September 21 Morning Verse of the Day

      11       And the angel of Yahweh said to her further, 
     “Behold, you are with child, 
     And you will bear a son; 
     And you shall call his name Ishmael, 
     Because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 
           12       “And he will be a wild donkey of a man, 
     His hand will be against everyone, 
     And everyone’s hand will be against him; 
     And he will dwell bin the face of all his brothers.” 

Legacy Standard Bible (Ge 16:11–12). (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.

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16:11–12. Then the Angel of Yahweh said to her:

‘Behold, you are with child,
And you will give birth to a son.
And you will call his name Ishmael,
Because Yahweh has heard of your affliction.
And he will be a wild ass of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone’s hand against him.
And he will live in defiance of all his brothers.’

The Angel tells Hagar to name the child ‘Ishmael’, which literally means in Hebrew, ‘God hears.’ An explanation for the name immediately follows in the text: it is to commemorate the fact that ‘Yahweh has heard of your affliction’, and he has acted on it. The word for ‘affliction’ is the same one used in verses 6 and 9 regarding Sarai’s treatment of Hagar.
Ishmael will be a ‘wild ass’ of a man. That term can also denote a ‘wild colt’.89 Either way, it is figurative for Ishmael (and his descendants) being wild and free (cf. Job 39:5–6). The prophecy also indicates that there will be great animosity between Ishmael and everyone else, in particular, his brothers. Translations render the final line in various ways, such as he will live ‘to the east’ of his brothers, or ‘in front of’ them. Such translations ignore the context of hostility. The phrase can have a hostile sense itself, such as in Nahum 2:1 (2:2 in Hebrew).

Currid, J. D. (n.d.). A Study Commentary on Genesis: Genesis 1:1–25:18 (Vol. 1, pp. 306–307). Evangelical Press.

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11. The name Ishmael signifies, God will hear. Psm. 10:17–31:22.
12. The Hebrew reads, “a wild-ass man.” Unrenewed nature is always thus. Job 11:12. See this promise concerning Ishmael fulfilled. Gen. 25:18. The wild Arabs, which are descendants of Ishmael, preserve the same character to this day.

Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Genesis–Numbers (Vol. 1, pp. 65–66). Logos Bible Software.

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16:11 The name Ishmael uses the divine name El and means “God hears.”
16:12 This is something of a mixed blessing as is Isaac’s to Esau (27:39, 40). Wild man suggests that Ishmael and his descendants would be unsettled, ever on the move. His hand … against suggests that his descendants would often be at war. Still this people would endure. They would dwell in the presence of all his brethren. This has indeed been the case, for Ishmael’s descendants are the Arab peoples who populate most of the Middle East today. Very few of the peoples of the OT world have survived to our own day. For example, all ten nations of 15:19–21 have ceased to exist. But two peoples survive: Israel, the Jewish people, descended from Isaac; and the Arabs, descended from Ishmael (17:19–22).

Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 33). T. Nelson Publishers.

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16:11 call his name Ishmael. With her son’s name meaning “God hears,” Hagar the servant could not ever forget how God had heard her cry of affliction.
16:12 a wild donkey of a man. The untameable desert onager (wild donkey) best described the fiercely aggressive and independent nature Ishmael would exhibit, along with his Arabic descendants.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 16:11–12). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

MARCH 18 | Meeting Your Needs

SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 16
KEY VERSES: Psalm 130:3–4

       If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
       O Lord, who could stand?
       But there is forgiveness with You,
       That You may be feared.

Abram and Sarai thought they were doing a good thing. After all, God promised them a son to be the heir of the promise and God’s special covenant. He didn’t specify exactly how this birth would come about, they must have reasoned.
Maybe Sarai was impatient. Maybe she struggled with waiting for such a long time. She could have simply felt inadequate for the task. So she proposed to Abram that he try to have a child with her maidservant Hagar, and he readily agreed.
What was the result? Hagar bore a son named Ishmael, who grew up to be a rival of Abram’s covenant family through Isaac. There has been no end of trouble and fighting through the outworking of their sin in not trusting the Lord to fulfill His promise in His timing. God did bless them fully, but they always had the heartache and reminder of their attempt to go around God’s ways.
Have you ever tried to meet your needs outside God’s legitimate plan? You probably know the pain of that mistake, and you quickly learned why it is so important to trust the Lord fully. What is more important now is that you grasp His forgiveness through Christ. There is no such thing as a misstep so big you can never go back.
Don’t waste time living in guilt. Let God’s forgiveness free you to enjoy His good for you today.

Lord, I don’t want to waste time living in guilt. Forgive me so I can be free to enjoy the good things You have planned for me today.

Stanley, C. F. (2002). Seeking His face (p. 81). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Devotional for March 12, 2025 | Wednesday: Circumcision and Faith

Joshua 5:1-12 This week’s lessons teach the importance of Israel’s consecration before they began their conquest of the Promised Land.

Theme

Circumcision and Faith

Now it’s worth thinking about these two acts of consecration. Circumcision was the sacrament that had been given to Abraham so many years before. It was the mark of being a member of the covenant people, and it was accompanied by the promises of God. In this particular covenant, it was a case of God establishing the terms by which He would be the God of the Jews and the Jews would be His people.

