Honey From The Rock

A CHANGE OF HEART

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-16T14:01:00Z

Jacob was afraid. He had just received word that his brother Esau, whom he had tricked out receiving the birthright, was on the march with 400 of his finest men. The hunt was on for Jacob! "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Gen. 32:7 ESV). Well, who wouldn't be afraid? Esau hated Jacob and had vowed to kill him. Now it looked like it will all come down on Jacob's head.

It is no fun to live in fear. Fear, anxiety, and worry are the unholy trinity of too many Christians. Instead of trusting God, we give into our inner fears. I've been told that 90% of what we fear never comes to pass. Most of it is in our head. When Christ is in the heart, fear will leave the head. Back to the story. The dreaded day arrived. The first thing Jacob saw that morning was his brother and 400 men on the horizon. Jacob split up his family, putting the servants in front of them for protection. Then, "He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother" (Gen. 33:1-3). Was this what changed the heart of Esau? Or had Esau already had a change of heart? For the next verse says, "But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Gen. 33:4). This is one of the most tender verses in Genesis. Notice ~ "and they wept." A change of heart in Esau changed the day for Jacob and his family. Oh, how many estranged family members today (even in the church) need that change of heart! How different things could be! Let God change your heart today.

WRESTLING WITH GOD

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-15T07:15:00Z

Jacob was between a rock and a hard place. Laban was pursuing him from one direction and Esau was advancing on him from another direction. He prayed to God for deliverance (Gen. 32:11) and then bedded down for the night. He couldn't sleep. You know how it is when you are sick with worry. Who can sleep? So he got up, took Rachel and Leah and their 11 sons and crossed over the Jabbok ford, then returned to camp. That's when the wrestling began. God and Jacob wrestled all night long. It is a strange story but true. Truth is often stranger than fiction. Toward the break of day we find this amazing passage. "And He [God] said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he [Jacob] said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!'" (Gen. 32:26 NKJV).

How puny my prayers seem in comparison. How easily I give up in prayer, long before the day breaks. How tiny and embarrassing are my requests. The apostle Paul described our wrestling in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12). Give Jacob credit. He wrestled with God until he got what he requested, even though he limped from that day forward because of the event (see. 25). God leaves His mark on us when we pray fervently and unceasingly. God was so impressed with Jacob's intensity and aggressiveness that He gave him a new name. "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggle with God and with men, and have prevailed" (v. 28). Just think. Israel today might be known as Jacob! The Israelites might have been called the Jacobites. The name "Israel" appears more than 2,500 times in Scripture. All because a man would not take no for an answer ~ from Almighty God Himself!

Prayer: Great God of Israel, forgive us when we fail to go to the mat with You in prayer. We repent of our puny prayers. Grant us the holy boldness of Your servant Jacob/Israel. Through Christ we pray.

TRUE LOVE WAITS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-12T07:09:00Z

"Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, 'I will serve you [Laban] seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her" (Gen. 29:18-20 NKJV).

True love waits. Perhaps that expression comes from today's text. Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked for Laban for seven long years. He waited for the hand of Rachel for 2,532 days. Talk about a long courtship and engagement period! And then everything blew up in his face. Laban had tricked him! Jacob went to bed on his wedding night with Leah, the older daughter. But he did not know this was the case until morning. All those enduring phrases he breathed into the ear of his bride ("Oh, Rachel, Rachel!" ) went into the ears of Leah instead. Poor Jacob. Poor Rachel! "So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah" (Gen. 29:25). That verse always strikes me as funny, but I am sure it was not funny to Jacob! "Leapin' Leah-zzards!" Leah, who could have alerted Jacob to the trick any time she wanted, probably enjoyed her night as the surrogate bride.

Jacob was no doubt mad as hops. I would have been. He went to Laban the next day and confronted him about the deceit. (I wonder if he remembered how he himself had deceived his blind old father? Chickens do come home to roost now and then!). Laban's excuse was lame but Jacob bought it anyway. He had a one-week "honeymoon" with Leah and then was permitted to marry Rachel ~ on the condition that he work seven more years for Laban (see vs. 26-30). Even at that the Bible says that Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked as Laban's indentured servant for a grand total of 14 years (5,064 days). True love waits. And waits. And waits. But is worth it in the end.

