This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.

Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.

Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may go to the archive at the bottom of the main page and find it.

Bruce McGee
P.O. Box 69
Columbia, LA 71418

Commentaries are available, at the present time, for Genesis through Mark.
Send $7.50 per book (plus S/H of $2.00 per book) to the address above.
Please designate which book(s) you desire.

GENESIS
CHAPTER 13
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Abraham is now leaving Egypt and returning to the South portion of the "Promised Land." The Bible explicitly tells us that Abraham is "very" rich.
He went to Egypt in a time of draught and famine. God blessed his move, and allowed him to return without losing anything.
Again, let me say, you can lose NOTHING when you surrender to God and His will for your life.

Why return to Bethel? Bethel literally means "house of God." More specifically it means the place of God's "presence."
It was here that Abram had called upon God before. It was here He called upon God again. It will be here that his grandson (Jacob) will wrestle with God. It will be here that the Judges and the first two kings will worship.
It's good that we should "revisit" our beginnings in God. Sometimes I take a trip back in time and remember that old altar at New Chapel Hill Baptist, in West Monroe, La. where I first gave my life to Jesus. I remember the tears of conviction; I remember the flood of forgiveness; I remember the tears of joy; I remember the powerful indwelling of God's Holy Spirit in my heart; I rmember
the people coming by to hug and welcome this 11-year-old into God's Kingdom.
And that gives me NEW consecration and dedication. It gives me a sense of RENEWAL!
Yes! It's good to go "back to Bethel." It renews our commitment to God.

Isn't it ironic that when we are blessed and have more than enough, people begin to argue about what's MY right and what's YOUR right?
Abraham and Lot didn't argue. But their herdsmen did. They were arguing about pasture space for the sheep and cattle.
And this was about to cause a rift between Abraham and Lot.

Abram was promised the WHOLE land. Yet he is willing to let Lot have HALF.
Why? Remember, Lot was Abram's oldest brother's son. Lot was the LEGAL head of the family!!
This tells us a lot about Abram. First, he trusted God to provide what God had promised. Second, Abram tried to live righteously...or, by all the existing laws.
Abram was a man who took his responsibilities seriously. He knew it was his job to raise and care for his oldest brother's son. Isn't it interesting that he would actually defer to Lot. That shows a man of sincerity and dependability.

Lot chose the beautiful plains because they were very fertile and would support his herds.
This left Abraham the "hill country." It would be HARDER now for Abraham to graze his herds. Christians, do you ever think of allowing someone else to have the best even if it causes you to work harder?
Notice here that lot was fixated on population/society, even though the people were "evil" in God's sight. The way seems easier to Lot now; but later it will be shown
as the hardest of all.
Christians, when we take our eyes of Jesus and follow the ways of other people and society, then we make our way harder in the end.

God comes to Abram and reiterates his promise to him. Even though Abram has allowed Lot to have the BEST of the land, God promises that Abram and his children shall have it.
Friend, when God promises you peace and joy - NO ONE can take it away!

God also promises Abraham that his descendents will be as many as granules of sand in the dirt.
Did you ever stop to consider how many Hebrews have descended from this one man over some 4,000 years?
WOW!

Abram did just as God said; he moved around. Finally, he came to Hebron and settled there.
Here he built another altar to God.
Wherever we go, we should remember to worship God.

Chedorlaomer was the leader of four kings who conquered the five kings of the Sodom and Gomorrha area.
Notice that verse 3 indicates a valley of sand which was located where the "Salt Sea" or Dead Sea is now.
Here is the age-old struggle of mankind. Fighting over space, property, power & prestige.

Evidently it was the best "mud-fighter" that won! The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah couldn't handle it as well
and they "fled."
That's the way the world rules without God. Whoever can fight the best in the dirty muk and mire wins dominion.
But, watch how the story progresses and shows how GOD wins in righteousness.
When Sodom and Gomorrha were captured, Lot and his family were taken captive.

Abram had 318 "servants" who evidently were very courageous. They were quite willing to fight whenever Abraham called for them to.
Here is a brilliant (though sometimes risky) military maneuver. Abram divided his troops and struck by night.
When Lot had been rescued, all the bounty belonged to Abram. And the King of Sodom came out to
congratulate him.
He who knows defeat is quite willing to receive a Saviour!

This is the only mention of Mechizedec's actual existence. He is mentioned in other places (see particularly Hebrews 7:1-4).
However, as for his LIFE we know nothing.
I must pause for a moment and briefly discuss this person. There have been many who have purported that he was nothing more than a king living in that time. However, Hebrews 7 specifically states that there is no record of his existence in history!
It is as if he briefly, for only THIS moment in time appears and then disappears!
What does the Bible say? First we are told he is "king of Salem," which means King of Peace.
Second, he is the "priest of the most high God." Now? At this time? So far the Bible has not designated a "priest of the most high God." Later, Levi, great-grandson of Abram, would be designated high priest for Israel. So far as we know, Biblically, Levi was the FIRST one
to receive that designation.
Third, we are told that Melchizedek "blessed" Abram, and that Abram paid "tithes" to him.
No one, at this time in Biblical history, has been given the authority to receive "tithes."
Who IS this guy?
Truly, we do not know. But one thing is sure. Psalm 110:2-5 speaks of the Son of God which would come
out of "ZION" which refers to the "city of David," Jerusalem, or to the PEOPLE of ISRAEL (Is. 60:14).
This SON of GOD would be like Melchizedek: no beginning and no end!
Jesus is the SON of GOD, and the son (descendent) of David, and a child of Israel. However, He is God Himself, come in flesh to deliver sinful man. He is the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" (Rev. 1:8). He was, He IS, and He is TO COME!
Perhaps the whole purpose of this appearance of Melchizedek is to very EARLY in the Bible shed light on the fact that one day God will indeed com in flesh!
THINK about THAT!!
And, yes, I believe this appearance of Melchizedek could have been an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ, Jesus.
There are many OTHER places where He appears to Abraham and to others in the Old Testament.
((See: Gen. 3:8, Gen. 18:1, Joshua 5:13-14, Judges 6:12, Judges 13:3-20, Isaiah 6:1-6 just for starters.))

