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Yesterday we looked at Abram's exciting rescue of Lot and made a comparison to Christ's own rescue of us at Calvary. But we have more good things in store today, starting with this intriguing text. "After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salam brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram..." (Gen. 14:17-19a NKJV).
The Valley of Shaveh is one of the valleys surrounding Jerusalem, possibly the Kidron Valley (see 2 Sam. 18:18). It was in this valley that Melchizedek, the king of Salem (later, Jerusalem) came out to meet Abram bringing bread and wine. These may have been rations for the hungry troops of Abram, but perhaps they symbolize something more spiritual. To learn more about Melchizedek read Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7:1-18. He appears to be a precursor of Christ in the Bible. Our text calls him "king of Salem" and "priest of God Most High." Jesus, of course, was both a priest (our High Priest) and a king (not just "king of the Jews" but "King of kings"). And what does he bring Abram and his weary, hungry men? Bread and wine. And what does our Lord bring us ~ we who are "weary and heavy laden"? The very same. When does this happen? You know better than I. When He meets us at His table (the Bible calls it the Lord's Table) with the Lord's Supper every first day of the week ~ the Lord's Day. It is not intended to satisfy our physical hunger but rather our spiritual hunger. Melchizedek, a type of Christ, met Abram with bread and wine and satisfied his physical needs. Christ meets us with bread and wine to satisfy our spiritual hunger. After all, is he not the Bread of Life? Is He not the True Vine? Just as Melchizedek blessed Abram so Christ bless us ~ the spiritual seed of Abraham! Think about that this Sunday, will you?
Prayer: Living, loving Father, we bless Your name today for sending Jesus with bread and wine to satisfy our spiritual hunger. It is in His blessed name we pray, Amen.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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Genesis 14:13 has the first use of "Hebrew" in the Bible. "Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew..." Lot had been kidnapped and one of his servants escaped and came to "Abram the Hebrew" with the news. The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Abraham was the first person to be referred to as a Hebrew, an ethnic designation that his descendants derived from him. The word comes from his ancestor, Eber (11:10-14). It also had a wider use as a general designation for nomadic people like Abraham, who would have been considered a migrant by the Canaanites, since he came from Ur and Haran." In the New Testament we have an entire book named "Hebrews" ~ Jewish people who had converted to Christianity. Paul declared himself to be "a Hebrew of of the Hebrews" (Phil. 3:5). The Bible also speaks of the Hebrew tongue, language, and letters (see Luke 23:38). The Hebrews are synonymous with the Jews.
Abram the Hebrew came to the rescue of Lot just like Jesus came to the rescue of those who were captives of sin. As soon as he heard that Lot had been kidnapped he armed his 318 servants and pursued the captors all the way to Dan in the north.(Isn't it interesting that the Bibles gives us the number of the servants?) He then routed the enemy near Damascus and brought back Lot, his goods, the women, and all the people (servants?) of Lot. Abram the Hebrew knew that he was his brother's keeper. Even though Lot had made a bad choice and paid dearly for it, Abram went after him. Christ did the same for us at Calvary. We too have made terrible choices and suffered the consequences of our sin. Christ is not content until all are safely in the fold. Today were are all sons of God through faith in Christ. It makes no difference who we are ~ Jew (Hebrew), Greek, slave, free, male, female, we are all one in Christ through our faith and baptism (Gal. 3:26-28). "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29). Praise His Holy Name!
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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Does strife and division in the body of Christ bother you at all? It should. The very fact that it exists at all is a blot on Christianity. Jesus prayed that we might all be one (John 17:20, 21). The apostle Paul made a heartfelt plea for oneness (1 Cor. 1:10). Strife among fellow saints is the devil's harvest.
Today we come to an interesting passage in Genesis 13. Abram and his nephew Lot were so blessed that "the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together" (v. 6). Notice that the phrase "dwell together" appears twice in the text. God wants us to dwell together. David said, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psa. 133:1). However, our text goes on to say, "And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock" (v. 7a). You can see how the strife was not so much between Abram and Lot personally as it was between their employees. This was not a healthy situation. Strife never is. Notice a third thing: "The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land" (v. 7b). To me this means that outsiders were watching God's people fuss and fight with one another. That is never a good thing either! Many people do not darken the door of a church because they have seen strife between churchgoers ~ professing Christians.