THE TITHE VOW

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-11T07:28:00Z

Have you ever made a vow (a solemn promise)? If you are married, you did. Vows should be taken seriously. The vow we will study today was made by Jacob when he traveled as far as Bethel. It was there that he dreamed of a ladder that reached to heaven. Angels were ascending and descending. Above the ladder was God. Once again, God assured Jacob of the covenant that He had made with Abraham and Isaac. When Jacob woke up, he set up a pillar and poured oil on it. Then he made this famous vow. "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You" (Gen. 28:20-22 NKJV).

Where in the world did Jacob learn about tithing? Probably from his grandfather Abraham. Remember when Abraham rescued his nephew Lot? After his return, Abram (as he was known then) was met by Melchizedek, king of Salem (later, Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High (Gen. 14:18). In return for the blessing of Melchizedek, Abram gave him a tithe of all he possessed (v. 20). I don't know if Isaac practiced tithing or not but I would imagine he did. Now Jacob is vowing to do the same. Let me ask you some questions that are based on this text. Has God been with you (presence)? Has He kept you in the way you are going (protection)? Has He give you bread to eat and clothes to wear (provision)? Then why not make a similar vow (unless you already have)? "Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you." You might even want to find a nice stone and place it somewhere to remind you of this solemn promise. Remember that Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:17). We are the seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ. What Jacob vowed to do, we may vow as well. I have never known a tither who regretted it, but I have met many people who wished they had started tithing earlier in life.

Prayer: Holy Father, everything we have comes from Your hand. We thank You for your presence, protection and provision. Grant us the courage to make the vow of Jacob in Jesus' name.

THE SADDEST VERSE IN GENESIS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-10T06:21:00Z

What I am about to say is subjective but I believe the saddest verse in the book of Genesis is Chapter 27:38 NKJV: "And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept." The book of Hebrews says he sought the blessing "diligently with tears" (Heb. 12:17). Oh, what weeping and wailing. You can almost hear his wails of anguish spread out across the hills and valleys. A neighbor asks, "What is that? A wounded animal?" Another replies, "No, that is Esau. He just learned that Jacob deceived his father and stole the birthright that was his. I wouldn't want to be in Jacob's sandals!"

Isaac gave Esau a blessing but it was not the one that he thought he would get or even deserved. Therefore, the Bible says, "So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand; and then I will kill my brother Jacob'" (Gen. 27:41). Esau's anguish is soon supplanted with bitter hatred and thoughts of murder. What was Jacob thinking? For now he had to leave his home and head for the hills just to save his hide.

All spiritual blessings are found in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3). We do not have to practice deceit like Jacob or plead with God like Esau to receive the promised blessings in Christ. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, accourding to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). Praise His holy name!

Prayer: Gracious God, how we need Your blessing! Thank you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness!

Today is my wife's birthday! What a blessing she has been to me ever since we first met in 1965. God has blessed us with 42 years of marriage!

THE HANDS OF ESAU

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-09T07:37:00Z

"So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, 'The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.'" (Gen. 27:22 NKJV).

Have you ever been deceived? It is not a pleasant feeling. You feel like someone has betrayed you. You feel violated, humiliated, and shamed. It is a terrible thing to deceive a person. This is what happened to Isaac when he was old and blind. His son, Jacob, with the assistance of his mother Rebekah, concocted a plan to deceive the old man so that Jacob would received the coveted birthright, even though his brother Esau was the firstborn son. Jacob confided in her, saying, "Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing" (vs. 11, 12). Jacob was not only smooth-skinned, he had a smooth tongue. He was a deceiver! He admitted as much. While Esau was on a hunt, Rebekah made a savory stew and Jacob approached his father with the skins of goats on the back of his hands and neck. That's when Isaac felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

There are so many deceivers in the world today doing the work of the master deceiver, Satan. The apostle John said, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). The voice is Jacob's but the hands are Esau's. Don't be deceived by the hands of Esau. That voice you hear is not the one you think it is. The hands make you feel like it is genuine, but the voice cannot be mistaken. It is the voice of falsehood, error, deception, and danger. Smooth talkers deceive many out of their life savings; worse than that, eternal life. Do not be led astray. Test the spirits to see whether they are of God. Is what they are saying according to the Bible? Is it that same as what Jesus and the apostles taught? Stay with God's Word and you will not be led astray. This is why personal Bible study is so important. Don't let what you "feel" rob you of your spiritual birthright. Learn to recognize the smooth voice of the deceiver and reject his or her lying message.

Prayer: God of all truth, grant us wisdom so that we might be able to discern between truth and error. May we always stay with You Son who is the way, the truth and the life. In His name we pray, Amen.

A VOICE IN THE NIGHT

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-08T08:19:00Z

"And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.'" (Gen. 26:24 NKJV).

At night our fears grow worse. We cannot sleep and we begin to worry. It is then that we need an assuring word from the Lord. This is what Isaac experienced firsthand. His servants had been trying to dig a well for their master but the Philistines kept filling them up with dirt. There were also many quarrels going on between his herdsman and the Philistine herdsman. Finally, a new well was dug and there was no quarreling. That is the night God visited Isaac with a word of encouragement.

The first word of encouragement had to do with God's person: "I am the God of your father Abraham." How many times had Isaac heard about God from his father! I remember so many evenings when my father gathered all of us together and read the Bible to us. I also remember my mother's earnest prayers, many of them for me. The second word was in regard to God's presence: "Do not fear, for I am with you." That is a very good thing to remember when you cannot sleep because of strife that is going on in your life. Has He not promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you"? When David walked through the valley of the shadow of death he feared no evil. Why? Because God was with him ~ "Thou art with me." Third, the voice in the night reminded Isaac of God's promise: "I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." God keeps His promises. He is not like presidents and politicians who say one thing and do another. Claim the wonderful promises of the Lord! Because of this assuring voice in the night, Isaac got up the next day, built an altar, and called on the name of the LORD. This was a first for Isaac but it would not be the last. Now he was on the right road ~ all because of that voice in the night. The next time you are troubled and cannot sleep, think of God's person, presence, and promises. I guarantee you it will be better than a sleeping pill.

Prayer: Father, thank You for your calm and assuring voice in the night. May we always honor you and call upon you in our times of trouble. Through Christ we pray.

SINS OF THE FATHERS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-05T07:57:00Z

Do you ever get the idea that we don't learn from the mistakes of others? Call it "human nature" (or better yet "sin") but it seems like we just don't learn very well from the past. Such is the case with Isaac in Genesis 26. Just like his father had done (see Gen. 20), he journeys to a strange land and tries to pass off his wife as his sister. Rebekah was a beautiful woman and he feared that they would kill him in order to take her (Gen. 26:7). This story is all to familiar! King Abimelech is probably not the same King Abimelech as in Chapter 20. The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Abimelech is a dynastic title, such as pharaoh. Since this occurred 97 years later, the Abimelech mentioned here was probably not the same as the one mentioned in Chapter 20. But the story is much the same.

why Isaac didn't just trust God to protect him? After all, God appeared to him in verse 2 and said, "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands..." (Gen. 26:3 NKJV). In spite of this divine assurance, Isaac comes up with a false story line for the Philistines. Where did he learn that? Had his father Abraham told him about what he had once done? Did he learn it from some of the servants? Was it a part of the family oral history? I don't know. All I know is that Isaac pulled the same stunt as did his illustrious father Abraham. Neither one of them chose to trust God for protection and deliverance in the same situation. But let us take a good close look at our own lives. Are there times we trust our own wits more than we do God? Do we ever stretch the truth or tell a lie to get by? Let us never forget the words that God spoke to Isaac ~ "I will be with you and bless you..." Surely that should be good enough for us!

