Today we'll be concluding this portion of Scripture. When we closed on Sunday, Isaac was asking his father where the lamb was for the burnt sacrifice. Abraham replied, "God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
This is where we pick up today. "And the two of them went on together. When they had reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood." (Genesis 22:8b-9)
As a child, whenever I'd see this story in an illustrated Bible book, I'd look at it from Isaac's perspective. I'd wonder whether he was terrified of his father in this moment and whether he resisted being bound. I'd wonder whether this experience traumatized him for life. Some scholars suggest that Isaac understood what was coming and that he was willing to do what the Lord said, because in the original text the verse that's rendered as "the two of them went on together" is literally "the two of them were in agreement". If it's true that Isaac must have at least a teenager by now, I believe he could have resisted successfully if he'd wanted to. His father is well over one hundred years old, whereas he is young and strong and fast. He very well could have overpowered his father or simply run away if he didn't want to take part in what's happening here, but the Bible indicates he did none of these things. He apparently allowed himself to be bound and placed on the altar. If you want to do a Google search about whether Isaac was a willing sacrifice, you'll find a lot of articles to back up this theory. We can't say for certain what was going through his mind or whether he was as submissive to God as his father was, but it would seem that he's being obedient to both his earthly father and to his heavenly Father on Mount Moriah.
Abraham is going to go through with what the Lord asked him to do. "Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son." (Genesis 22:10) I can't even imagine how he finds the strength to do this, even though he fully expects the Lord to raise his son from the dead. If I were Isaac's parent, I wouldn't want to cause him a single second of discomfort or distress, no matter what the Lord said. I simply don't think I'd have this kind of faith, and I'm not even a parent. Those of you who are parents no doubt find this scene difficult or impossible to imagine, but as we studied earlier in Genesis 22, what Abraham is doing is not a foreign thing in the region where he lives. Child sacrifice, sadly, was practiced by some of the tribes of the land he inhabits. In those cases, the children are being sacrificed to gods who don't exist. In those cases, the children remain dead. I think what keeps Abraham going, besides the strength the Holy Spirit provides to him, is that he knows he serves the one and only living God and that this God who created all things is going to immediately breathe life back into Isaac and raise him up.
But the Lord has no intention of allowing Abraham to do anything to Isaac. The test was for Abraham to see whether he trusted the Lord with anything and everything. Now, for the rest of Abraham's life, he will know there is nothing he will refuse the Lord. Isaac will be a man of faith because of his father's example and because of the way the Lord rescues him today. We go through things in life that we'd avoid if at all possible, but when we look back on them, can't we see that the Lord increased our faith through them? There have been things I would have avoided at all costs. There are things I wish weren't a part of my history. But the Lord used them to teach me things about Himself and about myself that I could never have learned any other way. "But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, 'Abraham! Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied. 'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' He said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.'" (Genesis 22:11-12) Remember when we talked about "the angel of the Lord" being a title for the pre-incarnate Christ? This is the voice of Christ===the Word of God===calling to Abraham from heaven. The One who is going to be the Lamb provided by God stops Abraham from making an offering of atonement out of his son, for this One is going to make Himself the atonement offering for all mankind.
Until the Lamb of God comes to take away the sins of the world, God provides a temporary sacrifice of atonement for Abraham to offer. "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.'" (Genesis 22:13-14) This is another instance in the Bible of someone giving a new name to God. Here we find Abraham calling Him, in Hebrew, Jehovah Jireh. By the time Moses writes the book of Genesis, this spot on Mount Moriah is still known as the place where the Lord provided a sacrifice. It was known prophetically as the place where the Lord will provide a sacrifice. And so it came to pass in Old Testament times when Jerusalem's temple was built in this very spot and sacrifices to the Lord were made there for the atonement of sins. And so it came to pass in the New Testament when God made His own Son a sacrifice at Jerusalem for the sins of the human race. The Lord has indeed provided the Lamb for the sacrifice, just as He promised.