Later on there were covenants that, in technical language, are called bilateral. That’s to say there are agreements to be carried out on both sides. But the covenant made to Abraham was not bilateral; it was unilateral, which meant that God established it and Abraham had nothing to do with it. God said, “I’m going to be your God and I’m going to be the God of your descendants after you, and because I’m your God and the God of your descendants, you’re going to do certain things.” In response, Abraham believed God and obeyed, because that’s the only thing you can do when God establishes a covenant like that. God said, “As a sign of that covenant, you’re going to circumcise all of the males in your family, and this is going to be a mark upon you and your descendants forever.”

In Abraham’s faith and obedience, he was receiving and acting upon the promises of God. You may recall that in this particular case it also involved the change in Abraham’s name. He had been called Abram before this, which meant “exalted father.” Yet he had no children. It must have been a great source of embarrassment to him to have to explain again and again when people asked, “How many children do you have?” that he actually didn’t have any.  Of course, eventually he went on to become a father when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.  But that did not happen until he was 86 years old.

God said in the context of the establishing of the covenant and the covenant sign, “You are to change your name from Abram to Abraham,” which is a form of intensifying it. It’s like saying instead of your name being “exalted father,” it’s going to be “father of a vast, vast multitude.” And Abraham did it. He did it because he believed God’s covenant promises, even though by this time he was 99 years old and still had one son.

Abraham would’ve gotten his great group of people together there at the oasis at Hebron. He would’ve announced the change of his name, and I suppose some of the servants, when they heard he was going to do that, would’ve laughed about it. When they first heard it, they might have said, “No wonder. A name like ‘exalted father’ brought all that ridicule all those years. Wonder what he’s going to change it to. Maybe he’s going to change it to ‘father of one.’” But instead of that, Abraham changed it to mean “father of a vast, vast multitude,” and it indicated his faith in God, his faith in God to keep His promises as the God of the covenant.

You see, when we come to God in faith, that’s what we’re believing. We’re believing that the God who had revealed Himself in history and, in our case, primarily in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a covenant-keeping God. Just as Abraham changed his name in his response to that covenant, indicating his obedience to what God said to do and indicating his faith in what God was going to do, so in a sense we also change our names. That is, we take the name of God upon us. We become Christians.

Study Questions

1. What is the difference between a bilateral and a unilateral covenant?
2. What did each of Abraham’s two names mean?  What seemed strange about God’s command to Abram to change his name?  What did this change signify?

Application

Reflection: How did your life change when you became a Christian?

Key Point: You see, when we come to God in faith, that’s what we’re believing. We’re believing that the God who had revealed Himself in history and, in our case, primarily in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a covenant-keeping God.

For Further Study: Download for free and listen to Donald Barnhouse’s message, “Obedience from the Heart.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)

https://www.thinkandactbiblically.org/wednesday-circumcision-and-faith/

FEBRUARY 10 | ON HIS FACE LISTENING

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.

—Genesis 17:3

Think about the reality of Abraham’s experience. Abraham was consciously aware of God, His presence and His revelation. He was aware that the living God had stepped over the threshold into personal encounter with a man who found the desire within himself to know God, to believe God and to live for God.

See the effect of this encounter on Abraham. He was prepared to pay any price for the privilege of knowing God. For certain he recognized the lofty, holy character of the Creator and Revealer God.

The Scriptures declare, “Abram fell on his face” as the Lord talked with him (Genesis 17:3). Abraham was reverent and submissive. Probably there is no better picture anywhere in the Bible of the right place for mankind and the right place for God. God was on His throne speaking, and Abraham was on his face listening!

Where God and man are in relationship, this must be the ideal. God must be the communicator, and man must be in the listening, obeying attitude. If men and women are not willing to assume this listening attitude, there will be no meeting with God in living, personal experience. MMG020-021

Oh, Lord, give me an attitude like Abraham’s, that I might have a living, personal experience of You. Amen.

Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Moody Publishers.

FEBRUARY 9 | AN EMPTY, HUNGRY HEART

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

—Genesis 12:7

I happen to believe that Abraham’s encounters with the living God nearly 4,000 years ago leave modern men and women without excuse.

Abraham stands for every believer. His eager and willing faith becomes every Christian’s condemnation. On the other hand, his fellowship with God becomes every believer’s encouragement.

If there is a desire in your heart for more of God’s blessing in your life, turn your attention to the details of Abraham’s encounters with God. You will find yourself back at the center, at the beating heart of living religion….

Remember, too, that at that point in history, almost 2,000 years before the coming of Jesus Christ into our world, Abraham had no Bible and no hymnal. He had no church and no godly religious traditions for guidance. He could not turn to a minister or an evangelist for spiritual help.

Abraham had only his own empty, hungry heart. That and the manifestation of the God who reveals Himself to men and women who desire to find Him and know Him! MMG019-020

Like Abraham, Lord, I come to You today with an empty, hungry heart, ready to listen for Your voice. Amen.

Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Moody Publishers.

February 5th | Are you ready to be offered?

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. Phil. 2:17.

Are you willing to be offered for the work of the faithful—to pour out your life blood as a libation on the sacrifice of the faith of others? Or do you say—‘I am not going to be offered up just yet, I do not want God to choose my work. I want to choose the scenery of my own sacrifice; I want to have the right kind of people watching me and saying, “Well done.” ’
It is one thing to go on the lonely way with dignified heroism, but quite another thing if the line mapped out for you by God means being a door-mat under other people’s feet. Suppose God wants to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased”—are you ready to be offered up like that? Are you ready to be not so much as a drop in a bucket—to be so hopelessly insignificant that you are never thought of again in connection with the life you served? Are you willing to spend and be spent; not seeking to be ministered unto, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work and remain saints because it is beneath their dignity.

