The Lord Said: "They Shall Make..."

Exodus 25:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, 5 tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 

We saw yesterday that God and the people of Israel agreed upon the "rules" of their relationship - the ten commandments and those that followed.  God then instructed the construction of the Tabernacle, and all the instruments involved in worship, each instruction beginning with the phrase: they shall make. Our relationship with God is to be creative. God was going to be around.  He did not want to be forgotten. As Jesus reminded the woman at the well: 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. He knows that since He is Spirit, we tend to forget He is around.  We don't see the Red Sea divide every day or hear His voice like thunder. God wants us to hang out with Him, spend time with Him, live out our relationship with Him daily. The place should never replace the relationship, but it is good for us to have a place we meet with Him. 

The Lord Said: Come, Let's Make a Covenant

Exodus 24:1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”  

The chapters in between today and yesterday are what we might call "rules of relationship" - how people are to interact with God and one another.  They were straightforward, specific, and fully understood. Total agreement was expressed on both sides. Moses was appointed to record all the details and sign for the people.  Covenants are made for integrity, security, and proclamation before the world. God wants everyone to know who we are an why we are here.  Do we truly understand who we are as His people?

God Speaks Out of Relationship

Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

We often misunderstand what God is saying to us because we misunderstand why He is saying it to us. When God came to Israel with the Ten Commandments it was not Him saying "If you want to have a relationship with Me, you have to do this and this and Not that, that, and that.  He was speaking to them saying "Because we have this relationship where I have done this, this, and that, here is how you should respond."  God did something similar with Adam at creation: "Because I made you and everything around you to enjoy, you should do thus, and so." There are many places we find these kinds of conversations and instructions.  God seeks and provides a relationship with us, which is what we really need, and He also helps us understand what makes that relationship work.

The Lord Says: Consider What You've Seen.

 

Exodus 19:2 There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ 

Having seen God's deliverance from Egypt, safe passage through the Sea, and provision of manna and water, God calls on the people (and us) to consider what our proper response is. We are to understand that God has a plan and purpose, including instructions, resources, and protection plan.  The question before us now is: Will we obey and enjoy this special calling?

And God Said: "Here's How to Get Water"

Exodus 17:5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

God had already provided food in response to the people's complaining; now He provided water.  God was not giving "how-to" lessons on what we need to get water, but how we can depend on God to meet our needs - even ones we take so much for granted.  As always, He has a picture for us of the Gospel - that Christ is both the Rock upon whom we can place our trust and the Source of Living Water for daily and eternal life.  The big question in all our hearts is: "Is God here and does He care?" The answer is a bigtime "YES."

God Said: "Let There Be Bread"

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

The giving of manna to the people of Israel is one of those "Bible Stories" many people have heard and move on.  But not so fast.  Why did God give it? Partially because they were hungry and complained that God only brought them out of Egypt to the wilderness to starve them there, but there is more to the story. He told Mose that it was a test of obedience and faith.  They were to collect daily, but twice the amount on the sixth day.  Why? He only provided what they needed daily so they would trust in Him as their Provider and that they would obey His law of the Sabbath: to rest and appreciate His provision, worship Him (which WAS the main reason for them leaving Egypt in the first place!), and be content in His plan for them.  God doesn't want us to be worried with worry or resistant to His will. Which are you?

This Lord Said: This Is NOT a Dead-end

 Exodus 14: 15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Often, when we actually listen to the Lord and follow His lead, there will be times when we feel trapped - like there is nowhere to go, and we complain that we have been faithful and obedient, only to end up at a dead-end.  We definitely don't see as God can see.  The Lord was both showing Pharoah that He is God, and at the same time giving lessons in faith and obedience to His people. It's more than just His power; it is also His love, mercy, and trustworthy plan.  May we not lose heart today. 

The Lord Said: "Remember This..."

 Exodus 12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you...14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast... 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Knowing that we have such a tendency to forget, when it came to the final judgment on Pharoah and the Passing Over of God's angel of His people who obeyed Him, God gave them not a day, but a whole week to remember the event.  Many times things we have been waiting for, which we have been praying for, and which we deep down think never could happen, do so just as God has said.  We thank Him for those, but we also quickly forget. He calls on us to establish memorials to His faithfulness. When we forget them, we tend to stray away from obeying Him. Israel did. So do we.  Take time to remember. 

