‘Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” ‘ Genesis 20:4-5
Spend time in nature
Today play a game of Frostbite. In this game one person is unable to move because they have a case of frostbite, unfortunately everyone else in the family has a case of snow blindness, so they can’t see. Before you begin gather items you can use to make a tent; this tent can be large enough for the whole family to fit in or it can be made out of paper and other offices supplies. Once you have gathered all your supplies blindfold everyone who is snow blinded. The person with frostbite will try to guide the family in building a tent. This game is a trust game. The family has to trust the person with frostbite to help them put the tent together so that it can stand on it’s own. Once the tent is finished sit inside and have a snack or play a game of tic-tac-toe, mainly spend time together. As we trust God to guide us we to will find we are standing on a firm foundation. The eyes of the group is important, but their help is limited in a way. God, on the other hand, has the ability to make all things possible. Though humans are limited by their mortal bodies, God has no limit.
Tip
Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord, the Lord, is an everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:4). As humans we may have the desire to put the plow down and make our own path, and we should, but let God be the guide. He loves us so much and wants us to make our own choices, our first two choices should be to Love God with all our heart, and Love our neighbor as ourself.
Do something creative
This weeks craft is also part of a team building exercise. First you will get in a line. The person at the beginning of the line will need to be standing in front of a wall/counter/ table they can use as a hard surface to draw on. Everyone else will take their paper and place it, or tape it, to the back of a person in front of them. The person at the back of the line will choose a bible character/scene/object. Try to make the first round something simple to let people get the hang of the game. The first person will can only draw a single line at a time. The second person will try to make the exact same line using only their sense of touch. They will have to feel each line and try to copy whatever line the person behind them. Once everyone has finished their drawing compare it to the first persons drawing. You can have everyone take turns being the first person and color all your drawings when you are done.
What you will need:
- A piece of paper for everyone
- A washable marker for everyone
- Tape (optional)
Family worship idea
Decorate your worship room with candles and fairy lights and secretly tape a couple of photos under a table or on the ceiling. Give everyone a flashlight and have everyone lay down and read through Genesis 20. As you are reading have everyone use their flashlights to look for the surprise (the photos you hid earlier). Once you are done reading the chapter see if anyone was able to find the photos. Visit with your family about Gerar and how their belief saved them. Visit about how Abimelech referred to his nation (a nation of Philistines) as a righteous nation. For Abimelech there was no hesitation to be obedient to the God he saw in his dream. For him and the nations around him this was how God would speak to them. Abraham made a mistake and still God declared Abraham was a prophet to the dreaming Abimelech. The king made restitution for his own mistake and though it was not a blood sacrifice, he had many witnesses as he brought the animals and riches out. There is a lesson to be taken away from this story. As prophets for God we are to speak of Him and His greatness, and always be the best example we can. Even when we are not perfect God is speaking to us, we need only learn to hear and trust His voice. The purpose of looking for the photo was a demonstration that with God, He does not shine His light on only the good. God searches the world looking for a pure and contrite heart, once it sees the light of the world there is a change in the person that can only be brought about by God. No longer are they lost in the darkness, but their beauty is exposed.
Additional thoughts
Just what measure of spiritual illumination they received, it is impossible for us to know and declare. From our knowledge of the limitations and blindness of the minds of men at the present time, we cannot conceive how those leaders could see, and understand, and do as perfectly as they did without special guidance by the Holy Spirit. Perversion, darkness, and corruption were universal and supreme. Many of the spiritual leaders of the period sincerely believed that the Lord made Himself known to them in visions and spoke to them in dreams. AGP 221.2
Many of God’s servants and messengers in Old Testament times had similar experiences. Abraham’s call to the land of Canaan, his journey to Egypt and back, his strange experience with Abimelech, king of Gerar, and many other providences must have been full of mystery to him. They could not be “understood by themselves.” But when they were all brought together in the central purpose of God to establish a model nation for Himself in this ruined world, they could be understood. AGP 221.3
But although Abraham could not understand the meaning of these single, detached events as they came along one by one, he believed in God. He knew God had spoken to him. He obeyed by rendering prompt and full co-operation in carrying out the divine purpose. He wrote no prophecies. He worked no miracles. He made some mistakes. Yet of Abraham the Lord said, “He is a prophet.” Genesis 20:7. AGP 221.4
So it was with leaders in succeeding generations. They were called men of God, seers, prophets. The brief and seemingly ordinary service of some would not lead us to count them as prophets, but for the direct statement of the word of God. Evidently they had communications from the Lord of which there is no mention. They were given messages, however, which led them to meet the purpose of God in the gospel. Not all were called to foretell events or to work miracles. To them were revealed the purposes of God not known to others. Their mission was to bear these messages to their fellow men.
Hiding His word in you ❤
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose Confidence is in the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:7
Sabbath Catalyst 