Chambers, O. (1986). My utmost for his highest: Selections for the year. Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering.

JANUARY 20.—MORNING. [Or February 8.] “Follow thou Me.”

GENESIS 24:50–67

LABAN, having heard Eliezer’s story and seen the jewels, which were no doubt great arguments with his mercenary mind, consented that Rebekah should go with him to Isaac.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken. (It is always right for young people to seek the consent of parents and natural guardians in such an important business.)
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. (He was too devout a man to fail to adore ingratitude; too many, however, only pray in need, but forget to worship in thanksgiving.)
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. (He was a wise steward, and knew what arguments weighed most with Laban.)
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. (God’s servants should imitate this steward, and never be loiterers.)
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. (We ought not easily to be delayed from duty. To loiter is to disobey. When God speeds us we should speed indeed.)
57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. (How happy would ministers be if all young people could be as readily led to the great Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. He accepts the willing mind. He asks for the heart. Alas, how many deny their consent to his loving claims.)
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. (The blessing of parents is a precious dowry.)
61 ¶ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; (This good man, in his choice of a suitable place and time for one of the most heavenly of occupations, is an example to us all. If we meditated more we should be far more gracious than we are;) and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. (Happy is that servant of God who dare tell his Master in heaven all that he has done. What a sad account would some have to render; for, “who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”)
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

  In all my Lord’s appointed ways,
     My journey I’ll pursue;
  “Hinder me not,” ye much-loved saints,
     For I must go with you.

  Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
     I’ll follow where he goes;
  “Hinder me not,” shall be my cry,
     Though earth and hell oppose.


  My spirit looks to God alone;
  My rock and refuge is his throne;
  In all my fears, in all my straits,
  My soul on his salvation waits.

  Trust him, ye saints, in all your ways,
  Pour out your hearts before his face;
  When helpers fail, and foes invade,
  God is our all-sufficient aid.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 39). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 17.—MORNING. [Or February 2.] “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

GENESIS 22:1–19

AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (This was at once the patriarch’s crowning trial and grandest victory, and it came after he had obtained the choicest blessing of his life. Great privileges involve great trial.)
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 ¶ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (His obedience was speedy, unhesitating, and complete. Think of that early hour, and the task of cleaving the wood for such a sacrifice. Could we thus obey the Lord?)
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Those days of deliberation must have severely tried him. We can do in a hurry what we should shrink from if we weighed it calmly.)
5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. (Perhaps he feared lest the servants should interpose to prevent his obedient act.)
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
A touching question, but Abraham would not allow his feelings to master his faith.
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: (These were grandly prophetic words, and have been divinely fulfilled;) so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh (or the Lord will provide); as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 ¶ And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Thus was the covenant renewed in full, in connection with this great intended act of sacrifice: it is sweet to see the covenant of grace confirmed in the actual offering up of Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father. O for grace to be in covenant with God in Christ Jesus.)
19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

  My God and Father! while I stray
  Far from my home, in life’s rough way,
  Oh! teach me from my heart to say,
     “Thy will be done!” “Thy will be done!”

  If thou shouldst call me to resign
  What most I prize—it ne’er was mine;
  I only yield thee what was thine:
     “Thy will be done!”

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 33). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 16.—MORNING. [Or January 31.] “Thy testimonies are very sure.”

GENESIS 21:1–21

AND the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. (The Lord’s promises are always fulfilled to the hour.)
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. (Or laughter, for both parents had laughed for joy. The best laughing in all the world is that which arises from fulfilled promises; then is our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.)
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him. (Abraham’s laughter was no worldly merriment, but a joy which led him to be obedient to the Lord’s will. This is solid pleasure.)
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 ¶ And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
When the promise is realised by any of us, others ought to share our joy. Let us tell the saints what the Lord has done for us, that they may rejoice also.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 ¶ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. (Children are too apt to do this; but how wrong it is for the elder to tease and grieve the younger. God notices it and is displeased.)
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 ¶ And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
It was hard for Ishmael to be sent from home, but God ordered it for the best, even for him.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. (Had she forgotten the Lord who appeared to her before? So it seems. Our forgetfulness of former mercy is the root of present despair.)
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
God takes pity on boys and girls, and hears their little prayers as well as those of their fathers and mothers. Dear children, do you pray?
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. (Thus God who ordered Hagar and her son to be sent away, took good care of them in the desert: he will therefore watch over us if we commit ourselves to his care.)

  Our Lord is rich and merciful,
     Our God is very kind;
  O come to him, come now to him,
     With a believing mind.

