June 23, 2023

 God Is Good

Happy Friday! 

God is the author of our Faith!

Alpha and Omega

FAITH! God's plan goes beyond Abraham and even his promise seed. It would extend all the way into the New Testament with Jesus, and then an engrafting of Gentiles. 

 The plan that God had included Abraham leaving his home land. The book "The Bible Times" is so nice. It has pictures of the land of Abraham ancestors. It provides historical artifacts such as words written on stones because that was how they wrote and passed information along. 

The passages in the book reveals that Abraham kept God commandments. His command was to leave and travel to Haran. Fast forward a bit and we know Moses gave the children of Israel the ten commandments after leaving Egypt. Later on Jesus would summarize and put all the commandments into two commandments. To love God with all your heart, mind, and might; and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus goes deeper into the heart and spirit of mankind. 

Genesis 21

King James Version

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

(This models the virgin Mary's and the birth of Jesus. God visits (but for Mary it says the Angel of the Lord visited Mary. How beautiful is the fact the whole entire bible testifies to Jesus Christ. No matter which way you turn in or what angle you look at it. All roads point to Jesus. 

Even when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son we see Jesus before he even comes. A long time ago as a younger reading we may think; why would God do such a thing. It seems almost cruel; that this promised (unique birth) son has to die. But we see God's plan for salvation HERE. His death just opens us even more. Which is amazing! Did Abraham understand...mentally and emotionally we don't know but we know he obeyed God. History in this book tells us that people wrote on stones. At this point in history this was the beginning of writing. 

In the book: it says that Abraham wonder in the desert it was the land of Iraq and this land has a desert climate. It takes God to leave a place and travel or wonder to a land that God will show you. (wondering) He left one place to find the place that God wanted him to be. The great plan of God was unfolding and just like Abraham believed millions (as many as the stars) of people would also believe. 

1. The journey did not begin in the wilderness with the children of Israel but with Abraham. The journeys were different. Different time periods but they are led by God. 

2.  Abraham had a journey. His son Isaac continues the journey. And we know this journey goes all the way to Joseph in the land of Egypt; and at last to the promise land. 

3.  God tells one man to leave his mother and Fathers house. This amazing journey begins. 

Excerpt from book

"And they came unto Haran, and dwelt there" Genesis 11:31

"Abram spoke of this region and its folks as (my country) (my kindred). Here he prospered, perhaps as a caravaneer; the name of this Turkish village near the Syrian border (it was called the caravan city).  Genesis 31 recounts Jacob's years tending flocks near Haran."

The book goes into history and beautifully depicts the journey of Abraham. What a journey. I know it took faith in God to do the traveling, settling down, and prospering in a land that is different than your native land. 

GENESIS CONT....

3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

1. The word mocking stood out to me. I have mockers who mock me if you are a believer you have them too. I believe mine would follow me around all day laughing and mocking me if they could. I think its cruel its not something I would like to do but I looked it up and guess mockers are all in the bible. They are dangerous. They mock God's word. They watch and laugh at pain, problems, but what does God say to do about them. Nothing. Proverbs just reveals their character. They don't share the same mind, beliefs, or attitudes that others may have towards God. The soldiers mocked Jesus. What did he do? Ignored them.  They don't believe and things are funny to them. They laughed, they jeered. It was a holy and beautiful moment and the mockers were joking. Jesus was dying for the world to be saved. His followers in pain at a distance. But they was mocking or we can say laughing. Today some people mock gospel music turning it into a joke or even insult instead of worship to God. They use the things of God to mock people who are worshiping God making ugly jokes. But the bible warns us to not correct the mocker because he will abuse you. He will hate you for correcting him but I think today we have to know that mockers will laugh at us. It does not take away from what God is doing. Honestly no one wants to be mocked. It is to important to know people who close to us may sit among us mocking. Guess what we have to be stronger than a mocker. Let them mock just keep the faith! 

Genesis cont...

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

THEY REALLY DO WANDER A LOT--I BELIVE IT IS A JOURNEY FOR A LAND TO SETTLE IN. ONCE SETTLED IN IT. GOD PROSPERS THEM! LIKE DISCOVERING!

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

I hope you enjoy and have a great day! 

Nice cool drinks in the ice box.