Holy Matrimony

“Isaac brought her into the tent…and he married Rebekah…and he loved her.”  Genesis 24:67

The match was made in heaven, but the message needed to make it to earth because Sarah was dead, Abraham old, and Isaac unwed!   Since the hometown girls weren’t exactly holy, Abraham sent a servant to retrieve a relative for his son. The man was anxious about the assignment, but Abraham promised an angel would go before him.  The servant heard no wings as he approached the well at Nahor, but since many women came to draw water in the evenings, he knew it was a good place to scout for a spouse.

But before he inspected, he implored.  “Then he prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today”(Gen. 24:12).   He asked God to make the choice easy and obvious.  “Please, may the girl who gives me and my camels water be the wife you’ve chosen”(Gen. 24:14).

Before he said “Amen,” Rebekah arrived, gave him a drink to sip and his camels drinks to slurp.  The servant was delighted to discover she was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, and he bowed in worship.  At her family’s house, he wouldn’t touch his supper until he told the story, giving God credit for His kindness and praise for His provision.  Her brothers realized this duo was divine, bestowed their blessing, and agreed for Rebekah to depart the next day. 

As she neared her new home, Rebekah spotted Isaac in the field and hopped down from her camel into holy matrimony.   The servant’s mission was complete—Operation Hitch was a has-been.

If you’re married, you probably prayed for God to send you a spouse.  He answered when you asked, so praise Him for your partner every day.  Enjoy the easy days.  Hold tight on the hard ones.  Don’t hang on to wrongs, and when you need to, hop down off your own high horse. Love holy and wholly.

That will make the Matchmaker happy.  And you too.

Trust and Obey

“Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.”    Genesis 22:2

“Abraham, take your son….”  Fear crept in after only four words, but God continued, “Your only son, Isaac, whom you love.”  The reminders of affection only increased his anxiety.  “Go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about”(Gen. 22:2).  The dread of every parent—the death of a child, and Abraham must do the deed himself.

We’re not told how Abraham felt or what he said, but we know what he did.  “Early the next morning Abraham got up and…set out for the place God told him about”(Gen. 22:3).  Abraham obeyed and Abraham believed.  On the third day of the journey, he left his servants at base camp and instructed them to stay put.  “We will worship and then we will come back to you”(Gen. 22:5).  Two would go up and two would come down.  Abraham knew God’s promise and trusted Him to do the impossible to keep it. 

Isaac noticed the wood, the fire, and the knife, but seeing no sacrifice, he asked dear old dad, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”   Abraham answered, “‘God himself will provide the lamb.’ And the two of them went on together”(Gen. 22:7-8).

Surely God would have them stop before they reached the top, but the summit appeared and the sacrifice approached.  In the ultimate act of abandon, the father bound his son and raised the blade.  And then God halted from heaven. Isaac’s life was spared.  Abraham’s loyalty was commended, and a ram in a jam ended up as the offering.

Abraham’s situation was unique to him, but the application is for all.  We’ll not be told to kill our kids, but we must be willing to surrender what we cherish.

Trust and Obey.

Hold nothing back.

God will provide.

Laugh

“Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh?’”  Genesis 18:13

I would have chuckled—and so would you. 

After many decades of marriage, the table was still set for two, and, since Abraham had sired a son with a servant, the fingers of fault pointed at Sarah.  By eighty-nine candles on the cake, most would have gotten over it, but the stigma and sting of an empty cradle still haunted Sarah’s heart.

The three men arrived around midday.  Ever the hospitable host, Abraham invited them to come in, cool off, and chow down.  They picnicked under a shade tree, with Abraham standing close by.  “Where’s your wife?” they wondered.  “Over there, in the tent,” he replied.  Then one of the men (who was God in the guise of a guy) said, “I’ll be back in a year, and by then, she’ll have a baby boy.”

The eavesdropping Sarah could hardly believe her ears.  In fact, she couldn’t.  She laughed to herself as she thought, “After I’m too tired and Abe’s too old, will we now be blessed with a little bundle?”

God asked why she laughed.  Sarah lied and said she didn’t.  God didn’t let her off the hook, but He didn’t let her down either. At ninety, Sarah cuddled her newborn son and then handed the crying kid off to his century year old daddy.

They named him Isaac, which means “he laughs.”   “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me”(Gen. 21:6).

Embrace your Isaacs. They are those running-around, right-before-you reminders that sometimes God does something so hilariously incredible that all you can do is shake your head, shout your praise—and laugh!

Abraham and the Altar

"There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.”  Genesis 12:8

God said to Abraham, “It’s time for a trip.  You and the wife pack the Winnebago and travel to where I tell you.”  So Abraham pulled out and headed south taking his possessions and a promise.  “You will become a great nation.  You will have a great name.  I will bless you, and everybody else will be blessed through you”(Gen. 12:2).

Abraham traveled to Shechem—and built an altar.  He moved between Ai and Bethel— and built an altar.  He moved to Egypt—(not so good but God was.)  He moved back from Egypt to the altar between Ai and Bethel.  He moved to Hebron—and built an altar.

His nephew Lot, whom he should have left at home, moved to Sodom and was soon a spoil of war.  Abraham and 318 personal soldiers ran to the rescue, routed the four raiding rulers, and returned with Lot, a lot of others, and all the loot.  The grateful king of Sodom said, “Keep what you’ve collected,” but Abraham took no pay and no prize. “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:  ‘Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward’”(Gen 15:1).  He had refused the goods of men, and his reward was God.

Abraham didn’t need stuff.  He needed a son.  So he asked, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless…My servant will be my heir”(Gen. 15:2).  But God said, “No, not your servant.  Your own son.”  He took Abraham outside and ordered, “Look up. Tally the stars and you’ll be totaling your descendants”(Gen. 15:5).

“Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”(Gen. 15:6).

And Abraham built an altar.

God’s blessings are beyond what we can figure.

Look around and count—and offer your thanks on the altar of faith.

The Blueprint of Babel

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens.”  Genesis 11:4

I really would like to have seen it.  Architecturally, the tower was surely impressive.  Its base was bold enough to bolster height which could climb to the clouds, and its sides were surrounded by a city big enough contain them all.

Babel was built with bricks for the abundance of sand and sun assured never-ending supplies.  One by one the bricks were fashioned.  One by one the bricks were fastened.  They were held together by a mortar of tar and a motive of pride and preservation.  “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth”(Gen. 11:4).

The name of God was not enough.  They wanted one of their own so they set out to leave a legacy by living for themselves.  One by one.

God came down to inspect.  He noticed the foundation was not Him but them, and since this did not meet code, He confused the speech of the laborers.  Unable to understand each other, they scattered away from each other.  One by one.

Babel was never completed.  No certificate of occupancy was ever issued.  The unfinished tower stood in the desert as a desolate monument to the grand plans of men minus God.

In vanity, they built up.  And God came down to scatter.

In humility, we look up.  For God came down to gather.

One by one.

WaterWorld

“Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died.”   Genesis 7:22

God hurt.  “His heart was filled with pain.”  He hadn’t made a mistake, but humans had made a mess.  Less than two millennia after God created and commended, He doomed and destroyed.  “I will wipe mankind from the face of the earth for I am grieved that I have made them”(Gen. 6:6)

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people…I am going to destroy both them and the earth.  So make yourself an ark’”(Gen. 6:8, 13-14).  Talk about a mid-life crisis!  Noah was only in his 500s. (His granddaddy Methuselah was in his 900s and still going strong.)  All three of the boys were out of the house and married, and he and the Mrs. were doing well and anticipating the years to come.

But the call came to build a boat.  A big one.   A 450x75x45 triple decker.  Perfect for a 378 day/377 night cruise for eight adults and a large party of animals.  (It only rained for 40 days and 40 nights, but drying out took much longer than the deluge.)

So, for the next many years, Noah preached from his heart and pounded with his hammer, but no one repented.  As the rains came down and the floods came up, only his family was saved. 

The ark rocked in the waves and rested on a mountain.  When the water receded, Noah emerged, and God made a covenant that a downpour would never again destroy all life.

It was good.

It was bad.

It was wet.

A rainbow ringed the sky as God blessed the new beginning.

He protects His children and keeps His promises.

Rain or Shine.

The Crunch and The Cross

“The Lord said, ‘What have you done?’”   Genesis 4:10

With one crunch it all came crashing down.  A wily serpent, a weak woman, and a wimpy man chose themselves above their God, and Paradise was lost.  They fell hard—and far.  The snake wiggled away in the dirt.  Eve writhed as she gave birth.  Adam worked the ground which was cursed.  And life as we know it began on earth.  The sun never shines where the deceptiveness of sin is not a reality and where the labor required to bring forth life and make a living is not difficult. 

Adam’s first two sons example our dilemma.  Cain was unwilling to repent and return with a right sacrifice.  Instead he turned his wrath on his brother – not in a moment of passion but in premeditated malice.  Abel unsuspectingly followed Cain into the field and met his fate. Though the evidence was buried, God needed no exhibit to know the truth.  As fig leaves had failed to hide his parents’ fall, dirt did little to cover Cain’s crime. 

Once again God came calling.  As before, not with an accusation but asking for an answer.  “Where is your brother?”  Like his dad, Cain had little to say but hell to pay.  The cycle had started, and so it continues.  “Adam, where are you?”  “Cain, what have you done?”  The questions still come as God still calls.  We have no good reply, but He has the grace-filled answer.

One day, the wicked serpent will be wiped out for his head has been crushed by the heel of the Holy One. The pain of birth is being eclipsed by the joy of being born again, and the curse of the ground will cave as graves erupt with life incorruptible. 

With one crunch, all was ruined.

With one cross, all was restored. 

EVE

“It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”   Genesis 2:18

Something wasn’t right.  No matter where he looked, everyone had someone—the doe pranced with poise beside the buck, the cow munched her lunch with the bull, and the tigress slinked slyly by the tiger.  Doves cooed together.  Swans swam together.  Squirrels scampered together.  But Adam was alone.

Something was missing, but he didn’t know what.  Perhaps a rest would set things right.

While Adam dozed, God designed.  He knew the “what” was really a “who.”  “It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”  A rib would be just right since this helper would be by his side, close to his heart, and in his arms, s0 God extracted and then He crafted.

She would be soft and strong.  One who would nurture but who also had needs.  She would laugh with him and dance with him. Cheer in his victories and cry in his failures.  She would share and she would care.  She would help him.  She would hold him.  And together, they would be whole.

Adam woke from his sleep but was sure he was still dreaming.  What exactly was this lovely creature coming his way?  God had brought each animal for Adam to name, but He had certainly saved the best till last! (At first Adam was speechless but finally managed to utter an astounded, “Wow, man!” – which, when shortened, became “woman.”) In truth, Adam had much to say, for the attraction was instant and the connection complete.  He exulted in God’s gift and said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man”(Gen. 2:23).  She had come from him.  She would be for him.  She was a perfect fit in every way.

He reached for her hand and gently clasped her fingers between his own.  A pair of eagles dipped their wings approvingly as they sailed overhead.  A duo of dolphins nudged each other knowingly, then dipped into the deep.  And Adam and Eve walked off—together.

Minus one bone.  Plus one beauty.

Small wonder guys think naps are divine!

Adam

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image.’”  Genesis 1:26

All was alive and well.  And good.  Planets twirled and stars twinkled.  Butterflies flitted and fireflies glowed.  A whale splashed his tail, and sunlight danced on droplets diving back into the sea.  A lion shook his shaggy mane and thundered a weighty roar, but the best was yet to come.

“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” 

A little dirt would do just fine.  The Potter picked up the clay and began to mold His magnum opus.  Two arms and two legs.  Two hands finished with graceful fingers.  Two feet ending in wiggly toes.  Eyes which would gaze at painted sunsets and glisten with salty tears.  A nose to notice the flower’s fragrance and know when his food was on fire!  Ears for the waterfall’s loud rush and his wife’s soft whispers.  A mouth to taste and to talk.  A heart to pulse with life and love.

The man would not exist by instinct or impulse but would have the capacity to choose, to care, to challenge.  He would crave to connect and long to be loved.  Made with the ability to make up his mind or to make someone’s day, his time would best be spent in relationship with God and with others.  And unlike the animals whose lives were over when life was over, the soul of the man would never cease. 

The form now finished, it was time for the grand finale.  “And God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul”(Gen 2:7).  The special creature stirred and drew in God’s breath as his very own.  Energy from the Almighty flowed into his body and jump-started his heart.  He was awake.  He was aware.  He was alive!

It’s amazing what can be done with a little dirt.

No wonder God put him in a garden.

Light

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  Genesis 1:3

The Artist began His work with a stroke of brilliance.  At His command, light came crashing through the darkness, dismissing the gloom and illuminating the deep.  Golden beams bounded through the universe and filled the shadowy space with brightness.  Unlike the rays of the sun, which stream from self-consuming combustion, the sole source of this light was the power of God’s word and the presence of His will. 

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” 

All life to come would depend on light.  Plants, animals, and people would need its warmth and radiance to survive.  Without light, they could not grow, they could not see, they could not be.

Now, as then, our life depends upon His light.  “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”(2 Cor. 4:6).  No source within us can produce the power necessary to perfect our souls.  We may consume ourselves and those around us while trying, but only the Word and the will of the Almighty bring light and life. 

Then, as now, God chose to not obliterate the darkness completely.  Instead He opted for separation – the contrast providing us opportunity for realization and rest.  But one day He will.  God will speak again, forever damning the darkness and eternally illuminating His new creation with Himself, for “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all”(1 Jn 1:5).

The Word of God is the Light of the World.

Live in His brilliance.

God Was There

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  Genesis 1:1b

It wasn’t much to look at, and no one was there to see it. 

The lump of matter we call Earth was a wasteland.  Formless and empty and dark.  Covered with deep water and silent blackness, the desolate mass appeared stagnant and useless.

But it was not, for God was there.

Biding and brooding, the Holy One hovered over the surface.   His Spirit surrounded the stillness and enveloped the emptiness.  Although no potential for change lay within the matter, all possibility lived in the Maker.

Very soon, seagulls would soar in the breeze, squawking rudely at tiny crabs scampering across salty sand.  Before long, busy bees would flit among bright flowers, sampling sweet nectar and gathering golden pollen.  In just a few days, giraffes would stretch lanky necks and nibble crisp leaves high in blowing trees.  But for now, no sign of life was stirring.  The shapeless something that was there seemed good for nothing. But it wasn’t, for God was there.

And neither are we, for God is there.  When we aren’t much to look at and no one is around to see us, God is there.  When our heart are wastelands and our souls seem stagnant, God is there.  He is hovering.  He is holding.  He is surrounding.  He will envelop our emptiness and cover our chaos.  God is there, waiting to create a masterpiece out of our mess.  His Spirit will move when the time is right, so until then, surrender to His stillness and rest in His deep Presence.

The earth was barren before it was beautiful.

And God was there — in both.

The Beginning

“In the beginning, God…”  Genesis 1:1

“I just don’t get it!” my then eight year old exclaimed.  “I’m okay with God never ending, but I can’t understand how He never had a beginning!”  My daughter was not the first of God’s children to grapple with His dual infinity, and any attempt to explain divine eternity was woefully inadequate for none of us can fully grasp this profound fact.  But even though we can’t wrap our minds around such staggering reality, we should gladly wrap our hearts.

“In the beginning, God…”  If we believe the first four words of the Bible, the rest is easy.  Fashioning a universe and forming the earth, crafting animals and creating humans, and starting nations and shaking kingdoms pose no problem for a God so powerful that He’s always been.  Healing the sick, helping the needy, controlling winds, commanding demons, and conquering the grave are easy for a God of eternal existence.

Before space was shaped, God was.  Before angels were around, God was.  Before any speck of anything was, God was.  And He always was.

We are too finite to fathom such splendor.  Too small to comprehend such majesty.   But while our perception is limited, our adoration should be limitless.  The ageless God deserves endless praise. 

Be amazed and marvel.  Wonder and worship.  God is big.  God is boundless.  God is before—and after.  He always was.  He always is.  He always will be.

“In the beginning, God…”