Significance of the Life of Abraham
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The life of Abraham is a true story that clearly reveals to us as believers a pattern of spiritual growth. His life is marked at MANY points by the intervention of the great sovereignty, grace, and mercy of God. Also clearly evident is the gradual increase in the separation of Abraham from the ways of the world and the corresponding increase of the maturity level of Abraham. Even though Abraham stumbled and fell many times, he got back up, by the grace and mercy of God, and journeyed on. In like manner, so must we today. If all we receive from the life of Abraham is an historical account, then we miss what the Lord is trying to tell us. Hopefully we can learn from his experiences and not repeat the process.
Genesis 11 records the ancestry of Abram, which means "high father." The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, who was barren. In a later message we will expound more fully on the significance of the barren woman. Sarai was Abram's half-sister. She had the same father as Abraham but not the same mother. "Sarai" means contentious or quarrelsome or even dominating. No wonder her name had to be changed to Sarah (princess) when her character had been changed. After all, she was the wife of a prince.
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. Genesis 11:27
Abram was born around 1996 BC in Ur of the Chaldees. That was most likely exactly 2000 years before Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost. Ur was a city of great luxury, idolatry, and attainments, about 50 miles south of Babylon. Terah, Abram's father, was an idolater. Abram was the youngest of the three sons of Terah, but he is mentioned first in scripture. In a number of cases in scripture, the youngest (such as Shem, Abram, Jacob, and Ephraim) is chosen for the blessing and also because his lineage is to be continued.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into Haran, and dwelt there. Genesis 11:31
Terah apparently had good intentions, but the luxury and idol worship were too much for him. The frontier town of Haran, which was about 600 miles from Ur, was devoted to the worship of the moon-god. So Terah intended to go into Canaan, but he never made it. He got side-tracked and died in Haran. That was the sovereignty of God in action because the Lord never called Terah or Lot; the Lord called Abram alone.
1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."Isaiah 51:1-3
Note in Verse 3 that the blessings accrue to spiritual Zion, not Jerusalem or Judah. What is Zion? the overcomers, the remnant, the very elect, the Bride of Christ, not the Church. When Abram told his father, Terah, that the Lord told him to "get out of his country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:" (Genesis 12:1), Terah must have said to Abram, if you leave, I am going with you and Sarai and we will take your nephew, Lot, with us also. But the Lord never called Terah or Lot. They just went. They constituted a mixed multitude. The Bible records at least three more times when a mixed multitude went with those who had been called. More on that later. Needless to say, a mixed multitude must always be separated from those who have been called of God. That statement is much more profound that what we might imagine!
The promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 is one of the most significant passages in the Bible. This promise was formalized in a covenant (Genesis 15:18-21), and was repeated four additional times ... to Abraham twice, to Isaac, and to Jacob. One of the promises to Abraham was that he will BE a blessing. One of the first prophetic words spoken over my wife, many years ago, was that she had a ministry of blessing. For a long time she thought that meant she was to go around to believers and bless them in the name of the Lord; i.e., to SPEAK a word of blessing. But after a few years the Lord made it clear that SHE was the blessing, simply by her presence (or perhaps more accurately, Christ in her was a blessing to others).
After Abram's father died, Abram, Sarai, and Lot journeyed on south another 400 miles to Shechem, their first stop in the Promised Land. Then they journeyed another 20 miles to Bethel, where Abram built an altar unto the Lord. This was the second instance of a man building an altar to the Lord. Noah, a preacher of righteousness, built the first altar to the Lord.
The promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 is one of the most significant passages in the Bible. This promise was formalized in a covenant (Genesis 15:18-21), and was repeated four additional times ... to Abraham twice, to Isaac, and to Jacob. One of the promises to Abraham was that he will BE a blessing. One of the first prophetic words spoken over my wife, many years ago, was that she had a ministry of blessing. For a long time she thought that meant she was to go around to believers and bless them in the name of the Lord; i.e., to SPEAK a word of blessing. But after a few years the Lord made it clear that SHE was the blessing, simply by her presence (or perhaps more accurately, Christ in her was a blessing to others).
After Abram's father died, Abram, Sarai, and Lot journeyed on south another 400 miles to Shechem, their first stop in the Promised Land. Then they journeyed another 20 miles to Bethel, where Abram built an altar unto the Lord. This was the second instance of a man building an altar to the Lord. Noah, a preacher of righteousness, built the first altar to the Lord.
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, Who appeared unto him. Genesis 12:7
Chapter 12 also records the first famine. Perhaps more on famines in a later message.
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. Genesis 12:10
At this point in his life, Abram was a rather immature believer. When the famine became very grievous, Abram went down into Egypt, about 225 miles from Bethel ... a self-preservation move on his part. Notice please that the Lord never told him to go to Egypt. He just went.
Abram, in another self-preservation action, told Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister, not his wife. Abram was afraid that the Egyptians might kill him if they thought that Sarai was his wife, because Sarai was very fair to look upon. So Abram compounded his mistakes. Nevertheless, the sovereignty of God intervened, and Abram and Sarai, as well as Lot, were all spared by Pharaoh.
So Abram went up out of Egypt, back to Bethel, where his tent had been at the beginning, unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first... and there Abram called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 13:1-4). In other words, Abram repented of his works of the flesh. He had not trusted the Lord to save him alive and he had moved into Egypt without seeking the Lord. This is a good principle for us as believers. If we get out of the will of the Lord, we need to repent and seek the Lord in that place where we last had communion with Him.
Genesis 13 also tells of the separation of Abram and Lot. Abram represents the spiritual man. Lot represents the carnal Christian. Abram walked with God; Lot walked with Abram (12:4, 13:1, 5). The same was true of Elijah and Elisha ... Elijah walked with God ... Elisha walked with Elijah. (We will expand greatly on this truth in a later message.) But if faith is to increase there must be a separation between these two. This separation occurred in Genesis 13.
This chapter is the first place that wealth is mentioned in the bible. Abram had riches (13:2) and despised them (just as did Moses, who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt). Abram's eyes were on the promises, while the things of earth grew strangely dim. Abram had flocks but the flocks did not have him. Lot also had flocks (13:5) but the flocks possessed him. It is a terrible thing when a Christian is possessed by his possessions. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). If riches are honestly obtained, held as belonging to God, and used by us as good stewards, they are right. But if they are falsely gained and/or held and used for unrighteous self, they are wrong. Lot's riches are the occasion of strife (13:7, 8). Since he is a believer he will have to learn by losing them all. A faithful God will see that they are taken away from him.
Note that it was Abram who said to Lot, "separate thyself, I pray thee, from me" (13:9). The man who lives for the world cannot tolerate the presence of him who is determined to live for God. Even the believer who refuses to go on with God is uncomfortable in the presence of a man who dwells close to God. But it is the spiritual man who recognizes the need for separation. And so Abram gave Lot first choice as to where to dwell. Frequently we are given what the world considers to be the leftovers. But the blessing of the Lord will always be upon us as we walk with Him. The Lord Himself is our satisfaction and our blessing.
When Lot lifted up his eyes (13:10), his mind illustrated the natural mind at its best. Abram had left Egypt behind and forever. Lot was still comparing portions of the Promised Land with what he saw in Egypt and chose that which seemed well watered everywhere. The man who learns that all his springs are in the Lord (Psalm 87:7) never needs to fear the desert. He carries with him his own water supply!
"He who believes in Me ... Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38
This characteristic of Lot, the natural man, has been a fatal flaw of many ministries and movements over the years ... an attempt to incorporate the best ways of the world to help "promote the gospel." We have seen this FIRST hand, up close, with some nationally "prominent" evangelists, as well as some "would be prominent" preachers. It never works and never can work. Oil and water do not mix. Within our hearts we also have this same struggle of Abram and Lot, the spiritual and the carnal, and it is only when the carnal is allowed to depart that faith receives, in place of the affections of the emotions, the communion of the Spirit. Then God reveals to us the fullness of His desire for our possessions and our fellowship with Him.
Now note please, that Abram did not receive the blessing and promise of God until AFTER he had separated from Lot. It makes all the difference when the Lord tells us to "lift up now thine eyes" (13:14) as compared to when WE lift up our eyes, as did Lot (13:10). The place of separation becomes a place of vision. And then the promises of God came to Abram (13:15-16). There are RESTRICTIONS that we encounter if we do NOT separate ourselves at the proper time from those people and man-made systems that would hold us back from increasing in the faith. I experienced that truth twice in my life ... once when the Lord told us in 1968 to leave the Methodist church that we were attending, and then when the Lord told us in 1978 to leave the New Testament house church. But the key verses seem to be when the Lord told Abram:
Now note please, that Abram did not receive the blessing and promise of God until AFTER he had separated from Lot. It makes all the difference when the Lord tells us to "lift up now thine eyes" (13:14) as compared to when WE lift up our eyes, as did Lot (13:10). The place of separation becomes a place of vision. And then the promises of God came to Abram (13:15-16). There are RESTRICTIONS that we encounter if we do NOT separate ourselves at the proper time from those people and man-made systems that would hold us back from increasing in the faith. I experienced that truth twice in my life ... once when the Lord told us in 1968 to leave the Methodist church that we were attending, and then when the Lord told us in 1978 to leave the New Testament house church. But the key verses seem to be when the Lord told Abram:
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. Genesis 13:17-18
When Abram first entered the land, he pitched his tent at Bethel, which means "house of God" (12:8). He left that place for Egypt, which became a "house of slaves." Now he was back in Bethel (13:3), a wiser man than before. He has retraced his steps to recover the lost ground of going to Egypt. He has been uncompromising and has fully obeyed the Lord by separating from his kindred. He now dwells in Mame, which means "vision" and pitches his tent in Hebron, which means "joined together" or hence "communion." At Bethel, Abram had worshipped; at Hebron he knows true fellowship with God. Thus faith moves on to greater faith.
Now who can argue with vision and communion with God? Yet Abram has slipped once more, and very subtly this time. Why? because the Lord had told Abram to "walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it" (13:17). Instead, Abram pitches his tent and settles in comfortably in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and builds there an altar to the Lord (13:18). Very admirable, but that was NOT what the Lord told Abram to do. "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22). But God is sovereign. He will still have His will fulfilled in Abram, as we will see in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis.
14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. Genesis 13:14-18
The LORD had just told Abram to walk through all of the land, but Abram was content to dwell in the plain of Mamre and build an altar there. Therefore the LORD stirred up the first war on earth between four "good" kings (Genesis 14:1) and five "bad" kings (Genesis 14:2).
This war undoubtedly involved tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of men. The four kings represent the "good guys." They were descendants of Shem. Amraphel, the first "good" king mentioned, was king of Shinar, which was in the fertile plain of Babylon. Amraphel has been identified historically to be Hammurabi. The code of laws which Hammurabi set forth were indeed "good" as man calls something good. This code of laws included nearly 300 paragraphs of legal provisions touching commercial, social, domestic, and moral life. Many bible students have compared Hammurabi's code with the Mosaic law, and indeed there are many similarities. Just as with Lot, this code was the best that man had to offer.
The five kings in verse 2 represent the "bad guys" and included the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah. They were descendants of Ham. The five kings had served Chedorlaomer for 12 years (14:4), and they should have, for God had pronounced the curse of servitude upon them through Noah. In the 13th year they rebelled.
The important point here is that Abram was part of neither. He was not associated with the good guys or the bad guys. There are three parties in view ... the world, the flesh, and the man of faith. Abram remains set apart from both the good AND the evil, even as God told Adam and Eve that they were not to partake of the tree of knowledge of GOOD and evil. The good and the evil will always war against each other, but we must be careful not to get pulled into their war, which is at a carnal level. The world (the good guys) wants to enlist the man of faith as an ally, but the true man of faith will not join the world in its efforts to subdue Sodom, nor will he join Sodom in its efforts to throw off the yoke of the world. The man of faith has no place even in moral controversies that occupy much of the thought of the world. The world cannot understand why the true pilgrim will not join in the fight against evil. The moral victory of the religious world must not be confused with the spiritual victory of the man of faith. The spiritual man must remain aloof, misunderstood by all but God.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
In that first big war, the good guys won (14:10) and took captive not only all of the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah but Lot as well. Note that the man of faith did not move until his fellow believer was in danger. Now Abram COULD have said, "It served him right"; or "He had it coming to him." After all, Abram had allowed Lot to come with him all the way from Ur; Abram was undoubtedly the reason why Lot had prospered and accumulated much riches; and then Lot, stirred on by his desire for earthly riches, had been the cause of great strife between the herdmen of Lot and the herdmen of Abram. But the man of God is a man of compassion.
And so when Abram heard that Lot had been taken captive by the good guys, he armed his 318 trained servants and pursued the good guys unto Dan (14:14). Abram was a spiritual man and set out to restore Lot in a spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1). The yielded believer cannot have within him a root of bitterness. Even though Lot had been the source of great anguish and strife to Abram, Abram returned good for evil. There is nothing that marks a man as being like Christ more than his genuine love for someone who has been the cause of a deep wrong.
There are at least two significant points about Abram's pursuit of the good guys in order to rescue Lot. The first is that Abram had only 318 trained servants, and they pursued at least tens of thousands. The second is that Abram had made no attempt to rescue Lot from the bad guys in Sodom prior to this war. Does that indicate that the good guys are more of a threat to us as believers than are the bad guys? I believe so. Why? because the ways of the world (the good guys) are so subtle and so hard to distinguish from the ways of the Lord. That is why we must exercise our spiritual senses to be able to discern BOTH (NOT between) GOOD and evil from the path of the just (Hebrews 5:14). It is not too difficult to discern evil. Discerning between good and the ways of the Lord is the hard part. It takes vision and a communion with the Lord.
Jesus had compassion on the publicans and the harlots, but he assailed and judged the Pharisees. The moral Pharisees called Jesus a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 11:19). I also believe that this relationship of Abram to Lot speaks the same word as Revelation 12:6, when the overcomers, the remnant, the very elect, will feed the rest of the body of Christ in the wilderness in the last days.
And so Abram in his compassionate rescue mission, "pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus" (14:15). And "Abram brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods" (14:16). How does the meek and lowly Abram, who had yielded his rights to Lot, suddenly display such courage, initiative, and tenacity? And how did Abram, with only 318 men, slaughter armies probably hundreds or even thousands of times larger than his own (Genesis 14:17)? The answer, of course, is that all of his resources are in God.
3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
Leviticus 26:3, 7-8
So a hundred shall put ten thousand to flight, PROVIDED we fulfill Verse 3. This is a ratio of 1 to 100. Therefore, it should be NO surprise if Abraham and his 318 men chased an army of 31,900 (319 times 100).
After Abram's amazing rescue mission, Genesis 14:17-24 then describes two kings who came out to meet Abram. The first was the king of Sodom; the second was Melchizedek king of Salem, the priest of the most high God. One principle here is that the false always emerges before the true ... the first Adam before the last Adam, Cain before Abel, Ishmael before Isaac, Esau before Jacob, the Old Covenant before the New Covenant, animal sacrifice before the sacrifice of the Lamb, Jesus, at Calvary, etc. Why? because the Lord wants to see if we have any measure of discernment to see the difference between the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on the one hand as compared to the tree of life. In my lifetime we have seen tens of thousands of professing Christians run after what appeals to the natural senses.
We should also note that the king of Sodom was only interested in what he could get from Abram, namely the people who had lived in Sodom, but Melchizedek came to give ... to bless. The king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. Abram said to the king of Sodom,
"I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
Genesis 14:22-23
The principle for us here is that although Abram could walk in refusing anything from the king of Sodom, Abram would not impose his beliefs on the young men. Many years ago I had a short work assignment over the weekend in Omaha, Nebraska. I looked up in the yellow pages under "churches" and called the number of a charismatic church. The man who answered said that just a few of the believers were going to meet in his house that night to pray. He said I would be welcome to join them, so I did. After everyone else left, except the host and hostess, their telephone rang. The wife answered. I could tell from her conversation that a grown daughter of theirs had severely scalded her hands and was in great pain. The mother's advice to her daughter was, "Just keep repeating over and over, by His stripes I am healed." I said nothing but I groaned in my spirit and silently prayed earnestly for their daughter. First of all, I seriously doubt whether the daughter's parents could walk in that word. But even if they could, they had no right to impose their beliefs on their daughter. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life.
We are also told that Melchizedek "brought forth bread and wine" (14:18). Bread is the symbol of life (John 6:50); wine is the symbol of joy (Psalm 104:15). Melchizedek was the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:2). These four go together ... the fullness of His life along with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now did Melchizedek bring forth natural bread and wine to Abram? perhaps. But let us think about what Abram had just done in this account.
First and most important, Abram had obeyed God. When Abram was faithful, God revealed Himself even more to him. But Abram had just spent some number of days walking through the length and breadth of the Promised Land, chasing after the four "good" kings, and had slaughtered Chedorlaomer. Abram and his 318 servants MUST have been exhausted. Moreover, the effects of what they had just done had probably just begun to sink in ... they had defeated an army hundreds of times larger than their own. And so they were undoubtedly exhausted both physically and emotionally. Would they have been satisfied with a little snippet of bread and a little sip of wine? Not very likely! We do not know from scripture how much natural food, if any, was brought forth by Melchizedek. But to even think that what Melchizedek brought forth was on a purely natural level would do injustice to our walk as believers. When we are empty, we need to be filled. Filled with the bread and the wine of God, the soul wants nothing more. The bread and wine of the King of righteousness and peace so fills us that we turn away from the food that the world offers. Abram refused to take any of the spoils or eat any of the food that had originally belonged to the king of Sodom (14:23, 24).
Then Melchizedek said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. So it was God who had won the battle; Abram was only the instrument that God used to defeat the enemy. Then Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all. What was all? all of the goods that Abram had recovered.
Some people might have their heads turned by worldly recognition from a worldly king but not Abram. I have read that when John Knox was asked if he were frightened by the prospect of meeting the Queen of Scotland, he replied that he had just spent four hours with God. Such a man cannot be much impressed by a mere worldly king or queen. Spiritual insight or discernment made Abram aware of the difference between these two kings. Before the king of Salem, Abram was humble and deferential; before the king of Sodom, he was firm and uncompromising.
May we share an illustration from first-hand knowledge? Many years ago a woman was cut out of her father's will because she was a Christian. She and her husband did not know of this until the reading of her father's will after his death in 1986. Her father was a very wealthy man, just like the king of Sodom, but was possessed by his possessions, just like Lot. Her rightful inheritance from her father's estate would have easily exceeded one-half of a million dollars. But that never happened. One of the woman's brothers told her that their father "was afraid that she might give away his empire to the "church"." So her father cut her out of his will.
Now there is no greater "hurt" than to be rejected by your father. This was also the greatest agony that Jesus experienced. Just prior to the death of Jesus on the cross, Jesus became sin for us.
Then Melchizedek said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. So it was God who had won the battle; Abram was only the instrument that God used to defeat the enemy. Then Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all. What was all? all of the goods that Abram had recovered.
Some people might have their heads turned by worldly recognition from a worldly king but not Abram. I have read that when John Knox was asked if he were frightened by the prospect of meeting the Queen of Scotland, he replied that he had just spent four hours with God. Such a man cannot be much impressed by a mere worldly king or queen. Spiritual insight or discernment made Abram aware of the difference between these two kings. Before the king of Salem, Abram was humble and deferential; before the king of Sodom, he was firm and uncompromising.
May we share an illustration from first-hand knowledge? Many years ago a woman was cut out of her father's will because she was a Christian. She and her husband did not know of this until the reading of her father's will after his death in 1986. Her father was a very wealthy man, just like the king of Sodom, but was possessed by his possessions, just like Lot. Her rightful inheritance from her father's estate would have easily exceeded one-half of a million dollars. But that never happened. One of the woman's brothers told her that their father "was afraid that she might give away his empire to the "church"." So her father cut her out of his will.
Now there is no greater "hurt" than to be rejected by your father. This was also the greatest agony that Jesus experienced. Just prior to the death of Jesus on the cross, Jesus became sin for us.
"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
And sin cannot be in the presence of God. This is why Jesus cried on the cross,
"my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)
At that instant Jesus experienced the rejection and separation from His Father, something He had never known before.
Around the same time period when the woman had been cut out of her father's will, her husband experienced a similar situation, but on a much smaller scale. He was aware that he had been defrauded of perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. He was also aware that if he had gone to the person responsible, they would undoubtedly have restored the money which was rightfully due to him. But he decided to trust the sovereignty of God and never mention the situation. In recalling this series of events, I am reminded of the principle in Genesis 14:23, and how no man can say that they have made this couple rich. They have the true riches ... Christ Himself ... and He is quite sufficient.
Now there are at least two important principles to be gleaned from chapters 13 and 14 in Genesis. The first is the sovereignty of God. Although there are dozens of scriptures that talk about the sovereignty of God, the verses in Genesis 13:17-18 through Genesis 14:1-16 cry out loudly about His sovereignty. Recall, please that the Lord had told Abram, in Genesis 13:17, to "walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." But Abram went and dwelled in Mamre and did NOT do what the Lord told him to do. And so God, in His sovereignty, stirred up the first war recorded in the bible, involving perhaps hundreds of thousands of men. For what purpose? to get Abram to do what Abram had neglected to do. Abram, in order to rescue Lot, had to walk from Hebron, in the southernmost part of the land, all the way up to Dan, in the extreme northernmost part, and over eastward close to Damascus. In doing so, Abram finally fulfilled the word of the Lord to him.