God Speaks Till We Listen

Exodus 11:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

In the final plague in Egypt, Pharoah became a broken man. Not only did he allow the people of Israel to go out and worship for a few days - all of them with all their stuff - he begged them to leave and paid them to do.  Everyone was glad to see them go and all their troubles with them: the people, the government offices, and grudgingly, Pharoah himself.  When God keeps speaking and we refuse to listen, He will speak so loudly and strongly we cannot ignore Him.  It's always best to listen initially and obey His voice.

God Says "All"

 Exodus 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” 

There is a progression in the 10 plagues on Egypt not only is the power God demonstrates, but also the demands He makes upon Pharoah.  First it was "Let My People God" a few days into the wilderness. Pharoah was finally willing to let the men go, then the children, and now the demand was for the livestock as well.  God also demanded that they be allowed to wait until they got there to see how long and involved their time would be.  Pharaoh kept balking, unwilling to relent, unwilling to let the Lord have them all.  But that is exactly what God wants from each and every one of us: All.

God Speaks for the Next Generation

Exodus 10:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”

With each increasing plague we find God speaking for the benefit of more and more people.  The things God was telling and showing Moses, Pharoah, and their respective nations was not just for their time. God was speaking history which was to be passed on. It is interesting that as we go further in the passage, God says to Pharoah of this plague of locusts: 6 "and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Past generations had not seen such things; this generation was to see them and pass them on.  Christ said the same thing when He walked on earth: His generation heard and saw things none before had - not only for their sakes, but for ours as well.  Are we listening to God speak not just for ourselves, but for coming generations as well?

God Speaks, Believers Take Action

 

Exodus 9:18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

By the time we get to the seventh plague on Egypt, some of the Egyptians were getting the picture. God spoke to Moses, who told Aaron what to say to Pharoah and his court, and what God say would happen did.  This time God warns those in the court that they could avoid the judgment, and some Egyptians did. God still spared the Israelites completely, not sending hail at all, but those Egyptians who took action had their livestock spared.  Once again, God reminded them (and all of us who have read this account since) that the main goal is that so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

God Says: The Serpent's Days Are Numbered

Exodus 7:8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

In the showdown between Moses and Pharoah, there were reasons for the various plagues on Egypt. Before they began, God had Moses and Aaron perform this miracle of the staff into a serpent.  As seen above, the Egyptian sorcerers imitated it, but theirs were all swallowed by the staff of the Lord. This was significant, as the Egyptians had many serpent gods. God's message was clear: He was the one true God. It also causes us to remember the Promise of the garden: that one day the Seed of Man will crush the serpent, a picture of Christ's ultimate picture.  God is warning of judgment to come for those who choose to worship the serpent instead of Him. 

God Speaks So We Will

Exodus 7:1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord...

We are rightly taken back when we see God's statement that He had made Moses "like God to Pharoah," but it was true in the sense that Moses was speaking on God's behalf, telling Aaron what he should say.  God had a message loud and clear, and it wasn't just that Pharoah was to let His people go worship Him. The ultimate message for Israel and Pharoah was the He is Lord over all.  God has spoke to us first that we will fully believe and trust that, then that through how we live and what we say others will believe it also.  Are we living like God is Lord, has spoken to us, and wants to speak through us?

The Lord Said... God Spoke

6:1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.

As we work our way through scripture examining "the God Who Speaks," we find that God at times says and other times speaks.  The record also interchanges the names God and The Lord as the One Who talks to us. These are not so much distinctions as they are representations of the depth of His character and the various ways He reveals Himself and His will to us. There is always more we have to learn about God and His plan for His people and this world.  We should always listen whether He says or He speaks. May we listen intently today by looking at His Word and turning our hearts to His Spirit.

God Speaks Loudest Through His Risen Son

 Hebrews 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

God has spoken since Creation and throughout history, but His loudest voice is the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.  He is Risen indeed!!!

God Speaks to Others, Too

Exodus 4: 27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

It wasn't just Moses to whom God was speaking.  At the same time, he also spoke to Aaron.  We find in this short paragraph two of Mose's objections answered: he would not have to worry about doing the speaking and the people would believe their message because of the signs God had given to him. Often, we forget that God is not just speaking to us; He is also working in other people's lives at the same time. If we will only respond in obedience, He will bring us together with them.

God says: "What's in Your Hand?"

 Exodus 4:2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Moses, like many of those though whom God works, had a lot of questions and concerns about what he was being called on to do. Why would people even listen to him? God begins with where Moses is and what he has, then takes that and multiplies its usefulness.  God then proceeds to show Moses numerous things God can do with what Moses had right there. He then goes on to show him other resources He can readily call into service. But most of all, God is the Creator, who can do and make great things.  We just need to keep on listening for what He instructs.

