The story of this ancient king-priest sits there, like a biblical bombshell, not exploding till 2000 years later. No doubt, Abram was exhausted. He had been up all day when he heard the news of his nephew’s family being stolen away by the four-army confederacy from the north. Arming his private militia of 318 men, […]
You may not picture yourself as a soldier, but every Christian is in the heat of the battle. But look! There’s our Commander! In Genesis 14, four marauding kings had brought their armies down from the north and had plundered the cities of the plain, including Lot and his family from Sodom. Only one man […]
If God counts your hairs and keeps your tears, surely He stands by as “a very present help in time of need.” Genesis 14 begins with the kind of Bible words we might want to skip. But God doesn’t. Listen: “In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of […]
Show me your friends and I’ll know what you’re becoming. Don’t be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” At the end of Genesis 13, Abram settles into a new place, 35 miles south of Bethel, at Mamre (meaning “fruitful”), near the town of Hebron (meaning “fellowship”). Fellowship with God and fruitfulness in life always go […]
Read More… from March 30, 2021 — Negative People Or Positive Living?
Do the ruthless, money-grubbing misers end up with everything? Not so, says Jesus: “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Abram chose to live out the principle found in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” He said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife […]
What’s the going price for a charter trip to Egypt in about 2000 BC? Expensive! Very Expensive! Biographies—the honest ones—give us the opportunity to see both life choices and, as time goes by, their consequences. A graphic example is in Genesis 13. The wealth acquired by Abram and his nephew Lot in Egypt has not […]
Read More… from March 26, 2021 — Life’s Choices And Their Consequences
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