Abram was glad to serve. He wanted nothing in return, and certainly did not want to be in a position as debtor to the king of Sodom.
Abram's own personal vow was to maintain a relationship with God that kept him from being debtor
or vassal to anyone.
The Bible plainly tells us that those who are consecrated to Christ should not be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers."(2Corinthians 6:14)

Now notice this: The same rigorous rule Abram set for himself, he would NOT impose upon others.
We may be strict in restraining liberty to ourselves, (to help us walk in devotion to God), but we shouldn't impose any unnecessary restrictions upon others.
((See Matt. 23:4, Acts 15:19-20)

This, to me, is one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament.
It defines salvation!
At this time Abram is 80 years old. God appears to Abram and assures him that the promise made by God would be fulfilled.
Abram is a child of God, but he lives in the world. Therefore, he does not understand.
According to the world, a man who has no children generally leaves his possessions to his most
trusted servant.
But God tells him he will have a son!! Can you imagine that? Abraham died at 175 years of age.
Sarai was now 80 years of age. And at 80 years of age, even in those days, it was unheard of for
a woman to have a child!
But that was God's promise to Abram. Now. What will Abram do with the promise? Will he
cherish and believe it? Or will he reject it thinking that perhaps he heard wrong or misunderstood?

God took Abraham up in His arms and showed him the stars of heaven. And God told Abram that just as
the stars are innumerable, so would the descendents of Abram be innumberable.
And the Bible says Abraham BELIEVED what God said! And God counted that BELIEF as righteousness!
Isn't that what happens when a lost sinner gets saved? Jesus said "whosoever believeth" (John 3:16). And the Bible tells us that HIS rigteousness is given to all
who "believe" in Jesus (2Cor. 5:21). It is upon this "belief" in Jesus as (br Lord and Saviour and Giver of eternal life, that we are saved. God counts that "belief" as
righteousness!!
What IS that "belief." Well, in John 3:16, the term that Jesus used, is a common street term that dealt with wrestling in those days. It simply meant to run head-long into your opponent and cling to him until one of you was dead!!
Now ain't THAT a thought!! And that is why "belief" can be equivocated with "surrender."
(See Luke 9:23 for instance.) Abram "believed" God! He would cherish and cling to the promise God made!

God told Abram that he and his descendents would inherit this "promised land."
Abram, like a child, asked God for a "sign" that it was so. In other words, Abram wants a "down payment" on the property he will receive.
So God defines what Abram can do to receive the "sign" or "down payment."
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION NOW!!
God tells Abram to make a sacrifice. That entailed killing an animal and dividing it into four peaces. This was the form of making a "treaty" in those days.
A man would make a treaty with another by killing an animal and dividing the pieces.
Then the two men would walk between the pieces of the dead animal in circular form, making the sign of infinity (a figure 8 lying down).
This symbolized that if one did not hold up his end of the treaty, the other had the right to divide HIM in half!!
So Abram performs the first half of the treaty sacrifice.
Abram fought off the crows and the buzzards. He would do all he could to keep HIS end of the bargain. That which he offered to God was HOLY.
And Abram wanted to KEEP it holy.
BUT Abram became tired and weary. Jesus said, "..the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41)
The TRUTH is, Abram could NOT keep his part of the treaty!
YOU STILL PAYING ATTENTION? We cannot keep our bargain with God to "believe!" Like the man who had the demon-possessed child, we must cry out, "LORD, I believe: help Thou mine unbelief!"(Mark 9:24)
THEN God gives us FAITH!! Faith is the ability to keep clinging to God's promise, even though we are weak because of temptation, sin, and trouble!
The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
(Eph. 2:8-9)
When Abram was weak, tired, sleepy, unable - THAT'S when God showed up!!
Note that God appeared in a "smoking furnace," a "burning lamp." Later, God would reveal Himself to Moses and Israel as a "pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar
of fire by night." (Exodus 13:21)
This is the awesome PRESENCE of God! He comes to provide that which Abram does not have: FAITH!
Oh! Friend, we are not saved by faith. We are saved by grace through faith!
It is the amazing, unearned, unmerited, undeserved grace of God which provides us FAITH!
And when we are unable, tired, weary, weak - THEN God's Holy Spirit comes and
strengthens us and helps us! PRAISE GOD!
WASN'T THAT WORTH PAYING ATTENTION?!

Do YOU have this FAITH? Commit yourself to Jesus, and He will give it to you!

Please continue to follow along in daily Bible study.