Nations – Praying Pint

53.d. Wilderness – 17.j. “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations”

Deu 32:7-14 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat— and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

Moses gives particular instances of God’s kindness and concern for them. The eagle’s care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ’s love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan’s bondage. In ver. 13,14, are emblems of the conquest believers have over their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, in and through Christ. Also of their safety and triumph in him; of their happy frames of soul, when they are above the world, and the things of it. This will be the blessed case of spiritual Israel in every sense in the latter day. (Henry)

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations,…. That went before the times of Christ, and the Jews’ rejection of him, and observe the instances of divine goodness to them; as in the time of the Maccabees, whom God raised up as deliverers of them, when oppressed by the Syrians and others; and in the time of the Babylonish captivity, how they were delivered out of it; in the times of David and Solomon, when they enjoyed great prosperity; and in the times of the judges, by whom they were often saved out of the hands of their enemies; and in the times of Moses and Joshua, how they were led, by the one out of Egypt and through the wilderness, and by the other into the land of Canaan; and thus might they be led on higher, to the provision and reservation of the good land for them in the times of Noah and his sons, which they are referred to in Deuteronomy 32:8, and in all these times, days, years, and generations, they might consider what notices were given of the Messiah, the rock of salvation, rejected by them; not only by the prophets since the captivity of Babylon and in it; but before it by Isaiah and others, and before them by David, and Solomon his son, by Moses and by all the prophets, from the beginning of the world; (Gil)

“Remember” – have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of (someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past

Recall, call to mind, recollect, think back to, commit to memory, retain, bear in mind, not lose sight of the fact, not forget, take into consideration…..

It is easy to forget. We do it all the time. Keys, phones, receipts, notes, tools, dates, addresses, phone numbers, tasks, etc…. We even forget to think about God, God’s Word, Things of God, His creation, His power, might, strength, His control over all of creation, His presence, His Holiness, love, grace, and mercy, His promises, His purpose, His gift of the Holy Spirit, His working for the good of His people, His discipline, His forgiveness, and definitely we forget about our sinfulness and desire to sin and the need for repentance.

In many disciplines, Medical, Engineering, Teaching, Computer Technology, Chemistry, Physics, etc…. it is required to have continual education. Why? For two reasons. So you won’t forget, and so you will learn new. The best way to not forget is to continue to use what you have learned. The only way to learn NEW is to study and then apply it.

Neglect of God’s Word will result in Forgetting what you once knew, cherished, and applied. Complacency will result in the lack of learning something new from God.

The busyness of life will try to rob you of your memories of God. It will surely rob you of learning more about God’s holiness and your sinfulness. It is an intentional choice to Study God’s Word and apply it. Nothing in life will compare to the peace, joy, happiness, and hope that is found in it.

51. Wilderness – 15.f. “Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them”

Deu 12:29-32  “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

Leviticus 18:3    You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.

Psalms 106:34-38   They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,  but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.  They served their idols, which became a snare to them.  They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;  they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

Judges 2:2-3   and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?  So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Romans 12:2    Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Israel was commanded to guard itself against a sinful curiosity. Ungodly curiosity has also killed many spiritual lives. God would not accept just any offering of worship. He had to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

They burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods: This referred to the practice of Molech worship, where Canaanites offered up their children by placing them alive on a burning hot metal statue of Molech, while drum beats drowned out the screams of the tortured infants.

. Israel had a tragic history of following after this horrible god Molech.

· At the least, Solomon sanctioned the worship of Molech, building a temple to this idol (1 Kings 11:7).

· King Ahaz of Judah gave his own son to Molech (2 Kings 16:3).

· One of the great crimes of the northern tribes of Israel was their worship of Molech, leading to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17).

· King Manasseh of Judah gave his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6).

· Up to the days of King Josiah of Judah, Molech worship continued, because he destroyed a place of worship to that idol (2 Kings 23:10).

