Let's Take a Psalm Break!

Hello, BBCers around the world!

Let's take a break from the narrative history and break into song... oh . . .I mean PSALM!

Later on, today, I will be posting about Psalm 1! Here we will have only 6 verses to really CHEW on and digest. 

Here is a great MP3 by the person who taught me much about meditation:

Jim Downing on Meditation (It is 1 hour and 15 minutes)

He wrote a book called Meditation: The Bible Tells You How that I still have on my shelf.

In addition, you might like to try one of these other ways to meditate depending on how you are "wired":

1) Write a Poem

2) Write a Song

I have posted a few Michael Card songs as we have studied Genesis. Many of his songs were written after he would meditate on a passage from his pastor’s sermon. During the week, he would write a song and teach it to the congregation on the following Sunday. I have done this periodically throughout my life with the Lord, and those songs are so meaningful to me now. For example, here is a poem based on Psalm 23 that I set to music back in 1982 when I was lonely and living in Spain:

I can feel the love of God surround me as I go;
Through peaceful fields, by waters still, on high paths and on low.
The things I fear all disappear; each snare each enemy!
God’s love directs my every step, surrounds me and sets me free. (Poem from Sing a Song of Gladness: Selected Psalms for Children)

3) Illustrate

You may NOT be artistic, but this shouldn’t stop you from trying this fun way to meditate on Scripture. My old roommates and I would meditate this way together, and we would decorate the walls in our stairwell with our artwork! Years later, I did it with my children as we “meditated” through The Beginner’s Bible when they were three and five years old.  It was so much fun. Break out the colored pencils or crayons and enjoy God’s presence in pictures. Use color and creativity and even get others involved!

Psalm 1, is great to illustrate! Give it a try, take a picture, and send it to me, and I will post it on the blog!!!!!

Another variation of this is to use magazine pictures and cut and paste your meditations or take a picture in nature that illustrates your meditation. I know many of you take great pictures too!

4) Pray Responsively

Praying through the Scriptures brings the Word to a personal level. We can read a small portion and respond back in prayer. John 15:7 says that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us we can ask whatever we wish and it shall be done for us. Praying Scripture is definitely His will. Here is an example of praying Colossians 3:12:

"Lord, thank You for choosing me and making me holy and beloved because of Jesus. Because I am beloved by You, I want to love others with that love! Please help me to put on my 'love clothes.' I want to be compassionate, kind, humble, and gentle with my kids. Give me patience as Paul interrupts me while I type this" (Paul was five years old when I wrote this. He is better now.)

The Psalms are great to pray through alone or with a friend! The first devotional time I ever had with my discipler in college was praying through a psalm. Take turns reading a couple of verses and then responding to God in prayer.

Enjoy!

Genesis 28 - Jacob's Journey and the Sacred Staircase

LINK: Genesis 28 

Jacob's Journey

Esau's two Canaanite wives had brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah (26:34-35). Consequently, Isaac made it clear that Jacob was to marry a wife from the family line. Jacob was not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan but from the house of Bethuel. Bethuel was Abraham's nephew, and son of Abraham's elder brother, Nahor, and Milcah. He was also the father of Laban and Rebekah, Jacob's mother. It appears that Isaac had no idea of the drama going on with Esau and simply wanted to keep the patriarchal line pure. 

Jacob flees from two threats in his flight to Paddan Aram: persecution and accommodation. The physical threat from his brother may have seemed most obviously harmful, but the threat of accommodating to the Canaanite lifestyle was just as grave a danger. Accommodation is as great a threat as persecution to the community of faith.  (Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis, 385)

Isaac gave the blessing from God that had been given to both Abraham and Isaac relating to prosperity and the land (28:3-4; 15:5, 18-20; 17:1-8). Jacob was to go to Paddan Aram. 

In the meantime, Esau married a daughter of Ishmael, thinking this would please his father. Esau did not understand that the Abrahamic blessing would only come through the line of Isaac and not Ishmael. 

Jacob's Dream

Jacob's Dream by Marc Chagall
From: https://www.wikiart.org/en/marc-chagall/the-jacob-s-dream-1966

Jacob rested in the same place where Abraham had built an altar (Genesis 12:8; 13:3-4). It is 70 miles north of Beersheba (about a three-day journey). Here, Jacob had a dream of a stairway reaching from Earth to Heaven with the LORD at the top. God revealed Himself to Jacob directly by reiterating the covenant blessing to Jacob that He had made with his grandfather and father. This was the blessing of a land and descendants (13:6; 22:17) and that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed (12:2-3; 15:5, 18; 17:3-8; 22:15-18; 35:11-12). God also promised His presence and protection. 

