Genesis

Meeting God in Person

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Meeting God in Person

“And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 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. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 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.” Genesis 16:7-16 (KJV)

Remembering now that Hagar had received some harsh, and unkind treatment from Sarai, she has fled from her husband and mistress. We must remember some things about Hagar too. She had become “Highminded” against Sarai; though not specifically charged, it is definitely implied by the phrase, “despised in her eyes” (v.5). Sarai was her master wife, the ruler of the household. Now notice who appears to Hagar after she has fled from the Abrahams.

The Angel of the LORD is the one who finds Hagar by a fountain of water. The Angel of the LORD is believed to be a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. This angel is never mentioned in Scripture following the incarnation of Christ in Bethlehem. This shows us that the LORD is indeed concerned with the people of all races, and countries, and that He is involved in the affairs of humanity. The LORD cared for Hagar and went to her.

Notice how the LORD addresses Hagar; He calls her “Sarai’s maid”, reminding her that she has attachments, and obligations, and that she is still a servant to Sarai. The question asked by the LORD is not one seeking information, but rather one seeking repentance. What is Hagar’s need for repentance? She has been rebellious, and proud concerning Sarai; and sought a higher place than what she was allotted by God. She was a servant girl, nothing more. The first born son of promise was to be from Abram and Sarai; not Abram and Hagar.

The LORD’s word to Hagar is, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” She is not to exude an attitude of arrogance or supremacy over Sarai, but be an obedient servant girl. God gives her a promise, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly…”, and the promise did not stop there. Hagar is told that she is with child, that she would bear a son, and call his name Ishmael. The promise is one that has not only been fulfilled but makes history practically everyday. It is seriously believed that Ishmael is the father of the Arabic people. This is mostly a people who are also followers of Mohammed who is the founder of the Muslim religion. They fulfill the discription in God’s “promise” to Hagar. “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren”. In the naming of her son Ishmael she would always look at her son and remember the day she heard from the LORD.

Hagar then names the place where she has met God in person “You Are the God Who Sees” (Beer Lahai Roi). This is the same place (24:62) where Isaac, the promised son, would be waiting, years later for his bride; which the servant of Abraham had gone to find.

What did Hagar do upon meeting the LORD and hearing His voice? She honored Him with a great name. She returned to her mistress, and we must believe that she returned in a submissive manner. This experience for Hagar was a blessed experience. It is a privilege, an honor, a blessing, and grace that any one can meet God. All can meet God, however, by the person of Jesus Christ. This Angel of the LORD was He before He ever became man, and walked among us.

God shows His mercy every day. Some may wonder “How?”, and that is really simple to explain. If He indeed did create all things, and He did. If He does indeed still involve Himself in the affairs of this world, and He does. Then, surely He holds the power to stop your breathing, and the beating of your heart with only a word. That is His mercy displayed. His grace was displayed as His Son Jesus hanged between earth and heaven, and all of heaven’s wrath was poured onto the Son in our behalf. The life given by Himself, that we might live with Him eternally. Have you met God personally?

-by Tim A. Blankenship

The Results of Scheming

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Results of Scheming

“And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 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. 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.” Genesis 16:4-6 (KJV)

With the scheming of Sarai, and Abram’s submission to his wife’s direction Abram had now become part of pagan practice concerning marriage. This is the second Bible example of a polygamous marriage. With Lamech (descendent of Cain – chapter 4:19) being the first. It was, however, practiced by the people of the nations. The first mention of polygamy in the Bible is that of the son of Cain, Lamech (Genesis 4:19). It was ordained by God for a man to have one wife, and men have violated that principle, even faithful men.

When Abram had taken Hagar to wife, and she conceived there was disdain in her heart for her mistress. She was now the one who was bearing the child of the patriarch of nations. She was now the one who was seen as the mother of the “promised child”, but it just was not true. The promised child would indeed be the child of Abram and Sarai, not one of the flesh.

There was resentment, and surely bitterness in Sarai’s heart toward Hagar; and it even seems that there was some toward Abram, even though the idea was her own.

It is for good reason that God has ordained that a man be the “husband of one wife”; and not just “One at a time” as some try and say. Even if we did not have the Scriptures giving us the good principles of marriage, common sense tells us that two women with one husband is going to cause problems. Sarai puts the blame of the ordeal on Abram, and Abram tells her to do what she will with Hagar. Whether Sarai lashed her, spoke very harshly to her, or both is not known. All we have is that “Sarai dealt hardly with her”. Hagar, then realizing that she did not have the “upper hand” in this family situation, then, leaves, and probably in a rush.

In most family situations where there is disharmony it is because of human frailty caused by sin and the flesh. Each of us desire to have our way, and not trust the Lord in the situations we face. When there is a godly family where there is disharmony; it is always due to the involvement of breaking godly guidance, advice, and counsel – just stepping outside the will of God. Going beyond the promise; getting ahead of God; trying to rush God into our thinking and timing. These will always end in fighting, because of the fleshly extensions.

What is the answer for stopping frustrating, fighting, situations in families? Follow God’s plan which is for each individual to hear God’s Word, be obedient to His Word; and should you find yourself outside His will; get back in it by confession of your sins and repentance. There may be need for giving forgiveness, and receiving forgiveness from others.

By Faith, or By Flesh

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Faith or Flesh

“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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. 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.” Genesis 16:1-3 (KJV)

There are so many times that we make decisions by what looks like the right thing, and goes against what God has said, then later we pay consequences for doing so. Abram was no different. He experienced famine in the land of promise (chapter 12), then left that promise for greener pastures in Egypt. The act of proceeding down to Egypt was an act of unbelief, and in their unbelief they had taken to themselves a servant girl who would later become a source of temptation to further unbelief.

Abram needs not be put on a pedestal for us to admire, receive encouragement from, and seen as an example of faith. He was, and Sarai was; they were simple people capable, and quite able of making mistakes. We all can easily indentify with them. We have been there. We have had our faith tested, and tested again. If you haven’t; you will. You may even leave your place of promise, but God will bring you back to it, just as He did Abram and Sarai.

As far as Sarai was concerned things looked hopeless. They had no children, and it did not look as though God was going to do anything about it. Abram was now eighty five years of age – they had “dwelt ten years in the land…”. Sarai was seventy five; how could they have a son and fulfill the promise of God?

Waiting, waiting, waiting… It is such a grueling task. If you have not noticed recently, though; the Bible mentions, “Wait on the Lord…” so many times it should cause us to “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7). Far too many times I want to rush in, to solve the issue, the problem, and far too many times the flesh is involved, and receives fleshly results. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength…”

In our churches and evangelical groups we have people rushing around trying to accomplish the mission of God in our society. They use every imaginable thing they can think of to draw crowds. Some have used strong men, breaking and bending objects, to the cheers of the crowd. Some have used motor cycle races, and jumping. All of this in the name of Jesus to “Win souls”. Did Jesus ever call us to draw a crowd? I admire the attempt to win souls. We long for the salvation of the lost soul, but it cannot be done by fanfare. Each believer is commanded to be a witness. As we wait patiently on the Lord, He will bring people into our lives in which He intends us to be witnesses. Yes, send missionaries to the foreign fields, and our home fields, to establish churches for training ministers, ministers of reconciliation. We are witnesses in our life, our work place, our play place, our driving, our children, our worship life, on vacation, etc.. If every Christian would live the life of Christ which we are supposed to live, God would bring more people into our lives, and we would have better ears for listening to people and their problems, and better eyes for seeing troubled hearts and lives, and be waiting “patiently on the LORD” in life. Thus, more people coming to faith in Jesus.

We have a zeal for reaching the lost, but not a trust in the Lord to give the increase; so we do our own increasing. In doing that we have people who profess Christ, but do not live Christ like lives. We have young, and a few older preachers who have no backbone to stand against evil, but would and will rather compromise to win a crowd of people.

The time is short, yet we must “Wait on the Lord” to give the increase. Just like Abram and Sarai should have and could have “waited on God”, yet ended up in a lack of faith; so too, do we in rushing headlong in the flesh to accomplish spiritual goals, which only God can do.

God could not have been pleased with what Abram and Sarai did. In fact due to their short sighted act, they brought terror into the world. From them we should learn that acts of the flesh never achieve the purposes of God, but God in His sovereignty works all things out for and in His glory.

Now, do not get the idea that “Waiting on the LORD” means sitting idly by watching the leaves fall or the grass grow, and doing nothing. Hopefully, and believing it to be so; in all these years together Abram and Sarai were trying to have a son, in the way children are conceived, and born; and it was entirely in God’s plan and timing to give that son, as He had promised. Waiting on the Lord is simply going about your life as God directs and leads, trusting Him and Him alone to fulfill His promises. You keep yourself busy doing the work you are called to do, and doing it unto the Lord, with all your heart, glorifying His name.

God’s Covenant with Himself

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God Covenants with Himself

“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. And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 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. 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. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 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; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
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. 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: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:7-21 (KJV)

This is a rather lengthy passage of Scripture, but I hated to separate, because they are on one great event in the life of Abram. God here reassures Abram that this land of Canaan would be his heir’s possession. His question was “How shall I know that I shall inherit it?” The LORD tells Abram a way to receive a sign from Him in order that he may be assured of the promise.

A three year old heifer, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon were to be brought before the LORD with the heifer and the ram cut in half, and the birds not divided. This was a sacrifice with which God was going to do something special.

After Abram gets these animals divided and the birds laid out as per the LORD’s requirements, then, some birds descend down on the sacrifices. In my thinking it would seem to be vultures which are always after an easy meal, and in fact, are designed by God to be the clean up birds of nature’s dead. It could have also been ravens or eagles of some kind. It does not matter what kind it was. Abram knew that these sacrificial animals was not for the birds, they were for an offering to the LORD. Abram drove them away.

There are all kinds of vile and evil “birds” who flock around to steal away the sacrifice of God. The sacrifice of a devoted heart and life can be ruined by the bird of distraction. It is the vile and evil birds who like to nest in the kingdom of our Lord, and blow up the numbers of the membership of the local church. It is the evil birds who will try and take the devoted hearts with comfort and good works and steal away the true worship of the Creator (Matthew 13:31-32). It is the man of Gods’ position to stand guard over the sacrifice of God to keep the vile and unclean birds away.

Evidently, after the birds had all left, and the sun was going down, Abram went to sleep. It was different kind of sleep than just normal sleep. This sleep is likened to the sleep the LORD put on Adam as Eve was made from his rib. It is also likened to the sleep which Jonah took when he fled from the LORD on board the ship to Tarshish. The Scripture says, “A deep sleep fell upon Abram”, and an “Horror of great darkness fell upon him”. We are not told what this great horror is, but it could be what he saw in the vision. In the vision Abram learned what was going to happen to his posterity in the following few hundred years. Abram’s heirs would be strangers in a foreign land, and would be the servants of this foreign land; and would be afflicted in servitude for 400 years. Would any of us like it if the LORD were to show us what was going to happen to our posterity over the next few hundred years?

In giving Abram this vision, God was assuring him that they would possess this land of Promise. It would not be without affliction though. Abram was also assured that the land of their captivity would also be judged, and the people who came from Abram would leave that land of servitude with much wealth. Abram is given assurace that he will die in peace in a good old age. In the fourth generation of his people in the land of captivity they would come out as God has said. God is the God of grace and mercy. With the Amorites; the one’s who are at this time present in this land; God gives them several hundred years to change their ways, repent and turn to Him. When they do not their time has been filled, then, the descendants of Abraham will come and, cleanse and possess the land.

The present condition of the land of Canaan with Abram is vile, and wicked, and awaits the day when holiness shall come in. This land also represents the hearts of mankind. The land of our hearts need redeemed, cleansed, and possessed by pure hearts, right with God. Hearts made right and pure only by the grace of Almighty God.

There was a “smoking furnace”, and a “burning lamp” which passed between these pieces. This in a substantive picture is the very presence of God walking in the midst of these pieces making covenant with Himself concerning His promises to Abram. It is possible that the “smoking furnace” and “burning lamp” are symbols of the affliction of the children of Israel in bondage. Though it is not mentioned in this text it is quite possible that these two fiery items burned up the sacrifices, and sealed the covenant with God and Himself. In this promise of the land there is nothing required of Abram. Though this covenant is made on Abram’s behalf the covenant is with God, and certainly God will not go back on a promise He has covenanted with Himself; nor will He with us. ” For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,” Hebrews 6:13 (KJV). You can trust the LORD, His Son and His Word. There was another covenant made between the Father and the Son; and that was the covenant of the cross. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is our guarantee of Heaven. The eternal reward for all who believe His Son.

LORD, How are YOU Going to Fulfill YOUR Promise?

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

LORD, How are YOU Going to Fulfill YOUR Promise???

“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? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 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. 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. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:2-6 (KJV).

There is a new name for God which comes into the picture at this point. That name is “Lord GOD” or “Adonai YHWH”. The “YHWH” is where we get the word Yahweh or Jehovah. God introduced Himself as Jehovah previously in chapter two as LORD God or Jehovah Elohim. Jehovah is the personal name of God, and this name, as you will see by reading chapter two was during the time we learn of how God made Adam and Eve and names them. With His giving His personal name He gives personal names to His crown of creation. “Adonai” means = master, lord, or ruler. By using “Adonai Jehovah” Abraham is ascribing to the GOD he knows personally, as also being his Master, Lord, and Ruler.

This question is asked with faith. In other words, Abraham has believed the promises of God, and he is curious as to how the promise of an heir is going to come about. The man even offers God a way out. The “steward of my house is this Eliezer…”. “God, you have given me no heir, but there is a man who was born in my house. You could have him as my heir”. I see in this the element of faith. He knows God’s promise, and has not seen it happen yet, so he is concerned about God’s keeping His attributes in tack. It seems that the man would have kept on beliving the Lord GOD, even if he and Sarah adopted Eliezer as their own son. Abraham still had to learn that God says what He means, and means what He says. God will fulfill His Word just as He has spoken it.

God is not pleased when we try and dance around His promises. There are too many professing Christians today who try and do dances around the teaching of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection. They do dances around it by saying things such as we believe it, then we must keep it by our good works. They do dances around it by taking the glory, by their good works, that belongs only to our Lord and Savior. Then there are those who trample all over the Lord’s promise of grace. They trample upon it by giving license to sin. They would not dare call it that, though, they use a good Biblical term like “Christian liberty or freedom”. Since when does the Christian have license to sin? Never. Christian liberty is for the purpose of growing in Christ, loving Him, following Him, serving Him. Where we were once the servants of sin we are now the servants of righteousness – His righteousness.

“This shall not be thine heir”, God says to Abraham. Your heir will be your’s and Sarah’s own son. God had said it some time ago, but God’s promises never fail. It matters not for how long you wait. God will come through and just at the time that really counts. You and I cannot see the total picture, or the “Big Picture” which God sees. He sees the beginning and the ending. Think of it this way. You have watched the very end, the winning moment of a NASCAR race at Taledega Speedway. You watched that exciting moment while you were at a friends home, and you happened to come in, turned on the TV, and there it was. You had your own recorder on at home recording the whole event, now you see the end. Now you know the end. You can go home turn on your television and recorder/player tivo or what ever you use, and you see a whole lot different race than the one you saw, but you still know who is going to win. Well, God is even better than that. He not only knows the beginning and the end, but He also directs the events that goes on in between. He is involved, and committed to fulfilling His own Word. He will not allow one word to fail, or neglect to accomplish His purposes.

God took Abraham outside of the tent to behold the stars. This would be one of Abraham’s great events in His life. At least it would be to me; for God to speak to me and say, “Look now toward heaven…” that would really mean much to me. I am always looking at the stars in wonder, knowing that such a wonderful matchless, glorious Creator could place that within my eyesight, to behold its beauty, and to glorify His name. Could Abraham number the stars? Can you? Some Scientists have come up with a computer generated guess. I do not recall what that number is, but it is an enormous number. “…If thou be able to number them… so shall thy seed be”. An innumerable amount of people coming from the lineage of Abraham is the promise of God.

Abraham, then, we are told, “Believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness”. This is a tremendous declaration promise. Abraham has done nothing, but believe God, and God declares Abraham “Righteous”. The only way to the righteousness of God is by God declaring us so. He declares us so through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus paid the sin debt that was ours. His burial carried the guilt, the shame, and filth or sin far away, never to be seen again. The bodily resurrection is the evidence that Jesus was victorious on the cross in defeating sin, death, and the devil and his minions of hell. If you do not believe in the only means of atonement for your sin, there is no salvation.

Of What was Abram Afraid?

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Of What Was He Fearful???

“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.” Genesis 15:1 (KJV).

There is a possible clue as to why Abraham was fearful. “After these things…” could be referring to, and most likely is referring to the events which have just transpired. He has fought a great battle, delivering his nephew Lot, Lot’s family, the people of the cities of the plain, and taken back their possessions. There could possibly have been some very angry family members of those defeated kings. Abraham may have been fearful of a reprisal from those sons, daughters, uncles, and cousins.

One of the things which seems to be prominent throughout Scriptures is that when a man of faith has won a victory in one thing, he is immediately prone to fall into fear following it. Take for example Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings, and his victory on Mount Carmel in chapter eighteen, then his fear in chapter nineteen. We have many things about Abraham which reminds us he was a human man, capable of sinning, capable of failing, and falling. We find him faithful through his whole life – faithful.

God, in a vision came to Abraham, speaking to him, calling his name, “Fear not, Abram…”. Does it not do your heart good to know that people of higher office or position knows you by name, and not in a disciplinary way. Well, here we have the God of creation, calling one of His creation by name. You know what? The day I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, He called me by name; and He called you by name; or is doing so right now. He knows you and He knows your heart. He knows your joys, fears, doubts, and unbelief.

Abraham had experienced great victory against the kings who captured Lot and the people of the cities. God seems to be reminding him of who it was that actually gave him the victory. It was not with swords, spears, or arrows; it was by the hand of God. Abraham was trusting the Lord as he went into the insurmountable numbers of enemy soldiers of the battle. He would not have entered into the battle without the great assurance of faith in the God who called him here.

The “Friend of God” had seen the power of the Shield of God which protected him and his servants who went and fought beside him. Rather than taking the bounty of the war he refused it; trusting the Lord instead to provide his exceeding great reward, and in fact be Abraham’s exceeding great reward.

Man of Mystery

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Man of Mystery

“And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” Genesis 14:17-24 (KJV)

It is with fascination that I notice that when one has his treasure in this world he falls with its kings and is captured like all the possessions. However, if the heart is on the Lord you will never fall.

Lot, backsliden, his heart drawn away by the pleasures of the world, worshipped the material, and went into captivity with the material. Abraham worshipped the God of Heaven and delivered all the people and their possessions from the captivity.

It is also interesting to notice that when Bera, the king of Sodom shows up, that Melchizedek king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God [El Elyon] comes to Abraham’s aid. Bera comes offering Abraham great material wealth as a reward for his victory. Abraham has, however, vowed to God that he would not take any reward from these perverse and rebellious people, lest they claim they have made Abraham rich (vv. 22-23).

Mechizedek’s appearance is reward enough for the “Friend of God”. Who is this Melchizedek? He is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament – here in Genesis and in Psalm 110:4; and the most mentioned of him is in the New Testament book of Hebrews. This scarcity makes him somewhat of a mystery character. Who is he? This Old Testament account calls him the king of Salem [present day Jerusalem]. He is called “the priest of the most High God [El Elyon] = “Possessor of heaven and earth”.

It seems that we are given license in Scripture of Melchizedek as a “type” of the Christ. “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” is written in a messianic Psalm (110) prophesying of the throne at the Father’s right hand, and His judgment on the nations.

There are good and godly scholars and pastors who believe Melchizedek to be a pre-incarnate visitation of Jesus Christ. The problem with that is he appears as an earthly king to Abraham – a highly honored one to be sure – yet he is the king of an earthly city. Another problem is Paul spaks of him in Hebrews 7:3 as, “…Made like unto the Son of God”. This certainly implies “type” or “Shadow” rather than substance.

In understanding who Melchizedek is we must first realize the mystery involved. Understand also, that, Scriptures were “God breathed” inspired by the Holy Spirit, and sometimes what is missing is, or can be a clue to correct interpretation. In Melchizedek’s case we have no record of his genealogy; “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life”. Yet, the Holy Spirit gives us a genealogy of our Lord’s human birth.

Let’s compare the two. Melchizedek: “Without mother or father”; no birth, nor death; A gentile priest of God; King of righteousness; King of Salem; A priest continually. Now let’s look at the One who is the substance of the shadow – Jesus Christ: without mother or father – in his deity only; no birth, nor death – also in deity only; a priest of God from the tribe of Judah (Both Melchizedek – Gentile priest of God, and Jesus – are declared by God to be priests); King of righteousness; King of Jerusalem; a priest continually – “after the power of an endless life” (Hebrews 7:16).

The comparisons are many. The one, however, is a shadow of the substance.

Abraham worships the “Most High God” by giving “tithes of all”. A tithe is one tenth. It is encouraging to notice that the tithe was initiated before the law of Moses. Not being subject to the law makes it a wonderful starting place for giving. To give less would be to insult the grace of God. Giving God ten percent of all acknowledges Him as Lord of all. We are to give willingly, cheerfully, proportionately, and promptly. Ten percent is a good starting place, but as God blesses the one’s who have a giving spirit will want to increase their giving for the glory of our Lord (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). This is proportionate giving, “…as God has prospered him”.

The true worshipper of God gives all to God, and withholds nothing.

Set the Captives Free

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Captives Set Free

“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.” Genesis 14:13-16 (KJV).

Paul the apostle of the New Testament wrote, “I have fought a good fight…” Faith requires fighting. It is not a fight against those who are of like mind and faith. It is faith’s fight agains all that is evil and wrong. Abraham had a warrior faith. We Christians use to sing a song quite often, “Onward Christian Soldiers”, but I do not hear it much anymore. According to some the soldier analogy is not a good one for the day. A good Greek word for that is “Baloney”. We are in a constant war. It is a war that will never cease until Jesus the Captain of our salvation is come. So sing on with the song, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” onward.

It does not appear to have taken Abraham long to prepare for battle. We too should always be prepared (Ephesians 6:10-20). All the preparations needed seem to have been just getting the men and weapons together and travelling approximately 120 miles to fight the battle.

Notice some great spiritual truths here in this historical event:

1. These servants were “born in his own house”; Abraham’s house was a house of faith. Every born again child of God is a soldier in Christ’s army. There are no exceptions from battle. Paul’s command inspired by the Holy Spirit in the book of Ephesians is not just to the church of Ephesus, but for all who are in Jesus Christ. Also see Romans 13:11-14. Those who are born of God overcome the world (1 John 5:4).

2. These servants were armed for battle; The Christian is also given weapons for our warfare. Our weapons are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4), and equal to only two. Some will say one, but I believe their are two, and they are all we need, because Jesus is the source of them both. The first one is the Sword of the Spirit, “which is the word of God”, and the second one is prayer (Ephesians 6:17-18). The Sword is an offensive weapon and is of no benefit unless it is read, studied and activated in the Christian life. There is nothing magical about the leather and paper on which the Word of God is written. The Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God is for the purpose of fighting the deception of the devil and his lies, and overcoming all evil. Prayer is the place from which we are encouraged, empowered, and the place before the Captain’s station for receiving our orders.

The deception and lies of the devil includes the doubts, and fears we struggle with.

3. The servants were trained; “One of hte purposes of the local church is to train God’s people how to use the Bible effectively, how to pray, how to recognize the enemy, and how to follow orders as soldiers in the army of Christ.” Warren Wiersbe.

If we fail in the battle it is only the fault of the soldier, not of the Captain. And if we do fail it will be for our good and the glory of the Captain/King.

4. The servants believed in their leader; Our leader, like was Abraham’s is to be the Lord. When we follow the Lord’s direction there can only be victory. If we expect to defeat the enemy and win victories we must trust the Lord and obey His orders.

5. The servants were united; There are three kingdoms united for a common cause. They were one army, not three, and they had one commanding officer – Abraham.

The Church cannot serve Jesus Christ effectively unless there is unity. Far too many times in our local churches there are power grabbing mongrels who want things their own way and cannot be unified for anything. Battles cannot be won and captive souls set free when the Church is not in unity.

6. The servants were single minded; Their focus was on warfare, setting Lot and his family free; not on getting back home, or the material possessions they might gain from a victory. Rather, they were focused on the victory and setting the captives free.

When it comes to battles in the Church it is often with one another, rather than the enemy. There are brothers and sisters in Christ who are in bondage to worldly things. They were caught in the middle and carried away captive by their selfish desires. Not only do we need to focus on setting captive saints free, but also setting the imprisoned souls of the damned free.

Abraham had a right attitude. He had a prepared army. By the hand of God he conquered the enemy as his achievement.

The picture or image of the “Onward Christian Soldiers” is still a good one.  Maybe more so in our day than many would like to think.  Not soldiers for killing, maiming or destroying; but soldiers of the grace, mercy and love of God; fighting the attacks of the devil against our fellow man, and his attempts to destroy, kill or maim.  My brothers and  sisters in Christ let’s stand strong in the battle against the evil one, and set the captives free.

Captured By Sin

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Captured By Sin

The man of God must always we aware, alert, and ascribing worth to the Greater One, who is God. We often may not realize it but there are others who will be needing us to be the people of faith that we are. Our faith will be an inspiration to others. As the song says, “May those who come behind us find us faithful.” It will make a difference someday. It is as close as the next minute, hour, day, week, month and year.

“And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” Genesis 14:1-12 (KJV)

Abraham was a watching man. After coming out of Egypt Abraham was a somewhat wiser man. He was still a man subject to sin, though. Rather than allowing a feud to brew; he had given Lot the choice of land. Lot chose what appeared to be the best land productively and beauteously.

We can see Lot’s casual backsliding progressively: 1) Lot saw the land; 2) Lot set his heart on the land and dwelled there; 3) Lot eventually moved into the city surrounded by perversity; 4) Lot’s family was corrupted (19:26, 33). Because of Lot’s identity with the flesh he suffered like the fleshly. He chose mammon over morality; godlessness over godliness; and bondage over freedom.

Abraham loved Lot greatly; afterall Lot was Abraham’s nephew. He must have been attentive about Lot and his condition – both physically and spiritually. He longed to hear any reports concerning his nephew

In these first twelve verses we can see that things were not as them may have seemed in “the plains of Jordan”. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah had rebelled against their ruling nation and king. Kings Bera of Sodom and, Birsha of Gomorrah and three other kings of surrounding cities had been subjects to the King named Chedorlaomer of Elam for a period of twelve years. In the next year they rebelled and would not pay their taxes and fees, etc.. After one year Chedorlaomer gathered three other kings and their armies, along with his, and went against the five kings. Lot was caught in the middle. Isn’t that what happens to those who want to ride along and just stay neutral – right down the middle? Lot was taken captive, just like the rest. Everything he possessed and his entire family were at the mercy of an angry and powerful king.

To Lot’s advantage he had an uncle who loved him, was praying for him, and was committed to his deliverance. There is someone who is being held captive by their sin – someone you know. They have just been riding on the coattails of the world, but now they cannot escape, and they desperately need your aid. You have been praying for them; you may have been watching them as they slipped deeper and deeper into sin, and farther and farther away from God. You tried many times to warn them, but to no avail. Now they are captive, cannot escape, and only you can come to their aid. Only you have the faith, the vision of God to free them. Do it.

Look God’s Direction

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Looking God’s Direction

“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. Genesis 13:14-18 (KJV).

There is an obvious difference noted between Abram and Lot. While Lot was told by Abram to choose the land he “lifted up his eyes” toward what appeared to be the most prosperous, fertile, and probably beautiful land in Canaan and chose it without God.

Abram, however, was submissive to the Lord’s direction. Guided by God’s Spirit he sees through the eyes of God. God says, “Lift up now thine eyes”. Abram’s heart was set on the things of God. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34).

God’s promises incorporate all the land that Abram sees. It will be his and his children’s “Forever”. Now, who are the children, or seed of Abraham? “Children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Romans 9:8). Those who have a faith like Abraham. It is physical and spiritual, because God has given the land to a people who are going to have faith in Christ Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. It is the Church which is made up of Jew and Gentile – spiritual including all races.

A promise of posterity numbering like the “Dust of the earth”.

God commands Abram to “Arise, walk through the land.” This, an act of faith also was a point of ownership, given by God.

Abram moved once again. This time remaining in Canaan claiming more land under God’s authority for the nation God would prosper and save the world. Again, he builds an altar. We need our altars to the Lord. It is an act of faith, submission, and worship to God. The altar is the place of our submitted, obedient, worshipping heart and life.

Backsliding Lot

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Backsliding By Looking Only On the Surface

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” Genesis 13:10-13 (KJV).

When Lot heard the words of Abram he was thrilled. What ever land he would choose was his. Lot, like most people looked only on the surface of things; he looked at the fertility of the land without looking at the ultimate price that would be paid. He did not know what was in the future, however, it was evidently known by him of the depravity, perversity, and immoral behavior permeating the area. He was only considering the material without any consideration to the destruction this could bring to his family.

Lot did not even consider the Lord in the choosing. he “lifted up his eyes” guided by his desire for the material and led his family to destruction. Finally, now Abram was “Separated” from his kindred as the Lord had directed when He first called.

The infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have a story and a history that warns all who will read and hear it. It is hard to imagine a man, whom God calls “Just” (2 Peter 2:7), would become a part of the wickedness. Maybe it should not be so hard, because many Christians put themselves in situations similar to Lot, because they have been carried away by the lust of their hearts, rather than being led and controlled by God’s Spirit.

Lot may not have been an actual participant in their sin, though by his silence, and his “leadership” he condoned the behavior. He could have warned the people of their wickedness, but instead he adapted.

The phrase “Pitched his tent” means to make his abode; his habitation with. We know from God’s Word we are not to “Dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10b); but to “…Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Lot bore little fruit. Maybe the only fruit he had was faith, and it was small because he did not exercise it. The way to bear fruit is to abide [make our habitation] in Jesus. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in Me.” John 15:4

Growing Up…Faith

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Growing Up in the Faith

“And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Genesis 13:5-9 (KJV).

After their return to the Promised Land from Egypt the LORD blessed Abram and Lot in their herds. The place where they lived had become quite crowded with the livestock. Both have been extremely blessed materially. Their herdmen were at strife with one another due to the close quarters. Part of the crowd was also local natives.

Living by faith or having a maturing or growing faith does not mean one does not sin. It does mean continuing on the journey despite our sins, and at times yielding our rights to others and letting them choose their course in life, even at our expense.

The one who was growing in faith toward maturity gave first choice to the weaker of faith. Remember God’s promise of the land was to Abram, not Lot. Abram gave Lot the first choice in order to cease the strife which was brewing between them and their herdmen. The land was Abram’s by God’s promise, but he chose to go which ever way Lot did not.

We will see in a later chapter of Genesis what is emphasized throughout all of the Scriptures; “Abraham believed God” (15:6; Hebrews 11:8-10). Believing God is more than believing in God. The former is an abiding trust and dependence upon; the latter is only a knowledge of existence. You know that airplane to exist, but there is no trust extended to it until you get on board and fly away. To believe God is to get on board. Abraham’s faith was so extensive that he believed if Lot chose the most fertile land, then the land he himself would receive would be blessed by God. He believed it better to be in the desert with God, than in the fertile lands without Him. That is a Growing Up…Faith.

Getting Back to the Promise

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Getting Out of the World

“And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 13:1-4 (KJV)

Abram and Sarai and Lot came up out of Egypt; the picture of the world, and all its wealth; for that was not the place of God’s call or blessing or presence. Abram had left that when a famine had come into the land. He had deserted the altar, his dwelling, and had sought after comfort. On the way to Egypt he and Sarai had plotted and schemed together of how to save Abram’s life; at the risk of the Promise.

Egypt was not the place where God had called Abram to abide. That was back at the place where there was a famine. There are some who would question the sanity of a person who would stay in those troublesome circumstances. However, if we look at the life and ministry of Jesus His whole life was lived for a vital and important climax – His death. he could have left Israel (the land of promise) and remained alive. Jesus knew, however, that He would not be fulfilling the will of His Father. In order to live, we must die.

Abram came out of Egypt a wealthier man. Verse 2 declares “…In cattle, in silver, and in gold”. We should in no wise take this to be a reward for going to Egypt. Instead it became a test and temptation of its own. We can see that Abram was a blessed man. God’s hand was on him, guiding, protecting, providing, and blessing him; even when he was out of place.

After being virtually run out of the country by Pharoah of Egypt he returns to his proper place of residence; the promise still in place. He went back to where he had his tent in the Promised Land. Abram also went back to the altar. There, once again, he “…called on the name of the LORD”. In Egypt he had no altar. When God’s children get out of God’s promise they will have no altar, no worship of God, and no peace with God.

Of Faith and Famine

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Of Faith and Famine

“And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” Genesis 12:10-20 (KJV)

Adverse circumstances hits all of humankind. Christian, non-christian; it makes no difference, and anyone who believes otherwise is deceived, naive, lying, and/or deceiving others. Abram the father of our faith experienced adverse circumstances, made wrong choices, sinned against God; yet was forgiven, and most of what we remember of him is his faith and faithfulness. He is truly an inspiration to our faith

Abram had come to the promised land through his new found faith, and he had much growing yet to do. That could take us back to the Warren Wiersbe quote concerning “…If your feet are going your faith is growing”. Abram, the man of God, found himself in a bit of dilemma. God had called him to this promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now there is a famine in the land. He must have heard that Egypt had it pretty good still; green grass for the sheep and cattle; plenty of food and water to eat and drink. It looks like the best time to consider your comfort in life.

He decides to leave the land of promise. This is a famine of testing. He departs from his trust in the LORD, and goes down to Egypt. He now enters a time of fear, and begins scheming and plotting with his wife Sarai. When he got away from the place of promise he became fearful for his life, and forsook the promise that God had given he and Sarai. Because of this lapse of faith the scheming and plotting is not to protect the promise, but to protect Abram’s life. It is not to protect Sarai’s life and purity, but Abram. That is the path of departure from the promise of God.

As we look at this event in Abram’s life we see that when he went into Egypt he built no altar to the LORD, nor are we told that he “pitched his tent”. At least his heart did not grow fond of the land of Egypt. His altars were still back in the land of promise. It was the LORD who was protecting the promise. It was the LORD who “plagued Pharoah and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife”. It was the Almighty who made the Pharoah aware of the deceit of Abram. There could have been shame brought into the house of Abram, but God protected him. There could have been a sin of impurity committed, but God protected Sarai from that, thus preserving the promise.

Does any of this relate to the Christian life? Most definitely. We too, have been called to leave the land of our sin and the worship of false gods. We too, have been called to a Promised Land of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; a place of new beginning and new life and promise. We are never called by God to leave this place of promise. No matter what adverse circumstances may come our way in faith or in famine we are to stay and grow and believe, and trust the LORD and His provisions through it all. Do we ever leave the place of promise? I am afraid that I have more than once. When I have God has always brought me back to where I departed from to make things right once again. When we are out of His promise we become fearful, and we too will begin plotting and scheming to achieve our own ends rather than God’s. In Egypt we see a picture of the world and its system of doing things. Their way is against the way of God. The way of Egypt is actually attempting to overthrow God and His way. Our attempts of scheming and plotting can only bring harm to relationships that have been formed through our deceit.

Here are the things Abram should not have done: 1) He left the land of promise; 2) He went to Egypt (a picture of the world and its ways); 3) He lies, leads his wife to lie and deceive; 4) In Egypt he has no testimony for God, except how God preserved the promise. Let’s look at what God does: 1) He let Abram go; 2) He protects Sarai’s purity and the messianic lineage – the Promise; 3) God enriches Abram materially; 4) God brings Abram back to the place of Promise.  Fearful thinking is one sign we have left the place of God’s promise.

When the Christian leaves the place of Promise it is because God does not put us in chains to keep us from wrong choices; we too get into worldliness, rebellion, and sin; but God has a wonderful grace in protecting us; protecting the Promise of eternal life in Christ. The riches we receive from the world can be deceptive, delusional, and powerless. Depite the fact that we leave, God is faithful to bring us back to the place where we departed from Him. The LORD Almighty has a way of keeping that Promise and will not let it escape Himself or us.

When, as a Christian, your are faced with famine – adverse circumstances – stay in the place of promise. Never leave it. Never forsake it. Rest assured, that if you have; God is faithful and you will return.

The Faith Beginning

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The Beginning Faith Experience

Genesis 12:1-9

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.” Genesis 12:1-9 (KJV).

The book of beginnings [Genesis] centers around four basic beginnings: 1) The beginning of all things; 2) The Human race; 3) The restart fo the Human race; and 4) A new Nation of people through Abraham.

God in His call to Abram said, “Get out of your country, and from your kindred… to a land I will show you” (v. 1). Then, He gives him a promise, “Unto your seed will I give this land”. The promise of the land is given with the call to depart from his country, kindred, father’s household, etc. In this call we need to understand the when, how and why of the call. Abram was called while he was still in Mesopatamia worshipping idols (Acts 7:2; Joshua 24:2). Now that should not burst anyone’s bubble concerning Abram. This in truth shows us that like us, Abram was also called by grace through faith. In Acts 7:2 we also learn how God called Abram, and that is; He appeared to him, and spoke to him. It is most likely the appearance of preincarnate Christ who spoke to him. We too have received revelation of Jesus through God’s speaking to us, and as the apostle Paul has written, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV). We answer then the “Why?’ of God’s call; Because of God’s glory; because He loves us all; because he wanted to bless the world; for an example of faith; because of grace – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

In the call of Abram is a covenant which God made with him. It is a covenant of faith. In this covenant God gives promise of what He will do and there is no requirements on Abram – thus, it is an unconditional covenant. Abram simply believes God, and as we are told in chapter 15 verse six, “…he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” For those who are going to be quick to respond, “But there was something required of Abram; faith”, then you need to reconsider. The grace Scripture of Ephesians clearly tells us that faith is the gift of God, along with grace. Saving faith is solely the gift of God. God gives the promise, and the faith and Abram believes, thus is saved. Since faith is not something that comes from within us, then, faith is not feeling mustered up within when we feel good about God, and His blessings. The faith in God and His power and ability to keep the promise was what kept Abram going, though he did err from time to time. As Abram grew in faith God gives him more truth to obey, and He does the same for you and I.

Looking at Abram’s faith it seems in some instances he failed. When God first called him to leave all those things, he took his father, and Lot with him, then stopped when they arrived at Haran. He stayed in Haran until his father died. After his father died he goes on to the land of promise still proceeding with Lot. Sometimes we all will follow how God leads us to a certain extent and yet be disobedient in a portion. Someone has said, “Partial obedience is disobedience”, and I tend to agree with that. God’s mercy is everlasting and endures forever so He still extends mercy to His disobedient people, and works in us the obedience that will give Him glory.

As has been seen in the previous paragraph Abram was a man prone to compromise. The old life we once lived creates problems, and we bring with us some baggage that God must and will work out in our lives. God will perform in His children however and whatever He pleases to accomplish His will and glory. The life of faith demands separation from the evil and total devotion to the holy. Abram must get away from the former life, his father, Lot were part of that former life. God will do whatever it takes to make us like His Son. When you walk the walk of faith you will lean of God and His Son Jesus alone.

Even though Abram failed several times in various ways we see that he was faithful. He had a commitment to the Lord. When we were lost in sin and in bondage to the wiles of sin – faith brings us out (vv. 4-5; Matthew 6:24; James 1:6-8); also when we get to a spot we want to quit, stop, or cease the journey of faith – faith will bring us in (vv. 6-8; Deuteronomy 6:23; Hebrews 11:13) to the place of God’s promise, even though we may die without seeing them in this life. Abram’s faith is marked by his setting up the tent, and by his worship of the LORD in building an altar. This clearly shows Abram’s grace/faith received from the LORD fully at work in his life. You can say too, that “faith brings us on” (v. 9). The Journey of Faith never ceases in this life. Warren W. Wiersbe has said, “The life of faith must never stand still; for if your feet are going, your faith is growing”.

Some points to ponder considering Abram’s faith, and how it is like ours: 1) He departed (v. 4); 2) He went forth (v. 5); 3) He passed through (v. 6); 4) He removed (v. 8); 5) He journeyed (v. 9). Like Abram and the building of the first altar and the setting up of his tent (v. 8) he dwelt between Hai and Bethel – the place of the House of God ie., Bethel; and the place of Ruin, ie., Hai. So too, is the Christian life. We live in an imperfect world with a sinful fleshly body, and we are always between the place of God’s dwelling and the place of Ruin, but by God’s grace and mercy He brings us through.

A Journey of Faith Begins

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From the Land of Ur

“Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.” Genesis 11:27-32 (KJV).

According to Scripture the call of God came to Abram, the son of Terah. It seems that Abram may have had an impact on his family and led them to leave Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was a prosperous, and populous city in the Mesopotamia area. When it comes to looking at the beginnings of humanity we cannot get away from the area we know as the Mid-East. When you are looking at Ur on a map and in perspective of Bethel and Hai – Ur is approximately 600 miles almost directly East of those two places where Abram would eventually go. They would not, however, go straight across, due to the extreme heat of desert temperatures, and the danger of the travels. It would be dangerous for the animals Abram had as well as for the people. By going along the Euphrates River they would have water, and it was a trade route to Haran. The journey by way of the trade route was about 400 – 500 more miles to travel, but worth the time and effort.

It seems that Abram may have taken some extra baggage with him. According to the call in chapter twelve he was to “Get out from your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” (12:1). He had convinced his father to come along, and in Haran Terah died, thus getting him from his “father’s house”. Nahor must have remained in Ur, because there is no further mention of him.

To Haran, Abram had brought along his father, now his father is dead. Now he journeys on for the land of Canaan; the land of God’s direction for his life. Yet, he still has some extra baggage. What about Lot. Abram will be separated from Lot too, in time. Remember when God gives us a call to separate He means totally, and if we don’t; He will. God does whatever it takes to make His people holy.

The journey of faith always begins from a place. The place where we are to the place God leads us to. It is not an easy journey, and anyone who says that it is has not started on the journey yet. The journey requires leaving some baggage behind. If we do not God eventually rid us of it Himself. It is His way of getting us to the place of total dependence upon Him.

Shem to Abram

/ T. A. Blankenship / 2 Comments

From Shem to Abram

“These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.” Genesis 11:10-26 (KJV)

If you will notice that one of the things missing from this genealogy is, “And he died”, which is in the genealogy from Seth to Noah in Genesis five. It is probably because we realize that by now, death is inevitable. All men, are going to die. That includes women too.

In this genealogy we have the age of Shem. He was 100 years of age at the time of the flood, then two years following the flood he had a son whom he named Arphaxad, and he “lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years” putting him at the approximate age of six hundred and two years of age. This genealogy uses a more positive sounding term in announcing their death, “… lived after he begat…”. This is the lineage of people whom God would choose to bring the Messiah, Savior of all mankind, into the world.

Just a Note: We have the only Gentile genealogy in the Bible in chapter 10:2-20. There is only two genealogies given in the New Testament. The first is in the gospel of Matthew giving the genealogy of Jesus through the lineage of Joseph. The second is in the gospel of Luke giving Jesus’s genealogy through Mary the mother of Jesus. Even though Joseph was not the blood father of the child Jesus the genealogy is given to prove He is heir to the throne of David the king.

Of this genealogy can be noted also that the ages of the men continue to drop as they die. The life span has went down. No one is living nine hundred plus years. The power of sin has taken over the bodies of sinful men. That is why we are all perishing. From the moment we come from our mother’s womb we are dying. We are in fact born spiritually dead. And except for the miracle of grace from God we are doomed.

Eber (v. 14) is where the “Hebrew” people got the name “Hebrew”. It is also Eber who was the father of Peleg whose name means “Earthquake”. This earthquake could be speaking of the division which was brought about by God’s judgment to separate the people across the earth. It seems more likely though that there was a major earthquake the year of Peleg’s birth which was a source of actully dividing the newly languaged people as God directed. Both would be quite possible when it is directed by the providential hand of the Most High God.

Terah was an idol worshipper. Some may question this, but there is Scriptural evidence for it. For example, “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.” Joshua 24:2 (KJV). Now, we should be more able to understand from where Abram came. Called out by God from a life of idolatry, to worship, love and serve the living and true God.

There are not many people of the Bible whom we cannot find an example of some sin in their lives. The people of Scripture are not super saints. They too, were called to worship God. Called from lives of sin. Called of God, by grace, through faith in the Promise of God. So too, are you and I.

Building Insignificant Towers

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An Insignificant Tower

Genesis 11:1-9

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9 (KJV).

At this time, which according to any records, that are of around the time of Nimrod (10:8-11); tell us that Nimrod was probably the builder of this city and religion. The whole earth – the Japhethites, the Hamites, and the Shemites were all still hanging around together. They all still had the same language and speech.

They journeyed together, found a fertile, pleasant plain in which to farm, build, and to erect a monument to man’s achievements – the tower of arrogance. This would indeed come to nought. Human government without God will always fail. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and in the dream he saw four Gentile Human Governments fall, and come to ruin.

In the Second Psalm we find these words, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His anointed saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.'” (Psalm 2:1-3). The purpose of human government; because the devil is the prince of the power of the air; is to overthrow the God of Creation. Don’t you believe for an instant that he has any sincerity in it; because he knows he is already a defeated foe. He has already lost the battle. Jesus won the victory on the cross; and the resurrection is all the evidence that we need.

The building of the tower was really only a monument to the achievements of man. So soon following the flood they are still filled with arrogance, and haughty spirits. There are Insignificant Towers we build even today. One of those towers of insignificance is the Space Program [NASA]. Has anyone noticed the arrogance involved in this program, yet we are reminded occasionally of how small, and fragile we really are. With the space shuttle exploding in 1986 and killing all on board, then again, another one burning up coming back down to earth, and killing all on board in February of 2001. Yet we persist in its foolish endeavors Let me tell you this – the idea of space adventure fascinates me. I think it would be a glorious sight to be in space and look back down to earth and see this wondrous globe as it rotates and revolves, just as God ordained it to be. But, there is so much, too much pride and haughtiness involved. When we exalt ourselves over God we fail.

Another tower of insignificance would be technology. Medical, electronic, automotive, communication, etc.. Again, don’t take me wrong. I appreciate all this stuff. It is great to have, at least until it breaks down or just outdates itself; or I don’t know how to use it. The problem with the things are that our pride leads to the place of exalting ourselves over God, and that brings His judgment upon us.

That is what happened at Babel “the gate of god”. Then, because it became a place of exalting self over God; God came down and confused the languages, making it a place of “Babel” or “Confusion”. God puts no approval in Global Human Government. He commanded the people to scatter over the earth, and that is clearly what He did by the confusing of the speech. It seems that He did it with care keeping the families all together. Husband and wife went together with their children if they had children. The families of Japheth were with Japheth. The families of Ham were with Ham. The families of Shem were with Shem.

I believe that it was at this time or not long following that there was the massive earthquake that makes mention in chapter ten verse 25. This set each one in a different area on the globe. When God brings Global unity, togetherness it will be by His holy Son Jesus Christ, and He will rule on earth.

The Posterity of Shem

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The Posterity of Shem

From verses 15-32 we are given the genealogy of Ham, the one who brought the curse on his son Canaan. We have seen a bit of the lineage of Japheth, and of Ham. We will not see their genealogies any more in Scripture. The genealogy of Shem is what becomes important for the bringing of Messiah into the world for the putting away of sin.

There is a man in the lineage of Shem whom I want to point out. This character may seem to be insignificant, but we are told something concerning his name that should cause us to wonder. Wonder about this child named after an event of catastrophic proportions. He is “Peleg”, “And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” Genesis 10:25 (KJV). There was an earthquake which had taken place which must have shook the very foundations of the earth.

The earthquake must have been a new event, and that would tell us a few things. First, it would tell us that God had originally created a perfect creation, but now it is defective and marred due to the sin of mankind. Secondly, it could also tell us that this was how God divided the peoples of the earth from one another following the confusion of the languages as mentioned in chapter 11. Could the earth have shaken so violently that the earth became the continents that we have today? Some say no. Who is to say for sure? If God could cause the earth to stand still for a whole day (Joshua 10:12-13); and if He could cause it to go backwards in a sundial 10 degrees [that is not in temperature] (Isaiah 38:7-8), then why could He not cause an earthquake and divide the earth? I say He could, and may have just done so.

The lineage of Shem is important for us to know, because it is through Shem that we have received our Lord and Savior as a man, and more importantly as the God-Man. The lineage of Shem is seen throughout the Old Testament, and then again in the New Testament in the genealogies the gospel writers, Matthew and Luke, have written down to provide evidence to us of the royalty, deity, and humanity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Marriage in the Garden

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As a young and very inexperienced preacher I was asked by a cousin and good friend, to conduct his wedding ceremony.  He and his fiance’ wanted to have their wedding small, with just a couple of witnesses, myself and them.  They also wanted to have it on the cliff overlooking the spring pool at Roaring River State Park.  Being my first wedding I was thrilled to do it.  The sad part is the marriage did not last.  Within a few short years they had a young daughter, and they divorced. 

Divorce is a sad element in society today.  Christian marriages are failing just as non christian marriages.  It seems that the word “commitment” is a lost word.  It seems to mean nothing anymore, and that truly saddens me.  Love means lust instead of joy of endurance in marriage.  God’s way of marriage is to be a lifetime together, truly loving one another.  Helping one another grow in Christ.  When one is sick the other aids the one who is week.  When there are good times both rejoice together.

Hear God’s Word on this matter:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ 

‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”  Genesis 2:23-25  (NKJV).

God officiated at the first marriage.  He formed the woman from Adams’s rib, taking her from his side to be together with him, walking side by side.  Each would encourage the other.  Each would love and enjoy the other. 

Following Adam and Eve each child when they married would need to leave the protected home of their parents, and make a home for themselves. 

Marriage is a very precious matter.  God made them male and female to love, enjoy one another, and to propagate the human race.  Marriage is precious union between two adults who covenant together to love, cherish, live, and at times to even endure one another.  The married couple will know things about one another that no one else knows.  That is part of what the Scripture means when it tells us, “they were both naked…and were not ashamed.”  In marriage, between husband and wife, there should be no secrets.  Everything should be out in the open for one another.

When an individual starts doing secretive things, without the spouse knowing, then, there is a marriage headed for trouble, and if not corrected will sadly end.  At the least trust will end.  At the worst divorce will come.  Be unashamed before one another in all things.  And by the way – I am not speaking of the purchasing of special gifts – concerning the secretive things.

The Aggressor

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The Mighty Hunter

“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.” Genesis 10:8-14 (KJV).

The following article is from the MATTHEW HENRY CONCISE COMMENTARY on these verses:

“Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended any further. Nimrod was resolved to lord it over his neighbours. The spirit of the giants before the flood, who became mighty men, and men of renown, Gen 6:4, revived in him. Nimrod was a great hunter. Hunting then was the method of preventing the hurtful increase of wild beasts. This required great courage and address, and thus gave an opportunity for Nimrod to command others, and gradually attached a number of men to one leader. From such a beginning, it is likely, that Nimrod began to rule, and to force others to submit. He invaded his neighbours’ rights and properties, and persecuted innocent men; endeavouring to make all his own by force and violence. He carried on his oppressions and violence in defiance of God himself. Nimrod was a great ruler. Some way or other, by arts or arms, he got into power, and so founded a monarchy, which was the terror of the mighty, and bid fair to rule all the world. Nimrod was a great builder. Observe in Nimrod the nature of ambition. It is boundless; much would have more, and still cries, Give, give. It is restless; Nimrod, when he had four cities under his command, could not be content till he had four more. It is expensive; Nimrod will rather be at the charge of rearing cities, than not have the honour of ruling them. It is daring, and will stick at nothing. Nimrod’s name signifies rebellion; tyrants to men are rebels to God. The days are coming, when conquerors will no longer be spoken of with praise, as in man’s partial histories, but be branded with infamy, as in the impartial records of the Bible. —Matthew Henry Concise

Much that has been written concerning Nimrod has nothing good to say of the man. Even by the verses of Scripture we have written of him he appears to be the type man who desires to rule over others. It seems that he was a warrior, and sought men, for destruction or men to follow him. He was a man who also is attributed with having a bit to do with the beginning of a religion, and it could be called a world religion.

The new religion was basically inspired by his mother who has been identified as Semiramis, and she inspired a MOTHER/CHILD religion. Nimrod is most likely the ruler which led in the building of what we know as the “Tower of Babel”. It seems to have been a tower of great pride. A tower of no significance campared to God’s glory. Men continue to build towers and monuments even in our day.

Some of those monuments could be our technological knowledge, knowledge, NASA, these and others seem to be continual increasing towers lifting the pride of the “Achievers” over the power and knowledge of God; at least in their own mind and thought. Arrogance has been the downfall of many a man and woman, and it will be the downfall of today’s world leaders if they continue to rebell against the LORD.

The Promise Continues

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The Human Race Continues

In the following verses of Genesis chapter 10 we have the legacy of Noah and his sons. Human life, and all life would continue due to the amazing grace of our God and Savior. God used Noah for the continuation of life, and He chose to continue the human race for the ultimate saving of it. That is done through the sending of Messiah Jesus, and His death on the cross, His burial, and bodily resurrection. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we live eternally with Him. He returns to us what Adam lost.

We have a genealogy of the three sons in these verses. We will not see the genealogies of Ham or Japheth again. Shem’s genealogy is seen throughout the Scriptures; even to the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospel.

“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.” Genesis 10:1-7 (KJV).

In these first seven verses are mentioned only the sons of Japheth and Ham. These are the descendants of Japheth – Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. These are the sons of Ham – Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan; with special note given to the sons of Cush; they being – Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabecha; and a couple of sons of Raamah being Sheba, and Dedan. Special note is given to one son of Cush who is not named among the others, and that is Nimrod in verses 8-14.

Japheth and Ham are the fathers of what were to become the Gentile nations. Following this genealogy we have no more genealogy for the Gentiles. There is virtually no way any one who is Gentile to trace and see from whom they came. We can know for certain that Noah came from Adam, and we are all descendents of them both.

In the new era following the flood Noah is almost like a second Adam, yet we have seen his sin in chapter nine by his drunkenness. Yet, he is like Adam in that he was given promise of a continuation of the human race, even unto the coming of the Savior, the Messiah. The Messiah would come through the lineage of Shem.

The people of the human race need to be assured that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. The penalty for sin is death. When we die there are two places for eternal beings to inhabit. One is a place of the glory and splendor of God. The other is a place of darkness, continual dying without dying, a place where your most innate desires go unmet, and your hatred for God is increased, but you cannot even curse Him. The only way to spend eternity in the glory and splendor of God is by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, His burial and resurrection. To go to the other all you need to do is nothing. It is already yours.

Sin, and Death of Noah

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The Sin and Death of Noah

” And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” Genesis 9:18-29 (KJV)

The only logical thing for Noah to do following the flood was to farm. It needed to be done. One part of farming which we are informed of is his planting a vineyard. This led to his drunkenness, and shame brought upon his name and the name of Ham and his son Canaan.

This drunkenness could have been something new due to ecological changes. It may have been a surprise to Noah, he became hot from alcohol flowing through his veins, and due to his inebriated condition took off his clothing, and went to his tent to sleep it off. I do not intend to excuse the sin of Noah, but only see this as a possibility.  As in any case of drunkenness, it causes harm in the family.  Ham must have noticed his father going into the tent and unclothed, wondered in his mind what was the matter with his father, went in and was amused by what he saw. His father; the one who had always seemed to be in control, was drunk, out of control, and controled by some substance, and not God. 

Ham, did the unthinkable thing to do when you see someone else’s sin. He seems to have relished Noah’s shame, and he probably thought that his brothers, Shem and Japheth would do the same. They did not; instead, they took a cover, and walked backwards toward their father, and covered his body. In this there is a great lesson for the Christian. There have been times we saw a Christian celebrity fall; and the first thing we want to do is begin to point out their faults, their sins, their failures. A Christian brother or sister sins, and our own Christian papers with HEADLINEs a blind man can read declare it to the lost world. “Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm32:1-2 (NKJV). Paul the apostle quotes these verses in Romans 4:7-8. Ham’s conduct also clearly violates Paul’s call to the church at Galatia, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Galations 6:1. When we as a Christian see a brother sin or a sister; it is up to us to see it corrected; without broadcasting it over the tongue tube; ie., any means which the tongue is used to defame, and harm a brother or sister.

The actions of Ham brought a curse on his son Canaan. Some have associated this “Curse” with causing the blacks of the world to be subjects to slavery. To anyone who believes this; it is falacious, and full of deceit. The curse is on the people who were to be Canaan, and that land would hundreds of years later be conquered by Israel due to the sinful, unrepentant nature of the Canaanite people, who were the descendants of Ham/Canaan.

All who are upon the earth are descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth. All the races, Caucasion, oriental, black, Hispanic, etc. have all came from the lineage of Noah. We should ever be thankful that God in His wrath, yet, remembered mercy. He has and He will save by His grace and mercy.

Noah lives following the flood 350 more years. That makes him 950 years of age when he dies. God saved he and his family from the flood, yet, death still has dominion due to sin. Many, many people died in the flood. Men, women, children, all the animals. All who were not in the ark died. He shows no partiality. He plays no favorites, except with those whom He calls Just. There is a worse judgment than that of the flood thousands of years ago. It will be a judgment by fire, and who can, who will stand that judgment (2 Peter 3). One day all who refuse Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will stand at the Great White Throne Judgment and give account of their lives, their works, but they shall not stand. They will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire; unquenchable fire; unsatisfied fire; fire whose fuel source is hatred, hatred for all that is good and godly. Hatred for all that is of God. When there are judgments on the earth we need to be reminded that there is a worse judgment coming. It is God’s call to repent, to look to Him; to change our way of living.

There is an eternal ark of safety, and the ark is Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “He that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John6:37). In the ark of Jesus Christ there is no more death, dying, sickness, disease, fighting, discord, but only peace, wealth, life and joy forevermore. NOTE: I am not saying that all will be well here on earth. Jesus even told us: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world”. In eternity with Jesus all our trials will be over. Here we are being prepared for those blessings. Death of this body is the beginning of the prepartion process for the body in eternity

God’s Promise Bow

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I Do Set My Bow

“And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” Genesis 9:8-17 (KJV).

This covenant with Noah is not only with Noah. It is with all his “seed” as well. This not only include Shem, Ham, and Japheth; it also included all those who would follow. This also included the animal kingdom, and the earth. You must deny the promise of this covenant in order to see that this covenant and redemption does not include all of creation. The reason I say this is that there are professing Christians who believe there was death before the fall of Adam and Eve. To believe this is to cast doubt upon this covenant and the redemption of mankind. Angels fell before Adam and Eve, but there was no death on earth previous to Adam’s fall.

What is this covenant? There will be no more floods of earth shattering proportions – no more worldwide flood. This covenant is one reason why I must believe in a worldwide flood rather than, just a local one. Why would God need to make a covenant not to destroy the earth by flood, if it were only local? Who knows, there may have been only one continent at this period of time. It still would have been worldwide.

There has been no earthbound individual who has ever seen a complete rainbow. A complete rainbow will make a complete circuit, and the earth gets in the way for us right now. There is a complete rainbow around the throne of God. “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.” Revelation 4:3 (NKJV). ALSO SEE Ezekiel 1:28. The closest I have ever come is seeing a whole half of one. It was while my wife and I served the Cuyama Valley Baptist Church. One day we received the blessing of some rain, and I went outside and looked and on the western end of the valley there was a rainbow across the sky. It was a whole half, and full of its bright colors. O, that day was special to me. I needed a reminder of God’s promises, and that was it.

The rainbow was given by God. It is His remembrance of the destruction of the earth by flood waters over the earth. It is his reminder of the weakness of sinful man. It is His reminder of His promise to never again destroy the earth by flood waters. God is however, omniscient, and he doesn’t forget anything. He does “forget” our sin when it is under the blood of His Son Jesus. We see the rainbow and it reminds us of God’s promise to never destroy the world by flood again. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness. The people in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas; during the months of June and July of this year (2007); needed the reminder of this promise. They were probably starting to think that He forgot them. We need these reminders due to our sin. We are in desparate need of God’s grace and mercy. The flood waters of this world are troublesome for sure, but we need the reminder of the rainbow to remind us of God’s promises and His warnings. Some of the warnings God gives us in His Word, are simply negative promises, which will be fulfilled.

New Covenant

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

A New Covenant

A covenant is defined as, “A formal binding agreement: COMPACT”, MIRRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY. In the Hebrew it is ” ber-eeth’ “, and it means, “From H1262 (in the sense of cutting (like H1254)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh): – confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate], covenant, league.” As you can see its meaning is similar.

Let me give a little understanding of the phrase above in perenthesis – (because made by passing between pieces of flesh). In Genesis 15 we have God passing through two halves of a heifer, a she goat, a ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon (v.9). The heifer, the she goat, and the ram are all three years of age. Abraham is instructed by God to cut them in halves, and later the presence of God represented by a “Smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces” (v. 17). That is God’s covenant with Abram [Abraham]. Because He could swear by no greater He swore by Himself – “For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater He sware by Himself” (Heb. 6:13)

“.And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” Genesis 9:1-7 (KJV)

When you think of being blessed by God, what do you think of? Do you think of God’s presence with you, His hand being upon you, protecting, keeping, guiding? Or, do you think more in the temporal [temporary] things like houses, lands, cars, money, etc.? The first thing we are told in chapter nine is that God blessed Noah and his sons. Could it be that the blessing here really belongs to God? Adoration is given to the one who is worthy. Yes! God blesses them, but the One who is truly worthy of praise is glorified.

After the blessing God gives instruction for replenishing the earth. The call is given, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” The blessing was most likely temporal, because the legacy of Ham is not a good one. The blessing was for the purpose of filling the earth once again.

The new covenant contained the same elements as the Adamic Covenant with seven more added. “1) The relation of man to the earth under the Adamic Covenant is confirmed; 2) The order of nature is confirmed; 3) Human government is established – “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (v.6); 4) The earth is secured against another universal judgment by water; 5) A prophetic declaration is made that from Ham will descend an inferior and servile posterity; 6) A prophetic declaration is made that Shem will have a peculiar relation to Jehovah; all divine revelation is from semitic men, and Christ, after the flesh, descends from Shem; 7) A prophetic declaration is made that from Japheth will descend the ‘enlarged races’; Government, science, and art, speaking broadly, are and have been Japhetic so that history is the undisputable record of the exact fulfillment of these declarations.” THESE SEVEN PROMISES ARE FROM the Scofield notes.

There is one thing for which man can say they have been obedient to God in doing, and that is multiplying in the earth. God has given man the opportunity of knowing Him. God sent His Son to die in our place for our sins upon the cross, taking the judgment for sin that was ours from the Father, dying, carrying our sins away in burial, and rising again victorious over sin, death, and hell. He ever lives making intercession for those who know Him.