The second great principle, it seems, is the compassion of God. The Lord had already worked great compassion into the heart of Abram for his brother Lot. And the compassion of God for Lot was also at work when this amazing rescue mission was initiated. God "delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:7).
Around the same time period when the woman had been cut out of her father's will, her husband experienced a similar situation, but on a much smaller scale. He was aware that he had been defrauded of perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. He was also aware that if he had gone to the person responsible, they would undoubtedly have restored the money which was rightfully due to him. But he decided to trust the sovereignty of God and never mention the situation. In recalling this series of events, I am reminded of the principle in Genesis 14:23, and how no man can say that they have made this couple rich. They have the true riches ... Christ Himself ... and He is quite sufficient.
Now there are at least two important principles to be gleaned from chapters 13 and 14 in Genesis. The first is the sovereignty of God. Although there are dozens of scriptures that talk about the sovereignty of God, the verses in Genesis 13:17-18 through Genesis 14:1-16 cry out loudly about His sovereignty. Recall, please that the Lord had told Abram, in Genesis 13:17, to "walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." But Abram went and dwelled in Mamre and did NOT do what the Lord told him to do. And so God, in His sovereignty, stirred up the first war recorded in the bible, involving perhaps hundreds of thousands of men. For what purpose? to get Abram to do what Abram had neglected to do. Abram, in order to rescue Lot, had to walk from Hebron, in the southernmost part of the land, all the way up to Dan, in the extreme northernmost part, and over eastward close to Damascus. In doing so, Abram finally fulfilled the word of the Lord to him.
The second great principle, it seems, is the compassion of God. The Lord had already worked great compassion into the heart of Abram for his brother Lot. And the compassion of God for Lot was also at work when this amazing rescue mission was initiated. God "delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:7).
1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? Genesis 15:1-2
After these things: after WHAT things? In Genesis 14, Abraham had won a strategic spiritual and economic battle. He had defeated the four "good" kings which had outnumbered him at least 100:1, possibly 1000:1. He had rescued Lot. He had done what the Lord had told him to do in Genesis 13:17, which was to walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it. He had been blessed by Melchizedek. He had refused material wealth or gain from man. So after Abram's successes, he is in special need, and God is the one who supplies all our need. What is his special need?
(1) freedom from fear of man: there was a danger that Abram would realize what he had done in defeating the four "good" kings and fear that they would come back after him with even more forces.(2) deliverance from pride: there was a danger that Abram would "pat himself on the back" for his great successes.(3) deliverance from seeking a reward for doing what was his duty to do.
Abram had progressed much in his walk by faith at this point in time. But God still had some more work to accomplish within Abram before the greatest promise of all to Abram was to be fulfilled. Recall, at the end of Genesis 14, Abram had rescued Lot, was physically and emotionally exhausted, and had taken no food or any of the spoils that had belonged to the king of Sodom. Was it possible that Abram had a little fleeting moment of self-righteousness at this point? Did it occur to him that he had fully obeyed God throughout this whole episode but apparently had received nothing in return? only a little bread and wine? And was Abram feeling an after-shock of fear after realizing how he had pursued so many thousands of good guys and slaughtered them? Was Abram fearing reprisal on the part of the "good guys?" Was he afraid the "good guys" might regroup and come back after him with an even larger force? We think more than possible. So our all-compassionate God comes to Abram in a vision and says, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." Well, Abram was not yet the mature spiritual man that he was to become. The Lord still had some more work to do within Abram. So Abram asked the Lord, "What are you going to give me?" What is in this for me?
Abram was still looking at the natural level. He did not fully understand yet that the Lord Himself was Abram's shield (in battles) and his "exceeding great reward." But God, in His sovereignty and compassion was going to make even this real to Abram, who was to soon become Abraham, the father of many nations, and perhaps the greatest figure in the Old Testament, except for Melchizedek.
Now this same God of Abram is our God too. And He is no respecter of persons. All that God worked within Abram, he desires to work within each of us. The sovereignty of God and His compassion are at work within each one of us. But we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. For He, Himself, and He alone is our shield and our exceeding great reward. What a mighty God we serve!
Every day and every hour can be a new beginning for us with God. After failure we can begin afresh with Him.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The greater danger lies after our successes. After success we also need to begin afresh with Him. It makes no difference whether the past has contained failure or success, the present and future are all with which we need to be concerned. God lives in the eternal now. The principle of "forgetting what lies behind" is a Divine principle.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
This is not to say that we do not learn from our past mistakes. Of course we do! Every new beginning with God will lead to higher ground in the realm of the Spirit.
In the remaining verses of Genesis 15, the Lord made a covenant with Abram (verse 18), and reaffirmed that the land from the Nile River to the Euphrates River would belong to his seed. The Lord also gave Abram a preview of events that would occur in his family's future up to the point of their possession of the Promised Land. It is the grace and mercy of the Lord to give us, from time to time, a preview of future events in our lives.
I experienced this early in my walk as a believer in a general, overall preview of what God intended for my life. Moreover, there are times that God is merciful to give us a preview of some specific details that will unfold in our lives. I remember a time, many years ago, when I felt greatly impressed to call the elders over to our house to share a specific word from the Lord. The Lord also told me that the word that I was to share would NOT be accepted by those who came. Well I was obedient and called the believers I was supposed to call. They all came over to our house. As I was sharing the word the Lord had given to me, I began to question whether I had heard the outcome correctly or not, because everyone seemed to be accepting and agreeing with the word I was sharing. At the very last minute, however, one brother spoke up in opposition to that word I had just shared. Suddenly EVERYONE there did a COMPLETE flip ... such that they all rejected the word of the Lord. After everyone except my wife left, I wept deeply for a lengthy period of time ... saddened by the lack of acceptance of the word from the Lord. Then my wife told me that the Lord had told her that not only would all of those believers reject the word of the Lord but that I would weep afterwards. What great grace and mercy of the Lord to show me the result before it happened!!! For if I had NOT been prepared by the Lord that those believers would reject His word, I would have been totally devastated!
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 heakened to the voice of Sarai. Genesis 16:2
Genesis 16 speaks of the birth of Ishmael, which means, "God shall hear." Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born. It is most likely that Abram thought that Ishmael was to be the promised seed. There is a gap of 13 years between the end of Genesis 16 and the first verse of Genesis 17. Thirteen (13) in scripture signifies rebellion (see Genesis 14:4). In Genesis 17:1, after what must have been 13 long years of frustration and reflection on the part of Abram, the Lord appeared unto Abram again. This was the third time that the Lord had appeared unto Abram. The first time was in Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2) before he dwelt in Haran. The second time was in Canaan, in Shechem (Genesis 12:7). So after Abram had seen the Lord twice, and had heard His voice on several occasions, there were 13 long years of silence. We can imagine what must have run through Abram's mind during those 13 years. He must have thought, "What did I do wrong? Was Ishmael a mistake?" These kind of thoughts are indicated by
Genesis 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.
Abram was undoubtedly overcome with thanksgiving because he had finally heard and seen the Lord again. Then the Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham, or father of many nations. And the Lord said,
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. Genesis 17:7
The Lord at that time also instituted circumcision as a sign of that covenant; changed the name of Sarai to Sarah, meaning princess; and told Abraham that Sarah would bear Abraham a son, to be called Isaac.
Today, we have two great bodies of human beings claiming to be the heirs of that promise which God gave to Abraham. Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Both were destined to become great nations. But, the Lord definitely intended to honor one above the other. It was Isaac and his children who were to be the children of promise.
Genesis 17:18-21, "And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 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. 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. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."
God chose to bless and use the one whose birth was miraculous in order for us to have a guideline to direct us into the correct understanding of His purposes in the earth today. God is NOT planning to glorify the natural offspring of Abraham. We must disappoint the evangelical teachers of the day. A correct understanding of scripture points us in an entirely different direction. The ONLY way God has anything future in store for the natural seed of Abraham is in the exact same manner that everyone else comes into it ... ye must be born again. In Jesus' day the Pharisees said that they were the seed of Abraham, and so they were, in the natural realm. Jesus Himself verified that in John 8:37. But the important point is the seed, not Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. And that seed is Christ.
Acts 2:38-39, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
If our present-day theologians could have it their way, things would get into a royal mess right soon, but God is still in control. Meanwhile, God is quietly working on His REAL plan - the one which is typified by the birth and difficulties of the two boys born to Abraham - one a natural birth, the other a miraculous birth.
Genesis Chapters 18 and 19 describe the sharp contrast between the spiritual, mature believer (Abraham) and the carnal Christian (Lot). Chapter 18 relates Abraham's experience with the Lord (verse 1) and two angels, called men, during the heat of the day.
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, Genesis 18:1-2
When Abraham saw them he RAN to meet them. This theophany (appearance of God to man) was most probably the Lord. Jesus said to the Jews,
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. John 8:56
Abraham then provided water for them to wash their feet. After the three guests agreed to eat a meal, Abraham RAN to fetch a calf to provide meat for them. The menu consisted of cakes made from meal, butter, milk, and a tender calf. It was a feast fit for a King! Should we provide no less than our BEST for the Lord? The Lord then told Abraham that Sarah would have a son.
Then the Lord told Abraham that He was going from there to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
And the [two] men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. Genesis 18:22
Abraham, knowing that Lot was dwelling in Sodom, then interceded on behalf of Sodom, and the Lord agreed not to destroy the city if He could find 10 righteous within the city. Then,
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; Genesis 19:1
Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. The gate was the place that the elders sat. This indicates that Lot had become a solid citizen of this city of iniquity. Notice also that only TWO angels came to Sodom. The presence of the Lord still abided with Abraham. Lot did not know of the presence of the Lord. His conscience had been seared. Please note that Lot ROSE up whereas Abraham RAN to meet them. Lot, representative of the carnal Christian, was simply going through a formality ... a tradition. Please note also that Lot never offered water for the two men to wash their feet. Of course what follows is a great expression of the grace and mercy of God toward Lot and his wife and two daughters.
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2 Peter 2:6-7
Now the Lord was not through working within Abraham because Abraham had not yet fully matured. In Genesis Chapter 20, we read of the next big assault by the enemy to try to destroy the promised seed of the woman. Abraham slipped once more when he journeyed to Gerar, but the Lord never told him to go there.
Genesis 20:2, "And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah."
Once more, Abraham feared for his life. So Abraham told Abimelech, king of Gerar, that Sarah was his sister.
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. Genesis 20:11
Note that it was Abraham's THINKING that got him into trouble... "because I THOUGHT." Our minds are a battleground and we MUST learn to discern between that which is from God and that which is of the flesh or from the enemy.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
But once more the sovereignty of God intervened. Note also that this was one of the LAST points of maturity that the Lord needed to work into Abraham ... that he would no longer have any fear of death.
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:15
Genesis 21 describes the birth of Isaac, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. Please note that this miracle birth, and subsequent weaning, was the work of God, but BOTH Abraham AND Sarah had faith for Isaac to come forth.
19 And [Abraham] being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;21 And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Romans 4:19-22
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful Who had promised. Hebrews 11:11Genesis 21:5-8, "And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned."
Note that Abraham made a great feast on the day when Isaac was weaned but no mention is made of a great feast when Isaac was born. Although the angels rejoice when one sinner comes to Christ, it seems to be an even greater time of rejoicing when a born-again believer is weaned off the milk of the word. Both situations are miracles.
After this miraculous birth and weaning, the bondwoman and her son were cast out, for "in Isaac shall thy seed be called."
That which she originally desired (which resulted in Ishmael), she now could not accept. So Sarah said,
"cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac" (Genesis 21:10).
Note that God did not consider Ishmael to be Abraham's son, because Ishmael was a work of the flesh.
Perhaps the prime example of the sacrificial love for God on the part of any person (other than Jesus) was Abraham, as recorded in Genesis, Chapter 22.
Perhaps the prime example of the sacrificial love for God on the part of any person (other than Jesus) was Abraham, as recorded in Genesis, Chapter 22.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. Hebrews 11:17-19
In Genesis 22, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his ONLY son, Isaac, (Genesis 22:16). As a result, God greatly blessed Abraham.
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time.16 And said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice. Genesis 22:15-18
In tracing the promise of the Father to Abraham, we can follow it TO and THROUGH Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David. The Promise is found upon and stops with the Man, Jesus. But Jesus said that when He went away, He would send the promise of the FATHER (to Abraham upon those who followed Him.
Luke 24:49, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."Acts 1:4, "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me."
The promise given to Abraham was actually the promise that in the "SEED" there was to be a blessing to all nations.
Galatians 3:16, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy SEED, which is Christ."
Galatians 3:19, "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
A man's first priority must always be to the Lord Himself. But among all other people on earth, a man's first priority is to his wife. Abraham presents a good example of this, in his relationship to Sarah.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Genesis 21:12
In the time period between Genesis 16:2 and Genesis 21:12, both Sarah and Abraham had learned some things. They were now more spiritually mature. In Genesis 16, their names were Sarai and Abram; in Genesis 21:12, they had been renamed Sarah and Abraham. Abraham had learned not to accept, superficially, anything that his wife told him, without first hearing from the Lord. So it is today. A husband should listen carefully and joyfully to anything that his wife has to say concerning situations that require a decision. But the husband should never abdicate his position as head of the family (Ephesians 5:23). The husband MUST take EVERYTHING of any consequence to the Lord and hear what the Lord says for them to do.
Sarah had also learned some things over time. She had acquired more wisdom from the Lord. We also believe that Sarah had come to realize her "mistake" in pushing Hagar onto Abraham, with the resulting offspring of Ishmael. That which she originally desired (which resulted in Ishmael), she now could not accept. So Sarah said, "cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac" (Genesis 21:10). It is more than possible that Sarah had received a revelation from the Lord, for the Lord told Abraham to hearken to Sarah his wife in that situation.
Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. John 2:5
This is a cornerstone of Christianity! We MUST hear the voice of the Lord for ourselves and then act upon that word, by faith. Volume 3 of this series will contain a chapter about hearing the voice of the Lord.
Genesis 23, records the death of Sarah, at age 127, and her subsequent burial in the cave of Machpelah, which was bought by Abraham. Sarah is the ONLY woman in scripture whose age is given, except possibly for Anna, in Luke, Chapter 2. I do not know the special significance of her age at her death, but I DO believe it is prophetic concerning the length of the church age.
