Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 21:1-8.

“Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.” Genesis 21:1-8.

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The Promises of God are backed by His Perfect Divine Nature (impossible for God to lie), His Oath, and the Unchangeableness of His Purpose.

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:13-18.

Therefore, “the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised.” Verse 1.

“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” Joshua 21:45.

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.” 1 Kings 8:56.

“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him (Christ) they are yes;  therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20.

Reformed Doctrine emphasizes God’s promises. Consider God’s promises of “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, Irresistable Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”, four of the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. Other doctrine emphasizes man’s purposes.

Reformed Doctrine emphasizes this “unchangeableness of His purpose”. Other doctrine emphasizes man’s free will which can block or change God’s purpose.

Article 8. For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.

Article 9. This purpose proceeding from everlasting love towards the elect, has from the beginning of the world to this day been powerfully accomplished, and will henceforward still continue to be accomplished, notwithstanding all the ineffectual opposition of the gates of hell, so that the elect in due time may be gathered together into one, and that there never may be wanting a church composed of believers, the foundation of which is laid in the blood of Christ, which may steadfastly love, and faithfully serve him as their Savior, who as a bridegroom for his bride, laid down his life for them upon the cross, and which may celebrate his praises here and through all eternity. Canons of Dordt SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 20. Here is a link to that chapter.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+20&version=NASB

We will focus on the following verses 1 to 7.

“Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20:1-7.

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Abimelech king of Gerar did restore Sarah to Abraham and even gave them many gifts. Then, “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” Genesis 20:17-18.

These events are similar to what Abraham and Sarah experienced in Genesis 12:10-20. God protected them there as well.

We may wonder why Abraham and Sarah did not learn the lesson of God’s protection from this prior experience. We may wonder why they resorted to deception again.

And hopefully that wonderment will lead us to increased faith in God’s protection and to less desire in us to deceive or otherwise improperly act in taking things into our own hands.

God is faithful. God is faithful all the time. 

“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” Deuteronomy 7:9.

“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4.

“O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful And fully recompenses the proud doer.” Psalm 31:23.

“O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” Psalm 89:8.

“He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Psalm 98:3.

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” Isaiah 25:1.

“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9.

“1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper

And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” Psalm 91:1-4.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 19:30-38.

“30 Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him;  for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters.  31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth.  32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.”  33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father;  and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.  34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father;  let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.”  35 So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him;  and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.  36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.  37 The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.  38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.” Genesis 19:30-38.

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This immoral behavior by the daughters of Lot is hard to believe.  It helps us to understand this behavior by believing in the doctrine of “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Reformed Doctrine teaches us that man’s natural condition was corrupted by the fall of Adam (through Adam’s sin) and is a condition of “Total Depravity”.  We are “dead” in sin. Ephesians 2:1.  None of us understands, and none of us seeks God.  Romans 3:10-11.  We are hostile to God. Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21.  We are in bondage to sin.  Romans 7:14-15.

Romans 3:10-11:

” as it is written,

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

And, the consequence of the behavior by the daughters of Lot in today’s Scripture was that they gave birth to sons who became father of the Moabites and Ammonites.  And we know that the Moabites and Ammonites became enemies of Israel and led Israel astray.

But, there is hope! 

Ruth was a Moabitess. Ruth 1:22. And, Ruth the Moabitess became an ancestor of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Matthew 1:5.

And so, even though we cringe when we read about such behavior as we read in today’s Scripture, let us remember:

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

Dear Family and Friends:

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 19:12-29.

“12 Then the two men (the two angels) said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; 20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace.

29 Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.” Genesis 19:12-29.

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The angels said to Lot: “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place …” Verses 12 and 13. But, only Lot and his two daughters were saved from the physical destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah. The sons-in-law thought the angels were jesting (Verse 14), and Lot’s wife “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Verse 26).

And even though the daughters were saved from the physical destruction, we do not read about anything that the daughters were spiritually blessed. But, rather, in the following Scripture, Genesis 19:30-38, we read about the immoral actions of the two daughters toward their father Lot.

Thus, in summary, we note with interest that today’s Scripture singles out only Lot in stating: “for the compassion of the Lord was upon him”. Verse 16.

“Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”  And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you;  and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” Exodus 33:-18-19.

“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:15.

We can and should urge people to do the right thing.  We can and should say to them: “Leave the city (or places of temptation and immorality)!” or “Don’t look back!!”. 

But, most importantly, we can show God’s glory.  We can proclaim the name of the LORD to them.  We can show them the God Whose “sovereignty rules over all”, the God Who states:  “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:15.  We can and should teach people that the source of God’s compassion is His sovereign unconditional election.  Fear that God!  Seek that sovereign and unconditional compassion!!!

“8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

14 For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,

And its place acknowledges it no longer.

17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

18 To those who keep His covenant

And remember His precepts to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:8-19.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 19:1-10.

“1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” 3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.” Genesis 19:1-10.

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“and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.” 2 Peter 2:7-10.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 18:22-33.

“22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:22-33.

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God does not need Abraham to teach Him to act justly and righteously. God allowed Abraham to consider what was just and right and to discuss it with Him. Remember the context of today’s Scripture: “The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” Genesis 18:17-19. Because God had chosen Abraham, God knew that He should reveal certain things to Abraham and teach Abraham in “the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice”.

We do this as natural parents. Even though we know what we are going to do, we ask our children questions and solicit their consideration and discussion as part of our training of them.

We can see God’s patience and consideration of the effect of destruction of the environment on the righteous in Jesus’ parable of “The Wheat and Tares”. “Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:24-30.

Finally, even though there was not even ten righteous in Sodom, God saved righteous Lot and did not allow him to be swept away to destruction with the wicked. We are precious in the sight of our LORD. God does not forget about us or allow us to be swept away with the wicked for the good of all.

“5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.”
Psalm 91:5-10.

“Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” Verse 12.

“The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.”  Psalm 147:11