Rescue


Genesis 14:1-16

 http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis 14:1-16/

 When our daughters were teenagers we had the standard agreement with them regarding driving, night time, dating . . . if they were in trouble and needed our help they could call at any time and we would come and rescue them without yelling or being crazy. Only once was that arrangement tested. One night in February, after having driven to the Sadie's dance, Hannah was taking her friends home. One of her friends lived about 30 minutes from our house (which she did not know before agreeing to take him home). He lived in the country and on a gravel driveway that was covered with ice. As she was attempting to get out of the driveway, she got the van stuck in the mud and ice. So, she called us. It was 2:30am on a Saturday night. We got up, got dressed and drove to this kid's house. While her dad got the van "unstuck" she got in the car with me and we headed home. Much to her surprise, there was no yelling or recrimination. She even asked "am I in trouble." But she needed our help and we were happy to provide it. We were a little tired in church a couple of hours later, but that was minor compared to her safety.

 In our reading for today, we find that Lot has not chosen the "better" land in which to settle his family. He finds himself right in the middle of a tribal war. He and his family are carted off by foreigners. Abram, seeing that his nephew was in trouble launches into action and rescues his family from the foreign kings. We learn something of the character of Abram. He's willing to risk his life and the lives of his men to take care of a difficult situation. He provides rescue because that is what he is supposed to do. God has chosen this leader well. Abram is made of brave and resourceful stuff. So Abram was willing to behave dishonorably with Sarai, but he steps up for Lot. The work of character development and spiritual maturity takes time and experience. If that was true of Abram, it is certainly true for us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more