Genesis 27

This is where Isaac blesses his children. Again, I think that there are times when I see all these characters in my life. Scheming, plotting, trying to help out God, blinded, tricked. This is the stuff of a good soap opera, and we play it out all the “Days of our Lives.” (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Isaac is old, his eyes are dim so he cannot see. This is a state we can get into ourselves, spiritual blindness. When we know what God has told us, and we do what we would rather do, it blinds us to things that we should not be blinded about. Another famous one who was blinded because he flirted with obeying God was Samson. Remember that God had prophesied that Jacob would be the one to inherit the seed, that it would be him that the descendants would be multiplied through. But Jacob was more of a mother’s son, and Esau, the rugged man of the field was more to Isaac’s liking. It is in this story that we will see that Isaac still deals with his senses, not trusting God. And Rebekah also plots to make God’s prophesy come true. We forget that God is sovereign, and that what He wills will occur.

Anyway, Isaac calls Esau to his side and tells him that he is old and not sure of his day of death. At this time Isaac is about 137 years old.  Isaac tells Esau to take his bow and quiver and hunt game, and bring him savory food. Verse 4 “And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” So often in the scriptures, it is not the first born (Esau) who will be blessed, but the second born. We will see this in Joseph’s case too, and in other cases. This is a bit of Isaac’s disobedience to God, who had told Isaac that Jacob was the one to be blessed.

Rebekah must have been listening at the tent flap, for she overhears Isaac’s request of Esau, and she gets Jacob aside and makes an elaborate plan. I have to be honest, God had to have protected them, because at any moment this flimsy plan could have fallen apart, and then it would have gone bad for her and Jacob. But here is the plan.

She tells Jacob his father’s request of Esau, and she says, verse 8 “Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you.” While we are instructed to obey our parents, Jacob may have fared better had he obeyed God’s voice and not fallen into duplicity. Whenever we lie or cheat or steal, there are repercussions. And the sad thing is, in this case Jacob did not have to do this, for he had God’s blessing. Even if Esau had received a blessing, God could have remedied the situation. I think of Balaam who tried to curse the Israelites and only God’s good words for them could come out of his mouth. And yet, even with the lying and conniving, God still kept His word and blessed Jacob.

Jacob brought in two choice kids of the goats, and Rebekah made a savory stew. Jacob thinks about his mother’s plan and comes up with a few difficult issues. In verse 11 “Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth skinned man.” He is quite aware that there is a danger and that in verse 12 “Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”

Seem to be a deceiver???? It seems that Jacob is worried about appearances, but ignoring the real fact – he IS a deceiver. And, he has his priorities wrong, he is more concerned about receiving a curse because of deception, than he is about telling the truth to his father. His concern is about how the actions will impact his life, not about the morality of the issue.

His mother says something very foolish, she says, verse 13 (unlucky if you ask me), “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” Too bad she did not tell him to obey God’s voice. She really did have a control over Jacob, and she was a good plotter. This brings to mind the Israelites, after Pilate washed his hands of Christ’s blood, saying that the curse would come onto the Israelites. Oh, how easily we take curses on ourselves, we need to watch what we say, and what we accept into our lives.

First she made stew like Isaac liked, she got Esau’s choice clothes and puts them on Jacob. And she gets skins of the goats and puts them on Jacob’s hands and neck so that if Isaac felt him, he would seem to be hairy.

Funny how in this household the blessing is lost over a bowl of food. Esau despised the blessing for a bowl of porridge, and now Isaac is going to give the blessing to Jacob over a bowl of stew, when Isaac really wanted to bless Esau. Our appetites can get in the way of our goals if we are not careful. That is why it is so important to keep our focus on God, and His Word which is our spiritual food, and not get caught up in the appetites of the flesh.

This story is lie upon lie upon lie. Jacob goes into his father, and says, verse 19 “I am Esau your firstborn.” (Oh Jacob, you need to trust God more, you need to believe in Him) Do you realize that this lie of his will cause Jacob to have a 20 year exile. Wasted years because of a lie and a stolen blessing.

Isaac will be deceived, he will rely on his senses instead of on the truth, but Isaac does suspect something is afoul here. The stew was brought quickly, and Isaac wonders at how quickly “Esau” came back. Lie number two – to answer that question, Jacob says verse 20 “Because the LORD your God brought it to me.” We know where the stew came from, but I find it sad that Jacob doesn’t say the LORD MY God, it is YOUR God. So often when we are disobedient, we kind of lose a connection with God. He ceases in our mind to be OUR God, but becomes ANYONE ELSE’S God, because we have created division between us by our sins and disobedience. That can be rapidly remedied though by repenting and coming back to God.

Isaac is still not sure, so he has Jacob come closer, and he feels him. So the senses that Isaac is using are TASTE (the stew), TOUCH (feels the hairy skin), HEARING (he hears Jacob’s voice and that it doesn’t sound like Esau), SMELL (he smells the scent of the cloths of Esau – probably because Esau was not the bather). The one sense he does not use is SIGHT because he has dim vision. See how easily our senses can fool us.

Well, the senses seem to confirm to Isaac that this really is Esau, but He still is uncertain, so here comes lie number three, Verse 24 “Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.” Isaac asked Jacob to come and kiss him, and it was with that kiss that he smelled Esau’s scent, and then Jacob is blessed.

I will deal with the blessings tomorrow, and the repercussions for Jacob because of the lies.

Why is it that so often the kisses are kisses of betrayal in the Bible?  Think of this situation with Jacob and Isaac, and Judas and Jesus.

Beth Moore describes this scene in an interesting way on page 119 of her book The Patriarchs, she says, After having us give one-word descriptions of the main characters, she then says, “Under the one-word description of Rebekah, did anyone happen to use a word like manipulative? A fitting two-worder would have been smooth operator.Game takes on a double meaning in this segment of Scripture. Remember, Rebekkah received the prophesy from God concerning the older son serving the younger. Her actions are the continuation of her false belief that she needed to force God’s will to come to pass. Somebody needed to rip that junior-God pin off Rebekah’s collar and tell her God said not to bother. He faithfully fulfills His Word! I’m sorry, Sisters, but I can’t help but relate our gender to Rebekah’s actions. Certainly men have their own destructive tendencies. We can trust God to point those out, but let’s allow Him to deal with ours.”

Then she points out that Rebekah twice told her son to listen carefully and do what she commands. Beth says that we women often believe that if our families would listen to us, we would get them into shape, that the saying “God couldn’t be everywhere so He created mothers.” is so wrong.

Beth points out that when she seems to pick on the women of the Bible it is because she wants us to be all the wonderful things that  a woman of God can be. That we learn from the mistakes of the women in the Bible so we don’t repeat them in our lives. She also pointed out that Rebekah’s actions weren’t just for Jacob’s benefit, that she also got something out of them. We don’t always pressure our loved ones for them, often we have a lot vested in what they do too.

Beth gives three points for us to consider when we advise our loved ones:
    1. What is our motive. God will reveal it to us if we ask Him, and not only will let us see our false reasons, but when we are right on He will let us know.
     2. Are we giving godly counsel.
     3. How much of our desired outcome has to do with us.

Then Beth says, finally a chance to pick on a male for a moment, as we watch Jacob lie to his father.

Beth also points out that there must be a distinct smell to the outdoorsman type. I can attest to that. But she gives an important warning on page 121 “The moral of the story thus far might be this: pay attention to your suspicions…even if everything smells right.”

If we were to compare Esau to Jacob, we would see that Esau was a skillful hunter, man of the field (Matt 13), the world, a type of unbeliever. But he could not satisfy himself in the field (world), so he came to Jacob for food (porridge). Jacob was plain, undefined, complete, quiet and a conniver. lived in the tents, was a pilgrim.

Esau will complain, but if you think about it, after so many years and two Canaanite wives, he is not really following the example of His father’s lifestyle. Isaac was still insensitive to the will of God, still focused on the flesh, Isaac did not remember the prophesies given to Rebekah. Isaac could not see spiritually or physically. Rebekah does not walk by faith, for she feels she must take matters in her own hands. Jacob is not concerned about morality, just about not being caught. I sure wish I could say that these traits were not things in my life, but at different points in my life I can relate to all the main characters.

We are going to see that Esau will feel very wronged by the stolen blessing – how conveniently he forgets that he sold it for a bowl of red lentils. But now that he has matured a bit, he realizes what he sold was valuable. We have to be so careful not to act impulsively in our spiritual immaturity, for we do not want to give away our blessings.

Even though so many of these insights seem so spiritual, I have to be honest and tell you that I struggle with them in my walk at times. I see and repent often when I make a mistake, and I certainly rely on my senses too much. I too have to give up that junior-God pin, and stop trying to control things so much. I guess for me it all boils down to faith and trust in God.

I am hoping you have a blessed day and that later on I will get a chance to visit your sites. Computer time is limited these days. I could use your prayers for Jim that his computer challenges are rapidly solved, and that my kids get along better or it will be a long summer, and that I do not get my buttons pushed so easily by my kids. And that God helps me to be more secure in Him.
Have a blessed day.
Heather

Random thought – what is with the word apologetics? I sure wish we could come up with a better word for sharing our faith – sounds too much like apology.

Do you ever read more than one book at the same time? I tend to have a mystery, a Christian study book, the Bible, and Bible study classes which also have books to read. I have a to be read pile that is HUGE, and keeps growing – much the same way as my laundry pile keeps growing (you know, you don’t do laundry for one tiny day and the next time you look it is as if your laundry had reproduced, sigh), for that matter – dishes seem to do this also.

Anyway, I have a very bad habit. I read books that often refer to other books, then I look up those books and want to read them too, so many books, so little time. But I guess there are worse ways to wile away one’s time. I also have a lot of UFO’s around the house (Unfinished Objects – crafts and such). This is the year I am trying to tackle these things.

Anyway, I wanted to share a few things that I have been reading, before we continue on with Jacob – Hey, last night I got a comment from someone wondering how I would tie eggplant into what I am teaching – it finally came to me – THE SEED. We have Abraham’s seed, Isaac’s seed, Jacob’s seed, and eggplant seed. Well, it is a stretch, but there you go, it’s the best I can do with a random post.

This is a relevant quote from Eugene Peterson, A long Obedience in the Same Direction.

In this book he seems to talk about how in today’s society we want instant spirituality (probably why the New Age is so popular), and we don’t realize that it is a long walk in spirituality, a long walk in growing more and more into what Christ wants us to be. In real life I tend to be directionally challenged, so I often pray that God guides my steps so I don’t get lost in trivia, or lose His purpose for me.

Anyway, Peterson talks about the Psalms that the pilgrims would sing on their trek to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts – Psalms 120 – 134. And each of these represent a step on the path of discipleship.

Peterson says on page 20 “Christians will recognize how appropriately these psalms may be sung between the times: between the time we leave the world’s environment and arrive at the Spirit’s assembly; between the time we leave sin and arrive at holiness; between the time we leave home on Sunday morning and arrive in church with the company of God’s people; between the time we leave the works of the law and arrive at justification by faith. They are songs of transition, brief hymns that provide courage, support and inner direction for getting us to where God is leading us in Jesus Christ.

The first Psalm is 120 (it is given in the book in the Message translation, hadn’t read the Psalms in this style before) Peterson mentions regarding this Psalm that dissatisfaction with the world is what gives us the motivation to set out on the Christian path.

I sure can relate to that, my life was spiraling down and I knew I needed God in my life. Before that I had been afraid to reach out.

He than says on page 27 “Christian consciousness begins in the painful realization that what we assumed was the truth is in fact a lie.”  And he goes on to give some facts of the lies, lies of satan are not those blatant lies, they are often impeccably factual, containing no errors, no distortions, falsified data, but they claim to tell us who we are, and omit everything about our origin in God and our destiny in God.

According to Peterson in Psalm 120, the word “God” is only used twice in this psalm, but once God is admitted, He fills the entire horizon. And the first step towards God is a step away from the lies of the world. – in Christian terminology that is repentance – a 180 degree turn from the way we are going. He says that repentance is a decision, not a feeling, not feeling sorry for one’s sin, but a decision to stop doing things your way, and to do them God’s way. As we have discovered on our walks, to say “no” to one way of doing things inevitably causes pain, for we are not comfortable with change. But truth be told, the minimal pain of denying one way, is replaced with the joy of being at peace within and with God.

Now here are the paragraphs that link in with our study of Genesis. Page 31-32

 ”The whole history of Israel is set in motion by two such acts of world-rejection, which freed the people for an affirmation of God: “the rejection of Mesopotamia in the days of Abraham and the rejection of Egypt in the days of Moses.” All the wisdom and strength of the ancient world were in Mesopotamia and Egypt. But Israel said no to them. Despite the prestige, the vaunted and uncontested greatness, there was something foundationally alien and false in those cultures: “I’m all for peace; but the minute I tell them so, they go to war!” Mesopotamian power and Egyptian wisdom were strength and intelligence divorced from God, put to the wrong ends and producing all the wrong results.
    Modern interpretations of history are variations on the lies of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians in which, as Abraham Heschel describes it, “man reigns supreme, with the forces of nature as his only possible adversaries. Man is alone, free, and growing stronger. God is either nonexistent or unconcerned. It is human initiative that makes history, and it is primarily by force that constellations change. Man can attain his own salvation.
     So Israel said no and became a pilgrim people, picking a path of peace and righteousness through the battlefields of falsehood and violence, finding a path to God through the labyrinth of sin.
     We know that Israel, in saying no, did not miraculously return to Eden and live in primitive innocence, or mystically inhabit a heavenly city and live in supernatural ecstasy. They worked and played, suffered and sinned in the world as everyone else did, and as Christians still do. But they were now going someplace—they were going to God.”

page 33 “Repentance, the first word in Christian immigration, sets us on the way to traveling in the light. It is a rejection that is also an acceptance, a leaving that develops into an arriving, a no to the world that is a yes to God.

****
Heather’s note, a funny thing, when I used to reject Christianity, I figured I was so free, and I did not realize that the “no” to Christianity, was a “yes” to something that just led me further and further into bondage. I keep praying that people will find the liberty that comes from trusting God, obeying God, and not leaving us open to lies that tear down and destroy.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Putting this up early because I have a treat for you for tomorrow. My husband wrote another letter to the family, no – not to Buzz the Wonderdog, but a piece of his history, a bit traumatic, a bit illuminating, some wonderful pictures and information – the subject – eggplants. Hold your breath, and I will post it later. I feel I owe it to him to let him send it to the family first. Trust me, it is worth it!

Heather

I am reading a book by Gordon Lindsay, The Life and Teachings of Christ, and I am amazed at the wonderful way God will share information. Right now the book is covering the crucifixion of Jesus, and pages 240-242 cover what I am studying in Genesis.

Where Is Calvary Located?

     Before we conclude the story of the crucifixion, there is a question often asked that we may consider. It is this: “Where is Calvary and the tomb where Jesus was laid located?” We believe that an authoritative answer can be given to this question. We wish to give acknowledgment to L. T. Pearson, whose booklet, Where is Calvary? is a scholarly investigation of the subject and which is the source for much of the data used in the following pages:
     Where is the place called Calvary located? And where is the site of the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid? No spot on earth is so sacred. For a number of reasons we believe that Mt. Calvary lies outside the wall of Jerusalem at the northern end of Mt. Moriah. The tomb is nearby the crucifixion, for John 19:41-42 declares “In the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There they laid Jesus.”
     The first mention in the Bible of Mount Moriah, is found in Genesis 22:2, when Abraham was directed of God to “Take now thy son…and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell the of.” The spot was chosen of God. And it was here that Abraham offered his son in sacrifice and received him back as it were from the dead. In type, therefore, the death and resurrection of the Son of God was symbolically pre-enacted on the very spot. It was a rehearsal in the life of Abrahm of the great sacrifice that was to take place 1900 years later.
     Mt. Moriah came into view again when David committed the sin of numbering the people, and the nation came under judgment. “God sent an angel into Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, it is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.” (I Chron. 21:15)
     Then God commanded the angel of the Lord to say to David that the King should go up and “set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite…And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace offerings” (1 Chron 21:18-26).
     In this place of Mt. Moriah, judgment was stayed for sin, and so it is stayed for all sinners. As David set up an altar there, so the cross is the Great Altar, where the Supreme Sacrifice was later made. It was also on Mt. Moriah that God told Solomon to build the temple.
                        “Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at
                        Jerusalem in Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto
                        David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the
                        threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite” (II Chron. 3:1)

