Must We Reconcile The Bible With Science?

When I was in college, there was a great debate on just "how" God created the earth. Some maintained that the days described in the chapter could have been ages long each, and thus account for the apparent age of the earth observed scientifically these days.

Others suggested that there had been a creation and that this first creation was ruined by the sin and subsequent casting from heaven of Satan. They postulate a "gap" between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2. Still other theorize that we basically evolved from the state God created us in to the state we are in now. A variation on this is the idea that God oversaw the evolution process and "helped" man over the different "thresh-holds" that would prevent his further development.

Of course, there are other theories that I have not mentioned here. I simply wish to point out that there are many approaches to the concept of "God created the heavens and the earth".

I am no learned man of science. I don't have the in-depth knowledge necessary to properly evaluate the "scientific-ness" of these theories. I can only comment on what I do know about. None of those creation theories satisfies the plain sense of the chapter! The Scripture was written to be understood. It is clear and it speaks plainly to the reader.

The Reformers called this the "Perspicuity" of the Bible. The normal and plain sense of a passage is probably the correct one. This is not to say that there aren't figures and/or difficult to understand things in the Bible, there certainly are! But, on the whole, I believe the Bible is clear and plain in what it tells us. What chapter one tells us is that God created the world in six days. It mentions morning and evening for each day. It appears that these six days were concurrent and to proclaim them not to be is to bring a presupposition to the text that is not there naturally.

It is always safest to allow the passage to say what it says and to work on our adjusting our understanding accordingly! It can be disastrous to do the reverse! One might think this all a minor, unimportant detail, but I would disagree. The moment we begin to view the Scripture through any lens but the lens of the teaching of God's Spirit we stand in danger of repeating mistakes made by those who have abandoned God's Word and its standards.

Certainly, there are many well-meaning scholars, pastors and other students of the Bible who are caught up in this ... accommodation; but it is a mistake, one that will lead to grave consequences as time wears on. Why is it significant that we believe that God created the world in 6 literal, concurrent days? Because our minds are to be subject to the plain sense of Scripture! Why "couldn't it be this way or that way?". Because that denies that the Scripture is not sufficient to teach truth concerning all that it touches.

If the content of the Bible is not enough for us to understand the acts of God as revealed to us in its pages, then we are at a loss to know if we understand it at all? What other parts may need the enlightening presence of science? How can I trust what it says anywhere if I need more than what is written to understand any of it?

Some will say that I am overstating my case. I think not. The sufficiency of the Scripture is a key doctrine, essential if we are to confidently call men and women to repentance and redemption by the blood of Christ.

This is especially true of the doctrine of creation, wherein there is much confusion and false teaching among unbelievers. If the matter is clouded yet more by we who profess to know the truth, then that makes the road to Christianity needlessly hindered and places barriers unnecessary and even damaging.

Let's keep in mind the sufficiency of Scriptural Revelation and the significance of these "small" issues in the larger picture!

And Their Hearts Melted Within Them…

1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

Reports of God’s supernaturally opening a crossing struck fear into the Canaanites. The miracle was all the more incredible and shocking since God performed it when the Jordan was swollen to flood height (3:15). To the people in the Land, this miracle was a powerful demonstration proving that God is mighty (4:24). This came on top of reports about the Red Sea miracle Rahab had said that this was an amazing thing to those in the area (understandably!). God’s drying up the waters of the Jordan caused the inhabitants of Canaan to fear Israel greatly. Such reactions of fear or opposition were common as Israel entered the land (see 9:1–4; 10:1–2; 11:1–5).

...and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. (Joshua 2:9)

For the Canaanites, the events of the preceding days were a horror story. They had been terrified enough by seeing the Israelite hordes—some two million strong—spread out along the eastern bank of the Jordan. It was obvious that the Jews intended to invade the western lands. But the water was at flood stage. The people could not cross. There seemed to be time to get ready. Suddenly the waters ceased flowing, the people crossed over, and a battle was imminent. The suddenness of the crossing terrified everyone.

The people of Canaan had counted on the Jordan’s acting as a barrier against invasion of their land by the Israelites. Although this would seem to be the best time for Israel to strike, important spiritual matters (circumcision and the Passover) had to come first. This verse forms a transition between the Jordan crossing in chs. 3; 4 and the adversaries to be encountered later in chs. 6–12.

