Genesis 15:6

Verse Study Devotion, Genesis 15:6

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6.

 In the first verse of chapter 15 we read the phrase, “After these things. What was meant by the words ‘After these things’? We see the answer in the previous chapter.

“And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed. They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.” Genesis 14:8-16.

There were four kingdoms who came together to battle five other kingdoms. However, this would not have been as important an issue to Abram if his nephew Lot had not been taken captive. When he heard what had happened to Lot, he went after him to bring him home, with the assistance of 318 well trained men. They defeated the captors of Lot and brought him home along with all his property. And he brought back the women who were taken captive as well. The writer does not provide any details on how Abram and his men managed to fight them so successfully, except for the fact that it was a nighttime battle.

Now, after all these battles and rescues that occurred in chapter 14,  we read in chapter 15.

“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.’” Genesis 15:1.

The word of the LORD came to Abraham in a vision. It is probable that Jesus referred to this when He said,

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  John 8:56.

God’s speaks to Abram saving: “Fear not!” God tells him this as assurance so that he would not be afraid. However, Abram does not have his back to the wall. Actually, he has just come back unscathed from a situation filled with danger. He could have given into fear, but he did not. God was speaking to the fearless one saying, “Fear not!” And this is somewhat similar to what would occur to Zacharias regarding John the Baptist.

“Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” Luke 1:12-13.

God also tells him that He is both his shield, and his reward would be great. God was going to be with him and will protect him like a shield. He would also provide a reward greater than he could ever imagine. And what would that reward be? First, let us look at the next two verses.

“Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” Genesis 15:2-3.

The one thing Abram was concerned about and needed most was an heir, a male heir. Rather than waiting for God to respond, Abram attempts to answer his own question: Will Eliezer his servant be his heir? Will Abram have to make his own solution because of a divine oversight? God has delivered his enemies into his hand, but is he able to deliver a son into Abram’s household? In essence the concern voiced by Abram in verse 2 is not advanced by his concern voiced in verse 3. In both verses Abram is perplexed as to why God has not given him a child. All that is different is a change in vocabulary when Abram addresses his lament to God. In verse 2 he laments that he is childless and in verse 3 that God has not given him any offspring. Nothing is mentioned regarding adoption, but it does declare that servants such as Eliezer could inherit property. We read something regarding this in the book of Proverbs.

“A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share in the inheritance among brothers.“ Proverbs 17:2.

Abram is concerned he will not be able to leave such an inheritance to a person in his line. He does not wish to leave behind him a situation fraught with legal complications. He would rather leave all he has to a son. However, he tells God that he has no son so he must give it to someone born in his house, his servant.

Next, we see God’s answer to Abram.

“Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” Genesis 15:4-5.

God assures Abram that Eliezer will not be the heir. That role will be given to Abram’s own flesh and blood. Again, God speaks to Abram regarding a promise of a future son. This promise, however wonderful, will be severely challenged by a hurdle, Sarai’s inability to conceive. (See chapter 16 regarding this). We now discover that the words of God came to Abram while he was inside his home, for He took him outside. Also, this vision is received at night, for Abram is told to look up and count the stars. The emphasis here now shifts from “your own flesh and blood” (verse 4) to the many descendants (verse 5). This theme of mass numbers of offspring appears frequently in Genesis with comparisons to the stars, also sand at the seashore (Genesis 22:17), and the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16). And this promise does mean that Israel was destined to become the most populous nation of the Mediterranean world.

Now we come to our focus verse.

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6.

 In response to these promises, Abram believed in the Lord, believed in the truth of that promise God had made to him, resting upon His power and faithfulness. In other words, Abram believed God could and would do what He promised. This, of course, was not the first time that Abram had put his trust in God’s word. Let’s look back at Genesis 12.

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so, you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So, Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” Genesis 12:1-4.

When God told Abram to leave Haran, his homeland, and go into a land He was leading him to, he did not question what God told him. He simply obeyed God and left, traveling to a land he did not know. What faith he had in the living God.

Back to verse 6, the action of faith had preceded the meaning of faith. That is, by virtue of his earlier obedient responses to the words from God, Abram was putting his faith in God. When Abram trusted in God, specifically in God’s promise to him regarding descendants leading to the Messiah, God credited/accounted this belief to Abram’s account as righteousness. God told him, and Abram believed Him.

Now we move on in chapter 15.

“And He said to him, ‘I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.’ He said, ‘O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?’” Genesis 15:7-8.

Now the Lord tells Abram He had taken him out of one land, Ur of the Chaldeans, to a land they will ultimately possess. And these words, along with His presence, perfectly satisfied Abram, which proved that He who spoke was supernatural and Divine.

Now, it is worthy of remark that Abram is the first man to whom God is said to have shown himself or appeared to. He asks a question of God; basically, how would he know He will possess this land? God then answers him in the next three verses.

“So, He said to him, ‘Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.” Genesis 15:9-11.

When God called Abram out of his homeland and everything familiar to him, He gave him covenants. A covenant is a type of promise or contract, essentially a binding agreement between two parties. Therefore, He said to Abram, ‘Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. Some birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and he drove them away. In ancient Near Eastern royal land grant treaties, this type of ritual was done to “seal” the promises or covenants made.

Then look what happened.

“It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” Genesis 15:17-18.

What I find interesting is that there were two who were involved in the transaction, but only one, God, walked between the animal parts. This makes it clear this was a covenant God made with Abram. God was giving to Abram’s descendants the land promised to His people.

Now I want to go back to verse 6. Are we righteous of our own accord?

When Abram trusted and believed in God, specifically in God’s promise to him and his descendants leading to the Messiah, God credited/accounted this belief to Abram’s account as righteousness. There are essentially two types of righteousness.

  • Righteousness we accomplish by our own efforts,
  • Righteousness accounted to us by the work of God when we believe.

Since none of us can be good enough to accomplish perfect righteousness, we must have God’s righteousness accounted to us by doing just what Abram did, he believed in the LORD. And God’s accounting is not pretending. God does not account to us a pretended righteousness, but a real one in Jesus Christ. We see this in the Book of Romans.

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Romans 4:1-5.

As Christians, we must be careful not to fall into the error of believing our righteousness, along with our righteous acts, is enough. Remember what Isaiah said back in the day.

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence, As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved? For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people. Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And all our precious things have become a ruin. Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?” Isaiah 64:1-12.

Notice here what Isaiah says about our righteousness, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. Basically, Isaiah is speaking here about “self-righteousness”. Though self-righteousness is condemned throughout the Bible, we are, in fact, commanded to do good works. Paul explains that we cannot do anything to save ourselves, for our salvation comes only as a result of God’s grace. However, good deeds are still what we are called for.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.

Our salvation is not the result of any of our efforts, abilities, intelligent choices, personal characteristics, or acts of service. Our salvation comes from our faith in Christ Jesus. However, as believers, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works”, to help and serve others. While there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are saved not merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church. This reconciles the seeming conflict between faith and works. Our righteous acts do not produce salvation but are evidence of our salvation. In the end, we must recognize that even our righteous acts come as a result of God within us, not of ourselves. On our own, our “righteousness” is simply self-righteousness, which is nothing more than “filthy rags.”

William Funkhouser, MDiv, ThD, President and Founder of True Devotion Ministries.

Genesis 15:6

Verse of the Day: Genesis 15:6

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

Abram was told by God not to be afraid for He would shield Him.  Moreover, Abram would be given a great reward.  However, Abram responded to God with by asking “What will you give me, for I am childless, and my heir will be Eliezer my servant.  (In nomadic tribes, if a man was childless, his heir was his chief servant).  Then we read in verse 4, “Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’”  Then He tells Abram that if He could count the stars, that would be the number of his descendants.

What is amazing about this story is that Abram was somewhere between 75 and 85 years old, while Sara would have been between 65 and 75 years old, long after the age of childbearing.  However, as we see in our focus verse, Abram believed God, and because he believed, God declared Abram righteous.

There are two things we can glean from this.  First, God can do anything no matter how impossible it may look to be.  If God promises us something, it will come to pass.  There is no doubt.  So, you can look at the promises of God throughout the scriptures and know that they can and will be done.   And second, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel.  If we truly believe that Christ died, was buried and then rose again for us, then our salvation is sure.  Note Jesus’ words in John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16  Do you truly believe?  If so, then God has declared you righteous.  Rejoice!

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Genesis 28:14

Verse of the Day Devotion: Genesis 28:14

“Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” – Genesis 28:14

Here is another prophecy from the Old Testament which speaks of the coming Messiah.  Jacob has just departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran.  He had traveled quite a distance and the sun had set and he decided to stop for the night in order to refresh himself before he completed the trip the next day.  So, he took a rock and laid down, putting it under his head as a pillow.

“He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Genesis 28:12. This is an interesting dream.  What he saw was a ladder that connected the heavens with the earth at the place he was.  And on this ladder were angels; some ascending back into heaven and others descending to the earth.  This is a picture of angels coming down and doing God’s work down here, and then ascending back upon completion.  This reminds me of a verse in Hebrews which speaks of the angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”. Hebrews 1:14.

Then Jacob sees the Lord, standing above this ladder on which the angels were ascending and descending, and declares to him the following, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.” Genesis 28:13b. He first tells Jacob who He is; the God of Abraham his grandfather, and of Isaac his father.  It was very important that Jacob knew who He was because He was prophesying about near and far future events.  The near event is that He would give to Jacob and his descendants the land on which he was sleeping.  This would be the promised land which God spoke of to Abraham.  He confirmed to Jacob what He had promised to his grandfather.

Then God addresses the far event, “our descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:14. Here God is saying that Jacobs descendants will be as the dust of the earth.  In other words, they will be so many that it will beyond the ability to count.  These descendants will spread out all over the world, going to the north and the south, to the east and the west.  But here is the defining part of this verse, ‘and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”  There will come from him, through the line of David, someone through whom all the families of the earth will be blessed. They will spread throughout the world, via the disciples of this coming Messiah whose name is Jesus, the good news of the reconciliation of men with God, through the sacrifice of Jesus.

And we as Christians are the disciples of Christ who are to spread the Word of Christ.  Jesus was the one prophesied through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.  And it is through us that the good news will be spread through a world that does not know Him.  Notice the phrase, ‘shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:14b.  Paul lays out how they will hear the word.  “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” Romans 10:14-15.  We are those who are called to tell the world.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Genesis 45:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: Genesis 45:7

“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” – Genesis 45:7 

This verse is part of the story of Joseph and the path God took him in order to save his family.  Things turned out really well, however the journey was very difficult.

If you remember, Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob, for He was borne through Rachel whom Jacob loved more than Leah.  Joseph had two prophetic dreams showing in essence him ruling over his family.  This favoritism by the father, as well as these ‘dreams’ angered Joseph’s brothers who eventually sold him to some Midianite traders who subsequently sold him to Potiphar in Egypt.  After a time, Potiphar put him in charge of all his affairs and he prospered greatly because of Joseph.  However, Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of coming on to her.  He was then put into the royal prison where the head of the prison put Him charge of all the prisoners.  And again, Joseph ran it well and prospered.

Ultimately, Pharaoh had two dreams which he nor his wise men could interpret.  Joseph was called up out of the prison because Pharaoh had been told he was able to interpret dreams.  Pharaoh then told Joseph the dreams and he prayed and told Pharaoh that these dreams meant there would be seven years of amazing prosperity followed by seven years of severe famine.  Pharaoh then put Joseph in the position of second in command of Egypt, putting him in control of storing up food during the first seven years, then dispensing it during the next seven years.  When the famine occurs, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to get food and they meet Joseph but do not recognize him.  Joseph then makes things difficult for them, but eventually brings his family to Egypt where they lived and were taken care of in all ways.

Now, I give you this brief summary to explain how Joseph suffered much, even though he was close to God and was serious about trusting and following God in all his ways.  He was hated by his brothers, thrown into a pit to be killed, however they chose to sell him into slavery where he served Potiphar for several years.  He was falsely accused of trying to lie with his master’s wife which resulted with years in prison.  This was a very long series of events, but eventually he was placed in a high position of authority.  He then revealed himself to his brothers and relayed to them our focus verse, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” Genesis 45:7

I say all this because many times God puts us into difficult positions just as he did Joseph.  After a time of sorrow, he accepted his situation and trusted God.  And we must do the same.  God would not allow us to go through trials if He did not have a good reason to do so.  In Joseph’s situation it was to save his family who would eventually become the Jewish nation; God’s chosen people.  And if He allows us to suffer trials and tribulations, He as a good reason to as well.  We must trust God and allow Him to work through us for the greater good.  In trusting Him this way, we shall find things easier to deal with.

Paul said it like this, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how-to live-in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13.  We must be content in any situation God places us in, for He knows the end from the beginning and however He uses us, it will be good.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Genesis 3:4

Verse of the Day Devotion: Genesis 3:4

“The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!” – Genesis 3:4 

This verse is found in the verses that describe the fall of Adam and Eve.  The serpent in our focus verse is described as the craftiest of all the beast of the field.  The Hebrew word for crafty means cunning (usually in a bad sense).  It also has the idea of prudent and subtle.  He then says to Eve, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1b.  There are several things that is intriguing with this.  First, it appears that this was part of a discussion they were having already, and it is questioning her to create doubt in Eve.  But more interesting is this creature had the ability to reason and to speak in a way Eve understood.

She then answers the creature by saying they can eat of any tree in the garden except from the one tree in the middle of the garden, for God has told us we will die if we do.  At this point she still believed what God told her.  Then the serpent counters what God told her.  “You surely will not die!” Genesis 3:4 However, it throws in another idea which, as we will see, caused her to doubt what they were told.  “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. Aha, it has now told her that God was withholding something from her.  They would not die; in fact, they would actually become like God Himself if they did eat.

So, Eve began to mull this over in her mind.  According to the serpent, they would not die, for the fruit was good for food.  It was lovely and looked incredibly delicious and would allow them to gain in wisdom to the level of God.  These were the things she, and no doubt Adam also, desired.  So she ignored the warning God gave them regarding the fruit and ate it, also giving one to Adam so he could enjoy the same blessing the fruit would impart it on her.

Well, it did not turn out that well for them.  Yes, their understanding increased, but not as they hoped for.  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Genesis 3:7. They understood they had done wrong and disobeyed God.  They felt the need to cover themselves with the leaves of the fig tree.  They now lost the peace they had with God.  Not only did they not want to see God, but they hid from Him hoping He would not know.

Satan does the same thing with us today.  We see many of the rules placed upon us by the Word of God as not really meaning what we had always understood.  Satan tempts us by saying, “God really did not mean these things were wrong.  Besides, they are enjoyable and will benefit you as well.” And because we see these things as pleasing to our flesh, we have to make a decision.  Do we obey God, or do we assume we do not truly understand and, like Eve, partake in the sin.  The world does this all the time.  However, many Christians are also tricked into partaking because they also fall prey to the ‘I know more than God’ syndrome.  We may not think specifically we do, but that is the result of pondering the words spoken by the serpent just as Eve did.  And I hate to say we all do this occasionally, with no exception for myself.

It is important that we not listen to the words of the enemy.  We must become so familiar with God’s Word that we do not fall for the serpent’s cunning ways.  We must understand what is acceptable and what is not and stand firm when tempted to go against what God has said.  The enemy tempts us with our self-indulgent sinful desires. We need to understand this and tell him, as Jesus did, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan.’  We must use scripture and our desire to please God to defeat the serpent just as Jesus did in His moment of temptation.  This must be our goal.  We may fail at times, but these times must become less frequent.  And when we do, we need to do as John said, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. We must remember the words of Solomon when he said, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12. For just as Eve listened to the serpent and did what she chose which led to death, so will our choosing to do what we want that is contrary to God’s will.

Study God’s Word and know what it says and choose at all times to follow it.  It will help in your battle against the temptations of the enemy.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Genesis 15:6

Verse of the Day Devotion. Genesis 15:6

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

After Abram rescued Lot from captivity, God gave a promise to Abram in a vision. “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1. There was a good reason for God to say this. Abram had just defeated a much larger army made up of a partnership of four kings. He had reason to be afraid, expecting an attack of retribution, but God promised him a great reward. And as we see in the next verse, he has a greater desire which he believes could not be fulfilled. “But Abram said, Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2. To Abram, having a son to carry on the family line was more important than anything else. During that time, if there was not a son to carry on the line, it would fall upon the head servant of the house, who would then be the heir.

Then we read in verse 4, “Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” Genesis 15:4. What is amazing is that Abram was somewhere between 70 and 80 years old, while Sara would have been between 60 and 70 years old, both long after the age of childbearing.  However, as we see in our focus verse, Abram believed God, and because he believed, God declared Abram righteous, and then shows him something else. “And He took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, so shall your descendants be.” Genesis 15:5. God told him that the number of stars was a picture of the number of his descendants; innumerable. We see this same idea in Hosea. “Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted” Hosea 1:10a.

In response to all these promises, we read in our focus verse. “Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6. Notice the wording ‘believed in the Lord’. The action of faith preceded the vocabulary of faith. In other words, by virtue of his earlier obedient response to a word from God, Abram was putting his faith in God. And this was the case even though he saw this impossible, because of his and his wife’s age, which was well beyond childbearing age. It was deemed an impossibility as far as Abram was concerned, but because God promised him many offspring, Abram believed and trusted God that He would bring it to pass.

There are two things we can glean from this.  First, God can do anything no matter how impossible it may seem to be.  If God promises us something, it will come to pass. There should be no doubt about this.  So, we can look at the promises of God throughout the scriptures and know that they will  come to pass.   And second, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel.  If we truly believe that Christ died, was buried, and then rose again for our salvation, and we accept it and live our lives as such, then our salvation is sure.  Note Jesus’ words in John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16  Do you truly believe, and does your belief reflect the light of Christ to others?  If so, then God has declared you righteous and His promises will be fulfilled for you. Let us all who truly believe rejoice!

 William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, President and Founder of True Devotion Ministries.

Genesis 49:10

Verse of the Day Devotion Genesis 49:10 

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” – Genesis 49:10   

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

Our focus verse today in Genesis speaks of Jacob’s blessings to his sons prior to his death.  He starts with Reuben, Simeon, and Levi.  He does not have much to say that is good regarding these three. Regarding Reuben, “Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it, he went up to my couch.” 49:3-4.  Reuben defiled himself by sleeping with Bilhah, His father’s concubine. “And it came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it.” Genesis 35:22.  And with Levi and Simeon, they were considered violent by Jacob. “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. ” Genesis 49:5-7.

However, now we come to Judah.  “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?”  Genesis 49:8-9.  This verse speaks of the countenance of Judah.  A high pre-eminence is destined to this tribe. Besides the honor of giving name to the Promised Land, David, and a greater than David the Messiah, sprang from him. Chief among the tribes, it grew up from a lion’s whelp, meaning with a little power, till it became  an old lion that is calm and quiet, yet still formidable.

However, the main item Jacob speaks of is in our focus verse.  “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Genesis 49:10.  Basically, the scepter will come into the tribe of Judah, which was fulfilled in David, on whose family the crown was given. The meaning of the term, ‘till Shiloh comes’ is that the scepter would continue in that tribe till the coming of the Messiah.  Shiloh, in the Hebrew, means he whose it is.  What Jacob was saying was that the scepter and the rulers staff would remain with Judah, until the true owner has come, that being Jesus, who is the true Messiah and High Priest, who will rule for all eternity. We see this idea also in the Book of Hebrews.  “But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.” Hebrews 1:8.  So, this is clear.  When the Messiah came into the world and accomplished His purpose of dying on the cross for our benefit in paying the penalty of our sins, He took back the scepter which is the scepter of ‘His kingdom’ which is forever and ever.  

At the end of Genesis, Jacob gave a blessing to all his sons.  With some it included some negativity as with Reuben, Levi and Simeon, and others declaring the  goodness in them and their activities.  But with Judah, he said good things about him but then prophesies the coming of the Messiah who would rule and reign for ever and ever, without end.  And this Messiah would be born to a virgin and give the greatest gift ever given, the payment of the penalty of sin. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18.  This is the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of our redeemer.  It is important that we remember this as we celebrate this wonderful holiday.  He did for us what no one, including ourselves, could do for us.  And this is the greatest gift there is, salvation and eternal life with Jesus.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Genesis 3:15

Verse of the Day Devotion Genesis 3:15 

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” –  Genesis 3:15

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies to foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

Our focus verse today regards the fall of man.  In Chapters 1 and 2, God’s work of creation is recorded, of which it says, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31. Chapter two is a more detailed account of man’s creation which is included in the declaration of ‘and behold, it was very good’.

Now, in chapter three we see that story of man’s fall.  “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5.  The serpent here is very cunning and is able to deceive Eve, and eventually Adam, by stating God was keeping information from them.  “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”  Genesis 3:6. And at this point, mankind sinned by dis-obeying God.

However, God knew this would happen and already had a means to address this issue.  And we see this in our focus verse.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. Here begins the judgement. 

Sentence is pronounced upon the serpent in the presence, no doubt, of Adam and Eve. The serpent is not examined, first, because it is a dumb unreasoning animal in itself, and therefore incapable of judicial examination, and it was the serpent only that was palpable to the senses of our first parents in the temptation; and, secondly, because the true tempter was not a new, but an old offender.  Yes, the serpent itself was punished. “The LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:14. But then God moves on to pass sentence on Satan as well in our focus verse. Again, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15.

The idea of ‘seed’ refers to descendants or offspring.  This hostility is not just between the snake and the woman in the garden but applies to all demons/evil offspring and the specific future offspring from a woman.  Notice there is no reference to a man here, therefore this no doubt refers to a woman who has a child apart from a man, which could only be Jesus, the Messiah.  No doubt this is a prophecy of Jesus’ ultimate defeat of Satan. God announced that Satan would wound the Messiah “you shall bruise His heel”, but the Messiah would crush Satan with a mortal wound “He shall bruise your head”.  

It is the birth of the one, the only one, who could address our sins.  Jesus would live a perfect and sinless life so that He “could” pay the penalty for our sins.  The only one who can pay for another’s sins is one who has no sins to pay for.  Remember what Paul wrote to the Church in Rome.  “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” Romans 3:21-25.  This is the reason for Christmas; for the Son of God to be born to a woman, be sinless, and then die for our sins.  And this is why we should be excited for Christmas, not necessarily for the gifts under the tree, but for the gift of God, Jesus, who would make it possible us to also become Children of the Father.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Genesis 3:13

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Genesis 3:13

“Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done? The woman said, the serpent deceived me, and I ate.” – Genesis 3:13

So, one thing about Christmas we need to understand is why did Jesus come in the first place?  What was the impetus that got Him to leave heaven and come to earth?  The basic answer is that man listened to Satan rather than God.  And the reason this happened was because Satan is a great deceiver.  And because they fell for his lies, this sin was passed on to all people, hence the need for a Savior.

Let us start by looking at the initial deception.  “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” Genesis 3:1-3.  Eve here is answering Satan’s question with the truth.  He did limit which fruit they could eat.  “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.  Eve told Satan the truth.  They were free to eat of any tree in the garden but one.  And if they were to eat of that tree, they would die. They may not die immediately, but they would eventually die, for their unending life would ultimately end. 

Now, in the next couple of verses, we see the incredible deception Satan told her.  “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.  Here are the several frauds Satan pushed on Eve, and eventually Adam.  First, he told them they would not die.  The truth is, they may not die immediately, but their unending life will end at some point.  And the second fraud was they would be as God, knowing good and evil.  What he was saying was not that they would necessarily understand what was good or evil in itself, but what is good or evil for them, humans.  The main deception is not that they would understand what was inherently good and evil, but they would be like God, deciding what is good or evil to them based on what is helpful or harmful.  The theologian C. Westermann puts it this way.  “In Hebrew good and evil always have the primary meanings of helpful and harmful … there is no intention of opposing actions because of their moral difference, but rather of bringing things together by virtue of their polarities according to which they are helpful or harmful to people.”  By this, the serpent was saying that they could essentially decide what was good or evil based on what was helpful or harmful for them.

And they fell for this lie from Satan.  “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6.  And because of this, God sent His Son into the world in order make a way for mankind to be saved. 

The prophecy of Christ coming into the world is found in a later verse.  “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15.  First the seed of Eve, and ultimately the seed of Abraham, is Christ.  “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that is, Christ.” Galatians 3:16.  Next, the seed of the serpent are those who follow after him.  Jesus alludes to this by calling the Jewish leaders of His day children of Satan.  “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44.  This is not specifically saying they are Satan’s seed referred to in Genesis 3, however, it makes sense in their context.  So, based on this, Genesis 3:15 is saying that Jesus will come and defeat Satan and his works.  “Little children make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. 

