Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

GENESIS 26 CONTENTIONS OVER TERRITORIES

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January 18

GENESIS 26

12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”17 So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” – Genesis 26:12-22

GENESIS 26 CONTENTIONS OVER TERRITORIES

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

As soon as Isaac’s wealth and riches become obvious

The Philistines wanted him out of their nation

Then as he moved to Gerar to redo the wells that his father dug

More contentions come about because of the spring water there

When he moved again, he finally dug a well and called it Rehoboth

This name means that the Lord allowed them to be fruitful there.

Isaac is now reaping the promises that the Lord gave to his father, Abraham. But wealth and riches always bring about contentions. Once someone gets an outpouring of gifts from the Lord, there will always be someone who will become envious of that. When the Philistines saw his growth in wealth and riches, they asked him to leave their land. So, Isaac journeyed to Gerar and settled there. But it didn’t stop the people in that place to claim the well that Abraham dug as theirs. We clearly see the sinfulness of humans especially when it involves something that is profitable.

REFLECTION

  • Where do quarrels come from? What does James 4 say about this?

GENESIS 26 SINS OF THE FATHER REPEATED

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January 17

GENESIS 26

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing withRebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” – Genesis 26:6-11

GENESIS 26 SINS OF THE FATHER REPEATED

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Isaac settled in Gerar to follow God’s instruction

He knew he was amongst pagan country and had apprehensions

Like his mother Sarah, Rebekah was also very beautiful

Isaac feared for his life knowing that the king would want Rebekah

He repeated his own father’s sin by lying that she was a sister

He too, like Abraham, was rebuked by a pagan ruler.

This clearly a repeat of Abraham’s pattern of lying. It was almost the same plot, same lie and same outcome. It was also in Gerar that Abraham journeyed in Genesis 20 and lied to Abimelech. Abimelech is not a name, it is a title given to the king of Gerar. Even though we know that Abraham and Isaac were righteous men of the covenant promise, they were not excused from being sinful. It just goes to show that the iniquities of our fathers can easily be passed on to the next generation either consciously or unconsciously. In Numbers 14:18, we hear how the sins can visit the iniquity of the fathers to the children to the third and fourth generation. This is the reality that we face each day. We live in a world plagued by sin. Our flesh will always have its way in our lives. That is why we need to constantly abide in the Lord so we can have an outpouring of God’s grace and mercy and live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

REFLECTION

  • What iniquities of your ancestors were passed on to you and your family?

GENESIS 26 THE COVENANT PROMISE REITERATED TO ISAAC

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January 16

GENESIS 26

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.”– Genesis 26:1-5

GENESIS 26 THE COVENANT PROMISE REITERATED TO ISAAC

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Just as there was famine in the land during Abraham’s time

In Isaac’s time, that famine was also repeated in his days

So, Isaac went to Gerar and went to the king of the Philistines

The Lord appeared to Isaac and cautioned him not to go to Egypt

Isaac was instructed by God to go and live where he will lead him

If he follows the Lord, he will be blessed with the offspring and land

The covenant promise made with his father will be done in his time

The Lord reminded him of Abraham’s obedience which he also asked of him.

What an interesting repeat of history this was. In Abraham’s time, there was also famine in the land in Negev as Genesis12:10 relates. The move of Abraham from Haran was when he was 75 years old. Isaac was 60 years old when Esau and Jacob were born stated in Genesis 25:26 and in verse 27, the two boys grew up. It seems like when Isaac was moving to Gerar, he must have been the same age as Abraham moved out of Haran. The Lord also spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12 and was given instruction to go to where he will take him. It was also at this time that the Lord made a covenant promise with Abraham that he will bring him to a promised land and will be blessed with a great name and nation. It doesn’t look like this was a coincidence. This was God’s plan from the beginning to continue on with his promise to Abraham. God reiterated that promise to Isaac as well.

REFLECTION

  • What trait of God was truly clear in this account? Why did he repeat his promise?