  The Lord is great and full of might,
     Our God is ever nigh:
  O trust in him, trust now in him,
     And have security.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 31). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 16 | Genesis 17; Matthew 16; Nehemiah 6; Acts 16

WE ARE NOT TO THINK that God disclosed himself to Abram every day: the decisive moments take place over considerable time. Putting the chronological hints together, Genesis 12 occurs when Abram is seventy-five; Genesis 15 is undated, but occurs during the following decade. Now he is ninety-nine, and Ishmael is already thirteen (Gen. 17:1, 25). God’s opening words on this occasion must have been a great comfort, pulling together as they do some of the themes already introduced: “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers” (17:1–2).
In the following verses, there is initial emphasis on the covenant, on the promise of the land, and on the fact that Abram will be “the father of many nations” (17:4–5). The latter takes pride of place, but there are three new elements that carry the history of redemption forward.
First, both Abram and Sarai are given new names. If Abram means “exalted father,” Abraham means “father of many,” i.e., “the father of many nations,” which implicitly announces that however important his role as head of the fledgling Hebrew nation, Abraham will be greater still in his foundational role as the one through whom all the peoples on the earth will be blessed (12:3). Sarah “will be the mother of nations” (17:16).
Second, God introduces circumcision as the initiatory sign of the covenant. Circumcision was practiced by several ancient Near Eastern peoples. Here, however, it has a distinctive role: a rite that is not unknown in Abraham’s world is picked up by God and assigned distinctive significance in the history of the covenant God enters into with his people. Abraham loses no time in complying (17:23–27). This is a social “boundary marker” which across the course of history increasingly marks the Hebrews out as different; but it is more than that. It is so definitively established as the unique sign of the everlasting covenant that failure to comply means one is cut off from the people of God (17:13–14). Even before there is a great quantity of stipulation in the covenant, its framework, its boundary, and its symbolism are being established.
Third, Abraham’s understandable but unhappy skepticism that he will bring forth a son of Sarah at this late stage in their marriage leads him to propose Ishmael as the one through whom God will fulfill his promises (17:17–18). But God will have none of it. Ishmael will sire great numbers, but the covenant line goes through Isaac (17:19–21). The history of the covenant people is thus decisively shaped by God’s sovereign choice.

Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 42). Crossway Books.

IT IS COMMON FOR GREAT ENTERPRISES OF FAITH to be surrounded by extremely difficult relationships.
William Carey, the father of modern Protestant missions, may be a hero to us, but in his own day he was viewed as eccentric and had more than his share of personal and familial sorrow. The great magisterial reformers did not battle for mere ideas; they were enmeshed in a great controversy that included not only “enemies” but countless people who were “friends” in some arenas and foes in others. In any great controversy there is bound to be a spectrum of viewpoints and a considerable diversity of degrees of integrity. One cannot read a detailed and candid biography of any Christian leader without observing the kinds and frequency of the difficult, painful, and sometimes deceptive debates in which they were called to participate. Consider, for example, Arnold Dallimore’s George Whitefield or Iain Murray’s D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I cannot think of an exception.
Where sufficient information is provided, the same thing must be said regarding leaders of the faith whose cameos appear in Scripture. Despite the long list of physical sufferings inflicted on him by unbelievers and by his calling as a church-planting apostle (2 Cor. 11), doubtless Paul’s most anguished moments come to him from closer to home—from Christians behaving in sub-Christian ways, from false brothers and false apostles undermining his work with innuendo and half-truths.
These are the kinds of things Nehemiah now faces (Neh. 6). Failing to succeed by ridicule, threat, and direct opposition, Sanballat, Tobiah, and their colleagues embark on subterfuge and personal pressure. In this chapter there are lies, false prophets, and accusations of rebellion. Indeed, even some of the Jews, Nehemiah’s own people, owe allegiance through political and marriage alliances to Tobiah, and use their compromised positions to try to influence the governor away from a policy that is good for the Jews and honoring to God. In all these machinations, Nehemiah steers a straight course, asks God for help, and shows himself to be a discerning and far-seeing leader.
Similar problems assail genuine Christian leaders today, and similar quiet resolve and fearless discernment are required to meet them. This is certainly true in pastoral ministry. The most difficult challenges will erupt not from direct opposition or from problems with a building or the like, but from deceivers, liars, those committed to some other agenda but whose smooth talk is so superficially “spiritual” that many are deceived. Expect such difficulties; they will surely come. It is the price of godly leadership in a fallen world.

Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 2, p. 42). Crossway Books.

JANUARY 14.—MORNING. [Or January 27.] “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

GENESIS 18:1–15

AND the LORD appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3, 4, 5 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Abraham here became an example of hospitality, and thereby entertained angels unawares. He ran to meet the strangers, he saluted them respectfully, welcomed them heartily, and even made a favour to himself of their resting near his tent. Ungenerous spirits who never entertain either God’s servants or the poor, miss many a blessing. May we never be a churlish household.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. (The noble old man waited with pleasure upon the strangers. He spoke of a morsel of bread, but he made a feast. He was all kindness, goodness, and humbleness of mind: at once a true nobleman and a believer in God. Such are the fruits of elevated piety. Would to God we saw them in all professors.)
9 ¶ And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
Where she should be. She was a worthy wife of her worthy husband, and therefore cheerfully aided him in providing for the guests. She was at that moment busy with household duties. We are in the way of blessing when we are in the way of duty. Abraham must have wondered how the chief one of the three strangers knew the name of his wife.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (Here was unbelief, which can express itself as much in a laugh as in a cry.)
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son (What an encouraging question is that. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Our family troubles, cares, and needs are not beyond the power and wisdom of our heavenly Father. Let us not despair, but in faith cast our burden upon him.)
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
He who discerns all hearts could not be deceived. See how honest Holy Scripture is, for it records the faults even of the best of the saints; and yet how tender is the Spirit of God, for in the New Testament Sarah’s fault is not mentioned, for it had been forgiven and blotted out, but the fact that she called her husband “lord” is recorded to her honour. We serve a gracious God who, when our hearts are right, commends our good fruit, and leaves the untimely figs to drop out of notice. Let us be careful not to mar the joy of his promises and his grace by any unseemly expressions or actions. It would be a sad remembrance for us amid the recollections of divine love, to have to confess that we laughed at the promise.

