Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

  Genesis 24:1-26 NKJV

24 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ² So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the 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 you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

⁶ But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. ⁷ The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do 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.

¹⁰ Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. ¹² Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶ Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

¹⁸ So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. ²¹ And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²² So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, ²³ and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”

²⁴ So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” ²⁵ Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord.

In this passage, the Holy Spirit reminds us that marriage is not merely a social contract, but a divine institution ordained by God. It is a holy covenant meant to fulfill God’s purposes, including the continuation of His promises. Just as Abraham sought a wife for Isaac with deep reverence and faith, so should we approach marriage with a prayerful heart, seeking to align our choices with God’s will.

Abraham’s diligence underscores the crucial role of parental guidance in marriage decisions. Abraham’s careful choice and his servant’s respectful search highlight the importance of involving godly wisdom and parental counsel in such significant matters. We are called to honor and follow the divine order in our own lives and in the lives of our children.

The servant’s journey and his prayer reflect an understanding that God is intricately involved in even the seemingly mundane details of our lives. Our daily decisions, from finding a life partner to making routine choices, are under the watchful care of our Heavenly Father. Prayer is not about dictating terms to God but about submitting our requests with faith and openness to His guidance.

Rebecca’s character, exemplified through her hospitality and willingness to serve, stands as a testament to virtues that God values. In all our interactions, especially in significant relationships, we should embody kindness and humility, reflecting the godly qualities that were esteemed in Rebecca.

As the servant witnessed God’s provision and was amazed by the outcome, we too are encouraged to trust in God’s timing and provision. These insights remind us that God often exceeds our expectations, and we should approach our needs and desires with a heart full of faith and gratitude.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the sacred institution of marriage and for the guidance You provide in our daily lives. Help us to honor Your will in our relationships, to seek Your guidance, and to trust in Your provision with unwavering faith. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Genesis 23:1-20 NKJV

23 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. ² So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³ Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, ⁴ “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

⁵ And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, ⁶ “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

⁷ Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. ⁸ And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, ⁹ that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

¹⁰ Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, ¹¹ “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

¹² Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; ¹³ and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, ¹⁵ “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” ¹⁶ And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

¹⁷ So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded ¹⁸ to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹ And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

In Genesis 23, we witness a deeply moving moment in Abraham’s life: the death of his beloved wife, Sarah, and his subsequent efforts to secure a burial site for her. Sarah’s age of 127 years highlights the richness of her experiences and the trials she endured. Abraham’s mourning for Sarah is a testament to the depth of his love and the natural, godly response to loss. His grief, far from being a weakness, illustrates the genuine human emotions that even the most faithful experience.

Abraham’s request for a burial site among the Hittites underscores his status as a sojourner in Canaan and his respect for the land promised by God. His insistence on purchasing the cave of Machpelah, despite Ephron’s generous offer, reflects his prudence and desire to ensure that future disputes over ownership would not arise. This act of securing the land formally, in the presence of witnesses, demonstrates his understanding of both spiritual and practical matters.

The respectful interaction between Abraham and the Hittites serves as a model of courtesy and humility. Abraham’s modest request and Ephron’s generous offer highlight the virtues of respect and honor.

In our own lives, we are called to embody these virtues. Like Abraham, we are to navigate our earthly interactions with wisdom and respect, acknowledging the transient nature of our existence while maintaining integrity and honor. Our spirituality is not separate from our daily dealings but intertwined with them, guiding us to act with humility and prudence.

As we reflect on this passage, we are inspired by Abraham’s example to grieve with faith, handle our earthly affairs with wisdom, and interact with others in a manner that honors both God and our fellow human beings. In doing so, we mirror the virtues of those who have gone before us and strive to live out our faith in every aspect of our lives.

Let us pray: O Lord, we give You thanks for sending Your Son to be our Brother and for redeeming us and making us Your dear children through Him. Amen.

Psalm 20:1-9 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
² May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
³ May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

⁴ May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
⁵ We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.

⁹ Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.

Martin Luther, in his Summaries of the Psalms (1531), calls Psalm 20 a “psalm of prayer” for those who rule—kings, princes, and all in authority. He says: “The psalm prays that God would grant them grace to rule peacefully and well, having good fortune and victory over their enemies. For wherever good earthly order obtains by the reason and power of governor and princes, people will not so earnestly and heartily pray for them. So that people might pray for them, the psalm declares that only the greatest fool, totally blind, would presume to rule land and people out of his own head.”

Good earthly order is a gift from God, and it is through His grace that leaders can govern peacefully and well. Without God’s guidance, anyone who attempts to rule by their own wisdom alone is, in Luther’s words, “the greatest fool, totally blind.”

