Christ Our Sacrifice…
Gen 22:8, 13 – And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 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.
Check out our daily devotional on this same subject…
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 22 – Christ Our Substitute
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.
From Unbelief To Laughter
Gen 21:6 – And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Thriough The Bible – Genesis 21 – From Unbelief To Joy
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.
The Lord’s Great Patience and Mercy: Blessing in spite of our sins
Gen 20:14 – 15 – And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 20 – Blessed In Spite Of Sin
Vs 2-3 – “And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.”
Vs 14-15 – “And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.”
What a wonderful display of God’s grace and mercy shown to us… To be blessed IN SPITE OF our sins. (Please notice I did not say blessed BECAUSE we have sinned)
Folks, in this account of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech, we read of Abraham’s clear, obvious deception of Abimelech. And, yet, we then read of God’s wondrous blessings to Abraham at the end of our chapter. How can this be?
It is important for us all to understand that God never blesses us because we have sinned in His sight. Sin is hated by God. Period. Sin is always an act of rebellious, faithlessness towards our Lord for which there is never an excuse or justification.
In Abraham’s case, he should have trusted the Lord with Sarah and his future safety. He should have told the truth to Abimelech about his relationship with her. Instead he chose to lie and in doing so, displayed a lack of faith in his Lord and sinned against Him. (By the way, although they were half brother and sister – Gen 20:12, the words Abraham spoke was still a lie because they were spoken with an intent to deceive Abimelech.) However, at the end of our account, we find Abraham and Sarah blessed by God though Abimelech’s gifts.
So how do we explain this? How can a God who hates sin, use the entire situation to bring physical blessings upon those who have sinned? Before we begin to examine this, let me ask each one of us a few simple questions to drive home a very important point…
Have we turned from our sins to Christ as our Savior and Lord? If so, have we ever sinned following our salvation experience? Did He then leave us to never bless us again? Or, do we see His gracious, loving hand continuing to be in our life IN SPITE OF our sin?
When the Lord blesses us in spite of our sin, He is giving us one of the greatest possible displays of His love, patience, mercy, and grace.
Folks, this is both the answer to our question and the lesson we should take away from this chapter… Just as the Lord was merciful, patient, kind, and loving to Abraham and Sarah, so too, He is with us on a daily basis. In spite of our daily sins and failures, He remains with us. In spite of our times of rebellion and lack of faith, He quietly, patiently waits as He intervenes and continues to bless us in the midst of it all.
This is the wondrous God that we serve. May we take time to praise Him for His patient mercies towards us and remember throughout our day all the many graces He shows us in spite of our many daily sins.
Psa 103:8-13
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
The Certain Judgment Of God
Gen 19:24-25 – Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 19 – The Certain Judgment Of God
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 19:
Gen 19:1-38
(1) And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
(2) And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
(3) And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
(4) But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
(5) And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
(6) And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
(7) And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
(8) Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
(9) And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
(10) But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
(11) And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
(12) And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
(13) For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
(14) And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
(15) And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
(16) And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
(17) And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
(18) And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
(19) Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
(20) Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
(21) And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
(22) Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
(23) The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
(24) Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
(25) And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
(26) But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
(27) And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
(28) And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
(29) And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
(30) And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
(31) And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
(32) Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
(33) And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
(34) And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
(35) And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
(36) Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
(37) And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
(38) And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Thought For This Chapter…
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals to us not only the wrath of God that is shown against sin but, also, the nature of sin itself. Please keep in mind, that the basis of the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, namely homosexuality, was one type of sin that is described by God as “very grievous” (very disgusting and revolting) to Him. (Gen 18:20).
Even, backslidden Lot understood that their sinful nature of their actions were seen as wickedness by the Lord, when he spoke to the inhabitants of the city telling them to “do not so wickedly”.
Folks, we should never question God’s attitude toward our sin and sin in the lives of others. God’s holiness demands that sin cannot be a part of His being, nor can it be found accepted in His presence…
Psa 5:4
(4) For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Sin is an act of filthy rebellion against our Lord, His authority and His very being. Because of this our Lord looks upon sin as “wounds, bruises and putrefying sores” that can never be healed nor cleansed apart from His direct intervention…
Isa 1:6
(6) From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
Never should we question God’s judgment against sin in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, or any other judgment that we see taking place in the Bible.
There are many that look upon God’s judgments of sin as unjust, unfair, or simply “Biblical stories” that never took place in history. Likewise there are many who do not believe God’s promises of an upcoming judgment, in the Lake of Fire, for those who die yet in their sins.
Yet, based upon our chapter this morning, and many other Scripture verses, we know, without a doubt, that the Lord’s judgment of sin existed throughout history and will continue on into eternity future.
May we all take these thoughts seriously and be sure that we have turned from our sins and have placed our trust in Christ to have taken our deserved wrath upon Himself when He died on the cross of Calvary.
God’s Patience and Mercy
Gen 18:32 – And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 18 – Patience and Mercy Of God
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 18:
Gen 18:1-33
(1) And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
(2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
(3) And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
(4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
(5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
(6) And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
(7) And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
(8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
(9) And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
(10) And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
(11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
(12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
(13) And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
(14) Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
(15) Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
(16) And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
(17) And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
(18) Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
(19) For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
(20) And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
(21) I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
(22) And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
(23) And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
(24) Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
(25) That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
(26) And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
(27) And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
(28) Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
(29) And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
(30) And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
(31) And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
(32) And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
(33) And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Thought For This Chapter…
The patience and mercy of the Lord that He has placed upon His people… What a great wonderful blessing it is!
We see this wonderful attribute of the Lord on display in the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. In our account(vs 23-33), we find the Lord willing to withhold judgment from an entire wicked city for the sake of only 10 of His righteous people.
As we look about our nation today, we are seeing the Lord’s wrath being held back due to His mercy that is shown to His people. Folks, I believe our country is departing from the Lord at an increasing rate.
We have removed His Word and prayer from schools, allowed abortions to go without punishment and, just lately, we have seen further proof of our departure in the legalization of homosexual marriages.
All of these outward actions are simply proof of what is taking place within the hearts of all branches of our government and citizenry. Our nation, as a whole, has departed from the fear and reverence of God and has turned to itself to find leadership, wisdom and purpose for existence.
Folks, our nation is ripe for judgment but the Lord remains patient giving our nation a chance to repent of their sins and turn back to Him. Please keep in mind, any repentance that takes place in our government must first take place in other segments of our society including our own hearts and the hearts of our families and church members.
May we all be in prayer on behalf of all of these segments of our society, asking the Lord to reveal our sins, turn us back to Him and allow us to draw nearer to Him than we have ever been before.
I believe the time is short, may the Lord burden all of our hearts and work in our midst before it is too late.
Medical Update
I just wanted to touch bases with all the SIH Ministries readers. I have undergone one surgery in the Cleveland Clinic with and accommpaning 10 day hospital stay. Currently I am home recooperating and preparing for a bladder tumor removal surgery in the near future. The biopsy is not back yet but I would ask you to please pray for me that I would graciously, thankfully accept whatever comes my way. Also please be in
prayer for my dear wife Eva who has so faithfully taken care of me during my home stay. Please ask the Lord to grace her with strength and faith as she continued to deal with her mothers passing in mid November and then all my issues beginning in December .
To those following my current series. Please be patient with me. My future postings will come to an end soon but I have every intention, Lord willing to continue as soon as I am able following my next surgery.
Thank you all for your continuing prayers on my behalf. They are needed and very much appreciated. May the Lord bless you.
Spiritual Circumcision: A New Heart For God’s People
Gen 17:13 – He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject…
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 17 – Spiritual Circumcision
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 17:
Gen 17:1-27
(1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
(2) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
(3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
(4) As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
(5) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
(6) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
(8) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
(9) And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
(10) This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
(11) And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
(12) And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
(13) He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
(14) And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
(15) And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
(16) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
(17) Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
(18) And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
(19) And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
(20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
(21) But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
(22) And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
(23) And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
(24) And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
(25) And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
(26) In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
(27) And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Thought For This Chapter…
In this chapter, we find the first mention of circumcision as a responsibility that the Lord placed upon Abraham. There is much symbolism involved with circumcision and its significance for the Jewish nation.
I think we all understand the basic idea behind circumcision… it signified that the Jews were set apart from all the other nations around them. They were God’s people and circumcision was one of the great outward evidences that this was so.
Please keep in mind, that the OT Jewish people are symbolic of Christians in both the Old and New Testaments. Their rite of circumcision is one example of this.
The physical act of circumcision physically represents for us the spiritual circumcision of the heart that is received by all Christians at the time of their salvation…
Rom 2:29
(29) But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
This circumcision of the heart enables the Christian to love the Lord and willing serve Him motivated by a heart of love and appreciation for all He has done for us.
Just like physical circumcision outwardly declared those who were members of God’s physical nation of Israel, the circumcision of our heart at salvation does the same for us. Our changed heart results in our living a changed life bearing fruits for Christ, which sets us apart from the lost world. Our lives of fruit bearing shows that we are one of God’s people, a Christian, possessed by Christ and separated for His use!
1Pe 2:9-10
(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
(10) Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Folks, as Christians, this is our calling… to be a people separated to the Lord’s service, motivated by a changed heart of love and appreciation towards Christ.
Do we fulfill our calling? Are we actively serving Christ, driven by a changed heart of love and appreciation for our Lord, the One who has given so much to us?
May we all, honestly, come before our Lord asking Him to show us the true condition of our heart and the great need for living lives of spiritual fruit bearing for Him.
Impatience
(2) And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject…
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 16 – Impatience
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 16:
Gen 16:1-16
(1) Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
(2) And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
(3) And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
(4) And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
(5) And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
(6) But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
(7) And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
(8) And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
(9) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
(10) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
(11) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
(12) And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
(13) And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
(14) Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
(15) And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
(16) And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Thought For This Chapter…
Impatience. We all have experienced it at one time or another in our lives.
When we look at Sarah and Abraham we see a couple that had been blessed greatly of God. They received the very rare blessing of being able to bear a child after they had passed child-bearing age. And then, to top it off, they were given a glimpse of this great blessing through another blessing… a promise that God Himself gave to them.