  The thing surpasses all my thought;
     But faithful is my Lord;
  Through unbelief I stagger not,
     For God hath spoke the word.

  Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees,
     And looks to that alone;
  Laughs at impossibilities,
     And cries, “It shall be done!”

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 27). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 14 | Genesis 15; Matthew 14; Nehemiah 4; Acts 14

GOD’S TIME SCALE is so different from ours. Abram wants a son, and feels his time is running out; God envisages a race with countless millions of descendants. Abram feels his life is approaching its termination with nothing very much settled as to God’s purpose in calling him out of Ur of the Chaldeans; God sees the entire course of redemptive history.
What God does in Genesis 15 is promise Abraham that his offspring will constitute a vast number. At one level, God’s promise is enough: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Abram’s faith is simple and profound: he believed God’s promises, taking God at his word. And that faith, in God’s eyes, was credited as righteousness. This does not mean that Abram earned brownie points for deploying such a righteous faith. Rather, the idea is that what God demands of his image-bearers, what he has always demanded, is righteousness—but in this sinful race what he accepts, crediting it as righteousness, is faith, faith that acknowledges our dependence upon God and takes God at his word. This faith of Abram is what makes him the “father” of those who believe (Rom. 4; Gal. 3).
Yet however genuine this faith, some of the details of God’s promise Abram has trouble imagining. God tells him of a time when his descendants will possess all the land around him, and Abram wavers and asks for a sign (Gen. 15:8). Graciously, God provides one: in a vision, Abram is enabled to see God entering into a covenant with him. Probably the pieces of the animals between which “a smoking firepot with a blazing torch” (Gen. 15:17) passes represent a way of saying, “May those who enter into this covenant similarly be torn apart if they break the terms of this covenant.” What is a visionary act of kindness to anchor Abram’s faith is also an instance of God’s long-range plans, his vast frame of reference: he is establishing his covenant with Abram and his offspring, a covenant relation into which Christians enter today (Gal. 3:6–9).
There is one more strand in this chapter that depicts God’s long-term view of things. One reason why Abram cannot begin to take over the Promised Land immediately is that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Gen. 15:16). God’s sovereign timing so matches his moral sensibilities that by the time the children of Abraham are ready to take over the Promised Land, the inhabitants of that land will have so sunk in degradation that judgment must be meted out. That time, God says, is coming, but in this chapter it has not yet arrived.

Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 40). Crossway Books.

THE DRAMA OF NEHEMIAH 4 ABOUNDS with lessons and illustrations of various truths. But we must not forget that what to us is a dramatic narrative was to those experiencing it days of brutally hard work, high tension, genuine fear, insecurity, rising faith, dirt and grime. Nevertheless, some lessons transcend the ages:
(1) Among the hardest things to endure is derisory contempt. That is what Nehemiah and the Jews faced from Sanballat, Tobiah, and the rest (4:1–3). The Judeo-Christian heritage of Western nations was until recent decades so strong that many Christians were shielded from such scorn. No more. We had better get used to what our brothers and sisters in Christ in other lands and centuries handle better than we.
(2) Although God sometimes works through spectacular and supernatural means, he commonly works through ordinary people who take responsibility for themselves and seek to act faithfully even in difficult circumstances. So the Jews “prayed to [their] God and posted a guard day and night” (4:9). They armed themselves and divided their number between fighters and builders, but were also exhorted to, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for … your homes” (4:14). Jews living near the enemy heard of the plots to demolish the building project and reported it to Nehemiah, who took appropriate action—but God gets the credit for frustrating the plot (4:15).
(3) Practical implications flow from this outlook. (a) It presupposes a God-centered outlook that avoids naturalism. If God is God, if he has graciously made himself known in the great moments of redemptive history and in visions and words faithfully transmitted by prophets he has raised up, why should we not also think of this God as operating in the so-called “natural” course of events? Otherwise we have retreated to some myopic vision in which God works only in the spectacular and the miraculous, but otherwise is absent or asleep or uncaring. The God described in the Bible is never so small or distant. (b) That is why God can be trusted. Nehemiah is not resorting to mere psychological puffery, nor to shameless religious rhetoric. His faith is properly grounded in the God who is always active and who is working out his redemptive-historical purposes in the ending of the exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem—just as today our faith is properly grounded in the God who is always active and who is working out his redemptive-historical purposes in the calling and transformation of the elect and the building and purifying of his church.

Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 2, p. 40). Crossway Books.

JANUARY 13.—MORNING. [Or January 25.] “Thou God seest me.”

