The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Old Testament (2)" Bible Reading: Genesis 22:1-14 for Monday, 26 September 2016

The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Old Testament (2)" Bible Reading: Genesis 22:1-14 for Monday, 26 September 2016
Genesis 22:1 (vii) After these things, God tested Avraham. He said to him, “Avraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.”
3 Avraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with Yitz’chak his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, departed and went toward the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place in the distance. 5 Avraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” 6 Avraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Yitz’chak his son. Then he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went on together.
7 Yitz’chak spoke to Avraham his father: “My father?” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Avraham replied, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”; and they both went on together.
9 They came to the place God had told him about; and Avraham built the altar there, set the wood in order, bound Yitz’chak his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Then Avraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
11 But the angel of Adonai called to him out of heaven: “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”
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Today we will look at another lesson we can learn from the life of Abraham.
Once I went rafting on a river. A leader and three other paddlers were in the boat with me. The leader told us exactly when to paddle and when to stop. As we neared a rapid, the leader told us how to make a complete spin as we were going through the rapid. We did exactly what the leader told us to do. It was a lot of fun! But if we had not followed the leader, we could have hit a rock and been thrown into the water.
In our Bible Reading, we learn about Abraham. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. That must have been a very difficult thing for Abraham to do. But Abraham obeyed God completely. Then God stopped Abraham before he killed Isaac. God was very pleased with Abraham’s obedience.
God may not ask us to sacrifice our children, but He does ask us to obey Him. Obey God today, and He will be happy and bless you.[Matthew Poe]
“God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God.”[Hebrews 11:17-18a]
PRAYER: Father, I want to be like Abraham and obey You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Old Testament (1)" Bible Reading: Genesis 17:1-14 for Sunday, 25 September 2016
Genesis 17:1 When Avram was 99 years old Adonai appeared to Avram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai [God Almighty]. Walk in my presence and be pure-hearted. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will increase your numbers greatly.” 3 Avram fell on his face, and God continued speaking with him: 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. 5 Your name will no longer be Avram [exalted father], but your name will be Avraham [father of many], because I have made you the father of many nations. 6 I will cause you to be very fruitful. I will make nations of you, kings will descend from you.
(vii) 7 “I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you. 8 I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena‘an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.”
9 God said to Avraham, “As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation. 10 Here is my covenant, which you are to keep, between me and you, along with your descendants after you: every male among you is to be circumcised. 11 You are to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; this will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 Generation after generation, every male among you who is eight days old is to be circumcised, including slaves born within your household and those bought from a foreigner not descended from you. 13 The slave born in your house and the person bought with your money must be circumcised; thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who will not let himself be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin — that person will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my covenant.”
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For the next few days we will look at some lessons from the Old Testament.
When I want to watch a football game in a stadium, I need a ticket. When I get my ticket, I keep it until the day of the game. Then I show that ticket to the gatekeeper at the stadium. This ticket is proof that I have a seat saved for me in the stadium.
Our Bible verses tell us that God agreed to give Abraham land and many descendants. The proof of this agreement was circumcision. “This is the agreement between me and you and all your descendants. Every male must be circumcised” (verse 10b).
God has promised to save people who follow and obey Him. The proof of this salvation is the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13b-14 says, “God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit...The Spirit...guarantees we will get all that God has for us.”
Praise God today for giving you His Holy Spirit to guide you through life![Matthew Poe]
“...I will prepare an agreement between me and you...It will continue forever.”[Genesis 17:7a]
PRAYER: Father, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit and the hope of eternal life with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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