As believers, we recognize the importance of praying for our leaders, not just in times of crisis, but as a regular part of our petitions to God. Psalm 20 reminds us that our trust is not in human strength, power, or military might (“chariots” and “horses”), but in the name of the Lord our God. It is God who grants success and delivers His people.

When we pray for our leaders, we ask that God would guide them according to His will, that they might rule justly and peaceably. This is a reflection of the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We pray not for the fulfillment of human ambition, but for God’s righteous rule to prevail through those who govern us.

In these troubled times, let us remember to lift our leaders in prayer, asking God to grant them wisdom, courage, and a heart aligned with His will. And as we do, we place our ultimate trust in the Lord, knowing that He is the one who saves and sustains us.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we pray for all who are in positions of authority. Grant them wisdom and grace to rule according to Your will. Help us to trust not in earthly power, but in Your saving strength. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Psalm 18:40-50 NKJV

⁴⁰ You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
⁴¹ They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
⁴² Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
⁴⁵ The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
⁴⁷ It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
⁴⁸ He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.

⁵⁰ Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.

In the final verses of Psalm 18, David concludes His song of praise for the LORD’s deliverance, still teaching us who the Lord is and what His people can always expect from Him. But here David also speaks of himself as a type or pattern of the coming Messiah.

David had enemies who were literally trying to kill him, from the Philistines to the Moabites to King Saul and his men. God delivered David’s enemies into his hands, and David literally destroyed many of them, although we remember how he showed mercy to Saul on several occasions, refusing to lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Even when some of David’s enemies cried out to the LORD to take their side against David, the LORD refused to answer them. He rejected their prayers and upheld David, His servant, instead.

This is the same thing that would happen to David’s Son, the Christ. He would have enemies who not only hated Him, but who sought to kill Him. They would even be successful for a moment! They would cry out to the Lord against Jesus and claim to be on the Lord’s side. But in the end, the Christ would be victorious over all His enemies, because the Father was on His side from the beginning.

As a result of his victories, David became the “head of the nations.” Or did he? He surely became famous and great, but this is hyperbole when applied to David. It’s literally true when it comes to His Son, the Christ. The nations serve Him even now, as people from every nation call Him Lord. And one day, every knee from every nation will bow before Him, whether willingly or by compulsion. One day, the Son of David will put all His enemies under His feet, even death itself. And through His victory, all believers will share in His everlasting deliverance—deliverance given first to David, then to the Son of David, and then to all those who take refuge in the Son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Blessed are You, O Lord, King of the universe! We praise You for the deliverance You have given us and have promised to give us through Christ, who lives and reigns, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Genesis 22:1-24 NKJV

Today’s reading shows the climactic triumph of Abraham’s faith over all of the weaknesses and the self-reliance he had displayed in the past. What father could readily obey such a command from God, to offer up his own son as a burnt offering? But Abraham didn’t refuse or argue or try to bargain for his son’s life. He “rose early in the morning” to set out immediately with his beloved son to carry out God’s dreadful command. What could he have been thinking?

We don’t have to wonder. The Holy Spirit gives us some valuable insight into Abraham’s thinking. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (Heb. 11:17-19). In other words, God had promised that Abraham would have descendants through Isaac. Abraham didn’t yet have any descendants through Isaac. Therefore, even if Isaac died, the Lord must raise him from the dead in order to keep His promise. Abraham must have struggled mightily to raise that knife over his son, but he was ready to take his son’s life, because God had commanded it, and because he was convinced that this same God would somehow bring his son back to life.

This teaches us how genuine faith works. It doesn’t just hope beyond hope that something will happen, because someone wants it to happen. Genuine faith takes a word and promise of God and is thoroughly convinced that God will keep His word, no matter what, even if it requires a miracle, even if it requires raising someone from the dead.

Of course, all this points to the sacrifice God the Father actually made for us in giving His only-begotten Son into death for our sins. The LORD provided the Savior and the sacrifice we sinners needed in order to be adopted as His children. And if He didn’t spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also provide us with everything else we need? Let us pray: O LORD, You have proven Your faithfulness time and again. We trust in You to provide for us, even as You have so graciously provided us with a Savior from sin. Amen.

Genesis 21:22-34 NKJV

²² And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. ²³ Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

²⁵ Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized. ²⁶ And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” ²⁷ So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. ²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

²⁹ Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

³⁰ And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” ³¹ Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

³² Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³ Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there

Abraham’s earlier deception of Abimelech seems to have been forgiven and forgotten by the time Isaac is born. Abimelech had already been told by God that Abraham was under His protection. Now Abimelech can see just how prosperous God has made Abraham, even granting him and Sarah a son. And, seeing that, he seeks to ensure that this man who is so favored by God remains at peace with him and his people for the future.

Abraham agrees, but he has some terms of his own. Abimelech had treated Abraham well, in general, but some of his servants had stolen a well that Abraham had dug. Abraham not only wanted the well back; he also wanted to demonstrate his truthfulness, so he paid a price in sheep and oxen as a token of his honesty. And to make it all official, he also added seven ewe lambs to his gift.

The word sheba in Hebrew means “seven.” It’s also directly related to the noun “oath” and to the verb “to swear an oath,” that is, “to bind oneself by seven things.” The oath made with the seven lambs and the resulting covenant between Abraham and Abimelech give us a clear understanding of this connection between the number seven and an oath. When the number seven is used symbolically in the Scriptures, keep in mind its original connection to an oath, a covenant, or a promise made by God.

After ensuring peace for years to come with the rulers of the land in which he lived as a foreigner, Abraham “called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.” This phrase usually refers not only to prayer but also to proclamation. We are never told than any of the surrounding peoples joined Abraham in worshiping the true God, but that didn’t stop him from proclaiming God’s name to his own family and to his own servants, so that all might know the God who kept His oaths and covenants and promises, including the covenant to send the Christ, the Offspring of Abraham, to bring salvation to lost sinners. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the promises You have given us of present help and future glory. We praise You for Your faithfulness, and we thank You for Your goodness to us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Genesis 21:1-21 NKJV

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. ² For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. ⁴ Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵ Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” ⁷ She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

⁸ So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. ¹⁰ Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” ¹¹ And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. ¹³ Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”

¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. ¹⁵ And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. ¹⁶ Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. ¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him 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 lad a drink. ²⁰ So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. ²¹ He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The name “Isaac” means “laughter” in Hebrew, and it’s with good reason that Abraham gave him that name. Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed in disbelief when God first told them they would have a child in their old age. But when Isaac was finally born, according to God’s promise, they laughed for joy.

Isaac was the first offspring of Abraham to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, making him a pattern of the long-awaited Offspring of Abraham, the Lord Jesus, who was also circumcised on the eighth day, marking Him as the true Heir of all the promises made to Abraham, and as the One who would bring mankind the laughter of joy from sins forgiven, peace with God, and eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.

But there is an especially bad kind of laughter highlighted in today’s reading, too. When it says in v.9 that Ishmael “scoffed” (NKJV) or that he was “laughing” (ESV), it’s from the same Hebrew verb as Isaac’s name. But the form of the verb used here means to laugh at someone, to make fun of him. In this case, the fifteen or sixteen-year-old Ishmael was laughing at little Isaac.

Sarah foresaw the trouble that her family would face, going forward, if Ishmael and Isaac were allowed to grow up together. She pleaded with Abraham to “cast out the bondwoman and her son,” and the Lord commanded Abraham to do as she said, in this case. His plan for redeeming lost mankind centered around Isaac and the people who be descended from him. A lifelong struggle between Isaac and Ishmael would not help God’s plan of redemption through Christ, who would be the Offspring of Isaac. The Lord continued to provide for Hagar and Ishmael, but His plan of salvation would be through Isaac.

St. Paul points back to this account in Galatians 4, where He compares Hagar to Mt. Sinai and to the earthly Jerusalem that had, by then, rejected Jesus as the Christ and was persecuting Christians as Ishmael had persecuted Isaac. Christians, he says, are like Isaac, born of the free woman, born for freedom in Christ. Let that fact fill you with the best kind of laughter! Let us pray: Father in heaven, we thank you for adopting even us into your family through Holy Baptism. Amen.

Genesis 20:1-18 NKJV

20 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. ² Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

⁴ But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? ⁵ Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

⁶ And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. ⁹ And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

¹¹ And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. ¹² But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶ Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.

¹⁷ So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; ¹⁸ for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Abraham is known as a man of faith and as the “father of all who believe” (Rom. 4:11). But his faith was not perfect. Since Genesis 12 we have seen the pattern repeat itself: Abraham receives a promise from the Lord, he believes the promise, and then he proceeds to rely on himself and his own reason and devices when faced with a challenge. He practiced deception in Egypt. He schemed with Sarah to have a child with Haggar. And now, in today’s reading, we see him practicing deception again—an even worse deception than the first, because the Lord had recently promised him that he and Sarah would finally have their promised son within the year. That couldn’t have happened if Sarah had become the wife of Abimelech.

But the Lord showed mercy to Abimelech, and also to Abraham and Sarah. He was determined to fulfill His word to Abraham, in spite of Abraham’s failings. The Lord would see to it that the child of Abraham and Sarah was born, and that the rest of history played out as it needed to so that the Christ, the Seed of Abraham, would be born and would inherit the blessings promised to Abraham, which He now gives to us Christians.