THE NATION OF ISHMAEL, Part 2

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-04T08:40:00Z

More from my book The Biblical Roots of Islam (5th printing, 2009). Isaac had two sons: Jacob (later called Israel) and Esau. Although Esau (like Ishmael) was the first-born son, God's plan was for Jacob to receive the promise made to Abraham and Isaac. Esau was filled with bitterness and hatred. He became a strong ally of Ishmael, an alliance that was made stronger when he married Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter (Gen. 28:9). Esau also married two Hittite women (Gen. 26:34). Jim Gerrish notes: "Like Ishmael, Esau moved into the desert in the area of Mt. Seir, or Edom, to the east of the Dead Sea. There he became the progenitor of multitudes of other Arab peoples. These Arabs were joined by the children of Lot, Abraham's nephew, in making up many of the inhabitants of today's Jordan, as well as other parts of the Arab world (Gen. 19:37,38). The bitter rivalry between all these desert peoples and Israel is recorded throughout the Old Testament. Time and time again they came in fury and bitter hatred to destroy Israel. Bible history is replete with the attacks of the Edomites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and hordes of other Arabs against the seed of Issac and Jacob" (Islam, the Religion of the Other Brother).

Moab and Ammon, of course, were the sons of Lot, Abraham's nephew, the products of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). The descendants of the six sons of Abraham by Keturah [his second wife, Gen. 25:6] moved east and became nomadic tribes living in what is today called Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and other North African nations. The stage is now set for the Arab-Israeli conflict.

THE NATION OF ISHMAEL, Part 1

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-03T08:14:00Z

When Abraham died, his sons Ishmael (by Hagar) and Isaac (by Sarah) buried him alongside Sarah in the cave of Macpelah (Gen. 25:9). This is perhaps the first time they had seen each other since Ishmael and his mother were sent packing by Sarah. There is no record of their conversation at the funeral, if indeed there was any. Remember that God had also promised Abraham that he would make a nation out of Ishmael (Gen. 21:13). Ishmael had 12 sons (just as Jacob/Israel would have 12 sons). Ishmael's sons are named in Genesis 25:13-14. Take special note of his second-born son, Kedar. The following is excerpted from my book The Biblical Roots of Islam, 5th printing, 2009).

Remember the chilling prophecy in Genesis 16? Ishmael would be: (1) a wild donkey of a man; (2) his hand will be against everyone; (3) everyone's hand will be against him; (4) he will live [in hostility] to the east of his brothers. Genesis 25:18 NASB contains the fulfillment: "And they settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives." Israel would bear the brunt of Ishmael for centuries.

Some believe that Muhammad descended from the tribe of Kedar, the second-born son of Ishmael (Davis Dictionary of the Bible).Ishmael was an archer and his descendants, the "mighty men" of the sons of Kedar, according to Isaiah 21:17, were archers. They are described in Psalm 120 as hating peace and wanting war. "Woe is me that I dwell in Meschech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul had dwelt too long with one who hates peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war" (Psa. 120:5-7).

The desert-dwelling twelve tribes of Ishmael became known as the Ishmaelites (sometimes called Midianites, Gen. 37:25-28; Judges 8:5, 12, 22, 24). More on this tomorrow.

THE GREATEST GATHERING

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-02T07:07:00Z

When I was in college (1964-1968) my alma mater, Midwestern School of Evangelism, sponsored an annual meeting called the "January Gathering." It took place between semesters and featured a festival of singing and preaching. People came from far and near to gather together in sweet Christian fellowship for several days. There were no homework assignments that week for which I was grateful. It was a great gathering of God's people. Our text today speaks of a far greater gathering. "This is the sum of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:7, 8 NKJV).

I notice several things about this text. Abraham's life was summed up in the number of years that he lived ~ 175. That is certainly older than any of us will ever live to be! The writer calls it "a good old age." Life is good for the godly. His life was also "full of years." So much is contained in those three words! Abraham's life spans 15 chapters in the book of Genesis (11-25). His name appears some 300 times in 20 books of the Bible. He was called "the father of the faithful" and "the friend of God." Few men have cast such a long shadow. The Bible also says that he "breathed his last." We take a first breath, and then countless breaths, and finally we take our last breath on earth. I was by my father's side when he took his last breath, April 25, 2009, a moment I shall never forget. But most significant of all is this phrase: "and was gathered to his people." What does this mean? It is a phrase that is also found in Genesis 25:17, 49:29, 33. The Ryrie Study Bible says this is "an indication that those who had died were regarded as people still existing. This is an early testimony to belief in life after death." When my father died, he too was "gathered to his people." So will you and I when we die. We will see our loved ones again. I am convinced of it. Jesus gave us keen insight into this in Matthew 22:31, 32: "Have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.''

Hymn: "Yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river, Gather with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of God." (Robert Lowry)

THE FAITH BRIDE

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-01T07:41:00Z

"Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.'" (Gen. 24:58 NKJV).

Here is one of the most remarkable stories of faith in all the Bible. Abraham's faithful servant has traveled back to his master's ancestral homeland in search of a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac. He prayed that God would show him which woman it would be and before his prayer was even finished it was also answered, Rebekah showed up to water his camels (vs. 12-21). After giving her some nice jewelry, Abraham's servant is invited to her home. Rebekah's brother, Laban, greets the servant and invites him for supper. But the servant will not eat a bite until he first tells his story. So he tells them the whole story of the son of promise, Isaac, and how Abraham wanted him to marry someone from his homeland. He also told the family about how God had answered his prayer. The story impressed both Laban and Bethuel (Rebekah's father), who considered this to indeed be the will of God.

Early the next morning the servant was up and ready to return to his master with the bride he had secured for Isaac. The family wanted Rebekah to stay ten days before she left them (a natural and reasonable request), but the servant would hear nothing of it. So they put the question to Rebekah, and her answer is our text for the day: "I will go." Is that amazing or what? Then Rebekah and her maids accompany the servant back to Abraham's land where she will wed Isaac. Now think of this with me. Here is a girl, probably still in her teens, who meets a total stranger, draws water for his camels (probably 200 gallons), takes him home to dinner, and decides the next morning that she will leave her family and return with this man, whom she has only known for 24 hours, to marry a man she has never met. She leaves her family, never knowing if she will ever see them again, and travels by camel ("ships of the desert") perhaps some 500 miles across trackless deserts and cold mountains. If that isn't faith, I don't know what would constitute faith! In fact, I am surprised that Rebekah is not included in the heroes and heroines of faith in the great faith chapter of the Bible (Hebrews 11). "I will go." So what is keeping you from going on an exciting faith journey for God?

Hymn: "It may not be on the mountain's height, or over the stormy sea; it may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me: But if, by a still small voice, He calls to paths I do not know, I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine, I'll go where you want me to go." (Mary Brown)

A FAST ANSWER TO PRAYER

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-25T07:23:00Z

"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder..." (Gen. 24:15 NIV).

Today we will look at one of the fastest answers to prayer ever recorded. Abraham was growing old and was concerned about Isaac's choice of a wife. (Every godly parent should be concerned about this.) He sent his chief servant (probably Eliezer of Damascus) to travel back to his homeland in search of a wife for his son. He most decidedly did not want Isaac marrying a Canaanite woman (v. 3). So the faithful servant sets off on his mission, taking ten camels and all kinds of goods (see v. 53, "gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing," probably a dowry). Arriving at the town of Nahor, he stopped to pray (see vs. 12-14). He prayed a most specific prayer: He would ask a girl for a drink and she would not only give him a drink of water, but offer to water his camels as well. Now we come to our verse: "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder." Can't you just see this beautiful picture? The sun is setting, the time when the women of the city went out to draw water from the well. But one woman stood out above all others. "The girl was very beautiful, a virgin" (v. 16). The servant asked for a drink and she quickly gave him a drink. Then she spoke: "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking" (v. 19). Do you know how long it would take to draw water for ten thirsty, travel-weary camels? (A camel can walk 100 miles in one day. I have no idea either, but I would imagine it took a very long time. The servant took this as an answer to his specific prayer request. (Does this make you want to be a little more specific in your prayers?) The servant bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives" (v.27). We will finish this amazing story tomorrow.