GENESIS 16

NOW Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. (Sarai therefore proposed to Abram that Hagar should become his secondary wife. This was a very usual custom in those days, but it was not a commendable one, and it was an unbelieving act on Sarai’s part to propose it.
It is not always easy to patiently wait the Lord’s time. We are all too apt to run to expedients of our own; as if the Lord needed our help to fulfil his promises.)
2 And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. (Thus those we love best may be the means of leading us astray. The father of mankind sinned by hearkening to his wife, and now the father of the faithful follows his example.)
3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 ¶ And when Hagar saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (It was Sarai who proposed the arrangement, and now she upbraids her husband for it. It is of no use to lay the blame of our faults upon others, for if we step out of the straight path we shall be sure personally to smart for it.)
6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Thus Sarai was first unbelieving to God, next unkind to her husband, and then cruel to her servant; so one wrong step leads to others. Unbelief sins, and produces other sins. Even this holy woman was not without infirmity. “There is none good, save one, that is God.”
7 ¶ And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (She did not say where she was going, for she did not know. Let each of us ask himself. “Whither am I going?”)
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. (No one could use such language as this but the Angel of the Covenant. Here is a proof of the inspired declaration, “My delights were with the sons of men.”)
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (First, God sees us; and then, by his gracious visitations, he leads us to look after himself.)
14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahairoi; (The well of the living One, my Seer;) behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 ¶ And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. (But this was not, as he had hoped, the promised heir; on the contrary, he became the occasion of much trial to the family. When we call in legality to help grace, or sight to assist faith, we miss our object, and ensure for ourselves no little sorrow. The whole scene is a painful one, and should warn us that even in a gracious household sin may sow dissension, and cause heart-burnings and distress.)

  Quick as the apple of an eye,
     O God, my conscience make!
  Awake my soul, when sin is nigh,
     And keep it still awake.

  Oh may the least omission pain
     My well-instructed soul;
  And drive me to the blood again,
     Which makes the wounded whole!

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 25). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 12.—MORNING. [Or January 23.] “I am thy shield.”

GENESIS 15:1–18

AFTER these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (Let those fear who touch the Lord’s anointed, but as for those who trust in the living God they have no cause for alarm. Five kings or fifty kings may come against them, but while Jehovah defends them they are secure. Perhaps the Lord saw a rising fear in Abram’s mind, and therefore came to him with this word of comfort: God is not willing that his servants should be in bondage to fear.)
2, 3 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. (The strongest faith has its conflicts. Abram’s heart was set upon being the progenitor of the Messiah, and he believed in the promise of God that he should be so, but still it appeared impossible, for he had no son, nor did it appear likely that he would ever have one. It is wise always to spread our doubts before the Lord, for he can meet them for us.)
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Over the head of every difficulty and physical impossibility he believed in God; and therefore he stood accepted as righteous before the Lord.)
7, 8, 9, 10, 11 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. (The sacrifice ratifying the covenant is the most satisfying food for faith. Let us see Jesus confirming the promises and we are content. True, a few distracting questions like these ravenous birds will molest us, but by faith we chase them away. When the Lord covenanted with his servant over the bodies of the beasts slain in sacrifice, he gave him the strongest possible confirmation; and in the death of Jesus we have solid assurance that the promises shall all be fulfilled.)
12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13, 14, 15, 16 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their’s, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (This symbolised the history of the chosen seed: the furnace of affliction, with its darkening smoke is often theirs, but the lamp of God’s salvation is never removed from them.)
18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Thus was the fear of Abram cured by the covenant: let us ever resort to the same remedy.)

  ’Tis mine the covenant of grace,
     And every promise mine;
  All flowing from eternal love,
     And sealed by blood divine.

  On my unworthy, favour’d head,
     Its blessings all unite;
  Blessings more numerous than the stars,
     More lasting and more bright.

  That covenant the last accent claims
     Of this poor faltering tongue;
  And that shall the first notes employ
     Of my celestial song.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 23). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 11.—MORNING. [Or January 21.] “He teacheth my hands to war.”

GENESIS 14:1–3; 10–24

AND it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
10, 11, 12 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. (All is not gold that glitters. Lot had made a poor choice after all. Those believers who conform to the world must expect to suffer for it. For the sake of gain Lot went to Sodom, and now he loses all at a blow: if we are too careful to grow rich, the Lord can soon impoverish us.)
14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. (If our relatives desert us we must not desert them. Lot left Abram but Abram did not forget Lot.)
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
Thus whether in peace or war faith made Abram the victor; but, alas for poor Lot, his worldly conformity was not cured by his trouble, for he went back again to Sodom to reside in it. He was vexed by the sins of the city, but he loved the ease of its settled life.
¶ 17, 18 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (When we are weary with fighting the Lord’s battles, we may expect that Jesus will appear to our refreshment.)
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: (The Lord Jesus never meets his people without blessing them: his lips are like lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.)
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (To our great Melchizedek we cheerfully offer of our substance. Melchizedek was rightly a receiver of Abram’s temporals, since Abram had received of his spirituals.)
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. (He felt no interest in what was passing between Abram and Melchizedek, but broke in upon their holy intercourse with his secular business.)
22, 23, 24 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. (What the king of Sodom offered was Abram’s due by the laws of war, but he would not take it. Sometimes it is right to waive our rights. Abram felt that God could give him all he needed without his being beholden to the king of Sodom. Faith is royally independent of man. She will not give the world an opportunity to stop her glorying in the Lord. Jehovah All-sufficient is enough for us without our leaning upon an arm of flesh.)

     King of Salem, bless my soul!
     Make a wounded sinner whole!
     King of righteousness and peace,
     Let not thy sweet visits cease!

     Come, refresh this soul of mine
     With thy sacred bread and wine!
     All thy love to me unfold,
     Half of which can not be told.

     Hail, Melchizedek divine;
     Great High-Priest, thou shalt be mine;
     All my powers before thee fall;
     Take not tithe, but take them all.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 21). Baker Book House.

JANUARY 10.—MORNING. [Or January 19.] “Lie not one to another.”

GENESIS 12:10–20

AND there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
11, 12 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. (To say that she was his sister was part of the truth, but the intention was to deceive. Whether what we say be true or not, if our object be to mislead others, we are guilty of falsehood. Let us pray for grace to be strictly truthful.)
14 ¶ And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. (Yet surely these gifts must have given Abram but little pleasure; he must have felt mean in spirit and sick at heart.)
17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. (It must have been very humbling to the man of God to be rebuked by a heathen. It is sad indeed when the worldling shames the believer; yet it is too often the case.)
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
From this Scripture we learn that the best of men, though in the path of duty, will nevertheless have their trials. It is Abram, he is a pilgrim according to God’s command, and yet he is afflicted by the famine which falls upon the land in which he dwells. Trials find out the weak places in good men, and even the holy patriarch had some blemishes. He went into Egypt, into a land where he had no right to be: he was out of the path of duty, and therefore out of the place of safety. On the devil’s ground he was in slippery places, and found it hard to maintain his uprightness. He equivocated, in order to save himself and Sarai; he deceived Pharaoh by telling him only half the truth, and he exposed his wife to great peril: all this arose out of the unbelief which marred even the mighty faith of the father of the faithful. The best of men are but men at the best, and this record suffices to show us that even the chief of the patriarchs was a man of like passions with ourselves. Why can we not have Abram’s faith, since Abram had our infirmities? The same Spirit can work in us also a majestic faith, and lead us to triumph by its power.

GENESIS 13:1–4

AND Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. (He did not feel safe till he had returned to his separated condition. Association with the world is not good for the believer’s soul. The more he is a sojourner with his God, and a separatist from sinners, the better.)
2, 3, 4 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. (Doubtless he confessed his sinful weakness, and renewed the allegiance of his faith in God. If we have erred or backslidden, let us also return to our first love, to that Bethel where first we set up an altar unto the Lord.)

  Oh send thy Spirit down, to write
     Thy law upon my heart!
  Nor let my tongue indulge deceit,
     Nor act the liar’s part.

  Order my footsteps by thy word,
     And make my heart sincere;
  Let sin have no dominion, Lord,
     But keep my conscience clear.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 19). Baker Book House.

January 1 | The Pathway of Faith

Scripture Reading: Romans 4

Key Verse: Romans 4:18

Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

Hannah Whitall Smith once wrote, “Sight is not faith, and hearing is not faith, neither is feeling faith; but believing when we neither see, hear, nor feel is faith … Therefore, we must believe before we feel, and often against our feelings if we would honor God by our faith.”

As you read the account of Abram’s life, you realize he was a man of faith. God asked him to do something most of us would find very difficult, and that was to leave his family and friends and go to an unfamiliar land.

Yet God’s reassuring words lessened Abram’s fear: “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you” (Gen. 12:2–3 nasb).

Abram, or Abraham as he was later called by God, gave little thought to the fact that his name would be made great. The most important thing to him was the exercise of his faith through obedience.

Anytime God calls you to step out in faith, He will provide the reassurance you need to go forward by faith. Your only responsibility is to obey and follow Him. Abraham left everything simply because God said, “Go.”

Are you willing to obey Him even if it means letting go of something you care for dearly? Pray that your response to the Lord is always one of faith, love, and devotion.

Heavenly Father, help me to believe, even when I do not see. Help me to trust when I do not hear Your voice. Give me the reassurance to step out in faith, even if it means letting go of something I care for dearly.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (1999). On holy ground (p. 2). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

10 DECEMBER | Trusting God as Father and Savior

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Galatians 3:6

suggested further reading: Ephesians 1:11–23

It is helpful here to understand how Abraham believed in God. If Abraham had simply believed there was a God in heaven, that could not have justified him, for the pagans believed as much. If Abraham had simply believed that God was the judge of all the earth, that would not have sufficed, either. But God said to Abraham, “Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward,” and “I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” He also said all nations would be blessed in Abraham (Gen. 15:1; 17:7).

God spoke with Abraham, testifying that he counted him a member of his family and one of his own children. He also said that he would be Abraham’s God. When Abraham accepted this promise, he was justified. How is this? Well, when God presented Abraham with his bounty and grace, Abraham believed and accepted God’s word. In this his salvation was completely secure.

Now we have a much clearer idea of what it means to be justified by faith. It does not mean we possess a vague notion that God exists, but rather that we know him as our Father and our Savior, since he reveals himself thus in his Word. Through Jesus Christ, we are united and joined to God.

Although we are wretched creatures, full of wickedness, God will still accept us as his own and find us pleasing in his sight. This is only possible because our Lord Jesus Christ mediates between God and man. Having such a promise, we must entirely rest upon it and not doubt that God will be favorable to us to the end. When we call upon him, we may find all our refuge in him, leaving the world behind us and pressing on in the hope of eternal life.

for meditation: Saving faith is trust in Christ. It is falling helplessly into his arms and resting there, confident that he will take care of us. Though Christ had not yet appeared, Abraham had this same trust. He did not simply believe that God had promised something; he trusted in the promise. Do you trust Christ?¹

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¹  Calvin, J., & Beeke, J. R. (2008). 365 Days with Calvin (p. 363). Day One Publications; Reformation Heritage Books.

December 4 | The Greatest Goal

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13–22

Key Verses: Romans 4:20–21

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

When Abraham was about to die, his descendants did not number the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. However, that did not stop him from believing that God would do just as He had promised.

Abraham saw his reward from afar and didn’t waver, and ultimately his relationship with God was strengthened. The true gift for Abraham was that he was able to know God intimately. The promise of many descendants was an additional benefit of that relationship.

