How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?

When God called Abraham,  He made a promise with him.  Not just once either, but three times
in Genesis 12:7, 13:15-16, and 15:7, 18.  When God says something that many times, we better pay attention.  Let’s take a look at what this promise is all about:

And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, To your seed I will give this land. Genesis 12:7

This story came alive for me when I read chapter 46 of the Life-Study of Genesis.  In this chapter Witness Lee shares  that it seems Abraham was confused about who this promised seed should be. First, Abraham wondered if it was his nephew Lot, but then Lot moved away. After that Abraham asked God if it was Eliezer his trusted servant.  Later when Abraham felt that God was really taking too long to fulfill this promise, he took matters into his own hands.  But later God made it clear Ishmael wasn’t it either.

    After that episode God didn’t speak to Abraham for 13 years, and Abraham and Sarah  probably were asking each other what’s up with that?  In chapter 17:19 God comes to tell them what was up with that—"Sarah, your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac."  If you’ve been tracking Abraham’s age, he is now 99 and Sarah is 90!  By all standards they’re now way past the years of child bearing. 

   God really shows us here that He likes to work out His promise in seemingly impossible situations.  And just like God said, that very next year Isaac was born.  In this chapter I learned that what God was getting at here was that Sarah was going to conceive a child not by man’s strength but by God’s grace.  

      But this account isn’t just about God making headlines—Couple in Canaan have a child at 100! It’s about something far deeper. Many times in these chapters Witness Lee says that the story of Abraham is our own Christian biography.  On page 622-624 he shows using Abraham’s story that the seed is actually Christ being worked into us. It was incredible to me how each one of these people symbolize something in our own Christian experience:

   Without exception, every Christian is like Abraham....So firstly we rely upon our Lot, that which we brought with us from our natural background, trying to use him to fulfill God’s purpose in living a heavenly life for the glory of God.….When God does not allow us to rely on Lot, then we turn to Eliezer, expecting that he will enable us to live a heavenly life for God’s glory. Eventually God tells us, ‘I don’t want that. I don’t want anything objective, but something subjective from within your own being.’ Once we realize that God wants this, then we begin to exercise our own energy, our natural strength, to fulfill God’s purpose.…Although we may gain an Ishmael who is good in our eyes, we have the deep sensation that we are missing something. We have lost God’s presence. Moreover, this Ishmael will always mock the spiritual things (21:9)....It is not easy to stop your self-effort in the Christian life and your natural zeal in Christian work....But blessed is the one who will stop, for when you stop, God comes in. The end of humanity is the beginning of divinity....While you are praying that God will do something, God is praying that you will stop  (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print).

      I chuckled when I read the closing thoughts in this chapter that God is waiting for us to stop.  While we’re praying that God will come in and do something, on the other side God is praying won’t you stop and just let Me come in and do it in you? The story of Abraham really shows us this so well.  Finally Abraham got it.  God's purpose wasn't fulfilled by anything from his family background, or anyone else he trusted in, or what  he could do with his natural strength.  Only God’s appearing could bring Abraham the grace that would work out God’s purpose IN him. And it's the same for us today.

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on  Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call theTwo Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?

Fall is Here! Celebrate with a Bowl of French Pumpkin Soup!

I like serving soup before dinner.  Almost every night we start our dinner with some type of soup.  My international students helped me adopt this tradition.  I like it because it allows everyone to slow down and talk together before everyone dives into the main dish.  

This is my second time making this recipe.  The original recipe calls for 1 beaten egg, but it came out delicious without it.

French Pumpkin Soup - Enough for 8-10 small bowls

1.  Cut and cook enough pumpkin or butternut squash to make 2 cups.  Mash and then set aside.

2.  Slice 1/4 cup of green onion and sauté in 1/4 cup of butter.

3.  In a saucepan put:
(1)  The mashed squash, 2 cups of cream ( I used milk), 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper.  
(2)  Add the sautéed green onions.
(3) Then pour in 3 cups of chicken broth or water with Chicken Better Than Bouillon (That's what I used.)
(4)  Combine and cook for about 15-20 minutes.  Do not let this soup boil..

4.  Garnish each bowl with freshly chopped parsley.

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mouth Watering Italian  Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Spicy Cuban Black Bean Soup (From a store recipe card)
Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili  (From my mother-in-law)

Vegetable

My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)

 

How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?

    It didn't take long after the flood before Satan instigated a flat out rebellion against God. In fact according to Halley's Bible Handbook  that rebellion took place  just 101 years after the flood  when everyone on earth united to build the tower of Babel (H. H. Halley. Halley's Bible Handbook.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. 1965, Print.)