The standard for worship was reflected in God’s Word – not in human preference or opinion. (Guzik)

When the Lord had cut off the nations of Canaan from before the Israelites, they were to take heed that they did not get into the snare behind them, i.e., into the sin of idolatry, which had plunged the Canaanites into destruction. (Keil_

We might not sacrifice our children on a fire or even think of doing it, but in a way, our culture has fallen away from God and turned their backs to Him, His Word, and His ways. We might not see an idol but there are certainly things that are cherished and worshipped in place of God. God’s Word is clear on being influenced by the world and what it deems important and worthy of our time, thoughts, and actions. We are to live in it but separate from its influences.

I can remember a discussion with the first pastor I learned from after I was saved, Pastor McClunn. In or around 1980 we were talking and he said, “I have seen something that is troubling. Whatever the world is doing right now and the church recognizes it as not good or right in the eyes of God or does not bring honor and glory to Him, the church will adopt within 10 to 15 years.” He is probably not the first person to say something like this. It has stuck with me for 44 years.

Thoughts about what is right and wrong, good and bad, or true and false are being eroded away little by little. When the Word of God used to be studied and people met regularly for bible study and worship and fellowship there was discernment. Now the study of the Word of God is watered down to a verse per day or some devotional pamphlet that has a nice short story tied to a verse. I might be generous here. There might not even be a daily look into God’s Word. More than likely it might just be once per week at church. Churches try to entice “bible study” by developing a plan of reading. This is not wrong but to read and not study is. New plans to engage are developed every year. New music is sung. New classes are taught. New sermons are preached. All in an effort to do what? To what end are we trying to achieve?

If there is no personal conviction to repentance, no discernment between what is worldly and what is Godly, no recognition of the influences of the world, no desire to know God more and more, no continual growth in understanding the Holiness of God, no discernment of the sinfulness of sin, no means by which to gage maturity in God’s Word and things of God, then people will do what seems right in their own eyes and soon will adopt things of this world into the church. In Revelations 3:20 Jesus was speaking to the church in Laodicea and said; “behold I stand at the door and knock”. Jesus wanted them to know that they had wandered away so far that he wanted to be allowed back into the church. How sad is this? How relevant is this today? If Paul and the writer of Hebrews commented on the state of mind of the believers in the churches the letters were sent, calling them infants, eating baby food, and not able to digest solid food, what would he say now?

The influences of this world are real and they will not be discerned by babies. Babies will put anything into their mouths and not know if it is good or bad for them. Likewise, babies in the Word of God and things of God, believers will put things of this world into their lives not knowing if it is good or bad.

Will Graham – Devotion

Jeremiah 1:4–10

⁴Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

For many years I have traveled the world as an evangelist, sharing the Good News of Christ on six continents. The faces may change, but the concerns of the heart are very often the same. I’ve found that one of the biggest concerns weighing on people—whether in the United States or on the other side of the world—is the matter of purpose.

People naturally wonder why they are here, who they’re supposed to be, and what they’re supposed to do. They want to know that their life has meaning—a purpose.

The answer—like the answer to many of life’s questions—can be found in the Bible. Let’s look at Jeremiah 1:4-10.

We were created for a purpose (vv. 4 and 5): As humans, we are created for a purpose, and that purpose comes from God. He says, “I formed you … I knew you … I sanctified you … I ordained you …” God created us for a well-established purpose, and gave us the means to accomplish that work. Your calling and my calling were put into place before we were even formed.

Further, verse 4 tells us exactly where to look for our purpose. “Then the word of the Lord came to me …” If you want to find your purpose, spend time in God’s Word, through which He speaks to us.

Ditch the excuses (v. 6): Often we recognize our purpose, our calling, but try to run the other direction. Humanly speaking, there are often excuses one can use to avoid the purpose that God may have for you. Maybe you can make more money elsewhere. Perhaps embracing your purpose will make a less comfortable life for you and your family. Like Jeremiah, you may not feel adequately equipped for the task—too young, too old, unskilled.

