Ganesis Chapter 20 - A God Who Cleans Up Messes

Well, they did it again! Abe and Sarah "lied" to assure Abe would not be killed by yet another king. Sarah must have been some beauty to be so desirable that Abraham thought they would kill him if they knew he was her husband.

Did this couple not learn their lesson the first time? They were playing a dangerous game of telling lies every time they got into a tight spot. If this pattern persisted, it would soon lead them away from trusting God at all. However, God intervened and protected everyone involved. He cleaned up Abraham’s mess once again. When would Abraham get it right and trust God by speaking the truth? God’s grace and constant protection are very evident in Abraham’s moments of weakness. How many times does God have to clean up our messes because we are not patient enough to wait on Him, or trusting enough to follow Him?

We may question why Abimelech and his kingdom were being punished since he did not realize Sarah was married to Abraham when Abimelech took her for his wife. The NIV Life Application Bible gives a good illustration regarding this. "A person who eats a poisonous toadstool, thinking it’s a harmless mushroom, no doubt has perfectly good intentions---but will still suffer. Sin is a poison that damages us and those around us, whatever our intentions."

God had closed up the wombs of the women in Abimelech’s kingdom until such time as Sarah was returned, untouched, to her rightful husband. We do not know, but perhaps this incident caused the king to gain a new respect, a reverent fear of God Almighty.

God is faithfully using our "ugly moments" for His glory. He can turn blemishes into beauty marks. Are we ever in danger of using up God’s grace? I would not want to play games of chance with God. However, there is a gospel song which brings me encouragement when it seems like giving up would be the best thing to do:

You may be down and feel like God has somehow forgotten
That you are faced with circumstances you can’t get through;
Right now it seems that there’s no way out and you’re going under,
But God’s proven time and time again, He’ll take care of you.

And He’ll do it again, He’ll do it again,
If you’ll just take one look at where you are now and where you’ve been;
Well, hasn’t He always come through for you; He’s the same now as then,
You may not know how, You may not know when, But He’ll do it again.

God knows the things you’re going through and He knows how you’re hurting;
You see, He knows just how your heart has been broken in two;
He’s the God of the stars, of the sun and the sea, And He is your Father;
He can calm the storm and He’ll find some way to fix this for you.

And He’ll do it again, He’ll do it again.
If you’ll just take one look at where you are now and where you’ve been;
Well, hasn’t He always come through for you; He’s the same now as then,
You may not know how, You may not know when, But He’ll do it again.

(Dawn Thomas, Copyright 1987 Do Dat Music ASCAP)

Genesis Chapter 19 - The Consequence of Choices

Two of the angels that had visited Abraham arrived in Sodom to check the city out. Lot insisted that they come to his home rather than stay in the city square. He knew what would happen to them there. How very, very vile Sodom was---all the men of the city, young and old, came to Lot’s house to rape the two guests.

In order to protect his guests, Lot went so far as to offer his daughters to the men to do with as they pleased. It is unbelievable that anyone could do that to his own children. I wonder why a righteous man would continue to live in such a wicked and evil place. Evidently Lot had allowed himself to grow accustomed to his environment rather than being God’s change agent.

This raises a question for us. How much do we influence our environment, our work world, school, neighborhood, wherever we exist? Do we dare to be different and take a stand against those things that are not pleasing to God and are harmful to our society? If we do not stand against what is wrong, we ourselves will become shaped by the world in which we live. Things that once bothered us may no longer have an effect on us.

We turn our televisions on and allow garbage to fill the atmosphere of our homes, the same atmosphere we want God’s presence to dwell in. God cannot abide sin, and He will not reside where it exists. When we compromise with the world, we lose our witness and usability for God.

Sodom was the epitome of a sick society. Our society today is headed that way. The "rights" of gays and lesbians are more protected than the rights of Christians. We are becoming a wicked and perverse generation of people, and I wonder how much longer God will put up with "Christian America"?

