Tag Archive | Abraham

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 19

Jan19

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?   It only takes a few minutes.  (You can also listen to an audio recording.)

   Day 19 – Genesis 22 – 24 (A sacrifice, a death, a marriage)

Chapter 22 begins with God testing Abraham with the words, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go…offer him as a burnt offering…” 

That isn’t any way that I’d like my day to begin!  But Abraham’s immediate response was obedience. There are no questions, complaints, or refusals. He gets up early with the boy, the wood and the fire, and heads to the place God will show him…. to kill his only son. He builds an alter, lays the wood on it, binds and places Isaac on top (the boy is about 20 years old!), raises the knife to kill him, and is micro-seconds away from plunging it into the “son he loves,” the son of the Covenant, through whom the Messiah would come.  Yet Abe is willing to do it.

Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us the bulwark of his faith.  He believed God would raise Isaac from the dead in order to fulfill His promise.  God’s promises are always YES! and AMEN!  God never changes. God later imputes “righteousness” to Abraham because of his faith.

1 Corinthians 10:13 — “No temptation (testing) has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also PROVIDE the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.”

And this is what God did for His friend, Abraham. STOP!  Now I know that you fear God. (God knew this all the time of course. He’s omnicient. But now ABRAHAM knew it too.)  And Abraham immeditely saw a ram caught in the brambles. This animal became the sacrifice. And the place became know as “Tthe LORD provides.” And indeed it was on that very mount that God Almighty “provided” His only begotton Son to the world, as a sacrifice and payment for their sin. (John 3:16)

Oh my! God renews His promises and gives even more:

  • I will surely bless you
  • I will surely multiply your offspring (as the sand on the seashore)
  • Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies
  • In your Offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

In chapter 23, Abraham’s faithful wife of 62 years dies. He negotiates with his long-time friends near Hebron to buy a burial ground, and he buries her there. (He, Isaac & Rebekah, and Jacob & Leah will all be buried there as well. It is the first concrete piece of the Promised Land that Abraham actually OWNS.)  

Isaac is 37 when his mother dieds and Abraham thinks it’s high-time that the “boy” is married. Through the 66 verses of chapter 24 we are treated with a remarkable love story.  Abe sends his faithful servant (who HAD BEEN in the line of inheritance) back to Haran where Abraham’s brother’s family still lived to acquire a wife for Isaac. (No Canaanite wife for the Son of Promise!)  

The story shows the sovereignty and plan of God in very wonderful ways as the 85-year-old faithful steward, Eliezer, travels the long distance, and relies solely on God to choose the woman whom he will take back to his master’s son.  Read it again. It’s beautiful.

And Isaac (40 years old now) sees the beautiful Rebekah and takes her as his wife. The last words of the chapter are, “So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

Isn’t love grand?

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 18

Jan18

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?   It only takes a few minutes.  (You can also listen to an audio recording.)

   Day 18  Genesis 19 – 21

We ended yesterday with Abraham’s interceeding with God to spare the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah for the sake of a bare minimum of 10 righteous people living there.  God agrees, but the cities are doomed by their sin and because there is only ONE righteous man in the whole area.

Chapter 19 is God’s grace at work. The two angels go into Sodom with the purpose of rescuing Abe’s nephew Lot and his family. They are lewdly accosted by the crazed men of the city, but they incapacitate them with blindness. Forceably grabbing Lot, his wife, and two daughters, the angels flee the city just minutes before the LORD rains down sulfer and fire out of heaven and burns up the cities, all the valley, all the inhabitants, and even what grew on the ground.

Talk about narrowly escaping “by the skin of your teeth!”

To show that only Lot is righteous in this family, his wife turns back and hesitates, looking longingly at all her “things.”  And the backflash of sulfer immediately coats her and turns her into a statue of salt. (A mini Hiroshima!)  Then the broken – but righteous man – flees to live in a cave (remember he had been a very important man – a judge – in the city), and is twice made drunk and seduced by his own daughters. They both have sons by him, who later turn out to be enemies of Israel – the Moabites and Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan.

Back to the man of the hour in chapter 20, when Abraham leaves the area (the sight & stench of the burned cities?) and roams into the Negev (south of Gaza).

And then —- can you believe it? —- he tells the local Philistine king that Sarah is his sister!!!  WHAT?  At this point Sarah as about to conceive – or maybe already has conceived – the promised son, Isaac! Abimelech takes her into his household, and God immediately closes the wombs of all the women in his house. (I’m thinking that God maybe causes great impotence among the men of the house, for that would be sooner evident.) If this hadn’t happened, perhaps Abimelech “might” have claimed Isaac as HIS offspring. YIKES!

God appears to the king in a dream with, “YOU ARE A DEAD MAN because the woman you took is a man’s wife.”

