1 JUN 2024 · Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: Ishmael's Inheritance - Because Of Abraham God holds to the promise that He has made. As a sign of keeping this covenant, God had a new requirement for Abraham. He and every male of his household, born or bought, and every male in every generation to come, must be circumcised. This is the ritual removal of the foreskin. Those who were not circumcised would not be included in this covenant between God and Abraham's people. That's already a lot of change for one meeting, but God is not done yet. He truly surprises Abraham, telling him that Sarai's name must also be changed. She will now be known as Sarah, and she and Abraham would have a son after all. In reverence, or gratitude, or pure surprise, or perhaps all three, Abraham falls facedown and laughs. He's shocked at the mere suggestion of Sarah conceiving and bearing a child. Then Abraham has another thought: What about Ishmael?  God has already given a promise of blessing on Ishmael, spoken to his mother Hagar (Genesis 16:10–12). Here, though God will again promise to bless Ishmael abundantly, the covenant promises between God and Abraham will not pass through Ishmael. Instead, they will pass to Isaac, Abraham's yet-to-be conceived son with Sarah. That son will have been born by this time the following year. With that, God concludes His revelations and "leaves," at least symbolically giving Abraham an opportunity to make a decision.  Abraham's head must have been spinning, but he did not hesitate to begin to obey God. That very day, he went home and circumcised himself, Ishmael, and the hundreds of other males in his large company. Abraham's immediate obedience is further evidence that he was choosing to trust the Lord and to take Him at His word. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 17:20-27 KJV  [20] And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. [21] But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. [22] And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. [23] And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. [24] And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. [25] And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. [26] In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. [27] And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

2 MAY 2024 · Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: GOD’S COVENANT part 2 In the previous lesson we learned, as a sign of keeping this covenant, God had a new requirement for Abraham. He and every male of his household, born or bought, and every male in every generation to come, must be circumcised. This is the ritual removal of the foreskin.  Those who were not circumcised would not be included in this covenant between God and Abraham's people. That's already a lot of change for one meeting, but God is not done yet. He truly surprises Abraham, telling him that Sarai's name must also be changed. She will now be known as Sarah, and she and Abraham would have a son after all.  In reverence, or gratitude, or pure surprise, or perhaps all three, Abraham falls facedown and laughs. He's shocked at the mere suggestion of Sarah conceiving and bearing a child. Then Abraham has another thought: What about Ishmael? God has already given a promise of blessing on Ishmael, spoken to his mother Hagar (Genesis 16:10–12). Here, though God will again promise to bless Ishmael abundantly, the covenant promises between God and Abraham will not pass through Ishmael. Instead, they will pass to Isaac, Abraham's yet-to-be conceived son with Sarah.  That son will have been born by this time the following year. With that, God concludes His revelations and "leaves," at least symbolically giving Abraham an opportunity to make a decision. Abraham's head must have been spinning, but he did not hesitate to begin to obey God. That very day, he went home and circumcised himself, Ishmael, and the hundreds of other males in his large company. Abraham's immediate obedience is further evidence that he was choosing to trust the Lord and to take Him at His word. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 17:15-19 KJV  [15] And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. [16] And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. [17] Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? [18] And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! [19] And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

1 MAR 2024 · Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: GOD’S COVENANT part 1 Here was a man who was a father before he had any children. Abraham was Abraham, father of a multitude, by faith at that time. But four thousand years later, where you and I sit, we can say that God sure made this good.The name stuck, if you please, and he is still Abraham, the father of a multitude.  One of the most influential names in human history is that of Abraham—a man whom Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim as a patriarch. However, to this point in the Bible, that name has not been used. This important historical figure is still carrying his original name of Abram. Here, at last, God will change Abram's name to Abraham, while establishing a symbol of their covenant: circumcision. Genesis 17 describes God's appearance to Abram, who is now 99 years old. Twenty-three years have passed since God first promised to make Abram a great nation and to give to him and to his descendants the land of Canaan. During that time, Abram and his large company have lived in different parts of the region.  