Thankfully, the Pharaoh of Egypt sent Abram and his household away without requiring Abram to return the sheep, oxen, asses, camels, men, servants, and maidservants he had been given. Abram departed Egypt unharmed and wealthier than when he arrived there. Genesis 13:2 states, “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Abram journeyed back to Bethel, the place where he had first erected an altar to God when he came into the land of Canaan, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.
Not only did Abram prosper, but also his nephew Lot, which created a problem for the land, as it already had nations dwelling there and could not accommodate both of them. Consequently, Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen began disputing with each other, and to keep the peace, Abram suggested they separate. Abram gave Lot the first choice of the land, and seeing the fertile, watered plain of Jordan, Lot chose it. Unfortunately, Lot journeyed eastward and pitched his tent toward Sodom, where the inhabitants were described as exceedingly wicked sinners.
With the departure of Lot, God revealed to Abram that all the land he could behold to the north, south, east, and west would be given to him and his posterity, which would become numerous as the dust of the earth. God instructed Abram to traverse the length and breadth of the land, which he continued to do during his lifetime.
This chapter ends with Abram for now settling in Mamre and building an altar unto the Lord.
Historically, the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelled in the land before Abram and Lot arrived, thus limiting the pasture for the animals. As the patriarch of the family, Abram had the right to choose which section of land he wanted first; however, he generously allowed Lot to do so.
Lot left Adam with a hilly and mountainous terrain that was arid and rugged, depending on seasonal rainfall and being less fertile than the location he chose. In time, Lot’s location was destroyed by fire, while Abram’s land was the one promised and blessed by God.
Note the direction of Abram in this chapter. Abram goes up to Cannan after going down into Egypt in chapter twelve. Also, while down in Egypt, there is no record of Abram communing with God.
Here are the nuggets from this chapter:
Even in our mistakes, God causes men to bless us.
After deliverance, return to the place of worship and promise.
Above personal gain, prioritize peace and unity in your relationships.
When you realign yourself with God, build an altar and give thanks.
If there is strife among family members, be the peacemaker.
In the midst of conflict, be willing to seek peace.
Seek to resolve family conflict.
Just don’t choose something because it looks good.
What looks pleasing to the eye may actually be detrimental to your future.
Prioritize peace and unity in our relationships above personal gain.
Everything that looks good to you is not good for you.
When making a decision, get direction from God first.
Put God first wherever you go.
To avoid disaster in the future, consult with God first.
As you journey through life, walk in fellowship with God.
Before settling in a place, investigate the surroundings.
From time to time, God will remind you of the promises he made to you.
Earlier in this twelfth chapter of Genesis, we saw after hearing six covenant promises from God, Abram responded to God’s instruction and left his country and journeyed to a land that God showed him. Also revealed was the fact that despite God telling him to get away from his kindred, Abram took his nephew Lot and his household with him.
Upon arrival in Canaan, God appeared to Abram and informed him that his seed would be given the land. Abram stayed in Canaan until there was a famine, and then he left Canaan and went down to Egypt.
Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram felt the Egyptians would kill him and take Sarai, so he told her while in Egypt if questioned to say she was his sister. As he expected, the princes of Pharoah saw how beautiful Sarai was, and they told Pharoah, who in turn took Sarai. In payment for Sarai, Pharaoh gave Abram sheep, oxen, asses, menservants, and maidservants. Nevertheless, God caused great plagues to beset Pharoah’s house because of the displacement of Sarai.
The scriptures do not reveal how Pharaoh realized Sarai caused the plagues, nor does it tell how he realized Sarai was Abram’s wife. It does share that Pharaoh confronted Abram about Sarai being his wife, returned her to him, and sent him away without harm by him or his men.
This chapter disclosed how Abram went from faith in God to fear of man, and in doing so, he put his wife’s life in jeopardy. Fearing for his own life and acting unadvisedly, Abram places Sarai in a dangerous position. Sarai had to cover him when Abram, the head of the household, should have been protecting her. If not for the intervention of God, Sarai might have ended up being violated by Pharoah.
Recognize, spiritually speaking, that when Abram left his place of promise, he went down. While in Egypt, Abram did not build any altars to God. Nevertheless, the province of God willed that Sarai’s worth bring riches to Abram, which allowed Abram to gain wealth. Finally and most importantly, despite Abram’s faulty choices, God delivered him and his family.
Here are the nuggets I extracted from this blog:
No matter what negative situations are happening, stay in your assigned place.
If you have faith and trust in God for one thing, you can trust him in all things.
Trust God for your daily provisions.
Prayer and direction from God are necessary prior to making moves.
Fear for your life can make you forget the promises of God.
