January 8, 2010, Gen. 20-22, Luke 8

The Soap method is used for this daily Bible Blog. Title, Scripture, Observation, Application and prayer coming out of readings.

Abraham and Abimelech
Title: A curse for taking another man's wife
(S) Gen.20:3-5 "But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman. Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother?' I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."
(O) Destruction, the destruction of a nation, that is the possible threat for touching another man's wife. The old testament is very strange - a man can have many wives and concubines but to entertain the thought of taking another man's wife will bring upon a terrible curse on the nation. None of the women could get pregnant until Sarah was given back to Abraham and a large amount of money was paid for the offence. Does any of this apply now - or is this just old testament? What happens to a man who marries a divorced woman? I never seem to see anything about a woman marrying a divorced man - apparently a double standard here but I guess God makes the rules. Perhaps it is only the woman so that the line of the offspring is known for sure - that would make sense. I know that in Leviticus the two that were guilty of adultery were to be put to death - that would definitely permit the other spouse to marry with the offending spouse dead.
(A) I am not sure how this applies to today --- should women remain single if they have once been married? The New Testament seems to be a little more flexible on this - Matthew 19 seems to indicate that in the instance of adultery the innocent party can remarry. That is how I interpret it anyway. Not sure.
(P) Lord help marriages avoid the faults that bring about divorce.

Title: The mistreatment by Abraham and Sarah of his other son Ishmael and his mother Hagar.
(S) Gen 21:14-15 "Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her wan and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die," And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob."
(O) In life there is still the favoured wife and her children and the unfavoured wife and her children. So often today when a man remarries - the first wife and her children are treated very poorly. This treatment of Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham - a man who God regarded highly - is unbelievably cruel.
(A) Always be aware of women and children who are the discarded wives and children - these people really suffer.
(P) I know many women and children in this situation - God help me to remember them often.

Title: Is Ishmael father of the Arab nations? If so the Bible said that "God was with him".
(S) Gen. 21:17-20 "God heard the boy crying and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with the water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up."
(O) If the two nations came out of Abraham - then the Bible says that both are not only going to be a great nation but both have God with them as their father Abraham was truly blessed by God. This Arab and Jew problem should not be this overwhelming - they are both rooted in favour. If God was with Ishmael - and he was to be a great nation - then this committment to God of the offspring of Ishmael is his heritage and this explains a lot.
(A) There is only one way to resolve this Jew and Arab problem - the both have a great heritage - but the heritage should have lead them from Abraham down to Christ for both peoples.
(P) Lord - bring both these factions to you Jesus.

Title: Is the promise of Abraham to deal fairly with the people of Egypt being kept?
(S) Gen 21:23 (Abimilech to Abraham) - "Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants."
(O) One would expect that Jewish and Egyptian relations would be excellent since Abraham promised to have a good relationship with them and their descendants. This of course is not the historical facts.
(A) What if the promises of good relations were kept from the time this promise was made - what if both sides had held to this promise. There is room for this promise to be upheld now... this "treaty of Beersheba."
(P) Lord we pray for love between the nations of the world however I know that will only come when people turn to you and so that is what I pray.

Title: Abraham willing to sacrifice His only son to God but He knows that God will provide.
(S)Gen. 22:5 "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."
(O)They take wood and fire and a knife and it is not until the last minute with Abraham, knife raised, that the angel stops him from sacrificing Isaac. Abraham knew that God would provide however God took him right up until the last moment before he stopped him from killing his own son.
(A) Does God still take us up until the last minute? Yes, probably. Do we have faith that God will pull a miracle off or do we lose faith and try to solve things ourselves. I try to help God out a little constantly. I really have a problem with the thought of sacrificing my children - even for the work of God -- I want them to have good spouses, good jobs and healthy children - hmm to sacrifice them to God --- that is such a challenge and yet God will do great things if I let this fear go --- he will provide. I have always loved that phrase for my life - "God provides" and yet it really comes from Abraham being willing to sacrifice his offspring to God - not money or the goods of this world - it is all about our most valued love - our children - "God provides" - Jehovah jirah - takes on a whole different meaning when I think of it this way.
(P) God help me to be willing to let my children go and let you deal with it - you have a better plan for their lives than I ever could. This is my most difficult prayer so I will need help with it on a daily basis.

