BSF Genesis Study 2012-2013 – Page 8

BSF Genesis: Week 14, Day 2

Questions:

3.
a. “Shield” Defensive armor against swords, lances, arrows, usually carried on left arm; A person or thing that protects
b. Stress and confusion. Self-reliance. Impatience. The attacks of the evil one.
c. 91:4: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
4.
a. Children, descendents
b. While money and possessions are limited resources, the most limited resource we are given to manage is time. I choose to spend my time in prayer and service.
c. Peace. Provision for family especially children. Guidance on direction to serve Him and best help others.My Daily Journal:I think sometimes non-christians think the life of a dedicated christian is one of boredom and self-denial. Stay away from anything risky. Sit in church and sing boring hymns and go to sewing circles and spend lots of time being pious and uppity.In reality, a walk of faith is a walk through a battleground. God does not promises long walks on the beach and floating on clouds. You don’t need a shield on a beach. You don’t need angels telling you to “do not be afraid” on a cloud. While God does not promise a life without difficulty, He does tell us that He will protect us. I love the Psalm 91:4 verse, to enclose me in feathers, under his wings, to find refuge there. That by His faithfulness and His righteousness (not mine, but His) I will be protected. If life was a walk in the park, how would we learn to rely on God. It is only by allowing us to experience adversity does God teach us to rely on Him and only by learning to rely on Him do we find salvation.

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Himself, the Messiah

b.
you are a priest forever in the order of melchizedek

c.
Mel was both a king and a priest, king of righteousness and king of peace. Not a priest through Levites, but ordained by God

12.
a.
Christ has offered forgiveness for everything troubling you. He has been given the power to forgive all.

b.
Christ prayers for you continuously. He calls on God to bless you, not because you deserve it or have earned it, but because it reflects the glory and honor of the Creator

c.
Give to the church joyfully and without regret or reservation for the body of believers is the the body of the church of which Christ is the head

My Daily Journal:

Christ cried.

Hebrews 5:7 says Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears.

One of the men in our group talked about this and it helped reveal how amazing this is. Think about it. This is the creator of everything. Everything. Heavens and earth, seen and unseen, mortal and spiritual beings, matter, dark matter, antimatter, everything. This is the all powerful. All knowing. Eternal God. And he cried.

Growing up my fear of my father was not one of fear of punishment or anger from him, but fear of causing him disappointment or pain. If as a child I understand this for my human father, then as a maturing adult believer how much more should I feel this for my Lord. And, yet, he cried.

I don’t say this as a depressing thought or for guilt, but I think it shows the heart of God and His amazing love for me and all of His children. That love, embodied in Christ, serving in the role of eternal priest for me, interceding on my behalf and paying the sacrifice for my wrongs, well… that is love.

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

8.
They came out to meet him in the valley and each attempted to honor him in his own way. Melchizedek brought bread and wine and blessed Abram with a prayer of blessing from God and honoring to God. Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Sodom focused on possessions. He wanted the people and to leave Abram with all other possessions. Abram said he swore an oath to God to not take anything, even a sandal strap. But the other kings should receive their share.

9.
a.
I am your shield. I am your great reward

b.
He had just stood up to a king of a wicked people and given up a great amount of wealth and riches. He had delivered a message to the king of Sodom that God was against him. But, more so, I think he had fear for his nephew Lot. Lot must have chosen to go right back into sin city. Abram would have had great fear for his nephew. Not to read ahead, but he doesn’t consider Lot to be a viable heir, but instead his only living heir is a servant he acquired.

10.
God tells us to not be afraid, over and over again. But it is hard. We make so many decisions and there is such uncertainty in this life it is hard not to be afraid and not to have second thoughts. It is easy to look back on each decision and have doubts and questions: did I make the right choice. But God calls us to have confidence and to shed the fear because God works all for His glory. It is not whether I make the right decision, but how I make the decision that matters most to God. Do I rely on myself or put my trust in Him with the intent to bring glory to Him?

My Daily Journal:

Question 8 was my pivotal question this week.

Here comes Abram marching back into the Valley of the Kings. He is victorious. He is accompanied not only with his entire army but with all the people and possessions. To the victor go the spoils. This all belongs to Abram.

