Jan. 7, 2021
God promises Abram he will give him descendants as numerous as the stars. This would have seemed physically impossible, given Abram and his wife’s old age, yet Abram chose to believe God. The Bible tells us Abram’s belief (or faith) was credited to him as righteousness.
God then showed Abram, in a dream, what the next 400 years would look like for him and his descendants. God told him to prepare a sacrifice with animals cut in half and arranged a specific way on an altar.
The Lord made a covenant with Abram by passing a smoking fire pot and flaming torch between Abram’s sacrifice. While a contract makes requirements of both parties, the obligation of keeping a covenant falls to the one who created it — in this example, God. All that was required of Abram was faith.
The crowds who came to hear Jesus teach were curious. Most were not disciples, but spectators who’d heard about Jesus and wanted to hear from Him firsthand.
Jesus primarily spoke to Jewish crowds, which means those listening would have grown up going to synagogue and known Old Testament laws. But Jesus goes above and beyond the standards they’d been taught to uphold. He focuses on the heart behind their actions.
Rather than simply not committing adultery, Jesus challenges them to pursue purity, to desire a heart that doesn’t even look lustfully on another person.
Instead of “loving their neighbors and hating their enemies,” Jesus goes a step farther, telling them to love and pray for both.
Make It Personal
- Is there anything God has promised you that you’re having a hard time believing? Talk to Him about it. Tell Him your fears and concerns, and leave some time to let God stir your faith.
- Which of today’s readings resonated most with you? Why?
Learn More About Abraham’s Sacrifice
Abraham cuts an animal in half, and God walks between the pieces. Seems normal, right? In this 8-minute video, Teaching Pastor Meredith Knox explains what’s happening between Abraham and God in a way you’ll never forget.