It's Not Who You Are: It's Who HE Is.

Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 

As Moses continues this conversation with God, he begins to realize the magnitude of what God is calling him to do, and the excuses begin to pile up: his inability to speak, his checkered past.  But this one really hits to the core: Who am I? When God answers to not worry about that, to trust in Him, Moses responds with Who are you? God answers with I am Who I am, He goes on to explain that He is the same One Who called out and blessed their forefathers.  It's not about us, but Him.

God Shows and Tells; We Listen

 

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

We have seen before that God often calls by name, and that in this passage He waited until Moses saw before He spoke to him.  Moses' immediate response was reverence.  He listened rather than looked.  It is from the hearing-impaired that we can learn much here.  Not being able to see makes us listen better, more intensely, more deliberately.  Hearing comes naturally; listening does not.  We need to develop it more.  That is especially the case when it comes to listening to God.

God Says: "It's Going to Work Out."

Genesis 46:1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.”

Israel (Jacob) had been in Beersheba for a long time. He was getting old and had not made the trips to Egypt beforehand.  But now he had to go.  He was hesitant, as his grandfather had some bad history when he went there, and the idolatry there was prolific.  But God said "Go." He had a plan, and it included Egypt. This was not a one-way trip. Jacob had learned when he was younger to go whenever God said to, knowing God went with him, so he obeys. One more incentive was the restored relationship with his son. May we learn to trust God to go where He sends us and why.

God says: "Go and leave it behind."

Genesis 35:1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 

God had told Jacob to not fear going to see his estranged brother Esau, because God was going to go with him wherever he went.  That proved to be true.  With that fresh in his mind, when God spoke again, Jacob knew what he had to do.  He had to obey and go, but he also had to leave some things behind - things that would only be a hindrance wherever he went in following God's voice.  The same is true for us: when we come to know the true and living God and trust and recognize His voice, there are things we know we need to leave behind.  Many of them He clearly lists in His Word (like idols), while others we come to realize are inconsistent with faithful obedience.  Jacob did so here, and as the passage goes on, it says that no one was willing to mess with Jacob or get in His way. Everyone heard and saw that God was with him.

God Says Your Name

Genesis 31:24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Many of us have heard this account often.  It's an intense situation. Jacob is about to face Esau after years of separation. He is filled with fear, because they had not left on good terms.  When Jacob wrestles with this "man," he hangs on until He blesses him.  The response is a changing of his name from Supplanter, manipulator, to Israel.   Jacob had changed -rather, been changed by God. He was no longer the same man who had tricked Esau; he was now the patriarch becoming a nation.  God gives us a new name, a new life, and calls to us to walk in it, to trust Him for it, and believe He knows what He's doing.

God Says "Watch What You Say"

 Genesis 31:22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

To say the least, the relationship between Jacob and his father-in-law(doubled) Laban was very strained. The trickery involved to keep Jacob bound there had eroded a lot of trust.  When Jacob took off with Laban's daughters and the part of the herd belonging to him, it left quite a dent in Laban's life.  But in order to maintain what was left of their relationship, he needed to watch what he said: not accuse, not vent, not whine and complain. He needed to ask questions and listen.  We often find that hard to do, but we all have those situations where God would (and does!) say: "Watch what you say." What situations do you have like that today?  Are you willing to receive God's Word to you?

God Speaks to Each Generation

 Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Here we find Jacob back in the same territory as his father Isaac had been in the passage we looked at yesterday. Jacob leaves Beersheba (the bottom tip of the promised land, where Isaac had built the well), and came to a "certain place." Here God speaks to Jacob in a dream, telling him not only that the promised land was for him, and not just his father and grandfather, but most of all, that God was with him, would watch over him, and would bring him back there.  Jacob came away from this experience with a more personal faith:

16 “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it...17 “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” He then named that place Bethel: House of God. God speaks to each generation and wants them to have a personal faith.

God Speaks; We Dig

Genesis 26:23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well.

We saw yesterday that God had spoken to Isaac and told him: "don't go," so Isaac stayed and settled in, only to end up being asked to leave.  He goes to Beersheba, which became a special place in the Promised land - the landmark for its southernmost border.  When God appeared to Issac there, promising his blessing, Isaac knew it was a safe place to be and had his servants dig a well, meaning he planned on being there awhile.  Isaac was catching on to what it meant to learn to listen to God.  It affects where we go, what we do, how we live - not by fear, but trust in God's Word.