The angels persuaded Lot to take his family and flee to the mountains because God was going to destroy the cities and plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was very much blessed by God’s grace in delivering him and his family from the wicked cities, for he and his family must have been close to depravity also.

Lot still wanted to choose his own place, and requested that they be allowed to go to the city of Zoar instead of the mountains. How full of mercy and patience God is, for He granted Lot’s request. After Lot and his family were safely out of the city, the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and fire, including the plains and the inhabitants and all that grew on the ground----GONE!

During their deliverance Lot’s wife looked back, even though she was told not to, and she, too, ceased to exist, except as a pillar of salt. What did she miss about the place? Why could she not let go of a lifestyle that was destroying her family?

Contradict God’s commands? I don’t think so. He says what He means, and He means what He says. Keeping my eyes on Jesus, being radically obedient to God’s commands, is the only way for me to live and have peace of mind. However, I must go beyond obedience. It was for Abraham’s sake that Lot was saved (see verse 20). My prayers for others are also essential. God hears our prayers, and He honors our faith and our perseverance, just as He honored Abraham’s request and trust.

Lot wasn’t happy with his choice of Zoar as a place to live, and went to dwell in the mountains, as God had told him to do in the first place. His daughters were with him, and to preserve their father’s lineage they got him drunk and then slept with him. What a messed up family---what a price Lot paid for earlier choices he had made.

We must remember each decision we make brings about results that affects others beyond ourselves. Therefore we must make our choices carefully and with wisdom, not based on emotions and feelings. Our tomorrows are determined by our choices today.

Genesis Chapter 18 - God Listens

Abraham was a man of reverent respect for God, but he also displayed great respect for the people around him. When three angels in the form of men came to visit Abraham to tell him that his son would be born of Sarah within the next year, Abraham’s first response was one of total hospitality. Even before he found out their purpose for visiting him, he bowed before them, had their feet washed, gave them a time to rest in the heat of the day, and had a meal prepared for them.

Only after he was assured of their comfort did he find out their purpose. Sarah, standing nearby, heard their news and laughed at the impossibility of their message. Even though she denied laughing, the Lord confronted her with the truth of her doubt. There is nothing, not even the unspoken secrets of our heart, that God is not aware of. We might as well be totally open and honest with Him, because He already knows what is going on inside us.

One of the three angels was God Himself, and He informed Abraham what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah. The two cities were to be destroyed for their wickedness. Recall that Sodom is where Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had settled. Abraham, stepping in the gap on behalf of the righteous ones living in Sodom, dared to ask God to spare the city on account of them. Though he started with a count of 50, he bargained with God down to a count of ten. This tells me when one walks in faith and lives obediently, God will lend an ear to His child to hear the cries of his heart.

God already knew there were not ten righteous people living in Sodom, but He did not grow impatient with Abraham as he asked for mercy. Abraham’s intercession on their behalf displays an unselfish attitude that wants what is best for others. God is a God of mercy, and it must warm His heart when He sees His children extend it also. I have to admit that sometimes I do not have that kind of attitude toward others, and I am not good at interceding. Change my heart, O God.....

This Creator of all things, who knows all things, still loves us so much that He listens to us. There is nothing that we cannot take to God in prayer. If we are genuine in our asking, God will prepare us for the answer which He will give. He desires to have us come to Him with all of our cares. I Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; Take is to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our Refuge!---Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there."
("What a Friend", Charles C. Converse)

Genesis Chapter 17 - God Speaks

Suppose you are asleep one night and all of a sudden you hear this thunderous voice saying to you, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless..." Do you think you would listen? I believe God had Abram’s attention when He spoke so authoritatively. God did not say to Abram, "Yoo-hoo, Abram, guess who’s coming to dinner?" Nor did He say, "Hey, Abram, you want to play a game of ‘Knock, Knock’?"

