God's blessings in your life are a small part of a much bigger picture. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF:   Joseph, son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac, and great-grandson of Abraham, has been sold into slavery by his older brothers. Genesis 39:1–23 (NIV) 39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2   The L ORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3  When his master saw that the L ORD  was with him and that the L ORD  gave him success in everything he did, 4   Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5  From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the L ORD  blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the L ORD  was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6   So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7   and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8   But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9  No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10  And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11  One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12  She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13  When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14  she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15  When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 16  She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17  Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18  But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19  When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20  Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21  the L ORD  was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22  So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23  The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the L ORD  was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 27 Q. What do you understand by the providence of God? A. Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty— all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand. Summary This passage's key verse comes right near the beginning: The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered. Joseph's story isn't given just to inspire you to make lemonade when life gives you lemons or to encourage you to work really hard so that the brass takes notice of you when it comes time for promotion. Those things aren't bad, and certainly Joseph did both of those things, but Joseph's optimistic attitude or hard work ethic really aren't the focus of the passage. In fact, they aren't aren't even mentioned! Notice how the text frame things: it's not about what Joseph did to score points with Potiphar, but how Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph. So Potiphar smartly gets himself out of the way. He put Joseph in charge, entrusted to his care everything he owned, and he left everything he had in Joseph's care. Consequently, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph! Potiphar quickly figures out that the less he does, the more his household prospers. It doesn't take long until the only thing he concerns himself with is the food he ate. It certainly isn't the primary point of this story, but it's a valid point none the less: the more you align yourself with the LORD, as Potiphar did, the more of His blessings you will enjoy (although remember that His blessings often look different than we expect).   Dig Deeper   Ironically, the only action Joseph takes in this episode is technically an action he didn't take: he didn't cave in to the advances of Potiphar's wife. But notice that the narrative stays centered on Potiphar; Joseph's integrity forces Potiphar to a fork in the road. Will he side with his ungodly wife, or will he stand behind the one whom the LORD has blessed? Though the circumstances are certainly different, this is a test you face daily! The text present's Potiphar's conundrum very subtly, telling us that upon hearing his wife's accusations, he burned with anger. Notice, though, that there's a period after the word anger . It doesn't specify the object of his anger. It doesn't say that he burned with anger towards Joseph. Rather, he's angry that his gravy train has derailed. He knows that when Joseph leaves his household, the LORD's blessing will leave along with him. And he knows he doesn't have the courage to do what's right and prevent this from happening. But Potiphar's ultimate problem isn't his lying, manipulative wife. His bigger problem is one that's so easy for us to get caught up in as well. Potiphar made this story all about himself. He was smart enough to recognize the LORD's blessing and want it for himself. He was willing to make himself smaller so that the LORD's blessing would become bigger. But Potiphar never asked himself a very necessary question: why did the LORD's blessing just randomly show up on his doorstep? He never took a step back to wonder what the LORD's larger purposes were. So when his external blessings were threatened, his short sighted vision caused him to burn with anger rather than to humble himself before the LORD. The LORD had sent Joseph to Egypt in order to save His people - and the world along with them - from a future famine. His blessings upon Potiphar's household were a mere component in a much bigger story. You've likely been blessed tremendously by the LORD as well. Don't lose sight, though, of the bigger picture: God's providence in your life - His blessings (or lack thereof) - are mere components in a much bigger picture: bringing you to salvation in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who upholds, as with His hand, heaven and earth and all creatures; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will evaluate your blessings and challenges in light of God's big picture; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God is firmly in control, even when it seems like He's missing. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF:   Jacob and Esau were reconciled peacefully as Jacob returned to the land and discovered that God had graciously protected him despite his lingering fear. Jacob settled in Canaan, but his household’s compromises—most notably the violence that followed the rape of one of Jacob's daughters—brought trouble and loss, even as God preserved the covenant line. The section concluded by tracing Esau’s descendants, showing how God established nations from both brothers while continuing His redemptive purposes through Jacob’s family. Genesis 37 (NIV) 37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2   This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3   Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4  When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5   Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6   He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7   We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8  His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9   Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10  When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11   His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. 12   Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13  and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” -- So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18  But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19   “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20  “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” 21   When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22   “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23   So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24  and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. -- 28   So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. -- 31   Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32   They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” 33   He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” 34   Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35   All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him. 36   Meanwhile, the Midianites  sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Belgic Confession Article 13: God is not the author of, nor can he be charged with, the sin that occurs. For his power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible that he arranges and does his work very well and justly even when the devils and wicked men act unjustly. Summary God's people are a dysfunctional mess as the account (literally, the generations or genesis ) of Joseph begins. Jacob has taken multiple wives for himself, a practice God never ordained nor blesses, and as one commentator puts it, "The sons of Jacob were not only in Canaan, but Canaan was in them." The surrounding chapters tell the story of a bunch of cutthroat, debauched goons. And Jacob, himself a master of deception and strategy, doesn't trust his boys one bit at all. So he often sends his youngest boy, Joseph, out to narc on them, who brings home his bad reports to his father. It's no wonder his brothers don't like him. It got worse for the brothers when Jacob gave Joseph an ornate robe, or to use the more familiar King James vernacular, a coat of many colours. Whatever we call it, it represented more than just the latest in ancient near eastern fashion - it conveyed royalty, signifying that it would be Joseph who would inherit Jacob's vast estate, not his older brothers. So they had lots of good reasons to rid themselves of him. Joseph doesn't make things any easier for himself. God gives him prophetic insights into his patriarchal future through dreams, but rather than pondering these things up in his heart as Jesus' mother Mary would later do, Joseph proclaims them to anyone who would listen - no doubt with an air of vain superiority in his voice, so much so that even Jacob rebuked his favorite son.   Dig Deeper   It's not too likely that anyone was surprised as to how today's chapter turned out. This is one of the Bible's most familiar stories since it's common fodder for Sunday School and VBS classes. But even beyond its popularity, the narrative makes it obvious the brothers have had enough and are going to take matters into their own hands. Joseph showing up in the middle of the wilderness, wearing his fancy robe no less, to see if all is 'well' simply lit the fuse. When the brothers return to their father with his son's bloodied, torn robe, they masterfully sell him a story, which he bought hook, line and sinker. Jacob became inconsolable, tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth, mourning for days and refusing to be comforted. Jacob knew the true magnitude of this tragedy - Joseph, the dreamer, was to be the one who carried on God's covenant promises, and now he's dead. But the story isn't over. It never is! No matter how dark things are and how distant God seems, God continues to sovereignly work all things for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose . So the passage ends with a glimmer of hope contrasted against Jacob's weeping . Joseph ends up in the house of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. The plot thickens! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose name and presence is conspicuously absent from today's passage, but yet who is very much in control; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will remember God's sovereign power over all things, even when you're sitting in life's cisterns; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God wants you to tenaciously pursue His blessing. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: After Jacob swindled his brother out of his birthright and Isaac's blessing, Esau vowed revenge. Jacob fled to his uncle Laban, where God reaffirmed His covenant promises to him at Bethel. Jacob endures years of deception and hardship, marries sisters Leah and Rachel, builds a large family, and prospers despite Laban’s schemes. He's now returning toward Canaan at God’s command. As he prepares to meet Esau again, Jacob fears retribution, divides his household, and sends generous gifts ahead, seeking peace and God’s protection. Genesis 32:9-12, 22–32 (NIV) 9  Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, L ORD , you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10  I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11  Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12  But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ” ---- 22  That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23  After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24  So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25  When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26  Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27   The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28  Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,  because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29   Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30   So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” 31   The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,  and he was limping because of his hip. 32   Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. Canons of Dordt Point V, Article 12: This assurance of our perseverance, however, so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured, is rather the true root of humility, of childlike respect, of genuine godliness, of endurance in every conflict, of fervent prayers, of steadfastness in crossbearing and in confessing the truth, and of well-founded joy in God. Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works, as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints. Summary Jacob here finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Behind him was his father-in-law, Laben. Jacob had worked for him for over twenty years, and got a big taste of his own medicine from him. Laben had swindled Jacob time and time again, not the least of which was when he secretly swapped in sister Leah in the bridal gown after Jacob had worked seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel. But despite all of Laben's schemes, God had richly blessed Jacob during his time there. Yet God had called Jacob back to the Promised Land. But to get there, Jacob would have to go through his twin brother Esau, who'd been had by Jacob in ways that made Laben's capers seem trivial. Jacob was so frightened of this encounter that he'd sent a massive peace offering over to help smooth things over. But at the same time he hedged his bets by dividing his family and belongings into two groups, so that if one group was attacked, the other might escape. Jacob's massive character flaws are such that his life far more often serves as a cautionary tale rather than an example to follow. But Genesis 32 is an exception. There's little doubt that Jacob could have overcome his father-in-law anytime he pleased and built a nice little empire for himself right where he was at. But he heeded the LORD's call, and like his grandfather Abraham, immediately packed up his belongings and went where God directed. And Jacob offers a model prayer in the midst of his fear. In this short prayer (most Biblical prayers are short) He prays back God's Word - the covenant promises God had made to him - and then clearly and succinctly asks God to save him. After he prayed, Jacob wisely divided his camp and moved forward.   Dig Deeper   But what's up with this strange all night wrestling match? And who exactly is the Man that Jacob wrestled - was it really God Himself? And why do they wrestle to a stalemate before the Man simply touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it? Already in the opening weeks of our journey through the Bible, you've learned that not every question will be fully answered, and today's passage will add to that list. But you've also learned that the Bible is its own best interpreter, and the prophet Hosea sheds some light on the subject for us, inspired by the Holy Spirit thousands of years after the famous wrestling match: Hosea 12:3–6 (NIV) 3   In the womb Jacob grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. 4  He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there— 5  the L ORD  God Almighty, the L ORD  is his name! 6  But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. God never endorsed Jacob's deceptive shortcuts, but He does respect Jacob's tenacious desire to seek His blessing. This is the same tenacity He desires from you, for you to have also been given Jacob's new name: Yiś·rā·ʾēl - the one who struggles - both with God and for God's blessing. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the God of our father Abraham, God of our father Isaac, who has promised to make His covenant people prosper; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be as tenacious as Jacob in seeking the LORD's blessing; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Find peace by boldly calling out for God to listen. Psalm 4 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David. 1   Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 2   How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?  3   Know that the L ORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the L ORD  hears when I call to him. 4   Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. 5  Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the L ORD . 6   Many, L ORD , are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. 7   Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. 8  In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, L ORD , make me dwell in safety. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 117 Q. How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us? A. First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed himself in his Word, asking for everything he has commanded us to ask for. Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble ourselves in his majestic presence. Third, we must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what he promised us in his Word. Summary I'm always stunned at how aggressively David so often begins his prayers. Psalm 4 is most certainly a prayer, one that's often referred to as the 'evening psalm' because of the peace that David finds which allows him to finally lie down and sleep in its final verse. Each day here as we read the Bible together, we pray portions of it back to God using the AAA Prayer Pattern, which is modeled after the Lord's Prayer that Jesus taught us. We begin by a cknowledging who God is, because as we express our Father's sovereign majesty, it not only honors Him, but soothes our own souls as we take those words on our lips. David does that too, and quite often, but not here. You can feel the angst as he begs God for relief from his distress, likely tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. He begins his prayer by simply blurting out to the supreme Creator and Ruler of all things, Answer me when I call to you!!!! Would you dare speak to your Heavenly Father that way? David here gives you permission to do so - and not just David, but the Holy Spirit Himself, who inspired David to write these words. Don't make it your regular practice - David didn't either - but do know that on those long and sleepless nights as the world presses down on you, you can aggressively cry out to God. Praying Psalm 4 back to God in those moments is a great way to do so!   