top of page
Search

January 7, 2023 - Genesis 19-21

A lot happening in these chapters: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham once again passing his wife off as his sister (this time to Abimelech, king of Gerar), the birth of Isaac, and the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael. A couple of these stories – Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech & Hagar and Ishmael make an important point and sort of set us up for what follows. Like so many of us, Abraham was want to take matters into his own hands, scheme things out on his own, and attempt to reach his own desired outcomes. Instead of trusting God to keep him and Sarah safe and instead of trusting God’s promise of a son, Abraham did his own thing. I think many of us tend to live our lives as if God is there merely to pick up the pieces and do something good and marvelous, even miraculous, after we have made a mess of things. Oh, but to trust God and to live, moment by moment, by his good and wise counsel; well, that’s a very different sort of life. In fact, Abraham is about to discover that to rest solely upon God and to trust him is to live a life of great joy and hope. But that’s not until the next chapter in Genesis and an event that shows that Abraham finally arrives at a place in which he fully trusts God. God is faithful. We can trust him!


The God of Abr’ham praise

the God of all who roam

who guides us into foreign lands

and makes our home.

Though darkness shrouds our path

the stars as pledges shine

God’s covenant will be fulfilled

by love’s design. -- David Bjorlin (2019)

4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Two texts caught my eye, this morning. Wisdom speaks in the first: “I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me prince

The Bible is a fascinating book. It directs us to God. It tells us the truth about ourselves and invites us to the Savior. It tells us that all we have is a gift from God, and at the same time, ins

The proverbs . . . always a tough book to read, it seems to me, in a schedule of reading the Bible through. Many of the individual proverbs are sort of stand alone wisdom sayings, and to read large sw

bottom of page