"The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, 'I swear by Myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.'" (Genesis 22:15-18) The word rendered here as "offspring" is "seed", meaning one particular descendant. The Apostle Paul points out in Galatians 3:16 that God wasn't speaking of "seeds" as in many, but was speaking of only one person. And it's not Isaac. It's Christ. It's Christ through whom all nations on earth are blessed. It's Christ who gave Himself for all and it's Christ who invites all to come to Him. Isaac did not redeem his people or the nations of the world; One from among his descendants many centuries later did, and that One was Christ.
Abraham previously told his servants that both he and Isaac would return to them after worshiping the Lord, and this is exactly what happens. "Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba." (Genesis 22:19)
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Sunday, December 29, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 94, God Asks Abraham To Sacrifice Isaac, Part Three
Before we move on in Chapter 22, there is one more thing we need to look at from God's instructions in verse 2. He tells Abraham to go to the region of Moriah. Why is this significant?
The Lord told King David that Mount Moriah in Jerusalem was the place that He had chosen for His temple. This was the place where He would accept offerings and sacrifices from His people Israel. Though the Lord does not intend for Abraham to go through with sacrificing Isaac at this location which will later become Jerusalem, hundreds of thousands or perhaps even millions of substitutionary sacrifices (animal sacrifices) were made at this site from about 516 BC until 70 AD. The perfect and eternal substitutionary sacrifice was made here when the Lord Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross at Jerusalem. The significance of Mount Moriah is that it is where the Lord will do the thing He has asked Abraham to do: offer up his one and only son whom he loves. But in contrast to what happens with Abraham and Isaac on this site, the Lord will endure what He will keep Abraham from having to experience.
Abraham has walked with the Lord for enough years now that he obeys Him at the first opportunity. After the Lord makes His request, Abraham sets about obeying Him at morning light. "Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance." (Genesis 22:3-4) Abraham has three days in which to struggle with what he's been asked to do. He has three days in which to become overwhelmed with doubts and turn back. But he doesn't. As we discussed yesterday, he doesn't expect to be returning home from this adventure without his son. He's expecting to see a miracle. He believes that the Lord will raise Isaac from the dead and that the two of them, along with the two servants, will return home together.
When they reach the spot he leaves the servants at a distance behind him. "He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.'" (Genesis 22:5) Abraham's word hasn't always been trustworthy in the past, but he's not lying to these men. He's not assuring him that both he and Isaac will come back just so the servants won't suspect anything is amiss. He's fully persuaded that he will have his son with him when he returns.
"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here, 'Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'" (Genesis 22:6-7) Abraham ties the stack of wood together with cords and then ties the stack to his son in a backpack fashion. This is the safest and most practical way to carry the load and to allow Isaac's hands to remain free as they climb upwards. As we said the other day, we can't be sure how old Isaac is at this time, but he's old enough to know exactly how a burnt offering is to be made. He takes inventory of what they're carrying with them and realizes they are missing the most important part: the lamb. Without the lamb a burnt offering (an offering of complete submission and surrender to God and an offering of atonement) can't be made. Without the lamb as a substitute for the shed blood of man, atonement for sin can't be accessed. Without the lamb, Abraham and Isaac would be doing nothing more than building a campfire on a mountain. They would not be submitting anything to God, or worshiping God, or receiving anything from God.
Abraham answers his son's question with a statement that thrills my soul. "Abraham answered, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.'" (Genesis 22:8a) Amen! God will indeed provide the Lamb, and on a day hundreds of years after the death of Abraham, a man named John will look up from his work of baptizing repentant sinners at the Jordan River and will see the promised Lamb approaching and will exclaim to the crowd, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b)
We can learn a lot by what Isaac asks his father in our passage today. Isaac knows that he and his father are accomplishing nothing by going up on the mountain if there is no lamb involved. They might as well have stayed home. Friends, if we don't have the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, what are we accomplishing? If we don't love Him, and if we don't recognize Him as the Lord of our lives, we might as well stay home from religious services. The Lord doesn't want us merely going through the motions by doing and saying all the right things on the outside while our hearts are far from Him on the inside. This is a thing He criticized the people of Israel for in the Bible, when time and time again they'd fall out of closeness with Him and run after false gods and worldly pleasures. We don't want to be the people who sit on a church pew this Sunday morning without the Lamb. We don't want to be the people who talk the talk in our communities and in our jobs while we are not walking the walk with the Lamb. We can perform all the religious rituals we want, and we can do all the good deeds we want, but without the Lamb in our lives we aren't pleasing the Lord and we aren't accomplishing anything of eternal significance. We can't earn salvation through good works. We must accept salvation from the Lamb whom the Lord provided. Isaac, who is not old enough yet to be considered a young man, easily understands this, so he asks his father, "Where is the lamb?"
