Chronological Bible Reading – January 16

Psalms 119:133 Order my steps in Your Word; and do not let any iniquity rule over me.
Chronological Bible Reading for January 16
Genesis 12-15

Genesis 12:1 – Here is another BIG If. This one to Abraham to leave his kinfolk and become a blessing to all mankind. It was not till Abraham separated from Lot that he was able to have fellowship with God again.
Genesis 12:7 – Abram marked the occurrence and place that Jehovah (Yeho?va?h) appeared to him.
Genesis 13:6 – Now finally there is a need to separate Abram from the last of his kindred as God told him to do at the beginning. God will work out His will regardless of how we disobey Him. God blessed Abram and Lot so much with worldly goods that the land could not sustain them. Filling your life with the things of this world keeps you from being in touch with God. But if you are trying to do God’s will He will shake you out of the very thing that is holding you back. Abram did not lose his wealth but he no longer has the relationship that was keeping him out of God’s will.
Genesis 13:14 – Now that Lot has separated from Abram, God affirms the promise that He gave Abram at the beginning of the journey.
Genesis 14:18 – Melchizedek means king of righteousness and is described as king of Salem (peace) and as the priest of God. It is interesting that Melchizedek brought bread and wine, the same things that Jesus used to represent His sacrifice at the Passover supper. There is no ancestry or descendant information for Melchizedek implying no beginning or end of his priesthood. Some people have speculated that Melchizedek was Noah’s son Shem, having always been around in the memory of the people.
Genesis 14:23 – Abram did not want anyone but God to be honored for his success.
Genesis 15:3 – Abram is concerned that his servant will inherit everything. Yet later on he tries to convince God that a servant’s child should have the inheritance.
Genesis 15:4 – God is saying that the heir will come from Abram not a servant. In the beginning God designed marriage to bring the man and woman together as one flesh. This is what God is referring to here that the heir will come from Abram and his wife Sarai.
Genesis 15:8 – Abraham was still waiting for God’s promise of descendants and wanted a confirmation or down payment on the promise. If you are saved you also have a promise of God and the confirmation was the resurrection of Jesus, and the down payment was the Holy Spirit delivered into your life. The trust in God’s provision for the redemption of sin (Jesus’s death on the cross) as was shown to Adam and Eve in the sacrifice of the animal that God gave them the skin of for a covering.
Genesis 15:9 – God said give me the best of what you have and I will make a covenant (contract) with you.
Genesis 15:11 – Abraham protected the sacrifice till God came to confirm (sign) the contract.
Genesis 15:13 – At the end of the day (prophetic and ironic?) Abraham fell asleep and God described to him what was to happen with his descendants and God passed through the split sacrifice as a smoking furnace (God?) and a burning lamp (Jesus or the Holy Spirit?) signifying that it was not a covenant that Abraham was responsible to keep but that God Himself will fulfill the covenant. The research that I have done and many of the scholars that I have read agree that the 400 years begins when Isaac was weaned and is mocked by Ishmael. In fact when Sarah dies Abraham must buy a place to bury her showing that the land is not yet his. Other scholars that I have read disagree and say that the 400 years began when Israel went with his sons to avoid the famine. These scholars though do not agree with four generations that are also named in the genealogies of Jesus (Mat 1) and Aaron (Exo 6:16+). https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/how-long-were-the-israelites-in-egypt/
Genesis 15:16 – Evidently some of the Amorites still worshiped God and God was merciful to the generations that did. The BIG If. In Chapter 20 and 21 it is shown that Abimelech was one that feared God. Thus there was still a remnant and God honored them while they remained.
Genesis 15:18 – God said it and Israel’s enemies try to claim it for themselves.