In Genesis, Chapter 24, Abraham sent his eldest servant back to Mesopotamia and to his brother Nahor's land to find a wife for his son Isaac. Once more the sovereignty of God prevailed and Rebekah returned to be Isaac's wife.
Genesis, Chapter 25, states that Abraham took another wife, named Keturah. Abraham was 150 when he married Keturah. This was 23 years after Sarah had died. There is very little in scripture about Keturah; e.g., where did she come from? What was her ancestry? When did she die? Scripture does not tell us. Keturah's rather mysterious appearance and disappearance is similar to that of Melchizedek. It is also probably significant that Abraham married Keturah in the same year that Shem died. Shem was 600 years old when he died. That may well correspond by type to the end of the church age (after 6000 years). A few believers have suggested that Shem may have been Melchizedek. We do NOT subscribe to that belief, although Shem may well be a TYPE of Melchizedek. In 1 Chronicles 1:32, Keturah is called Abraham's concubine, but she was still his wife. But surely Abraham knew NOT to take a wife from the Canaanites because he had applied that principle when he sent his eldest servant to get a wife for Isaac. We have just traced through the life of Abraham and noted how he had greatly matured as a believer, to the point of being willing to sacrifice the very promise of God to him.
So either Abraham had fallen into rebellion and apostasy after Sarah died or it was the will of God for him to marry Keturah. Now let us consider the fact that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. The birth of Isaac was indeed a miracle in the natural realm, but it was the fulfillment of a promise from God. Moreover, Abraham believed God for this miracle, despite his dead body. So 50 years LATER, LONG after his body was dead, Abraham had 6 MORE sons by Keturah. We have difficulty believing that God would allow Abraham to have 6 more sons if he (Abraham) had been in rebellion. There CERTAINLY is nothing in scripture to indicate that Abraham had fallen away from the faith.
Some commentators state that the six sons born to Abraham and Keturah were the tares, sown after Isaac, the good seed. That MIGHT be a logical conclusion IF the Abraham/Keturah marriage was born out of rebellion and apostasy. We have many difficulties with that possibility. Keturah is one of the very few people in scripture whose ancestry is not mentioned (Melchizedek is the first). The name Keturah comes from a root word which means "to turn into fragrance by fire, especially as an act of worship."
Another fact we should look at when considering the significance of Keturah is that Abraham had three (3) wives, Hagar, Sarah, and Keturah. Hagar of course bore Ishmael. Hagar signifies the law (see Galatians 4:21-31 for confirmation of this). The law was based on WORKS ... thou shalt DO this, thou shalt not DO that. Sarah is symbolic of the church age. Isaac is certainly a type of Christ. If we look at the (supposedly) highest form of the church age in its present form, what do we see? At the BEST "charismatic" meetings, what occupies the majority of the time? WORDS! teaching, preaching, prophecy, a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, singing songs using natural words. But we propose that Keturah symbolizes the age of the kingdom.
The kingdom age is characterized by BEING! Now is there anything wrong with works? Not necessarily. Jesus did many wonderful works while he was on earth. We should also remember that God rested from all of His works on the seventh day. Is there anything wrong with words? Not necessarily. Jesus also spoke many words (most of which His disciples did not understand). But it seems to us that what God is after is BEING! Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Now we are not big on "numbers" in scripture (i.e., we do not look at numbers per se, but rather at the Lord Himself). But surely numbers DO have a significance. My first bible has dates in the margins for almost every significant event recorded in scripture. These dates are certainly NOT a part of the bible. However, many believers accept the dates in the King James Version as calculated by Archbishop Usher. Usher arrived at the date of 4004 B.C. for the creation of Adam by using his calculations of the years in the patriarchal genealogies, given in Chapters 5 and 11 of Genesis. There are at least five (5) different theories on the interpretation of the six days of creation (i.e., what constitutes a "day"), but we do NOT want to pursue that which cannot be known except by revelation from God. A theory is something that cannot be proved.
We are not entirely sure that God has ever chosen to reveal the length of a "day" as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. Lacking any specific revelation from the Lord to the contrary, we must assume that a "day" was a day as we know it; i.e. 24 hours.
IF we assume that Usher's dates are correct, we can see a rather startling pattern if we multiply Abraham's age at significant events in his life by forty. First of all, Abraham was born almost exactly halfway between when Adam, the first man, was created from dust and the coming of Christ, the second Man, the Lord from heaven. Usher places Abraham's birth as 1996 B.C.
Abraham's first "call," in Ur of the Chaldees (Acts 7:2-4) occurred when he was 50 years old. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100. Abraham was 150 when he married Keturah. This was the same year that Shem died. Finally Abraham was 175 when he died. If we multiply each of these ages by 40, we get 2000 (very close to the actual birth of Abraham), 4000 (the approximate number of years from Adam to when Jesus came to the earth as a man), 6000 (the end of the sixth day, which approximates the year in which we now live), and 7000 (the end of the 1000 years that Christ will reign on earth). Only God knows the true significance of all of these dates and we should NEVER focus on numerology. We only sketch these dates (many more could be listed) to point out that from the years of the marriage of Abraham to Keturah until Abraham's death (a total of 25 years), if multiplied by 40, corresponds to the 1000 years when Christ shall reign on earth. This gives more credence to Keturah being symbolic of the age of the kingdom. In addition, NO mention is ever made in scripture of the death of Keturah.
We also know that during Christ's millennial kingdom on earth, people will still continue to be born and marry and produce offspring (Revelation 20). And when the thousand years are expired, Satan will be loosed out of his prison and will go out to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:7-8). Apparently, some of the children of the believers who start in the kingdom during the last 1000 years will prove to be unbelievers (and/or be deceived by Satan) and start a rebellion against Christ and His rule. This seems to be confirmed by the names of some of the six sons of Keturah.
Zimran, the first, means "to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music: to give praise, sing forth praises or psalms." That doesn't sound like tares. The names of the next four sons get progressively worse in their meaning. "Jokshan" means "insidious, or to lay a snare." "Medan" means "discord or strife." "Midian" means "brawling, or contentious." "Ishbak" means "he will leave." These four sons seem to represent those who will be deceived by satan, as in Revelation 20:7-8. But "Shuah" means "to bow down, incline, or humble." We know that in the end,
So Shuah, the sixth son, says that EVERY man, in the final analysis and at the end of time, shall bow his knee and humble himself in the sight of Jesus.
Genesis 25 concludes the account of the life of Abraham. The last verses in the Old Testament about Abraham are,
Now we need to consider another general truth, of which the life of Abraham gives us a specific example. I believe in something I call progressive revelation. The Lord over the centuries has gradually been revealing more of Himself and His word. I could share numerous examples of that from my personal experience.
More generally, there are some truths stated in the New Testament which are neither stated nor implied prophetically in the Old Testament. Concerning Abraham, we know from Matthew 8:11 and Luke 16:29 that Abraham is one of those in the kingdom of God. Further, from Hebrews 11:8-10,
To the best of my knowledge, nothing is said or implied in the Old Testament about Abraham looking for a city. So that truth must have been revealed to the author of the Book of Hebrews, which many, including myself, believe was written by Paul. So we now want to share with you some thoughts about that city which Abraham looked for.
The essence of part of this word was first received from Marion Fretwell, a solid man of God who labored in God's Vineyard on the West Coast for almost 75 years before the Lord took him home at the age of 96 a few years ago.
According to present day prophetic teachers, particularly the evangelicals, Jerusalem and the land of Israel is the focus of much speculative teaching about what is destined to happen in the last days. We hear a great deal about the role intended for her to fulfill in the plans of the Israeli people. We also hear rumors of the plans for a new temple, either on the old site or on a new site - it doesn't make much difference.
If people are making a mistake, it doesn't matter too much whether it is a big mistake or a small one. Either one will miss the intended goal. Perhaps the people who lived when Jesus lived, and rejected Him because of a lack of proper teaching and understanding, were not much worse off, if any, than our Bible teachers of today. We believers today are apt to miss the true events of God as badly as those who crucified Jesus. Our "guns" are pointing the wrong direction.
Abraham, 4,000 years ago, may have known more than we do today. He didn't have the "benefit" of Bible commentators - he had to depend upon what God told him. Anyway, Abraham was looking for a City ... not an earthly city, but one which has "foundations."
If Abraham knew enough to keep his eyes off of an earthly city, shouldn't we also know as much? Do we have any right to be looking at what God considers "yesterday's manna," which no longer has any value to us and even may make us sick if we partake thereof? Now let us consider the two cities... the earthly city and the heavenly city.
Do you desire a better country?
Do you seek a continuing city which is to come?
Herod and Pontius Pilate were not the best of friends. They represent the political kingdoms, but they united in their effort to eliminate Jesus. Joining that political effort were both Jews and Gentiles ... the religious sphere. That coalition is on the verge of being repeated in our day.
Both the political and religious factors in the world will unite in their final attempt to eliminate Christianity. A world-wide economic collapse will usher in that coalition, starting in the United States. Many worldly economists in the past few years have been predicting that economic collapse, which will see hyper-inflation and likely riots in the streets. When people get hungry for natural food they will do some dastardly things. That will pave the way for the emergence of the political beast, which will be only the forerunner of the religious beast. That also means that the very Jewish nation that Evangelical Christians and some charismatics strongly support will turn out to be an enemy of Christians. That should be ample reason for us to prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts.
Now I have no problem with any Christian who feels led by the Lord to minister to Jewish people or any other ethnic group in the world. But I would caution such not to try to intermix Judaism with Christianity. We cannot mix the earthly with the heavenly. We cannot make whole that which the Lord has set aside. The Lord told Jeremiah, concerning the earthly Jerusalem and Judah (or Judaism),
So either Abraham had fallen into rebellion and apostasy after Sarah died or it was the will of God for him to marry Keturah. Now let us consider the fact that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. The birth of Isaac was indeed a miracle in the natural realm, but it was the fulfillment of a promise from God. Moreover, Abraham believed God for this miracle, despite his dead body. So 50 years LATER, LONG after his body was dead, Abraham had 6 MORE sons by Keturah. We have difficulty believing that God would allow Abraham to have 6 more sons if he (Abraham) had been in rebellion. There CERTAINLY is nothing in scripture to indicate that Abraham had fallen away from the faith.
Some commentators state that the six sons born to Abraham and Keturah were the tares, sown after Isaac, the good seed. That MIGHT be a logical conclusion IF the Abraham/Keturah marriage was born out of rebellion and apostasy. We have many difficulties with that possibility. Keturah is one of the very few people in scripture whose ancestry is not mentioned (Melchizedek is the first). The name Keturah comes from a root word which means "to turn into fragrance by fire, especially as an act of worship."
Another fact we should look at when considering the significance of Keturah is that Abraham had three (3) wives, Hagar, Sarah, and Keturah. Hagar of course bore Ishmael. Hagar signifies the law (see Galatians 4:21-31 for confirmation of this). The law was based on WORKS ... thou shalt DO this, thou shalt not DO that. Sarah is symbolic of the church age. Isaac is certainly a type of Christ. If we look at the (supposedly) highest form of the church age in its present form, what do we see? At the BEST "charismatic" meetings, what occupies the majority of the time? WORDS! teaching, preaching, prophecy, a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, singing songs using natural words. But we propose that Keturah symbolizes the age of the kingdom.
The kingdom age is characterized by BEING! Now is there anything wrong with works? Not necessarily. Jesus did many wonderful works while he was on earth. We should also remember that God rested from all of His works on the seventh day. Is there anything wrong with words? Not necessarily. Jesus also spoke many words (most of which His disciples did not understand). But it seems to us that what God is after is BEING! Christ in you, the hope of glory!
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall BE witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
Now we are not big on "numbers" in scripture (i.e., we do not look at numbers per se, but rather at the Lord Himself). But surely numbers DO have a significance. My first bible has dates in the margins for almost every significant event recorded in scripture. These dates are certainly NOT a part of the bible. However, many believers accept the dates in the King James Version as calculated by Archbishop Usher. Usher arrived at the date of 4004 B.C. for the creation of Adam by using his calculations of the years in the patriarchal genealogies, given in Chapters 5 and 11 of Genesis. There are at least five (5) different theories on the interpretation of the six days of creation (i.e., what constitutes a "day"), but we do NOT want to pursue that which cannot be known except by revelation from God. A theory is something that cannot be proved.
We are not entirely sure that God has ever chosen to reveal the length of a "day" as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. Lacking any specific revelation from the Lord to the contrary, we must assume that a "day" was a day as we know it; i.e. 24 hours.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day ... Exodus 20:11
IF we assume that Usher's dates are correct, we can see a rather startling pattern if we multiply Abraham's age at significant events in his life by forty. First of all, Abraham was born almost exactly halfway between when Adam, the first man, was created from dust and the coming of Christ, the second Man, the Lord from heaven. Usher places Abraham's birth as 1996 B.C.
Abraham's first "call," in Ur of the Chaldees (Acts 7:2-4) occurred when he was 50 years old. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100. Abraham was 150 when he married Keturah. This was the same year that Shem died. Finally Abraham was 175 when he died. If we multiply each of these ages by 40, we get 2000 (very close to the actual birth of Abraham), 4000 (the approximate number of years from Adam to when Jesus came to the earth as a man), 6000 (the end of the sixth day, which approximates the year in which we now live), and 7000 (the end of the 1000 years that Christ will reign on earth). Only God knows the true significance of all of these dates and we should NEVER focus on numerology. We only sketch these dates (many more could be listed) to point out that from the years of the marriage of Abraham to Keturah until Abraham's death (a total of 25 years), if multiplied by 40, corresponds to the 1000 years when Christ shall reign on earth. This gives more credence to Keturah being symbolic of the age of the kingdom. In addition, NO mention is ever made in scripture of the death of Keturah.
We also know that during Christ's millennial kingdom on earth, people will still continue to be born and marry and produce offspring (Revelation 20). And when the thousand years are expired, Satan will be loosed out of his prison and will go out to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:7-8). Apparently, some of the children of the believers who start in the kingdom during the last 1000 years will prove to be unbelievers (and/or be deceived by Satan) and start a rebellion against Christ and His rule. This seems to be confirmed by the names of some of the six sons of Keturah.
Zimran, the first, means "to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music: to give praise, sing forth praises or psalms." That doesn't sound like tares. The names of the next four sons get progressively worse in their meaning. "Jokshan" means "insidious, or to lay a snare." "Medan" means "discord or strife." "Midian" means "brawling, or contentious." "Ishbak" means "he will leave." These four sons seem to represent those who will be deceived by satan, as in Revelation 20:7-8. But "Shuah" means "to bow down, incline, or humble." We know that in the end,
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
So Shuah, the sixth son, says that EVERY man, in the final analysis and at the end of time, shall bow his knee and humble himself in the sight of Jesus.
Genesis 25 concludes the account of the life of Abraham. The last verses in the Old Testament about Abraham are,
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
Now we need to consider another general truth, of which the life of Abraham gives us a specific example. I believe in something I call progressive revelation. The Lord over the centuries has gradually been revealing more of Himself and His word. I could share numerous examples of that from my personal experience.
More generally, there are some truths stated in the New Testament which are neither stated nor implied prophetically in the Old Testament. Concerning Abraham, we know from Matthew 8:11 and Luke 16:29 that Abraham is one of those in the kingdom of God. Further, from Hebrews 11:8-10,
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
To the best of my knowledge, nothing is said or implied in the Old Testament about Abraham looking for a city. So that truth must have been revealed to the author of the Book of Hebrews, which many, including myself, believe was written by Paul. So we now want to share with you some thoughts about that city which Abraham looked for.
The essence of part of this word was first received from Marion Fretwell, a solid man of God who labored in God's Vineyard on the West Coast for almost 75 years before the Lord took him home at the age of 96 a few years ago.
According to present day prophetic teachers, particularly the evangelicals, Jerusalem and the land of Israel is the focus of much speculative teaching about what is destined to happen in the last days. We hear a great deal about the role intended for her to fulfill in the plans of the Israeli people. We also hear rumors of the plans for a new temple, either on the old site or on a new site - it doesn't make much difference.
If people are making a mistake, it doesn't matter too much whether it is a big mistake or a small one. Either one will miss the intended goal. Perhaps the people who lived when Jesus lived, and rejected Him because of a lack of proper teaching and understanding, were not much worse off, if any, than our Bible teachers of today. We believers today are apt to miss the true events of God as badly as those who crucified Jesus. Our "guns" are pointing the wrong direction.
Abraham, 4,000 years ago, may have known more than we do today. He didn't have the "benefit" of Bible commentators - he had to depend upon what God told him. Anyway, Abraham was looking for a City ... not an earthly city, but one which has "foundations."
Hebrews 11:10, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
If Abraham knew enough to keep his eyes off of an earthly city, shouldn't we also know as much? Do we have any right to be looking at what God considers "yesterday's manna," which no longer has any value to us and even may make us sick if we partake thereof? Now let us consider the two cities... the earthly city and the heavenly city.
Hebrews 11:16, "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city."
Do you desire a better country?
Hebrews 13:14, "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."
Do you seek a continuing city which is to come?
Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Revelation 21:10, "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
Are you enjoying an earthly city or the heavenly city? No earthly city will ever figure into God's eternal plan. Let those people in Israel in the Middle East worry about their city - it will never be accepted by God. Men are building it! But God is building His own City right now. Every true believer is a part of it. We fit into it in some manner - walls, gates, foundations, precious stones. We are there NOW! WE are the City not made with hands - the City Four square - made by Heaven. Our City has no need of the sun, for the Lamb is the light.
I can't tell you all about the streets of Gold - the wall of Jasper, etc. But I believe they represent Christians with certain characteristics which cause them to be classified as a "wall" or a "street" or some other part. I am sure God knows where each one of us fits. Have you ever wondered why you are like you are - why you do what you do? Has God made you that way by His Spirit so you can perform a specific function in His Heavenly City?
Now I want to share with you something which I have never heard or read before. As an introduction, I believe there is no such thing as Judeo-Christianity. That expression has been manufactured by the carnal minds of men and represents a mixture which plays no part in the plans and purposes of God. The early church, as recorded in the Book of Acts, Chapter 15, faced that same problem.
For many years in the past I wondered how Islam, with their 1.8 billion adherents, and the Roman Catholic Church, with their 1.3 billion followers, could possibly co-exist because both seek after world pre-eminence and domination in the religious arena. Which one will overcome the other? Then one day a few years ago the Holy Spirit quickened to me the answer from the verses in Acts 4:27-28. Neither of the two will prevail. To understand why, we need to recognize what Babylon speaks of. Babylon, from Revelation 17 and other scriptures, has three major components ... economic, political, and religious. Peter and John, after being reprimanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin, prayed with all of the disciples, in Acts 4:27-28,
I can't tell you all about the streets of Gold - the wall of Jasper, etc. But I believe they represent Christians with certain characteristics which cause them to be classified as a "wall" or a "street" or some other part. I am sure God knows where each one of us fits. Have you ever wondered why you are like you are - why you do what you do? Has God made you that way by His Spirit so you can perform a specific function in His Heavenly City?
Now I want to share with you something which I have never heard or read before. As an introduction, I believe there is no such thing as Judeo-Christianity. That expression has been manufactured by the carnal minds of men and represents a mixture which plays no part in the plans and purposes of God. The early church, as recorded in the Book of Acts, Chapter 15, faced that same problem.
For many years in the past I wondered how Islam, with their 1.8 billion adherents, and the Roman Catholic Church, with their 1.3 billion followers, could possibly co-exist because both seek after world pre-eminence and domination in the religious arena. Which one will overcome the other? Then one day a few years ago the Holy Spirit quickened to me the answer from the verses in Acts 4:27-28. Neither of the two will prevail. To understand why, we need to recognize what Babylon speaks of. Babylon, from Revelation 17 and other scriptures, has three major components ... economic, political, and religious. Peter and John, after being reprimanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin, prayed with all of the disciples, in Acts 4:27-28,
"For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done."
Herod and Pontius Pilate were not the best of friends. They represent the political kingdoms, but they united in their effort to eliminate Jesus. Joining that political effort were both Jews and Gentiles ... the religious sphere. That coalition is on the verge of being repeated in our day.
Both the political and religious factors in the world will unite in their final attempt to eliminate Christianity. A world-wide economic collapse will usher in that coalition, starting in the United States. Many worldly economists in the past few years have been predicting that economic collapse, which will see hyper-inflation and likely riots in the streets. When people get hungry for natural food they will do some dastardly things. That will pave the way for the emergence of the political beast, which will be only the forerunner of the religious beast. That also means that the very Jewish nation that Evangelical Christians and some charismatics strongly support will turn out to be an enemy of Christians. That should be ample reason for us to prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts.
Psalm 55:12-14, "For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."
Now I have no problem with any Christian who feels led by the Lord to minister to Jewish people or any other ethnic group in the world. But I would caution such not to try to intermix Judaism with Christianity. We cannot mix the earthly with the heavenly. We cannot make whole that which the Lord has set aside. The Lord told Jeremiah, concerning the earthly Jerusalem and Judah (or Judaism),
Jeremiah 19:10-12, "Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet."
Tophet was a location in Jerusalem where worshipers influenced by the ancient Canaanite religion engaged in the human sacrifice of children to the gods Moloch and Baal by burning them alive. Tophet became a synonym for Hell within Christendom.
May the Lord give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him!
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