Easter Season's Greetings

Do you ever wonder why we only send Season's Greetings at Christmas? I received no valid explanation when I asked that question of others. So, at this Easter Season, I send you Easter Greetings.

It is Good Friday. I just returned from walking through two local malls in a coastal resort city of South Carolina. Both in the malls and driving from where I was staying to them and back, I saw no evidence anywhere of what, or better still, Who gave us cause to celebrate Easter in the first place. Even the billboards in front of churches were low key. There is no doubt that we are moving into a new post-modern era. Christendom as we know it is quickly slipping away in North America. In fact, some call this the post-Christian era. Will Mancini, in his book, Church Unique, even goes so far as to suggest it is anti-Christian. As Christians we have squandered our earthly inheritance just like the prodigal son. Put another way, we have lost our influence. Easter means nothing more than bunnies and chocolate eggs. Even the Easter bonnets have disappeared in many places. Christian parents are struggling to focus their children on its true meaning.

Okay world, we admit it. We have failed. But please don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes, we've done a lot of things we should not have, and we've failed to do things we should have done. We've pursued goals and objectives under the banner of the Church that had no place being associated with the Church. We've fought with each other in the Church and left a bad taste in the mouths of those that observed us from outside the church. Even, inside the Church, many who found themselves involved in the differences we never resolved, leaving them as 'unfinished business', were also disillusioned. Yet, to be fair, for many, we have been the means by which they were introduced to the God they sought and shown how to find peace with Him. In the name of Christ, various of our brothers and sisters have done much to help humanity. While I can give you hundreds of names of Christians over the decades that fit this category, I only need to mention one to get my point across -- Mother Teresa. Enough said.

But here's the rub. God does exist even if we don't choose to recognize Him. And furthermore, He has chosen the Church, with all its warts, as His official representative. So if we're not succeeding in our mission, it's not God's fault. It's our fault. He has no other plan to complete His personal mission for the world and He does not intend to go back to the drawing board. Some of us in the Body recognize that. We recognize that we need to change. And we're also doing all we can to change how the world views us. Chances are, however, that most of the world won't notice because we're not using a multi-billion dollar advertising campaign; we're not having major cosmetic surgery performed; we're not even changing many of our administrative leaders. No, instead, we're working as a group, yet very individually, to each become the man or woman we were intended to be. We are doing all we can to learn how we can live and proclaim Christ's gospel "in the world". We know that many of you won't come to the church anymore, so we need to "be the Church" outside the physical church building. In fact, we want as many of you as possible to start thinking of church not as "a place where some people go" but rather for what it was intended to be. We want the Church for you to be "what John, Janice, Tom, and Mary and all those who are truly Christ-followers in deed and in word, are." Not a place, but a group of people who are indeed different because of Christ's love being extended to others through them. When you can recognize that Church, whether you belong to it or not, we'll have achieved our goal. When you have voluntarily chosen to join us in our beliefs because of what you have seen as you observed our lives, then we can rejoice together that the Holy Spirit of God has done HIs work in you.

This small group of Christians, from all denominations and backgrounds, refers to itself as "the missional church". By that we mean that we are less interested in what we can do to reach more people for Christ than how we can be more like Christ in the world. If we stay true to our desire, you'll see many more of us moving away from a goal oriented strategy (i.e. doing things) to one that emphasizes 'being' more like Christ not so much in the church, but "in the world" where the rubber hits the road and where everyone is living life. We believe we will be of more earthly good there.

There is no guarantee that all of you will buy into what we are doing. Unfortunately, there will be many who will continue to ignore what they heard before, and even now, what they may see in the lives of missional Christians. We, for our part, will go on living as we believe we should. We'll leave your relationship with God between the two of you.

As you approach Easter Sunday, you have a choice. You can consider it an old holiday started by a bunch of fanatics that has now turned into just another marketing day for the sake of Wall Street. Or, you can investigate why that single day in history was so pivotal to the world for the last 2000 years and will once again, form the vary foundation on which the entire world and all humanity will be judged by the very God who sent His only Son to die as a sacrifice so that you and I may live forever. Either way, I wish you a Happy Easter!

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Genesis 25:19-21 -- Isaac’s Family

Genesis 25:19-21: Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

At this point Isaac’s family tree seems to be shorter than Ishmael’s. To our chronological chart we can now add the year of Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah, when he was 40 years old:

• 3271 Abraham was 100 when Sarah bore Isaac to him (Gen. 21:5)
• 3308 Isaac was 37 years old when Sarah died (3271 plus 37)
• 3311 Isaac, at age 40, marries Rebekah (Genesis 25:20)
• 3346 Abraham died at age 175 (Genesis 25:7,8)
• 3394 The death of Ishmael (based on his birth in 3257 and now Genesis 25:17)

Whereas one would have thought that people married very young in the past compared to now, that was not always the case. Isaac was a full 40 years old when he married. When one is waiting for God’s chosen mate for him- or her- self, sometimes one needs to wait a relatively long time. However, as all who wait on the Lord have found out, the wait for His chosen mate for them is well worth it. If you do not readily agree with that statement, maybe the premise “that it was indeed His chosen mate for you” was not the fact in your case.

Our chronological chart also tells us that Abraham lived another 35 years after Isaac married Rebekah. Long enough to have enjoyed grandchildren through both Ishmael and Isaac. Reminiscent of his mother Sarah’s story and her barrenness, Isaac now finds himself praying to the Lord for his own wife, Rebekah, asking Him to help her conceive, as she too was barren. Scripture very simply just tells that “the Lord answered him and his wife conceived”.

As I consider those few words uttered as simply a “matter of fact”, I stop and wonder whether things have really changed between the period of Isaac’s life and now. Can we still pray to God on someone’s behalf? Can God still answer? Can the thing we prayed for simply come to pass? And the answers always come back in the affirmative. God is still the same. We still have access to Him through prayer. He is still involved in our lives and He still works both within and beyond the natural. I believe what makes the difference between prayer answered along our line of request and prayer answered differently (for God always answers prayer – sometimes with a ‘yes’, sometimes with a ‘no’, sometimes with a ‘later’, and oftentimes with a ‘better’), is whether or not what we are asking for is in His will for our lives or the lives of those on who’s behalf we are praying. In fact, I have come to discover that the real purpose of prayer is to glory God and to have His magnificence manifested to us and to others through our lives. It is not primarily to gain outcomes that we desire, although those may well come in the bargain. C.S. Lewis once suggested that God answers prayer in one of two ways, either “Yes” or “God’s grace is sufficient!” How true.

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Genesis 25:11-18 -- Ishmael's Family

Genesis 25:11-18: And it came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi. Now these are {the records of} the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham; and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes. These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.

Volume I ended at Genesis 25:10 with the death of Abraham. As we begin Volume II we are informed that after Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac or perhaps continued to bless Isaac. What a delight that must be for a parent? And what does that look like in today’s world?

To begin with, the God we believe in cares for our family. His relationship may be strongest with us, but He, partly, but not exclusively, because of that relationship, He also cares for those that we cherish and love. And that care goes on after we’re gone from this earth. That is a benefit for the Christian. Genesis 25:11 is the first clear evidence of that in scripture.

So what does that look like for us today? For starters, it is not about fame and riches. It is not about prestigious positions in big companies, or fancy houses, or multiple luxury cars. It is not about having money to travel the world in Executive Class. No, for in fact as I pen these words, I think of one of my beloved children. At this very point in time, he is once again between jobs, separated from his wife of two years, and living in a very small basement apartment. Yet he is walking with the Lord, volunteering at his church, enjoying friends, is in good health and excellent spirits. He is pursuing journalism classes and with his wife, working on their relationship to see if they can get back together. His finances are limited to whatever small writing assignments he can get and he’s doing a great job of writing when he does get work. I believe God is very much interested in him. Perhaps to teach him more lessons that he has not yet learned. For me, that is blessing enough and I thank God for it.

The text records that Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son through Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of his wife, Sarai, had twelve sons. Each one set up their own village or town that was likely protected as one or more campsites of many tents. This was typical of Nomadic tribes at the time and each of Ishmael’s sons was the chief or prince of their village people or tribe.

With the knowledge of the fact that Ishmael died after living 137 years, we can now return to our chronological table that we started in Volume I of the series. As shown by the first three, the birth of Ishmael, and the last three entries we made in Volume I reproduced below, we are keeping track of the number of years since Adam was created (that year being designated as ‘year 0’). To these we now add Ishmael’s death according to Scripture.

