Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

GENESIS 24 ABRAHAM’S SERVANT’S PRAYER

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January 4

GENESIS 24

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”  – Genesis 24:10-14

GENESIS 24 ABRAHAM’S SERVANT’S PRAYER

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

My Lord, please give my master Abraham favor

He wants to honor your covenant with him for Isaac’s sake

Let the woman whom you have reserved for Isaac come to me

Let the one you chose show kindness to me as a sign of your answer

Give favor to my master that the right woman will be here for Isaac

Show me that right one whom you have planned to fulfill your promise.

In this account, we witness how Abraham’s servant was truly trained in faith by him. As one of the most senior of his servants, he probably witnessed many miracles and blessings that the Lord has granted his master. He must have seen how obedient Abraham was to the Lord and learned that same obedience to follow his master. Even though he was doubting at the beginning if he would` find someone to go back with him to marry Isaac, he pressed on and prayed for the impossible.

REFLECTION

  • What can we learn from Abraham’s servant in this account?
  • Why is prayer an important component in the fulfillment of God’s promises to us?
  • Why is it a good idea to pray even when we doubt at first?

What happens when we raise our requests to the Lord?

GENESIS 24 ABRAHAM MAKES HIS SERVANT MAKE AN OATH

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January 3

GENESIS 24

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

                                                                   – Genesis 24:1-9

GENESIS 24 ABRAHAM MAKES HIS SERVANT MAKE AN OATH

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

To ensure that Abraham’s covenant with God is fulfilled

Abraham made his servant promise to find the right wife for Isaac

She must not come from the Canaanites and made him swear

Though the servant hesitated, he made the oath to his master.

It is interesting that Abraham, in his old age, continues to think of his covenant promise with God. By now, Isaac has not yet married and Abraham wanted to make sure that he marries from his own kindred. There were doubts from the servant that the woman he finds will even come with him and travel all the way to meet Isaac from where they are.

Because they were living in Canaan that time and it was the promised land to Abraham and his offspring, he didn’t want Isaac to leave the place. Up to this point, Abraham kept his end of the covenant in his promise to God. 

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Abraham didn’t want Isaac to come with the servant?

GENESIS 23 ABRAHAM BUYS A BURIAL GROUND FOR SARAH

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January 2

                                                                         GENESIS 23               

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels[c] of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

                                                                        – Genesis 23:10-20

GENESIS 23 ABRAHAM BUYS A BURIAL GROUND FOR SARAH

According to a commentary, ancient and modern practices in that culture was this. As a gesture of kindness, the seller may offer to give the property to the buyer, until the buyer insists on paying a price. Ephron the Hittite followed this custom. When Abraham refused to receive it as a gift, he suggested a price, which he claimed was modest but was really very high. This was supposed to be the beginning of the bargaining. No questions or haggling happened. In front of many other Hittites, he let them weigh the amount of silver that Ephron asked.

This was probably the only property that Abraham owned because he never settled in one place. He just followed and obeyed where God took him. It wasn’t even for him to permanently reside, but for Sarah to have a burial ground.

REFLECTION

  • What trait or character of Abraham was evident in this incident?

GENESIS 23 ABRAHAM’S SEARCH FOR SARAH’S GRAVE

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January 1

GENESIS 23

Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.” – Genesis 23:1-9

GENESIS 23 ABRAHAM’S SEARCH FOR SARAH’S GRAVE

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Sarah reached age one hundred and twenty -seven when she died

As sojourners, they have no place they can call their own

So, Abraham went to the Hittites to ask them if they could bury her there

The Hittites responded well because they considered him a prince of God

Abraham was given the choice to select whichever is the best place to bury Sarah

And he chose the cave of Machpelah at the end of the field as her burial ground.

I cannot imagine the grief that Abraham felt when he lost Sarah. In our present-day perspective, it is hard to comprehend how Abraham lived a life of no permanence. He was travelling from place to place with no permanent and comfortable home. Nowadays, we can prepare for the death of our loved ones by having funeral plans arranged for where our loved ones’ bodies can rest. In his day, Abraham had to ask permission from where he was to be able to buy a plot to bury his beloved wife. He was totally dependent on God and where he was taking him next. Because of his integrity, the Hittites considered him as a prince of God amongst them and he was blessed to pick whatever lot he desires to use for Sarah’s grave.

REFLECTION

  • Explain how being a foreigner is an advantage or not in the case of Abraham?

GENESIS 22 THE LORD PROVIDES

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December 30

GENESIS 22

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”– Genesis 22:9-14

GENESIS 22 THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Abraham totally trusted the Lord with his son’s life

He was stopped by an angel of the Lord to spare Isaac

The Lord will provide was his answer to Isaac when he asked

And true enough, God was faithful to have a ram nearby.

What faith Abraham had! When Isaac asked earlier where the animal for the offering was, he answered “The Lord will provide.” That was God’s mind that he spoke. Our faith comes from the Lord and because he was righteous and faithful to give up his one and only beloved son, God himself provided an offering.

How many of us would have this confidence that no matter how impossible the situation is, God has us covered? The faith of Abraham is such an inspiration and model for all Christians to follow. Sometimes the world system can draw us into a lack of faith and trust that God is in control. Our little minds do not see what the Almighty God sees and we tend to rely on our own ability to comprehend things.

REFLECTION

  • How can we grow our faith in the Lord amidst living in this world?

