Month: January 2017

Click Here For Today’s Reading

GENESIS 20:1-22:24 | MATTHEW 7:15-29 | PSALM 9:1-12 | PROVERBS 2:16-22

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The passage for the day starts out with a strange account of Abraham and Sarah’s experiences with the king Abimelek.  Here is yet again another example of Abraham’s humanity lest we think of him as being infallible and perfect.  He was only human, and in his great desire for self-preservation, he lies to the king about his wife, Sarah. 

And what was Sarah thinking?  She too didn’t speak up when the king decided he wanted to take her for his wife.  I suppose her faith had wavered as well, and she probably wondered if all that talk about having a child wasn’t just talk.

At any rate, both Abraham and Sarah blatantly lie to the king in order to gain protection and favor, but God is an amazing God, and despite our failings and weaknesses looks upon us with mercy, and acts towards us in amazing grace.  That is just what happens, and Abraham and Sarah are given a talking-to by both the king and God, and are sent on their way.

But if Sarah’s faith had faltered, it was soon restored.  God reminds her of the promise he has made to her, and gives her a son whom she names Isaac, which means laughter. 

Sarah says:  ⁶ “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she adds, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The story of Ishmael, Abraham’s other son by the slave-woman Hagar, takes an interesting turn.  Turned out of Abraham’s house, the mother and son wander in the desert, but God’s grace is offered to them as well.  Ishmael is to become the father of the Arab nations.

The story of Abraham’s obedience to God in being willing to give up his much-loved son Isaac as a sacrifice is quite the story of being passed through a fire and coming out unscathed.  The courage and confidence it must have taken to even agree to this request is nothing short of supernatural. 

But Abraham must have known deep down in his heart that there was going to be a way out — why else would he have told his young son that God will provide the sacrificial animal? 

Abraham’s faith was strong when it really mattered, and he comes out of this terrible test with his son intact. 

God says to hm:  16 …because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

This is also a foreshadowing of the plan of salvation that is to come to us when God gives up his only son as the perfect sacrifice for us.

Turning now to the passage in the Book of Matthew, we continue to read of Jesus’ preaching to the public.  Among other things, Jesus tells them about the wise and the foolish builders, and exhorts each one of us to build our house/faith upon solid ground, not upon the sand. 

Jesus says, ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Turning next to our Psalm for the day, we find this is one in which David reiterates the many strengths of the Lord.  He says:

⁷ The LORD reigns forever;
   he has established his throne for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness
   and judges the peoples with equity.
⁹ The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
   for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Finally, we find in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon, the wise king of Israel, exhorting his reader to continue in the ways of Wisdom.  By doing so, this will be the good outcome:

²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
   and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹ For the upright will live in the land,
   and the blameless will remain in it;
²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
   and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

Click Here For Today’s Reading

GENESIS 18:16-19:38 | MATTHEW 6:25-7:14 | PSALM 8:1-9 | PROVERBS 2:6-15

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This has to be one of the most fascinating and disturbing passages in the Book of Genesis.  As if the account of the two mystery-men visiting Abraham wasn’t intriguing enough, the story continues with the same angels going down to the fertile plains below where Lot and his family lived to pay them a visit.  And what ensues from that visit is nothing short of shocking.

First and foremost, a personal opinion on Lot: I don’t like the man.  From the very beginning, this is a man who is selfish and self-absorbed.  He is under the auspices of his uncle Abraham when they first enter the land of Canaan, and when Abraham offers to him the choice of lands, Lot is quick to choose the better, more lush and green plains of Sodom and Gomorrah and leave his uncle up in mountainous terrain.  There’s no graciousness or polite form in even offering to take the lesser of the two, perhaps out of love or even respect for his uncle.  This is the first indicator of poor form.

Then, there is the incident of the two strangers (angels) arriving at his door.  Yes, I suppose he’s very hospitable in taking them in, but I don’t understand how he could offer his own two daughters to a ravenous mob to appease them when they come knocking in the middle of the night.  Who does that?  Where is the fatherly protection?  Sure, he’s a good host, but at what expense?  At the expense of having his two daughters gang-raped?  Well, despite such despicable form, God allows for Lot and his entire family to be saved from the death and destruction that follows to the two cities.  And even at this time, I find it quite remarkable that Lot is in the mood to argue with the angels about where to flee to:  they tell him to go to the mountains, but he prefers to go someplace else!

Finally, the bete noire:  he sleeps with his own two daughters in his old age allowing himself to become drunk and ends up living in a cave.  And all this doesn’t say much about his daughters either who schemed this horrific plan in the first place.  Woe is to the descendants of that unholy union!  No wonder the name of Lot is not one that is ever chosen as a good name!

And yet, we see the amazing graciousness of Abraham toward his nephew Lot.  He pleads with God to spare him, and is unrelenting in his pleas to the point of bargaining with God to reduce the number of righteous people needed in order to spare the city.  From 50, he brings it down to 10, and God relents. 

This little incident is amazing proof of being able to bargain with God!  God will relent if you have the kind of equation that Abraham had with God.  Honor and obey God, and God will allow himself to come around to your point of view!  Of course, God is always in control, no matter what, and regardless of all the sparring and bargaining, God will take care of things sometimes in ways that might both amaze and shock.  The saving of Lot and his family is an example of this.

Regarding Lot’s wife who paid the price of disobedience when she was turned to look back and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt, I’ve often wondered about that– why salt?  Why wasn’t she just struck down dead on the spot?

Turning next to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus continues his preaching.  He tells us not to worry.  About food and clothes and such.  He says, instead:  ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

That verse is the origin of the popular chorus Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God— a song that I have easily sung a million times already, and have taught to my children. (We sing it in parts; one doing the Hallelujah while the other does the verse; I daresay that rendition must rival the angels version!)

But Jesus also dispenses some very practical advice about how to conduct oneself.  He speaks to using good discretion in one’s everyday-dealings.  He says:  ⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Next, we look to the Psalms, and find David, the Psalmist offering a beautiful Psalm of praise.  He states so plainly and yet so effectively our insignificance as mortals, and yet reminds us of the great privilege we enjoy as being chief among all of God’s creation.  I couldn’t agree more with David when he says:

³ When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under theirfeet: 

⁹ LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Finally, in today’s verses in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon continues in his exhortation to seek wisdom.  When we seek wisdom, Solomon tells us:

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
   and fair—every good path.

¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
   and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
   and understanding will guard you.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.