• 0 Adam created (Genesis 1:27)
• 130 Seth born to Adam (Genesis 5:3)
• 235 Enosh born to Seth (Seth was 135 years old) (Genesis 5:6)
• . . . .
• 3257 Abraham was 86 when Hagar bore Ishmael to him (Gen. 16:16)
• . . . .
• 3271 Abraham was 100 when Sarah bore Isaac to him (Gen. 21:5)
• 3308 Isaac was 37 years old when Sarah died (3271 plus 37)
• 3346 Abraham died at age 175 (Genesis 25:7,8)

Now we can add the following:

• 3394 The death of Ishmael (based on his birth in 3257 and now Genesis 25:17)

Scripture tells us that the sons of Ishmael settled from Havilah to Shur. Havilah is first mentioned in Genesis 2:11 when the text identifies the various lands that the rivers flowing out of Eden went through. Havilah was on the river Pison. In Genesis 10, Havilah is the name of a great-grandson (vs. 7) and a great-great-great-great-great-grandson (vs. 29) of Noah. (I continue to be amazed at the details that God had arranged to be passed on to the author of Genesis so many years later.) Havilah as a place was part of the old Persia, the new Iran, and likely closer to India or at least that part that today is Pakistan.

But more interesting than the exact location is the fact that the Bible specifies that Ishmael and his families settled there in “defiance of all his relatives”. The King James Version uses the words “in the presence” of his brethren (or relatives). Several other versions however seem to indicate the Hebrew word used implied more than that as hinted at in the New American Standard Bible we are using. The consensus is that he settled facing, or opposite, or away from his brothers or relatives. This may well be in keeping with the prophecy that angel gave to Hagar when she was pregnant with him. In Genesis 16:12 we read, “And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.” Certainly these verses here are evidence that he flourished and stood out among his brothers, holding his own. Still, there is no record here that he was weary of the world when he died or willing to leave it as Abraham, his father, was.

On the other hand, Ishamael did live 137 years which demonstrates how God listened to Abraham’s prayer for him in Genesis 17:18 when he pleaded, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!”

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The First 3,346 Years

At Genesis 25:10, we come to the end of the world’s first 3,346 years since God created it. Man and woman enter the picture and are given benefits beyond belief as well as a pleasant responsibility to take care of the earth. However, through the deception of the serpent Satan, they are encouraged to disobey and contravene what God had asked of them for their own good. This disobedience introduced sin into the world and with it, the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve are evicted from the Garden of Eden and life became very difficult for them.

One of their sons murders his brother and the corruption of mankind continued to slide so much that God wanted to start all over again. To do so, He had to destroy every living thing through a flood. Only Noah and his family were spared, along with the animals God had instructed Noah to take into an ark that he had build to God’s specifications.

God then promised that He would never again destroy the world in that way. Abram comes into the scene and God selects him to be the Father of God’s chosen people, the Israelites through which God was going to bless all of mankind. From Genesis chapter 16 to the early parts of chapter 25, we followed the story of Abram, how his named was changed to Abraham, and finally having a son, Isaac, through his wife Sarah, formally called Sarai. Prior to Isaac’s born, Sarai, being anxious to give Abram a male heir, gives him her Egyptian maid, Hagar, who bears him Ishmael. Sarai then requests that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. God pursues His own plan and the promise He made to Abraham in spite of the assistance that Sarah and he were trying to give Him. Eventually Sarah dies, Isaac marries Rebekah, Abraham takes another wife named Keturah who bears him six sons, and eventually the Patriarch Abraham dies at age 175.

But the foundation has been set for a great people to rise up through which God would bless all mankind. The story may have begun with Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, and Isaac, but it continues to this very day with you and me, and those that may well come after us. We are just as much a part of this story as the characters we read about and studied. The exact role we are to play is a function of our faith in, and relationship with, the God who created Adam and was a Friend of Abraham’s.

Living in the 21st however, we, however, have the benefit of being involved with more of the triune God than Adam or Abraham were. We have been ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, and being guided every day of our lives by the Holy Spirit of the Almighty.

As we close this volume, I hope you will join me, as God may permit both of us, on the next journey of this incredible story starting some 3,346 years after creation.

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Churches Need Miracle

“Churches Need Miracle”

That was a headline in the Toronto Star on February 28, 2009 in particular reference to the churches in Canada’s province of Quebec. The story by Andrwew Chung goes on to talk about extremely low attendance, dismal offerings that won’t even pay the heat, and the resulting need to put beautiful church structures up for sale in a market where no one is buying. With no takers in sight, some churches end up being barricaded.

Quebec, that bastion of French culture in Canada, may be somewhat an extreme example of what is happening across North America and perhaps even in Europe where Christianity has been around for centuries. In Quebec, Chung reports that fewer than 10% of the population actually attends mass.

Let’s focus on two comments made in relation to all of this. First, Gerald Baril, spokesperson for the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Canada is quoted as saying, “People don’t care much about spirituality and don’t care much about the church.” Second, Louis-Philippe Desrosiers, who’s in charge of selling churches for Montreal’s parishes is quoted as saying, “Well, remember that the majority of people in the parishes nowadays are in their sixties to eighties…. People are not interested in the life of their souls anymore.”

Let me react. Both of these gentlemen seem to be placing the blame for the demise of the church on its congregants. The first says people don’t care about spirituality or the church and the second says they’re not interested in what happens to their souls. I believe they’re wrong on several counts. They’re wrong because they’re assigning responsibility to the former attendees rather than to church leaders. People have not changed since Christ ministered among us in person. He drew them by the thousands and his disciples did so after him. I suggest that we start looking at how church leaders and the organized church has brought about its own demise. We don’t have to look far. Start with the residential school issues, then go to the child abuse issues, then go to the misuse of funds, inappropriate relationships among clergy, and so forth. Look at the abandoning of widows and orphans, and the hypocrisy within some of the structured church bodies today. In the evangelical world, more and more churches are abandoning the larger denominations and becoming independent. The reason for that may lie in some of the things we listed above, coupled with the organized church’s unwillingness to change quickly enough with the times. [And I am certainly not advocating changing the Message of the Gospel, only the means by which it is delivered meaningfully in today’s culture. God is God is of all times and generations.]

Second, I think these men are wrong in saying that people no longer care about spirituality or what happens to their souls. Just witness the ever-increasing bookshelf space available in bookstores for ‘spirituality’. Or, study the ever-increasing number of people trying desperately to ensure their immortality.

Third, I believe that while Desrosiers may be correct in saying only older people sit in the pews these days, his church leaders are wrong in not calling for a massive change in the way things are done. Changes are needed that will attract and encourage youth to become church participants. [For one example of this see Youth.]

The Church as a whole entity cannot and will not die. It is Christ’s Body and He will accomplish what He set out to do. We can either be part of that or we can watch the particular local arm of that Body we belong to suffer as we’re watching so many do in both the Protestant and Catholic faiths. We can get involved in bringing about positive change or we can sit on the sidelines and say, “what a shame!” while people and especially youth run to all the wrong sources to get their spiritual needs met.

At least that’s the way I see it. You may choose to differ.

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Pope, Pelosi, Abortion, Politics

One of my favorite newspapers, the Arizona Republic (AR), published a "news briefing" on February 19 entitled "Pope urges Pelosi to reject support of abortion rights". Apparently, when Pope Benedict XVI met recently with Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic U.S. House speaker, he, according to the AR, told Pelosi, a Roman Catholic and an abortion-rights advocate, that Catholic politicians have a duty to protect life "at all stages of its development."

I find it amazing how people can identify themselves with a particular faith and not hold to some of the basic tenets of that faith. Is being a Roman Catholic for such a person simply something they do out of "family tradition" or perhaps out of political expediency? Why would such a person want to meet with the Pope and take the risk of being told they weren't being a good Catholic? Do the pro-Democrat, anti-abortion people of America really care that Pelosi is an abortion-rights advocate? Do the abortion-rights advocates really care what the Pope thinks? Would someone like Pelosi even seriously consider the request of her spiritual leader when the political risks are so high?

Here's my point. The answers one is likely to give to all these, and other similar questions, just point to the fact that somewhere along the line, we have lost the ability to think straight about some key matters because we have lost our desire to adhere to some absolutes.

For starters, even if we believe there is a God (which I do), we do not find it necessary to accept what He is likely to say about certain things, especially if it does not fit in with our own desires or goals. Secondly, organized religion for many has become more of a membership club than a collective means of worshiping and serving the Creator. Thirdly, personal faith has become just that to a lot of people -- that is, it's so 'personal' that they themselves stipulate all the ground rules of the very 'faith' they choose to have. For example, "I'll be a Christian, but I won't accept the tenets of Christianity concerning the virgin birth, the sanctity of life, total dependence on God, and the Great Commission, etc."