Married people sometimes lie for their mates.
Denying marital status can lead to adultery.
When you are out of your assigned place, you must make unwanted adjustments.
When you are out of your assigned place, you enter dangerous territory.
When you are out of your assigned place, your family can be compromised.
When you are out of your assigned place, those around you can suffer.
Your employed subterfuge can lead to unwanted consequences.
Despite your failings, God is present to deliver.
God will afflict people to get you where you belong.
When you are delivered, return to your assigned place.
This blog is the beginning of a new series that I will be sharing on the life of Abraham. I have found him to be a man of faith and fears. Additionally, I have found that his life offers many teaching and learning experiences for believers, leaders, marriages, and families. It is my prayer and hope that as you read the blogs, your life will receive direction and be enriched. The format I will be using is first, I will share the story, then give additional historical information if there is any, and finally, I will give the nuggets. Once again, I pray you will be blessed as you read.
We first heard of Abram in Genesis 11, which shared his lineage that revealed he was a twenty-generation descendant of Adam and a tenth-generation descendant from Noah, who was alive for fifty-eight years of Abram’s life. Shem, Noah’s son, begat Arphaxad, and he begat Salah, who begat Eber, who begat Peleg, and who begat Reu. Reu begat Serug, who begat Nahor, Abram’s grandfather, and in time, he begat Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Abram was raised and married to Sarai in the land of his nativity, Ur of the Chaldees, before his father took Abram, Sarai, his daughter-in-law, and Lot, his grandson, on a journey to the land of Canaan. However, when they came to Haran, they took up residence there, and it was here that God spoke to Abram and instructed him to separate himself from his family and go to a land that He would show him. By obeying this instruction, Abram’s descendants would become a great nation, and his name would become great; he would be blessed and be a blessing. Furthermore, those who blessed Abram would be blessed, and those who cursed him would be cursed, and finally, through Abram, all families of the earth would be blessed.
Genesis 12 reveals that Abram obeyed half of God’s instruction when he took his nephew Lot with him. So, at age seventy-five, with all of their substances and households, Abram, his wife, Sarai, and Lot left Haran and went to the land of Canaan. Upon arrival in the plain of Moreh, God appeared to Abram and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” In response to this word, Abram built an altar for the Lord. Journeying on, they moved unto a mountain on the east of Bethel where Abram built the second altar and called upon the name of the Lord.
Here are the additional historical notes:
Abram, whose name would be eventually changed by God to Abraham, was a major patriarch in the Old Testament who was also called the Father of Faith by Paul in Romans 4.
Abram was born during the Dispensation of Human Government, and when he obeyed God’s instruction and went into Canaan, the Dispensation of Promise began.
Abram’s father, Terah, was an idolater and polytheist (worshipper of many gods).
According to Acts 7:2 – 4, God appeared to Abram in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and told him to leave his native land and family before he moved to Haran (Syria) with his father. From the Genesis 11:31-32 recording, it was revealed that Abram did not leave his family until his father died, and God spoke to him again with the same instructions.
God promised Abram headship, blessings, prestige, divine reciprocation, and a redemptive seed.
Here are the nuggets:
Old age does not exempt you from being called by God.
Sometimes, it is challenging to break family attachments.
Sometimes, years pass before we obey God’s directive.
God will call you out of your comfort zone and send you into the unfamiliar.
God will separate you from your idolatrous family members to establish a relationship with you.
God graciously calls you and blesses you.
God gives promises.
It is God who makes your name great
Unordain connections will produce future problems.
God will give you that which belongs to the ungodly.
Matthew 6 is part of the teachings that Jesus did with His disciples on the mount. In the first part of this chapter, Jesus talked about alms, praying, which included a format on how to pray to the Father, forgiveness, fasting, the heart, materialism, worry, and lastly what to seek first.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In the two verses prior to this He expressed three thing that people worry about, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Additionally, Jesus ends with this, “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. “
We are living in a time when people face a multitude of concerns that go far beyond basic needs like food, water, and clothing. Today’s worries include health care, inflation, federal budget cuts, racism, educational disparities, addiction, personal debt, unemployment, crime, deteriorating infrastructure, climate change, and famine — to name just a few. Thank God, all of these worries, according to 1 Peter 5:7, can be cast upon God, for He cares for us. All that is needed is for us to prioritize our actions and be intentional in doing so. Put God first, and understand that in a kingdom, what the king legislates, his citizens obey, and the result of obedience is blessings. So, read the Word, obey it, and then rest knowing God knows and cares.