There are times when God answers our prayers before we have finished praying. We don't realize it until a few hours or days or weeks have passed, and then it dawns on us. God is faithful. God is good. I think He delights in prayers that are specific and come from a heart of faith and love. God invites us to pray to Him. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3).

DEATH OF A PRINCESS

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-24T08:49:00Z

An entire chapter (Genesis 24) is devoted to the death and burial of Sarah. No other woman in the Bible commands that much coverage. I find it instructive that Moses devotes twenty verses to this account. Sarai ("my princess"), later called Sarah ("princess") meant the world to Abraham. Look at how this chapter starts. "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her" (Gen. 24:1, 2 NIV). Evidently Abraham was not with Sarah when she died for the record says that he went to Hebron to mourn for her. He wept over her body, that familiar face, those hands clasped in death. Those of you who have lost a mate know exactly what Abraham was experiencing when he saw her prepared for burial. Hot tears may have streamed down his weathered cheeks. Memories must have flooded his soul like the constant tidal waves of the ocean. She had been by his side through good times and bad for many years. According to Genesis 12:11-14, Sarah was a beautiful woman. Even at 127 she may have retained her beauty. All this without anti-aging face cream! After all, was she not a princess?

It is to Abraham's credit that he mourned and wept over Sarah. And that he went to such great lengths to make sure that she had a proper and fitting burial place. Money made no difference. He bought not just a cave but an entire field at the price of 400 shekels of silver. Later we learn that not only Sarah but Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob were buried in the cave of Macpelah (Gen. 25:9; 49:31; 50:13). "The site of the cave has been identified with two caves, one above the other, beneath the great mosque in the center of modern Hebron" (Ryrie Study Bible). I would like to visit this place some day. What do we learn from this story? Than Abraham truly loved Sarah. That he mourned her passing. That money did not matter when it came to burying his beloved wife. That a family burial plot is a good and comforting idea.

Hymn: "When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again" (John Fawcett).

THIRD-DAY FAITH

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-23T08:16:00Z

"On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you'" (Gen. 22:4, 5 NKJV).

This is one of the most remarkable statements of faith ever uttered. We will worship and then we will come back to you! God had instructed Abraham to take his son - his only son, Isaac, whom he loved - to the region of Moriah and offer him on one of the mountains. Early the next morning (notice that Abraham did not delay) he arose, saddled the donkey, split the wood, and departed for Moriah. On the third day they arrived and that is when Abraham made this remarkable statement to his servants. Did the servants think anything was out of the ordinary? Probably not. I doubt that Abraham had shared what God told him with anyone. Not even Isaac understood the import of what his father had just said. It was not until later that Isaac caught on to what was happening.

Abraham's declaration was more for himself than anyone else. The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Abraham's confidence that Isaac would return with him from the place of sacrifice stemmed from his implicit belief in resurrection." Study the parallel passage of this account in Hebrews 11:17-19. "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death" (Heb. 11:19 NIV). Had Abraham ever seen anyone raised from the dead? No. But did He believe that God could do it? Yes. Because of this tremendous demonstration of faith in the resurrection power of God, Abraham received God's assurance and confirmation of the covenant (vs. 15-18). Abraham and his son then descended the mountain, just as Abraham had promised the servant who was told to stay with the donkey (v. 19). The servant was probably as clueless as the donkey as to the drama that had taken place on Mt. Moriah. Worship is sometimes a breathtaking experience as Abraham and Isaac found out that dramatic day.

Prayer: Father, grant to us the third-day faith of our father Abraham! Through Christ, our sacrificial Lamb, we pray.

"AS HE HAD SAID"

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-22T14:24:00Z

"And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken" (Gen. 21:1 NKJV).