    The Bible tells us in Genesis 11:7-8 that God wasn't happy with this building and confounded their language so they couldn't work together. The footnote in my Recovery Version of the Bible says that archeological records indicate that both this city and tower were full of the names of idols!  

     For about 326 years God didn't have any testimony on this earth (page 83). Halley states that all the Babylonian cities of that time were filled with idol worship. It may have looked like God had lost everything.  But the omniscient God knew he had one person on the earth.  In Ur of Chaldea lived a man named Abram.   

 Nothing can stop God, and one day  God spoke to Abram. These two verses show the first two times God appeared to Abraham--the first was in Ur and the second in Haran:

And he said, Men, brothers, and fathers, listen:  The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran. Acts 7:2

Now Jehovah said to Abram, Go from your land and from your relatives and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.  Genesis 12:1 [spoken in Haran--see Gen. 11:32]

By reading chapter 39 of the LIfe-Study of Genesis I learned more about why God had to call Abraham repeatedly.   These excerpts are on page 540, 546, and 547:

There is a very crucial difference between these two callings of God.  In the first calling God told Abraham to get out of his country and his kindred (Acts 7:3). In the second calling God told him to get out of his country, his kindred, and his father's house (Gen. 12:1)….To be saved is to be called to fulfill God's purpose.  When God came in to call Abraham, it was not for the purpose that Abraham be saved from hell or filled with joy, it was for the purpose of fulfilling God's plan….To be saved is to be delivered out of many negative situations so that we may come into God's goal…..God's goal is firstly Christ….Secondly, God's goal is the church….God is God.  No one can frustrate Him.  Once He has chosen and called you, He will not be stopped by anything.  Sooner or later He will get through.  He will come to you again and again (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print).

     The story of Abraham shows us clearly that God will never be undone by His enemy.  God kept appearing to Abraham until he cooperated with Him.  God's appearing changed the entire course of history. Wow!

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on  Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call theTwo Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?

Judi's Gluten Free No Fail Pie Crust

I love the day before Thanksgiving!  It's so much fun to bake pies, cook up the cranberry sauce, and get things organized for baking the turkey tomorrow. 

 Today my daughter-in-law helped me make the pies.  Baking and cooking together is a fun tradition in our family. This is a new pie crust recipe that my friend Judi gave me a few weeks ago.  It's an old fashioned sort of crust with both egg and vinegar!  

It rolled out really well which can be tricky when you're working with pie crust!

Judi's No Fail Pie Crust - For 2 crusts

1.  Prepare dry ingredients - In a large mixing bowl put:
(1) 1 cup of white rice flour, 1 cup of sorghum flour, and 1 cup of tapioca flour.
(2)  Mix together 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt.

2.  With a fork mix in 2 cubes of softened butter or a combination of butter and coconut oil.

3.  In a small bowl whisk together:
(1)  1 egg
(2)  Then add 1 T apple cider vinegar
(3)  Stir in 1/4 cup of ice cold water.

4.   Add the liquid mixture to the flour and butter and quickly combine with a fork.

5.  Roll the dough out between sheets of wax paper or use flour on a counter.  

6.  Make two balls.  Put on heavily gluten free floured board and roll each of them out into an an 8” circle.  Since I adapted this recipe to gluten free flour, add enough flour to the bread board and rolling pin until the pie dough has just  the right consistency and doesn't stick to the rolling pin or come off the bread board!

7. Cut into 4 pieces and one by one place them into a pie plate, seal edges with fingertips. 

8.  Bake for 20 minutes at 425 if you are just baking the shell without a filling.  See below for making a pie with the apple filling.

Other Gluten Free Baking & Desserts on This Blog:

Breads & Coffee Cakes: 
Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread  (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From a former neighbor)
Here's a Zucchini Bread with a Hawaiian Twist! Gluten Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Cakes:
Gluten Free German Apple Cake   (From my grandmother)
You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free Carrot Cake (From my daughter's husband's grandma--whew)
Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake    (From a church friend)
Judi's Gluten Free Orange Chiffon Cake    (From a church friend)
Marilyn's Spectacular Gluten Free Oatmeal Cake   (My mother-in-law's specialty!)
The Best Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Delicious Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Grandma's Gluten Free Applesauce Cake   (From an Internet search--tastes like my grandma's!)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake   (From my grandma)
Rosie's Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Overwhelmed By Your Bumper Crop of Zucchini? Try Claudia's Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake!   (From my former neighbor Claudia of 12 years)
Decadent & Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Debbie's Delicious Hot Water GF Chocolate Cake   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Debbie's Less Oil Carrot Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Judi-s Crazy Cake (You Can Easily Make It Gluten Free!)  (From a church friend)