GENESIS 25 ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT OVER FOOD

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January 15

GENESIS 25

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. – Genesis 25:27-34

GENESIS 25 ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT OVER FOOD

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Esau and Jacob were vastly different from each other

One was gifted with hunting and the other with resting

Esau is concerned with things that will satisfy his flesh

While Jacob chose the quieter life of dwelling in tents

Because Esau’s character is ruled by his own cravings

He gave up his birthright over what will satisfy him.

The account of the character differences between Jacob and Esau is a good warning for us all Christians to take heed of. It wasn’t any of their traits that made God choose Jacob over Esau. We know that even in their mother’s womb, God already chose Jacob who will rule over his brother. Deuteronomy 21:17 tells us that the firstborn, the son will be given a double portion of all that the father owns for he is the firstfruits of his strength. In Chronicles 5: 1-2, we similarly see how God chose Joseph who wasn’t the firstborn as the one who will be ruling over his brothers. Isn’t it interesting that God can change and divert from traditions and Jewish laws and choose whomever he prefers to have a bigger portion of blessing and favor? After all, he is the one who sees the big picture of his plan.

We witness here how carnal and foolish Esau was to choose food (flesh) over his birthright (spirit). We humans sometimes focus on material or earthly over spiritual things.

REFLECTION

  • Do you think Jacob did the right thing to steal Esau’s birthright? Why or why not?

GENESIS 25 THE BIRTH OF JACOB & ESAU

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January 14

GENESIS 25

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you

shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. – Genesis 25:19-26

GENESIS 25 THE BIRTH OF JACOB & ESAU

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, he was forty years old

Rebekah couldn’t get pregnant so Isaac prayed and pleaded God

Then the Lord God heard Isaac, so Rebekah became pregnant

It was a difficult conception since she felt two babies in her womb

The Lord told her that there were two nations divided inside her

When they were born, Jacob’s hand was holding Esau’s heel.

It is amazing how God answered Isaac’s prayer. It seems like Sarah’s barrenness was a repeat to Rebekah. She was a lot younger than when Rebekah conceived Isaac. I think that the Lord delayed the many offspring coming from Abraham to Isaac because they will be the lineage of royalty where kings will spring from and his heir of the covenant promise would come from. It may seem that God was biased towards Jacob, but that is his choice, since he alone knows what the plan was for man’s salvation. What is interesting here is that God gave Rebekah a glimpse of the two fighting nations inside her womb. This must have been the reason why Jacob will be Rebekah’s favorite. She knew.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God said “the older shall serve the younger” to Rebekah?

GENESIS 25 GOD’S FULFILLMENT OF HIS PROMISE FOR ISHMAEL

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January 13

GENESIS 25

12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel,

Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.)

18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settledover against all his kinsmen. – Genesis 25:12-18

GENESIS 25 GOD’S FULFILLMENT OF HIS PROMISE FOR ISHMAEL

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

Despite Ishmael’s not growing up in Abraham’s sight as they were banished

God continued to fulfill his promise to Hagar that he will also be blessed

Ishmael bore twelve children namely Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Ketur, Naphish and Kedemah

Ishmael also lived long years of one hundred and thirty-seven years

He lived and died amongst his people in Havilah and Shur.

There were only a few accounts in the bible on Ishmael. In Genesis 16, we hear that Hagar bore Ishmael when Abraham was 86 years old. In Genesis 17 God promised Abraham that Ishmael will be blessed and fruitful and will multiply exceedingly and become the father of twelve princes and become a great nation. In Genesis 21, Hagar, Ishmael’s mother was banished by her mistress Sarah in the wilderness but God reassured Hagar that Ishmael will also be blessed. He grew up and lived there and became an archer. Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Although Ishmael was blessed, he was not part of the covenant promise between Abraham and the Lord. It was in Isaac that God’s promise was to be fulfilled where kings will come from and the lineage of his only begotten Son would come from.

REFLECTION

  • How was it that even though Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham, the covenant promise wasn’t fulfilled in him?

GENESIS 25 ABRAHAM LIVED 175 YEARS

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January 12

GENESIS 25

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

                                                                      – Genesis 25:1-11

GENESIS 25 ABRAHAM LIVED 175 YEARS

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Sarah died, Abraham took Keturah as his wife

It was from her that he had another six offspring

The Lord was faithful to fulfill his promise to Abraham

Descendants were now unstoppable from growing

Abraham lived 175 years and was prospered by the Lord

He purchased a field from the Hittites where he and Sarah were buried.

