Genesis 18 -- Interceding, Not Bargaining

Abraham was now 99 years old.  Resting in the heat of the day, he was surprised to see travelers approaching.  His desire to fulfill the Middle Eastern law of hospitality was evident.  With his wealth and servants, he could have arranged for others to take care of the guests, but then he might have missed out on the opportunity to commune with the Lord.  He hurried to get arrangements made and attended to his guests himself, and he was humble in his service.

The Lord and two angels had come from heaven, appearing as regular men, to personally deliver the news that Sarah would bear Abraham a son within a year.  Sarah heard and laughed at the impossibility, saying to herself, “My husband and I are too old.”  They were as good as dead and finally to a point where only God could take the credit for the pregnancy.  She even denied her unbelief when the Lord noted it.  When she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh,” the Lord said, “No.  You did laugh.”  Who are we to ever think we can pull one over on the all-knowing God?

Abraham then was privileged to hear the Lord’s deliberations regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, and he interceded on behalf of Lot and his family and the unsaved in these wicked cities.  While he may come across as a humble but shrewd Middle Eastern trader, God knew how many righteous people were in the cities, and it was less than Abraham’s final bargaining number.  God hadn’t lost any ground.

Often we worry that our prayers may be for nothing, but I loved a quote from Charles Spurgeon in my commentary:

“If they (lost sinners) will not hear you speak, they can’t prevent your praying.  Are they far away so that you can’t reach them?  Your prayers can reach them.  Have they declared that they will never listen to you again, no see your face?  Never mind, God has a voice which they must hear.  Speak to Him, and He will make them feel.  Though they now treat you despitefully, rendering evil for your good, follow them with your prayers.  Never let them perish for lack of your supplications.”

Father, don’t ever let me give up in praying for those I love.  Help me to remember that I may be one prayer away from Your decision to move.  Thank You for hearing my prayers and responding.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 17 -- Three New Names

My commentary says three new names were revealed in this chapter:  Abraham – father of a multitude; Sarah – a Hebrew name for princess; and El Shaddai – “The all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.”

“God seems to have been silent for 13 years.  God now says “I will” twelve times in this chapter; He is about to do the miraculous.  After Abraham’s battle with the four kings, God came to him as a warrior and told him He was his shield.  When Abraham wondered about his refusal of Sodom’s wealth, God told him He was his exceedingly great reward.  Now when Abraham and Sarah are as good as dead, God assured them that He was more than sufficient to bring about the miracle birth.  God comes to us in the ways we need Him most.”

This revelation of God to Abraham brought a responsibility on Abraham’s part.  “Abraham was to walk before God, that is, live in the knowledge that the eyes of God were always upon him – single-hearted, without blame, sincere, and wholly devoted to the Lord.”

Abraham would have been content and to settle for Ishmael being the promised son, but God wouldn’t.  Isaac was to be the son of promise.  And my commentary says, “When God is preparing a bright future for you, don’t cling to things of the past.  Ishmael represented the past.  Isaac, the future.  Ishmael symbolized man’s fleshly was of accomplishing something for God, but Isaac was a miracle baby, born by the power of God.  Ishmael brought dissension into the home, but Isaac brought laughter.  If you have an Ishmael in your life, yield it up to God.  God has a perfect plan, and what He plans is the best.  It may pain you to give up your cherished dreams, but God’s way is always the right way … The old nature can be disciplined, subdued, and even to some extent controlled, but it cannot be changed.  Until we receive our glorified bodies in the presence of the Lord, the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit will continue.”

Father, show me my Ishmael, and help me to give it up.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 16 -- Four Truths

The warning for us here is that it is dangerous to depend on your own wisdom.  Sarah tried to second-guess God, and Abraham passively accepted her decision, which led to a detour in their pilgrim walk, and my commentary said, “The detour is always worse than the main road.”

Waiting:

It continued, “Faith is evidenced by four things:  Being concerned with the glory of God, a willingness to wait on the Lord, acting in obedience to God’s Word, and having God’s joy and peace within about the decision.”

Scheming:

God’s Word here was what He’d told Abraham – that he’d have a son.  God had not yet identified the mother though, and Sarah, using her wisdom , said, “It may be …, instead of “thus saith the Lord.”  Faith is living without scheming and Sarah was scheming.  “Sarah was not concerned about the glory of God; her only goal was ‘that I may obtain children by her … God’s delays are not God’s denials, but Satan whispers to us, ‘God is holding out on you!  If He loved you, things would be different.  Blame Him!’” 

I needed the reminder that “whatever is not of faith is sin,” and “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed MORE miserably.”

Fighting:

Joy and peace certainly weren’t there.  “Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar were at war with each other, because they were at war with the Lord, and they were at war with the Lord because they had selfish desires warring within their own hearts.”

Submitting:

Hagar had to submit to God by returning to her mistress, unsure of how she would be treated.  Sarah had to submit to God by not mistreating her or her child.  Abraham had to submit to God by acknowledging Ishmael as his son.

Despite this detour, it’s important to remember that “God is never caught by surprise.  When He cannot rule, He overrules, and He always accomplishes His purposes.  Satan wants us to think that our disobedience detours must become permanent roads for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.  Like Abraham and Sarah, we can confess our sins, accept God’s cleansing, and then learn to live with our mistakes.  Yes, there will be pain and regret, but God’s grace will overcome in the end … The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”

Father, You have reminded me of so many unintended detours I’ve caused for myself in this life.  Please help me to use these four truths to stay on the main road from now on.  And help me to communicate these truths to my sons so that they can avoid painful detours themselves.  Help them to hear and listen, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 15 -- What God Said

Wow!  To hear God say to you, “Don’t be afraid!  I will defend you and I will give you a great reward!”

I hadn’t thought about it, but my commentary mentioned that Abram could have been worrying that the defeated kings might regroup and seek revenge r his victory over them.  As to the reward, what would happen to the promise of the Redeemer if Abram were killed?

There was a lot of discussion in my commentary about emotions – that we are made in the image of God, and this includes our emotions:  “While it is unwise to trust your emotions and bypass your mind, or let your emotions get out of control, it is also unwise to deny and suppress your emotions and become a religious robot.”

The Bible is filled with stories of men who told God honestly how they felt, and God didn’t treat that as unbelief.  In verse 2, when Abram tells God, “I have no son,” my commentary says he’s not only concerned for just himself and his wife, but also “for the working out of God’s plan of salvation for the whole world.  God had a glorious plan, and God made a gracious promise, but God seemed to be doing nothing.  Abram and Sarai were getting older, and time was running out.”

“God’s will must be fulfilled in God’s way and in God’s time” it said.  “What Abraham and Sarah did not realize was that God was waiting for them to be as good as dead so that God alone would receive the power and glory … He walked with God for a century.  In spite of Abraham’s occasional failures, he accomplished the will of God and brought blessing to the whole world.”

Yesterday, we were all made aware of the horrific ISIS burning-alive of the Jordanian pilot.  I couldn’t help but think how it was directly related to Abraham’s efforts to help God out coming in the next chapter.  We’ll never know what harm our own such actions might someday cause down the centuries.  It’s best not to hurry Him or doubt Him.

Father, help me to be steadfast in my trust in You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 14 -- Character In Conquest

Lot had allied himself with the world and it cost him his freedom in the first war recorded in the Bible.  He was captured in the Jordan Valley and taken to what would one day become the northern edge of Israel.

“Abraham did not get involved in the war until he heard that Lot had been captured, and then he began to act.  Abraham was separated, but not isolated; he was independent, but not indifferent,” my commentary said.  Despite Lot’s desire for the world, Abraham went to rescue him.  “Neither the Lord’s chastening nor the Lord’s goodness in rescuing Lot did him any good.  The goodness of God should have led him to repentance, but instead of repenting, Lot returned to Sodom … Lot was the father of all such as are scarcely saved,” my commentary added. 

After defeating the enemy kings and rescuing Lot, Abram was met by the king of Salem and the king of Sodom, who offered to let him keep the spoils if he’d just return the people of his city.  But Sodom’s treasures were not what Abram wanted, and he returned everything except what his soldiers had eaten, for it was important to him that nothing of Sodom’s could be said to have enriched him.  The king of Salem – also the high priest – Melchizedek, offered him the blessing of the Most High God, offering to strengthen Abram after the battle, for the victory, for temptation so often occurs after a spiritual victory.  In not keeping the spoils of Sodom, which were rightfully his to claim, Abram was following the wise counsel, “Others may – you cannot.”