Dig Deeper   We've already seen this year that Hebrew writers love a literary tool called chiasm. Rather than put the primary meaning at the end of a poem, as we normally would, the Hebrews placed it in the middle. Psalm 4 is an excellent example of it. It's good and right to refer to Psalm 4 as the Evening Psalm because of how it ends, but being able to sleep well isn't really David's primary point here. Notice the symmetry and structure: v1 - David's distress that causes anxiety v2-3 - David contrasts the wicked from the righteous v4-5 - Prescription for peace: tremble and do not sin, silently search your heart and be silent, trust in the LORD v6-7 - David contrasts the wicked from the righteous v8 - David's peace that allows him to sleep David's primary point comes in the middle: shut off the world's distractions, and as you silently meditate (chew on) God's Word, put your trust in the LORD. When stress and anxiety keep you awake, reach for Psalm 4. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Cry out to the LORD as David did: Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: tremble and do not sin; search your heart and be silent; trust in the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God uses sin sinlessly. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: God reaffirmed His covenant promises to Isaac during a famine, calling him to trust and remain in the land. Though Isaac prospered, he faced opposition from the neighboring Philistines over water wells. Yet God protected him and established peace, showing that His promise advances through faithful trust rather than conflict. Isaac, now old and nearly blind, asked Esau to hunt and prepare a meal so he could give him the patriarchal blessing before he died. Rebekah overheard this plan and devised a scheme for Jacob to impersonate Esau, instructing him to bring her two goats so she could prepare the meal Isaac loved. Genesis 27:25–41 (NIV) Jacob brought food to Isaac and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26  Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.” 27  So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the L ORD  has blessed. 28  May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine. 29  May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.” 30  After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31  He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” 32  His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.” 33  Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!” 34  When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” 35  But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” 36  Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” 37  Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” 38  Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. 39  His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. 40  You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” 41  Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42  When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43  Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44  Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45  When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 46  Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 112 Q. What is God’s will for you in the ninth commandment? A. God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name. Summary The people of God have always been, and will always be until the Lord returns, a dysfunctional mess. Isaac, just like his father Abraham, at times exhibits a strong faith and willingness to obey the LORD come what may. But at other times, just like his father Abraham, passively sits back and lets things happen to him. He speaks here as if the day of his death was immanent, but he'll go on to live for decades. In a sense, he's just waiting to die. Rebekah is the one to whom the LORD had directly told that Jacob, the younger of the twins, would rule over Esau, the older. Yet there's no indication that she ever told this to Isaac. This entire sad episode wouldn't have happened had she just communicated the truth. Esau is angry that he missed out on his father's blessing, but he has no complaint about missing out on the LORD's blessing. He bitterly cried out to Isaac for a blessing, not to the LORD. And then there's Jacob - God's chosen patriarch - the deceiver . Rather than trust in the LORD's covenant faithfulness, he eagerly cooperates with his mother's plan to con his father.   Dig Deeper   "God uses sin sinlessly." Those are the words one of my professors would use to explain difficult passages like this. We certainly do not want to justify Rebekah & Jacob's ruse - it was sinful to the core. But yet their con was used by God to move His plan and purposes forward. This difficult to comprehend conundrum ought to give you comfort for two key reasons. First, you can have confidence knowing that this world is run by dysfunctional, sinful people, God remains in full control and His plan is never thwarted. God sinlessly uses our sins. Second, your Father is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Each of these men of faith did more wrong than they did right, yet God remained faithful to them. God hated their sin and He hates your sin, but know that His grace will always be bigger and stronger than your dysfunctions. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the sovereign God who chose us to be His own by His grace alone; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll trust God enough to not manipulate people and situations to accomplish His will; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Jacob & Esau help explain that you are saved by grace alone. Photo: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen via Unsplash SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: Sarah has died and Abraham needed to purchase land to bury on, since he still has no land of his own. Isaac is given a wife, Rebekah, through God’s clear providence, and Abraham’s life closes with God’s promises firmly established through Isaac rather than Ishmael. The passage ends by listing Ishmael’s descendants, showing that God was faithful to bless him as promised, while still preserving the covenant line through Isaac. Genesis 25:19–34 (NIV) 19  This is the account [the generations ] of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20  and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram  and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21  Isaac prayed to the L ORD  on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The L ORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22  The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the L ORD . 