     And in II Chronicles 7:12, 16, the Lord said it was to be His place for sacrifice, that His name might be there forever. The temple that Solomon built did not cover the whole Mt. Moriah, only the southern part of it. Mt. Moriah runs north beyond the wall of the city and reaches its highest point at Calvary or Golgotha. This is the place where Christ was crucified. The gospel writers are very precise in this statement: (Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33).
                     “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha,
                     that is to say, a place of a skull” (Matt. 27:33).
     Why is it called “the place of a skull?” As we stand looking at the little cliff-like hill (it is a place where busses are now parked), we note that it has a curious formation or representation of a human skull caused by the natural weathering of the rock. We note that the gospels specifically declare it “the place of a skull.” This abrupt face of the hill was the result of a moat cut through the hill about fifty feet deep and about five hundred feet from the wall of the city. It was made some years before the era of Christ to keep an enemy at a safe distance from the wall. This artificial separation has caused people to forget that Calvary or Golgotha was once united to the rest of Mt. Moriah. Very fortunately Golgotha has been preserved from any buildings being built upon it because of the fact that for centuries it has been a Mohammedan cemetery!
     From this hill all of Jerusalem may be seen. The terrible spectacle of Christ on the Cross was shrouded from public view of the city, after the darkness that descended upon it.
     As we have said, the present wall of Jerusalem is about 500 feet from Golgotha. This wall built by Soliman in the 16th century lies directly over Herod’s archeological excavation. Moreover, this Roman or Herodian gate is directly opposite Golgotha and must have been the one that Christ passed through bearing the cross.
    Now therefore, we have the necessities of the type. Christ must have died on Mt. Moriah, but outside the city gate. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” (Heb. 13:12)
     This was the place reserved by the Jews for stoning, and when the Romans occupied the land, they used the place for their executions.
     But the place where the Lord was crucified is verified by one more fact. The tomb was nearby (John 19:42). It was privately owned by Joseph of Arimathaea. This tomb or sepulcher is hewn out of the very rock of Calvary. It is definitely a Jewish tomb of the Roman period. Various historical records which we cannot mention here also verify this place as the site of the actual tomb of Jesus.
     The tomb of Christ differs from all others in that it is an empty tomb! He is not there, He is risen! He that was dead, is now alive! And because He lives, we shall also live!”

*****

I love how God works, making everything tie in together so well. I hope this blesses you, I love the history of things.

Heather

Why is it that kids can push your buttons? Sometimes I think I react instead of act. Yesterday I apologized to my middle child for spouting off words in frustration, doesn’t matter that he was first out of line. I was talking with a friend today and we were discussing how easy it is to be objective with people outside of your family, but the ones close to us really can cut us to the quick. I also think that satan looks for opportunity to put monkey wrenches in our lives so that we are less effective. I keep praying that God will direct me more, and my flesh less. I could use prayer for that. Pastor Don assures me that when my kids grow up they will be thankful that I was demanding of them for their own good. Right now I just walk through life as the hated one.

Speaking of kids, Genesis 26 is going to sound a bit familiar – reminds me of the saying, “Like Father, Like Son.” And we will see that Isaac watched what Abraham did and repeats it. We will start with Abimelech, that king of the Philistines that Abraham spent some time with, and lied about Sarah being his sister. Let’s see what Isaac does.

Genesis 26

There was a famine in the land, and verse 1 tells us it is like the one in the days of Abraham. Isaac goes to Abimelech in Gerar (same place that Abraham went).

The Lord appears to Isaac and says, verse 2 “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven, I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge. My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

What a wonderful promise. God reaffirms the promise that He made with Abraham, but mentions only the stars of the heaven this time. I don’t know why He didn’t mention the sands of the seas. But how incredible that God will be with him and bless him. And in his seed (again singular seed) will all the nations of the earth be blessed. This promise has been being passed down from Eve to Noah, to Abraham, and now to Isaac. We will see in the genealogy of Jesus that this is the same seed that God is talking about. And the reason for the blessing is because Abraham OBEYED, Gods voice, commandments, statutes, laws, and his charge. How awesome obedience is, most think obedience is restriction, they don’t realize the blessings that come from obeying.

Isaac listens to God and stays in Gerar instead of going to Egypt (which is a type of the flesh). Gerar means a lodging place – not a permanent residence. We will see that God will also move Isaac.

Tell me if this doesn’t sound familiar? The men of the place ask about Rebekah (Isaac’s wife). Guess what he tells them—she is my sister. He was afraid to say that she was his wife for fear that they would kill him over her because of her beauty. I guess Isaac was watching and observing his father’s actions.

I think there is a good warning in this, because our children not only listen to what we say, but they watch what we do, they imitate us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I pray that my kids focus more on the good.

But, as with Abraham, the lie is soon discovered by guess who, Abimelech, who sees Isaac and Rebekah interacting.  Abimelech again reprimands for the lie, only this time it is Isaac who is reprimanded. The king tells his people not to touch him or his wife.

Verse 12-14  ”Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”

Even though he lied, God still prospered Isaac, keeping His promise to Abraham and blessing him. We can see that God’s blessings are not dependant on our actions, they are dependant on God’s sovereignty. Now the passage implies that he sowed seed in the land and reaped a harvest, but I want to suggest that he also sowed something else. He sowed a bad example of not telling the truth about his wife. Now remember that Isaac has two children, and we will see that they too observe their father and his actions. That is what is meant about the sins of the fathers are visited on their children to the third generation. Kids imitate what they see.

We have a wonderful and blessed opportunity to change when we accept Christ into our lives. We do not have to keep repeating the mistakes of our parents, we can become new creatures in Christ, and show our children how to become new creations in Christ. We can break the patterns and the bondage of sin. We do not have to be tied to the past, liberty is a blessed gift of Christ.

Beth Moore also says something about this that I can really relate to. She says on page 115 “Don’t misunderstand me to say that second-generations sins are the fault of first generation sinners. Ezekiel 18 clearly teaches that each person is responsible for his or her own sins. My point is that we must guard against repeating the same mistakes our parents made.”

Before I got saved I spoke with Pastor Don and told him truthfully the mistakes and sins I had committed in my past. Many of them had logical reasoning behind them, at least I thought they were logical at the time. (my testimony) I think my worst sin was the abortion I had, and my reasoning was I was still so messed up by what my parents did that I was afraid of passing on their behavior to the child, so better not to be a parent. This sin was the one that finally broke me and made me realize I really needed a savior, when I realized that abortion was murder. I was crushed, and God used that sin to pull me to Him. But the one lesson I learned was that no matter what actions I did, who I blamed them on, and what my parents did to me, the truth of the matter is I MADE THE DECISION TO SIN OR NOT SIN. I could look back at the trail of what I did and see the “logic” of the decision, but the decision was mine. Every now and then I read the testimony of someone who had a bad life and they chose to love, forgive, and not sin. I still at times feel so badly that I made so many poor choices. But fortunately God has forgiven me, and these are not choices that I would choose to make today. I have changed, I have repented, and I am forgiven. But I also hope not to give my children any bad patterns to copy, I want them to grow up loving God, and making sound choices.

We will also see this pattern in the Old Testament, God blessing the Israelites and those gentile nations envying the blessing. Here the Philistines (Who will become an enemy of Israel are now envying Isaac’s prosperity).

Abraham had dug some wells in the area. In a desert land, wells were essential. They were more precious at times than gold or silver, for life depended on the wells. In the Bible many important encounters occured at wells, Hagar, Abraham, Rebekka and Isaac, and in Jesus’ day, the woman at the well. Wells represent water, and water is the Word of God, and the Spirit of God poured out onto the earth. In Revelation we will see streams of living water coming out from the throne of God. So wells have an important meaning in Biblical terms.

Here we find that the Philistines had filled in the wells that Abraham had dug with earth. After Abimelech send Isaac away, he goes and pitches his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there. He digs the wells of water that his father had dug, and called the wells by the names which his father had called them. Isaac’s servants also dug a well and found running water. This became a bone of contention with the herdsmen of  Gerar, and Issac called the well Esek which means contention. Then they dug another well, and there were quarrels over that, so the well was named Sitnah (hatred). And they dig another well with no quarrel, so they called the name of the well Rehoboth for God made room for us and fruitful in the land.

Then Isaac goes to Beersheba.Genesis 21 is the first place Beersheba is mentioned, where God met with Hagar.Beersheba is a wilderness, and it is where God gave her water, so that she and Ishmael would not die.

All I can say is “Well, well, well.” (Sorry, couldn’t resist that). But what is with this listing of wells. They did not have modern well-digging equipment so wells were dug by hand, and required much work, and direction from God to find the hidden water. It requires digging. Beth Moore on page 116 says, “Few of us have parents who dug literal wells, so let’s think in conceptual terms…..We want to unstop any well of blessing from which we were meant to draw and drink.  The well of refreshment and blessing that should pass from parent to child can be stopped up by either party or by the enemy. A few examples of well stoppers are feelings of unworthiness, distance, disrespect or difference. An adult child stops up a well everytime she throws out the positive inheritance with the negative. We can decide that any area of inauthenticity means every area is inauthentic and a fall automatically constitutes a fraud. When we throw out both our positive and negative inheritance, our attitude loudly proclaims, “I want nothing from you, and I want to be nothing like you!” Nothing is a big word.”

Ouch, I have said similar words, words like, “I would rather die than become like my parents. I would rather go to hell if my parents are in heaven….” And many more such phrases. I am still stuck working in this area in my life. I have found places were God was in my childhood, and I have forgiven my parents, but I still haven’t been able to find much good about them. I still hurt, and I am sorry to say often I still treat God as if he were an abusive parent. There is still areas that are raw with hurt. Yet, I am seeing more of God’s love than before.

Beth says on page 117 “Beloved, God is God—-holy, wonderful, and merciful—-even if someone who held Him up as an example to us didn’t reflect His character. Don’t confuse God with man! However, when man has something of God to offer, receive it even when the flesh-and-blood channel of blessing is imperfect. Goodness knows, Isaac’s father was flawed, but he had a faith Isaac would be wise and blessed to emulate. Spiritual lineage is one of the most precious gifts God offers. He wants nothing more than to reveal Himself to a second generation as the God of the first. Dear One, will we pass down a heritage of faith?”

God seems to visit Isaac a lot. Makes me wonder. Pastor Don says that sometimes when God is silent it is because you are doing His will, and when He speaks often it is because He needs to get your attention. Silence is not always a bad thing. Isaac seems to struggle a bit. He seems to need more reassuring than even Abraham had. God comes and repeats the same promise that God will bless Isaac for Abraham’s sake. Verse 24.

Isaac learned a good thing from his father. After God repeated his promise, Isaac built an altar on that spot, and called on the name of the LORD, and guess what they did, they dug a well.

Well (sorry), Abimelech (remember him who told Isaac to leave the land) came with two of his military captains – Ahuzzath (possession) and Phichol (strong). Isaac asks them why they have come since they hated him and sent him away. The three visitors state that they have seen that God is with Isaac, and now they want to cut a covenant with him that Isaac will do no harm to them because they have not touched him or done anything  but good to them.

Isaac made them a feast and they ate and drank, then early in the morning they swore an oath. (Oh Isaac, I don’t see any reference to you asking God about this oath, Remember that Goliath was a Philistine, and you have sworn peace with these people – again another example of how negative reactions are far reaching for a simple action if God is not consulted first).

But even so, then Isaac’s servants come to report that they have dug a well there and found water. They will call the well Shebah (Well of the oath), and the name of the city – Beersheba is called that because of the well.

Remember Esau – the porridge eater, the one who sold his birthright, who thought little of what Isaac could offer him. He is going to now wed, and his brides (not singular, but plural) of choice are ones that do not honor what God has told his parents. He will marry Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite (Another tribe that will bring trouble to Israel), and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. Verse 35 tells us “And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.”

Judith means Jewess or Praised. Basemath means spice or sweet fragrance. Elon means terebinth or mighty.

Soon we are going to see deception used, deception that was not necessary. Seems that we make a lot of unnecessary moves, when we try to help God keep His promises to us. We make God little when we don’t trust Him to keep His Word. I have at times doubted if God would come through on a promise. It seems that doubt is one of the biggest weapons satan has to try and keep us from being blessed.

I hope you have a blessed Sunday.
Heather

Genesis 25

Well, Sarah has been buried, and Isaac has married Rebekah. Remember, God renewed Abraham, who although he was 100 + years, has remarried, and will bear more children after 20 years of widowhood.

Abraham marries Keturah (whose name means incense), we will later see that incense in temple worship was the prayers of the saints, a sweet savor to the Lord. Abraham then has Zimran (which means song), Jokshan (snare), Medan (strife), Midian (contention), Ishbak (man will leave), and Shuah (from the pit). This is somewhat of a picture of Revelation 20, where satan and his minions are cast into the Lake of Fire, after the millennium. Then follows the genealogies of his sons, and grandchildren. Yet, in verse 5 “Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.” One can only imagine the thoughts of those children that were born of Keturah. We see the name Midian (Midianites) and others who will cause grief to Israel. They have to harbor anger at Abraham and Isaac, for they would think that they got cheated out of their inheritance, them and Ishmael.

Verse 6 “But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.”

Then Abraham dies at the age of 175 years, verse 8  “Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.” At this time Isaac would be 75, and his son Jacob 15.

We have a reunion of the two sons for Abraham’s burial – Isaac and Ishmael  bury Abraham in the cave of Machpeleh, next to Sarah. The blessing of Abraham passed on to Isaac, in verse 11 we see “And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.”

Remember that God promised Hagar that Ishmael would also be the father of many nations, and he will be. Just like Isaac will have 12 sons, Ishamael will also have 12 sons. I heard a teaching that just like the generations from Adam to Noah, that you can break down the names of the sons of Ishmael and get a history of the Islamic nation. I tried it, but don’t know enough about Islam to make any sense of them. In verse 17, we find that Ishamael died at 137 years old, not as old as Abraham.  He died in the presence of all his brethren, in an area that is now called Palestine.

God has called Abraham our forefather, the man of faith, and his friend. What a legacy to leave his children. I only hope that God will consider me his friend when I die.

I have been at funerals where I have seen some rather vitriolic behavior regarding inheritance of property and land. When a person dies, sometimes the evil and greed in a man’s heart comes out. Even to this day the Arabs and the Israelites are still battling over territory. Truth be told, God told everyone who inherited what, but man is fighting over the land, and not obeying God’s instructions.

The problems between Ishmael and Isaac are the roots of our holy war today in this troubled land. Beth Moore says on page 103 of her study the  that “According to Dr. Ergun Caner, “The entire Islamic religion is based on making Ishmael the inheritor of the promise. Over 2200 years after the events on Mount Moriah, Mohammed changed the character of the historical scene from Isaac to Ishmael.”

Genesis 16:12 says that Ishmael will live in hostility toward his brothers, and it is repeated in Genesis 25:18. The Islamic religion is hostile toward Christians. They do not believe God can have a son, and that Jesus was never crucified (Sura 4: 157-159) Because of the crusades we are considered violent people. It will take lots of loving Christians to break that stereotype.

After the genealogy of Ishmael, we find ourselves back with Isaac, and Ishmael and his bretheren will later be seen at war with Israel, something God also promised, for Ishamael would be a warrior.

Isaac was 40 years old according to verse 20, when he took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac is pleading with God (praying) that Rebekah would have a child, and God allows Rebekah to conceive.

Verse 22 “The children struggle together within her, and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” so she went to inquire of the LORD.”

I think it is awesome that we have a family that prays, and when something concerns them, they turn to the LORD in prayer – it is something I am gradually learning to do. Not to react to a situation, but to pray first. I fail at this far too often though, and sometimes with disastrous results.

Here is the LORD’S prophesy and response to her, verse 23 “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body;  one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”

This is an important promise, God explains the current struggle in her womb, and points out that the two children (twins) will struggle. What is most unusual, and it seems to be a pattern these days, is that the older child serves the younger – that the younger one inherits. We saw this with Isaac (Ishmael was born first of Hagar), we will see this with the two who will be born, and later on this will happen many times. Reminds me of Jesus’s words that the first shall be last, and the last first.

So she bears the two children, the first came out red, with a lot of hair like a hairy garment over him, and they named him Esau (which means hairy); From the line of Esau, NIMROD will be born.

But what is interesting is in verse 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.” (Which means heel snatcher – a name Jacob will carry for many years and is sort of a premonition of his future life). Jacob and Esau are the grandchildren of Abraham.

Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth. Seems that some of the same patterns that Abraham had, are copied by Isaac. God gave a direct prophesy about who would inherit, but Isaac was not fond of Jacob, he preferred the rough and ready Esau. And all the scheming in the world will come to nothing, for God’s Will will prevail.

Isaac loved Esau because Isaac ate the game Esau hunted, and Rebekah loved Jacob. It seems that Isaac cared about the comforts of his stomach, his flesh, but Rebekah loved Jacob (he was not a hunter, but was probably a momma’s boy).

The next topic profoundly touches me, for we will see Esau sell his birthright. Each and every time we disobey God, act on our fleshly instincts, we loose a bit of ourselves. God will restore us if we ask His forgiveness, but part of us is gone, and there are always consequences for our disobedient behavior. Esau will give into his flesh, much the same way we do, and then later on when he looks back, he will think Jacob stole from him what Esau gave up as not being worth all that much. Of course, Jacob also acted wrongly because he should not have taken advantage of his brother, knowing the prophesy, he could have trusted that God had things under control. (But hindsight is easy, being there who knows what we would have done. Jacob is a bit of a schemer).

