You Deceived Me

Genesis 29:25

"So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?'"

Jacob awoke in the morning with a feeling of happiness that was greater than any hangover he might have been experiencing. But then he turned and looked at his wife, Rachel, who was lying next to him. But it wasn't Rachel! It was Leah, her older sister! He was shocked, frightened and angry! He had been tricked!

The response of Laban, "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn," (v.26-27) suggests that Jacob's Uncle had not just come up with this scheme at the last minute - He had likely planned it right from the beginning; from the time when Jacob had asked for the hand of Rachel in marriage. Jacob now knew he had been tricked by the master.

What goes around comes around.

The Truth

“A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.” (Proverbs 19:5)

Jacob's Protection

Genesis 28:15 “Jacob’s Protection”

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

The words of this verse were extremely important for Jacob to hear. He was on his way to Syria, apparently to obtain a wife from his mother Rebekah's family in that place; but the real reason was because his twin brother, Esau, had sworn to kill him. And Jacob knew that Esau was the kind of man who could and would do it!

But now Jacob had heard the reassuring words, "Behold, I am with you" and knew that they were from God. Jacob was now receiving God's promise that he would not be killed by robbers, wild animals or his brother, during the two hundred mile trip he had embarked upon. Instead, God was with him and would bring him back to the very land of Canaan he was departing from. The land called "Canaan" would be his, just as it was to his father and grandfather, but even more important, God was with him.

And note that when God says, "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go," He is speaking not only to Jacob, but He is also reassuring you and me. He is with those who place their trust, their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Truth

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11-12)

Lies And Deception

Genesis 27:24

“And he said, ‘Are you really my son Esau?’ And he said, ‘I am.’"

Isaac, who was growing old and not knowing when he might die, wanted to give his blessing to his son Esau, whom he loved (Genesis 25:28). Here Isaac was deceived by his son's (Jacob) lies and his wife’s (Rebekah) planning.

Isaac was no stranger to lies because, as we saw in Genesis Chapter 26, Isaac had told at least one major lie in his own life. And that lie jeopardized not only his life, but also his marriage and the lives of everyone in his large encampment.

But now he was being lied to and suspicion leads him to ask, and this really is sad when you consider the circumstances: “Are you really my son Esau?” And Jacob replied by telling the biggest lie yet: “(Yes) I am.”

Yes, Jacob received the blessing through deception but much trouble would come to him through deceiving family. Remember, if you model the telling of lies, don’t be too surprised when your children do also.

The Truth

“Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.” (Psalm 34:13)

Isaac Obeyed

Genesis 26:6 “Isaac Obeyed ”

“So Isaac lived in Gerar.”

Isaac had come to a crossroads in his life. He could now take the safer route (from a human perspective) and go to Egypt to protect his herds and the people who followed him from drought or, obey the Lord and remain in the land of Canaan (Verses 2 and 3). As we can see from our text, He obeyed the voice of the Lord remaining in the place called Gerar, in the land of Canaan.

Isaac, even though he would make mistakes like the rest of us, he did obey the Lord. He listened to the Lord's command and did not enter the land of Egypt. This is the kind of obedient response we all should have. If we but exercise our faith in the Lord through obedience, the blessings of God will be ours – forever.

The Truth

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.” (Genesis 26:12)

Abraham Lived 175 Years

Genesis 25:8

"Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people."

Death can be frightening, but if we acknowledge and understand what the Son of God has done for us, we begin to recognize that death is an entryway, a door into eternal life. Even though the death of a loved one can be an overwhelming loss in this life, yet it is also the doorway to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why was Abraham "satisfied with life?" He "believed in the Lord" (Genesis 15:6) and that was the basis of his satisfaction with life. He died in faith believing in a heavenly country where he would be gathered to his people along with his wife Sarah (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Lord, may we all be satisfied with our lives, lived for You and thank you for your grace that keeps our lives in fellowship with You. Amen.

The Truth

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

A Wife For Isaac

Genesis 24:4

"But you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

Abraham's desire to get a suitable wife for his son is commendable. He was well aware that if Isaac married a Canaanite women, it might prevent the spread of the true religion; therefore he binds his most trusty servant by a solemn oath not to take a wife for his son from the daughters of Canaan, but from his own kindred, among whom the knowledge of the true God was best preserved. Others had different rays of the light of truth, but Abraham's family alone had The truth; and to the descendants of this family were the promises made.

By desire of his master he (Eliezer) went out on this journey; and as he acknowledged God in all his ways, the Lord directed all his steps.

The Truth

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)

Sarah Lived 127 Years

Genesis 23:1

"Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah."

In Sarah's generation, 127-years was a disappointment because most people lived a lot longer than she did. Abraham would now live on for another 40 years without his beloved Sarah, who had influenced him in many ways.

Whenever someone dear to us departs who is in the Lord, life here on earth becomes clearer. That is, it becomes very clear that we are just pilgrims here, this is not our home. Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Thus, when you begin see your treasure (family, loved ones) moved into heaven, your heart follows.

Loosing a loved one is never easy, especially when it seems to come prematurely. But remember, we shall see them again.

The Truth

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Genesis 22 "The Lord Will Provide

"Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord Will Provide," as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.'"(v.14)

What would be provided? In this case a sacrifice for sin. God did not want the death of Isaac, though it seemed in Verse 2 that He did. Instead, He wanted the complete surrender of Abraham to His will – so God tested him: 'Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.'" (v.2)

How deep was Abraham’s faith in the Lord? He was about to show us. He believed that God was able to raise (Isaac) up, even from the dead. That God would keep His promise and somehow, Isaac would live!
Then in Verses 11 and 12, the angel of the Lord intervened and stayed Abraham's hand. Young Isaac would not die, for a "ram caught in the thicket" was to die in his place.

The application here is for us to trust in the Lord, even when we don’t get it. Surrender to Him, have faith, believe that all things are working together for your good, by His design, in and for your life. He will provide, have faith.

The Truth: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Lot Pulled To Safety

Genesis 19:15-16

"When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, 'Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city. But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city."

Lot had many sheep, goats and other animals, along with many herdsmen and other servants, as we saw in Genesis Chapter 13. He had a fine home, as is implied in this chapter. He had money and prestige. And, he also had two angels of God in his house telling him that if he did not leave Sodom immediately, he would die! But if he went, he would lose everything he had; and he had a great deal!

Then the men, these angels in the form of men, now "seized his hand" and also took the hands of the others, pulling them all out of the house and outside of the city to safety. Guardian Angles, sent by God, to pull Lot to safety even when he was hesitant to go on his own. Why, because Lot was found to be righteous.

This tells us that the grace of God is based on faith, even though our response to Him may be small. This also speaks to the fact that God keeps His promises, for He did not destroy the righteous with the wicked.

The Truth

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:9-10)

Abraham's Prayer For Sodom

Genesis 18:32b “Sodom Lacks Ten Righteous”

“And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.”

Here is the final plea in the first solemn prayer on record in the Bible. Abraham prayed earnestly (v.18-32) that Sodom might be spared. He puts forward the plea of justice for the righteous in the city six times, every time diminishing the number of the righteous whom he supposes to be in it, until he gets down to ten.

What we learn from Abraham here is the compassion we should feel for sinners, and how earnestly we should pray for them. We see here that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Abraham, indeed, failed in his request for the whole place, but Lot was miraculously delivered.

Be encouraged then to expect, by earnest prayer, the blessing of God upon your families, your friends and your neighbors. Continue to make your requests known unto God, for He is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance.

God will not destroy the righteous with the unrighteous. As He saved Noah and Lot from His righteous judgment of sin in their time, so He will save His Church from His final Act of judgment of sin upon the earth in the time to come.

The Truth

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

Abraham's Prayer For Ishmael

Genesis 17:18

“And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you!”

For thirteen years Ishmael had been the “son of the house”, and regarded probably as the true heir. Mingled then with Abraham’s joy there was also the pain (natural to a father) of knowing that this transference of the promise to Sarah’s child (Isaac) meant the deposition and disappointment of one who for so long had held the post of honor, Ishmael. (Genesis 17:19)

But, God heard and accepted Abraham’s prayer; and while the birthright and religious pre-eminence is justly given to the son of the freewoman (Isaac), there is a large earthly blessing for the handmaid’s son, Ishmael, as well. He is to be fruitful, beget twelve princes, and become a great nation. But Isaac is to be the heir of promise.

God allows us in prayer to be particular in making our requests known, as we see here with Abraham. As parents, it is our duty of to pray for our children, and the great thing we should desire is, that they may be kept in covenant with Him, and may have the grace to walk in His presence uprightly (Genesis 17:1).

The Truth

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

Helping God Out

Genesis 16:1 “A Handmaid Named Hagar”

“Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian handmaid whose name was Hagar."

Abram is now 86 and Sarai is 76. God had promised Abram, “You’re going to have a family as numerous as the stars in the heavens.” But, this promise seemed to be slipping away and Sarai begins to feel she will never conceive. So she devises a plan to help God out with His promise and offers her husband her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar.