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

This same imagery is seen in John 1:51. Jesus says to Nathanael, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." 

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

God's presence in that dream caused Jacob to respond in "awe" as he proclaimed, "How awesome is this place!"  We throw the word awesome out so much when only God should inspire awe in us. Jacob responded by making his stone pillow into a pillar. He renamed the place Bethel which means "house of God" and promised to give a tenth of everything and make the LORD his God if he returned safely to his father. Notice that Jacob had still not made the LORD his God, but this encounter was the turning point of His life.

Encounters with God are turning points in our life. (Remember my experience in the attic and the rain?) Try some Loyola Method (Imaginative Contemplation) meditation on Jacob's dream and worship and praise God. He wants to reveal Himself to You if You stop to take the time to let Him! Respond in awe!

2023 Update: When I see the application for the "Loyola Method" of meditation, I smile. I have used this handout since 1981 when I discipled people. All I knew was that Ignatius was a "spiritual director in the 1500s." (I couldn't exactly Google about him.) Now I really know all about him because I lead others through the Spiritual Exercises that he created. Here is my website that explains this: Body and Soul Companion/Services (scroll down to my little video). 

Here is some more about Imaginative Contemplation: 

Explanation and Guided Recordings 

Another application might be a Visio Divina of the Marc Chagall picture above! Click on the hyperlink, but in a nutshell, it is looking at the picture and asking God to speak to you through it and responding to God in prayer about it. 

PRAYER

Let the song "Asleep on Holy Ground" by Michael Card lead you to prayer. 

Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to mankind. Please reveal Yourself to us today. Teach us to reverence You. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Genesis 27 - A Mother's Manipulation and Stolen Blessing

"Happy families are all alike; 
every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

LINK: Genesis 27

BACKGROUND

Isaac wanted to bless his oldest son before he died. Oral blessings like this were common in Near Eastern culture and had legal weight. A blessing was important and especially bestowed on the firstborn. Had Isaac not heard about the prophecy given to Rebekah in 25:23 about the older serving the younger? Had he not heard that his firstborn had already sold his birthright for bread and some lentil stew? Some commentators speculate that Rebekah's manipulation and deception were not as grievous as Isaac's asking to bless Esau and ignoring of the prophecy that Jacob was the son of promise. If he knew the prophecy, did he just not want to accept that, like himself, the youngest would be the recipient of God's promise? We do not know for sure. The prophecy was spoken to Rebekah and the selling of the birthright was between Jacob and Esau. So, maybe he did not.

We learned in a previous chapter that Rebekah favored Jacob, and Isaac favored Esau. (Maybe because he liked the meat he brought him?) Now, that favoritism breeds a heap of trouble in this dysfunctional patriarchal family! Rebekah was a deceiver, and Jacob was living up to his name, which means "he grasps the heel" (figuratively, "he deceives").

In 27:20 Jacob says to Isaac, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me" when he lied about getting the game so fast! It would be quite some time before Jacob could say, "The LORD my God." In 28:20-21, he made a vow that he would call him "my God" after he knew God had returned him safely to his father. Genesis 33:18-20 indicates that He acknowledged God as leading him back!

Here is the comparison of the blessings between Jacob and Esau:

Esau's descendants, the Edomites, would live in a less fertile place than Canaan.

Isaac had unknowingly, solemnly transmitted the covenant blessing to Isaac by a legally binding bequest, and there was no way to "take it back." Understandably, Esau was bitter. In Hebrews 12:17 we read that "when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears."

This caused a wedge of bitterness and the break-up of the family with Jacob on the run from his brother who wanted to kill him. At this point, it seems like everybody lost in this situation, but we will see what happens in the future!

The chapter closes with Rebekah sending Jacob away to avoid Esau's wrath. She told Isaac it was so Jacob would not marry one of the women of Heth because Esau had married a Canaanite and Hittite woman that brought them much grief (see 26:35).

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Jacob, the father of Israel, betrayed with a kiss. Jesus, the great Son of Israel who obtained the blessing for Israel, was betrayed with a kiss in Matthew 26:48 and Luke 22:48 (NASB Study Bible, p.41).