Does it ever pay to doubt God? How many times have we disappointed Him with our unbelief? For my own part, way too many times! I like our verse for today. God visited Sarah as He had said. The Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. Wow. I wonder how Sarah felt now? A little sheepish perhaps? God is God and He can do anything He wants. He keeps His promises. He is all-powerful and performs what He has promised. Oh, that we had the faith from the outset to believe Him, trust Him, and react with sheer delight when those promises come true. The birth of Isaac, the promised son, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can be trusted.

Politicians cannot do this. Many times they break their campaign promises the same day they are elected. It was all a sham. For shame! This can never be said of the Creator of the Universe! What He says comes true. He does for us as He has spoken. Just study all the promises and all the prophecies of the Bible. Does God keep His word or not? Read Joshua's "farewell address" one more time. "Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed" (Josh. 23:14).

Prayer: Lord, give us the faith of Joshua to trust you in every circumstance.

"BECAUSE I THOUGHT"

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-19T07:13:00Z

"And Abraham said, 'Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife." (Gen. 20:11 NKJV).

Human thinking, analysis, and reasoning can sometimes get you in big trouble. When Abraham and Sarah traveled south they concocted a scheme they thought would work. They would say that Sarah was Abraham's sister in order to spare Abraham's life. What were they thinking? Why not just trust God? Abraham's deceit nearly brought disaster to King Abimelech and his people. Abimelech had integrity in his heart. God said so (see v. 6). At this point in time he had more integrity in his heart than did Abraham. Those three words "Because I thought" led Abraham to the brink of disaster. He thought there was no fear of God in the land. Actually, Abimelech showed more fear of God than did Abraham! Sometimes thinking that is fueled by fear can lead us into great trouble. Sometimes we think there is no hope when there is plenty of hope. Sometimes we fear failure when success is just around the corner. We must be careful not to let our negative, fearful thinking guide our actions.

Not including God in our thinking leads to serious consequences for all involved. At the end of this story (read all of Gen. 20) Abraham prays to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. What had happened to them? Because of Abraham's lack of trust and made-up story "the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife" (v. 18). Notice that the writer of Genesis gets it right: Abraham's wife, not sister. It is always better to say "I trust God" than "Because I thought." It is better to live by faith than by your wits. Someone has wisely said: "Care not whether men say you are a great thinker. See to it that they know you as a great believer." You can be at your wit's end but you need not be at your faith's end. You are at your best when you stand still and trust God.

Prayer: Holy Father, forgive us when we trust our wits more than we trust You. Empower us by Your Spirit to trust You in every circumstance of life or trial that we face. Through Christ we pray.

DEAD MEN WALKING

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-18T07:46:00Z

"But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, 'Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.'" (Gen. 20:3 ESV).

Abraham's travels had taken him into enemy territory. He told the king that Sarah was his sister. The king, believing Abraham's story, took Sarah. When God informed Abimelech what he had done, he was thunderstruck and pleaded for God's mercy. God granted him mercy and Abimelech returned Sarah to her husband (read the entire story in Gen. 20:1-18).

The following is excerpted from my article "Dead Men Walking" (Double Exposure, (c) 1999). From the President to your paperboy, from the Queen to the choir director, from the media elite to the man on the street, we're all dead men walking. There are no exceptions. The corporate executive who climbs into a cab in Chicago is just as dead as the faceless cabbie who drives it. Every person on this planet is a walking dead man of one kind or another. Whether we are dead in sin or dead to sin. God told Abimelech, "Behold, you are a dead man." He was dead though alive! So are we. One way or another. The Bible says some are "dead in sin" (Eph. 2:1) but others are "dead to sin" (Rom. 6:2). Both are susceptible to sin. But one man is insensitive to sin while the other is sensitive to sin. One revels, the other repents.

One man is dead to sin, even in the dead of the night. Whether he's in Minneapolis, home of Billy Graham, or in Las Vegas, home of bawdy girls and gambling. The other man is dead in sin, even as he sins in the night, night after night, into eternal night. Real dead men don't go to bed with dead women ~ those who are dead while they live (1 Tim. 5:6). There is no porn again for the one who has been born again. What's a dead man to do? The world will tell you, "Live hard. Die young." Drive your Infiniti right into eternity. But I'd like to say, "Die hard ~ to sin. Live life to the hilt ~ for God. And you'll be 'Forever Young.'"

Those who wear loincloths in the Outback of Australia or those who wear Cotton Dockers in America are all headed for The Dock. It makes no difference if you wear Guccis or sandals, you are a dead man walking. It matters not whether you stay in a fine hotel in Atlanta with all the amenities or in a poor hovel in Africa with none, you're a dead man walking. The question is: Which kind of a dead man do you want to be?

Hymn: "Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus has bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the law and bruised by the Fall, Grace has redeemed us once for all." (Philip P. Bliss)

DON'T LOOK BACK

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-17T07:16:00Z

"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt" (Gen. 19:26 NIV).

This is a very sad verse to read and ponder. Lot's family had been instructed to leave Sodom. The angels practically had to drag them out of the city and shoo them on their way. One of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (19:17). So, why did Lot's wife look back? The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Lot's wife, who was trailing behind him with her heart still in Sodom, looked back, died, and possibly was enveloped by blowing salt, which formed a 'pillar' around her body." That may or may not be. Perhaps she was just curious. Perhaps the earth shaking sounds and light flashes of God's judgment were just too much and she turned around to take a look at the devastation. We may never know for sure the motive that caused her to turn around and look. The last thing she saw was the terrible destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - burning sulfur raining from heaven on the condemned cities.

In the New Testament, Jesus cited the destruction of Sodom and likened it to the day in which He would return to judge the earth (Luke 17:28-36). Jesus understood the account of Sodom and Gomorrah to be factually true. Then He warned, "Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot's wife!" (Luke 17:31, 32). It does us no good to be constantly thinking about what we have left behind when we started on the road to heaven with Jesus. Those who are tempted to turn back need to remember the story of Lot's wife. Onward and upward is our goal. Our old life is behind us and eternal life is before us. Don't look back! Remember Lot's wife! Every time you pick up a salt shaker, you should think of Lot's wife.

Chorus: "The world behind me, the cross before me . . . no turning back, no turning back!"

THE CRIES OF THE CITIES

Victor Knowles — 2010-02-16T08:50:00Z

In my travels, both domestic and international, I have flown into many cities. As the plane begins its descent to the airport I often close my book and look down on the thousands of rooftops below. I wonder what is going on in those houses below me. How many wives are being beaten, how many children are being abused, how many children are being told they are no good? Morbid thoughts? I guess so. But God knows the answers to all those questions. He sees all and knows all. Nothing escapes His attention. He hears the cries of the abused.

Case in point? The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Then the LORD said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to Me. If not, I will find out'" (Gen. 18:21 CSB). It must have been awful in those wicked cities. It is a sin so serious and grievous that we have a word in our dictionary today to describe it ~ "sodomy." While some engaged in it for perverted pleasure, others (innocent travelers seeking lodging?) may have been victims of this grievous sin. Their cries reached all the way to heaven. In essence God said to Himself, "This is unbelievable! This is so rotten I am going to have to go down and investigate for Myself." What He saw sickened Him, so much so that He declared He would destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. At this point Abraham intercedes for the cities (probably because his nephew Lot and his family was now living in Sodom). But Sodom was so wicked that not even ten righteous people could be found. Genesis 19 records the divine destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground" (Gen. 19:24, 25 ESV). The devastation was so great that nothing grows there today. The utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reminds us that God takes sin seriously. He sees all , He hears all, He knows all, and He will deal with all. Only those who are righteous in His sight will be delivered from Destruction II, coming soon, sooner than we may think.

Prayer: Holy Father, hear our prayers today. Find in us the righteousness of Christ that will prepare us for that great day of judgment. May we be found in Him, faultless to stand before Your throne.