When God spoke, Abram did not have to guess who it was. He knew God’s voice. The power of That Voice caused Abram to fall on his face before God. When God spoke, Abram listened. Would you be able to recognize God’s voice today if He spoke to you?

God came to Abram once again to renew His covenant with him. This is the third time God has given The Promise to Abram (see Chapter 12 and 15). A covenant consists of two parties each fulfilling his part of the agreement. In His covenant with Abram God promised to make Abram a father of many nations and kings, and He would give him the land of Canaan. Abram’s descendants would possess this land down through all of history. In exchange, Abram’s part of the covenant was to be obedient to God, "...walk before me and be blameless." (verse 1).

This third time God renewed His covenant with Abram, He also changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning "the father of many". He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, for she would become the mother of many nations and kings.

The covenant was sealed with a "sign", that of circumcision of all the males for every generation present and to come. Circumcision is what marked the difference between God’s chosen people and the rest of mankind. If a male chose not to be circumcised, his disobedience would break the covenant with God and he would not be part of God’s family.

Today when we choose not to obey God, we too break the covenant and are no longer part of God’s family. He made the promise…we make the choice to live within His covenant, or go our own way without Him.

God told Abraham his descendants would come through his union with Sarah, not Hagar. Because of their age (Abraham - 100, Sarah - 90) they laughed at the impossibility of this, but God once again was able to do what seemed impossible to man. He promised the birth of Isaac would occur within the year. Abraham displayed his belief in God by his immediate obedience. That very day he had all the males of his household circumcised.

You can believe that God honors radical obedience. What has God promised you? What has He asked of you? If you hear His voice speaking to you, don’t play games with Him. Give Him your full attention, your immediate obedience.

God is able---I am weak, but He is strong.
God is able---when I don’t see how, He says, "Watch me."

Genesis Chapter 16 - "WAIT" Is A Four Letter Word

When we fail to wait upon God, when we go ahead of His plan and His timing, we create nothing but trouble for ourselves as well as others. Waiting on God seems to be a hard lesson for us to learn. Waiting was Abram’s weakness also.

In this chapter we find that Abram and Sarai got impatient with God and devised their own plan to have descendants. Sarai offered her maidservant to Abram, giving into the customs of their day. Because it was such a disgrace for a woman not to give birth and provide heirs, she was often forced into using her female servant to produce children. Therefore the plan that Sarai and Abram came up with was not deviant from the norm of society, but it was out of line with God’s plan.

The norm of society…now there’s a wide open field to explore! The acceptance of alternate life styles is making homosexuality more popular than the old-fashioned idea of marriage between one man and one woman for a lifetime. Divorce no longer brings shame to anyone. In fact, friends and counselors often offer it as the best solution in a marital conflict. There are more children in schools today who come from blended families than from homes where their original mom and dad are still together.

What is the norm any more? How about the singles of society who decide they want to be a parent, but they do not have a spouse. No problem. Children from single parent homes may even outnumber those from blended families. How are children in our society even aware of God’s original plan for marriage? His plan is not the norm today. Pick and choose whatever lifestyle you want, and society will be taken to court if they stand in judgment of you. How far we have come from what God ordained back in the Garden of Eden: "...she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Gen. 1:23-24)

The failure of Abram and Sari to wait on God’s timing...to stick to God’s plan...has been a source of contention throughout the rest of history. The on-going conflict in Israel today stems from this one act of disobedience. Too bad Abram could not see into the future to realize what the decision to sleep with Hagar would cost his people.

Too bad we cannot see the future outcome of our choices today. Perhaps it would cause us to be more willing to live in absolute obedience to God. We need to learn to wait. Throughout scripture God tells His people to wait, and He speaks the same words to us today. "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." (Isaiah 64:4)

Abram slept with Hagar and she gave birth to a son named Ishmael. Of course this made Sarai angry. She basically devised the plan, then was the cause of her own grief and frustrations when the plan worked. However, she blamed the other two instead of accepting responsibility for her own actions. Hagar did not have any choice in this whole matter, and she ran away to escape Sarai’s anger.

