Women in the Word

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10/17/2014 12:22 pm  #11


Re: Genesis Part 2

itsjenniferrose wrote:

Anywho,my takeaway is how God honors our faith and love and obedience and gives us grace at the same time.. And just as he gave abram and Sarai new names, he does that for us at different times in our lives. I see the changing of their names and blessings as a new And fresh start given directly from God.

I like that.  You do see an overall theme with Abraham and Sarah of God honoring their faith while giving them grace for their failures.  And he does do that for all of us.  Sometimes we are so hung up on our failures that is is hard to accept God's grace.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;great is His faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
 

 

10/17/2014 12:30 pm  #12


Re: Genesis Part 2

Chapter 20
Abraham had already shown that he believed God and he had seen that God was truly mighty and capable and yet he still slid back and doubted.  Yet God did not condemn him but was still patient with him, fixed the problem and still used him.  The notes of my Bible pointed out that this was the first time the term “prophet” was used.  The term “prophet” relates to one who speaks on behalf of God.  So God still used Abraham to do His work and to speak for Him.
 
This is encouraging for me because sometimes it is easy to beat yourself up when we keep making mistakes and we feel like we should know better.  I often feel like I have no excuse to make these mistakes and so how can God forgive me. Yet we see here one of the giants of the faith, Abraham, still had problems occasionally sliding back and not trusting God fully and doing what he should not (misleading and lying).  It reminds me of a post I wrote years ago when I foolishly thought I would have time to blog: Out-sinning God’s Grace.
 
The corollary to this however, is that we do need to fear God and remember that we represent Him.  Here Abraham is called God’s prophet yet he brought shame on God by his behavior. A pagan king has to rebuke Abraham and Sarah and point out their wrong.  We need to not bring shame on God and remember that we are His representatives.
 
There was an interesting note on the “fear of the Lord.” 
The phrase “fear of the Lord” reflects a life-style that always takes into account that there is an all-wise, all-powerful, all-righteous God who holds people accountable for their behavior.  To act sinfully is to act as though God is either too weak, too ignorant, or too inconsistent to enforce His will.  To live in loving fellowship with God is possible only for those who “fear” Him.
 
I also love what Courtney said in her Wednesday GMG post:
“Oh how I love the grace of God that overlooks her mistakes.  He is a God of second chances. A God who is patient with our failings, ever strengthening us and making us more like Him.”
 

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10/18/2014 8:31 pm  #13


Re: Genesis Part 2

Genesis 21

1    Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.   

At times, Sarah doubted God; however, Sarah's laughter of disbelief turned into laughter of Joy. Although Abraham and Sarah had to wait before God's promise was presented to them, it finally did.  Just as Sarah had a baby when God said she would, God will answer in his time not my time. When I am waiting on the Lord, I need to have a heart full of faith and wait patiently.

Waiting for God to act in my live may sometimes be the hardest task I will ever face. I may become dissatisfied when God's time does not line up with my time. But, I must remember God's timing in perfect.

Have a blessed night!

 

10/19/2014 5:20 pm  #14


Re: Genesis Part 2

Genesis 22

Verses:

2vThen God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

8v Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Observation and Application:

Abraham’s faith is tested as God will test us. While Abraham continued his journey as commanded by God, he remained faithful. When Abraham was questioned by his son, he replied that God will provide, verse 8. Isaac also continued, so I guess he also trusted his father.

Now image, God has promised you this son for years. You have waited patiently for years and now God wants you to sacrifice this gift. I honesty, do not know if I would be able to do it. My response would have been take me, which I guess would not have been a sacrifice and there I go again trying to barter with God.

In the Christian walk we can talk all we want about our faith and how we are ready to trust God. How we to obey His commands, even when they seem strange to us. But sooner or later we’re going to have to put some action behind our faith. That is exactly what Abraham was challenged to do.  It’s easy to talk about my faith and how ready I am to trust God and obey him. However, when it’s time to put action behind my faith, I hope I am ready like Abraham.

Be Blessed!

 

10/20/2014 5:10 pm  #15


Re: Genesis Part 2

NLWnMD wrote:

In the Christian walk we can talk all we want about our faith and how we are ready to trust God. How we to obey His commands, even when they seem strange to us. But sooner or later we’re going to have to put some action behind our faith. That is exactly what Abraham was challenged to do. It’s easy to talk about my faith and how ready I am to trust God and obey him. However, when it’s time to put action behind my faith, I hope I am ready like Abraham.

So true. God ask us to do much less difficult things and we don't because we don't like what we think the outcome will be. 

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10/20/2014 5:17 pm  #16


Re: Genesis Part 2

Chapter 21
Verse 2:  For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
 
In God’s timing.
 
Also it is seen as a great blessing to Sarah to have this child.  I don’t think we in this society always see having a kid as a great blessing.  It seems we value other things.
 
It also appears that Abraham really did love Ishmael.
 
Regarding the angel speaking to Hagar, my notes say that the Angel of God was in fact God himself in human form.  That struck me that God was pursuing a relationship with Ishmael and his offspring.  It was not as if God had rejected Ishmael’s descendants.  It appears God was open to being with them but that they ultimately at some point in time rejected God.

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10/20/2014 5:18 pm  #17


Re: Genesis Part 2

Chapter 23
I see here and in Chapter 21 that Abraham was respected by Abimilech and the Hitties because they saw his relationship with God, how he walked upright and how God blessed him.  He was a good ambassador for the Lord and he brought honor upon God’s name and even the unbelievers respected God because of Abraham’s testimony.

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10/21/2014 4:09 pm  #18


Re: Genesis Part 2

Chapter 23


12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

After reading this chapter, I didn’t think I was actually going to find anything in this chapter to apply to my life or learn anything from it; however, what stood out to me was verse 12. The fact that Abraham wanted to own the land his wife was buried on.  Perhaps, his reasoning was culturally based and I’m sure it had to do with pride as well.

After thinking about pride, I wanted to know how God felt about pride, so I read a few verses on pride, in Proverbs and Psalm and what I learned is there is a difference between the kind of pride that God does not like and pride we feel about a job well done, or being blessed to have money to purchase what is needed, as Abraham was able to purchase land for Sarah’s burial.  We can have pride as long as we give God the glory and it’s not stemming for self-righteousness.  Anything we accomplish in this world would not have been were it not for God enabling and sustaining us.

Have a blessed day!

 

10/21/2014 4:15 pm  #19


Re: Genesis Part 2

TBG wrote:

Chapter 20
Abraham had already shown that he believed God and he had seen that God was truly mighty and capable and yet he still slid back and doubted.  Yet God did not condemn him but was still patient with him, fixed the problem and still used him.  The notes of my Bible pointed out that this was the first time the term “prophet” was used.  The term “prophet” relates to one who speaks on behalf of God.  So God still used Abraham to do His work and to speak for Him.
 
This is encouraging for me because sometimes it is easy to beat yourself up when we keep making mistakes and we feel like we should know better.  I often feel like I have no excuse to make these mistakes and so how can God forgive me. Yet we see here one of the giants of the faith, Abraham, still had problems occasionally sliding back and not trusting God fully and doing what he should not (misleading and lying).  It reminds me of a post I wrote years ago when I foolishly thought I would have time to blog: Out-sinning God’s Grace.
 
The corollary to this however, is that we do need to fear God and remember that we represent Him.  Here Abraham is called God’s prophet yet he brought shame on God by his behavior. A pagan king has to rebuke Abraham and Sarah and point out their wrong.  We need to not bring shame on God and remember that we are His representatives.

 
There was an interesting note on the “fear of the Lord.” 
The phrase “fear of the Lord” reflects a life-style that always takes into account that there is an all-wise, all-powerful, all-righteous God who holds people accountable for their behavior.  To act sinfully is to act as though God is either too weak, too ignorant, or too inconsistent to enforce His will.  To live in loving fellowship with God is possible only for those who “fear” Him.
 
I also love what Courtney said in her Wednesday GMG post:
“Oh how I love the grace of God that overlooks her mistakes.  He is a God of second chances. A God who is patient with our failings, ever strengthening us and making us more like Him.”
 

 

Last edited by NLWnMD (10/21/2014 4:17 pm)

 

10/21/2014 6:27 pm  #20


Re: Genesis Part 2

Chapter 24
This is a beautiful story of God’s leading and of Rebecca’s kindness.
 
Verse 21: And the man wondering at her, remained silent, so as to know whether the Lord would make his journey prosperous or not.
 
Verse 26: Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord.
 
He waited to confirm God’s will.  Sometimes we are too anxious to jump and we are not patient to wait to be sure of God’s will. 
 
Verse 48: blessed the Lord God of my master, Abraham, who has led me in the way of truth
 
Abraham’s servant characterizes God’s providence as “the way of truth.”  God’s ways are true.
 
Verse 56: Do not hinder me
 
He was quick to do God’s work and to fulfill God’s will unlike Lot’s family that lingered.
 
I love this story and think it is beautiful.

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