Genesis 16-19
Abraham Gets a Make-Over
Psalm 4:1-8 God Gives Relief and Gladness
1.A Psalm by David “ Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.2.You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? Will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.3."But know that Yahweh has set apart for Himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to Him.4.Stand in awe/tremble, and don't sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.5.Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Put your trust in Yahweh."
6.Many say, "Who will show us any good?" Yahweh, let the light of Your face shine on us.7.You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and their new wine are increased.8.In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for You, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety."
Observations
4:1-5.David is distressed by his evil enemies and calls to God for mercy and relief. His confidence in God was rooted in the fact that God watches over the righteous to deliver them. Therefore he admonishes his hearers to search their hearts for any ungodliness, and to put their trust in Yahweh.
4:3.
Prayer is communication in a relationship. God hears the prayers of those rightly related to Him (cx Proverbs 28:9), who take pains to be pleasing to Him.
4:5.
offer a) the right/specified sacrifices; or b) sacrifices that come from a searched, still, non-sinning heart (better option), or c) ones that consist of righteous behavior (possible, but not as righteous as the 2nd option).
4:6-8.
When things are looking most bleak, David exercised the most faith in the character and promises of God. As a result he was able to praise Him for protection and prosperity, when God helped Him. God doesn't just barely save, but gives joy and gladness for which we should praise Him.
Application
Search your heart to see if there is anything that would prevent God from coming to your aid when you pray, and then praise Him for His help and blessing.
Prayer
God, thanks for hearing my prayer and helping me, and going beyond that to giving me joy and gladness. Amen.
Proverbs 2:4-5 Where Do You Find Hidden Treasure?
4.“If you seek understanding like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure,5.Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and you will discover the knowledge of God.”Observation
2:4-5.The gems never lie on the surface; you have to dig for them. The digging impresses Truth more deeply on our minds (and working up a Bible Study sweat keeps us out of trouble).
Lexical Light
Genesis 2:5 The LXX (Greek translation of the OT done in ~250 BC) translates the Hebrew “fear” with phobeo, from which we get the English “phobia,” no laughing matter. “Fear” is used twice in Exodus 20:20, once to “fear not” and the other time to keep the fear of God in front of us so we don't sin. So you can see that it isn't just a matter of "respect," but something that alters our conduct.
Application
Roll up your sleeves, dig in the Scriptures, get dirty, and sweat a bit; then see what you find!
Prayer
God, help me not be content with pious platitudes, but rather be striving to know You.
Genesis 16-19 Abraham Gets A Makeover
Genesis 16 God Even Blesses Israel's Enemies
2."Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid (Hagar). It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.5.Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault...6.Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, and she fled...9.The angel of Yahweh said to Hagar, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself.”10.“I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.”11.The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.12.He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”13.She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,”Observations
16:2.Rather than calling out to God to satisfy her desire and solve her problem (as Hagar does) Sarai fails to wait for God to fulfill His promise, and causes problems for herself and Israel. Like Eve, Sarai takes a short-cut to God's will, after waiting ten years. Not a good idea either time, nor today. Wait for it.
16:10.
God even blesses Israel's enemies when they call out to Him, and submit to His plan.
Application
Lesson to the Exodus generation and us: God will eventually fulfill His promises at the perfect time. It takes faith to wait. We will regret short cuts. What are you waiting for?
Prayer
Oh God who sees, hears and blesses, thank you that you know what I need and want, and have perfect plan to bless me. Don't let me blow it. Amen.
Genesis 17 Abe Gets A Makeover
1."When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me/My face, and be blameless .2.I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”3.Abram fell on his face...5.Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.6.I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.7.I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.8.I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”10."This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised...14.The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My covenant.”15.God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.16.I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”17.Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”20.As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.21.But My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.22.When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.23.Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him."Observations
17:1.Ishmael is now a teenager. No mention of God speaking to Abe for 13 years. Consequence of the Hagar incident?
