Read Genesis 23

Respect

Have you ever enjoyed a meal at a restaurant with someone, and when the check comes, a friendly “argument” ensues over who will pay? You certainly do not want your friend to pay for your meal, rather insisting that you pay for his. It is a sign of respect to offer to pay for each other’s food. We see a similar situation play out in Genesis 23, as Abraham requests a burial place for his wife Sarah when she died.

The sons of Heth offer Abraham “the choicest of our burial places” (Genesis 23:6). Abraham requests the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to Ephron, and insists on paying the full price. Ephron and Abraham go back and forth a bit, Ephron insisting that Abraham take the land, and Abraham insisting on paying for it. In the end, Abraham gives Ephron 400 shekels of silver and buries Sarah “in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:19).

Why was Abraham, who described himself as “a foreigner and a visitor among you” (Genesis 23:4), treated with such respect? No doubt his character had been on display before these men for many years. They told him that he was “a mighty prince among us” (Genesis 23:6). He was treated with respect because he treated them with respect. He did not expect special treatment; he did not feel entitled to anything. He did not demand that they change their customs to accommodate him. Rather, he attempted to live at peace with them.

Is that not how we should treat our fellow man today? The apostle Paul wrote, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Our character, which defines how we conduct ourselves, should demand respect of all who are around us—even non-Christians. In fact, elders in the church “must have a good testimony among those who are outside” (1 Timothy 3:7). A person who has put on Christ in baptism must live lives of integrity.

Will you always receive the respect you deserve as a moral person attempting to live according to God’s Word? No, but another person’s action does not change what the Word says. We must give as much respect to others as we can muster; we must be at peace “as much as depends on you” (Romans 12:18).

Read Genesis 18:16-19:29

Pleading for Mercy for Others

It has been said that grace is receiving something good that one does not deserve, while mercy is not receiving something bad that one does deserve. In God’s dealings with man, we see both grace and mercy on display throughout the Scriptures and in our own lives.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a well-known event to those who are avid Bible readers. What was wrong with Sodom and Gomorrah. In general terms, the Lord says that “their sin is very grave” (Genesis 18:20). In specific terms, homosexuality had become the norm for them. The men of Sodom surrounded the house of Lot and demanded that the men (who were actually angels) be brought out because they wanted to “know them carnally” (Genesis 19:5).

Despite the depravity of these men, Abraham pleaded for mercy in Genesis 18. He bargained with the Lord and asked, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Supposed there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?” (Genesis 18:23-24). God agrees, and Abraham lowers the number from fifty to forty-five, then to forty, thirty, twenty, all the way down to ten. God tells Abraham, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten” (Genesis 18:32), but not even ten were found.

Yet, because of the mercy of God, Lot and his family were given the opportunity to escape the destruction. Lot and his two daughters took advantage of this opportunity; his sons-in-law thought he was joking when he urged them to come with him, and his wife looked back while fleeing and was destroyed. Yet Lot was able to escape because of the faithfulness and intercession of Abraham.

Will God extend mercy to your loved ones because of your faithfulness? Will they receive opportunities to turn to Him because of the example that you set? Are you interceding with God on their behalf, asking that they may come to the knowledge of the truth? Are you seeking opportunities to share that truth with them yourself?

His mercy is great, but He will not violate His will. Destruction will come to the impenitent sinner. Please with Him while they are here, and plead with them to submit to His will.

Read Genesis 18:1-15

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

What a mighty God we serve! Abraham and Sarah were old, but God promised to bless them with a son. The previous chapter says that “Abraham fell on his face and laughed” when he was told that Sarah would bear a child (Genesis 17:17). In the current chapter, Sarah laughs when she overheard her husband and the three men speaking. Despite the fact that Sarah was ninety years old and “had passed the age of childbearing,” God would indeed bless them with a child.

Man has a tendency to mock the unlimited, infinite power of God because we have such limited, finite minds. We need to understand that God will do whatever God wants to do; man’s inability to fully comprehend His power will not stop the Lord. Paul touches on this in his letter to the church in Ephesus, writing, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Do you want the church to be blessed and grow? Fervently pray about it and faithfully work toward it and watch God do even more than you imagined! Do you want your family to be strengthened in spiritual matters? Humbly pray and obediently submit to His Word and watch God make you stronger than you thought you could be! Alone we may be weak, but if we are working with God, nothing is impossible!