If the Lamb is not as dear to you as He once was, there's no better time than today to draw closer to Him, for we are promised, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." (James 4:8a) If the Lamb has never been a part of your life, there's no better time than right now to make Him your Lord and Redeemer.
The Lord told King David that Mount Moriah in Jerusalem was the place that He had chosen for His temple. This was the place where He would accept offerings and sacrifices from His people Israel. Though the Lord does not intend for Abraham to go through with sacrificing Isaac at this location which will later become Jerusalem, hundreds of thousands or perhaps even millions of substitutionary sacrifices (animal sacrifices) were made at this site from about 516 BC until 70 AD. The perfect and eternal substitutionary sacrifice was made here when the Lord Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross at Jerusalem. The significance of Mount Moriah is that it is where the Lord will do the thing He has asked Abraham to do: offer up his one and only son whom he loves. But in contrast to what happens with Abraham and Isaac on this site, the Lord will endure what He will keep Abraham from having to experience.
Abraham has walked with the Lord for enough years now that he obeys Him at the first opportunity. After the Lord makes His request, Abraham sets about obeying Him at morning light. "Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance." (Genesis 22:3-4) Abraham has three days in which to struggle with what he's been asked to do. He has three days in which to become overwhelmed with doubts and turn back. But he doesn't. As we discussed yesterday, he doesn't expect to be returning home from this adventure without his son. He's expecting to see a miracle. He believes that the Lord will raise Isaac from the dead and that the two of them, along with the two servants, will return home together.
When they reach the spot he leaves the servants at a distance behind him. "He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.'" (Genesis 22:5) Abraham's word hasn't always been trustworthy in the past, but he's not lying to these men. He's not assuring him that both he and Isaac will come back just so the servants won't suspect anything is amiss. He's fully persuaded that he will have his son with him when he returns.
"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here, 'Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'" (Genesis 22:6-7) Abraham ties the stack of wood together with cords and then ties the stack to his son in a backpack fashion. This is the safest and most practical way to carry the load and to allow Isaac's hands to remain free as they climb upwards. As we said the other day, we can't be sure how old Isaac is at this time, but he's old enough to know exactly how a burnt offering is to be made. He takes inventory of what they're carrying with them and realizes they are missing the most important part: the lamb. Without the lamb a burnt offering (an offering of complete submission and surrender to God and an offering of atonement) can't be made. Without the lamb as a substitute for the shed blood of man, atonement for sin can't be accessed. Without the lamb, Abraham and Isaac would be doing nothing more than building a campfire on a mountain. They would not be submitting anything to God, or worshiping God, or receiving anything from God.
Abraham answers his son's question with a statement that thrills my soul. "Abraham answered, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.'" (Genesis 22:8a) Amen! God will indeed provide the Lamb, and on a day hundreds of years after the death of Abraham, a man named John will look up from his work of baptizing repentant sinners at the Jordan River and will see the promised Lamb approaching and will exclaim to the crowd, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b)
We can learn a lot by what Isaac asks his father in our passage today. Isaac knows that he and his father are accomplishing nothing by going up on the mountain if there is no lamb involved. They might as well have stayed home. Friends, if we don't have the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, what are we accomplishing? If we don't love Him, and if we don't recognize Him as the Lord of our lives, we might as well stay home from religious services. The Lord doesn't want us merely going through the motions by doing and saying all the right things on the outside while our hearts are far from Him on the inside. This is a thing He criticized the people of Israel for in the Bible, when time and time again they'd fall out of closeness with Him and run after false gods and worldly pleasures. We don't want to be the people who sit on a church pew this Sunday morning without the Lamb. We don't want to be the people who talk the talk in our communities and in our jobs while we are not walking the walk with the Lamb. We can perform all the religious rituals we want, and we can do all the good deeds we want, but without the Lamb in our lives we aren't pleasing the Lord and we aren't accomplishing anything of eternal significance. We can't earn salvation through good works. We must accept salvation from the Lamb whom the Lord provided. Isaac, who is not old enough yet to be considered a young man, easily understands this, so he asks his father, "Where is the lamb?"
