Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: The magnanimity of God

The LORD, God of heaven, AND God of the earth

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On July 10, 2015

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

When Abraham asks his eldest servant to swear that he would find a wife for his son, Isaac, from his own kindred and not from the pagan Canaanites, he makes his servant swear by the LORD, God of heaven and God of the earth. Notice, how the expression of the LORD (Jehovah or Yahweh) explicitly calls out the LORD as God of heaven AND God of the earth. The Bible teaches us that heaven is God’s throne and earth his footstool (Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49), assuring not only of the magnanimity of God but his Sovereignty as well. God is God of heaven and of the earth.

Points to ponder:
Many unfortunately write off God as someone far off – in heaven – not present in the matters of men on earth and their lifestyle reflect the inaccurate motif of live for the present and deal with God when we get to him in heaven. This introduction of God by Abraham should be a warning for us to heed by. God is interested in the matters of men now, not sometime in the future. He is in Ruler and King on earth just as much as he is King and Ruler in heaven. In fact, he is Ruler over all things, in heaven, on earth and even under the earth (Philippians 2:10; Ephesians 1:22).

God is so much interested in our personal lives on earth just as he deals with matters in heaven. In fact his yearns that we pray that his KINGdom comes and that his will be done ON earth just as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The LORD is God of heaven AND of the earth … the question that begs to be answered is – Is he the God of your life? In other words, have you trusted in Jesus and make him Ruler and King over all things in your life?

Genesis 24:3 (KJV)
3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

Name Change – Abram to Abraham

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On October 27, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

A name is more than just a means to call someone. In some cultures, the name of a person means their very identity and is indicative of not just what they are called, but who they are in essence.

Abram means Exalted Father and it was the name given to Abram, the husband of Sarai, by his father Terah.
Abraham means “Father of many nations” and it was the name given to Abram, by God himself.

Genesis 17:5-6 records the rechristening of Abram and starts by God telling Abram that he shall no longer be called Abram.
Note also how God tells Abraham that he shall not be the Father or One nation as was what he was promised earlier (Genesis 12:2), but now that he would the Father of many nations. God had told Abram he shall be the father of One nation, when he was still childless, but instead of trusting the Lord, he did not wait for the Lord’s timing. Now again, Abram is still childless, and God is telling him again that he would be the father of not one, but many nations. Abram had to trust in the Lord this time.

Hidden in this account are two spiritual Treasures. First, when we are rechristened by God, i.e., we  become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), bearing the name of Jesus (Revelation 3:17; 1 Peter 4:14) and we should no longer be known by our previous names. In fact, name change requires a nature change … to trust in the Lord. Second, we see God magnanimity in blessing Abram not with just one nation, but with many nations.

Points to ponder:
Have you been rechristened by the Lord? i.e., have you believed in Jesus Christ? If you have, are your living by the name that you were given at birth or by the new name bearing the name of Jesus Christ? Has your name change resulted in your nature change? God is magnanimous is giving us more than than what we ask for or deserve.

Genesis 17:5-6 (KJV)
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

For man’s sake

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On March 10, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Jesus Christ - The Ark, Noah's Ark (and Jesus), Through the Bible

Genesis 8:21 states that when God accepted the sacrificial offering of Noah, the LORD said in his heart that he would no longer curse the ground for man’s sake. The ground from which man was fashioned (Genesis 2:7) was cursed when Adam, the man sinned (Genesis 3:17). Now with the offering of a man, Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), being accepted, the LORD promised not to curse the ground again anymore, for man’s sake, even though God testified that every inclination of man’s heart was evil from his youth. This speaks of the magnanimity of God’s mercy to man and grace to his creation.

Points to ponder:
Despite the evilness in our hearts, God’s mercy is magnanimous, stretching not only to man, but to all of his creation – even the very ground from which man was fashioned. For man’s sake, God shall no longer curse the ground because he is a just, merciful and loving God. For your sake and mine, God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the man (1 Timothy 2:5), who preached righteousness (1 Peter 3:18-20), being righteousness himself (Jeremiah 23:5) and because of Jesus, he shall curse no more. Jesus had to become the curse for you and me, for it is written that cursed is every one who hangs on a tree (Cross) (Deuteronomy 23:21; Galatians 3:13). Jesus had to become the curse for you and me, for man’s sake.

Genesis 8:21 (KJV)
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

1 Peter 3:18-20 (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

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