January 19 - Genesis 22-24: Abraham Finds a Mate for Isaac

Today’s Reading: Genesis 22-24

The Message 

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Trust in God plays a major role in today’s reading.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God commanded Abraham to offer a sacrifice—Isaac. Abraham arose and went. As Abraham started to kill his son, an angel came, "You have proven your true allegiances! Don’t touch him!"
Sarah died. Abraham bought the cave Machpelah for her body. Isaac and Abraham grieved.
Abraham wanted a God-fearing woman for his son. He tasked his servant to find a wife from Abraham’s relatives. The servant trusted God to help him and found Abraham's grandniece, Rebekah. She and her family served God. They rejoiced when they learned his task. After 10 days, they returned to Abraham. Rebekah' companionship comforted Isaac.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Abraham’s test is to see if his allegiances have changed from God to Isaac.

Many people do not understand why God would want to test Abraham in this way. If God would never think of requiring child sacrifice and gave harsh penalties if someone sacrificed their child (Jeremiah 7:31; Leviticus 20:1-5) why would God command a child sacrifice? Because he wanted to test Abraham's faith that he could become a great nation through God alone. Our allegiance must be to God, even over our family. That may seem simple when God comes to us and asks us to leave our older-than-us family (especially if we do not have a great relationship with them). But it becomes a much harder choice when the sacrifice is your own child (or grandchild). That is why God tested Abraham. When Abraham passed the test God stopped him. He proved himself faithful over all. Could we do a similar act?

Abraham wanted a God-fearing woman for Isaac.

Abraham knew the importance of a woman dedicated to God for his son's mate. He had to plead that God wouldn't destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their unrighteousness. He did not want this to happen to his great nation! To help it start correctly, he asked to have a wife found among the people he knew obeyed God—his family. A great way to start a great nation of disciples is to marry someone who is also a disciple of God. But remember—this was before the Law of Moses. Abraham did not want a ritual follower for his son. He wanted a disciple of God for his son.

Abraham's servant asked God to lead him to the right woman.

This continues the (positive) theme of Genesis: when people trust God to lead their lives, good things happen. The servant asked God to show the right woman who would be a servant. And God did.

Rebekah was chosen because she kind to a stranger, not because she belonged to the right religion.

Rebekah gave some of her water to Abraham's servant. She also, on her own, gave water to his camels. If you know anything about camels, you know they drink water in fits and spurts. They drink gallons all at once and then do not drink for hours or days. She would have to work a long time to give water to ten camels that weren't hers. Her righteousness went beyond the ritual. Men, regardless of religion, godly women serve and serving women are godly. Women, regardless of religion, godly men serve and serving men are godly.

January 18 - Genesis 19-21: Dysfunction in the Ancient World

Today’s Reading: Genesis 19-21

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

This section should remind everyone—especially if you have a dysfunctional family—of God’s ability to take non-ideal situations and have things made right through them.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Lot tried to save God’s angels from being harmed by the residents of Sodom. He fled to save his family from the angels’ destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. To preserve their lineage, Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.
Abraham and Sarah repeat their deception in the Negev. Abimelech asks them to leave after Abraham blesses them and prays for the health of their women.
At 90 years-old, Sarah gives birth to a son, Isaac. She now wants Hagar and Ishmael out. God allows this to happen and promises both Hagar and Abraham that Ishmael would become a great nation.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Lot wants to protect God’s angels even though he does not realize they are God’s angels.

Lot’s righteousness is seen when he pushes these visitors to sleep in his house to protect them from the residents of Sodom. He does not realize they are God’s angels (Hebrews 13:2). God sets things right when his people protect those who they may have no relationship to.

Lot’s daughters provide an example of a "lost in translation" moment.