How often do we try to run away from our problems? No matter how far we run, we cannot hide from God. He knows where we are at, and He offers to be with us and help us through our dilemma. God gave Hagar the promise of many descendants if she would return and be obedient in her service to her mistress. Hagar had no doubt that it was God Almighty speaking to her in her moment of despair. She called Him "The God Who Sees Me".

This same God is with us today. He has the answer for our problems if we are willing to face them squarely, change our attitude, and depend upon Him. Learning to wait on God is the key. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14)

Genesis Chapter 15 - Faith In God's Blueprint

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (vs. 6) This is one of the most important verses in the whole Bible. When someone tries to explain what faith is, it is this very verse that best explains it. Abram believed God, trusted Him, and took Him at His word. Because of that faith Abraham was made righteous, right in the eyes of God. He was forgiven and made an heir to God’s kingdom simply for believing God, even when things seemed impossible. For example, God promised him a son from Abram’s own aging body, and descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Also, through a vision God revealed to Abram the future captivity of Israel and what the final outcome would be. Abram was told he would not be part of the captivity, but that he would rest in peace. God was assuring Abram that the future of his family, the multitude of descendants he would have, was completely under God’s control.

It is hard to imagine having descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky when you are aging and do not have even one child. Abram thought perhaps God would bless him through his faithful servant, Eliezar, but that was not God’s plan. God’s plan is always more creative and expansive than we can even fathom. Remember, this is the same God who had created the whole universe and everything that exists. Is anything too hard for Him?

Am I willing to surrender my own agenda for the magnificent blueprint that God has for my life? My plans are so small, so insignificant compared to His. Oh, Lord, I pray that I may have patience to wait on your revelation of the pattern you are weaving in my life. May it be a tapestry of beauty that you are creating one stitch at a time!

"Something beautiful, something good;
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something beautiful out of my life."
(Gloria and William Gaither, Copyright 1971)

Even though Abram was faithful in his service, God did not consider him righteous because of his hard work. Abram was made right in his relationship to God because of his simple belief in God, that He was ruler of all, and that He could and would do all that He promised. By the same token, all of our good works, or faithful attendance to church, or service to our community will not make us right with God. It is only when we put our absolute trust in God that we are accepted by Him.

In the study notes of The Wesley Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 1990) we find these comments: God is righteous, which means He is always right in His actions, attitudes, and character. He is always consistent and fair. When we are made righteous, we are given God’s Spirit of holiness to help us to be right…to have integrity of character and to treat others right. When we surrender our wills to God, He guides us in the process of becoming more and more like Him. Above and beyond having a right relationship with God, I desire to be like Him. This journey through Genesis is teaching me so much about God, and about me. Thank you, Father, for leading us down this path so that we may know you better. Amen.

Genesis Chapter 14 - Waiting For God's Best

The lust of his eyes and the greed of his heart had enticed Lot to settle in Sodom. What had captivated Lot, also captured him. In a war between several kings, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were looted, and all the goods and food were carried off, as well as the people. Lot was among those seized. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! One of the lessons my husband has taught our two sons is that you can be perfectly innocent of a crime, but if you are in the company of those who are guilty, it will be hard to prove your innocence. Hanging out with the wrong crowd, and in the wrong places, is not a wise choice. It’s a dangerous game to play. Lot played the game, and he got caught.

Abram learned of the dilemma Lot was in, and he gathered a small army of men and pursued the forces who had captured his nephew. His men rescued Lot and the others, and brought them and their possessions back to their homes. Sodom’s king wanted to reward Abraham, but Abraham refused as he didn’t want the king to be able to say he had made Abraham rich. Abraham knew where his riches and blessings came from, and he didn’t need whatever the king had to offer him. Not only did Abram refuse to take any rewards, he went a step further and gave a "tithe" (a tenth of everything) to Melchizedeck, the King and priest of Salem. In doing this, Abram was following a tradition that even pagan religions followed - to give a tenth of their earnings to their gods. Melchizedeck, by the way, was a priest "of God Most High". Therefore, Abram was tithing to his God, like we do when we give a tenth of our earnings to our church.

