Psalm 4:3-5 Do You Give God Anything Besides Your Laundry List?
4:3 "But know that Yahweh has set apart for Himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to Him. 4 Stand in awe/tremble, and don't sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Put your trust in Yahweh."
Observation: 4:3 Prayer is communication in a relationship. God hears the prayers of those rightly related to Him (cx Proverbs 28:9), who take pains to be pleasing to Him.
4:5 offer a) the right/specified sacrifices; or b) sacrifices that come from a searched, still, non-sinning heart (better option), or c) ones that consist of righteous behavior (possible, but not as righteous as the 2nd option).
Application: Give God what He wants, if you expect Him to do the same. What are you giving Him?
Prayer: Lover of my soul, I want to please You. Please help me be pleasing in all I think, feel, value, and do. Amen.
Proverbs 1:20-33 Hearing Wisdom
1:20 “Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares. 21 She calls at the chief place of concourse. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words: 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention; 25 but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof; 26 I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you; 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you. 28 Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me; 29 because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh. 30 They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
32 For the turning away of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them. 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."
Observations: 1:20-33 These are some of the scariest verses in the wisdom literature.
1:20-23 Wisdom calls out in the various spheres of life, where decisions need to be made. If the simple/naive, mockers/scorners, and fools, listen to wisdom, and repent/turn at her reproof (bringing incorrect behavior to light by showing actions and consequences), then wisdom would pour out her spirit on them, and make known her wise ways, and all would be good.
1:24-31 But because the naïve fools thought they knew better, they refused to listen, didn't pay attention, ignored wise counsel, and didn't want any reproof, or anyone telling them what do to (like a rebellious toddler), then wisdom would justly refuse to listen to them. When the folly of their stupid schemes overtakes them, and they start experiencing the earned consequences of their dumb decisions, like disaster, distress, calamity and anguish, they will desperately seek deliverance and help, but it will be too late. Since they didn't choose wisdom and to fear God, they will reap their folly and fear all kinds of harm. That is not only just, but necessary; the time to seek wisdom is before, not after the fact. They didn't want God's perspective and guidance when He wanted to give it to them, and when they most needed it. They foolishly chose to jump off the cliff; halfway down to getting dashed on the rocks is too late to ask if they should have jumped. Free-will isn't freedom from responsibility, because it has very significant and expensive consequences attached to each decision. Only God can guide to what's good, which is why fearing and seeking Him is wise.
1:32-33 The first chapter of this book of wisdom ends with a classic choice of two paths. One, that of turning away from the instruction of wisdom, or carelessly doing what comes naturally, will result in death and destruction (not a wise choice for any but the insane). The other path, listening to instruction, and fearing the God of wisdom (first step of wisdom is to fear God, caring about what is right in His sight), will result in safety, security, and pleasures forevermore (the sane choice).
Application: If we don't listen to God, He doesn't listen to us.
Prayer: Lord, may I humbly and receptively seek Your will in all I do, before it is too late; may I be sensitive to Your guidance, and the daily recipient of Your help. Thanks. Amen.
Genesis 12-15
If you are short on time, the excerpts from chapter 12 and chapter 15 are really foundational.
Genesis 12 Abrahamic Covenant
Observations: God wants His people separate (root idea of holy) from those around them, so when He blesses (remember He does that) it can be seen that folks are being blessed because they are His people. Note the three elements of the promise.
- Land which gets elaborated upon in the next chapters and the Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy),
- Nation, which implies people which implies offspring (seed) [more in next post]. Elaborated in the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89),
- Blessing, personal, interpersonal, and global. Elaborated upon in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31).
Questions: What did Abram have to do to get these blessings?
Hebrews 11:8 "By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went."(typical guy)
Application: How do you demonstrate faith in God's promises?
Prayer: Giver of All That Is Good, I praise You, that You have revealed Yourself to be the God Who Blesses. Thank you. Amen.
12:10 "There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there...13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.” 13:11 Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. 12 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold...14 Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered."
Observations: The promised land wasn't looking too promising, so Abram went down to Egypt, encountered difficulties, had a little trouble completely trusting God, but came back loaded with some of the blessings God promised. He does a little better with the challenges to his faith in God's blessing in the next section.
Hebrews 11:9 "By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
13:14 Frequently God has to rearrange our lives to get us to a place of blessing. In some cases separation from old acquaintances who don't want to follow God is necessary. The bigger issue is usually separating us from our temporal desires and comfort zone.
Genesis 14 Melchizedek and God Most High
14:14 "When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued...
18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself.”
22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’"
Observations: Abram again faces difficulties, and again comes out blessed even more!
14:18 Melchizedek comes out with bread and wine, and blesses him some more (maybe foreshadowing future universal blessing). Who was this guy whose name means “King of Righteousness”? He's a king (of a place that means peace) and a priest of the Most High/Supreme God. Messianic Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7 have more tantalizing tidbits of information about him. Could there be some revelation outside of what's preserved in the supernaturally authenticated pages of Scripture? See Digging Deeper below.
14:18 Melchizedek comes out with bread and wine, and blesses him some more (maybe foreshadowing future universal blessing). Who was this guy whose name means “King of Righteousness”? He's a king (of a place that means peace) and a priest of the Most High/Supreme God. Messianic Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5-7 have more tantalizing tidbits of information about him. Could there be some revelation outside of what's preserved in the supernaturally authenticated pages of Scripture? See Digging Deeper below.
