Burunche’s Blog

Genesis 24:1 -2Abraham was now a very old man, and God blessed him in every way. One day Abraham said to his household administrator, who was his oldest servant,

3-4 “Swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not let my son marry one of these local girls, these Canaanites. Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife for him there.”

5-9 “But suppose I can’t find a girl who will come so far from home?” the servant asked. “Then shall I take Isaac there, to live among your relatives?”

“No!” Abraham warned. “Be careful that you don’t do that under any circumstance. For the Lord God of heaven told me to leave that land and my people, and promised to give me and my children this land. He will send his angel on ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a girl from there to be my son’s wife. But if you don’t succeed, then you are free from this oath; but under no circumstances are you to take my son there.” So the servant vowed to follow Abraham’s instructions.

Talk about impossible assignments! Eliezer of Damascus has been Abraham’s chief deputy ever since reaching adulthood. At one point prior to Isaac’s birth, Eliezer would have inherited everything from Abraham; however, Isaac has taken his rightful place as chief heir. Still, Abraham has always looked on Eliezer as a second son, one whom he loves as much as Ishmael, if not more. In the past, Abraham has relied on Eliezer to make sure things have run smoothly in the camp, but today Abraham is giving him a different assignment, one Eliezer would just as soon dodge. Abraham wants Eliezer to travel all the way back to Haran to Abraham’s nephew Nahor, to find a wife for Isaac.

The journey is a daunting one, 500-600 miles, lasting between 9-20 days, depending on road conditions, weather, bandits, etc. Eliezer must carry all the feed for the camels with him, for he cannot depend on finding grazing along the route. The caravan must also carry plenty of water, for who knows where the streams and wells are? And Abraham insists that Eliezer carry rich gifts with him to entice the girl to come and to placate her family. While Abraham is busy issuing orders, Eliezer is quaking inside! What if he fails to find Haran? What if he reaches Haran, only to find there are no eligible young ladies? And what if he reaches Haran, only to find that no eligible young lady wants to follow him off into an unknown future with a strange man? All through the journey, Eliezer continues to worry. Finding Haran is not so difficult because it is right on a major caravan route. But finding Abraham’s relatives? Who knows what will happen? Abraham has been gracious and generous to Eliezer for years; the last thing Eliezer wants to do is to disappoint Abraham, but the fears of failure remain.

Perhaps you can identify with Eliezer. Perhaps you have found yourself burdened with tasks that look impossible to complete. What comfort can you find? God promises that He will be with us, no matter what. Isaiah 43:1-3 tells us, “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”  Now let’s return to Eliezer, for his story holds even more encouragement.

10-11 He took with him ten of Abraham’s camels loaded with samples of the best of everything his master owned and journeyed to Iraq, to Nahor’s village. There he made the camels kneel down outside the town, beside a spring. It was evening, and the women of the village were coming to draw water.

12-14 “O Jehovah, the God of my master,” he prayed, “show kindness to my master Abraham and help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey. See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the girls of the village are coming out to draw water. This is my request: When I ask one of them for a drink and she says, ‘Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels too!’—let her be the one you have appointed as Isaac’s wife. That is how I will know.”

Throughout the Bible, there are examples of people praying for God to give them signs that they are doing His will. Eliezer’s prayer is one of the earliest examples of such prayers, and he must be shaking in his sandals as he prays. There is every chance that no young lady will come to the spring until later. There is every chance that the young ladies will all look at Eliezer and rush back into the village to call their male relatives to deal with him. Eliezer is praying to a God whom he really doesn’t know but whom his master has trusted for years. If ever someone needs comfort, Eliezer needs it right now!

15-19 As he was still speaking to the Lord about this, a beautiful young girl named Rebekah arrived with a water jug on her shoulder and filled it at the spring. (Her father was Bethuel the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.) Running over to her, the servant asked her for a drink.

“Certainly, sir,” she said, and quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. Then she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have enough!”

20-23 So she emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the spring again and kept carrying water to the camels until they had enough. The servant said no more, but watched her carefully to see if she would finish the job, so that he would know whether she was the one. Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he produced a quarter-ounce gold nose ring and two five-ounce gold bracelets for her wrists.

“Whose daughter are you, miss?” he asked. “Would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”

24-27 “My father is Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Milcah and Nahor. Yes, we have plenty of straw and food for the camels, and a guest room.”

The man stood there a moment with head bowed, worshiping Jehovah. “Thank you, Lord God of my master Abraham,” he prayed; “thank you for being so kind and true to him, and for leading me straight to the family of my master’s relatives.”

Talk about getting prayers answered! Now God shows up! Scarcely has Eliezer finished his prayer, then God begins answering it right down to the smallest detail. Eliezer is ready to collapse in relief. Not only has God brought the right girl at the right time, but He has brought a young woman from the very family Eliezer is seeking. Little wonder that Eliezer immediately bows his head and worships Jehovah.

There’s a song from Fiddler on the Roof that speaks of L’chaim, Life. “Life has a way of abusing us, blessing and bruising us.” Work in medicine long enough, and you will learn medicine can do the same thing. Through the years, I have lost patients who should have lived; on the other hand, patients I was certain would die have recovered miraculously. At the end, all I can say is that it’s all up to God. That’s the same thing Eliezer is thinking.

Eliezer is not a young man, nor yet a foolish one. As the chief manager for Abraham’s teeming household, Eliezer has repeatedly made judgment calls that have brought great success. But when it counts most, Eliezer has depended on God, not his own judgment or his own calculations. Eliezer receives comfort from God because he is depending on God and not on himself. So many things could have gone wrong with Eliezer’s mission: Camels could have fallen sick or died. Water sources could have dried up. Sandstorms could have come up, hiding the road and causing Eliezer’s party to wander aimlessly until they died. Bandits could have attacked, murdering everyone and seizing the rich presents Eliezer was carrying for Abraham’s relatives. And even when Eliezer succeeds in reaching Haran, the wrong maiden might have approached him first. But God! But God has intervened, bringing the right girl from the right family at the right time to say the right things.

Today, do you feel like Eliezer? God has called you to step out in faith and you are terrified that everything is going to go wrong. Hang on. Remember that desperate prayer Eliezer prayed. God doesn’t play favorites. The same God who guided Eliezer, the same God who brought Rebekah to the spring at the right time, that same God is still on the throne and still answers prayers. Remember Isaiah 43 and be comforted.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are stepping out in new directions this year, terrified that something will go wrong. Please comfort and strengthen all of those following Your leading, so they will continue to trust and go forward. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 23:1-2 When Sarah was 127 W old, she died in Hebron in the land of Canaan; there Abraham mourned and wept for her. 

Abraham knew that Sarah’s body was failing. Each morning, it took Sarah longer to bathe, to dress, and to present herself for the day. Sarah’s maids were already coming to Abraham, “Father, Mama Sarah worries us. Not only is she becoming weaker, but now she almost refuses to eat. We struggle to find something she will take, and she scarcely drinks enough water to keep herself from fainting.” But Abraham didn’t want to face the possibility of life without Sarah. Abraham remembered Sarah with her dove’s eyes, her glistening jet-black hair, her fresh complexion, and her smile that could light up a room. Surely God would not take Sarah; after all, Abraham was ten years older and he felt fine.

That final morning, Sarah’s maids came to Abraham. “Papa, you need to come see Mama Sarah right now!” Ducking into Sarah’s tent, Abraham found Sarah propped up on pillows supported by Amina, one of the maids. “Sarah, my love,” Abraham began, but Sarah stopped him. “Abraham, I have always loved you and I have followed you and your dreams. I don’t want to leave you, but I must. Pray to your God, that He will be gentle with me.” Abraham broke into sobs, clinging to Sarah’s shoulders. When did Sarah become so thin, so frail? Wasn’t this the same woman whose beauty had entranced foreign rulers? Wasn’t this the mother of his miracle son Isaac? How could Abraham possibly say good-bye to his love? As Abraham embraced Sarah for the last time, her breathing slowed and then she gave one long breath and collapsed in his arms, leaving Abraham with nothing but memories. Where was God’s comfort in all of this?

Getting older is not for cowards! One of the most daunting parts of getting older is watching your spouse and yourself age and wondering how much longer you will have with them. My constant prayer for my husband and me is that we will be a blessing all our lives, that we will remain spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally strong, and that we will be able to cherish each other and those around us. If aging teaches little else, it should teach us to rely on God for our comfort and strength.

Isaiah 46:3-4 tells us, “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Surely, in the middle of the night when all was quiet, God must have come to Abraham to comfort him.

But now Abraham had a new problem: In this land of rocks and caves, digging a grave would be impossible. Where could Abraham safely bury Sarah’s body so that no enemies would steal her body to violate it and attempt witchcraft against Abraham? Where could Abraham hide his beloved’s body so wild animals could not devour it?

Nearby princes learned of Sarah’s death and were now visiting him in condolence as custom demanded. After showing his friends Sarah’s body wrapped in the finest material possible, Abraham began negotiations.

Genesis 23:3- 9 Then, standing beside her body, he said to the men of Heth: “Here I am, a visitor in a foreign land, with no place to bury my wife. Please sell me a piece of ground for this purpose.”

“Certainly,” the men replied, “for you are an honored prince of God among us; it will be a privilege to have you choose the finest of our sepulchres, so that you can bury her there.”

Then Abraham bowed low before them and said, “Since this is your feeling in the matter, be so kind as to ask Ephron, Zohar’s son, to sell me the cave of Mach-pelah, down at the end of his field. I will of course pay the full price for it, whatever is publicly agreed upon, and it will become a permanent cemetery for my family.”

The conversations between Abraham and his neighbors were so precisely recorded that millenia later, we can still imagine these discussions. Even though Abraham’s herds had been grazing in the area for years, Abraham described himself as a visitor in a foreign land, indicating that he was not in a position of power and throwing himself on the mercy of his neighbors. Abraham’s neighbors were equally polite, describing Abraham as an honored prince of God and stating that it would be a privilege for Abraham to choose the finest of their burial places. This conversation is the first sign of God’s comfort, for these men could have been rude or unkind to this grieving old man; however, they were the epitome of courtesy.

Why were Abraham’s neighbors so kind to him? Wherever Abraham traveled, he did as much as he could to maintain good relationships with those around him. While Abraham’s neighbors were now calling to comfort him, it’s quite possible that Abraham had previously been the one to call on them in their bereavements. And Abraham, although an elderly stranger, was still quite powerful, not to mention the fact that Isaac, Abraham’s heir, was in his prime.

10-15 Ephron was sitting there among the others, and now he spoke up, answering Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the citizens of the town: “Sir,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the cave and the field without any charge. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you free. Go and bury your dead.”

Abraham bowed again to the men of Heth, and replied to Ephron, as all listened: “No, let me buy it from you. Let me pay the full price of the field, and then I will bury my dead.”

Well, the land is worth 400 pieces of silver,” Ephron said, “but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”

Several accounts of this discussion record Ephron as stating, “I give it to you” three times. Why is that number significant? Traditionally, the number three was used to mark completeness. By stating “I give it to you” three times, Ephron was indicating the seriousness of his offer. Once Ephron had made that statement, bargaining could now commence. But Abraham refused to haggle over the price of the cave, even though Ephron undoubtedly started by asking far more than the cave’s true worth. But Abraham refused to argue, despite his reputation as a canny man of business. This was one deal Abraham wanted to seal completely so that nobody could come later to try to collect the cave, stating that Abraham had cheated Ephron. And by paying the “first price,” Abraham was also honoring the men of Heth, indicating that he trusted them not to cheat him. By so doing, Abraham was paying tribute to the magnanimity of the men of Heth, leaving them feeling good about Abraham and themselves.

(Cultural insight: we live in Ghana, where the “first price” is generally at least twice as much as the seller’s “last price,” the actual price hoped for. Had Abraham wanted to haggle, he might have gotten the price reduced to 300 or even 250 pieces of silver. But sometimes, good will is more important than skinning someone by beating the price down. Once this deal was done, Abraham would still have to get along with the men of Heth.)

16-20 So Abraham paid Ephron the price he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, as publicly agreed. This is the land he bought: Ephron’s field at Mach-pelah, near Mamre, and the cave at the end of the field, and all the trees in the field. They became his permanent possession, by agreement in the presence of the men of Heth at the city gate. So Abraham buried Sarah there, in the field and cave deeded to him by the men of Heth as a burial plot.

If you go to Hebron to find that cave, you will be confronted by a huge stone enclosure first erected by King Herod over the cave. This structure encloses the cave and is known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a site revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Many Jews consider this a very holy site, second only to Jerusalem.

How did God comfort Abraham in his bereavement? First, there were the servants who had worked for Abraham for years, perhaps even for generations. At one point before Isaac’s birth, Abraham had even considered having to make his chief servant his heir, indicating the level of trust Abraham had with his servants. Although there was friction between Sarah and Hagar, much of that was Hagar’s fault. It’s likely that Sarah was quite kind to her other servants.

There was nothing forcing neighboring rulers to call on Abraham. Had Abraham not enjoyed cordial relationships with these men, they could have left him to grieve alone. And the quality of the language these men used when consoling Abraham and releasing a prime burial site demonstrates the kind of concern these men had. These men were not merely neighbors, but also close friends. In a harsh land where tragedies could occur suddenly, friendship was to be prized and comfort given whenever possible.

What about us? How are we caring for those around us? Abraham received comfort because he had been the comforter on several occasions. When tragedies strike, do we involve ourselves personally, or do we hide behind phone and tablet screens, making impersonal donations? In a devotional entitled “God with Skin On,” the author quotes Greg Laurie as having written “Our God put on skin and lived with us. God did this because he is passionate about us and wants to be in a relationship with us. The Word became flesh. The Word lived among us.” (Walking With Jesus: Daily Inspiration From The Gospel Of John by Greg Laurie)

While text messages and emojis might make the senders feel good, for those who are grieving, there’s nothing to substitute for human touch. Hugs without words out-do any number of crying or praying emojis or even messages!

May God help us so that we will be able to console those around us with the same consolation God gives us!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to cherish those around us as You do. Help us to comfort the grieving, being Your hands and feet. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 22:1-4Later on, God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience.

“Abraham!” God called.

“Yes, Lord?” he replied.

“Take with you your only son—yes, Isaac whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I’ll point out to you!”

The next morning Abraham got up early, chopped wood for a fire upon the altar, saddled his donkey, and took with him his son Isaac and two young men who were his servants, and started off to the place where God had told him to go. On the third day of the journey Abraham saw the place in the distance.

Talk about testing somebody’s faith! God has repeatedly told Abraham that Isaac will inherit through him and that all the nations of the earth will be blessed because of Isaac. But now God is ordering Abraham to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering, and Abraham doesn’t argue or question, but makes preparations and begins heading for the mountains as God has directed. Does Abraham inform Sarah before Isaac and he leave with two servants? Doubtful! If Abraham were to inform Sarah, Sarah would probably have pitched a fit, wailing and crying, accusing Abraham of being crazy. Frankly, Abraham feels horrible, watching Isaac, his beautiful boy stride ahead of the donkey. As Isaac drops back to walk along side Abraham and the donkey, Abraham can’t help noticing how Isaac’s skin glows with a light tan, how tightly his jet-black hair curls, and how handsome his arms and legs are. Abraham cherishes every bit of Isaac, and the thought of having to slaughter him and burn his beautiful body is almost more than Abraham can bear.

5-8 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the young men, “and the lad and I will travel yonder and worship, and then come right back.”

Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering upon Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the flint for striking a fire. So the two of them went on together.

“Father,” Isaac asked, “we have the wood and the flint to make the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”

“God will see to it, my son,” Abraham replied. And they went on.

By now, Abraham is groaning inside! God has demanded obedience from Abraham in the past, but this test is so severe that Abraham doesn’t know how he can go through with it. The higher Abraham and Isaac climb, the more Abraham’s steps drag. Isaac, meanwhile, doesn’t notice anything apart from observing that his elderly father seems to tire more easily than normal. When Isaac asks about the lamb for the sacrifice, it’s all Abraham can do to choke out his reply. Abraham looks heavenward, questioning the Lord, but God isn’t saying anything.

9-14 When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood in order, ready for the fire, and then tied Isaac and laid him on the altar over the wood. And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to plunge it into his son, to slay him.

At that moment the Angel of God shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes, Lord!” he answered.

“Lay down the knife; don’t hurt the lad in any way,” the Angel said, “for I know that God is first in your life—you have not withheld even your beloved son from me.”

Then Abraham noticed a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it, instead of his son, as a burnt offering on the altar. Abraham named the place “Jehovah provides”—and it still goes by that name to this day.

Abraham and Isaac are about to collapse in relief! Abraham has dragged himself to the top of the mountain, building an altar with stones that seem to have tripled in weight. With trembling hands, Abraham has picked up the knife, looking once more into the face of the son whom he loves so much. How can Abraham possibly harm this young man, let alone kill him? Just as Abraham is raising the knife in both hands, the Angel of God suddenly shouts to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes, Lord!” he answered.

“Lay down the knife; don’t hurt the lad in any way,” the Angel said, “for I know that God is first in your life—you have not withheld even your beloved son from me.”

That’s when Abraham suddenly notices the ram caught by its horns in a nearby bush. Trembling with relief, Abraham unties Isaac, helping him off the altar, and cuts the ram’s throat, sacrificing it instead.

Abraham has waited until the age of 100 for Isaac to be born. Now Jewish traditions tell us that Abraham is likely 125 years old, with Isaac being 25 years old. Isaac is old enough to marry, and Abraham and Sarah have likely been discussing the question of a wife for Isaac. Now, just as Isaac’s parents’ plans are about to go forward, God demands that Abraham sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering, dashing all those plans. What kind of comfort is this? Why is God being so cruel to Abraham and Sarah? Haven’t they already suffered enough? And what about Isaac? If Isaac is 25 years old, he’s certainly old enough to question his father’s judgment.

If you’re identifying with Abraham and Sarah here, you’re not alone. Many of us have gone forward in faith, believing that we are fulfilling God’s will for our lives, only to find things falling apart. People and organizations whom we have trusted have disappointed us, perhaps even betraying us, leaving us in despair. Where is God’s comfort in the middle of such chaos? And why, when we are doing what God wants us to do, is God asking us to give up those things most dear to us? What are Gods’ promises of comfort worth in the midst of such chaos?  

 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 tells us, “What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.You can be sure that the more we undergo sufferings for Christ, the more he will shower us with his comfort and encouragement.

Few things are worse than nearly having to slaughter your only son and then burn his body. And this is after Abraham has suffered all kinds of other trials over 125 years. If anybody needs comfort, it’s Abraham. But now that Abraham has come through this test, for the rest of his life, he will be qualified to comfort others, no matter their problems. Abraham can honestly testify that God is a Comforter who works miracles of provision.   

Genesis 22:15-18 Then the Angel of God called again to Abraham from heaven. “I, the Lord, have sworn by myself that because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son from me, I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore. They will conquer their enemies, and your offspring will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth—all because you have obeyed me.” So they returned to his young men and traveled home again to Beer-sheba.

Once more, God reaffirms His promises to Abraham. Not only is God promising Abraham offspring but He’s also promising that Abraham’s offspring will conquer their enemies and will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth, all because of Abraham’s obedience. Considering the fact that God has just provided a ram for an offering, Abraham is not about to question God’s sincerity.

Centuries later, the prophet Samuel will confront King Saul, telling Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice and that rebellion is the same thing as witchcraft. (1 Samuel 15:22-23) Abraham’s obedience in the face of the threat to his son’s life leads to God’s assurance of comfort. God doesn’t play favorites; when we obey, God sends comfort.

By now, you might be thinking about recent attacks on Christians in Nigeria and Sudan. “But what about those people who were slaughtered while they worshiped? Revelation 6:9-11 And when he broke open the fifth seal, I saw an altar, and underneath it all the souls of those who had been martyred for preaching the Word of God and for being faithful in their witnessing. They called loudly to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge the people of the earth for what they’ve done to us? When will you avenge our blood against those living on the earth?” White robes were given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little longer until their other brothers, fellow servants of Jesus, had been martyred on the earth and joined them.

Those Christians martyred for their faith immediately go to heaven, where God brings comfort of a kind not available on earth. In heaven, God truly proves Himself to be the God of all Comfort. So no matter where we are, no matter our circumstances, God remains our supreme Comforter. You can bring your worries to Him, confident that He will hear and that He will act.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are burdened and feel as if we are collapsing. Please help all who come to You to KNOW that You are truly the God of all Comfort. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 21:1-7 Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said; and Abraham named him Isaac (meaning “Laughter!”). Eight days after he was born, Abraham circumcised him, as God required. (Abraham was 100 years old at that time.)

And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this shall rejoice with me. For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a child in his old age!”

If there had been a Guiness Book of World Records in Abraham and Sarah’s day, she would have set the all-time record. Currently, the oldest recorded woman to give birth is Erramatti Mangamma from India, who had twin girls via IVF at the age of 74 in 2019, though some reports state 73, setting a world record for motherhood at an advanced age through assisted reproductive technology. Prior to that, a Spanish lady gave birth in her 60’s, also through IVF.

Newborns need to be fed every two hours, a fact that always leaves young mothers sleep-deprived. Sarah likely had lots of servant girls to help her and might also have found someone to serve as a wet nurse, since formulas weren’t available. But if God could allow Sarah to deliver a baby at the age of ninety, He could certainly provide breast milk to feed that baby and strength for Sarah to care for that baby, two more miracles that the Bible fails to mention. (The Bible was written by men who had never struggled with newborn feeding schedules, so we have no information about these important questions!)

For Sarah, Isaac’s birth fulfilled a life-long dream at the same time it erased decades of shame for being childless. After years of fantasizing about holding a baby and playing with a baby, now Sarah could do both those things. When the baby was sleeping, Sarah would steal in to admire him and marvel once more at the miracle of this baby’s life. Sarah spent every waking moment adoring this miracle son who had redeemed her standing as a woman by his birth. Now nobody could mock Sarah’s barrenness ever again.

Abraham, of course, was strutting around, puffing out his chest. How many other men had fathered sons at the age of 100?  Now Abraham had a son who could succeed him, for God had already promised that Isaac would be born and that Isaac would carry on Abraham’s line. But Abraham couldn’t help looking at Ishmael from time to time. After all, Ishmael was his first-born son, even if Ishmael’s mother was an Egyptian servant girl. What would happen to Ishmael, for God had made promises about him as well?

Genesis 21:8-10 Time went by and the child grew and was weaned; and Abraham gave a party to celebrate the happy occasion. But when Sarah noticed Ishmael—the son of Abraham and the Egyptian girl Hagar—teasing Isaac, she turned upon Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave girl and her son. He is not going to share your property with my son. I won’t have it.”

11-13 This upset Abraham very much, for after all, Ishmael too was his son.

But God told Abraham, “Don’t be upset over the boy or your slave-girl wife; do as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom my promise will be fulfilled. And I will make a nation of the descendants of the slave girl’s son, too, because he also is yours.”

14-16 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food for the journey, and strapped a canteen of water to Hagar’s shoulders and sent her away with their son. She walked out into the wilderness of Beersheba, wandering aimlessly.

When the water was gone she left the youth in the shade of a bush and went off and sat down a hundred yards or so away. “I don’t want to watch him die,” she said, and burst into tears, sobbing wildly.

17-21 Then God heard the boy crying, and the Angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid! For God has heard the lad’s cries as he is lying there. Go and get him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well; so she refilled the canteen and gave the lad a drink. And God blessed the boy and he grew up in the wilderness of Paran, and became an expert archer. And his mother arranged a marriage for him with a girl from Egypt.

The whole thing with Ishmael started because Sarah refused to believe God could give her a son in her old age. Desperate for offspring, Sarah offered Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to Abraham as a concubine. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, becoming arrogant and mocking Sarah. Sarah demanded that Hagar leave the camp. Only God’s admonition plus a miracle spring of water saved Hagar, convincing her to return. But evidently even though Hagar returned, her attitude toward Sarah failed to improve, and Ishmael picked up on it. Now Ishmael was tormenting Isaac, realizing that Isaac had become the favorite while he was second-best.

This time, both Hagar and Ishmael were forced to leave Abraham’s camp permanently, wandering in the wilderness around Beersheba in southern Canaan. But even in such dire straits, God still sent comfort to Hagar and her son. First, God spoke to Hagar, reassuring her, and then God opened Hagar’s eyes to see a well nearby. Finally, God blessed Ishmael, just as He had promised Abraham, keeping him safe as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran, becoming an expert archer and marrying an Egyptian girl. It’s always tempting to focus solely on Isaac the miracle baby and the comfort he brings to Abraham and Sarah without realizing that the comfort God brings to Hagar and Ishmael in their exile is just as miraculous. When the Bible speaks of the wilderness of Paran, we might think of semi-desert with some grass, some grazing, and certainly some trees. WRONG!

This is a modern photo of the wilderness of Paran. The wilderness of Paran is entirely in Transjordan, east of the Arabah Valley. Finding any water is miraculous!

1. The wilderness of Paran is adjacent to the land of Midian: 1 Kings 11:18 The land of Midian is located at modern Al Bad in North Saudi Arabia. We may not be sure of where Paran is located, but we are sure where Midian is.
2. The wilderness of Paran is usually misplaced in the modern Sinai desert northwest of Elat.
   1. This is no where near Midian and for this reason is wrong and must be rejected.
   1. This means that most modern Bible maps wrongly located the wilderness of Paran.
3. Scripture says that God “dawned from Seir and Paran” then descended on Mt. Sinai. This is a most fascinating detail clearly revealed in scripture but missed by most Bible students. As Israel sat waiting for God to come to Mt. Sinai, they saw Him come in glory from the north, like a small distant storm cloud that got closer and bigger until God hovered over Mt. Sinai and the “fireworks began”.
4. Paran is a large wilderness area that extends from Petra (Kadesh Barnea) down to Midian, east of the Arabah valley.
5. Paran is three stops due north of Sinai (Mt. Lawz): Numbers 10:11-12, 33
6. The beginning of Paran is between Hazeroth and Rithmah. Paran begins south of Rithmah, includes Rithmah and continues to Petra. and is two stops after Mt. Sinai. Num 12:16; 33:17
7. The wilderness of Paran includes Kadesh Barnea: Numbers 13:26
8. Both the wilderness of Paran and the Wilderness of Zin included Kadesh Barnea
9. The wilderness of Paran is located south and east of Kadesh Barnea, whereas the Wilderness of Zin is located north and east of Kadesh Barnea.
10. The wilderness of Paran is where Ishmael settled: Genesis 21:21 and of course we know that Ishmael settled in modern north Saudi Arabia on the east side of the Arabah valley. https://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-wilderness-of-paran.htm

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to emember that You are still in the miracle business, even when we have created our own messes. Thank You for rescuing us from our stupidity. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 18:16 Then the men stood up from their meal and started on toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them part of the way.

17-19 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” God asked. “For Abraham shall become a mighty nation, and he will be a source of blessing for all the nations of the earth. And I have picked him out to have godly descendants and a godly household—men who are just and good—so that I can do for him all I have promised.”

20-21 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are utterly evil, and that everything they do is wicked. I am going down to see whether these reports are true or not. Then I will know.” (New King James Version says: “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”)

22-25 So the other two went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham a while. Then Abraham approached him and said, “Will you kill good and bad alike? Suppose you find fifty godly people there within the city—will you destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes? That wouldn’t be right! Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, to kill the godly with the wicked! Why, you would be treating godly and wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth be fair?”

26 And God replied, “If I find fifty godly people there, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

27-33 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to the Lord, though I am but dust and ashes. Suppose there are only forty-five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five?”

And God said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five.”

Then Abraham went further with his request. “Suppose there are only forty?”

And God replied, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty.”

“Please don’t be angry,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak: suppose only thirty are found there?”

And God replied, “I won’t do it if there are thirty there.”

Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to God, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And God said, “Then I won’t destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

Finally, Abraham said, “Oh, let not the Lord be angry; I will speak but this once more! Suppose only ten are found?”

And God said, “Then, for the sake of the ten, I won’t destroy it.”

And the Lord went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his tent.

Abraham is terrified! When Lot, Abraham’s nephew, first moved in the direction of Sodom, Abraham tried to reason with him; however, Lot insisted that his move was the closest way to reach the verdant Jordan Valley, even though he could have diverted to the north. Lot claimed he had no intention of ever living in Sodom. Abraham had already been hearing disturbing rumors. Travelers attempting to pass the night in Sodom were bringing horror stories about the foul manner in which they had been treated, some of these men barely escaping with their lives. There were even more terrifying tales of unfortunate travelers having been raped by city leaders and their sons. Just the mention of the name “Sodom” is enough to make Abraham shudder. Now there’s a new problem.

“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” We read this statement and wonder. If God is all-seeing and all knowing, why does He have to visit Sodom? He already knows exactly what’s been happening. God is giving the Sodomites one last chance to prove that some of them are worth saving. As Abraham is bargaining, God already knows He won’t find ten righteous men in Sodom; Lot is the only one, and if he doesn’t leave, he might also begin copying his neighbors.

If God knows all these facts, why is He sending emissaries to Sodom? And what comfort can Abraham possibly derive from this situation? The answer to these questions is in Verse 25: “Should not the Judge of all the earth be fair?” (Other versions read: “Should not the Judge of the whole earth deal justly.”) God already knows what He must do to Sodom; however, He is allowing the men of Sodom one last chance to repent. At the same time, God doesn’t want to damage Abraham’s faith in His fairness. God wants Abraham to take comfort in the knowledge that the Judge of all the earth WILL be fair and WILL deal justly.

Abraham goes to his tent, knowing that God will act righteously but hoping that there might be ten virtuous men in Sodom. God sends his representatives to Sodom, knowing that Lot is the only righteous man left in Sodom. God’s representatives will face threats and must eventually lead Lot and his wife and daughters out of Sodom to deliver them from destruction.  

The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” Even when bad things happen to good people, we can still take comfort in the fact that God’s nature has not changed and that all His attributes remain untouched. One verse of the hymn “This is My Father’s World” states: This is my Father’s world. Oh, let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.” As people of faith, we can trust God, no matter the circumstances.

Perhaps last year was a tough year, one you feel you barely survived. Now we are entering on a new year, and you aren’t too certain about this one either. But John 10:4 tells us, “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, that he conquered death and the grave, and that he rose from the dead, then you are one of those sheep. Don’t worry or hesitate! Jesus, your Good Shepherd, is bringing you out and going on before you. Follow him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You, even when mists of trouble blind our eyes and cause us heart palpitations. Please send Your comfort to all who read these words. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 18:1-5 The Lord appeared again to Abraham while he was living in the oak grove at Mamre. This is the way it happened: One hot summer afternoon as he was sitting in the opening of his tent, he suddenly noticed three men coming toward him. He sprang up and ran to meet them and welcomed them.

“Sirs,” he said, “please don’t go any farther. Stop awhile and rest here in the shade of this tree while I get water to refresh your feet, and a bite to eat to strengthen you. Do stay awhile before continuing your journey.”

“All right,” they said, “do as you have said.”

6-8 Then Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Mix up some pancakes! Use your best flour, and make enough for the three of them!” Then he ran out to the herd and selected a fat calf and told a servant to hurry and butcher it. Soon, taking them cheese and milk and the roast veal, he set it before the men and stood beneath the trees beside them as they ate.

9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” they asked him.

“In the tent,” Abraham replied.

10-15 Then the Lord said, “Next year I will give you and Sarah a son!” (Sarah was listening from the tent door behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah were both very old, and Sarah was long since past the time when she could have a baby.

So Sarah laughed silently. “A woman my age have a baby?” she scoffed to herself. “And with a husband as old as mine?”

Then God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for God? Next year, just as I told you, I will certainly see to it that Sarah has a son.”

But Sarah denied it. “I didn’t laugh,” she lied, for she was afraid.

It might be one of the greatest jokes God has ever shared with anyone. Here’s Abraham, who is still shocked that he has succeeded in fathering Ishmael. Now God is sending three angels to confirm what He has already told Abraham: Abraham and Sarah are going to become parents, and all the blessings God has promised will come through the promised son Isaac. But in the beginning, Abraham is only concerned about the advent of visitors, not about their mission.

As the patriarch of the compound, Abraham is engaged in providing for these guests. Notice that Abraham runs out to meet the visitors, even though it’s the middle of a blistering hot afternoon and Abraham is ninety-nine years old. But visitors are always welcome, and Abraham is a kind and thoughtful man. Next, observe how Abraham cares for these strangers, urging them to sit and enjoy the shade of the spreading oak tree, listening to the wind rustle through its leaves. In a land where travelers must walk over dusty rocky roads, few things are more soothing than having someone bathe one’s feet, and Abraham immediately assigns a servant to do that for his guests. Abraham also arranges for freshly cooked veal and bread, most likely the flat bread we call pita bread. Finally, Abraham STANDS before his visitors as they are eating-why? Standing is a sign of respect, indicating that Abraham is prepared to fetch anything else his visitors might require to make their stay as pleasurable as possible.   What God knows is that Abraham would make these preparations for any visitors gracing his camp; Abraham is a genuinely good man with a heart of kindness.

At first, Abraham just assumes these men are normal travelers, for their clothing and their equipment don’t mark them as anything special. But as Abraham continues to chat with these men, he slowly realizes that he is entertaining messengers of the One True Living God, another reason for standing. And then, the visitors deliver their message from God, and it’s a shocker: God promises that by this time next year, Sarah will bear a son.

Well! This news is too much for Sarah. True, Abraham has already shared God’s promises with Sarah; however, Sarah is skeptical, for she has never gotten pregnant before. Why now, after all these years of begging God to remove her shame? Sarah’s problem is that until now, Abraham has been giving her all God’s messages, and frankly, Sarah hasn’t believed them. Even now, Sarah is back in her tent bitterly laughing, but God hears those giggles, and God confronts Sarah. Now Sarah is caught in a lie, for she suddenly realizes that these men must truly be from God; otherwise, how could they possibly know that she was laughing?

As a barren woman in a culture that values fertility, Sarah has suffered agonies of shame her entire life. When Abraham and Sarah have lived in places where there were public wells, Sarah has had to trudge to the well alone while other women have walked, accompanied by their children, particularly their daughters. No matter how gorgeous Sarah has been, other women have always gossiped about her, feeling superior for their ability to produce children. Frankly, it’s a lot easier to be barren when living away from cities and towns, for then the only other women around are the servants. Little wonder that Sarah is back in her tent, laughing bitterly.

But God is about to remove Sarah’s shame and do it miraculously. While Sarah struggles to value herself, God loves her deeply and has something glorious in the offing. Jumping ahead, we know that Sarah DOES give birth at age ninety, that Isaac grows up to be a strong man who fathers sons whose descendants will eventually fulfill every promise that God has made to Abraham. Until the end of time, Sarah will be revered as the mother of Isaac, the miracle baby, given to fulfill God’s promises. Until the end of the ages, Sarah will become the inspiration for every woman struggling with infertility and the shame of barrenness. And there’s also something else: Isaac’s miraculous birth foreshadows the miraculous birth of God’s son, Jesus Christ, to a virgin mother into whose body God puts His Holy Spirit.

Sarah doesn’t laugh because she finds God’s news funny, but because she can’t believe that she really will become pregnant. Sarah laughs out of bitterness and shame, but God turns the joke on her, ordering Abraham to name the coming baby Isaac, which means “laughter.”

Perhaps you can sympathize with Sarah. You have longed for something for years, only to have your hopes dashed repeatedly. Now that things appear hopeless, God seems to be promising to intervene. Don’t make the same mistake as Sarah. God is still on the throne, and God is still Melech HaOlam, Lord of the Universe. If God gives you a promise, hang on to it! Don’t hide somewhere laughing bitterly! Trust that God has an infinite number of ways and means by which He can make good things happen in your life. Take courage from the words of this old hymn:

1 God is working this purpose out,
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

2 From utmost east to utmost west,
where human feet have trod,
by the mouth of many messengers
goes forth the voice of God:
“Give ear to me, ye continents,
ye isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.”

3 Let us go forth in the strength of God,
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world.
Let us all fight with sorrow and sin
to set the captives free,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

4 All we can do is nothing worth
unless God blesses the deed.
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide
till God gives life to the seed.
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are frustrated and discouraged. For years, we have longed for You to work in our lives, and we are still waiting. Help us to trust where we cannot see. Help us to remember that You still bring miracle babies to ninety-year-old mothers and fill their mouths with laughter. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Abraham to Father Many Nations

Genesis 17:1-2 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”

3-8 Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, (Exalted Father) but your name will be Abraham, (Father of Many) for I have made you a father of many nations.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.

I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”

15-16 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. (Princess) And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”

17-18 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”

19-21 But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. f I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Wow! Once more, God is promising Abram uncountable numbers of descendants. And this time, God even gives Abram a new name. The name Abram means “exalted father,” and through all those decades of childlessness, Abram might have become bitter. Now God is renaming Abram as Abraham, “Father of many,” and promising to make him “exceedingly fruitful,” promising to “make nations” of Abraham and for kings to be his descendants. Once more, God also promises Abraham “all of the land of Canaan as an eternal possession.” But God isn’t through yet, for next He renames Sarai as Sarah, “Princess,” and promises that she will bear a miraculous child at age ninety. This child, Isaac, will be the one with whom God will establish an everlasting covenant. Ishmael will also become a great man, fathering twelve rulers and becoming the head of a great nation.

By now, Abraham’s mind must be reeling. Sarah, to become pregnant and deliver a son in her old age? God promising to make a covenant with that son and also to multiply Ishmael in addition? But there’s a catch: As a sign of God’s covenant, Abraham and every male in his household and every one of his male descendants must be circumcised.  

The Covenant of Circumcision

9 God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you. 10 This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. 11 You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

12 Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant.

14 But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

22 When He had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham’s household—and he circumcised them, just as God had told him.

24-27 So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. And all the men of Abraham’s household—both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners—were circumcised with him.

Why does God institute circumcision as a repeating practice throughout all generations of Abraham’s family? Circumcision is not a new practice; however, circumcision of all males, including servants, separates Abraham’s descendants from everyone else.

Circumcision for infants is a minor procedure; however, for full-grown males, it takes several days for the wound to heal and the swelling to reduce. But God has already cut covenant with Abraham and now Abraham is cutting covenant with God as a sign of obedience, even if it hurts.

Many times, we desire God’s comfort; however, we want it on our terms, not on His. We hold out our hands, practically demanding God bless us despite being unwilling to examine our hearts to see if our heart attitudes are wrong. Notice that Abraham honors God above everything else, even as he continues to wonder how his ninety-year-old wife will manage to give birth. And Abraham obeys, even though he’s going to be sore for several days.  

How can we tell if our heart attitudes are right? Generally, people come with idiot lights rather than gauges. Idiot lights are the lights on the dashboard that tell you something is wrong and that you should have taken care of it a long time ago. By the time an idiot light flashes on your vehicle dashboard, your engine has already overheated or seized up for lack of oil. It would be quite helpful if we could check heart gauges-Obedience meter-25%, love meter-30%, Caring for others-5%.

1 John 1:5-7 tells us, “This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are his friends but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.”

Want God’s comfort? Open your heart to Him and allow him to clean you up. God runs “come as you are” parties. We cannot clean up ourselves, but if we will confess our sins to God, He will do what we cannot. Then we will live in the light of God’s presence and have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other. Then we will enjoy God’s comfort.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and incapable of freeing ourselves. Please cleanse us with Your precious blood, wipe out our sins, and help us to remain with You for the rest of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

1-4 But Sarai and Abram had no children. So Sarai took her maid, an Egyptian girl named Hagar, and gave her to Abram to be his second wife.

“Since the Lord has given me no children,” Sarai said, “you may sleep with my servant girl, and her children shall be mine.”

And Abram agreed. (This took place ten years after Abram had first arrived in the land of Canaan.) 

4-6 So he slept with Hagar, and she conceived; and when she realized she was pregnant, she became very proud and arrogant toward her mistress Sarai.

Then Sarai said to Abram, “It’s all your fault. For now this servant girl of mine despises me, though I myself gave her the privilege of being your wife. May the Lord judge you for doing this to me!”

“You have my permission to punish the girl as you see fit,” Abram replied. So Sarai beat her and she ran away.

Poor Hagar! Hagar is only an Egyptian servant girl with no rights and no social standing, totally dependent on any orders from Abram or Sarai. Perhaps Hagar has joined Abram and Sarai’s household during their sojourn in Egypt. Now Sarai, who is barren, insists on Abram sleeping with Hagar, so that Sarai might claim Hagar’s children as hers. Abram is eighty-six years old while Hagar is likely 50 or 60 years younger. Not only is Hagar being forced to have sex with an old man with a withered body, but her mistress intends to claim any children Hagar bears. What a horrible situation! And to make matters worse, when Hagar becomes pregnant, she is foolish enough to be proud and arrogant to the one person who has absolute power over her. Given Hagar’s precarious situation as a young household servant separated from her country, this attitude is the height of stupidity.

