Genesis 23:1-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6
Today is the 10th day of January, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is awesome to be here with you today, as we gather around the Global Campfire together and keep each other warm. It’s cold. And…and take the next step forward together. I can’t think of a better place to be in this oasis that we create every day, this peaceful place to come and allow the Scriptures to speak into our lives. And so, it’s wonderful to be here with you today. And let’s, let’s dive in and do what we do every day, take the next step forward together. In the book of Genesis, we are moving through the story of Abraham, the great patriarch of the Hebrew people. And we have already met the second Abraham, Isaac and we’re learning about Isaac and we will eventually meet Jacob, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham has Isaac, his son, who has Jacob is son, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Today, Genesis chapter 23 verse 1 through 24 verse 51.
Commentary:
Okay, so, yesterday we were on the mountain with Abraham and Isaac and Isaac was to be sacrificed and was spared. The Lord provided; they trusted in the promise. But it seems like some changes have taken place in the family after this. Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain. But then, according just to the text of the Bible itself only Abraham came down, rejoined his servants and he went back Beersheba. Interestingly enough, where is Sarah because when we began our reading today and I quote from the Scriptures Sarah lived to be 127 years old. She died at Kiriath Arba, that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. So, they were like in two different places, Abraham is in Beersheba and Sarah is in Hebron. And soon enough, we will find that Isaac is somewhere else. So, while we could sit and try to you know, fill in the blanks of the story. We could, at least, say things changed after Mount Moriah, like things changed after Moses and Isaac went to the place that God showed them. And I don’t point this out because there’s some kind of the deep, rich something or another. Something that we need to really, really look at and change things in our lives. I point it out to show us that the way this all came together, is God working with a very fallible human beings who have all the kinds of dramas that we all continue to experience until this day. We are certainly looking back a long way, we are looking back thousands of years. So, we are looking back into a different world, a very tribal world, a very tribal time and maybe even hearing it in those words, we’re like I don’t know, I don’t if I buy that. But what did the children of Israel become, if not the tribes of Israel. So, things were done differently, which we’ll get to in just a minute, because we got to watch this early negotiation. The world was different, things were done different, but what we begin to realize is that we can look at any piece of history that we want. And if we are able to get a glimpse into the heart of the matter, if we’re able to look at the hearts of the people, they’re wrestling and struggling toward and after the same things that we are, we just have different technology to achieve these things. And God continues to work with broken things and broken situations and broken people, because He puts things back together again. So, Sarah, the mother of the son of promise, Isaac, has died and Abraham has going to mourn and weep over her. And he is in the region of the Hittites, and he needs to bury Sarah. And that’s what we see this little negotiation there in the city gate, which is where these kinds of matters and matters of justice would take place. This is where the councils, the wise people of the city, the authorities would meet in the city gate to conduct business. And so, business is being conducted. And Abraham saying I'm…I’m not from around here, I’m a stranger, would you entertain selling me a cave, a little bit of property so I could have a ancestral burial place where I can bury my wife. And the Hittites are like absolutely, bury her, pick anywhere. You’re very honored around her, pick anywhere. So, Abraham’s like, well, maybe you guys could talk to Ephron the Hittite. Ephron’s obviously sitting here in the city gate. Maybe you guys could talk to Ephron and see if he might be willing to sell me the cave of Machpelah. And Ephron’s like dude, you can have it. Bury your dead, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. And Abraham’s like no, I want to pay for it. And Ephron’s like, well, it’s worth 400 shekels but what is that between us, don’t worry about it, just go on. But this is the way that they’re negotiating the price for this property. And eventually, Abraham agrees, pays the money for the cave and is able to bury Sarah. This is the first owned property by Abraham and his family in the land that they were promised. And there is a field and a cave; it’s the cave of Machpelah. This is actually going to show up again a little bit later, and I won’t do any kind of spoiler alert at this point, it will come at a pivotal time, we are at the very beginning of the story. There are no children of Israel because Israel is, has not been born yet. This location will come back around at a later time, several centuries from this point in the Bible. Also, of interest, this place still exists in Hebron, the cave of Machpelah, the tomb of Sarah actually becomes the tomb of Abraham and Isaac and Sarah. It becomes a family burial place and it still exists today, and it is, some covered over by a massive structure that was built by Herod. And it’s still standing and it’s still in pretty good shape. Hebron is a bit of a contentious place, and the tomb of the patriarchs is certainly, definitely been a place of contention because this is a predominantly Arab area and so, people practicing Islam, certainly hold their allegiance back to this man that we’re talking about right now, Abraham. As do the Jewish people, as do the Christian people. And so, plenty of violence and things have happened at this place in the past. And so, it’s very, very heavily guarded and shared at this point. There’s a synagogue kind of on one side for Hebrew people and a fairly large mosque there as well. And we’ve been able to be in both sides of that and film it and take pictures of it and stuff. So, it’s a, the place that we are discussing today, exists until today.
