Tag: bsfblog

BSF Genesis: Week 22, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

6.
a.
heaven’s dew, earth’s richness, abundance of grain and new wine, nations serve you, peoples bow down to you, lord over your brothers, sons of mother bow down to you, those who curse you be cursed, those who bless you be blessed

b.
Nations will serve you, 12:3 bless those who bless you, whoever curses you be cursed

7.
a.
regret is to feel loss or disappointment for an action or event.  repent is to accept responsibility and choose to make a change to do differently in the future.

b.
Esau regretted the series of events and cried out.  Isaac recognized something as wrong and set about making things right.  He did not withdraw his blessing from Jacob, but instead set him on a straight path.

8.
a.
Esau regretted the series of events and cried out.  Isaac recognized something as wrong and set about making things right.  He did not withdraw his blessing from Jacob, but instead set him on a straight path.

b.
To benefit from God’s blessing requires a willingness to honor that blessing.  People want the outcome of blessings, but do not want to bend a knee to the only one in control of providing such.

c.
He did seek to please his father.  He demonstrated respect to him and accepted his word as law.

d.
trending in the correct direction.  Plenty of potholes and detours along the way, but I think others see and hear my testimony to the Lord.

9.
They stood against Israel during the Exodus, but fell to David and his armies.  During that time every living adult male of Edom was killed, but even at the time of cross and Edomite sentenced Jesus to the cross.

My Daily Journal:

One of the things that caught my eye today was the start of the blessing from Isaac bestowed upon Jacob: “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness.”  Why dew?  Not rain, not water, but dew?  This thought encouraged me to search for other dew references in the bible (don’t you love online bible references?)  Evidently there are 35 times it appears and it is an interesting progression.

This reference in Genesis is the first appearance of the word in the bible.  The next time we see it is during the exodus, each day the dew was followed by the presence of manna on the ground which fed the Isrealites (Jacob’s family) for 40 years.  Next appearance is in the blessing Moses gave to the tribe of Joseph before Moses’ death.  Next God uses dew on fleece in making a covenant with Gideon in Judges.  David references the lack of dew when lamenting the death of God’s first appointed King Saul and his son Jonathan.  There are references in Psalm and Proverbs equating dew with the abundant provision from heaven.  The dew of heaven is a central feature in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar interpreted by Daniel.  The last times the word is used in the bible are in the books of the prophets.  Micah 5 prophecies the “promised ruler from Bethlehem” and ties the dew from the Lord directly to “the remnant of the house of Jacob”.  Then the final time the word appears in the bible is in Zechariah 8:12 – “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.”

I love the way God plants these stepping stones for us to follow leading to the redemptive birth of His son, Jesus.  A simple word, like dew, something that can be counted on and expected as a daily occurrence, is woven in and through stories starting with a promised inheritance to Jacob and then being brought full circle to the remnant of that house and the promised ruler from Bethlehem who is the vine that yields everlasting fruit.

BSF Genesis: Week 19, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
a.
In every way, with a son with a family with an opportunity to demonstrate his obedience, prosperity, sheep, bailed him out of at least 2 bad situations, promised land, God’s covenant, daily walk, not to mention his hottie wife.

b.
watered and yielding fruit, not wither, prospers, inherit the land, steps are firm, though stumble not fall, blessed with food and abundance, every spiritual blessing, lamp to our feet, known by name

c.
In every way. By providing opportunities to demonstrate my obedience to him and through kind words of a believer.

4.
a.
By directing his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just

b.
Not a Canaanite woman for a wife. Isaac couldn’t move from promised land.  Both of these were in keeping with God’s covenant.

c.
To help them grow in faith, by providing an example to them of christian faith and marriage, help them marry believer

5.
He sought to guide the marriage of his son through whom God had promised bountiful nations and descendents. To help him marry a believer.

My Daily Journal:

When we think about how God has blessed us we often think of the big things.  We think about the sticky situations He has bailed us out of.  We think  about the roof over our head and the food that we eat.  We think about the relationships we have with others.  While all of that is true it is like picking out a few big trees in a forest or a few large rocks along a shoreline beach.

I love the way it is phrased in Genesis 24:1:  The Lord had blessed him in every way.  Everything around us, everything we have is a blessing from God.  Every breath, every beat of our heart is a blessing.  Every hug and kiss of a loved one.  Even every trial and tear.  All of these are blessings from God.

When we walk daily with God we have the opportunity to recognize and give thanks to him not only for the landmarks in our lives, the major events, but also for the whole picture.  24 chapters into Genesis and I’m reminded of Genesis 1 and that everything was created by God for man to enable us to have a relationship with Him.

BSF Genesis: Week 18, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

6.
a.
He was his only son, whom he loved, he was a patient and respectful father

b.
Obedient to his father even to the point of carrying the wood for his own sacrificial death and placing himself upon the wood to accept the judgment of this father. Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac could have fought or fled. Took burden from animal, 3 days, final steps alone with his father, He was bound to the act by the will of his father.