Also, read Acts 3:12-4:4 and Galatians 3:5-14 regarding how we have received the blessing of Abraham's seed! "In His seed (Jesus) all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

REFLECTION

This chapter has always been so sad for me because it goes back to the curse of the garden on Eve. God said, "Your desire will be for your husband." The root of the Hebrew word for desire means to "overflow onto," and I see Rebekah overflowing all over the place here to put her favorite son, Jacob, into a position of prominence. What happened to the sweet and submissive woman of Genesis 24 who followed the servant to an unknown land to wed an unknown man named Isaac?

Yes, it was always meant for Jacob to inherit the promise. The birthright and blessing were already his while he was in the womb. Rebekah still manipulated the situation that God could have certainly worked out on His own and in His own timing. God's blessings are given by God and not by deceit.

One thing I see with many women is their need for control: over their husbands, over their children, and over events in their life. This wreaks havoc in a family when the wife becomes "Queen Control" (that is what the Malay people call it when the woman "wears the pants" in the family). This story is a stern reminder to me that I need to not "make" things happen in a manipulative and controlling manner but allow God to work in His timing being dependent on Him in prayer when it comes to the future of my family.

APPLICATION

Evaluate your role in the family: Are you a dad who is not listening to the Lord's will for your family? Are you a mom who is trying to manipulate or control people or events in your family? Are you a parent who plays favorites with your children?

If control is something you struggle with, this prayer might be helpful to pray so that you can let go.

I pray it regularly!

PRAYER

Lord, I thank You for being in control of all things, and I gladly relinquish that control to You. Lord, take my family in the direction that You desire and not in the way that I think it should go. Show me Your will for my family in everything that we do. Teach us what it means to live honestly and not deceitfully with one another. Give our families peace on every side. Thank You, Lord that You have made us recipients of great blessing through the Seed, Jesus! Amen.

Genesis 25 & 26 - A Birthright and Like Father, Like Son

LINK: Genesis 25 & 26

BACKGROUND

The most notable of the children of Abraham's concubines is Midian because his descendants, the Midianites, gave Israel trouble. We will read more about them in Judges 6 where "Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites."

He gave gifts to the children of his concubines and sent them away from Isaac to the land of the east, but Abraham "gave all that he had to Isaac" as the child of promise.

Notice that both Ishmael and Isaac buried him in the cave of Machpelah that he had purchased from the sons of Heth. Even though Ishmael was "sent away" at the weaning of Isaac, he obviously had contact with the family.

Genesis 25:18 says that the descendant of Ishmael lived in defiance of all his relatives. There has been hostility between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac since this time (about 1990 B.C.) into the present day!

Yesterday was the prequel to the "Generations of Isaac" and the story about how Rebekah, the Aramean, was found and brought back to Isaac. In today's reading, Isaac prays (only second occurrence of this word in Genesis. His father did not pray regarding barrenness, but he prayed and waited 20 years.) and she conceived and bore two sons: Esau and Jacob. The story of the two twins is the story of two nations where one will be stronger than the other and the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob). Esau's descendants will become the Edomites of which we will hear quite a bit in future books.

Genesis 25 concludes with Esau selling his birthright for bread and lentil stew. The Hebrew word for birthright is bekhouroh which means "priority" or "seniority." The only other occurrences are in 27:36 and 1 Chronicles 5:1. Towns explains the importance of the birthright:

Traditionally, a number of distinct privileges belonged to the first-born son in a family. Called a birthright, this gave the oldest son, the firstborn, a special claim on the inheritance left by his father and the unique privilege of carrying on the family name to future generations. In the patriarchal family, this birthright had a special spiritual significance. the possessor of the birthright was the one who (1) became heir of the covenant of God, (2) received the promises given to Abraham, and (3) offered sacrifices for the family. (Towns, Elmer. History Makers of the Old Testament, p. 164)

He sold this for bread and stew?

Hebrews 12:16-17 says:

. . . that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. for you know that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

This whole episode fulfills the prophecy of verse 25:23. We see a pattern in Genesis where God sets aside the older of Cain, Ishmael, and Esau. As revelation progresses, we see that God sets aside Israel so the Gentiles (most of us) might be grafted into the tree of salvation. We know that birthright is per the doctrine of grace. Isn't that exciting? See Romans 9:1-16 to cement this exciting concept.

