Burunche’s Blog

Genesis 16:1- 16 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.

Then Sarai said to Abram,  “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.”

So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.

Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” And the Angel of the Lord said to her: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael (meaning “God will hear”) because the Lord has heard your affliction.  He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.”

In many respects, this is a horrible story. Although this passage refers to Hagar as a maid servant, she is actually a slave and bound to do whatever her master and mistress command. Undoubtedly, Abram has hurried home to inform Sarai of all the promises that God has made. Knowing that her body is past the age of child-bearing, Sarai cannot imagine any other means by which Abram will father children apart from taking her servant as a junior wife. Of course, nobody asks Hagar for her input, despite the fact that Sarai is commanding her to have sex with 86-year-old Abram. (Abram is probably secretly thrilled.)

Perhaps Hagar hopes this change in status will improve her situation; at any rate, Abram impregnates Hagar and hell literally breaks loose. Suddenly, Hagar has the advantage over Sarai, and she is foolish enough to attempt to flaunt it. If Hagar suffers morning sickness, she makes sure that Sarai understands she is vomiting because she is PREGNANT!!! When Hagar’s pregnancy begins to show, she wears the tightest clothing possible to show off her expanding abdomen, literally waving the pregnancy in Sarai’s face. When Sarai tries to give Hagar an order, Hagar ignores her and flounces off in another direction. If Sarai confronts Hagar, Hagar gives her backchat, mocking her. Now Sarai begins to bitterly regret her decision; however, rather than taking responsibility, Sarai blames Abram. Flushed with the knowledge that at 86 he is still potent, Abram refuses to mediate between Sarai and Hagar but rather allows Sarai full reign.

 Does Sarai beat Hagar, or simply make life difficult for her? All we know is that Hagar runs off into the wilderness rather than remain in this situation. Hagar is sitting by a spring when the Angel of the Lord confronts her and orders her to go back, promising her that the boy she carries in her womb will also become a great nation. Hagar is to name the boy Ishmael, meaning “God will hear.” Hagar does return to Sarai and Abram and delivers Ishmael. We have no idea how Hagar behaves after Ishmael’s birth, but it’s likely that she continues to harass Sarai in small ways.

What’s wrong with this picture? Neither Abram nor Sarai trust God to give them offspring unless Abram has sex with a younger woman. While God is planning a major miracle, Abram and Sarai are trying to act as amateur providences, bringing about God’s promises by their own efforts. The problem is that this kind of thing always leads to disaster. Eventually, Ishmael becomes the father of the Arab world, proving that God’s promises remain valid, even when we make mistakes. But the conflict between Sarai and Hagar doesn’t disappear; it merely reduces to a lower level. If Abram and Sarai think they are going to have peace in the household by allowing Abram to take Hagar as a junior wife, they are quite wrong!

Even though Abram is referred to as a man of great faith, at this point his faith isn’t big enough to conceive of the idea that his elderly wife might become pregnant. Sarai has even less faith than Abram does, and she’s desperate to retain Abram’s love by any means necessary. This story also graphically depicts some of the problems in polygamous marriages. Here in Ghana, polygamy is relatively common, and I have heard many women refer to the other wife or wives as “my rival” or “my rivals.” Women are driven to do desperate things to ensure that their children will be catered for by their father, and woe betide the children of an unfavorite wife! Favorite wives enjoy fine clothing and good accommodation while unfavorite wives struggle for survival.  We have personally witnessed a businessman forcing one of his wives to stand in the compound in the noonday sun for nearly two hours begging for money for her children’s school fees; yet, this same man will boast of the number of children he has fathered.

If you want peace, you must do things God’s way and in His timing. You cannot force God. There are stories circulating of misguided people who have tried to help large moths out of the chrysalises by slitting them open, only to find that the moths need the struggle to develop their wings. God has His perfect timing for Abram and Sarai’s miracle child to be born, but the time has yet to arrive. Now a household that was relatively peaceful has turned into a battleground.

Perhaps you feel God is leading you in a certain direction and you are tempted to take shortcuts. Don’t! If God has promised you something, God will fulfill that promise, but He will do it in His time and not yours.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remain patient, even when the answer to Your promises seem to delay. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 15:1-21 God’s Covenant with Abram (Romans 4:1-12; Galatians 3:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-19; James 2:14-26)

“After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

God Confirms His Promise (Numbers 34:1-15; Romans 4:13-25)

But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?” And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”

So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut. And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own; they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

It is only after Abram has rescued Lot and has successfully passed the test of greed by refusing loot and giving one tenth to Melchizedek that God now gives him more specific promises. 

We throw around the phrase “cutting covenant without having the slightest idea of its origin. Here we have a clear illustration, and the actual meaning is shocking.

In this age when even written agreements can be broken or ignored, we forget that at one time, blood covenants were employed, Those engaging in the covenant would slaughter several animals and split them, then they would walk around and between the half-carcasses, proclaiming that if they broke the covenant, the other party was free to slaughter them and to split their body just as they had split the bodies of the animals. While walking in this fashion, those cutting covenant would stain the hems of their garments with the blood of the slaughtered animals. Abram knows the value of cutting covenant. In addition, while Abram supplies the animals, it is God who walks between the halves of the carcasses. The Ruler of the Universe is pledging His honor to fulfill all the promises He is making to Abram, promises to make this barren man a great nation and to give his descendants the land over which Abram has walked.

Notice something else: Abram will live to a good age and then die in peace and be buried in this land; however, his descendants will leave this land and then return in the fourth generation, “for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Amorites? The three men who joined forces with Abram to rescue Lot and the other captives were all Amorites. Evidently, at this time, there are virtuous men among the Amorites; however, God knows that this tribe is set to degenerate morally, as are the other tribes He mentions. Here we see an example of God’s timing. Many times we are impatient, demanding that things should happen instantly. But God is the One who orchestrates the seasons, the phases of the moon, the tides, and even the rhythms our bodies follow. Only God knows that there are still righteous Amorites at this time; therefore, the time is not yet right for Abram’s descendants to return to possess the land.

There are so many different lessons that we can learn from this passage. Today we want to concentrate on agreeing with the Lord and trusting His timing to gain peace. Psalm 37:7 tells us, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” God cuts covenant with Abram to graphically demonstrate His commitment to fulfilling His promises. Abram needs that reassurance.

Perhaps God is telling you to do something incredibly difficult and you are sure you must have misunderstood. You can ask God to give you a sign, something only He can do, but don’t limit Him. When God shows up, He always does more than we have anticipated.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, You are the One who leads us on incredible journeys of faith. Help all those whom You are calling to do the impossible to trust that You are the One who will accomplish it. And give them peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 14:1-16 The War of the Kings

“In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea ). For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert. Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed for battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

Abram Rescues Lot

“Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram. And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He retrieved all the goods, as well as his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the rest of the people.”

Melchizedek Blesses Abram (Psalm 110:1-7; Hebrews 7:1-10)

17-24 “After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High — and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”

Lot has thought he was being crafty when he demanded to live in the Jordan valley and eventually moved into the city of Sodom. But Sodom is on the east side of Canaan, and now raiders from the east have swooped in, carrying off the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah with all their possessions. Lot’s decision has led to his becoming a captive. Where is the valley of Siddim? Most people feel it is at the south end of the Dead Sea. At any rate, Lot has been captured and someone escapes to inform Abram, who is living close to Hebron, west of the area Lot is in.

Abram doesn’t hesitate but immediately mobilizes 318 trained men from his household, along with his Amorite friends Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre and their forces, and pursues Chedorlaomer’s army all the way to Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram rescues all the captives along with their goods. By now Abram must be thanking God that he has not settled in the Jordan Valley, attractive as it is, for that location has left Lot vulnerable to attack.

As Abram is returning from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, he is met by two very different men. The King of Sodom meets Abram, advising him to release the previously captured people to him but to keep all the loot. Recognizing the satanic nature of this temptation, Abram refuses. “But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”

Melchizedek, the priest of the Lord, also meets Abram with bread and wine in celebration of the victory God has given. Melchizedek blesses Abram, saying, ”Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of everything as an offering to the Lord.

Who is Melchizedek and where has he come from? People have debated this question for years, with some authorities even contending that this is Jesus appearing early in God’s narrative. What we do know about Melchizedek is that he is a priest of God Most High. Perhaps God Himself has elected Melchizedek to that position. Throughout history there have been true believers-just look at Job as an example. Melchizedek represents everything that is holy while the King of Sodom represents everything evil. Abram recognizes the nature of the King of Sodom and rejects his suggestions but worships the Lord by offering a tithe to Melchizedek. It’s likely that Melchizedek will turn right around and pass those things on to needy people, thus blessing many.

When we worship God, we allow God to change us into His nature. Lot fails to recognize that he has landed himself in a mess far more dangerous than the tar pits in the Valley of Siddim. Lot will be progressively sucked in further and further while Abram will continue to develop an ever-closer relationship with God.  

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You, copying Abram and not Lot. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Abram and Lot Part Ways

“Genesis 13:1-18 So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev—he and his wife and all his possessions—and Lot was with him. And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched, to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist. And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Lot Proceeds toward Sodom

And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

God Renews the Promise to Abram

After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width—for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.”

Abram and Lot both have huge herds and flocks and grazing land and water for these animals is a problem. Now Abram’s workers and Lot’s workers are constantly fighting over grazing and water rights. Something must done, and Abram must take the lead. Why doesn’t Lot come to Abram and suggest a solution? Lot is not a believer and Lot is selfish, having a sense of entitlement.

Abram is Lot’s uncle. As the elder, Abram should have first choice in everything, enjoying the best and leaving the remainder for Lot. But Abram graciously allows Lot first choice. At this point, the Dead Sea might not exist; the Jordan River might flow through the Sea of Galilee and on down to the Gulf of Aqaba and the entire Jordan Valley is verdant, promising rich grazing for Lot’s large flocks and herds. True, the men of Sodom have a reputation for wickedness, but Lot figures he can avoid Sodom. So Lot chooses the whole plain of the Jordan for himself, leaving Abram with hill country, sparser grazing, and less water. There’s Lot’s sense of entitlement kicking in again. Lot lives in the cities of the plain but “pitches his tent toward Sodom.” This decision will prove to be the worst of Lot’s entire life.

“After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width—for I will give it to you.” Notice that God does not renew this promise to Abram until after Abram has given the Jordan Valley to Lot. Here God is assuring Abram that no matter what kind of arrangement Abram has made with Lot, Abram’s descendants will inherit all the land, including the Jordan Valley and that God will multiply Abram’s descendants ”like the dust of the earth.”

Being a good and generous person can be very trying, particularly when you are dealing with those with a strong sense of entitlement. Few things are more frustrating than seeing the solution for a problem and then having to navigate around someone else’s ego to reach that solution. Although the account in Genesis is descriptive, we wonder what has not been recorded. Given the fact that Abram takes the lead, it’s likely that Lot’s herdsmen have been causing most of the problems with Lot urging them on in the background. Perhaps Abram makes his suggestion out of a sense of frustration and disgust.

The important thing to notice about Abram is his regular worship of the Lord. Abram returns from the Negev in the south to the area between Ai and Bethel, rebuilds his altar, and worships the Lord. Once God gives Abram His promise, Abram moves south to the oaks of Mamre near Hebron and worships the Lord again. At no point is there any mention of Lot worshiping the Lord. Lot might be a good person, but he is trusting in his own goodness and not in God’s.

How is Abram able to give up the best grazing land to an ungrateful nephew? Abram is in regular communication with God and God is reassuring Abram of His watch care and His promises. Abram trusts that God is going to give him the necessary grazing and water for his herds and flocks. Abram is also trusting that God will keep His promises, and this faith gives Abram peace.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of people with well-developed senses of entitlement, and you never know when one of these people will appear to complicate things. But when you are trusting God as Abram has done, you can trust that God keeps the books and God can multiply resources and improved things for you. Even if you like Abram find yourself forced to retreat to a less than optimal location, God is still fully capable of blessing you and multiplying resources.

Our hospital cares for very poor people, many of whom cannot possibly settle even the smallest of medical bills. Through our hospital chaplain and some of our nurses, we settle medical bills and also provide money for feeding for patients and their families. We are not rich people nor do we have large numbers of wealthy donors supporting us; yet, God continues to provide so that we are able to help others. Through the years, we have seen God multiply our resources in many different ways, and we can state with Joshua that “And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” (Joshua 23:14)

The law of the Kingdom of God is simple: the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. Abram graciously gave his nephew first choice and lived to rejoice that he had done so, gaining God’s peace in the process. Selfish Lot forfeited God’s peace by grabbing the best land, but a land inhabited by wicked men.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You and Your promises and to be willing to yield to gain peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 12:10-20 “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”

So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.” 

Abram is at least 75 and his wife is a little younger. Sarai must be incredibly beautiful for the Egyptians to suggest Pharaoh add her to his harem. But the story of Abram’s duplicity is very sad. Abram is willing to sacrifice his wife to save himself, allowing Sarai to risk being raped, abused, or even murdered. At this point, Abram is not precisely an ideal hero of the faith, and later, he will do the same thing in a different setting. How does Sarai feel about this?

Abram starts out by benefiting from allowing Sarai to enter the harem, collecting sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But God intervenes on Sarai’s behalf, sending plagues on Pharaoh and his household. By some means, Pharaoh realizes that these plagues are from God because of Sarai entering the harem. God has protected Sarai from Pharaoh taking her as another wife. Pharaoh realizes Abram’s deception and also realizes that Abram and Sarai are under God’s protection and sends them away.

What can we learn from this story? Abram is trying to save his own skin and to gain peace in the process; however, godly peace can never be gained by deception. Abram doesn’t bother to ask for God’s protection; he simply comes up with a scheme of his own, and a wretched one at that. Later, one of Abram’s descendants will pull something similar, most likely using Abram as an excuse.

Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” The reverse is also true: Refusing to do things God’s way will result in disaster. God must be shaking his head in disdain as He sends the plagues on Egypt to deliver Sarai.

Why is God allowing Abram to get away with such a horrible deed? God knows that Abran believes in him and that Abram will eventually grow far beyond the need to attempt to be his own amateur providence. By the end of Abram’s lifetime, Abram will have received a new name, Abraham, and will also have received incredible promises from God. This part of Abram’s story should encourage all of us, for we all have tried to make things happen on our own without waiting for God.

There is also another aspect to this situation. As we were concluding our first two-year mission term, we realized that the work of the Kingdom of God goes on in spite of most of us, not because of most of us. This story from Abram’s life serves as a graphic illustration. Looking at Abram’s behavior in this situation, most of us would never think that this man would become the father of nations, a man whose name would go down in history and for whom many other outstanding men would be named, including Abraham Lincoln. The plain fact is that God uses flawed people to do His work because that’s the only kind of people available. If not for God’s power, His mercy, and His grace, none of us would accomplish anything for the Kingdom.   

Want peace? Do things God’s way, for that is the only way that will work. All other efforts will result in disaster and embarrassment. Perhaps God will graciously deliver us from our foolishness; however, why take a chance?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow Your leading so that we will have Your peace rather than trying to make things happen on our own. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 12:1-9 The Call of Abram (Genesis 26:1-5; Acts 7:1-8)

“Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan.

When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring. ” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.”

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” God is calling Abram to leave everything comfortable and familiar to go to an unknown land. As God is promising to make Abram a great nation, Abram is probably thinking, “Say what? My wife Sarai is barren, and I’m already 75 years old. God, how are you going to do this?” There is nothing to indicate that Abram is a distinguished citizen of Haran or that he has any kind of reputation whatsoever, so Abram is probably confused about the rest of God’s promises as well.

 “So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan.” Abram is succeeding where his father Terah failed. Abram obeys God and packs up all his possessions, his family, and his servants and his livestock and moves out toward the west to Canaan. Anyone who has ever moved knows few things are more painful than moving. You might think you are living very simply until you must pack everything up and move it. That’s when you realize you don’t own your possessions but your possessions own you. During moving, things get lost and broken. When you arrive, unpacking and arranging your things can be a daunting task.

In the spring of 1963 my family moved from a thirteen-room house to an eight-room house. To make matters worse, my father had arranged for friends from the church to assist in the move, but he neglected to inform my mother or us kids that we were moving! We went off to school from one house only to get off the school bus and be told that we were now living somewhere else and that strangers had packed all our things. To make matters even more complicated, our move took us from one school district to a different school district, so my father or grandfather had to take us to the neighbors to catch the bus to our current schools for the remaining three months of the school year. We had to stuff lots of things into the garage next to the house. Two years later, that garage and its contents were reduced to splinters by a tornado, and we never could remember what we had stored there in the first place.

“When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring. ” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.” The journey described here covers much of the current land of Israel. Without realizing it, Abram is viewing the territory God is promising to give to his descendants.

How much courage does it take for Abram to obey God? Abram is the only one of the family hearing from God, so everyone else has to go along. Are family members resisting and asking questions? Or is Abram so charismatic that everyone believes him? And when Abram reaches Canaan, how many others in the party are prepared to settle at once without going any further? But God is leading  Abram, giving him no peace until he travels throughout the land.

Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem entitled “The Explorer.” In that poem, the narrator tells of trying to be satisfied with a settlement in a cozy little border station in the foothills until God’s whisper came to him, driving him to cross the mountains and explore. The final line is “Anybody might have found it, but – His Whisper came to me.” Throughout Abram’s travels, God’s whispers were leading him on. Abram finds peace in the journey.    

Perhaps God is leading you into something dangerous and exciting. You wonder if it’s worth the risk. But if you don’t take the risk, for the rest of your life you will hate yourself for not having tried. When God’s Whispers come, listen to them and obey. You’ll never regret it, even when you are questioning your sanity!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to step out even when we are afraid, knowing that You are the One who leads and guides us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Terah was the father of Abram, who later became Abraham and who received so many of God’s promises, including the miraculous birth of Isaac to Sarai when she was well beyond child-bearing age and the promise to become the father of nations. We don’t know how old Terah was when he set out for Canaan, but obviously he had something in mind. But when Terah and his family arrived in Haran, they settled there. If you look at the map, you realize that Terah had already made it most of the way to Canaan. Terah traveled from Ur, south of Babylon, to Haran, north of Damascus. But Terah never made it to Canaan; had he done so, he might have shared in the miraculous promises God gave Abraham.

Why did Terah leave Ur in the first place? Was he bored or hoping for better grazing for livestock? Or was God calling Terah to leave Ur? And why did Terah settle in Haran? Was Haran that attractive? Was Terah developing health problems? Did Terah become tired of traveling? Were other family members complaining and demanding to remain in Haran? At any rate, Terah settled for less than his original goal.

Life can be very hard sometimes. Family stresses, financial stresses, health threats, and events beyond our control may drag us down, tempting us to copy Terah and settle where we have reached, rather than continuing to pursue our goals. But God wants great things for us, and when we settle for less, we miss out on the good things we would have enjoyed had we persevered. In addition, we may always find ourselves wishing that we had not given up our dreams and struggling to find peace about our poor decision.

I nearly failed to apply to medical school at all, but I persevered in applying because a close friend urged me, demanding that I not abandon my dream. When I suffered through severe depression during my senior year of medical school, I nearly gave up becoming a surgeon. But the training program that accepted me held the position open for me, and I decided to go ahead and enter surgery residency. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and thousands of grateful patients are glad I didn’t give up.
Has God given you a dream that is so big you feel it is impossible? Remember that if God gives you that dream, God will make a way for it to happen. Don’t give up! Keep making progress, even if you feel you are measuring that progress in inches or centimeters. One day, you will look back and thank God that you didn’t give up! And you will have the peace that comes from knowing that you are fulfilling God’s will for your life.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who are struggling to remember that You are the One who calls and when You call us to do something, You will also help us. Give those struggling Your strength and courage and endurance to reach the goals You have for them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel (Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:1-13)

“Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech. And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it is called Babel,(Confusion) for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.”

“Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech. And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

When Noah and his family got off the ark, God commanded them to be fruitful and to multiply and to fill the entire earth. Fulfilling this commandment would mean scattering and becoming isolated. The lure of the familiar is very strong, and these people are no exception. Rather than spreading out, these folks are trying to clump together in a single metropolis, rebelling against God as they do so. And they are building a monument to themselves, “that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”  Clearly, these people are more worried about their reputations than about God’s will for their lives. And clearly, they also are anticipating some kind of divine retribution. You might think that after a flood that wiped out everything on earth that wasn’t in the ark, these people would know better. But the ability of human beings to delude themselves is almost unlimited.

Years ago, Rebecca Pippert wrote an excellent book on evangelism entitled Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World:Evangelism as a Way of Life. This book pointed out the fact that when we clump together in churches, nobody outside the church will hear the good news of Jesus Christ. The last commandment Jesus gave his disciples was to be his witnesses ”in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8) Shortly after Jesus went into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and nothing was ever the same again.

“Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” In the beginning, there is only one language, and communication is simple. But these people are bent on going their own way, not God’s way. There is no indication that they have any interest in worshiping God; instead, they are busy building and inventing. Archaeology has proven that there were brilliant ancient people who devised all kinds of sophisticated instruments for astronomy and mathematics. Who knows what these people might develop? Perhaps without this confusion of speech, the atomic bomb would have existed millennia earlier.

“So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it is called Babel,(Confusion) for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.”  How did God scatter these people? Lacking a common language, people began feeling very uncomfortable with their neighbors. No matter how hard they tried to convince themselves that everything they tried to get along, they simply could not communicate. Far better to move!

God can send a divine restlessness in our spirits so that we are unable to remain in comfortable situations. In the fall of 1985, my husband and I began feeling incredibly uncomfortable for no reason. I had completed pediatric surgery training and was working, making more money than ever before. My husband had a job he enjoyed. We were attending a good church where we had many friends and were enjoying excellent teaching. We should have been very happy; yet, we felt quite uncomfortable. That was when my husband met a missionary surgeon friend who put us in touch with his mission. When we completed the application papers and submitted them, we began feeling some relief. Although that mission did not accept us as missionaries for doctrinal reasons, we had begun the move toward the mission field and felt a release within ourselves. Eventually, God led us to a mission and we came to Ghana nearly three years later.

Communication is vitally important. We work in northern Ghana in an area that is a linguistic patchwork quilt. We might go through 5 or 6 languages in the course of an average day in our outpatient department. Sometimes we scramble to find native speakers of unusual dialects so that we can communicate clearly. I speak two tribal languages poorly and have phrases in two more; however, sometimes my best communication is through hand gestures. (The nurses derive lots of entertainment from those hand gestures!) Since Ghana is a former British colony, the English spoken here has a British accent and not an American one. I find it helpful to advise new staff that they will not offend me if they ask me to repeat or to explain something.

How hard do we try to communicate with others? American tourists are infamous for assuming that they can make themselves understood in other countries if they simply SPEAK LOUD ENOUGH!!! Of course, this ploy doesn’t work and only makes the speaker appear ridiculous and insensitive. But clear communication depends on listening as well as speaking. How willing are we to listen to others before jumping in with our contribution? Communication is a two-way affair; otherwise, the speaker is only delivering a monologue with no anticipation of any response from the other individual.

There is another sad aspect of the short story of Babel: nowhere is there any indication that people asked God for direction, or that they consulted God in any fashion. We rarely attend prayer meetings anymore because most of the time, people are busy screaming at God as loudly and rapidly as possible. Sometimes the screamers claim they are waging spiritual warfare; however, it is God who has the power and not us, and God is not deaf, nor are demons impressed with noise. When God was trying to gain the attention of the prophet Samuel as a child, Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” After that, Samuel was quiet and allowed God to speak into his heart. If we are unwilling to be quiet and to listen to God, how can we expect to hear anything from Him?

If we want peace, we must communicate with God and with others effectively. May God help us to listen more than we speak!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen to You and to others, knowing that You are the Source of all effective communication. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Genesis 9: 18-27 “The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.

Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it across their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.

When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also declared: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the servant of Shem. May God expand the territory of Japheth; may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.”

After the lovely story of the rainbow, we have this strange tale of a family dispute. The flood waters have gone. Noah has three sons And in the beginning, they all have equal prospects and equal opportunities. But Noah has planted a vineyard and has made wine and is now so drunk that he is sprawling naked within his tent. Ham, the youngest son, peeps into the tent, sees Noah, and tells his brothers, mocking his father as he does so. Why should Ham do such a thing? Perhaps Ham wants to lord it over his elder brothers-“Look what I know that you don’t!” Perhaps Ham has heard his father muttering strange things in his drunken state. Shem and Japheth are horrified and spread a cloth between the two of them, backing into the tent so they can cover Noah without looking at him; they cover Noah and move out, never once glancing at Noah. Despite Noah’s pitiful state, Shem and Japheth do everything they can to honor their father. Once Noah sobers up, he learns how Ham has made fun of him and becomes very angry, cursing Ham and his son Canaan and all the generations of their family to come. Noah blesses Shem and Japheth for their respectful handling of the situation.

When a friend or relative does something embarrassing, we can create a peaceful resolution or we can embarrass them. But remember that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. What goes around really does come around, and tomorrow you might be the one caught in an embarrassing situation.

Notice that this account says nothing about how Shem and Japheth feel about their father getting drunk. They might be sad and embarrassed as well. But these two men are doing everything in their power to honor their father even in his drunken state. When the Bible admonishes us to honor our parents, it does not list any exceptions such as “honor your parents as long as they are not doing anything shameful.” God loves us despite our shortcomings, not because of them. We must be as gracious to others as God is to us. We must grant all those around us the same measure of grace we would hope for were we in their position.

Some of us have no problems granting others grace. I was unfortunately raised in a home in which “smart” criticism of others was applauded. It has taken me most of my adult life to break the habits I learned as a child. If you find yourself in that same situation, do what I continue to do-ask God to change you and to help you to be kind and loving rather than harsh and critical. You will find much more peace when you are gracious.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be kind and loving, even when we are tempted to be harsh and critical. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 9:1-17 The Covenant of the Rainbow

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.” Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, “Behold, I now establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth—every living thing that came out of the ark. And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures: Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. And whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth.” So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all living things on the earth.”

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.” Evidently, until now, people have been vegetarians; however, now God says that everything that lives and moves is potential food. But why is God so picky about blood? Blood represents life and God wants people to avoid eating raw meat or even tearing a piece out of a live creature.

“And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.” Although God has already punished Cain for murdering Abel, this is the first Biblical proscription against murder. Human life is to be respected because God has created men in His image. No matter how angry we are, we are to respect others because they have been made in God’s image. Atoning sacrifices for sins are blood sacrifices.

“But what about evolution?” you ask. What about it? If we accept the Big Bang theory, then a God who can speak the universe into an existence  with a single word can certainly use any means He chooses. It takes no less faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in special creation.   

“But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.” Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, “Behold, I now establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth—every living thing that came out of the ark. And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Notice that God is making a covenant with all creation and not just with people.

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures: Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.” Why is the rainbow a sign of peace? The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise that He will never send another world-wide flood to destroy all creation, no matter how sinful men might become.

“But,” you protest, “rainbows are the result of certain atmospheric conditions.” Certainly, and Who do you think has created the atmosphere and those conditions? “I refuse to believe that God is involved,” you retort. Fine. Your choice. But your refusal to accept God’s word and His covenant does not nullify that covenant; it only cheapens your life by depriving you of the wonder of believing in God.   

We are all born with a sin problem, something about which we can do nothing. Not only has God sent rainbows but He has also sent His Son Jesus Christ to shed his blood in payment for our sins. We can choose to accept what Jesus has done and to believe in that salvation, or we can behave like Noah’s neighbors.

There’s a Gospel song that says, “It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. So the rush for the door didn’t stop till it got dark. Don’t wait for the judgment to give the Lord your heart. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for continuing to send rainbows as signs of Your faithfulness. Help all who read these words to trust You completely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.