Word of this crossing of the Jordan spread like wildfire among the Canaanite nations, causing their hearts to ‘melt’ within them. We might say that Israel’s conquest of Canaan began before a single arrow was shot or a single spear thrown. The Lord of Israel prepared the way for conquest and assured its success by causing Canaanite hearts to be smitten with this debilitating fear. What can we learn from this?

1. The importance of knowing God

This passage is here to tell us about God. In our best moments, we have never come anywhere near an adequate understanding of the greatness of the God we serve. We are quick to forget that knowledge when we do remember it! He is great in power, overriding the laws of nature. He is great in grace, doing for his people that which they could not do for themselves. He is worthy of our worship and our obedience. To say that it is imperative for us to remember and KEEP ON remembering it is an understatement is silly. Rather we ought to say it in the other direction! It is imperative that we both know Him and that keep that knowledge in the front of our minds!

2. The importance of honoring God’s appointed leaders

The Lord magnified Joshua in the eyes of the people. He wanted the people to honor Joshua and to follow him. People these days feel very free to complain about their leaders and to criticize them, not realizing that we honour God as we honour the leaders he has appointed and we attack God when we attack them. Likewise, they feel free to shop around for whatever leader they like, putting they, and their own preferences and hence their own authority and perception of God ahead of God and His voice speaking through His leader. Now, it is certainly true that there comes time for godly people to leave churches from time to time. But those times are virtually ALWAYS over matters of doctrine and NOT over matters of preference. In all other matters we are to honor our leaders and submit to them.

3. The importance of letting children know

Throughout the Bible, the Lord puts great emphasis on godly parents instructing their children in his ways. The Israelites were to teach their children as they walked along, when they lay down and when they arose (Deut. 6:6–7). The prophet Malachi tells us that the Lord desires ‘godly offspring’ from his people (Mal. 2:15). This does not happen by accident. It requires diligent effort on the part of Christian parents, grandparents, and others. We are always but one generation away from paganism!

If OT Israel teaches one thing (of course they teach us many things) they teach us how very, very quickly any people (any family) can slide downward into ungodly and hence into the judgement of God. Obedience is not a national affair, it is individual. It is not something a nation, a church or a family can do for each other. It something that each person MUST do for themselves. This passage says that the fear of God came upon ALL the countryside. It wasn't the national leaders fearing while the people wandered around happily in ignorance. God calls all men to submit and to obey - or He will judge and call each man to account before Him.

4. The importance of Remembering

If it seems that we do not have much in common with the Israelites crossing the Jordan, we need to think again. The same God who did mighty and wonderful things for those people has done even more for us. All of God’s people have been saved with a glorious and mighty salvation. The Lord has taken all of us out of the dominion of Satan and has placed us in his own family. He has forgiven us of our sins, and he will finally bring us all home to eternal glory. He has done all of this in and through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember that this is the God who set up the memorial in the midst of the Jordan. The God who has done these things for us has also given us a way in which to remember them. He knows how we are constantly inclined to forget! The Lord’s Supper is the memorial that God has appointed. As we come to his table, we are reminded of our sinful condition and how helpless we were to do anything about it (more helpless than the Israelites were before the swollen Jordan!).

We are also reminded that the Lord Jesus did for us everything that was needed. He lived the life we have not lived, obeying God in every respect. He died the death that we deserve to die, receiving on the cross the full measure of the wrath of God. As we come to his table, we remember how much we owe, and as we realize how much we owe, we are more resolved to live for the glory of our God.

We should note also that at the end of the first main section of the Book of Joshua, the Israelites stand well-prepared for their first major encounter with the Canaanites whose land they were to inherit. They were well prepared because

1. God was very much with them,
2. Because he had given them a leader who was already in process of becoming a worthy successor to Moses,
3. Because the entire nation was taking care to obey God’s commands to the letter (from Joshua and the priests on down to the people), and
4. Because they were careful to sanctify themselves properly before engaging the Canaanites.

Moses Had to Die First

“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. (Joshua 1:2-3 2)

It just makes perfect sense that Moses had to die before God's people could enter the promised land. Moses was the vessel through whom God gave His Law. The purpose of that Law was neither to bring saving righteousness nor to bring the blessings of that righteousness.