In Genesis 26, we see many parallels between the life of Abraham and Isaac. So, let's compare:

-Famine (26:1 with 12:10) 

-Lied about wife being sister (26:1, 6-11 with 20:1-18) 

-Blessing, land, oath (26:3 with 12:7; 13:15; 15:18) 

-Multiply descendants, lands, all nations blessed (26:4 with 12:3; 15:5; 22:17) 

-Wells of water conflict with Philistines (26:18 with 21:25) 

-Oath, cutting covenant, feast, depart in peace with two (different) Abimelechs (26:26-31 with 21:22-34)

We will talk about the end of Genesis 26 and Esau's choice of wives tomorrow.

REFLECTION

There are so many things to reflect on in this chapter. The thing that stuck out to me was how Isaac, like his father before him, made peace with the surrounding people. Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and his wife conceived. He proclaimed that "God is with you in all that you do." The second Abimelech said,

We see plainly that the LORD has been with you; so we said, "Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD." (26:28-29)

Both these Patriarchs had a quiet influence and proposed a challenge to the pagan peoples around them. What a challenge that is to believers of today to quietly live a life of love for the LORD and to peacefully be among those whose values are different than our own. Often, we live more like Samson and Saul against the Philistines in the "culture war" around us. There has to be a balance that includes LOVE!

One of my mentors said to me that I needed to "live a life that demands an explanation." That has always so challenged me! It would be so awesome to have people around me who don't know the Lord say, "We saw plainly that the LORD has been with you."

"God is a peacemaker. 
Jesus Christ is a peacemaker. 
So, if we want to be God's children 
and Christ's disciples, 
we must be peacemakers too."

John R. W. Stott

APPLICATION

This book goes along with making a witness to the world around us through how we live among others. It is called The Externally-Focused Church and might be a great application.

Another application would be to do a family tree of Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. You see the start of many groups of people in this family tree who will end up being enemies of God's chosen people. It is very academic, but it is helpful in your understanding.


PRAYER

Lord, make us people who shine Your light in the darkness of the world around us. Help us to walk a walk of love and peace. Amen

Genesis 24 - God Finds a Wife for Isaac

LINK: Genesis 24

BACKGROUND

Today we begin our transition from the study of the life of Abraham to the study of the life of Isaac. I will not go into too much background today because it is a pretty simple narrative story.

The servant was probably Eliezer who is mentioned by Abraham in 15:1.

Abraham asked for Eliezer to put his hand under his thigh. The typical oath would be to cut the animals and walk between the pieces; but in this case, Abraham was asking for an oath near his place of "seed" or reproductive organ since this was an oath that involves his "seed," Isaac, and the future of his descendants.

Abraham specifically wanted a wife from his homeland and not from the women of Canaan. Canaan was cursed (15:16) through the line of Ham. Yet, he wanted to make sure that Isaac did not go back to Mesopotamia to marry. This is important because Abraham knew that his new home was in Canaan because of the promise of the land.

I wanted to save the genealogy of Genesis 22:20-24 until now because it indicates Rebekah's family line. Milcah, Lot's sister, married her uncle Nahor and had eight children, one of whom was Bethuel who became the father of Rebekah. Her father, Bethuel, and Isaac were first cousins. You might like to try drawing out this family tree. 

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Some interpreters do find typology in this chapter. Eliezer, the faithful servant, who is doing the will of his master, sought out a bride and gave this bride his master's message. Jesus was the faithful servant of God who did the master's will by going to the bride and gave us the message of God's salvation through the servant!

REFLECTION

I love this simple story of dependence on God by Eliezer. I love his response when he discovered that God had led him straight to the woman that God had appointed for Isaac:

Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.

And he said, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way of the house of my master's brothers.'" (24:26-27)

God is a God of guidance. He will show us the way that we should go as we humbly depend on Him because He loves us!

APPLICATION

What have you learned about God through your study of the life of Abraham? It might help to review chapters 12-24 and write down everything you learned about God. I have a "Journal of God" that I started keeping on the book of Genesis, and I plan on continuing it throughout the whole Bible!

As a start, here is Genesis 12:1-3:

He is a God who communicates with us (LORD said to Abram) 

He is a God who guides us (I will show you) 

He is a God who accomplishes things for us (I will make you a great nation, bless . . .) 

He is a God who exalts us as He chooses (I will make your name great) 

He is a God who protects us (I will curse the one who curses you)

Let this be a springboard for a time of praise before your God!

