Tues.’s Devo - Abrams Beginnings

Read: Genesis 11:1-13:4; Matthew 5:1-26; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 1:24-28 Ham’s descendants went east and found a plain in the land of Babylonia. They wanted to do something that would give them a name and an important marker on the earth. They decided to build a city with a tower that would reach into heaven. This tower would keep them from doing what God had told them to do which was to spread and multiply. When God came down to look at the building of the city and the tower he saw how united the people were in their rebellion. The counsel of heaven decided to confuse their languages which would make them scatter like he had told them to do. The name of this city was Babel. Next, we have an account of Shem’s family from whom Abram came from. Abram’s father Terah fathered both him and Sarai by different wives. Terah had three sons: Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah and a son, Lot. Milcah married Terah’s other son, Nahor. They kept it all in the clan! Nahor died leaving Lot to be taken care of by his father, Terah. Terah decided to leave Ur and go to Canaan. He took Abram, Sarai, and Lot with him. He got as far as Haran, a place named for his deceased son that was full of his family and couldn’t leave. Terah died there and Abram continued his pilgrimage to Canaan. Haran would be the city that Jacob would live in with his father-in-law Laban years later. God told Abram to leave Haran and go to the land He would show him. There he would become famous and be blessed so he could be a blessing to others. Abram took Sarai and Lot with him and left with all his wealth and all the people from Haran’s household since he had died. When Abram got to Canaan, God spoke to him and told him that all this land would be his descendants one day. Abram built him an altar that day beside the oak of Moreh. This plain that he was in was the plain between the two mountains Ebal and Gerizim. Years from then, Moses would lead his descendants to this very place and read them the curses and the blessings and make them make a covenant to follow God and receive the blessings. Moses was forced to go to Egypt to escape the famine coming to the land of Canaan. There he told Sarai to just tell them she was his sister, which was true, and not his wife, which was not true. This would save his life and the life of his family. She did and was taken into the harem because of her beauty. When God struck the land with a plague, the Pharoah’s sorcerers were able to tell why and gave Sarai back to Abram with a rebuke. Abram was allowed to keep all the cattle and presents that the king had given him for Sarai and was escorted out of his country. Abram left Egypt and went back to the place he had offered his sacrifice. In Matthew, we have Jesus’ wonderful sermon on the mount. He started with his blessings on all whose hearts are his. They are given the Kingdom of Heaven, comforted, will inherit the whole earth, will be satisfied, will see God, and will be called the children of God. Then he reminds us that we will be rewarded when persecuted. We must stay salty and controversial to the world. We must not stop doing good or hide from the dark. Jesus did not come to do away with the law given to Moses but to accomplish every jot and tittle of it. Then Jesus went through the Ten Commandments explaining the heart behind them. Our goal is to be at peace with all men, even our enemies. Lord, help us to understand that it is the journey and our growth along the way that you are most interested in.