What a great opportunity had been given to them… They could show their faith in God by simply waiting on Him to fulfill the promise He had made to them. Sadly, they failed to take advantage of this opportunity and, in doing so, created many serious problems within their family.
Folks, although it may be very hard at times, by us being patient and waiting on God to work in many circumstances of life is of the utmost importance for us. Not only is waiting on God a public display of our faith in Him, but it also stops us from taking matters into our own hands and making things much, much worse.
May we all seek patience from the Lord, trusting in Him to meet our every need in this life and the life to come…
Heb 10:36
(36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
God’s Faithfulness
Genesis 15:17 – And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 15 – God’s Faithfulness
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 15:
Gen 15:1-21
(1) After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
(2) And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
(3) And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
(4) And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
(5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
(6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
(7) And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
(8) And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
(9) And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
(10) And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
(11) And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
(12) And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
(13) And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
(14) And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
(15) And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
(16) But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
(17) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
(18) In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
(19) The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
(20) And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
(21) And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Thought For This Chapter…
In this account, we find a very unusual event… a furnace and a lamp passing between pieces of a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pidgeon that has been divided and laid out on the ground…
(17-18) – …And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,…
What in the world is going on here? God describes the meaning of this type of ceremony in Jeremiah…
Jer 34:18
(18) And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
In other words, God is affirming that a He has entered into an agreement with Abraham concerning giving the Promised Land to Abraham’s descendants (vs 19-21) during the time of Moses.
The idea is this, the two sets of responsibilities laid upon the parties of the agreement are symbolized by the two halves of the animals laid next to each other. The parties of the agreement passing between the pieces represents their acceptance of their joint responsibilities and reaffirms their intention to fulfill them.
In this case, we have a smoking furnace and burning lamp passing between these pieces. Both of these symbolize the parties of the covenant during the time this covenant would be brought to fulfillment. The smoking furnace, represents the future Israelites suffering under the harsh treatment in the “furnace” of the Egyptians during Moses’ time. And the burning lamp is representative of Christ, the Light of the World, who appeared to the Israelites as a pillar of fire by night to lead them to the Promised Land.
In this night vision, we have God confirming the convenant has been made and that it would be brought to completion in the days of Moses.
This reminds us of the faithfulness of our Lord. What a blessing it is to know that when our Lord makes a promise to us, He will ALWAYS keep His Word!
Why can we have such certainty? Because God is faithful to us on behalf of Christ and His work on our behalf, and the indwelling Spirit’s presence in our lives…
2Co 1:19-22
(19) For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, … was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
(20) For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
(21) Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
(22) Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
What a wonderfully faithful Lord we serve!
Seeing Christ In Melchizedek
Genesis 14:18-20 – And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
A Walk Through The Bible – Genesis 14: – Seeing Christ In Melchizedek
Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 14:
Gen 14:1-24
(1) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
(2) That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
(3) All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
(4) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
(5) And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
(6) And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
(7) And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
(8) And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
(9) With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
(10) And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
(11) And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
(12) And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
(13) And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
(14) And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
(15) And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
(16) And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
(17) And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
(18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
(19) And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
(20) And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
(21) And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
(22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
(23) That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
(24) Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
Thought For This Chapter…
Melchizedek, King of Salem, is a very interesting character that is mentioned only a few times in the Bible. According to some, Melchizedek was simply a human priest sent by God to bless, comfort and reassure Abraham. To others, Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ who was visiting Abraham in a great time of need. Although none of us can know for sure, I have a tendency to look at Melchizedek as Christ Himself.
One thing we can know for certain… we can learn much about Christ by looking at this priest and king. The following is a short list of what we can learn about Christ from this text only, as we study Melchizedek…
- “Melchizek” means “king of Righteousness” in Hebrew. – Christ is the righteous king that rules over all who are righteous.
- Melchizedek carries the title “King of Peace (Salem)” – Christ is the One who creates and sustains peace between God and Man
- Melchizedek nourished a weary and faint Abraham with bread and wine. Christ is the One that spiritually nourishes His people.
- Melchizedek was a priest of God. Christ holds the office of Priest of God.
- Mechizedek recognizes and proclaims God’s work as “Possessor of heaven and earth” and “Deliverer”. These were two of the main messages of Christ as He ministered following His incarnation.
Also this helps us to understand that Christ holds the office of Prophet as well as King and Priest.
- Melchizedek received the tithes belonging to God. Christ, as the Priest of God and God Himself, is God’s representative on earth. As such, He is the One that is to receive our worship, honor and obedience (which is all embodied in the tithe).
What a wonderful blessing Melchizedek is for all of us! In the Old Testament account of Melchizedek, we can see several truths about the Christ who would not come to earth until New Testament times!!!
Actually, this is just like all the Old Testament scriptures. As we read through the OT let’s keep in mind that they all teach us about Christ. As we read let’s be on the lookout for all the many truths about Christ whether by symbol, appearance, statement or implication.
Joh 5:39
(39) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Seeing Through Spiritual Eyes
Genesis 13:14-15 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Check out our daily devotional on this subject:
Settled In Heaven Blog 