7.
a.
Where God had mercy on Jerusalem and stopped the hand of death they were to experience. Where David built an altar to seek for God to stop the plague

b.
Abraham was willing to give the life of his innocent son simply because God had required it. God substituted and provided a lamb, but ultimately that lamb became the lamb of Christ who took away the sins of the world (while it was still in sin)

My Daily Journal:

Abraham’s discussions with God and his faith actions are the book covers to this story, but the heart of the story is Isaac and the way he reveals God’s character and plan of salvation through His Son.  There are so many parallels: 3 days, took the burden from animals and carried the wood that would enable his own sacrifice, submitted fully to his father, an only son, loved by his father.

The bible is God’s method of revealing Himself to his children.  This is not a story just about a test of Abraham, it is a story of prophecy of God’s demonstration of His own love.

An altar is for sacrifice, for honor and tithe for the account of sin.  But, how interesting that we see that this very altar is the location that God repeatedly stops the taken of the payment.  He stopped Abraham from killing Isaac.  He stopped the plague in the days of David.  He stopped all sacrifices with His all atoning sacrifice.

BSF Genesis: Week 18, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions

3.
a.
1. to strengthen him, it is only by exercising our faith that it grows. 2. to honor Abraham by giving him an opportunity to demonstrate his love and obedience 3. to reveal Himself (God himself will provide the lamb), not pay price by own death 4. God knew outcome – not endorsing human sacrifice.

b.
His relationship with God, with his son and even his own confidence in himself grew as a result. He also learned more about God and we did as well.

4.
a.
Take your son, your only son, whom you love.. God himself will provide the lamb…

b.
22.Here I am. 3 Early the next morning… had cut enough wood, 4. On the 3rd day saw place in distance 5. stay we will worship and then come back, 6. placed wood on his son. 8. God himself will provide.9. built altar, arranged wood, bound his son, laid him on the altar. 10. reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

5.
a.
He delights in obedience and sacrifice of the heart.  Rejects those done only out of obligation.

b.
Trust in him entirely for provision for my family

My Daily Journal

1. Faith is a movie not a snapshot.  For several weeks in BSF we have lived with Abraham and been able to glimpse scenes from his life and his walk with God.  It has not been a perfect picture.  Looking at a single snapshot he is either demonstrating great obedience or falling into old sins and habits.  Highs and lows.  Thankfully for him and for us God does not judge us by a single snapshot but by the entire story of our life, remastered through the lens of the atoning sacrifice of his son.  This week we see Abraham’s great strength – obedience.  God calls and he responds in obedience not objection.  God asks for sacrifice and he demonstrates obedience not obligation.  He is prepared to obey completely – gone is the Abraham of partial truths and technicalities (she is my sister) – a burnt sacrifice is all consuming, there is no partial burnt sacrifice, first death then totally consumed in the flames.  Abraham obeys.

2. While I love this story and the lesson it teaches, it is also so very convicting and painful.  I don’t have an issue making any personal sacrifice to God.  Take my health, take my wealth, take my time, reputation, life.  I can be all in for God.  But.  And that is the part that I’m convicted of – it is that But word.

But is is my job to provide for my family.  But it is my job to keep them safe and protected.  But it is my job as a dad and father.  I don’t love my family more than Abraham did.  But I’m convicted because I know in my core I’m still thinking, “God you can take anything from me, but don’t allow harm/hurt to come to my family.”  Then we read these stories of Abraham.  First his oldest son, not only taken from him, but Abraham himself must cast him out into the wilderness.  Next, Isaac.  Then, Sarah.  I know and believe, as our memory verses have stated, there is nothing too hard for the Lord.  I know and believe that I must let go, that my thoughts that I have the power to truly provide or protect is inadequate, especially compared to the Lord’s ability.  But is hard to let go of.

BSF Genesis: Week 17, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
Same: Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister, taken by King, not gone to, God intervenes – people get ill, “what have you done to me/us?”, Abraham gained monetarily.
Difference: Run out of Egypt not Negev, Explanation of why they lied (habit and prior agreement), no mention of Sarah’s beauty, Abimelek knew God although Abraham didn’t recognize it, ended in prayer

4.
a.
He is an idiot and horrible role-model for being a husband. He was afraid and rather than rely on God relied on his own wit and intellect. Twisted truth to attempt to satisfy his own needs/desires.  This lie must have been a deep rut he fell back in to.

b.
When afraid but feeling they can “weasel” their way out. They know it is wrong but justify it because it is “partially true.”

5.
a.
Missed opportunity. Rather than being a witness to Abimilek and the nation he was a source of disease and problems

b.
We can only be a blessing if people see God in us. If we deny God the opportunity to be at the forefront and relegate him to cleaning up our messes how can we be a blessing?
(text) vs 10: he was not treated as his sins deserved or repayed according to his iniquities

6.
a.
vs 10: he was not treated as his sins deserved or repayed according to his iniquities

b.
He formed a treaty with him, swore not to deal falsely, stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time

c.
He has treated me with compassion and not once given me what I truly deserve. He has blessed me and my family and encouraged me to be an honest husband.

My Daily Journal:

In the children’s lecture, one of the principles talks about restoration in this section.  This brought to mind the illustration of restoring a piece of furniture.  To truly restore furniture requires stripping it down to the bare wood and carving out any weak or decayed pieces of wood, joints or fabric.

