From a Slave to one who Saves (Gen. 41-46)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Do you remember this verse?  Those of you who were present for our first "read through the Bible" discussion during the Bible class hour may recall that I had you write this down in your notes and recommended you commit it to memory.  You may be more familiar with the NIV translation, which is why I chose this version to make you really pause and consider the words and their meaning. 

Read that verse again, with Joseph and all he has been through in mind.  I'm serious, read it again with Joseph in mind.

Now read it again and consider all the other patriarchs:  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Do you see the truth of those words played out in their lives?  I sure do!  God and time are incredible teachers--the best.  God and lessons learned over time turned Jacob from a deceitful younger brother into a humble leader of God's chosen people.  God and time turned Joseph from a spoiled-rotten, bragging dreamer into a wise man of God ready to save the lives of many people.

I want to share with you what I have learned from Joseph's life:

1. Genesis 41:1 tells us how long Joseph was in jail after interpreting the cupbearer and baker's dreams.  He had asked the cupbearer to remember him and tell Pharoah about him, but the cupbearer forgot.  How long was Joseph in jail after that incident?
2. What does the cupbearer say to Pharoah when no one can interpret his dreams?  (Gen. 41:9)  Ouch.  I hate to be reminded of my shortcomings.
3. Things move pretty fast at this point, because Pharoah wants some answers.  What does Joseph say to Pharoah when he finally appears before him?  (Gen. 41:16)  That's called wisdom, my friend.  That's giving glory where glory is due.
4. Pharoah recognizes the wisdom of God in Joseph.  What does he say and do in Gen. 41:39-40?

Here is where I want you to pause and consider something. 

• Read Gen. 41:36.  How old was Joseph at this point?
• Go back to Gen. 37:2.  How old was Joseph when he was tending the flocks with his brothers and they sold him into slavery?
• Math quiz:  how many years was Joseph in slavery and jail in Egypt?  

Stop and think about that.  Really let that sink into your head.  Joseph was in slavery and jail for 13 years.  13 years!  What have you done with your life for the last 13 years that you would have missed if you had been in slavery and jail that whole time?  Crazy thought, isn't it?

Here's the clencher.  We don't read one single hint that Joseph was bitter or sat around pouting, complaining about the evil his brothers had done to him and how unjust his circusmstances were.  What did Joseph do, not having any idea how long he would be in slavery or jail?  What did he do when another year went by and it must have seemed even more hopeless?  What did he do when the cupbearer forgot to mention him to Pharoah? 

Joseph gave everyone his best.  Joseph gave God his best.  That's what he did.  He epitomized Colossians 3:23:  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  Do you do that?

Go back and reflect on Gen. 39:3-6, 20-23.  This was the testimony of a great God working through a willing servant.  Sister, that is a recipe for being made "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  Oh that you and I would be so willing to endure trials of many kinds so that perseverance might be produced in us like Joseph!

Once again, under the authority of Pharoah, Joseph gives God his best.  He is responsible for saving the lives of all the Egyptians during the famine, as well as many people coming from all over to buy grain from him.  He also gets married and has two sons--Manasseh and Ephraim--who will be key players in the 12 tribes of Israel.

In chapter 42, the famine becomes so severe in Canaan that Jacob sends his 10 oldest sons to Egypt for grain.  Can you blame him for keeping Benjamin at home?  He's not going to make that mistake again and risk losing the only son he has left from Rachel.

1. What happens in Gen. 42:6?  Compare that with Gen. 37:5-11.  What just happened when Joseph's brothers came to get grain from him?  Never doubt what God has clearly told you, sister, even if it takes 13 years...or a lifetime...to come to fruition! 
2. What did Joseph do in Gen. 42:8-9?
3. What happens in vv. 22-24?

Can you even imagine being in Joseph's shoes at this moment?  The wave of emotions that swept over him as he saw his brothers for the first time in 13 years, remembered his dreams about them, remembered what they had done to him, and wondered about his father and younger brother Benjamin must have been like a tidal wave threatening to sweep him away.

Poor Jacob.  When his sons return home and explain the whole story, he is crushed.  His words make me so sad for him in Gen. 42:36.  Reuben is ready to make things right (remember when he convinced the brothers not to kill Joseph and had planned to bring him back to Jacob?), but Jacob is not about to let his youngest son out of his sight.

But the famine is severe, and they really need food.  So Judah does a noble thing as the one from whom our precious Savior would one day come. 

1. What does he say to his father Jacob in Gen. 43:9?
2. What does Joseph do the minute he sees Benjamin?  (Gen. 43:16)
3. I love what Joseph's steward says to them in Gen. 43:23.  To whom does he give the credit for their blessings?
4. What do the brothers do again in v. 26? 
5. What does Joseph seem concerned about in v. 27?
6. What happens in v. 30?
7. What was surprising to all the brothers in v. 33?
8. In chapter 44, which brother pleads for mercy from Joseph because he has guaranteed the safety of Jacob's youngest son, offering to become a slave in his place?  (starting at Gen. 44:18)

This beautiful offer on Judah's part to be the substituionary slave (any hint of Jesus there?) is more than Joseph can take.  He is convinced that his brothers are truly repentant for what they did to him and would never do the same to his brother Benjamin.  He sees their changed hearts after years of watching their father grieve Joseph's supposed death.  No longer able to control himself, Joseph reveals his identiy to his shocked brothers.

1. What did this shocking news do to his brothers?  (Gen. 45:3)
2. Who does Joseph say is the one responsible for him being sold into Egypt in Gen. 45:5, and why?
3. Why else did God do this?  See Gen. 45:7

"So it was not you who sent me here, but God."  (Gen. 45:8)  Those words could only come from one who has endured trials, faced the testing of his faith, and remained steadfast through difficult times.  God and time are excellent teachers.

Joseph sends his brothers off to get their father, sending all sorts of carts and provisions with them.  I absolutely love the words that describe Jacob's response when he heard the good news: "the spirit of their father Jacob revived."  (Gen. 45:27)   Thirteen years of grieving...done!

But that doesn't hold a candle to the beauty of their reunion in Gen. 46:29-30.  Try to picture that precious scene and the longing it fulfilled for both of them.  God is so very good.

Notice at the beginning of chapter 46 that God appears to Israel in a vision and tells him to not be afraid to go to Egypt.  Not only that, but He assures Jacob that He will go with him and will bring him back to the promised land again.  Friend, I want you to know that if God sends you somewhere to fulfill His purposes, He will go with you and be your God in that place of calling.

So all 70 of them, plus his daughters-in-law and all the servants, as well as all their flocks and belongings, set out for Egypt.

Who lead the whole caravan of Israel?  "Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph...." (Gen. 46:28)  How appropriate.

The Dreamer (Gen. 34-40)

Since I didn't get to write a blog yesterday, I'm going to squeeze these readings into one and focus on the key passages.  The only daughter of Jacob that we are told any specifics about is Dinah, although Gen. 37:35 implies that he had more than one daughter.  Dinah was born of Leah, and she was apparently rather beautiful--no "weak eyes" like her mother.  This daughter caught the eye of the son of the prince of the land, and he became consumed with longing for her.  He gets things rather backwards and acts upon his longings before asking her hand in marriage.  Not a smart thing to do to a girl who has 11 brothers.  As God says in verse 7, "...for such a thing must not be done."

As you know, this young man Shechem learned his lesson, and all the men of his land along with him.  Nothing like taking the whole city down with you in your inability to control your desires!  Jacob reprimands his two sons Simeon and Levi for doing such an evil thing, because revenge is not our job but the LORD's (Gen. 32:35).  He is concerned about the trouble this will bring upon him and his people.  When we come to chapter 49 in a few days and Jacob is blessing each of his sons before he dies, you will see how their sin in this incident plays into their blessing (or curse) at the end of their father's life.

Read Gen. 35:1-15 again.

1. To where does God tell Jacob to go in v. 1?
2. What was the significance of this place?  (see Gen. 28:10-22)
3. Have you ever revisited a place in which you encountered God and He did something significant in your life?  If you have, write about it.  What was it like to go back there and remember what God had done in your life at that time?  How different of a person were you in going back than at the time of that original encounter?  What a time of worship such an experience can be!  If you haven't done this, keep this concept in mind...I have a hunch you will have the opportunity to erect some memorial stones this year on your journey with God.
4. What did Jacob tell everyone in his household to do?  How does Jacob describe God in v. 3?
5. What did God do to the peoples of the lands through which they were journeying back to Canaan in v. 5?
6. In verses 9-15, what does God do, and what does Jacob do?