But our text ends on a happy note. Abram was a wise man. It takes wisdom to diffuse division. He said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren" (v. 8). Royal blood flows in our veins. We are blood brothers because of the blood of Christ. "Let brotherly love continue" (Heb. 13:1). Cain shed the blood of his brother but we are of Christ, not Cain! Then Abram does something very wise and generous. He suggested a solution to the problem. "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, I will go to the left" (v. 9). "Abram was willing to maintain a loose grip on his rights and possessions; because of this, he was able to defer to his nephew and manage the growing conflict between his and Lot's herdsmen....Because he was older, Abram could have assigned Lot a parcel of land. He could have taken the best for himself." (The Leadership Bible). This is "crisis management" at its best!
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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On August 1, 1967, Evelyn and I said "I do" and "I will" in our wedding vows at the Hamburg Church of Christ, Hamburg, Iowa. We said them, meaning every word, in the presence of Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the hosts of heaven (angels), and the assembled church. We have done our best to keep them, lo these 40-some years.
Almighty God said "I will" to Abraham five times in Genesis 12. These were solemn vows and promises He made and that intended to keep. Let's look at them today.
First, he told Abraham to go "to a land I will show you" (v. 1). Abraham did not know where this land was, but God did. It was the land of Canaan, later known as Israel. God kept His promise.
Second, "I will make you a great nation" (v. 2a). Abraham would not be a nation builder but God would. From one man he developed the mightiest nation on earth. Not the largest nation but a nation that had the blessing of God. No other nation had this (see Deut. 4:6-8).
Third, "I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (v. 2b). Did this happen? Of course it did. This is the sovereign God making these promises. I will bless you. I will make your name great. I will see to it that you will be a blessing to others. Sometimes we sing, "Let Him have His way with thee." Well, don't you think it is time to let God perform some "I wills" in your life? Don't try to make a name for yourself. Let God do it. Be a channel of blessing to others today knowing that it is God who is blessing others through your life of consecrated service to Him.
Fourth, "I will bless those who bless you" (v. 3a). And God did. He showed His favor and showered His blessings on those individuals (even kings) and nations who blessed Abraham. He will do the same today for He does not change. In fact, God told Abraham "And in you all the families [nations] of the earth shall be blessed" (v. 3c).
Fifth, "And I will curse him who curses you" (v. 3b). Just ask the enemies of Abraham and the nation of Israel if this did not come true! Ask Haman and Hitler and every anti-Semitic dictator who has tried to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. Israel is called the apple of God's eye. Those who stick their dirty fingers into the eye of God have and will experience His mighty wrath. I would not want to have the curse of God on my life, would you?
Prayer: Holy Father, how we thank and praise You for the five "I will" promises that You made (and kept) to Your servant Abraham. May we trust You to be faithful to all Your promises to us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land I will show you.'" (Gen. 12:1, NKJV).
Abram - as he was called then - was probably still in Haran when this call (originally given to him in Ur of Chaldee) was reiterated. Stephen's "Old Testament History 101" lecture records this. "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you" (Acts 7:3).
In both texts we hear God saying, "Get out!" God knew that His divine plan for redeeming man could not start until Abram/Abraham got out of his homeland. The Road to Redemption hinged on one man's obedience. To his credit, Abraham obeyed God, though it must have been very hard to do. Hebrews 11:8 says, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going." That is truly amazing and challenging to me!
Has God ever asked you to "get out" in some way or another? I can't say that I have heard the audible voice of God saying, "Victor, get out of your country and go to a land I will show you." Knowing when to leave one ministry and go to another part of the country has always been difficult for me. Should I stay one more year? Should I leave now? Sometimes I have wished that I would hear God speak to me in audible and specific terms! One thing I know. If I am in a situation or relationship that is displeasing to God, I need to hear those words ring in my ears: "Get out!" Remember Lot? He was one of Abram's relatives whom Abram brought with him when he left Haran (even though he was divinely told not to). Lot wound up in Sodom and it took two angels to convince him to leave. "Get your family out of here!" Everyone in Lot's family wanted to stay. He practically had to drag them kicking and screaming out of Sodom. Even at that, his wife could not resist looking back and was turned into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:12-29). Part of our fleshly nature always wants to stay even when God says, "Get out!"
Prayer: Holy Father, You always know what is best for us. Teach us to be more sensitive to Your will and to the instructions for daily living that You have graciously given us in Your Holy Word. Through Christ we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"Now the whole earth had one language and one speech" (Gen. 9:1 NKJV). At first glance this looks very good. In our Western way of thinking that is. I have traveled to a number of countries and have always been frustrated by the language barrier. How often I have thought, "How nice it would be if we all spoke the same language." There would be no need for translators or interpreters. There would be no confusion because of mistranslation or misunderstandings. Or would there?
I like what the Ryrie Study Bible says about this verse. "The unbridgeable gap between animal sounds and human language, as well as the statement of this verse that originally all men spoke the same language, are inexplicable by the theory of evolution." Notice, too, that as the survivors of the flood spread out they settled down on the plains of Shinar and determined to build a city and a tower that reached to heaven "lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth" (v. 4). This was a direct defiance of God's command in 9:1 to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Their vanity is also seen in the statement "let us make a name for ourselves" (v. 4). Pride and rebellion still are here, even after the hard lesson of the flood! Their actions resulted in God going down to take drastic action. "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (v. 7). Notice the plural here, Us (see 1:26). The Godhead revisits earth. The RSB continues: "By confusing language, God established the parent languages of the earth from which other languages and dialects developed (today, a total of 3,000). The result of this confusion was the scattering of mankind." That is what God desired in 9:1. "Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth" (11:9). "Babel" is a play on Hebrew words and means "to confuse." It sounds like "Babylon" (and is translated such in the NIV) or, as I have titled this study, "Babel on." The Leadership Bible notes, "God put an end to this autonomous project, and the people were scattered. Imagine the potential for human attainment and arrogance if we had always spoken a universal language!"
Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we want to please You in all we say, think, and do. Prevent us from every lifting up our hearts or knowledge against You or the teachings of Your Holy Word. Through Christ we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"And God said: 'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth'" (Gen. 9:12, 13 NKJV).
I think that all of us enjoy a rainbow in the sky. I remember when we lived in Nebraska and saw a magnificent rainbow. It appeared after a summer storm and there on the flatlands of Nebraska you could see it from one end to the other. It was a "teachable moment" for our two little girls as we told them the story of Noah and the rainbow. In verses 15-17 God tells Noah that never again will He destroy mankind by a flood. The rainbow was actually for God's benefit. "The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth" (v. 16). The Open Bible says, "The promise is given never to destroy the earth again by a flood. The next time God destroys the earth, the means will be by fire (2 Pet. 3:10). The rainbow is designated as a testimony of the existence of this covenant and the promise never to destroy the earth by flood. As long as we can see the rainbow we will know that the Noahic Covenant is in existence."
Notice that the rainbow is of divine origin. It is God Himself who sets it in the clouds. He calls it "My rainbow." The rainbow was an act of divine kindness with mankind and the earth as the beneficiaries. When we see a rainbow today we should be overcome with gratitude to God. The rainbow is a picture of grace ~ God's grace. The rainbow, first introduced to us here in Genesis, appears again the the last book of the Bible. John saw the Lord on His throne, "and there was a rainbow around the throne" (Rev. 4:3). "And in the vision of the glorified Church (Rev. 4:3) the rainbow again appears, pointing back to the early sign, connecting them a parts of one scheme, and visibly setting forth the glory of God in His mercy and grace" (Pulpit Commentary).
Finally, notice that the rainbow was not just for Noah but for "perpetual generations" ("all future generations" ESV). The Abrahamic Covenant was for Abraham and Israel but the Noahic Covenant was for future generations, including this one. Remember that the next time God sets His rainbow in the sky!
Hymn/Prayer: "O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be." (George Matheson)
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"Then the LORD said to Noah, 'Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Gen. 7:1 NKJV).
Even though Noah built the ark it was God who invited him to come into the ark. We may build a church (physically) but it is Christ who bids us to enter. Note too that his household was invited in as well. The NIV says "you and your whole family." It is wonderful when the whole family serves the Lord. I was raised in a family like this and it brings Evelyn and me great joy to know that our whole family is serving the Lord. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4).
Noah and his family spent 371 days in the ark (53 weeks). I am sure there was much discussion that took place. I believe that they probably prayed to God. But there is no record of God communicating with them during their year-plus in the ark. Would that test your faith? It would mine. But then comes a verse that thrills my soul. "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded" (Gen. 8:1 NIV). "But God remembered Noah..." And aren't we all glad that He did? I know that Noah and his family must have breathed a sigh of relief. The rain stopped falling (8:2) and the waters started to recede (8:3). Finally the ark came to rest on the mountains (notice, plural) of Ararat (8:4). Noah opened the window (notice, singular) and sent out a raven and then a dove. The dove returned because it could find no place to alight. After seven days Noah sent the dove out again. At evening the dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak. A third time he sent out the dove and this time the dove did not return. It took awhile for things to dry out and then Noah removed the covering from the ark (8:13). What a task that must have been! Finally, God speaks: "Then God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives..." (8:15 NIV). The long year was over! The first thing Noah does is build an altar and offer a sacrifice to God (8:20). God was pleased with this and said: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man ... And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (8:21, 22 NIV). The year in the ark was a year that Noah and his family would never forget. God had proved His faithfulness and they had proved their unquestioning obedience. Each year that we live can be the same!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for Your faithfulness to us! May we always be obedient to Your Word. Through Christ we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence . . . Make yourself an ark . . . And this is how you shall make it . . . . ' Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did." (Gen. 13-15, 22 NKJV).
This is the fourth time we have seen the word "commanded" in Genesis (2:16; 3:11, 17). The Hebrew word is tsavah and it means "to constitute, enjoin, charge." Noah was charged with building an ark. Aren't you glad he did not take a cavalier attitude to the command of God? So many today (even professing believers) do not take seriously the commands of God. We must give much credit to Noah for being such a humble and obedient servant of God. The NIV says, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." This same thought is repeated in Gen. 7:5, 9, and 16. The writer of Hebrews gives us additional insight into Noah's obedience. "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith" (Heb. 11:7 NIV).
Note: The task of building the ark was monumental. The Ryrie Study Bible says the ark was "450 feet long, 75 feet broad, and 45 feet tall, with a displacement of about 20,000 tons and gross tonnage of about 14,000 tons. Its carrying capacity equaled that of 522 standard railroad stock cars (each of which can hold 240 sheep). Only 188 cars would be required to hold 45,000 sheep-sized animals, leaving three trains of 104 cars each for food, Noah's family, and 'range' for the animals. Today it is estimated that there are 17,600 species of animals, making 45,000 a likely approximation of the number Noah might have taken into the ark."
But the point we do not want to miss is how Noah carried out this divine charge. He believed God and did everything just as God commanded him, saving his family and becoming an heir to righteousness as a result. We need to take God's Word as seriously as did Noah.
Hymn: "A charge to keep have I, A God to glorify; Who gave His Son my soul to save, And fit it for the sky" (Charles Wesley)
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth ... for I am sorry that I have made them.' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen. 6:6-8 NKJV).
Have you ever thought that your sins cause God to have grief in His heart? Our text says this is true. Verse 6 in the NIV says, "His heart was filled with pain." Imagine then the pain God must have felt when he saw mankind whom He had made wholly given over to the pursuit of sin. How bad was it? Wickedness was "great" in the earth (v. 5). "Every" intent of the thoughts of men's hearts was "only evil continually" (v. 5). The earth was "corrupt" before God (v. 11, 12). It was "full of violence" (v. 11, 12, 13). "Violence" is mentioned three times. Brutality and bloodshed was the order of the day. Was it for sport? Did gangs roam the earth like they roam our cities today? It was so bad that God decided to do an "extreme makeover." He decided that He would destroy man whom he had created. "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth" (v. 7 NIV).
But there was an exception ~ Noah! This man found grace (favor) in the eyes of God. Noah stood out like a beautiful flower in a barren desert of black basalt. The Bible calls him a just (righteous) man, perfect (blameless) in his generation. "Noah stood with God while the rest of the world stood against Him. Not one person outside Noah's family showed any interest in the Creator of humankind. In fact, had it not been for Noah, God would have destroyed all people. Think about that for a moment ~ the only thing standing between the continuation of the human race and its extinction was a single righteous man and his family" (The Leadership Bible). Peter adds that he was a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Pet. 2:5). He practiced what he preached and he preached what he practiced. Noah stands out in Scripture like a spiritual lighthouse in Stygian darkness.
May we also find grace in the eyes of the Lord. "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth" (Psa. 34:15, 16 NKJV). We do not know the name of one person who perished in the flood (unless it was Methuselah, who died the year of the flood.) "The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot" (Prov. 10:7 NKJV).
Prayer: Holy Father, hear our prayer. Make we always find favor in Your sight. Look upon us in mercy and spare us from this wicked generation. Through Christ we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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