If he claimed to be only her brother, then the Egyptians would offer a good price for her and treat him well.

Well, I’m just going to say it. That was horrible on many levels. He totally forgot God was on his side.

Before we even have time to consider that Abram might have just been paranoid, the next verse says that Egyptians did exactly what he expected. She must have been a beauty – Pharaoh himself wanted her! He took her to be one of his wives.

But God intervened. He inflicted disease upon Pharaoh, and somehow made it clear to him that it was because of Sarai being in his household. Perhaps the Lord appeared to him and told him, perhaps it was a dream, we don’t know. We only know that Pharaoh sent for Abram, gave him his wife and told him to leave.

I love the fact that the promise included Sarai. God told Abram he would curse those who cursed him.  But the first time that happened, it was in Sarai’s defense. Clearly the promise was not just for Abram. But it would be while before either of them fully understood that.

God would keep his promise, because God is faithful – even when we are faithless.

Questions for thought:

Group discussion: Why do you think we let life distract us from obedience to God?
Application for your life: Have you ever had a clear directive from God that changed the direction of your life?
For extra study: What city was Abram looking forward to in Hebrews 11:10? These verses will help you understand: Hebrews 11:13-16, 12:22-24, 13:14; Philippians 3:20-21.

 

The post Genesis 12 – The Promise appeared first on Lora Jones Ministries.

Genesis 10-11 – God’s Creative Discipline

Pause for a moment and ask God to speak to you as you read today. Then read Chapters 10 and 11 of Genesis.

Once more, time goes by as people begin to multiply in number.  Genesis chapter 10 chronicles the generations coming from Noah.  The more you study the Bible, the more you will recognize some of these people groups and places from the chapters and books to come.  For the purposes of our study, however, we will not pause to look at those details.  Instead, we will continue with the overall story line of the beginnings of God’s work among his created people.

The beginning of chapter 11 answers the question we ended with last week:  Would they obey this time?  Would they be fruitful and multiply and spread across the whole earth, as God commanded them in Genesis 9:1?

No, they won’t.  They determine to build 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” (11:4).  God’s simple command told them to spread out, and take care of the whole earth.  They were to care for the land, not wall themselves into cities.  They were to worship God, not make a name for themselves.

God’s words in verse 6 are puzzling.  “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.”  At first reading, it seems as if God is worried about them overpowering Him.  Instead, I believe God is reflecting upon the wickedness which took over the earth in Noah’s day.  Working together, people can entice each other to great evil.  God wanted them to spread across the land, not only to care for it, but because creation itself speaks to God’s character.  The more people cared for the land, the more they would experience God.

When we trust in God, we have no need to point to ourselves. When we trust in God, we will obey Him. In fact, as we obey Him, we can trust Him to provide for our needs, or even rescue us as He did Noah.  Likewise, when we don’t obey Him, He will stop us…with His own creative discipline.

God reached down from heaven and stopped the people of the world in a very unique way.  He changed their speech.  Suddenly, they could not communicate with each other.  In a massive game of trial and error, people found others who spoke the same language they did.  Those people gathered together and moved off to live in community.  The effect was to force people to do exactly what He had commanded them to do in the first place:  to fill the whole earth.

“Father, I know that sometimes I’m stubborn and disobedient to you. Please stop me when I can’t stop myself, and give me the will to obey. I want to serve you always. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

God’s creative discipline slowed the spread of evil.  He kept His promise not to destroy them.  His love kept Him from giving up.  Instead, He actually helped them obey!  Meanwhile, He watched for the family who chose to worship and obey Him.

The chapter continues by listing the descendants of Shem, Noah’s son.  Notice how the length of their lives decreases as time goes on.  The consequences of the flood continue to effect the people.  The absence of the protective layer of water above them means they can no longer live the long, fruitful lives of their ancestors.

Why did He list Shem’s descendants for us?  Because his bloodline will eventually lead us to Christ.   God will keep His promise to Eve.  Satan will be defeated.  The chapter ends with a seed of hope.  Abram has now been born.  If you continue with me into the next study, we will see Abram become the ancestral father of Israel, whose blood line will lead us to Jesus.

Questions for thought:

In what ways does God continue to prove His existence through nature today?
What creative methods has God used to stop you when you were heading away from Him?
What have you learned from God this last 8 weeks as you studied the Beginnings of Creation and God’s relationship with us?

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