What does all this mean for the true Christian? The way I see it is simply this: I have to realize that unless a politician stands up for and personally adheres to the teaching of his or her faith, especially those claiming to be Christians, whether Roman Catholic or otherwise, then I must discard as completely irrelevant anything they say about their faith and possibly most of what they say outside matters of faith.

At least that's the way I see it. What do you think?

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You Can Now Follow Me on Twitter

Hello readers -- you can now follow me on Twitter.com -- search it for Ken Godevenos and happy trailing.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

God Spare Us From Religions That Make the Laws of the Land

I read with interest the report of journalist Saeed Shah in Islamabad dated February 16, 2009. The headline simply read “Pakistan Makes Deal To Enforce Islamic Law In Northwest Region”.

Let me give you the background: Pakistan, forced by Taliban militants, has agreed to officially enforce Islamic (sharia) Law in parts of its country. In exchange the militants will agree to a ceasefire there. The country’s president insists the Taliban are “trying to take over the state” and warned against the deal. Up to now, the U.S. has strongly opposed any attempt by Pakistan to negotiate with the Taliban. The area involved is not wild or remote or tribal but heavily overrun by Taliban and al-Queda.

One think-tank analyst there is calling this a surrender, arguing that “if you keep treating a community as something different from the rest of the country, it will isolate them.” A retired judge points out that now there will not be one law in the land and foresees further disintegration. “If you concede to this, you will go on conceding.”

The deal-maker for the militants is a local Islamic leader who once led hundreds of men to fight with the Taliban against the U.S.-led coalition. Pakistan freed him recently when democracy was restored, although the U.S. was against it doing so. (But hey, you’ll never hear the press drawing that to anybody’s attention as something the U.S. did right considering what’s happening now.)

The ‘signee’ for the government, the regional leader for the area, Hajji Adeel said the goal was “to speed up the justice system.” Of course, there is no proof that it will do that. Adeel’s real motive is revealed in his next statement, “If six months ago, sharia had started working…the intensity of the terror there would have been much less.” Whether or not that is true can be checked out six months from now. But the fact remains bullies and militants get their way because no one strong enough to defeat them is supported any longer. Where this may lead is anybody’s guess, but you can bet it ain’t going to be pretty. Not for the country, not for the non-Islamic inhabitants, and certainly not for the Islamic women who may end up being judged by sharia. Already in this region the Taliban have been enforcing their brutal version of Islamic Law that includes public floggings and summary execution. That’s their ultimate goal, not just “observer” status in the courtroom.

The Provincial Law Minister said, “It’s not that we are giving in to their demands, rather we are demanding of them to restore peace first.” You could have fooled many of us. Here’s the part I found most interesting. The way this will work is that Islamic “religious experts will sit in on the court alongside a regular judge to ensure that rulings are in compliance with Islam.” Wow, can you imagine that in the free world? Baptists and Pentecostals and Catholics and Jews sitting in “alongside a regular judge to ensure our rulings are in compliance with each of their faith’s belief systems.” Not a chance. Nor would the majority of us want that.

But in Pakistan and other countries where Islam has either an upper hand or a strong presence, it’s okay. Or is it? What if the so-called religious experts do not agree with the ruling? Then what? Can they overturn it? Will they just file a “dissenting report”? Will they scream and yell and bring out the militants again to get their way? No one knows, so, “no thanks”. I would rather go with rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s. Let the courts of the land judge those that fall into their hands, including the Christians. But let us as Christians (and I’m sure the Jews would want to do likewise) settle our own differences within the Body.

Back in northern Pakistan, the militant deal-maker (who is not a Taliban by the way) has only managed to get a 10-day ceasefire from the Taliban during which they will consider whether or not the deal is a good one. Right. The deal-maker still has a lot of persuading to do.

The Pakistani president concedes that the future of the country is in grave danger from the Taliban, present in huge parts of the country. He said the Taliban are “trying to take over the state of Pakistan” and “we’re fighting for the survival” of Pakistan.

But of course in the West we actually debate long and hard over whether or not we should allow sharia law in various jurisdictions even without Taliban presence (at least that’s the case in parts of Canada, but I’m sure the U.S. won’t be too far behind – just think of the money that a full application of sharia law for all Muslims would save the Obama administration that could be diverted to more bailouts of wall street executives). No, in the West no one will admit that we’re “in grave danger” or that “we’re fighting for our survival”. That would be politically incorrect.

I am not against anybody’s law. I am against any religious law becoming the “law of the land.” Thank God that in North America we ‘lost’ that battle long ago.

At least that’s the way I see it. I’d welcome your comments.

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Watch out as Obama revamps Faith-based office

The new American president is at it again. He keeps providing evidence that he just does not get it!

This time he wants to deal with the problems others have with faith-based initiatives by, I believe, ultimately removing any faith-based differences. In the media reports based of his recent National Prayer Breakfast announcement last Thursday, Obama indicated that his dream of eliminating our “differences” will not happen overnight.

Mr. President, in case you have not noticed, the very meaning of faith-based relies on differences between people of faith and no-faith, or ones with a certain faith versus another. All the historical leaders of major religions accepted that, but you seem to be having trouble with it.

There is believe that what’s really behind Obama’s comments and direction is the fact that many are objecting to some faith organizations helping those in need while receiving government grants are doing so by only hiring and utilizing those of like-faith. This, say the naysayers, is not right.

But legislator beware, this very direction may well eliminate the masses of volunteers who desire to happily work “within” their own faith-group, serving humanity. It is one thing to require charities to offer their services, especially those of a social nature, to all – as they should – but it is another thing to dictate to them ‘by whom’ they should do it. A state cannot rely on their help to do things more effectively and economically, even if it contributes to their operational costs, and demand things be done its way. Mr. Obama, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

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Faulty Thought: Hockey Fights

On Friday, January 2, 2009, Whitby (Ontario, Canada) Dunlops hockey player Don Sanderson, age 21, died. That was three weeks after hitting his head on the ice after a fight during a game. His helmet had come off his head prior to hitting the ice. In commenting on the tragic death, one person -- I believe it was the team's coach -- said something to the effect that we must find a way to keep helmets from coming off heads. How totally inane. How about finding a way to stop fighting in hockey games instead? Did that choice ever come to anybody's mind? Probably not, or if it did, it was soon laid to rest when compared to the sick fans and the revenue they provide that would be lost. I don't see "fighting" anywhere in the official playing rules of the game unless of course there is reference on how to stop them once they begin. Just more evidence of what's wrong with our thinking today.

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Genesis 25:7-10 The Death of Abraham

Genesis 25:7-10: And these are all the years of Abraham's life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, and the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.

According to scripture, Abraham lived 175 years. We last left off with our timeline study (moving forwards from Genesis 1) as follows:

• 3271 Abraham was 100 when Sarah bore Isaac to him (Gen. 21:5)
• 3308 Isaac was 37 years old when Sarah died (3308 minus 3271)

Now we can add the following:

• 3346 Abraham died at age 175 (Genesis 25:7,8)

The text says that this was a ripe old age even for those days. There is no record of his being seriously ill at the time of death; he simply breathed his last and died. But more importantly, we read that he was satisfied with life. I do not believe that he had no regrets, but simply that his regrets were well outnumbered by those areas of his life that brought him satisfaction. While Abraham may not have been keeping score, clearly satisfying times far outweighed those were not so. No matter what one’s age is, it is interesting to stop and reflect, “If I were to die today, would my life have been satisfying?” From there, we could go on to ask ourselves, “If not, why not and what can be done about it even now? If yes, to what do we primarily attribute this satisfaction?”

But let us take this one step further. Clearly there is no record of Abraham saying, “I am satisfied with life.” Instead, what we have is that those who lived on after his death were able to categorically state that Abraham was indeed satisfied with his life, so much so, that word got out through several generations to the human author of Genesis many years later. Perhaps, then, the hardest question we can ask ourselves with respect to being satisfied in life is this: “If I were to die today, would my family and friends say I was ‘satisfied with my life’?” As we draw our study of Abraham to an end, we are challenged to consider two ultimate goals for ourselves. The first is to have a strong relationship with God, to love Him, and serve Him in all areas of life. The second is to live life in such a way as to both be satisfied with it and to show our satisfaction. Abraham did that. We can do that.

Abraham was gathered to his people. This is an interesting phrase and little is written about it. Some like the famous commentator Matthew Henry believe Abraham “was gathered to the congregation of the dead, and his soul to the congregation of the blessed.” Henry, based on his knowledge of the entire Bible, divides the gathering of the body from the gathering of the soul in his interpretation of this ‘gathering’. My preference, based solely on what we have in this passage is that when we die, we go to wherever those that died before us go, without any mention of separation of body and soul. The simple points that can be made with some assurance though are that death for each of us does come and that it many have already experienced it before us.

