The author of Genesis uses foils, minor characters to provide contrasts with the main characters in the drama. We evaluate situations in life by making comparisons. That’s why the eye doctor asks, “Is this one better? Or this?” We taste flavors, squint at wall colors, comparison shop for products, and constantly ask ourselves “This? Or […]
Read More… from March 25, 2021 — Lot And Abram: A Study In Contrasts
Who said denial is not just a river in Egypt? Abram denies his wife, denies God’s care, and His promises too. My wife and I were privileged to visit Egypt in 1984. Even as the plane came in to land, I could see Egypt’s secret. Two green swaths ran along the Nile River, and then […]
Every decision is actually two decisions: if I want to do something more, I have to decide what I will do less. Abram and his family pulled up stakes at Shechem, gathered up their possessions, and headed twenty miles south to a spot between the towns of Bethel and Ai. The record reads: “And he […]
Read More… from March 23, 2021 — Tenting Between Here And There
Bible geography is not trivia; it is usually an essential part of life’s tapestry, and is certainly true of Shechem. The first campsite for Abram in Canaan was Shechem. The name means “shoulder,” and anyone who visits there immediately sees why. This valley is bounded by two mountains: Ebal to the northeast and Gerizim to […]
Read More… from March 22, 2021 — Shechem: The Valley Of Decision
Some suggest that God’s choice of one person over another is a mystery, but is it? Not with Abram! Before we go another step in this exciting journey from the false worship of the Moon god in Ur to Abram’s personal friendship with the all-eclipsing God of Glory, we must ask why Abram was chosen. […]
Take a look at your stuff and ask yourself, “Would I like to go tenting for the rest of my life?” Abram did! Abram exchanged a nice home in Ur for a goat’s hair tent. And, even though he became very rich, he chose tent living for the rest of his life. Hebrews 11:8-10 explains, […]
Why is it that the little country of Israel is more often than not in the evening news? Let’s take a trip and see. Imagine that! God uses 31 verses to describe the creation of the vast worlds He spoke into being, then takes the rest of the Old Testament (except for the first 11 […]
Read More… from March 17, 2021 — Abram And The Journey Of A Lifetime
More genealogies, but this time there’s a punchline—the list ends with someone who became God’s friend. Genesis 11 begins with a rebellion against God, but people who fight Him never win. Cuando Dios confundió su lenguaje—oh sorry, that’s Spanish—when God confused their language, they were forced to scatter. So we read, “they ceased building the […]
Read More… from March 16, 2021 — May I Introduce “The Friend Of God”
Here’s how a poor Englishman discovered hard evidence that the story of Babel is absolutely true. Christians don’t believe the Bible because of archeology; we believe it because it proves, to our hearts and lives, to be God’s Word. But it’s good to remember what Dr. Nelson Glueck said: “It may be stated categorically that […]