When God Says: "Don't Go There"

Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 

We have already seen God telling people to go, go in, go out. He also says "do not go." Isaac had seen some of God's faithfulness to his father and the way He directed him where to go.  God repeats the promise He had given to Abraham as also belonging to Isaac.  Isaac was able to actually spend time there, though it was still under the rule of Abimelech.  He also made some of the same dumb mistakes his father, had, which added to his great success made the Philistines envious and suspicious, and he had to leave. But at least Isaac "got a taste" of the promised land and the success God would give there.  It started when God said: "Don't go," so Isaac obeyed and stayed.

God Hears Both Sides and Speaks

Genesis 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 

Did you ever wonder how God can hear prayers on both sides of an issue and answer both prayers? We saw yesterday of the dilemma Abraham had when Sarah wanted to send Hagar and her son away. He was double-minded on what to do. God gave him an answer and called on him to take care of the rest. Here on the other side was Hagar, rightfully feeling wrong and especially distraught over how it affected her son. We notice here God heard the boy and called to his mother.  He calls on her to make a different choice, a better choice, and also trust in God.  She responded to His call and God kept His promise to her and her son.

God Says: "Allow It"

 

Genesis 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

It is not uncommon to find in scripture men of God getting themselves in deep messes.  Abraham was a shining example.  He had gone along with Sarah's idea to have a son through Hagar, only to have things backfire and Sarah now demand that he send mother and child away.  Abraham had no easy option. He knew in his heart sending her away was not what he as head of the household should do, but he also had to live with Sarah's constant nagging.  What to do, what to do.  God tells him to let them go.  Sometimes we get to the point that we cannot control things, and God steps in and speaks up, helping us make the hard choice. HE knows what lies ahead. We don't. Let's listen to Him

God Says: Watch Out!

 

Genesis 20:1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

This is one of those passages where we look at the actions of one of God's people and shake our heads, until we look in the mirror. Thankfully God does intervene often to defend others from our stupidity (and us from others'.) God said to Abimelech: "You really don't want to go there; you don't what to do that." Abimelech humbly received God's warning, and so should we. 

God Speaks to Our Thoughts...

 Genesis 17:15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

In the same passage as yesterday, God gets more detailed about his plans for Abram and Sarai. When Abram heard the plan, "he laughed and said to himself, as if God could not hear.  God made it clear that He does hear our thoughts and replied to them.  God was seeking to align Abram with His plan, changing Sarai "my princess" (meaning Abram's princess) to simply Sarah "princess", indicating she was princess for all. God would give her a son not just for Abram, but for all mankind. She was God's princess in His plan. 

God Said: "I Have Plans"

Genesis 17: 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 

Like with Noah, God had earlier told Abram to "Go", and he did. Now that Abram had been going for a while, God says "I have plans for you and your descendants." It is often after we have been walking and talking with God for a while, learning to listen to His leading, that He begins to show and tell us what His plans are, so we know where we are heading and why we are going there. Our relationship with God is for the long haul - not just to bail us out when things are bad, or we have really messed up. Let us learn to listen as He directs, then the bigger picture will eventually become a little clearer.

God says "Fill"

 

Genesis 9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 

There are only a handful of covenants made by God in Scripture.  This is the first of them. At the beginning of this chapter, God told Noah and his sons to go out and fill the earth.  That did not mean they were on their own; God would maintain a relationship with them. They would not have to live in fear of such a great flood of judgment again.  In the proceeding verses, He also promised that human life would be sacred, unlike the time before the flood when wicked men were given to violence.   Along with His promise to watch over them was a new standard they were to live by before Him, being good stewards of the renewed creation He was entrusting to them.  The rainbow reminds us of God's faithfulness.

God Says "Go Out"

Genesis 8:15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

We have seen the past two days that God told Noah to build the ark, then when to go into it. Noah did all God commanded. Now He told Him to go out. The residents of the ark may well have been claustrophobic after a year together there, but there may also have been a sense of comfort and security as they looked out onto a whole new world.  Things were different than when and where they left them.  Often missionaries have a hard time coming back to Western culture and all the changes that have taken place. The point is that we need to continue to listen to God instruct us for when to go in, out, to, or from. He has much more for us than we could ever imagine. 

God says "Go"

Genesis 7:1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

Yesterday we saw that God said "Do", and Noah obeyed, following His directions for building the ark. Now it is time for Noah to go into it, taking all these animals with him.  It sounds overwhelming - even getting them all collected and inside. It's a study in itself look at all the people to whom God said "Go." Obviously, God provides help when He calls us to do or go, but it is pointed out that Noah did all the Lord commanded.  How often do we only go part way, doing only some of what God has instructed us?  