It is also interesting to note that Isaac (the son of Sarah) and Ishmael (the son of Hagar) buried Abraham. The sons of Keturah had been sent eastward by Abraham before he died. But how is it that Ishmael was still in the picture? Back in Genesis 21:14, we read that at Sarah’s request Abraham reluctantly sent Hagar and Ishmael away, but now we see Ishmael here helping to bury his father. Perhaps Hagar and her son had not gone too far when they were sent away and ended up living somewhere nearby. When word got to them that Abraham had died, and with Sarah out of the way, the two parts of the family were re-united. Isaac, being the kind and gentle person that he was, welcomed his older former playmate with open arms and together they buried their father. This event also shows that Hagar’s child had a greater significance in the life of Abraham for you will remember that God had also promised Abraham that Ishmael would have his own special blessing.

Abraham gets buried in the field he had purchased for Sarah’s burial. The land was purchased after Sarah died. There is no suggestion here that we all need to purchase land prior to someone’s death, although there is nothing that says we should not. Sometimes, it makes good sense and saves a lot of poor decision during a time of great distress and sorrow. However, when land is purchased, there is some indication that it should be sufficient to bury both a husband and a wife. Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. That is the preferred choice and some argument therefore can be made for us today to do all we can to return the bodies of those that died to be buried with their spouses.

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Genesis 25:1-6 Abraham Marries Keturah

Genesis 25:1-6: Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the East.

After Abraham loses his wife Sarah and then marries his son Isaac off to Rebekah, he finds himself alone as far as having someone special to share life with. It is also possible, as we may deduce from Genesis 24:1 that he was in poor health given his advanced age. Hear in this passage, the text records that Abraham took another woman named Keturah to be his wife. While her nationality is not given, the Hebrew translation of her name is ‘incense’, and she did indeed provide a sweet aroma for Abraham in his old age. She bore him six sons, at least three of which also provided Abraham with grandsons. From Genesis 23:1 we know that Sarah was 127 years old when she died and from Genesis 17:17 that Abraham was ten years older. So, we can deduce that he was at least 137 years old when he married Keturah.

We do not know how old Keturah was but in all probability given that she bore Abraham at least six children, she was younger. Remarriage under these circumstances was and continues to be an acceptable practice for a believer, even at a very old age.

Keturah never became a “full-status” wife and was more in line with Abraham’s concubines. Later scripture (I Chronicles 1:32) will confirm this. Perhaps Abraham realized that no one could really replace Sarah, the mother of his chosen son, Isaac. He did not want anyone after her to be considered as having been given the same status or dignity as he had shown towards Sarah. Keturah at least, unlike his other concubines, was important enough to be named in scripture.

The text also records that he indeed officially gave all that he had to Isaac. It is possible, given the next phrase of this sentence, that the word ‘left’ (upon his death) would have been preferable. This too was evidence of how special Sarah and her offspring were to him. It is also most likely that God’s covenant with him continued to be foremost in his mind and in his wishes for the legacy he would leave behind. God’s blessing would come ultimately through Isaac. He was the son of promise. So he gets the wealth and the land.

Finally, it is possible that this promise of God caused him to simply allot to each of the sons of his concubines gifts while he was still living rather than through an inheritance. I have observed in various families how sometimes older parents or grandparents tend to give some children or grandchildren numerous possessions while they are still alive, but save things that are very dear to them for one or two special descendants to be received after their death. This may include a family home or investments, etc. The idea being that the others were taken care of earlier while those closer to the deceased person would be recognized with more significant giving’s after one is gone.

The other point of interest is that Abraham continued to have more than one concubine right up to his death. Certainly that was a custom of those days for those that could afford it. Concubines were not mistresses per se, but were viewed as “lesser wives” with fewer privileges. A concubine lived in a lawful marriage arrangement with a man, but her status was regarded as being less than a wife. Concubines were respected, had legal rights, and their children were regarded as legitimate, although the children of the wife (or wives) were most often given preference in matters of inheritance.

As a wise patriarch, who remembers his own experience with his nephew Lot, Abraham decides, while he is still living, to separate the sons of his concubines from Isaac. To that end, he sends them all of them away from where Isaac would remain and eastward to a very different part of the land and at some distance. He wanted to make sure that he did all he could to avoid future conflicts between Isaac, the child of promise, and his half-brothers. As the six sons of Keturah left, they settled in various parts to the south and east of what became known as Palestine and each one represented an Arab tribe. It is through these sons of Keturah’s, as well as through the descendants of Hagar’s son Ishmael (whom she bore to Abraham when Sarah gave her to him), that Abraham became “the father of many nations” as promised in Genesis 17:4. But it is through Isaac that the chosen people would come.

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Genesis 24:61-67 Respect At First Sight

Genesis 24:61-67: Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. She said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

So Rebekah stands up, along with those maids that were attending to her and they get on the camels, presumably brought by Abraham’s servant for this purpose, and they followed the servant.

Meanwhile back in Abraham’s part of the world, Isaac was living in the Negev. The King James Version of the Scripture translates this Hebrew word as simply the direction south, while the New American Standard and some others translate it as the desert region of Southern Israel. The Hebrews used it to mean both. The text also says that Isaac had just come back from going to Beer-lahai-roi. This you will remember was the “well of Him that lives and sees me," or, as some refer to it as "the well of the vision of life". This is the well where the Lord had met with Hagar (Gen. 16:7-14). The young man would have been aware, we could assume, of what had transpired there and how it was related to his own family.

At some point after his return from this well, Isaac also goes out to his family’s fields as evening approached, in order to meditate. The Hebrew word is ‘suwach’. It is unclear whether this refers to simply thinking, or chanting, or praying. It may involve walking. We do know its aim tends to be religious in nature. It is also possible that Isaac went out there with his men, or friends, and not alone. On the other hand, he may have been going to meet those working in his fields as they were returning home for the night. Clearly, Isaac was a thoughtful young man who took time to think and reflect on God, life, and the world, as well as those that were part of his life, no matter what the role.

In the course of his meditation, he looks up and notices that a caravan of camels was approaching. As the camels got closer to Isaac, Rebekah also looks up and sees Isaac (although we know from the next phrase that she did not know for sure who he was, though she well may have suspected), and she immediately gets off her camel. If at all there was any possibility that this was Isaac, then she did not want to be found seated above him in any way, but rather to get to get to a common level (as he was walking) in an act of symbolic submission to his headship in their forthcoming relationship as husband and wife. Isaac must also have made a striking image in the field that caught Rebekah’s eye and interest as she asked Abraham’s servant (and now her temporary guardian on this trip) “Who is the man that is walking towards us?” The servant simply states the obvious, “He is my master.” While the servant worked for and served Abraham, Isaac as the heir was also the servant’s master.

Learning who the figure approaching them was, Rebekah immediately takes her veil, perhaps a wrap or a shawl) and covers her face and head for the specific purpose of hiding or concealing herself. According to tradition, the veil is an essential part of female dress. While out in the countryside, it can and was often thrown aside, but on the appearance of a stranger, it is drawn over the face, as to conceal all but the eyes. In a bride, such as Rebekah was about to become, it was a token of her reverence and subjection to her husband.

The servant then takes the necessary time to bring Isaac fully up-to-date on all that had transpired between him, Rebekah, and Rebekah’s family. And without further questioning, Isaac takes Rebekah, the one that God has chosen for him as a wife, into what had been his mother’s dwelling, Sarah having recently passed away. The text simply states that he then took Rebekah as a wife and he loved her.

There was no courtship to speak of. Both Rebekah and now Isaac simply accepted what God had brought together in this unique way – working through Abraham, the servant, and through Rebekah’s family. Both simply accepted God’s choice as the very best for them. They respected each other as the one that God had given to the other and they accepted their roles willfully. Love entered the picture only after they had become husband and wife. This may not the way we may do things today, but clearly it is no less wonderful or effective, and perhaps even more lasting.

This section of scripture ends with the phrase, “thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Isaac was Sarah’s very special and only son. She had loved him dearly while he was growing into a man. With her passing, an incredible void appeared in Isaac’s life and only God’s chosen one for him as a wife, could begin to fill it. God’s plan for many of his children is just that. This past Christmas I heard my three year old grandson Elijah, when he had lost track of where in the house his mother was at that given moment, say “Where’s my mommy; I always need my mommy.” I am sure there will come a day when he realizes that mommy’s love will always be there, but that he would then have another woman to be comforted by as Isaac was comforted by his wife, Rebekah.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:54b-60 Dealing with the Hesitations of Others

Genesis 24:54b-60: When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them."

The next morning, Abraham’s servant and his team arise early to commence their journey, along with Rebekah, back to Abraham and Isaac as agreed to the night before with Rebekah’s family. And out of courtesy, but more as a “bid me well” request, he asks permission to be sent on his way to his master, expecting everything to be a go.

