Monthly Archives: January 2024

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 8

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The inevitable happens! Sarah, Abraham’s beloved wife of many years, life companion, and mother of his promised son, Isaac, joins her ancestors in death. Father and son are heart-broken. Whereas, when the members of his household died, they were buried on the way (we can assume), Abraham negotiates to buy a tiny piece of real estate in a land where he is still a guest.

‭Genesis‬ ‭23:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] “Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”…
[12] Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, [13] and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”…
[17] So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. [18] It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. [19] Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). [20] So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.”

Was Abraham’s purchase of this piece of real estate in the land of Canaan his way of confirming his commitment to God’s promise, something like the firstfruits that guaranteed the full harvest? By buying this piece of land was he laying claim to the whole land?

This cave and its adjacent land became the official burial place for Abraham’s final resting place, his immediate family, and his descendants, including Jacob whose body was brought back from Egypt.

‭Genesis‬ ‭49:29‭-‬32‬ ‭NLT‬
[29] “Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. [30] This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. [31] There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. [32] It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭50:12‭-‬13‬ ‭NLT‬
[12] “So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. [13] They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite…”

A sad but inevitable part of Abraham’s story ends a partnership of many decades, but opens a new chapter for Abraham and his son. It seems that Isaac was so devoted to his old mother that he delayed marriage until he was forty years old.

‭Genesis‬ ‭25:20‬ ‭NLT‬
[20] “When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.”

Mourning for his mother seems to have closed isaac’s mind to the future. Abraham had to intervene to secure the way for God’s promise to be fulfilled.

To be continued…

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 7

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How do we know when we have finally graduated from the “University of hard knocks”? Does our faith continue to be tested to the end of our days? For some, I think the answer to the second question is “Yes” because they never learn the lesson of faith that trusts and obeys without question whatever the situation.

‭Genesis‬ ‭22:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” [2] “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

So, Abraham spent the night agonising over God’s instruction? Cutting off every male’s foreskin was bad enough. Now God was telling him to murder his son! This son, this precious young boy who was born through a miracle! Kill him! “God, you must be crazy!”

No, not one word of resistance, argument, or refusal. Abraham’s faith, years in the growing, must leap this final hurdle. God wanted his best. Would he give Isaac willingly without a moment’s hesitation?

‭Genesis‬ ‭22:3‬ ‭NLT‬
[3] “The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.”

How could Abraham comply without putting up a fight?

‭Romans‬ ‭4:17‬ ‭NLT‬
[17]”That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”

The promise! Abraham’s faith was securely anchored in God’s promise.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NLT‬
[16]” So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.”

No matter what God asked him to do, even to kill his son, the son of promise through whom God’s
nation would be born, it was okay with him. So strong was Abraham’s confidence in God’s promise, a covenant ratified by blood, that he would even kill Isaac because he believed that God would raise him from the dead.

Abraham’s implicit faith is expressed in his words to his servants and to his son…

‭Genesis‬ ‭22:4‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] “On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. [5] “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” [6] So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, [7] Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” [8] “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.”

No fuss, no resistance, no fury, just quiet confidence in the One who is utterly trustworthy. “We will go and worship, and we will come back…”

And so, when they arrived at the spot God had chosen, Abraham got on with the job of building a rough stone altar, tying up his son in case Isaac decided to make a run for it, and lifting the knife to plunge into Isaac’s heart, a quick and merciful end to the agony.

Why Mount Moriah? This was the very spot God had chosen, before the world began, for the sacrifice of His own Son whom He did not withhold from death, as He did Isaac. Isaac’s death could not save the world but, through Isaac would come the One who would save sinners from eternal death.

A voice from heaven calls out,

‭Genesis‬ ‭22:10‭-‬12‬ ‭NLT‬
[10] “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” [12] “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Now I know! Of course, God knew the details and depth of Abraham’s trust. He didn’t need a physical demonstration, but Abraham did. “Don’t tell me, show me!” This event would, forever, be etched on Abraham’s mind, God’s verbal approval of the greatest quality any believer can acquire, a trust so implicit that no adversity, no hardship, no trial, not even an instruction from God can overcome. No reasoning, no questions asked. Just simple, implicit, unhesitating obedience. That’s the fear of the Lord!

From this moment on, it’s all plain sailing for Abraham – no more tests, just a life of quiet confidence in a faithful God.

How can we acquire a faith like that, a trust in God that puts an end to the constant crises that God allows to see what we will do? Yes, we will have trouble in this world but… how do we handle trouble? Faith in God’s promises.

‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:3‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

When we can keep sailing, no matter how hard the wind blows, God will say of us, as He said of Abraham, “Now I know that you fear God…”

To be continued…

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 6

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this growing friendship between God and Abraham, two new developments occur. God visits Abraham in person to announce the soon arrival of the promised son and… God begins to teach Abraham a new part of this friendship – partnership.

‭Genesis‬ ‭18:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. [2] He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground….
[3] “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. [4] Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. [5] And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.” “All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”…
[8] When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees. [9] “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. [10] Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent….
[14] Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

So important was this announcement that it required a personal visit from God Himself to convince this old, childless couple that it would really happen! Jesus, in His preincarnate state, disguised as a man, came to them with a message, “Your son… next year…!”

“What!” said Sarah, eavesdropping on the conversation, “you must be joking!” laughing in disbelief – hence Isaac’s name, laughter, but it happened just as they were told.

And… this intimate friendship took another step forward, initiated by God Himself. Abraham’s friendship with God was elevated to the level of a prophet. To Abimelech, the Philistine king, God revealed Abraham’s status in a crisis.

‭Genesis‬ ‭20:7‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

God has a special intimacy with His prophets…

‭Amos‬ ‭3:7‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] “Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.”

So, God takes Abraham aside to reveal His plan of judgment on the five wicked cities of the plain.

‭Genesis‬ ‭18:17‭-‬21‬ ‭NLT‬
[17] “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. [18] “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. [19] I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” [20] So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. [21] I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
[23] Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? [24] Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? [25] Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Why would God tell Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Surely it was because Lot lived in Sodom. This news would alert Abraham to Lot’s predicament. Lot would perish with the rest of the city if God did not intervene for him. So, Ahraham boldly bargains with God, based on his experience of God’s righteousness. How could God wipe out wicked and righteous indiscriminately? He’s bigger than that!

God knew what was on Abraham’s mind. Although there were not even ten righteous people in Sodom to save the city, He gave instructions to rescue Lot and his family from death. In the end, only three people survived the disaster, Lot and his two daughters. His wife also perished through her unbelief.

Every step forward along this journey with God tolok Abraham nearer to the place of unshakeable trust in the unseen God. Slowly, experience shaped his knowledge of God’s ways. Slowly, conviction grew that God was reliable, dependable, and trustworthy, no matter what He revealed and what He required.

To be continued…

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 5

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And so, God moves on with His preparation of the man who would become the father of His chosen nation. Undaunted by Abraham’s failure, He begins the next phase of Abraham’s growth in faith and obedience. With the memory of the years of pain his unbelief had brought into his family, Abraham listens carefully to every detail of God’s instructions, determined, this time, to stick to the plan.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:1‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. [2] I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” [3] At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, [4] “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! [5] What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. [6] I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! [7] “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. [8] And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

“El Shaddai” is an unusual name for God. He uses this title to cement His promises and the covenant He cut with Abraham years before. We must remember that the sequence of chapters in the Bible disguises the interval of years between God’s revelations to Abraham. Many years had passed in which Abraham had opportunity to live out the life God had revealed to him.

Oh yes! El Shaddai! The two letters of el, of course in ancient Hebrew, an ox head and a shepherd’s staff, convey the idea of the mighty one who has authority. “Shaddai” ‭is made up of two pictures, two teeth and
the curtains in the tent that hang down from a rod to form the door of the tent. What did Abraham see in his mind’s eye?

Two things that dangle. What came to mind from that mental picture? The two teats of the goat’s udder. What did the goat’s udder do? It provided nourishment for its offspring! So, what did El Shaddai mean to Abraham? “I am the powerful one who has authority and I will nourish (take care of and provide for) you.” What a revelation and what a promise!

Two requirements… serve me faithfully and live a blameless life! How did Abraham interpret those instructions? God would flesh out His teachings centuries later to Ahraham’s descendants at Mount Sinai. For now, it was enough that he stick with God and not get involved with the wicked, idolatrous Canaanites. God’s moral requirements were already written on his conscience, as with all people.

The ratification of God’s covenant was to be a physical sign, written in the bodies of every male descendant of Abraham, circumcision.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:9‭-‬13‬ ‭NLT‬
[9]”Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. [10] This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. [11] You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. [13] All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.”

Despite Abraham’s attempt to rationalise the promise of a son through Sarah by offering Ismael instead, God was adamant. No, not Ishmael by Hagar. Sarah’s age and barren state was no obstacle to Him. Abraham had to ramp up his faith to believe in the birth of a baby through two barren old people!

‭Romans‬ ‭4:17‭-‬19‬ ‭NLT‬
[17] That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. [18] Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” [19] And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”

Fortunately, God’s perspective is different from ours. We would have censured Abraham for doubting God’s promise, but not God. He saw the end and considered Abraham’s faith acceptable and secure.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:20‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬
[20]”Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”

And so, Abraham takes, another leap of faith by circumcising every last male in his household.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:26‭-‬27‬ ‭NLT‬
[26]”Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, [27] along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.”

No one escaped the knife that day!

To be continued….

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 4

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This budding “Father of Faith” inevitably took a serious nosedive into unbelief, the consequences of which continue to this day. Helping God is no solution to an impossible situation! Helping God to do His own work is sure to delay His programme. Abraham’s decision to listen to his wife instead of to God brought conflict and years of pain into his family.

‭Genesis‬ ‭16:1‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. [2] So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. [3] So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) [4] So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.

This foolish decision brought a third party into the marriage and divided loyalties into Abraham’s heart, not to speak of a nation that became unendingly hostile to Abraham’s promised descendants.

‭Genesis‬ ‭16:12‬ ‭NLT‬
[12] “This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

However, God is still gracious. Driven from her home by a disgruntled wife, He saved Hagar and her unborn son from certain death in a hostile wilderness. In top of that, He promised Hagar that her son would also father a nation.

‭Genesis‬ ‭16:5‭-‬10‬ ‭NLT‬
[5] Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!” [6] Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. [7] The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. [8] The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. [9] The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” [10] Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

Hagar returned to a tense situation not of her making. After the birth of Isaac, the situation became worse when Ismael began to persecute his little half-brother until the situation came to a head.

‭Genesis‬ ‭21:8‭-‬21‬ ‭NLT‬
[8] “
When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. [9] But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac. [10] So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!” [11] This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. [12] But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. [13] But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.” [14] So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba. [15] When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. [16] Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears. [17] But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. [18] Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.” [19] Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink. [20] And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, [21] and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.”

Although Abraham’s lapse of faith brought years of conflict and discontent into his household, God’s plan was still on track. Perhaps there were lessons to learn that could only be learned through failure and its consequences. So… God’s interventions slowly move His purposes forward to position Abraham for the next phase.

To be continued….