To Hear Is To Obey

Scripture: Genesis 20:3-6 "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, 'Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.' ⁴ But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, 'Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? ⁵ Did he not say to me, "She is my sister"? And she, even she herself said, "He is my brother." In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.' ⁶ And God said to him in a dream, 'Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.'"

Observation: First, this is an incredible witness to the sovereignty to God. One may say that it is acceptable for God to control a man's actions for a "good thing" such as protecting the purity and dignity of a woman, and yet God has in fact here broken into the "free will" of a man and somehow restricted his actions.

Second, Abimelech, the king of Gerar recognized the Almighty God, walked in integrity, and called his nation "righteous". God agreed with those claims. This is yet another instance of God actively witnessing of His presence and Lordship to people outside the chosen line of the patriarchs through which Jesus came. No one, no one who has ever lived or who ever will live has any right to accuse God of unfairness when He comes for judgment on the hidden day of His choosing. Every person who ever existed has enough of a witness to respond to the testimony all around us that cries out to the existence of God, His deity and His goodness. Our very existence is unexplainable, though science tries, ad we are dependant daily on that which He provides. Furthermore, He has left His word which men and women are commanded to heed. Even Abimelech, regardless of his present innocent, was given commands to respond to - take action - obey! the word of God (vs 7).

Application: Consider well what God has revealed to me, and then respond! (see John 14:15, John 15:14, and Mark 4:24-25 among others)

Prayer: Father, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. And please teach me to employ my will to obey every word You have revealed to me. For in keeping Your word there is great reward, and truly it is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my soul. Your words are pure, true and unbreakable. I love you for revealing Yourself to me! Amen.

What Would He Ask Me? What Would My Answers Be?

Scripture: Genesis 16:8 "And [God] said, 'Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'"

Observation: Sarai had just created a huge relationship crisis by trying to force God's promises to happen through Hagar. Hagar is mistreated after she got cocky about conceiving by Abram. God's immediate question strikes every human in the heart - "What's your past?" and "What do you think your future is?"

Oh, the pages that could be written about those two questions!

Hagar missed God's point, but answers instead with the thing that is distressing her. Afterward she knows God as one who sees her; very reminiscent of Job 42:5-6.

Application: Where have I come from?! Do I consider the Egypt that I live and suffered in? "Oh, the good ol' days," I say and fail to see the captivity to sin that He has brought me out of. Or have I treaded heavily on the blessings of the past and ignored God's favor? I take the presence of the Holy Spirit and the abundance of spiritual benefits through Jesus for granted and regard it as common possessions?

Nothing but questions here! Do I know where I'm going? Do I even have a plan? If so, am I doing anything with it or just day dreaming? Is it God's plan, or have I even consulted Him?

I can expect God to crash my self-pity parties. I can also expect God to come with perspective and caring and direction and exhortation and promises of a good future - promises that will not fail.

Prayer: Father, you are full of abundant mercy, longsuffering, gracious, abounding in goodness and truth. Pour over me a fresh revelation of life! I'm bogged down in the sorrows and I can't see your lighthouse nor your life-saving boat for all the rising and falling waves! As your creation I rest fully and immediately in your hands. I love you. Amen.

If It's The Best, It's Worth Fighting For

Scripture: Genesis 5:11 "And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away."
 
Observation: The context is of God's visit with Abram, His third appearance. At this point Abram had experienced some significant things from submitting to the command of God to follow Him in faith. Abram had show godly humility in dividing the land with Lot. He had shown great honor by rescuing Lot. He had show determined heeding of the Lord's direction. Abram repeatedly demonstrated a faith in God and God's promises.

Finally God tells Him to make a sacrifice. He does as God says. During the sacrifice vultures come to feed on the sacrifice and ruin the offering. Abram "drove them away".

Application: God wants me to be a man of great faith and to bring Him my life as a sacrifice (Romans 12:1; Romans 6:12-13). However, as I strive to be obedient, there will be attacks. Satan, the world and the flesh seek to kill, steal, and destroy anything glorifying god. I have to be diligent and discerning (1 Peter 5:8-9) so that I see the enemies of my offering and drive them away from my life. "Resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7). "... let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4). The vultures are there - I must drive them away. It is after the offering during which I demonstrate my faithfulness and devotion to God that God returns with blessings and more revelation of Himself to a "good and faithful servant" (Mark 4:24-25).

Prayer: Father, you deserve all my praise, offering, devotion, service, and love. May my heart be 100% yours. You are good like no other one. Teach me to be a sentinel over my own life in order to bring you a worthy and unspoiled sacrifice. I love you. Amen.

That Countdown Again

Interesting little tidbit. On the evening of my 35th birthday I'm also exactly 1900 days from retirement eligibility from the military. That suddenly seems sweeter after finding out yesterday that I won a 6-month beach vacation. God is good.

Now That's Cool, I Think.

At first I was confused. Then I was surprised. Then I was giggling. Then I was a little concerned.

An Incomplete Address of Changes After the Flood

Scripture: Genesis 9:2-7 "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 'Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.'"

 

Observation: The narration by Moses from Genesis 1:1 to here have very specific details. If the creation account is not intended to be a description of a week during which God created everything, I'm not sure where the book becomes literal. Clearly it can be no later than Chapter 2 because Jesus refers to Adam and Eve as literal and what Moses wrote as being God's words, not just Moses.

 

Changes that occurred after the floor - animals for food now; a reckoning for murder (I wondered yesterday why God allowed Canaan to live after killing his brother, and moreover, God protected him from retribution); animals now fear humans.

 

There is entirely too much to be said here and not enough room to say it.

 

Application: Eat at In-and-Out.

 

Prayer: Lord, I don't understand all of Your word or why You do and say some of the things that You do and say. But that's okay. I affirm that You are God and I am but a creation. Holy Spirit, please lead me in to all truth. I love You. Amen.

Adam, Where Are You?

In honor of journaling through the book of Genesis and dedicated to my friend James, who can probably sing and play this song as well as Mr. Francisco... if not better.

A Big Deal

Scripture: Genesis 6:5-7 "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great... And the Lord was sorry that He had made man... and He was grieved at heart. So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created..."

Observation: This is a portion of the lead-in to the Flood story. God says that He was grieved. How great is the grief of God? Sin and our desertion of Him are the two things that are said to hurt and grieve God (Eph. 4:30 and the book of Hosea).

God is not man, however, that He wallows in self-pity. His response here and in the cross of Jesus demonstrate the reason for the seriousness of sin to God. God's grief stems from 2 things: (1) sin is an offense to God's very existence and because He is omniscient He cannot forget or ignore even sin that He so greatly abhors; (2) man was created to display and praise God's glory. He is the end of all praise. Sin diverts the praise that should go to God. This all sounds very egotistical of God but it is good for us that God protects His praise. To love anything else is to love and praise and honor and adore an infinitely less worthy thing. It's like rejecting and turning from the most lushly stocked buffet to gorge myself on sludge from the sewer drain.

Application: First, I need to take sin seriously and follow God's example - eliminate it and any sources of it in my life. Compromise on sin means I love the thing (TV, movies, a song, a relationship) more than God, whom I hurt by it.

Second, love God only. God alone will satisfy me in ways that nothing else can. Have no substitutes.

Prayer: Father, may I love You better. Please continue to sanctify me. Amen.

Further considerations from John Piper.

These Glasses Make Me Look Smart

Scripture: Genesis 3:6 "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

Observation: Eve, who apparently had not been named yet, is described as falling prey to the shackles of 1 John 2:16 "For all that is of the world, the lust of the flesh ("good for food"), the lust of the eyes ("pleasant"), and the pride of life ("make one wise"), is not of the Father but is of the world."

But what really stuck out is the first phrase, "when the woman saw...". She had just listened to Satan's accusation against God and his justification for disobedience. Then suddenly she is said to "see". Her reality, or more correctly, her perception of reality had changed by what she had taken in and now she "saw" things differently. Amazingly what she was seeing was a lie, a false reality, a full deception. She believed a lie and her pride and desire was a willing accomplice.

Application: I am destined to be influenced and overcome by the activities, words, and people that I allow into my life. The TV, movies other entertainment, books, people, jokes, etc. will always influence me because I have a willing defector in my heart, which is deceitful above all things. I even have to watch what I say! So if I am to live a life of obedience and honoring God, which is the only way for me to experience the true satisfaction and joy, I have to eliminate - not just moderate - the things that make me "see" things not as they are but as the great Deceiver wants me to see them.

Prayer: Lord, I know it is only in You that I will ever find satisfaction and wholeness. You are the sole source for what I need and want. Show me today the serpents of my life that are making me blind to the life that You have for me and those around me. I love you. Amen.