In verses 16-21, Rachel gives birth to another son, but she dies in child-birth.  Benjamin is now Jacob's youngest son, brother to Joseph by the same mother--the wife whom Jacob loved.  This relationship will come into play when Joseph's brothers come to Egypt for grain in tomorrow's readings.

Take note of verse 21.  I love firsts!  This is the first time Scripture refers to him as Israel rather than Jacob.  We will see both names used for him throughout the Bible, but it seems that he is referred to as Israel when he is representing God's people.  Try to notice as you read and see what you think.

In verses 23-26 we get a re-cap of which sons were born to which wives, and now Jacob has 12 sons.  These are not the exact 12 tribes of Israel, as you will find out in a few days.  But we'll wait till we get there to cover that.  At the end of ch. 35, Isaac dies and is buried by his two sons Esau and Jacob.  I love the wording used for both Abraham's death and now Isaac's:  "...he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days."  I want to be "full of days" when I die, how about you?  Not just mindless, meaningless time spent here on planet earth, but "full" days of walking with the Lord and doing His will.  And I definitely want to be "gathered to my people" in God's Kingdom!

^"By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau." (Hebrews 11:20)  That's all we read about Isaac in the "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11.  Dear sister, especially fellow moms, I believe there's a message for us in that.  If you are a parent, some of the most significant work you do for the Kingdom of God is raising those children to live for Him and His glory, carrying on the work begun for God in previous generations. 

If you recall, it wasn't really Isaac's idea to give Jacob the first-born blessing.  He was tricked into it by his wife and son.  Yet he didn't go back on what he had said and change the blessing, thus God commends Isaac for this in Hebrews.  Isaac went with it and trusted that God had allowed him to do that for a reason and would bring good from it.  Will you trust what God allows, believing He can bring good out of it?  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8:28, ESV)

We read in Gen. 36 that God blessed both Jacob and Esau so much that they had to go separate ways, just as Abraham and Lot had to do.  Jacob, of course, stayed in the land of Canaan because God had promised him that land.  We also learn in verse 31 that kings reigned from Esau's descendants before the nation of Israel ever had kings of their own.  God was their only king for many years, until the time of Samuel the prophet, when Saul became the first king of Israel.

Genesis 37 is when the story of Joseph begins to get interesting, leading us into the next phase of Israel's history.

1. How old was Joseph when these events began to happen?  (v. 2)
2. What did Jacob do that caused much conflict between Joseph and his 10 older brothers (who were all grown men by now)?
3. What stupid thing did Joseph do in vv. 5-9?
4. The brothers were naturally angry and jealous, but what did Joseph's father Jacob do in v. 10 and then at the end of v. 11?

You know the story.  The spoiled younger brother goes to check on his older brothers (what was Jacob thinking?), wearing his colorful coat, of course.  This one is so full of drama, it has even made its way onto the Broadway stage.

The brothers plot to kill him, but the oldest brother Reuben shows some maturity and keeps them from spilling his blood.  His plan is to take Joseph back to his father after teaching him a lesson in humility.  But then he does a foolish thing and goes off on his own long enough for the other brothers to sell Joseph into slavery...to Ishmaelites at that.  This is a key moment in Israel's history, bringing to pass the prophecy God spoke to Abraham in Gen. 15:13-16.

But let's not skip over the brothers throwing Joseph into a pit.  Now that's enough fodder for a whole lesson in itself.  Ever been "thrown into a pit" by people you thought you could trust, maybe even your own family?  Was it partly your own fault because of your arrogance or another sin, like Joseph?  Here is where I am going to highly recommend Beth Moore's book Get Out of that Pit.  Whether you slipped in (on your own), jumped in (on your own), or were thrown in (by others), your Redeemer and Deliverer can pull you out.  But He alone can get you out of that pit.

God got Joseph out of the pit.  It didn't look too promising at first, as he was sold into slavery, but remember God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called accoring to His purposes (paraphrase of Rom. 8:28).  All this evil God allowed to be done to Joseph makes perfect sense when we arrive at the end of Genesis, and especially when we see the ultimate fulfillment in Christ.  Please know for certain that God does not cause evil--our own sin causes that.  But He will allow it when He can use it to raise up a person for His glory.  (We will get heavily into this in next week's readings in Job.)

1. Whose idea was it to sell Joseph? (v. 26)
2. Where did the Ishmaelites take Joseph? (v. 28)
3. What did Reuben do when he saw that Joseph was gone? (v. 29)
4. What did the brothers do to explain this to their father Jacob?

Read Gen. 36:35.  I wonder what was going on in the minds of Jacob's sons as they sought to comfort their father.  Guilt, perhaps?  I hope so.  They got to live with this guilt for many years, too.  Oh the regrets of rash behavior in a moment of anger!  But none of them were man enough, or humble enough, to confess what they had done to their father. 

We can relate, right?  Sometimes we are not humble enough to confess what we've done to our Father.  We think the person was getting what they deserved.  Dangerous ground, dear friends.  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6:37)  Withholding forgiveness is just not worth it, and Joseph understood this.  That's why his story is the one full of God's blessings and prosperity, not his brothers'.

We've seen the sin of Simeon and Levi's anger at Shechem, we watched Reuben unsuccessfully try to save Joseph, and now we watch Judah commit a disgusting sin with his daughter-in-law.  The encounter between Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is a disappointing one, but it is also an important one to remember. 

• Turn to Matthew 1.  In verse 3, whose name do you find in the geneology of Christ?

Only four women are mentioned in Jesus' lineage, and all of them have somewhat scandalous stories.  Tamar prostituted herself to deceive Judah, Rahab was a prostitute and a Gentile (not of the Hebrew nation), Ruth was a Moabitess (i.e. a Gentile) and she laid down at Boaz' feet hoping he would take her as his wife, and Bathsheba was brought into King David's chambers to have relations with him while she was still Uriah's wife.  How's that for the Holy Child's female ancestors?

Why did God include these women's names in Matthew's account of Christ's lineage?  Could it be that God wants us to realize that He can take a messed up life, one of a former pit-dweller, and use it for good and for His glory?  I personally think so.  Like Jesus, you may have some scandalous stories in your ancestry.  But just like Jesus, that doesn't have to be the end of the story.  God can redeem anything and anyone.  I praise Him that He does and that He redeemed me!

In Genesis 39 we watch as Joseph's story continues to unfold.  He is now in the service of Potiphar, and it is very apparent the LORD is with Him.  We read that the LORD blesses Potiphar because of Joseph.  But then his wife has to go and mess it all up, because apparently Joseph is rather handsome.

1. What did God do to redeem this wrong done to Joseph?  See vv. 21-23.
2. Then what happens in ch. 40 with the cupbearer and the baker?
3. To whom does Joseph give credit/glory in verse 8?
4. What does he ask of the cupbearer in v. 14?  Did he?  (v. 23)

Not only does God give Joseph dreams, as he did at the beginning of our readings, but now the LORD grants him the ability to interpret dreams.  This was only possible because Joseph knew that the interpretation came from God and not himself.  No wonder God kept blessing Joseph and everyone for whom he worked!  Joseph's life was a testimony of God's glory.  And it's about to get even better in the next chapter.  We'll talk about that tomorrow.  Let's end with Joseph's testimony to God's goodness.

His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.  (Gen. 39:3)  So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.  (Gen. 39:6)

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  (Gen. 39:21)  The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.  (Gen. 39:23)

A Limp, a Humbled Spirit, and a New Name (Gen. 30-33)

Are you completely riveted by Jacob's story?  His is a powerful one--lots of lessons we can take away from the chapters of his life.  In today's readings, we watched as God finally opened Rachel's womb to bear him a son, Jacob flee from Laban and return to the promised land, Jacob wrestling with God and receiving a new name, and then the patriarch humbly coming to his brother Esau for reconciliation.  What a section full of beauty!

Genesis 30 began with Rachel being envious of her sister Leah (that was probably a first--tables turned), and in frustration trying to get Jacob to do something about it.  She's rather dramatic, too.  "Give me children, or I shall die!"  I guess us girls can get that way when we are jealous or bitter.  Not a good or godly place for a woman to be.

Jacob naturally gets angry with her and points out that only God can give or not give children.  So, she gives her maidservant to him to bear some children for her.  That seems to work, so Leah takes the challenge and does the same.  Pretty soon we learn how one man can have 12 sons.

1. I love verse 22.  What does it say? 
2. What does Laban recognize about Jacob in verse 27?
3. What are God's instructions to Jacob in Gen. 31:3, 13?
4. What really foolish sin does Rachel commit in Gen. 31:19?  Why do you think she did this, since she seemed to believe in the one true God?

When Laban catches up to Jacob, he tries to paint Jacob as the one in the wrong and himself as the good guy.  Remember, Laban does not only worship God, but the gods of his land, too.  Yet he recognizes that Jacob's God has blessed him on Jacob's behalf.  When I read his words in Gen. 31:26-28, all I can think is, "Yea, right."  But what Laban has witnessed of the power of Jacob's God, and the dream he had of God speaking to him, have put some fear of the LORD into him, thankfully.

1. Notice what Jacob calls God in Gen. 31:42:  "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the __________________________ had not been on my side...."  What a powerful name!  Jacob seems to be intent on putting the fear of God into Laban's heart!  What did he tell Laban God had done to him in his dream?
2. Notice verse 53 also.  What does Laban call God?  Wait a minute...there's a different name in there than what we are used to!  See if you can go back and remember who Nahor was...and why Laban would include his name here (hint:  Genesis 11).

In chapter 32, we come to a huge turning point in Jacob's life and the history of God's chosen people.  This is evident right away with verse 1.

1. What happened in verse 1?  Can you even imagine what that experience must have been like?  I think we would have responded as he did in verse 2.
2. Take special note of how Jacob refers to himself over and over in this chapter and the next when it comes to encountering his brother, Esau, whom he cheated out of the firstborn blessing and took advantage of to get the firstborn birthright (i.e. not a very humble heart towards his brother in his younger years).  What does his heart condition seem to be now?  Find the words he uses regarding himself and Esau in verses 4, 5, 10, 18, 20.  (There's more in the next chapter, but stay here for now.)

Next, in Gen. 32:22-32, we come to a very climactic event in Jacob's life and the nation that will come from him.  Notice the first five words of verse 24.  This is key.  I can't even begin to emphasize the importance of having time alone so that God can meet you and take you to a new place in your journey with Him.  This is HARD for women to do with all of the demands on our time.  That is exactly why it is absolutely so crucial!

I'm going to speak from very personal experience here.  I have a lot of "Mary" in me (if you've studied Mary and Martha, you get this), but when I am in "mom mode" I turn very much into a "Martha"--which goes against my natural personality and desires.  But something about raising children, managing a home and homeschooling can turn me into Martha lickity-split.  Yuck.  I hate that (although we read about a wonderful faith and relationship she had with Jesus as well...and somebody had to prepare the food for the Lord to eat!).

But I can very closely relate to the psalmist in Psalm 42:1-2:  "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?" (emphasis mine)  There is truly nothing I long for more when I wake up than my time with Jesus (and a good cup of coffee to help me wake up at 5am...but He's still #1).  Sometimes, however, I hear a pitter-patter down the hallway that tells me my longing might be delayed.  "When can I go and meet with you, Lord?"

I could sit and write like this about God's Word for hours, too, because I love His Word more than life itself.  I love sharing His Word and seeing others get excited about all the treasures to be found in it!

Well, back in 2004, I had been seeking God's will for my life because of some unrest in my soul.  I knew He was trying to tell me something, but I was having a hard time discerning what it was.  Then one night I couldn't sleep.  It was the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep, so I decided to take advantage of the quiet and go spend some time with God and His Word.  I had no idea I was about to "wrestle with God" most of the night.

I prayed earnestly, read eagerly, and sought the Lord's guidance, listening with all my might and hoping to hear an answer.  Tears flowed as I prayed and listened.  Prayed and listened.  Then God led me to open my Bible to His Word to me at that moment in that circumstance, and I no longer wondered--I KNEW.  As God changed Jacob's name to Israel after his wrestling experience that led him to cry, "Do not let me go until you bless me!", so God changed my entire world with this Scripture:

At the Potter’s House (Jeremiah 18:1-6)

 ¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
 ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.  (emphasis mine)

I knew exactly what God was telling me.  It was as if He had changed my name, just like He did Jacob.  He was ready to shape me into a new vessel for His purposes--and I needed to be very pliable and ready for change.  My whole focus in life changed from that point on.  I left my career behind, trusting God to provide as He used me to do His work.  And He has been incredibly faithful.  He always is!

What I want to leave you with as you read over chapter 33, Jacob's encounter with his brother Esau, is this.  Jacob was a completely different man now than the last time he saw his brother.  It was not so much all the wives, children, flocks, herds, servants and possessions that made him different.  What made him different was a humbled spirit.  Time walking with the Lord will do that to a person.

Maturity in our faith doesn't happen over night.  It is a process.  Sanctification is a process.  We must be willing to go the marathon of faith, not just a sprint to the finish line.  Jacob had been through a marathon with God.  His time serving Laban had changed him from a bratty younger brother wanting all the best in life, to a mature patriarch ready to lead God's people.  Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is to not get what we want.  God does A LOT in the waiting.  Jacob believed in God's promises to his grandfather and his father, and now to him.  The "Fear of Isaac" was His God, and Jacob was a willing servant.

During that wrestling match, something else happened.  In addition to a new name, Jacob was also given a blow to the hip.

• What was he doing, according to Gen. 32:31, as he went to meet Esau?

Picture the scene.  Envoys with gifts to appease his brother, servants with humble words for Esau, and now here comes his younger brother, limping. 

The beauty of chapter 33 is the reconciliation that happens between these two brothers.  That's what our God is all about.  That's why He sent His Son, to reconcile us to Himself.  But it takes a broken spirit and a contrite heart...and sometimes a limp...to get us there.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart,
   O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 24-29)

In our last two days of readings this week, we see the life of the first Patriarch end and the lives of his son and grandson continue the covenantal blessing from God.  Did you LOVE the story of Abraham securing a wife for his son Isaac?  I guess I'm a hopeless romantic, but it doesn't get much more beautiful than this one.

1. How did Abraham go about finding a wife for his son Isaac?  What were his instructions?
2. What did his servant do in Gen. 24:12-14, specifically the first words of v. 12?
3. This was a rather bold and specific prayer Abraham's servant made, but would we expect him to do any less?  Should we do any less?  I am always so blessed when my father-in-law tells me how they prayed for the future spouses of all their children as they were growing up, and how I am God's answer to their prayers for Michael.  Do you pray for your children's future spouses?  If not, why not start today!  The person they choose to spend the rest of their life with will greatly impact their future and yours.  While you're at it, pray for the parents raising those precious children that will become part of your family.  They might just be praying for you and your child, too!
4. What did God do in response to the servant's prayer?  Take special note of these words:  Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. (Gen. 24:15a; emphasis mine)  Don't you love how God already has the answer planned--He just wants us to join Him in His perfect plan so we can rejoice in His provision!  (We tend to notice his provision more when we've been praying for it!)  Rebekah's brother and father see God's hand in it, too.  Read her brother Laban's words in Gen. 24:50-52.  How did the servant respond to all of this?

I absolutely love reading the part of this story when the servant is returning with Rebekah and she sees Isaac from afar.  When she learns that the man she sees is her groom, she covers herself with a veil...just like a bride.  Then the two become husband and wife through the act of becoming one flesh, and "Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death."  Now that is a love story worth preserving for all time!

Were you ready for Abraham to die so soon?  I wasn't.  I know he was 175 years old, but I wasn't ready for his part of the story to be over just yet.  But I suppose we can get all the other details of his life one day in heaven.  I might just have to pull up my chair and ask him to tell "the rest of the story."  I can hardly wait!

I cannot even fathom the family dynamics at Abraham's funeral.  Did you notice God is already keeping His promise to bless Abraham's descendants?  See if you can find the verse in ch. 25 that tells us this.

Now it's your turn.  Study the birth of Esau and Jacob in Gen. 25:19-34, and see how many significant things you can find for this family and the future nation that will come from them.  Remember to take special note of names and their meanings, because they usually prophesy what will happen in that person's life.  See if you can find study notes in your Bible that explain the significance of the birthright in Biblical history.

Did you find some interesting stuff?  Now look at ch. 26.

1. What does God tell Isaac to do in verse 2?  Sound familiar? 
2. Read God's words to Isaac in vv. 3-5.  Why does God promise to do all of this for Isaac (see verse 5)?  The reality is, our obedience (or disobedience) impacts our children and future descendants.  (More about this when God gives Moses the Ten Commandments.)
3. Did vv. 6-11 sound like a rediculous re-run?  I mean, really, did Abraham forget to tell Isaac not to repeat this deception of the "shes's my sister" line?  What was the name of the king, and in what land did they settle?  Compare this with Gen. 20:2.  Really?  A king by the same name in the same country fell for the same sinful deception by the same family of patriarchs.  What a weird coincidence.  Read Matthew Henry's commentary, stating that this was not the same man, but another by the same name.  Soap opera stuff, sister.
4. What did the LORD do in v. 24, and what was Isaac's response in v. 25?  How do we know that the LORD is once again keeping His promise?  Read vv.28-29 for the answer.  Isaac is now God's witness to other nations!
5. As a further reminder of our need to pray for our children's future spouses and raise them to choose godly partners for life, read about the family strife caused by Esau's heathen Hittite wives in Gen. 26:35.  Let us not take this truth lightly!  Not only do we need to pray for the ones they will marry, but we need to prepare our children to be good spouses themselves.

In Genesis 27, Rebekah falls to the temptation of being deceptive.  God had promised her that Jacob would rule over his brother (Gen. 25:23), but she's not willing to wait for God to do this.  So, like her mother-in-law Sarah, she takes matters into her own hands. 

• This is an excellent section of Scripture for you to take and dig deeper, using the 3-question method at the bottom of your reading plan.  Be sure to write down all that you learn.

Genesis 28 opens with Isaac sending Jacob to his brother-in-law Laban to find a wife (same place Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac).  He speaks quite a blessing over his son in the first few verses.  On his way, Jacob lays down to sleep and has an incredible dream.  You may have heard of "Jacob's ladder" in children's bible stories or songs.

1. What promise does the LORD give Jacob during this dream?
2. What does Jacob say about that place?
3. What does he do there, and what does he vow to do in the future?

Genesis 29 is another love story of a groom finding his bride, but this one gets messy (thanks to the father-of-the-bride).  I love how, when the other shepherds gathered at the well tell Jacob they need to wait to remove the stone until the other flocks arrive, but then Jacob sees Rachel approaching and turns into macho-man.  Did you catch that?  What did he do all by himself in verse 10?  Rolling stones away seems to be God's specialty, doesn't it?  Either God or some serious adrenaline helped Jacob roll that stone all on his own!

As you read how things unfolded for Jacob and Rachel, I'm sure you were outraged at Laban's deceitfulness.  This repeated sin seems to be the downfall of this whole family, doesn't it?  But did you feel sorry for Leah, too?  Notice the names she gives her sons and what she says:

1. Reuben--"for now my husband will love me"
2. Simeon--"because the LORD has heard that I am hated"
3. Levi--"now this time my husband will be attached to me"
4. Judah--"This time I will praise the LORD."

My heart goes out to Leah, because it was her father's sin that brought this upon her.  She didn't really have a choice in the matter.  Her words after her first three sons' births are so sad to me.  What woman could endure knowing she is not loved by her husband?  She hopes for the best each time, but it is not to be.

So finally, when she brings forth her fourth son, she gives him a very different name than the others--Judah, the Hebrew word for "praise."  She resolves that in the midst of her difficult life, she will praise the LORD.  God is good, whether or not her circumstances are good.  This son, Judah, is not only a turning point in her life with God but a turning point for all mankind.  From Judah's descendants would come the promised Messiah--Jesus Christ!

Let's close with the blessing Jacob will prophesy over his fourth son in our readings next week, and the words spoken to the disciple John concerning the fulfillment of this prophesy in Revelation.

Genesis 49:8-10 

 ⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you;
   your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
   your father’s sons will bow down to you.
⁹ You are a lion’s cub, O Judah;
   you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
   like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
   nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
   and the obedience of the nations is his.  

Revelation 5:5
And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." 

Leah, weep no more, but rather praise your God, because your promised Redeemer will surely come.

Sacrifice (Genesis 20-23)

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."  Gal. 3:8

In today's readings, we watch as God directs a divine drama of the gospel.  The actors cast for these leading roles?  Abraham and Isaac.  But it didn't seem much like a beautiful drama at the time; to father and son it must have seemed like a horror story.

More on this in a little, but first I want to make a clarification from yesterday's blog just to be sure I didn't confuse anyone.  I've learned that what I mean and what I say can come across as two different things (the down-side to us not being able to do this face-to-face), so please ask if you are ever unsure.  I probably don't even need to explain this, but I'd rather err on the side of doing so.

When I referred to having Joshua circumcised on the eighth day of his life, I want to be clear that we did not do that for spiritual or religious reasons.  Circumcision is no longer a requirement for God's people--it falls under the old covenant of the Old Testament.  Jesus ushered in a new covenant with His death and resurrection, and physical circumcision has no place in the new covenant.  We will learn much more about this at the end of the year when reading Paul's letters, because he and the apostles get into quite a discussion over the whole issue.  For our purposes today, circumcision is strictly a health-based decision, as well as a stigma-based one (boys' locker room kind of stuff here--ask your husband or your brother for more details if you like, because that's as far as I'm taking it).  Many people choose not to circumcise their sons today, and that is perfectly normal and acceptable.

Now, I want to reiterate the really amazing lesson for us in all of this, which is why I shared it yesterday in my post.  Our sovereign God, who created our intricate bodies and knows every single detail of how they function, knows that vitamin K will be most fully present in the male body on the eighth day of life.  Read this excerpt from an article by Apologetics Press:

On the eighth day, the amount of prothrombin present actually is elevated above one-hundred percent of normal—and is the only day in the male’s life in which this will be the case under normal conditions. If surgery is to be performed, day eight is the perfect day to do it. Vitamin K and prothrombin levels are at their peak. The chart below, patterned after one published by S.I. McMillen, M.D., in his book, None of These Diseases, portrays this in graphic form.




Dr. McMillen observed:

We should commend the many hundreds of workers who labored at great expense over a number of years to discover that the safest day to perform circumcision is the eighth. Yet, as we congratulate medical science for this recent finding, we can almost hear the leaves of the Bible rustling. They would like to remind us that four thousand years ago, when God initiated circumcision with Abraham....
Abraham did not pick the eighth day after many centuries of trial-and-error experiments. Neither he nor any of his company from the ancient city of Ur in the Chaldees ever had been circumcised. It was a day picked by the Creator of vitamin K (1984, p. 93).   ApologeticsPress.org

Isn't our God so amazing?!  What I pray you grasp here, dear sister, is that God's commands are always for our good.  They are our hedge of protection in life.  When we are living within the boundaries of God's commands, we are sheltered under His Almighty protection.  But if we choose to step outside that boundary, we face the unknown on our own like a child running away from home.  God really does have a reason for everything He says and does.  Oh that we would learn to believe Him!

Now for a man who "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  (Rom. 4:3)

As you read ch. 20, did you want to slap your hand to your forehead and say, "Are you kidding?  Didn't Abraham already make this mistake and learn his lesson?"  Well, let me ask you...do you always get it right after you are reprimanded and called to task when you've done wrong?  Or are you as likely as I am to make the same stupid mistakes numerous times before learning your/my lesson?  Notice that God doesn't give up on Abraham, though, and He does't give up on you or me either.

1. Who suffered the consequences of Abraham's deception this time, and what was that consequence?  (see vv. 17-18). 
2. Look carefully at verse 17--what did Abraham do to correct the wrong he had caused? 
3. How did Abraham come out of all of this, and how does this support the promise God gave to him when He first called him in Genesis 12?
4. In Genesis 21:1, what do you find comforting?
5. Just so you know, in biblical times children were usually weaned around the age of three.  Compare Genesis 16:16 and Genesis 21:5.  How old was Ishmael when Isaac was born?  Add 2-3 years, and you know how old they are as the feast in ch. 21 takes place.
6. What instruction did God give Abraham concering the family feud in Gen. 21:10-12?  What was the result of this (vv. 14-21)?  Did God keep His promise to Abraham regarding Hagar and Ishmael?
7. What did Abraham call God in Gen. 21:33?

This next chapter, Genesis 22, is of huge significance to the rest of the story (i.e. all the way through Revelation 22:21).  This is when God "preached the gospel in advance to Abraham."  Let's get a front row seat for this divine drama they have no idea they are about to perform.

• In verse 1, what do we learn God is doing?

Now, why do you think God decided to test Abraham?  For what they are worth (probably not much), here are my thoughts based on what I have learned over the years about the way God tends to work in the lives of those He calls to be His own.  You see, our God is like any true lover.  He wants to be sure He has the whole heart, mind and soul of His true love--you...and me.  (Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:30)  In this case it's Abraham He's after. 

But there's even more at stake here, because Abraham is the one from whom the entire nation of Israel (God's chosen people under the old covenant) will come, as well as all Gentile believers of every nation under the new covenant.  Not only is that a great blessing, but a great responsibility as well.  Abraham has certainly enjoyed the LORD's favor up to this point.  We have seen him conquer kings, be blessed by Melchizadek, save the lives of his foolish family members, and collect quite the number of flocks, herds, servants and peoples.  He apparently has a very beautiful wife, or he wouldn't keep lying about their relationship, and kings wouldn't keep taking her as their new wife!  He is successful in negotiating deals.  Finally, he receives the precious child of promise--Isaac--who will be his heir and from whom all nations on earth will be blessed...from whom will come the Messiah

I have been re-reading a classic book that I highly recommend every Christian read on their faith journey, and the chapter I recently finished illustrates the truth of what takes place in Genesis 22 beautifully...and painfully.  The book is Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.  It is a must-read.  And it has given me some insight into what God was asking of Abraham in this moment.

You see, God asked Abraham to sacrifice the very promise He had given to Abraham.  It was more than just his son Isaac (and that was quite a bit!).  It was everything Abraham had staked his entire life on when he followed God's call to leave Ur and go to the land God would show him, that God would make him into a great nation and all people's on earth would be blessed through him.  What God was asking Abraham to do in this time of testing was to give it all back to God.  If Abraham obeyed, he would be showing his LORD without a shadow of a doubt that God and God alone was the most important thing to him in life--not the promise, not his son, not his wife, not his own life, not his possessions--that God was all he wanted and all he needed, and that he was willing to give up everything in order to have God.  (Sounds rather like Jesus' words regarding the cost of discipleship, doesn't it?)

Now I want you to see the beauty of all that takes places during this drama.  Read it with these roles in mind:  Abraham--plays the part of God the Father; Isaac--plays the part of Jesus his only Son; the ram--substitutionary sacrifice (which is also Jesus).  Now read through Genesis 22 and find the following:

1. ...words God uses to describe Isaac (vv. 2, 12, 16).  Compare these to Matt. 3:17 and John 1:14. 
2. ...how Abraham describes what he and Isaac are about to do (v. 5)--i.e. what does he call it?
3. ...what Isaac carried to the place of sacrifice (v.6).  Compare this to John 19:17.
4. ...the significance of Abraham's response to Isaac in v. 8.  Compare to John 1:29. 
5. ...what Abraham bound Isaac to (v. 9).  What does this foreshadow with Christ?
6. ...what God does when Abraham is willing to sacrifice his only son
7. ...how God knows Abraham truly fears Him
8. ...God's provision for the sacrifice instead of Abraham's son.  Contrast this with Mark 15:39.  How does it unfold differently for God and His only Son?
9. ...the name Abraham gave the place of sacrifice/worship.  This is the Hebrew word Jehovah-jireh.
10. ...God's response to Abraham's complete and total surrender to Him (vv. 17-18).  Who benefited from Abraham's obedience?  (look for as many people as you can find in these two verses)

Wow.  What a role to play--the part of God sacrificing His only Son.  Thankfully, Abraham walked back down that mountain with his son Isaac walking with him.  I imagine they both worshipped their Jehovah-jireh all the way down, through tears of joy!  When it came time for the Father and the Son to perform the real deal, it ended in rejoicing as well on Easter morning!

In chapter 23, we read about the death of Sarah and Abraham securing a burial site for her body.  This is significant because all of the Patriarchs and their wives will be buried at this same place.  In fact, Joseph will even give instructions to his future descendants in Egypt to carry his bones back to Canaan one day so that he might be buried with his fathers on this same site...and Moses will carry them bones all the way home.

Hebrews 11:11-19 (English Standard Version)
¹¹By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹²Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

 ¹³These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
 ¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." ¹⁹ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.  

Covenant (Gen. 15-19)

Are you enjoying your Biblical soap opera yet? 

If you are at all like me, the wickedness of human beings' natural inclinations, and our disgusting habit of acting upon our sinful desires, might cause you to avoid soap operas and most of what is on t.v. these days.  You know what they say:  "what you think about, you bring about," and "garbage in, garbage out."  So why in the world would I choose to let that junk on t.v. go into my subconscious?  But when it comes to God's Word, it has divine power to instruct us and help us turn from sin rather than commit sin.  (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)  I pray you have been a student of these lessons from God this week.

Since I did not have the opportunity to blog about yesterday's readings, I will do two days in one.  So hang on...here we go!

1. In chapter 14, why does Lot find out his choice of places to live was a poor one?  What happens to Lot and his family in verses 11-12?  (As we know, the situation will grow much worse in ch. 19.)
2. What is Abram called in 14:13?  Abram the ____________  This is the first time we read of him being called by this name, as he is now the leader of a new nation.  God granted Abram great success, too, in defeating these kings in order to rescue his nephew.  God's promises to Abram are already coming to pass--blessed to be a blessing.
3. Now don't skip over this brief section on Melchizadek, because he is incredibly significant to all of us!  Who was he, and what did he do in verses 18-20?  What did Abram do in response (notice another first that is recorded)?  Also, notice God being called by a new name:  God Most High ("El Elyon" in Hebrew).
4. Did you think that is all God had to say about Melchizadek?  Think again!  Turn to Hebrews 6:19-7:17 for some amazing insight about this mysterious priest.  Who does he resemble?  What future Priest will come in the same order as Melchizadek?  We will talk much more about this when we get to the study of Hebrews, and all the references to Levi and Aaron will make much more sense after we study Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, so hang in there!
5. Genesis 15:1 has a beautiful promise.  What does God promise to be for His people?  Abram responds by calling God by a new name again:  Sovereign LORD ("Adonai" in Hebrew).  Then God gives Abram another promise in verses 4-5.  Read Abram's response and the resulting blessing for all who respond in faith to God:  "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness."  (Gen. 15:6)  Now that is the only kind of credit I want!
6. God makes a covenant with Abram in Gen. 15 in which they both play a part.  What did God tell him to do, and then what did God do?
7. In Genesis 15:13-16, God let Abram know what will happen to his descendants in the future.  What is this prophecy?  At the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus, we will read as this comes to pass.  Do you know the name of the man God will send as their deliverer?  (Ex. 3:6-10)
8. In Genesis 16, things get messy.  The sin of unbelief is serious to God.  What happens in verse 2?  Did you notice a hint of frustration with God coming from Sarai?  Unfortunately, we can probably all relate with that.  Then she decides to take matters into her own hands, helping God out, so that the LORD can keep His promise to them.  NOT a wise move.  We are still suffering the consequences of her actions today, as the conflict between the descendants of the two sons of Abraham (Ishmael and Isaac) cause much war, slaughter and persecution today (how many soldiers and civilians do you know that have been over in Afghanistan or Iraq, and how many horror stories of persecution have you heard of our fellow Christians in Muslim dominated countries?).  Sister--next time you think taking matters into your own hands instead of waiting on God is no big deal, THINK AGAIN!  What looks like a great back-up plan could be a huge deception from the Enemy.
9. In the midst of this sad story, we see the slave girl Hagar call God by a new name:  the God who sees me ("El Roi" in Hebrew) in Gen. 16:13.  Dear one, He sees you and is concerned for you, coming to your aid in your time of need.  In regards to my comments in question 8, be sure to take note of what the angel of the LORD prophecied about Ishmael in verses 11-12.  Not a pretty future.
10. Now we get to a beautiful chapter of Scripture--Genesis 17!  This time God calls Himself by a new name:  God Almighty ("El Shaddai" in Hebrew).  I love Abram's response to God's command to "walk before Me and be blameless."  What does Abram do?  O that we would all fall on our faces before the Almighty God who alone can make us blameless!  Then what does God do in verse 5, and why?  Names have incredible significance in Biblical times, so always take note of their meaning.  In verse 15 we see this again.  What does God tell Abraham to call his wife?  Not just the name--look at its meaning.  What did He just tell him to call her?  Princess!!!  I love it!  Don't you want your husband to call you princess?  Me too!  Why was she to be called by this name?
11. Abram does it again in verse 17, but this time he doesn't just fall on his face at the promise--he laughs!  Sarah will laugh, too, when she hears the LORD speak this promise--and then she has the gall to argue with Him about it (this seems like it would have been a funny conversation to watch--Gen. 18:15).  Because of their laughter, what was their son's name to be, and what does it mean?
12. Now let's take a look at one of the most crucial points in Abraham's life, a covenant between his descendants and God that would mark them forever as God's children.  Read Gen. 17:7-14.  What beautiful promise did God make to Abraham regarding his descendants at the end of verse 8?  What assurance for our children!  My heart's greatest desire is that the one true God will be their God forever.  Read how this was true for Abraham's descendants in Psalm 48:14.
13. What is this covenant God is making between Himself and Abraham, and why?  (see vv. 10-11)  When a new baby boy is born, when is he to be circumcised?  I have to share with you the amazing provision of God in this aspect of His instructions.  During our last pregnancy with Joshua, we learned that by the eighth day of life, vitamin K (which gives your blood the ability to clot) has fully come in so that you can be cut and not bleed to death.  Do you see why God gave the command to do this sign of the covenant on the eighth day?  I love the preciseness of God!  (and yes...we had Joshua circumcised on the eighth day because we thought this was such a beautiful work of God--why inject it into his body on the first day when God provides it naturally by the 8th?  We didn't know this with Caleb.)
14. Who was to be circumcised (vv. 12-13)?  What happened to those who weren't, and why (v. 14)?  Now this gets exciting after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because all of this changes.  We'll get to that much later this year, but for now, see a glimpse of what God is truly after in each of His children:  Romans 2:25-29 (The Message)  This is not just an outward sign, but a spiritual work within our hearts.  The "cutting off of flesh" from the body was to symbolize the "cutting off of sin" from our hearts.  For those of you who want to discover even more about this beautiful sign that points ahead to what God now does in baptism instead of circumcision, look up the following verses:  Deut. 10:16; Deut. 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:29 and Col. 2:11.  The intense pain that comes with physical circumcision (I did NOT enjoy watching this aspect of Joshua's procedure, or when they handed Caleb to me screaming after his), is a stark indicator of the pain that comes when God our Healer cuts the flesh from our hearts, removing our sin nature and marking us with His Holy Spirit to help us walk in His ways instead.  The Refiner's fire hurts, but as it hurts it brings healing and joy unspeakable.  We will see this over and over again in the lives of the people we will study this year.  I have surely seen it in my own life as well.
15. In contrast to Abraham and his entire household being set apart as God's people, we read about the wickedness of the people of Sodom and how it affects Lot's family.  We read in ch. 18 that Abraham is visited by three men.  Who are these men?  (Gen. 18:20-21; Gen. 19:1)  I can't even wrap my mind around how incredible that visit must have been!  Abraham is quite the host, too.  Then he becomes quite the uncle.  What does he do on behalf of his nephew Lot in verses 22-33?  Abraham refers to God by a new name:  God our Judge ("Shophet" in Hebrew).
16. Lot seeks to be a good host to the two angels, just like his uncle.  But unlike his uncle Abraham, Lot is not nearly so obedient when they are trying to save his neck in answer to Abraham's prayer.  What were the Sodomites trying to do to the angels (you may need to read different translations to get the full meaning of this sin)?  What wicked thing did Lot offer to do in order to get them to stop?  What do you think his wife, daughters and future sons-in-law thought about his offer to the Sodomites?  How do the angels intervene?
17. As God is about to destroy Sodom, the angels tell Lot and his family to flee and not look back.  What does Lot's wife do?  What is the result?  Verse 29 tells us why God spared Lot's family.  For whose sake does He spare them?  Then Lot goes to the hills out of fear (ironically, where he told the angels he did not want to run because he feared what would happen to them).  Once again, Lot's poor choice of dwelling places leads to wickedness within his own family, this time by his two daughters.  (What do you expect, considering the example their own father had set for them?)
18. I encourage you to summarize in a letter to God what you have learned in reading these six chapters.  God has likely taught you some beautiful and hard truths through this--much more than just what I have covered.  Ask God what He wants to say to you, then sit and listen, writing it down beside your letter to Him.  This is the most important thing we could do in response to the study of God's Word.  One day you will look back upon what you have written and treasure it with all your heart.  No doubt you will treasure it today, too.