Rather, it was to do quite the opposite. It was to show man the absolute holiness of the Triune God. It was always God's intention that, in seeing the Law, man would be forced to see his own nature. Confronted with his nature, and his own inability to fulfill the law and thus be acceptable to God, man will then turn to God's mercy offered by grace for another solution.

Further God knew and told Moses, and through Moses, the people of God that they would never live up to his wall. The apostle John, in the introduction to his Gospel, told us that this was true. In verse 16 and 17 of chapter 1, he said that

"... of his fullness we have all received and grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

There is a contrast there. Moses gave the Law, but grace and truth, the only means by which anyone can actually GET INTO God's presence and emerge, comes by another means.

That means, John says specifically, and the Old Testament tells us in type, was the person and actions of Jesus Christ, God's Only Begotten Son. What the Law could not do, what the Law, in fact, was not ever designed to do, and what men had no desire to do because of their fallen nature, Christ came and did for them. He walked perfectly and acceptably before His Father, and then He laid down His life a sacrifice for sins.

Both His active and passive obedience qualified Him as the perfect Lamb of God which then served to satisfy God's wrath against the sins of a depraved people. It is that gift that we celebrated Christmas. That just would not have been possible if Moses had not died. No one would have been able to enter the promised land if Moses had not died (and I speak metaphorically here) because the Law could not get anyone there. At least not the law with Joshua at the helm. Only the Law as fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Will Prosper You...When!

Deuteronomy 30:8-10 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

"you will again obey the voice of the Lord." We need to remember that all of this comes after the coming of Israel's Messiah. With a new heart under the New Covenant, Israel would obey all the commandments of the Lord. This would result in the Lord’s blessing, which would bring greater prosperity than Israel had ever previously experienced. Here is a renewed enforcement of the indispensable fruit of salvation and another echo of the constant theme of this book.

Remember that the intention of the law is not to bring righteousness, but to show the sinfulness of man and to direct man to their need for Christ (Israel's Messiah). The only kind of righteousness the wall was never intended to bring was a practical righteousness that brought practical blessing. The kind of righteousness that brings redemption was never the capacity of the Law. It was always God's intent that the Law simply bring man to his knees and direct them to Himself.

At this point, we must note that the fact that this was not accomplished in the Old Testament is not a failing of the Law, but rather a failing of Old Testament Israel as a nation. It is certainly true that there were indeed individuals, many of them, who were redeemed throughout Israel's Old Testament history. However, as a nation , Israel turned to the Law for their redemption and did not learn the lesson from the Law that God intended.

Their obedience was short-lived, it came in spurts, and God was constantly having to send "judges" to both chasten, and call them back to that obedience. This was not a surprise to God, and should not have been a surprise to Israel! He made it clear to them from the very beginning that this was to be their experience, after all righteousness was not the purpose of the Law. After all, we know that the Scriptures say: ...the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17).

Let us remember this principle, for it applies, not only to the issue of how a man becomes a believer, accomplishing his redemption, but also to how one pleases his God in all things as a believer! This is a matter that deserves far more consideration in the long run!

The God Who Cannot Be Seen

Genesis 1:1

   Of course, we would be considered remiss if we did not pause and consider the obvious truth that the Scripture begins and ends with the presence of God, doing and accomplishing His purpose.

   The existence of God is an assumed matter in the Scripture. Nowhere does the Scripture undertake to categorically "prove" the existence of the True and Living God. Quite a large number of philosophers and theologians have undertaken the task over the centuries and have succeeded, to a point, in demonstrating the probability (though not the absolute certainty) that God is Who the Bible claims He is.

   They use a number of logical, philosophical, and theological arguments to accomplish this. They argue many very valid points and, in my view, those arguments establish the existence of a personal God far beyond any reasonable doubt.

   However, we must realize that the aim of the Scriptures is to call men to believe what they cannot see. The familiar words of Hebrews 11:6 remind us: "... without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." I believe that God could have given more than adequate proof of His existence. He could have designed us and the world in such a fashion as to prove categorically His existence to the most skeptical of observers. Yet we are left with the truth that He did not so do.