23  The L ORD  said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24  When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25  The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.  26  After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.  Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27  The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28  Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29  Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30  He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31  Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32  “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33  But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. Canons of Dordt Point 1, Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure The cause of our undeserved election is exclusively the good pleasure of God. This does not involve His choosing certain human qualities or actions from among all those possible as a condition of salvation, but rather involves his adopting certain particular persons from among the common mass of sinners as his own possession. As Scripture says, “When the children were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad..., she” (Rebecca) was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Rom. 9:11-13). Also, “All who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). Summary Today's passage begins with a literary device, from which the book of Genesis derives its name, which signals the beginning of a new story line. Abraham is now dead and buried, but the covenant promises God made to him will be carried on through the family line of Abraham's son Isaac. So the passage begins this is the account of (NIV) or these are the generations of (ESV, KJV), an introductory line we see often in this book. Initially, Isaac's story seems similar to his parents. Like his mother, Isaac's wife Rebekah was childless. After two decades of waiting (v26), the LORD finally answered Isaac's prayer and she became pregnant. But right away there's a big hint that something would be different, for the babies jostled each other within her, so much so that she went to inquire of the LORD to find out what was going on . The LORD answered her prayer - quite directly! - but His reply doesn't seem very comforting. These two babies in her womb represented two nations - two peoples, one stronger than the other. The text doesn't give any indication as to how Rebekah received those words, nor does it seem that she passed on this stunning yet troubling revelation to Isaac. But that's to be expected, because the story isn't really about Rebekah. So Rebekah gives birth, not just to a set of battling brothers, but to the Bible's most difficult doctrine. Thousands of years later, the Apostle Paul would use the birth of Jacob and Esau as the primary example of God's saving election, writing that before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad - in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by Him who calls - Rebekah was told, "The older will serve the younger." Then Paul lowers the boom by quoting the prophet Malachi, who recorded the LORD's hard words: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated ( Romans 9:11-13 ).   Dig Deeper   It's at this point that our deeply embedded sense of fairness kicks in. Because we know that Jacob is God's good guy, we have a tendency to lionize all of his actions and demonize those of his brother Esau. But it's hard to keep a straight face while defending Jacob. From the very moment he was born, he's grasping for something more than he has. He came out with his hand grasping Esau's heel. This occasioned his name, Jacob , which literally means heel grasper, a word that would go on to become an idiom in Hebrew for deceiver. He puts his nature on display has he cons Esau out of his birthright here, as if he could buy his way into God's promises for a bowl of stew . As we work our way through his story, we'll continue to see example after example of his cunning and deceptive character. This is why Jacob is the poster child for God's sovereign election being based on grace alone, for if Jacob needed to rely on his own merits he'd be cooked (as would we). Esau, on the other hand, will often appear to be the more magnanimous of the two, but a deeper dive shows he deserves exactly what he gets. He's not exactly a victim in today's episode, even though Jacob comes away with the much better end of the bargain. The final verse of the passage gives a hint as to why: Esau despised his birthright. He didn't care about carrying on Isaac's line or God's covenant promises, so much so that a bowl of lentil stew seemed more valuable. As the Canons remind us today, the cause of your undeserved election is exclusively the good pleasure of God. Show Him your gratitude in the way you respond to this gift as you live the life He gave you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the sovereign God who chose us to be His own by His grace alone; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll neither despise what God's given you nor try to grasp for more. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God's tests are for your benefit. Faithlife.com SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: God fulfilled His promise to Abraham & Sarah with the birth of their son, Isaac. He replaces Ishmael as the heir of the covenant, and Hagar and Ishmael are sent away - yet God still preserves them according to His mercy. Abraham once again fibs to a neighboring king that Sarah was his sister, but God protected her and publicly reaffirmed His covenant faithfulness by blessing Abraham and establishing peace at Beersheba, showing that the promise rests on God’s Word, not human effort. Genesis 22:1–19 (NIV) 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2   Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3  Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4   On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5   He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6   Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7   Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8   Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9   When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10  Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11  But the angel of the L ORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12  “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14  So Abraham called that place The L ORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the L ORD it will be provided.” 15  The angel of the L ORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16  and said, “I swear by myself, declares the L ORD , that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17  I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18  and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,  because you have obeyed me.” 19  Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 33 Q. Why is Jesus called God’s “only Son” when we also are God’s children? A. Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God— adopted by grace through Christ. Summary I wonder what sort of emotions flooded into Abraham's heart when once again he heard the voice of the LORD calling out to him. After all, this isn't the first time he heard it, and it often came to him with life altering news like when God called out of nowhere telling him to pack up and move away from his homeland. And since Abraham has more than once tried to rely on shortcuts and half-truths rather than on full obedience to God, he had lots of reasons to fear what God would say to him next. Still, Abraham's eagerness to hear God's voice is palpable, masterfully communicated in the text: God said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. There's no hesitation, pause or trying to hide on Abraham's part. And think of all of the different ways Abraham could have replied; he could have simply answered "yes," but then we'd wonder about what kind of tone he used - did he mutter the "yes" under his breath, or call it out excitedly? He could have replied "now what?!?" He'd already done so much in demonstrating his faith, and now God was calling out to him again? But Abraham's reply leaves no doubt about his demeanor. The LORD God was once again calling out to him and Abraham couldn't wait to hear what He said. Abraham didn't just want God to hear his reply, he wanted Him to see it: Here I am!!! Is this what your reply looks like as the LORD calls out to you from His Word?   Dig Deeper   I once had an instructor who referred to tests and quizzes as 'celebrations of knowledge.' What he meant was that the test wasn't just an opportunity for him to gauge his students' knowledge, but for us as students to be able to see how much we'd learned as well. And so it is that God doesn't just show up to test Abraham to see what he knows or how he'd respond, but so that Abraham could tangibly see his faith demonstrated as well. After all, God already knows what we know. The tests He sends us are not for His benefit (James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Romans 5:3-4). But the test God gave to Abraham was one of the toughest tests ever administered. God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac - and... sacrifice him as a burnt offering." When God speaks to us, we have the blessing of being able to parse each and every word to make sure we understand it correctly. But Abraham didn't read God's Word as we do, he heard it. Had he really heard it correctly? The very next thing we read is that early in the morning Abraham went. It could be that he was eager to obey God's command, but more likely that he couldn't sleep after hearing it. The fact that Abraham went so quickly once again demonstrated his tremendous faith, but it's not even the biggest demonstration of faith in this celebration of knowledge. That would come when Abraham replied to Isaac's very relevant question about the missing lamb, telling Isaac that God Himself will provide the lamb. What amazing foreshadowing! But God wasn't done calling out to Abraham, and the second time Abraham heard his voice called out from heaven, he replied with the same exact words. Only this time his reply was even more instant and eager: Here I am!!!! Imagine the relief that he - and Isaac! - felt when God made his faith visible in the form of a ram caught in the thicket. God has provided the Lamb - His one and only Son, whom He loves ( John 3:16 ) . And the celebration of knowledge God presents to you is far easier than the test He gave Abraham. Will you reply as quickly and eagerly as Abraham did? AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, Jehovah Jireh - the LORD who provides; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll respond to God's calls and tests as eagerly as Abraham and Isaac; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Hagar's tragic story points to God's faithfulness. The Bible never presents men's passivity in a positive light. Genesis 16:1–16 (NIV) 16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2   so she said to Abram, “The L ORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3   So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4   He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5  Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the L ORD  judge between you and me.” 6   “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7   The angel of the L ORD  found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8   And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9  Then the angel of the L ORD  told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10  The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11  The angel of the L ORD  also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,  for the L ORD  has heard of your misery. 