Immediately, Sarai blames Abram, even though she is the one who has proposed the union between Abram and Hagar. Furious at Hagar’s taunts, Sarai bears her severely, and she runs out into the wilderness. What will this young pregnant woman do without food or water? Who will protect her?

Genesis 16:7 The Angel of the Lord found her beside a desert spring along the road to Shur.

8 The Angel: “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

Hagar: “I am running away from my mistress.”

9-12 The Angel: “Return to your mistress and act as you should, for I will make you into a great nation. Yes, you are pregnant and your baby will be a son, and you are to name him Ishmael (‘God hears’), because God has heard your woes. This son of yours will be a wild one—free and untamed as a wild ass! He will be against everyone, and everyone will feel the same toward him. But he will live near the rest of his kin.”

13 Thereafter Hagar spoke of Jehovah—for it was he who appeared to her—as “the God who looked upon me,” for she thought, “I saw God and lived to tell it.”

14-16 Later that well was named “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.” It lies between Kadesh and Bered.

So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. (Abram was eighty-six years old at this time.)

When the angel of God finds Hagar beside a desert spring, he mildly reproves her (“act as you should”) and then gives her comforting advice. This frightened Egyptian girl realizes that she has encountered her master’s God Jehovah, “the God who looked upon me.” Later, that well is named “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”

This is a short story, but an important one. Hagar is not related to Abram or Sarai at all, but is an Egyptian. As a servant, Hagar must obey every order, even distasteful ones. And Hagar is a victim of Sarai’s failure to trust God. While Abram has been meeting with God, Sarai has to depend on Abram’s accounts for her knowledge of God and His will. Second-hand faith is very weak. Since Sarai is barren, she seeks a solution common to many well-off barren women of that time:

“In the ancient Near East, it was common for a barren wife to offer her maidservant to her husband in order to produce an heir. Legal documents from Mesopotamia, such as the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 B.C.E.), confirm that this practice was widespread. However, the fact that a practice was legally or culturally accepted does not necessarily mean it was divinely approved. The biblical record indicates that Jehovah’s original design for marriage was monogamous—one man and one woman joined in a lifelong union. Genesis 2:24 states, “That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he will stick to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” https://uasvbible.org/2025/03/29/was-it-appropriate-for-sarai-to-offer-her-maidservant-hagar-as-a-secondary-wife-to-abram/

Lacking faith in God’s promises, Sarai is bound to get results any way possible. Abram seems to be neutral but compliant, and after all, when Hagar becomes pregnant, the pregnancy validates Abram’s sexual prowess.

There are all kinds of ways to approach these verses; however, look at the way God handles Hagar, comforting her. God meets Hagar directly, something that has happened rarely throughout history. Then God refuses to blame Hagar for Sarai’s machinations; after all, Hagar is powerless in this situation. Sadly, Sarai cares nothing for Hagar apart from Hagar’s fertility. If Hagar fails to get pregnant, Sarai might try the same thing with another maid servant. And God promises that Hagar will safely deliver a son who will become a leader, although free and untamed.

Hagar’s story should encourage us. Many times, we may find ourselves caught in untenable situations, at the mercy of powerful people who care little for us as individuals. But God is still there, the God who looks upon us, the Living God who sees us. And God will not forget us, no matter who misuses us nor how precarious our position might be.

Psalm 62:7-9 tells us, “My protection and success come from God alone. He is my refuge, a Rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust him all the time. Pour out your longings before him, for he can help! The greatest of men or the lowest—both alike are nothing in his sight. They weigh less than air on scales.” As we enter this new year, let us remember the God who comforted a poor servant girl lost in the wilderness. That same God will still comfort us.

PRAYER Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You and to wait for Your perfect Will to be worked in our lives. Thank You for being the God of all comfort. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 15:1 Afterwards Jehovah spoke to Abram in a vision, and this is what he told him: “Don’t be fearful, Abram, for I will defend you. And I will give you great blessings.”

2-3 But Abram replied, “O Lord Jehovah, what good are all your blessings when I have no son? For without a son, some other member of my household will inherit all my wealth.”

4 Then Jehovah told him, “No, no one else will be your heir, for you will have a son to inherit everything you own.”

5-7 Then God brought Abram outside beneath the nighttime sky and told him, “Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!” And Abram believed God; then God considered him righteous on account of his faith.

And he told him, “I am Jehovah who brought you out of the city of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land.”

8 But Abram replied, “O Lord Jehovah, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?” 

Pretend you are Abram. You moved from Haran when you were seventy-five, and now you are getting older. Your wife is also getting older; in fact, she hasn’t menstruated in years. You have no children and are beginning to resign yourself to taking one of your chief servants as your heir. But God keeps promising you that He will bless you abundantly. And now God says that your descendants will be as numerous as the stars and that He is going to give you all the land you have seen. At this point, nobody will criticize you for wondering how God proposes to fulfill His promises. “But Abram replied, “O Lord Jehovah, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?” What the Bible doesn’t record, but what Abram actually asks is, “Lord, are You kidding???”

God knows Abram’s heart, and God knows there’s one way He can graphically demonstrate that He’s serious about these promises. In Abram’s time, men entering serious contracts “cut covenant,” slaughtering animals and then walking around and between the carcasses while chanting promises that this same fate will overtake them and their animals if they fail to keep their part of the bargain. Now God cuts covenant with Abram.

9-11 Then Jehovah told him to take a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, and to slay them and to cut them apart down the middle, and to separate the halves, but not to divide the birds. And when the vultures came down upon the carcasses, Abram shooed them away.

12 That evening as the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a vision of terrible foreboding, darkness, and horror.

13-16 Then Jehovah told Abram, “Your descendants will be oppressed as slaves in a foreign land for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and at the end they will come away with great wealth. (But you will die in peace, at a ripe old age.) After four generations they will return here to this land; for the wickedness of the Amorite nations living here now will not be ready for punishment until then.”

17-21 As the sun went down and it was dark, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch that passed between the halves of the carcasses. So that day Jehovah made this covenant with Abram: “I have given this land to your descendants from the Wadi-el-Arish to the Euphrates River. And I give to them these nations: Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, Jebusites.”

Well, after such a graphic demonstration of God’s intent, Abram and his wife Sara should be completely reassured and willing to wait for God’s perfect provision. WRONG! Even though God manifests His power by a smoking firepot and a flaming torch, this couple still doubts. As we learn in Genesis 16, Sara particularly feels God knows some help and takes matters into her own hands.

Why doesn’t Abram believe God and take comfort in His promises? And why doesn’t Abram share his experiences with his wife so that she will be comforted as well? Consider this: Abram wants to believe but he keeps looking at his circumstances. Perhaps Abram does try to tell Sara, but Sara refuses to believe him.

How many times has God tried to comfort us, only for us to refuse to believe Him? Take, for example, God’s admonitions for us not to be afraid. The Bible contains at least 300 commands saying “don’t be afraid.” (The exact number is in dispute, even though popularly some preachers teach that there is one of these commands for each day of the year.) God keeps telling us not to be afraid and we keep clutching our fears.

I love white water canoeing and kayaking. One of the first lessons kayakers must learn is to look at the river and not at the rocks. The second a kayaker begins looking at the rocks, the kayak will wind up on the rocks. We go where we focus. If we are to receive God’s comfort, we must focus on His comfort and His Word, not on the things that terrify us. As we begin this new year, let’s remember God’s promises and the way He has kept us through the previous year. Let’s accept God’s comfort and trust His Word.

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

Genesis 14:14-16 When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called together the men born into his household, 318 of them in all, and chased after the retiring army as far as Dan. He divided his men and attacked during the night from several directions, and pursued the fleeing army to Hobah, north of Damascus, and recovered everything—the loot that had been taken, his relative Lot, and all of Lot’s possessions, including the women and other captives.

17-18 As Abram returned from his strike against Chedorlaomer and the other kings at the valley of Shaveh (later called King’s Valley), the king of Sodom came out to meet him, and Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Jerusalem), who was a priest of the God of Highest Heaven, brought him bread and wine. 

19-20 Then Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “The blessing of the supreme God, Creator of heaven and earth, be upon you, Abram; and blessed be God, who has delivered your enemies over to you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot.

21-24 The king of Sodom told him, “Just give me back my people who were captured; keep for yourself the booty stolen from my city.”

But Abram replied, “I have solemnly promised Jehovah, the supreme God, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread from you, lest you say, ‘Abram is rich because of what I gave him!’ All I’ll accept is what these young men of mine have eaten; but give a share of the loot to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, my allies.”

Abraham has really been through it! No thanks to Lot insisting on living close to Sodom, Lot and his family have become hostages of war when the king of Sodom and several other kings rebel against Chedorlaomer and his allies. Here, Abram demonstrates his innate ability as a military commander by sending 318 men out against several much larger armies, attacking them at night, and recovering all the people and the loot.

As Abram returns, he is met by two different kings, Melchizedek, the priest of the God of Highest Heaven, and the king of Sodom. Melchizedek meets Abram with bread and wine as signs of welcome and worship. Melchizedek utters a holy blessings of God over Abram, and Abram responds by giving Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot as an offering. Abram is basking in the comfort of this blessing.

Now, the king of Sodom shows up. But unlike Melchizedek, the king of Sodom is worshiping different gods. While it’s likely the citizens of Sodom worship fertility goddesses such as Ashtar, they worship other gods that encourage flagrant sexual misconduct and even mistreatment of strangers, something that is a gross violation of tradition throughout most parts of the world. We know these facts because later, in Genesis 19, when two angels visit Sodom, the men of Sodom demand that Lot allow them to gang rape his visitors.

The king of Sodom is offering comfort; however, his comfort is undoubtedly an attempt to manipulate Abram. If the king of Sodom can just entice Abram into collecting all the loot, Abram will be indebted to the king, a debt on which the king can collect at any moment. Abram fully realizes the king’s motives and wants no part of them. Perhaps Abram already knows the nature of the people of Sodom and has even tried to warn Lot as Lot moves ever closer to Sodom. Abram refuses to collect any of the loot from Sodom, apart from the portions for the three Amorite leaders who have accompanied him.

Abram makes a wise and holy choice, seeking virtuous comfort, and God blesses him for it. But where do we find comfort? When we are stressed/tired/unhappy/depressed/discouraged /lonely, what comforts us?

Recovery workers are familiar with the HALT acronym. “The HALT acronym stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. It’s a simple but effective tool used in recovery to remind a person to pause and assess their emotional and physical before making important decisions or reacting to situations. By addressing these four states, they can avoid impulsive actions that result in self-harming behaviors and take better care of themselves.

Hungry

When someone is in the “Hungry” state within the HALT acronym, they may be experiencing feelings of low energy, irritability, and difficulty concentrating due to insufficient nourishment. Hunger can lead to emotional imbalances, affecting one’s mood and decision-making. Proper nutrition is often underrated in mental health. It is vital for maintaining stable emotions and mental clarity. Ignoring hunger can exacerbate stress and anxiety, making it essential to prioritize regular, balanced meals and snacks to support overall well-being and emotional equilibrium.

Angry

The “Angry” state in the HALT acronym refers to the emotion of anger and its associated impacts. When someone is feeling angry, they may experience heightened frustration, resentment, and hostility. This emotional state can cloud judgment and lead to impulsive, regrettable actions. Uncontrolled anger can strain relationships and escalate conflicts.

Recognizing anger as a risk state allows individuals to take a step back, practice deep breathing, and employ healthy coping mechanisms to manage and diffuse this intense emotion effectively. Addressing the root causes of anger and seeking constructive ways to express it can lead to better emotional regulation and improved overall well-being.

Lonely

The “Lonely” state within the HALT acronym encompasses feelings of isolation and disconnection from others. It can lead to emotional distress, sadness, and a sense of emptiness. Prolonged loneliness can have adverse effects on mental health, contributing to depression and anxiety.

Recognizing loneliness as a risk state allows individuals to seek social connections, reach out to friends or family, and engage in activities that foster a sense of belonging. Prioritizing social support and meaningful relationships can help combat loneliness and promote emotional well-being. Additionally, practicing self-compassion and self-care can be beneficial in addressing feelings of loneliness and cultivating a positive relationship with oneself.

Tired

The “Tired” state in the HALT acronym refers to physical and mental exhaustion. When someone is feeling tired, they may experience reduced focus, increased irritability, and diminished cognitive abilities. Fatigue can impair decision-making and lead to mistakes or accidents. Chronic tiredness can also impact emotional stability and overall mood, making individuals more vulnerable to stress and negative emotions.

Recognizing tiredness as a risk state allows individuals to prioritize rest and sleep, engage in relaxation techniques, and manage their energy levels effectively. Adequate rest and self-care are essential in replenishing energy reserves and supporting emotional well-being.

What Can HALT Be Used For?

The HALT skill, originally developed in the context of addiction recovery, is a powerful tool used to enhance self-awareness and emotional well-being. By recognizing the four states of HALT, individuals can respond to challenging situations in healthier ways. Over time, the HALT skill has evolved beyond addiction recovery and is now widely utilized in various contexts, such as eating disorder recovery and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).¹

” https://www.choosingtherapy.com/halt-acronym/

Why should believers be aware of HALT? Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “I’m choosing to be stressed or depressed.” Situations always develop gradually and sneak up on us. Before we realize it, we might be searching for quick comfort in wrong places. Blessedly, God has answers for all of our problems, if we will only look for His answers. We must continue to seek God’s will and God’s comfort. God’s answers work; other answers will never satisfy.

 PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to always look for the comfort only You can give. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.