   This is not to say that there is not abundant "evidence" that God does, indeed, exist that is available to the unredeemed. Romans 1:19-20 declares "... that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse". These "proofs" are both clearly seen and understood Paul says, by the combination of exposure to the presence of Creation and the "showing" of them by God Himself to each person. When coupled with true faith, this evidence is sufficient, more than sufficient really, to convince the heart of God's existence. Apart from true faith, the evidence of God's existence is, to the unredeemed, not convincing at all! In fact, Romans goes on to say that they universally reject that knowledge and persist in their sin, "holding the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

   No one can convince and unbeliever of the existence of God. Evidences can be shown and they are useful for removing barriers that would obscure the truth of the Gospel, but only up to a point. Ultimately, as with the Scriptures assumption here in Genesis One, the existence of God must be embraced by faith, despite the lack of empirical and categorical evidence. Again we note that this is non-rational, but rather is the way God intended it to be. those who would please Him must believe that He is!

A New Hearing From God

9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune- tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen (Deuteronomy 18:9-15 )

    The issue at hand in these verses is not so much the matter of divination per se, so much as it is how one hear and discern the voice of God. With any people this matter is critical. But with Israel it would be crucial. In their new land they would be surrounded with people that would be consumed with the occult; believing that God speaks personally and individually, through signs and wonders, etc.; the main matter being that the source of revelation was entirely subjective. This was not to be the case with Israel. Their interaction with God was rooted in an objective reality, that is, in a real encounter with a God Who actually spoke to them in time and space; as Francis Schaeffer said, "A God Who is there."

     The nations that were around Israel in the land relied upon their intuition upon which to interact with "god" as they perceived him. "They worshiped god as they understood him". Surely, they pursued Him with zeal, cutting themselves, passing their children through the fire, and using other such zealous pursuits. But because these practices were coupled with a lack of genuine knowledge they had "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." (Romans 10:2-3).

    God speaks in no uncertain terms here. He is very clear as to his feelings about the practices of those who were in and around the land that He was giving to the Israelites. The religious practices of those people were unacceptable to him. Those "abominable practices"

• ...Onw who burns his son or his daughter as an offering,
• ...Anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
• ...A charmer or a medium, A necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,
• ...Fortune-tellers and diviners of the future

    All of those had to do with inquiry of the "world beyond". God desired Israel to rely upon his revelation, given through his vessel, the prophet of God, for information concerning those matters. That's why this section is followed immediately by an endorsement of Moses as the prophet of God.

    Notice that this section also uses words like "abomination" to underscore the seriousness of what He is saying. This is no small matter! These are matters that God takes very very seriously. He spoke of the idols and practices of Egypt in the same fashion! And we know what he did to them! Israel certainly didn't want their God to have to take similar action with regard to them.

     Note that God tells them that He has "not allow them to do this". There are many who insists on their "right" to approach God in whatever fashion they desire to approach him. This is only another expression of Cain's desire to approach God in the fashion in which he desires to approach Him. And God reacts no better than he reacted to Cain. Men do not have the right to approach God in whatever fashion they desire to approach. It is God who sets the terms upon which man may approach at all! Men are beset by sin; they are soiled, and God in his grace, has provided a way for them to approach. That avenue is by means of the Lord Jesus Christ and his precious gift of grace on Calvary's mountain. There is no other way that is acceptable to God.

In Full Thanksgiving Now We Come

 To be Sung to the Tune of
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
(Alternate Tune)

O Lord our Father and our King,
Your gracious Name we gladly sing;
Our minds and hearts to Thee we raise,
And lift your Name in glorious praise!

In full Thanksgiving now we come,
Where worldly tongues are sadly dumb.
With grateful hearts for all Thy grace,
The favor of our Father's Face.

His blessings many, showered down,
The chief, to see our Master's crown!
To walk with Him, as one made pure,
Secured in mercy through God's Door

That Door is Jesus, God's blessed Son,
God's precious Lamb, His Only One!
He took our sin, and made us clean,
So we may worship unashamed.

His Kingdom here is but a taste,
Of glory all we hope will haste!
But until realized then we stay,
And work and serve, and live and pray.

We thank you Father for Thy Love,
And for all else sent from above.
But yet we long for that glad day,
When in You presence we will stay!

O Lord our Father and our King,
Your gracious Name we gladly sing;
Our minds and hearts to Thee we raise,
And lift your Name in glorious praise!

 Original Words by
Pastor Bill Farrow
Valley Forge Baptist Church

God's Eternaltiy & What It Means To Us

   At the beginning of all things. At the beginning of all we know, God already was and thus can be said to have had no beginning. There was never a time when God was not, because He already was at the beginning.
   There is a strange logic and yet an illogic in the thought. One might consider that this is speaking of the beginning of our existence alone, and that it says nothing beyond that about God's eternality. In the strictest of senses, I suppose that one would have to conclude, on the merits of this verse alone, that it says nothing about whether God had a beginning or not.
   What it does say is that that alleged beginning, if there was one, was "before" our beginning. Thankfully, we are not left with this verse alone, but have the rest of the testimony of the Scripture to rely on for more information.
   The short list of verses in the Bible that speak of the Eternality of God would include: Gen. 21:33; Deut. 32:40; Deut. 33:27; 1 Chron. 16:36; Neh. 9:5; Job 36:26; Ps. 29:10; Ps. 33:11; Ps. 41:13; Ps. 45:6; Ps. 48:14; Ps. 90:1-2, 4; Ps. 93:2; Ps. 102:25-27; Isa. 26:4; Isa. 40:28; Isa. 41:4; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 57:15; Lam. 5:19; Dan. 4:34; Hab. 1:12; Hab. 3:6; Rom. 1:20; Rom. 16:26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 Tim. 6:15; Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 1:8; Rev. 4:8-9.
   That our God is eternal is of little doubt to any real believer in the Scripture. There are some interesting implications to this idea that bear considering. If God is indeed eternal, that the God we know cannot have ever been mortal, and hence, have never been a man as the Mormons claim. Their position is that God as he is now, is as man can some day be. Not if the Bible is true! God is eternal and had no beginning! Every man is mortal and had a beginning.
   That God is eternal also speaks of His essential difference from us. He is eternal and we are immortal. He and we share the fact that we will have no end. Yet, He had no beginning while there was a time when you and I were not thought of, except in the mind and purposes of God Himself. There a real security, in my mind, I knowing that there is a Being Who is greater than I am, in essence. With other men, we share the bottom line that we are all creatures and that we share a common nature, handed down from Adam over the years.
   While we are related to God by faith, there is also that real difference between us. That comforts because I can know that I am in the care of One whose experience and wisdom transcends that of myself and my compatriots. There is indeed a God Who is eternal and Who's knowledge and understanding far outstrips my own! It is good for me to put myself in the place of a small son and take comfort from the knowledge that my Father knows how to fix what is wrong!
   We should also note that the verse indicates that all that the chapter reveals happened at THE beginning, no A beginning. There were not multiple tries at starting things as some would suggest. God did not create and then allow His first creation to be destroyed, and then remake the earth. There was "the beginning" and no other beginning. It is into that frame that we must fit the details of the chapter, not alter the basic frame of reference to fit what we would make of the details of the chapter.
   You might wonder why this is important? Let me suggest a couple reasons.
   First, it is important because it is what the text says. These are clear and simple words, easily understood. We need not stretch to allow them to fit some other understanding that we bring with us to the text. It is folly to pursue the "well, it could be this way or that" method of interpretation.
   Secondly, it is important because of the directness with which it speaks to man and his origins. We are not an evolved creature, a happenstance meeting of amino and other acids in a primordial sea. God set out, a particular moment and He created. The results of that creation came to be in an instant and not over millennia.
   Thirdly, it is important because it lays the foundation, in the very first verse of the Bible, of trustworthiness and clarity of understanding. This phrase, and the greater concepts of the following verses all appear to say one thing. If they do not, indeed, say those things, then we have some problems, do we not?
   Occam's Razor applies here I believe. the simplest explanation is probably the correct one. We need not try and explain these words in any other fashion other than what the clearly intend to say. That is an important precedent to get straight, and God gets it straight in the verse first few words of the Book.
   The reference to the beginning also implies and ending. Not an ending to your and my existence, but an ending to that which gives the verse and the chapter a frame of reference, the creation of the world.

Abraham Made His Mistake...