Here is a recap of our names of God so far: 
Elohim (Creator God)
Jehovah/Yaweh (the LORD; covenant maker/keeper)
El Elyon (God Most High)
Adonai (Sovereign LORD)
El Roi (the God who sees me)
El Shaddai (God Almighty)
Shophet (God our Judge/Ruler)

May I leave you with this thought from our readings today:  "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"  Gen. 18:14

Abraham's Call (Gen. 12-13)

Good morning precious sisters!  I enjoyed our time together in God's Word yesterday morning with those of you who were there.  With anticipation, I look forward to all we have ahead of us on this journey together!  I am praying for you, that God will empower you to be faithful to your study of His holy Word.

Today we begin our in-depth look into the lives of the Patriarchs:  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  These men will be our focus of study through the end of the book of Genesis.  As Michael said yesterday, you are likely to see yourself and your life circumstances somewhere in the upcoming pages of Genesis.  In fact, you may be discovering for the first time just how much the accounts of Biblical figures resemble a soap opera!  (Who needs tv, right?  Especially with what is on it these days!)

Below are some questions to use as you study Genesis 12-13, helping you to more fully understand the "what," "so what," and "where's Jesus?" in these chapters.

1. Why would you want to study the life of Abraham?  Look up the following verse to find out:  Isaiah 51:1-2 
2. For those of us who are not of Jewish descent, how does this apply to us?  Turn to Galatians 3:6-9 and Romans 4:3 (NIV) and 4:16-24 (The Message) to see why we as Gentile believers are included in the covenant God made with Abraham.
3. (Notice his name is still Abram at this point--when God changes someone's name in Scripture, it is because of a work He has done in their life...so watch for it.)  What a) command and b) promise did God give to Abram in Gen. 12:1-3?
4. According to Acts 7:2, when/where did this encounter between God and Abram occur?  How is it described?  From this moment on, Abram will leave the many gods that his people worship and follow the one true God, worshipping Him alone.  What a turning point in history!
5. Look again at the call and the promise in Genesis 12:1-3.  Why are we, as God's people, blessed?  The answer is tucked in at the end of verse 2 and the end of verse 3.  What does this mean for us as His people today?
6. What does Abram do twice in Gen. 12:7-9?  Why do you think this is significant?
7. Now try to wrap your mind around this one, especially in Abram's age where so much of the world was still unknown to man.  Read Hebrews 11:8.  What strikes you as crazy and amazing? 
8. Have you ever followed a calling from God in which you had no idea where you were going, but knew He wanted you to go?  As a pastor's wife, I have experienced this four times--but not to the extent Sarah did.  I have always known the PLACE to which we were headed, but sometimes with absolutely no idea why.  I laugh to imagine the conversation between the two of them as Abram explained to Sarai what God had told him to do, but having no idea where they were going (and they were leaving a booming metropolis area to become nomads, to boot!).  What a woman to obey and honor her husband as she did!  God even commends her for it and instructs us as women of God to follow her example in 1 Peter 3:6.  God never says our husbands must be perfect in order for us to respect and obey them (since we aren't perfect, either).  Example #1 of this takes place in Genesis 12:10-20, doesn't it?
9. What sin does Abram commit, and ask his wife Sarai to commit, for the sake of his own well-being?  (Historical note:  Sarai was actually Abram's half-sister, but a half-truth is still a lie!)  Who suffered the consequences of Abram's sin?  Besides the obvious distress it surely caused Sarai, see. v. 17-19 for the others afflicted.  Dear one, our sin always has consequences--either we pay the price ourselves, or someone else does.  We may think our sin has gone unnoticed and without effect, but sometimes the worst consequence is what it does to us on the inside and to our relationship with God.  Unfortunately, we can also reap the pain of other people's sin, especially those closest to us.  When a bomb explodes, those nearest are hurt the most.
10. Talk about some tense family dynamics!  Abram and Lot definitely have some struggles, in which Abram takes the high road and lets Lot choose his land first.  That choice of Lot's will prove to be a poor one in tomorrow's readings.  In Genesis 13:14-17, God reiterates His promise to Abram, giving Him a new task in verse 17.  What did God tell Abram to do in v. 17?  Has God ever told you to figuratively "walk on the land" He has given you (this usually comes in the form of a calling from God on your life, which does not necessarily mean professional church-work as we tend to believe, but rather the ministry in this world for which He has shaped and called you--Ephesians 2:10)?  If so, how did you respond?

I encourage you to print off these questions and write your answers down, then put them in the notebook you are keeping as we study through the Bible.  Bring these to our Bible class discussion on Sunday mornings so we can share what we have learned and you can ask questions for clarification.  This will greatly enhance our time together! 

For those of you outside Cypress or from another church, I encourage you to do the same.  At the end of this year, you will have quite a record of what God has taught you from His Word!

May the following be true of all of us:

Psalm 119:97-104
⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!
   It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
   for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers,
   for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,
   for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹I hold back my feet from every evil way,
   in order to keep your word.
¹⁰²I do not turn aside from your rules,
   for you have taught me.
¹⁰³How sweet are your words to my taste,
   sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴Through your precepts I get understanding;
   therefore I hate every false way.

Write this one on a notecard and commit to memory, dear one.  It will bless you as you pray it to your loving Father who hears the cry of your heart.