PRAYER

Lord, I praise You that You are a God who guides us in the path that we should choose just as You guided Eliezer toward Rachel. Lord, may we have the heart of humble submission that Eliezer had as You send us out to do Your will and work. In the name of Jesus, AMEN

Genesis 23 - Sarah's Burial

LINK: Genesis 23

BACKGROUND

Sarah died in Hebron in the land of Canaan and was buried in the cave of Machpelah. Abraham paid 400 shekels of silver for it. The field and cave were deeded over to him.

Traditionally, the tombs of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah are believed to be located below the Mosque of Abraham which is a Muslim shrine in Hebron.

There has been much Arab/Israeli conflict in Hebron, both consider Abraham as their father, and each feels strongly that the land is theirs and not the others.

Four hundred shekels was considered an exorbitant price for this piece of land.

REFLECTION

It is interesting to note that Abraham buried Sarah in Canaan even though they were "strangers and aliens" in Canaan. Usually, people buried their dead in their homeland. He was saying that Canaan was his new home and was putting down an exorbitant price to buy the land to make a statement about what he believed about God's covenant promise. He set down roots of faith in the Promised Land.

APPLICATION

Heaven is my ultimate promised land and home. What heavenly, eternal investments am I making? Am I investing in things that have lasting value for heaven and eternity?

Also, a possible application is to pray for the "peace of Jerusalem" and the Promised Land. It is a place of so much sadness and conflict. Let's pray for God's righteousness to reign there!

Another possibility might be to go to a place in your city that is currently run by people who do not love God, and it is not giving Him glory. Go claim that ground for God in prayer!  Pay an exorbitant price in prayer to gain it for God. Did you know that the commune where the Rajneeshee ("Orange People") lived in Oregon is now a youth camp where kids can come and hear about salvation in Jesus Christ? People claimed that ground for God.  You can too!

I want to go pray at the Adult Shop on our main drag right now, but I am afraid people might think I am going there! 

Here is a tool that helps you give focused prayer for your city (developed by one of the people who mentored me in prayer). I like to use the app version so I can carry it with me as I prayer walk around my city: 

http://waymakers.org/pray/seek-god/

2023 Update: 2022 was the last year that this prayer guide was produced. I think you can still buy the old ones. 

PRAYER

Thank You that You are our home. That we are no longer aliens and strangers, but we are fellow citizens with the saints and are of Your household, having been built on a foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19,20). Help us to live as good citizens of Your kingdom as we walk here on this earth. Amen

Genesis 22- Abraham's Test of Obedience

LINK: Genesis 22

BACKGROUND

Abraham was called to the ultimate test: to sacrifice his only son (22:2). But he did have another son, Ishmael. We know that Ishmael may have been cast out, but he was still Abraham's son. Then how was Isaac his only son? The actual Hebrew word means “unique, only begotten.” Isaac was unique in that he was the only begotten son of the promise. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for this child, and now, God was telling him to offer Isaac up as a human sacrifice! Abraham had faith and he obeyed. Amazing.

Genesis 22:11 says that Isaac was a “lad” or “boy,” but most scholars believe he was a teenager and could have resisted at any time. This implies faith of not only the father but also the son.

Abraham was called to go to Mount Moriah (22:2) from Beersheba, a distance of about 50 miles. This spot will continue to be important in the history of the Jews. In 2 Samuel 24:18, the prophet, Gad, instructed David to build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (Jebus is Jerusalem) to stop a plague. Moriah was the threshing floor! He offered to buy it from Araunah, and Araunah wanted to give it to him, but David said, ”I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” Later, it became the site of the temples built by Solomon, Zerubbabel, and Herod the Great. It is now the site of the Dome of the Rock erected in 691 AD by Muslims. Mt. Moriah is an important spot!

Even though human sacrifice was common in ancient paganism, it was not common for God’s righteous people. Abraham obeyed with immediate, unquestioning obedience though. He obeyed in faith! His faith was evident when he said to the servants, “We will come back to you” (22:5). So, he had faith that somehow he would return with Isaac. Also, He knew that God was Yahweh Yireh, the God who provides, when he proclaimed “God will provide a lamb” when Isaac questioned about the absence of a lamb for the burnt offering.

Hebrews 11:17 says:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.’ He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead. . .

God provided a ram in Genesis 22:13, but its ultimate fulfillment will be the “Lamb of God”!

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

“Behold the Lamb of God 

who takes away the sin of the world.” 

