Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 36:

 

 

 

Gen 36:1-43 KJV

(1)  Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

(2)  Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

(3)  And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

(4)  And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;

(5)  And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

(6)  And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

(7)  For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

(8)  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

(9)  And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:

(10)  These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.

(11)  And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

(12)  And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.

(13)  And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.

(14)  And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

(15)  These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,

(16)  Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.

(17)  And these are the sons of Reuel Esau’s son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.

(18)  And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau’s wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.

(19)  These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.

(20)  These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,

(21)  And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

(22)  And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.

(23)  And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

(24)  And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

(25)  And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

(26)  And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

(27)  The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.

(28)  The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.

(29)  These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,

(30)  Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

(31)  And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

(32)  And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

(33)  And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

(34)  And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.

(35)  And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.

(36)  And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

(37)  And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.

(38)  And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

(39)  And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

(40)  And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,

(41)  Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

(42)  Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,

(43)  Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

Are you a “duke” or a “dud” ?…

In this account of the descendants of Esau, we find several men given the title of “duke” (vs 15, 16, 17 etc).  In the Bible, the title “duke” describes a leader, a captain, or a ruler over others.  Some of the men in this genealogy have been remembered as a leader among others.

God has called some of His people to be leaders in government, holding rule over others in all areas of society.  Others, He has called to church leadership positions holding many positions of teaching and authority.  And for many, He has called to positions of leadership in home life, lovingly holding authority over the other members of his family.  All of these are very important and necessary leadership positions that are held by His people.

However, in this lesson, the type of leadership I am talking about is the type of leadership to which EVERY Christian is called… leadership through example motivated by our love for others.

Our leadership calling was not to be dominating Lords over His people but to take the lead of others by setting a Godly example in every area of our life…

 

1Ti 4:12-13 KJV

(12)  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

(13)  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

 

This is the type of leadership to which God calls all His people.  Are we taking this type of leadership position among the people of God?

After our life has come to a close, how will we be remembered?  Will others remember us in the context of a Godly life that conspicuously stood out among them, leading them on a God-pleasing path of love, faith and holiness?  Or will we be forgotten as one of the many whose life was lived according to the lifestyle of this world?

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 35:

 

 

 

Gen 35:1-29 KJV

(1)  And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

(2)  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

(3)  And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

(4)  And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

(5)  And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

(6)  So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

(7)  And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

(8)  But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

(9)  And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

(10)  And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

(11)  And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

(12)  And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

(13)  And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

(14)  And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

(15)  And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

(16)  And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

(17)  And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

(18)  And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

(19)  And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

(20)  And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

(21)  And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

(22)  And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

(23)  The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

(24)  The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

(25)  And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

(26)  And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

(27)  And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

(28)  And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

(29)  And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

Appreciative obedience…

(2)  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

(3)  And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

 

Jacob, out of a heart of obedience and appreciation to the Lord, was planning to return to Bethel.  During his return to Bethel, Jacob would build a second altar would be an acknowledgment of the Lord’s faithfulness to Jacob and to the many blessings He had given to Him.

It was previously at Bethel that Jacob had received the prophetic dream of the ladder reaching to heaven and the Lord’s promise given to Abraham was now handed down to him.  In response, Jacob promised the Lord that if He protected him and allowed him to return to his family, that he would make God his Lord (Gen 28).

The vow that Jacob made with the Lord, at the first visit to Bethel, is the perfect example of a promise to remember the great blessings of the Lord and then serving Him with renewed commitment.

Jacob, being faithful to that promise, allowed the Lord’s blessings to motivate him for his return trip to Bethel …

(3) “And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.”

 

It was Jacob’s recollection of the Lord’s great past blessings upon him that motivated him to return to Bethel and make a second altar of appreciation to the Lord.

