8/22 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 14; Romans 12; Jeremiah 51; Psalm 30

Genesis 12:10

TESTS

Abram is well-known as the man of faith (Gal 3:9; Heb 11:8-10), as well as the friend of God (2 Chr 20:7; Jas 2:23). His faith, a grace of God (Eph 2:8-9), was tested from the very moment he was called by God to leave Ur of the Chaldees. He journeyed northward from Ur to Haran rather than going directly westward toward Canaan (Gen 11:31). Yet the journey northward was a test of Abram’s faith. By his submissive obedience to his father, Terah, Abram dwelt in Haran, living among family members of wavering faith (Jas 1:6). After the death of Terah, Abram journeyed southward toward Canaan, and his faith was tested when he lived in Shechem, surrounded by Ham’s cursed and ungodly descendants (Gen 12:6); yet he worshipped God Almighty, building an altar there, because God reminded Abram of the promise that He had made to him (Gen 12:7). Abram’s faith was tested again when he dwelt between Bethel and Ai, facing life’s struggles in a situation that lay between the presence of God and the peccable ruin of fleshly corruption (Gen 12:8). After having endured the wavering faith of family, the godlessness of worldlings, and the struggles of the flesh within, Abram’s faith was tested again to remain humble, not relying upon what his faith had already overcome, but pressing forward into the unknown for Christ’s sake (Gen 12:9; Phil 3:13-14).

Now there was a famine in the land, whereas Abram’s faith would be tested again by an external element with spiritual implications. Famines are familiar in the Old Testament Scripture. In Genesis, they caused God’s people to move where our Sovereign wanted them to be, presenting portraits and typology of Christ and His gospel in their situations and circumstances. Yet it is in the spiritual implication I would like us to consider today. Famine comes from the Hebrew word רָעָב (ra-AV), which literally means “hunger” or “famished.” It is often translated “hunger,” “dearth,” or “famine.” YHVH God also used this word to convey a dearth in the hearing of His Word:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” Amos 8:11

When Abram was in Shechem, the LORD appeared to Abram and reiterated His promise to Him; then Abram built an altar (Gen 12:7). This time, the LORD did not appear to him nor speak to him. Abram’s journey southward into Egypt in search of temporal grain for his cattle and servants must be undertaken in the strength of the past promises and invisible presence of the God who had called him. This was a greater test of Abram’s faith.

There are times when we must remain steadfast upon what we already know of Christ: Upon His eternal deity as God, upon His righteousness as sinless Man, upon His perfect atoning sacrifice as the Lamb of God, upon His powerful resurrection as the Alpha and Omega, upon His merciful mediation as our great High Priest, and upon His ascended reign as King of kings. Receiving no new revelation from His Word; no incredible insights from our daily Bible readings; nary a still, quiet voice to comfort us in our fear and trepidations. Yet He has promised…

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

When we look to Christ’s righteousness, hungering and thirsting for Him, the test of faith we endure will end with abounding blessings in Christ, satisfied because it is full of His glory. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/21 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 13; Romans 11; Jeremiah 50; Psalms 28-29

Genesis 12:9

NEGEB

Abram’s journey southward may also be a reflection of Christian humility. One of the willful, arrogant, and rebellious trats of Satan is a northward attitude, as it is written,

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;’” Isaiah 14:13

Humility is one of the foremost characteristics of Christian belief and behavior. Indeed, to our shame, we have all suffered from a momentary lapse of humility. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was not immune from sinful pride. Sin rides upon the coattails of pride, arrogance, and haughtiness. It is written,

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

The reason why humility is such a preeminent characteristic of Christian behavior is because the Lord Jesus’ sojourn upon the planet during His earthly habitation was the utmost example of humility the universe has ever witnessed or will ever witness—God taking upon Himself human flesh to live humbly as a Man, as it is written,

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

The irony of the Christian’s living a humble life is this: That because of the corruption remaining in our redeemed but mortal flesh, we tend to work up humility as if it was a deed to be done rather than a grace to be embraced. We are all familiar with the New Testament commands like, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (Jas 4:10), and “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you” (1 Pet 5:6). Sadly, we often focus upon the exaltation, seeing humility as a means to get there. Here is the heavenly irony of those two verses: In Christ, we are already exalted; so, the question remains—how do we humble ourselves?