The valley he walks in to must have been somber. Not only had all the local kings been defeated in battle, but their cities had been sacked and raided, their people had all been hauled off as slaves. It says the armies took ALL of their food. The kings had fled from the battle, leaving their soldiers to be trapped in tarpits. The few soldiers that did escape fled to the hills, but you cannot imagine they maintain any loyalty to these defeated and cowardly kings.

In comes mighty Abram and out come Melchizedek and the King of Sodom. With one swipe of his sword Abram could kill the king and place himself on the throne over the entire valley. Not even his own sword would be required, he had an army of fighting men with him loyal to his word or hand gesture.

The contrasts in this meeting are so rich. Look at this:

The first words out of the mouth of the King of Salem are: “Blessed Be.”

Abram’s response is to give him a tenth of everything. Note, he does not ask permission of anyone else. All of this is Abram’s to give or keep as he sees fit.

Next is the King of Sodom. His first words are “Give me.”

Abram responds, “With raised hand”

While the King of Sodom is trying to put on a good front, it has to realize that with one motion of that raised hand he is dead. But instead of raising his hand against this wicked King, Abram says, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth”

What an amazing and powerful scene that is such a strong lesson to us. Are my thoughts and words first to bless others or to get for myself. Do I raise my hand against others or raise it in praise and promise to my solemn Lord?

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
He had 318 trained men that were able to go into battle and he was allied with Mamre, Eshkol and Aner

6.
a.
He fought a battle of righteousness before God. To those on God’s side, it was a pleasant site, to the enemy it was death. His household took a stand, but their armament was God provided

b.
Not the weapons of this world, but weapons of divine power. They battle strongholds of argument and pretense and wrong knowledge and wrong thought

c.
The sword of the Spirit. All else is defensive, but God’s spirit strikes the enemy

7.
It is both a challenge and comfort. I am not equal to the task of bearing the burden for whether a person lives or dies for all eternity. Comforting to know that the scripture recognizes my inadequacy and that it is only by carrying Christ in spirit that it comes to pass.

My Daily Journal:

In the lesson today I changed perspectives and looked at the battle and victory through Lot’s eyes. At this point, Lot has been chained as a slave in captivity. He has been marched off from his home, all of his possessions taken away, his family enslaved, he is helpless, with only one hope: Abram.

I can relate to Lot. I am enslaved by sin. I fight it off, but by my own strength I have no hope of staying free. But, also like Lot’s relationship with Abram, I too have I have a family member, a savior who has elected to call me brother, who will pursue me, fight the evil ones that hold me in bondage and set me free. Like Abram, Christ has an army of trained soldiers at the ready, clothed in the spiritual battlement. They come, without reservation or condition, to rescue any of us that call on His name. They do not expect us to free ourselves. They do not hold back with thoughts that we have received no more than we have earned. They just come and fight and vanquish.

I understand that I, too, am called to dress in the armor of God. I am pleased to be called to serve. But I am even more thankful for all the times in my life that Christ has sent soldiers in, whether fellow christians, angels or the holy spirit, to fight for me and to rescue me.

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
a.
Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer of Elam and Tidal of Goyim

b.
Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboyim, Zoar of Bela

c.
The plain of Shinar (Babel)

4.
a.
Decision to setup tents by the city of Sodom

b.
Choices on employment, choices on how to spend money and time, choices about whether to launch new ventures and how quickly to do them. Consequences affect myself, employees, family, readers, other believers. I also need to be talking with others about Christ. I need to pray about all of this.

My Daily Journal:

We know from the previous verses that the people of this valley were wicked. In these verses we also see how inept the battle plans of the wicked are.

Here we see a big front. 5 kings allied against 4. They draw up to fight on their home turf, in their own valley with naturally better ability to prepare to devise strategy, to prepare reinforcements. What we see is that instead all they have is a big front. There is nothing behind it. At the first sign, they retreat. Some are caught in the tar pits of their own turf, some flee to the hills. The leaders themselves flee leaving the women, children, elderly and innocent to be taken by the enemy as slaves including ALL the food.