Unfotunately, Rebekah’s brother and mother have a different idea not being so quick to part with their sister and daughter, respectfully. They want her to stay with the family another ten days before she goes to Isaac. Maybe Abraham’s servant had wisely surmised that these two could have presented some obstacles to his plan and thus had given them the gifts the night before.

If you are a little like me, someone who likes to make things happen, you may well, during your life or service to God, have found yourself in a circumstance just like Abraham’s servant found himself that morning. He had gone to bed thinking everything had been worked and that God had blessed his task and he wakes up in the morning only to be told (or in today’s terms, he gets an email or a phone call) that there is hesitation on the part of others involved in the decision. What a letdown. What does one do in this particular case? How could God be allowing this to happen one may ask? It is in these most frustrating and disappointing moments in our life that God is more interested in our reaction and our steadfastness in trusting Him to see the matter through in His time and His way. It is also in these circumstances that God wants us to realize that there is a spiritual Enemy against whom we must do battle in times like this. The Enemy’s role is to convince us that there is no God and that indeed we were foolish to think He was with us even up to this point and he makes the going real hard. In the meantime, our heavenly Father is only interested in our own spiritual growth and development through all of this.

Before we see how the servant did react, let’s consider for a moment Rebekah’s father. There was no suggestion from him with respect to any delay in the plans that had been agreed to. Why was that? I like to think it is something that Tim and Darcy Kimmel, in their book Extreme Grandparenting (Tyndale House, 2007) refer to as the wisdom and experience of those that had lived longer and seen more in life. Bethuel was the older and wiser patriarch of the home. Through his many years of life, he saw God at work and he had learned not to interfere with what God wanted because that only made matters worse. He was more than willing to let Rebekah go as had been agreed, although here he remains silent, allowing the servant, the objectors, and God, to work it out.

When you or I are the older and the wiser in any given situation, we need to be able to reflect on how God has worked throughout our lives and to encourage others to just let God be God. We need to facilitate God’s will in our lives and in the lives of others, especially those that are younger.

So what indeed did the servant do when faced with Laban and Milcah’s hesitation? He pleads that they do not delay him because indeed God had already blessed his way. But not only that, he again asks them to send him on his way. He very wisely asked that they not interfere with what was clearly the plan of the Lord. Who were they (who is anybody) to interfere with what God had intended, especially as believers? And as such, that left them very little real choice. Secondly, the wise servant also wanted to make sure that he just did not take the girl and leave; instead, he wanted the family to endorse his going with Rebekah.

When dealing with others, especially God’s people, we need to engage their cooperation. We are not to use force but instead use the words, the wisdom and the rational that God has laid on our hearts and lips to convince them to be partners in God’s will for any given situation. And once we have done our best in attempting that, to leave the rest to God. That is exactly what Abraham’s servant had to do as Laban and Milcah replied to his plea.

Realizing that they could not go against God’s own will, Rebekah’s brother and mother try to involve Rebekah herself in the decision, hoping she has changed her mind about going right away as the servant had planned or perhaps not going at all. Were Laban and Milcah really that ahead of their times that they would actually allow their younger sister and daughter, respectfully, to make such a decision? I don’t think so. In fact, turning this kind of matter over to her in those days was most unusual. I believe it was a last desperate attempt to find a way out without them going against God’s will but willing that someone else might. It is amazing how the Enemy can hide himself in each of us, even as believers. He has this well-honed ability to find out what our own personal desire is and then works on us to pursue it, especially where it goes contrary to what God wants. They tell the servant that they would call the girl in and consult her wishes.

Rebekah, however, was resolved to fit right into the plan of God no matter what her family may have wanted. To the question “Will you go with this man?” that her mother and brother asked, she responds, “I will go.” Nothing elaborate, just a simple commitment to do God’s will and to keep her word. This was simply bonus evidence that she was indeed the woman that God would use to fulfill His covenant with Abraham.

Rebekah’s response was the final deal clincher. There was no turning back or any further objections that could be made by anyone. The family agreed to send Rebekah’s nurse or maid with her and Abraham’s servant. They all blessed her in the role she was to play in being available to fulfill God’s covenant, that she would through her offspring literally multiply into thousands of ten thousand and that her descendants would possess the gate of those who hate them. We referred to this phrase in discussing Genesis 22:17. To repeat, I believe it means that Rebekah’s descendants, since they would be Abraham’s descendants, would achieve both physical and spiritual victories. They will be able to defeat their political enemies as well as their spiritual ‘enemy’. And because that will be the case, through now Rebekah’s offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

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Genesis 24:50-54a The Family's Response

Genesis 24:50-54a: Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken." When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night.

Abraham’s servant has presented Rebekah’s family with a serious question to which he must have an immediate answer: Will they agree to Rebekah coming back with him to be the wife of Isaac, the son of his master? Both the brother and the father reply in a most interesting way. They set aside any personal decision that they may make in favor of the fact that “this whole thing comes from God”. Their opinion does not matter. Since this is from the Lord, than what we have to say is not the issue here. These men had the desirable ability to consider what is presented to them, determine whether it is from God or not, and if so, to lay aside all their own personal desires or wishes, and then to be able to get fully involved in facilitating God’s will. What a wonderful attitude with which to face life as a believer in the Almighty. When life throws us surprises and even curves, we need to step back, assess the situation, and determine the source. If indeed it is from God, then we set aside our plans, our own way of pursuing things, and join God is His plans for us as we totally accept His providence and will on our life. Laban and Bethuel did just that.

The servant is told he can take Rebekah back to Abraham and Isaac, “as the Lord has spoken”. Are we prepared to agree to things “as the Lord has spoken”? What is interesting to note here is that God, as far as scripture records, did not actually say to anyone, “Take Rebekah back”. So what exactly does that phrase, “as the Lord has spoken” mean? What God did do was simply bless what Abraham wanted and what his servant did on behalf of Abraham. That’s important because sometimes we need to discern between what God has said directly in His word to us and what He may be telling us to do through the advice and counsel of others who are committed to serving Him. The latter requires more due diligence as well as having a feeling of peace about it that comes directly from God. We need to know who the messengers are and about their own relationship with God. Does what is evident in their word and their life match what we believe a servant of God should be like? If so, we have more reason to accept their advice and be willing to share in their goals. In the final analysis, however, it still needs to sit well with us theologically and spiritually before we agree to participate.

And of course, further evidence in favor of this messenger being indeed a servant of the Lord’s is that once again, having received Laban and Bethuel’s response, bows down and worships God, giving Him thanks for what He has accomplished.

The servant than gives more gifts to Rebekah, Laban, and Rebekah’s mother but poor old dad, Bethuel, gets left out. The lot of a father, I guess. Clearly Abraham’s servant knew that Rebekah had to be happy, Laban could have been trouble if he wasn’t pleased with the idea, and of course, this whole thing would have cost Rebekah’s mother the most as she would miss her dearly. With all that out of the way, it was time to celebrate what God had done.

This whole account is an incredible story with God as the central character. It was He who made the covenant with Abraham that Abraham’s seed would be multiplied through a child that Sarah bore him in her old age. It was He who put it in Abraham’s head to seek a wife for Isaac from his own people. It was He who was with the servant as he planned how he would discern God’s will. It was He who moved Rebekah and her family to behave as they did. It was He to whom both the servant and Rebekah’s family gave the glory and praise. In fact, is not all of the life of a believer about Him? Do we always recognize it as such? Sometimes, even when we do, we do not celebrate enough so that others may know about His part in it.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:33-49 Abraham's Servant Presents His Cause

Genesis 24:33-49: But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on." So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. Now Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow me.' He said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's house; then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left."

Abraham’s servant was certainly not a procrastinator when it came to the hard things that had to be done. So when all those wonderful dishes were placed before him, he did not dig right in even though he may have been hungry from his journey. Instead, he informed his hosts that he would not eat until he shared with them his mission. As humans, most of us find it so easy to procrastinate, to put off doing the difficult things we know we must do. It is much easier to get involved in things of lesser importance than what really matters. If we were honest with ourselves, we too would admit that we have some of those things we do not often rush to do. For me, these include writing an article or preparing a presentation I know is due soon. For some crazy reason, I usually wait until the last minute. Some people may treat exercising in the same way or worse, they may skip doing it altogether. Most business people find it very difficult to pass on unpleasant news to employees. Instead, we let it slide and ending up doing neither the employee nor the company any good. Others may find that prayer or personal devotions are difficult to get into. It always amazes me how when we go to pray in a group, prayer is often the last thing we do after spending most of the time just talking about what we will pray for. Small group Bible studies, unless well managed by the leader, spend very little time actually studying the Bible. We need to take a lesson from Abraham’s servant and deal with the important and difficult things we must do first.