Abimelech cries out that he is innocent, a man of integrity of heart. God agrees and tells him that He, Himself, had KEPT HIM FROM SINNING.  Sarah (she must really be tired of this) is returned to Abraham, who prays for the king, and God “opens the wombs of the women.”  But the king DOES indignantly accuse Abe for bringing that trouble on him, although he sends him away with more loot. (and a thousand pieces of silver to prove Sarah’s innocence.)

And FINALLY, after 25 years of waiting, the promised son, “He laughs” is born. Abe is 100, Sarah is 90, and Ishmael is about 14.  A couple years later when Sarah weans Isaac, she notices Ishmael mocking (teasing, tormenting) the toddler.  She says (again) that Hagar and Ishmael MUST GO AWAY.  This time God agrees with her and tells Abe to do just that.

With regret and sorrow (but with God’s promise of blessing) Abraham sends the Egyptian maid and her son away. In the wilderness, the gracious God meets her again, refreshes and encourages her, reminds her of His blessing on her son and “points her to the south-east.”  Later, she takes an EGYPTIAN wife for her son.

At the end of chapter 21, there is a skirmish between Abraham and Abimelech (possibly another king in the line) about some wells that Abe dug.  It’s settled and the king and his men go back to Philistia. The place is named Be’er Sheva (Beersheba) meaning “seven wells.”

And ALL is at peace…..

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 17

Jan17

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?   It only takes a few minutes.  (You can also listen to an audio recording.)

   Day 17  Genesis 16 – 18

After seeing God’s generous list of promises to Abraham yesterday despite the man’s flaws, we will see God’s continued faithfulness to him in these chapters, in and through yet another instance of Abraham “trusting his own understanding” instead of God’s.  (Consider Proverbs 3:5-6.)

In chapter 16, Abraham and Sarai/Sarah lose patience with God’s long-range, ultimate plan and decide to “provide an heir for Abe” by their own machinations. According to custom in those days, Sarah offers her maid (part of the “stuff” they got on that wayward trip to Egypt) as a surrogate provider.

Of course it happens and Hagar gets pregnant. She stupidly acts superior to the 80’s-year-old Sarah, and Sarah starts fuming. With Abe’s “okay,” she sends Hagar away – into the wilderness (presumably to die!). Wow.

But the God “who sees everything, even our grossest of sins” sees Hagar’s plight, encourages her, and sends her back to her owner. None of the three realize just HOW MUCH of an error has been made, for Hagar’s son, Ishmael, becomes the “father” of Islam, the perpetual enemy of the Jews through the ages, even until today.

Ah well, I am SO like these seniors – foolish in my “old age.”

Hagar’s son is born to Abe when he is 86.  God seems to be silent for 13 years until the surrogate son (whom Abraham has come to love very much) “becomes a man.”  And then the LORD comes to Abraham with MORE promises!! (Chap. 17)

God commands Abe to “walk before me” and “be blameless.”  He identifies Himself to Abraham as “God Almighty” (El Shaddai) (capable of doing anything). He promises to multiply Abe greatly (more than dust and stars??) He also tells and shows the 99-year-old Abraham another, binding Covenant, renaming Abram, Abraham “Father of a multitude of nations.” Besides being greatly multiplied, KINGS will come from his progeny.

This covenant will be “everlasting” though ALL generations of his offspring (the Jews), and the “sign” of it will be in ALL the males: circumcision.

God Almighty promises again for the land of Canaan to be their EVERLASTING possession. And He promises to be THEIR GOD. (Are you keeping track of all these promises?)

THEN…. to Abe’s amazing and somewhat uncomfortable enlightenment, God promises that Sarah, Abe’s one and only WIFE, will bear him a son, THE son of the Covenant.  What??  Sarah???  A mother of nations and kings????

Abraham falls on his face before God (in worship?) and laughs.  “You’re kidding,” he exlaims, “a 90-year-old woman will bear a child?”  Hahahaha, yeah right!  or Hahahaha, REALLY???  Curbing his laughter, Abe remembers his “other” surrogate son. “Oh, that Ishmael might live before you (be the covenant son).”

“Nope,” says God.  “Not him, but (for your sake) I will bless him too.  But, NO….I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH THE SON YOU AND SARAH SHALL BEAR. Period.” “Oh, and BTW,” says God, “you will call him “he laughs’ (Isaac).”   Fitting, right?

After God leaves, immediately Abraham circumcises himself, Ishmael, and all the men in his household. Now, THAT’S obedience!

Soon afterwards, in chapter 18, the LORD (Yahwey) appears again to Abraham, along with two “men” (angels).  Abe is wowed, runs to them in welcome, washes their feet and invites them to stay for lunch (bread, veal, millk and cheese).