As Christians we fear confrontations with evil. Evil today acts the same way, with a big scary front. But like this battle, there is nothing behind it. The soldiers are deserted, the leaders flee and they are caught up in their own lies and deceit. I am not suggesting that we should discount the forces of evil, clearly they have the ability to cause harm and pain, but I am suggesting that under the power of the spirit of God, with the truth of the gospel, we need have no fear.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Look, (listen), Go, Walk through the length and breadth of the land

b.
give you every place where you set your foot. I will be with you. Be strong and courageous

12.

We give an account of ourselves on judgment day
appear before the judgment seat of Christ and receive what is due us
So that we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming

My Daily Journal:

God was training Abram. Training requires movement.

My daughter is learning to drive. But it is impossible to learn to drive sitting in the garage. God wants to steer us in the right direction. God wants to lead us on the path, the straight highway that leads to him. But, like a rider on a bicycle, it is far easier to steer when there is movement.

How do we move as Christians? By being missional. By teaching and disciplining others. By preaching the truth of the gospel and proclaiming the love of Christ for the world. By serving.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

8.
a.
Good pasture land, peace from fighting with Abram’s men, a place to pitch tents

b.
He moved away, to Hebron near the trees

c.
Don’t place worldly (temporary) amenities over heavenly (eternal) ones. Everything of earth will go away including life, wealth, home and family

9.
He gave up a valley. His descendents were given everything he could see and he would have descendents life the dust of the earth

10.
a.
Gal 3:9: Blessed along with Abraham, Jeremiah 29:11: God has planned good for us and not disaster, gift of future and hope, Matt: 11:28-29: Rest – come to me all who are weary…, Isaiah 40:29-31: Power to the weak, strength to powerless, soar on eagles wings, Phil 4:19: All needs from His glorious riches, Rom 8:37-39: Victory and love: nothing can ever separate us from God’s love, not death, life, angels, demons.., Prov 1:33: peace, untroubled by fear of harm, 2 Cor 4:18: Troubles will pass, John 14:27: peace of mind and heart, John 7:37-39: Living water, the Spirit, John 14:26: The Holy Spirit, Rom 3:23: Forgiveness, Rom 10:9: Salvation, Rom 6:23: Eternal Life

b.
We give up sin, guilt, fear, troubles, worry, murder, adultery, wickedness, lustfulness, greed, gluttony, unrighteous anger, self-pride, laziness, coveting and death. We get peace, love, protection, strength, power, victory, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, a mission from God and to be brothers with Christ for all eternity.

My Daily Journal:

Decorating a hotel room. I can’t find the reference, but I remembered this analogy while thinking about all of the promises vs. costs involved in living the life of a brother to Christ. Our time here on earth is like living in a hotel room. It isn’t home. Home for believers is in heaven, for all eternity.

But how much time, effort, money and fight do we put into furnishing and decorating our hotel room. Instead of using our resources for value that matters to God for all eternity, we invest in making our hotel room more comfortable. We buy bigger houses and decorations, we focus on better curtains for the hotel room.

It isn’t that God doesn’t want us to have wealth or comfort – clearly Abram and Lot had been blessed with more than the land could even support. But where is our focus? Is it on our eternal home or our temporary dwelling. Maybe that is part of the reminder in the fact that Abram was called to live in tents.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions

5.
a.
Abram told him to choose. He chose based on a farming focus: Good land, good water, like the gard, like the land of Egypt, vs 10

b.
Where job is, where land or good housing is available, the quality of the schools

c.
12. he pitched his tents near Sodom, 13. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinning gratly against the Lord

d.
Horrific. Lost his wife, his children’s morals twisted to breaking, his own judgment was dispicable (offering daughter)

we have troubled hearts and fear because we receive a false peace
darkened in understanding, separated from the life of God, ignorant
adulterous, friendship w/world=enmity against God. Choose: friend of world=enemy of God
do not love the world, lust of flesh, eyes, pride does not come from God. They will pass

7.
As a whole, no. In moments of time, yes.

My Daily Journal:

Every decision matters. Throughout Genesis the language of walking daily with God comes up over and over again. It reminds us that, in a walk, every step matters, no step is more or less important than the one before or the next. In Abram’s life we are reminder that the same fact applies to decisions we make. Through any trial, whether one of fear of famine, fear of being killed by a pharoah or one of having so much wealth and flocks that the land can’t support all of our possessions, we are given the opportunity to make decisions. These are every day decisions because trials exist for us every single day. But each decision, like each step, matters.