This week, I had the privilege of teaching a class called “EXPLORING DANIEL,” and in it, I shared information on Daniel chapters nine and ten. While preparing for this class, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about the undeserved credit we give Satan. We blame him for every unfortunate thing that happens to us. Some things are God-orchestrated, Satan and his evil spirits cause some things, and some things are self-inflicted. I believe what I shared with the class is worth repeating, so I am sharing it in this blog.
Most believers know that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, and unfortunately, many ascribe these traits to Satan; however, Satan is none of those. Satan was an anointed-created cherub who was called Lucifer before his pride and rebellion against God caused him to lose his heavenly position.
Those angels that joined in with his rebellion are now part of Satan’s kingdom, who, with demonic spirits, carry out his bidding. Satan has a throne, and it is here that his forces gather to report world events and receive their diabolic instructions. You see, Satan can only be in one place at a time. If his forces did not report to him what was happening, he would not know. On the other hand, God’s presence is everywhere in this galaxy and beyond; God is omnipresent. He does not need anyone to tell him what is happening in the world He created.
God has the capacity to know all things and everything. He knows the smallest minute details to the greatest. He knows everyone who lived on this Earth, when they were born and when they died. God knows your pain and your joy. Presently, 8.2 billion people live on Earth, and God knows them all. If we all prayed to Him at the same time, He would hear all of us at the same time.
Satan’s knowledge is limited to his experiences and the information he receives, and I don’t think he has the capacity to retain information similar to God. Additionally, Satan cannot read your mind. The only way he knows what you are thinking is by the reports he receives on what you said and what you did from those evil spirits assigned to you.
Whereas God can say or think something and then make it happen by himself, Satan cannot act on his own; he needs help to carry out his wishes. To assist him, he has fallen angels, demons, princes, powers, rulers of the darkness, and those who carry on spiritual wickedness. I know Satan wishes he was, but he is not omnipotent.
After saying all this, let me close this blog with this. Since we understand Satan can only be in one place at a time, when we are following the words of Jesus found in Mark 16:17a, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils” stop trying to cast out Satan who is not present, he is not there, Instead ask God to help you discern the demon that needs to be cast out and then call its name and cast it out. Remember Satan is not is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Stop giving him credit for doing things that He can’t.
This Sunday, the world will celebrate Easter, and some people acknowledge it as the day Jesus Christ arose from the grave. Others celebrate it as a day of giving candies to children, and the candy industry loves that because, after Halloween, Easter is the second holiday that sells the most candy.
Just as the children are happy to receive these treats, believers are elated by the gift of life that Jesus provided for us. And to know that you were in the mind of God even before your inception helps you to realize how special you are,
In the beginning, Adam and Eve failed to obey God’s instruction to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was in the Garden of Eden. Their actions introduced sin into the earth, but God had a redemptive plan which He told the serpent in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Adam and Eve’s action took them out of the Dispensation of Innocence and brought them into the Dispensation of Consciousness. In this dispensation, the man was told to do well; however, Genesis 6: 5, 11-12 states, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” These wicked, corrupt, and violent actions of man caused this dispensation to end with a flood that killed man, beast, creeping thing, and the fowls of the air.
The next dispensation was the Dispensation on Human Government, and God told the inhabitants that lives in this dispensation in Genesis 9:1, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Instead of doing these men decided to build a city and a tower, whose top reach into heaven, and make a name for themselves lest they be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. So, God confounded man’s language that they were unable to understand one another’s speech, and this scattered them abroad.
This moved men into the Dispensation of Promise, where God chose to bless a man named Abraham and make his descendant a holy nation unto Himself, as stated in Genesis 12:2 and Genesis 15, where God made a covenant with Abraham. Abraham’s descendants stayed in the land of Canaan for three generations until a famine occurred, and they went down into Egypt and resided in Goshen. They ended up staying there for 430 years, grew into a great nation, and were enslaved by the Egyptians.
When God delivered them out of Egypt by the hand of Moses. He took them into the wilderness, where He gave them laws, statutes, and commandments to follow, and this became the Dispensation of Law. This dispensation, which lasted almost 1500 years, went from the children of Israel at Mount Sinai to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ crucifixion fulfilled the words spoken to the serpent in the garden, and it ushered in the Dispensation of Grace in which we presently live. By grace are we saved through faith; not of our works, lest we should boast; it is the gift of God to all that would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I thank God that I am one of the persons who gladly accepted Jesus as our risen Savior. If you have not made that decision, I pray you won’t delay, but you will do it now as you read this song, “Up From The Grave He Arose,” written in 1874 by Robert Lowry
- Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus, my Lord! - Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus, my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus, my Lord! - Death cannot keep his Prey, Jesus, my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus, my Lord!
Chorus
Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
As I look around the world, I see people who do not believe in God. Proverbs 14:1a states, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” These individuals have been deceived. Also, as I read about the lives of people in my nation and aboard, I realized that many have died and gone to a Christless grave. My heart and mind are grieved, for I know there is no second chance for them to get it right. I believe if they understood the gravity of their decision, there is a possibility they would have accepted Jesus as their Savior when they had a chance.
While on earth, Jesus shared a parable found in Luke 12:16-20 about a rich man. This man had the abundance; he was prosperous, and his concern was to make more room to receive the increase. He did not question whether he would live to enjoy his riches; he just assumed he would. So, in anticipation of a great harvest, he planned to tear down his barns and build bigger ones, thinking that afterward, he could rest and enjoy his life. Unfortunately for him, his days were numbered, his life ended, and the question of who would inherit his wealth arose.
This man, who God labeled a fool in verse 20, focused all his energy on material gain rather than a relationship with God. This man thought riches would provide him with a peaceful, enjoyable life; he had a false sense of security. This man overlooked the fact he could not guarantee himself a long life.
Scriptures such as James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” and Isaiah 40:6a -7 “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass,” reminds us that our time on earth is short. Tomorrow is not promise to us.
Equally important, Hebrews 2:27 states, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” which means after death, there is no chance to rectify wrong decisions. All that we do while living must be purposeful with our primary goal of having an excellent relationship with God.
If you are reading this blog and know you are not serving God as you should, I urge you to stop and seriously think about your future. God has offered all of us the opportunity to live with Jesus in eternity and to really experience the results the rich man craved on earth. Trust me, this will be the best and wisest decision you have ever made. Plus, you can proudly say, “I am not a fool.”
This is the last chapter in the book of Daniel, and the angel who spoke to Daniel in the previous two chapters is completing his revelatory conversation with him.
This angel revealed an unimaginable time of trouble coming to Israel that they had never experienced, and Michel, the angel assigned to Israel, would defend it during this time. Additionally, a promise is declared that everyone whose name is found in the book shall be delivered, and those who are dead will either rise to everlasting life while others will rise to shame and condemnation. Additionally, the wise individuals of that time will be guiding lights that will minister and shine like the sun forever.
Daniel is instructed at that present time not to share what was told to him and to close the book on this information. In the future, knowledge will increase, and people will understand what has been revealed to him.
Daniel saw two angels, each standing on opposite sides of the Tigris river, and one questioned the man clothed in linen, which Daniel had seen in chapter ten. “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” The man responded, holding up both of his hands to heaven and swearing to God it would be a time, times, and a half, which equals three and a half years.
Not understanding all the information he received, Daniel asked when things would end, but the angel responded that the answers were temporarily sealed up and that Daniel was to go on his way. Many wise individuals would be tried and cleansed; however, the wicked individuals who did not understand would continue being wicked.
When the Antichrist stops Israel from doing the daily sacrifice, he will desecrate the temple for one thousand two hundred ninety days. The ones that endure to a thousand three hundred thirty- five days are blessed. The chapter closes with these words to Daniel. ”But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
As I come to the end of this Daniel blog series, here is additional information on this chapter and nuggets that I gathered from it.:
The world and Israel are going to experience a time of hardship that has never been experienced on this earth.
At the rapture, the body of Christ, both dead and alive, will arise to meet Jesus in the air. At the end of the tribulation, the tribulation martyrs and Old Testament covenant believers will be resurrected, and all will reign with Jesus during his millennium reign.
Halfway through the tribulation, the Antichrist will break his treaty with Israel and desecrate the temple, which will be the beginning of the great tribulation.
In his lifetime, Daniel was able to interpret the dreams of others but his dreams and vision he could not interpret.
God has assigned Michael to watch out and fight for Israel when necessary.
God has angels assigned to our lives to care for us.
Some Jews will be raised and receive eternal life, while others will be doomed.
Wise individuals will be engaged in evangelizing.
Over time, man’s knowledge has increased.
Some end-time events remain a mystery.
At the conclusion of the great tribulation, there will be a blessed reward for the believers who survived forty-five additional days beyond the one thousand two hundred ninety days.
After a lifetime of faithful service to God and the kings in Babylon, Daniel could die knowing one day he would receive his divine reward.
To help you understand the events happening in this blog, which covers approximately 375 years from the time of Daniel to the reign of the Antichrist. It is necessary to include the names of the historical characters who were the rulers and their successors in the kingdom of the North and the kingdom of the South
Chapter eleven continues with the angel of chapter ten revealing to Daniel the wars of the Kings of the South, the Ptolemies of Egypt, and the Kings of the North, the Seleucids of Syria. The angel tells Daniel that after King Cyrus, there would be four Persian kings who would reign after him. Scholars believe they were Cambyses (Ahasuerus), Pseudo–Smerdid (Artaxerxes), Darius Hystaspis (Darius), and Xerxes, the son of Darius whose riches supported his military efforts.
Next came Alexander the Great, who defeated Persia and became the mighty ruler of the Graeco-Macedonian Empire. After his untimely death at the age of thirty-two, the kingdom was divided into four parts among his four Generals: Ptolemy I in the southern took Egypt, Seleucus in the east took Syria, Lysimachus in the North took Thrace and Cassander in the west took Macedonia. Ptolemy, I became stronger and greater than the other three generals, and one of his generals, Seleucus Nicator, became the king of the North.
An alliance for peace was made between Egypt and Syria when Antiochus II married Ptolemy II Philadelphus’ daughter, Bernice. To do this, he separated from his wife Laodice and declared her children as illegitimate. After the death of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antiochus II reunited with his ex-wife Laodice, and shortly thereafter, she had him poisoned and assassinated Bernice and her son.
Angry over the treatment of his sister Bernice’s brother, Ptolemy III marched into Syria, killed Laodice, and captured Seleucia, the king’s fortress. Needed back in Egypt, Ptolemy III returned home with the plunder of Syria’s idols, captured princes, and a hefty bounty of silver and gold.
Needless to say, the king of the North attempted to retaliate but was unsuccessful. To assist him, two of his sons, Seleucus III and Antiochus III, joined the conflict with Antiochus III, the younger brother becoming more successful. Warfare between the kings of the South and North continued, and the king of the North, with his large army, fought valiantly but still lost to his opponent. Relishing his victory, Ptolemy IV, the king of the South, allowed Antiochus to retreat without doing him any physical harm.
In verse thirteen, the angel shared that after several years, Antiochus III, the king of the North, proceeded to Egypt with an arsenal of weapons and a larger army. Fighting along the way and with the help of some apostate Jews who joined forces with him, the king of the North was able to capture the holy land.
In trying to control Egypt politically, Antiochus III, the king of the South, gave his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy V of Egypt; however, his plan failed. Disappointed over the marriage of his daughter, the king of the South turned his attention to other military campaigns, which were not successful, and after returning home, he was killed by some of his citizens.
To help increase his revenue, the next king of the North, Seleucus IV, imposed taxes on the citizens, which worked until he was assassinated by his minister, Heliodorus, who wanted to become the king.
Seleucus brother Antiochus Epiphanes labelled a vile person, became the next king of the North by seizing the throne from Demetrius Soter. In his first military campaign against Egypt, he appeared to be peaceful, and full of flattery and promises. When an attempted covenant arrangement with the king of the South failed, an unsuccessful battle occurred. Eventually Antiochus Epiphanes ended up having his kingdom placed under the dominion of Rome. Humiliated and bitter from his defeat to the Romans, Antiochus Epiphanes attacked the Jews, placed an image of Zeus in the temple, and sacrificed a pig on it.
From verses thirty-six to the end of the chapter, commentators believe the angel shares information on the final world dictator, the Antichrist, the king of the North whose behavior and character was foreshadowed by Antiochus. The Antichrist will be permitted to exalt and magnify himself above every god and to speak against the God of gods. He will show no allegiance to his religious upbringing, nor will he be distracted by women. He will gain power using his wealth and building allegiances with other nations. Great conflicts will prevail but ultimately, he will fail and thus concludes this chapter.
Here is some additional historical information and nuggets I gathered from this chapter:
Daniel recorded such an accurate account of the future in this chapter that biblical critics believed this was not written by him but at a later time.
When God, who is omniscient, shares information or gives insight, it is always correct. God never lies.
This chapter shares the fulfilled prophecies of Persia, Greece, Egypt, Syria and Antiochus. It also shares the unfilled prophecies of the tribulation and the Antichrist.
God reveals to His prophets things to come.
Unfortunately, the land of Israel was located between the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt); therefore, Israel, being in the middle, was often caught in the conflict between these two nations.
Sometimes, because of your proximity to two warring parties, you are drawn into their battle.
Life is filled with twists and turns.
Some people are willing to kill you so they can take your place.
There are parents who will use their children for their personal gain.
Just because you are victorious today does not mean you will obtain victory tomorrow.
When Antiochus Epiphanes attacked Jerusalem, it was believed he killed approximately 80, 000 Jews, sold 40.000 as slaves, and took captive 40,000.
A brutal individual does not value the sanctity of human life,
God always has the last say.
The Teacher's Pick 