In yesterday’s devotional we recognized how our decisions in Christ are, by God’s providence, opportunities to exalt Christ. In the devotional thought before that, we considered how we need only trust Christ and call upon His name when we struggle in our providential situations and circumstances. Humility comes as simply as the previous two actions: We are to look upon Christ Jesus, just as simply as when we were first saved. It is written,

Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22, KJV

It was in turning to Jesus, looking upon Him for who He is and what He has done, that saved you and me from the eternal damnation that we deserve; for our sins committed against Him and for the holy worship omitted from rendering to Him. But now that we have been saved by God’s grace, every true, grace-filled, Christ-exalting, God-glorified look upon Jesus, who humbled Himself in His southward sojourn from heaven, also saves us daily from the pride, arrogance, and haughtiness that so easily besets us.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/20 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 12; Romans 10; Jeremiah 49; Psalms 26-27

Genesis 12:9

NEGEB

While we could see in our devotional consideration of Genesis 12:4 how Abram’s delay in Haran allowed him to become a prophetic type of Christ; and also, from our devotional consideration of Genesis 12:5-6 how God’s sovereign plans and purposes were established through Abram’s stay in Haran, we are not fatalists, throwing caution to the wind and living in whatever way we choose. We move forward in our sojourn like Abram, pressing toward the goal of the upward call in Christ, as it is written,

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Abram journeyed southward (toward the Negeb), living by faith and making choices with what information he had. As I mentioned in those previous devotional thoughts, we don’t always see that kind of spiritual work going on in our lives; not until years later, if that. We do not often see our lives conforming to the image of Christ, or how our situations and circumstances lay the foundation for God’s later gospel plans and purposes. But it doesn’t mean we are frozen with fear or bound up by anxiety over what we may or may not anticipate; or worse, just do our own thing, thinking that it will all work out in the end. This is not godly thinking or Christian living. Here is the pastoral counsel I had given for over 25 years…

When faced with a decision, as with yesterday’s devotional thought, call upon the Lord Jesus and simply ask Him which direction you should take for His greatest exaltation and the Father’s ultimate glory. “What if there are a couple of viable options and I’m still not clear?” If you’ve already sought the Lord Jesus and desire to exalt Him for the Father’s glory, pick the option you like best. Our sovereign God made you and recreated you when He saved you, so the desires He placed in you will also work together for good (Rom 8:28-29). “What if I like all those options?” Still, pick one. Choosing one will glorify Christ through you in one way, and choosing another will exalt Him in another way. He has promised that He will be with you always (Matt 28:20) and that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:8). Finally, if the decision before you is something you know would be displeasing to Jesus, something that violates God’s will in Scripture, that is something you can surely scratch from your list. When you’re in love with someone, you don’t want to do anything that damages that relationship. Remember, it is written,

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

If your delight is to exalt Christ for the Father’s glory (Phil 2:9-11), then He will most certainly give you the desires to make it so. In our sojourn upon the planet until Christ comes or takes us home, the Christian can find no greater joy or fulfillment than to live a life that exalts the Lord Jesus Christ—because if your desire is to exalt Jesus for the Father’s glory, you will not be able to delight in anything else.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/19 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 11; Romans 9; Jeremiah 48; Psalm 25

Genesis 12:8

CHRISTIANITY

In Genesis 12:5-7, when God had spoken to Abram, he was in Shechem, located in the lower Galilee region. Abram built an altar there after he received the promise from God. He moved about 16 miles south of Shechem (as the dove flies; 25-30 miles of actual travel through the mountainous terrain) and pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai.

Bethel was not named Bethel until Abram’s grandson Jacob named it (Gen 28:19), when Jacob fled from Esau who wanted to kill him (Gen 27:41). Bethel, בֵּית־אֵל (bāyt-ĀL) in Hebrew, means “house of God” (Gen 28:22). Obviously, this name, like the name of YHVH (Ex 6:2-3), is given as a reference by the Holy Spirit through Moses so the reader can know where the patriarch was on his journey. Ai, or “Hai” (KJV), עַי (a-EE) in Hebrew, comes from a root that means “heap” or “ruin.” Yet here we have a verse that gives us spiritual insights into a life that is “hidden in Christ with God” (Col 3:3), dwelling between the blessed presence of God in Christ (Bethel) and the ruin of sin, wavering faith, the corruption of flesh, the evils of an ungodly world, and the spiritual forces of Satan’s minions (Ai).

In one place, the apostle expressed his Christianity like this:

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Romans 7:18-19, 24

Here in our verse, it is as if the Holy Spirit winks at us to give us the solution, whereas Abram, the man of faith, built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. The apostle explains the same in his epistle:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

And again,

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

Often, we see the latter verse in its context of initial salvation from the Christian’s evangelistic efforts and sometimes forget that the power of this verse also ties into the ongoing work of that initial salvation (Phil 2:12-13). We are to call upon the name of our Lord Jesus always. We are a simple and sinful people. Our wise and wonderful God hasn’t given us a complex roadmap for sorrowful repentance unto the joy of salvation (2 Cor 7:10). He simply tells us to trust Him and call upon Him by name (Acts 4:11-12).

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/18 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 10; Romans 8; Jeremiah 47; Psalms 23-24

Genesis 12:7

SEED

The KJV renders our verse like this:

When we see the word “Offspring” (ESV), we may tend to think of the word in a plurality, like progeny, posterity, or descendants. In the original Hebrew, however, לְזַרְעֲךָ (l’-ZAR-a-KHA), in the possessive form, is a singular “Offspring” (ESV) or “Seed” (KJV), meaning “To your Offspring…” (ESV) or “Unto thy Seed” (KJV). We see the same possessive, singular form when the promise to Abram is repeated by God Almighty in Genesis 17:7,

And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy Seed after thee. KJV

The Holy Spirit explains these covenant promises through Paul when the apostle dictated his letter to the Christians in Galatia,

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16, KJV

This is why I capitalized “Seed” and “Offspring” in the verses from Genesis. The Seed and Offspring was the promise of the Messiah to come. The land that is occupied by Palestinians and Israelis today belongs to Jesus… because the entire world, the heavens, the earth, and those who dwell therein belong to Him (Ex 19:5; Psa 24:1; 89:11; et al).