The Table of Nations (Genesis 10-11)

We ended our study yesterday with the three sons of Noah.  From these three men come a variety of peoples and nations that will fill the earth until it has nearly 7 billion people, over 13,000 people groups, and over 10,000 languages and dialects as it does today.  Staggering.

But I feel the need to back up a bit for those of you brand-new to Bible study, or at least to the study of the Old Testament.  If you have a study Bible with lots of great commentaries and explanations about each book of the Bible, READ THOSE.  You will learn so much, and all that you are reading will make so much more sense.  If you don't have one, get one.  It will be the best money you ever spent.

Much of what I am sharing with you I learned from studying the book of Genesis through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF Int'l) and Beth Moore's The Patriarchs, as well as reading those great study notes and commentaries in my Bible.  But ultimately it was all the teaching of the Holy Spirit when I spent time in His word.  I can guarantee He will do the same for you when you seek Him with all your heart and pray for wisdom, dear sister.

"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it."  (Jeremiah 29:13-14, The Message)

The first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch, a word derived from two Greek words--pente meaning "five" and teuchos meaning "volumes".  So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy make up the Pentateuch.  All of these books are attributed to Moses as the author, and if you were a devout Jew in Jesus' day or even today, you would have them memorized.  Now, Moses writing these first five books might not strike you as amazing just yet, but by the time we get to Moses on our journey through the Bible, you will realize that he wrote these books more than 2,000 years after all these events took place.  And we know Moses was not present at Creation to give such a detailed account of God's handiwork.

So how did Moses know all of this stuff?  God told him every single word to write.  That is why we refer to Scripture as the inerrant word of God--i.e. without error.  It is not man's writing but God's writing. 

Keep that in mind as you read through the boring lists of geneologies throughout Scripture.  God remembered every single person.  They may have been a blip on His kingdom calendar and insignificant to you and me, but the LORD remembered their names--they are part of His story, just as we are today.  The One "who rides the ancient skies above" (Ps. 68:33) has intimate knowlege of every person He ever created.  That includes you, dear one.  Let these detailed geneologies be a reminder to you of how intimately God knows your name and your place in His Kingdom plan.

Next time you feel rather insignificant in this world, pull out a list like the one in Genesis 10 and be reminded that even those whom we never read another word about were included.  They were all part of the plan.  So are you!  This is not just a warm-fuzzy reminder, sister; it is actually rather humbling.  I certainly feel inept for the task of God's plan for His Kingdom!  It is realizations like this that help us keep a proper perspective on our desperate need for God's power to be at work within us. 

The good news?  Neither you nor I are capable enough to mess up God's perfect, eternal plan...or to bring it to fruition.  It's totally dependent upon Him.  His grace covers our mistakes.  His grace uses the talents which He has given us.  And His grace will bring to completion the good work He began in us (Phil. 1:6)...despite us.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Eph. 2:10)

I am guessing that not many of you have studied Genesis 10 and 11 much.  They are not among the more popular chapters for Bible studies and sermons, except for the Tower of Babel.  So we are going to look at these two chapters in-depth during our time together Sunday morning.  It will be so much more fun to discuss them in person!  You are going to be amazed at what is really going on here.

In these two chapters, God sets the stage for Himself to call a people group to be His chosen nation, set apart to be holy and to fulfill His plan of redemption for the whole world.  Before He does that, however, God seems to work against Himself by confusing the languages of the peoples and dispersing them over the whole world, giving the need for foreign missions.  We know that at some point in history, God also separated people by dividing the world from one large land-mass into seven continents.  Whether it happened before Babel or after, we cannot be sure.  But God is not just complicating world missions.  The Almighty is setting the stage for all peoples to bring great glory to His Name.

We read the names of nations that will come up over and over again throughout the Old Testament, so take note.  The summary of all of it?  "From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood." (Gen. 10:32b)

Tomorrow we will learn from where the name "Hebrew" came as the name of God's chosen people.  It's right there in Genesis 10.  We will also discover the interesting play on words in Genesis 11 as the people attempt to build the Tower of Babel.  God has quite a sense of humor in His writing when you have clues to the original languages.  He was certainly the first comedian!  We will also see how God's decision in Gen. 6:3 came to pass in Gen. 11.  Most importantly, we will have God introduce us to a man with whom He will build a beautiful relationship and make a significant covenant.  Our readings next week are some of my favorite in the Old Testament.  I can't wait for our time together tomorrow in the most precious Book ever written--God's Holy Word!

The Promise (Genesis 8-9; Psalm 12)

How I love God's Word!  I hope you gals are enjoying this journey through the Bible as much as I am.  I can hardly wait each morning to get started, and then I can hardly wait to share my thoughts with you.  I know I'm crazy.  Thanks for putting up with me.

As a Bible teacher, I want to be sure you're getting as much from this journey as you can.  So today I'm going to give you some questions that will hopefully guide you to discover great insight for yourself.  This is when it gets good--when it's just you and God.  The Holy Spirit is a teacher like none other!

Genesis 8 and 9
1.  Underline the first four words of chapter 8, verse 1, then write down what that means for your heart.

2.  Find every command or instruction that you can which God gave to Noah in these two chapters.

3.  What was Noah's response to God for saving his family from destruction and bringing them forth from their place of refuge?  (Gen. 8:20)

4.  What was God's response to this beautiful act of worship which Noah offered?

5.  Now for the best part--find God's promise, the covenant which the LORD made with Noah and all peoples to come.  What was it, and how would it be remembered?

6.  See how many similarities you can find between what God spoke to Noah in chapter 9 and what He did with Adam in chapters 1 and 2. 

7.  Did you notice that God is now providing a new form of food to people after the Flood?  What is it?  (Maybe this had something to do with what we read at the beginning of Gen. 8:21).  :)

8.  Now--I love this--why did God put the sign in the sky that He would never flood the earth and destroy every living thing again?  For whom was this reminder intended?  (Gen. 9:15-16)

9.  What happens in Gen. 9:24-27?

Take note of Noah's three sons in Gen. 9:18-19, and 24-27, because every human being of our day comes from these three men and their wives.  Shem is especially important, because God's chosen people would come from him.  That is why the Jewish people are also called Semites.  This geneology will get REAL interesting in upcoming chapters as we discover where both the Jews and the Muslims originated, and how this impacts our world situation today.  Lest you think the Bible is an out-dated manuscript that has no impact on your life today, think again dear friend!  You are about to discover a world of information that impacts every aspect of your life!

The Flood (Genesis 6-7)

In Genesis 6, we learn that in addition to the sins we have read about thus far, adultery and promiscuous sex have become an evil that controls mankind.  Disappointed with the behavior of the ones who bear His image, God determines that man's life-span will be decreased to 120 years.  Apparently 800-900 years of watching a man misbehave was more than the Almighty would tolerate.

"The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." (Gen. 6:5)  As Michael pointed out in his message on Sunday, the saddest statement in all of Scripture is made in the next verse:  "The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." (Gen. 6:6)  Our sin filled God's heart with pain.  That is almost more than I can bear!  It is statements like this in the Bible that make me want to fall on my face in repentance.

But there is a glimmer of hope.  One man still pleased God--Noah.   "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  This is the account of Noah.  Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." (Gen. 6:8-9)  His father Lamech's prophecy is beginning to come to pass (see Gen. 5:29).

For those of us that think of "Noah's Ark" as a cute, preschool children's story, let's think again.  I'm guessing you will never look at it the same after today's readings.  Here are the statements regarding the condition of mankind during Noah's day:
¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth."
¹⁷ "I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish." 

Heavy stuff, isn't it?  Not just a bunch of cute animals on a big boat with a rainbow in the sky.  Those are part of the story, all right, but so is mass destruction of the human race and every creature ever created.  Picture the people drowing in the waters as they rise, dead bodies floating everywhere.  It is a drama you would never forget if you were Noah and his family watching it take place.  And you would be humbly grateful to the gracious God who saved you in the midst of great destruction, just as all followers of Christ will be on the Last Day.

Did you notice the intricate details with which God gave Noah the plans for building the ark?  We will see the LORD do this again with Moses when He gives such detailed plans for the builing of the tabernacle and all that went with it.  The LORD was faithful to Noah, giving him everything he needed to do God's will.  He does the same for us today, dear one.  We just need to open His Word and receive His instruction.  Remember those words, "Noah walked with God."  Pray daily for these words to be true of you and me as well.

God is so pleased with what He sees in Noah's heart that He says, "But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you." (Gen. 6:18)  The Almighty tells Noah exactly who to bring upon the ark with him (notice the difference in the numbers of animals given in chapter 7...we'll talk about this on Sunday). 