How often do we take the time to stop, recall the Lord’s many blessings, and then serve Him with improved dedication?  May we all be willing to regularly take the time to recall His great blessings upon our lives, appreciate them with a heart-felt appreciation, and motivate us to serve Him in far greater ways.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 34:

 

 

 

Gen 34:1-31 KJV

(1)  And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

(2)  And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

(3)  And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

(4)  And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

(5)  And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

(6)  And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

(7)  And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

(8)  And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

(9)  And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

(10)  And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

(11)  And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

(12)  Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

(13)  And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

(14)  And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

(15)  But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

(16)  Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

(17)  But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

(18)  And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.

(19)  And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

(20)  And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

(21)  These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

(22)  Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

(23)  Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

(24)  And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

(25)  And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

(26)  And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

(27)  The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

(28)  They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

(29)  And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

(30)  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

(31)  And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

Taking matters into our own hands…

(13)  And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

 

Certainly, Shechem’s rape of Dinah (note: the Heb word “defiled” in vs 2 implies force against one’s will) was not only a public shame and humiliation to Dinah and her family, but also a sin against God Himself.

However, instead of waiting for the Lord to avenge those who have sinned against them, two half-brothers of Dinah, Simeon and Levi, took vengeance into their own hands.  Through the use of deceit and trickery, they misled the city of Hamor, murdered all the men, took captive all the women and spoiled the entire city.

What was the end result of all of this “vengeance”?  They had destroyed the tewstimony of their family and opened them up to retribution at the hands of the ungodly nations surrounding them.   It was only God’s gracious intervention that the neighboring nations were restrained from doing them harm.

Oh, how important it is for each one of us to learn a lesson from this event recorded for our learning.   Instead of allowing feelings of bitterness and hatred to dominate our lives, we need to learn to allow the Lord to avenge whatever wrong may have been done to us!  He is the perfect judge, who can give out the appropriate judgement for any sin that may be committed against us…

 

Rom 12:19-20 KJV

(19)  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

(20)  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 32:

 

 

 

Gen 32:1-32 KJV

(1)  And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

(2)  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

(3)  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

(4)  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

(5)  And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

(6)  And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

(7)  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;

(8)  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

(9)  And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

(10)  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

(11)  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.

(12)  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

(13)  And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

(14)  Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

(15)  Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

(16)  And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

(17)  And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

(18)  Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

(19)  And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

(20)  And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

(21)  So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

(22)  And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

(23)  And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

(24)  And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

(25)  And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

(26)  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

(27)  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

(28)  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

(29)  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

(30)  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

(31)  And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

(32)  Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

Humble faith… this is perhaps the most wonderful gift that can be had by sinful mankind.  This type of faith is one that looks to the Lord for all things, realizing that without Him we can do nothing.  This is the type of faith that was strengthened as Jacob wrestled with the Angel (Christ Himself – vs 30) in our section of Scripture for today.

In this short account (Genesis 32:24-29), we find how the Lord builds our faith through the use of trials and other oppositions in our lives…

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”.

–        The Lord sends, or allows trials in our lives to build our faith that stems from humility.

 

“And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.”

–        This was an act that increased Jacob’s humility.  Although it APPEARED as if Jacob’s strength was overcoming the Lord, in actuality, the Lord was allowing Jacob to prevail over Him.  This was proven by the Lord throwing Jacob’s hip out of joint, disabling him and leaving Jacob with a permanent reminder of the need to humbly trust in Him no matter what opposition we may face

 

“And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

–        Being humbled by the Lord only produced a greater faith in Jacob’s heart.

 

“And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

–        Based upon Jacob’s increasing humble faith, his name was changed.  This change reflected he was no longer harmful to others as a “heel catcher”, but his life and testimony would be beneficial to others as he possessed power with God as a “prince with God”.

 

“And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.”

–        What began as a time of opposition and trial in Jacob’s life ended up being a time of great blessing for him and all of God’s people after him.

 

Through this event, we can see one of the greatest roles that life’s opposition play in our lives. … to grow our humble faith, developing a deeper trust in Christ as we recognize our total inability without Him…

 

Mar 9:24 KJV

(24)  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

 

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 31:

 

 

Gen 31:1-55 KJV

(1)  And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.

(2)  And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

(3)  And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

(4)  And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

(5)  And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

(6)  And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

(7)  And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

(8)  If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

(9)  Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

(10)  And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

(11)  And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

(12)  And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

(13)  I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

(14)  And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

(15)  Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

(16)  For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

(17)  Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

(18)  And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

(19)  And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.

(20)  And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

(21)  So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

(22)  And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

(23)  And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

(24)  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

(25)  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

(26)  And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

(27)  Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

(28)  And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

(29)  It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

(30)  And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

(31)  And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

(32)  With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

(33)  And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

(34)  Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

(35)  And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

(36)  And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

(37)  Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

(38)  This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

(39)  That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

(40)  Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

(41)  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

(42)  Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

(43)  And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

(44)  Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

(45)  And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

(46)  And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

(47)  And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

(48)  And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

(49)  And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

(50)  If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

(51)  And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

(52)  This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

(53)  The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

(54)  Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

(55)  And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

Throughout the Bible, our God gives Himself many different names.  One of the more interesting of His self-given names is found in verse 13 of our text…

“I am the God of Bethel” – vs 13a

Why did Jehovah give this name to Himself?…

This was done in an effort to remind Jacob of a specific experience that Jacob had with Jehovah.  It was at Bethel that Jacob received one of the greatest prophecies of the coming Messiah.  Christ was pictured by a ladder reaching to heaven giving sinful mankind access to God through Him.

In response to receiving this wonderful, unique, prophetic dream, Jacob worshipped Jehovah and made a vow to trust Him, to be willing follow His leadership, and to, by faith, travel to an unknown place.  In response to Jehovah’s care of him, Jacob would recognize these blessings and give back to Jehovah as He had commanded.

Jacob wanted this great event to never be forgotten by mankind.  Therefore, he left an everlasting remembrance of this event, as he changed the name of this city to “Bethel” or “the House of God”… it was the place where God appeared to, dwelt with, and greatly blessed him.

 

What a wonderful event for Jacob to remember, just prior to Jehovah giving Jacob a command to…   “arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” – vs 13c

 

This is a great lesson from which we all can learn… the greatest encouragement to take a step of faith now, and in the future, is based upon His wonderful past blessings.   David had learned this same lesson and put it into practice when he said, prior to fighting the giant Goliath…

 

1 Sam 17:37 – “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”

 

 

 

Folks, may we all be like these great saints of old and use our past experiences of God’s gracious blessings and care to give us confidence as we take future steps of faith for Him…

 

1Sa 12:24 – “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”

 

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 30:

 

 

Gen 30:1-43 KJV

(1)  And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

(2)  And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

(3)  And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

(4)  And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

(5)  And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

(6)  And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

(7)  And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

(8)  And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

(9)  When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

(10)  And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.

(11)  And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

(12)  And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son.

(13)  And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

(14)  And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

(15)  And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

(16)  And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

(17)  And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

(18)  And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

(19)  And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

(20)  And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

(21)  And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

(22)  And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

(23)  And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

(24)  And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

(25)  And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

(26)  Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

(27)  And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

(28)  And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

(29)  And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

(30)  For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

(31)  And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

(32)  I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

(33)  So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

(34)  And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

(35)  And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

(36)  And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

(37)  And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

(38)  And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

(39)  And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

(40)  And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.

(41)  And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

(42)  But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.

(43)  And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

“God hath taken away my reproach” – vs 23.   Rachel, the true love of Jacob’s life, had been living in public shame due to her inability to bear children.  To make matters worse, and magnify her supposed shortcoming in the eyes of those around her, Jacob’s first wife, Leah, had given birth to six sons and one daughter.  Because Leah was the only wife to bear Jacob children, and Rachel remained barren, Leah believed that Jacob would favor her over Rachel.

 

But then the Lord intervened on Rachel’s behalf.  We are told that the Lord “remembered Rachel”, “hearkened unto her (prayers)”, and “opened her womb”.  Following this Rachel gave birth to two sons, Joseph and Benjamin.  By allowing her to give Jacob children, the Lord had taken away Rachel’s reproach.  Rachel, acknowledged this miracle of the Lord by saying…

“God hath taken away my reproach” – vs 23.

 

Certainly, the Lord had put behind her the great shame she had endured and, certainly, He was the One that deserved all the praise and glory for this wonderful work of His grace.

 

 

 

Rachel was not the only one who could say that “God hath taken away my reproach”, each one of us, who have been forgiven of our many sins, can make this same statement as well.

 

 

Folks, think about the great shame that each of us bear due to our sins.  And yet, we are told that the Lord has done away with those sins and the great burden of guilt that we all had to bear.  He did this by taking our sins and guilt upon Himself as He hung on Calvary’s cross…

 

1Pe 2:24 KJV – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

 

Heb 10:19-23 KJV – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

 

 

 

May we all, by faith, accept this gift of the Lord’s grace and enter into a new of life with the

burden of our sins, and their guilt, removed from us.

 

 

 

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 29:

 

 

\Gen 29:1-35 KJV

(1)  Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

(2)  And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.

(3)  And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

(4)  And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

(5)  And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

(6)  And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

(7)  And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.

(8)  And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

(9)  And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.

(10)  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

(11)  And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

(12)  And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.

(13)  And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

(14)  And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

(15)  And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

(16)  And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

(17)  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

(18)  And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

(19)  And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

(20)  And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

(21)  And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

(22)  And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

(23)  And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

(24)  And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

(25)  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

(26)  And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

(27)  Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

(28)  And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

(29)  And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

(30)  And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

(31)  And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

(32)  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.

(33)  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.

(34)  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.

(35)  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.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

In our devotional text for this morning, we can see Scriptural love on display in the life of Jacob…

“And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.”

 

Jacob made an agreement with Rachel’s father Laban to serve him for seven years.  In exchange for his labors, Jacob would receive Rachel as his wife.  However, following Jacob’s first seven year period of labor, Laban deceitfully gave Jacob his elder daughter, Leah, to be Jacob’s bride.  It was only following another seven year period of service that Jacob received his beloved Rachel to be his wife.

What great love!  Jacob loved Rachel to such a great degree that he was willing to comply to Laban’s new set of demands and labor a total of 14 years for Rachel’s hand in marriage.

 

This display of love aligns itself with I Corinthians 13: description of a Scriptural love…

1Co 13:4-7 KJV – “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Folks, how many of us have a genuine, Scriptural love for those around us, including Christ Himself?  If we do, we will find ourselves willing to give of ourselves for others, without any thought of receiving anything in return for our actions.  We will sacrifice for others because we desire to, not because we think we will be rewarded or recognized for our actions.

One of the greatest tests and displays) of our love for others is by consistently, anonymously, sacrificing ourselves for others in need.  May we all strive to display this type of love in our lives everyday.

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 28:

 

 

Gen 28:1-22 KJV

(1)  And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

(2)  Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

(3)  And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

(4)  And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

(5)  And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

(6)  When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

(7)  And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

(8)  And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

(9)  Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

(10)  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

(11)  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

(12)  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

(13)  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

(14)  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

(15)  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

(16)  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

(17)  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

(18)  And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

(19)  And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

(20)  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

(21)  So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

(22)  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

 

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

 

The dream of Jacob’s ladder, it is one of the more popular Sunday School lessons for children.  Not only children can benefit from this account, but even adults can learn much about the Lord in this passage of scripture.

 

The most basic truth we can glean from this account is that Christ (symbolized by the ladder) bridges the span between heaven and earth.  This is affirmed by Christ Himself as he taught Nathaniel in John 1:51…

“And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

 

Christ pointed to this OT picture of Himself to explain to Nathaniel that, when Nathaniel saw Him die on the cross, he would not simply be seeing the death of a man.  He would be seeing the death of the very Son of God, which would bring to completion the work necessary to give God’s people access to God and His many blessings to them.

 

Remember, Christ is the One that gives human beings access to God and His heavenly throne, while also providing the channel for God’s blessings to be sent down from heaven upon sinful mankind.  It is only through Christ and His work that sinners can stand before God being “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6) and being made “heirs of eternal life” and a multitude of divine blessings. (Titus 3:7).

 

This is the basic meaning behind this wonderful OT account of Jacob’s dream.  May we all come away from our Bible reading this morning having Christ and the results of His work on our behalf in the forefront of our mind, encouraging us, as we face what the day may hold.

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 27:

 

 

Gen 27:1-46 KJV

(1)  And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

(2)  And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

(3)  Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

(4)  And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

(5)  And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

(6)  And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

(7)  Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

(8)  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

(9)  Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

(10)  And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

(11)  And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

(12)  My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

(13)  And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

(14)  And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

(15)  And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

(16)  And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

(17)  And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

(18)  And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

(19)  And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

(20)  And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

(21)  And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

(22)  And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

(23)  And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he

blessed him.

(24)  And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

(25)  And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.

(26)  And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

(27)  And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:

(28)  Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

(29)  Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

(30)  And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

(31)  And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

(32)  And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

(33)  And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

(34)  And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

(35)  And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

(36)  And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

(37)  And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

(38)  And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

(39)  And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

(40)  And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

(41)  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

(42)  And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.

(43)  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

(44)  And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;

(45)  Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

(46)  And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

 

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

 

Choosing favorites… we all do it, or have done it sometime in our past.  In this chapter we read of the results of favoritism creeping into a family bringing divisions and hatred with it.

 

Earlier in the book of Genesis we read that both parents were guilty of choosing a son to be their favorite.  Isaac chose to favor Esau, while Rebekah chose to favor her other son, Jacob…

 

 

Gen 25:28 KJV

(28)  And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

 

In today’s chapter we begin to see this favoritism taking fruit and working havoc within their family.   Rebekah’s favoritism drove her to secure the family blessing for Jacob.  She did this by deceiving her husband and stealing the blessing from her son Esau.

 

What were the results of this favoritism?  This chapter contains many illusions to sins that had taken place… deception, theft, pride, hatred, desires for murder in heart etc.  In addition to these sins we are told that the physical division of their family resulted as Jacob had to flee from the family, in order to save his life.

 

Folks this family was literally torn apart due to the sin of favoritism that was found in it.  It leaves us a solemn warning of results of the sin of favoritism and the need to always be on guard against it.

 

Do we ever hold favoritism for members of our family?  Do we ever favor one acquaintance over another?  Or perhaps, do we choose to minister to some “favorites”, while we purposely bypass others in need?  May the Lord grace us and allow us to put down all the favoritism in our lives and treat everyone in the same loving, kind, just way.

 

Also, may we all praise the Lord and thank Him for not having “favorites”, but willing to save and use anyone who will come in submission and faith to Him…

 

Act 10:34-35 KJV

(34)  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

(35)  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 26:

 

 

Gen 26:1-35 KJV

(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.

(6)  And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

(7)  And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

(8)  And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

(9)  And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

(10)  And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

(11)  And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

(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.

(15)  For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

(16)  And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

(17)  And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

(18)  And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

(19)  And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

(20)  And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

(21)  And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

(22)  And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

(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.

(26)  Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

(27)  And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

(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;

(29)  That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.

(30)  And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

(31)  And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

(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.

(34)  And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

(35)  Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

 

Following our father’s example.  If there was ever a chapter in the Bible that emphasized for us the importance of setting the right example for our children it is Genesis 26.

 

In this chapter we see Isaac following his father Abraham’s example in during two different events in his life.

1. He followed the Lord by faith when he received the Lord’s calling in his life (vs 1-6), and then chose to stay in Gerar instead of running to Egypt during the time of great famine in the land.
2. He followed Abraham’s sinful example by lying about his wife Rebekkah (vs 7-11), claiming she was his sister, when Abimelech showed interest in her.