Now, as considered in our devotional thought from Genesis 12:2-3, these promises are also to you and me who are in Christ. For the Holy Spirit goes on to explain through Paul,

And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29, KJV

But the truth of this verse is more than doctrinal; that is, we’re not merely receiving information for our core Christian beliefs. This truth is also devotional, for it prioritizes Christ so that we may devote ourselves to Him. This truth is also liturgical and practical. Note that once Abram received this blessed promise from Yehovah, Abram built there an altar to the LORD. There is a miracle that takes place in the Christian believer when Christ Jesus is set before us as the First, Last, and Everything in between; when He is exalted in our hearts and minds: being liturgical, relating to our public worship of God, we will worship God in Christ by the Spirit for the Father’s great glory. This is why it is written that he built an altar.

But it is also practical. For when this miracle takes place in a daily practice of exalting Christ in the Spirit for the Father’s glory, we fulfill what we were ultimately created to be—worshippers of God, as it is written,

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/17 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 9; Romans 7; Jeremiah 46; Psalm 22

Genesis 12:5-6

CITY

Some may see Abram’s journey to Haran as a lack of faith. And in many ways, it was. Our faith is extremely lacking. Our Lord’s half-brother said,

For we all stumble in many ways. James 3:2

The only man who was ever faithful in all His ways was our faithful God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though Abram may have seemed sidetracked to some by his journey’s detour to Haran, the plans and purposes of our sovereign God shine through. It was because of Abram’s departure from Haran that we can see Abram as a prophetic foreshadow in a type of Christ, as considered in yesterday’s devotional. It was because of Haran that we can see God’s preparation in Abram’s life, providing him with people and possessions for when Abram, Sarai, and Lot enter the land of the Canaanites. Because Terah took Abram, Nahor, and Lot to Haran, Nahor would stay in the northern land. Had they not journeyed to Haran, Abram would not have gone through Damascus in receiving his eldest and most trusted servant, Eliezer (Gen 15); and Eliezer would not have presented a type of Holy Spirit in fetching Rebekah to be Isaac’s bride (Gen 24). Because Nahor was in Haran, Jacob would flee from Esau, encounter Christ at Bethel, receive wives from Laban, become fruitful in progeny, grow prosperous through God’s provision, and wrestle with Christ on his return to Canaan, being named “Israel” by our Lord Jesus so Jacob could be seen as a type of Christ in his life (Gen 25-32).

Abram went to Haran on the way to Canaan so he could work out what God was working into his life, as it is written,

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

The wealth acquired was not proof that Abram was on the right way. Some journeys will not be marked with temporal prosperity. We are commanded to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith:

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5

Jesus Christ in us, before us, and through us is the only answer to the test question of faith. We do not trust our plans, our deeds, our provisions, our situations, or our circumstances. We cannot often see how we are becoming like Christ (Rom 8:28-29). But as we stay in the Scriptures daily, with our eyes of faith upon the Christ of Scripture (John 5:39; 2 Cor 5:7), we too may travel like Abram, “looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10). Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/16 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 7-8; Romans 6; Jeremiah 44; Psalms 20-21

Genesis 12:4

SAVES

Here, the picture starts coming together a bit more clearly. Given Abram’s age at this point, we recognize why he went with Terah to Haran instead of going straight into Canaan, as we had meditated upon in the devotional thought from Genesis 11:31-32. Abram was not the eldest of Terah’s sons, possibly being the youngest, since Abram was 75 years old when Terah died (Gen 11:32), and Terah was 70 when he begat sons (Gen 11:26). Abram was an obedient younger son as a type of Christ, being the least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 11:11). Jesus said,

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

This is why Abram was named first among the sons of Terah in Genesis 11:26. Jesus, who is, was, and evermore shall be eternal God as the second Person of the Trinity because He is the greatest in God’s kingdom, humbled Himself to be the least in heaven’s kingdom, as well as the last of all and servant of all in the kingdom of God.