He has grown quite wealthy, and God has appeared to him several more times to restate and expand on the initial covenant promises. Still, Abram has only one son. Ishmael, born to him by his wife's servant Hagar, is now 13. Abram and his wife Sarai, who has been barren for their entire marriage, seem to have resisted attempting to have children through other women before the events of Genesis chapter 16. At this point, they likely assumed that God's promises and blessing to Abram would pass through Ishmael. After all, at 99 and 89 respectively, they were well past the window for conceiving or bearing children. That's when God appears to Abram again. This meeting is different than those earlier encounters, however.  This time, in addition to the familiar and seemingly impossible promises, God also has requirements for Abram. God commands Abram to walk with Him and to be blameless. Abram would, indeed, be the father of nations. Kings would come from him. To confirm that fact, God changed Abram's name to Abraham. While Abram means "exalted father," the name Abraham sounds like the Hebrew phrase for "father of a multitude." The land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants forever. As a sign of keeping this covenant, God had a new requirement for Abraham. He and every male of his household, born or bought, and every male in every generation to come, must be circumcised. This is the ritual removal of the foreskin. Those who were not circumcised would not be included in this covenant between God and Abraham's people. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 17:6-14 KJV  [6] And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. [8] And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. [9] And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. [10] This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. [11] And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. [12] And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. [13] He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. [14] And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

1 JAN 2024 · GOD Gives Abraham A New Name A great many people feel that the seventeenth chapter is the most outstanding chapter of the Book of Genesis. Here God makes a covenant with Abram and confirms His promise to him about a son. He lets Abram know that Ishmael is not the one He promised to him. In one sense this chapter is the key to the Book of Genesis, and it may be a key to the entire Bible.  God’s covenant with Abram concerns two important items: a seed and a land. He reveals Himself to Abram by a new name—El Shaddai, the Almighty God—and He also gives Abram a new name. Up to this point his name was Abram; now it is changed to Abraham.  Abram means “high father,” and Abraham means “father of a multitude” That Ishmael was not the son God promised to Abraham is the thing this chapter makes very clear. Genesis 17 describes God's appearance to Abram, who is now 99 years old.  Twenty-three years have passed since God first promised to make Abram a great nation and to give to him and to his descendants the land of Canaan. During that time, Abram and his large company have lived in different parts of the region. He has grown quite wealthy, and God has appeared to him several more times to restate and expand on the initial covenant promises. Still, Abram has only one son. Ishmael, born to him by his wife's servant Hagar, is now 13. Abram and his wife Sarai, who has been barren for their entire marriage, seem to have resisted attempting to have children through other women before the events of Genesis chapter 16. At this point, they likely assumed that God's promises and blessing to Abram would pass through Ishmael. After all, at 99 and 89 respectively, they were well past the window for conceiving or bearing children. That's when God appears to Abram again. This meeting is different than those earlier encounters, however.  This time, in addition to the familiar and seemingly impossible promises, God also has requirements for Abram. God commands Abram to walk with Him and to be blameless.  Abram would, indeed, be the father of nations. Kings would come from him. To confirm that fact, God changed Abram's name to Abraham. While Abram means "exalted father," the name Abraham sounds like the Hebrew phrase for "father of a multitude." The land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants forever. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 17:1-5 KJV  [1] And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. [2] And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. [3] And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, [4] As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. [5] Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

1 NOV 2023 · Hagar Flees - The Plight Of Hagar part-2 The angel of the Lord, perhaps Yahweh Himself, finds Hagar resting at a spring along a road leading back to her homeland of Egypt. He gives to Hagar a command and a promise. First, the angel of the Lord tells Hagar to return and submit to Sarai.  Then He reveals that she will bare a son, Ishmael, and that his offspring will become so numerous as to be uncountable. However, he will be a "wild donkey" of a man and his life—and the lives of his descendants—will be marked by conflict with everyone.   In spite of this mixed news, Hagar is astonished and grateful that God has heard her. The name of her son, Ishmael, means "God hears."  She names the Lord who heard her cry and came to her the "God of seeing" and names the well Beer-lahai-roi, "well of the living One who sees." Hagar returns to Abram and Sarai, and Ishmael is born. While God has given a guarantee of blessing to Hagar and Ishamel, this boy is not the child of the promise. This was not how God planned to accomplish His will, and the son born from Abram's second wife is not the fulfillment of the Lord's vows to Abram. Another 13 years will pass before God will fully reveal His plan to Abram, giving he and Sarai their long-awaited son. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 16:11-16 KJV  [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? [14] Wherefore the well was called Beer–lahai–roi; 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. [16] And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

