Genesis 25 -- Examining Isaac

After God used His resurrection power to enable Abraham to father Isaac, and after Sarah died, Abraham remarried and fathered other boys; but like Ishmael, these boys were removed from the scene.  They were given gifts, but only Isaac inherited his father’s wealth because he was the child of the promised covenant.  And as God had said, Ishmael fought against his brothers – these other sons of Abraham. 

Isaac was different than his father and not terribly remarkable.  My commentary said, “Discovering our own uniqueness and using it to the glory of God is the challenge that makes life what it is.”

Isaac is sometimes faulted for liking Esau more than Jacob.  My commentary said, “Whatever mistakes Isaac may have made as a husband and father, this much is true:  As a young man, he willingly PUT HIMSELF ON THE ALTAR to obey his father and to please the Lord.”  That says a lot!

Father, thank You for this fresh view of Isaac.  Help me to understand my own uniqueness and how it fits into Your will for my life, and help me to be obedient to that will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 24 -- Four Elements

My commentary had a really interesting take on the story of finding Isaac a wife.  It noted four elements that are also involved in the marriage of Christ and His church:

                The will of the father

                The witness of the servant

                The willingness of the bride

                The welcome of the bridegroom

Some passages I particularly liked:

                “Just as Abraham wanted a bride for his son, so God the Father elected to provide a bride for His beloved Son.  Why?  The bride is the Father’s love gift to His Son.”

In speaking about Rebekah’s willingness to draw water for a stranger, his men, and his camels, I read, “Little did Rebekah know that doing a humble task for a stranger would make her the bride of a wealthy man who was in a covenant relationship with God … Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when someone may be taking your measure for a larger place.”

Regarding Rebekah’s decision not to wait 10 days, but to instead leave at once, I read, “What motivated Rebekah to make the right decision?  She heard the word about Isaac and believed it.  She saw the proof of his greatness, generosity, and wealth and wanted to belong to him for the rest of her life.  She had never seen Isaac, but what she had heard about him convinced her to go to Canaan with the servant.”

A really important quote: “We make our decisions and then our decisions turn around and make us.”

Father, thanks for this incredible picture.  Help me to use what I read today in my everyday life.  I want to be looking for where You are working and join You there.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 23 -- Sarah's Death

Sarah was 127 years old when she died.  That made Isaac 37 when his mom passed away.  At 90, she didn’t have a son.  What a wonderful miracle God wrought in her life those last 37 years!

My commentary focused on Abraham’s actions after her death.  Even though God had given Abraham all of the Promised Land, legally he owned none of it.  He had to bargain at the city gate for a burial plot.  He asked only to buy a cave, but the owner would only sell it with the field adjoining it.  In faith, Abraham promised to pay the full price before one was quoted, and then the owner requested a price of ten pounds of silver.  Abraham agreed, and this became the only land he legally owned in the Promised Land.

He could have taken Sarah’s body back to Ur for burial, but he believed God.  The Promised Land was to be his home.  He’d also come to understand about resurrection, and it was therefore important to him to be buried in the Promised Land.  My commentary concluded the chapter, saying, “We will take nothing with us; we will leave it all behind.  But, if we are investing in things eternal, we can send it ahead (Matt. 6:19-34).  If we live by faith, then we can die by faith, and when you die by faith, you have a wonderful future.”

Father, help me to invest for eternity, sending ahead what You’ve blessed me with already.  Help my boys to see the future You have planned for them, and to become a part of that future today. 

Genesis 21 -- Four Messages In Isaac's Birth

Fulfillment of God’s Promise – God keeps His promises, in His own way, and in His own time.

The Rewarding of Patience – Trusting God’s promises not only gives you a blessing at the end, but it gives you a blessing while you are waiting.

The Revelation of God’s Power – Abraham and Sarah experienced God’s resurrection power in their lives because they yielded to Him and believed His Word.  Faith in God’s promises releases God’s power.

Accomplishing God’s Purpose – God gives you the power you need to do what He wants you to do.  No matter how long you may have to wait, you can trust God to accomplish His purposes.

My commentary also noted the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, and compares it to the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit in our own lives.  It says that conflict will continue in our lives until we see the Lord.

One other thing I hadn’t thought about before reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin this year with my son – Isaac was born free while Ishmael was the son of a slave.  Being the son of the slave owner does not automatically make you free, because you are still the son of a slave.  My commentary says, “Christian freedom is the freedom to be and do all that God has for us in Jesus Christ.  No man in this world attains to freedom from any slavery (to sin) except by entrance into some higher servitude, and that higher servitude is personal surrender to Jesus Christ.  No one is more free than the child of God who delights in God’s will and does it from the heart.

Father, thank You for freeing me from the bondage of the guilt of sin, and for making me a servant to Your will.  Help me to readily obey and not to return to my old master.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 22 -- Five Simple Instructions When We Are In The Midst Of Trials

My commentary speaks of five simple instructions from God to us when we are in the midst of trials:

     Expect tests from God

     Focus on promises, not explanations

     Depend on God’s provision

     Seek to glorify Christ

     Look forward to what God has for you

I also read that we must learn to distinguish between trials and temptations.  “Temptations come from our desires within us, while trials come from the Lord who has a special purpose to fulfill.” 

