365 Reflections

Abraham is at it again in Genesis 20. This time to King Abimalech in Gerar. He tells the king his wife is his sister and she is so very beautiful at the ripe old age of 90(!) that he takes her into his harem and plans to sleep with her. Old habits die hard. Once again God spares His friend and Abraham is strongly rebuked by the pagan king having more knowledge of God's Word here than Abraham himself! But Abraham's reasoning in this episode is VERY revealing. Why do persisten sins keep happening in our lives? What is the root of the issue we struggle with? Genesis 20:11–13 (ESV) Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her , ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place ...

Genesis 19:19–22 (ESV) Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. This passage is amazing in that Lot is arguing with the angels to spare a cit he is attracted to rather than flee to the hills as God instructed. He's more afraid of trusting the voice of God than his own carnal reasoning.  There are many like him. You see Lot's heart has been turned toward the things of this world and Sodom got a hold of him. He hesitates to leave even as we know fro...

Lot is a symbol of the Christian who is too far in love with the things of this world. In the end, it cost him everything. Genesis 19:15–17 (ESV)  As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered . So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” It helps to see what Peter says about Lot: 2 Peter 2:7–8 (ESV) if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); Lot was a man of faith, but he never...

Genesis 18:23–26 (ESV) Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Do sinners make you angry? Join the club. Sin makes God angry. And sometimes, God wipes out sinners in anger in the scriptures. In fact, apart from repentance of sin and turning to Christ, God in justice will judge righteously every sinner on Earth. Some Christians get excited about that. They frighten me. Because the normal response of God's judgment from God's best men was to weep and ple...

Genesis 18:1–8 (ESV)   And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before the...

Genesis 17:5 (ESV) No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. The significant feature of Abram's name change to Abraham is the fact that God simply added the "ha" sound to his name. This is the sound of "breath" from the Hebrew "ruah" which also means "Spirit." The name change here from Abram to Abraham was significant. As God is now humbling Abram before the task He has given him, that he might become the father of a multitude though he only has one son by human effort and not of God's promise, so too God is making a salient point for Abram to receive...  Abram will do this, but no longer on his own power, but with the Spirit of God upon Him. It is as if God is saying clearly, Abraham, apart from me you cannot do this, but I will join myself to you, I will be the strength in you, I will be the one who empowers you to become what I have det...