Genesis 16:10-16 Isaac or Ishmael? February 8, 2010
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 16, Genesis Bible Study, God, God and Man, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The life of Abraham
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And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
When we last saw Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, we found them involved in something straight out of the drama filled soap operas that you watch on T.V. during the day. Abraham and Sarah had been promised a child from God and a good amount of time has passed since that promise. So they decide to do what we all do as mortal humans who think we need to help God out because He is too slow and they come up with their own way to progress things along. Abe and Sarah are old at this point and they still can’t see just how God is going to give her loins the jump-start that they would need to produce children. Sarah tells Abraham to take her mistress, Hagar, an Egyptian, and to go into the tent with her and conceive a child with her. Well, as you would imagine, it all blows up in their face, because it was not the will of God and we see what usually happens. Abraham, Mr. Macho, blames it all on Sarah: “She’s your problem! Do whatever you want with her!” Sarah is jealous: “She is making fun of me and trying to take my spot as wife to Abraham!” and then there is Hagar: “These guys are crazy! I’m a strong woman and I am getting out of here!”
Now we find Hagar out in the wilderness, not knowing what to do and God comes to her
Through the Angel of the Lord and we see that He gives her some promises as well regarding this child
(v10)And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
God’s promise to multiply Hagar’s descendants is very similar to Abraham’s.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
(v11)And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Ishmael means “God hears”
(v12)And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
This is something of a mixed blessing, although at the time, just to hear that he would survive was probably good news to Hagar. The term “wild man” suggests that Ishmael and his descendants would not be able to settle in one location. This passage also denotes that he and his descendants would be at war with everyone, yet endure.
Gen 25:12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
Gen 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Gen 25:14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
Gen 25:15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
Gen 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
Gen 25:17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
Gen 25:18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
The Qur’an states that Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son. The son is not named in the Qur’an (see Qur’an 37:99–113) and in early Islam, there was a controversy over the son’s identity[citation needed]. However the belief that the son was Ishmael prevailed, and this view is continued to be endorsed by Muslim scholars.[4] The argument of those Muslims who believed in the Ishmael theory was that “the promise to Sarah of Isaac followed by Jacob (Qur’an 11:71–74) excluded the possibility of a sacrifice of Isaac.”[4] The other party held that the son of sacrifice was Isaac since “God’s perfecting his mercy on Abraham and Isaac (in Qur’an 12:6) referred to his making Abraham his friend and saving him from the burning bush and to his rescuing Isaac.”.[4]
According to Bruce Metzger and Michael Coogan, professors of Religious Studies, the circumcision of Muslims has its roots in the tradition that Ishmael was circumcised.[25]
The Bahá’í writings state that it was Ishmael, and not Isaac, who was the son that Abraham almost sacrificed.[26] However, the Bahá’í writings also state that the name is unimportant as either could be used: the importance is that both were symbols of sacrifice.[27] According to Shoghi Effendi, there has also been another Ishmael, this one a prophet of Israel, commonly known as Samuel.[28]
Ishmael’s descendants are considered the Arab peoples who populate most of the Middle East. The amazing thing is that the descendants of both Isaac and Ishmael are part of a very few groups of peoples to still exist today.
Perhaps this is the reason for such hatred between them that has lasted until our time. Both state the claim of being the true heir of Abraham, thus having the “Keys to the Kingdom” and being the true religion of God.
Both can’t be right.
Can both be wrong?
I can and will not give any judgment toward either group because I am not an expert of groups, mythology, history, or people. I can only state my belief as a Christian and as one, I am to side with Christ. To me then they don’t enjoy the full revelation of God, that being knowing the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Yet, at the same time, they would probably both look at myself and those like me as pluralistic God lovers who fell for some trick by some new age hucksters and a very poetic and powerful prophet.
How can we as Christians, shake our fists at them and tell them that they are dead wrong when they generally feel the same way I do toward their own beliefs as I do about mine?
I can’t judge them but I can stand up for my belief in Christ.
What do you think?
Also do you think that Hagar would identify with the God of Abraham and Sarah because of their actions? Could she have a different view of the God who came to her in the wilderness and possibly pass that along?
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests January 17, 2010
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Christianity 101.Tags: Creation, Genesis, Genesis Bible Study, God, God and His Word, God and Man, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Story of Man
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http://www.livescience.com/history/earliest-hebrew-text-100115.html
Interesting story about a recent finding
Genesis 16:6-9 Why are you running? January 2, 2010
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis 16, Genesis Bible Study, God, God and His Word, God and Man, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham, The Story of Man
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Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Gen 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
I would guess that this chapter would be the beginning documentation of one of the biggest controversies in the known world. We see here the beginning of the war of religion and birthright. On one side you have Abraham eventually giving birth to Isaac and the Jewish peoples and on the other we see Abraham giving birth to Ishmael and the Islamic nation thus entering these two nations into a war that has lasted to our generation with both sides claiming to have the official birthright to the land of Israel or Palestine depending on who you are talking too.
Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Gen 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur
Now Sarai has dealt harshly with her mistress, Hagar because of something that she actually started and now Hagar is running for her life. The angel of the Lord finds her in the wilderness by a spring.
Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
On several occasions this passage states that the angel of the Lord spoke directly to Hagar. We know that this is not just an angel but THE angel of the Lord speaking to her. Some say that this is Jesus Christ and this is what would be called a Christophany, or an appearance of the incarnate Christ in the Old Testament and after His ascension in the New Testament. Notice how the Lord always speaks directly. He never beats around the bush when He is dealing with people.
Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?
He knows the answer to these questions but they are always for our own benefit.
Hagar tells Him that she is fleeing from her mistress. Perhaps she is reeling in the effects of hypocrisy shown her by her master and mistress. Two obviously blessed and Godly people. This leads me to a question:
Do we make unbelievers run or falter because of our own hypocrisy? Do we make them run because we are running from the Lord? We all say things or do things from time to time where we don’t practice what we preach to people.
The fact is that we are all human and fallible and we do dumb things when we are acting out of selfishness and our own instincts.
Don’t judge others, don’t assume things about them, don’t act selfishly towards them but instead act and do everything out of love for them. Only when we can allow Jesus to work in and through us will people run to get others instead of running as far away from us as possible
Joh 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Joh 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
Joh 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Joh 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Joh 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Joh 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
Joh 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
Joh 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
Joh 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Joh 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Joh 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
Joh 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Joh 4:30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
Genesis 16:1-6 – The Promises of God October 25, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 16, Genesis Bible Study, God, God and Man, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham
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Gen 16:1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Gen 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Gen 16:3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Gen 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
One of the most important things in the days of Abraham was the quest for children, especially a first-born son.
It has been 13 years since God had promised Abraham an heir through Sarai. She knew that children came from God “Behold…the Lord has restrained me” this meant that in her eyes, God was holding back on her so she and Abraham decide to take matters into their own hands and help God out since they know the perfect time and what is best.
Where have we seen this before? In Genesis chapter 3, where mankind decides that God is holding back on them and they do what is right in their own eyes.
How many times have we ended up like this?
God gives us a vision. He gives us a special promise through the Word and we get so very excited. Yet time passes and we become bored or impatient, or we develop the idea that we have either done something wrong or that God is holding back on us.
I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Gen 16:3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
This custom was allowed socially and it was allowed practically but it has never been allowed spiritually.
We must remember that God’s hesitation does not come from procrastination or condemnation but because of preparation and many times our problems come through wrong interpretation.
Many times we decide we know what is best for us or when promises should happen and we end up messing everything up and the end result is not life but death. Abraham and Sarai have no idea about the can of worms they have just opened.
and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Gen 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Now Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid is pregnant with Abraham’s child. Sarai is still barren and despised by Hagar and now she is very upset with the situation that they have walked into. Abraham says “Do what you want too with her, she’s your problem!”
Sarai treats Hagar harshly and Hagar ends up running away from them.
Neither of them acted in a very good way, or the way they should have. They were not showing the proper Godly attitude or actions during this ordeal. Now Hagar would have known how they were following the Lord on faith and pure belief. She would have heard the surrounding folks talk of how much respect they had for him. She would have heard them talk of the many wonderful promises that God had given them. She would have heard them talk about how they has been so very blessed.
She would hear many wonderful things but she would see an obvious contradiction in their actions.
What must she have thought of these two people of God?
What would her opinion be about them right now?
What about her opinion of their God?
Especially when they refuse to take any responsibility for their own actions and what they have brought upon their own heads.
Many times WE are the only Bible that others might see. We are God’s ambassadors to the world and many times they get their ideas of Who God is and how His people act through what we say and do.
With this in mind, how do you think we should act at all times?
People will always call you on your actions, and God forbid we should make someone flee from our presence because of our harsh and ungodly action
An open letter to God October 24, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Christianity 101.add a comment
Dear Heavenly Father
I get it. I understand that You allow things to happen to those whom You love, but I really need You right now. I am, what I would estimate as being completely broken. I feel as though I am at my last straw. I know You put on us only what we can handle but it feels as though I will break at any minute. I have faith in You. I believe in You, but I see so much going on around me and I can’t get my heart rapped around what is in my head. I can quote those Scriptures to myself as well as others but it is beginning to be hard to keep them true in my own eyes. I don’t feel the need to pastor a church anymore, I don’t feel the need to be some kind of teacher anymore, I just want to feel that You are there. I know You are but that is getting hard to keep in my mind. The cares of this world, the debt, the finances, the responsibility, all these things are weighing heavily on my shoulders. I don’t rely on these things but at the same time I I I am responsible for them and I know that. I am not trying to blame You for my situation. I am not trying to whine my way out of what I am responsible for but I am just asking for a little reminder. Just one small glimpse of hope because I have lost all hope tonight. I have nothing left to cling to but I am leading my family in a time where I feel like I am not worthy to be given such a wonderful task and that scares me. I know what You have called me to do but it has not and does not seem to be something that is going to work out. I fear so much that what I have done previously has been forgiven but that I have somehow disqualified myself like King David with the Temple. My family does not deserve to suffer from my shortcomings but that is only my opinion and I really have no say so on the matter. I can’t cause time to stop, I can’t stop things from happening. I don’t believe that You have abandoned me but I do wonder what is going on. So if I am not learning something, and walking around in this wilderness over and over then please SCREAM it out to me. You know me. You know how I learn and how I get caught up in things. If I am not listening, please get my attention. Please speak to me. Please let me know where and what I am doing or not doing. I denounce any sin in my life and I only ask for the one thing that you desire from me……LOVE
Your son
Fatherhood June 21, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in CHristianity, Christianity 101.add a comment
Matthew 6:6
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A trustful father
Acts 16:16-34
The Jailer
We all know this story; Paul and Silas are in prison. They had been beaten and placed in what some have described as their hands and feet shackled together, making the pain that much more unbearable. Yet they were singing and praising God all the while (there is a sermon there).
Suddenly, there is a great earthquake and the doors are opened, and the prisoner’s chains fell off, (God really gets this man’s attention) and Paul stops him as he is preparing to commit suicide because he would surely be killed if all those prisoners had escaped.
Had he heard them singing?
Did he already know of their reputations?
Were their reputations that much more cemented by the fact that they as well as all the prisoners were still there (v28 “We are all here”)
On that day this man stepped out of the darkness and into the Light. How do we know he was a saved man? He took Paul and Silas home with him.
This was a man who yielded his heart to Jesus!
I’ll admit that when I was imagining this whole episode while I was reading it, I was amazed, not at the earthquake, or the shackles falling off the prisoners. These are wondrous things, but God was pointing me to the jailer. I saw this man taking Paul and Silas home. I saw him sharing his experience with his family. I watched as he and his family listened to Paul and Silas as they explained the price Jesus Christ paid for them, and I saw them all come to this saving grace.
This man went home a believer and his whole family believed because of him.
What a leader!
What a trust this family had toward this loving father.
Can I be that kind of leader?
Can my family trust me enough in Christ to lead them and know that I can take care of them in Him?
This family followed him because they could trust him.
Does my family know that I am going to God with our problems and needs?
Am I listening to God for counsel when it comes to my family?
Can I be that mind of leader?
What an example!
V34
How do we know he was truly saved?
He washed their stripes.
He took them in.
He fed them.
Can I be that kind of servant leader?
Can I teach my children that I practice what I preach?
Can I show that kind of humble leadership?
Or do I act like the disciples?
Jesus washed all their feet, even Judas, when they wouldnot do it because it would mean someone else might look better than they did.
How many times am I like that?
Am I giving my life, my all to Christ so that it is plainly seen in my everyday life?
I tell you it fills me with great awe at the responsibility that God has blessed me with, even though it does scare me a little.
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A tearful father
Mark 9:14-29
Here was a father with a problem at home with his child. How very helpless he must have felt. The boy had been that way for some time and I am sure this father was at his wit’s end.
He was broken. I am sure, if given the chance, he would have taken his sons place in a minute. He had come to Jesus for help. What could have been going through his mind when the disciples couldn’t help him? He must have been literally on his knees.
This was a man who had yielded his family to Jesus
Do I have enough faith to watch my children go through something and know that God is working for the good?
Even when things look bleak?
Can I truly trust God?
Can I give my family to God?
Can I let go of the control and give them to God?
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A thankful father
Matthew 4:18-22
All of the men mentioned here would have to have permission from their father before they just left the business. They would have only gone out with their father’s blessing.
This man Zebedee had yielded his business to Jesus.
But better yet,
This man yielded his sons to Jesus
Again, can I let go?
Can I yield my business, my work, my life, my family, and my all to Christ?
Can I be the father God wants me to be?
Can I be the husband He wants me to be?
Can I be the servant leader He wants me to be?
Children mimic their parents.
Picture this:
A man sitting in his sofa reading the Sunday paper. The door swinging open and his wife and 2 young children come filing in. His wife takes the children to church because the husband just couldn’t ever get into it. Besides, he could enjoy the peace and quiet while they were gone. He deserved it because he worked hard all week. His son comes running up and is barely listened to as he tells his father what he learned that day. Now picture that wild young boy running up the stares, and after a few seconds you hear a loud clomping coming down those same stairs. Now the father pays attention. “What are you doing there, Billy?” “I want to follow in you footsteps” Billy exclaims. That father got right up and went to the bedroom and gave his heart to God.
What kind of shoes am I leaving to be filled?
These shoes we have as fathers are some big shoes to fill. I had to really be honest and question myself. I just hope it has blessed you as much as it did me.
I pray that I fill these shoes I am blessed with the way God wants me to. I will pray for you so please pray for me.
Genesis 15:7-21 – Something fowl is going on June 10, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 15, Genesis Bible Study, God, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham
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Gen 15:7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Gen 15:8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
Gen 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Gen 15:10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Gen 15:11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
Gen 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
Gen 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Gen 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Gen 15:19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
Gen 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
Gen 15:21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Here we have in this passage, a glimpse into a real, live, example of a human being. There are times when we read Scripture too quickly and we tend to raise those who are hero’s in the Old Testament as bigger than life figures that we could never identify with. But when we stop and look at times like these for example, we see a complete and total human being dealing with the God of the universe but feeling the same things that we do and dealing with them in the same manner as we do these days.
Doubt, insecurity, worry, and fleshly thinking.
Gen 15:7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Gen 15:8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
We have already dealt with the fear that Abram felt, even when God had given him His Word. Now we see a hint of worry. “This is my land, How do I know that I will inherit this land?”
We still see that Abram is flesh and blood. He is a mortal, limited human being speaking to an unlimited God, and yet the Lord still deals with him with such grace and mercy, just like He deals with you and me today.
Gen 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Gen 15:10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
God gives Abram a sign and this comes in the form of what would be used in confirming covenants – Jer 34:18,19
Gen 15:11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
Gen 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
Many times, in Scripture, birds are pictures of evil. Abram had done exactly what God has prescribed for him to do. He has taken each animal and divided them as God described, but pretty soon, the birds get a whiff of the picnic laid out there before them. So Abram drives them away, but he wears himself out.
How many times do we do the same thing. We have done exactly what God has described. We have done exactly what He lays out for us, we have our work set out, laid out for God to use when He sees fit. So we wait on the Lord and right in the middle of our work for the Lord we get side-swiped with evil. We get hit with sin. The birds of evil come down to devour what we are doing and to get us side-tracked or focused on what we are doing, or our fight.
So we decide to do things on our own. We decide to please God by how hard we are working.
The natural thing is to want to drive it away, to fight for what the Lord has given us, to hit sin head on.
But that will only lead to one thing if we rely completely on our own power and our own works
Burn out!!!!!
We will quickly find ourselves in the same situation that Abram found himself in, we will be wore out, beat up, burned up, and sleep deprived when all God wants us to do is rely on Him. Yes there are things that we need to do and things we must take care of, but we must rely on the Lord for what He gives us to do.
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
Abram must have been wondering what his future would be like, because God seems to throw this in. Again, this shows just how human Abram is, and it shows how our nature is. Right in the middle of all this, he is worried about himself. We also see something that many folks don’t seem to want to acknowledge – the mercy of God
Many times we hear how the God of the Old Testament is a God of death and judgment and how the God of the New Testament is a God of life and mercy but I am here to tall you that they are completely wrong.
400 years God gives the Amorites to give up their lewdness and disobedience before judgment will be handed down.
Gen 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Gen 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Gen 15:19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
Gen 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
Gen 15:21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
When two individuals come together in the ceremony of a covenant, they would take the carcass of the animal to be sacrificed and cut it into two parts. Both parties would then walk between the two halves and shake hands as a binding thing between them. The blood would signify that these two meant business and that if either one broke this covenant, there was blood to pay, meaning the outcome was death for the one who broke this promise.
Abram wakes us to see that God does not just enter into a covenant with Abram – He becomes the surety of this covenant between them, meaning that God takes the initiative to take responsibility for this covenant.
The smoking furnace and burning lamp possibly mean that the sacrifice was completely consumed, meaning that God was satisfied with what is going on.
God then proclaims the total listing of the land that Abrams seed will occupy. The Israelites have yet to receive the total given by God.
Genesis 15:1-6 The Alpha and Omega Part 2 May 25, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 15, Genesis Bible Study, God, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham
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Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Abram has faced many enemy troops, he worshipped the King of Peace and turned away the King of Sodom and these are the after theses things that Scripture speaks of before us today.
He has experienced a great victory in battle and in spiritual realms but now he is living out something that we all tend to face after such great episodes—DEPRESSION!
What was it? FEAR!
Now God has come to Abram and tells him not to fear. Perhaps he is looking at all the new enemies he has made or perhaps he is thinking that he has messed up by not taking the spoils of the battle, either way it is something that we all tend to face when we have such great victories in our lives, especially in our walk with Christ.
God is telling Abram “Don’t be afraid! I am your shield!, I am your protection!” and He is also telling him “I am your reward!, don’t worry about money! I will take care of you!”
Fear and faith almost alwaysseem to go hand in hand and these usually happen together in order to draw out the other. Many times a faithful happening or an enormous spiritual experience that builds faith usually is followed by fear of some sort. The good news is that God knows us completely and He knows how we work and so He will use these times of doubt, these times of fear to build our faith.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir
In Abrams day, not having an heir was not a good thing and if you didn’t then your servants first-born would become your heir instead. God tells Abram that his heir will in fact come from his own bowels. This child will be Abrams.
Notice that Abram is real. He is not some whitewashed fake illustration that we can look up too. He is asking a question that we all still ask God, especially during these times when God is so quiet.
He asks God “What are You going to give me?”
OK God You are my shield and my reward but what are You going to give me? He asks God even after God has given him His word. Notice that God is so loving and patient with Abram and that gives us hope and satisfaction that God deals with each of us in such a loving way. He doesn’t get mad, or impatient with Abram He just answers him again.
Thankfully, that is how God still deals with His own. He is still patiently answering our questions, using fear if it comes up to build our faith!!
Genesis 15:1-6 The Alpha and Omega Part 1 March 24, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 15, Genesis Bible Study, God, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham
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Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Here we see a marvelous picture of the omnipotence and omnipresence of our Almighty All-knowing, All-seeing God.
Now God had promised seed to Abraham and in his haste to help out God he looks to external circumstances, which doesn’t always work, especially when dealing with God. Abraham does what we all do and he gets impatient in wanting to see the work of God, but we also get to see another aspect of the characteristics of God – His timing. His ways are not ours, His time is not ours, yet His time is perfect!!!
What does this tell us?
That God is not shackled to time and space as we know it, but that He sees the end from the beginning. He does not see our lives, as we see it. He sees our begininning and the end of our lives at the same time. He knows all and He sees all. He knows the choices that we will make and the end result from which we will end up.
What does that mean in the grand scheme of things?
I am not sure how He works in regards to our lives and outcomes, mainly salvation. The Bible tells me that He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son in order for all to be saved. In Peter’s epistle, he tells us, through the penmanship of the Holy Spirit, that God wishes for all to be saved. But not all will be saved because not all will choose Him.
I don’t fall into the party lines of those who wish to believe that we are chosen beforehand as the elect, as some see it. Nor do I choose to believe that we are all predestined to either be saved or damned. But that is just me and how I choose to interpret Scripture.
Now whether God chooses us beforehand or whether in His infinite wisdom and for-knowledge, knowing that we will choose Him instead of our own way, He calls us because we will choose Him is another rabbit trail that I am not ready to get into but it does make certain passages make sence to me
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
I don’t believe that He would ever limit Himself in order to give us a chance to choose His way or our own. He knows us and is He sees our whole lives in an instant than He knows the choices we will make.
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
The most important thing to remember is that God loves His children and He will provide for what they need. He sees much further than we do. He knows what is best for us. He knows much better than we do. What a Great and Almighty God we serve!!!!!
Genesis 15:v1- What is your reward? March 22, 2009
Posted by Clint Rodgers in Genesis Bible Study.Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Genesis 15, Genesis Bible Study, God, Jesus Christ, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The life of Abraham
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Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
After these things, what things? This came right after the war and the resulting battle between Abraham, his followers, and these evil kings. Perhaps he was regretting turning down the King of Sodom and God might be letting him know here that he did make the right choice.
I am convinced more and more that we are in almost the very same situation that Abraham and his future descendants were in. We are in an age where great faith is needed and will undoubtedly be tested in various ways and for various degrees with each beleiver. Although faith has always been tested and streached by God in order to make us grow because, to be honest, we are generally lazy mortals who usually need a little prodding and pushing in order to grow because we usually get comfortable and adjust well to just about anything that comes our way. We mope and whine about our circumstances and how God doesn’t love us, or we aske what we must have done to make Him mad at us, or whether we made a bad choice and now we are paying or it.
Then we either get bitter and walk away and faith dies in us or we get better and we grow from the experience and we move on with what God is doing and we find that He has something wonderful planned for us that would require such rigorous training. Training that only our present trouble could provide.
I once heard a fiend say “We, as beleivers, are either in the middle of trouble, getting out of trouble, or fixin to get into trouble”. Trouble is and will always be around us and this is by fa the only way that faith can be allowed to grow when God is dealing with us because it is the only way we learn and train. He brews also tells us that this is the only way to properly please God ao then we must look at troubles in a different light than we once did.
We are in the midst of what seems and feels like an economy and community, here in America that is about to either change significantly or crumble into non- existance, but that is what could possibly be just paranoia on our part. You see, we really have always had it prety good here, especially religiously but I do believe that it will all change someday for the worse. I am not sure if our generation will see it but only God knows that.
In Hebrews we have what has always been called “The Hall of faith.” One good reading from it would actually stop a lot of the whinning and complaining, especially for those who have had it as well as I have. I know this for a fact because I read it today.
I say to my shame that I have complained, murmmurred, whinned, and cried about some really useless things to God. I have pouted and griped because my work environment has changed, I have lost wages, lost study time, and I have had to redo everything.
But I have also had to rethink everything, and I do mean everything.
“What did I do/not do?” was the standard cry to God.
“How did I sin?”, “Why are you chastising me so much?” was the cry heard from my lips.
“Where is my reward for being a good little boy?”
God had abandoned me. God had given up on me. God had let me down. You see He had not done what He said He would do.
The truth is He had not done what I thought He was supposed to do and how I love Him so much that He still blesses stupid!!!
You see, when I read the next few verses, I see where I have no reason, nor room to complain or whine at my circumstances.
Heb 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Another friend made the following comment the other day regarding faith
“I was talking with B**** this morning and was saying that we have always been
told…”anything worth having is worth working for”. Sounds good and makes a lot
of sense. That is until it comes to the gift of salvation. It is so worth having, but
we can’t work for it. B**** then said no we can’t, but when times get tough and
you face a struggle, having and maintaining your faith then becomes work. How
easy is it for us to give up and blame God for the things happening around us. “
So now the passage from James has a whole new meaning
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
It takes work for faith to stay and grow and that is exactly where God wants us
He has caused me to re-think everything. My relationship with Him as my Father, my family, the Lordship of Jesus Christ in my life, salvation, church, and life in general. I am still in he wilderness, learning how to be a nobody who can be used by God, and I am not there yet but I have faith and that is all that matters. Gid is my shield, He has been and will protect me and my family regardless of what comes our way and He is my reward. He has supplied Himself as my reward for the future. The things that I have yet to see
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