Luke 8
Title: Working women, even one working for Herod, helped support the twelve disciples and Jesus.
(S) Luke 8:1b-3 "The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases; Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household, Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means."
(O) I am always amazed at what an 'equalist' Jesus is. We always think about the 12 disciples but rarely about the perhaps 10, 12 or maybe 14 women that were also in this company surrounding Jesus and the disciples. These women had jobs and were helping support the Jesus campaign trail. The funny thing is how Jesus brings together these women from a very varied social background - the crazy lady, the newly cured sick person, probably a few reformed hookers, the wife of a prominent man, and the woman that was in charge of managing the king's whole household. How Christ brings those of low and high estate together. How Christ disregards that these are women and they work right along side of everyone else.
(A) We are all for one cause - the cause of Christ - why is it that women in a church so rarely get on as well as they should - that is not the way Christ wants it nor how it worked in this group of women. What an example they are.
(P) Lord help me be more flexible and less critical and more caring when it comes to other Christian women.

Title: A hundred people for Christ.
(S) Luke 8:8 "Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." Luke 8:15 "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, land by persevering produce a crop."
(O) What if, what if, each Christian led 100 people to Christ - what would the world be like?
(A) When I was a kid we use to sing a song "Lead me to some soul today, oh teach me Lord just what to say, friends of mine are lost in sin and cannot find their way." Have not thought of that song for a long time. Oh the ambitions when we were young - thought we would go places and lead others to Jesus - how I personally have fallen so short of such a goal...... I know that it is God who saves souls - however I could "by persevering" help a little more to "produce a crop".
(P) Lord, help me to pray for a few people this year with great diligence and help them to come to you.

Title: Let your light shine before men.
(S) Luke 8:16 "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it o n a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."
(O) How do we share Christ - I am changing diapers, making meals, washing clothes - who do I share Christ with in this world with such a daily task - I have no idea and so God will just have to bring someone by my path.
(A) I really don't think I am suppose to give up the above task that these little children need so perhaps what we really are suppose to do is to get to know Jesus better through His bible and then as you live and breathe God will use you - that is it - just be a vessel that is available - that is it - it is not a numbers game - just an "I am available."
(P) Lord - I know - I am not suppose to be on the street corner but rather just to continue doing what I am doing - however - being an obedient vessel - that is what you require of me - and the souls - well - that is what you will direct as you will.

Title: Why would demons want to go into pigs?
(S) Luke 8: 32 "A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission.
(O) There is no prayer or application here, just wondering why the demons wanted to go into the pigs - does not make much sense if the demons have any intelligence. ?????????

Title: What if we had just a little touch from Jesus - how would it affect us?
(S)Luke 8:46 "But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out of me."
(O) This is the woman that touched the hem of Jesus garment - and she is healed - and I wonder - do we really every push through the crowd of all the things that distract us from Christ and reach out for that touch? What if we did - just a small touch of Jesus - what would it do in our lives?
(A) I really want to be this person that reaches out to touch Jesus in a spiritual way and yet I am a head person - this reaching out is essential for inner healing and great things for God.
(P) Lord make me a reacher for you.

Title: Do we laugh at Jesus because the feats that we should expect seem too ridiculous to consider?
(S) Luke 8:32 "Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead".
(O) What audacity to laugh at Jesus - oh if they only knew that the entire world would mark their calendar from the date of this man forever.
(A) Perhaps inwardly I also laugh at things that I think are too impossible for Christ to accomplish. I am not so different than these people.
(P) Lord help me realize when I really am laughing at you because I don't think you can do things.