AM Jan 12th Matt 8

January 12^th Some want to follow Christ

19: And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20: And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21: And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22: But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Christ stills the storm

23: And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24: And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25: And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26: And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27: But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Christ - the demon possessed

28: And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29: And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30: And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31: So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32: And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33: And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34: And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

A Scribe offers to become a disciple of Christ, but Christ describes the conditions of following him, which is that he will have no fixed abode. (being a disciple of Christ was not the same as being a christian. Being a disciple was a very common practise. John had disciples as did the religious leaders. It was equivalent to going to theological school today) Another person asks Christ if he will allow him to go and bury his father first but Christ says quite simply – let the dead bury the dead. Christ was saying leave the affairs of this world behind no matter how pressing. Christ was forever moving forward and it was up to his disciples to keep up. On the lake Christ demonstrates his power over nature. Next Christ demonstrates his power in the supernatural realm. Its one thing to control nature, but quite another to control super-nature. The demons make a foolish request and Christ grants them permission. The whole city was gathered around Christ not to learn but to ask him to leave. How sad.

• What was the scribe wanting to do?
• Why did Christ say let the dead bury their dead?
• What are the differences between the calming of the storm and the deliverance of the demoniac?

PM Jan 11th Gen 26

January 11^th Genesis 26 Isaac moves to Gerar

1: And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2: And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4: And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5: Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 6: And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 7: And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 8: And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9: And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 10: And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 11: And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 12: Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13: And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14: For he had possession of flocks, and possessions of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15: For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 16: And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 17: And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18: And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19: And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20: And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. 21: And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. 22: And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 23: And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. 24: And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. 25: And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

Isaac’s covenant with Abimelech

26: Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. 27: And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? 28: And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29: That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD. 30: And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31: And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32: And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. 33: And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day. 34: And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: 35: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Genesis 27 G. Jacob Jacob deceives his father

1: And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. 2: And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: 3: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4: And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. 5: And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6: And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7: Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. 8: Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9: Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11: And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13: And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 14: And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 15: And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17: And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18: And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19: And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. 20: And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. 21: And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. 22: And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23: And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. 24: And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. 25: And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26: And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27: And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: 28: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 9: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. 30: And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31: And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32: And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. 33: And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. 34: And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. 35: And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. 36: And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37: And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38: And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39: And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; 40: And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Jacob runs away from Esau

41: And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42: And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43: Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 44: And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; 45: Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? 46: And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Genesis 28

1: And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2: Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. 3: And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; 4: And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. 5: And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. 6: When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; 7: And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan-aram; 8: And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9: Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Jacob’s dream at Bethel

10: And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. 11: And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12: And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13: And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14: And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15: And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 16: And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 17: And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18: And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19: And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21: So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