If you truly want to find your purpose, however, you may need to step out in faith, become uncomfortable and offer yourself to be used by God. Which leads us to …

God equips those He calls (vv. 7-10): Finally, we are reminded how God equips those whom He calls by addressing the two issues that Jeremiah brought up. First, concerning his youth, God promises that He Himself will be with Jeremiah wherever he is sent. Second, as for Jeremiah’s speaking problem, God tells him that He was going to place in Jeremiah’s mouth the words to speak.

God is not going to call you to a purpose without giving you the tools you need to accomplish His plan. What a great concept—God gives us purpose, and then equips us for His purposes!

My friends, you may not feel like you have a purpose in life. You may feel lost and misdirected. I encourage you to seek God, study His Word, and cry out to Him in prayer. Follow God’s purpose for your life, get past the excuses, and allow Him to work through you.

God gives us purpose, but you have to know Him to find yours.

50.x. Wilderness – 15.c. “Blessing and a Curse”

Deu 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Deuteronomy 30:1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you,

Deu 11:32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today.

The three great elements to the Old Covenant were the law, the sacrifice, and the choice. Israel had a choice – to obey and be blessed, or to disobey and be cursed. It was a cause and effect relationship with God. It was up to Israel. If they wanted to be blessed, then they should walk in obedience (as they were in the days of David and Solomon), but if they disobeyed, they would be cursed (as they were in most of the days of the later kings) A choice was required. There was no neutral ground. God wouldn’t just “leave them alone.” It would either be blessing or cursing. Inherent in Israel’s disobedience was idolatry. Whenever we walk in disobedience, we exalt ourselves against God – and declaring that our rules, our standards, our desires, are all more important than His. This is idolatry in its most base – and common – form. (Guzik)

Moses sums up all the arguments for obedience in two words, the blessing and the curse. He charged the people to choose which they would have. Moses then appointed a public and solemn proclamation of the blessing and curse, to be made upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal. We have broken the law, and are under its curse, without remedy from ourselves. In mercy, the gospel again sets before us a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if we obey the call to repentance, to faith in Christ, and newness of heart and life through him; an awful curse, if we neglect so great salvation. Let us thankfully welcome these glad tidings of great joy; and let us not harden our hearts, but hear this voice of God while it is called to-day, and while he invites us to come to him upon a mercy-seat. Let us be diligent to make our calling and election sure. (Henry)

We don’t think in terms of blessings and curses. We think in terms of “Blessings” and what can we get from God. Very seldom does the thought of curses cross our minds. Why? Jesus bore all the curses we deserved upon Himself on the cross. The perfect sacrifice. For those who believe, repent, follow, obey, trust and rely in and on Jesus, they receive endless blessings.

Forgiveness, Fellowship with Jesus, In-filling of the Holy Spirit, Eternal life, and the Promise of resurrection

Peace, Joy, Love, Kindness, Gentleness, Hope, Ever in the presence of God

Discernment, Wisdom, Courage, Encouragement, Power for each day, Boldness, and Peace that passes all understanding

Though this is true, it does rely upon our intentional choice to believe, repent, follow, obey, trust, and rely and on Jesus. We are justified (made right, and clean, and our sins are forgiven) through what Jesus did and endured on the cross (redemption). Sanctification – is a never-ending growth and maturity in our knowledge, understanding, and obedience to following, obeying, relying, trusting, honoring, and glorifying Jesus Christ this side of eternity. There are continual blessings in this growth and maturing. And yet, it is an intentional choice to grow and mature.

(2 Timothy 2:15. Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.)

What blessings do we forfeit when we become complacent and neglectful? Will we not experience any of the list above? We may think we do as we substitute things of this world as we try to find satisfaction, purpose, and meaning in our lives. What are the signs of being lukewarm and complacent?

No growth, No awareness of sin, No repentance, and Unable to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading

Little to no thoughts of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ and Little to no time in God’s Word

Fear. Confusion, Pride, Greed, Boastfulness, Arrogance, Anger, Hate, Jealousy, and Coveting

Busyness in the things of this world, No Godly satisfaction, Little understanding in the Things of God, and False purpose and meaning for your life

We will not find blessings in our lives apart from total surrender and devotion to humbly serving, following, growing, maturing, and relying more and more upon Jesus Christ. This requires us to make an intentional choice every moment of every day of our lives. It is a choice to deny ourselves and the influences and temptations of this world. This world, society, and culture will offer satisfaction in many different ways. Each of them promises to fulfill your desires and wants. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are full of examples of this. How are we even able to discern what is of this world and what is of God apart from diligently searching and desiring to know? We won’t.

The Word of God is more readily available than it ever has been, and yet, it is more and more greatly neglected. It is nourishing food for our hearts, minds, and souls. It fills us to overflowing with an awe of God. It opens our eyes to His power, might, love, grace, mercy, and blessing.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

50.h. Wilderness – 14.n. “You shall not covet the silver or the gold”

Deu 7:22-26 The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Sometimes to our frustration, this is the way God often works in our life. He clears things away little by little even though we might prefer it all at once. But God wanted Israel to grow spiritually in the process of taking the Promised Land. Doing it all at once might seem easier and better to us but will have consequences we cannot see or appreciate. God cares that we grow, and so He grows us little by little.(Guzik)

Thou shalt not be able; I will not assist thee with my omnipotence, to crush them at one run of success and victory; for you are not yet numerous enough to people the whole country at once. But I will bless thee in the use of ordinary means, and thou shalt destroy them by degrees, in several battles, that thou mayest learn by experience to put thy trust in me. (Benson)

It is an abomination to the Lord thy God; not only the idol itself, being put in the place of God, and so derogatory to his honour and glory, but the gold and silver on it, being devoted to a superstitious and idolatrous use; and even the taking of it, and appropriating it to a man’s own use, was an abomination, and resented by the Lord as such. (Gill)

We need to rely upon God’s leading to discern what is good and right and what is worldly and heavenly. The problem arises when we think we can discern this on our own. We lean on our own understanding. We listen to pastors and teachers who do not preach and teach the full Word of God. It would seem they are more interested in how big they can become rather than what you learn. They feed baby food day after day. We should not expect to be able to discern anything living on baby food. It is no wonder there is little difference in how the world lives each day and how many “Christians” live. The love of this world and pleasures of the flesh easily find their way into the hearts that should be far from it. Oh, you may feel comfortable in your church and it might be growing but are the people maturing? Is there a difference in their lives? How many examples does the Bible show us of how easy it is to fall away and blend in with the worldly? How many examples of God’s anger and judgment do we need to read before it changes how we live? How much preaching is on sin? How much teaching is on God’s holiness? How many times are you in church and you feel comfortable and satisfied?

I am not sure we should be comfortable though we ought to find comfort. I don’t think we should be satisfied though we ought to find satisfaction. When we are being led by pastors and teachers who feed baby food we will be very comfortable and very satisfied when in fact we should be in awe, wonder, reverent, humble, thankful, and ever searching our hearts and minds for maturity in knowing and understanding God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

Oh that God would raise up pastors and teachers who rightly divide the Word of God and purpose to do so over butts in the pew and money in reserve.

50.g. Wilderness – 14.m. “But you shall remember what the LORD your God did”

Deu 7:17-21. “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the LORD your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. You shall not be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.

Yet sin is never totally destroyed in this world; and it actually prevails in us much more than it would do, if we were watchful and diligent. In all this the Lord acts according to the counsel of his own will; but that counsel being hid from us, forms no excuse for our sloth and negligence, of which it is in no degree the cause. We must not think, that because the deliverance of the church, and the destruction of the enemies of the soul, are not done immediately, therefore they will never be done. God will do his own work in his own method and time; and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but at length there will be a complete victory. Pride, security, and other sins that are common effects of prosperity, are enemies more dangerous than beasts of the field, and more apt to increase upon us. (Gill)

It is hard for us to remember all that God has done for us, how and when He led us, how and when He healed us, how and when He prospered us, how and when He forgave us, how and when He opened and closed doors, how and when He comforted and encouraged us, how and when He filled us with peace in trying and troubling times, how and when He blessed us, how and when He ………

Do you ever wonder why it is that we so easily forget? Or, why it is we are strong sometimes and weak other times? Or, why we are affected by what is before us to the point of being fearful and hesitant? Do we know who God is? Do we trust in, cling to, and rely on He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present? Do we trust in, cling to, and rely upon His steadfast love, purpose, mercy, grace, and love? Do we actually purpose to live every moment of every day to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do? Are we in a state of thankfulness and looking for reasons to praise and worship Him?

The answer to these questions reveals the reason why we fail to remember – because much of what happens we attribute to; “good luck”, “fate”, “our own hard work and determination”, “someone else’s good or bad toward us”, “being in the right place at the right time”, etc…..

We have grown weak in knowing who God is. We have become complacent. We are neglectful. We are tossed to and fro. We are forgetful. We are proud. We are jealous. We are hateful. We are fearful. We are greedy. We are self-serving. We are self-reliant. We think we are self-worthy. We think we are deserving. We have a hard time discerning right from wrong and good from bad. We tolerate sins of the flesh. We purpose to do without seeking God’s leading. Our ears have become dull to the Holy Spirit leading. God’s Word is void from our thinking most of the day. We like to be fed baby food from scripture and not solid food for maturity. We see the sins of others and are critical of them. We are blind to our own sins. We are…….

Repent of being slothful and negligent. Doubts and worries will come – talk to God about them and REMEMBER who He is. Purpose to be ever diligent in the study of God’s Word and living with a single purpose to drive every thought, word, and action – Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ every single moment of every day.

50.f. Wilderness – 14.l. “And they provoked the LORD to anger.”

Deu 7:16 And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.

Judges 2:3  So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Judges 2:12    And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.

Psalms 106:36    They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

1 Corinthians 15:33    Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Joshua 23:13-16   know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you.  “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.  But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you,  if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.

God’s Word is full of reminders and examples for us. Reminders of His awesome power, might, presence, holiness, goodness, grace, mercy, and love. Examples of His warnings, anger, wrath, judgment, and purpose for pure lives in service to Him. How many times do we read it as history and not allow ourselves to think about it and make our minds and souls sensitive to it? How many times do we just read over it until we grasp only promises of God’s blessing, mercy, steadfast love, and grace? How many times do we pass over warnings and examples of how easily the world and our fleshly thoughts can pull us away from seeing God’s Word in its fullness? Far too many I’m sure.

We may think not me, but in reality, we have deafened our ears, closed our eyes, and stiffened our necks against giving deep thought to the Word of God and things of God. We easily claim promises that are given to those who follow, obey, cling to, rely upon, and trust God. However, we don’t dig into His Word in depth or give it meaningful thought. We just limp along thinking life is a basket of roses, when in fact it is a battle for eternal life. A battle of good and evil. If we do not give this thought we are bound to be easily drawn away into worldly temptations and give no thought to our sinfulness, let alone how we might grow in how we honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Read God’s Word with a hunger and thirst for knowing His holiness and our sinful tendencies. Read it for how to better discern right from wrong and good from evil. Read it for in it is truth. Read it and meditate upon it for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

37.j. “I will be with you and will bless you”

Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Genesis 26 12: And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

Genesis 26:19 . But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

Genesis 26:26 When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you.

Genesis 26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

The 26th chapter speaks of the life of Isaac. There is a famine in the land and Isaac moves away from it, hears from God, is blessed by God, and is told to sojourn where he was at on his apparent way to Egypt. Isaac is blessed and becomes rich and wealthy and is told to leave the place where he was sojourning in. (“Go away from us”)

Isaac moves on and digs wells which two out of three times are claimed by others. God appears to Isaac again, and again, confirming His blessing in his life because of His blessing promised to Abraham. The Philistines who kicked him out from living in their land come to Isaac and want to make peace with Isaac because they see God’s blessing on him.

