Genesis 21 - Day 21 (click here to read the chapter)
Scripture: Genesis 21:1-7 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. 6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.[a] All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!” Observation: After 25 years, God fulfills his promise to Abraham and gives him a son to carry on his legacy. Application: Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old. Many people would argue that is physically impossible for a woman to have a child at that age. Well, isn't that the point? Think about it, that's why God "delayed" doing His part for so long. If Sarah had given birth at 65 when they first arrived at Canaan, then some could possibly argue that it was a natural birth and given the parents credit. However, at 90 years of age, it had to be a miracle from God. Basically, if we can do things on our own, then we wouldn't rely on God. Prayer: Lord, thank You for being there for every step of our journey. Genesis 20 - Day 20 (click here to read the chapter)
Scripture: Genesis 20:1-4 Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, 2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace. 3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!” 4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Commentary: This is an astonishing episode. It seems incredible that Abraham should make the same dreadful mistake again: visiting a foreign country, he passes his wife off as his sister. If perhaps in chap. 12 we may excuse him, because at that stage he had little experience of God’s providential protecting care, now years older and richer in experiences of deliverance from danger, it is amazing to find Abraham fearing for his life in Gerar. The righteous prophet who boldly pleaded for the salvation of Sodom is now discovered to be less than perfect in his trust in God’s safekeeping. Indeed, when challenged by Abimelek, he resorts to lying, claiming he described Sarah as his sister wherever they went. Coming straight after the sacking of Sodom and the unfilial behavior of Lot’s daughters, this story disturbs the reader in another way. In the great city of Sodom, there were not ten righteous, but Gerar had a God-fearing king who ruled a righteous nation (20:4, 8). Not all foreigners were as godless as Sodom. Thus this incident makes us realize that Abraham is not such a saint as we might have concluded from chap. 18, nor were all the inhabitants of Canaan so depraved as those who lived in Sodom. Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 75). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Application: Life is full of surprises and as the old cliche goes, don't judge a book by its cover. Even after all these years Abraham still has his faults, like we all do. The eye-opener here is that King Abimelech recognized the Lord's omniscience and omnipotence. There are people in our lives who know and fear God as well. Prayer: Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves. Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Saint Gregory - Collect for Second Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer) Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 76). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Genesis 19 - Day 19 (click here to read the chapter)
Scripture: Genesis 19:23-25 23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24 Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. Observation: God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah because "their sin is so flagrant." Application: Imagine a world where chaos and lawlessness prevailed. A society where mobs could do as they please. For example, like march to the Capitol and force their way in and abduct or execute anyone who opposed their agenda. Thank God we're not there yet but picture a world where anarchy was the norm. It's almost as if God was obligated to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Prayer: Lord, empower those who are for You and bring Your judgment against those who oppose You. Genesis 18 - Day 18 (click here to read the chapter)
Scripture: Genesis 18:10-12 10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” Observation: God visits Abraham to tell him that his wife Sarah, would give birth to a son. It's been 24 years since God first spoke to Abram and promised him that he would be a father of a great nation. Application: When I was younger, I had an "uncle" (family friend) tell me that he would take me fishing or to the movies but never got around to it. After a while I learned that, although he meant well, he was never going to take me anywhere. This is probably how Abraham and his wife Sarah felt after 24 years of listening to God make the same promise over and over again. It can be quite discouraging to "wait upon the Lord" when He doesn't seem to be doing anything. We need to remember that our timeframe doesn't dictate God's timing. Prayer: Lord, please help me to patiently wait upon You. Genesis 17 - Day 17 (click here to read the chapter)
Scripture: Genesis 17:7-9 7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” 9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. Commentary: The section begins with a reminder of the lapse of time since the birth of Ishmael, some 13 years (cf. 16:16 and 17:1). During this period Sarai had lost all hope of motherhood (cf.18:11), and Abram had accepted the idea that Ishmael was his promised son (18). Almost immediately, however, God started to enlarge the promises. Abram was not simply to become a ‘great nation’ (12:2) but father of many nations (5). As a pledge of this, his name was slightly changed from ‘Abram’ meaning ‘the father is exalted’ to a variant pronunciation, ‘Abraham’. Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 73). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. Application: It's so easy to settle into our normal routines and then all of a sudden another decade has passed. Abram is 99 years old and it's been a while since he spoke with God. Luckily, we don't have to wait a long time for God to speak with us. We can turn to the Holy Spirit and immediately know that He is with us. Prayer: Thank You Lord for your grace that gives us access to You directly. |
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