In today’s Bible reading we see Isaac tested by a famine in the land and of Gods faithfulness to him. Later we read of Jacobs trickery and of the deception of his father to obtain his fathers blessing. Jacob has to run away because of fear of his brother. In the first chapter we see that Isaac is tested by the circumstances of life. A famine comes to the Promised Land and everyone moves into other lands for food. Abraham faced the same test and he went down to Egypt and there he faced great difficulties. On this occasion the LORD appeared to Jacob to specifically warn him not to go down to Egypt. However he did go to Gerar where he met Abimelech king of the Philistines. The LORD promised him great blessing, he would inherit all the countries round about and his seed would multiply as great as the number of the stars in heaven. And his seed (Christ) would one day be a blessing to every family in the earth. However Isaac fell into the same deception as Abraham. The men saw his wife and asked who she was and he said she is my sister! She was very beautiful and he feared for his life. However is happened that the king saw Isaac playing with Rebekah and he realised that their relationship was more than brother and sister. So he called to speak to him and challenged him about it. Isaac confessed it all and the king gave a warning to his men not to touch her on pain of death. the LORD blessed Isaac and made his crops multiply 100 times the yield. And his herds grew very great so much that in the end the Philistines became afraid of his wealth and power. God was with Isaac. He became very great. The Philistines tried to curb his growth by filling in the wells but Isaac had them opened up. Isaac was the man of the wells just as Abraham was the man of the altars. In the night God appeared to Isaac and said do not be afraid because l am with you and l will bless you and multiply your seed because of your fathers sake. There he built an altar and dug another well. Isaac was able to find water in the desert because God was with him. Abimelech came to see Isaac to ask for a nonaggression peace treaty. They were afraid of his strength and power. Then we have a small insight into the life of Esau. Moses says he took a wife of the Canaanites. Her name was Judith. And this union brought grief to the hearts of his mother and father. The next incident is incredibly sad and no credit to Jacob or Rebekah. As we said before this was a divided home. When Isaac was old his eyes became dim so that he could not see. And he called his eldest son Esau and said Go and kill deer and prepare it so that l will bless you. Rebekah heard this request and set about teaching Jacob how to deceive his father. Esau was a while out stalking the deer and while this was happening Rebekah went about with her plan to get the blessing for her son Jacob. Rebekah was whatever we might think of her was a great cook, she told Jacob to get two kids of the goats and she cooked it to make it taste like venison. But Jacob said how can l deceive my father? Esau is a hairy man and l am a smooth man! Rebekah was more than a match for all these difficulties. She took the skin of the goats and put it on Jacob’s arms and neck. And she said let the curse be on me for what we are doing! Then she dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes which smelled of the field and she put the skin on him and she brought him to her husband. The last thing Jacob remembered of his mother was her teaching him to deceive her own husband his father. The trickery worked. Isaac was surprised that the meal had been prepared so soon and he asked how that was possible and Jacob said the LORD helped me!! Jacob was prepared to call God’s holy name into the conversation. Jacob knew the voice was Jacob but everything else convinced him that it was Esau. Lastly he asked him outright are you Esau? and Jacob said l am - so Isaac blessed him. The blessing is lovely he says may God give you the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine and may people serve you and the nations bow down to you. You will be Lord over your brethren and may your mothers son bow down to you. Cursed will be everyone who curses you and blessed will be everyone who blesses you. And then Jacob hurried away. Just after he had left, Esau came in with his venison for his father. And he said to Isaac rise up father and eat my venison so that your soul might bless me. Isaac said who are you? And he said l am Esau your firstborn. Isaac trembled very much from the shock of what had happened. Isaac said where is the one who has given me food already and l have blessed him and he will be blessed. Esau wept with great anguish, because he had lost his blessing yet he could not cause his father to bless him. Esau said do you not have a blessing for me and Isaac replied l have made him Lord over you. Isaac did bless him by saying you will have abundance of provision but you be against every man. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother and it will come to pass one day that when you take control you will break the yoke your brother places on you. From that moment Esau hated Jacob and he promised to himself that when his father died he would kill him. Rebekah got to know the feeling Esau had and she warned Jacob. So she called Jacob and said go away to Laban (her brother) in Haran and when your brother calms down l will send for you. She didn’t know that he would be away for 20 years. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and gave him a solemn charge not to take a wife from the Canaanites but to go to Padan-aram. (This was northern Iraq where the Curds live today) When Esau heard the Jacob had gone away to obey his father and Mother he took a Canaanite wife just to spite his mother. Jacob set out for Haran and on the way he came to a place to sleep and he set up some stones as a pillow and he lay down to sleep. Then he dreamed and in his dread a staircase was set up between heaven and earth and the angels of God were going up and coming down. (The sphere of their activity was earth and they were going up to get new orders and coming down to fulfil them). He saw the changing of the guard. Then the LORD stood at the top of the ladder and reiterated the promise that he had made to Abraham and Isaac. He said the land you are lying on, l will give it to you and your seed. Your seed would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and in your seed every family on the earth would be blessed. This was a Messianic promise which will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom. Then the LORD promised his personal presence and protection. Jacob woke and said the LORD is in this place and I didn’t know it. He was afraid and said how dreadful is this place, it is the house of God and the gate of heaven. He took the stones and reared up a pillar and poured oil on it and he called the place Bethel. (House of God) Notice Gods promises were unconditional, they were one-sided. But Jacob made a two sided oath he said if God will be with me and will keep me in the path of my life. And he will give me bread to eat and clothing and bring me home to my father’s house then The LORD will be my God. And this stone will be Gods house and l will give a tenth of everything to the LORD.

• What promises did the Lord give to Jacob?
• What did Jacob do to obtain his fathers blessing?
• What sort of oath did Jacob make to the Lord?

AM Jan 11th Matt 8

January 11^th Matthew 8 Christ heals leprosy

1: When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2: And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3: And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4: And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Christ - the Centurions servant

5: And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6: And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7: And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8: The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9: For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10: When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11: And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13: And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Christ heals many others

14: And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15: And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16: When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. 18: Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

The Lord faced huge public acclaim. Even though they were like the seed sown in shallow ground that had no root. The coming of the leper was a very significant event in Christ’s ministry. This man comes to Christ to be cleansed. Now there had never been a case of a leper in Israel healed. The Rabbis were aware of this and so they had come to the conclusion that if a man appeared in Israel that could cleanse a leper then he would be a candidate for Messiahship. The Rabbis would respond to a healing of a leper by beginning a ten day rabbinical investigation to discover if this healer was significant or not. Rabbis would be chosen to go and watch him and listen to him but at this stage they would not engage in conversation. The Lord having healed the man sends him to the Caiaphas high priest to offer the sacrifice for the cleansing of the leper. Now the High Priest would probably have to go back to the law to reread what was necessary on this occasion.

• What was the significance of the healing of the leper?
• How did the Rabbis respond to this story of a cleansed leper?
• What instructions did the Lord give to the leper?

PM Jan 10th Gen 24

January 10^th Genesis 24 F. Isaac Isaac marries Rebekah

1: And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2: And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 3: And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5: And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? 6: And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 7: The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. 8: And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 9: And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. 10: And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11: And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 12: And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 13: Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 15: And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16: And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17: And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 18: And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19: And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 20: And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21: And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22: And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23: And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? 24: And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. 25: She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26: And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27: And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren. 28: And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. 29: And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 30: And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 31: And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32: And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. 33: And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. 34: And he said, I am Abraham's servant. 35: And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 36: And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. 37: And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: 38: But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. 39: And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40: And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: 41: Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. 42: And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go; 43: Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 44: And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. 45: And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. 46: And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47: And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48: And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. 49: And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 50: Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 51: Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken. 52: And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53: And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. 54: And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. 55: And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. 56: And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 57: And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. 58: And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. 59: And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 60: And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 61: And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62: And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country. 63: And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 64: And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 65: For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 66: And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67: And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Genesis 25 Abraham’s family by Keturah

1: Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2: And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3: And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4: And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5: And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6: But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

Abraham dies and is buried

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. 11: And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi.

Ishmael’s Genealogy

12: Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14: And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15: Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: 16: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. 17: And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. 18: And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Isaac’s twin sons

19: And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20: And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21: And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22: And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD. 23: And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 24: And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25: And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26: And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. 27: And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28: And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29: And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31: And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33: And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34: Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