 

Oh folks, what a very important lesson for each of us with children, grandchildren or other young ones that watch us and look up to us.  They learn how to handle life’s situations from us. Oh, how important it is to set the proper example at all times for them to follow!

 

The Word is replete with examples of parents who set the right example for their children which led their children to living faithful lives for Christ ( 1Kng 9:4; 2 Chr 17:3, 26:4; 2 Tim 1:5, 3:5; Titus 2:4 etc etc).

 

But another important lesson to be learned is the need for each one of us to follow the example that our Heavenly Father (shown to us through the life of Christ) has set for us.  Jesus Christ, when He came to the earth, set the example for all God’s children to follow…

 

Eph 5:1-2 KJV

(1)  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

(2)  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

 

 

Christ came to the earth and secured many benefits for us, but one of the most important was leaving us a perfect divine example to follow.  May we all be in submission to our Heavenly Father, and in doing so, always be willing to seek out and follow the wonderful example of Christ…

 

1Pe 2:21-24 KJV

(21)  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

(22)  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

(23)  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

(24)  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 25:

 

 

Gen 25:1-34 KJV

(1)  Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

(2)  And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

(3)  And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

(4)  And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

(5)  And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

(6)  But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

(7)  And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

(8)  Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

(9)  And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

(10)  The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

(11)  And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

(12)  Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

(13)  And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

(14)  And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

(15)  Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

(16)  These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.

(17)  And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.

(18)  And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

(19)  And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac:

(20)  And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

(21)  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

(22)  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

(23)  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

(24)  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

(25)  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

(26)  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

(27)  And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

(28)  And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

(29)  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

(30)  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

(31)  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

(32)  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

(33)  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

(34)  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

Losing our birthright for temporal gain.  The selling of Esau’s birthright to Jacob remains as one of the saddest events found in the Bible.  Not only is the loss of the birthright heartbreaking, but the principle behind this event gives us a lesson we all should learn.

 

The basis of Esau selling his birthright rests in his over-exaggeration in what was about to take place.  In his mind he thought that “I am at the point to die…”  Esau got carried away with his emotions and believed that because of his extreme hunger, if he did not eat immediately, he would die.  Basically, Esau chose to sell that which held great future value for short, temporal, immediate gratification.

 

We may all be quick to find fault with Esau, and think that most people would not make the same choice.  But sadly, millions of people make this same choice every day of their lives.  Instead of choosing to come to Christ for permanent forgiveness, peace, and an eternal home with Him, they choose living a temporal life filled with the “pleasures of sin for a season” that will soon pass away like the wind or a blooming flower.

 

Folks, this is why telling others about Christ and living our lives for Him is so very important.  Every lost person that we know is in desperate need of Christ.  It will only be our loving kind words of truth and our consistent Godly testimony that will persuade them to choose that which is of greater value, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Or perhaps, someone is reading this today who has yet to come to Christ, leaving their sinful life behind.  If that is the case, I have one verse I would like to share with you that summarizes the great value we find in Christ and the need to gain Him through repentance and faith.  This section of Scripture is a parable Christ taught about His great value pictured by the pearl of great price.  The merchant man is a picture of lost mankind always in search of that which holds the greatest value…

 

Mat 13:45-46 KJV

(45)  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

(46)  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

 

 

This merchant man chooses to give up all that he possessed (all his earthly pleasures) to gain the one Pearl that greatly excelled in value….. Jesus Christ.  If you have been searching all your life for the fulfillment of your greatest needs, look to Christ.  He alone can give you lasting peace, joy and an eternal home with Him.

 

Heb 12:2 KJV

(2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 24:

 

 

Gen 24:1-67 KJV

(1)  And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

(2)  And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

(3)  And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

(4)  But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

(5)  And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

(6)  And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

(7)  The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

(8)  And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

(9)  And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

(10)  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

(11)  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

(12)  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

(13)  Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

(14)  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

(15)  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

(16)  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

(17)  And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

(18)  And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

(19)  And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

(20)  And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

(21)  And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

(22)  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

(23)  And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?

