DAY TWELVE: 

Joseph: Prison and a Promotion 

Genesis 39:1-41:57

Yesterday we saw Joseph on his way to Egypt where slavery awaited him. His brothers carried his blood-stained coat to their father Jacob, who took the news of his favorite son's death very hard. We're ready to see what happened to Joseph in Egypt. But you'll notice that we've skipped chapter 38 and I'd like to fill in that gap before we proceed.

Chapter 38 tells the sordid life of Judah, Jacob's fourth son. Judah's firstborn, Er, married a woman named Tamar. Er was so evil that the Lord killed him! Er hadn't fathered an heir, so it fell to his brother Onan to marry Tamar and produce an heir for his dead brother. Er wasn't crazy about this because a son with Tamar would be considered his brother's son and would inherit Er's birthright (a double portion of Judah's estate). If Er has no heir, Onan will get the birthright. So Onan refuses to impregnate Tamar and God kills him! Judah has one more son, Shelah, but he's just a boy. Judah is also leery of giving his last son to this "black widow" Tamar. He told her to go back to her father's home to live until Shelah was old enough to marry her. The years went by and Shelah grew up, but Judah didn't send for Tamar. It looked like Tamar would grow old and die as a childless widow in her father's house. She wasn't about to let that happen. She posed as a prostitute and seduced the recently-widowed Judah and became pregnant by him. When Judah found out he was furious at Tamar's harlotry and demanded that she be executed. She presented proof that Judah was the father and he was duly chastened. Tamar bore twin boys, Perez and Zerah. Judah was both father and grandfather to these boys. We read Perez's name in the genealogies of Jesus. Jesus had a few skeletons in His family closet! But that shows us how God can use imperfect people to achieve His perfect will. 

Now on to Joseph. Such a handsome specimen didn't sit for long in the slave market. Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's bodyguard, bought him and put him to work with his household staff. Verse three says, "His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands." Even though he was ripped from his father and all that he knew, the Lord was with Joseph in Egypt. He was there to help and bless him. And Joseph served the Lord by serving Potiphar faithfully and ably. Potiphar noticed Joseph's abilities and put him in charge of everything he had. He didn't have to worry about a thing with Joseph in charge. Potiphar also prospered because the Lord was with Joseph.

"Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance." The same thing is said of his mother Rachel in Genesis 29:17. Joseph was a looker, and Potiphar's wife noticed him. She flirted with Joseph, and when he ignored her subtle advances she came right out and said "Lie with me." Her invitation was tempting. Potiphar hadn't provided a wife for his young servant as he should have. And who would know? Potiphar is always away on Pharaoh's business. But Joseph said he couldn't betray his master's trust. More than that, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" To commit adultery with his master's wife would be a sin before the God who was with him and who had shown him such favor. She wouldn't take no for an answer and kept after him day after day. Finally she grabbed hold of Joseph's cloak to pull him onto her bed. Joseph slipped out of it and ran from the room. Potiphar's wife screamed rape and told her husband when he returned. Normally a slave would be put to death on the spot for something like this. But Potiphar knew both his wife and Joseph. He knew each one's character. He trusted Joseph and didn't trust his wife. But if the story got out it would embarrass Potiphar and possibly damage his standing in Pharaoh's court. So he sent Joseph to the royal prison. How unjust! Joseph didn't do anything but serve his master faithfully, and now he's sitting in jail.

You would think that Joseph seethed in bitterness. But he didn't. He set about serving the warden just has he had his master. Soon the warden saw that everything prospered under Joseph's management and before long he gave this prisoner charge of the prison. One day two new prisoners arrived, the royal baker and the king's personal butler. Both had offended Pharaoh in some way and were sent to jail until he decided their fate. These men both had vivid dreams that haunted them the next morning. They told them to Joseph, who by the grace of God was able to interpret them. The butler's dream meant that in three days he would be forgiven and restored to Pharaoh's service. The baker's dream, however, revealed that in three days he would be hanged! Joseph asked the butler to put in a good word with Pharaoh so that he could get out of prison. But the butler, not wishing to remind Pharaoh that he was in prison for a reason, didn't tell him about Joseph. Joseph languished in prison for two years after this.

Then Pharaoh himself had two very disturbing dreams the same night. In the first dream seven fat cows were devoured by seven gaunt, starving cows. In the second dream seven plump and full ears of grain were eaten by seven parched heads of grain. These dreams haunted Pharaoh, so he asked his wise men and magicians what it meant. They were unable to interpret the dream. At this point the butler spoke up and told about how Joseph had interpreted his dream and the baker's dream. Pharaoh sent for Joseph and after he had bathed and shaved he was brought into the palace. Pharaoh described his dream and God gave Joseph the interpretation. Both dreams carried the same message. Egypt would experience seven years of bumper crops, followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to find an able administrator to store one-fifth of the produce of the good years so that it will be available for the bad years. Pharaoh knew that he was looking right at just the man for the job. He took his signet ring off of his hand and gave it to Joseph. You're in charge! "without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name: Zaphenath-paneah, "one who reveals mysteries." He also gave Joseph the daughter of a priest for a wife. Joseph went right to work, organizing for the task that lie ahead.

What do we learn from Joseph's story to this point? First and foremost, God is always with us. Joseph had every reason to feel that God had abandoned him. His brothers sold him into slavery. Then his master's wife falsely accused him and he ended up in prison. The Lord was with Joseph through those dark days. He gave Joseph hope and gave him favor first with his master and then with his captor. Isaiah 43:1-2 says, "But now thus says the Lord,he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.'" God does not always, or even usually, spare us from hardships and trials. But He is always with us in the midst of them. The Lord was with Joseph, and He is with you and me!

Second, it's always right to do the right thing. God is always pleased when we obey Him even when it costs us something. Joseph could have given into his master's wife. Who would know? But he knew that God would know. He was right to flee from her enticements. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Third, God's work in our lives will eventually bear fruit if we will stay faithful to Him. Psalm 75:6-7 (KJV) says, "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." We must rest in Him and be faithful. James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

My final observation is that Joseph stands in contrast to his brothers. Reuben and Judah were sexually immoral. Simeon and Levi slaughtered all the men of Shechem. Jacob knew their characters and you see what he said about each of them in Genesis 49. But Joseph was a humble servant of God who kept faith in all of the relationships of life. None of his brothers could have handled the opportunity that Pharaoh handed Joseph.

That's our dose of God's Word for today. We'll continue with the story of Joseph tomorrow. In the meantime I look forward to your comments and questions!

DAY ELEVEN: 

Joseph Sold Into Slavery

Genesis 37:1-36

Good Monday morning! On to the third week of our study. All this week we'll be looking at the life of Joseph. Let's begin with some background.

We left off last week with Jacob back in Canaan after twenty years in a foreign land. He returned with four wives, twelve sons and one daughter. Jacob's family life is very complicated, but I'll try to unpack it for us. Jacob wanted just one wife, Rachel, whom he fell in love with at first sight. He gladly worked seven years for her father and his uncle, Laban, so that he could marry her. But Laban tricked Jacob and palmed off his older and apparently less desirable daughter Leah on him. Laban offered to let Jacob marry Rachel after the honeymoon with Leah if he would work another seven years. So Jacob ended up with two wives, one whom he loved and the other not so much. The Lord saw that Leah was unloved so He allowed her have children. Rachel, however, was unable to conceive. Leah quickly pumped out four sons: Reuben (behold, a son), Simeon (heard, because she said God heard her prayers), Levi (joined to) and Judah (praised). Genesis 30:1 says, When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!" She gave Jacob her maid, Bilhah, to bear children on her behalf, just like Sarah gave her maid Hagar to Abraham. The baby war was on! Bilhah gave Jacob two sons, Dan (judge) and Napthali (wrestling). Leah had stopped having children, but she got back in the game when she gave Jacob her maid, Zilpah, who had two sons, Gad (a troop) and Asher (happy). Then Leah herself had two more sons and a daughter, Issachar (recompense), Zebulun (exulted) and Dinah (judgment). Then Rachel finally had a son, whom she named Joseph (may God add). Rachel's heartfelt prayer was to have another son. The Lord answered her prayer, but she died shortly after bearing a son whom she named Ben-oni (son of my pain). Jacob, however changed his name to Benjamin (son of my right hand).

Jacob's home was full of strife and contention. His twelve sons were pawns in their mothers' war with each other, as their names reflect. They were brothers but also rivals, just as their mothers were rivals. I don't know how Jacob could stand it! God seems to have allowed polygamy, but it was never His command or His ideal. There is not a single instance in the Bible where a home with more than one wife was happy. Many of you wondered how Jacob got away with cheating Esau. From this you can see that he didn't! Sometimes God's providence does look a little like karma. Yet God would use these twelve sons of Jacob to form the twelve tribes of Israel.

Our passage today begins with Joseph bringing a "bad report" to his father about how his brothers were shepherding the flocks. No one likes a tattle-tale, and this certainly didn't endear Joseph with his brothers. Jacob compounded the problem by playing favorites. Just as Rachel was his favorite wife, Joseph was his favorite son. Though he was eleventh in birth order, Jacob treated him as if he were his firstborn. He gave Joseph a special colorful robe. Dyed fabric was rare and expensive in those days. A coat made of various colors was a lavish gift. Again, this didn't endear Joseph to his brothers.

Joseph had a couple of dreams and shared them with his family. The first was a harvest scene where his brothers' sheaves of grain bowed down before his sheaf. Then he dreamed that the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed before him. The meaning is obvious: everyone, even his father, would bow to Joseph. The brothers seethed. Jacob gave Joseph a mild rebuke, but remembered what he had said.

One day Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers, who had taken the flocks to Shechem. But they weren't in Shechem, where they were supposed to be. The locals said that they had moved on to Dothan. Dothan was on a major trade route, and no doubt had a lot more exciting night life.  Here's a map:

Joseph's brothers looked to the south and saw a splash of color on the horizon. They knew it was Joseph, in that fancy coat of his. He had told on them before, and would probably do so again. They had had enough of this dreamer, and they determined to kill Joseph as soon as he reached them. Reuben, the firstborn and apparently a cooler head, suggested that they throw Joseph in a pit instead. Reuben knew how his father would take Joseph's death, so he planned to rescue him later and take him back. But while Reuben was away, the rest of the brothers saw a caravan of Ishmaelite traders headed west. The Ishmaelites were descendants of their great-uncle Ishmael. Why kill Joseph when they can make some money off of him? They sold him for twenty silver shekels, enough to have a really good time at the taverns in Dothan. So they hauled Joseph out of the pit and handed him over. When Reuben came back learned that they had sold Joseph he tore his robes, a sign of sorrow and exactly what he knew Jacob would do when they told him. What had they done? And what will they do now? They decided to tell Jacob that they found Joseph's many-colored robe, torn and smeared with blood, the victim of wild animals. They killed a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. Jacob reacted as Reuben had feared. His sorrow was so profound that his sons thought he would die. There was no consoling him.

I'm amazed at how many of the great men of the Bible had utterly dysfunctional families. The priest and judge Eli didn't discipline his sons and they became scoundrels. David had a son who raped his sister and another son who killed a brother and then tried to kill him. King Ahaziah's mother Athaliah murdered her grandchildren so that she could rule in her son's place. So family problems are nothing new. Jacob made his problems worse by playing favorites with his wives and with his children. The hurt of rejection led to rivalry and retaliation. Tell and then show the ones you love how you feel! Don't assume that they know- we all like to hear it. John Wesley's mother Susanna had twenty-one children and the challenge of rearing them on their pastor father's salary. They all turned out well, in part because she didn't play favorites. Here are her house rules.

Joseph didn't help himself, either. It turned out that his dreams were indeed prophecies from God. But Joseph didn't react with a grateful humility before the sovereign will of God. He let it all go to his head and eagerly told everyone. Yes, God will use Joseph to save his entire family, and everyone will bow to him. But he must learn humility through humiliation before God can use him. The Bible has a lot to say about pride, none of it good. Here's the entry for pride from Nave's Topical Bible. You won't have to click on very many of the verses before you get a sense of how God feels about human pride.

Tomorrow we'll see how Joseph fares in Egypt, and how God uses him.

I'll leave you with another clip from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. The first part of the clip is a repeat of what I posted last week, "Jacob and Sons," but goes on to the "Coat of Many Colors." Vicki will tell you that I don't like musicals. But I really love this one. It's a faithful yet fun retelling of this Bible story.

God's Friend

Genesis 15:1-6

Sermon #2 in the 100 Essential Passages Series

Today's sermon is posted! If you weren't able to be in worship this morning you can listen to and also read the sermon here.

Tomorrow we start Week Three. We'll look at the life of Joseph. I can't wait!

DAY TEN:

Jacob and Esau Reconcile

Genesis 32:1-33:20

Good morning! We've reached the tenth of the one hundred passages we're studying. Yesterday we met Jacob and Esau, twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was a man who lived for the present moment and gave no heed to the things of God. Jacob, whose name means cheat, lived up to that name when he deceived his father and took the blessing he intended for Esau. Esau's rage simmered. He was waiting for his father to die, and then he would kill Jacob. Rebekah sent Jacob away to her family in Paddan-Aram, where he would be safe and where he could find a wife from his own people.

Here's a brief summary of what we're skipping. Jacob arrived safely. He met a beautiful young woman named Rachel. It was love at first sight! And even better, it turned out that she was his cousin, the daughter of Rebekah's brother Laban. Laban welcomed Jacob and asked him to stay and work for him. Jacob said that he would serve Laban for seven years if he could marry Rachel. Laban agreed, and the next seven years flew by. Laban held a big wedding feast and then, according to the custom of that area, escorted Jacob to the house where his wife would be waiting for him. Jacob couldn't be happier! But when he woke up in the morning and turned to look at his bride, and there was another woman in his bed! It was Rachel's older sister Leah! The name Leah means "weak eyes." It sounds like she wasn't as attractive as her younger sister and her father hadn't been able to marry her off. Jacob was furious! Laban told him that custom prevented him from giving his younger daughter in marriage until the older was married (something he neglected to tell Jacob seven years earlier). Laban offered another deal: work for me another seven years and you can marry Rachel too. Just finish the honeymoon with Leah and you can marry Rachel next week.  Jacob's love for Rachel was greater than his anger at her father, and he agreed. So Jacob got more than he bargained for, two wives instead of one. Jacob the cheat had met his match in Uncle Laban!  Leah started having children immediately, but Rachel couldn't conceive, so she told Jacob to have children for her with her maid. Leah wasn't to be outdone, and she gave Jacob her maid to have more children. Now Jacob had FOUR wives! Before long Jacob had ten sons and one daughter. Finally Rachel conceived and had a son, Joseph (we'll talk about him next week). Laban continued to cheat Jacob, but the Lord was with him and he prospered in spite of his uncle's chicanery. After twenty years it was time to take his family and flocks and head back to Canaan. This is where we come to today's passage.

Each step that brought Jacob closer to home also brought him one step closer to meeting his brother Esau. He was filled with murderous rage when Jacob left. What if he wants to make good on that threat to kill him? He sent a large portion of his flock ahead, a gift that would hopefully pacify Esau. He also divided his family into two groups and sent them ahead of them. Jacob followed along by himself, last of all. Maybe if Esau sees that he's a family man now he won't kill him.

Jacob had a visitor that night. A man (actually an angel) suddenly appeared and attacked him! They wrestled until daylight. Jacob was tenacious and wouldn't give up. The man touched Jacob's hip and dislocated it. Despite the pain Jacob continued to cling to his opponent and wouldn't let him go until he blessed him. Jacob received a new name- Israel, which means "one who prevails with God," because he had wrestled with God and didn't give up. Jacob wanted to know the angel's name, but he wouldn't tell him. All of a sudden it dawned on Jacob that he had been wresting with God Himself! Some scholars say he wrestled with Jesus, the Son, in a pre-incarnate appearance. Whoever it was, the encounter changed Jacob's life. 

He finally came face to face with Esau. And Esau was actually happy to see him! He wasn't angry any more. God had answered Jacob's (Israel's) prayers and gave him favor with his brother. Esau invited Jacob to live with him in Edom. But Jacob knew he had to go back to Canaan. He settled in Shechem. His mother, Rebekah, had died but Isaac was still alive and they eventually met up. The Promise goes on!

Jacob is a fascinating man! He's devious and willing to do almost anything to get his way. At the same time he was also devoted to God. The Lord worked in and through Jacob. He let the cheater endure twenty years under Laban, one of the greatest grifters of all time. He wanted just one wife but ended up with four. He went back home trembling at the thought of meeting Esau. He wrestled with God through the night and wouldn't give up. Jacob received a new name, which would become the name for the nation that God would create in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. 

It's been a great week! Next week we'll look at the life of Joseph and how God shaped and used him.

I'll leave you with a little preview of our studies next week with this opening scene from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat. Look closely- if you're my age or older you'll recognize someone who was quite famous in the day.

DAY NINE:

Jacob and Esau Conflict

Genesis 27:1-28:22

Welcome to Day Nine of our study! We're skipping over a lot of things to get to the story of Jacob and Esau, so I'll give a quick summary.  Sarah died at the age of 127, then Abraham died at the age of 175. Isaac grew up and was ready to marry. His father sent a trusted servant to find a wife for him among his relatives in Haran. He brings back Rebecca, daughter of Abraham's nephew Bethuel and she marries Isaac. They remain childless for a number of years, until God answers their prayers with twins! While she was pregnant there was a lot of rumbling in Rebecca's womb, like fighting. The Lord told that's exactly what was happening. Her babies were fighting with each other and would separate into two nations. The youngest would rule over the oldest. Esau was the firstborn. His name means "hairy," and it was apt because he was covered with red hair. But his brother came into the world right after that, with his hand firmly grasping Esau's foot. They called him Jacob, which means "heel holder" or as some translations put it, supplanter. A supplanter is someone who puts himself in ahead of someone else by devious means. It was as if Jacob was grabbing his brother to pull him back so that he could be the first born. The two boys grew up. Esau was a rugged outdoorsman who loved to hunt. Jacob stayed close to home and helped his mother with the cooking. One day Esau came in from the field and was very hungry. Jacob was cooking a pot of lentil stew and it smelled so good to Esau. He asked for some and Jacob replied, "I'll sell you a bowl for your birthright." The birthright was a double portion of the father's estate that went to the first born. The birthright wasn't just about money. It was also a special honor for the recipient. Esau said "Okay," about as casually as that. The trade seemed fair to him at the time. So Jacob gave him a bowl of soup and some bread. This was the first time Jacob supplanted Esau, by taking his birthright.

Now we come to today's reading. Isaac was fully aware of the prophecy that the younger would rule over the older. Esau had already despised his birthright. But Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob. He especially loved the wild game that Esau brought back. He spoke secretly (or so he thought) with Esau and told him that he wanted to give him the blessing. He told Esau to go out and bring back a deer and cook it, so that after eating he would bless Esau. Rebecca was within earshot and heard the conversation. She was not about to let Isaac deprive her son of the blessing that was rightfully his. She told Jacob to go and prepare a lamb, using Esau's recipe. Then she had Jacob dress in some of Esau's clothes and tied fleeces to his arms and neck so that Isaac, now blind, would think that he was Esau. Jacob wasn't sure about the idea- what if my father recognizes me? Then he'll curse me! But he went ahead. The plan worked and Isaac blessed Jacob in the place of Esau.  "May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"Isaac thus passed on the covenant God made with Abraham and which in turn fell to him on to Jacob.

No sooner than Jacob left, Esau returned and brought in a savory venison roast with all the trimmings. "Here I am! Eat up and then give me your blessing." Now Esau was confused! Didn't he just bless Esau?  He sounded like Jacob, but he felt and smelled like Esau. When Isaac figured out what had happened, he trembled! He had thought to outwit God and was himself fooled. The blessing was already given, and there was no taking it back. Esau was furious! "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." Isaac did have a blessing for Esau, but it wasn't like the one he gave Jacob. Esau was angry and plotted his revenge. He'd wait until his father died and then he'd kill Jacob! Rebecca saw Esau's rage and knew he'd make good on the threat. She told Jacob that he had to leave until Esau cooled down. She talked Isaac into sending Jacob back to her family in Paddan-Aram (the vicinity of Haran) to find a wife. She told Jacob to come back, with his wife, in a few months.

Jacob set out on his long journey all by himself. He came to Bethel, where Abraham built an altar to the Lord, and spent the night. There he had a dream of a ladder between earth and heaven, with angels going up and down that ladder! And God spoke to him: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." When Jacob woke up, he had an appropriate sense of awe. "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Bethel means house of God in Hebrew. Jacob made a vow to serve the Lord faithfully if he would bring him back home.

God was as good as his word, but there are lots of twists and turns yet to come in the story of Jacob! More about that tomorrow.

The Bible has oh so much to teach us! Let's look at Isaac, Rebecca, Esau and Jacob. Isaac was the child of promise, long in coming but so precious to his parents when he was born. God had blessed him with a beautiful wife and in time two sons. God said that the older shall serve the younger, but Esau wanted to see his favorite son, Esau, get the blessing. He trembled when he realized that he had done what God wanted him to do all along, to bless Jacob. God will see that His will is accomplished, whether we are willing participants or not.

