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Cutting A Covenant

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When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram (NIV) Genesis 15:17-18

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”

He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars– if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:1-6)

So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. (Genesis 15:9-13)

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram . . .(Genesis 17-18)

The passage above has God “cutting” a covenant with Abraham. God bound Himself by solemn oath as seen in the rituals followed in making the covenant. In the Old Testament, a covenant was “cut” in a ceremony that involved the offering of a sacrifice. God followed this cultural form by passing between the halves of sacrificial animals as Abraham was in a deep sleep. God faithfully bound Himself to keep the promises He made to Abraham. “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” (Joshua 21:45)

After the Rain

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Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (NIV) Genesis 11:4

After the flood, God had Noah bring out the animals and said to him: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). God had told Adam the same thing after He created the earth and all that lives on it (Genesis 1:22 and 1:28). God gave Noah and his sons dominion over the birds, fish, and animals (Genesis 9:2) as He did with Adam in Genesis 1:26. God gave the plants to Adam for food (Genesis 1:29) and to Noah in Genesis 9:3. Even the warning to Noah about shedding another man’s blood, reminds us of Cain killing Abel (Genesis 4) and the consequences of his actions. In essence, God and man began all over again after the flood. There was one family and they were to multiply and fill the earth.

As men multiplied, they spread out in clans and established their own territories. At this point in time, everyone spoke the same language. The people made the decision to make a building to reach the sky. Their plan was to reach heaven and establish a name for themselves. It was in the pride of thinking that they could reach God and “be someone” that was their downfall. They wanted to live by their own plans, not God’s plan. But, God thwarted their plan by confusing their language so that they could not understand each other and thus their plan failed. This sets the scene for the conflict that is found throughout the remainder of Genesis as well as the rest of the Bible. Men and women want to follow their own desires, instead of God’s plan.

How are you building your own Tower of Babel? How are you trying to establish your name as opposed to establishing God’s name? Are you trying to “be someone” at the expense of others? In what ways are you living to please yourself instead of following God? How are you side-stepping God’s plans for your life?

The men and women who are disobedient to God live with the consequences of their disobedience. But, the men and women who are faithful and obedient to God are the ones that are used by God for His purposes. Which group are you in?

Who Are You Listening To?

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Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. (NIV) Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man who doesn’t follow, doesn’t live by, isn’t influenced, doesn’t listen to. . . the advice, the words, the guidance, the counsel of . . .the wicked or the ungodly or unbelievers or those contrary to God (my expanded paraphrase of Psalm 1:1). Who are you listening to?

But his delight. . . his joy, his desire. . . is in the law of the LORD. . . the instruction, teaching of God. . . and on his law he meditates day and night. . . he habitually meditates, ponders, studies. . . (my expanded paraphrase of Psalm 1:2)

Do you take delight in studying God’s Word? Is it a joy to read God’s thoughts? How deep is your desire to know the God of the Word through the Word of God lived out on a daily basis?

Do you believe that the Bible is God’s instructions for you today? that it is teaching you what’s on God’s heart for your life? How have you taken to heart what God is teaching you?

Do you meditate on God’s Word night and day? Do you ponder the deep thoughts of God? Do you habitually study and apply the Bible to your life? How can you become a better student of God’s Word?

Where Are You God?

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What do you do When God is SilentThe LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal. . .and two of every kind of unclean animal. . .to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” (NIV) Genesis 7:1-4

Can you imagine it? Here’s this man Noah, who found favor with God because he was a righteous man; blameless among the people of his time; and the one man who walked with God. He had obediently followed God’s instructions in building an ark which took approximately 120 years to build (commentators surmise that the ark was nearly equal in size to the Titanic!). Along with Noah and his family were the animals. . .7 of every kind of clean animal. . .2 of every unclean. Today there are approximately 18,000 different species of animals. This would mean that the ark may have had 75,000 animals on board!

The rains, rather intensely, came for some 40 days and nights. After that, the water rose continually for 150 days. Every living thing that moved on the earth perished – birds, livestock, wild animals, and all mankind. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. It took nearly 7 months for the water to subside.

Interestingly, God spoke to Noah before he went into the ark (Genesis 7:1-4) but did not do so again until it was time to come out of the ark (Genesis 8:16). For over a year, while the floods rose and then subsided, the Bible does not record that God communicated to Noah. Then God said to Noah: “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you– the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground– so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.” (Genesis 8: 16-17)

What do you think Noah was thinking during the year of God’s silence? Was he wondering if God knew what He was doing? Was he accusing God of being too slow in His timing? Was he complaining about all the work with the animals? Was he bickering with his wife and children as he waited confined within the ark? Was he wondering if he would see dry land again?

What do you do when you know you have been obedient to God, but in the midst of waiting for His plan to be fulfilled, He is silent? Do you complain? Do you question the validity of His plan? Do you tell God to hurry up? Do you get so caught up in the mundane that you miss His activity in your life? Do you wonder if His way is right?

If you are in the midst of waiting on God, go back to the security of who He is. . .stand firm in obedience to what He has asked you to do. . .and wait on His perfect timing. Perhaps your rainbow is right around the corner!

Jesus Christ, All The Way Through!

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Spend time reading the Bible today!And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV) Genesis 3:15

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, (NIV) Galatians 4:4

I can’t tell you the number of people when asked where they read in the Bible, have said to me: “Oh, I only read in the gospels because that’s where I see Jesus” or “I only read the New Testament because that’s the part about Christ.” Bunko! If you want to read about Christ pick up the Bible and you’ll see Him from start to finish!

Those of you who are doing the “Read through the Bible” are reading in the book of Genesis today. And although at first glance it may not seem that Genesis refers much to Jesus, in actuality, from Genesis 3 on, the Scriptures consistently point us to Jesus Christ!

In Genesis 3:15, we read about the promise of One who would defeat Satan and punish him for his sin. Satan’s defeat came at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Hebrews 2:14 states: “. . . by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death– that is, the devil.”

God promised Abraham that . . . “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3. . . “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Genesis 17:19. Those promises refer to Jesus as stated in Galatians 3:16, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. . . meaning one person, who is Christ”. . . and in Galatians 3:8: “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.'”

And near the end of Genesis, we’re told that the Messiah would be a descendant of Judah, the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who’s father was Abraham (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:1-2). The common thread woven throughout Genesis, a Redeemer is coming!

Want to know Jesus? Pick up His official biography, the Bible!

In The Beginning

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Where have you seen Gods power?In the beginning God created. . . (NIV) Genesis 1:1

The story of creation gives perspective to the Biblical story as a whole. And although Genesis 1 and 2 may appear to be different accounts of creation, they actually stand in a complementary relationship to one another as they reveal the supernatural and the personal natures of God.

Two different Hebrew names are used for God in the first 2 chapters of the Bible. . . “Elohim” in Genesis 1, which conveys the idea of power and transcendence. . . and “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” is used beginning in Genesis 2:4, which conveys the idea of mercy and compassion, implying His immanence and His personal concern for man. Therefore, when the 2 stories are viewed together, we see God who is transcendent over His creation (Genesis 1) . . . and God who is personally involved (immanent) in it (Genesis 2).

When was the last time that you saw God’s power demonstrated in your life? When you think about God does it bring a sense of awe of who He is? A deep reverence? How do you see God as an active presence in your life? How often during the day do you think about Him? Converse with Him?

The same God who had enough power to create and give life, has the power to change any circumstance, any impossible situation and any person! And the same God who was personally concerned with Adam and Eve, is actively concerned and involved in your life. He knows your past, your present and your future. He knows what you need right now. He knows your thoughts. . . and He still loves you with an everlasting love!

Read through the Bible in a Year

Revealing God to Man

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. . . he had come from God and was returning to God; (NIV) John 13:3

“For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (NIV) John 12:49-50

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.” (NIV) John 8:42

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (NIV) John 5:19

Prior to Christ’s birth, God spoke “through the prophets at many times and in various ways,” (Hebrews 1:1). But, it was through Jesus incarnation that we see the exact representation of God’s being (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus knew that His Father “had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God” (John 13:3). And now with the physical presence of Jesus removed from the earth, WE, as Christians, are called to complete Christ’s mission. . . to continue to reveal God to the world.

Are you doing the will of the One (God) who has sent you? Are you speaking what the Father tells you to say? or are you words of your own choosing? Are you doing what Jesus would do if He were in your shoes? How are you representing God? What does your life reveal about God? Throughout today remember that you are the living representative of the Almighty God for those around you!

Written by Marji “Mike” Kruger

Christmas Faith: The Magi

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After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (NIV) Matthew 2:1-2

The contrasts between the Magi from the east and the Jews of Jerusalem:

  • The Jews had the Old Testament prophecies (among others, Micah 5:2) from God – the Magi had a star
  • The “King” to be born was the “King of the Jews” – the Magi were Gentiles
  • The Jews only had to travel 7 miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem – the Magi came from afar
  • The Jews did not bother to visit Jesus – the Magi did
  • The Jewish king, Herod, sought to kill Jesus (in the process, killing thousands of boys under 2 years of age) – the Magi came to worship Him, bearing expensive gifts

Which of the 2 groups do you most resemble? The group which has all the teaching from God, has the Bible readily available? or the group which is seeking after the little that God has revealed to them?

The group which doesn’t have to “travel far” to meet with the King…Church is close by. . .radio and TV Bible teachers are in abundance. . .you have great books on increasing your faith are all around you. . .and yet you don’t go to any great length to draw close to the King.

Or are you willing to go “out of your way” to spend time with the King. . .to be in His presence. . .to worship Him who is worthy of your worship?

Which group are you in?

Written by Marji “Mike” Kruger

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