Bible Reading Reflection from Genesis 11-20

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟙:𝟜

"They said, 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'"

Highly advanced in technology, able to build a skyscraper.

Technology should be used to worship God, not to sin against God!

Mobile phones should be used to help us live a righteous living, not a sinful wasteful living.

Calling up people through the phone could be mostly good. WhatsApping biblical stuff like this [sharing reading-reflection] is good.

Zoom meeting technology for the church program is good.

What are bad?

Wasting time on YouTube for useless stuff. Wasting time in useless games. Wasting time in useless movies etc.

Well, that's building a tower of Babel in our life! And don't wonder if your life is full of confusion!

I also found myself wasting time on YouTube, movies, etc.! My Babel Tower is also very high already

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟠

"Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?'"

Don't deny your wife or your girlfriend for your selfish interest. God will take the side of her.

Something to keep in mind until we die! 🙂

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟛:𝟡

"Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."

Wow! Abraham gave the first choice to Lot. What an unselfish individual was he!

Most people do things based on their interest, even fixing a date [day] for a program. Of course, there are always some people who also say [indecisive, going with the crowd], "What's good to you is good to me too!" Learn to differentiate them.

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟜

"When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan."

Look out for your relatives! Remember 14:14 of Genesis!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟞

"Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

Interesting revelation! God will bless Abraham with the riches of this land but only after 500 plus years. Now, [look to ourselves,] we want blessings now [impatience].

Also, Abraham’s blessing will be through dispossessing others. God, taking the inheritance of Amorites and Canaanites, and giving to the children of Abraham. God is set to destroy the Amorites. He is prospering them to be given to the Israelites.

God is righteous and sovereign. The blessings of Israel and the judgment on Amorites had providentially coincided!

Abraham didn’t see the realized promised land, because God's plan is bigger than himself. God is bigger than us. Whether we live or die God is working! Like a game of chess in a good way!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟞:𝟚

"So Sarai said to Abram, 'Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai."

So far, this is the 2^nd time a husband listened to his wife, the first was Adam.

Each time, it was a failure of the responsibility of a man concerning righteous and moral things. They were about trusting God: Adam to trust God and not eat the fruit, Abraham to trust God for a son and not have another wife.

On both occasions, the wife gave an evil counsel. I'd like to think the evil counsel didn’t originate from the women. Perhaps, both the thoughts occurred to Adam and Abraham too. And the wives instead of helping them to stand strong, the wives pushed their husbands in the wrong directions!

One Interesting thing: Mary the mother of Jesus asked Jesus to do something when the wine ran out. What did Jesus reply?

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟟:𝟙

"Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.'"

Abraham was known as the friend of God, the father of faith, and the patriarch of God's people. And he was 99 years old then. What did God command him?

If Abraham at this age was commanded to walk with God and be blameless, what makes us think we are doing well in our life?

Don't look at other Christians and be thinking "I am not different from them. I do like them. I am sure I am doing well"

Perhaps, they are walking in the broadway that leads to damnation. There are only a few who are finding [forget about walking] the narrow way.

Look at people like Abraham and Paul if you want to compare. Your friends are probably false converts. Don't look at anyone to justify your spiritual slumber. However, look at anyone even at a sinner to mortify sins!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟙𝟠:𝟙𝟝

"Sarah denied it however, saying, 'I did not laugh'; for she was afraid. And He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'"

Fear does two opposite things: revealing the truth and concealing the truth!

In both ways, they are done to protect oneself from any harm! A kind of selfishness!

Hydra men [Nazis] would rather die of cyanide in interrogation than reveal the truth [Captain America Movie]! And Polycarp [a faithful church father] would rather be burnt alive than deny the truth that Jesus is God!

Well, we seem to be more like the children of Sarah! Watch out for Fear and Falsehood.

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟙𝟡:𝟜

"Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter."

Ancient people were extremely wicked. I am afraid this wickedness is thriving again, particularly in America and if it happens in America [the capital of the world] then it shall be exported [and imported] everywhere. But there's a man, Lot, who lived righteously.

What a picture of God's power to preserve us from sin, even when the world around us lives in sin.

We can be holy. We can be faithful. We can remain in purity. We can be disciplined. We can overcome all temptations and trials. Because God lives in us. In the words of Steve Lawson, "The perseverance of the saints is the perseverance of the Saviour in the saints."

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟚𝟘:𝟞

"Then God said to him in the dream, 'Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.'"

Is Abraham a good role model for husbands? Definitely not! He loved his life more than the abusing of his wife. He would rather have her be molested than himself be killed. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps, he had a plan that we aren't told.

Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives to the point of laying down their lives. Abraham’s action is doubtful.

Peter warned husbands to love their wives and be understanding or else their prayers will be hindered. Is that one of the reasons why Abraham's prayer for a son is hindered for over 50 years?

However, God is a just God, and He would even kill every one of the King's men to protect Sarah!

What a comforting verse for the weak and oppressed!