John 1:29

LaSor puts it so well:

I can never think about the willingness of Abraham to offer up his son Isaac without thinking of the willingness of God to offer up His Son Jesus. God provided a lamb to take the place of Isaac, but there was no lamb to take the place of Jesus. He was the Lamb! You and I have our life and our salvation and our hope of eternity because of what God has done for us in Christ; and the only way this world will ever come to know the salvation we know will be by way of our faithfulness. God expects us to be faithful. (LaSor, William S. Great Personalities of the Old Testament, p.30)

This is a story of a faithful man who, in his old age, had come to believe God for anything! He called the place, Yahweh Yireh (The LORD Will Provide) looking forward to the time of the “Lamb of God” who would be provided as the substitutionary sacrifice for all time in that place.

Can you say AMEN to that! (Come on, shout it out in your home or even the public place you might be reading this!!)

REFLECTION

Every time I meditate on this passage, there is a tug of pain in my heart over the choice that Abraham had to make. I have two sons, and I cannot imagine picking either of them to be sacrificed, and I did not even have to wait 25 years for them! They are precious to me, and I love them. (By the way, 22:2 is the first time love is mentioned in the Bible), and I do not know if I could obey as Abraham obeyed (22:18 is the first time for this word too). Everything inside of me would fight against it, but Abraham knew his God could even raise the dead! Do I really believe that my God can do anything? Do I believe that He will provide above and beyond the unexplainable? OH, how I want that kind of radical faith AND obedience!

In Michael Card’s introduction to his song “God Will Provide a Lamb”, he writes:

The life of Abraham is a parable of salvation. His radical obedience to God in the offering of Isaac is the greatest single act of submission in the Bible apart from the Cross of Jesus. In this story, we see proof of the fact that Christ will never ask us to do anything which He Himself is not also prepared to do.

This challenges and stirs me to the core. How about you?

APPLICATION

Think about the radical obedience of Abraham and ask God about where you might not be trusting Him. Lay it before Him as an offering.

You might like to apply this passage by meditating on this song by Michael Card:

"God Will Provide a Lamb"

by Michael Card

(Genesis 22:1-14 & Hebrews 11:17-19)

Three days journey to the sacred place
A boy and a man with a sorrowful face
Tortured yet faithful to God's command
To take the life of his son in his own hands

CHORUS
God will provide a Lamb
To be offered up in your place
A sacrifice so spotless and clean
To take all your sin away

Here's wood and fire, where's the sacrifice
A questioning voice and the innocent eyes
Is the son of laughter who you waited for
To die like a lamb to please the Lord

Chorus

A gleaming knife, an accepted choice
A rush of wind and an angel's voice
A ram in the thicket caught by his horns
And a new age of trusting the Lord is born

For God has provided a Lamb
He was offered up in your place
What Abraham was asked to do He's done
He's offered His only son!

What Abraham was asked to do He's done
He's offered His only son

PRAYER
Lord, You are Yahweh Yireh, the God who provides. Thank You for Your perfect provision of Jesus as an atoning sacrifice. I love You. I worship You. Teach me to obey You with unquestioning obedience to Your upward call in Christ Jesus. Amen

Genesis 21 - Isaac is born

LINK: Genesis 21

BACKGROUND

Part I: Isaac is Born!

It had been 25 years since the initial promise, and the baby is born! WOHOOO! 

There are Scarlet Thread parallels between Isaac and Jesus:

1) Both Isaac and Jesus were named before their mothers were even pregnant (See Genesis 17:19 and Luke 1:31). 

2) Both mothers conceived because of God’s supernatural intervention. 

3) Both Isaac and Jesus fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant. They were both “sons of the promise.”  

4) There was rejoicing at the birth of a promised newborn baby!!!!!!

Isaac’s name means “laughter” and his promise and birth brought on much of it. Sarah’s first laugh was in temporary disbelief (Genesis 17:17). The next one was out of pure joy. This Michael Card song captures that joy! See a video of him singing at the end of this post.

They Called Him Laughter 

A barren land and a barren wife

Made Abraham laugh

At his wandering life

A cruel joke it seemed then

To call him the “father of nations.”

A heavenly prank?

A celestial joke?

’Cause gray hair and babies

Leave no room for hope

But hoping was something

This hopeless old man learned to do.