God Says "Do"

Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 

Once again, we see that God sees and says. He reveals both Himself and His plan.  Sometimes He tells us very clearly what is on His mind, as He did here with Noah.  But He doesn't stop there: He tells us what He wants us to do in reference to His plan.  Without this information, Noah would have been helpless and hopeless when the flood came.  But since God gave him information and instructions, Noah and His family could and would be saved from the coming destruction.  God said "Make", which is a word that in many languages also means "Do." God tells us what to do for our own good, in response to what He will do.  May we follow His instructions.

God Stops Saying and Starts Sending

Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Perhaps the most dramatic part of this chapter is at then end of verse 22, where God does not complete His statement, represented by the "-". The Godhead (and we) don't want to even think of what it would be like for sinful rebellion to last forever...  Action was required.  Thus, we have seen throughout His-tory that when God speaks He does end up acting, often sending someone and/or something to realign man's action or condition with His will and purpose. He sends judgments and deliverers, problems and promises, all the while having a long-term view of what life is intended to be. May we listen and learn from what He says and what He sends.

Individual Attention

 

Genesis 3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; or you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

At the beginning of this chapter, there are three characters involved in the Fall.  Each was responsible for his/her part in this drastic event. Each made excuses. Therefore, God said something to each one. His reply fit the part that person had in the event and the results of their failure on their future.  What we must also realize here is that God had spoken to them before. They had not paid attention to His instructions. May we listen more intently, and obediently, when God gives us instruction and correction.

God's Convicting Call

 

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 

The man knew the voice of God. He had heard Him speak before.  But he also had heard Him walking before He spoke. Man hid. He really did not want to hear what God had to say, but when man heard Him speak, he knew there was nowhere to escape.  God cuts to the chase with a very pointed question: "Did you disobey?" God came wanting to walk and talk with the man, but first He had to give this convicting call.  It was not to be a big bully, but to address the elephant in the room: "man has sinned and something needs to be done. God still lovingly speaks the same way today. How will respond to His call?

God Talks Out Loud

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

When we look at verse 18, we really need to stop and ask: "Who was God talking to?" Was He talking to all the planets, plants, and animals He had made? He was talking to Himself - in other words the Three Persons of the Trinity were talking to one another.  We see the same thing in 1:26, when He said: Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness. God "talks out loud" for our benefit, to let us know how He is thinking, why He is acting, and what He is like. He reveals to us what His character is, what His plan is, and what part we have with Him in doing it. He talks out loud to include us.

God's Owner's Manual

 

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 

We have begun looking at what happens when God said: He made His creation and put things into motion. When it came to mankind, God was more meticulous and deliberate in His assembly and directions as to how man is to operate.  The instructions are not only for man, but how he is to interact with the rest of creation.  God speaks and He writes things down. He knows how forgetful we can be. 

God Said and It Moved

 Genesis 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together 

                    into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 

                11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, 

                    and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to 

                    its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 
                20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, 

                    and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”
                24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according 

                    to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth 

                    according to their kinds.” And it was so.

In between God creating the different parts of our physical world, He also moved things around and made growing vegetation, moving waters, and all the creatures on the land, above it, and in the waters. God is not a two-dimensional artist; He designs and creates movement which begins with His voice.  In the same way, God sees what needs to be done, hears the call of our voice, speaks to us in many ways, including His creation, and expects movement. Is there any way He is speaking to you, and you are refusing to budge?

God Said and It Existed

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
                6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of 
                the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
               14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the 
                heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be 
                for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 

We have been looking at God as the One Who Sees and Hears, watching over us and listening to us. Perhaps more profound (and prolific in scripture) is that God speaks, revealing to us something about Himself, this world He has made, and the life He offers to us as His creation. The words above are very familiar to many, but no less significant, as they show us that The God Who Speaks had a plan before He spoke. He is purposeful and so is this planet and our very lives. As we work our way through the Bible once again, let us listen as He speaks and learn what we may have missed.

When God Listens...

II Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 

3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 

This passage follows immediately after Paul's challenge in which he says twice: "We do not lose heart." He is quoting from Isaiah.  Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit being the driving force in his ministry and his life.  He in no way sought to take the place of the Holy Spirit, but to work with Him when He was moving, listening, working. In our own lives, and as we seek to help others in their spiritual journey, we need to make sure we put not obstacle in the way of people hearing God's voice and realizing He has heard theirs. Our goal is to keep the channel of communication open and see God at work changing our lives and others as well.