Commentators agree that Lot went willingly, and I don’t disagree. Despite his foibles, failures, and ofttimes lack of faith, Lot was a righteous man (2 Pet 2:7). Yet I believe the most important and most wonderful reason Lot went with Abram and Sarai is because it paints for us a picture of Abram as a type and foreshadow of Christ! And surely Lot’s righteousness is imputed to him by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, being the propitiation for sin (Rom 3:25). But Abram “took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son” (Gen 12:5) because, as a type of Christ, Abram was not going to leave Lot in Haran with Nahor and his family. What Abram did for Lot was a prophetic foreshadow of the Messiah’s work, reflective of what the Lord Jesus said about Zacchaeus,

“Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:9

And again, through Lot, Abram in this verse is seen as a type of Christ, just as the Lord Jesus spoke wonderfully to the thief on the cross,

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

Moreover, we rejoice in the sovereignty of God for His gospel wisdom through Christ, which we will consider again tomorrow from the next two verses.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/15 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 5-6; Romans 5; Jeremiah 43; Psalm 19

Genesis 12:2-3

BLESSINGS

God blessed Abram with incredible, manifold blessings in His call to him. There are too many to mention in a single devotional. Here are just a few. First, Abram was a blessing to worldly folk, to children outside of God’s messianic promise by being a blessing Ishmael, Hagar’s son (Gen 16:10; 17:20). Moreover, Abram was a blessing to his six children through Keturah after Sarah’s death, giving those children gifts when he sent them away (Gen 25:6). Second, Abram was a blessing to his progeny by God’s election in graciously allowing Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s children’s children the privilege of being the lineage from which the promise of Messiah would come (Gen 17:21). Third, Abram became a spiritual father and thus blessed everyone who believes in Christ through faith (Rom 4:16; Gal 3:8-9). Fourth, Abram became a blessing to God by exercising the faith imparted to him by God (Heb 11:6). Fifth, by Abram’s blessing God in the exercise of His faith, He is most blessed indeed, for the greatest blessing a fallen descendant of Adam can receive is trusting God, following God, and loving God with reverent fear. It is written,

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! Psalm 84:12

These exact blessings are ours in Christ. By trusting Christ Jesus, following Him, and loving Him in godly fear, we become a blessing to all, reflecting the Light of Jesus (John 8:12) as lights in the world (Matt 5:14-16) while He rules and reigns upon His heavenly throne. Moreover, you and I as Christian believers in Jesus are blessed in every promise fulfilled in Christ; as it is written,

For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20

At the risk of sounding repetitive from the Department of Redundancy Dept., every one of these promises of God to Abram are ours in Christ Jesus!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/14 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 4; Romans 4; Jeremiah 42; Psalm 18

Genesis 12:1

LAND

Beginning in Genesis chapter twelve, we have yet another case of details being given after a general truth had been told (Gen 11:27-32). From yesterday’s devotional, we have already considered that this call of God to Abram had taken place to leave his family in Ur of Mesopotamia, yet as Stephen’s testimony before the Sanhedrin informed us (Acts 7:1-4), Abram went with Terah, Lot, and Sarai north to Haran instead of east to Canaan.

Haran wasn’t Abram’s country. Ur was. And YHVH God called to Abram just as Christ called to you and me. Jesus said “Follow me…” many times in the gospel accounts. In sending out His disciples to prepare the towns and villages He would visit by preaching the kingdom of Christ being at hand, the Lord Jesus said,

“And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:38

Although Abram knew he was to go to Canaan (Gen 11:31), he did not know exactly where (Heb 11:8); but he went anyway.

Because we know that…

…the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29

…we can sometimes get sidetracked by our situations and circumstances. It happened to Abram. He received the call of God to follow Him, to go to a place he had never been before, to trust in a good and sovereign God who told him to go. Despite staking a tent in Haran until the death of his father, God’s call to Abram still stood.

Let us not be discouraged if, at times, we’ve ever looked to the left or to the right in this life, taking the gaze of our eyes of faith momentarily off the Lord Jesus Christ. As He called Abram to be salt and light upon the earth in the midst of a wicked people, Jesus has called us to be that blessing to others as well. Jesus is taking you and me to a land that He will indeed show us, a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar; for the Father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling place there.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/13 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 3; Romans 3; Jeremiah 41; Psalm 17

Genesis 11:31-32

HARAN

We know from Stephen’s Spirit-filled testimony before the Sanhedrin that Abram heard God’s call in Ur of the Chaldees before he went to Haran (Acts 7:1-4). Perhaps Abram told his father, and Terah said, “That’s a good idea, but let’s go this way first.” So, instead of traveling west toward Canaan, they went north, about 250 miles west of Nineveh. Then Terah called the place “Haran,” after his son who died. Terah may have been excited that his son heard from God Almighty. Then thinking about Canaan, the son of that rascal Ham, he may have thought, “Perhaps God won’t mind if we checked things out up north first.” After naming the place Haran, he may have figured, “Might as well stay here. After all, we named the place.” Abram went along with it because, even though it wouldn’t be written for another 1,000 years by his descendant Moses, Abram honored his father and mother. As for Terah, it is written,

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

Indeed, Terah died there in Haran. Terah was like those toddlers in Christ who are still in diapers, spiritually speaking, and refuse to be weaned off the bottle. The pastor sets out a banquet each week that has a little something for everyone, unsalted, mashed peas for the infants, cereal and finger foods for the little children, ribeye steaks and potatoes for the more mature, and even some easy-to-chew food for the elderly seniors. But mostly, these Terah’s are finicky and persnickety. They want what they want, not caring that there are many different folks at the table, wanting everyone to eat what he’s eating. If the sermon has something in it that he doesn’t understand, he pouts and complains that the pastor doesn’t love him, and his church family doesn’t care about him. So, he goes looking for another church many miles away. He likes it for a while because the bottle he’s given has warm milk, the snacks are sweet, and the toys keep him entertained for hours. Because he lives so far away, and because he’s so spiritually fat from his bottle and num-nums, no one would think to ask him to serve in the church in some way, or God forbid, share the gospel with someone who has never heard the good news of Jesus Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and coming again. No. For the Terah’s in the world, he found a church that he could call his own, “Haran,” sitting in the pew where he can hear from a God who lets him do things his own way.