Chorus

They called him laughter

For he came after

The Father had made an

Impossible promise come true

The birth of a baby

To a hopeless old lady

So they called him laughter

‘Cause no other name would do

A cry in the darkness

And laughter at night

An elderly couple sit

Holding him tight

An improbable infant

A punch line, a promise come true

They laughed 'til they wept

Then they laughed at their tears

This miracle baby they'd wanted for years

Would make a Messiah
Who'd give us impossible joy

CHORUS

Even though Sarah’s first laugh was in temporary disbelief, God is so patient with us. Sarah made it in the “Hall of Faith” with these verses:

By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive (literally, “power to lay down seed”), even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11).

Further Study: Romans 4:13-25 is an excellent cross-reference in connection with this promise and our faith. It is well worth the extra time to really absorb it into your soul bloodstream. It is SO important to understand!

Part 2: Ishmael and Hagar

At Isaac’s weaning feast (age two to three), the teenage (age 16 or 17) half-brother, Ishmael, “mocks.” In Hebrew, this word means “at play,” but Paul later describes it as “persecuted” (Galatians 4:29). Regardless, Sarah saw this mocking as a threat to Isaac’s inheritance, and she wanted Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, out of the house! Interesting that God told Abraham to listen to Sarah this time and not to be distressed because the promise was with Isaac, but there were still blessings for Ishmael. So, Abraham “rose early in the morning” in obedience to the Father’s will (something he will do again in the next chapter with his other son).

Just as God met Hagar in the desert in Genesis 16, he met her again and promised a great nation out of Ishmael. They settled in the Wilderness of Paran which is the northeast portion of the Sinai Peninsula. The descendants of Ishmael are the Arabs of today and, by extension, Muslims.

Now, this whole episode has great significance in the Scarlet Thread. Galatians 4:21-31 uses this story in Genesis 21 to speak allegorically of the Mosaic Law and the New Covenant:

1) MOSAIC LAW: Ishmael was born according to the flesh (man’s intervention) through a “slave woman” representing bondage at Mt. Sinai and the earthly Jerusalem which represents the center of the Law of Moses. 

2) NEW COVENANT: Isaac was born according to the Spirit (supernatural intervention) through a “free woman” representing freedom when the promise was finally fulfilled in Christ, the seed, on Mt. Calvary! We, in turn, are “seed” by adoption through God’s grace and are a part of the heavenly Jerusalem.

We, as co-heirs, are free from the bondwoman because of Christ. We just need to “throw the slave woman and her son” out of our lives since the flesh struggles against the Spirit, mocking the Spirit just as Ishmael mocked Isaac! Our inheritance lies in the son of promise and his seed, Jesus. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free," and we never must be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 

HALLELUJAH!

WHEW! I’m glad I got that off my chest!

Part 3: Abraham Makes an Oath to Abimelech

Abimelech only knew of Abraham as a liar. So, he pressed him to deal honestly with him. I can see why! Abraham swore kindness toward Abimelech and his descendants and to the land. They also “cut” covenant over the wells. This treaty allowed Abraham to dwell in peace in this land. As a result, he planted a tamarisk tree that thrives in arid regions. Its leafy branches provide a welcome shade. Dwelling under one’s tree was a sign of peaceful security (Zechariah 3:10).

Then, Abraham called on El Olam. This is the first and last time this address will ever be used of God and means “the Everlasting God.”

REFLECTION

What encourages me so much in this chapter is that even though Sarah had her doubts through the process, she still made it in the Hall of Faith. It gives me encouragement that even though we will make three steps forward and two steps back in our journey, He still sees the forward motion of our imperfect lives! Keep on walking brothers and sisters in the Lord!

APPLICATION

Part 1: Are there any areas of your life where you are not “standing on the promises” of God? He always follows through on His promises. Learn to praise God ahead of time in the process of waiting rather than continuing to doubt or try to “make” things happen like Sarah.

Part 2: Is there a “bondwoman” in your life? Are you living under bondage and not under grace in any area of your life?

Part 3: Just as Abraham lived in peace with Abimelech and his descendants, we need to “live in harmony with one another . . . if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:16, 18). I heartily recommend material from Peacemaker Ministries, and the book, The Peacemaker by Ken Sande to learn about Biblical peacemaking. 

PRAYER

Lord, we call on you as El Olam, the everlasting God, the God of Abraham who is the same yesterday, today, and forever! We praise You God that you have adopted us as Children of Promise through Jesus Christ our LORD! Amen

Here is Michael Card performing the song: