Men in the Bible: A Man Who Blends Integrity with Sensibility But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High,…
Men in the Bible: A Man of Integrity Without Extremes
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” – Genesis 14:22-24
Another lesson we can learn from Abraham was intelligence, which helped him blend integrity with sensibility. He was not an extremist of a sort in his avowal of uprightness. It is not that tilting towards extremes in moral uprightness is bad in itself, but when it comes to the feelings, welfare, and well-being of other people, being extreme can be a sin in the eyes of God. It was this curious lesson that Jesus spent much of His ministry trying to get the Pharisees to understand.
In the context of our reading today, Abraham, upon his triumphant campaign from his battle with the coalition of kings who took his nephew captive, did more than rescue his relative. He also took bounties of war in his wake upon his victorious campaign.
Upon his return, the King of Sodom, one of the beneficiaries of the campaign gladly offered to give Abraham all the bounties he recovered from the kings he defeated. However, Abraham had his own reservations about the king of Sodom. So he bluntly told the latter that he had vowed to God not to take anything for himself from the spoils he took from the enemies. That was a demonstration of integrity in itself.
It is one thing to make a vow when you do not have anything that can tempt you. It is another thing, however, to keep such vows when one is presented with tempting attractions that could make one reconsider the vow. Abraham might have found himself in this position as well. He might have been tempted by the sheer number of booties he claimed from the coalition of kings he went to fight.
However, he had made a vow about what he would do in the aftermath of the battle. He would not take anything for himself so that the king of Sodom would not have the bragging right that he was the one who made Abraham rich. Abraham did not want to mix God’s blessing with humans’ blessing. He stuck to his gun and did not accept the invitation of the king of Sodom to take the booty for himself. But then he did not stop there. Listen to him:
“I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High… that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” – Genesis 14:22-24
The real lesson here is that Abraham did not say because he himself was not going to collect anything from the bounties of war, therefore the men who accompanied him to the battle, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, should also not take anything for themselves. He was sensitive enough to consider his companions’ needs, even when those men were lower than him in stature, and would have opted to align with his resolution of no bounty. He did not put them in a difficult position that would make them look bad on account of his own constitution. He did not ride roughshod on their collective sensitivities because they were lower in rank than he was. That was integrity with sensibility.
On the contrary, even before his companions voiced their support for his stand or their protestation at his deprivation, Abraham was very proactive and sensitive to their aspirations by communicating the caveat in his terms to the king of Sodom: Yes, he was not taking anything for himself, but these three men must be allowed to take what they consider fair and appropriate for their efforts and risks. He did not use his own stance to hush them up or disregard their needs. That is an easy error the upright frequently make.
That is why this lesson cannot be over-emphasized for the apostles of moral rectitude who use their own liberty to override the needs and aspirations of others in their circle, either because such people are subordinate to them or do not have much say in the matter. There are some seemingly right stances we can make that will dangerously trample someone else or undermine their dignity, if we cross that line we may unwittingly offend God Himself. Wisdom is profitable to direct.
Couples in the Bible: Adam and Eve – the Disobedient Duo So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes,…
Couples in the Bible: Adam and Eve – the Disobedient Duo
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened… – Genesis 3:6-7
We will still continue our exploration of married couples in the Bible today by focusing on Adam and Eve. This term, they are a disobedient pair, as opposed to the rather positive attribute we read about them yesterday.
Sadly, the first act as a couple that we read about Adam and Eve was them being disobedient to God by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some would argue that Eve brought it all upon her family by accepting to eat the fruit in the first place and then passing it to her husband. Some would also contend that Adam should have been the man and not accept the fruit from his wife, not to talk of eating it himself. Afterall, haven’t God expressly warned and forbidden him from touching it? However, the summary is that they both ate the fruit and, by so doing, they both disobeyed God.
Now, one person falling or making a mistake in a marriage, or any partnership for that matter, is bad enough. But if the two parties in the marriage fall or make similar mistakes, that can be disastrous. Why so? Because God designed partnership, particularly marriage, so that each party can lean on and strengthen the other during their moments of weakness, as it is bound to be because uptimes and downtimes are part of life, at least on this hemisphere.
Consider this:
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
This passage sums up God’s thinking on the essence of partnership. It is for mutual support, as no one will ever remain standing strong all the time. Therefore, a partner is needed to provide support and to help the faltering party to weather the storms of life.
It was this critical lesson that seemed to have been lost to Adam that after his wife fell and came to him with her proposition, he did not provide the support she needed by resisting the temptation in her hand and charge to tackle the serpent for taking advantage of his partner so. Rather, he also fell with her and they both thus set an unwanted example for their offerings after them.
Adam and Eve – the Cozy Couple And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. – Genesis 2:25 It is heartwarming that the first…
Adam and Eve – the Cozy Couple
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. – Genesis 2:25
It is heartwarming that the first married duo in recorded history, in the persons of Adam and Eve as seen in the Holy Bible, can be described as a cozy couple.
Our reference passage today says it all: they were both naked in the garden and were also very conscious of each other’s nakedness, but each party was neither ashamed of his or her own nudity nor despise the other party’s nakedness. They were that comfortable with each other.
It is pertinent to state that this was before they both ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as that could be used to explain away their carefreeness about their nakedness. However, that was not the case. The truth is both were fully aware of their own and the other person’s nudity. Otherwise, it would not have been so recorded in the Bible. The only difference was that, although they were aware of their starkness, they did not know if it was good or bad to be naked. Therefore, they had no opinion about it. So the awareness was there alright and shared by them both.
Meanwhile, the fact that they were not ashamed of their own or each other’s nakedness pointed to the level of freedom they derived from each other’s company. Each had no reason to cover his or her private parts in the sight of their partner. They were comfortable in their own skin and had had no feeling of self-consciousness being with each other.
As straightforward as this may sound, it is not a common practice among married couples, either those in the early days when civilization was not so rife, or those in our modern world today. While there are marriages where the partners are pretty close and intimate, with no holds barred or any secret they would rather not have the other person know about, couples since Adam and Eve’s era have always been guarded and secretive with each other. So, it is refreshing to note the disposition of the first couple to openness.
No matter their mistakes or whatever we may think of them concerning the fruit they ate (we may never hear the end of that!), Adam and Eve set an example for all married couples across the age in terms of intimacy and openness. They had no inhibition whatsoever in their dealing with each other. They had no boundary, no borders, no trespass or no-go area.
They were pretty much a cozy couple, and they must have had a good time exploring the intimate parts of each other’s life and frame without feeling violated or disrespected, or having an intention to do so. That is worth emulating.
Cain – The Man God Did Not Respect And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to…
Cain – The Man God Did Not Respect
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord… And the Lord…did not respect Cain and his offering. – Genesis 4:3-5
But then, what could be the reasons God accepted Abel’s offering, whereas Cain had both his person and his sacrifice rejected? While there have been many submissions on what might be responsible, the Bible does not expressly provide a detailed background on what led to what. However, there is a reason to draw a strong inference from the events leading to that point to help us know why Abel was accepted and Cain was rejected.
Let’s consider the passage below:
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering… – Genesis 4:3-5 [Emphasis ours]
This passage helps to see that it was the extra effort that Abel put in that got him accepted by God, whereas indifference might have cost Cain so dearly as to have him rejected by God. This is because the Bible provides additional information about the kind of offering that Abel brought, the firstling and the fattest, there was no such descriptor to qualify Cain’s own sacrifice.
That suggests he probably just picked whatever came to hand for the sacrifice and was not deliberate in choosing the best and the premium of his harvest as his present to God. And because God is very choosy and rather discriminating (yes, you read that right, God is very picky) as to the kind of offering that is presented to Him, He refused to acknowledge both Cain and his offering.
Therefore, Cain went down on record as the first man to be rejected by God because he was rather random and carefree in the choice of sacrifice he offered to God, unlike his younger brother who went out of his way to pick the very best among his flock as presents to God. That is a mark of honor.
It is possible that many of us today may be falling guilty of the same mistake that Cain made by not being deliberate in the service we render to God. This is even more tricky in our days where we do not really offer tangibles such as animals and farm produce to God. Our time, our attention, our efforts, our money, and our priorities are the sacrifice that we mostly offer to God today. The big question is, what is the quality of these resources that you devote to God? Is the quality premium or questionable?
As far as God is concerned, there is no middle way. You are either pleasing or displeasing Him. The same applies to your service to Him, whether quality or poor. The offering that is acceptable to God is the one without blemish, that means it must be of the highest standard. Please take some time to read in detail the kind of offering God accepts here.
God has described Himself as a jealous God, which means He has sensibilities which can be gratified when pleased, or offended when His preferences are not met, ignored, or disregarded. May you not be reckoned as someone who displeases God.
Men in the Bible: Cain – The Man that God Did Not Respect And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the…
Men in the Bible: Cain – The Man that God Did Not Respect
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord… And the Lord…did not respect Cain and his offering. – Genesis 4:3-5
Another man in the Bible that we will consider today is Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer, a tiller of the ground, while his brother Abel was a shepherd.
At some point, Cain and Abel decided to present an offering to God from their produce. But while God accepted the offering of the younger Abel, there was a poignant twist to the sacrifice of Cain, as the Bible records that God neither respected him nor his offering.
This is a heartbreaking development for anyone. Imagine making so much fuss about offering a sacrifice to God, with all the ceremonies of picking and preparing the offerings, only to get to the place of worship and receive a verdict of “not accepted” from God. May that not be your portion in Jesus Name.
But then, what could be the reasons Abel’s offering was accepted by God, whereas Cain had both his person and his sacrifice rejected? While there have been many submissions on what might be responsible, the Bible does not expressly provide a detailed background on what led to what. However, there is a reason to draw a strong inference from the events leading to that point to help us know why Abel was accepted and Cain was rejected.
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
Women in the Bible: A Paragon of Beauty
What made Sarah’s beauty so compelling that kings and nations took notice? Explore the deeper layers of grace, favour, and mystery surrounding one of Scripture’s most unforgettable women — and discover why her story still provokes wonder today.
Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure
Terah may not have reached Canaan, but his courage to start a life-changing journey laid the foundation for Abraham’s destiny. Discover how ambition and bold steps mark a life of significance.
Men in the Bible: An Impetuous and Impudent Man
A revealing glimpse into a man whose choices exposed deeper issues of character, showing how hastiness and entitlement can quietly shape a destiny, and why his story still speaks to us today.
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight
Sometimes what looks like a smart choice can hide the seed of a mistake. This reflection from Scripture invites us to think again about how foresight — or the lack of it — shapes a man’s story.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe
Before laws, temples, or traditions, one man honoured God with his substance. Abraham’s tithe was not commanded, demanded, or enforced. It flowed from reverence.
Fathers in the Bible: A Destiny-Shaping Father
What makes a man a truly aware father? Discover how one man’s prophetic foresight shaped his son’s destiny and changed generations forever.
Add Daily Dew Devotional & Inspirational to your Homescreen!