God continued to fulfill his covenant promise to Abraham. He had more children from Keturah, but he separated all of these offspring from his son Isaac. Because it was Sarah who was to be the mother of all nations, he continued to honor that by ensuring that Isaac will be the one who will be the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise for many nations to come and where kings and the Messiah will stem from. What a faithful promise keeper God is and so was Abraham! They both never failed to honor their covenant promise with each other, even though Sarah slipped in having Hagar having Ishmael and interrupted that plan.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think Abraham kept Isaac away from his other children?

GENESIS 24 REBEKAH AND ISAAC

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January 11

GENESIS 24

 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!” 61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus, the servant took Rebekah and went his way. 62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So, she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. – Genesis 24:59-67

GENESIS 24 REBEKAH AND ISAAC

As Rebekah and her nurse prepares to leave to meet Isaac

Abraham’s servant blessed her with a prayer of having thousands of offspring

Isaac at this time just returned from Beer-lahai-roi towards Negeb

And the servant met Isaac and told him what had happened.

Then Rebekah and Isaac met and she was taken into his mother’s tent

They married and he loved Rebekah and was comforted from his mother’s death.

In our day and age, this kind of arranged marriage can be unthinkable, but in this case, it was God’s doing that Rebekah was chosen to be Isaac’s wife. How people find their partners is very different nowadays. It is mostly purely based on attraction and feelings. It’s like purchasing a commodity especially when you can choose someone from a dating website now. Not many people consult the Lord to find their life partners. Maybe some Christian families still do, but oftentimes, people just pick who they want without any deeper thought on what it would be like to live forever with this person. If they don’t like them, they can just dispose or leave them. The sanctity of marriage is now a rarity.

REFLECTION

  • Share your insight on how marriage is being defiled by the world now.
  • Why is it important for us to consult the Lord with who we will marry?

GENESIS 24 OBEDIENCE WITHOUT DELAY

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January 10

GENESIS 24

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”  – Genesis 24:50-57

GENESIS 24 OBEDIENCE WITHOUT DELAY

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After the servant’s narrative about his journey and purpose

Bethuel and Laban gave the decision for Rebekah to make

The entire family were gifted with much jewelry and garments

Laban and Rebekah’s mother requested for another ten days

But the servant had to insist that they do right away as the Lord prompted

And Rebekah willingly conformed to be Isaac’s wife and go with him. 

This account gives us a picture of how it is important to obey the Lord when prompted without delay. When Laban and his mother were convincing the servant to wait another ten days before they leave, the Spirit of the Lord prodded the servant. He reminded them that since the Lord had prospered his journey and led him to Rebekah, there was no reason for them to delay it. I suspect that since his master Abraham was getting very old and also had that urgency to bring home a wife to Isaac, probably before he goes.

Sometimes, when we allow delays with obeying the Lord, we can be tempted to distractions that may change our mind and gear it to disobedience.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important for us to obey without delay when we are prompted by God?

GENESIS 24 THE SERVANT’S WITNESSING TO GOD’S LEADING

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January 9

GENESIS 24

42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right wayto take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

                                                                        – Genesis 24:42-49

GENESIS 24 THE SERVANT’S WITNESSING TO GOD’S LEADING

Abraham’s servant didn’t waste any time to relate to Rebekah’s family on his journey to come to their place to find Isaac a wife. It must have been interesting how the family heard of their kin actually finding a wife for his son from their own family of origin.  By this time, over twenty-five years have passed since the time Abraham left that place in his seventies. If he had Isaac at a hundred years old, add possibly twenty years as Isaac is in his marrying age now. That would have been close to fifty years of Abraham’s absence. These relatives must not have seen him that long

What is so clear in this account is the servant’s witnessing to the family how the Lord led him on this journey to land to the first woman at the well, who was exactly coming from his master’s kin. How amazing is that? He exhibited an undying loyalty to his master as Abraham is also very faithful to the Lord especially in fulfilling his part of the covenant he made with God.

REFLECTION

  • Share a time that you witnessed to God’s lead to do something in your life.