Often, maturity and immaturity are not gauged by years on earth or even years in Christ, but by either selfishness or denying self. I have had many people leave the congregations I’ve pastored because they wanted sermons that only catered to what they perceived were their needs. More often than not, it was a matter of the individual congregant not living out the previous sermons or messages from Scripture, failing to realize that in the body of Christ the spiritual welfare of others was what they needed to help them to become the Christian God called them to be; allowing another congregant to exercise a teaching gift both for the teachers growth in grace and for the learner’s strengthening in faith.

8/12 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 2; Romans 2; Jeremiah 40; Psalms 15-16

Genesis 11:29-30

BARREN

Haran had died, but he was old enough not only to have a son, Lot (Gen 11:27), but he also had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. So, Haran’s brother Nahor, married his niece, Milcah, Haran’s daughter. Abram married his half-sister, Sarai (Gen 20:12). Sarai’s father was Terah, the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. So, Terah had a least two wives, possibly more. Some commentators, quoting Targum Jonathan or the French rabbi, Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105 AD), aka Rashi or Jarchi, they suggest that Sarai was Iscah, the daughter of Haran; but when Abram married her, he changed her name. This conjecture is possible, but not probable. There’s no evidence in Scripture as such, and if this was a common practice for that day, why wasn’t Milcah’s name changed when she married Nahor?

The prohibition for marrying close relatives would not be codified until the Law of God was given to Moses; being forbidden of sisters (Lev 18:9; 20:17; Deut 27:22) or nieces (Lev 18:12-14). At this point, only the Noahic Covenant is applicable (Gen 9:1-17).

Finally, and most importantly, Sarai is mentioned as being barren. While the lineage of Messiah has already been traced to this point, and the promise of Messiah would come from a virgin birth (Gen 3:15), the sovereign providence of God is highlighted already in the barren womb of Sarai. Therefore, God was withholding the fruit of Sarai’s womb until the perfect time.

The covenant promises are based upon “seed” (KJV) or “offspring” (ESV), which is a crucial component of the gospel because the covenants find their fulfillment in, by, and through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit tells us through the apostle,

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16, KJV

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/11 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 1; Romans 1; Jeremiah 39; Psalms 13-14

Genesis 11:27-28

UR

Terah, the son of Nahor, a descendant of Shem, Eber, and Peleg, continued to live in the land of Shinar, the land of the two rivers (Euphrates and Tigris). Terah and his family lived in Ur, about 140 miles south of Babel (aka Babylon). While Terah continued to live in the land of Shinar, he and his family lived out of sight of that abomination, Babel’s tower. Ur, אוּר (oor) in Hebrew means “flame,” and arises from the Hebrew word אוֹר (ōr), which means “light.”

Nahor was named after Terah’s father. Could it be that Abram was Terah’s last-born son and was given a different name at first? Abram’s name means “high father” or “exalted father.” Could it be that he was given the name Abram because he took Lot, his nephew, and raised him as a son after Haran died? Perhaps poking fun at him because he was childless (Gen 11:30), as men tend to do? The Puritans received their name from worldly naysayers to mock them, not praise them. Just a thought.

But how do these verses exalt Christ and foreshadow His gospel? In a few days, when we get to Genesis 12, Abram will be called of God to leave Ur and go to a land that God would show him (Gen 12:1). We know that the land Abram would be led to was Canaan (Gen 12:5), where the wicked descendants of Ham dwelt. Since Abram was a prophet of God Almighty (Gen 20:7), by his sojourn he will become a prophetic type of Christ: for Abram will leave the flame of Ur and dwell among the wicked inhabitants of Canaan, just as Jesus left the glorious light of heaven as well as His flaming throne (Dan 7:9), coming to earth to dwell among sinners in need of salvation. It is written,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/10 Reading Portions: Ruth 3-4; Acts 28; Jeremiah 38; Psalms 11-12

Genesis 11:10-26

RETURN

Although I’ve mentioned this before in our devotional series in Genesis, this lineage is given because it is the genealogy from which the promised Messiah would come (Luke 3:23-38).

We see by the declination of the ages from generation to generation that the number of total years for each life is becoming less; and will eventually be 70 years on the average, sometimes 80 (Psa 90:10). This happens for two reasons: First, it is because of the corruption of flesh due to sin entering the human condition; and second, because the layer of water above the earth (Gen 1:6-8), which shielded human beings from the damaging rays of the sun, no longer existed because of the flood.

Now, although I have mentioned this in earlier devotionals, it is from the ages given in this genealogy whereas we understand the lifespans of both Noah and Shem present some interesting truth. Noah lived 350 years after the flood, for a total of 950 years (Gen 9:28-29). He lived long enough to see his children’s children’s children, dying when Abram was 58 years old (see devotional from 7/20/26). Shem lived to be 600 years old (Gen 11:10-11), long enough to see his children’s children’s children, and dying when Esau and Jacob were 50 years old (see devotional from 8/4/26). What is interesting about this is that here are two eyewitnesses to the worldwide flood. About His return, the Lord Jesus said:

³⁷“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39

While the Lord Jesus defined what was meant by the “days of Noah” (Matt 24:37) in the two verses following, what if the first sentence He spoke also carried with it a fuller meaning concerning Noah’s days, not merely before the flood, but also afterward? which would include all the jiggery pokery surrounding the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9). Both Noah and Shem were around for that.

It seems that the arrogance in building a tower to the heavens in the days following the worldwide flood are no different from the ambitions of a billionaire today, who lives in Texas and is investing huge sums of money to create Artificial Intelligence while shooting rockets into the heavens so that one day man could live on Mars.

Just a thought.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/9 Reading Portions: Ruth 2; Acts 27; Jeremiah 37; Psalm 10

Genesis 11:7-9

BABEL

As mentioned in the devotional on August 6th (Gen 11:3-4), by settling in one place and desiring not to be scattered, they were defying God’s command to be “fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1). They refused to fill the earth, so the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. We must remember this about our sovereign God:

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7

Moreover, as He purposes and commands, so it will also be done, as YHVH God had spoken through the prophet,

‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose,’ Isaiah 46:10

Although we looked at a few aspects of the seventh verse yesterday, it is important to note two more things about God going down to earth in His visiting the mischief of man. First, His words denote the Trinity, when He says, “Come, let us go down…” Spiritually speaking, there is nothing that is done by one person of the Triune deity that isn’t experienced by the other two persons of the Godhead because the three Persons of the one true God are the same in essence, equal in power and glory.

But the Person of the Trinity who actually does descend is the preincarnate Lord, Jesus Messiah. The ancient ante-Nicene church father, Novatian (c.200-c.258 AD), points this out in his treatise on the Trinity. With regard to this event, Novatian states that the confounding of the languages was accomplished by the Son, Novatian citing the New Testament: ^[1]

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. Ephesians 4:10

The Lord Jesus Himself said as much when conversing with Nicodemus:

“No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” John 3:13

What does this mean to you and me? Simply this: The discipline of our souls, and even the judgments upon unbelievers to bring about the Father’s purposes are held in the nail-pierced hands, the gracious heart, and the eternal wisdom of Jesus Messiah. He told His disciples so before He ascended into heaven:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

FOOTNOTE:

^[1] A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity, Novatian; Ch.17, “Argument. - It Is, Moreover, Proved by Moses in the Beginning of the Holy Scriptures.”

8/8 Reading Portions: Ruth 1; Acts 26; Jeremiah 36, 45; Psalm 9

Genesis 11:6-7

PREACHING

When YHVH God speaks and it is recorded years later by Moses, these words etched into history exist for our sakes. The preincarnate Christ Jesus was not biting His fingernails in nervous anticipation, fearful of what arrogant man would do. He said, “…this is only the beginning of what they will do.” This helps us to understand that in man’s depravity, failing to give glory to God, failing to worship God, and failing to surrender to His Holy Spirit is only the beginning of grief and sorrow. It’s just scratching the surface of sin, and the worst is yet to come. When He stated that “nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them,” the Triune God makes that statement again for our benefit. By this being written in the Holy account, we might tremble with godly fear that all kinds of evil, wickedness, and unholy mischief will be the result. Apart from God’s intervention through Christ and the Holy Spirit, we will plumb the depths of sin, scale the heights of transgression, and span the depth of iniquity.

But hallelujah! What a Savior! Our merciful and gracious God intercedes and intervenes to bring forth a great act of heavenly genius by confounding the languages of this united, sinful people. On that Pentecostal day in the House of the Lord, and “there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5), they heard Christ’s disciples praising God in their own languages (Acts 2:8-11). It stirred their hearts and prepared their ears to hear Peter preach Christ crucified and risen. Since then, the different spoken languages all over the world, though challenging at times to some, has been a tremendous blessing in the advancement of the gospel. Having been a cross-cultural missionary, I can personally attest to the blessing the challenges of different languages can be, even as a Christian in the military visiting other lands, where a language other than my native tongue is spoken, and where the cultures have been different. Those in the host culture receive us with warm hearts and bright smiles when we attempt to speak their language (sometimes horribly in my case), eat their food, and honor their customs. The communication gap that one might think would be a barrier of hinderance, for Christ’s exaltation and for the gospel’s sake, it ends up being the one thing that makes our feet beautiful to those who hear; as it is written,

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/7 Reading Portions: Judges 21; Acts 25; Jeremiah 35; Psalms 7-8

Genesis 11:5

GOSPEL

If this verse was the only verse that gave us any information about YHVH God, one might think that He needed to come down to earth to see what was going on. God is omnipresent and omniscient. That is, He is everywhere present and He knows all things. God is not taken by surprise by anything that happens; neither does He have to wait to see what happens in order to make a decision. He has no needs because He is Self-sufficient; and therefore, since He is omniscient, knowing all things, He does not need to learn. We must keep God’s attributes in mind when we read Scripture, else we will come up with all kinds of strange notions about what God’s Word says. Yet this verse is given to us to reveal to us the amazing, wonderful, marvelous, and most excellent gospel truth of our condescending God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is thoroughly involved with the affairs of sinful mankind. He is not aloof. He does not save us or discipline us from a distance. Though God is omnipotent, being all-powerful, and could have saved you and me from heaven with a word, instead the Lord Jesus came down to earth and dwelt among us (John 1:14). And even then, 101 years after the flood, at the birth of Peleg, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, though not yet fully revealed, though many of the details were still yet to be unveiled through history by prophets called of God, glimpses of the truth of the promised Messiah was at least known by some during the days of Babel’s jiggery pokery.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/6 Reading Portions: Judges 20; Acts 24; Jeremiah 34; Psalms 5-6

Genesis 11:3-4

PRIDE

If you can remember back to Cain, he was “a worker of the ground” (Gen 4:2); or literally, a slave or servant to the ground. Cain’s offerings were not made by faith, as Abel’s were (Heb 11:4). I have preached in the past years that Cain’s offerings of the produce from the land may have been the best of the crops; however, they were offered with an attitude of “look what I’ve done for You, God?” No faith. No humility. No acknowledgement that the best we have to offer God—or anyone—comes by the grace, mercy, and longsuffering of God alone. The attitude of Noah’s descendants during this venture was no different. It was Cain’s pride on a congregational level. In the third verse, we read of the excitement of their enthusiasm (Come), the exuberance of their physical strength (let us make bricks), and the arrogance of their ingenuity (and burn them thoroughly). In the fourth verse, we read again of the excitement of their enthusiasm to forsake God (Come). Instead of “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10), they wanted to get to heaven by their own strength (build… a city and a tower with its top in the heavens). Instead of waiting upon a name that is above every name (Phil 2:9-10), the only name by which men may be saved (Acts 4:11-12), they wanted to make a name for themselves. Rather than keeping the command of God to be “fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1), they defiantly refused to be dispersed to fill the earth God’s image-bearers. It is written,

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

We’re witnessing a kind of Tower of Babel mentality in many aspects of our lives today. In churches (so-called) over the past thirty years, we have seen worldly gimmicks and earthly methods used to cajole congregations into giving, service, and even into salvation. American politics since 2008 seems to echo exactly what we read in the construction of Babel’s tower: “Change We Can Believe In” and chants of “Yes we can.” Followed by “Make America Great Again,” which was followed by “Build Back Better,” “Finish the Job,” and “Keep America Great.” Again, it is written,

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

When our eyes of faith are upon the Christ of Scripture and upon the truth of His cross, it will humble our souls and confound whatever dialogue is taking place in our minds which leads us away from our loving Messiah.

8/5 Reading Portions: Judges 19; Acts 23; Jeremiah 33; Psalms 3-4

Genesis 11:1-2

SHINAR

The first thing we remind ourselves of is that the information given here is a recapitulation. We are given details of why the earth was divided by the confounding of people’s languages (Gen 10:31), occurring in the days of Eber, the father of Peleg (Gen 10:25). After Noah, his wife, his sons, and his son’s wives came forth from the ark, they may have settled for a while somewhere in the east. I suggest one possible place was what is known today as China; and the reason for this is that China is one of the largest grape producers in the world, with hundreds of thousands of acres of vineyards. Remember, Noah planted a vineyard (Gen 9:20-21). Once the families grew and multiplied, they travelled westward and migrated from the east. This tells us that the location known as the “Durupinar Site” on Mount Tendürek in Eastern Turkey could not be Noah’s ark. Since the people migrated from the east and ended up on a plain in the land of Shinar, they would have only needed to travel southeast from the northwest to get to the location that is known today as Iraq. Shinar means “two rivers” in Hebrew, and we know from archeology where Babel is (biblically, Babel and Babylon are approximately the same place), between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Why did they move? Was there a famine where the ark had rested. This seems the most likely possibility as famines moved God’s people around in the Bible, especially in Genesis. They stopped where they found a lush plain with thriving vegetation. This was part of the “fertile crescent,” whereas years later, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon would become one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There was also plenty of game in the land of Shinar, whereas Nimrod would rise to prominence, with possible whispers of “Messiah,” because he provided the people with meat to eat (Gen 10:9a). But Nimrod was antichrist, defying God to His face in private (Gen 10:9b), but speaking to his kinfolk with flattering words of praise and encouragement (Psa 55:21; Pro 29:5). It is often during our most prosperous times that our spiritual guard is down. Noah and his sons were still around. The people had heard the testimony of God’s judgment from them. They had also heard the gospel promise of a Messiah to come. They may have experienced famine and the hardship of the journey from the east to the plain in the land of Shinar. Now that happy days had eased their burdens, the people were ripe for a vile harvest.