GENESIS 22 GOD TESTS ABRAHAM

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December 29

GENESIS 22

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. – Genesis 22:1-8

GENESIS 22 GOD TESTS ABRAHAM

I can’t imagine what was going on in Abraham’s mind when God told him to bring Isaac to Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. I would have gone so scared to let go of my one and only son whom I waited for so long to have and be asked to be used as an offering. I would have been confused as to what God was doing asking me to snap off the life of the only one who would fulfill the promise of many offsprings. Only by the grace of God could he have that much faith and trust. In recent chapters, we see Abraham’s weakness when he was fending for his life in Egypt and Greer and lied to these two kings in order to save himself from being killed. His faith must have grown so much by then after God has shown him many miracles. He and Sarah had a child in their very old age of ninety to a hundred years old. That was an impossibility that God made possible.

The constant character of Abraham that sets him apart from others is his obedience. He follows God’s instructions without questions. How many of us can do that? Even though he laughed at the announcement of Sarah bearing a child at her age, it was a joyful laughter, not a mocking one. It shows that he truly trusts God especially after witnessing many impossible things that had happen in his life since he left Ur of the Chaldeans.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Abraham never doubted God even at this challenging test?

GENESIS 21 TREATY IN BEERSHEBA

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December 28

GENESIS 21

22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba,because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines. – Genesis 21:22-34

GENESIS 21 TREATY IN BEERSHEBA

In this account, we witness once again the integrity of Abraham. When Abimelech and his commander Phicol wanted Abraham to swear to them that he wouldn’`t deal falsely with them, Abraham had to confront the claim of one of Abimelech’s servants who tried to seize it. Abraham prepared seven sheep to offer to Abimelech so that he can swear to Abraham that he will honor that the well was dug by Abraham himself and that it must not be taken away from him. Abimelech and Phicol responded and made a covenant with Abraham to acknowledge that the well was dug by him. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called this well Beersheba meaning “watering place” or “well of underground water.”

In Genesis 26, Isaac dug this well again and built an altar in Beersheba. In Genesis 28 & 46, Jacob stopped at Beersheba before he entered the promised land. In 1 King 19:3, it was in Beersheba that the prophet Elijah found refuge when he was being chased to be killed by Jezebel. This well is a significant place for God’s people.

REFLECTION

  • Why are treaties very important when dealing with boundaries and ownership?

GENESIS 21 GOD BLESSES ISHMAEL

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December 27

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. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.  – Genesis 21:15-21

GENESIS 21 GOD BLESSES ISHMAEL

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

As Hagar roamed the wilderness with her child, she was worried

They ran out of water supply and she panicked and watched Ishmael

She didn’t want to witness her own child die of hunger and thirst

So, she placed him under one of the bushes and sat nearby.

Hagar wept as she was filled with fear at their predicament

She called for help and pleaded heaven to save her beloved son

Then an angel of the Lord came and said God blesses Ishmael

He will make a great nation for he is also one of Abraham’s offspring.

What a helpless situation it was for Hagar to watch her son Ishmael wilt and die of thirst. She had no idea that God had a plan for Ishmael too even though they were banished in the wilderness by Sarah and Abraham. I feel for Hagar who was given as a surrogate for Sarah to bear children and later be sent away to die in the wilderness.

It is amazing how we can be desperate when we do not know God’s plan for our lives. Had she known the plan, she wouldn’t have been so fearful and helpless.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time in your life when you felt so desperate but was blessed by God later.

GENESIS 21 ABRAHAM SENT HAGAR & ISHMAEL AWAY

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December 26

GENESIS 21

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 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. – Genesis 21:8-14

GENESIS 21 ABRAHAM SENT HAGAR & ISHMAEL AWAY

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Abraham celebrated Isaac’s coming and had a great feast when he was weaned

At this time Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away

Sarah didn’t want to share the heirship of Isaac with Ishmael

Though Abraham was displeased, God told him to follow Sarah’s wish.

When morning came, Abraham got up and took bread and water

He placed it on Hagar’s shoulder along with the child and sent her away

Abraham trusted and obeyed God though it was painful for him

Hagar and Ishmael left and wandered in Beersheba’s wilderness.

We see another manifestation of Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. It must have been difficult for him to let go of his oldest son Ishmael, but it was more important for him to please the Lord and obey him. It must have been God’s plan to have Sarah sent them so that God’s covenantal promise will be fulfilled in Isaac and not shared with Ishmael. God honored Sarah’s decision to let Hagar and Ishmael go. He wouldn’t have allowed it if it wasn’t in his plan.

REFLECTION

  • Why did God allow Hagar and Ishmael to be sent out in the wilderness?

MATTHEW 1 GOD WITH US IN JESUS

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December 25

MATTHEW 1

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

                                                                   – Matthew 1:20-25

MATTHEW 1 GOD WITH US IN JESUS

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Mary was engaged to Joseph when she conceived by the Holy Spirit

Joseph was going to quietly leave her because he never touched her

But an angel of the Lord appeared to her in a dream to take Mary as his wife

He told Joseph that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy for a Savior.

The angel declared to him that the Son will be named Jesus

And he will be Immanuel, meaning God with us

So, Joseph obeyed as he was instructed after he woke up

He took Mary as his wife and she gave birth to the Savior.

It must have been confusing for Joseph to discover that Mary was bearing a child when he had never touched her yet. Like Sarah’s miracle child with Isaac, Mary’s pregnancy was also God’s doing. Sarah giving birth in her nineties was a miracle, and so is Mary’s virgin birth. This was all in God’s plan for saving mankind. The coming of the Savior had to be from a pure and undefiled way.

What a gift for the whole humanity Jesus was. Because we cannot save ourselves from our sinful nature, God provided the way for us to be cleansed from sin.  He gave his only begotten Son Jesus to come in the form of a human so that he can do for us what we can never do for ourselves. He cleansed us from sin.

REFLECTION

  • What can we do to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of God in Jesus?