60 - God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie

Balaam and the Ass
by James Tissot 1900

Chareen's Thoughts

• The Israelites continued their journey and camped in the plains of Moab. The people of Moab were frightened of them and so their king sends for Balaam to curse them so he can go to war and win.
• ... for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. Numbers 22:6
• The LORD appears to Balaam and insructs him not to curse Israel because they are a blessed nation and not to go with the officials of Moab.
• The king then bribes Balaam with the promise of honour and requests his presence and curse Israel. He said no way even if I was given a house hold full of silver I could not go.  But the Lord appears to him and says go.
• Interesting God tells Balaam to go to the king and then sends an Angel to confront him because He is not pleased with Balaam going and calls it an evil thing.  Twice he warns Balaam to only say what He tells him to say.
• The king meets with Balaam but Balaam warns him I can only say what God wants me to not what you want me to.
• Balaam requests 7 altars, 7 bulls and 7 rams. Balaam meets with the Lord who gives him a poem to tell the king that there is no curse.
  How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? Numbers 23:8
• Once again the king tries, he takes Balaam to another look out over Israel and sacrifices with 7 altars, 7 bulls and 7 rams  and God says no they are blessed.
  God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good? You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it. Numbers 23:19-20 
• Balak takes Balaam yet to a third look out and sacrifices once again. So God used Balaam to pronounce His blessing over Israel from the heights surrounding their encampment.
• Balak then got angry with Balaam because he blessed and did not curse and Balaam says to him but I told you I can not curse whom God has not cursed.

Today I was reminded of just how great our God is. He is not a man He does NOT lie and what He has said He will do He WILL do. He has a good plan for me and And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6 I know He says For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 and therefore I need to Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Blessings
Chareen

25 - Jacob tells his sons what will happen to them

Kathleen’s thoughts

Genesis 40 -50

Before Jacobs’s death He calls in his sons and tells each one of them what is going to happen to them. I love Joseph one. He is a fruitful vine a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches cli move the wall. The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him. Yet his bow remained steady, a and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father who helps you, and bye the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father excel the blessings of my ancestors and the bounty of the eternal hills May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the prince of his brothers.

His sons are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

After this he gave instructions to be buried at the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and his wife Sarah, Isaac and his wife Rebekah and Leah were buried there.

I find this interesting it took 40 days to complete the embalming of Jacob and 70 days of mourning.

Joseph lived to 110 years. Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die. Joseph made the Israelites take an oath When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here. He did not want to be buried in Egypt; they embalmed and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 1 Joseph and his brothers and all that generation died.

Blessings
Kathleen

25 - God planned it for good

Picture by Harry Anderson from Abraham Father of the Faithful

Chareen's Thoughts:

• Genesis 49 Jacobs prophecy / blessing of his sons and their families.
• Genesis 50:15-21 These verses are the pinnacle of the story of Joseph.  How many could forgive and see His hand in their situation the way Joseph did ?  Imagine the blessing that would flow in our lives if we could truly forgive and bless those who intend to harm us ? If only I could practice that sort of deep forgetting forgiveness in the close relationships that I am in ?  Oh Lord help me !

You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result .... Genesis 50:19

Our God is so good.  How often when things look bad to our earthly eyes do we lean on our own understanding and ultimately miss His goodness towards us ?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5
Blessings
Chareen

20 – Reunion of Esau and Jacob who is now named Israel by God

Kathleen’s thoughts

Genesis 31 -34

Laban is given permission from Jacob to check the tents for his idols but is fooled by his daughter Rachel as she was sitting on them giving a feeble excuse as to why she cannot stand up with respect in front of her father.

Jacob is afraid of meeting his brother Esau and his preparation in doing so by dividing his portions of wealth as well as protecting his wives and sons.

Jacob wrestles with an angel leaving him with a dislocated hip socket. But Jacob would not let the angel go until he blessed him. The angel asked him “what is your name” “Jacob” he replied. The angel said “ Your name will no longer be Jacob it will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed”

What I found interesting that to this day the Israelites don’t eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because the angel struck Jacob’s hip socket at the thigh muscle.

In chapter 33 I note the 7 times that Jacob bowed to his brother Esau. I see this as a completion of the battle between brothers and the bowing of 7 times is to say let this end and be friends. I love the way Esau runs up and hugs his brother a beautiful reunion.

Shecham the son of Hamor the Hivite rapes Dinah who is Jacobs & Leah’s daughter, Then Shecham pleas for Dinah to be his wife.

Blessings

Kathleen

20 - Wrestle with the Lord for a blessing

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel  Genesis 32:24-32 (Gustave Dore 3/01/1855)

Chareen's Thoughts:

• It's taken 20 years for Jacobs change of heart. I finally see a glimmer of this change in Jacob's prayer: I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. ...(Genesis 32:10) In Genesis 32: 1-23 we read all about his fear of Esau. It is good to read and see he comprehends what he did to his brother all those years ago and just how his brother felt about it. 
• Sadly he still does not keep his word with his brother.  He says you go on ahead and I will slowly catch up. So Esau trusts him and moves on but Israel does not keep going he stops buys land and sets up his tent. 
• It's only after this change of heart that the Lord changes his name. He is now known as Israel (One who wrestled with God for a blessing) Genesis 35:10 and Genesis 32:28
• It's interresting to note that as God builds the house of Israel He changes names as He brings about change. (Abram - Abraham, Sarai - Sarah, Jacob - Israel)

As I read about Israels wrestle for a blessing I felt this in another key for me to take to heart.


Sometimes we need to be on our knees and wrestle with Him for a blessing. There is no shame in this.





Blessings
Chareen

18 - A marker for God's house

Jacobs Ladder to Heaven - Source Wikipedia - Standard Bible Story Readers Book Three

Chareen's Thoughts:

• Genesis 28:10-22 Jacobs dream.  I love the way the Lord speaks to Jacob and reaffirms the blessing of Abraham.  I enjoyed Jacobs response to the dream: This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God's house, and I will give You a tenth of all that You give me. Genesis 28:22
• The name Rebekah means knotted cord/ to bind.  Gosh what a tangled web she wove ! Encouraging her son to steal a blessing, using Isaac to send / protect Jacob. 
• Genesis 29:21-30 Well Jacob met his match in Laban ! His love for Rachel ran very deep when I read this account. Imagine working for 14 years to marry someone. Genesis 30:3 Gosh and once again history repeats itself. Rachel is barren and gives her slave to Jacob to have children for her. 
• Genesis 29:31-35 and Genesis 30:1-24 this is an interesting read.  I love the choices of names for their children and the meanings of all the names and how each child was added to the home.  I enjoy reading how the blessing of the womb is attributed to the Lord. This is the beginning of the promises fulfilled. 
• Some of Jacobs practices when watching over Labans flocks was rather odd.  I wonder why he did those things. (Genesis 30:37-43)

Blessings
Chareen

17 - Blessings affirmed and blessings stolen

Jacob offering a dish of lentils to Esau for his birthright, 18th century painting by Zacarias Gonzalez Velazquez

Chareen's Thoughts:

Genesis 26:2-5 The Lord affirmed His blessing to Isaac.  Of particular note to me is verse 5. because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate, My commands, My statutes, and My instructions.

I had a look at the meanings of these words in Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary because God states a reason here for His blessing upon Abraham I wanted to more fully understand what He said. This is what I found:

• Mandate - A command; an order, precept or injunction; a commission
• Commands -  To bid; to order; to direct; to charge; implying authority, and power to control, and to require obedience
• Statutes - declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something; a positive law, An act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a permanent rule or law
• Instructions - The act of teaching or informing the understanding in that of which it was before ignorant; information, Precepts conveying knowledge Proverbs 8:10 Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
• listened - To hearken; to give ear; to attend closely with a view to hear. To obey; to yield to advice; to follow admonition

Genesis 26:6 - 10 Yikes Isaac does the same as his father and lies about his wife calling her his sister (at least in Abraham's case it was a half truth!)
Genesis 26:29 Interesting to note that the people of the land recognised the hand of the Lord's blessing in Isaacs life.
In Genesis 27:1-46 We read about Isaac handing Esau's blessing to Jacob.  As I read it I realised that Isaac doubted and asked Jacob 3 times if he was Esau before he blessed him. It made me think of Peter denying the Lord three times before he went to the cross (Matthew 26:69-75).

In Genesis 27:36 Esau speaks thus about Jacob (surplanter) - So he said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing." ... One thing that is dear to my heart is the naming of my children. I have felt quite strongly that the name of a person carries with it a blessing. It amazes me as I read this account that Jacob stole from Esau twice. First he bought his physical inheritance with a bowl of lentils and second he stole his spiritual blessing.

The thing that astounds me is that once the blessing was given it could not be retracted. Secondly the Lord honoured the blessing even though it was meant for another. The blessing was conveyed through touch.  Blessings are another area of interest to me. 

Blessings

Chareen

13 - Circumcise your heart

Chareen's Thoughts

• Today I read about Melchizedek (means Righteous King). Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.  This priest is quite a significant man.
• Interestingly enough his name is translated by Paul in Hebrews. Hebrews 7:2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6
• Hebrews 6: 20 says: Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. I wish the bible had more about this man. 
• Upon research on Bible Gateway I discovered that his name appears eleven times through out the scriptures. Once in Genesis, once in Psalms, nine times in Hebrews.
• There are three priestly orders.  The line of Aaron (Levitical Priesthood Order [Numbers 3:10]) and the line of Melchizedek (Melchizedek Priesthood Order) and a third priesthood.  The Royal Priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) which we are grafted into through Christ.
• Genesis 14:20 Abram tithed to this priest.The command to tithe is confirmed in Leviticus 27: 30-33
• Genesis 14:19-20 Melchizedek pronounces a blessing upon Abram.
• Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Abram's faith must have been monumental.  There have been seasons in my life where I know but do not believe God because the physical evidence is not there.  My LORD has been ever patient with me in these seasons of my walk.  Our belief is credited to us.  Think about it.  Abram believed when the physical evidence was so contrary to what he had been told.
• Genesis 15: 1-21 is the story of the unconditional covenant that God made with Abram. 
• Genesis 16: 11 - 12 As I read here about the prophecy God spoke over Hagars son Ishmael I thought to myself that this has continued through the ages to all his decedents.  His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him. Interestingly Ishmael means: God hears.
• Genesis 17:1 ... "I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be devout. Being devout is defined as: Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer. To live in His presence and be devout.  What does this mean for you and me ?
• Genesis 17:5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. Genesis 17:15 God said to Abraham, "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name. A new beginning for both.  God Himself renamed them.  A few years ago I watch a video series where I learned that God put His own name into their names. The 'AH' is the breath/life of God. He inserted this into each of their names. Sarah became known as Princess. She was 90 and he was 99 and God breathed of Himself over them so that they could be renewed before His covenant with them could begin it's fulfillment. So they became known as: Abraham the exalted father of many and Sarah the princess the daughter of the King.
• Six (Ishmael, Isaac, Josiah, Solomon, John and Jesus) were named before their conception and Solomon was given a second name at birth (Jedidiah) by God and Isaac is the second. Genesis 17:19 But God said, "No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ...  For some reason I always thought that Isaacs name came about because Sarah laughed but now I realise that God named him before he was even conceived and not only Sarah but Abraham laughed too. Genesis 17:17 Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and thought in his heart, .... Genesis 18:12 So she laughed to herself: ...
• Genesis 17: 9-14 God required circumcision as a sign of the covenant between Himself and His people. 

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 

 Deuteronomy 30:6

 Blessings

Chareen

For Further Reading:

• Stephen Haskell, Priests & Cross and it's Shadow.
• The different covenants in the bible.
• Got questions.org What is the Abrahamic Covenant ?

10 - Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Kathleen’s thoughts 10th January

Job 31-36

The covenant Job made with his eyes intrigued me today. Lust is a huge problem in our society especially the way they dress. Woman walk into a mall half naked with everything exposed for every husband and son to lust after them. There are men struggling with porn and then you see this in the mall and it causes them to fall into sin. Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So here you find God telling us in the Old and the New Testament. We need to have respect for our bodies as it is the temple for the Holy Spirit. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

I’m getting rather side tracked here but when I continue to read on with Job we know he was a righteous man but it’s all I, me and how good I am and I don’t sin. But we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. So Elihu who is younger than Job comes and reproves Job and tells him because of his age does not mean he has not wisdom. Job 32:7-8 I thought that age should speak and maturity should teach wisdom…But it is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty that give him understanding. Food for thought

For God speaks time and again but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night when deep sleep falls on people as the slumber on their beds, He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warning Job 33: 14-16 The Bible teaches that God relayed His messages through the power of the Holy Spirit, to His chosen servants by visions and dreams. These messages were also given to the apostles and prophets (Amos 3:7, Eph. 3:5).

Job 34:21 For His eyes watch over a man’s ways, and He observes all his steps.

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

God will guide you and make straight your paths

Job 35: 3 For you ask, “what does it profit You, and what benefit comes to me, if I do not sin?” Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life

There is also blessings and curses here. Job 36:11-12

If they serve Him obediently, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness…But if they do not obey, they will cross the river of death and die without knowledge.

God tells us in Deut. 30:19 There is blessings and curses life or death choose life that it will go well with your descendants.

That sums it up in one package. What do you choose today?

Blessings

Kathleen