Genesis Chapter 50 - Turning Inadequacy into Victory

The end of an era had come…Jacob had died. Joseph loved his father very much, and he mourned his death deeply. He followed the Egyptian tradition of embalming, which took 40 days, and Egyptian mourning, which lasted 70 days. After that Joseph asked permission from Pharaoh to honor his father’s last request of being buried in the family tomb back in Canaan that had been purchased by Abraham. There was a very large funeral procession with Jacob’s sons and their households, along with the dignitaries of Egypt who went in support of Joseph, their beloved ruler.

Once again the brothers were afraid of Joseph. Now that Jacob was dead, they wondered if Joseph would finally seek revenge. However, Joseph had truly forgiven his brothers, and he reassured them of his continued provision for them and their families. He once again reminded them that even though what they had done to him was evil, God brought good out of it. To see things from God’s perspective is the essence of wisdom, and Joseph was a very wise man. He continued to live in the land of Egypt until his death, but he knew a day would come when the Israelites would go back to the land of Canaan. When that happened they were instructed by Joseph to carry his bones out of Egypt with them.

Throughout the rest of the Bible there will be references to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three patriarchs had made their place in history in the nation of Israel for all time to come. The fact that they were buried in Canaan, at their request, was indication that they truly believed this land would be given to their descendants, as God had promised. This is the point where Moses ended his book of beginnings, the book of Genesis. He gave us a living portrait of the earliest fathers of faith. None of them were perfect. They were all very human, and they made their mistakes. But it was their underlying faith in God that made them repent and move forward at God’s instructions. They were very inadequate men who recognized that it was in following God that they became victorious.

I trust you have found the same great assurance that I have found in this study of Genesis. The Almighty God of the universe, through whom all things were created; the Faithful God of the patriarchs, through whom they were led…this same God is Lord of my life and abides in me. I am His created being; I am His chosen servant. God, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, is in control of my path. I can rest in Him and rely on Him. Throughout the book of Genesis in my Bible, He has spoken to me:
"I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless." (17:1)

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (18:14)

"The Lord will provide." (22:14)

"The Lord, before whom I have walked, will...make your journey a success..." (24:40)

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go," (28:15)

"...God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." (50:20)

"How big is God! How big and wide His vast domain,
To try to tell these lips can only start;
He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe,
Yet, small enough to live within my heart."
(Stuart Hamblen, Copyright 1959, Hamblen Music Co.)

Joy and Peace to you,
Carol

Genesis Chapter 22 - Passing the Test

As God promised, a bouncing baby boy was born to Abraham and Sarah, and they named him Isaac. While Isaac was still a lad God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son up on Mount Moriah. I wonder what Isaac must have felt when his own father bound him up and placed him on the altar to be slaughtered and set on fire. As his dad raised the knife to complete the act, was Isaac quiet and submissive, trusting his father Abraham? Or was he screaming bloody murder, thinking ol’ dad had finally lost his mind?

Somehow I believe Isaac had experienced his father’s deep love and affection for him, and had observed Abraham’s steadfast faith in God. Therefore he could trust his father completely. Whatever was going to happen, it was part of God’s plan for his life. If God wanted to use him as a sacrifice, so be it.

In today’s world it is hard to fathom that kind of belief and trust. Must be Abraham had faith that God had another way of fulfilling His promise of many descendents if Isaac was taken from him. He had seen God’s faithfulness deliver him out of other impossible situations where his own life was at stake. He had also witnessed the deliverance of Lot and Lot’s daughters out of Sodom and Gomorra before the cities were destroyed. If God had a mind to do something, Abraham figured he might as well go along with it because it was going to happen regardless. It was safer to follow God’s instructions than to devise his own plan.....What? Wait a minute…you mean Abraham finally learned to completely trust God---no more little white lies to protect himself?

When God puts one to the test, and the test is failed, rest assured that person will have to take the test again. Abraham failed the test in Egypt when he lied about Sarah’s relationship to him. Years later in another location he had the opportunity to take the test again, but he lied to Abimelech also.