What was Noah's response to God's directions?  "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." (Gen. 6:22)  Wow.  That had to be hard among people who had no idea a flood was coming, had never seen rain like that before, and likely thought Noah was out of his mind.  Try to picture it.  But God commends the faith of Noah in the "hall of faith" chapter of Hebrewss 11:  "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." (Heb. 11:7)

Read through chapter 7 and find all the examples you can of how orderly and precise is our God.  Share yours in the comment section, if you like.  I'd love to hear what you gals discover!  When I read sections of Scripture like this, I am reminded anew that our God is not random whatsoever in His ways, but rather He is intentional and precise in His plan for all of time.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End!  I am just a little blip on His Kingdom calendar, grateful to be a teeny, tiny part of the Greatest Story--HIStory!

When it comes to this fallen world in which we live, I don't know about you, but I sure want to be on the side of the Almighty God who runs the show.  I pray that for you and me both it would be written, "But [insert your name]  found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  [Your name] was a righteous woman, blameless among the people of her time, and she walked with God." (adapted from Gen. 6:8-9)  Let's encourage one another to let God work this beautiful description into each of our hearts!

The Fall (Genesis 3-5; Proverbs 8)

Today we begin with the turning point in the history of humankind--the Fall.  A lot of "firsts" happen in Genesis 3:  first lie, first temptation, first sin, first shame, first cover-up, first relationship destroyed, first blame-game, first confession, first recognition of Satan as a deceiver, first curse, first promise of a Messiah, first promise of Satan's future destruction, first parental challenge, first marrital conflict, first work struggle and first sacrifice for sin.  Wow.  How's that for the Gospel wrapped up in one little chapter of the Bible?

And it all begins with Satan questioning God and attempting to cast doubt in the minds of God's image-bearers.  Notice the Enemy doesn't go to Adam with this tactic.  He recognizes Eve as the more vulnerable of the two, and he seems to already be aware of the influence this beautiful creature has upon her man.  Yet we learn in Genesis 3:6 that Adam was right there with her when the serpent was tempting her.  Did Adam stand up to the serpent and say, "No way!  This is what God commanded us."  Did Adam seek to protect his wife from the wiles of the Enemy?  No.  He passively stood by and listened, then joined Eve in her folly when she offered the fruit to him.  She was vulnerable and covetous, and he was passive.  Satan succeeded in marring God's image upon mankind--because God is not passive, nor can He be tempted (James 1:13).

We must give Eve credit for at first speaking God's truth when the serpent sought to create doubt in her mind.  In verses 2 and 3 she responds with the true words of God's command to them.  But then Satan makes it all too desirable when he assures them they will be like God.  Does he do that to you like he does to me, getting our focus off God's good commands and instead onto all the benefits that lie in store if we just do what he is suggesting?  Surely no harm will come from it but only good, right?  His tactics never change--he uses the same old tricks as he did in the garden.

In verse 9 God asks Adam, "Where are you?"  Of course God knew exactly where he was, but He is giving Adam the opportunity to reflect on what has just happened and take ownership of his sin.  The truth is, where Adam and Eve were was separated from God for the first time since He breathed life into them.  Death had begun in their mortal bodies because of the choice they made.  Adam blames Eve, then Eve blames the serpent.  But they both own up to eating the fruit.  Confession of sin.

Sin has consequences, and the first sin brought consequences for all of mankind and creation.  Take note, however--only two curses are given, and they are NOT upon the man or the woman.  God curses Satan, giving the first promise of a Messiah--that one who comes from woman (Jesus) will one day crush Satan's head.  Last of all God curses the land, causing it to no longer be this amazing garden easily providing every need for the human race.  Now instead it will produce thorns and thistles and will be worked by the sweat of man's brow.

In between these two curses, God lets the woman know that now she will give birth in pain (and He seems to imply that she will raise children with pain, too).  Then God makes it clear that since she invited her husband to join her in sin, now her relationship with him will be ripe with conflict throughout their lives.  She must be submissive to her husband, now, because she led him into sin.  Have we not seen the pain of child-rearing and the conflict of marriage played out over and over in the lives of humans ever since?  In case you feel frustrated with either of these, now you know the source. 

Because Adam listened to Eve, he will now have to work HARD for everything they need to survive.  Sound familiar?  Now you know why.  Instead of getting frustrated with your man for this, try being a blessing instead of a curse to him and show him your appreciation for all he does to provide for you and your family.  (I'm speaking to myself on this one, too, just so you know!)  For those of you who work outside the home, remember this the next time you deal with conflicts and frustrations at work.  It all began in the garden with the Enemy of our souls.

So the man and woman try to cover up with fig leaves.  Our cover-up for our sin is always pathetic, isn't it?  God makes very clear to man after the first sin that we do not have the ability to make it right when we sin.  Only God can make it right.  So the first sacrifice had to be made.  We can read between the lines that God sacrificed an animal in order to clothe them with the animal's skin (verse 21).  This is a foreshadow of the Lamb who will be slain to cover the sins of the world--Jesus.  It is also the first of many animals to be sacrificed for the sins of God's people, which we will read about in coming chapters.

Now, because God loves the man and woman who are made in His image, and He plans to one day redeem His image in them which has now been marred by sin, he sends them out of the garden.  How is that good?  Well, think about it. 

If they remain in that garden and decide to eat from the tree of life, they will live forever--in their sinful condition.  No way!  God has a much better plan.  He is going to continually give them the promise of a Savior, so that they might believe in this coming Messiah.  Then one day the Messiah will come, and they can now believe in the one who came, died and rose again to give them new life.  God is going to allow man to die physically, but not spiritually.  He will provide a way for new spiritual life!  When man believes in Christ as his Savior and sheds his decaying body at his final breath, he will be given a new and perfect body for eternity!  Oh how good is our God!

We will eventually read in Revelation the fulfillment of this, when man enters heaven and returns to the tree of life, whose "leaves...are for the healing of the nations."

Genesis 4 tells us the story of Adam and Eve's first sons.  We learn that they have already begun the practice of giving to God from His provision to them.  Cain, however, seems to do so out of duty, not devotion.  He just gives a portion, but not the first portion as he should.  Abel, on the other hand, gives the first and the best to God.  God makes it clear to Cain He is displeased with his half-hearted offering, and out of jealousy Cain commits the first murder.  Just like God did with Adam, He gives Cain the opportunity to confess his sin when He asks Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?"  Unlike his father Adam, Cain refuses to confess his sin to God, speaking in a way to Him that I refer to as "sassing back."  Not good.

So, unlike his father and mother, Cain receives a curse upon himself (v. 11).  He is permanately separated from God (vv. 14, 16).  I cannot imagine anything that would grieve me more than this:  "from Your face I shall be hidden," and "[he] went away from the presence of the LORD."  O the pain this must have given to Eve's heart!

But God is good and faithful.  He allows Adam and Eve to bring forth another son named Seth, and from this son will eventually come God's chosen people.  Seth gave birth to a son named Enosh, and for the first time "people began to call upon the name of the LORD."

In Genesis 5 we realize that the first man and woman were created without sin, but their offspring and all that would come after them are born with a sinful nature (Gen. 5:1, 3).  David confirms this truth in Psalm 51:5.  Most of chapter 5 is the geneology of Adam, letting us know just how long man lived when the world was new (by the way, Methuselah holds the record with 969 years).  But a few beautiful verses are tucked in there!

For the first time ever we read the phrase that a man "walked with God" when we come to Enoch in verse 22.  Not only that, but we learn that Enoch never faced death!  "Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." (Gen. 5:24)  Did you know that was in Scripture?  You can read about him again in the great "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11:5.  Enoch is commended for pleasing God--wow.  I want to please God so much that He just can't wait any longer so He takes me straight up to heaven to be with Him!  The only other person God does this with in Scripture is Elijah.  What a legacy!

Then Lamech gives the first prophecy we read from a man's lips.  It is in regards to his son Noah.  In the next two day's readings, we will read about that prophecy being fulfilled.

Finally, we read Proverbs 8, a great passage about wisdom.  So many beautiful truths are in this chapter, so be sure to take them all in.  If we will seek wisdom above all other things, we will not be so likely to commit the sins we have read about thus far; and when we do, we will be wise enough to know we need to go to God on our knees in brokeness and confession.  Read this glorious promise: 

³² “Now then, my children, listen to me;
   blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³ Listen to my instruction and be wise;
   do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen to me,
   watching daily at my doors,
   waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me find life
   and receive favor from the LORD.
³⁶ But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
   all who hate me love death.”

Dear friends, let us not neglect wisdom, but seek it with our whole heart.  Enjoy your search this day.