It is only by walking with God every day, by spending time in His word, by talking with Him daily and by keeping our eyes on Him that we have the insight to make the right decisions to life’s daily trials.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

He let Lot choose his land
Better to be wronged and cheated than file lawsuits against believers in secular courts
be patient, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, bond of peace
Be kind and compassionate, forgiving, walk in the way of love

4.
a.
Age and covenant from God. God promised the land to Abram’s descendents, not to his cousin
b.
It is very difficult, especially since it affects not only self but also family. It is easier with relatives, but then even it is hard. It is against our greedy nature to purposefully allow others to pick the best of the bunch and take what is left.

My Daily Journal:

What if Abram and Lot weren’t supposed to part company? I think most would agree that they faced a time of trial. We read the story and see Abram as the gracious older uncle who gives up his right and allows Lot to choose the better land. It is not that I don’t believe this to be true and I don’t mean to disparage Abram, but what if they weren’t supposed to part in the first place. Lot was Abram’s ward, his pupil per se. It states in the verses that the land could not support both of their flocks and they shared the land with the Canaanites and Perizzites. Abram made the decision to part. But should he have elected to reduce their flocks? Could they have blessed their neighbors, would that have opened a new door?

I know this is a hypothetical rabbit hole, but it served as an interesting point to me and a good reminder that the true lesson isn’t that things turned out OK for Abram, but that ever so slowly Abram was learning not only to trust God but to trust Him first. I am slowly learning this same lesson. I trust God, but too often I make a decision based on my own viewpoint first. This does not prevent God from acting and even blessing me, but it also doesn’t mean that I, necessarily, made the right decision. Pray first, act second.

BSF Genesis: Week 11, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Psalm 105 God controls famines. Rom 8:28 we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Yes.

b.
Abraham connived to lie about his wife. Trust in God was missing

12.

a.
12: they will kill me, 13 lie, 15: she was taken int Pharaoh’s house, 17: inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh, sent on their way

b.
exiled from Egypt. He bore God’s wrath until he plead for forgiveness

c.
Diseases were on Pharaoh and his household, not Abram and Sarai. They were sent with all they had (much wealth)

13.
a.
Same altar he had built and again called on the name of the Lord

b.
Return to the altar, return to the name of the Lord. Even the great patriarchs, chosen by God fell to doubt and self-reliance, but they walked back to God and repented

My Daily Journal:

A “But the Lord…” moment.

I love verse 17a of Genesis 12. After this action of unbelievable faith Abram has demonstrated, to trust in a God he barely knows and leave everything behind, we see just how human he is. Not only does he take matters into his own hands, deciding to venture into Egypt, but out of fear for himself he connives to lie, convinces his wife to lie, we don’t even know what has happened to Lot, and puts his wife into a very precarious position of becoming a wife to the Pharaoh. When Abram takes matters into his own hands so many others are in the line of fire to get hurt, all because of self reliance and fear. When we head off on our own path, lying comes naturally. Christ called Satan the “Father of lies”.

But then there is the turning point of the story in 17a. It begins with the critical words, But the Lord. God was always in control, whether Abram knew it or not. Was all of this a test? It doesn’t say, but did it test Abram? Absolutely.

When teaching you will sometimes let students venture down a path, just to see if they can figure out and learn from their mistakes. But you don’t let them go too far or get too embedded in that path. And, if others are misleading them and encouraging them, you step in even sooner to avoid harm.

That is what God does, too. Satan loves to grease the path. Why else do you think deceit so often pays off monetarily? Lying and cheating people do prosper in this world and sin sells.

But we also all have had those “but the Lord” moments. When God steps in and says enough. The truth comes out and we reach a pivot point. Do we fight and deny and continue back down a path of lies and deceit or do we return to the altar and call on the name of the Lord?