9 AUG 2022 · Our Scripture Of The Week Is: Psalm 25:4 KJVS  [4] Shew me thy ways, O Lord ; teach me thy paths. Life is a journey, not a single step. This is something David's words recognize with clarity. In this psalm he uses the word "way" four times and "path" twice. Wisely, David does not lean on his own wisdom for direction in life. Rather, he asks the Lord for guidance. His prayer honors the counsel given in Proverbs 3:5–6.  These verses state: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."  Making our own plans rather than seeking and following God's plans can lead to disaster. Proverbs 14:12 insists, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Similarly, the apostle James writes: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring…Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:13–15). Our topic today is: Hagar Flees - The Plight Of Hagar part-1 Hagar, elevated from slave to wife and now birth mother, begins to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt. Perhaps Hagar wondered what she and Abram need Sarai for. Perhaps she resented the idea that her child would belong to Sarai. In any case, the dynamic changes. Sarai's feelings about her plan change, as well. She makes it clear to Abram that she holds him responsible for this conflict!  And, she demands that he make clear that Sarai remains in authority over Hagar. Again, Abram agrees. With that approval, Sarai deals harshly with Hagar, so harshly that Hagar runs off into the wilderness alone, maybe fearful for her life. The text suggests Sarai was requesting Abram settle the question of whether Hagar was still bound under Sarai by a servant-master authority.  Sarai was the one who had given Hagar to be Abram's wife in hopes of getting a child for herself. Sarai did not, apparently, anticipate that Abram's new wife would come to look on her mistress with contempt. When Sarai came to Abram to hold him responsible for this imbalance in power, Abram gave Sarai exactly what she wanted.  He tells Sarai to do to Hagar as she pleases and makes it clear that the woman is still under Sarai's full authority. Abram might not have anticipated how harsh Sarai's response to Hagar would be.  Scripture doesn't specifically reveal all the emotions in play. Perhaps Abram was feeling guilty for agreeing to the plan in the first place.  Sarai certainly seems to be holding over his head that he "embraced" this woman, even though it was at her urging. In addition, Sarai was likely stung with grief and jealousy that another woman had so easily become the bearer of Abram's child, something she had always hoped to be. Even worse, this woman had become smug and contemptuous of her. Whatever the feelings, Sarai seems to have unleashed them on Hagar by dealing harshly with her. Hagar ran, possibly even fearing for her life. Now pregnant and alone, Hagar escapes into the wilderness, to a spring on the road to Shur. Hagar may have been heading back to her homeland of Egypt. The "angel of the Lord" found her by that spring along a road leading back to her homeland of Egypt.   This "angel of Yahweh" may have been a theophany: God taking on a human form on earth to accomplish a specific purpose. Alternatively, this might have been some other angel or angelic being. The context and phrasing of this chapter seem to suggest this was, in fact, the Lord Himself (Genesis 16:10, 13). God, however, will not allow Hagar and her child to be discarded so easily.  He immediately identifies that he knows her, addressing her as Hagar, the servant of Sarai. He asks where she has come from and where she is going, things he likely already knows, as well. Hagar answers honestly. She is fleeing from Sarai. The "angel of Yahweh," which seems to be the Lord Himself (Genesis 16:10, 13), will have some surprising instructions and prophecies for Hagar in the following verses. He gives to Hagar a command and a promise. First, the angel of the Lord tells Hagar to return to Sarai and to submit to her. In the following verses, he will give her a surprising glimpse into her unborn son's future. The nation who comes from this son—Ishmael—will be influential, but marked by perpetual conflict.  Abram and Sarai's attempt to hurry God's promises will have drastic consequences for human history. After telling Hagar to return and submit to Sarai, the angel of the Lord now makes a familiar promise to this slave girl. It's familiar because it's the same promise the Lord made to Abram himself multiple times over the last few chapters.  Specifically, that He—this angel of the Lord—will multiply Hagar's offspring so that they become uncountable. Of course, only the Lord Himself could likely make such a promise. This is a primary reason most scholars presume this "angel of Yahweh" to be a theophany, the Lord Himself in a physical form. All the same, this child is not the promised heir for Abram and he will not inherit the blessings which God has guaranteed for Abram's descendants. In the following verses, this promise is followed by a prophecy explaining that the future is not entirely good news for Hagar and her unborn son, Ishmael.