Americans read this section with horror and disgust. This decision made sense to these women: 1) (because I believe in a literal, six-day creation) Genes were less spliced at that time. Close relatives could reproduce without the major problems of today. That is why Abraham married his half-sister, Isaac his first cousin once removed and Jacob his first cousin. It wasn’t taboo because there weren’t as many problems for the children. 2) There weren’t as many men to choose from at that time. Marriage had major political ties. Marrying a woman from a land that had just been completely destroyed was unthinkable and there weren’t any Hollywood producers to create a man willing to rebel against that.

Sarah’s prejudice against and hostility toward Hagar and Ishmael is never resolved.

Yesterday I mentioned these hostilities could be a cause of the animosity between Arabs and Jews today. This story seals that fate. Yet Abraham does not simply kick them out or tell his wife to leave them alone. He consults God who promises Abraham Ishmael would become a great nation.

The Bible is not sanitized for your listening pleasures.

Never let anyone tell you the Bible is not believable because the stories are too much like children’s stories. With stories like these, no one should ever accuse the Bible of being too Disney. These were real problems faced by real people. These people were not heroes or heroines who had super-human faith and made the right decisions every time. They were just as human as people living today. Abraham and the rest decided to act on their strong faith because they had faith willing to act. Oh, may we have faith as strong as these!

January 17 - Genesis 16-18: Abraham Proves His Righteousness

Today’s Reading: Genesis 16-18

The Message, 

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Abraham is a completely fair and loving man. He defends all people.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Sarai presents Hagar to Abram, now 80, to have children. Soon after, Sarai threw Hagar out. God told Hagar to return. Ishmael (her son) would be always be a fighter.
Abram, Ishmael, and all of Abram’s males were circumcised to confirm the everlasting covenant with God. Abram’s name became "Father-of-Many-Nations" (Abraham).
God visited Abraham and Sarai (now Sarah). Sarah laughed at having a son at her old age; therefore, their son’s name would be "Laughter" (Isaac).
Abraham pleaded with God to save the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah. God agreed to spare the whole city for only 10 righteous people.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Giving Hagar to Abram was Sarai’s way to take control of God’s promise. She resented her decision and things turned bad.

Sarai was not a fickle woman who changed her mind because she didn’t like Hagar anymore. For Sarai, a woman’s worth is tied to her ability to bear children for the man. This was too much for her to stand. So she created strife between them.
This happened because she was unwilling to allow God to control the timing of his promises. As the theme constantly echoes in Genesis, when humans take control over God, bad things happen. It is likely the enmity between these two women led to Ishmael’s want to fight and eventual strife between Arabs (who are the descendents of Ishmael) and Jews (the descendents of Isaac).

God councils Hagar to return to Sarai and "put up with her abuse" (16:9, The Message).

This is striking, especially to an American. Why would God allow Hagar to be under this type of abuse? Because God would bless Hagar through Sarai’s abuse. God would not leave her alone to suffer but would make her, too, a great nation through Ishmael. Hagar points to the second theme of Genesis, God will use these bad actions and situations to make something good.

Abram’s circumcision was to seal the covenant between a righteous Abraham and his God forever through all generations.

Abraham’s circumcision would be "a permanent marker of my permanent covenant" (17:13, The Message). Abraham was declared "Set-Right-with-God" when he believed God (15:6, see yesterday’s comments). All descendents of Abraham would be circumcised to show their link with Abraham and God’s covenant. Even Christians are circumcised—through baptism—to share in Abraham’s covenant with God (Romans 4). This ritual not only links Christians to Jews but also to Muslims who, being descendents of Abraham, practice circumcision in honor of Abraham’s covenant with God.
However, this circumcision is only the physical sign of a heart that is circumcised. Physical circumcision did not guarantee obedience to God. Only a circumcised heart allowing God to lead can take part in the promises of God.

Abraham prays for his son Ishmael and God blesses him.

Even though Abraham knew Isaac would be the son God promised him and would carry on the covenant of God, Abraham continues to pray for his son from a maid-wife, Ishmael. Abraham is truly a godly man.

Abraham’s negotiations with God over Sodom and Gomorrah show both God’s and Abraham’s characters.