Abraham stumbled in his walk of faith, as nearly every believer did throughout the history of the Bible, including the prophets and apostles. Not only did they stumble, but God made sure that their stumblings were recorded for us. By their examples, both good and bad, the Lord would teach us about His own mercy and faithfulness. He would teach us also about ourselves, that we are not immune to temptation but are prone to fall back into relying on ourselves and our own devices. We must constantly be on our guard against this sin, above all others, because if the saints of the past could so easily stumble, why would we think of ourselves as immovable rocks? Instead, as Paul warns the Corinthians, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Let us live each day in repentance and faith, like the faith of Abraham, who, in spite of his human weakness, remains a positive example for us all. Let us pray: O God, our immovable Rock, guard us from the temptation to rely on ourselves, strengthen our faith, and have mercy on us when we stumble, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Genesis 19:23-38 NKJV

²³ The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. ²⁴ Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. ²⁵ So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

²⁶ But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

²⁷ And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. ²⁸ Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. ²⁹ And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

³⁰ Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. ³¹ Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. ³² Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” ³³ So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

³⁴ It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” ³⁵ Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

³⁶ Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. ³⁷ The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸ And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

The Lord has His reasons for allowing wickedness and impenitence to go unpunished for a time. But there is a limit to His patience, and we learn in today’s reading that His judgment is something to be feared.

Just as people should tremble at the global flood by which God swept away the wicked, so they should also tremble at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it is only a small-scale example of what will happen on Judgment Day. All the wicked will perish, while only the righteous—penitent believers in Christ Jesus, who are relatively few in number—will be saved.

Nevertheless, the Lord gives us the warning of Lot’s wife, who began to flee from Sodom, but then turned back in apparent longing for the city she was leaving behind. Citing the swift and severe punishment she received for such godless longing, the Lord Jesus cries out to Christians, “Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:32-33). Do not long for the things of this life or let yourself become overly attached to them. Instead, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:2-4).

The last part of today’s reading demonstrates how many who have received the Lord’s salvation quickly turn away from Him and back to providing for themselves. Instead of giving praise and thanks to God for rescuing them from destruction, instead of trusting in Him for the future, Lot’s two daughters commit shameful acts that betray their unbelief and their utter reliance on their own schemes instead of relying on the God of Abraham. As a result, their descendants became bitter enemies and troublers of the people of God. Let us take all these warnings to heart and remain faithful to the God of our salvation!

Let us pray: Gracious Father, as you faithfully and mercifully preserved Lot from earthly destruction, so preserve us from the destruction that is coming on the world, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Psalm 18:28-39 NKJV ²⁸ For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
²⁹ For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
³⁰ As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

³¹ For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
³⁴ He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵ You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
³⁶ You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.

³⁷ I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
³⁸ I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
³⁹ For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

David continues his song of praise to the LORD, who had delivered him from all his enemies. But, as usual, David isn’t simply retelling what the Lord has done for him. He’s telling us who the Lord is and teaching us what the Lord’s people can always expect from Him.

The Lord provides light for His people. Whether it’s the darkness of our sin, or the darkness of our ignorance, or the darkness and gloom caused by the evil all around us, the Lord “lights my lamp.” He gives us His Word. He gives us His Spirit. He reveals Christ to us, and with Him, the forgiveness of sins, comfort, peace, and hope, so that we can walk securely on the path to heaven.

The Lord gives us strength to confront and defeat any enemy. David was promised victory over Saul, and the Lord kept His promise. We have been promised victory over sin and death, the devil and the world. No matter how threatening our enemies may appear, they are no match for the Lord and the help He provides. His word is dependable. His protection is perfect. “He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

No one else is capable of helping us in these ways. The LORD alone is God. The LORD alone is our rock. If we think we’ll find strength within ourselves to deliver ourselves, we’re mistaken. But when we trust in God for deliverance, then we are able to face any enemy or any obstacle.

God even gives us a shield to hold that will repel any attack. He gives us the shield of His salvation. If our salvation is secure, through faith in Christ Jesus, if the Lord fights for us and has promised to deliver us, then what earthly trouble can overwhelm us? If God is for us, who can be against us? Every enemy must eventually fall. Every trouble must eventually be resolved in our favor, if not during this life, then most certainly in the next. Let us pray: O Lord, my God, your word is proven. You are a shield to all who trust in You. There is no God but You, no other rock. I praise You for giving me the shield of Your salvation, and for upholding me by Your right hand, through Christ who governs all things for my good. Amen.