If the Lamb is not as dear to you as He once was, there's no better time than today to draw closer to Him, for we are promised, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." (James 4:8a) If the Lamb has never been a part of your life, there's no better time than right now to make Him your Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 93, God Asks Abraham To Sacrifice Isaac, Day Two
In Genesis 22 the Lord asks Abraham to offer Isaac to Him as a "burnt offering". In the original Hebrew, the word translated into English as "burnt offering" simply means "to ascend" or "to go up in smoke". The Lord is not asking Abraham to burn his son alive, as this is not how burnt offerings were done. A sacrificial animal would be killed instantly by a swift slice across the jugular using a specially designed sharp knife, then afterwards it would be placed on the altar to be burned. The symbolism of the burnt offering was a complete giving up of whatever was being offered to the Lord. Some types of offering allowed the bringer of it to retain most of the meat to take home and eat with his family, but in the burnt offering nothing could be held back. So symbolically the Lord is asking Abraham, "Will you trust Me with your one and only son, the son whom you love, the son whom you waited for all these long years, the son I miraculously gave to you? Are you willing to submit your life and everyone and everything in it to Me, holding nothing back?"
Abraham is willing, but it's important for us to understand that Abraham fully expects the Lord to bring Isaac back to life immediately afterward. We know this because of what the Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 11:17-19: "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.'"
The Lord promised Abraham descendants through his son Isaac. He promised that Isaac's descendants would become a great nation. How could the Lord keep His promise if Isaac died and remained dead? He couldn't, so Abraham "reasoned" that after he offered Isaac to the Lord, the Lord would raise him from the dead.
Was it difficult for Abraham to imagine the Lord resurrecting a dead body that had been burned to ashes? In his mind I think he "reasoned" that the God who enabled a man and a woman (one hundred years old and ninety years old, respectively) to conceive a child together is able also to raise the dead. Abraham believed what you and I believe: that God is going to raise us from the dead someday, no matter what condition our mortal bodies are in on the day He calls the dead to life. The prophet Isaiah foresaw the day in which Almighty God will call the dead from the graves and raise them to life anew, saying, "But Your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise---let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy." (Isaiah 19a) It's true that we were created from the dust and to the dust we shall return. (Genesis 3:19) But it's also true that the God who created us from the dust of the ground will raise us from the dead, just as He raised His own Son from the dead. Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead---both an eternal resurrection at the end of days and a resurrection of his son to life after he had offered his son to the Lord. Isaac, like the other people raised from the dead in the Bible with the exception of the Lord Jesus, would have had to face a natural death someday. I don't think Abraham thought Isaac's return to life in Genesis 22 was going to be eternal, but he did believe the Lord was going to allow Isaac to live what was a normal lifespan in those days.
When Abraham goes up onto Mount Moriah with Isaac to carry out the Lord's instructions, he will say to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5) He means what he says. Abraham intends to offer his son to the Lord, but he also intends to return with his son alive and well. He can't allow his servants to accompany him to the place of sacrifice for fear they will think he has lost his mind and prevent him from carrying out the Lord's instructions, so he tells him to remain at a distance. He leaves with Isaac and has no doubt that he will be returning with Isaac. There is no other way this day can turn out, for the Lord has promised that Isaac will have more descendants than the grains of sand on the seashore, and the Lord keeps His promises.
Abraham is willing, but it's important for us to understand that Abraham fully expects the Lord to bring Isaac back to life immediately afterward. We know this because of what the Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 11:17-19: "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.'"
The Lord promised Abraham descendants through his son Isaac. He promised that Isaac's descendants would become a great nation. How could the Lord keep His promise if Isaac died and remained dead? He couldn't, so Abraham "reasoned" that after he offered Isaac to the Lord, the Lord would raise him from the dead.