12  He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” 13  She gave this name to the L ORD  who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14  That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15  So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16  Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. Summary Sarai's decision to give her Egyptian slave to her husband to be his wife seems creepy and wrong to our modern ears, but in the ancient near eastern culture that formed her context, it was actually quite acceptable - the right thing to do, even! The fact that our narrator specifies that this took place after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years isn't just a helpful timeline, it indicates that the ten year threshold of infertility required by the surrounding culture had been met, justifying Sarai's decision to build a family through Hagar. Sarai almost sounds pious in her rationale. This was all God's will, she indicates. After all, the LORD had kept her from having children. Sarai wasn't wrong here, for Hagar's quick conception indicates that the issue wasn't with Abram! Clearly, then - according to Sarai's thinking, at least - God expected her to solve this issue on her own, and the culture of the day provided the perfect mechanism to do so. Notice the parallels with Genesis 3 . Just like Adam, Abram stayed silently passive through this whole process, abdicating his responsibility to be the godly leader of his household. His only words in this passage drip with irony: do whatever you think best . Sarai also emulates her predecessors. After bending God's will to align with her own design, she shifted the blame to everyone but herself when everything imploded. The prevailing culture of the day always has, and always will, offer shortcuts that promise to deliver the blessings it seems that God has either forgotten about or is unable to deliver. When you're tempted to follow them, remember how well the shortcuts worked out here in Genesis 16. Instead, trust that God will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world .   Dig Deeper   Hagar is one of the Bible's most fascinating characters. She was likely a gift from the Pharoah to Abram as he left Egypt in shame, and she's likely still a young girl. Her youthful immaturity is evident in her arrogance upon becoming pregnant. Yet our sympathy is with her as she flees Sarai's mistreatment trying to find her way back to a homeland she never really knew. It's out there, in the middle of nowhere in the barren, inhospitable wasteland between Canaan and Egypt that she joins the very small club of people who've met the Angel of the LORD, who had found her (again, notice the parallel to Genesis 3 ! God comes to find His wayward people). Unlike nearly everyone else who encountered this mysterious Angel, Hagar shows no fear. In fact, she gives Him a name! She calls Him El Roi - The God who sees me. The Angel has difficult words for her. She's to go back to her mistress and submit to her. How could God order such a thing?!? And her son would be a wild donkey of a man; his hand would be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. Muslims consider Ismael their father, and his hostility has been evident through all of history. Despite being told all this, Hagar obeys the LORD. She went back and bore Abram a son. What tremendous faith! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the God who sees (El Roi) and the God who listens (Ishma El); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll not fall for culture's shortcuts and that you'll have faith like Hagar; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet! Don't let the talking heads get in your head. Psalm 2 (NIV) ¹ Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, ³ “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. ⁵ He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶  “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” ⁷ I will proclaim the LORD's decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. ⁸ Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. ⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹  Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. ¹²  Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Belgic Confession of Faith Article   36: The Civil Government And being called in this manner to contribute to the advancement of a society that is pleasing to God, the civil rulers have the task, subject to God’s law, of removing every obstacle to the preaching of the gospel and to every aspect of divine worship. They should do this while completely refraining from every tendency toward exercising absolute authority, and while functioning in the sphere entrusted to them, with the means belonging to them. They should do it in order that the Word of God may have free course; the kingdom of Jesus Christ may make progress; and every anti-Christian power may be resisted. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper are reposted from November 2024 . The second Psalm, along with the first , set the tone for all of the Psalms that follow them. Psalm 2 sets forth two competing realities, but it also makes clear that only one of these realities will ultimately prevail. You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you about the existence of the first reality: that all of the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain... banding together against the the LORD and His anointed one (mā·šîaḥ ) . The kings of the earth rise up against the very God who established them ( Romans 1 ). You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you this because you see evidence of it everywhere you look, whether it's 'kings' operating at the local level or 'kings' who have tremendous geopolitical power. What you need Psalm 2 to be reminded of is what's in store for these wicked and corrupt rulers. You need to be reminded often that despite how much you worry about policies and proclamations that seem so backwards, the One enthroned in heaven laughs and scoffs  at them! He's not laughing because He thinks their attempts are so funny, but because He knows their rebellious efforts are so pathetic. The One enthroned in heaven  can be so confident because He knows who the true King is: the one He installed on Zion, His holy mountain , and He knows that this King  - His Son - will  break the rebellious nations with a rod of iron and will dash them to pieces like pottery.   