Cookies:
The Ultimate Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Mom's Go To For Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies    (From a church friend)
Mark's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made Gluten Free!   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)
Marie's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies (Also Great Gluten Free!)   (My friend Marie's recipe)
Bebe's Gluten Free Whoopie Pies  (From my friend Debbie)
Scrumptious Gluten Free Blackberry Cake   
Gluten Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons  - (Recipe on Baker's bag of coconut)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits   (My friend Judi's sister's recipe)

Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother. She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie    (From a church friend)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust  (Internet)
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)
Simple & Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Desserts with Fruit:
Sensational Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake   (From the back of Costco's organic sugar)

Terrific Gluten Free Strawberry & Peach Trifle  (Modified from an Internet search)
My Favorite Gluten Free Strawberry Cheesecake (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Just Like Grandma's (But Only Gluten Free) Berry Cobbler (My husband's grandma's recipe)
Gluten Free Lemony Rhubarb Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Old Fashioned Strawberry Buckle (Made Gluten Free)   (A recipe I picked up from a berry farm)
From New Zealand - Triple Berry Pavlova  (A friend's recipe - Heritage School Cookbook)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:

Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies  (Modified from back of the Libby's pumpkin can)
My Family's Favorite Gingerbread Cookies (Now Made Gluten Free!)  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies  (From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie   (With extra spice-- from back of Libby's pumpkin can)
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake   (From back of cream cheese box)
Gluten Free Polish Fruitcake  ( Modified from Internet search)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Nordy Bars  ( From my Syre School Cookbook)
Grandma Pitcher's Old Fashioned Sandies (Made Gluten Free)  (My husband's grandma)
Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Fruitcake    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Muffins:

My Favorite Banana Nut Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Toni's Outrageous Gluten Free Corn Muffins    (From back of a Bob's Red Mill package)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Puddings & Ice Cream: 

Dairy Free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (And other ice cream favorites!) (From searches)

Baked Coconut Pudding   (Something I worked out from my Aunt Sue's rice pudding recipe)

Tangy Lemon Pudding   (From my daughter-in-laws family reunion cookbook)

What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?

   Although Noah lived in an evil age, he received grace and walked with God.   And because of that, God could entrust him with the job of building the ark.  Man had become so corrupted, God didn't have any other options except to start over again.  For 120 years Noah and his family worked on that ark.  During that time Noah warned everyone that God was going to destroy the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:17).  

Picture I took while vacationing on Whidbey Island

     Undoubtedly many people scorned and laughed at him because it had never rained before. The Bible says the earth was watered by a mist that came up from the ground (Gen. 2:6).  But Noah and his family kept building and preparing food for all the animals (Gen. 6:21).

    When the day of the flood arrived, sorry to say, only Noah's family--just 8 people--went into the ark.  In chapter 32 of the Life-Study of Genesis, Witness Lee talks about how probably after the flood was over, whenever Noah's family saw any clouds, they might have felt a bit fearful. Here's the covenant God made with them:

     And I establish My covenant with you, that never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again will there a flood to destroy the earth. 
    And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living animal that is with you, for perpetual generations: 
      I set My bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.   Genesis 9:11-13

   This covenant is very special because ever since then rainbows often appear after a storm.  I learned from this chapter that rainbows also symbolize God's faithfulness to keep His word. These excerpts on pages 436-437 encouraged me a lot:

A picture a friend took.

God's covenant declares that whenever the sky is cloudy, God will send a rainbow….you can say, "…The sky is dark and the cloud is great, but a colorful rainbow is coming. Look at the rainbow. When you say this, you call not being as being through faith...The covenant is simply God's word.  God is faithful to whatever He says.  This is the rainbow.  Whenever a cloud comes, you must call God's faithfulness to come. That means that you call out the rainbow.  Whenever you feel that you are weak, you must call for God's faithfulness, saying, 'O God, You are faithful. I am weak, but You must make me strong according to Your Word.….There is a verse for every circumstance that you face. If you hold on to God's covenant, I can promise you that regardless of what happens to you, there is a verse as a living promise for you to rely upon and live by. We all need to learn how to live under God's covenant (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis.  Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1974, Print). 

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on  Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call theTwo Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?