Was it difficult for Abraham to imagine the Lord resurrecting a dead body that had been burned to ashes? In his mind I think he "reasoned" that the God who enabled a man and a woman (one hundred years old and ninety years old, respectively) to conceive a child together is able also to raise the dead. Abraham believed what you and I believe: that God is going to raise us from the dead someday, no matter what condition our mortal bodies are in on the day He calls the dead to life. The prophet Isaiah foresaw the day in which Almighty God will call the dead from the graves and raise them to life anew, saying, "But Your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise---let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy." (Isaiah 19a) It's true that we were created from the dust and to the dust we shall return. (Genesis 3:19) But it's also true that the God who created us from the dust of the ground will raise us from the dead, just as He raised His own Son from the dead. Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead---both an eternal resurrection at the end of days and a resurrection of his son to life after he had offered his son to the Lord. Isaac, like the other people raised from the dead in the Bible with the exception of the Lord Jesus, would have had to face a natural death someday. I don't think Abraham thought Isaac's return to life in Genesis 22 was going to be eternal, but he did believe the Lord was going to allow Isaac to live what was a normal lifespan in those days.
When Abraham goes up onto Mount Moriah with Isaac to carry out the Lord's instructions, he will say to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5) He means what he says. Abraham intends to offer his son to the Lord, but he also intends to return with his son alive and well. He can't allow his servants to accompany him to the place of sacrifice for fear they will think he has lost his mind and prevent him from carrying out the Lord's instructions, so he tells him to remain at a distance. He leaves with Isaac and has no doubt that he will be returning with Isaac. There is no other way this day can turn out, for the Lord has promised that Isaac will have more descendants than the grains of sand on the seashore, and the Lord keeps His promises.
Friday, December 27, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 92, God Asks Abraham To Sacrifice Isaac, Part One
In Chapter 22 the Lord asks Abraham to give up what means the most to him: his son. As we study this passage there are several things we should fix in our minds from the outset.
1. The test is for the student, not for the teacher. The Lord doesn't test Abraham to see what he will do. He knows Abraham's faith is strong enough to obey His request. It's Abraham who needs to know how strong his faith is.
2. The Lord never intends for Abraham to actually go through with sacrificing his son.
3. The request is not bizarre and shocking to Abraham in the way it is to us. There were tribes living around him who practiced child sacrifice in their pagan religions. Abraham isn't ignorant of this fact, though I'm sure he's grieved by the knowledge that people are offering their children to gods who do not exist. As grieved as he will feel the request the Lord makes of him, at least he knows that the God he worships is real.
4. The death is not expected to be permanent. Abraham believes the Lord is going to immediately resurrect Isaac right after the transaction has been completed.
When we closed Chapter 21 yesterday we were told that Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines "for a long time". We don't know how many years have passed or how old Isaac is by now. In some illustrated Bible story books we see Isaac depicted as a child in Chapter 22 but most reputable scholars feel he is in his early to mid teens by the time we arrive at Chapter 22. As we move through this chapter we will see that Isaac is aware of what is needed to make an offering to the Lord and we will find him questioning his father about the missing item. So he is not a small child like he was when we last talked about him in Chapter 21.
After Abraham lived among the Philistines "for a long time", the Bible goes on to say, "Some time later God tested Abraham." (Genesis 22:1) At times Abraham has had an enormous amount of faith and at other times he has failed to trust God and has gotten ahead of God. But couldn't we say the same things of ourselves? There have been times when we've believed without a shadow of a doubt what our God has said to us. At other times we've been overwhelmed with anxiety to the point of not trusting Him or by getting out in front of Him. If someone wrote the story of my life you'd find me standing firm and unshakable on some days and wallowing in doubts and fears on other days. That's human nature, but as we develop a closer and closer relationship with our Lord through the years, the days of doubt should become fewer and fewer while the days of confidence grow more plentiful. I think that's what has happened to Abraham. When we reach Chapter 22, Abraham's days of doubt have become few and his days of faith are in the majority. It's at this point that the Lord makes a request that Abraham could not have obeyed earlier in his life.
"He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied." (Genesis 22:2b) Abraham knows the voice of his God. The Lord doesn't have to keep calling to him over and over. The Lord doesn't have to convince him by some sort of sign that it's actually Him who is speaking to Abraham. He simply says Abraham's name and Abraham answers immediately.
"Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love---Isaac---and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on the mountain I will show you.'" (Genesis 22:2) I am sure this is not what Abraham expected to hear. It's certainly not something he wanted to hear.
Though Abraham has another son, Ishmael is now not really in his life anymore. He is living in a different region and is a grown man, is a husband and a father, and is making his own way in the world. Isaac is the son of the promise and Isaac is the legal heir. For all intents and purposes, Isaac is now Abraham's only son. Abraham loves Isaac with all his heart. Through Isaac the family line will live on, and a great nation will come from his descendants, and the Redeemer will be born from this nation. When Abraham looks at his son, he sees a glorious future. How can he be expected to give up his son, even when the Creator of all things is the One making the request?
It's important for us to stop here and note that God isn't asking Abraham to do anything He isn't going to do Himself. You and I know the story of Abraham and Isaac, and we already know that God is not going to allow Abraham to sacrifice his son, but we also know that God is going to give up His one and only Son whom He loves. God will spare Abraham from carrying out this heartbreaking deed, but He will not spare Himself such heartbreak. God will suffer the unthinkable pain of watching His own Son die. Those of you who are parents would put a stop to it if you could when your child is hurt or sick. God will have the power to prevent His Son from dying but He will not prevent it. Can you imagine how difficult this must be? God will endure the agony of watching His Son perish because stepping in to put a stop to it would mean the condemnation of the eternal souls of the entire human race. The Lord, in the New Testament, is going to put our needs above His own feelings. He is going to endure whatever He must in order to offer us eternal salvation. No matter how much it costs Him, He will pay any price to be able to offer us the opportunity to dwell with Him forever. He does this because---as a good father should---He loves us more than He loves Himself.
Join us tomorrow as we discuss what a burnt offering is and when we talk about the significance of the location where the offering is to be made.
1. The test is for the student, not for the teacher. The Lord doesn't test Abraham to see what he will do. He knows Abraham's faith is strong enough to obey His request. It's Abraham who needs to know how strong his faith is.
2. The Lord never intends for Abraham to actually go through with sacrificing his son.
3. The request is not bizarre and shocking to Abraham in the way it is to us. There were tribes living around him who practiced child sacrifice in their pagan religions. Abraham isn't ignorant of this fact, though I'm sure he's grieved by the knowledge that people are offering their children to gods who do not exist. As grieved as he will feel the request the Lord makes of him, at least he knows that the God he worships is real.
4. The death is not expected to be permanent. Abraham believes the Lord is going to immediately resurrect Isaac right after the transaction has been completed.
When we closed Chapter 21 yesterday we were told that Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines "for a long time". We don't know how many years have passed or how old Isaac is by now. In some illustrated Bible story books we see Isaac depicted as a child in Chapter 22 but most reputable scholars feel he is in his early to mid teens by the time we arrive at Chapter 22. As we move through this chapter we will see that Isaac is aware of what is needed to make an offering to the Lord and we will find him questioning his father about the missing item. So he is not a small child like he was when we last talked about him in Chapter 21.
After Abraham lived among the Philistines "for a long time", the Bible goes on to say, "Some time later God tested Abraham." (Genesis 22:1) At times Abraham has had an enormous amount of faith and at other times he has failed to trust God and has gotten ahead of God. But couldn't we say the same things of ourselves? There have been times when we've believed without a shadow of a doubt what our God has said to us. At other times we've been overwhelmed with anxiety to the point of not trusting Him or by getting out in front of Him. If someone wrote the story of my life you'd find me standing firm and unshakable on some days and wallowing in doubts and fears on other days. That's human nature, but as we develop a closer and closer relationship with our Lord through the years, the days of doubt should become fewer and fewer while the days of confidence grow more plentiful. I think that's what has happened to Abraham. When we reach Chapter 22, Abraham's days of doubt have become few and his days of faith are in the majority. It's at this point that the Lord makes a request that Abraham could not have obeyed earlier in his life.
"He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied." (Genesis 22:2b) Abraham knows the voice of his God. The Lord doesn't have to keep calling to him over and over. The Lord doesn't have to convince him by some sort of sign that it's actually Him who is speaking to Abraham. He simply says Abraham's name and Abraham answers immediately.
"Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love---Isaac---and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on the mountain I will show you.'" (Genesis 22:2) I am sure this is not what Abraham expected to hear. It's certainly not something he wanted to hear.
Though Abraham has another son, Ishmael is now not really in his life anymore. He is living in a different region and is a grown man, is a husband and a father, and is making his own way in the world. Isaac is the son of the promise and Isaac is the legal heir. For all intents and purposes, Isaac is now Abraham's only son. Abraham loves Isaac with all his heart. Through Isaac the family line will live on, and a great nation will come from his descendants, and the Redeemer will be born from this nation. When Abraham looks at his son, he sees a glorious future. How can he be expected to give up his son, even when the Creator of all things is the One making the request?
It's important for us to stop here and note that God isn't asking Abraham to do anything He isn't going to do Himself. You and I know the story of Abraham and Isaac, and we already know that God is not going to allow Abraham to sacrifice his son, but we also know that God is going to give up His one and only Son whom He loves. God will spare Abraham from carrying out this heartbreaking deed, but He will not spare Himself such heartbreak. God will suffer the unthinkable pain of watching His own Son die. Those of you who are parents would put a stop to it if you could when your child is hurt or sick. God will have the power to prevent His Son from dying but He will not prevent it. Can you imagine how difficult this must be? God will endure the agony of watching His Son perish because stepping in to put a stop to it would mean the condemnation of the eternal souls of the entire human race. The Lord, in the New Testament, is going to put our needs above His own feelings. He is going to endure whatever He must in order to offer us eternal salvation. No matter how much it costs Him, He will pay any price to be able to offer us the opportunity to dwell with Him forever. He does this because---as a good father should---He loves us more than He loves Himself.
Join us tomorrow as we discuss what a burnt offering is and when we talk about the significance of the location where the offering is to be made.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 91, Abraham And King Abimelek Make A Treaty With Each Other/Friendship Restored
An ancient treaty may not sound like a very exciting subject to study on Christmas Day, but the fact that King Abimelek would be willing to make any type of treaty with Abraham is astonishing, since King Abimelek is the man Abraham formerly lied to about Sarah not being his wife. This caused the king to feel like a fool for trying to make Sarah into his own wife, plus it made Abimelek very frightened for himself and for his country because he didn't want to get on the wrong side of the God who already destroyed two neighboring cities for their wickedness. What I feel like we need to keep in mind as we read our passage today is that God is able to restore relationships, even when it appears that they are beyond repair. Maybe you've had a falling-out with a family member, friend, neighbor, or co-worker. It may appear as if this relationship can never be repaired, and that might be true if God were left out of the equation, but all things are possible with Him. In today's passage He repairs the relationship between Abraham and the king.
"At that time Abimelek and Philcol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, 'God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.'" (Genesis 21:22-23) When Abimelek found out Abraham had deceived him, he had the right to kick Abraham out of Gerar just like Pharaoh kicked Abraham out of Egypt for telling the same lie about Sarah there. But instead Abimelek lavished Abraham with gifts and invited Abraham to live wherever he pleased in Gerar. Since that time Abraham has lived among the citizens of Gerar. In our passage today Abimelek wants Abraham's promise that he and all his descendants will continue to live peacefully with the people of Gerar. It could be that King Abimelek is becoming elderly and is concerned about what will happen after he passes on, so he wants Abraham's word that no conflicts will arise. Abraham's word didn't mean much in the past, but Abimelek knows that Abraham's God is a powerful promise keeper. If Abraham makes a peace treaty in the name of his God, God will see to it that the treaty is kept.
Abraham is willing to make the treaty, and since this opportunity has presented itself he brings up something that's been bothering him. "Abraham said, 'I swear it.' Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek's servants had seized. But Abimelek said, 'I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.'" (Genesis 21:24-26) Abraham has never brought this matter up before because he doesn't want to stir up any trouble. He's already caused enough trouble for Abimelek and he is reluctant to bring the matter of the well to the king's attention. If the king had not come to him asking for a peace treaty, I think Abraham would have kept silent about the well, but the request of the peace treaty provided him with a good opportunity to mention it. The king's reply was something like this: "I'm sorry that some of my servants seized your well. They weren't doing it on my orders and I wasn't aware of it til today. If you had told me about this as soon as it happened I would have taken care of the problem immediately. I will see to it that they release your well to you right away."
