Burunche’s Blog

Genesis 24:1-28 “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”

So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.”

Sarah has died and both Abraham and Isaac are in deep mourning. Abraham is enough of a realist to realize that his time on earth may be drawing to a close as well. But what about a wife for Isaac? Even now, the Canaanites are already indulging in gross religious practices that are repellant to Abraham; at the same time, Abraham realizes that if Isaac ever gets sight of Ur, he might find Ur so attractive that he will remain there and never return to this land God has promised. Abraham calls his closest friend, his oldest servant who runs the entire household and puts forth the problem. “I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

The servant is naturally worried; how will he know which young woman to select? What if the young woman refuses to leave her family? “And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” 

The servant takes ten camels, loads them with luxury items, and travels several hundred miles back to the city of Nahor. This servant has worked under Abraham for long enough that he also trusts the One True Living God, so he prays that God will give him a specific sign, that the young woman of God’s choosing will spontaneously offer him and his camels water. God honors that request and Rebekah appears and offers water. Once the servant learns Rebekah is from Abraham’s extended family, he knows that God has blessed his quest.

In Abraham’s day, arranged marriages were a common practice; even today there are many places where arranged marriages are still the norm. Parents would carefully investigate the family and character of a potential spouse for their sons or daughters, for such a decision was too important to be left to young people with surging hormones. Abraham fully believed that the same God who had given him Isaac would now pick a perfect wife for Isaac as well. What must that servant have felt like as he traveled east with those ten camels? Abraham had trusted this man with the affairs of the entire household for years, but what if he failed to find Abraham’s family? GPS did not exist in those days, and information was spotty. What if he found Abraham’s family, but there was no suitable young woman? What if he found Abraham’s family and there was a suitable young woman but she refused to return to Canaan with him, preferring to remain secure in a walled city? That trip must have really been a several hundred-mile prayer meeting!

God answered Abraham’s and his servant’s prayers, leading the servant straight to the city of Nahor, Abraham’s relative, and to Rebekah. Now let’s leave that story to tell another one. When my father was in his teens, he prayed earnestly for God to give him the wife of God’s choosing. Dad was all signed up to attend a local college when he accompanied a friend to help him move into his college dorm two hundred miles away. Dad was so impressed with the college his friend was to attend that he came home and told his parents he wanted to change schools. It was at that second college that Dad met Mom, who was already a student there. They were married three years later. My parents were married for 36 years until Mom’s death from cancer in 1980. In retrospect, Mom was obviously the wife for whom Dad had prayed as a teen. When Mom died and Dad remarried, we won the lottery a second time because my stepmother was a wonderful woman and clearly a second answer to Dad’s prayers.

When my husband and I met, neither of us was looking for a spouse. Both of us had gone through brutal divorces and were still wounded; yet, God brought us together, healing us in the process. We recently celebrated our 42^nd wedding anniversary, and we can verify the fact that God is a great Matchmaker!

Perhaps you too have been burned by previous relationships. You are ready to give up and remain single for the rest of your life, even though you long for someone with whom you can share that life. Ask God to be your Matchmaker. Let go of any preconceived notions and allow God to work. You will be amazed at what He can do!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help those looking for mates to allow You to choose for them. Heal the hurts and cause them to realize that marriages based on You will last. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 23:1-20 The Death and Burial of Sarah

“Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old. She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites, “I am a stranger and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”

The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”

Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”

Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.” (10.1 pounds)

Ephron answered Abraham, “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver,  but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field, were deeded over to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites

who had come to the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.”

Sarah has died at age 127. This means Isaac is 37 and Abraham is probably 137. After suitably grieving for Sarah, Abraham now needs a fitting burial place. Despite the fact that Abraham is a very wealthy and powerful man, notice the way he handles the negotiations.

1. Abraham humbles himself, going to his Hittite neighbors and stating that he is a stranger and an outsider. Abraham doesn’t just go out and bury Sarah in any old location because he doesn’t know the intricacies of the local burial practices. If Abraham is not careful, he can needlessly offend his neighbors, violating taboos. By these actions, Abraham is demonstrating respect for those among whom he lives.
2. After Abraham’s Hittite neighbors make extravagant promises about burial sites, Abraham next asks for their help in interceding on his behalf with Ephron. Abraham wants to buy Ephron’s field, along with its trees and the cave at the end of the field. If Abraham fails to buy the field, he might not have access to the cave in the future.
3. Formal negotiations commence. The threefold repetition of the phrase “I give it to you” is an ancient bargaining formula indicating that the seller is willing to bargain. The use of this phrase does NOT mean that Ephron is ready to make Abraham a gift of the field, the trees, and the cave.
4. After Abraham pledges to pay the full price, Ephron casually mentions how much he wants. You can almost see Ephron shrugging his shoulders as he says, “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver,  but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
5. Abraham does not haggle but pays the full asking price. Perhaps Abraham’s friends have already checked and have informed him of the going rate for land. Abraham’s acceptance of Ephron’s price indicates that Abraham trusts Ephron not to cheat him and that he wants to remain on good terms with all his neighbors.
6. By Abraham’s conduct in this situation, he is assuring himself of peace with his neighbors.

In an age when electronic media have assumed such importance, it is necessary to remember that we need to maintain personal relationships with family, friends, and neighbors if we are really to have peace. Abraham could conduct himself in a very high-handed fashion; he could also find his herds and flocks being stolen in bits, his herdsmen slaughtered, and he and his family in danger.

We have spent a significant part of our lives functioning in cultures not our own. Interestingly, the worst cross-cultural mistakes we have made took place in our own country, and our experiences are quite typical. When traveling abroad, visitors expect things to be different and are willing to adjust; however, when traveling within one’s own country, we expect that the culture will be the same wherever we go. Wrong! When we Yankees moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1983, we had no idea how the Southern culture functioned. It was particularly tricky for me as a female surgeon because I faced a host of cultural expectations for which I was totally unprepared. By the time I had adjusted, I faced a great deal of relational rebuilding, all because I had no idea of the differences between the culture of my Midwestern childhood and the culture of the Midsouth. As one horrible example, when the pediatric surgeons with whom I was going to work invited us to a picnic, I wore the same clothes I would have worn in Illinois…shorts and a tee shirt…WRONG!!! I should have dressed only one step down from the clothes I would have worn to church! My hostess took pity on me and lent me some clothes; otherwise, I might have had to leave. (I had tried to get costume advice; however, the local ladies whom I consulted had no idea of my deprived background.)

Here in Ghana, we have to be careful about the colors we wear. While white, black and white, or blue and white are colors for celebration, black, black and red, or black and orange or brown are considered traditional funeral colors to be worn only on specific occasions. Any woman wearing a black head scarf is considered to be in mourning for a friend or relative. I used to whistle while walking around the hospital. At that time, we had a physician assistant from a particular tribal group working with us. It was only years after this man had moved on that I learned that his tribe believed anyone whistling was trying to capture someone’s soul.

The story of Abraham’s negotiations for a gravesite for his wife can serve as a great example for us. Never take those around you for granted and try to be sensitive to subtle cultural differences. Understanding and compassion will bring peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be sensitive to those around us and not to jump to conclusions or to take them for granted. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Offering of Isaac (John 3:16-21; Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 11:17-19)

Genesis 22:1-19 “Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.

On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.

Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!”

“Here I am, my son,” he replied.

“The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.

When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

The Sacrifice Averted

Just then, the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”

Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time, saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.”

This morning God has ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah, and Abraham is stricken with grief! Isaac is the miracle son of Abraham’s old age, the one through whom Abraham will have descendants as numerous as the sand on the sea shore. How can God possibly demand Abraham sacrifice Isaac now that Abraham has sent Hagar and Ishmael off into the wilderness? And Isaac is an appealing little boy with black curly hair, bright dark eyes, and a perpetual smile. Isaac is a happy child, always singing or whistling, and brightens anyplace he happens to be. God has asked Abraham to move from Ur to Canaan, and then to further move all over Canaan, always living in tents. Until now, Abraham has always obeyed, but how can he possibly sacrifice Isaac? The idea is almost unthinkable. All Abraham can do is to obey and hope God will relent!

As Abraham and Isaac start out with two servants, Abraham is almost dragging his feet while Isaac can’t wait for this new adventure and is skipping along and singing. The only thing puzzling Isaac is the absence of an animal for the sacrifice, but he’s sure his abba already has something in mind. Then the group reaches Mount Moriah and Abraham and Isaac go on by themselves. By now, Abraham is almost in tears; only the self-discipline of a lifetime is keeping him from throwing himself on the ground in grief.

“Papa, where is the lamb?” Isaac asks. “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answers. Finally, the altar is built and Abraham begins binding Isaac’s hands, sobbing loudly as he does so. Trusting and unafraid, Isaac allows his father to bind his hands and his feet and to lay him on top of the wood on the altar. Just as Isaac is realizing that his father has raised the hand holding the knife, they both hear the angel of God calling, “Abraham, Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”  Suddenly, Abraham hears the noise of something thrashing in the bushes. A huge ram, the most handsome ram Abraham has ever seen, has caught its horns in the bushes and can’t escape. Abraham wastes no time in dispatching the ram and releasing Isaac from his bonds. Then the angel of God speaks a second time.

“By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Abraham and Isaac bow themselves to the ground in worship and awe. When the sacrifice is completely consumed by the fire, Abraham scatters the coals so that the bush will not catch on fire, and then Isaac and he return to the servants with holy joy on their faces. The servants have no idea of what has happened; however, they know something wonderful must have occurred from the way Abraham and Isaac are behaving. Even Abraham, old as he is, is practically skipping down that mountain! Then they all pack up and return to Beersheba.

We always think about Abraham’s risking the life of his miracle son, but what about Isaac’s faith? If Isaac didn’t trust his father, he would never have accompanied him, nor would he have allowed Abraham to bind his hands and feet and to lay him on the altar. Abraham wasn’t the only person to hear that Voice from heaven; Isaac did as well. And that Voice promised to bless Isaac’s descendants, to multiply them beyond all counting, and to bless all nations of the earth through those descendants. For the rest of Isaac’s life, those words would remain in his heart, assuring him that he was specially blessed.

What would have happened had Abraham refused to journey to Mount Moriah and stayed home? Blessedly, Abraham had sufficient faith to meet God’s challenge, to take that risk, and untold blessings resulted.

When we visited Saboba in February 1992, we had no plans to come here. Saboba was a small village with a health center employing only 11 workers while I was a highly trained general and pediatric surgeon. I belonged in a hospital. But when we stepped out of the vehicle and set foot on the mission house yard for the first time, the Holy Spirit descended, wrapping us like a big warm blanket, and suddenly we KNEW we were supposed to come to Saboba. We had to return to America and find a sending agency, another big problem. And then we came to Saboba having raised less than half the funding we needed because the situation was so urgent. Our first year here, I was plagued by health workers carrying wild stories about me to the Regional Director of Health Services. But when a small tribal war broke out, suddenly that little health center became the only source of help for 100,000 people from one tribe. We started the lab and the theater (OR) and began functioning as a hospital, even though we still had only a U-shaped health center building with grass in the center of the U.

Why did we do all this? The Love of God constrained us. God called, and we had to come. Today that small health center is a flourishing district hospital. Perhaps you too are struggling with a thorny decision. You know God is calling you to take a risk and you wish He would give a few guarantees. But God doesn’t work that way. There’s a scene from the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Jones needs to cross a seemingly bottomless gorge; when he throws a handful of sand out ahead of him, a narrow path suddenly appears. Now Jones has a choice: step out onto that path and trust that it will hold him and that he will not fall to his death, or abandon his quest. Jones steps out, crossing to the final resting place of the Holy Grail.

When God is about to do something great in your life, He may ask you to take a great risk. You have free will and you can choose to risk or not. But if you draw back, that failure to risk will haunt you for the rest of your life and you will miss untold blessings and have only uneasy peace. Have the decades since that decision been easy for us? Scarcely! But God continues to guide and to bless us, and we rejoice in knowing the peace of God in our lives.  

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are on the brink of important life-changing decisions. We are afraid to stay and afraid to go. Help all those in such situations to hear Your still small voice so that they will make the decisions that will bring them Your everlasting peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 21:22-33 “At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”

And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”

But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized, Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”

So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”

He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.” So that place was called Beersheba, (well of the seven) because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.

And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.”

Remember Abimelech, King of Gerar, who nearly added Sarah to his harem until God warned him not to in a dream? After God warned Abimelech, he paid Abraham 1,000 pieces of silver, plus giving him manservants, maidservants, and all kinds of livestock. Abimelech opened his land to Abraham, inviting him to live anywhere Abraham wished. Ever since that incident, Abimelech has been watching Abraham very closely to see if Abraham is actually a man of integrity. Because Abimelech is thoroughly impressed, he comes to Abraham along with Phicol, the commander of his army. Abimelech tells Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”  Abraham gives his word to deal fairly with Abimelech, his family, and his country.

Now it is Abraham’s turn. In a country where water is scarce, Abraham has dug a well, only for Abimelech’s servants to seize it. Abimelech is appalled; here he is making a covenant with Abraham and his servants are creating problems. Now Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs in witness that Abraham has dug this well. The two men call the well Beersheba, or the well of the seven. Abraham also plants a tamarisk tree near the well as a second monument and worships God there. With honor being satisfied on both sides, King Abimelech returns to the land of the Philistines and Abraham remains near Beersheba.

This short story illustrates the success of two outstanding leaders to achieve peace despite a regrettable action by Abimelech’s servants. While Abraham is not a king, he is very wealthy and powerful. After watching Abraham for some time, Abimelech has decided that Abraham truly is an honorable man, one who will fulfill any covenant into which he has entered. As a ruler with foresight, Abimelech wants to have Abraham and his descendants on his side.

Notice how Abraham handles the problem of the well. Abraham allows Abimelech to state his case and pledges loyalty. Only then does Abraham complain about Abimelech’s servants seizing the well dug by Abraham’s servants. Abraham makes a concession before he lays a complaint. Many of us would have complained before we did anything else, offending Abimelech in the process. Next, Abraham gives Abimelech a very handsome present, seven choice ewe lambs that Abimelech can add to his flocks. Even though Abraham is actually the offended party, he takes the initiative to make peace.

How can Abraham take the initiative to make peace? Abraham worships God and trusts Him. Because Abraham has trusted God, God has given Abraham a miracle, a son in his old age. Abraham is more concerned about preserving peace than in proving who is right or who is more virtuous. Abimelech has taken the step to come to Abraham, and Abraham wants to demonstrate his appreciation. Abraham is wise enough not to sweat the small stuff.

Many times, the problems that assail us aren’t big ones; it’s just that there are so many of them. Someone has described such experiences as “being stoned to death with popcorn.” Trivial problems, small stuff, can still become overwhelming, plucking on your last nerve. But there is a very wise test to apply to the things that irritate you: will you remember this in five years? If you won’t remember this problem in five years, it’s not worth wasting energy worrying about it now. Solve problems, but refuse to sweat the small stuff. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Abraham could handle complicated relationships with local rulers because he worshiped regularly and continued to ask God for guidance.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling to relate to family members, work colleagues, and others. Please guide us and give us Your peace so that we will also bring peace to these relationships. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 21:9- 21

Sarah Turns against Hagar

“But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned. But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”

Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.

Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. Arise, lift up the boy and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer. And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”

By now, Ishmael must be fourteen or more years old because Abraham circumcises Ishmael and all the other males in the household before Isaac is born. Ishmael is already realizing that Isaac is the son of promise while he is not, even though Abraham loves Ishmael. Stung by this realization, Ishmael is making fun of Isaac and Sarah overhears it. Sarah is understandably concerned; Ishmael is big enough and strong enough that he might lure little Isaac into danger or even arrange an “accident” that could eliminate Isaac as a rival. And there is the unmistakable fact that Isaac is junior to Ishmael; therefore, Ishmael as the eldest should inherit everything from Abraham. Just because Hagar has returned to the household does not mean that she has not been filling Ishmael’s head with all kinds of pretensions. No, Sarah has a right to be concerned. Abraham, meanwhile, is trying to maintain peace by ignoring the obvious, until Sarah raises her complaint.

Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael out with bread and water; however, the water soon finishes and Hagar fears Ishmael will die. That’s when God shows up, sending Hagar and Ishmael to a large spring of water and saving both their lives. But Abraham and Sarah’s rejection of Ishmael will continue to rankle throughout generations and will remain a root of bitterness that will lead to Ishmael’s descendants warring with Isaac’s.

Ishmael reaches adulthood and becomes a skilled warrior. His Egyptian mother naturally finds him an Egyptian wife. Even though Ishmael is not the miraculous son of promise, God still keeps His Word to Abraham and makes Ishmael a great nation and the father of several nations. God keeps His promises to Abraham through both Isaac and Ishmael and Ishmael is highly successful.  

The story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac is a complex one. If Abraham and Sarah had not taken matters into their own hands, Ishmael might have been fathered by someone other than Abraham. Ishmael might still have become a mighty warrior; however, the festering resentments nurtured by Hagar would never have happened and things would have been far more peaceful. But God already anticipated those poor choices and He had a perfect plan to bring peace in spite of them. Face it, we all make mistakes. If God were to withhold peace each time we falter, there would be no peace at all. But God is bigger than our mistakes and God can redeem bad situations.

In retrospect, I can identify innumerable times when God has had to deliver me from my own foolishness. One humorist has been quoted as saying that if he could only kick the fellow causing his problems in the pants, he wouldn’t sit down for a week. I agree. The amazing thing about God is that He is all-knowing and all-understanding. God knows us better than we know ourselves and yet He loves us anyway.

Perhaps today you feel a bit like Hagar. You are wandering in a wilderness, fearing that you are lost beyond all help. Take heart! The same God who opened the rocks to supply a well of water for Hagar and Ishmael is still in the miracle business. Ask Him for help; He won’t refuse you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling and see no way out of our predicaments. But You are the God who sees, the God who hears, and the God who provides. Comfort the struggling and show them Your way out of their troubles. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 21:1-8 The Birth of Isaac (Romans 8:12-17; Galatians 4:1-7)

“Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him. (“Isaac” means “he laughs”) When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.” She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.”

God sends a son of promise to a 100-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman. At this point, all is peace in the camp and the celebration is phenomenal. Why wait until the day that Isaac is weaned? By this point, Isaac is probably two years old, and unlikely to become an infant mortality statistic. While there may have actually been fewer infectious diseases to kill small children in those days, the infant mortality rate must have been sadly significant.

Sometimes God does things that are so stupendous all we can do is to worship and to celebrate. In July 1955 my father’s car was struck by a drunk driver as he was returning from a nearby town with parts to repair his combine during the oats harvest. Dad’s injuries were so severe that he had a near-death experience during which he saw his dead grandparents in heaven. Dad woke to find Mom at his bedside sobbing, “Lowell, don’t leave us!” That accident happened when Dad was 32, and he lived another 57 years, dying just short of his 89^th birthday. The day we brought Dad home from the hospital was truly a day of celebration. All of us realized how close we had come to losing Dad. After weeks of commuting to the hospital, Mom was finally able to resume a more normal household routine and to continue to raise her three small children while Dad recovered.

Perhaps you are reading these words and feeling cheated; after all, God has never done anything that miraculous for you. But how are you so sure? Lamentations 3:21-24 tells us, “Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

This last week, a wife and mother underwent what was supposed to be a small routine procedure; however, due to an underlying problem we did not know about, she suffered a cardiac arrest during the procedure. We successfully resuscitated her; however, she never regained full consciousness and died a few days later. If you are alive and you are reading these words and are in good health, you are enjoying miracles, even if you don’t recognize them. If your son or daughter or a grandchild is graduating and you can celebrate with them, you are enjoying miracles. If you can read these words, you are enjoying the miracle of good eyesight and a brain that functions. You are a walking miracle, and this knowledge should cause you to celebrate and also to have peace in the knowledge that God is still moving in your life.

As I was writing these words, the dawn sky is lighting the delicate tracery of the flame tree leaves outside my window. Repeatedly, God has used flame trees and their leaves to remind me that He is the One who has created every cell in those leaves while I can’t describe a single part of the process. This morning, I am celebrating the flame trees in our back yard and rejoicing that I serve a God who knows every cell of their being as well as every cell of mine. And I have peace, knowing that my Creator cares for me just as much as He does for those flame trees.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we are surrounded by miracles that we fail to recognize. Help us to celebrate Your goodness and Your bounty in our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.    

Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech

Genesis 20:1-18 “Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”

Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”

Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”

Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.

Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.” Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”

Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.” And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children— for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.”

Sarah must have been drop-dead gorgeous even as an old lady for Abimelech to want to add her to his harem. Why? Because in this story, Abraham and Sarah already have the new names that God has given them. At any rate, Abraham is at it again, sacrificing Sarah to save his own skin. Abraham’s excuse is pretty flimsy. “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”  Way to go, Abraham! Why are you willing to sacrifice Sarah, who is to be the mother of your child of promise? Where’s your trust in God?

The story ends happily because God appears to Abimelech in a dream, warning him to leave Sarah alone and to restore her to her husband. Not only does Abimelech return Sarah to Abraham, but he also gives Abraham lavish presents and offers him the opportunity to settle wherever he wants to in the kingdom of Gerar. Evidently, this situation has gone on for several months, because God has closed the wombs of all the women in Abimelech’s household. Perhaps God has been giving Abraham time to do the right thing and give the true explanation regarding his relationship with Sarah, only intervening when Abraham has failed to do so.

Abaham prays for Abimelech and God heals everything about the situation, including removing the curse of barrenness from the women of Abimelech’s home. What is missing is God’s dialogue with Abraham. It’s  hard to believe that God will allow Abraham to get away with this stunt without correcting him in some fashion. And how does Sarah feel? Once more, Abraham has been willing to allow Sarah to be taken into another man’s harem to save his own life, with Sarah running the risk of rape or even death if she fails to please Abimelech. Abraham’s cowardice proves that family dysfunction has been going on for millenia.

It is highly significant that God has never demanded human sacrifice apart from the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. When the Israelites copied their pagan neighbors, sacrificing their children as live burnt offerings to Molech, God was furious. By lying and allowing Sarah to be added to a king’s harem, Abraham is essentially sacrificing Sarah.

Today, we continue to make human sacrifices of our families by refusing to spend time with them, celebrating special moments, or putting their needs before our own. Childhood passes in an instant, and the chance to share precious milestones vanishes in a millisecond. Opportunities for intimacy with our spouses dwindle the more we refuse to take advantage of them. Eventually, our families decide that they can do quite well without us at all. Even if we do not put our work before our families, we can still neglect them if we allow depression or other emotional problems to rob us of time with them.

Looking back, I realize that my father was chronically depressed in an age when there were few effective antidepressant drugs and depression was generally treated with ECT, electroconvulsive therapy. Any emotional problem carried the social stigma of madness and those suffering from simple depression went to incredible lengths to hide their problems, hurting their families and themselves in the process. ECT frequently resulted in memory loss, a liability so daunting that the author Hemingway committed suicide rather than go through ECT again. By the time Dad was able to get on effective antidepressants, I was well into adulthood and the patterns of our relationship were already set. My mother was the one who made sure that events and successes were celebrated.

By the time God changed Abraham and Sarah’s names, He was already promising that Sarah would bear a son in her old age. Abraham should have had faith in God’s protection and should also have valued and protected Sarah; his failure to respond in faith led to problems for others as well as for his own household. May we act more wisely than Abraham, trusting that God will care for us and treasuring the families God has given us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to treasure those around us, realizing that You will protect us and give us Your peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Lot and His Daughters

Genesis 19:30-38 “Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains—for he was afraid to stay in Zoar—where they lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the custom over all the earth. Come, let us get our father drunk with wine, so that we can sleep with him and preserve his line.”

So that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the firstborn came and slept with her father; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.

The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last night. Let us get him drunk with wine again tonight, so you can go sleep with him, and we can preserve our father’s line.”

So again that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the younger daughter went and slept with him; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.

Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab.(Son of my people) He is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi.(From my father) He is the father of the Ammonites of today.”

Talk about sordid stories! Lot and his two daughters have escaped from Sodom and have left the small city of Zoar to which they fled when God destroyed the other cities of the plain. Evidently, Lot fears that the citizens of Zoar may blame him for God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The most reasonable thing to do would be for Lot to find Abraham and go live with him; however, instead, this once-prosperous man settles in the mountains and lives in a cave with his daughters. How this trio are managing to feed themselves is a mystery, but the daughters, who are thorough Sodomites, somehow get their father drunk so that he will impregnate each of them. Allegedly, the ancient nations of Moab and Ammon are descended from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters.

This story raises more questions than answers. Why does Lot insist on living in a cave in the first place? Abraham’s camp is only a few days’ journey from Zoar. What happens to Lot and his daughters after he impregnates them? Obviously, these people don’t remain in that cave for very long. Is this story real or is this ant-Moabite and anti-Ammonite propaganda? And why doesn’t Lot ask God for guidance rather than huddling in a cave? After all, God is the One who has delivered Lot and his daughters.

The saddest part of this entire story is that despite years of moving with Abraham, Lot knows nothing about God. Even though Lot has watched Abraham worship God many times, he has obviously assumed that Abraham is crazy and is simply wasting all those prime animals he is sacrificing. Because Lot has never paid any attention to God, Lot has tolerated the moral filth of Sodom and has allowed it to pollute his daughters to the point that they think incest is a great solution to their problems.

While we are judging Lot, we need to ask ourselves about the spiritual atmosphere of our own homes. Here in Ghana, there are many videos that claim to be Christian; however, they are packed with sex, violence, witchcraft, and special effects. The filmmakers make the Christian claim because they attach a Bible verse at the very end of the video, after glorifying the devil. On many occasions, we have visited homes of fellow church members only to observe their children watching this trash. These days, the internet has become a stalking ground for sexual predators who entice young children and teens by pretending to be someone their own age. In many cases, children have been abducted when they have gone to meet these “friends.” Many cartoons have become political propaganda rather than entertainment or glorify violence.

For 33 years, the late Fred Rogers hosted a highly popular children’s television program entitled “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Children and parents loved this program for its positive messages and gentle humor. Rogers was highly-trained in child development as well as being an ordained Presbyterian minister, and his program still exists in re-runs and on the internet. For some children, Mr. Rogers was the one who gave them a moral compass.   

When I was a small child in Sunday School, we learned a simple song with a powerful message. “Be careful little eyes, what you see…for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.” The verses warned “Be careful little ears, what you hear,” “Be careful, little mouth what you say..” “Be careful little feet, where you go,” “Be careful little hands, what you do.” The refrain each time advised “For the Father up above is looking down in love…”

We have a Heavenly Father who continually looks down at us in love. If we want godly peace, a peace so deep that we cannot understand it, we must be careful about all those things that influence our lives-social media, television, videos, friends, and reading material. It’s likely that Lot’s life eventually ended miserably in grinding poverty and shame. God wants us to have good lives, lives of peace. But we must choose. Choose wisely.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to choose those things that will help us to have Your peace in our lives and the lives of our family members. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Gensis 19:1-11 Lot Welcomes the Angels

“Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown, and said, “My lords, please turn asideinto the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”

But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he pleaded, “don’t do such a wicked thing! Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them to you, and you can do to them whatever you want. But do not do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

“Get out of the way!” they replied. And they declared, “This one came here as a foreigner, and he is already acting like a judge! Now we will treat you worse than them.” And they pressed in on Lot and moved in to break down the door.

But the men inside reached out, pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

12-23 Lot Flees to Zoar

Then the two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—a son-in-law, your sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are about to destroy this place. For the outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that He has sent us to destroy it.”

So Lot went out and spoke to the sons-in-law who were pledged in marriage to his daughters. “Get up,” he said. “Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters. And they led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them.

As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

But Lot replied, “No, my lords, please! Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by sparing my life. But I cannot run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. Look, this town is near enough for me flee to it, and it is a small place. Please let me flee there—is it not a small place? Then my life will be saved.” “Very well,” he answered, “I will grant this request as well, and will not demolish the town you indicate. Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar.(Small) When the sun had risen over the land, Lot had reached Zoar.

24-29 The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Then the LORD rained down brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Early the next morning, Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.

So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that destroyed the cities where he had lived.”

In the beginning, Lot is attracted to the plain of the Jordan because of the rich grazing. Sodom and Gomorrah have evil reputations; however, Lot intends to remain in his tent. After all, what does he need from Sodom? But through the years, Lot has moved progressively closer to Sodom until he is living there, even sitting in the city gate with the other elders. And Lot’s family has settled in Sodom. Lot’s wife probably has friends and his two daughters have fiancés. Sure, Lot knows about the evil practices of the men of Sodom, but he doesn’t have to participate, does he? Lot has severely compromised himself and endangered his family morally and spiritually as well as physically.

When the two strangers arrived in Sodom, Lot responds appropriately according to the customs of his family. It’s highly significant that nobody else offers these men hospitality but that the men of the city want to rape these strangers, an incredible violation of traditional courtesy. Lot’s guests save him from the wrath of his neighbors and then warn him and his family to flee the city before it is destroyed. Lot and his two daughters escape successfully; however, Lot’s wife straggles behind and becomes a pillar of salt. The Jordan Valley is a northern continuation of the Rift Valley in East Africa. There are strong indications that an earthquake coupled with spontaneous explosions of underground natural gas deposits may have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the other cities of the plain. In the beginning, Lot has possessions that rival Abraham’s; now Lot has nothing apart from his two daughters. Sadly, there is nothing to suggest that Lot thanks God for his deliverance. Evidently Lot has left all matters of faith to Uncle Abraham.

Lot first got into trouble because he was greedy and wanted the best grazing land for himself. Had Abraham taken the plain of the Jordan, he might have remained in tents and might have refused to have anything to do with Sodom. But Lot was morally and spiritually weak and succeeded in lying to himself that Sodom wasn’t really THAT bad, even though it was deplorable. Now Lot and his daughters have a little peace; however, they have had to leave the comfort of the city to get it, and Lot has lost his wife in the process.

How much is true peace worth? If we have peace with God, we have everything we need. If we don’t have peace with God, we have nothing, no matter how many possessions we might have or how comfortable our living situation. Sometimes God has to forcibly remove us from bad situations; in that case, we need to cooperate and not drag our feet. Our lives are worth more than any amount of possessions. Lot’s wife died because she didn’t really believe God would destroy Sodom and she was missing her friends.

A few years ago, catastrophic forest fires raged through much of the California mountains. Many people died because they refused to believe that the fire could be so devastating and they hoped to defend their property; meanwhile, planes full of water and fire retardant were failing to control the blaze. May God grant us the wisdom and humility to recognize when He is trying to deliver us from untenable situations and may we cooperate and not drag our feet!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, some of us may find ourselves in terrible situations from which You are trying to deliver us. Help us to listen and to obey, rather than to fight You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 18:16-33

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

“When the men got up to leave they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.

And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find it.”

And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”

Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five?”

He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?”

He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”

Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?”

He answered, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”

And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?”

He replied, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”

Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?”

And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”

When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.”                                                                                                              

“Should not the Judge of the whole earth do right?” This is Abraham’s question to the Lord, and it is both appropriate and incredibly gutsy. Wherever Abraham is staying, the elevation is sufficient for observers to look out over the lower part of the Jordan Valley, the location of Sodom. Abraham is walking a short distance with his guests to see them off, a practice that remains common both in the Middle East and in Africa. The Lord decides to inform Abraham of his intentions to examine Sodom and possibly to destroy it. Now Abraham finds himself bargaining with the Lord for the lives of the people of Sodom, realizing that if Sodom is destroyed, his nephew Lot will also likely die.

Does God already know what He plans to do? Of course! But God is allowing Abraham to bargain to test Abraham’s character and faith. Abraham demonstrates his confidence in God with this question: “Should not the Judge of the whole earth do right?” By this question, God realizes that Abraham recognizes His sovereignty, His goodness, and His righteousness. God already knows that He will spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous men; however, He graciously allows Abraham to share in the decision anyway. Is Abraham worried about Lot? Absolutely! But Abraham has put his requests before the Lord and now he must trust the Lord to act righteously. It might never occur to Abraham that there will be fewer than ten righteous men in all of Sodom.

How can Abraham find peace in the face of this impending disaster? Abraham knows that he is dealing with the Judge of the whole world; therefore, he is trusting in God’s righteousness and His mercy. Abraham has spoken with the Lord and has pleaded his case and the Lord has agreed; therefore, Abraham can rest in the knowledge that he has done everything he can for this situation.

Sometimes events overtake us and we must struggle for peace. When the Northern Ethnic Conflict took place in 1994, the area in which we were working was part of the conflict zone. We were in the capital city of Accra and it took two months to return to our station. Once we returned, I had to start operations and blood transfusions. We would awake in the morning to gunfire and listen to determine whether it was a traditional funeral or the military shooting off a few rounds to ensure we knew they were around or if we were under attack. Once assured that we were not under attack, we would have to start our day. We maintained peace through Bible reading and prayer and the knowledge that God had called us to be in that situation and therefore He would have to protect us or allow us to die for Him. There was no point in allowing anxiety to consume us, for that would be a useless exercise, sapping our energies and rendering us unable to help others.

How do you maintain peace in the face of looming disaster? Get to know God and His nature. Abraham knew God and trusted Him. Maintain communication with God through Bible reading and prayer. And remember Abraham’s question: Yes, we can trust the Judge of the whole earth to do right, even when we don’t understand it.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling in difficult situations and have no peace. Help all who struggle to place their trust in You, for You are the One who gives peace that passes understanding. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.