"Walk before my face, and be blameless." This is an invitation to intimacy, to enjoy the same unhindered fellowship God had with Adam. The invite is extended to the nation in verse 9. Sheep enjoy intimacy with the Shepherd as He watches their backs. Did God actually expect Abe and Israel to do this?17:5.
Abe name change from “father of high places (barren places?)" to “father of multitudes"
17:10.
Circumcision was a daily reminder of the seed promise
17:14.
Word play? Being cut off today means no inheritance. In Genesis 15, and reiterated here, God unconditionally gave the land to Israel forever. Dwelling in it, enjoying His blessings in it, were conditioned upon continued obedience.
17:15.
Sarai goes from “princess” to “noblewoman”
17:21.
Covenantal blessing is exclusively to Isaac and his seed, not Ishmael.
17:23.
Abe was quick to obey, which is part of being blameless.
Structure
Lots of repetition for emphasis (see text below)
Application
“Live before My face, and be blameless.” Does God actually expect us to do this? See Truthbase.net's Barriers to Intimacy with God & Benefits of Blamelessness
Prayer
God Almighty, Yahweh, I accept Your invitation to intimacy. Let's talk. Amen.
Genesis 18 Sarah Gets A Promise and Abe Gets God Down to Ten
1."Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.2.He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him...10.Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.”...13.Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’14. Is anything too hard for Yahweh?"15.But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”16.The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.17.Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,18.since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?19.For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which He has spoken of him.”20."Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,21.I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”22.The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.23.Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?24.What if there are fifty righteous within the city?...32.He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”33.Yahweh went his way, as soon as He had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place."Observations
18:14.God can do anything He determines to do. He wants an intimate relationship with His people, but they aren't determined to cooperate.
18:19.
This is a key verse for understanding God's plan to bless. God wants to bless, but He is purposeful in blessing obedience. He is also purposeful with the fire and brimstone stuff (next sections).
18:21.
Humorous irony. God knows when Sarah will have a son, but needs “eye-witness news” to know Sodom's sin. How did He know about things in Noah's day? Just because God doesn't immediately judge, it doesn't mean that He won't. His judgment is always based upon solid evidence.
18:32.
God is gracious in letting His blessings upon the righteous minority splash over upon even the grievously wicked majority. This doesn't go on forever.
Question
Exactly how big is your God? Be specific about His size and abilities.
Application
Exactly how determined are you to be blessable and experience knowing Him?
Prayer
Oh God for Whom nothing is too difficult, help me do the difficult things necessary to keep Your way. Amen.
Genesis 19 Somebody's A-Salted in Sodom
1."The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them...3.He urged them greatly...4....the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.5.They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.”11.They (the angels) struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.12.The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of the place:13.for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.”14.Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.15.When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”16.But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.17.It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you...24.Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky...26.But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.27.Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh.28.He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace."30."Lot...lived in a cave with his two daughters...36.Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father.37.The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.38.The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day."Observations
19:1-24.Although “righteous,” Lot valued happiness over holiness (separation), and consequently made his own life (and that of Israel) unhappy.
2 Peter 2:6 "...turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds): 9 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment; 10 but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed..."
19:30.
Lot got his daughters out of Sodom, but didn't get Sodom out of his daughters.
Both the Moabites and Ammonites proved to be a snare to Israel. (Ezra 9:1)
Application
We need to remove ourselves from situations which can compromise our sanctification. “Remember Lot’s wife.” See Luke 17:32.
Prayer
Merciful God, thanks for Your gracious love and protection. May I not linger in nor look back to the sin from which You have delivered me. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: Gracious, patient, merciful, and open to reason, yet can be as powerful in Judging as He is in Blessing. He responds to cries for justice, and demands justice and righteousness from those who would be intimate with Him.
Us in a nutshell: A little slow to believe and do what is in our best interests. God initiates a relationship with us so we can keep His way, demonstrating His righteousness and justice, so He can bless us.
Where to go for more
Truthbase.net
Barriers to Intimacy with God
Benefits of Blamelessness
TOYL Seminar page on Glorifying God
More on glorifying your LORD