We saw Abram and Sarai (names back then) pull this same stunt in Egypt.  While God protected them at that point, it does not appear they really dealt with the lie.  I equate this with putting another coat of paint on the furniture instead of refinishing it correctly.

That doesn’t work here because (1) Abimilech is a believer and (2) God’s plan is for Abraham to spend some time in this land raising his son.  For this to work Abraham needed to be able to form a bond with Abimilech, to reach a covenant with him.  But you cannot form a strong bond in furniture without stripping off the old varnish.  Abraham and Sarah show their old varnish in their lie, but God’s response to Abimilech leads to Abraham’s prayer and ultimately to Abraham’s promise to Abimilech that he will not lie to him ever again.

Side Note:  What’s with the 7 lambs?  In order to have a lasting relationship with Abimilech, Abraham had to reach the understanding that it could not just be about me, me, me.  It also had to be about “ewe”.  (sorry, couldn’t resist!)

BSF Genesis: Week 17, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions

7.
a.
Lord was gracious, Lord did what he had promised, at the very time God had promised

b.
Faith – although “good as dead” did not waver through disbelief, stengthened in his faith

c.
I struggle with the same “me do” attitude that many do, trying to rely on myself first, then God when in trouble. God has given me challenges bigger than I can handle to help awaken and strengthen me to trust and rely on Him alone.

8.

  • No one can see the kingdom unless they are born again
  • body good as dead, through faith strengthened and made the father of many nations, credited as righteousness, we inherit
  • Birth through the word of truth that we might be a firstfruits of all created
  • born again of imperishable seed

My Daily Journal

The grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God lasts forever.  I know this and I believe it but I don’t understand it.  The idea that we are born again not only into new life but from a imperishable seed.

We accept the gift of eternal life but struggle to trust that God could deliver a promise to give a chile to a 90 year old woman and 100 year old man.  We trust the promise of heaven but try to supplement God’s wisdom and power in our daily actions on earth.

BSF Genesis: Week 14, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions

8.
Not a contridiction. Price is paid in full by Christ’s work on the cross. We cannot add anything to paid in full. But, accepting the gift means being transformed, and a transformed life is lived out in the light, not darkness, in acts of faith.

9.
a.
We were all dead to sin. We all will die, but God’s gift has changed that back into eternal life

b.
Yes. In my situation I was technically dead, my heart was offline as they performed surgery, but I was given a new spirit.

10.
a.
Choice to waver or be strengthened based on focus. Abram focused on God’s glory and was strengthened not on impossible situation and wavered.

b.
Do I waver in unbelief when I believe a situation is impossible or am I strengthened in faith and give glory to God because he can do the impossible?

My Daily Journal:

The discussion of the Romans 4:17-21 in light of Abram’s response stuck with me, today.  When I am struggling, when I am facing difficulty, when there are troubles and challenges, all too often my thoughts and the focus of my mind, my actions and my emotions is on the problem.

Focusing on the difficult situation leads to wavering and unbelief.  It makes the problem the big thing.  It creates a dialogue of difficulty in my mind.  I accept a solution as being impossible and therefore begin looking for a way around, an alternative, or, sometimes, just despair.

But, our lesson teaches us that Abram’s great super power was belief.  Instead of focusing on the problem, he focused on God’s power.  Instead of accepting that it was impossible for him to have a child, he accepted that God could do anything.  He saw God as a God who had the power over the impossible to convert death to life.  Since God can do that, why do I give any power to my problem at all?

BSF Genesis: Week 6, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
a.
Began to call on the name of the Lord

b.
Pray daily and in many settings. Lead prayer and worship with my family and with others. Use God’s name throughout my speech in a positive and praising fashion

4.
a.
Extol at all times, praise always on lips, glory in the Lord letting others hear, done with others (exalt together), seek and He answers, delivers from all fears, look on him and become radiant, not covered with shame, poor man called and Lord heard, saved out of troubles, angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers

b.
Look on him and become radiant not covered in shame. We are shameful people. As a christian I am even more aware of my sin and shame. But when I look on the Lord, then others see him and not me.

My Daily Journal:

I liked the discussion of daily habits.  I was reading an book this week that pointed out that it is very rare that we, as humans, have the ability to just “let go” of something.  Instead we are much more successful at grabbing a hold of something else.  With that in mind, it makes me think less of what do I need to quit or remove from my life and more in terms of what new habits I need to form which will replace the bad.

Doing my study daily is a challenge for me (obviously), but that is in part because I haven’t made it a habit.  I don’t have a trigger at which point I do it (like brushing my teeth when I first get up).  I haven’t set a time of day or place.  When I quit smoking I reached out for something else to do with my hands and my mouth.  In my daytime hours I need to substitute other things to do with my mind and my lips.  I need to remove the time thinking about me and substitute it with thoughts about what God wants me to do.  I need to remove the words that give my credit and substitute it with words that praise God.

That can be true of so much of our walk with God.  We try to cram it in to an already packed schedule instead of finding a better balance and order by reaching for it instead.