2 AUG 2022 · Hagar Flees - The Plight Of Hagar part-1 The moral implications that you and I read into this are not quite here in the historical record. Abram and Sarai were brought up in Ur of the Chaldees where this was a common practice, and the moral angle is not the thing that for them was so wrong. The terrible thing was that they just did not believe God. The wrong that they committed by Abram taking Sarai’s maid Hagar was a sin, and God treated it as such. But today we reverse the emphasis and say that taking a concubine is a sin, but we do not pay too much attention to the unbelief.  Yet the unbelief was the major sin here; that is, it was lots blacker than the other. With Abram in his mid-80s, Sarai has apparently become tired of waiting. In her eyes, it is time to go to plan B: giving her Egyptian servant girl Hagar to Abram, in order to finally obtain a child. Apparently, if a wife was unable to bear children, it was considered appropriate for her to give a servant to her husband, as another wife, with the understanding that any children born to that servant would rightfully become the child of the original wife. In a disappointing moment of faithlessness, Abram agrees, and Hagar quickly becomes pregnant.  Then the plan unravels. Hagar, elevated from slave to wife and now birth mother, begins to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt. Perhaps Hagar wondered what she and Abram need Sarai for. Perhaps she resented the idea that her child would belong to Sarai.  In any case, the dynamic changes.  Sarai's feelings about her plan change, as well. She makes it clear to Abram that she holds him responsible for this conflict! And, she demands that he make clear that Sarai remains in authority over Hagar. Again, Abram agrees. With that approval, Sarai deals harshly with Hagar, so harshly that Hagar runs off into the wilderness alone, maybe fearful for her life. God, however, will not allow Hagar and her child to be discarded so easily. The angel of the Lord, perhaps Yahweh Himself, finds Hagar resting at a spring along a road leading back to her homeland of Egypt. He gives to Hagar a command and a promise. First, the angel of the Lord tells Hagar to return and submit to Sarai.  Then He reveals that she will bare a son, Ishmael, and that his offspring will become so numerous as to be uncountable. However, he will be a "wild donkey" of a man and his life—and the lives of his descendants—will be marked by conflict with everyone.  In spite of this mixed news, Hagar is astonished and grateful that God has heard her. The name of her son, Ishmael, means "God hears."  She names the Lord who heard her cry and came to her the "God of seeing" and names the well Beer-lahai-roi, "well of the living One who sees." Hagar returns to Abram and Sarai, and Ishmael is born. While God has given a guarantee of blessing to Hagar and Ishamel, this boy is not the child of the promise. This was not how God planned to accomplish His will, and the son born from Abram's second wife is not the fulfillment of the Lord's vows to Abram. Another 13 years will pass before God will fully reveal His plan to Abram, giving he and Sarai their long-awaited son. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 16:6-10 KJV  [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. [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. [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.