Esau marries Judith and Basemath, both Hittites. They make life for Isaac and Rebekah bitter.

What does it mean to be blessed by God? A life of ease, prosperity, and problem free? Worry free? Is there blessing in famine? Is there blessing in being kicked out from where you are living? Is there blessing in laboring (digging wells) and having the fruit of that labor claimed by others? Is there blessing when a son or daughter marries without concern for the marriage is right before God?

Too often we think blessings from God equal ease, prosperity, and conflict and worry-free living. Life will encounter numerous trials and troubles for the flesh which make us doubt if God blesses us. Blessings from God may include those we realize materially and very few trials or troubles in our life. However, these themselves do not mean we are blessed by God. Look at those who have these worldly things and give God no thought or thanks for them.

Why would God promise to be our rock, refuge, fortress, strength, power, and might if there were no reason for them? Don’t all of these indicate our lives on this side of eternity will have encountered trials and troubles? I fear we think blessings from God in only worldly material and comfort. This should not be. Children of God (those who have repented, believed, trusted, followed, obeyed, and rely in and on Jesus Christ for their redemption and salvation) are blessed beyond all measure. Though trials and troubles come our rock, refuge, fortress, strength, and power are promised by the all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God of all creation. Our true blessing is found in reliance and trust in Him alone. When it is our heart’s desire at all times to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do our lives are blessed beyond all measure in this world and eternity to come.

36.o. ““I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless”

Genes9s 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

Genesis 18:14    Is anything too hard for the LORD?

Deuteronomy 10:17    For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Job 11:7   “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

Psalms 115:3    Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Jeremiah 32:17    ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Daniel 4:35   all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Matthew 19:26    But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Ephesians 3:20    Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Philippians 4:13    I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

God’s first words to Abram made an introduction and a declaration of His being. By this name El Shaddai (God Almighty), God revealed His Person and character to Abram. After the proclamation of His name El Shaddai, God then told Abram what was expected of him. It was first revelation and then expectation. This communicates the principle that we can only do what God expects of us when we know who He is, and we know it in a full, personal, and real way. The word blameless means “whole”. God wanted all of Abram, a total commitment. (Guzik)

Note the revelation of God’s character, and of our consequent duty, which preceded the repetition of the covenant. ‘I am the Almighty God.’ The aspect of the divine nature, made prominent in each revelation of Himself, stands in close connection with the circumstances or mental state of the recipient. So when God appeared to Abram after the slaughter of the kings, He revealed Himself as ‘thy Shield’ with reference to the danger of renewed attack from the formidable powers which He had bearded and beaten. In the present case the stress is laid on God’s omnipotence, which points to doubts whispering in Abram’s heart, by reason of God’s delay in fulfilling His word, and of his own advancing years and failing strength. Paul brings out the meaning of the revelation when he glorifies the faith which it kindled anew in Abram, ‘being fully assured that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform’ {Romans 4:21}. Whenever our ‘faith has fallen asleep’ and we are ready to let go our hold of God’s ideal and settle down on the low levels of the actual, or to be somewhat ashamed of our aspirations after what seems so slow of realisation, or to elevate prudent calculations of probability above the daring enthusiasms of Christian hope, the ancient word, that breathed itself into Abram’s hushed heart, should speak new vigour into ours. ‘I am the Almighty God-take My power into all thy calculations, and reckon certainties with it for the chief factor. The one impossibility is that any word of Mine should fail. The one imprudence is to doubt My word.’

What follows in regard to our duty from that revelation? ‘Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.’ Enoch walked with God; that is, his whole active life was passed in communion with Him. The idea conveyed by ‘walking before God’ is not precisely the same. It is rather that of an active life, spent in continual consciousness of being ‘naked and opened before the eyes of Him to whom we have to give account.’ That thrilling consciousness will not paralyse nor terrify, if we feel that we are not only ‘ever in the great Task-Master’s eye,’ but that God’s omniscience is all-knowing love, and is brought closer to our hearts and clothed in gracious tenderness in Christ whose ‘eyes were as a flame of fire,’ but whose love is more ardent still, who knows us altogether, and pities and loves as perfectly as He knows.

