Ask Mr Bible

The patriarch Abraham who lived and died some 2000 years ago continues to serve our generation as a glorious example of God’s faithfulness.

How Abraham could have reflected on his life:

I still miss Sarah.  Let’s see, how long has she been gone?  I was 137 when she died at age 127.  On my next birthday I’ll be 175.  Nearly 40 years.  That’s a long time to be separated from someone you love.  I can still vividly remember when she and I packed up and left Ur a century ago!  What a handsome couple we were back then.  Of course all our friends and relatives thought we were crazy!  They told us it was bad enough to leave the comfort and safety of city life, but to head out for an unknown land at the command of some invisible God, well, that was sheer insanity!  I wonder how Ishmael is doing these days?  As I remember, he’ll be 88 on his next birthday.  The last report I heard was that he had married an Egyptian girl and had fathered 12 sons.  That’s good!  I hope the best for him.  My heart still grieves when I think back on those events which made it necessary for us to go our separate ways.  Keturah has been a good wife to me, certainly a fruitful one, giving birth to six healthy sons.  But it is Isaac of course, the heir of the covenant, the miracle son, who is the source of my joy and comfort.  Again my thoughts turn to Sarah.  So much has happened since leaving Ur.  God’s righteousness has been imputed to the both of us.  Her barren womb bore us our beloved Isaac.  Each of our names has been changed for the good.  From our seed the Messiah Himself will someday come.  No, old girl, our friends—not us—were were wrong.  You probably did on occasion miss the comfort and safety of big city life.  I know I still do at times.  But not to worry, beloved daughter of the covenant, for we both look for “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

1.      The believer’s relationship to the world is never the same after his conversion (Gen. 12:1-3).

2.       I am never to depend upon Egypt (a type of the world) in time of trouble (Gen. 12:10).

3.       Lying always increases, but never decreases, our problems (Gen. 12:13).

4.       My sin can affect unsaved people (Gen. 12:17; 20:18).

5.       Righteousness is only imputed by faith (Gen. 15:6).

6.       Never substitute God’s revealed plan for one of your own (Gen. 12:2; 16:2-3).

7.       The purest kind of faith is accepting from God those terrible things you cannot possibly understand (Gen. 22:1-2, 15-18; Heb. 11:17-19).

8.       Make every attempt to see that your children marry believers (Gen. 24:1-4).

9.       Anticipate the “sweet by and by” while living in the “nasty now and now!”

          (Heb. 11:10).

Father:  Terah (Gen. 11:26)

Spouses:  Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah (Gen. 11:29; 16:3; 25:1)

Sons:  From Hagar: Ishmael (Gen. 16:15-16).  From Sarah: Isaac (Gen. 21:2-3).

           From Keturah: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah

           (Gen. 25:2)

Brothers:  Nahor and Haran (Gen. 11:26)

Sisters:  Half sister was Sarah (Gen. 20:12)

First mention:  Gen. 11:26

Final mention:  1 Peter 3:6

Meaning of his name:  “Father of a multitude”

Frequency of his name:  Referred to 307 times

Biblical books mentioning him:  27 books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter)

Occupation:  Patriarch

Place of birth:  Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:31)

Place of death:  Near Hebron in Canaan (Gen. 23:19; 25:9)

Age at death:  175 (Gen. 25:7)

Important fact about his life:  He was the father of the Hebrew nation and the ultimate role model for faith (Gen. 12:1-3; 1 Chron. 1:34; 2:1-2; Heb. 11:8-10).

A. It is the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights of the Christian faith.

B. It emphasizes the absolute uniqueness and utter superiority of the Christian faith. 

The founders of all other religions in human history eventually died.  But only the founder of Christianity (who also died) is alive and active today!  Thus, in one sense of the word, the empty tomb, not the cross, serves as the official sign of Christianity!

C. It is the final side making up the divine triangle of salvation. 

Thus:

1. Jesus’ birth made it possible.
2. Jesus’ death made it actual.
3. Jesus’ resurrection made it certain.

D. It serves as the official measurement of God’s power. 

We are all aware of how man measures power, using such units as candle power, horse power, atomic power, etc., but how is divine power measured?  In the scriptures there are two such standards of measurement.

1. In the Old Testament it is the power God used in bringing Israel out of Egypt.

 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore” (Exod. 14:26-31).

2. In the New Testament it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:19, 20).

Where He Leads, He Feeds and Where He Guides, He Provides

One of the biggest mathematical miracles in the world—Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?!  They had to be fed and feeding 3 or 3 ½ million people would require a lot of food.

According to the Quartermaster General of the army, it is reported that Moses would have to have 1,500 tons of food each day.  Do you know that to bring that food each day, two freight trains each a mile long would be required!  Also, they were out in the desert and they would have to have firewood to use in cooking and that would take 4,000 tons and a few more freight trains each a mile long just for one day!  And reflect that they were in the desert for 40 years.

Regarding their water supply they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11 million gallons each day!  This would take a freight train with tank cars 1,800 miles long just to bring the water!!

And don’t forget—they had to get across the Red Sea in one night.  If they went on a narrow path, 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to cross the Red Sea.  The space required to cross the Red Sea in one night was a width of 3 miles wide, which they would walk 5,000 abreast!

But then another problem—every time they camped at the end of day, they needed a campground the size of Rhode Island or a total of 750 miles long!

However, every problem was solved and every need was met.  Joshua would later remind Israel of God’s amazing faithfulness.

“And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof” (Joshua 23:14).

Yes, they learned back then what we must learn today, namely, where God leads, He feeds, and where He guides, He provides, and where He directs, He protects!

What Moses, the Author of Genesis, Might Have Asked Each of the Main Participants

If only I could have known them, even to interview them for an hour!  What questions I would have loved to ask Adam, Noah, Abraham, (especially Abraham), Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph!  In fact I’ve often framed some of them in my mind: Continue Reading »