Then the LORD gives Abraham a certain timeline (finally!). He tells him (and Sarah, listening in the tent) that in one year, she will bear that promised son.  This time Sarah laughs, although she denies it when God calls her on it and asks her if ANYTHING is too hard for THE LORD.

And after that meal and amazing revelation of joy, God reveals His horrendous plans for the cities in the valley (where Lot lives).  He doesn’t hide it from Abraham because:

  •      Abraham is to become a great and mighty nation
  •      All nations on earth will be blessed in him
  •      He is chosen by God
  •      He  will command his children and household to keep the ways of the LORD and do righteousness & justice.

God tells Abraham of Sodom and Gomorrah’s “grave sin” and that the “outcry” against them is great, and that God plans to utterly destroy them.  YIKES! How would you like to get THAT news?

Abraham immeditely thinks of his nephew (and his family, by then), and begins humbly, meekly, bargaining with the LORD to reconsider.  And in the process, the LORD says He will reconsider… IF THERE ARE 10 RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE living there.

(Turns out, there is ONLY ONE, so their doom is fixed. See 2 Peter 2:6-9)

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 16

Jan16

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?   It only takes a few minutes.  (You can also listen to an audio recording.)

   Day 16  Genesis 12-15

   We’ve finished the book of Job.  And we left the man Job in a good place, restored and in a more intimate relationship with the LORD. 

Now we’re reading about another well-known man in the Bible. First known as Abram, the LORD later changes his name to Abraham (what I’ll call him, or maybe just Abe). 

At the end of chapter 11, we saw that Abraham’s father Terah had moved his whole family away from Ur of the Chaldeans (near modern day Bagdad in Iraq) half way along the “fertile crescent” to Haran (in modern Syria). They settled there until Terah died.

In chapter 12, God calls Abraham away from his family to a land He would show him. In this command were six wonderful, but far off promises.

  • God would make him a great nation
  • God would bless him
  • God would make his name great
  • God would make him a blessing
  • God would bless those who blessed him
  • God would curse those who dishonored him
  • In Abraham all families of the earth would be blessed (speaking of the Messiah)

Abraham obeyed (he was 75). He took his wife, nephew Lot, and all his stuff.  When he got as far as Shechem (half way into the land) God appeared and made another promise – He would give that land to Abraham’s offspring, even though it was then inhabited by Canaanites.

When a famine came, our guy LEFT the Promised Land to get food in Egypt. He nearly loses his wife (not his life) after telling a half-lie to Pharaoh. But God looks after “His man,” rescues him and sends him back to Canaan, loaded with more stuff.  This causes a probelm in chapter 13, because all his stuff and all Lot’s stuff won’t fit in the same upper pasture lands.  Abe gives Lot the choice of where he wants to live (the Jordan Valley near Sodom & Gommorah), and the elder stays where he is.

God appears to Abraham again and promises two more things: 1) all the land – north, south, east, west – will be given to Abe’s offspring FOREVER, and 2) His offspring will become as numerous as the dust of the earth. (That’s 10 promises so far!)

Meanwhile, down in the valley (chap. 14) trouble is brewing. The 5 “wicked” cities decide to quit paying tribute to the 4 kings in the east who owned them, so said kings came down to attack them, taking lots of spoil and people as slaves…. AND Lot.  A message comes to Abraham and he immediately rounds up 318 soldiers from his own household (!!) and goes after these kings. Whoa, chutzpah to the max!  But God is with him and they catch up, fight and free the slaves, goods, and Lot from the enemy.

As the king of Sodom comes out to thank and “pay” Abe, a strange ancient man named Melchizedek intercepts them, and holds a communion service with Abe, with bread and wine.  He is a king and a priest it seems, and according to Hebrews 7:15-22, a picture of Jesus. Abe tithes 10% of the spoil to him. Mel bless Abe and God Almighty.

Chapter 15 God comes to Abe in an amazing way, promising to 1) be his shield and reward, 2) give Abe his very own son, 3) and the progeny from him would number more than the stars in heaven. (We’re up to 13 promises, at least).  

Then God arranges for an age old contract (Covenant) to be made. Various animals are killed, split and laid out on the ground. The idea is, that the partners walking between them pledge that if they default on the contract, may they be as dead as the animals.  ONLY….. this time.  It is a one-way contract.  God – symbolized by fire – was the only one sealing it. And while Abe snoozed, God told him the future, which could be seen as 6 more promises.

  • Abe’s descendents would live in a land not their own for 400 years
  • They would be enslaved and afflicted there
  • God would bring them out with great judgment on the land
  • They would leave there with mega-possessions
  • Abe himself wuld live to a ripe old age and die in peace
  • Re-establishment (with details) that the land of all those Canannites would be given by God to all Abe’s descendents.