Tag Archives: ILMA ARTS STUDIO

GENESIS 13 WHEN ABRAM & LOT SEPARATED WAYS

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November 28

GENESIS 13

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. – Genesis 13:8-13

GENESIS 13 WHEN ABRAM & LOT SEPARATED WAYS

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

In order for strife and conflict not to thrive between Abram and Lot,

They agreed to separate ways to avoid fights between their herdsmen

Abram gave Lot the choice to select which area he preferred

So, Lot chose the Jordan Valley since it was well watered.

Abram chose the one which was left from Lot’s preference

That was so kind of him do so even though he had more seniority

Despite occupants in that land, Abram settled and stayed in Canaan

While Lot settled among the cities, he also stayed away from Sodom.

In this account, we witness the gracious character of Abram once again. He was kind enough to make his nephew Lot make his choice which area he wanted to occupy. Even though he could have chosen the better option, he gave Lot that choice. How often do we know people as gentleman as Abram in our world today.  There is much prevalence of making oneself first rather than others in our world today. It also shows that whichever area he chooses, God will always bless him and give him favor. It is a good lesson to learn from Abram about how the Lord will always provide for his people’s needs.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to let others needs and preferences come first before our own?

GENESIS 13 OVERFLOWING BLESSING TO ABRAM & LOT

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November 27

GENESIS 13

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

                                                               – Genesis 13:1-7

GENESIS 13 OVERFLOWING BLESSINGS TO ABRAM & LOT

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After their release from Egypt by Pharaoh Abram went to the Negeb

The Lord God has blessed Abram and his nephew Lot with much blessings

They both have livestock, gold and silver and proceeded between Ai and Bethel

It was here that Abram built an altar for the Lord, so they worshiped there.

Because God was with them always, despite no permanent place to live

With so much possessions Abram and Lot couldn’t fit in one place

The herdsmen of Abram’s livestock were fighting with Lot’s herdsmen

They were still unable to occupy Canaan since there were occupants there.

What an interesting problem Abram and Lot have in this account. Because of the overflowing blessings in riches and livestock, they couldn’t live in one place together. Their numbers were growing and so with the livestock. It’s probably a good problem to encounter rather than having so much lack. It must have been a challenge to follow God’s leading to the Canaan since they had so much riches to bring along with them wherever they pitch their tents. Despite all these challenges, they never forgot to worship the Lord and called upon him between Ai and Bethel where they had built an altar for the Lord.

REFLECTION

  • What riches and blessings have you received from the Lord as a proof of his providence for you?

GENESIS 12 PHARAOH RELEASES ABRAM AND SARAI

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November 26

GENESIS 12

17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had. – Genesis 12:17-20

GENESIS 12 PHARAOH RELEASES ABRAM AND SARAI

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Abram thought of using Sarai to spare his life

Even though it didn’t honor God doing such plan,

The Lord God still protected him and Sarai

By afflicting Pharoah with great plagues.

Plans that we take in our own hands may not be good

It still doesn’t change the love of God for his people

This is how faithful and loving our heavenly Father is

Let’s not forget to always rely on Him instead of our own strength.

In this narrative of Abram’s deception of Pharaoh to spare his own life at the expense of using his wife’s beauty and letting Sarai lie for him, we are presented with the reality of man’s bent nature. We tend to take control of things especially when we perceive dangers that may not be truly there. Fear can always spur us to do the wrong thing. It filters our perception and thwarts it. It goes on automatically taking care of our own instead of going and running to God.

After the fall, we cannot hide from the wickedness that is so prevalent in all of us humans. In this situation, despite the way Abram took control of the events, we still see God protecting him and Sarai from the possible evil plan of Pharaoh to take Sarai as part of his concubine. They were all set free because of the plague that God sent Pharaoh. We learn from this story how God takes care and protects his own people.

REFLECTION

  • Share an incident when you were protected by the Lord even though you made a foolish or rash decision.

GENESIS 12 GOD SHOWED HIMSELF TO ABRAM

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November 24

GENESIS 12

When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oakof Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So, he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. – Genesis 12:5-9

GENESIS 12 GOD SHOWED HIMSELF TO ABRAM

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Abram reached the land of Canaan

It was still occupied by Canaanites that time

But the Lord showed himself to Abram at Shechem

It was to the oak of Moreh God showed himself, so he built an altar.

God told Abram that he’ll grant the promised land to his descendants

Then he began moving to the east of Bethel and there, he built another altar

So, he could continually praise him as he moved towards the promised land

After that, Abram continued his journey towards the Negeb.

What a blessing it was for Abram to actually experience God’s presence at the oak of Moreh. Notice how it must have been for Abram. He saw that the Canaanites where still occupying the land that God was leading him to. Before he could ask the question to God how he can occupy that land, God showed himself to Abram at that moment. What amazing response from God! Abram was promised that place to be given to his offspring. What an assurance that was. As God’s people, don’t we also get answers even before we ask it? This is how amazing our Lord is. Yahweh means God the provider. No matter how impossible it seems in our naked eye how much obstacles are in our way, God always makes a way for us to reach that place that he wanted us to be at.

We see in this time frame that Abram built two altars as a result of God’s appearance to him. His faithfulness and complete trust in the Lord are astounding.

REFLECTION

  • How has God manifested his provision in your life in your most trying moment?

GENESIS 12 ABRAM’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

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November 23

GENESIS 12

Now the Lord saidto Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.  

                                                                     – Genesis 12:1-5

GENESIS 12 ABRAM’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Abram was seventy-five years of age, God called on him

The Lord wanted him to leave his country and kin to another land

Then God promised Abram a blessing to make his name great

Blessings to those who will honor him and curses to the defiant.

When Terah began his journey with Abram to go to Canaan

It was disrupted when they settled and got comfortable in Haran

But when Terah died, God’s call to Abram to proceed with the trip came

So, Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot and all that they had.

Terah, Abram’s father was from Ur of the Chaldeans, which was a pagan country. In Joshua 24:2, we know that Terah worshipped other gods and did not know the Lord. Somehow without knowing, Terah led his family to leave Ur to proceed to Canaan. It must have been God’s leading him to do so. He got sidetracked when they reached Haran and settled there where he died. It was here when the Lord called Abram to continue the journey to Canaan with a promise to give him a great name and a great nation. Without question, Abram heeded God’s call and believed his promise even though he doesn’t even know where he was going. What a remarkable response Abram gave God.

REFLECTION

  • Would you have obeyed God without question when instructed to do something you don’t understand? Why or why not?

GENESIS 11 TERAH’S GENERATIONS

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November 22

GENESIS 11

27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.  – Genesis 11:27-32

GENESIS 11 TERAH’S GENERATIONS

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Terah was seventy, he fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran

Haran fathered Lot but died ahead of Terah in Ur of the Chaldeans

Aside from Lot, Haran also had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah

Abram took Sarai as his wife and Nahor’s wife was his own niece, Milcah.

Abram’s wife Sarai was barren and had no child when they left Ur

Terah took his son Abram, Sarai and Lot planning to go to Canaan

But they were sidetracked and settled in a place called Haran

It was there that Terah died at age two-hundred five.

In this account we place the spotlight on Terah who is the father of Abram (the one God chose to be the Father of all Nations). It is in Abram’s line where Jesus would come from. Terah must have been led by God to move Abram, Sarai and his grandson Lot to journey to Canaan, but got derailed to Haran. Haran, served as a crossroads trading town between Arabia and Syria in northern Mesopotamia. Abram would have traveled along the Euphrates to get to Canaan rather than crossing the desert with his large group of people and animals. Why Terah did the move was not clear but in Acts 7:4, Stephen mentioned that Abram left Haran after his father died to resume their journey to Canaan. He was 75 when he left Haran to proceed to Canaan where God told him to go.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God chose Abram (also Abraham)who came from an idolatrous country Ur to be his own Son Jesus’ ancestor?

GENESIS 11 GENERATIONS FROM SHEM TO ABRAM

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November 21

GENESIS 11

10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

                                                                    – Genesis 11:10-26

GENESIS 11 GENERATIONS FROM SHEM TO ABRAM

In the following account, we see the lineage from Shem to Abram. I already touched on the descendants of Shem as the blessed ones that led to Christ’s birth in Genesis 10. But in this chapter, let us zoom in to the ages that each of them died. This reveals something about how the lifespan got shorter and shorter. From Shem up until Eber, they lived around four hundred to five hundred years old, but there was a change in the length of years lived from Peleg who only reached 239 years of life. Then another shift happened with Serug to Nahor from 230 to 148.  Terah lived 205 and Abram 175 years.

What could have been the reason for the lifespan of man to decrease through the years? In Genesis 6:3 many people who read this verse thinks it is about man’s life span being shortened by God. But, if you take the context of the whole chapter, it was actually how long God was giving man to repent before he brought about the flood. We hear some people live up to over 130 years even at this age. God’s patience is evident in the length of days he gives us to repent and live the life he planned for us to live.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God used sinful people to be Jesus’ ancestry?

GENESIS 11 WHEN GOD DISPERSED AND CONFUSED MAN

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November 20

GENESIS 11

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confusedthe language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. – Genesis 11:1-9

GENESIS 11 WHEN GOD DISPERSED AND CONFUSED MAN

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

As the earth was being populated after the flood and having one language

The Lord God saw how man’s desire to build themselves their own idols

The people began to build with bricks a very high tower to reach heaven

They thought that they needed to make a name for themselves with the tower.

Once again, God sees the wickedness and sinfulness of man

The Lord God had to stop their plot against his own plans

So, the Lord dispersed them and divided them over the earth

They began speaking different languages and became confused.

The story of the Tower of Babel is very significant to us all. Even though it was a very short narrative in the bible, it showed a unified humanity using all it had to establish a city and a tower that is the opposite of what God planned it to be. This story manifests man’s wickedness and unfaithfulness to God. Man’s desire to glorify himself and be like God is so powerfully described in this chapter.

REFLECTION

  • What does the Tower of Babel symbolize for us humans? What’s the lesson here?

GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS FROM SHEM

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November 19

GENESIS 10

21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. 32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

                                                                    – Genesis 10:21-32

GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS FROM SHEM

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

It was from Shem that Abraham was descended. According to ESV study bible notes, many of Shem’s descendants are Arabian tribes or kingdoms. Eber is one of Shem’s great grandsons who receives special attention in verse 21 even before the sons were mentioned. Matthew Henry’s commentary states that Shem was called “father of all the children of Eber” even though Eber was his great grandson. Probably because Abraham and his seed, God’s covenant-people, not only descended from Heber, but from him were called Hebrews (14:13), Abram the Hebrew. Eber himself was a man well-known for religion in a time of great apostasy and a great example of holiness and the holy tongue being commonly called from him, the Hebrew.

Another commentary says that from Elam (Shem’s son) comes the Persian peoples. Asshur, another son of Shem was the father of the Assyrians and Lud was the father to the Lydians who lived for a time in Asia Minor. Aram was the father to the Arameans also known as Syrians. Arphaxad was the ancestor of Abram and the Hebrews. Uz was another one that came in a region in Arabia. Jobab may be the one we know as Job in the Old Testament.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Shem’s descendants were chosen by God?

GENESIS 10 NATIONS SPRINGING FROM CANAAN

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November 18

GENESIS 10

15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

                                                                    – Genesis 10:15-20

GENESIS 10 NATIONS SPRINGING FROM CANAAN

According to the following verses, Canaan was Ham’s son who gave birth to Sidon and Heth, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites, totalling to eleven children. Notice that the names mentioned becomes nations as we read in the bible. Verse 19 describes the direction of the spreading of Canaan’s clan which was towards Sidon near Gerar and as far as Gaza and also near Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Lasha.

According to Wikipedia, scholars connect the name Canaan with Northwest Semitic region. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but one explanation says its original meaning is “lowlands” from a Semitic root “to be low, humble, depressed” in contrast with “Aram” which is highlands.

According to traditional Ethiopian histories, Canaan’s son Arwadi (the Arvadites) and his wife Entela crossed from Asia into Ethiopian in 2101 BC and the Qemant tribe were said to be descended from their son, Anayer. There is further Ethiopian tradition that two other Canaanite tribes the Sinites and Zemarites also entered Ethiopia at the time it was ruled by King Kush and became Shangella and Weyto peoples respectively.

Canaan was the ancestor of the tribes who originally occupied the land of Canan, all the territory of Sidon or Hamath in the north to Gaza in the southwest and Lasha in the southeast. In Exodus 23, God declares a pestilence to these nations to annihilate them and let the Israelites occupy their land. It must have been connected with the curse that was on Canaan in Genesis 9:25, where Canaan will be a slave to his brothers.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God destroyed the Canaanites in Deuteronomy 20:16-17?