Abram tithed part of the bounty to Melchizedek, giving out of the heart to God in thankfulness for His provision.  In our own giving, it’s important to remember that our giving is a true act of worship, and we are not giving to a church but to the Lord, so we want to give our very best, and 10% is only a good place to start, since it is all His anyway.

Father, help me to pattern my responses to Your workings in my life after what Abram did here.  Allow me to acknowledge Your watchcare and provision, and help me not to spoil my witness by keeping what might be legal, but not of You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 13 -- Test #3 Passed

Abram came away from Egypt a very rich man.  Despite failing his first two tests, God blessed him.  He and his nephew Lot had so much livestock that the land could not support them together.  It was God’s way of taking Lot out of the picture.

Abram had the right to choose where he would live and therefore where Lot would live, but he determined to be a peacemaker.  “The heart of every problem is the problem of the heart … Lot’s heart was really in Egypt,” my commentary said.  He was letting possessions become his god.

My commentary pointed out what Abram did differently than Lot:

                Abram lived for others, not for self.

                Abram lived by faith, not by sight.

                Abram let God choose for him.

                Abram gave thanks to God.

Abram had learned to say what I also learned while adopting my son:  “I trust You, God!”

It was interesting reading that “the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time,” for these two men were unconcerned about them.  Lot didn’t mind joining them.  Abram knew that God would take them out of the equation.

Abram also knew that God was in control and would bless him wherever he was, and he built altars wherever God moved him to worship God.  There’s no record of Lot ever doing that.

I noticed a strange sentence in my commentary:  “Lot was a righteous man, but not devoted to God.”  It called him “carnal (saved but living for the world and the flesh).”  That just doesn’t seem to fit with my idea of righteous.

Father, I know there will be many more tests of faith in my own life.  Please continue to direct me.  Help me to listen to You and not to my own heart.  I want to be a man after Your own heart.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 12:10-20 The Trials Begin

Abram made it to Canaan only to encounter famine.  He’d passed his first test of faith by leaving his land and people, the half-passed the next test by settling in Haran until his father died and then taking Lot with him.  After arriving in Canaan the famine became his next faith test.  My commentary said they can come through circumstances, people, and things.

It also said God allowed the famine to teach Abram and Sarai a basic lesson in the school of faith – tests often follow triumphs.  “After you have won a great victory of faith, expect the enemy to attack you or the Lord to test you, or both.  This is the only way you can grow in your faith.  God uses the tough circumstances of life to build the muscles of your faith and keep you from trusting something other than His Word.  Don’t try to run away from the problem.  It won’t work.”

But that’s what Abram did.  “When circumstances become difficult and you are in the furnace of testing, remain where God has put you until He tells you to move.  Faith moves in the direction of peace and hope, but unbelief moves in the direction of restlessness and fear … In times of testing, the important question is not, ‘How can I get out of this?’, but ‘What can I get out of this?’”

I also read a very profound statement I’d heard before:  “God alone is in control of circumstances.  You are safer in a famine in His will than in a palace out of His will … The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

Epic Fail #1 brought another test – people.  Pharaoh might desire his wife (he did).  So Abram decided to lie.  My commentary noted changes in Abram’s life that took place because he went to Egypt:

                He moved from trusting to scheming … When you find yourself scheming in order to escape problems with people, beware; worse trouble is coming.

                He moved from confidence to fear.  When you are in the place of God’ choosing, you don’t ever need to be afraid.

                He moved from others to self.  He lied and put his wife in danger to protect himself.  He should never have taken his wife there in the first place.

                He move from bringing blessing to bringing judgment.  If you want to be a blessing to others, then stay in the will of God.

The wrap-up was this:  “God graciously watched over His servant and brought him out of a difficult situation.  If Sarai had become one of Pharaoh’s wives, what would have happened to the promise of the Redeemer?  When we don’t let God rule, He OVERRULES and accomplishes His purposes, but we pay dearly for our disobedience … When you disobey the will of God, the only right thing to do is to go back to the place where you left Him and make a new beginning.  No failure is permanent in the school of faith.

Father, I so hate myself when I fail to trust You and choose to willfully sin against You.  I know that I can trust Your will for my life, and I guess my sin-nature just makes me stupid.  There is no excuse.  When I do fail, thank You for taking me back, brushing me off, and forgiving me.  These faith tests are tough, but without taking them, my faith wouldn’t grow.  Help me to remember in those tough times what I learned as You called me to adopt Josh – “I trust You, God!”

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford