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Genesis 19 (ESV)

God Rescues Lot

¹ The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth ² and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” ³ But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” ⁶ Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, ⁷ and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” ⁹ But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands and brought Lo into the house with them and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

¹² Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. ¹³ For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴ So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

¹⁵ As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. ¹⁷ And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” ¹⁸ And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. ¹⁹ Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. ²⁰ Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” ²¹ He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. ²² Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

 

REFLECTION

• In this chapter, we get a close look at the people in Sodom. The two angels were offered hospitality by Lot, Abraham’s nephew. The text hints that the men of the city demanded that Lot send out his guests for sexual abuse! When Lot refused, the Sodomites were determined to break into his home. Only the angels’ intervention, in striking the men with blindness, prevented them. Their actions help us understand why they were under God’s judgment.
• Sodom and Gomorrah remind us the condition of humankind before the flood, overcome with sin and destroyed by God. It showed how rejection of God’s ordering governance creates such a violent, uninhabitable place. As Noah was saved from the flood, so Lot is saved from the destruction of the burning cities.  God’s severe judgment is always coupled with saving grace.
• In what areas could we intercede with God for our school, workplace, city, province or country because of its sins? What can we do to avert the judgment of God on ourselves and those around us?

 

PRAYER

Dear God, we human beings are so corrupt that we do not deserve Your grace. You judge righteously, but You also save the righteous who obey Your word and walk the path of righteousness wholeheartedly. You are a jealous God and a God of love and compassion. Thank You for giving us Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, by the blood He shed on the cross and gave His life for us, that we may be justified in Your presence. The Lord Jesus also promised to come again to execute righteous judgment on this world. Please teach me to walk in the way of righteousness. Through my faith, I will be able to stand firm before You in my conduct throughout my life, so that when the Lord Jesus comes again, I will be able to face the judgment with confidence and receive the prize with joy. Amen!
 
HYMN

He Will Hold Me Fast – youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ

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Genesis 18 (ESV)

¹ And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. ² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth ³ and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, ⁵ while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶ And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷ And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. ⁸ Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

¹⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

 

REFLECTION

• We saw God’s gracious initiative toward Abraham in His visit to eat with Abraham in his tent. This was a sign of intimate fellowship in Abraham’s culture. On the basis of that close relationship God guaranteed that the promised heir would soon arrive.
• Sarah overheard that she would bear a son for Abraham next year and she laughed in disbelief. Mark God’s word shortly: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”  In due time, Sarah bore a son, who was named Isaac, meaning “Laughter.” Yes, even in our disappointment and disbelief, God invites us to laugh!
• Meditate on v14 for a while. Then sing this hymn: “Is anything too hard for God?” a few times as your prayer to God, proclaiming “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26). Ask Him to help you trust Him and His goodness for you and all.

 

PRAYER

Dear God, You are a mighty God, and nothing is impossible for You! I am weak and You are strong, let me triumph in my weakness; even in tears, there is peace and joy in my heart. You said that those who sow in tears will reap with joy, and let me work hard for You with hope and wait for the harvest season. Until then, You will wipe away all my tears, soothe all my pains, and rejoice with me. Amen!

 

HYMN

Is Anything Too Hard For God? – youtu.be/TJVWlSQShRM

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Genesis 17 (ESV)

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, ² that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” ³ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, ⁴ “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. ⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. ⁷ And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.⁸ And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

⁹ And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. ¹⁰ This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹ You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, ¹³ both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴ Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Isaac’s Birth Promised

¹⁵ And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.¹⁶ I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” ¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” ¹⁹ God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

²² When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. ²³ Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁵ And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁶ That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. ²⁷ And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

 

REFLECTION

• The Lord confirmed His covenant with Abram, 13 years after Ishmael’s birth, by reiterating the promises of descendants and land, and by commanding Abram to circumcise all the males in his household. Circumcision thereby became the physical demonstration (sign) of the obedient faith of Abram and his descendants.
• In the New Testament, Paul wrote, “Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”(Gal 3:7-9) So, we Christians, through our faith in Jesus, have been made children of Abraham and entered into God’s covenant.
• Christians have no single practice that is analogous to circumcision. But there are ways in which we can show our genuine relationship with God. Our faithfulness at church, consistency in reading God’s word, commitment to prayer, willingness to share the gospel with others, generosity in giving, attempts to put what we learn from God into practice.
• None of these in itself establishes or maintains our relationship with the Lord. These actions (like circumcision) are signs of our faith. Each is a way we can express the fact that we have a new life that is obedient towards God.
• What about you? How are you reflecting your status with God?

