We have to be on the road for twelve days
We will be back on Saturday April 5th and hope to be able to send out our next study on that Saturday.
We will be back on Saturday April 5th and hope to be able to send out our next study on that Saturday.
We now come to face one of the most terrific examples of ungodly sons, but unfortunately they are all sons of David. David was a godly shepherd that became King after he was anointed by Samuel. David is mentioned throughout the Bible some 970 times, 55 times in the New Testament and 915 times in the Old or First Testament. Let us learn about David from the beginning.
1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons."
Saul had disobeyed God and now see that God had prepared his replacement. We all probably know this story but we need to see how David was chosen, how he lived, and then how this all came into focus as he began having sons.
1 Samuel 16:2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 16:3 "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you."
16:4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?" 16:5 He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.
Everyone feared Saul, even the elders. But, few feared God. Remember man looks on the outside but God looks on the inside. Jesse had many sons, but only one would be chosen.
16:10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." 16:11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."
Usually the oldest is most often chosen for almost any important task or appointment. But, God chose the youngest son, David.
16:12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
David is now publicly anointed by Samuel. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him and rested within him. We often can take for granted, that while the Spirit was not evidence of anyone’s salvation in the First Testament, but is our proof of our inheritance and adoption into God’s family in the New Testament.
16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. 16:15 Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.
This is a very sad spiritual reality. If the LORD’s Spirit is now within you, you are vulnerable to have a demonic, evil spirit take up residence inside of you or terrorize you.
16:16 "Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well." 16:17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me." 16:18 Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him."
16:19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David who is with the flock." 16:20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent them to Saul by David his son. 16:21 Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.
Favorable first impressions don’t always last. Especially when they challenges our authority and power.
16:22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight." 16:23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
This is not intended to show us that music causes evil spirits to leave us. In this example it is the truth, but not necessarily applies to anyone else.
A great beginning does not automatically guarantee a great ending. In fact, the ending is far more important than the beginning.
Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Living the ‘Christian’ life is work. We all struggle against our flesh daily.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Don’t take your foot off the gas. Run to win, which means to end your life bringing glory to God alone.
More next Saturday.
Even godly fathers often show ungodly actions to their sons. So their sons who may be godly, often make the same mistakes. So before we go onto our next godly father, we will conclude our study of Abraham with an unfortunate event in the life of Isaac. This sad story has many common points with Abraham’s life.
Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 26:2 The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 26:3 "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. 26:4 "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 26:5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws."
So here begins the similarities with the life of Abraham. As you remember, in Genesis 12 we read of the famine and Abraham traveling to Egypt. It seems that Egypt is the place to go if there is a famine. In this instance, God warns Isaac not to go to Egypt.
26:6 So Isaac lived in Gerar. 26:7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," thinking, "the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful."
Same story, same lie. Again, did Isaac not truly trust in God? God repeated His promise to make a great nation out of Isaac. Abraham was to be the father of a nation that would come with forth blessings to all the world.
26:8 It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. 26:9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, 'She is my sister'?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'I might die on account of her.'" 26:10 Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."
Abimelech is more of a title than a name. It is not the same Abimelech that dealt with Abraham some 40+ years earlier. However, Isaac used the same false reasoning to duplicate the same lie as his father. The fear of self-preservation often trumps doctrine and the very words of God.
26:11 So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
Like father like son is an often used worldly proverb, with some biblical truth intermixed. Fathers are to train their sons. Why did Isaac follow this example?
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
We don’t have the whole story, but it has so many parallels that we can assume Abraham or Sarah told Isaac the whole story. What can we take away?
Our example as fathers is often more powerful than our words.
We cannot move on in life without prayer and wisdom from God.
Even if we have to wait 25-40 years, God is still faithful.
We need to take God more seriously than most do.
More next Saturday.
Abraham’s life is full of contradictions. Did he really believe God? Why did he let Sara be taken from him twice? Is he finally ready to believe God and obey God in all things?
Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 22:2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
What is God commanding Abraham to do? Yet, now he obeys and immediately sets out to the mountain that God had instructed him to travel to with Isaac.
22:4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 22:5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." 22:6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
Imagine what was going thru Abraham’s mind each day as he made his way to the mountain. Surely, God would soon tell him to stop!
22:7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 22:8 Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.
We now read what Abraham believed. While ready to obey, in his heart he wished for a different ending.
22:9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 22:10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 22:12 He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
God waited until the last second. Why? God wasn’t testing Abraham so He could know Abraham’s heart. God was testing Abraham so Abraham would know just how much he really trusted God.
22:13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."
Much like when the Israelites were ready to cross the raging Jordan; the river did not dry up until the priests put their feet into the river.
Joshua 3:12 "Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. 3:13 "It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap."
3:14 So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, 3:15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), 3:16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.
3:17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
What can we learn?
First, God will reveal our true hearts to us in a variety of ways.
Second, God demands and deserves obedience regardless of our current circumstances.
Third, God’s timing is not our timing. Abraham was 75 when God promised him a son and was 100 when Isaac was born.
Fourth, we must learn to trust God even when it seems like it would be impossible to believe God. The waters receded when their feet were wet. A ram was provided when the knife was poised. Couldn’t God have revealed these things before the last second?
More next Saturday.
Abraham is a study in contrasts. God chose him to be the father of many nations, appeared to him and talked to him, and saved him from his lies and deceit. Yet, God did not withdraw his promises to him. Let us continue this lesson.
Genesis 21:1 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. 21:2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 21:3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 21:4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
21:6 Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." 21:7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
God of course was faithful to his promise to Abraham and Sarah, even as they doubted Him. But, when children were no longer physically possible, they are miraculously possible.
21:8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 21:9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 21:10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." 21:11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.
As mentioned earlier, in Sara’s eyes, Abraham had lost his spiritual leadership over her and their family. Even as it was her plan to have children through Hagar, much like our plans, it wasn’t working as she had thought. So she changed her plan and banished Hagar. For this she had Abraham do the ‘dirty’ work. This understandably bothered Abraham as Ishmael was his son.
21:12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. 21:13 "And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant." 21:14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Amazingly, God said that he should listen to his wife! God would make a great nation from Ismael. Unfortunately, this nation would become an enemy of Issac.
21:15 When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 21:16 Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, "Do not let me see the boy die." And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept. 21:17 God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
God spoke out to Hagar at her moment of despair. Why did God not speak to her earlier? God’s plans may never make sense to us in light of our finite, sinful plans.
Gen 21:18 "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him." 21:19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. 21:20 God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
In a way, Abraham’s self preservation, lies, and lack of true concern for Sarah started this saga. None of this was a surprise to God nor outside of the plan of God. While to us this seems to be a very dysfunctional family, God was always in charge of every event.
Next Saturday we will conclude this story of Abraham with a test by God.
Abraham is a very important person in the future nation of Israel and of most other nations. Just as God promised many years earlier, Abraham would be the father of many nations. Even Islam makes reverential references to him. Abraham is also a lesson is how obedience leads to faithfulness and trust in God, which is also an element of our sanctification.
Genesis 20:1 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. 20:2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
Did Abraham’s faith in God include his own personal safety? What about God’s continual reminder to Abraham of Abraham being the father of many nations? It doesn’t seem to have made a great difference in his life as of yet. He once again justified calling Sarah his sister and then watching her being taken from him. What did Sarah think of all of his concerns for himself and lack of concern for her?
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married." 20:4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 20:5 "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." 20:6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 20:7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."
God, of course, had not forgotten anything. Yet, He still protected Sarah and Abraham even when he failed to protect Sarah.
20:8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." 20:10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?"
Apparently Abraham thought he was not in a god-fearing nation. We do not have any indication if Abraham prayed about any of this. But, a ‘pagan’ king had to reprimand Abraham.
20:11 Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 20:12 "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"
Here we read about Abraham rationalizing his sin. He even convinced Sarah to protect him, even after all that God had promised to him.
20:14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 20:15 Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please." 20:16 To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared." 20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 20:18 For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
How is Abraham like us or how are we like him? So far, Abraham profited from both situations involving Sarah. But, Sarah was loosing faith in his headship and authority over her. Also, she would appear to be loosing faith in God’s promise of a son.
What promises of God to us have we truly failed to believe? We, like Abraham, must have our faith tested. We rarely come to a full and uncontested faith in God at the moment of salvation. Faith, like sanctification builds over time. God’s mercy and patience with Abraham and us is amazing.
More next Saturday.
Abram lost the spiritual leadership of his family when he sacrificed Sarai for his own personal safety. He had to either deny God’s promises or decide that he had to rely on his own power to protect his life. This bad decision will plague Abram for the rest of his life.
Genesis 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 17:2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."
17:3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 17:4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
God is now repeating the promise he made to Abram in Genesis 12. Could it be that Abram was still a little skeptical that this would come to pass?
17:5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 17:7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 17:8 "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
God is not only reminding Abram, He is also renaming him to be now known as Abraham. The land promise, the descendant promise, and the creation of nations promise are all being summarized again.
17:9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
This covenant required of Abraham’s descendants to be active participants. The males were the only ones upon which this requirement was placed.
Genesis 18:1 Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 18:2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 18:3 and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. 18:4 "Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;
18:5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said."
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes." 18:7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 18:8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
Abraham was a ‘prince’ in the area and was respected by many. It was not the custom for men like Abraham to bow to uninvited guests. Abraham knew that they were not truly normal men.
God had personally spoken to Abraham many times and now the LORD came for a personal visit. Why the visit?
18:9 Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent." 18:10 He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. 18:12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 18:13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 18:14 "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Sarah was not included in this meal.However, she was paying attention. Now she heard for herself that she was going to have a child, but she did not believe it and laughed to herself.
18:15 Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."
Now both Abraham and Sarah learned something about God that they had not known before, which is, God knows our thoughts. As both of them were once again being reminded that God was going to give them a son, they had trouble truly believing it as their age was in the way.
When your worldview is in direct contrast with your biblical view, which do you believe and act upon?
More next Saturday.
The sad tale of Abram’s lies to Pharaoh are now becoming known. His seeming reluctance to rely on God and instead rely on deception and putting Sarai at risk, has now shown up in Sarai’s plan.
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 16:3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 16:4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.
It seems as now whatever Sarai says Abram does. Even though she says the LORD has prevented her, she has no problem doing things her way.
16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." 16:6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.
Could Sarai be referring to the wrong done in Egypt? This is only the very next chapter and there is no other event in between. Now that Sarai was calling the shots, she realizes her idea was not all that good.
16:7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
16:8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." 16:9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."
16:10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." 16:11 The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.
Now Hagar is involved in God’s plans for Abram. Her sons dependents will be too numerous to count. Unfortunately, this is the birth of the Arab nations and Islam.
16:12 "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." 16:13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"
Gen 16:14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 16:15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
No real son yet. Sarai’s plan was full of problems. Abram’s failure in Egypt gave Sarai the opportunity and reason to do the family planning. She apparently did not trust Abram or God.
Sin always has consequences. Most often we fail to count of account for the costs of our sins.
More next Saturday.
God promised Abram that he would be the ‘father’ of many nations. Just what did this mean? At this time, Abram was still without any children and advancing in years, as was Sarai.
Genesis 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. 13:2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. 13:3 He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 13:4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Abram left Egypt and returned to the land which God had directed him to be his new home.
13:5 Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 13:6 And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. 13:7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.
It would appear that Lot did not fully appreciate all that Abram had done for him, as he did not intervene during this strife. Abram appeared to be the one who truly sought peace between them.
13:8 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. 13:9 "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."
13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. 13:11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
Lot chose the land that looked the best, but was in an area of the worse people. Not a good choice.
13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13:13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.
Once again the LORD reminded Abram of all that would come in the future, a future that Abram and Sarai did not fully understand.
Gen 13:14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
13:15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 13:16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 13:17 "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."
13:18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
14:12 They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. 14:13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.
Waring kings took over Sodom and captured Lot and all his possessions. Abram showed himself to be able to fight these kings and win back Lot. The same Abram that feared Pharaoh and told everyone that Sarai was his sister.
Gen 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
14:15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 14:16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.
Abram and Lot were both very wealthy, but Abram still did not have an heir for all the promises of the LORD.
15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 15:2 Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 5:3 And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."
God does not have to perform to our planning schedules. The LORD will do a miracle of birth, even though Abram and Sarai don’t truly believe it.
15:4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." 15:5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
It would appear that after all these appearances of the LORD to Abram, that he was truly ready to believe in the sovereign power of the LORD. But would this be true some years later? As they aged, their trust weakened.
More next Saturday.
Fatherhood is not as easy as many believe it to be. God does not hide truth from us, which means He sometimes shows us the sins that men try to hide. This topic on fatherhood is just that type of example. Being a godly father is a full time responsibility, not only on Sundays. Abraham is the patriarch of Judaism, Islam, and ‘Christianity”! But, it is not without some serious sins of the father.
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;
Genesis 12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Almost out of nowhere Abram appears and God is calling him out of the land within which he has lived for his entire life.
We see here that this blessing and curse is given alone to Abram. There is no Jewish nation that can claim it for their own, which is what many claim today.
12:4 So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
12:5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 12:6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.
It would seem that Abram obeyed completely even though God has not revealed to us just how Abram came to know Him and obey Him.
12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 12:8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 12:9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.
Bethel remained an important city for the nation of Israel and was in the promised land.
12:10 Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
There is not one word that suggests that Abram asked God about leaving the land God had just revealed to him.
12:11 It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; 2:12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 12:13 "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."
It is apparent that while God spoke to Abram directly and he obeyed, he still did not fully know God or trust God.
12:14 It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
How could Abram allow this to happen? He let them take his wife into Pharaoh’s harem!!! What did Sarai think about all of this? Was Abram this weak?
12:16 Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels. 12:17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
Pharaoh was more righteous at this time than Abram. He paid Abram very well for his ‘sister’! But, God was not pleased and He protected Sarai even when Abram would not.
12:18 Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go."
Pharaoh could have done more, but he sent Abram away. He was much richer in material things, but sadly this behavior gives us some insight into his character. This will prove insightful as we continue our study.
12:20 Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.
Pharaoh did not take back his gifts, but he banished him as he did not want to be constantly reminded of this problem that Abram had created for him.
Weak husbands sometimes can become weak fathers as well.
More next Saturday.
Fathers are to play a very important role in the raising of their children, especially the male children. Unfortunately the Bible is full of the failures, or so it would appear, that fathers failed in this responsibility. We will now study the family of Noah. But, first we will begin with the context.
Genesis 6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 6:2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
6:3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
Noah was born about 1100 years after Adam. Yet, from Cain and others the earth became populated with sinful, ungodly people. Estimates say that there were easily millions of people by this time.
6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Sons of God gets a lot of attention, but most are now agreeing that they were angels, fallen angels, that came down to earth to pair up with women.
6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6:6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 6:7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
Evil intents and actions filled the earth, much like today. Only a very small remnant of godly men and women are on the earth today. Back then, only Noah was found to be righteous. No mention of his wife or daughters-in-law being righteous.
6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
We will fast forward to his three sons.
Genesis 6:9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. 6:10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Gen 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.
We know that Abraham came from the line of Shem. What became of the lines of Ham and Japeth, who were not blameless, godly, or righteous?
9:18 Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. 9:19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
9:20 Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard.
9:21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.
9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 9:23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.
9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 9:25 So he said, "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers."
9:26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. 9:27 "May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant."
We will conclude with this curse on Ham and Canaan. We know from our biblical history that Israel had continual problems and wars with the kingdoms in Canaan. From one righteous father came one unrighteous son and a vast history of ungodly, unholy nations followed.
More next Saturday.
We spent two weeks traveling for the special family gatherings around the country. We are glad that we are now safely back home.
Today we will study the extended family of Cain for a number of reasons. First, to show how far into the future our lives can and will affect others. Second, it is far easier to knowingly or unknowingly pass on traits,traditions, and values to our future family members. This is a sad example of this problem.
Genesis 10:8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD."
10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 10:11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, 10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
Nimrod was a real person, but much has been written about him in other documents that would border on legend. However, let us take note of what the Bible attributes to him. First, his first kingdom was Babel! He was a very successful leader of sinful men. You could call him a military politician.
All students of Bible history recognize Babel, Nineveh, and Assyria which all have a very significant contribution of our knowledge of Israel and the sins of men.
Genesis 11:1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 1:2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
11:3 They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 11:4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
11:5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 11:6 The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 11:7 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."
11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
It would appear that Nimrod was their leader in this ambitious endeavor. This tower was to enable them to reach God and to replace God. This is religion at its worse. But God changed everything and introduced the languages that still separate us today.
Nineveh was a very sinful city within the sinful, evil, cruel country of Assyria. Jonah refused to obey God and warn Nineveh.
Jonah 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
No one can flee from God. No one should disobey God either.
Jonah 4:1 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
4:3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life."
Jonah’s complaint was that Nineveh and Assyria were cruel, evil oppressors. God would at some time in the future send the armies of Assyria to take the 10 northern tribes (Samaria) to captivity, never to return again as part of the true Israel.
Ezekiel 8:13 And He said to me, "Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing." 8:14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 8:15 He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these."
Tammuz was a son or grandson of Nimrod. Here in Ezekiel we read that Tammuz was still worshiped in Israel. God is revealing all the idolatrous practices in the very Temple that was supposed to be only for God.
All of this can be traced back to Cain. Generations of evil, idolatrous worship and warfare were the fruit of one ungodly son, who became an ungodly father for generations.
More next Saturday.
Why are there so few godly fathers with godly sons in the Bible? God has given fathers clear instructions on raising sons, yet so many of the exemplary fathers would appear to have failed. We will study Noah today. But, first we will summarize the times from Adam to Noah. It is another sad tale.
Genesis 4:17 Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.
4:18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. 4:19 Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
4:21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 4:22 As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
4:23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; 4:24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
This is the sad genealogy of Cain ending with Lamech. Murder, hatred, anger, and revenge seemed to have been emphasized from Cain to Lamech. Here we see him boasting about killing a man and a young man for actions that were not considered capital offenses. This is the legacy of the murderer Cain.
Genesis 5:32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6:6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 6:7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Primarily from Cain we find a world of evil, wicked, sinful men. These men were not just a little harsh, but truly evil. Since we know God does not condemn innocent people, these people were guilty of violating God’s Holy Laws. But, those from the line of Seth, who in effect replaced Cain and Abel. From his line came godly men all mentioned in Genesis 5.
Noah had three sons, where they all godly like their father?
Genesis 9:18 Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. 9:19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
9:20 Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. 9:21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.
9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 9:23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.
9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. 9:25 So he said, "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers."
9:26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant. 9:27 "May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant."
9:28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. 9:29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
Of these three sons we have three kingdoms eventually being developed. Shem was the first patriarch of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. So out of Shem would come the Jews, David, and eventually the Messiah. This does not make all of them perfect but it is in stark contrast to Ham.
Ham was the ungodly son who had an ungodly son name Canaan. When Noah divided up the land to his sons, Ham’s family was to go to Africa. But they did not as they coveted the land given to Shem. Shem would go to the Middle East and Japheth to the North into the Baltic states and what became Russia.
Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. 10:3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. 10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.
10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
We will focus on Ashkenaz, which became a large group later known as Ashkenazy Jews. While forsaking the one true god, they instead created their own version of Judaism. According to historians, a large people group are easier to control if they all share a common belief system. They were not Jews by blood and not by faith either.
Revelation 3:9 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
Jesus reveals to us what would eventually come out of the family of Ashkenaz. They claim they are Jews, but are not. They go to synagogues, so they appear to be Jews, but are not. Once inside, they worship Satan! This is still true today. In fact, many of the ‘Jews’ who migrated to Israel in the late 40’s and 50’s identify themselves as Ashkenazy Jews.
Adam was godly, but Cain was not. Noah was righteous but Ham and then Canaan were not. We only have to look at all the ungodly nations around Canaan to confirm this. Ashkenaz may have been godly but all who came after him were not.
Being a man of God is not an easy task. Being a godly father may be the hardest job any man has ever attempted to tackle.
More next Saturday.
We extended our trip and wasn’t able to post last week.
Of course, this study could just as easily been named, ungodly fathers-godly sons, as this is also the case. We will go thru both as we try and learn why fathers are so important, especially in raising sons. So how far into the Bible must we go to see our first example?
Genesis 4:1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." 4:2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
4:3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.
4:4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 4:5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
We only have to go to the first boys born in the world. The first two brothers had different vocations. Cain tilled the soil and Abel herded sheep.
As a note, most of today’s pastors are very ignorant of the truth contained in the Old Testament. The most celebrated Reformed pastor in the world is undeniably John MacArthur. Yet, he preached that there was no Law before Sinai. If that was true, which it is not, how did Cain and Able both know about offering to the LORD? There are more examples of this which we will review as they come up.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
As we know, true forgiveness requires the shedding of blood.Eventually Jesus ended all animal sacrifices by the shedding of His divine blood. He only had to die once for the forgiveness of sin for everyone who would come to Him until the end of this world.
Abel offered a lamb which is the principal animal in sin and thanksgiving sacrifices. Cain created his own religion and offered produce. God had not included produce as an alternative to an animal, but instead of accepting the Lord’s denial of his sacrifice, Cain got angry at the Lord and Abel.
4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 4:7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
4:8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Gen 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 4:10 He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. 4:11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
The Lord spoke directly to Cain but this didn’t seem to have the rational outcome we would expect. Sin is crouching at your door, would mean that all of them understood offerings and sin. Sin is lawlessness. You can’t be sinful without a Law.
Since Cain would not listen to the Lord, we find him doing the unimaginable, he murdered his brother. This clearly violates God’s Laws and should require the death penalty. Why God did not kill him is unknown. All sin has a penalty.
Adam had to be the one who instructed both Cain and Abel on the Law. Cain spoke directly to the Lord, but still disobeyed. He murdered his only brother out of anger over an offering. How could two brothers be so different?
There is no clear answer to that question.
More next Saturday.
Fathering a son is easy, but being a good father to a son is very difficult. I don’t say that easily, but the Bible have very few examples that contradict this fact. This truth is extremely evident from the very beginning of time.
Genesis 4:1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." 4:2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
4:3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.
4:4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 4:5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Adam and Eve were exiled from the garden and now must live with the consequences of their sins. But, did they really understand how much their sin would cost them and the world?
4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 4:7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
Many renowned pastors declare that there was no Law before Sinai. But, that is not true. Here we find both Cain and Abel bringing their offerings to God. It would seem that Cain knew exactly what would be acceptable to God, but rebelled and basically declared that God needed to accept his offering. This was the very beginning of religion that opposed God’s clear instructions and commandments.
Also, God warned Cain about sin being ready to take Cain where he should not go. But, what is sin? Clearly God expected Cain to know this.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
There can be no sin without the law!
4:8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
So it seems that Cain told Abel about his talk with God, but then killed him. Sin did overwhelm him as did his prideful reliance on what he thought was right. Knowing better than God never leads to a favorable outcome.
4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 4:10 He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. 4:11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 4:12 "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."
Murder should be punishable with death, but God was merciful to him even as he was not merciful to Abe.
4:13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!
So little concern for Abel. Neither Adam or Eve seems to be important in this grave matter.
4:14 "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 4:15 So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. 4:16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Adam lived a long time. It seemed that he wanted to do the right thing after his grave sin. But, his first son became a murderer.
Now both Adam and Eve would understand the true consequences of their sin. God spoke directly to Cain and he still murdered Abel. Adam’s ‘righteous’ son was murdered by his ‘ungodly’ son. This first example of a father and his sons points to the difficulty of raising godly sons.
I will be traveling next week as maybe most of you will be as well. I will return to this blog on Saturday, December 7th.
This is a very important subject and one that needs to be repeated regularly as we are prone to forget. Also, men often let the interests in the world take all of their valuable ‘free’ time, leaving little for our families. Fatherhood is a very difficult role to fulfill but also can be very rewarding. It is so important that there are hundreds of verses referencing fathers in the Bible.
We should begin by getting God’s children into view. He constantly refers to children as His, which makes us stewards of His children for a very short time. Raise them up in the fear of the LORD must take place early in their lives as time passes by so quickly.
Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2:2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
2:3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 2:4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 2:5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.
Solomon is instructing his son on wisdom and understanding, which leads to the reverence/fear of the LORD. They are all part of acknowledging God has the source of all wisdom. Fathers only have less than 20 years to insure their sons come to this critical understanding that then will carry them through the rest of their lives and can be passed on to their sons.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
This is a oft repeated truth. Why? Because men always think they are self-sufficient and can do it on their own.
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 0:28 The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
10:29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
10:30 The righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
10:31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
10:32 The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.
What a series of contrasts! These examples are polar opposites and should cause all to seriously consider the choice in front of them.
Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.
Proverbs 24:20 For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. 24:21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, 24:22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?
Fear of the LORD only comes to those who know the LORD. These are lessons to be taught and evidenced in our own lives in front of our sons. Sadly, throughout Biblical history this did not happen.
Ezekiel 16:20 "Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter?
16:21 "You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire.
Clearly, there is a huge chasm between instructing your children in the laws and commandments of God so they will have the wisdom to live accordingly. But, Judah and the 10 Northern tribes all sacrificed God’s children by fire to their idols of wood and stone.
Of course we don’t do that anymore, but do we spend hours on sports and minutes on meaningful, godly instruction? When we stand before God and if He asks us this question, what will be your answer?
More next Saturday.
The Bible is quite clear about the roles of fathers, especially toward their sons. Why then is it so hard to find godly fathers with godly sons? Now some godly fathers may have had 1 or 2 godly sons, but even then it is rare. What can we learn by this study? Let us begin.
Psalms 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 127:5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
What does these verses tell us? First, children are a gift from God. Second, they are to be a blessing to the father. Third, having multiple children is also a blessing. Many today think children aren’t a blessing and because of the ‘expense’, they have very few (1 or 2)! Clearly, God would have all have larger families.
Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
God reminded Noah that they should be fruitful and have many children. The earth is not filled yet, even as the evil population control ‘experts’ try and tell us differently. Who do you listen to and subsequently believe? With children comes a responsibility.
Deuteronomy 6:1 "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, 6:2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 6:3 "O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6:6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 6:7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 6:8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 6:9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Hear we clearly read that teaching our children to learn, understand and obey God’s commands is the very first and foremost element of their education. It is not the job of any church or school alone. If it doesn’t occur in your home, you are disobeying God.
Teaching is not limited to books alone, but actually living out the word of God. Since, we are all prone to forget, it is to be done daily with intent.
More next Saturday.
We have come to the end of our study on ‘Who is Israel?’ This has told us why there is so much confusion or just lack of clarity on this subject. We are too often led by our pre-suppositional beliefs, many of which are not really supported by the Bible. In Revelation, we will see God’s final word on this important subject.
Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 7:5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 7:6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7:7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 7:8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
No one can escape from this truth. Here we clearly read that God will use 12,000 men from each of the twelve tribes in sharing the truth as the world comes to an end.
Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 14:3 And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.
14:4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.
As the Tribulation comes to its eternal and inevitable end, these 144,000 have been protected. They were used to once again share the gospel among men and now their work is over.
Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 21:11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
21:12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 21:13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.
21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Twelve is an important number as it references Jacob’s twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel/Judah, and also the twelve apostles. There names will be eternally written on th gates and walls of the new Jerusalem.
So we come to the end with the same two-fold understanding. Israel is both a nation of real people and a name for all true believers. But, only true believers regardless of race or heritage will be in Heaven. Nevertheless God’s promises include direct descendants from Jacob and all who place their faith in Jesus Christ, from every nation and every tribe.
More next Saturday.
We have studied much about Israel. It is confusing due to the seeming contradictions and the lack of any real complete descriptions given in the Bible. So we must once again seek what God has told us. We must not forget that spiritual Israel is a reality. Also, the body of Christ is one with all true believers. Yet, with all of this, there is still a physical, believing Israel in the future, even though it is not evident in the present.
1 Corinthians 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
We cannot divide the body of Christ into many parts, beliefs, or denominations and still function as a body is supposed to function.
12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 12:15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 12:16 And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Paul is clearly confirming that individuals parts of the body of Christ cannot and should not think they can function independently. Many think of some parts of the body are more important and therefore more desirable. But, there are no lesser parts. In fact, the hidden organs of our body are vitally important to us, even while functioning out of sight.
12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 12:19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 12:20 But now there are many members, but one body. 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
So neither Jew or Greek. Slave or free. Israel is not even mentioned here. So we all need one another for the body to truly function. If one part is not functioning, we would call it a handicap.
12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 12:23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 12:24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,
12:25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
Being on equal footing, eliminates pride and selfishness. We need to love one another not think of our selves as unique, special, or more necessary.
12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 12:27 Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
Being one in Christ should eliminate any expectation of special attention or recognition. In Heaven, theses challenges will no longer be considered. We will all be humbly worshiping God in total unison.
12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.
So, instead of desiring the greater gifts, i.e. the more public gifts like preaching, desire to use the unique gifts given by God to you to bring Him glory. Isn’t being saved enough to motivate us to humbly serve Him?
More next Saturday.
As Israel is repeatedly mentioned in the New Testament, this only adds to the confusion in regards to who is Israel. As we have studied, Israel is a man, a nation, a land, and has both physical and spiritual implications. All of this merely adds to our dilemma as to what are we to understand about who is Israel? So we will once again start with Paul’s revelation about the spiritual Israel.
Romans 9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 9:2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 9:5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 9:7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."
9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Clearly, Israel is the family of true believers, both in the Old Testament and New Testament. So why is there so many references in the New Testament in regards to the sons of Israel? There are 14 verses that include this term. God sent an angel to Zacharias to tell him of the birth of his son John.
Luke 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 1:12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
1:13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 1:14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
1:15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. 1:16 "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
1:17 "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
As we all know, John the Baptist’s only mission was in Judah to announce and confirm Jesus as the Son of God. He died in prison and never ventured outside of Judah. This angel is referencing the Israel still living in the land of Judah, which by itself is confusing. How can the land be called both?
Hebrews 8:8 For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
Here we read that there are two houses or lands and peoples. This sounds like tribes and lands.
Acts 9:13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
9:15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 9:16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."
Saul now Paul, was chosen to reveal Jesus to Gentiles, Kings, and the sons of Israel. The sons of Israel are separate from the Gentiles. As we remember, Paul was sent to the Gentiles to preach the gospel.
Galatians 2:7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 2:8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 2:9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Again there seems to be a distinction between Gentiles and Jews, or maybe just a recognition. But, all in Christ are equals and sons of God.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Romans 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 2:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
There is only one body of Christ. There is only one faith and one baptism. God has only one family. We are all sons of God.
More next Saturday.