Genesis
Ch 1
vs. 1-4: So yeah, not the best idea from Sarai. Hagar is obviously going to have issues with this. You can't be forced into something like that and go right back to being a servant. She had her master's son. That is going to create tension.
vs. 5-6: Wow, Abram said not my issue you deal with her. Ouch. This is what happens when you try to make God's promise happen on your own.
vs. 7-10: God shows favor to Hagar. He knows the fullness of the situation and deals accordingly.
vs. 11-12: Ishmeal's line is still around today. Many claim to be descended from him. It is interesting that God still showed favor to Abram's son despite all of the tension this situation created.
vs. 13:14: A God who sees. Exactly. I love the scene in the chosen between Nicodemus and his wife as they discuss this passage. God sees us
vs. 16: The child was born.
Ch. 17
vs. 1-8: Abraham gets his new name at the ripe old age of ninety-nine! Also, God establishes this covenant with him. More than a promise. Sometimes God tells us more than once of His promises to us. I'm glad He does this. It is easy to forget in the midst of adversity that God even spoke to you. When He renews it again it is such a blessing.
vs. 9-14: Odd to me but who am I to understand the Lord's ways? Being a girl I have no skin in the game... literally. Too much?
vs. 15-16: Sarah gets a name too! Also, God affirms that Sarah shall have a child, not just Abraham.
vs. 17-18: Abraham doubts God and tries to establish the working of themselves as the promise through Ishmeal.
vs. 19-21: God reaffirms HIs initial promise but also remembers Ishmeal. I think it is interesting that Ishmeal fathers twelve princes and through Sarah there are Twelve tribes. We have another two lines of asymmetric differences to compare. One established through human hands and one ordered by God. This is a thematic portion of the narrative that will continue to resurface especially after the tribes are all established.
vs. 22-27: Note that in this circumcision Ishmeal is included. Abraham very much views Ishmael as his son.
Ch. 18
vs. 1-5: There is a strong responsibility felt in the Hebrew culture toward hospitality. This is why. The thought is that you should treat everyone you know with hospitality lest you host angels unaware. This is why breaking bread and fellowship is so essential.
vs. 6- 8: Quick! The flour! The cow must die! The urgency here is quite comical to me. Then he stood and watched these gentlemen eat. Like what? I wonder if angels fell socially awkward with some humans. Probably not right?
vs. 9-15: SO both Abraham and Sarah laughed at different times about the same thing. However, she gets called out here. Maybe it was the manner in which they replied after laughing. Either way, we get a cool verse here. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
vs. 16-21: So interesting this aside here. HE does tell Abraham but I don't quite understand the whole nations thing in regard to whether or not to disclose this info to Abraham.
vs. 22-33: I've heard so many people talk about this passage. Either saying Abraham shouldn't have stopped or should have just asked the Lord to spare it for his sake. However, I think that is a gross miss reading of this passage. Abraham is pleading for the sake of the righteous in that city, not for the people who have committed such atrocities. From this point out Sodom and Gomorrah are the example of just how far and bad sin can get. Think about that baby murders, sexual immorality, pedophiles, and the like are mentioned later but Sodom and Gomorrah are claimed to be worse. Later we see them wanting to rape angels. How awful. Abraham is not pleading for those people. Instead, he is pleas=ding for his nephew who he knows lives near Sodam. Why not just ask for his Nephew then? Well, with Noah there were his in-laws whom Noah had lived righteously and God spared them too. We don't know if Abraham was thinking of All of Lot's house. See Abraham's servants had interactions with God. They must have served God in some way. When Abraham left Lot, lot had several servants and now he has children. If Lot had instructed them all in the way of the Lord then theoretically there should be at least ten. However, we don't see that. In fact, Lot goes from having his tent set toward Sodom to living in the midst of the city offering up his children to rapists. What happened to him?
Mathew
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vs. 1-4: Jesus talks a lot about boasting. There is an understanding in the scriptures about being rewarded in secret. If you tell everyone what you've done then being noticed is your reward. However, if the only one who knows is God then He will reward you. You will find greater pleasures in the secrete place than in the glory of self.
vs. 5-6: Kind of a continued portion but in regards to prayer. This is why we call it a prayer closet. Praying to God is communication to HIm. If you find that you only pray in front of others I would ask you to search yourself and see what your motives are. God wants to be close to you. There are some conversations you can only have in private.
vs. 7-8: Be really in prayer. I have heard some people only ever pray one sentence. That's not a conversation. Don't say meaningless platitudes. If you don't know what you're praying what is the purpose? There is such power behind prayer, why waste it with meaningless words?
vs. 9-13: I love the Lord's prayer. It was the first prayer plan I was ever taught. It's also the main prayer I heard my grandmother praying before she passed.
vs. 14- 15: Jesus takes a minute to touch again on the forgiveness of others. I think we should try and forgive if we ask for forgiveness, Unforgivness is a bitterness that sets within you. Horrible and unhappy.
vs. 16-18: Jesus speaks about when the religious elites would fast. They would put ashes on their face and go around making a big deal of their fast. They wanted to look Holy. Jesus said that was their reward, but if you want to see real things in your fast do it in secret fast with Joy and God will reward you beyond measure.
vs. 19-24: Jesus talks about money. Money and the love thereof have such a stronghold in our lives. We quote the two masters line as if it is speaking on the devil and God. I suppose that can be implied but in context, Jesus is talking about money and God.
vs. 25-27: Sounds easier said than done. However, He is right. Worrying does not help you with anything. You can't make yourself taller or add a day to your life. Being content is definitely a practice.
vs. 28-34: You have enough to do today to be worried about tomorrow. Seek God and He will take care of all your needs. IF you find something wearing heavily on your mind causing you to worry, take a minute and pause. Talk to God and seek Him. He will make the difference. He can clothe you better, feed you, and give you water to drink. Worry small and pray big.
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Tomorrow's passage. Genesis 19-21/ Mathew 7. See you then!218Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vLGyLV42p