In your own life, God has given you promises that He is faithful to fulfill. Yet it is not just the promises that you pursue; it is the Promise Giver. In Colossians 4:12, we learn that Epaphras’s prayer was for believers to stand assured of God’s will.

It is God’s will that you know Him and help others receive Him. Even if you are only able to see His promises fulfilled from afar, you are still gaining the far greater gift of knowing God more. Jesus is the greatest goal of all your pursuits. Do not waver in your faith, but grow strong. Life with Christ is a blessing above and beyond all you could ask or imagine.

Lord, in trusting You to see beyond what I am able, I come to know You and rely on You more completely. I give You my future so You can shape my today.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2006). Pathways to his presence (p. 355). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Seeking Our True Home | Tabletalk

Seeking Our True Home

Christians are a pilgrim people, never fully at home in this world. As John Bunyan so ably illustrated in The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christians are those who have been brought out of the City of Destruction, but only through many trials and grace-born faith do we enter into the Celestial City of God. It should come as no surprise that during the time in which many Puritans were coming across the sea to settle the new world, The Pilgrim’s Progress was the second most read book in print—second only to the Bible. The pilgrim metaphor is one of the most pervasively used metaphors in the Bible. Ever since Adam was expelled from the garden of Eden, man has been a wanderer, seeking a lasting place of rest, worship, and peace. Adam never found that lasting city in this world, and neither did Enoch or Noah. This brings us to Abraham, the first person to whom God makes a promise of not only a people but also a place.

The language of Hebrews 11:13–16 suggests that the patriarchs, even though they had genuine faith in the promises of God, did not receive the things that God had promised them. They lived and died in a state of forward-looking expectation. Even more, we are told that the patriarchs in some sense both saw and greeted the promises from afar (v. 13). This language is intriguing, as it seems to nearly contradict the previous statement. If the patriarchs did not receive the promises, how did they “see” and “greet” them from afar? The answer is found in two ideas. First, through the word of promise that God gave to them, they were able to see with the eyes of faith what God was going to do for them in the future. Faith looks beyond the visible things of this life to the things that are yet to come in this life or in the life of heaven. Faith lays hold of unseen things. Second, in an even greater sense, the people of God also saw and greeted the fulfillment of the promises through foretastes God gave them.

The pilgrim metaphor is one of the most pervasively used metaphors in the Bible. Ever since Adam was expelled from the garden of Eden, man has been a wanderer, seeking a lasting place of rest, worship, and peace.

For example, God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Abraham would not live to see that promise completely fulfilled, but he would live to see the sweet day of Isaac’s birth when the reproach of his and Sarah’s barrenness was transformed into the joy of parenthood. God also promised Abraham a land inheritance that would belong to Abraham and his descendants. Abraham would step foot into that land, but he would always reside in it as a pilgrim, never truly owning and ruling it except for his place of burial. Last, God promised Abraham a descendant who would be a kingly blessing to the nations. This, of course, was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Yet even Abraham in his day was able to see something of the coming day of Christ and to rejoice in it by faith (John 8:56).

The patriarchs, like the people of God today, were “strangers and exiles on the earth,” and as such, they declared in their pilgrim story that they belonged to a better land that, though invisible, was no less real. Even while living in the land of promise, they were still “seeking a homeland” (Heb. 11:14). This is the heart and soul of what it means to be the people of God. While we live our lives in this world, no matter what we have or don’t have, no matter where we live or wish we lived, what defines us is not the things of this world but the fact that we belong to God and that the home He is preparing for us is far greater than anything we might find in this world. To say such things is not to disparage the things of this world, as many of those things are very good. Yet one of the goals of the book of Hebrews, both theologically and pastorally, is to help us distinguish that which is good from that which is better—in Christ.

The threat to the faith of Christians today is in many respects the same threat that might have overtaken the patriarchs—the threat of longing for the things of the world or the things of our past rather than pressing on to the better things of heaven. When we do this, we slouch back toward Egypt, Gomorrah, or sin-stained Eden. The Christian’s gaze should never be in the rearview mirror; rather, it should be straight ahead with our eyes fixed on Christ. Some of the older Puritans referred to this as living with a sense of godly farsightedness. May God grant us such spiritual lenses.

Another endearing and encouraging part of this section is found in God’s approbation of His people. What more heartening thing might God say of us than that He is not “ashamed” to be called our God? How often have we given God reasons to be ashamed of us? How many times have we acted as though we were ashamed of being identified with Him? How many times have the things of this world so eclipsed our love for Him that we wondered if He would ever love of us again? And yet He does love us—even in spite of our many shortcomings. Though the saints of Hebrews 11 were a people of faith, they were also a people of failures whose sins and shortcomings were often perplexing. The story of the patriarchs is not an unblemished one but one in which God’s faithfulness profoundly exceeds those of His people. Where would we be without His redeeming grace? Where will we be because of it? We shall rest in the everlasting city of His grace and peace.

As the wandering people of God, we are seeking not simply the city of God but the God of the city. He is the jewel of the city. He is its beauty and glory. He is what makes the eternal city so desirable. Thus, while we continue to seek that city above—our heavenly city—let us remember that God is not simply our destination but the One who journeys with us. The way may not always be easy, but it always takes us closer to home and closer to Him.

 
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on faith and was originally published on December 3, 2018. Previous Post. Next Post.

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