Genesis 10-12 and Matthew 4 – It seems all I have from today’s reading is a bunch of questions! Among them, did Noah’s sons have children before boarding the Ark (they were almost 100 years old after leaving the ark), and if so, why were they not on the ark? Why did Abram’s father set out for the land of Canaan and what stopped him from getting anywhere close to his goal? Who told Pharaoh that Sarai was Abram’s wife (the Bible says Pharaoh’s house was afflicted with plagues because of her, but not how God revealed to him what the problem was)?
Outside of all the questions, I see the continuing theme of trusting obedience in the face of the unknown – Abram, Sarai, and Lot simply up and went, seemingly without understanding the destination or the purpose. Or perhaps God simply prompted Abram to complete his father’s mission. Did Terah miss out on God’s blessing because he didn’t continue on to Canaan (oops – more questions…)? And, of course, there are the disciples, who, “Immediately left…and followed Him” (Matt 3: 20 & 22)
I fear I am more like Terah, who seems to have received some kind of “call” to “go”, but, though he initially responded to that call, got distracted on his journey and settled somewhere comfortable rather than completing it. As I Pause and Reflect, I Ask that God would help me Yield in trusting obedience to His Word in my life!!
One last little “nifty” that I had never really connected before (for whatever reason) – Jesus fasted in the wilderness before beginning his ministry one day for each year the Israelites wandered in what was probably that same wilderness. Must be some significance to that!