This time the test came in a different form…it involved not his beautiful wife, but his only son. This time he did not have to answer to a king, he answered God Himself. From his first response to the angel of the Lord, "Here I am" (vs. 1) to the second response of "Here I am" (vs. 11), Abraham was sincere…he was doing what God asked of him. Can’t you just see a wide grin spread across God’s face as He looks down on Abraham’s willingness to be radically obedient---"Oh, Abraham, my friend, I can trust you. You have shown your love to me by your act of obedience. You will surely be blessed with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky." (vs. 17) WOW. Abraham finally passed the test, and what a reward he received!

Theologian Dennis Kinlaw said there was a conversation going on between another Father and Son on Mount Moriah that day. As they looked on at Abraham and Isaac, the Son said to the Father, "This isn’t the last time we will come to this place, is it Father?" "No," said the Father. The Son continued his questioning, "And the next time we come to this hill, it will be me that is sacrificed, right?" "Yes, Son," replied the Father. After a silent pause the Son speaks once more, "And Father, the next time we come to this mount, and I am the one who is placed on some crude pieces of wood formed into a cross, you will not say, "Stop! Do not lay a hand on him!" will you, Father?" The Father looked with deep compassion on His Son and said, "No, Son, there will be no stopping of the sacrifice when we come to Mount Calvary. For you see, Son, we cannot ask them to go to a place where we have not been."

The Father and the Son go before us to pave the way, to pay the price, to make the ultimate sacrifice---once for all. Am I willing to pass the test by my obedience to God’s leading in my life?

"I’ll say, Yes, Lord, Yes!

To your will and to your way.

Yes, Lord, Yes! I will trust you and obey.
When your Spirit speaks to me,

With my whole heart I’ll agree,

and my answer will be Yes, Lord, Yes!"

(Lynn Keesecker, Copyright 1983 Manna Music, Inc.)

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 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.

Genesis Chapter 12 - Man Steps Out, God Steps In

Abram was a man who believed and followed God. When God called him to leave his home country and go to a new land, there was no hesitation on Abram’s part. God had selected Abram to be the father of a great nation, a nation that would be known as the people of God, the children of Israel...a nation that would be a blessing to others.

Following God cost Abraham his obedience. God said to "leave behind..." and follow Him, but He did not say where. He asked of Abram the same thing He asks of us today: "Trust me, and I will lead you one step, one day at a time." What has He called us to leave behind? Can we let go of it completely and walk through God’s open door? When we do, God blesses us for our obedience, even as He blessed Abram.

When Abram left Haran to follow God, he took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all of their possessions and the people they had acquired while living in Haran. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, God again spoke to Abram. The land of Canaan was to become Abram’s land, and in this land God’s people would dwell. It was in actuality a small parcel of land, compared to other countries of the world, but a very strategic piece of property. All of history would be marked by the events that would take place in this land.

Upon arrival in Canaan, Abram built an altar to the Lord. We will find that he was often building altars, for they signified a point of promise and praise. God would promise, and Abram would praise…he would give his worship to this God who was leading him. Do we remember to thank God in our daily walk as we sense Him at work in our lives? He is so worthy of our praise!

Abram, with all the faith he had in God, was still human, he was not perfect. His choices were not always the best ones. When famine came, Abram forgot to trust God, and he headed down to Egypt. One step away from God led to another, and soon Abram was devising his own plans to take care of himself instead of trusting God to take care of him. Of course, Abram’s plan was foolish, and many were hurt by it. His plan was that Sarai would say she was his sister, rather than his wife. Abram feared that he would be killed so that Pharaoh could acquire his beautiful wife. As her brother, however, they would both benefit and be given many gifts. God intervened in the middle of Abram’s stupidity, and warned Pharaoh that Sarai was Abram’s wife. Pharaoh rebuked Abram and sent him, with Sarai and all of his belongings, out of Egypt.

I am glad that Abram was not perfect in his faith, for I see that God is always there. He did not leave Abram alone and helpless when Abram faltered. There have been times when I have taken the reins out of God’s hands, thinking my way of doing things was the best way. Did God get angry with me? Did He turn His back on me? No, just like He stepped into the middle of Abram’s fiasco, He has been there in the middle of my muddled messes. What I have broken, He has mended. That is His business…to mend brokenness. And in my brokenness, He has mended me. Thank you, Father, for always being there for me. Thank you for picking me up, wiping my tears, loving me, equipping me, and putting me back on your path.

"I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You. O my soul rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what You hear; May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear."

(Laurie Klein, Copyright 1978, 1980 House of Mercy Music,admin. by Maranatha! Music)