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The Word in Your World

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LAW OF FIRST OCCURENCE

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“After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.”          Genesis 15:1 NIV

 

The opening paragraph of Genesis 15 strikingly illustrates for us what is commonly called in Bible study, the law of first occurrence. By this is meant that the first time a word or phrase is used in the Bible, it is used in such a way or in such a context as to highlight the basic meaning of it throughout the rest of Scripture. Four such phrases appear in this paragraph for the first time in the Bible, though they are repeated many, many times afterward. See if you can recognize them. Did you see the first one, in the very first line, “the word of the Lord came”? The recurrence of this phrase many times afterward in Scripture emphasizes the God-breathed character of the Bible. The word of the Lord came to many people, just as it came to Abram, and they wrote as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit, and then actually sat down and studied their own writings to learn what God had said, (1 Peter 1:10-12). The second phrase is the word that came to Abram, “Fear not!” How often this is God’s word to us, throughout this book. The third phrase is, “I am your shield.” In a thousand wonderful variations, we find this thought repeated frequently: God is our refuge and our strength; God is a tower of refuge; God is an overshadowing rock; blessed is the one that hides under the shadow of the Almighty. This is the first intimation of this character of God in Scripture. Then there is that familiar word in the last verse, “And he believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, thank You for Your Word that reveals Your amazing character.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, thank You for Your Word spoken to Abram, that continues to speak to us through the centuries, revealing Your amazing character. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Romans 9:19-33

 

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