Abraham cares deeply for the city and does not want God to destroy the good with the bad, which would be out of character for the God Abraham served. However, he is also realistic about the people there and their (in)ability to obey God. So he bargains with God to save the city. Personally, I do not see God as changing his mind but allowing Abraham an opportunity to prove his love for others. Abraham didn’t need Sodom or Gomorrah. God promised that Abraham would become a great nation with no link to Sodom and Gomorrah. But he still pleaded with God not to destroy the city.
Since comparing the USA to Sodom and Gomorrah happens regularly, especially following a disaster, we need to see God’s character here as well. God is not willing to give up Sodom and Gomorrah as long as there were 10 people obeying him. Would God destroy the USA (or any area/city in the USA) and kill the righteous with the unrighteous? No! So let’s ignore all warnings that God’s wrath in the form of storms or wars is coming upon the USA because of its unrighteousness.

January 16 - Genesis 12-15: God Makes a Covenant with Abram

Today’s Reading: Genesis 12-15

The Message

English Standard Version

Today we return to Genesis. We will stay in Genesis until the end on January 29.

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Abram’s faith in God’s promise is questioned but never lost.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God promises Abram, "I will make you a great nation and blessed all the Earth’s families through you. Leave your family." Abram obeyed God.
The Egyptians caught Abram lying when he, afraid of them killing him for her, said Sarai was his sister. They were kicked out of Egypt.
Abram separated from Lot. Later, Abram rescued Lot from warring kings. After the battle, Abram refused everything from Sodom’s king but gave a tenth to the king of Salem.
God renewed His covenant with the aging Abram, now doubting the promises. Abram believed God once again. This set their relationship right.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God’s promise to Abram was not limited to a foreshadowing of Jesus.

God’s promise of "All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you" (12:3, The Message) was made for the great nation of Israel to bless the world by example and words. Although the nation of Israel came close in a few instances, for the most part this was a complete failure.

Abram’s trip into Egypt showed his weakness of focus.

Abram’s lie happened because he did not trust that God could make good on His promise in the face of the Egyptians’ jealousy. Before we look at his decision unsympathetically, we must first realize he was not directly rejecting God’s covenant but allowed the Egyptian threat becloud his faith. This would happen again and again. We hedge on following God’s plan when we allow our situation to overshadow God’s promises. Where have threats from the world caused you to sidestep God’s plan in your life?

Melchizadek foreshadows Jesus’ spiritual reign over our lives.

Just as Melchizadek receives a sacrifice of Abram’s earnings because he was a priest of God so we give our lives as sacrifices to Jesus because he is our priest. It’s not a ritual priesthood. Melchizadek did not become a priest by earning a degree from a prestigious seminary. Jesus does not reign over our lives because he was a great scholar or great teacher. He reigns over our lives because he is God. And we believe this because we trust God.

Abram’s belief in God’s promise set his relationship right with God.

This is a case where Eugene Peterson’s The Message shines, "And he believed! Believed God! God declared him 'Set-Right-with-God'" (15:6). As Paul would point out later, this did not come from a ritual (circumcision). It came based on his faith. I’ll mention more tomorrow.

January 15 - Job 40-42: Job Passes His Final Test

Today’s Reading: Job 40-42

The Message

English Standard Version

You made it to the end of Job (no easy ordeal)! Congratulations! Only 65 more books to go!

Thought to Guide Your Reading

God gives Job a final challenge. Will Job respond with anger?

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God questions Job, "You want your day in court? Here it is. I created a world that could crush you. You are not worthy a trial. Case dismissed!"
Job, bewildered, replies, "You are utterly just! My second-guessing was short-sighted. Forgive me! Never again!"
God turns to Job’s friends, "You lied about my nature. You should ask Job to present a sacrifice so I will forgive you."
Job’s health, his wealth and his honor returned. He had ten more children, including three girls–whom Job treated as equals to his sons. Job lived a long life and died a fulfilled man.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God’s response provides the Accuser with his final test—will Job give up after not receiving a proper response?