Jacob cooks a stew and Esau comes in from the field weary and hungry. He ask Jacob to feed him some red stew (probably lentil porridge), and in verse 30 we see that after asking for the red stew, “Therefore his name was called Edom.” (Does the name Edomite ring a bell? – they will be a thorn in Israel’s (the nation) flesh, and they are descendants of Esau). I think it is important to realize that how we treat others in our lives will impact us in the future, and in future generations.

Jacob does not just give his brother some stew, he says in verse 31-34 “But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (according to Beth Moore the intent of the quick eating and drinking is to gulp it down without hardly a taste)

Hebrews 12:16 says that Esau was a profane person, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

God will not think highly of Esau for despising his birthright, and will say in the future, “Jacob I have loved, Esau I hate.” If we are given a precious gift, such as a birthright, we do not want to despise it, sell it short, cheapen it. As we will see, later when he is not ruled by his stomach, Esau will regret selling his birthright. The birthright would have allowed him to inherit twice as much as any other son. At that time, the rejection of the birthright implies that he didn’t think his father had anything that he wanted. Can you imagine forfeiting a godly heritage for instant gratification? The trade that Esau made wasn’t worth eternal loss.

Beth says on page 113 “Value who you are in Christ. I don’t believe Scripture teaches that we can trade in our salvation. But, Beloved, we can certainly trade in a personal sense of who we are in Christ for the lusts of this world. Let no one take your crown and never let it be said of us that we despised our birthright.”

Beth Moore cracks me up at times when she tells it like it is. On page 106 she gives a written description of a map of a journey of faith. “1. Depart the place where we receive the promise, 2. Travel through the land where the fulfillment of the promise is divinely tested and either humanly or demonically threatened. 3. Tenaciously press through the obstacles to the place of fulfillment.”

(Heather’s note) Doesn’t that sound familiar to us, at least it does to me. I don’t think God likes to take a direct route, I think he likes the scenic tour. Meanwhile, I am busy waiting and waiting, looking at my watch, tapping my feet, checking the roadmap, and God throws a curve ball taking me by surprise. Sometimes I wish my faith walk were simpler.

Beth goes on to say, “The journey of faith most often involves God’s revealed desire to birth something from us in the area of fruitfulness and purpose.” In the study Beth had us draw an imaginary map with a very curvy trail from where God gives the promise to the fulfillment of it, and then we have to mark an “X” at you are here. My very, very long trail started with the promise that God would restore that which was broken, then I went through a period of trying to do it my own way, wandering in the wilderness, much doubt, in fact a desert of doubt with challenges, comments, and barren dry places, where God seemed to stop answering, and my “X” you are here is coming out of that barren desert, and seeing some progress, but not full fulfillment.

Beth talks about on page 107 the age that the twins were born, “Isaac was 40 years old when he married. Surely as time and togetherness failed to bring forth an heir, he had his own share of self doubts. “Should I have married earlier?” “Have I proved too weak of character?” “Too small of faith?” God’s timing suggests a greater issue. I believe God intended to make crystal clear His participation in fulfilling the promise of heirs. God physically enabled the human race to procreate whether or not a couple knows or acknowledges Him. God wasn’t about to let such an important promise seem naturally fulfilled. Had Isaac and Rebekah conceived the  first year, they would have been tremendously less attentive to spiritual purpose and divine participation. In other words, they might have missed the God-gift.”

I find the above passage provocative. On one hand, I can see that if things had happened as Annie Oakley said in Annie Get your Gun, “Doin’ what comes naturally.” that they may not have seen the children as children of promise. And I can also see that the barrenness caused them to seek God, but sometimes I wish God would answer more quickly.

Beth asks personal questions in her lessons, and one of them was, “What has God given you in a way that you have no doubt who was the Giver”" My answer was peace in my spirit after years of seeking in the occult, in therapy, in other areas, God gave me a sense of peace with my past.

Beth then focuses on Rebekah’s question of if this is so, why am I thus. and gives us a few blanks to fill in. “We might personalize the essence of her confusion as, “If the end result of this is supposed to be ____________, why am I _____________?” I filled that in with If the end result of this is supposed to be trust in you, why am I still struggling?

Then Beth said another sentence that tore my heartstrings on page 107 “God is not going to exempt His children from life’s difficulty. Rather He highlights those very challenges to prove our faith is genuine.”

I SAY: Enough of the testing. I know that God never promised us that there wouldn’t be tribulation, but honestly, sometimes I think my whole life is a test. I would like a VACATION from testing. But there is a promise that Beth shares that helps somewhat, pp 107-108 “We have an infinite advantage over unbelievers, however, even in the here-and-now of our earthly experience. Our difficulties are filled with meaning and far-reaching effects, leaving warm blessing on our earthly journey. Our lives are God’s “I am here” tag on the map of humanity.”

Beth points out that Rebekah’s pregnancy was POLITICAL, not PERSONAL. And that sometimes we might want to not take our trials so personally. sigh

Here is something I didn’t notice – Esau was named for his appearance, Jacob for his actions.

With Esau and Jacob, the parents played favorites. Esau was Isaac’s type, Jacob was Rebekah’s type, and she spent her life plotting with Jacob to try and bring God’s promise to fruition – sound familiar?

Beth says on page 111, “What she didn’t understand is that we don’t have to steal, cheat, and lie to get what God promises us. God is the move maker. The same One who makes the promises fulfills the promises – without our manipulation.

I really have to listen to that above. I cracked up when Beth said, “Esau brought home the bacon and Jacob fried it in the pan.”

Have a blessed Saturday.

Heather

Revised to include a few pictures at the bottom of the entry.

Saw something in the New York Times in an article about a prison program on entrepreneurship – “Today’s a gift, that’s why they call it the present.”

******.

I have grown to love studying God’s Word, something I never thought I would do if you had asked me five or six years ago. I am relatively new to Bible study and have been blessed to have some incredible teachers, some of whom you know, Pastor Don, Pastor Ted, people in my church, visiting pastors, books and tapes by  Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Jon Courson, Chuck Missler, Kenneth Hagin, Yancey, Piper, Stott and others that I have started studying. My Bible margins are covered with notes that I refer to when I read, and then of course my best friends are Strongs’ and a dictionary. I am not a Bible scholar, I have never gone to Bible College (although I did graduate from college in my pagan days), I just share from my heart. And lately God has also been sharing ideas with me during my study times. On my last post someone used Bible College type label words (eisegesis–exegesis) about a topic that I was sharing about. I didn’t recognize the words and they kindly defined them for me. Sometimes it is easy to put a label on something if it disagrees with what you firmly believe. That has brought to mind how people become entrenched in the theories they are taught. I suppose it may be a good thing to have a theological platform to start with. But maybe the Holy Spirit will also open up the Word of God for someone based on where they are at and what their spiritual needs are. Sometimes an open mind is also a good thing. Sometimes there is more to plumb in God’s Word than what we first are taught. Each time I read His word, and in the past four years that I have been saved I must have read the Bible seven times, new and exciting ideas emerge from passages, things I never thought about before. Some readings are quick like novels, lately God has been slowing me down. My sharing of ideas, thoughts, feelings and hurts through the scripture is God’s way of having me really absorb what He is teaching me. I am glad that it blesses people, but never do I want to offend anyone of have anyone think I know more than I do. I am just learning and excited about what I am learning.

Back to Beth Moore The Patriarchs on Genesis 24

Beth focused on the servant, who sought a woman who had the character of his master’s household. She spoke about how he earnestly sought to do what his master commanded. And, I love how she milks the word for teachings that apply to our lives, often in ways that I never thought of before. She says that God used this text to remind her of how much God values excellence. On page 88 she says, “I am concerned that the maximum-load mentality of our culture could potentially turn us into minimalists. We are growing too exhausted to go the extra mile.” That extra mile is often what excellence demands and she says that maximum overload causes minimum effectiveness. Beth then gives a funny example of how many today would have refused to even give a stranger a drink of water, juggling jars, and telling him to give her a ride on the camels because her back is killing her. Beth then added, she would have gone back to her home minus the nose ring and bracelets.

But Beth also says something that impacts my heart, “Minimalists are among the very last things you and I want to be as followers of Jesus Christ.” And sometimes when I look honestly at my prayer life and my devotions, there are times when I am minimalist in what I am doing. I have much to learn, and sometimes the world takes my focus from what is most important.

Beth goes on to show the things that the servant did that showed the excellence of his work.

Page 89:

1. Took on his master’s burden as if it was his own.
2. Prioritized the matter with fervent prayer for success.
3. The servant possessed remarkable enthusiasm for the success of his master’s mission

Beth points out that, “Me-centeredness is so powerful and prevalent in our society that if we don’t deliberately fight it we will undoubtedly live it. Our church work and various expressions of personal ministries will be no exceptions.”

Beth on page 90 comments about how Laban said “This is from the Lord; we have no choice in the matter.” Beth says, “Sometimes God reveals His will so dramatically and obviously that all we have left to do is bow to Him. Opinions don’t matter. Votes are inappropriate. God has revealed His will, and that’s that. Any of us who have any lengthy history with God have most likely experienced occasions when God clearly revealed His will. The most memorable times probably involved a revelation of God’s will that might have painfully differed from our own. Let’s not minimize the personal cost of the marriage to Bethuel’s family. Certainly they wanted Rebekah to marry and to marry well, but certainly they would have preferred to keep her nearby.

And on page 91 she says, “In a world of endless options, all of us long for God to make His will crystal clear. But today’s lesson is a reminder that certainty doesn’t always erase difficulty. I am so honored to serve you, Dear One. Let’s keep bowing even when we’re bawling.

I can relate to that. I have obeyed God and it has been the most painful thing that I have done, for it meant putting up with things that were tough without spouting off at the mouth. The emotional hurt was incredible, but the obedience to God was necessary.

Beth maintains that “God Himself is a romantic.” I can believe that.

Then Beth comments on page 91, about the servant, after Laban and Bethuel agree to let Rebekah become Isaac’s wife, that he worshipped.

She says, “The Hebrew word hawah means to prostrate oneself…worship. As you picture this scene, imagine the old man going to his knees, perhaps even to his face. Surely the God of Abraham was also the God of the servant. I daresay God esteems the worship of no one more than that of a devoted servant, particularly one who is cloaked in anonymity and who is known only as his Master’s.

Beth then quotes G.K. Chesterton on marriage, page 95 “They have invented a phrase, a phrase that is a black and white contradiction in two words —’free love’—as if a lover ever had been, or ever could be, free. It is the nature of love to bind itself, and the institution of marriage merely paid the average man the compliment of taking him at his word.”

I grew up in the free love world and lived that lifestyle – figuring I had already been ruined by my father. With free love you pay dearly. I remember once Pastor Don was teaching about the Woman at the Well, how she had many men. He pointed out that if you end up sleeping around, you lose a piece of yourself to everyone you sleep around with – it affects your spirit. I felt ruined, and went into his office in tears because of what I had done. He told me that I had repented of my past lifestyle, that I was not living that way now, and that God had renewed me and I was a new creation in Christ, the old had passed away. God had restored that innocence. I still at times though, feel like damaged goods, and there are still doubts that I fight. One prominent one is that if my own parents couldn’t love me, why should anyone, even God love me. I know this is a lie from the pit of hell, but so often I have to speak God’s truth, but deep inside there is still a war ravaged part of me that is in ruins. God is healing this, but the healing at times is so slow.

Yet, I have to hold onto the promise that I am the Bride of Christ, and that God loved me enough to send His son to die for my sins. I keep speaking the truth, and I suspect that one day these truths will sink deeper into my being.

Thank you for sharing my journey through the Word. It does impact me greatly, and I love going to your blogs and learning what you share too.

Here are a few pictures of my three teens at a carnival and watching fireworks.

Watching fireworks after a disappointing day of fishing, lots of sun, no fish.

Have a blessed day.
Heather

Genesis 24

Abraham is now getting old (probably approximately 140 years) and the LORD had blessed him in all things. How awesome to walk in obedience in the LORD’s blessing for such a long period of time.

As Beth Moore says on page 84 of her study The Patriarchs, “I believe that as it did in the life of Abraham, obedience to God causes many of those imputed blessings to become imparted blessings in our walk here on Planet Earth. As we walk in obedience to God, our final testimonies will prove that we have been blessed in every way. Without exception, every area of my life has been affected positively by a growing intimacy with God. When we seek to be fully His, blessing overflows the walls of our compartmentalized lives.”

So much of the Old Testament is a picture of principles that have happened or will happen in the New Testament. This aspect of Isaac’s life reminds me of Revelation 19 and the wedding feast of the Lamb. Remember, the wedding feast occurred after the couple had been secluded for a week – Here is a link to my notes from Vicki’s Bible study that talks about the Jewish wedding . Granted, we have not gotten all the traditions yet at this time in Biblical history, but I am certain that some of the same principles were  already in operation. So much of the Law of Moses has already been seen in what Abraham has done, even though the Law has not yet been written.

Abraham calls in his oldest servant. Who might that be? The oldest servant would have been the one who would inherit from Abraham if Abraham did not have children, so we can probably assume that this servant was Eliezer (whose name means help, succor). We will see that throughout all of the account of searching for Isaac’s bride that the servant is just called Abraham’s servant. This may be a stretch, but if you think about the Holy Spirit, he is one who is called the comforter, he helps the Jesus and God, and aids us in our walk. He remains nameless, and in all that He does, He just points us to Jesus. If Abraham is a picture of God, Isaac a picture of Jesus, and then the servant is a picture of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sent to prepare the bride for the Lamb, could this not be a picture of that Great Wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19? It would sort of make sense because Isaac also represented the sacrifice of the Lamb for our sins.

Abraham’s oldest servant (Eliezer) is instructed to take a binding oath – this involved putting his hand under Abraham’s thigh. Verse 3-4 “…and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 

Beth Moore points out that according to the Jewish Study Bible, “intermarriage with the Canaanites would present a lethal threat to Abraham’s identity and destiny.”

So this means going back to Ur of the Chaldes, where Abraham had a brother who had a daughter. The servant is concerned because maybe he could not find a woman willing to follow him back to this land. The servant wanted to know if he should take Isaac with him to Ur. Abraham tells him verse 6 “…Beware that you do not take my son back there.” Isaac is not to return to that past history of Abraham. It is quite possible that if we return to our old haunts after we have been freed through Christ, that we can be trapped to remain where God does not want us.

Also, if you are following the picture of the Bride of Christ, Christ has ascended to heaven, and the Holy Spirit is interceding for Christ on the earth, preparing the bride. The husband does not go into the bride’s house, the bride leaves her house and home and goes to the husband’s house. So Isaac’s bride will return with the servant to Isaac’s home, he is not to go there.

Abraham reminds the servant of God’s promise, and quotes, in verse 7 “…”To your descendants I give this land,” He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.” What great faith Abraham had, he knew that God would provide. He had learned that time after time, so he knew in faith that a bride would be found for Isaac. Also, the bride would not be a Canaanite, for that would be a fleshly bride, and God wanted the line to stay spiritual.

To ease the servant’s fears, Abraham tells him that if a bride is not willing to come, the servant would be released from this binding oath, but I am certain Abraham knew that the bride would be found and would come – would have to because God promised him.

GOD’S WONDROUS INTERVENTION

One servant, 10 camels, and his masters goods were in the servant’s  hand. He went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He shows up at a well at evening time, the time when women came to draw water. The goods that the servant brought would have been considered the bride price.

The servant then prays to God a beautiful prayer. verse 12-14 “Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’ let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

This is the stuff of fairytales, don’t you remember those wonderful stories where a princess does a kindness for a stranger, and then finds out that the stranger has wonderful gifts to give or she gains a prince for a husband.

But notice that the servant prayed to the God of his master, and trusted that God would provide – he had learned that Abraham’s God was faithful. He sets out a sort of fleece, that the girl would give him a drink of water, and also water 10 camels. That would be a lot of pitchers of water to pull out. Most people would shy away from such hard work, a pitcher of water for the man maybe, but most maidens would probably not want to do that kind of hard work to water 10 camels because each camel could drink 25 gallons of water. For a someone to offer to draw that much water, 250 gallons is above and beyond the call of duty.

What is awesome is that in verse 15 it says that BEFORE HE FINISHED SPEAKING, Rebekah appears. (Remember Rebekah’s genealogy was at the end of chapter 22, so we know that she is related). But how fast God honored this prayer is incredible. I sure wish some of my prayers were answered so speedily.

Rebekah was described as a young woman who was beautiful to behold, a virgin, no man had known her.

She answers the servant’s prayer, offering to give him a drink and water his camels. Notice in verse 21 “And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.” I find that interesting, because so often I want to “help” along the prayers I make. Sometimes I will give a broad hint at what I am asking, trying to ensure that God will answer the prayer, especially when I am praying for problems within my family. Much harder to sit back and wait on God, to trust that God will be faithful.