Prayer:
And so, Father, we thank You for another day together to be around the Global Campfire and to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures and let them wash into our lives and allow us to just experience the story that has led us too today. The story of your unwillingness to surrender us and the opportunity to just explore and enjoy exploring back stories and history, as well as looking deep into our hearts for how You are transforming and how You are inviting us to look at things. And we take to counsel what we read in the Proverbs today. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. We believe this to be true. We humble ourselves before You and ask that Your Holy Spirit, come and lead us into all truth, as we continue this journey forward day-by-day and step-by-step. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Grace, mercy and peace. This is Pamela calling from Huntington, New York. Requesting prayer for my husband, Bishop Gary and my son Brandon. It’s an urgent, urgent prayer request. I am praying for all of you, as well. As you reap what you sow. And I’m praying for all families who have been broken and tattered due to adultery, due to money management, due to death. I’m lifting up those families. I’m praying for children who are not speaking to their parents for various reasons. The enemy fights family. But it’s up to us to pray for families. So, continue please to lift up my husband and my son. I appreciate it. And I will give a praise report. Thank you so much. Push everybody. Pray until something happens.
Hello DAB brothers and sisters. This is Chamaeleon and I’m ringing in from a view from a mountaintop. I’ve been a, this is my first-time touching base with ya’ll. I’ve been Brian listening with you since well, for 15 years, I think. I hope that’s correct. Time flies when you’re having fun. Just wanted to number 1 bring some encouragement and then number 2, ask for some prayer. So, the first thing is that we need to remember that God loves us. I know that’s, we hear it. That sounds maybe not too deep. But when we can know the love of God then we can be without fear and anxiety and lust and anger. We still battle with those things, but God gives us His Spirit, His grace, to not be ruled by them. Number 2, prayer. I have run into a intense spiritual battle. It’s good because I’m not fighting it, I’m not the one leading it, the Lord is. He fights my battles. Please pray for me. Thanks.
I have never gave like a prayer request before but I just want to pray for my baby father cause he’s heavily into Santria and I think it’s destroying his life. And the only reason why I’m kind of back to the Bible right now, so I guess everything happens for a reason. But I’m just really worried about it and I’m pregnant. So…
Hello, my wonderful DAB family. This is Rosie, aka Great to Be Free in Jesus, calling in to pray for our children and grandchildren. Today is Wednesday, January 4th and I’m calling into pray that God will pour out His Spirit upon them. Lord, You have said that in the last days, You will pour out Your Spirit upon on flesh. We cry out to You from the depths of our heart and ask that You would pour out Your Holy Spirit upon on children and grandchildren. Pour out Your Spirit upon us and all of our family members, as well. Pour out Your Spirit on all of our adult children’s in-laws both present and future. Pour out Your Spirit upon whatever difficult circumstances each of our children and grandchildren are facing. Be Lord over every part of their lives and every aspect of their beings. Speak to their hearts and help them to hear from You. Enable them to understand Your leading and direction for their lives. In Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy. Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams Acts 2:17. Thank you my wonderful DAB family. God bless you. I love you.
Hello Daily Audio Bible family. My name is Lynn, this is my first time calling in and I’m so grateful to be part of this wonderful community of brothers and sisters in Christ. And I’m so encouraged and blessed by all the prayers of encouragement and also, praying along with all of your prayers of need. Now I’m really in desperate need of prayer for my 22-year-old daughter Jane and her two and half year-old daughter, Kyla. They’ve been mostly separated for the last two years and are only able to see each other for a few hours each week due to the many lies and deception of Kyla’s paternal grandparents against my daughter, to the local authorities in Edenborough, who have placed Kyla in their care because they never wanted her in their son’s life. And now, I petition over my own daughters’ life. I live in Spain and have been able to move back to Scotland to help. There have been many challenges making it impossible but hoping and praying to be able to do so within the next few months and that God will make a way. My daughter is deeply distressed, and we are worried about her mental health deteriorating as she suffers from anxiety and depression made worse as a result of all the stress and trauma being separated from her daughter. And about the welfare of her granddaughter, as she is being emotionally abused, neglected and put in harm’s way in the care of the paternal grandparents. A welfare report will be presented to the court, 9th of January, recommending, based on more lies and deception from the grandparents, that Kyla’s permanently placed in their care. And my daughter will only like to see her daughter in a supervised center once a fortnight, even though she’s never harmed or neglected her daughter but only needed the support which was denied to her. Please pray for truth and justice for my daughter and for my granddaughter to be back in her mom’s care whom she loves and misses so very much. And we could see her emotional and physical welfare rapidly deteriorating and her behaviors getting worse …
Good evening Daily Audio Bible brothers and sisters and Brian and your family. I’m catching up and I just listened to January 1st. And I was struck by several things Brian talking about this being their 18th year. And thinking about the commitment and perseverance and the love and care for others and desire to spread God’s word that they are showing everyday by showing up every day and reading God’s word. And I’m just amazed by that. And thank you Brian and all of your family. And another thing Brian said was this, this is the first day, we’re starting a new year. Anything that happened in the past year, that’s in our history. And we look forward to what’s to come and it reminds me, you know, of the scripture from Paul. He said, forgetting what is in the past, I press on. Look forward to what is to come. And that scripture has been very special to me as I deal with my past. I just want to thank you so much. This has given me really a little corner of peace.