Also, “our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible.”

“There are some trials in life that we must face alone.  It is only then that we can see what our Father really can do for us.”

As to His provision, I read, “Where does the Lord provide our needs?  In the place of His assignment … We have no right to expect the provision of God if we are not in the will of God.  When does God meet our needs?  Just when we have the need and not a minute before …God is never late.  How does God provide for us?  In ways that are usually quite natural … To whom does God give His provision?  To those who trust Him and obey His instructions … Why does God provide our every need?  For the great glory of His name!”

“We find ourselves asking ‘How can I get out of this?’ instead of ‘What can I get out of this that will honor the Lord?’  We sometimes waste our sufferings by neglecting or ignoring opportunities to reveal Jesus Christ to others who are watching us go through the furnace.”

Abraham received a new approval from God, a new son (They’d been to the altar together, and Isaac was now a living sacrifice), new assurances, and a new name for God and a deeper love for the Lord, my commentary added.

Father, help me now to process what I’ve been through this past year.  I know You directed it.  I don’t want to miss anything You were trying to show me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 20 -- Reliving Sin Again With Pleasure In Our Minds

Abraham for some reason chose to move to Gerar, which was the edge of Philistine territory.  The king of that area was Abimelech, who wasn’t a believer.  Once again Abraham let his fear lead him into sin.  He again feared the ruler might kill him to get his wife, so the old half-truth that she was his sister rather than his wife was trotted out again.  My commentary labeled it royal privilege that Abimelech chose to add Sarah to his harem, but I thought it was outright theft.  Left unsaid is why Abimelech would want a 90-year-old woman in his harem!

This sin cropped up again in Abraham’s life because “he had failed to judge this sin when they had dealt with it in Egypt.  They had admitted their sin to Pharaoh and confessed it to God, but the fact that it surfaced again indicates that they did not judge the sin and forsake it … People who remember their sins with pleasure and enjoy them again in their minds have never judged their sins or seen how sinful their sins really are,” my commentary said.

I hadn’t thought about that very much!  It’s like committing the sin all over again by reliving it in our minds, because after all, Jesus made it clear that it’s the thought that counts.  Remembering it isn’t not sinning just because we think we only sinned once with the original sin.  Instead, it’s sinning again because we didn’t judge it as sin and keep it out of our minds.  Jesus made it clear that it’s the thought that counts.

Once again I read, “God does not allow His children to sin successfully.  When we deliberately disobey God, we suffer both from the consequences of our sins and from the chastening hand of God, unless we repent and submit.  God in His grace will forgive our sins, but God in His sovereignty MUST allow sin to produce a sad harvest.”

Father, when I am tempted to relive old sins and enjoy them again in my mind, help me to understand deeply that I have not judged them as sin.  Stop me in mid-thought and lead me to judge them and never bring them to the forefront again.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 19 -- Not To Love The World

The two angels left Abraham’s tent and appeared in Sodom as Lot sat in a position of importance at the city gate.  “Lot’s heart was in Sodom long before his body arrived there.  No doubt he got his first love for the world when he went to Egypt with Abraham.  Worldliness is not a matter of physical geography but of heart attitude,” my commentary said.

The Lord had appeared with the angels at Abraham’s tent, but He could not fellowship with Lot and his family because even though Lot was a believer, his life was such that the Lord did not feel at home with him, my commentary noted.

Lot’s personal values had been effected by his worldliness, too.  The middle eastern code of hospitality required him to protect guests in his home.  He chose to offer his unmarried daughters to the mob outside his door to protect his guests.

With less than ten righteous people in these wicked cities, the angels were charged with destroying them, but they did not destroy the righteous with the wicked.  They rescued them in God’s mercy.  But Lot was so out of the will of God that “God had to take Lot by the hand and forcibly drag him out of Sodom.  First, Lot lingered; then he argued; then he begged to be allowed to go his own way.  Instead of being gratified for God’s mercy and obeying his rescuers, Lot resisted them and created trouble for them … Lot lost everything when Sodom was destroyed … Lot was conformed to the world.  All that he lived for went up in smoke and was buried under ruins … Lot is a warning to all believers not to love the world, because the day of reckoning finally comes.”

Lastly, my commentary quoted wise words from Isaiah 55:6-7.  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him; AND [return] to our God; for He will abundantly pardon.”

It’s not just our actions that pull us away from God, but also our thoughts, and both must be surrendered to God.  He is merciful and He wants to hear us apologize and ask forgiveness not just for what we’ve done, but also for what we’ve thought but not done.  Lot’s thoughts stayed with him from Egypt to Sodom, and though he was called righteous, his unwillingness to give them up and separate himself to God almost cost him his life.

Father, please examine my thought life and help me to admit to You what thoughts I have that don’t honor You.  Give me the strength I need to let them go.  Don’t let me ever believe that it isn’t a sin to just think about and not do anything that is out of Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford