Genesis 20 sounds extremely familiar. I am not sure if this is a re-accounting of his trip into Egypt or if this is a completely different story. If this is a different story it makes me wonder why he did not learn from the first experience. I am glad to read though that the king was a holy person and did as God had commanded him.
Genesis 21 begins with the birth of Issac. Sarah gives birth to a son and names him Issac as the Lord had commanded. We then see that Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael sent away. The Lord comes to Abraham and tells him that it is okay to send them away as Ishmael will become the leader of a nation as well. Hagar takes her son and travels until they run out of water. She hides her son and travels a short distance to let him die as she does not believe that they will survive. The Lord comes to her and opens her eyes to a well because He has heard their cries. As we continue reading this chapter we see a treaty being made between Abraham and Abimelech.
Genesis 22 is a chapter that I would have a hard time doing. The Lord test Abraham by telling him that he needs to go to the mountains and sacrifice his only son. Abraham obeyed God completely and gathered wood and fire for the sacrifice and traveled to the mountain God told him about. As Issac and Abraham are traveling up the mountain Issac ask Abraham where the sacrifice was. I do not know how Abraham was able to keep his cool while talking to his son. I think I would have been in shambles well before I even reached the mountain. Abraham follows through with the Lord's commands and builds an altar and lays his son on the altar to be sacrificed. At this point in time the Lord comes to Abraham and provides a ram instead of his son for the sacrifice. This really is a great story showing how much faith and fear Abraham had for God. At times I wonder if I fear God enough to do something like this? I pray that I am never tested in this way but also that I might have the faith enough in God to know that all will be taken care of.
Matthew 6:19 - 34 tells us how we should store our treasures in heaven and not on earth. The treasures here on earth or at least we think our treasures are not going to last for eternity. The heavenly treasures that we store up though are guaranteed to be with us forever. The next little bit tells us that our whole body should be good and that it can become dark with the simplest thing. At least that is the way I interrupted it to mean. We then read a section over worrying. This is something I struggle with daily. The Lord tells us that we do not need to worry. There is no purpose for it because we are to have faith in the Lord that he will provide for us as He does for the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. We are told that we are much more then these and if the Lord provides for them then he will provide for us. Our goal should be to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt. 6:33).
Our study guide has us getting away from Genesis for a little while now, we will come back to it I promise. It splits things up in a way to keep us from getting overwhelmed. I hope everyone stays with it and learns from this as much as I have so far.
Tomorrow's reading is:
Job 1, 2 and Matthew 7
20. I assumed it was a different trip and was shocked that Abraham and Sarah would do this again. It seems so mean to do to the king to me. They sort of entrap him in a sin without his knowledge. Then they seem to get rewarded for it?
ReplyDelete21. It would be weird to be pregnant at 90.
22. I don't know that I could have done it. It's striking to me how faithful Abraham is, especially after what I think are some poor choices in his past. Not unfaithful choices, just maybe not so Christian choices.
6. This is my daily struggle also. I fail time and again to give things to God and not worry about them. I don't know why I can't seem to do this on a daily basis. Every time I really do hand things to God they always turn out for the best, but still I continue to struggle.
I'm really enjoying this so far Mike. Thanks again for leading! I love the reading and find that making myself comment on each reading keeps me accountable.