Abram could have accepted the gifts and rewards offered to him by the King of Sodom. He certainly had earned them. However, Abram was thinking ahead. He knew there could come a day when someone would point a finger at him and all his riches and say he received it from earthly means. Abram lived his life so that people would know God alone was the One who blessed him. He wanted people to see God’s goodness, not what Abram had done or some king had given him. I wonder if we settle for what mere man has to offer, or are we willing to be content with God’s goodness and await His blessings?

Listen closely, I think I hear Abram singing his theme song:

"The path that I have trod, has bro’t me nearer God,
Tho’ oft it led thro’ sorrow’s gates.
Tho’ not the way I choose, in my way I might lose
The joy that yet for me awaits.
Submission to the will of Him who guides me still
Is surety of His love revealed.
My soul shall rise above this world in which I move;
I conquer only where I yield.
Chorus: Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go,
For who am I that I should choose my way?
The Lord shall choose for me; ‘Tis better far, I know,
So let Him bid me go, or stay."

("Submission"; C. Austin Miles/Mrs. R. R. Forman, Copyright renewal 1962, The Rodeheaver Co.)

Genesis Chapter 13 - When Life Is Unfair

After leaving Egypt, Abram and Lot both became very successful herdsmen. So successful, in fact, that the land could not support them both. Also, there were petty arguments between their workers. Abram, being older and wiser, saw the need for the two parties to separate. He gave Lot first choice as to where he would dwell…to the east or to the west. Lot chose the appealing area of the east as it looked more fertile. It was the lust of his eye that drew him, a choice that would be detrimental to his family. Lot chose to move to the area of Sodom, where there was much wickedness.

What a contrast between these two men. Abram had every right to be first in choosing the land he wanted. He was older, a father figure to Lot. Probably most of what Lot had was due to Abram’s generosity. Also, God had already promised the land to Abram, not Lot. So for Abram to give Lot first choice shows a man full of grace. His example in resolving conflicts is good for us to observe:

1. Abram recognized the problem, the family conflict, and took the initiative to correct it.

2. Abram elevated the desire of the other person above his own desire, even though the outcome might be unfair.

3. Abram sought to have peace in the family above all else. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

While it appeared that Abram was very determined to live by the standards of God’s holiness, Lot was a man who lived by his own standards. He sought what was best for him, not really caring about anyone else. You would have thought out of respect for his uncle who had raised him he would have given Abram the best land, the first choice. However, greed led Lot to make a foolish choice. Foolish choices lead to disaster, step by step. When we ignore God’s best for us, and decide to go our own way, we have made a foolish choice, and we, too, can expect eventual disaster.

After Lot left to pursue his own pleasures, God again came to Abram and promised him all the land he could see and a multitude of descendants. God said to Abram, "Lift up your eyes and look.....and you will see....for I am giving it to you." (vs. 14-17).

God knows when we are left behind, put down, rejected, passed over, ignored, left out. He knows that sometimes life is unfair, and the unfairness brings pain, grief, and loneliness. But He says to us the same words He spoke to Abram. He wants us to look above and beyond our present circumstances. He has a plan far greater than we could ever imagine. His blessings far surpass what we could choose for ourselves. If we are obedient to Him, He is going to reward us for that faithfulness, on that we can rely. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and off those around us who have treated us poorly, and we need to see Jesus.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Abram showed us how to respond when life is unfair. He believed God was in charge of his destiny, and he built an altar to the Lord. That was his worship, his way of expressing gratitude to God, and his dependence upon God. Let us show our gratitude to our heavenly Father as we depend on Him to see us through our "unfair" circumstances.