God is issuing a challenge to Job, "You wanted me to come and answer your charges. Here I am. Case dismissed." This should have proved one challenge too far. There is no way Job’s faith would survive this. But it does.

Job’s response gives the theme of the book—faith in God even when it does not make sense.

Job’s response to God’s challenge is to humble himself and take his place as the created. "I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it hall firsthand – from my own eyes and ears!" (42:5, The Message). Job doesn’t request a retrial. He doesn’t yell at God to answer his charges. He responds with faith. God still knows best.

God humiliates Job’s friends for lying about him.

Job’s friends wanted to defend God by trumping up charges against Job that did not exist. They flailed against his character reminiscent of the "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon given by Jonathan Edwards.
We do not honor God by attempting to convince the world it is evil. We honor God by convincing the world God is good.

Footnote

Let’s not gloss over the fact that Job’s daughters were not only given part of their father’s inheritance (which someone could argue because he had enough to go around) but also were treated as equals to their brothers. This is Job—God’s friend. The next time someone accuses God, the Bible, or Christianity as being chauvinistic point them to the end of Job.

January 14 - Job 38-39: Job Receives His Answer

Today’s Reading: Job 38-39

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Job at last receives his reply from God. But it’s not what you would expect.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

God answers Job, "I am going to ask you questions and I want straight answers. Pay attention and stop talking.
"Where were you when I created everything and set it all in order? Do you understand the oceans, the sky, or the universe? Do you really understand death? Do you know how the earth works and the way in which animals live? Are animals able to do their jobs unattended? Did you set animals on this earth to take care of it?"

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God’s reply is unsettling.

As an American, I want Job to end happy. I want God to come and say, "Job, I realize this has been an extremely difficult time for you. But I allowed this to happen because I had to prove to the Accuser that you would not curse me. Here are you children, your herds, and your respect back as if they were never gone." Then Job would wake up from what seemed like a dream.
But this story does not end that way. And I don’t like it. If you have followed my discussions of this book you know what’s coming next. This book isn’t meant to settle our minds. It brings our souls to the brink and demands it to submit to God.

God’s reply is not mocking Job but setting him up for a disconcerting comforting.

"Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?" (38:1, The Message). At first, I thought this was another iteration of the messages Job had heard in the past. Yet that is not how it ends.
God is preparing to bring comfort to Job. But he is not going to do it in the same way we, especially Americans, would expect. He has to remind Job of how small he is compared to creation. Once Job understands this God can lift him up. God does this through examples.

God mentions animals to show Job his strengths not his failings.

God shows Job how these creatures are all stronger, faster, and/or wilder than man. God did not give husbandry of the earth to these animals because they were not created in God’s image. That is the subtle message left for Job. Job thinks his entire existence is futile. God must remind Job that, although a small part of the universe, humans are God’s special creation with His spirit.

January 13 - Job 35-37: Elihu Continues to Repeat Past Arguments Against Job

Today’s Reading: Job 35-37

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Elihu continues to promote the same ideas Job’s three friends did previously. Still nothing new. Still a misunderstanding of the situation.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Elihu continued, “Job, you seem to think your innocence is important. Your innocence or evil could not make a dent on God’s earth. God has produced an earth to teach us, but man is too ignorant to listen. So stop talking such nonsense.
“God is too just to punish innocent people. He uses suffering to teach. So praise his wonderful ways! Think of rain. Thunder and lightning is beyond man’s control. Why would anyone attempt to question God’s works? Worship him, Job!"

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Elihu is more bold in accusing Job of wrong.

Elihu does the same thing Job’s three friends did before: tell of God’s greatness, interpret Job’s situation as happening because of his sin, and a call for Job to stop this "I’m innocent" charade and start confessing sin. He is more bold because he taunts Job even more than his friends – telling Job, "If you’re so smart, give us a lesson in how to address God. We’re in the dark and can’t figure it out" (37:19, The Message).