Rebecca was a schemer. She told Jacob to deceive his father and take the blessing that was rightfully his. When Jacob had qualms she said "let the blame fall on me." Then she sent Jacob away, thinking that he'd be back in a while. But when Jacob left, that was the last that Rebecca saw of him. She died before he returned. Our plots and plans to bring about what we want rather than what God wants always bear bitter fruit.

Esau was a man who lived for the moment and didn't care about pleasing God. He was hungry right now, and all he wanted was some food. His birthright meant nothing to him and he gladly traded it for some soup. When it came time for the blessing he didn't get it. His tears couldn't change that. Hebrews 12:16-17 says, "[See to it] that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears."

And Jacob, who got both the birthright and blessing through deceitful means, was nonetheless the heir to the promise to Abraham. His character is questionable. But God has a way of shaping us! Jacob the cheat will himself be cheated when he arrives at Paddan-Aram. More about that tomorrow when we consider the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau.

Here's a beautiful rendition of "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" that will bless you:

DAY EIGHT:

Isaac's Birth and Sacrifice

Genesis 21:1-22:19

Good morning, friends! God is good! On to Day Eight of our study. Before we dig into today's content I'll briefly cover what we're skipping. Sarai, lamenting her childlessness, presented Abram with her Egyptian servant named Hagar to have a son and thus fulfill God' promise.  Sarai told Abram to marry Hagar and have a child with her that Sarai could consider her own. Hagar bore Abram a son, Ishmael, but of course it didn't work out as Sarai planned. But at the age of 86 Abram is finally a father! God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Abram, you'll remember, means "exalted father." Abraham means "father of a multitude." Sarai also received a new name, Sarah, which means princess. In chapter 18 Abraham hosts three mysterious visitors. One of them announces that Sarah will have a baby about that time next year. Sarah was eavesdropping and heard. She burst into laughter at the thought of bearing a child at her age (she would have been 89 years old). One of the visitors asked "Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Sarah denied laughing, but she was busted! Then after that we read about God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and how angels led Lot and his family to safety (except for his wife, who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. And in chapter 20 we see an old dog hasn't forgotten an old trick. Abraham once again passed Sarah, possibly pregnant with Isaac by this time, as his sister- this time to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. God again protected Sarah, and Abimelech, though very angry with Abraham, allowed him to stay. Again, it seems that Abraham gets away with this outrageous behavior. But really he doesn't. There are always consequences for sin, even if they're not obvious at the time.

OK, we're ready to pick up with today's passage. Just as the mysterious visitors (no doubt angels) foretold, Sarah gave birth to a son! They named him Isaac, which means "he laughs." Very appropriate, given Sarah's reaction a year ago. She said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." I can't begin to imagine the joy in Abraham's household! God keeps His promises.

But remember, Abraham has another son, Ishmael, who would have been about thirteen when Isaac was born. He was used to his father's full attention. And Sarah, who resented the child she urged her husband to make with a servant, now resented him even more. The stage is set for conflict, and it's not long in coming. At the feast Abraham gave to celebrate Isaac's weaning Ishmael tormented his little half-brother. Sarah had enough, and told Abraham to get rid of both him and his mother. God assured a heartbroken Abraham that it would go well with Ishmael, that in accord with the promise He would make Ishmael into a great nation, too. But Isaac was the child of promise, and the covenant would go through him.

Then we read about the greatest test of faith a human being ever faced. "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Did Abraham hear God right? He's waited all this time for a son. And now God wants him to sacrifice that only son, his only hope for that line of descendants that will one day number more than the stars? But yes, he heard correctly. God was quite specific, Abraham had two sons, and he could have sought out Ismael to sacrifice him. But God said it was Isaac, the son whom he loved, who was to be sacrificed. Abraham's faith in God is amazing! If he agonized over this, it wasn't for long. He got up early the next day and headed out with Isaac and a couple of servants for Moriah. We don't know just where Moriah was, but it was a three-day journey. (Some speculate that Moriah was Jerusalem and that Mt. Zion, the future site of the Temple, was where these events took place). When Abraham saw Moriah in the distance, he had the servants stay behind and he and Isaac went on alone. Abraham tied the wood they brought onto Isaac's back and took a little container with coals from their campfire to light the sacrifice. But one thing was missing, and Isaac noticed it. they've got wood and fire, and there are plenty of rocks everywhere for building an altar. But where's the lamb? That's the most important thing, the reason for going in the first place. Abraham said "The Lord will provide the lamb." That had to hurt, because Abraham knew that God had already provided the lamb- his son.

When they got there and set up the altar, Abraham started to tie Isaac up. Now Isaac wasn't a little boy by this time. He was probably a teenager, and Abraham was somewhere around 115 years old. Isaac could have resisted his father and run away. But he didn't. He let his father lay him atop the altar. We talk about Abraham's faith, but what about Isaac's? It's at least as great.  Abraham took hold of the knife, ready to plunge it into Isaac's chest. But then, at the last second God stopped him! "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." Whew! That was way too close! Abraham looked up and saw a ram tangled up in some shrubs. He caught it and sacrificed it in the place of his son. God once more affirmed His covenant with Abraham, promising to multiply his descendants and to bless the world through them.

There are so many lessons we can take from the life of Abraham that I don't know where to start. So let's start with this whole concept of faith and belief. The best definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Faith is believing without seeing. It is taking God at His word and trusting Him to move in our lives according to His timetable. Some time ago a wise man told me, "God is never late, but He is seldom early." God is kind of like the wizard Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings: "A wizard is neither early nor late- he arrives precisely when he intends." I've shared that with others to comfort and encourage them. And I've had to remind myself of this truth. The great temptation is to help God along when we think He's too slow. Ishmael was born because Abraham and Sarah despaired of having a child of their own. It caused strife and heartache in there time, and the world has been paying for their impatience ever since. The unrest in the Middle East is a continuation of the conflict between Ishmael (the Arabs) and Isaac (the Jews). Be patient and remain prayerful. God will come through and His answer will always be better than anything we can imagine for ourselves.

I'll give you a little bit of extra credit reading, if you'd like to learn more about Abraham. The best book I've read on this man's life is Created to Be God's Friend: How God Shapes Those He Loves by Henry Blackaby (I've given the link from Amazon, but you can find it from just about any online source or from a Christian bookstore). An excellent book that will deepen your understanding of what God is doing in your life.

I'll leave you with this song from Phil Keaggy, entitled "Abraham." Enjoy!

DAY SEVEN:

God's Covenant With Abraham

Genesis 15:1-21

Good morning! Yesterday we met Abram, a man who answered God's call. Your comments from yesterday are really interesting. Abram did what he did because he heard and obeyed God. How can anyone who hears God's voice like that NOT obey? Very easily, I'm afraid. I know that from my own life. Faith is something that is entirely opposite of how we normally operate. We have senses that tell us what is real. We have minds that can calculate risk and potential benefit. Faith tells us to ignore all of that and do what God asks.

Abram's faith is strong, but he's still human. He left his home to follow God to a new home, but he's still a nomad living in tents. He embraced God's promise of descendants more numerous than the sand on the beach, but he doesn't have even one child. His name, Abram, Exalted Father, is so ironic!

God came to Abraham to encourage him. "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." God told him this before. But where's the beef?  "O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless...Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." This takes place more than ten years after Abram obeyed God, and while he's prospered materially it's all meaningless without a son to carry on the promise.

God told Abram that he will have an heir, a child of his own. Then God repeated His outrageous promise: "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him,"So shall your offspring be." Say what?!?!?! Abram is about 85 years old, and his wife Sarai is 75. They're way past childbearing and don't have even one child. God will make Abram's descendants as numerous as the stars in the night sky? It's utterly ridiculous and laughable!

But we read in verse six, "And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness." Abram put aside what his senses and his mind told him and believed what God told him. And God accepted Abram's faith and counted it as righteousness. It wasn't what Abram DID that made him righteous. It was what he BELIEVED, and WHO he believed in.

This is another very simple yet deeply profound statement. God does not accept us for our good works We're so used to thinking of things in economic terms that we can't grasp the fact that with God's grace we actually DO get something for nothing. We earn our wages, we pay for what we buy. But you can't by God's love and mercy at any price. It's free to any and all who will believe, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he (the Father) made him (Jesus, the Son) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

God hadn't given Abram much detail about how He will fulfill all those promises we read yesterday. But that night God gave Abram another vision. The promised land will belong to his descendants, but not for a long time. They'll spend time in a foreign land (we know that it was Egypt) for 400 years and be oppressed. Then God will bring them out of bondage and into the land to posses it. And you, Abram, will live to a good old age and die with the knowledge that I will do what I have promised. "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,'To your offspring I give this land, fromthe river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.'"

Tomorrow we'll look at the birth of Isaac, the child of promise, and at how Abraham faced the greatest test of his faith.  I look forward to your comments and questions!