So the servant explains to Rebekah’s family how it is that he came to accept this mission and how it is that he feels Rebekah is indeed the chosen one of God for Isaac. He repeats the whole story. He includes reference to Abraham’s wealth and blessing from God, with all the details about herds, money, and servants. There is also an appeal to Abraham’s desire to have his son, to whom all this inheritance belongs, marry someone from his own people and relatives rather than the Canaanites. Both of these statements and the facts they convey would also serve to endear Rebekah’s family to the success of his mission.

The servant shares Abraham’s faith as to what God wants to do with respect to his mission, as well as for Abraham, Isaac and the woman God has chosen. He then goes on to tell how he himself prayed to God to make him successful for the sake of his master, Abraham. He shares how he asked God to help him know who the right young woman would be and how Rebekah did indeed meet all the criteria. And finally, he explained how he worshipped and thanked God for guiding him to them as a family.

Imagine the situation that Rebekah and her family found themselves in. One moment they had a daughter in their midst and the next moment they were listening to a man explain how it was God’s will in every respect, as evidenced by the mission, the signs required, and the action of the young woman, that Rebekah should leave them and go to Isaac to get married. I am not sure how my wife and I would have responded in similar circumstances. Would we have accepted this from God or would we have wanted more evidence and certainly more time to investigate the whole thing? I wonder what was going through the head of Rebekah as she heard all of this?

And the servant, eager to finalize the deal, leaves Rebekah’s family and her very little time to think things over. He wants to make his goal perfectly clear and wants to leave no room for misunderstanding. He basically asked them outright, “Will you agree with my master’s wishes, yes or no? If not, I need to know so I can decide what I will need to do next -- whether to go back or to pursue the arrangements for what my master desires.” When one deals honestly and fairly with another, he or she has the right to expect that they will be treated honestly and fairly in return. This was the case with Abraham’s servant. He did not want any pretenses. He spoke his business clearly and appealed to them to respond in kind. If we handle our business and interactions in a similar manner, than we can expect that others treat us likewise.

Sometimes we wonder why things go wrong in our relationships and we only need to look as far as the way we treated others to find the answer. The ‘golden rule’ of doing to others what we would want done to us needs to be applied in all our relationships, including those involving business, either for ourselves or for our employers. Only then can we expect God’s blessing.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:28-32 Rebekah's Brother, Laban

Genesis 24:28-32: Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. And it came about that when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

Between the previous verses and these ones, Abraham’s servant must have given Rebekah the ring and bracelets he had brought for this purpose for later in this portion of scripture we read that her brother had noticed them. So Rebekah, filled with excitement, runs to her house and tells them about all that had happened. If she were like any other young lady, we can assume that her excitement stemmed primarily from the gifts that she had received from the servant. What young woman would not rejoice when given such jewelry? Being married, having two married daughters and two young granddaughters I can assure you the reaction is innate in women, mastered early in life and maintained well right up into ones senior years. However, it is also possible that Rebekah was excited about having had an opportunity to serve a stranger and his entourage the way she did. After all, that is what she had been taught to do and she now had an opportunity to practice what she had learned. Finally, Rebekah’s joy could have been partially due to the opportunity of having this stranger and those traveling with him stay at her house.

It is appropriate to stop and ask a question here. Were the gifts that Rebekah received a bribe or simply a gift of appreciation? She had already given the servant and his company the drink they needed which would indicate appreciation. However, the gifts were given to her before he asked for accommodation for himself and those that were with him, which could indicate a bribe. We also know that she knew nothing of the servant’s purpose for his trip at this point. I believe the gifts had a dual purpose being given both as in appreciation of her kindness but also in hope of her being open later on to joining Abraham’s family in marriage to Isaac. Certainly there was no expectation that they would be returned if she decided not to do so.

Listening to her tell her story excitedly is her brother Laban. Although we are not given his age relative to hers, it is possible to assume that he either was older or at least played the role that a protective older brother would play. Immediately Laban runs outside to the spring to see who this man was and check matters out for himself.

Rebekah had shown her family including Laban the ring and the bracelets and told them what Abraham’s servant had said to her. In a situation like this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with another member of the family wanting to get involved as Laban did. Family members today are much more independent than they were in those days and perhaps much more independent than is appropriate or wise. Today, we often hear of family members at a very young age telling their siblings or even their parents to “mind their own business”. I am not convinced that is how God intended it.

As Laban greets Abraham’s servant, he points towards his house and invites him in, calling him “blessed of the Lord”. Whether Laban is sincere in using this salutation for the servant or not is not known. If so, however, it is proof that he was indeed a fellow believer and worshipper of the God of Abraham.

What is more problematic to me is that he told the servant that he had “prepared the house, and a place for the camels”. Was that indeed the truth? Did he have time to do so? While cynics may argue that he did not and had not, the issue could be explained as follows: Rebekah runs in and tells her story; Laban as perhaps the older brother decides to go and see the man and reinforce her invitation to him; as he is leaving the house he gives orders to the servants to get the house ready and to make room for the camels. [This is an excellent example of a report in scripture that may be questioned if one is so inclined. But, for the believer, it can easily be accepted as truth because there are possible feasible explanations.]

To be fair, Laban did a lot of work himself once the servant accepted his invitation. He unloaded the camels, gave them straw and feed, and then got water to wash the servant’s feet and the feet of those with the servant. While perhaps these were all customs of the day that needed to be followed, it is reassuring to know that Rebekah’s brother followed them willingly. Hospitality continues to be a major theme in the story of Abraham. As I write these words today, Christians are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ, in less than two weeks. And as I reflect on the world scene, I realize society seems devoid of love (what Jesus was all about) even though a few years back the song What the World Needs Now is Love was a big hit. Perhaps as Christians we need to start with hospitality and spending time with people. Love will be a natural outflow of that.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:22-27 "Success Confirmed"

Genesis 24:22-27: Then it came about, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel in gold, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.” Then the man bowed low and worshipped the Lord. He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers."

Abraham’s servant watches as all the camels are given water to drink. When they were fully satisfied, he took out the gifts he had wisely brought along – a gold ring and two bracelets. These were gifts of Abraham to be used just for this purpose. The two must have discussed this need for gifts and what was to be given should the need arise as Abraham was sure it would. It is not clear whether or not he had actually given them to Rebekah at this point in time when he asked her two questions -- “Whose daughter are you?” and “Is there room for us in your father’s house?”

These two questions were meant to serve as extra insurance that this indeed was the woman that God had intended for Isaac. The correct answer to the first question would confirm the appropriate lineage of the woman and the correct answer to the second question would confirm the type of home in which she was raised and thus reflect the type of woman she was. The servant asked for lodging not only for himself, but also for his entire party (later we will learn that there were others with him) and for his camels. A positive answer would reflect how Rebekah and her family viewed the blessings (human and otherwise) that God provides and how well they took care of such.

Rebekah responds most favorably in all aspects of the questioning. What is particularly noteworthy is how a young woman could commit her family to what many of us today would consider an imposition on the household. It reminds of a time when our eldest daughter was a teenager and one of her friends needed a place to stay. On her own, she told Jeannie that she could stay at our house – and Jeannie did, for many months. Our daughter was confident enough to know that this was the right thing to do and that her parents would agree. We did for to have done anything else would have indicated a high level of hypocrisy in what we were trying to teach our children and how we were trying to live our Christian lives. Many years later, as we prepared to jointly occupy a house with our younger daughter and her family, there was a possibility that someone we both knew might need a place to stay due to her own family’s circumstances. Because we were older now, our younger daughter first sought confirmation from us out of courtesy, but ultimately expected that the answer would be the same as it was for her older sister many years earlier. Children have a way of sensing what their parents would accept and what they would not. Rebekah was no different and all her answers served as a total confirmation that the servant’s mission was indeed blessed by God and he was successful.

Abraham’s servant did not hesitate. Right there and then he bowed down and worshiped the Lord who gave him this success and blessed his master. He recognized that God indeed had continued his loving kindness towards his master and furthermore that He had guided him to his master’s family.

There is phrase in this verse that is worthy of mention and that is “God…has not forsaken…His truth toward my master”. What is that truth referred to here? You will remember that God had promised to build up Abraham’s family. Yet, as Abraham got older, many in the household including this servant may well have started to wonder whether God was going to remain faithful to that truth that He had promised. Isaac’s future role in carrying out this promise of God’s was a central question in everybody’s mind. But now the servant realizes that God has not forgotten his master in this matter and is indeed providing a wife for his son so that God’s promise to Abraham can become a reality. We must always be on the lookout for how God is keeping His promises to us in our lives. Ravi Zacharias, in his book, Grand Weaver, instructs us to be constantly and pleasantly surprised by how beautifully God weaves the grand design of our life for His glory. What has God done for you lately as part of that special design He has for you? You need only to open your spiritual eyes to see it.