 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. (Genesis 26:2)

   Abraham made his mistake, but God did not specifically warn him against it. Isaac is in the process of making it and God is warning him against going down that part of the world. That is an interesting and, I suspect, profound difference. He demonstrates the "like father, like son" tendency that has plagued mankind all throughout mankind's history. Yet, Isaac takes it a step further and does what his father did in a deliberate and knowing fashion.
   As fathers we must be aware, beforehand, that our will do this. They will repeat our sins. They will not only repeat them, they will "improve" on them. The only way that we can, that Abraham could have, prevented this, was with a different home life for Isaac. It was the life in the tent and all that transpired there that prepared him for this moment.
   Now, fortunately, as in all else in life, this does not catch God unprepared, as we see in the following verses in which the covenant wi Abraham is renewed with Isaac despite this deliberate disobedience. What a gracious and merciful God we serve!

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. (Genesis 26:3)

   In spite of deliberate disobedience, a gracious God renews the covenant with Isaac. This is not simply a matter of "if you obey, then I will...". God goes far further and enumerates the details of the tremendous covenant that He had made with Isaacs father. It does not seem as though there can be a great demonstration grace or a more marvelous presage of the coming ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. ” (Genesis 26:5)

   In all of this Isaac stands in our stead...he is blessed, not for his son sake, or because of his own goodness or merit, but because of his father's. It was the righteousness and the merit of another that brought Isaac all that he had, else he would have been lost and wandered under judgment.
   Likewise, you and I stand in precisely the same position. It is not our own goodness or merit that wins us our position of blessing and favor before God, but rather it all of grace and mercy. We must consciously and deliberately choose to remember that. If we fail to

Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca and God's Intentions

     It is difficult to believe that Abraham was motivated by anything other than the normal desires to keep the blood lines pure and what not. It is clear God used this to bring Rebecca into the picture, but Abraham's motivation must be held suspect here. He is sending back the homeland from God called him. He is refusing to take a bride from the land to which God has called him. Though it is clear that God used Rebecca and blessed the union of she and Isaac, the trouble that results is clear.

...that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, (Genesis 24:3)

     But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there. ” (Genesis 24:8) 

     I understand his unwillingness to allow his son to go back to the old land, for God hand brought him out of that land in no uncertain terms. There is no question that Isaac could not go back there, this is good and solid thinking on Abraham's part.

Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. (Genesis 24:10)

     But I've always had a question about the return to Mesopotamia for the wife of Isaac. God had called Abraham out of that land with the full knowledge and intention.

Bacon &Self-Discipline

Bacon-Flavored!

My wife and I sometimes go out for a breakfast these days.  I'm often only good for half of an Omelet, but we quite often debate whether or not to get an order of bacon with the eggs; an interesting debate considering the fact that we are both trying to watch our weight (me especially) and SLICE of bacon has 110 calories (4 slices to an order).

I came across an interesting item a day or so ago.  They’re pushing for a special new product to sell big during the holiday season, so they’ve packaged it accordingly in one tidy little bacon-centered gift bag.

For about $10 a pop, you get two bottles of bacon-flavored soda, one bag of Cheddar “BaconPop” popcorn, one tube of bacon lip balm and a packet of brand-new bacon-flavored country gravy.  And 2 bottles of Jones Bacon-Flavored Soda - Yummy!

What an indulgent culture we live in! I can see the gravy surely. The popcorn, perhaps. Lip balm - not so much. But Soda? Oi! You gotta really, REALLY like bacon!

But this is modern culture isn’t it? We indulge ourselves. If it isn’t available naturally, to satisfy our cravings, we’ll make it. And that’s OK!, because, after all, it’s just natural right? It’s not hurting anyone?

We never realize until far down the line, almost too far many times (too far for many folks) that they indulgence is so very debilitating. Discipline and self-denial is far more beneficial to the body and to the spirit than indulgence can ever be (Believe me, I know from the really, really bad end of experience - as many of you used to know I used weight well up into the 500's pound-wise) and can take an immense amount of time to recover from (again, IF it can ever BE fully recovered from).

This is why Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 9:27:

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Both of the terms “discipline” and “disqualify” are from the arena and are fighting terms. Discipline is from a term literally meaning to “hit under the eye”. Paul “punched out” his bodily impulses to prevent them from keeping him away his mission of winning souls to Christ. In light of all that was going in Corinth, that was quite a statement (he would have been moved, for instance, to a good bit of irritation, frustration, etc.)

“Disqualified” is another metaphor from the athletic games. MacArthur notes:

“A contestant who failed to meet basic training requirements could not participate at all, much less have an opportunity to win. Paul may be especially referring to such fleshly sins that disqualify a man from preaching and leading the church, particularly being blameless and above reproach in the sexual area, since such sin is a disqualification” [John Jr., MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville: Word Pub., 1997). 1 Co 9:27.].

Indulgence thus is in direct contrast to that which facilitates use by God as it is displeasing to Him. We are here to serve Him and not ourselves. Let’s be sure that we are going about doing just that, I suspect that it involves other than Bacon-flavored soda!

Continuing on with the Covenant

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7)
Note that here, and elsewhere, the phrasing that marks the possession of the covenant usually lists God first, as the initiator of agreement.

14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. ” (Genesis 17:14)
This is the statement of the symbolism of circumcision, at a part of it. Those who did not submit to the command of God, and yield to His covenantal promises, symbolized by the "cutting off" off the foreskin of the male member. If that foreskin is not removed, if that symbolism is not fulfilled, then the picture is not completed.

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? ” (Genesis 17:17)
The "laughing" here is distinctly different than the laugh that Sarah will do in just a chapter or so. Her laugh is one of doubt and ridicule. Abraham's is one of joy. Note that this is so, even though he SMS virtually the same question!

18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you! ” (Genesis 17:18)
I've always been fascinated by Abraham's love for Ishmael. Not merely favoritism, as we will see in the case of Jacob and Esau; but a genuine love that we see put forth here as he cries out to God for his salvation as a primary manifestation of the Covenant! What is wonderful is that Abraham is not primarily interested in what he reaps as benefit from the Covenant; but rather his primary concern is for his child Ishmael (remember that Isaac is not yet alive) and for the glory of The a name of the Lord (...that he might live before You!).

"Blameless" Before the Lordd

 1 When Abram was ninety- nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, (Genesis 17:1)
     Though the Law of Moses had not been issued yet, the Law of God has been in effect from eternity past. Men have always been responsible to walk "blameless" before the Lord and thus be acceptable before Him. It is important to realize that that this "blameless" is not necessarily the holiness required of the sacrificial lamb in the law. We're told, for instance that both Noah (Genesis 5) and Job (Job 1) were, indeed, blameless before the Lord. David, in Psalm 119:1, urged believers to seek this practical blamelessness. The Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, told us to be "perfect" as His heavenly Father was perfect. The point of the command was to drive Abram to look to God and not to himself.

2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Genesis 17:2)
     The condition of "blamelessness" set forth in the prior verse is here demonstrated as to it's purpose. It is a condition of fellowship with God, here put in terms of the Covenant made with Israel. Without "blamelessness", no fellowship can be enjoyed. This is because of the character of God and the need for man to measure up to that character in order to have an more than evangelistic contact with Him.

Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael

 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. ” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Genesis 16:2)

Sarai makes the common mistake that all men make when they are considering their lot in the light of self instead of in the light of the plan and purpose of (as He had revealed time and again). When we fail to see that which occurs in life in that light, and instead interpret those occurrences in the limited and finite context of our own happenstance, we dramatically cripple our ability to rightly see and understand the workings of God our world. Here, like so many others, both before and since, Sarai interprets God as the cause of her "misfortune". Whether or not her condition actually IS a misfortune is another matter altogether.

There is a very, very large difference between God causing a thing and He not doing anything to forestall a thing. Men that are focused on self ace little ability to focus on anything else.

11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen. ” (Genesis 16:11-12)

The Covenant made with Hagar, and thus with Ishmael, is prophetic in at least two ways. First, it speaks of Ishmael's nature as a "wild donkey" of a man who will fit against every man and thus, as a result (or perhaps not) every man against him. Second, it is, indeed, a covenant. God did, indeed, listen to her affliction. As a result, He (God) has preserved her (and thus Ishmael) from destruction. Hagar knew this and thus called God "El Roi" or the The God Who Sees".

13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me. ” (Genesis 16:13)

Note at this point, she is worshipping and and calling on the Name of the One true and Living God. Departure from the Lord began to occur, apparently, during Ishmael's lifetime or shortly after. It is interesting to note that experiences such as these, wonderful experiences, that I'm sure Ishmael heard full expression of, are not sufficient to guarantee obedience. It takes more than seeing and hearing about what God has done to act as the foundation for a life of obedience and service. It takes redemption and regeneration. Though we see Hagar interacting with God, there is no evidence that Ishmael followed suit and was a redeemed man.