(24)  And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

(25)  She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

(26)  And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

(27)  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

(28)  And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

(29)  And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

(30)  And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

(31)  And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

(32)  And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.

(33)  And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

(34)  And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.

(35)  And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

(36)  And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

(37)  And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

(38)  But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

(39)  And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

(40)  And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:

(41)  Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

(42)  And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

(43)  Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

(44)  And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son.

(45)  And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

(46)  And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

(47)  And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

(48)  And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.

(49)  And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

(50)  Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

(51)  Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken.

(52)  And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

(53)  And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

(54)  And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

(55)  And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

(56)  And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

(57)  And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

(58)  And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

(59)  And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

(60)  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

(61)  And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

(62)  And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

(63)  And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

(64)  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

(65)  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

(66)  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

(67)  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

The certainty of the promises of a sovereign God… What a wonderful truth for each one of us to grasp.   Please notice that Abraham was totally reliant on the Lord’s promises made to him to direct his entire life and the lives of his family members.

 

In this case, we find Abraham trusting in the promise of God to seek out a wife for Isaac.  Based on this promise, Abraham sought out a wife for Isaac.  He also allowed this promise to determine the area where the search would begin…

 

Gen 23:7 –  The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

 

 

Folks, how could Abraham know with such certainty that this promise of God would be fulfilled? It was only because he understood that the One making the promise was the One that controlled all things.  Please note the title he gives to his Lord… “The Lord God of heaven.”

 

In other words, he was describing the Lord as “the supreme One who rules from heaven and deserves all of creation’s worship. He is our Lord and our God.  Our God rules, none can stay his hand, nor can we question what He does in our lives or in the world as a whole…

 

Dan 4:34-35 KJV

(34)  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

(35)  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 

 

This is the Lord we serve.  This is the reason why we can count on His promises to be fulfilled.  None can stop Him.  He controls every event that takes place in this world (whether by allowance or active intervention).  He WILL keep His promises to us, period.  No further discussion is needed.

 

We serve a faithful Lord (not an unreliable man), may we all live our lives KNOWING He will keep His promises and He will do what He says He will do!!

 

Num 23:19 KJV

(19)  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

 

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 23:

 

 

Gen 23:1-20

(1)  And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

(2)  And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

(3)  And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

(4)  I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

(5)  And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

(6)  Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

(7)  And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

(8)  And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

(9)  That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

(10)  And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

(11)  Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

(12)  And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

(13)  And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

(14)  And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

(15)  My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

(16)  And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

(17)  And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

(18)  Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

(19)  And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

(20)  And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

 

Thought For This Chapter…

In Genesis 23:, we find Abraham being offered his choice of prime burial spots for his beloved Sarah.   After choosing his desired burial place, the people of Heth offer to give it to Abraham at no cost.  What a blessing for Abraham!

But please notice, instead of accepting this very gracious gift without giving anything in return, Abraham then shows his appreciation for the kind gift by making sure he pays the market value for the property.   Think of the example he has set for the people there.  In one action, he shows them his appreciation for him and his desire to not take advantage of them in any way.

But sadly, many times this is not the typical response to acts of kindness done towards us.  Because of the human, fallen nature within us, it is an easy thing to take advantage of the goodness of others and not appreciate them as we should.  When this happens, we can find ourselves taking all that is offered to us without offering anything in return.   What a sad example we are setting!  Stop and think about it… our Lord is using these wonderful people to deliver a blessing to us, and we simple take them for granted and lack appreciation for His blessings and how He is using these wonderful people.

For each one of us, it is a simple issue of following a few basic principles from God’s Word:  Appreciating what the Lord has done for us, and in response, serve one another to help meet their needs…

Eph 5:20-21 KJV

(20)  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

(21)  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

 

 

Also, treating others as we would have them to treat us….

Luk 6:31

(31)  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

 

May we all learn to appreciation others and their acts done on our behalf.  May we recognize our Lord’s use of them in our lives to deliver a wonderful blessing to us, and an opportunity to show on our love and appreciation in return!

A Walk Through The Bible

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 22:

 

Gen 22:1-24

(1)  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

(2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

(3)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

(4)  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

(5)  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

(6)  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

(7)  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

(8)  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

(9)  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

(10)  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

(11)  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

(12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

(13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

(14)  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

(15)  And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

(16)  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

(17)  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

(18)  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

(19)  So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

(20)  And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

(21)  Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

(22)  And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

(23)  And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

(24)  And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

Christ our substitute.  What a wonderful truth for all of us to come to understand through this account of the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah!

 

As we read this historical account of how God supplied the ram to be slain as a substitute sacrifice for Isaac, immediately (Christ the God-given sacrifice for us), comes into clear view for us…

 

1Jn 4:10

(10)  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

 

 

Folks, what a wonderful thought indeed.  That God Almighty, the Ruler of Heavens and Earth, our Heavenly Father, loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and be sacrificed on our behalf.  What great love!

 

If we take it a step further, we can also see the great love of Christ on display in His sacrifice for us…

 

2Co 5:14-15

(14)  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

(15)  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

 

 

Folks, the love our Heavenly Father and of His Son, our Lord Jesus, resulted in Jesus coming to the world and redeeming us through His shed blood on the cross…

 

1Pe 1:18-20

(18)  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

(19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

(20)  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

 

If the Father was willing to give His only-begotten Son for us… and His Son, Jesus, was willing to give His life for us… should be not be willing to trust Him with our eternal, and temporal lives here on earth?

 

And then once we have trusted in Christ and turned our life over to Him as both Savior and Lord, should we not be willing to serve Him with all of our being?

 

May the Lord use this account of Isaac’s sacrifice to come to a greater knowledge of our need to trust in Christ and then serve Him as our Lord in appreciation for all He has done for us!

 

Rom 5:1-2

(1)  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(2)  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 21:

 

Gen 21:1-34

(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.

(8)  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

(9)  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

(10)  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

(11)  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

(12)  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

(13)  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

(14)  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

(15)  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

(16)  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

(17)  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

(18)  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

(19)  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

(20)  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

(21)  And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

(22)  And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

(23)  Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

(24)  And Abraham said, I will swear.

(25)  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

(26)  And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

(27)  And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

(28)  And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

(29)  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

(30)  And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

(31)  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

(32)  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

(33)  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

(34)  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

 

 

 

Thought For This Chapter…

 

Turning the laughter of unbelief turned into the laughter of overflowing joy.  That is exactly what Sarah experienced at the birth of Isaac.

 

Keep in mind, when Sarah was first told about God’s promise of a child to Abraham, she mocked Abraham with the laughter of unbelief…

 

Gen 18:12

(12)  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

 

 

Now following Isaac’s birth, her laughter has been transformed to one of overflowing joy…

 

Gen 21:6

(6)  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

 

 

What a wonderful experience for Sarah or for us as well!

 

Have you ever had a dream that seemed absolutely unachievable?  Have you ever had a need that seemed unable to be supplied?  Have you ever had a prayer request that seemed to be beyond possibility of fulfillment?

 

Then, do you remember the great joy you experienced when you see God’s miraculous intervention in the situation bringing about that which you thought you could never attain?  Remember the overwhelming feeling of appreciation and awe towards the Lord for all He had done for you!   This is what Sarah was experiencing at the birth of Isaac.  The impossible had become possible, the unattainable had been attained, the hopeless need had been supplied.

 

May we all take a moment to think back at our life and remember one of these great events where our Lord did the seemingly impossible to be a blessing to us.  And then, let us realize the greatest miracle of all was our salvation experience.   Let’s praise Him for it, remember His greatness through it, and determine to live our lives for Him today and every day for the wonderful miracle He has done for us!

 

Psa 77:13-15

(13)  Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

(14)  Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

(15)  Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.