When God gives a promise, there is often a gap of time between the giving of the promise and the fulfillment of it. In Abram’s case it would be a thirteen-year gap. God’s delays are usually due to preparation not procrastination or preoccupation. He is preparing us in the area of faith and thereby strengthening us to carryout His will and purposes.

We’ve all been impatient or taken short cuts – but here in our text in trying to help God out, Abram and Sarai unwittingly gave birth to the Middle East tension that exists to this day.

Be patient, prayerfully seek His guidance, ask for wisdom and He will direct your path.

The Truth

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God's Covenant With Abram

Genesis 15:18

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:”

Here the Lord made (cut) a covenant with Abram, which He confirmed by passing between the pieces of his (Abram’s) sacrifice (v.17) saying, “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.” Thus, a huge tract of real estate would belong to his children's children.

Abram didn't know it at the time but he would have two principal sons, Isaac and Ishmael, and the descendants of those two, dispute possession of the lands to this day - the Jews and the Arabs.

As to whose land the promise is directed to, it’s important to see God's words to Isaac in Genesis 26:3 - "I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.”

God loved (loves) both sons, but the promise is to Isaac and his son, Jacob, also known as Israel – and He keeps His promises.

The Truth

“He remembers His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,” (Psalm 105:8-11)

Believe in the Lord, as Abraham did (Genesis 15:6), and God will bless you and fulfill the desires of your heart - forever.

Abram Blessed By Melchizedek

Genesis 14:19

“He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;’”

Here Melchizedek, the king and priest, blessed Abram, who, unknown to him (Abram) at the time, was to be the father of Isaac, grandfather of Israel and that Christ should descend from him (Genesis 12:3, 22:18).

Some have misunderstood this verse, thinking it meant that Abram is the “possessor of heaven and earth,” but that’s not what it means. It is “God Most High” who owns the title to everything, including you and me.

If we will just entrust ourselves to Him, we will be “blessed” with the blessings that come from God.

The Truth

“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)

The Land Of Canaan

Genesis 13:14-15

“And the LORD said to Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever.”

Abram was now “settled in the land of Canaan,” where God intended him to be. Lot now became separated from his uncle Abram, which had been God’s original plan, seen in his earlier command to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your kindred…” (Genesis 12:1). And now, for the moment, Abram was in God’s will, and Lot was, for a little while, elated at the way things had turned out.

Canaan is an ancient term for a region roughly corresponding to present-day Israel/Palestine including the West Bank, western Jordan, southern and coastal Syria and Lebanon continuing up to the border of modern Turkey. This land, promised by God to Abram and his descendants forever, would extend as far as his eyes could see (Genesis 13:14-15).

Today the nation of Israel is once more alive and well and the center of world focus in the Middle East. Like Abraham, we might not see the fullness of the promises in our lifetimes, but God’s Word is good – He will bring it all to pass.

The Truth

“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

The Call Of Abram

Genesis 12:1

“Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you:”

Here we see the call of Abram from his native land into a land of promise. Through the call, Abram was tried whether he loved God better than all, and whether he could willingly leave all to go with God. The vagueness of the command here is significant as well. Abram did not know where he was headed. He is not told that Canaan is the land of promise, until he has reached it.

The command God gave to Abram, is much the same as the call of the gospel - leaving our old life of sin and those things which would drag us down, to follow Him. Remember, if we ‘go out’ as He bids us, He will show us what to do next.

The Truth

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)

Let Us Build

Genesis 11:4

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city (Babel), and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

God said to Noah in Genesis 9:1, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth" – move about, spread out, scatter across the entire earth.

But here we see the earth’s population staying in one place, building a city with brick, stone and slime, with a tower reaching into the heavens to make a name/monument to themselves. This was done to avoid being scattered over the whole earth under the leadership of Nimrod in defiance to God.

Later in the chapter we will see the corrective hand of God confounding the language of the people so they would scatter form the city (Babel) and move out to populate the face of the earth thereby accomplishing His sovereign will.

Better to listen and follow God’s divine direction than be confounded by your own decision and left babbling.

The Truth

“And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.” (Jeremiah 51:29)

The Sons Of Noah

Genesis 10:32

“These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these, the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.”

There is no doubt among those who trust in Scripture that “out of these,” the three sons of Noah named Shem and Japheth and Ham, the whole world as we know it, “was separated (into nations) on the earth after the flood.” From these three, the whole earth was populated (Genesis 9:18-19)

Therefore, the whole earth was of one family, one language, one speech, one race (Genesis 11:1). This, even heathen writers acknowledge; and that language was probably Hebrew.

Shalom my brothers and sisters.