 

PRAYER

Dear God, I will keep You in my heart every day, always thinking about Your word and Your grace. It is a great blessing for me to do so. Please allow me to develop a closer relationship with You, so that all my daily actions are not to please people, but to please You. Please make me have a clean heart, not to be greedy for the things in the world, but to be willing to commit myself to serve You faithfully, and to bear a good testimony for You in front of others. Amen!

 

HYMN

All Creatures of Our God and King – youtu.be/MUZD0hgtSgE

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Genesis 16 (ESV)

Sarai and Hagar

¹ Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. ² And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. ³ So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. ⁴ And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. ⁵ And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” ⁶ But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

⁷ The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. ⁸ And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” ⁹ The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” ¹⁰ The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” ¹¹ And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
¹² He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

¹³ So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” ¹⁴ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

 

REFLECTION

• Ten years after the promises that God made to Abram, there was still no sign of fulfillment. Sarai became impatient and decided to use human ways to help God out. The result was endless pain not only for her but also for generations to come.
• By thinking that we can “help” God out, we are trying to take control. How often these wrong decisions have led us into headache and turmoil!
• In the 21^st Century where everything is supposed to be fast and convenient for our sake, waiting before God is difficult. Are you able to recall a time when God taught you to wait. Go through the whole process slowly. How did you feel then? What did you learn about God and about yourself?  What new insight have you gained by recalling this experience now? If not, how can we learn to be patient?

 

PRAYER

Dear God, please teach me how to wait for You, because it is not an easy task! Your ways are higher than my ways, and Your wisdom is higher than my wisdom. Please strengthen my heart so that when I am in trouble, instead of trying to get out of the siege by myself, I seek Your help exclusively. Sometimes it seems that You hide Your face and ignore me and let me fall into hardships; God, please let me not be afraid at this time, let me understand that You are trying to refine my life, make it more mature and abundant! God, Your grace is enough for me, and the grace and peace You bestow will accompany me all my life. Amen!

 

HYMN

I Will Wait For You – youtu.be/_eJUqY_6tqo

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Genesis 15 (ESV)

God’s Covenant with Abram

¹ After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” ⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” ⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

⁷ And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”⁸ But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. ¹¹ And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give  this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

 

REFLECTION

• A childless Abram asked God to strengthen his faith. He believed God’s promise that he would have a son, but asked how he could know. He requested a sign, a supernatural verification that God would indeed fulfill the distant promise. His request shows that he was taking God seriously. God responded by making a covenant with Abram (vv. 9-12, 17).
• God instructed Abram to split animals into halves, laying the parts against each other. As the blood of the animals (evidence of life) poured into the pathway, the signs of God’s presence moved between the pieces. God was mingling His life with the life of His creation. By participating in the ritual, God was putting His signature to seal the agreement. The covenant is a guarantee that God is working for us, in us, and often in spite of us, to fulfill His promises.
• Review Abram’s life so far (Ch 12-15), what evidence do you find of Abram’s growing confidence in God? What do you think really makes your faith grow? Write down any specific events in your life that God has used to increase your faith. And thank God for them.

 

PRAYER

Dear God, You are a loving and almighty God, I did not choose You, but You chose me, and by Your grace and love You rescued me from the darkness into Your light, and share in Your glory. You are also a faithful God, and You will not break your promises. Please strengthen my faith, let me have hope when there is no hope. Amen!

 

HYMN

Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus – youtu.be/-DdgkvnsHjM

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Genesis 14 (ESV)

Abram Rescues Lot

¹ In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,² these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king ofZeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ³ And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).⁴ Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. ⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. ¹¹ So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram.¹⁴ When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek

¹⁷ After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
²⁰ and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

 

REFLECTION

• Sometime later a powerful coalition of kings from Mesopotamia invaded Canaan and, in the process, took Lot captive. Abram retaliated with a surprise attack at night and recovered Lot and the possessions those kings had taken.
• Upon his return to his home Abram received a blessing from Melchizedek, king of Salem, and he received an offer of reward by the king of Sodom, Bera (v. 2).
• Abram declined to accept the reward because he did not want to tarnish God’s promised blessing of him. His realization that victory and possessions come from God alone enabled Abram to refuse gifts from the wicked but to wait for God to provide what He had promised.
• If we believe that God will preserve and provide for His own as He has promised, we will be encouraged and empowered to decline worldly benefits and wait patiently and confidently for God’s blessings.

 

PRAYER

Dear God, I know that there are many temptations in the world, and I know that the devil is trying to tempt me with his tricks. I am also well aware of my weakness, often unable to resist the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of this life, and I often fall into sin and transgression. God, please save me from the bondage of sin, please give me wisdom, strength, and courage to see through the devil’s tricks, stay away from the pleasures of sin, and wait for Your blessings with patience and hope. Amen!

 

HYMN

I Surrender All – youtu.be/7x2IpLSfqp8

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Genesis 13 (ESV)

Abram and Lot Separate

¹ So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.⁵ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶ so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, ⁷ and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. ¹³ Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵ for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

 

REFLECTION

• Though 12:10-20 displayed Abram’s weaknesses, Ch 13 and 14 illustrated Abram’s great character strengths.
• This chapter shows one of his strengths in his relationship with his nephew Lot. When the herds of each man increased so much that they had to part company, Abram gave Lot his choice of land. Abram, as the older man, has the right to choose the best land. He did not demand his rights, and it showed a non-contentious spirit and a confidence in God’s promise to take care of him.
• God rewarded Abram with a reminder. All he could see in every direction from his position atop the hills was given to him and to his offspring forever. Lot’s momentary possession of the richest land paled to insignificance when compared to the covenant promise made by Abram’s God.
• Thank God for His faithfulness in keeping promises, and ask Him to increase your faith while you wait to see your requests come to fruition.

 

PRAYER

Dear God, thank You and praise You, Your riches are immeasurable, Your graces are overflowing! You have given me more than I can ask for in my life. Increase my faith, so that I may live with a pure heart every day, waiting patiently, and eagerly looking forward; the time will come when Your anointing will fall like a spring rain, and I will dwell in Your house all my days, enjoy the abundant feast, and inherit the precious inheritance that You have prepared for me. Amen!

 

HYMN

Promises – youtu.be/E85jTv9EU6E

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Genesis+012

 

Genesis 12 (ESV)

The Call of Abram

¹ Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵ And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. ⁸ From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. ⁹ And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

 

REFLECTION

• The focus in Genesis now shifts from the race as a whole to a single man, Abram. The rest of the Old Testament is about Abram and his descendants.
• God calls Abram into relationship and a new life with God begins. The promise that follows assures Abram that when God makes such a radical command, his journey is not alone, but with God, who is leading him.  The text reminds us that these blessings are not acquired by our own effort, but are gifts from God – grace and blessing.
• Abram had demonstrated his faith by obeying God’s command to leave his homeland (v1). As a result, we see the beginning of God’s great commitments to Abram. From the Bible, we learn that just as God is faithful to Abram, He is also faithful to all who exhibit Abram’s trust in the Lord.
• What happens is that faith establishes a relationship with God. Faith maintains that relationship.  It is an active trust in God and His promises that causes us to obey.  It’s clear in Abram’s life.  He believed God’s promises that he abandoned Ur and its wealth to live a nomadic life in a new land.  It was the promise, and faith in the promise, that freed Abram not only to obey God, but started him on a journey to become the unselfish, loyal, courageous, humble, and straightforward kind of person we can admire.
• It must be this way with us that we must keep our eyes fixed on God and His promises to us. Some taught that God is like a vending machine; that when we push the right buttons, the power will flow. This is wrong.

 

PRAYER

Lord, as I keep my heart fixed on You and Your promises to me, help me trust in Your mercy and faithfulness.  Let Your overflowing grace enable me to obey and help me gladly obey Your guidance all the way. Your promise will not fail, and Your will will be fulfilled. Please help me, guide me, comfort me, and give me wisdom, faith, and courage to walk with You all the way in my life. Amen!