Finally, we must note the phrase “the Lord has guided me in the way to the house…”. The servant agreed to do the right thing but He needed God’s guidance to help him succeed. He did not really know how things would work out or whether he could even find what he was looking for when he set out from Abraham’s household. But God guided him “on the way”. If we want God to direct us, we need to start moving – start the action. It has always been much easier to steer a moving vessel than one standing still. There is a time to “be still” and hear God’s instructions, but then there is a time to move out in faith and obedience.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:15-21 Was There Success and Was It from God?

Genesis 24:15-21: And it came about before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. And the girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” And she said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.” So, she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.

Abraham’s servant had not finished his prayer yet and Rebekah, Abraham’s grand-niece, the grand-daughter of his brother Nahor, comes to the well with her jar. Sometimes, once God gets the desired attitude from His servants, He moves very quickly to bring about an answer to our prayer. He certainly did in this case.

Neither Abraham nor the servant have made any demands on what the woman God chose for Isaac should look like or what her past history should have been. All that was requested is that she satisfy the short-term criteria that the servant had asked for as a sign. Yet scripture says that this woman was very beautiful and had never had sexual relations with a man. Bonus. Oftentimes, God does not only grant us what we ask for, but He satisfies that request beyond our wildest dreams or expectations.

Nor was Rebekah a dilly-dallier. From the text we see that she came down, filled her jar, and then started back up towards the city. She wasn’t at the well to gossip or chat. Abraham’s servant actually had to run to catch her. When he met her, he asked her for a drink in accordance with the plan. Rebekah obliges him right away in a most polite manner and moves quickly to give him a drink. When he was done, she quickly informed him that she would draw as much water as necessary for all of his camels to be satisfied. She did not ask if she could do this; she simply did it. This was not a young lady being disrespectful, but one who knew what the right thing to do was. The text says she drew water with her jar and emptied it into the trough for the animals to drink and she kept doing that until they stopped drinking. Rebekah would have done well working today at IBM where employees are taught to do “complete staff worker”. Rebekah was certainly thorough in her approach to her work, responsibility and in this case, hospitality.

Now the words she used were not exactly those that the servant had told God he would be looking for, but they were close enough if not better than expected. A cynic or a fool may have been looking for the exact words and anything else could have indicated that this was not of God. But the wise servant realized that God had arranged for the response of Rebekah to be far beyond what the servant had hoped for.

Now you would think with all this reassurance the servant would have been jumping up and down and rejoicing in his success and the blessing God had bestowed on his master, Abraham. But instead, he kept gazing at Rehekah in silence in order that he may know whether it was indeed God that had made his journey successful. What are we to make of this? Let me suggest that either the wise and cautious servant did not want to be fooled by his own emotions (which may have been ill-founded) or he simply felt the gravity of making a wrong judgment with respect to his assignment should what he was experiencing not have been from God. We would do well to follow suit as we allow God to direct our lives. We need to remember that the Enemy is also very much interested in causing us to falter in how we interpret things that happen to us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:10-14 "God, Bless Me and My Master, Today."

Genesis 24:10-14: Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and wet out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. And he said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; -- may she be the one whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and by this I shall know that Thou hast shown lovingkindness to my master.”

In the opening of this passage, we see the servant doing what he had to do to equip himself for the task and then setting out to do exactly what he had promised his master he would do. Many times we make promises to either our earthly masters or to our heavenly Master, but we’re not prepared to equip ourselves for the task. We promise we’ll preach the Gospel everywhere but never study it ourselves or go to Bible school. Sometimes we tell God that we will use the talents He has given us (our voice, our ability to play the piano, our art, our physical ability in sports, etc.) to influence and reach thousands with his message of salvation but we are never really serious about it. We are not prepared to work hard to achieve the level of proficiency required for that kind of recognition and acceptance. We just don’t want to practice. If the truth be known, almost all of us would speak, sing, play, or compete, and give God the glory, if being good at it just came naturally without effort. While the ability does come innately for many, the success takes lots of hard work.

Abraham’s servant also knows what to take along with him as he packs gifts from Abraham’s family to take to the woman God will lead him to. Obviously, when you go to take someone’s daughter away to another land, you need to provide enough incentive and proof that she is joining a family able to take good care of her. At least that was the custom of that day.

The servant goes to visit the locale of Nahor, Abraham’s brother (Genesis 11:26) in Mesopotamia. This is the first time we come across this name of Mesopotamia. The word itself describes a land in the middle of or between (meso) and rivers (potamia) in the Greek. The rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates, and today we find the countries of Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and the Khūzestān Province of southwestern Iran.

While we do not know what time he arrived there, we do know that he waited until evening time to cause his camels to kneel down by the well, outside the city. He knew that this was the time that the young maidens and other women would be coming to the well from inside the city to get water for their families. Abraham’s servant positions himself in the right place, at the right time, in order to carry out his assignment for his master. Many times we want to succeed in serving God but we are not prepared to be in the right place for doing so, nor are we patient enough to do it at the right time.

The servant then does something interesting – he prays. Scripture says that he prays to “the God of (his) master Abraham” but the two words prior to that may well indicate his own personal relationship with that God. Abraham had certainly modeled and encouraged the worship of God among his household and, as a faithful servant, this man may well have adopted God as his very own Lord. And what he asks for is even more interesting. He prays that God would show lovingkindness to his master by allowing him (the servant) to be successful. The servant’s success is the means by which his master will be shown lovingkindness by God. There is nothing in it for the servant except his rejoicing in being a vessel by which his master would be shown God’s favor. What an example for us as we go about our daily service to God. Our prayers for our success should be tied directly to God and to His Name being glorified in the world as a result.

Then the servant tells God what he has done by going to the well at the time the young women are coming to draw water. Now certainly God knew that the servant had done that; he did not need to tell Him. So why utter those words? I believe the servant was simply saying to God, “I have followed my instructions totally, and I went with the leanings of my understanding that you placed in my heart and mind, so God please honor my efforts with a sign in order that I may be able to know which one of these girls is the one you have appointed for Isaac.” And the servant proceeds to establish and suggest some very practical short-term criteria to define success so that he would know God’s will in this matter. We often do that ourselves. We set up certain conditions that need to be satisfied as a means of our understanding what God would have us do in a particular circumstance. Many times, however, people set up extreme criteria that if met would prove God’s existence, presence, and involvement beyond a shadow of a doubt. In fact, if God were to satisfy those criteria, there would no longer be any need for faith. It would be totally unreasonable not to believe in Him. God would not be quick to do that because even when He did, as we will see later in scripture, people still denied His existence.

Abraham’s servant on the other hand, picks criteria that, on the one hand, are practical enough and on the other beyond the realm of common practice in order to ascertain God’s will in this case. Think about it. Nine out of ten women that would be going to the well that day would have been taught to offer water to strangers. In fact, even those that were not taught specifically to do so, likely would simply out of common courtesy, especially when asked for a drink. Less likely, but still within the realm of possibility, would be that the same woman that gives him a drink would take the time and the trouble to also water the stranger’s animals. If that were to happen, most skeptics would chalk it up to a sheer coincidence. Those of us, however, who are looking for just enough divine intervention in their lives to know we are on the right track, would consider this occurrence nothing but God’s hand in our lives. We all need to be constantly seeking that kind of guidance and direction as we seek to do His will.

Finally, this passage concludes with the re-acknowledgement by the servant, that all he is asking for, and all God will do, would be for the sake of his master. That’s our job as well. “God, do this and allow this, strictly for your glory and your name’s sake.” Amen.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:5-9 Seeking Clarification of the Task Required

Genesis 24:5-9: And the servant said to him, “Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” Then Abraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there! The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your descendants I will give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

There is this need in good servants to make sure they have their instructions right. They do not want to mess up. Smart servants also think ahead and consider the possible outcomes of following their instructions. Abraham’s servant wants to know what would happen if the woman he chose for Isaac would not be willing to return with him. What is interesting about this question is that the servant was only told, at the end of verse four in the previous section, to “take a wife for my son Isaac.” He was not told how to do it exactly. Knowing his master well enough, the servant was able to figure out that Abraham would want the woman brought back and he was to ask her to return with him.

Sometimes men and women who want to serve God expect every detail to be provided in terms of every action they are to take in the process. Is this due to our inability to think for ourselves? I hope not, because God created us in His image. We are intelligent beings that have been blessed with the gift of creativity. Is it due to our laziness and the fact that our culture likes to spoon-feed us on just about everything? Again, I hope not, because serving the Lord requires us to give it all we have in terms of effort. One other possibility is that we do not know our Master well enough to ascertain what He would expect. If so, we need to spend more time with Him.

So Abraham’s servant asks the question he did, along with suggesting one possible answer – that he return alone and get Isaac and take him back there for the chosen woman to see. That was the last thing Abraham wanted and indicated so. But let us look closer at how he really answered the question. He simply shared with his servant that the God of heaven who has already proven His involvement in Abraham’s life, will indeed “send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.” That is the kind of earthly master I would want to work for; someone who hears my suggestion, understands my concern, and who can reject it kindly while still addressing my need. And in the process, assuring me of success. Abraham told his servant that in no way should Isaac be taken back there, but instead God will send his angel and the servant will succeed. And as an extra measure of comfort for the servant, Abraham tells him that should the woman not be willing to follow him back, he will be free from the covenant or promise he made to Abraham. Do as I requested, and if it does not work out, you’re free from that obligation. Isn’t this how we often treat our children that we love so much when they hesitate to take a risk in life.

Even though I have been a people manager for close to four decades now, I am still learning the lesson that good employees who want to serve me and our organization well need not only clarification as to their instructions, but also a level of comfort that they can succeed or that they will be absolved of their responsibility under certain conditions. The secret of course in a situation like this is to have such a relationship between supervisor and supervisee that the former takes the time to address the needs of the latter and the latter has enough confidence in the former’s assessment of the task and his/her abilities to perform it, that they can commit themselves to it. Such was the case here. Abraham addressed the servant’s concerns and the servant was able to fully commit himself to the assigned task and swore to him that he would perform it.

We are called to be that kind of servant to God. Some of us are called to be that kind of servant to our earthly managers. Others are also called to be that kind of ‘master’ to those that are under our care as employees and as members of our household.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:2-4 Taking Care of Business

Genesis 24:2-4: And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you shall go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

It is probable but not certain that Abraham sensed his days were coming to an end. Isaac had also become a young man, eligible for marriage. So Abraham calls his most trusted servant to come to his side. Even though he was the longest-standing employee in Abraham’s household and the one in charge of all that Abraham possessed, I think it is noteworthy that the servant’s name is not mentioned in the text. At least it is not mentioned here. In Genesis 15:2 we read about Abram’s steward, a man called Eliezer from the house of Damascus. However, there is controversy as to whether this was still the same person or one who had been promoted to the job when Eliezer died. Regardless of who it was, what matters is that true servants do not get credit. Their service is all for and about their master. In this day and age, this aspect of service is hard for many to grasp and adhere to. Ultimately, people want to be recognized and praised for their part.

I recently considered that very issue. Does God really get cranky if one of us receives some recognition for our accomplishments? Aren’t most fathers thrilled when their children succeed? Does not every young person want to become great? Some, men in particular, also want to be recognized as such when they achieve something of significance. So, is this wrong?

There is no doubt that “to God be all Glory” is the modus operandi for the Christian that has an opportunity to achieve something great. But I believe that is different than giving credit and recognizing someone else who has achieved something great. While there is a fine line here, I believe our job as Christians is to recognize others and their achievements and then wait for them to give God the glory for what they have done. It is not to strip them of their recognition and credit.

We need to partner together to raise young men and women who will attempt and accomplish great things for God. But let us be clear. Greatness is not glory. Glory belongs to God. Greatness is reflected glory like the stars and the moon reflect the glory of the sun. As Christians we are to reflect the Glory of Christ. And if some seek the glory, don’t worry, God can take care of Himself, he knows those that are serving out of impure motives.

Abraham asks his servant to place his hand under his master’s thigh. This is believed to have been an ancient form of undertaking a very serious oath. It required the oath taker to swear his total commitment and deliverance of the request. It is interesting how Abraham makes his servant swear by the “Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth” to make good his promise. We first came across this idea of “swearing by God” in Genesis 21:23 where Abimelech makes Abraham swear that he will not deal falsely with him, or his son, or his grandson. And Abraham obliged. Throughout the centuries taking an oath in the name of God is considered a most serious business. Even today in our court systems, we take an oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, “so help us) God” and we take that oath with our hand on a copy of the Bible. Abraham was the first one to take such an oath and the second one to require it.

So what was it that Abraham wanted his trusted servant to do? Simply this: that he makes sure that Isaac does not marry a daughter of the Canaanites, the very people among whom Abraham lived. Instead the servant was to go back to Abraham’s own country and to his own relatives to find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham knew that the promise had to come through as pure a lineage as possible from those that were true God worshippers.

He asked his servant to undertake this journey either because Abraham was too old to make such a journey, or more likely, because it was customary that one’s trusted servant or steward be entrusted with such responsibility as a representative of the parent. I would venture to say that should this have happened in this day and age, at least in North America, the valet’s response might be totally different than what we are told the servant responded with in the next passage.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 24:1 Blessed in Every Way

Genesis 24:1: Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.”

When Scripture says someone is old and advanced in age, you can be sure it means that his or her time is drawing near and that was indeed the case with Abraham. Overall life had been good for him. The text says, “…the Lord had blessed (him) in every way.” As I pen these words, I find myself in my sixty-second year of life. My wife of over 37 years is sitting in our den reading. Down the street my younger daughter and her husband are relaxing together, having put their three young children to bed. My youngest child and only son who lives in the city has finished work and is spending the evening with friends after making plans with us to go to the re-opening of our Art Gallery tomorrow. My oldest daughter, her husband, and two energetic young boys are swimming in their pool in South Carolina after talking to us about our trip to see them next week. Currently, everybody’s health is good. There is food on the table for all of us. And we all worship and serve God freely in our two countries of North America. Everyone that needs to be is employed. In short, even though I know I have neither deserved it for my past, nor deserve it now, God has blessed me.

I stop and think about my readers and I wonder how different ones would react to that. Some would, I believe, place themselves in a similar boat as I am in. Others could well say, “That’s easy for him to say. That’s not my experience.” And it may very well not be. But then I wonder whether the cause of the difference is indeed the circumstances or the person perceiving them. I know of people in similar circumstances as those I am in but much wealthier who do not consider themselves blessed at all. I know of others who have had many more struggles, have suffered incredible losses of all sorts including loved ones, and are depending on God daily for their survival, that consider themselves incredibly blessed. I have also reflected on some very difficult times in my own life – when I lost my mother just after our third child was born; when I slipped away from God and did my own thing; when I lost my dad to cancer; when I had to deal with my own cancer; and when my son separated from his wife, to name a few. I remember distinctly that at no time during those periods did I feel anything but blessed. Even in my sin I felt blessed, as God pulled me out of the trash and restored me to Himself.

Abraham was indeed a man who loved God and wanted to serve Him. And God blessed him. I believe God still does that today for those that love Him and want to serve Him. He does not always make us rich, our healthy, or famous – but He blesses us in ways that make a difference. He makes us content and give us peace and comfort and understanding and wisdom and patience and so much more. There’s something about loving God and serving Him that turns on the “internal blessings” tap.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 23:17-20 From Death to Burial

Genesis 23:17-20: So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Mchpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

In this brief passage, the writer provides us with greater details about Ephron’s field that was sold to Abraham so that Sarah could be buried. From verse 9 we had learned the field was in Machpelah. Now we are also informed that Machpelah faced Mamre. We first heard of Mamre back in Genesis 13:18 (the place were Abraham, then called Abram, came and lived and built an altar to the Lord), and again in 18:1 (where the Lord appeared to Abraham as he sat in his tent’s door, in the heat of the day). The land that he bought to bury Sarah faced that plain of Mamre.

The actual word ‘mamre’ means strength or fatness in the original Hebrew, but it was also the name given to an Amorite who had aligned himself with Abram (see Genesis 14:13, 24). Strongs describes the actual plain as an oak grove on Mamre’s land in Palestine where Abraham dwelt and near the burial place of Abraham himself, identified as Hebron.

So Abraham gets this land that faces his home. He gets the field and the cave and all the trees in it and to seal the deal, Ephron gives him a deed of ownership in front of the sons of Heth and others that were going in and out of the city gate. We that all settled, Abraham buries Sarah his wife there.

Anyone who has been personally responsible for burying someone can identify with the relief that Abraham must have felt after laying Sarah in the ground. The time between someone dying and when they are buried is one of great sorrow, anxiety, weariness, loss, and so much more. But ultimately, God has given us a means whereby once we see our loved one’s body lowered into the earth then covered over, we can begin, ever so slowly for some, to breathe normally again and to attend to our other responsibilities in life – to those of our loved ones that are still with us, to our work, to our church, and to our relationship with God. Abraham started to do just that.

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