In today’s Bible reading we see Isaac coming onto centre stage and Abraham, after Isaac’s marriage, moving off stage. But first we have a detailed and interesting story of how Isaac finds Rebekah and marries her. Abraham was now very old and the LORD had blessed him in everything. Abraham set about arranging a marriage for his son. So he calls his most trusted servant and makes him swear to never bring a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites but to find a wife from Abraham’s own family. The servants only question is what if she doesn’t want to come with him? Abraham says if she is unwilling, then he is released from the oath. When he arrived at the city of Nahor he rested at a well at end of the day. Next the servant makes a bold prayer he asks that the woman who comes to the well and has a certain conversation with him, will be the right woman for Isaac. As soon as he had said these words Rebekah came to the well. Unknown to them both God the Holy Spirit was guiding in a remarkable way. He was beautiful and unmarried. The servant ran to her and asked for water and she was glad to help. Hospitality is a great thing in a woman. The servant was looking for confirmation of her identity so he asked her who she was. When she said who she was, he bowed down and worshipped the LORD. He said may the LORD God bless my master Abraham who has been so kind to my master Abraham and has clearly led me to my master’s brethren. She ran home and told them of the man who was outside. Laban her brother came out to meet Abraham’s servant. Laban insisted that he come into the house to be looked after. They put food in front of the servant but he said l must not eat until l have delivered the message. Then he described what the LORD had done to bless Abraham and of his wealth. He described Sarah’s son - Isaac. Then he explained his errand. After relating the whole thing Laban said this is something that has been arranged by the LORD. We cannot speak good or evil of it. If Rebekah will go - then we will let her go. Again the servant worshipped the LORD. They rested that night and then the servant said in the morning - let me go back to my master. They wanted Rebekah to stay a while but the servant said, please send us away – they asked Rebekah and Rebekah said l will go right away. They blessed her, asking that God would make her the mother of thousands of millions. After a long journey they found Isaac was walking in the fields - meditating and he saw camels coming from afar. When Rebekah saw Isaac she climbed down and she said to Abrahams servant who is this that is coming to meet us? He replied, he is my master. She took a veil and covered her face. Isaac took Rebekah and put her in his mother Sarah’s tent. Later he took her as his wife and he lover her and the LORD sent comfort into Isaacs life after the death of his mother. After a while Abraham took another wife by the name of Keturah. Her name means ‘beautiful scent’. The children that she bore became fathers of tribes which were a trial to Israel. Abraham had wives that were servants but the children never inherited the estate of Abraham instead he gave them great gifts and sent them away so that Isaac could rule his own house without hindrance. Abraham lived for 175 years and died a very old man, full of years. Isaac and Ishmael buried him with Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. Next we have another division in Genesis. Moses says ‘These are the generations of’ – Ishmael. Then he records his family. However the story from now on focuses closely on Isaac. Next we have another division Moses says ‘These are the generations of’ – Isaac. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah but Rebekah was barren. (The second of eight barren women in scripture.) Isaac being the man of God that he was, he sought the LORD for his wife and God heard his prayer and Rebekah conceived. But she was carrying twins in her womb. She sought the Lord about the great struggle that was going on inside her. The LORD answered her saying that - two nations are within you. Two different types of peoples. One of the people will dominate the other – the elder child will serve the younger child. When they were born, the first child was red and hairy and he was called Esau. His brother soon followed and his hand was firmly gripped onto the heel of his older brother. They called him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when the twins were born. They had waited for 20 years for their children. Esau became a hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a plain man living in the tents. This was a marriage made in heaven but it was a family divided down the middle because of misplaced affection. Isaac loved Esau because Esau made venison which appealed to the flesh in his father Isaac but Rebekah loved Jacob. One day Jacob had made a thick lentil soup and Esau came into the tent hungry. He was exhausted and so he asked for some food but Jacob said Sell me your birthright (The rights of the firstborn) Esau said I am dying – what good is the birthright if l am dead? So he swore that Jacob could be first born that day. Jacob gave him bread and soup for the birthright. Esau despised his birthright but Jacob valued it.

• Describe in your own words how Abraham arranges for a suitable wife for his son.
• Why did Rebekah go so willingly into a far land to marry?
• What were the children of Isaac and Rebekah like?

AM Jan 10th Matt 7

January 10^th Matthew 7 Self examination first

1: Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Asking for God’s help

7: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9: Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10: Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Straight is the gate

13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Look for fruit

15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Some religious people will be lost

21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The wise and foolish men

24: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28: And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Christ is saying that we should not be judgmental of other people. Almost invariably we would be harsher in judgment on others and lenient on ourselves. Christ says, No, don’t even judge others, because the standard that you set to judge others will be the standard that is set by God to judge you. The Lord then speaks about the brotherly kindness of correcting your brother. This is a good thing BUT not if you have a bigger problem than your brother. He might have a spec of wood in his eye but if you have a house beam in your eye, then don’t even think about it. Get your own eye sorted out and then you will be able to help your brother. Then Christ says be careful who you do try to help. Some people are like brute beasts you cant help them and they might turn on you and hurt you. If you find yourself on need, then ask God for help and he will help you. In general we are to be kind to everyone this is the whole background to the Mosaic Law. Christ says 'Obey the Law’ this is the narrow way. The crowd will follow the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. That is the broad way which allows pretty much anything but the narrow way is to live righteously before God according to law. This is the way to life. Next Christ says beware of false teachers. You can tell false teachers because though they might talk, and talk, the question is - Do they keep the Law? Their righteous deeds are the fruit of godliness. In the judgment many will say, l did this or l did that, but God will say, l never knew you because you do not have a relationship with me. The Man who hears the Law and does it, is like a man who builds his life on the rock but the man who builds his life on the teaching of the Mishnah (the tradition of the elders) is building on shifting sand. Though they may appear to be the same, the great storm is coming and that will test the theology. The people were amazed at his teaching it was like nothing they had ever heard.

• What does Christ mean when he says that we should not judge others?
• What duty does this passage describe that we all have to our brothers and sisters?
• What is the narrow way?

PM Jan 9th Gen 21

January 9^th Genesis 21 The birth of Isaac

1: And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2: For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3: And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4: And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5: And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6: And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7: 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.

Hagar and Ishmael sent away

8: And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9: And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10: Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11: And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. 12: 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. 13: And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14: And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15: And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16: And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 17: And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18: Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19: And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20: And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21: And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s And Abimelech

22: And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23: Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24: And Abraham said, I will swear. 25: And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26: And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27: And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28: And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29: And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30: And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31: Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. 32: Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33: And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34: And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

Genesis 22 Abraham offers Isaac

1: And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2: And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3: And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4: Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5: And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you, 6: And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7: And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8: And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9: And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10: And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11: And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12: And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13: And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14: And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 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. 19: So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

Nahor’s family

20: And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; 21: Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, 22: And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23: And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24: And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Genesis 23 Sarah dies and is buried

1: And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2: And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3: And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4: I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: ive me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 5: And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, 6: Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. 7: And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8: And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9: That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. 10: And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11: Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. 12: And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13: And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14: And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15: My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 16: And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 17: And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 18: Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19: And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20: And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

Our Bible reading today begins with birth and ends with death. Isaac is born and when he comes of age Hagar and Ishmael have to leave. Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech. Abraham offers his son Isaac. Abraham learns of Nahor’s family and Rebecca. Sarah dies and is buried in great sadness. But first we must look at the birth of Isaac. We see that the birth of Isaac was a divine intervention. God moved in the life of Abraham and Sarah in such as way as to shut up the possibility of them fulfilling the promises of God by their own human efforts. Only when it was completely impossible for them did God fulfil his promise. It was a natural birth inspite of the great age of the parents. What joy must have filled the hearts of these two old people of God. Abraham called their son Isaac meaning ‘laughter’. Gone were the days when they laughed at the promises of God the days had arrived when they laughed at the joy of promises fulfilled. Isaac was circumcised at eight days and Abraham was 100 yrs old. Sarah said God has caused me to laugh and all who hear of this will laugh with me. When the boy was weaned Abraham made a great feast. When Sarah saw Ishmael mocking so Hagar was thrown out of the household of Abraham. Its important to have peace in a house hold. Hagar had returned to the household but obviously this was not working. Abraham was very clear to told Sarah that her son would be heir not Ishmael. Hagar wandered a while and left the child under a bush about 70 yrs away so that she would not see his die. But the Lord heard the cry of the child and the angel of the Lord appeared to her. Saying don’t be afraid Hagar get up l will make a great nation out of the boy. Then the Lord opened her eyes and she saw a well and she went and filled her water bottle and gave the boy a drink. The Lord was with the boy and he grew and became an archer. He lived in the wilderness of Paran. (This was probably on the west of the Sinai Peninsula south east of Egypt) He took an Egyptian wife. In the process of time Abraham had a visit from king Abimelech and Phichol (his general) they said to Abraham God is will you in all you do. It’s interesting that the ungodly recognised the presence of God in Abraham’s life. He asked Abraham to promise to be truthful and to deal honestly with him. Abraham promised he would. Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because his servant had taken a well by force. Abimelech said that he honestly didn’t know about this and knew nothing about it until Abraham brought it up. Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech and they both agree on what they would do. Then Abraham gave him seven female lambs. When Abimelech asked what they were for, Abraham said these are a witness to me that l dug this well. Abraham gave the well the name Beer-sheba. It was the most southern part of the cultivated area of Palestine. It was situated in the valley between the two ranges of mountains stretching down toward the desert of Sinai. Abraham planted a grove and called on the name of the LORD the everlasting God. The next incident in the life of Abraham is a great trial of his faith. Abraham had waited all his life for a son from Sarah but now God asked him to sacrifice his son. Would this be the end of all his dreams and the breaking of the promises of God? The command of the Lord was clear and emotive. ‘Take your son, your only son, he who you love and go into the land of Moriah’. (Moriah was to be the site of the city of David.) He was to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. This was not an offering for sin but an offering of dedication, wholly for Gods pleasure. Abraham went and after three days he saw the mountain afar off. He told the men with him to stay and that he and the boy would go and worship the Lord and return. Isaac split the wood and they set out together. One cannot help but think of God the Father and his Son setting out to the same place where the Father would offer his Son as a sacrifice for the world. Isaac carried the wood on his shoulder as they went up Moriah’s hill. Isaac was thinking about the coming act of worship and he said to his father where is the lamb? Abraham answered God himself will provided the lamb for the burnt offering. It was quite amazing that Abraham was going to go through with this but just as amazing that Isaac was prepared to give himself up to be laid on the wood. Before the time when Abraham stood at the altar he had resigned himself that this sacrifice would go ahead and had understood that God could raise his son from the dead to fulfil his promises. However when the moment of truth arrived and Abraham took the knife to kill his son the angel of the LORD called to him saying do not touch the lad. Now l know that you really fear God and that you have not withheld your son from me. We can only keep the things that are dearest to us when we are prepared to put them on the altar and trust God to give them back to us if he wants to. When Abraham looked up he saw a ram caught in a thicket. This was the substitute for Isaac. When we get to Matthew we see that Christ is called The Son of Abraham. He was the one who was laid on the wood but for him there was no substitute. Abraham called the place Jehovah-Jireh. God is the provider. Then the Lord spoke to Abraham from heaven and promised that his seed would bring untold blessings to all the nations of the earth. After this Abraham learnt that Nahor had children and that one of them was Rebekah. When Sarah became 127 years of age she died at Hebron. Abraham came to mourn for her and to weep. Mourning is important and no relationship should cease without mourning. Abraham asked to buy a cave in Machpelah to bury Sarah. They offered the land for free but Abraham insisted on paying the full price – 400 shekels of silver. It was the only bit of land Abraham ever owned. It was situated a few miles east of Hebron in the mountains. It was a sad end to a beautiful marriage. Sarah is the only woman whose burial is specifically mentioned in scripture.

• Describe something of the sunshine and shadows of this Bible Reading.
• What are your thoughts on this great trial of Abraham?
• What impact was the death of Sarah on Abraham?

AM Jan 9th Matt 6

January 9^th Treasures and the heart

19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Evil eye

22: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23: But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

The kingdom of God first

24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27: Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28: And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32: (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The next thing that Christ addresses is the question of riches. The Jews were notorious for amassing riches and many of them were very wealthy. Yet they lived alongside great poverty. Christ says, invest your treasure in heaven. Because where your treasure is invested that is where your heart is set. Christ says we cannot have an eye on God and an eye on devotion to self. Christ encourages the Jews to commit themselves to the Lord in seeking to enter the Kingdom of God and keeping the law and all the blessings promised in the law will be added to them. He reminds them to trust in Gods provision and that God cares for all his creatures. The focus of Christ’s teaching is to be to put God first and everything else will follow. Christ says stop being anxious, trust in God for your daily needs.

• What does Christ say about riches?
• What is the principle that Christ describes that enables the righteous to enter the kingdom?
• What else does Christ say to these Jews about living for God under the Law?