 

HYMN

Every Promise of Your Word – youtu.be/0DpSIIiWkEM

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Genesis+011

 

Genesis 11 (ESV)

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. ² And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. ³ And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

 

REFLECTION

• Following the description of the dispersion of the people in chapter 10, we come to this story of “the Tower of Babel”.
• The motivation for building a city was to make the builders a name. The object of this endeavor was to establish a center by which they might maintain their unity. God desired unity for humankind, but one that He created, not one founded on a social state.They wanted to “empower” themselves. Both motive and object were ungodly. God had instructed man to fill the earth (1:28), to spread over the whole planet.
• The construction a tower by itself was not sinful. God chose Jerusalem for His people, and He will create the New Jerusalem for believers to inhabit. It is the pride and security that people place in their city that God disapproves. As a result, God confused their language so they can no longer understand each other. Can you imagine the scene on the construction site next morning when people couldn’t understand each other anymore? Likewise, there may be times God would change the directions of our lives.
• Are you aware of God’s hand in the change of direction in your life? What was it?  Was God’s hand gentle or heavy?  How did you take it?  Grateful or resistant?  Speak to Him through prayers and discuss these with those around you.

 

PRAYER

Dear God, please forgive me the sin of pride, please tear down the tower of Babel that I have built in my heart, make me humble and meek, always look to You, rely on You, and seek only Your will. Please guide me in the direction of my life, when I am disobedient, please discipline me and turn me around; when I encounter setbacks and difficulties, please comfort me, save me, and keep me in the shadow of your wings so that I can keep running on this heavenly path of blessing. Amen!

 

HYMN

Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right – youtu.be/z-yJ3xMVUDI

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Genesis+010

 

Genesis 10 (ESV)

Nations Descended from Noah

1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

² The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. ³ The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. ⁴ The sons of Javan: Elishah,Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. ⁵ From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

⁶ The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. ⁷ The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. ⁸ Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. ⁹ He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ¹¹ From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and ¹² Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. ¹³ Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, ¹⁴ Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), andCaphtorim.

¹⁵ Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, ¹⁶ and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, ¹⁷ the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, ¹⁸ the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. ¹⁹ And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. ²⁰ These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

²¹ To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. ²² The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. ²³ The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. ²⁴ Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. ²⁵ To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁶ Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²⁷ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²⁸ Obal, Abimael, Sheba, ²⁹ Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. ³⁰ The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. ³¹ These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

³² These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

 

REFLECTION

• This chapter contains one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ethnological table in the literature of the ancient world. It reveals a remarkable understanding of the ethnic and linguistic situation following the Flood. Almost all the names in this chapter have been found in archaeological discoveries in the last century and a half. Many of them appear in subsequent books of the Old Testament. It gives some detail in the distribution of Noah’s descendants over the earth after the Flood. Part of God’s plan to bring blessing to humankind involved dividing the human race by languages, territories, and nations.
• In contrast to the genealogy in chapter 5, this one lists no ages. It contains place and group names as the ancestors, as well as names of individuals. God built nations from families. Thus it is quite clearly a selective list, not comprehensive.
• Japheth’s descendants (vv. 2-5) settled north, east, and west of Ararat. Ham’s family (vv. 6-20) moved east, south, and southwest into Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Africa. Canaan’s descendants (vv. 15-21) did not migrate as far south but settled in Palestine. The length of these Hamite Canaanite lists indicates the importance of these people and places in Israel’s later history. Shem’s posterity (vv. 21-31) settled to the northeast and southeast of the Canaanites. This branch of the human family is also important in the Genesis record of Israel’s history.
• In documenting the ancestry of the people, we see the importance of the family. 2 Timothy 1:5 tells us that: “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” We see that faith, in this case, was passed down from generation to generation intentionally. This is very important as a church that focuses on the family. How has God called you to continue this faith in your family?

 
PRAYER
Dear God, You have created all things in the heaven and earth, filled the earth with vitality, You have created human life, so that we have Your glorious image, and You have blessed us with Your love and grace, and made us multiply and fill all over the world, and build an intimate relationship with us. God, please make me understand Your plan in my life, make me realize Your will, listen to Your call, and be able to enter into Your glory and have my name in Your book of Life. Amen!

 
HYMN

A Thousand Generations – youtu.be/_WReNThMWdM