14:22 If you're looking to God to bless you and meet your needs, it would be disloyal to seek those things apart from Him.
Genesis 15 You Better Believe It
15:1 "After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 Abram said, “Lord* Yahweh, what will You give me, since I go childless...3 Abram said, “Behold, to me You have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” 5 Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So shall your seed be.” 6 He believed in Yahweh; and He reckoned it to him for righteousness. 7 He said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
Observations: 15:2 Abram embraces Yahweh as his Lord and Leader, using the term for Master.
15:3 God listens to and responds to the concerns and desires of His people (Psalm 145:16).
15:6 is quoted in the NT as the definitive statement of righteousness by faith (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6). While Abram is busy counting stars, God is accounting righteousness to him, on the basis of his belief. “Salvation” is always by faith, what one has to believe can vary. Adam had to believe that if he ate, he'd die; Noah, that a flood was coming; Abram, that God would bless him; Exodus audience, that God would accept the sacrifices (see Leviticus); the initial NT audience, that the promised OT kingdom was coming; Post-cross audience, that the Father accepts Jesus' death as full payment for our sins. Grace is the basis, faith is the channel of blessing.
Lexical Light: The word for believe is used of the pillars supporting a door, or a nursemaid entrusted with the care of a baby. The root idea is trust. When we believe God we trust that what He says is the real nature of things. See Hebrews 11:6 in the Genesis 6-9 post.
Questions: What is it that Abram believed? What do you believe?
Prayer: Lord God, thanks for graciously blessing folks. Help me believe all You've revealed, and look only to You as the Source of my good. Amen.
Genesis 15 Let's Cut a Deal
15:8 He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”...12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. 13 He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. 14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth, 15 but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.” 17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites...20 the Hittites, the Parasites* and Termites*...21 the Amorites, the Canaanites....” *just kidding
Observations: 5:13-15 Israel's enslavement in Egypt was no accident; it was part of God's plan to bless them, just as Abram had been blessed by his time in Egypt.
5:16 Note God is again patiently waiting to judge the rebellious Amorites; waiting until their sin becomes obvious. How did they sin? The word “iniquity” usually connotes guilt from violating a right or duty (similar to the English), and comes from a root that means to bend or twist what was correct. God had given them revelation, either directly, or through nature, or through conscience, but they apparently ignored it, for over 400 years. God raised up a nation from one chosen, obedient, childless, former idolater (Joshua 24:2) to judge the evil ones.
Lexical Light: 5:18 The Hebrew for “make a covenant” comes from two roots that have the meaning of “cut.” You'd agree on terms; cut an animal in two; lay the pieces on the ground; join hands and walk between the pieces saying something like: “May what happened to this animal happen to us if we don't keep our word on this deal.” Then you'd seal the deal with a meal or sacrifice. Note that Abram was snoozing and only God passed between the halves. That means that the grant of the land is unconditional. The possession of it is another story, see Deuteronomy, dependent upon obedience. Abram did what God revealed; God did the rest.
Questions: By what right does anyone “own” land? Both historically (war or community consent), and in modern times (taxes) one's right to land is dependent upon one's ability to protect and defend it.
Digging Deeper: The earliest account of religious worship in China is found in the Shu Jing (Book of History or Book of Documents), the oldest Chinese historical source. This book records that in the year 2230 B.C., the Emperor Shun “sacrificed to Shangdi.” That is, he sacrificed to the supreme God of the ancient Chinese, Shangdi meaning Supreme Ruler. This ceremony came to be known as the “Border Sacrifice,” because at the summer solstice the Emperor took part in ceremonies on the northern border (earth) of the country, and at the winter solstice he offered a sacrifice on the southern border (heaven). A bull was sacrificed, rather than worshiped (as in the pagan religions around Israel). The monotheistic prayers offered reflect a Creator speaking the world into existence, and sound just like the OT Psalms. Hmmmm.
God in a nutshell: He loves to bless, and rewards faith. He makes and keeps covenants with His people. He is concerned about our desires and has a plan to meet them that tie into purposes beyond ourselves. The timing of the fulfillment of His promises requires patient faith.
Us in a nutshell: We tend to look for immediate gratification, and need to be sustained by God's grace to hang onto our hope for the fulfillment of His promises. Like Abram, we waver a little, now and then, but as we mature, we are stable. We have a part to play in the fulfillment of His promises, usually centered around obedience to what He's revealed.
Where to Go for More:
Genesis 12-15 (complete text)
Genesis 12
12:1 "Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.”
4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.
7 Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your seed .”
He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him. 8 He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh. 9 Abram traveled, going on still toward the South.
10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. 12 It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. 13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
14 It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17 Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”
20 Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.
Genesis 13
13:1 "Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 He went on his journeys from the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Yahweh. 5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together. 7 There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time. 8 Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives. 9 Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.
14 Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you.”
18 Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh."
Genesis 14
14:1 "It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, to Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7 They returned, and came to En Mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazazon Tamar. 8 The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim; 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and those who remained fled to the hills. 11 They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. 12 They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. Now he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. 15 He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 The king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave him a tenth of all.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself.”
22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.”
Genesis 15
15:1 "After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 Abram said, “Lord* Yahweh, what will You give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram said, “Behold, to me You have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”
4 Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” 5 Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So shall your seed be.” 6 He believed in Yahweh; and He reckoned it to him for righteousness. 7 He said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
8 He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. 13 He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. 14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth, 15 but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.” 17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
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