26 JUL 2022 · Our Scripture Of The Week Is: Hebrews 11:1 KJVS  [1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This often-quoted verse gives a direct definition of faith, meant to be read in the context of the rest of this letter. At the end of chapter 10, the writer of Hebrews finished describing why the new covenant in Jesus Christ was superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1–18). This concluded with a reassuring reminder not to "shrink back," but to "have faith" (Hebrews 10:39).  The definition given here is meant to tie this command to the examples given later on. After this verse, the writer will explain how the actions of various biblical figures proved both the existence and validity of their faith. Those contexts—former evidence and future expectation—are essential when interpreting the meaning of these words. In the following verses, the writer of Hebrews will point out examples of believers who demonstrated real, saving faith in God. Each example of faith demonstrates trust, based on what that person knew and held as reassurance that God would act according to His promises. The "assurance" and "conviction" of faith is not blind belief, or gullibility, or wishful thinking.  Study of the various characters mentioned in this chapter shows that they all had good reasons to trust in God. Their "faith" was not naively accepting fairy tales; it was acting in full confidence that God would do as He had promised, based on those experiences. As the rest of this chapter demonstrates, that kind of faith—trust which produces obedience—results in God's blessings and approval.  Our perspective, looking back on their example, should inspire confidence that God will make good on His promises, even if our earthly lives don't last long enough to see them come to fruition. God "creates" out of things we cannot see—both in a literal, physical sense, as well as a spiritual sense. Just because we don't understand how God will act does not mean He cannot, or will not act. Our topic today is: Sarai’s Suggestion - Unbelief Actions Genesis 16 continues to follow the life of one of Israel's greatest patriarchs: Abram, who will soon be renamed Abraham. To this point, Abram and his wife Sarai are still childless, despite Abram being well over seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). In fact, at this point in the narrative, Abram is pushing ninety (Genesis 16:16)!  In the prior chapter, Abram has voiced his concerns to God about the situation, and God has responded with a dramatic demonstration of His intentions. For all these many years, Abram has resisted following the normal practices of his day. Abram and Sarai were wealthy. They had many servants. Abram could have taken many wives.  He chose, instead, to wait for God to fulfill the promise of children through his barren wife Sarai.  Until now. In the previous chapter, the Lord had directly promised Abram that his heir would be his own flesh and blood (Genesis 15:4). Abram would have a son, and not merely a servant, as his heir. That specific promise does not seem to have been given to Sarai, Abram's wife.  At the very least, she does not seem to trust God's work in the situation. It's also possible she doubted that Abram's heir was meant to be born through her. In any case, it had not happened yet, and the ticking of the clock must have sounded quite loud as Abram was now well into his 80s and she in her 70s. Sarai has an idea to help the plot along, however. With Abram in his mid-80s, Sarai has apparently become tired of waiting. In her eyes, it is time to go to plan B: giving her Egyptian servant girl Hagar to Abram, in order to finally obtain a child. Hagar was Sarai's servant, or "slave girl." Slavery in this era was vastly different from what modern people picture. A closer term for today's world might be an "indentured servant."  This was a one-sided arrangement, to be sure, but the relationship, as seen in the following verses, was not as simplistic as slave-to-master. It's possible that Sarai took possession of Hagar, an Egyptian, when Sarai had been taken by the Pharaoh for his wife (Genesis 12:10–20). Sarai proposes her alternative plan to provide Abram an heir in the following verse. Interestingly, Sarai holds the Lord responsible for her inability to bear children. In her mind, He is the one preventing this from happening. As a matter of fact, God may have been doing exactly that: executing His plan for their lives in His own timing. Sarai, though, didn't want to wait any longer to see what would happen. Her plan may well have been a normal custom in the culture of their day.  If a wife could not bear a child herself, she could assign the role to a servant who would become another wife to the husband. If the servant became pregnant, the child would still belong to the first wife, as the servant was her property. As repulsive as that may sound to our modern ears, it was the way of the time. And, the "slavery" of that era was very different from the brutality modern readers assume when they encounter that word. Still, this must not have been something Abram had ever chosen to do before. He had countless servants. He surely could have had any number of wives.  And yet, to this point, Abram had remained committed to seeing God's promise fulfilled through Sarai and no other woman. Now, however, he allows Sarai to convince him to try it. It will become clear that this is not the way God intends to build His covenant people. Apparently, if a wife was unable to bear children, it was considered appropriate for her to give a servant to her husband, as another wife, with the understanding that any children born to that servant would rightfully become the child of the original wife. Either way, this is a plan born out of desperation. The end results will be unfortunate, but not unexpected (Genesis 16:7–12). It has been a full decade since the initial promise, and Sarai is still barren. By Abram and Sarai's way of thinking, it is time for them to help God's plan along. They want for themselves what God wants for them; they just don't want to wait for Him to give it to them in the traditional way. So, they don't. In a disappointing moment of faithlessness, Abram agrees, Hagar became Abram's second wife and she quickly becomes pregnant with his son....

