Mon.’s Devo - Right Relationships

Read: Genesis 11:1-13:4; Matthew 5:1-26; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 1:24-28 The people of the world all spoke the same language and all had the same purpose. They wanted to build a tower to heaven. This tower would be a portal and when God saw it, he knew this was not his plan for mankind. They would be successful if he didn’t intervene. *** They named the city they were building the tower Babel which means “confusion.” God confused their languages so they would not be able to communicate and finish the tower. They ended up leaving their project and scattering across the earth. *** We are given an account of Shem’s family. Abram was the ninth generation from Shem. His father was Terah who had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran had a son named Lot, then Haran died. Lot went to live with his grandfather Terah. Terah took his son Abram who had married Sarai, and Lot with him to the land of Canaan. Meanwhile Abram’s other brother Nahor stayed in the land of the Chaldeans and married Milcah. Abram’s wife, Sarai was barren. *** Terah didn’t make it to the land of Canaan because he stopped in Haran and stayed until he died. Then, the Lord told Abram to continue the journey and God would lead him to a land and make him a great nation. He would bless him and make him famous. He would be a blessing to those who blessed him and a curse to those who cursed him. Abram obeyed and took Lot with him. Abram was 75 years old. *** They came to the land of Canaan and settled in Shechem beside the oak of Moreh which means “teacher: former rain.” God appeared to Abram and told him he would give this land to his descendants. Abram built an altar and dedicated it to the Lord. Then he traveled south and camped between Bethel and Ai. *** Famine hit the land of Canaan and Abram was forced to move to Egypt for a while. He told Sarai to tell everyone that she was his sister to save his life because she was so beautiful. Sure enough, Pharaoh was told of her beauty and he gave Abram sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels in exchange for Sarai. Abraham, apparently thought he had no choice. *** God watched over Sarai and caused terrible plagues to hit Pharoah and his household. (A precursor to the plagues God would hit them with again with Moses.) They must have consulted their wise men and found out the source of the plagues because Pharaoh summoned Abram and demanded why he had done this to him. Abram told him it was to save his life. Mercifully, Pharoah didn’t kill Abram but gave Sarai back and kicked them out of his land. He let Abram keep everything he had given him so he left wealthier than he had arrived. *** Abram and Sarai traveled toward Bethel and camped again between Bethel and Ai. He worshiped the Lord at the altar he had built the first time he was there. *** In Matthew, Jesus was preaching his famous Sermon on the Mount sermon. He blessed those who realized their need for God, those who mourned, the humble and those who cried out for justice. He blessed all who were merciful, those who had pure hearts, those who worked for peace, and those who were persecuted for doing what was right and those who followed him. He told them to be happy and glad because their reward in heaven was great. He reminded them that the prophets were all persecuted for speaking for God. *** Jesus was not just talking to them at that time, but his followers throughout time. He called us the salt of the earth that needs to stay salty. He called us the light of the world that is not to be hidden but were created to give light to the world. *** Jesus made it clear that he was not here to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Every detail of God’s Word will be fulfilled. We are to obey the law. Jesus also made it clear that the teachers of the law at that time were not righteous. They didn’t even obey the law but they did observe all the ticky laws they had added to God’s laws so they would appear to be righteous. *** Jesus then explained how they were to obey the law. He took several of the laws in the Ten Commandments and explained how they were not just to obey the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. *** Jesus made it clear that relationships with people affect right relationship with God. He related murder with anger and offering with offenses. *** Lord, help us to get our relationships right with people so they will be right with you. Thank you that you want a relationship with us.