King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Friday, January 17, 2020
Chapters: Genesis 16-18
Message: My Friendship With God
Hello My Friend,
I find it absolutely amazing, and will be honest and say that I am a little jealous, that God came down to earth and not only spoke to Abraham, He ate with him and talked with him as a friend would. And then when He came here as a man through Jesus, He did the same with the disciples, and hundreds of people who believed in Him. Then it occurred to me, well, God reminded me, something that Jesus said, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” – Matthew 25:34-40.
“ye have done it unto me.” Compassion goes a long way for the saved, born again Christian, a smile, a kind word, a prayer, a piece of bread, a hug, a jacket, everytime we show kindness toward the lost, fellow Christians, and even our enemy, we show Christ, not only that, we are walking with Him. And although Abraham did have a friendship with God, it was not always perfect. Abraham was just like the rest of us, he did not always make the best decisions, and that would put a strain on their friendship. Remember when God went to Abraham and told him that he was going to be a father to so many children it would be like trying to count all the sand or stars? Well, it had been tens years since God told him this and he still had no child, and his wife, Sarai (Sarah) had a suggestion. And instead of speaking to God about this, he listened to his wife’s advice, and it did not go so well.
“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” – Genesis 16:1-6,11-12,16.
“it may be that I may obtain children by her.” Our first mistake is thinking that we need to figure out how God is going to do what He says He will. The second is thinking we need to help Him out. And third is, impatience, when He promises that He will do something we expect Him to do it right that instant. If God wants us to do something to get the things He promises, He will tell us what we need to do, and here is a hint, He is going to make sure it is looks impossible for us so that we see it only comes from Him (Mark 9:23). “her mistress was despised in her eyes.” This is always our reaction when we realize we made a huge mistake and that it was not God at all. I use to think, and this is true in some cases, that when we make a decision that goes against God’s will we forfeit the blessing, but when God says He is going to give or use us for something He means it, we just need some patience that after we follow His will He will deliver on the promise (Hebrews 10:36).
“And Abram was fourscore and six years old,” Abraham was seventy-five years old when God came to him and told him to leave his family, and that He was going to make a nation out of him. He hindered God twice already, first by taking Lot with him, and then when he went to Egypt, and now with this. This definitely put a strain on his friendship with God, in fact, Abraham did not hear from God for thirteen years.
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.” – Genesis 17:1,4-7,13-14,19-20.
“walk before me, and be thou perfect.” God is saying, “Enough already, stop hindering me, and behave yourself!” He tells us the same thing so that we can receive what He promises us (Philippians 3:15). “for a father of many nations have I made thee.” God did make him the father of many nations, including Israel and Islam. This is what happens when we try to help God out, we make a mess out of things for others, we are still suffering today because of this. Nevertheless, God never goes back on His promise. “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed” We will never be perfect, but we can walk in Christ, and He will perfect us (Romans 12:1-2). “must needs be circumcised:” This was their physical sign of the covenant made, but this in no way implied that their souls were saved, any soul that was not circumcised was cut off from the people, and the same still applies today, only it is not a physical circumcision, it is a spiritual circumcision as that is what Christ does when we receive Him as our Saviour. “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” – Colossians 2:10-12.
God makes things happen, it may take days, weeks, months, or like Abraham, twenty-five years, for God to do what He says, but once He makes a commitment to us, He never turns back. Abraham laughed when he heard that his eighty-nine year old wife would be pregnant, as he sits there outside his tent he receives a visit.
“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” – Genesis 18:1-5,11-14.
“three men stood by him:” If this is not a picture of the Godhead, then I do not know how to explain it any better. God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit appearing before Abraham, all three persons, yet still one Almighty God. And you will see why I say this as we read further. “So do, as thou hast said.” How amazing is it that God sits with us, and dines with us? We can mess up a thousand times a day and He is still accepts our invitation (Revelation 3:20). “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Why does God make things absolutely impossible for our human capabilities? To show us that nothing is too hard for Him, if we believe in, and have faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6). Did you know that as a friend, God will even warn us of what is to come of those who are not. And this is what I was referring to and the Godhead, as these men head out they converse with one another about where they were going and if they should tell Abraham.
“And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 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. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.” – Genesis 18:16-23,32-33.
“For I know him,” God knows exactly who we are, His people maybe sinners, but we are His, and He cares enough to let us know that we have friends and family that will die and end up in hell if they are not saved (Matthew 28:18-20). “and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it,” God is referring to the wickedness of the land. We think that God watches everything that’s going on with those nations that are pure evil, and He does not, but He will visit them, and if they are as wicked as He has heard He will destroy them. Think I am kidding? Look at what is happening in Iran. Islam thinks they belong to God, but they have a huge awakening coming (Jude 1:5-6). “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” Keep in mind that God will never destroy one town unless every saved soul is removed. There are many people of Islam whom have escaped their teachings and turned to Christ, many of them also losing their lives as a result. Nevertheless, they are saved, and in heaven right now. God will give every soul the opportunity to come to Christ before He destroys a nation. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – II Peter 3:9.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for keeping Your promises, they are the hope of every one of Your children, for we truly perish without them. Thank You for the friendship that I have with You, I may not see Your face, but I know You are always with me. When I kiss a baby, when I hug a friend, when I help a stranger, when I pray for an estranged one, I am with You. Part of seeing Your promises is waiting on You, You know exactly when we are ready to receive the things You promise as well as the things we are in need of. And as long as we keep standing on Your promises, and trust You, we will see them faster than we think. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your patience to wait for You, Your strength to keep from making foolish decisions that hinder You, and Your wisdom to know how to apply the knowledge You have given me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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