What sort of life will spring from the double realisation of God’s almightiness, and of our being ever before Him? ‘Be thou perfect.’ Nothing short of immaculate conformity with His will can satisfy His gaze. His desire for us should be our aim and desire for ourselves. The standard of aspiration and effort cannot be lowered to meet weakness. This is nobility of life-to aim at the unattainable, and to be ever approximating towards our aim. It is more blessed to be smitten with the longing to win the unwon than to stagnate in ignoble contentment with partial attainments. Better to climb, with faces turned upwards to the inaccessible peak, than to lie at ease in the fat valleys! It is the salt of life to have our aims set fixedly towards ideal perfection, and to say, ‘I count not myself to have apprehended: but . . .I press toward the mark.’ Toward that mark is better than to any lower. Our moral perfection is, as it were, the reflection in humanity of the divine almightiness. To possess God is only possible on condition of yielding ourselves to Him. When we give ourselves up, in heart, mind, and will, to be His, He is ours. When we cease to be our own, we get God for ours. The self-centred man is poor; he neither owns himself nor anything besides, in any deep sense. When we lose ourselves in God, we find ourselves, and being content to have nothing, and not even to be our own masters or owners, we possess ourselves more truly than ever, and have God for our portion, and in Him ‘all things are ours.’ (MacLaren)

To walk before God is to set him always before us, and to think, and speak, and act in every thing as those that are always under his eye. It is to have a constant regard to his word as our rule, and to his glory as our end, in all our actions. If we neglect him or dissemble with him, we forfeit the benefit of our relation to him. (Benson)

36. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?”

Genesis 11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Acts 17:26    And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

Ecclesiastes 11:9    Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Psalms 2:1-4    Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

From the confusion of tongues the city received the name Babel, according to divine direction, though without any such intention on the part of those who first gave the name, as a standing memorial of the judgment of God which follows all the ungodly enterprises of the power of the world. (Keil/Delitzsch)

Observe the wisdom and mercy of God, in the methods taken for defeating this undertaking. And the mercy of God in not making the penalty equal to the offence; for he deals not with us according to our sins. The wisdom of God, in fixing upon a sure way to stop these proceedings. If they could not understand one another, they could not help one another; this would take them off from their building. God has various means, and effectual ones, to baffle and defeat the projects of proud men that set themselves against him, and particularly he divides them among themselves. Notwithstanding their union and obstinacy God was above them; for who ever hardened his heart against him, and prospered? Their language was confounded. They left off to build the city. The confusion of their tongues not only unfitted them for helping one another, but they saw the hand of the Lord gone out against them. It is wisdom to leave off that which we see God fights against. God is able to blast and bring to nought all the devices and designs of Babel-builders: there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord. The builders departed according to their families, and the tongue they spake, to the countries and places allotted to them. The children of men never did, nor ever will, come all together again, till the great day, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and all nations shall be gathered before him. (Henry)

The imagination of man can take a person to places of personnel sin or to places of corporate sin (one mind, one purpose). Paul stated that we ought to take every thought that comes into our minds captive. He is saying that we ought to put it in a clear sealed box and then observe it through the lens of godliness, holiness, God-honoring, God-glorifying, and the Word of God, examine it, listen for the whispers of discernment given by the Holy Spirit, and then rightly choose to open the box and put effort into its contents or to discard it, never to think of it or dwell on it again. You might not be able to stop unholy and sinful thoughts from popping up in your mind, but you surely can decide what is done with them. How many have fallen headlong into sinful behavior by allowing an unholy sinful thought room in which to dwell in their mind? As we mature in our understanding of God’s Word, capturing thoughts and the use of proper discernment become easier and easier. The thought pops into your mind and you immediately say, “where did that come from?” and then just as fast as it is recognized it is cast out of your mind.

Be mindful of what thoughts you allow to be resident in your head.