This was the only way that man could be redeemed for man carried on the sin that initially caused Adam and Eve to fall, and ultimately all of mankind.  “The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:2-3.  And this is because Satan is spreading his lies and deception throughout the world.  But God made a way for us to be reconciled with Him, and that is through Jesus.  “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13. 

This was the reason Christ came here, to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us the means to be God’s children.  Without Him coming here, we would be eternally lost and separated from God.  But because He loved us beyond understanding, He sent His Son.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17.  This is why He came, and why we celebrate Christmas, for by it came the means of salvation of mankind to all who believe.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Genesis 50:20

Verse of the Day Devotion: Genesis 50:20  

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” – Genesis 50:20

In the book of Genesis we find one of the best known and intriguing stories in the Old Testament, that being about Joseph the son of Jacob and Rachel.  Interestingly, this story is also found in the Quran, but with some very distinct differences. 

It starts with Joseph’s brothers being so jealous of him that they made a plan to kill him.  “When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.”  Genesis 37:18.  However, Judah convinced them to sell him to Ishmaelites rather than kill him. “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh. And his brothers listened to him.” Genesis 37:27.  So they sold him and then went and told their father he had been killed. 

The Ishmaelites then sold Joseph to an Egyptian officer named Potiphar, the captain of the bodyguard.  Joseph was then given charge over all Potiphar’s property, and there was no issues because God made him successful in what he was assigned to do. “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.” Genesis 39:2.  However,  Potiphar eventually cast him into prison because of false charges from his wife.  And again, God was there.  “But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.” Genesis 39:21. 

It then came about that the King of Egypt cast the chief cup bearer and baker into the same jail as Joseph.  He then interpreted dreams they had through the help of God.  The baker was told he would be hung on a tree but the cupbearer would be restored to his position, so asked that He would mention him to Pharaoh.  “Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.” Genesis 40:14.  The cupbearer forgot his promise, but when he remembered Joseph was ushered in to interpret Pharaohs dreams.  After hearing the interpretation, he was given a powerful role in Egypt.  “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” Genesis 41:40.  And in this role, he was able to save his family and all they owned from the incredible famine that hit Egypt and the surrounding area.  If interested, you can read the entire story of Joseph in Genesis 37 through 50.

Joseph had a very difficult life.  He was sold by his brothers to Ishmaelites around the age of seventeen, who then sold him to Potiphar as a servant/slave.  After a year or two,  he was thrown into prison because Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of indecent activity.  He spent approximately twelve years in the prison before Pharaoh called him and ultimately put him in the position where he was second in command.  All this took place over a span of approximately thirteen years.  And why did God allow all this?  Joseph starts by asking the question, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?” Genesis 50:19b.  This is actually more of an affirmative proposition rather than a question.  Then he continues with our focus verse.  “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20.  God allowed it to happen in order to save Jacob and all who were with him from the famine that was to occur.

Many times we go through difficult time and wonder why God is allowing it to happen.  However, we should not be asking why, but rather ask Him what He wants us to do.  God brought me through all the things that happened to me as a child, while in the Air Force, and eventually throughout my years working: both in my own company and while working for others.  When I look back, I see an incredible journey that has made me who I am today.  And it was God who took me by the hand and guided me to the people, places, and experiences He had for me, one being studying and receiving my Master and Doctorate from a Christian Seminary.  It was not the path I would have taken if it were up to me, but I ended up in a good place, heading up a ministry where I can exhort people and help them understand what this Christian Life is all about.  It was not always easy, but it was always beneficial to my relationship with God. 

He has a reason for everything that happens, and we know it is for good.  It is His promise to us.  Two verses that show this reality.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  Everything He allows to happen is for a good.  And the second, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  Everything that happens is for a good, either for ourselves as told in Romans 8:28 or for another as found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  We should look at everything that happens as a blessing for us and many times for another.  For me, this makes it easier as I look forward to what God is doing through me.  “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.“ Philippians 2:13.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.