A Change of Plans
Today’s Passage – Genesis 45 – 47 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read the “0118 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Just Let It Go,” “Reconciliation,” and “The Big Picture”
“1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:1-5)
“2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.” (Genesis 46:2-4)
In the Bible, most of the time Egypt is not considered a good place to go for God’s people. Some have said that Egypt pictures or typifies the world. Abram went down into Egypt with Sarai and Lot right after God had showed them the spot within the land of Canaan that He was going to bless him:
“7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. … 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.” (Genesis 12:7, 10)
In Egypt, a couple of bad things happened to Abram and his family. It was there that he lied to Pharaoh about his wife, saying she was his sister. In Egypt they likely also picked up the Egyptian handmaid for Sarai, named Hagar, who later would have relations with Abram that would produce Ishmael. This plan was an attempt to make the will of God happen, but they were just getting ahead of God instead of waiting for God to do it. Egypt is also the place that Lot developed a taste for the big city, After returning to Canaan, Lot became dissatisfied with boring old uncle Abram, and wanted to move out on his own and pitched his tent toward Sodom (Genesis 13:10).
Much later on in the Scriptures, after the invasion of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, the remnant that were left in what was left of the city of Jerusalem went against Jeremiah’s advice and left for Egypt because they thought life would be better for them there. However, Jeremiah told them that the bad things that they feared in Jerusalem would find them in Egypt, and even though Jerusalem was a ruined and dangerous place, it would be safe for them because it was the place of God’s will (Jeremiah 42).
However, there are a couple of place where God made exceptions about Egypt. Here in our text, God assured Jacob that it was His will for Jacob to move his family into Egypt. Also, in the New Testament, Joseph and Mary were directed by the Angel of the Lord to go down into Egypt to protect the Lord Jesus from Herod (Matthew 2:13).
My point is this, if you are thinking about doing something that may be questionable, please make sure that have clear direction from the Lord, as Jacob and Joseph did. The will of God is discernible today through the Word of God, prayer, and godly counsel. However, every once in a while God will call you to do something that may not be in complete agreement with some of the counselors in your life. However, before you pull the trigger on a decision like that, be 100% positive that God wants you to do it. The counselors in Jacob’s life may have thought that it was dangerous to go into Egypt, and usually they would be right. But, in this particular case, it was the will of God.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Reconciliation
Today’s Passage – Genesis 45 – 47 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read a previous post from this passage – “Just Let It Go” and “The Big Picture”
“4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. … 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.” (Genesis 45:4, 14-15)
Often when I write about this passage or reference it in a sermon, I am primarily focused on the theological aspect of God’s “big picture” plan that was in the background of all the events surrounding the lives of Joseph and his brothers. God allowed all the bad things to happen to Joseph so that he could eventually become the prime minister of Egypt and deliver his family from a terrible famine that would have destroyed them back in Canaan.
However, as I get older, I am thinking more about the human side of the story. Joseph’s brothers had wronged him greatly when they had sold him into slavery, but that was a long time ago. I am almost positive that as the years had gone by and his brothers had all witnessed the grief that their betrayal caused their father Jacob, they probably deeply regretted their decision.
Joseph also, though he was the one that was wronged, probably initially wrestled with bitterness towards his family and had feelings of revenge. He probably thought about ways that he could get even with his brothers. In the very least, he probably was anticipating the day when he could expose their sin and gloat about how he had been right and they were wrong.
As the years went by, however, I believe Joseph and his brothers all had deep regrets about the rift in the family relationship and if a way was made, they were all probably willing to heal the old wounds. Sometimes, as we look back on this story we tend to demonize the brothers and deify Joseph, but they were all just human beings, and I believe that the greatest part of this story for all of those involved was that a twenty year break in the family relationship was finally being healed. The family was being reconciled.
Are there all kinds of deep theological truths here regarding forgiveness, justification, and God’s sovereignty? Certainly. But don’t miss the human part of this. No true believer takes pleasure in being at odds with members of his or her family. For twenty years Joseph was dead to his brothers and for much of that time Joseph probably wished his brothers would die, but eventually, they all wanted this disastrous falling-out to come to an end. We are really not told in the text, but I wonder what the family gatherings were like in their remaining years. I bet they went fishing together. I am almost sure they didn’t let the little irritations and petty jealousies of life bother them as much as they did when they were young. They were a family again, and family is everything. At least it is to me.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Godly Character
Today’s Passages – Genesis 38 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the passages. Click here to view today’s passage on Blue Letter Bible.)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 89:1
Read the “0115 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “What About Judah?“ and “God’s Perfect Plan“
“And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:7-9)
Joseph was a man of great godly character and is a wonderful picture, or type, of Christ in that regard. He is simply not like other men. He has the ability to say no to his flesh and completely yield to the will of God for his life. This attribute of godly character can be exhibited in many examples from Joseph’s life, but a particularly vivid picture of this is painted for us in the verses above. Joseph, a young, single man, was being tempted in the area of sexual purity by the wife of his employer. Joseph had the perfect opportunity to yield to the the lusts of his flesh, but instead refuses. He says, “NO!” He knew that yielding to Potiphar’s wife’s wishes was foremost a sin against God and was also a sin against Potiphar, a man that had been very good to Joseph up to this point. How many young men in Joseph’s position would have been able to resist the temptation and say no to this kind of proposition?
Sexual impurity is not limited to just the act of committing adultery with another man’s wife. It is just as wrong for unmarried people to commit fornication regardless of what our very carnal contemporary culture would say. It is also dangerous to view images portraying sexual impurity on the internet. It is very difficult for both men and women to say no to their flesh and yield to God in these areas, but it can be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
I realize that the Holy Spirit did not work in quite the same way in the Old Testament time that Joseph lived, but I know this: Joseph had a deep and abiding relationship with God, which is exactly what walking in the Spirit is for the New Testament Christian today. Joseph’s love for God and His will superseded Joseph’s fleshly desires. Joseph did not have “better flesh” than other men; he was not superhuman. He just was in love with God.
Peter wrote about this level of Christian discipline:
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)
Notice two of the seven attributes that Peter states can and should be added to every Christian’s life: virtue and godliness. These are the two that Joseph exemplified in his encounter with Potiphar’s wife. However, Joseph also demonstrated the other five attributes listed by Peter throughout his life. And so can we, if we are walking with and filled with the Spirit of God, and yielded to God’s will. It is not easy to “just say no” to our flesh, but it is certainly not impossible with God’s help.
By the way, we see quite a contrast in Joseph’s godly character in chapter 39 with the character of Judah and his family in chapter 38. Notice the language used in v. 2:
“2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.” (Genesis 38:2)
It does not say that he married her; it just states that he “went in unto her.” There is all kinds of other weirdness going on in this chapter also including immoral behavior by Judah’s sons and also Judah sleeping with his daughter-in-law whom he thought was a harlot.
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts and tagged #Genesis39, #Godliness, #GodlyCharacter, #Joseph, #Judah, #Virtue by Phil Erickson with 7 comments.
The Green Eyed Monster
Today’s Passage – Genesis 36 – 37 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “0114 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.” (Genesis 37:11)
“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,” (Acts 7:9)
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on; …” (“Othello” – Shakespeare)
“For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.” (Mark 15:10)
“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26)
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” – (Proverbs 27:4)
You have probably heard the expression, “Jealousy is a terrible thing.” There can be no clearer illustration of this truth than the example given here in Genesis 37. Here Joseph’s brothers are so jealous (envious) of Joseph that they first conspire to kill him, but finally acquiesce to selling him into slavery. What would cause them to envy there brother so much that it would cause them to sin so against him (not to mention against their father)? I believe we can see three ingredients that fueled the jealousy.
1 The Favoritism of the Father – Joseph was one of only two boys that was born to Rachel, the wife he loved dearly; and he was the second youngest of all of his children. Jacob did not attempt to veil his love for this child, either He made it clear to all others inthe family that He had a very special place in his heart for Joseph. He made him a beautiful coat of many colors. The other brothers received no such token of the father’s affection. It is not wrong to treat our children individually, based upon the needs that each may have; but it is wrong for parents to love their children differently. I confess, that at times this can be difficult; but we must strive to assure each of our children that we love them, and that our love for each does not exceed the love of another.
2 The Folly of the Son – I may be off-base here; but Joseph did not show much wisdom in his bold declarations of the dreams to his brothers. God had obviously revealed a special plan for Joseph: a plan which involved him being placed in a position of authority over, not only his brothers, but also his father and mother. Maybe it was just because of his honest nature, but Joseph seemed to almost rub it in the face of his brothers.
3 The Finger of God – God obviously had his hand on the boy’s life. He had a special plan for Joseph. God’s hand upon Joseph was clearly evident to his brothers, and I believe this was the real problem. They saw in Joseph something they had lost. Joseph had a purity about him, that we have already seen to be lacking in some, if not all, of his brothers. They saw in Joseph what they should be, and instead of rejoicing in his devotion to the Lord, they attempted to destroy the reminder.
Envy is a terrible thing. I fight it all of the time in my life. I hear of a preacher being blessed of God in his ministry, and often the “green eyed monster” rears his ugly head. I sometimes have to force myself to rejoice in the victory that God is giving to my pastor friends. I bet that some of you have this problem as well. God blesses somebody in your life, maybe financially or materially, and you get jealous. Maybe your peer at work receives a promotion, and you don’t. How does it make you feel? Ask God to help you rid your heart of this monster. This green beast does not come from the Spirit of God; he is purely a product of your sinful nature. Don’t allow him to influence you to such an extent that you sin against God and others with your words or actions. The “Green Eyed Monster” needs to be put to death in all of our lives. Remember, God is not a repecter of persons. He loves no one more than he loves you, and He has a special plan for your life, just as much as He has used others.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 8 comments.
Worried Over Nothing
Today’s Passage – Genesis 33 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0113 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading – “Lead On Softly;“ and “Boys Will Be Boys.”
“Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; … Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.” (Genesis 32:7, 11)
“And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4)
For twenty years Jacob lived with the fear that his brother Esau was going to kill him. His fear of Esau was likely part of the reason why Jacob spent so many years in Padanaram working for his father-in-law in a less than ideal arrangement. But when Jacob finally got fed up with Laban and his in-laws Jacob determined to go back to Canaan and face his brother. For more than two decades Jacob had the fear of his brother in the back of his mind, but all of his worries and fears were for nothing. Not only did Esau not want to kill Jacob, He actually welcomed him in love.
I remember when I worked as a salesman in my father’s wholesale candy and nut business. My job was to service supermarkets, making sure they had enough product, etc. For most of the accounts I took care of, I would need to be in the store at least once per week. Every once in a while, I got backed up and could not get to the stores, sometimes for two or three weeks. I would dread facing those store managers when I was late, and I always imagined the worst-case scenario. In my head, all kinds of bad stuff was going to happen – “the stores are going to be completely empty or a mess,” or “the manager is going to fire my company as a supplier” – but rarely, if ever, did my fears ever prove to be true.
Jacob’s fear of Esau did not go away until he faced him head on, and your fears will not go away either until you face your problems. Don’t allow your problems (or your worry about them) to become larger over time by not dealing with them. Jacob finally resolved his problem with Esau, but it was only after a few things happened:
- Jacob could no longer run from Esau. God made Jacob’e situation so unpleasant in Padanaram, that Jacob finally realized that he would be better off going back home.
- Jacob spent a lot of time on his knees getting right with God. Much of Genesis 32 records Jacob praying and preparing to face his brother.
- Jacob made things right with Esau. Esau was legitimately wronged by Jacob twenty years earlier. Jacob and his mother had deceived Isaac into giving him the blessing that was intended for Esau. Notice in Genesis 33:10 – 11, however, that Jacob wants to make things right. He wants to give the blessing to his brother.
“And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.” (Genesis 33:10-11)
So if you are worried about something, face it head on, but only after you have thoroughly prayed about it and are willing to do whatever is necessary to fix it.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
The Saturday Morning Post – The Unloved
Today’s Passage – Genesis 29 – 30 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)
“Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.” (Genesis 29:27-35)
Good morning. Did you ever have the feeling that you were unloved, that nobody cared about you, or that everyone hated you? Maybe it’s your fault, maybe it’s not. Leah was hated. The Bible states that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, but when the Lord looked at the heart of Jacob, He could see that Leah was hated. What did God do? He opened her womb, and she conceived. She bare Jacob his first four sons. At the birth of the fourth son she said, “Now will I praise the LORD.”:therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.”
Her fourth son was Judah. Judah is the tribe that the Lord chose to come to earth through: the King of Kings, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, our Emmanuel: God with us.
How do you feel about harlots? God used a harlot to hide the spies sent into Jericho, saved her and her family, then used her in the line of Jesus. Rahab (spelled Rachab in the New Testament) the harlot was King David’s great, great grandmother…
“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;” (Matthew 1:5-6)
Then after a few years later, we find Ruth in the line of Messiah…
“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.” (Ruth 1:1-6)
Moab was the firstborn of Lot and his daughter. When Israel did evil in the site of the Lord, God had them serve Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years.
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.” (Judges 3:12-14)
Israel hated the Moabites; God didn’t. So God put a woman of Moab, Ruth, in the line of Jesus also…
“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:13-17)
Come to think of it, everyone in the line of Judah, up to, but not including Jesus, was a sinner: everybody who ever was and is going to be is a sinner except Jesus. He died for the Leah’s of this world, the Rahab’s of this world, the Ruth’s of this world, and everybody else who has ever lived or died in this world. And Jesus gave His life for us because He loved us…
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:14-17)
If you feel you are one of the unloved, remember that Jesus loves you. He loved you so much that He believed you were worth dying for. Remember Leah, Rahab, and Ruth.How do you feel about others? Do they meet your high standards or not? Remember who God chooses to use: you just may be looking down your nose at someone who will do something great for God.
Peace.
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
Keep Digging Wells
Today’s Passage – Genesis 25 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “0109 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree;“ and “From A Father To A Son”
“12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. … 23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well. … 28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; … 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. 33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.” (Genesis 26:12-14, 23-25, 28, 32-33)
In our reading today, in chapter twenty-five, we discover that Abraham took another wife, Keturah, after the death of Sarah and they will have six more children who will ultimately receive gifts from Abraham upon his death, but the majority of Abraham’s estate will be given to Isaac. Abraham also sends them away from Isaac unto the “east country” presumably to prevent any conflict that might arise between them and Isaac.
In chapter twenty-six, we learn of the death of Abraham at the ripe old age of 175, and we also learn of the births of Isaac’s two sons, Esau and Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when his wife, Rebekah, had these twins.
In this chapter, the focus is now on Isaac and his family. We see that Isaac, like his father and all of us, had his struggles with sin. Like Abraham, he lied about his wife and told the Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, that she was his sister. God, in His grace, blessed Isaac in spite of his flaws and reaffirms the covenant to him that he originally made with Abraham (Genesis 26:2 – 5).
In verses 12 – 14, we read about the abundant blessing of the Lord upon Isaac and his family. While he sojourned in the land of the Philistines God had increased his wealth “an hundredfold,” but Isaac’s prosperity also caused the Philistines to envy him. They did everything in their power to hurt Isaac. They filled in some of his wells with earth, and for others they strove with him, stealing the water from him. You will notice, however, that there is nothing recorded here about Isaac fighting back. It seems that he just kept moving away from the strife and continued digging new wells until he finally gets to a place where they no longer fight with him. Abimelech recognizes the hand of God upon Isaac and at first drives him away but finally concedes and makes a covenant of peace with him. They each promise that they will not hurt one another in the future.
The chapter closes up at a place called Beersheba, which means “the well of a seven-fold oath.” This is the place where Abraham also made a covenant with Abimelech back in Genesis 21 after he also had some conflict with him over a well. Abraham also planted a grove there and called upon God:
“33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.” (Genesis 21:33)
Isaac learned a lot from his father Abraham. He learned to lie, which was not good; but he also learned to get along with his neighbors and, most importantly, he learned how to walk with God. God appears to Isaac in Beersheba and reaffirms the Abrahamic Covenant with him. Isaac builds there an altar to the Lord similar to the grove that Abraham had planted. You will notice that Isaac also dug a well in Beersheba as Abraham had done, but at first there is no water, but after the covenant is made with Abimelech and the altar is made to God, Isaac’s servants report that they had found water.
God’s hand was certainly upon Isaac at this point in his life. Apart from lying to Abimelech about his wife early in the chapter, Isaac is doing the right things. He is trusting in the Lord and he is trying to get along with the people of the land. Even though they are fighting him, he is resisting the temptation to fight back. He kept searching until he found a place where he could prosper. He found the place of God’s will, and that’s the place where he found water.
If you have not yet found the place of God’s will, keep digging wells until you find it. If you know you are where God wants you to be (Isaac was – see Genesis 26:3), and you are doing what God wants you to do, keep digging until you hit water.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Blessing of the Lord
Today’s Passage – Genesis 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0108 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Taker or Giver?,” “Praying for Clear Direction,” and “The Bride of Christ”
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.” (Genesis 24:1)
“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)
Once again, I am having a hard time deciding what to write about from these rich chapters from Genesis. As I read through these two chapters in the Bible reading schedule this morning, I considered quite a few ideas that could have been developed for today’s devotion. Some of these thoughts I have already considered in previous posts (see above links), and others I need to give some more consideration to before I write about them. These chapters in Genesis are full of great pictures of Christ as well as many wonderful foundational truths, and it benefits all of us to slow down and carefully read each verse.
My thought from the passage surrounds Genesis 24:1. “the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.” What a privilege it is to have God’s abundant riches and blessings bestowed upon our lives. To some degree, all of us on this earth are recipients of the blessing of God. We all eat the food that God provides and we all drink His water. Most of us, especially here in America, live very comfortable lives and enjoy the many good things that God provides. However, the blessings referred to here in this passage go beyond what most people in the world experience. Abraham had God’s abundant provision, protection, and guidance throughout his life; much more so than others.
In today’s reading, in chapter 23, we see that Abraham needed a burying place for his wife Sarah. He wanted to acquire a small piece of land in Hebron that would be a cemetery of sorts so that he could bury his wife at that time, but could also be used as a burying place for future generations. Not only did God grant favor for Abraham in the eyes of Ephron, the Hittite owner of the land, but Ephron even offered to give it Abraham for free, which Abraham refused. I am reminded of a similar situation in 2 Samuel 24 where David was purchasing the threshing floor of Arunah the Jebusite, which would eventually become the place where Israel’s Temple would be placed. Arunah was willing to give David the piece of ground for free, along with the wood and oxen needed for a burnt offering, but David insisted on paying for it. The point is that these non-Israelite men (Ephron and Arunah) were willing to give property of great value to Abraham and David because they recognized God’s grace upon them.
This is quite a contrast to what we often see today. Too many people, and unfortunately, many preachers, are often always asking and trying to get people to give them stuff. I have had more than one preacher ask me to “pray about” some need that they had. I may be a little bit cynical, but I could not help but wonder if their “prayer request” was really just their attempt to get me (or our church) to buy it for them. Abraham and David were both so blessed by God that they didn’t need a handout and also insisted that they pay themselves for what they wanted or needed, and would not allow the former owners to give it for free.
Another thought that crossed my mind as I was considering this topic is this: why were Abraham, David and others like them so blessed of God? There is no doubt in my mind that they were blessed for two reasons: First, they were men of great faith; they believed God:
“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6)
Secondly, their faith was evidenced by the fact that they obeyed God. Of course, neither Abraham nor David were perfect, in the sense that they never disobeyed the Lord, but their lives were characterized by the fact that they both desired to live for the Lord and please him. Most of the time they got it right, and as a result, God blessed them abundantly.
I want to have that kind of blessing upon my life, upon my family, and also upon my ministry. Notice again the verse from Proverbs:
“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)
Often, when we try to force or finagle good things to happen in our lives, there will be guilt associated with it. But when God is blessing us and making us rich, there is no guilt. And by the way, this is not just talking about monetary blessings or possessions. God is good to us and blesses us in so many ways. I remember once having dinner with a preacher friend, and he said something to me that at first surprised me. He said: “Brother Erickson, you are one of the richest men I know.” At first, I thought he was crazy because I certainly was not “rich” in possessions. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he was right. God has been very good to me. I have always had every need provided for me; I have a wonderful wife and family; good friends who would take a bullet for me; and a great church family to serve with. God is good!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Waiting on the Will of God
Today’s Passage – Genesis 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7
Read the “0107 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “The Whole Truth“, “When God Withholds You,” and “God Will Provide Himself a Lamb“
“1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:1-7)
God had been promising Abraham that he would give him a son for a long time. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, after his father Terah died. At that time God had promised Abram that He would make of him a great nation and when he arrived in Canaan, God promised that He would give Abraham’s “seed” the land (Genesis 12:1 – 8) God reaffirmed the promise in Genesis 13:15 after Lot had departed from him and there He promises Abram that He would make his seed as “the dust of the earth.” God reminded Abraham of the promise again after Abram rescued Lot from the four kings who attacked Sodom (Genesis 15:1 – 6), and there we are told that Abraham believed the promise:
“4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.“ (Genesis 15:4-6)
Abram and Sarai get out of the will of God and try to make God’s will happen by allowing Abram to sleep with Sarai’s Egyptian handmaid Hagar, which resulted in the birth of Ismael. Abram was eighty-six at this time, which was eleven years after God had originally promised him a son. I am sure Abram and Sarai thought that God surely was not going to give them a child through Sarai as she was beyond the normal child-bearing years. She would have been seventy-six at this time. So, they figured that God must have meant that a surrogate mother would give Abram the promised “seed.”
Practical Point – Make sure that you have clarity from God before you make any major decisions. Do not just assume that you know what God wants. God will clearly reveal His precise will to you through the Word of God, prayer, godly counsel, and often – waiting on the Lord!
In Genesis 17, when Abram is ninety-nine, God reaffirms that Abram will have a son through Sarai. By the way, it is here in this chapter that God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” and Sarai’s name to Sarah, meaning “princess.” Abraham laughs when God verifies this because it would surely be miraculous for Sarah to bear children at her age and after she had been barren. I think that Abraham might have been a little upset about the fact that God was not considering Ishmael to be part of His promise (Genesis 17:18).
In Genesis 18, God appears to Abraham again with two angels, and this time has dinner with him. Here God once again reaffirms his promise regarding Sarah bearing a child, and this time it is Sarah that laughs. God rebukes her for being faithless and Sarah denies that she laughed, but the Lord obviously knew even the secret thoughts of Sarah’s heart.
In our passage today in Genesis 21, Abraham and Sarah finally receive the long-awaited child of promise, Isaac. It was just twenty-five years after God had originally promised him. Abraham was now one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety-one.
Here is my thought. God rarely operates on our timetable. Sometimes we expect immediate blessing from the Lord and instantaneous answers to our prayers, but God does not often work that way. I have been a pastor here at Jersey Shore for many years now. I honestly expected God to move a lot faster than he did in the ministry here. I thought we would have had thousands of people and many large buildings by now, but it did not work that way, and it probably will never happen as I anticipated. God is doing what He wants to do, and He is doing it in His time. We just have to be faithful to keep doing what God has called us to do and allow Him to bring the increase when and if He is ready. I have discovered that the Christian life, and particular the ministry, is not about the short-term but instead about the long haul. God has blessed and is continuing, and will continue to bless in His time.
How about you? Had you been waiting for God to do something for a long time and have since given up hope. Unless God has revealed to you a change of plans, just keep praying and keep serving, and be patient as you wait for God to do His will.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Walk Thou Before Me and Be Thou Perfect
Today’s Passage – Genesis 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalms 26 – 30
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 25
Read the “0106 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage –“Don’t Look Back,” “Abraham Did a Little Walking With God, Too,” “The Prayer of a Friend,” and “God Knows You.”
“1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)
I did not get very far in my reading this morning until a thought jumped out at me, on the first verse. I immediately dismissed it thinking that it was too quick. The more I read, however, the more other verses started popping into my mind regarding what God said to Abraham in verse one – “walk thou before me, and be thou perfect.” God gave me three other verses in connection to that statement. I’ll give you the verses as God gave them to me and then try to make an application from the text:
“48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
“20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
“18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
The word, “perfect,” is found in the Bible many times in connection to the life of a believer, or the lives (plural) of believers. I did a search on Blue Letter Bible and saw that many of the uses of the word, “perfect,” involved the heart of a believer (Click here to see those verses). the Bible indicates many times that various believers were “perfect,” or had a perfect heart, or could have a perfect heart. But, what does that mean? We know that we are not perfect, at least in the way we understand the meaning of the word today. We use the word “perfect” today to indicate something or somebody that is completely flawless, without any errors or blemishes. None of us qualifies to meet that definition. Ecclesiastes 7:20 (above) clearly teaches that none of us is perfect in that way.
So, what does it mean to be “perfect” the way the Bible means it? In the New Testament, the Greek adjective, τέλειος (teleios) is often translated into the English word, “perfect.” Strongs Concordance and Thayer’s Lexicon both describe the meaning as being “mature,” or “of full age.” So the word, “perfect,” does not mean sinless; it means full grown or mature. the Bible states that after we have been saved for a while we should no longer be “babes” in Christ (1 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 5). Too many believers never grow up spiritually. God wants us to be “perfect,” or mature spiritually. He actually commands it (Matthew 5:48). He wants us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Growth means that we are moving toward maturity.
The secret to growth is continuing to walk with the Lord. Notice that God told Abraham to “walk before [him].” Walking with God involves being in communion with Him in prayer, through reading the Scriptures, and through obeying and serving Him. At the start of this New Year, try to determine that you are going to walk with the Lord continuously – daily – throughout the year. Start your day with the Scriptures and prayer, and then pray without ceasing throughout the day. You will never be completely perfect (sinless), but we can become more perfect, more mature, more full-grown spiritually.
Late add on – Brother Gary brought up a good point regarding this topic. Positionally, all believers are seen by God as completely righteous because of the blood of Christ (Genesis 7:3; Romans 3:21 – 22). However, the idea here is not justification, but rather sanctification.
“9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.” (2 Corinthians 13:9)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.