When the camels were done drinking the man (Abraham’s servant) gave Rebekah a golden nose ring weighing 1/2 shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing 10 shekels of gold. Then he asks her whose daughter she is, and whether there is room in her father’s house to lodge. When finding out that she was related to Nahor, and that there was room to lodge, then verse 26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things, and Rebekah’s brother Laban, ran out to meet the man by the well. Laban will also be instrumental in teaching Isaac’s son Jacob about honest dealings with others, but that is later on. But Laban noticed the nose ring and bracelets, and offers hospitality, verse 31 “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

What a good servant, Abraham’s servant was, he was offered food, but would not eat until he had told the Nahor’s family about his errand. He outlines how blessed by God Abraham is, and how his son, Isaac would inherit all that his father has. Then he tells about the commission he was sent on to find a wife for Isaac from his master’s family. He repeats the whole story in detail. I have found that a few places in the Bible there are repeats, and that leads me to believe that it is because there is great importance to God in the material covered, so we need to take special care to read the section with attention. This is one time, also the description of the tabernacle construction, the tithes and offerings made by the tribes. So, what lessons could be learned by the above?

Perhaps it is God’s valuing of marriage, service and its rewards, the picture of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The great gifts that the Lord has to offer for those who serve and obey, the facts that foreshadow Revelation 19.  I don’t know. I also wonder about the number 10, why 10 camels? One other famous 10 is the 10 commandments.

After repeating the whole story, in verse 49, the servant asks, “Now, if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.

Laban (the son) and Bethuel (the father) state that this comes from the LORD, and they cannot speak either bad or good. They say in verse 51 “Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.”

Again, Abraham’s servant worships the LORD and bows himself to the earth. He has learned from Abraham how to worship God. Then the servant brings out jewelry of silver, gold, and clothing to give to Rebekah (the bridal price). And gives precious things to her brother and her mother. 

After the commission was done he ate and drank and said “Send me away to my master.”

The brother and mother ask that the woman stay a few days, at least ten (10???) then she can go, but the servant says, verse 56 “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

They call Rebekah and ask her, and she when asked if she would go with the servant,  Rebekah says, “I will go.” So Rebekah and her nurse went with the servant and his men. Her family gave her a blessing to send her off:

Verse 60 Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.

They were saying, may her descendants have victory, and they begin the trek towards Abraham’s home.

Isaac, who remained at his father’s house, was looking out for his bride’s coming, just like Jesus is eagerly awaiting our coming. He came to Beer Lahai Roi (which means well of the Lord of the Living one seeing me). This is the same well where the Angel of the Lord met Hagar. Isaac is out meditating in the field in the evening, and when he lifted his eyes, he saw that the camels were coming.

Here is the stuff of romance – Rebekah lifts her eyes and sees Isaac and dismounts. She asks who is that man, and finds out that it is her future husband, so Rebekah covers herself with a veil. Isaac brings Rebekah into his mother’s tent (remember that Sarah died), and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

sigh, I love happy endings.

Beth Moore shares something in her Patriarch’s study that touched me deeply. As most of you by now know my past, you know that at the age of 8 my father took my virginity and I ended up feeling that I was ruined goods. Most of my life I felt that I would never have that innocence that most people have, and I lived a life according to that lie. Beth Moore was also abused and she writes this, on page 86:

I so wish I had been a virgin when I married. God meant virginity to be a precious gift. Because of my history of both victimization and sin, I did not at all feel beautiful on my wedding day. Keith hates for me to say such a thing, but I remember vividly the emotions I felt that day. Perhaps you have a similar past or maybe, though you remained pure you struggle with feeling beautiful. Dear, Dear One, Christ answers both of those needs. Through His glorious forgiveness, redemption, and refinement, we can joyfully be presented as “virgins” (2 Cor. 11:2) Emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, my virginity has undoubtedly been restored as one of the sweetest works of God’s redemption in my life. I feel an innocence and purity now that was totally foreign to me even in my elementary school years.

She then mentions Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

How awesome that Christ not only wants us, but purifies us, so that we are presentable to Him as His bride. It brings tears to my eyes to see how loved we are by Him.

Beth Moore than gives us a beauty secret, Page 86 “You will never have a beauty secret with more visible results than the study of God’s Word. Let His word evoke your beauty daily.”

Beth Moore spent many days on this chapter, and there are other angles that she presented that I hadn’t thought about. Because this entry is so long, I think I will share the rest of them with you tomorrow, they impacted me greatly when I reviewed them, so you might as well see what God is working on in my life.

I am hoping you have a blessed day!!

Heather

I can hardly wait to see Isaac married, but before we get to his wedding – we have an interlude, Sarah’s death and burial. The gravesite that Abraham will purchase will be the only piece of property that he purchases and calls his own. (Of course, God gave him all the ground he walked on for a possession).

Sarah lived to be 127 years, she died in Hebron (which means fellowship), the place is also called Kirjath Araba in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourns and weeps for Sarah. What a remarkable love, that after so many years together Abraham mourns. Did you want a bit of Bible trivia? Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age is given. Perhaps this is a biblical precedent about why women are so reticent to give out their ages. (She says jokingly).

Sarah is used in the Bible as an example of a Godly woman. Isaiah 51:1-2 Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug, look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone and blessed him and increased him.

1 Peter 3:6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

I have to tell you, that a woman who maintained her beauty in her 80′s and 90′s wandering in the wilderness must be someone special, and I suspect it is an inward beauty that comes from obedience and love of God.

It was ok for Abraham to mourn, as it is ok for us to mourn when we lose a loved one. There is a hole in our lives, and it is right to mourn. But at the same time, we have the promise that in the future we will again see our loved ones in heaven. I am always so glad that God shows us through example that it is ok to have the feelings we have – it ultimately is what we do with them that matters. I used to condemn myself sometimes for feeling and hurting after I was saved, and it was wrong thinking to condemn myself. Oh, we should not dwell in the valley of sorrows, but we are not without feeling, and at times feelings are appropriate.

Abraham goes out to the sons of Heth (Heth means terror – and it is these sons that will become the Hittites, one of a number of tribes that will cause grief to the nation Israel). Abraham asks them for a piece of property for a burial place. The sons of Heth offer him any of the choice burial places, but Abraham asks to meet with Ephron, the son of Zohar. He bows himself to the people of the land (very polite, the way we should be, even with those who are not saved). And Abraham asks for the cave of Machpelah – which means double or portion – it is a cave with double “doors”, a way in and a way out (could this mean that he realizes that death is not final). Abraham insists on paying the full price of the property.

EPHRON means fawn like – and Ephron offers to give Abraham the field, but Abraham insists on paying. Quickly in verse 15 Ephron says the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. Usually in those days most prices were negotiated, so 400 was probably more than the land was worth, Ephron figuring that Abraham would bargain the price down. Abraham pays the full amount, no bargaining. In a way Ephron represents the world and it’s ways, and Abraham, represents God’s ways. Abraham did not take Ephron’s gift, for he chose to honor God’s ways instead.

Abraham buries Sarah, and later we will see that He will be buried there, and Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah also will be buried there.

Well, tomorrow I will get to talk about a wedding, a happy occasion after the sadness of Sarah’s death. But what is interesting is that Abraham will marry another and have other children. God rejuvenated Abraham completely.

Hoping you have a blessed day.
Heather

UPDATE: Alas, no fish, the few caught were undersized, I am soon going to have unhappy fisherpeople (one daughter, two sons and one husband) coming home. I can’t wait to see them, but pray that they will not be too disappointed.

 Well Happy Fourth of July to you! If you can say a prayer for my three children and their dad that somehow Jesus tells them were to let out their fish hooks so they can catch at least one good fish each. So far two days of fishing, no fish. And the Super Banjo lures are not what they are cracked up to be. All my kids caught was a sunburn, some good fireworks, and a bit of a carnival. The need fish big time. They will get home tonight, and my time on the computer will then be severely limited, as IMing, and work takes precedence. So I want you to know that I have enjoyed the luxury of really visiting your sites yesterday.

Genesis 22

All of the tests and trials that Abraham has faced has prepared him for this test of faith.

Genesis 22:1-2: Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” and he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now 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.”

A few facts, this is many years later, Isaac was 33 years old. We usually see pictures of this with a young boy, but he was 33, and that is the same age that Jesus was crucified. Notice that God does not remind Abraham of his mistake, God says, take your son – your ONLY son. No mention of Hagar and Ishmael. It is important to remember a few things. One of which is that Isaac is a miracle child – he was born when Abraham was very old, and God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. I am wondering what Abraham thought about this new request from God. Finally he had a son, and now God wants him to sacrifice his only son. What would happen to the seed then? Of course, we see signs in Abraham that he trusted God’s prophesy, and believed that God would somehow take care of this situation – that somehow Isaac would be resurrected or preserved from sacrifice. I do not know that I would have the same degree of faith that Abraham had, more now today than a few years ago, but I still have faith issues that I am weak in.