19 JUL 2022 · Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: Sarai’s Suggestion - Unbelief Actions After Abram rose to the heights in chapter 15, you would say that he certainly is treading on high places—but he is not perfect. In chapter 16 we see the lapse of this man’s faith relative to Sarai and Hagar, the Egyptian maid. We have here the unbelief of both Sarai and Abram, and the birth of Ishmael. This is certainly a letdown after the wonder of the previous chapter. Genesis 16 continues to follow the life of one of Israel's greatest patriarchs: Abram, who will soon be renamed Abraham. To this point, Abram and his wife Sarai are still childless, despite Abram being well over seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). In fact, at this point in the narrative, Abram is pushing ninety (Genesis 16:16)! In the prior chapter, Abram has voiced his concerns to God about the situation, and God has responded with a dramatic demonstration of His intentions. For all these many years, Abram has resisted following the normal practices of his day. Abram and Sarai were wealthy. They had many servants.  Abram could have taken many wives. He chose, instead, to wait for God to fulfill the promise of children through his barren wife Sarai. Until now. With Abram in his mid-80s, Sarai has apparently become tired of waiting. In her eyes, it is time to go to plan B: giving her Egyptian servant girl Hagar to Abram, in order to finally obtain a child. Apparently, if a wife was unable to bear children, it was considered appropriate for her to give a servant to her husband, as another wife, with the understanding that any children born to that servant would rightfully become the child of the original wife. In a disappointing moment of faithlessness, Abram agrees, and Hagar quickly becomes pregnant. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 16:1-5 KJV  [1] Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. [2] And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. [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 he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she 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.

12 JUL 2022 · Our Scripture Of The Week Is: 2 Peter 3:8 KJVS  [8] But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. In verse 5, Peter indicated that these false teachers deliberately omit the truth about God in order to make their false case that Christ will not return, that there will be no judgment day. Now Peter urges his readers—his dear friends—not to forget something essential about the nature of their God.  He is eternal. He is not limited as humans are by the perception of years passing.  More specifically, Peter references Psalm 90:4: "For a thousand years in [God's] sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night." If we took Peter's statement absolutely literally, as modern people, then in God's eyes it's been a mere two days since Jesus promised to return! That, of course, is not the way Peter intends his statement.  His point is that God is not bound by counting days from a human perspective. Time does not hold Him. He does not wait or rush in the same sense that mere humans do, locked as we are into minutes and hours and months. What seems like poor timing to us, as limited people, has a plan and purpose known only to God. As Peter will reveal in the following verses, God will keep all of His promises in His perfect time and motivated by His perfect love. Our topic today is: GOD’S Covenant With Abraham – Prepare A Sacrifice part-2 Discussion The Lord will soon complete a covenant ritual between Himself and Abram, a ritual that will specify, in part, the boundaries of future Israel to be occupied and possessed by Abram's descendants. First, however, God will reveal to Abram a prophecy about the difficult future his descendants will face before they occupy the Promised Land. Abram's offspring, God says, will be strangers, sojourners, serving others in a land that is not their own. They will be afflicted or mistreated for 400 years.  God is referring to Israel's slavery in Egypt, after the death of Joseph (Genesis 50:26) and before the story of Moses and the Exodus (Exodus 1:1–8). As is common in all forms of literature, the reference to time here is a generic, round number. It is perhaps meant to refer to four generations that will come and go during that time.  Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17 specify the length of that captivity as 430 years. God is making clear to Abram that, though the promise of the land will be kept, it will be kept in God's own time, centuries in the future. Here, God continues to deliver His prophecy about Abram's future family. Here, He continues by saying there will be an end to their captivity, and the nation that mistreated them will be judged.  In fact, Abram's future family, then a nation, will leave that country with great possessions. Soon after this passage, Abram will be renamed Abraham, and his grandson Jacob will be renamed Israel: the father of the promised nation. God never mentions that the nation bound to enslave Abram's people is Egypt. More than likely, though, Abram did not miss the similarities between these future events and what happened when he and his company left Egypt with great possessions of their own. In fact, Israel's captivity will begin in a very similar way to the start of Abram's adventure in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20). They will come seeking survival during a time of famine (Genesis 46). After revealing to Abram, perhaps in a dream, the affliction his future family will face in captivity, serving another nation, God informs Abram he will not live to see any of this. Instead, Abram will "go to his fathers"—a common reference to death—in a time of peace and at a good, old age. Of course, at this point in time, Abram is already somewhere between 75 and 85 years old (Genesis 12:4; Genesis 16:16).  