Taken and Needing Rescuing

Over in Genesis 15:1 - The "these things" speaks of the events of the prior chapter - namely the capture and rescue of Lot and the citizens of Sodom by Abram, as well as the treatment of Abram by the King of Sodom and his treatment of Melchizedek.


The point here being that Lot, in his disobedience, was taken and needed rescuing. God did not protect him and his family. But, once that situation was resolved, God reassures Abram that, in his covenanted relationship with his God, he could rest assured that God would protect and be a shield to Che and his family as He had already promised.

We cannot pass Genesis 15:11 without noting that Abram spent the afternoon waiting for God's good pleasure and in keeping the birds of prey off of the offering set out in preparation for the later sacrifice. The obvious intent here is the offering stay undefiled in preparation for what was coming.

Further, in verse 2, note that the "great" (meaning 'profound') and 'Dreadful' (awe-inspiring or stimulating worship) FOLLOWS the fact that Abram fell deeply asleep. what I mean is that we are not talking about the fact Abram is merely having a frightening dream - it is something far more profound than that. The experience is one that is akin to Isaiah's when he saw the Lord in Isaiah 6. Here, like there, Abram is not seeing a Christophany, a "gentled" appearance of God as we frequently see in the OT. This is the Holy and fearsome God Whose very approach can strike terror into the heart of men.

Job 10:1-2 - A Plea to God

Job 10:1-2 1 “I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.
The great danger of trial is discontent and it's resultant anger.it is what occurs when we dwell on the circumstances of life, the particulars to the exclusion of all else. This is what has happened to Job. The result is that perspective gets skewed, and the further along it proceeds, the further the skew slews...to one side or the other. That skewed perspective drives one to think and say things that, in anchor, more objective context, one would not say or even think. This is surely the case with Job.

Under other circumstances, Job would be able to reason his way through the situation his is in and come to the proper conclusion. But because Job allowed himself to be overcome (and it was a matter of him allowing himself to be overcome - it was a choice he made to yield to his flesh) by the variety things that have intruded themselves into his thus far, his normal perspective has become impossible at this point, and another, ungodly perspective, has thrust itself into the fore, as expressed in verse 2.

Rather than being held accountable by God and answering to Him as His servant; he calls God to account and makes the critical mistake of charging Him with evil and insisting that God had mistreated him and dealt with him unjustly.

3 Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?
Again, we note the charging of God with evil. Job he calls God to account for the evil that is present in his life, not just implying that God is responsible, but that He is the direct agent of the calamity that has occurred. This is the argument, no, the accusation and expression of temper he makes for the rest of this chapter as well as for a considerable part of the rest of the his own part of the book, at least until God Himself speaks up at the end of the book.

Lot Begins to Pay the Price

Genesis 14:12 12
They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
Here we see Lot (and his family) beginning to pay the price for the decision made earlier to separate from Abraham and go his own way and settle in Sodom. In so doing, he also separated himself from the protection and blessing of Abraham's God. The result is that when these Kings seek to expand their kingdoms, God has no reason, Covenantally, to intervene and protect Lot. Abraham is the object of God's promises here, not Lot, much as that does NOT make sense to and our NT manner of thinking. This is not the NT - it is the OT and functions in a practical sense, in that OT fashion.

Genesis 14:13 
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner.
These were allies of Abram. Just a note to observe that this "escape" could not have been and should NLT be construed to have been by happenstance. In spite of Lot's deliberate and, (evident from later Scripture) persistent disobedience and his increasing slide into depravity though still a believer and, as Hebrews 11 tells us, an example of faith for us, God makes provision to see that he is rescued! How marvelous and merciful a God we serve - who cars for us, despite our faithlessness and sin!

Genesis 14:21-24 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. ”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich. ’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share. ”
In contrast to Abraham's remarks to Melchizedek, the King of Sodom's remarks to Abraham are surly and rude. For someone who has just been delivered from servitude or worse, he is ungracious and expresses no gratitude. Remembering that God has promised that promised that He will bless those bless Him and curse those curse Him, such behavior is ominous at best!