They are going to Moriah. MORIAH means foreseen of God.

To his credit, Abraham rises up early in the morning, saddles his donkey (same mode of transportation that Jesus used), and takes two young men with him and Isaac his son. He splits wood for burnt offering and goes to the place that God tells him to go.

THIRD DAY – so often the mention of the third day is in the Bible, this is a hint at end times. And we also know that Jesus rose on the third day. So it is no accident that it took three days to get to the place God directed Abraham. Abraham lifts his eyes (another occasion for lifting his eyes) and sees the place afar off.

What amazes me is just how far God will go to give us a message, a picture of what He is planning to do when Jesus comes to earth, just how far He is willing to go in His love for us, that He would sacrifice His only Son. Now Isaac will be spared, but we can imagine the feelings that Abraham must have had during those three days of walking next to his son, his only son. I cannot imagine how God must have felt when Jesus walked to the cross – and we know that God feels – Jesus wept – and Jesus did what his father did.

Romans 4 lets us know that the Gospel was preached BEFORE Abraham, so Abraham knew about the Gospel, and it is probably no accident that this occurred AFTER THESE THINGS. Probably after the Gospel was preached.

Just a thought regarding the three days, Jesus was in the tomb three days, Jonah in the whale. Given Abraham’s obedience to God and willingness to do as God directed, in Abraham’s eyes, Isaac was dead the moment the message came – then they walked three days to get to the place, but I am certain that all of Abraham’s hopes and dreams for Isaac died the moment God spoke His Word. So the three days walk before the miraculous substitutionary offering was given could correspond to the three days in the tomb. 

This is a massive test of two faiths, Abraham and Isaac’s. Remember Isaac was old enough to resist, and chose to obey. Abraham obeyed by giving his dearly loved son to God. Yet Abraham trusted God’s promise and knew that God would take care of the situation somehow. Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.  Remember that Abraham was considered dead (from being able to conceive children), and he knew by faith that God would somehow make sure the seed came through Isaac.

We can see the faith of Abraham by his instructions to his servants in Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Notice Abraham is going to go off alone with Isaac, and he tells his men WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU. Not “I” will come back to you.

Abraham takes the wood of the burnt offering and Isaac carries it on his back. (Remember Christ carried his wooden cross).  Abraham carried fire in his hand (this is an inference on my part, but the Holy Spirit came with fire). So in a way we have a picture of the trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And Abraham carried the knife – remember how sharp he would have had to make it. Also, how many servants were there with Abraham and Isaac? Two – like the two thieves on the cross.

I am so glad that  we can overhear conversations in the Bible, listen to this one in Genesis 22:7-8   “But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering. And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So the two men went together.”

This is an action packed conversation. Isaac notices a crucial missing element of the burnt offering – the Lamb. And Abraham says that God will provide for HIMSELF the lamb for a burnt offering. In the King James version it says, “the LORD will provide himself” New King James adds the word “for” which I don’t think is right in this case. We see that ultimately God provides HIMSELF as the offering – a pure lamb, but Abraham knew that God would provide. He had learned that the hard way with a trip down to Egypt, and all the trials that he had that lead him to this point in time. He learned that God could provide a son when there seemed no hope that a natural born son could be provided. I love the line SO THE TWO MEN WENT TOGETHER – isn’t that an awful lot like in agreement, like when we pray in agreement over things. We go together, and there is power in that unity.

A few New Testament verses to back up some of what I have been saying about the Gospel preached beforehand. Galatians 3:5-9 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?–just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham BEFOREHAND (caps are mine), saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

In John 8, Jesus chides the Scribes and Pharisees when He says in verses 39-40 “…If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham, but now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.” Abraham believed God and it was counted for righteousness. The Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus would inform that they believed their father – satan, the giver of lies.

They come to the place where God brought him, and Abraham built an altar, placed the wood on it in order, bound Isaac and laid him on the altar of wood. Isaac had to do this willingly, a 33 year old boy could certainly overcome his father and not be bound if he wished.

Abraham takes the knife in his hand and raises it to slay his son, then praise God, the Angel of the Lord (notice the capital “A”) calls to Abraham from heaven. This is Jesus before He was born on the earth. and says in verse 12 “And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me.” Again those words, your son, your ONLY son. And Abraham passed this test with flying colors. And he LIFTED HIS EYES, and what a wonderful sight he saw – a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. And verse 13 “…So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” Notice that it was not a lamb that was provided here, but a ram. Jesus would be the one and only lamb.  A thicket is a thorny bush, so here we have an illusion to the crown of thorns.

And here is the first time that Jehovah-Jireh is used “The LORD Will Provide” which is the name that Abraham will call this place. Verse 14 “…as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD, it shall be provided.” How prophetic these words are, for in the same mount our Lord Jesus Christ, will provide for our salvation. 

Notice the progression that  happens before God spoke prophetically - the call to sacrifice, the preparation and obedience to do so, then God will speak to Abraham, a wonderful prophesy that is partially fulfilled to this day, some will occur in the end times.

Genesis 22: 15-18 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore;  and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Notice that here the word “seed” is singular – and it reminds me of the seed of the woman promised in Genesis. It is through this line of Abraham’s descendants, from Isaac his ONLY son, that the Messiah will be born. And again God reminds Abraham that his descendants will multiply like stars of heaven and sand on sea shore. We are spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith as we saw above, but this shows that it is also the Gentiles that will be brought into the kingdom. The part of the prophesy that needs fulfilling still is that we have not fully possessed the gates of the enemy – this will not happen until satan is cast down in Revelation into the Lake of Fire.

Then Abraham will go and dwell at Beersheba.

Then out of the blue, after a wonderful picture of Jesus, is verses 20-24 a bit of genealogy, some of the names would fit today’s rock star names – Huz and Buz his brother. But the culmination of the list is in verse 23 “And Bethuel begot Rebekah.” We will see more of Rebekah in Chapter 24 for she will become the bride of Isaac. Notice, that the bride for Isaac will appear after this sacrifice – after the crucifixion, then the Bride will come – just as we are the Bride of Christ. Ah, I am getting ahead of myself, I am muzzling what I want to say until Chapter 24.

Last year when I took Beth Moore’s The Patriarchs, she spent an hour on video talking about Isaac and Abraham. Some of her points were so good that I want to share them with you, for they blessed me. I love how she makes the scriptures come alive, she has been instrumental in my growth in the Lord, even though I have never met her in person.

She points out that regarding the sacrifice, God went to Abraham – if He had gone to Sarah, she would have put up a fight. She also pointed out that, while much of the chapters we have covered to date cover a lot of territory, with this chapter, God moves in slow motion – the details are so specific, the action so slowed down so that we can savor every picture. Beth also noted that in Genesis 12 and Genesis 22, Abraham is told to leave a place and go to a place that God would show him, but God doesn’t tell the place – Abraham has to walk in faith knowing that God will direct him to the right place.

Her main focus was on tests, and she points out that “Our tests have our names on them.” That we won’t have to take someone else’s test. She says that the word for tested means to test, try, prove. It is the idea of testing the quality of someone through stressful circumstances. Beth also then points out that our hardest tests involve our dearest loves. But that we are not powerless in our tests, how we take them is entirely up to us. We can avoid them, but God will keep presenting us with the test. His goal is that we pass the test. The test is not so that God will find out if we pass it, but so that we can see what we are made of.

Beth pointed out that when God says take Now thy son – it is the “Hebrew word “Na” and it is called the particle of entreaty, and used by God only in issues of staggering importance often defying rational understanding.” Abraham’s only recorded words to God in this chapter are, “Here I am”. God, with His tests, is often trying to show us that we don’t have any idea what we can do until we trust Him.

Beth said something that is sooooo true for me, “Obedience is not the hardest part of our most trying tests, keeping the faith can be hardest of all.” And she also points out that the harder the test, the more far reaching the ramifications. She said, “When God is up to something hard, He is up to something big.”

When Abraham called the place, “The Lord will Provide”, the Hebrew word for “provide” means, to see. She says that in Exodus 20:20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” God gives us tests to show us where we are in His kingdom, to show us our strengths and weaknesses. God wants us to pass the test, and will keep giving it to us until we do, and the purpose of His tests is so we are strong in the faith and will not sin.

What an awesome God we serve!!!!

Heather