God's words about Abram's immediate future are a comfort, but they also let Abram know not to expect to possess the land of Canaan in his own lifetime. Instead, it will one day belong to him through his descendants. This promise comes along with God's prior reassurance that Abram will, in fact, see a natural-born son (Genesis 15:4). As it turns out, this promise itself will take some time for God to complete (Genesis 17:16–19).  In the meantime, Abram will be renamed as Abraham (Genesis 17:5), and will attempt to "help" God fulfill His promises by having children with his servant, Hagar (Genesis 16:16). Finally, God concludes his prophecy about Abram's future family. In the previous verses, God revealed that they would be captives, serving another nation for around 400 years, before leaving that country with great possessions.  Then, and not before, Abram's descendants would return to the land of Canaan "in the fourth generation." Later passages of Scripture will give a more specific number than this round figure: Israel will be in Egypt for 430 years, all told (Exodus 12:40). God's given reason for that delay is that the sin—the "iniquity"—of the Amorite people had not yet reached its full measure, or was not yet complete.  In other words, one purpose of Abram's future family, the nation of Israel, is to serve as an instrument of judgment on the Amorite people for their sins against God. However, God would not preemptively judge the Amorites or any other people group of Canaan. In His justice, He would wait for them to earn the judgment He would pour out on them through His people Israel when they came to claim the land of Canaan as their own.  This delay also serves as an expression of God's mercy, allowing that much more time for the wicked inhabitants of Canaan to see their sin and repent. After God completes His prophecy about Abram's descendants, He returns to the covenant ritual that began with Abram dividing and arranging the halves of the animals God had instructed him to bring (Genesis 15:9).  Now the sun goes down, and God completes the ritual. Whether Abram is now awake and sees it with his own physical eyes, or sees this event in his vision or dream, we don't know for sure. Either way, what Abram sees is remarkable. In the dark, two items move between the halves of the animals. One is a smoking fire pot, something that served as an oven in Abram's day.  The other is a flaming torch. In the narrative itself, we're not told what these two items represent. However, fire is often associated with both God's judgment and His holiness. In addition, these elements of smoke, fire, and the various kinds of animals later used for sacrifice under the Law point to God's future relationship with Israel. Finally, in moving between the two halves of the animals, God is apparently finalizing the agreement between Himself and His people through Abram. This aspect, in particular, is important for its symbolism. Scholars suggest that this ritual—passing between the halves of sacrificed animals—was meant to imply a binding oath on those who participated.  By walking between the animals, the person was accepting that same destruction if they broke their end of the bargain. Pointedly, note that Abram does not pass between the halves—only God does, via the symbolism of the pot and flame. The promise God has made here is entirely dependent on His will and His work. Abram had begun this part of the conversation by asking the Lord how he would know if God would keep His promise to give Abram and his descendants the land of Canaan. Abram's dramatic experience of God's answer in performing this covenant ritual would surely have made a lifelong impression on him. With the covenant ritual between the Lord and Abram completed, God gets very specific about the boundaries of the land He is promising to Abram and his descendants. Covenants between God and humans are significant, of course. Often they include conditions from God which, if met by the people involved, will result in God keeping His end of the agreement.  This covenant is different. Sometimes referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant, this was an agreement in which all the conditions and promises were on God's side. For example, in the prior passage, God symbolically passes between the severed halves of the animals.  This might have been a common ritual of that era, where both parties declared their obligations by walking through the middle of the carcasses. Notably, only God is shown to do this in the preceding verses-Abram's work is not part of this promise. God was binding Himself to do as He promised no matter what Abram or Abram's descendants did or did not do.  Put another way, this promise from God to the people of Israel to give them this land, was a unilateral covenant. In defining this Promised Land, God begins at the southern border with the "river of Egypt," which many scholars identify as the Wadi el-Arish River, not the Nile. The northern border would be the great Euphrates River.  The following verses will define the remaining areas of the land promised to Abram's offspring in terms of the people groups occupying those lands previously. In the previous verse, God established His unilateral covenant with Abram and his descendants.  This is a promise which depends only on one side's agreement: in this case, God's vow, which He will fulfill no matter what Abram or his descendants do. That covenant includes possession of the land of Canaan as defined by God Himself.  Verse 18 revealed the southern and northern borders to be the "river of Egypt," meaning the Wadi el-Arish River, and the Euphrates River, respectively.  Now the Lord continues to define the areas of the nation His people will possess in terms of the people groups occupying those lands previously