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” This is the question posed to Sarah after laughing at the suggestion that she would bear a child. It is a rhetorical question! Of course, nothing is too hard for the Lord! He said, “At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:14).

Don’t doubt God; nothing is too hard for the Lord. Work with Him, according to His will, and you can say (as did Paul), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Read Genesis 15

Belief Despite a Lack of Understanding

The Lord had promised Abram, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). When Abram arrived in Canaan, God said, “To your descendants I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). He was 75 years old at this time.

It is generally believed that about ten years pass between Genesis 12 and Genesis 15, when God says to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1). Abram, though, has a question for God. He points to Eliezer as his heir; Sarai is still barren and Abram has no offspring of his own. God tells the patriarch that Eliezer will not, in fact, be his heir, and then says, “Look now toward the heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5).

A fantastic promise, and one that Abram believed. “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:8). At the end of the chapter, God again makes the promise, even specifically identifying the land. “On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To you descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jubusites” (Genesis 15:18-21). Abram did not understand how it would happen, but he believed it would happen because he believed in God.

Do you believe in God? Do you believe the promises that He has made to those who submit to Him today? He promises salvation to those who believe and are baptized (Mark 16:16). He promises the remission of sins to those who repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38). He promises newness of life to those who are baptized into the death of Jesus (Romans 6:4). We may not understand all the ins and outs of baptism, but one thing is certain: it is at that point and not before that we put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). It is at that point that our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16).

Do you believe in God? Have you acted upon that belief? Without a proper response to Him, faith is not complete. We must believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). One cannot seek Him if he does not obey Him.

Read Genesis 13:1-18

Avoid Strife

Strife is defined as “angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.” It is not surprising that Abram wanted to avoid such a situation with his nephew Lot.

Strife comes from a heart that is filled with hatred, anger, pride, and perversity. Notice what the inspired wisdom literature says:

• “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” (Proverbs 10:12).
• * “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10).
• * “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention” (Proverbs 15:18).
• * “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28).

Wisdom also teaches, “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts” (Proverbs 17:14). Adam Clarke explains, “As soon as the smallest breach is made in the dike or dam, the water begins to press from all parts towards the breach; the resistance becomes too great to be successfully opposed, so that dikes and all are speedily swept away. Such is the beginning of contentions, quarrels, lawsuits, &c.” (Clarke’s Commentary, Volume 3, p. 750).

Rather than go to war with Lot over the land, Abram put his trust in God to provide wherever he found himself. God had promised to bless him, but it is difficult to receive blessing if one is filled with anger and pride.

Perhaps Abram recognized that strife between himself and Lot would also cause strife between himself and God. This is the point Jesus made in Matthew 5:23-24 when He said, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Is your relationship with God strained? If it is, take a look at your relationship with your neighbor. “Please let there be no strife between you and me…for we are brethren.”

Read Genesis 12:10-20

It’s Never Right To Do Wrong (and Ignorance is No Excuse)

Have you ever heard the term “situational ethics”? It is the idea that it is okay to do something that is wrong as long as you benefit from it and no real harm is done. It is summed up in the phrase, “The end justifies the means.”

When Abram entered Egypt, he was worried for his life. His wife Sarai was very beautiful, and Abram believed he would be killed so that she would be free from their marriage bond. To prevent this, Abram convinced Sarai to tell people she was his sister rather than his wife. Abram viewed this as an act of self-preservation, thus justifying in his mind the need to lie about their relationship.

Pharaoh was smitten by Sarai, and Abram supposedly reaped the benefits of this deception. God, however, punished Pharaoh, even though what he did was done in ignorance. Abram and Sarai’s deception caused another to suffer the wrath of God even though they did not have complete information.

We learn two important lessons from this incident. First, it’s never right to do wrong. Yes, we may see some temporary benefit to a lie, but in the long run it will ruin our soul. Liars are among those who “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Any benefit we may gain from deception in this life will pale in comparison to the punishment we will receive eternally.

Second, we will have to answer for our sins, even those done in ignorance. That is why it is so important to study the Scriptures and apply them to our lives. Don’t just read a chapter and close the Bible feeling accomplished. Study the Bible, seeking to understand what it says and how you can put it into practice.

The Son of God said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). In other words, ignorance is no excuse.

If you are not engaged in an organized Bible study, I encourage you to get involved with the local church of Christ. If there is no local congregation in your area, enroll in online courses through the World Video Bible School (school.wvbs.org) or a similar sound program.