Dig Deeper   We let the media get us so spun up and uptight. Whether you get your information from sources aligned with the political left or right, understand that both have the exact same goal: to work you up into a tizzy, because angry people consume more and more of their content. It's certainly not wrong for you to be upset about things you think your government are doing that are contrary to God's Word. In fact, you have an obligation to warn your neighbors that God's wrath can flare up in a moment  against ungodly governments. You also have a duty to encourage the ' kings ' in your life to be wise, and to serve the LORD with fear and celebrate His rule with trembling.  This is what our Confession means when it states that good governments completely refrain from every tendency toward exercising absolute authority , but instead function in the sphere entrusted to them, with the means belonging to them. But you must resist the continual anxiety the media wants you to have. Remember that your Father in heaven is laughing  at the feeble efforts this world musters in rebellion. So every so often be sure to just sit back and chuckle at the silliness of it all as well, knowing that He has installed His King on Zion , and that blessing comes to all who take refuge in Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the One enthroned in heaven; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your faith in the LORD's anointed One will overcome your anxiety about the kings  in your life; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God credits your faith as righteousness. Photo: Klemen Vrankar via Unsplash Genesis 15:1–21 (NIV) SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF: Roughly 5-10 years have transpired since we left off yesterday. After receiving God's call, Abram lives as a pilgrim who worships God but still struggles with fear and failure. But God preserves and prospers him. Whereas Lot choose to settle in a prime area near sinful cities, Abram choose to trust the LORD. Abram rescues Lot from captivity and rejects earthly reward, showing that his confidence and blessing come from God alone. 15 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,  your very great reward. ” 2  But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3   And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4   Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5   He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6   Abram believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7  He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8   But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” 9   So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10  Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11  Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12  As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13  Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14  But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15  You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16  In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” 17  When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18  On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19  the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20   Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21  Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” Belgic Confession of Faith Article 23: The Justification of Sinners We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach us when they declare that man blessed to whom God grants righteousness apart from works. Summary Today's Summary are written by Rev. Joe Steenholdt, reposted from July 2023 . God first revealed some of the most incredible promises of His saving grace to Abraham. In Genesis 15, God assures Abram (before he is known as Abraham) that his reward will be greater than he can imagine, including becoming a great nation and possessing a great land. Abram struggles to believe at first. He wonders, ‘How can this be? I have no children, no heirs to give this great reward. I don’t see how this will work.’ So the Lord turns Abram’s gaze to the night sky and the vast array of stars. The blessings to come would be beyond Abram’s ability to count them, which leaves Abram speechless. All he could do was believe God’s word for it. This leads to one of the most profound theological statements in the Bible: And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Abram had not done anything for the Lord to deserve these promises. These covenant promises were given before Abram was circumcised and before he and Sarai miraculously bore a son. He would have his times of faltering, but he was credited with righteousness that was not his own through faith alone. In Romans 4:2 , Paul drives home that it was faith, not works, that declares one legally right before God (justified), For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.   Dig Deeper   If you were to ask someone you pass on the sidewalk, “How are you right with God?” they may give you a puzzled look. For many, this is not a question that keeps them up at night, and it likely doesn't seem relevant. They may respond, “Well, God knows I try my best, and I try to do more good to outweigh any of the bad in my life.” This question becomes a concern only after realizing the devastating nature and condemnation of sin before a completely Holy God ( Eph. 2:1–10 ). There is no balancing of the scales between good and evil when perfection is required, which is why the good news is so surprising. God does not lower His standards or grade on a curve but grants and credits Christ’s perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness to those He saved. The only way to receive it is by faith, because you know it is not something you can achieve and claim for yourself. Abram could not achieve the promises that God gave to him. They were too great and lofty. Generations as many as the stars of the sky when he was already old, and his wife was barren? All he could do was believe God’s Word and trust the Lord would come through on His promises. Yes, faith includes knowledge, but as we see in Genesis 15, it also takes wholehearted trust that God has given you all you need to appear before Him blameless by receiving Christ’s perfect record in faith. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is our shield and very great reward; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for granting you righteousness, and pray that the faith that through which it it was given to you would increase each day; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: