Category Archives: Suffering / Adversity

Heaven and Hell, Money / Finances / Wealth, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity

Abraham’s Character Revealed In Burying Sarah

October 29, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Genesis 23 provides insight into the character of Abraham as he seeks to bury his wife, Sarah.

23 When Sarah was 127 years old, ²she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.

³Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, ⁴“Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”

⁵The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶“Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”

⁷Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites ⁸and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar ⁹to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”

¹⁰Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. ¹¹“No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”

¹²Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, ¹³and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵“My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces^[a] of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”

¹⁶So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.

¹⁷So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. ¹⁸It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. ¹⁹Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). ²⁰So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.

Reviewing Abraham’s actions at this difficult time reveals some important points to consider:

No matter how old a loved one is when they die and no matter how strong our faith in God it is a natural reaction to mourn. It is ok to mourn. Give yourself that time even if you believe they are in heaven, you still grieve the loss in this life. You will miss them.
The Hittites had great respect for Abraham even though He distinguished himself as a man who followed God and was a foreigner in their land. They worshipped other gods.
Abraham showed respect for the Hittites (e.g. bowed low).
Abraham was not afraid to openly ask for help.
Abraham, though wealthy, was not greedy. He refused the opportunity to take advantage of the offer of receiving the land for free. He did not even haggle. Further, he avoided any possible appearance of wrong by conducting business in the open with witnesses.

As Christians, we can strive to follow Abraham’s example in dealing with non-Christians. For those who are not openly hostile and seeking to kill Christians, we can conduct business with them and show them proper respect. We treat them as someone God loves and someone whom we would love to reach with the good news of the gospel. However, we do not hide our faith. We openly live so as to show that we follow and serve God. Our behavior and attitudes should differentiate us clearly from those who do not follow God.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Wickedness / Evil

Parable of the Fishing Net

October 27, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus continues to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven through parables in Matthew 13:47-52 using a comparison to a fishing net.

⁴⁷“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. ⁴⁸When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, ⁵⁰throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁵¹Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

⁵²Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

It is important to recognize once again that not all of us will go into heaven to spend eternity with God. We must choose the offer of grace through Jesus which also leads to repenting from our sin and changing our behavior and thoughts. We can not just keep sinning and ignoring God or outright rejecting Him and then expect Him to accept us into heaven.

We must not claim to be His followers and wear the label Christian, but then not submit to His leadership and follow Him. God calls us to change our behaviors to be righteous, not to change the interpretation of scripture or laws of man to accept our sins.

The good news is that we do not have to be perfect! We can put our faith and hope in Jesus Christ and genuinely repent of our sins (yes, imperfectly) and seek to follow Him wholeheartedly. We can proclaim His message loudly and try to bring others with us to Jesus.

One final observation… Jesus calls out the teachers of religious law that become disciples of Kingdom of Heaven… these are two separate things. Many who are or just seem knowledgeable as religious leaders are not disciples in the Kingdom of Heaven. Even Satan knows the word of God very well. The difference is a matter of the heart and the desire to serve God or serve themselves.

Praise God for those teachers and church leaders who are disciples of Jesus! They are messengers bringing joy to the world. Please look for opportunities to thank and encourage those who teach God’s whole word according to the Bible. Many will reject them for it, but the encouragement is great when receiving it genuinely from their flock.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting the Wheat From The Weeds

October 24, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

²⁴Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

²⁷“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

²⁸“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

²⁹“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

³⁶Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷Jesus replied, “The Son of Man^[d] is the farmer who plants the good seed. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,^[e] and the harvesters are the angels.

⁴⁰“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

When God created the world, He allowed free will – the ability for us as people to choose to follow Him or reject Him and do things our own way. He made us like His children, not a set of robots who are pre-programmed to accept Him.

God allowed Satan to have much influence in this world, but Satan ultimately can only do what God allows. He has been defeated and will again be defeated by God. However, Satan preys on our sin nature and selfish view of the world. His actions to deceive us and lead us away from God are like the enemy who planted weeds in amongst the wheat. It makes life difficult for the wheat (the righteous).

God has a plan though. He is not confused or surprised by Satan. He will separate the wheat from the weeds when harvest comes. Those who follow God will get what they chose… an eternity with God in heaven. Those who serve their own sin nature and reject God will get what they chose… eternity in hell, separated from God.

Of course we, as followers of Christ, want to bring as many people as we can with us to follow God in this world and enter heaven after they die. We are to seek God wholeheartedly and proclaim Him loudly and publicly.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting The Wheat From The Weeds

October 24, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

²⁷“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

²⁸“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

³⁶Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Suffering / Adversity

Sharing God’s Word – Parable of Farmer Planting Seeds

October 23, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus prepares us for sharing God’s word through the parable of the farmer planting seeds in Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus Himself even provides the explanation at the end to describe what the parable means.

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. ²A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. ³He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

¹¹He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets^[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹²To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

¹⁴This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
¹⁵For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’^[b]

¹⁶“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

¹⁸“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²²The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I find great encouragement in this parable. I am reminded that my role is to be the farmer planting seeds and I have the opportunity in some cases to help the plant grow by watering or fertilizing with more discussion about the gospel and prayer or sharing personal testimony. I am not responsible for the plant to grow… I can not accept Jesus on someone else’s behalf.

I should not expect that every encounter where I share the good news of Jesus Christ will result in transformed lives, but I keep on planting seeds for those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Praise God for giving us His written word! Praise God for coming to walk among us as man in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God and how to relate to Him! Praise God for dying for our sins! Let us help as many as we can to come to know Him.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Suffering / Adversity

Experiencing Grief in Death

October 13, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus has much to say to encourage us when someone who loved and accepted Jesus as lord and savior dies and we are experiencing the grief and sadness of the loss.

[John 14:1-6] 14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many mansions;^[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.^[b] ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

⁵Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

[John 11:24-27] ²⁴“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

²⁵Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.^[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. ²⁶Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

²⁷“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

Whether it is looking ahead to our own death or dealing with the death of those around us, the God provides much encouragement through the Biblical text for those who accept Jesus as lord of their lives and accept His offer of salvation through grace. God has made a way to forgive our sins and reconcile us to God. We have much to look forward to in life with God after we die to this world. This does not mean we will not mourn for the loss of a loved one or perhaps for our own pending death in case of known illness, etc. It is okay to mourn, but we mourn and then seek comfort and courage in Christ to live for Him while our time remains.

We are also reminded, however, that those who reject or refuse to accept Jesus as lord and savior receive what they chose… an eternity apart from God after they die. God is gracious and gives us until the very end of our lives to accept forgiveness through Jesus. Unfortunately, none of us are promised a tomorrow. We must accept Jesus while there is time and share the good news with those we love (and others) while they still have a chance to accept Him.

If we miss the chance to help lead someone we love to Jesus, or if they reject Him despite our efforts and they die we certainly have reason to mourn. Mourn and turn closer to God to help you through the difficult times. Seek comfort in the love of Jesus Christ.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Marriage, Obeying God, Parenting

Abraham Seeks God For Family Troubles

October 9, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Genesis 21:8-21 reminds us that there are real, tangible consequences of our mistakes but also shows us how God can help us through these difficulties.

Ishmael was the result of a poor choice made by Sarah and Abraham in an effort to “help God” fulfill His promise to provide generations of offspring through Abraham.

⁸When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. ⁹But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.^[b] ¹⁰So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”

¹¹This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. ¹²But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. ¹³But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”

¹⁴So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. ¹⁶Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards^[c] away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.

¹⁷But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

¹⁹Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, ²¹and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.

The mistake of Abraham having a child with Hagar, who was not his wife, had very tangible consequences for all involved. Sarah and Hagar developed division and bitterness toward one another. Abraham was forced to deal with division within his household that was very destructive and Ishmael was caught up in the middle of it all.

When Abraham was faced with solving this challenging problem, he turned to God. God, in His grace, gave specific guidance for resolution. We can have debate about what we would have told Abraham to do, but there is no debating that Abraham turned to God, God answered, and Abraham immediately obeyed.

God told Abraham that He would take care of Ishmael and He did. God also reached out to Hagar when she was crying out in need in order to comfort and encourage her and to fulfill His commitment to Abraham.

We should be encouraged that we can turn to God for help even in personal struggles or conflict within our family. He cares about each of us that much. However, when He provides a clear answer for how to resolve it… we should follow His instruction quickly.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Heaven and Hell, Justice / Judgment, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Harsh Judgment Awaits Those Who Reject Christ

October 6, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Jesus speaks about the judgment of unbelievers in Matthew 11:20-24. He indicates that there are different levels of judgment in hell as He elsewhere in scripture indicates about heaven as well. He refers to the wicked people of Tire and Sidon being “better off” on judgment day than those of other cities like Korazin and Bethsaida where Jesus personally performed many of His miracles.

²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. ²¹“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. ²²I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.

²³“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.^[a] For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. ²⁴I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”

For those to whom He clearly reveals Himself as God, there is a higher punishment when they reject Him. Those of us who are exposed to the gospel in our country or in our churches will have no explanation other than outright rejection of God if we refuse to listen and hear Him. Judgment will be harsh.

Do not let anger or bitterness separate you from God. Do not let suffering in this world separate you from God, but rather let those things draw you closer to Him as you seek comfort and protection.

Each of us will come before God and face judgment. None of us is promised a tomorrow in which to get right with God. We must seize the moment in time that God has given us and seek Him wholeheartedly now, repenting from our sinful and selfish behaviors and choices and following Jesus.

To delay to risk living a pointless and selfish life now and eternity separated from God in hell.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

Can I Trust the Bible?, Consequences of Sin, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation

The Resurrection Was Real

October 3, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is foundational to the Christian faith. Jesus took our punishment for our sins upon Himself and suffered the penalty… death. We need only accept Him as Lord and ask forgiveness. When we genuinely accept Him as Lord and ask Him into our lives we change our behaviors and repent from our sins, not immediately and perfectly but repeatedly and consistently as on a long journey, always seeking to move closer to His perfect standard.

John 3:16-21

¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave^[g] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

¹⁸“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.^[h]”

What a gracious and wonderful God we serve in Jesus Christ.

Despite the fact that the death and resurrection of Christ had many witnesses, and was well documented in and outside of the Bible, people make up many excuses to try to explain away “the empty tomb”.

I can simplify with a few key points:

Jesus was easily recognizable. Crowds of people lined up outside Jerusalem to meet Him and watch Him enter the city a week before He was executed. The people of the city knew who He was and what He looked like.
Jesus was brutally beaten and tortured to great physical harm and then publically executed where all could see. Again this was a big public event, crowds gathered and saw Him before and during the crucifixion. It lasted hours.
After Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb, Roman soldiers were put on guard. Roman soldiers were well trained and effective troops. The guard was ordered by Pilate himself and thus the guards would have taken the job seriously.
The tomb was undeniably found empty. Even the great majority of educated skeptics who have studied historical records cannot deny the empty tomb. To deny Christ, they have to make up wild theories to explain it.
Jesus was witnessed by many after He rose from the dead. He moved about freely, not limited by any injury from those that caused His death. He remained among His disciples and followers for 40 days giving many proofs that He was alive.
His true followers (excluding Judas, who betrayed Him) went to their deaths (or in John’s case, exile to small island) without ever denying the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord and God. The men closest to Jesus and the events surrounding His death and resurrection were willing to suffer and die for Him when simply denying Him in words would have saved their lives. They were convinced. They profited nothing in the eyes of the world for staying true to Jesus Christ and gave up all.

I recommend The Third Day, by Hank Hanegraaff as a thorough, easily digestible, and even short book (less than 100 pages and the pages are small) to read to help put in perspective the reality of the resurrection and the foolishness of the myths and lies that people make up to reject it. (This is strictly a personal recommendation as I found this book helpful for me.)

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family. Help us to share the good news of the gospel!

Children, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Parenting

Seek God for Decisions in Your Life

September 26, 2015 John (HFJ Director)

Genesis 19:30-38 shows us a dramatic example of the foolishness of people when we try to solve our problems without God and without even working together as a family.

³⁰Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. ³¹One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. ³²Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

³³So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

³⁴The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” ³⁵So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

³⁶As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. ³⁷When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab.^[b] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. ³⁸When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi.^[c] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

Once again we gain insight into Lot and how poorly he led his family to know God and to follow God. They were likely influenced by their time in Sodom and a lack of strong godly leadership from their father.

Lot’s daughters identified a problem that was of great concern to them. They decided it was better to try to solve it on their own than to seek God or even discuss it with their father. They end up with a foolish solution. They still have a lack of men for more children or a community in which to raise their children. The Moabites and Ammonites as a culture continued the way they were started… far from God. They later become a thorn in the side for Israel at times.

It seems obvious that Lot’s daughters did not know how to relate to God. They did not seek His help and instruction when confronting a big issue in their lives. Further, they did not even approach their father to discuss it. Granted, Lot did not have a strong track record for godly decision making… but perhaps he could have sought out Abraham if confronted by this situation.

Of course, one could also ask why Lot was not paying enough attention to his daughters to notice their concern and ask about it. There is not much detail provided, but it seems the family was far from God and did not have good communication within the family to work together to solve problems.

Although this type of incestuous relationship is not common, the world is full of young women and men making foolish choices about sex outside marriage, about adultery after marriage, about marrying the wrong person because they are in a hurry. Some feel a “biological clock ticking” and feel pressure to hurry and marry and have children. They move quickly and marry the wrong person. Some just do not understand what real love is and respond to hormones that may lead them to feel “attracted” to someone. That is not love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.

It is important to raise children to know and serve God and to seek Him in these situations. Further, it is important to lead your children in such a way that they can approach you about these personal issues and discuss them so you can help as a parent. Don’t wait until they are teenagers, start when they are very young. Encourage them to make decisions based on God’s word, prayer, and consulting their parents. Respect their concerns and issues at an early age and give them the opportunity to discuss anything with you as their parent. Teach them you are a resource to help them.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family. Help us to share the good news of the gospel!

Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.