We must ever be on our guard against anything that would draw our attention, loyalty, and love away from the Christ revealed in Scripture.

8/4 Reading Portions: Judges 18; Acts 22; Jeremiah 32; Psalms 1-2

Genesis 10:31-32

PEOPLE

This thirty-first verse affirms that the earth was divided in the days of Eber and Peleg (Gen 10:25) because of the confounding of the languages at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9). Again, the Scriptures present a basic truth tucked into the narrative when conveying revelations upon a differing but parallel subject. The focus of the tenth chapter of Genesis was to convey the clans and nations of the three sons of Noah. The details of how their languages would come to pass will unfold in the following chapter. Because of Adam’s fall in the garden, and thus because of the corruptions which remain in our fallen flesh though we’ve been saved by God’s grace, we tend to think more linearly and sometimes forget or forsake more abstract thought patterns like recapitulation.

Another blessed truth we can glean from the conclusion of this chapter is found in the thirty-second verse. Though the people were separated by their clans and lands and nations, we all come from one father, Noah (Acts 17:26). In God’s providence I had spent many years traveling to and living in many lands through the military, and after that, through the ministry. The more I studied the people, their histories, and cultures of those lands I visited or lived in, the more I found that people are more similar than we are different. That is, our diversity is wonderful and should be embraced and celebrated; however, those are minor compared to our similarities, being of one race, the human race, made in the image and after the likeness of God (Gen 1:27). We are all corrupt and fallen (Rom 3:23), and therefore, we all need Jesus (Acts 4:11-12). And this leads us to the third blessed truth we can glean from this chapter as we conclude it; one to keep in mind when we follow Shem’s genealogy at the end of the next chapter:

The lineage of Shem was mentioned last because it is to show that no one clan, or language, or nation, wherever they may live in their lands, is more superior than another (Acts 10:34-35; Rom 2:11). The Semitic lineage through Peleg became God’s “chosen” people because of God’s sovereign grace to bring His promise of the Messiah to pass. It was their privilege, and therefore, honored duty to spread that news of Messiah to all the other nations (Rom 10:12-13). Later, as Jacob sprung from that lineage, and His children, Israel, were given that distinctive honor, they hoarded that gospel blessing rather than sharing it with people of like need. May we who are in Christ endeavor to persevere to not only exalt Christ with our lives, but proclaim Him with our mouths, in languages that could be understood, to every nation under heaven (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:5-8).

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

8/3 Reading Portions: Judges 17; Acts 21; Jeremiah 30-31; Mark 16

Genesis 10:26-30

OPHIR

Of these thirteen sons of Joktan, the son of Eber and brother of Peleg, they are said of most commentators to be those who have settled in the Arabian Peninsula. Two of the sons, Sheba and Havilah, have the same names as their distant cousins, who were sons of Cush (Gen 10:7). Was the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, a descendant of Cush, the son of Ham, or a descendant of Eber, the great-grandson of Shem? Scripture does not inform us. And the land of Havilah, associated with the preflood River Pishon; was this associated with the son of Cush (Gen 10:7) or with the son of Joktan (Gen 10:29). Because gold was found in the land of Havilah, and Scripture associates Ophir with gold, some may suggest this as evidence of being the same. To me, and I may be wrong, is not compelling enough to be dogmatic about it. And since I just mentioned Ophir, there are two other names from the sons of Joktan who stand out: Ophir and Jobab.

First: Jobab. I read an article many years ago whereas the writer suggested that Jobab may have been the famous Job from Scripture. The names are different. Jobab’s name, יוֹבָב (yō-VAV) in Hebrew, is different from Job, אִיּוֹב (eey-YŌV). Could they be the same? Possible, but not probable.

Second: Ophir. Gold from Ophir is mentioned ten times in the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Ki 9:28; 10:11; 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18; 9:10; Job 22:24; 28:16; Psa 45:9; Isa 13:12). Prophetically speaking, gold is often associated with deity or something heavenly. Temporally speaking, men have valued gold as being the most precious of metals; and Scripture indeed presents that. In its value, and by its mention here, one lesson we can glean from this genealogy is that of the thirteen sons of Joktan, there were twelve who strayed from God, but one out of thirteen had heavenly value. Keep praying for your children. Though fruit of salvation may seem far from heaven’s door, the Lord’s arm is not so short that He cannot save (Isa 52:10).

Third, as valuable as the gold of Ophir was considered, in the eternal realm gold and silver are perishable elements, especially when compared to the precious blood of Jesus Christ; as it is written,

knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Hallelujah! What a Savior!