Devotional Thoughts

Genesis 21:1-7    "And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age." We are truly blessed when we have confidence in the simple truths of this first verse. God came to Sarah exactly when He said He would, and He did to Sarah exactly what He said He would do. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Yes, I know that the verse in Hebrews says “Je...

Proverbs 3:1-4   "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:  (2)  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.  (3)  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:  (4)  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Where do you place things of great importance to you? Most of us have a hiding place for important documents and treasures of life. Early in his life (and possibly toward the end of his life), Solomon held the Word of God to be of utmost importance.  Where did he hide that Word? It seems that he had read at least some of his father's writings. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11) Not only did he hide that Word in his heart, he kept it there, and then he wrote it "upon the table of (his) heart."  In other words, he applied the Word of G...

Genesis 19:30-38    "And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day."  When God first told Lot to take his family and flee from Sodom, He told Lot to flee into the mountain. Lot did not trust the word of the LORD completely. He expressed to God that he was afraid to flee into the mountain. He did not ...

Proverbs 2:7    "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." We see squirrels and other animals storing up food in the Fall.  I remember as a boy hearing older people say, "They are 'laying up' for the winter." They meant the animals were storing up their food for the days when nothing would be available. God built into them "sound wisdom" to have provision for hard times.  God lays up sound wisdom for us as we seek to do the right thing. He will supply every need and give us the answers to situations and circumstances when we look to Him for that guidance.  It is the "fear of the Lord" (giving honor and due reverence) that brings us to the place where we seek His answers rather than trying to provide our own.  As we continue learning more about the Lord, we realize that He is indeed "a buckler to them that walk uprightly."  He is our shield and defender. When I see the word, buckle...

Genesis 19:23-29   "The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."  As the story of Sodom and Gomorrah unfold, we may wonder how Lot came to dwell in such a city. Remember that Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and by custom of that time, c...

Proverbs 2:1-5     "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;  (2)  So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;  (3)  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;  (4)  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;  (5)  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." The word, if, is mentioned three times in these five verses. This is a conditional statement that is threefold and is followed by the word, then. If you do this, then the other will happen. One of the most often mentioned "if-then" statements is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." With statements...

Genesis 19:17-22    "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar." Lot, his wife, and his daughters had just been delivered from destruction by the merciful ...

Proverbs 1:15-18     "My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:  (16)  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.  (17)  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.  (18)  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives." Does life ever seem complicated to you? It does to me, at times. Have you ever thought about why it seems that way? I think we do it to ourselves. I think we have added so much to living our lives that we do not have much time to really live as God intended for us to conduct our lives. We put so much into each day that we sometimes crowd out the most important thing. It's always been that way. Adam and Eve had everything, but they wanted one more thing in their life and it cost them dearly. Man added so much to the law of God that it probably did not resemble the original. We always want more, more, more. We see a very simple sta...

Genesis 19:11-16   " And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters...

Proverbs 1:1-7   "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;  (2)  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;  (3)  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;  (4)  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.  (5)  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:  (6)  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.  (7)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." I pray the Lord will forgive me if I have followed my own thoughts rather than His, but my study of the book of Judges was very disheartening. I could see too much of our nation as I read through the actions of the people of that day. At times, there seems to be a need for direction and instructio...

Genesis 18:17-23    "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"  The LORD appeared unto Abraham in plains of Mamre as three men. After communing with Abraham, God made Abraham a ...

Judges 10:10-15    "And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.  (11)  And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?  (12)  The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.  (13)  Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.  (14)  Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.  (15)  And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day." I confess to you on this Monday morning that the book of Judges can be a sad one to read. The w...

Genesis 18:6-14    "And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LO...

Judges 7:20-21    "And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.  (21)  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled." I'm sure you are familiar with the account of Gideon. The 300 men carried torches in one hand that were covered with pitchers and held trumpets in the other hand. At the given time, they "brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow." The darkness of the night was shattered when the pitchers were broken and the light of the torch shined brightly. The trumpets shattered the quietness of the night along with their voices declaring "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon."  When this happened, the enemy started running and fighting each other. They could not ...

Genesis 18:1-5    "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said."   Abraham appears to have been a man given to hospitality. Scholars tell us that Abraham was not simply shielding himself from the heat of the day. He sat in the door of the tent watching for any travelers who would certainly need a respite from the heat and some refreshment for their journey. At a time whe...

Judges 7:10-11    "But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:  (11)  And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host." I strongly encourage you to read all of Judges, chapters 6 and 7. It is in those two chapters that God deals with Gideon in a very special manner. The Lord sent a prophet to speak, then He sent His angel specifically to Gideon. He gave Gideon friends to stand with him when he was instructed to tear down the altar to the false god, Baal. Gideon had many questions and also fears. God pared down the number of men from 32,000 to 300 that would go with Gideon to face the Midianites that had come to devour their land. Today's verse takes place as Gideon is positioned to go against the enemy. God is so good and merciful. He is so patient and kind to us. In those q...

Genesis 17:18-21    "And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." Ishmael was Abraham’s son by Hagar who was Sarah’s maid. It is obvious that Abraham was ecstatic that he would finally have a son with Sarah. However, that did not lessen Abraham’s love for Ishmael. He desired greatly that Ismael might live before God.  It is obvious that not waiting on the LORD caused a situation where Abraham’s attention was divided. God had just told Abraham in verse six...

Judges 6:12    "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."  We could do several writings concerning Gideon, but we will try to limit it to a couple days. The people of his day would work hard in preparing the land, planting the seed, and maintaining their crops in anticipation of a great harvest. But each year, the Midianites would come into the land just as it was time for them to enjoy the fruits of their labors. This happened year and after year because Israel had turned away from God in serving the gods of the land, just as had happened on other occasions when God raised up deliverers (judges). The people would see great multitudes of the Midianites, as grasshoppers, come up with their animals to devour their crops. They began to cry out unto the Lord - just as they had done on the other times when they had gone away from Him. In today's verse, the angel of the Lord speaks to a young man by the ...

Genesis 17:1-5    "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."  Genesis 17:17    "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"  Twenty-four years had passed since God first told Abram that he would make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:2). Abram was now nearly a century old, and Sarai was not far behind him in years. Still, at ninety-nine years old, God told Ab...

Judges 4:7-9    "And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.  (8)  And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.  (9)  And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh." As I read through the book of Judges, I am reminded once again of the cycles that children of God go through. There are times when we are closer to God than other times. There are times when we allow our minds to wander away from Him. Thus it was with Israel after God had brought them into the land of Canaan.  When they wandered, God would allow other nations to come upon them which would stir their hearts and minds back to Him....

Genesis 16:4-5   "And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, my wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee." Genesis 16:8-11   "And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. Genesis 16:13   "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God s...

Judges 3:31    "And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel." Ecclesiastes 12:11    "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd." I realize that I used Judges 3:31 recently, but this verse has stayed with me. I have thought so much on the importance of words and actions which can guide our lives. This morning, I included the entire verse from Ecclesiastes because the second half speaks concerning my thoughts.  First, let's be reminded that Shamgar was the judge who slew 600 men with an ox goad - a stick with a sharp point, or sometimes a metal blade, that was used to direct oxen when working. I also have a picture of the man who works with elephants in the circus. He uses a goad to  direct the elephant's movement.  What does all this have to do with one another?  "The words of ...

Genesis 16:1-3   "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." God had made a promise to Abram that he would be blessed with a large family. Abram believed this promise. His journey from Ur at God’s command was an example of his belief in all that God had promised. Yet, here we are ten years later, and there is still no heir. Sarai loved Abram, and she wanted him to have an heir. She acknowledged that God had held her back (restrained) from having children. So she decided she needed to help the situation along. She presented her Egyptian handmaid to A...

