Tag: Abraham

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Where’s the lamb? F260- Week 3- Day 3

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional, F260Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 22

This week’s memory verse:

(20)  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20

Highlight:

(7)  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
(8)  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

(14)  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Genesis 22:7-8, 14

Explanation:
God calls on Abraham to do something that seems really irrational. God had promised that through Isaac nations would be born. He had promised that Abraham would be the father of these many nations, and that through these nations all the world would be blessed. Yet, God calls Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering.
He gets up early and heads toward the mountain. Isaac, here in verse 7, asks Abraham where the lamb was for burnt offering. What an expression of faith that Abraham declared in verse 8! He believed that God would provide the lamb.

Of course, God did provide the lamb. It was caught in the thicket by its horns, therefore unblemished and an unmarred sacrifice. God provided the substitute. Abraham had shown that He believed God and would not withhold what was most precious to him from God. God’s gifts were not more important than God Himself.

So, Abraham named the place “Joehovajireh” which means God will see (to it). God sees and provides. God saw Abraham’s faith and provided a substitute.

Application:
What a beautiful and challening story. There are a few ways that it applies.

  1. Have I trusted in Christ? This is a picture of God’s substitutionary atonement found in Jesus Christ. John said about Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world”. Have I acknowledged Jesus Christ as my substitute and trusted in Him for salvation?
  2. Am I willing to sacrifice what is most precious to me to be obedient to God?
  3. Am I more in love with the gifts from God than the God who has provided those gifts?

Response:
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Lord, help me to depend on you, trust you, and obey you today.

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Joy from a Promise Kept- F260: Week 3- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional, F260Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 20-21

This week’s memory verse:

(20)  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20

Highlight:

(1)  And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. (2)  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
(3)  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. (4)  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.(5)  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
(6)  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
(7)  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

Genesis 21:1-7

Explanation:
This an incredible passage for a few reasons.

  1. God’s promise fulfilled.
    The promise was made, and in this verse we see the promise being kept. God visits Sarah as he said and made it so that she could conceive. She conceived, carried, and bore a son to Abraham!
  2. Their old age.
    Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. This is a miracle. God did something incredible. Is anything impossible for the Lord. Certainly not!
  3. The child’s name.
    Isaac’s name means laughter. Sarah had laughed at God’s promise in unbelief. Now she was laughing for joy that she had a child. She believed that others will laugh in joy for what God had done for her. How ridiculous was it that someone her age would have and nurse a child? God did the “impossible”.

Application:
The fact that God fulfilled His promise when He did grew their faith, brought them joy, and serves as an example to us. We can see that God always keeps His promises in the example of Abraham and Sarah, and that helps us to trust God when we don’t understand what is going on in our own lives.

Response:
God, thank you for the joy that is available to us when we expereince your promises fulfilled in our lives. Help me to trust you when it is difficult. Amen.

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Is anything too hard for the Lord? F260- Week 3- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional, F260Leave a comment

Scripture Reading- Genesis 18-19

This Week’s Memory Verse:

(20) He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20

Highlight:

(9) And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
(10) And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
(11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
(12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
(13) And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
(14) Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
(15) Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

Genesis 18:9-15

Explanation:
A key question needs to be answered about this passage.

Who are they?

For sure, at least one of the trio is a theophany, a term we use for an appearance of God in the Old Testament. Abram calls him Lord, which some would say was just a respectful greeting. Yet as you see Abram interact with this man in this interchange, it becomes abundantly clear that this is Jehovah. The man speaks authoritatively about Sarah having a son. He speaks authoritiatively about judgment of Sodom. In verse 17 the name that is used for Lord is Jehovah. Later in chapter 19 two angels head toward Sodom. Is this Jehovah accompanied by two angels? That seems to fit.

What happens in chapter 18?
We see that God affirms his covenant with Abraham, especially that Sarah would conceive and bare a son. When he declares it yet again, Sarah, who is listening in responds in laughter.

(12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

Genesis 18:12

Another evidence that this is the omniscient God is that He perceived the internal doubt characterized as laughter that Sarah expressed. He challenged her doubt with a relevant question:

Is any thing too hard for the LORD?

Genesis 18:14a

Application:
What an incredible question! Allowing to be asked in our own lives will generate an incredible answer. No! There is nothing too hard for the Lord. He can do anything that is within His character to do, and since He is holy, righteous, just, omniscient, ominipotent, ominisapient, and omnipresent, He can and will do everything that must be done for His own glory and for the good of those who trust in Him! When God makes a promise He keeps it, even when that promise seems impossible.

What should that cause us to do? We should want to know the promises of God, and to trust God to complete those promises!

Response:
Lord, help me to trust you today with my family, with my time, with the direction of our church. Help me not to go out on my own, but to follow you.

Galatians Day 12- God Keeps His Promises

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional1 Comment

medium_2232897539Have you ever made a promise that you had a hard time keeping?  I heard a story about a dad who was training his son to give him the business he started.  “Son, 2 things have made this business successful- reliability and wisdom.  If you say you’re going to do it by next Tuesday then no matter how many hours, how much pain, and how difficult it is, you have to have it done by Tuesday.”  The son replied, “Well, that’s reliability.  What about wisdom?”  The dad replied, “Wisdom is not making that kind of promise in the first place.”

It is difficult for us to keep our promises at times, but we expect that when promises are made to us they will be kept!

In today’s reading, Galatians 3:15-18,  Paul talks about the promises that God made to Abraham.

15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

  • If people make a promise, especially a legally binding contract, we expect it, and enforce it to be kept.

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

  • Even the covenant promise that God made to Abraham was the gracious response to Abraham’s faith.  Abraham didn’t earn it by works.
  • God will keep His promise to Abraham!

Action Step:

  • God can be trusted.  If He says He will do something, it will be done.
  • Do you keep your promises?  Is your word your bond?  If we are to reflect the character of God we keep our word!  Maybe today you need to go make good on a promise you made.