Judges 3:31    "And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel." Yesterday, we saw God using a man named Ehud to deliver His people. Ehud used a special dagger that he had made for the purpose of deliverance. Today, we see a man named Shamgar who was used by God as the deliverer of Israel. Shamgar did not have a special weapon that was made for the purpose; rather, he used a tool that was an everyday instrument in his trade. He used an ox goad. I want to use the description given by Wikipedia concerning an ox goad. The goad is a traditional farming implement, used to spur or guide livestock, usually oxen, which are pulling a plough or a cart; used also to round up cattle. It is a type of long stick with a pointed end, also known as the cattle prod. This is the type of instrument that Shamgar used for deliverance. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12, "The words of the wise are as goads....

Introduction   In J. Edwin Hartill’s Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics, he addresses a principle titled “The Application Principle.” He defines that principle as “The principle by which an application of truth may be made only after the correct interpretation has been learned” (Hermeneutics 44). The author goes on to state the following: This means that when you study the Bible you must first seek the proper interpretation of the text, the exact meaning always, and the literal meaning. You ought never to take a text and preach on it without examining the words of the text. Discover—(1) Why that passage was given. (2) What was the original purpose of God in writing the Scripture. (3) What was in the mind of God when He caused it to be written. . . . There may be many applications, but there is only one correct interpretation (Hermeneutic 44).  It is my intent in writing this article to apply the application principle to 2 Samuel 9:1-13. The interpretation i...

Genesis 15:1-6    "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Melchizedek, the priest of God, had communed with Abram after his battle to free lot and others from captivity. Abram had them refused any bounty from the king of Sodom because Abram did not want this ...

Judges 3:12-14    "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.  (13)  And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.  (14)  So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years." We can already see in this book of Judges that Israel had cycles when they would follow closely to the Lord and other times when they would stray from Him. This was a constant in their history. But, if we are honest with ourselves, it is also a constant in each of our lives. There are times when we feel closer to God than at other times. In the day of Judges, the people would stray to the point of worshiping the gods of the land. This is what God had warned them about before He brought them into the Promised Land. They were not to follow after the n...

Genesis 14:18-23   "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" Abram had just been blessed to win a great victory and liberate Lot as well as other residents of Sodom along with the food and possessions of that city. It is upon this victorious event that we first see “THE priest of the most high God.” The language here tells us tha...

Judges 3:7-9   "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.  (8)  Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.  (9)  And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother." Yesterday, we saw the danger of trying to act like the world always results on the negative side. Again, the words of Jesus: "A little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump."  Good apples cannot repair bad apples; rather, they begin to rot faster when in contact with the corrupt. Some would say, "Well, Jesus went to where the sinners were located in order to teach them."  Yes, He did, but He did not stay there nor did He leav...

Genesis 13:8-9    "And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."  Genesis 13:14-17    " And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." Sometimes things that appear small have profound consequences. Do ...

Genesis 13:3-4    "And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." Abram had built an altar to the LORD between Bethel and Hai (Ai) when he first journeyed into the land of the Canaanites. A great famine drove him into Egypt. Even though Abram failed to fully honor God in Egypt, God brought him up out of the land again in prosperity. God made His power known to Pharoah and the Egyptians as well as to Abram. The LORD demonstrated His faithfulness to the promise He made to Abram to bless him and to cause him to be a blessing. Abram came out of Egypt and returned to the place where this sojourn had started. The scripture tells us that this was not the first altar Abram had built (Genesis 12:7). However, it was at the place of this altar between Bethel and Hai that it is reco...

Judges 3:5-6    "And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:  (6)  And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods." The people of Israel had allowed those nations to remain even after God had told them to drive them out. It would have been nice if the influence of Israel had been greater than the influence of those nations, but it didn't happen. It did not take long for Israel to start allowing their sons to marry the daughters of the Canaanites and their daughters to marry the sons of the Hittites. Taking their gods was the next digression from marrying those who were of the world. Then we read, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves." (Judges 3:7) Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees because a little le...

Genesis 12:10-15   "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house." Abram had taken Sarai (his wife), his nephew Lot, his servants and his possessions and gone into the land where the Canaanites dwelled. God told Abram that He would give...