This meeting has gone wonderfully. Though these two men have been living peacefully in the same country, they've felt uncomfortable with each other. They probably haven't spoken with each other since the day Abimelek released Sarah back into Abraham's care and announced before a large crowd that he had not touched her and that she had not tried to be unfaithful to her husband. On that day he gave Abraham permission to remain within his country's borders and he gave gifts to Abraham before Abraham departed from his presence. I tend to think Abraham may have settled as far from Abimelek's palace as he could while still being in the same country, just so they wouldn't run into each other. Years have passed and it may have seemed to each of them that they would never be friends. But God specializes in resurrection and is able to resurrect relationships that seem to be so dead that no miracle could ever revive them.
The treaty between Abraham and Abimelek ought to give us hope about broken relationships in our own lives. These relationships may end up being restored somewhere down the line and we mustn't become discouraged if it seems like it's taking a very long time. A rift can be so deep and so wide that God needs a long time in which to soften the hearts of those who are involved. Sometimes a person wants to keep holding on to anger and hurt, and it takes time for the Lord to bring them around to feeling like they want to reconcile. Maybe you are the person who is angry and hurt. Or maybe you are the person who made someone else angry and hurt. It could be that you've tried to apologize and make things right but the other person doesn't want to listen or let you back into their life. If that's the case, all you can do is keep praying about it and let God work on their heart. If anyone can fix things, God can. And if the other person resists all His efforts to change their minds, then He's able to make you feel at peace with that. When you've done all you can do, and when that person has refused to listen to the Lord and let Him heal what needs to be healed, the Lord can help you to let the matter go and be okay. And if you're the person who has been holding onto resentment and refusing to let the Lord soften your heart toward someone who wants to make things right with you, then there's no better time than the present to let the Lord have His way in the matter. You'll feel so much better when you allow Him to help you make peace with the other person. It will feel like a heavy load has been lifted off your shoulders.
"So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelek asked Abraham, 'What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?' He replied, 'Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.' So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there." (Genesis 21:27-31) The name "Beersheba" means "well of the oath" or "well of the seven". It was a custom in ancient times to give gifts to seal a deal. Previously in Genesis, when Abimelek declared Sarah as virtuous as the day she came into his household, and when he offered any dwelling place in his country to Abraham, Abimelek showered Abraham with gifts. On the day of the treaty, Abraham showers Abimilek with sheep and cattle. Plus he offers him an additional seven ewe lambs, the acceptance of which means Abimelek acknowledges that the well was dug by Abraham and belongs only to Abraham.
"After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Philcol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time." (Genesis 21:32-34) A tamarisk tree takes a long time to grow large enough to provide shelter and shade. Abraham is making a statement of faith to the "Eternal God" when he plants this tree, for it won't reach maturity in his lifetime. His descendants also won't possess the land in his lifetime. He's planting this tree in faith, believing that the Eternal God keeps His promises, and that someday when his descendants occupy the land as God has said they will, this tree will provide shelter from the sun for them. I like to think that when Abraham finishes patting the soil in place around this newly-planted tree, he thanks the Lord for everything He's already done and for everything He's going to do.
God has done great things for us, hasn't He? He's brought us this far safely. He's shown us mercy we don't deserve and He's granted us forgiveness we couldn't earn. What great blessings might He have in store for us in the future? With that in mind, let's have a thankful spirit today and praise Him not only for what He's already done, but for what He's going to do.
"At that time Abimelek and Philcol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, 'God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.'" (Genesis 21:22-23) When Abimelek found out Abraham had deceived him, he had the right to kick Abraham out of Gerar just like Pharaoh kicked Abraham out of Egypt for telling the same lie about Sarah there. But instead Abimelek lavished Abraham with gifts and invited Abraham to live wherever he pleased in Gerar. Since that time Abraham has lived among the citizens of Gerar. In our passage today Abimelek wants Abraham's promise that he and all his descendants will continue to live peacefully with the people of Gerar. It could be that King Abimelek is becoming elderly and is concerned about what will happen after he passes on, so he wants Abraham's word that no conflicts will arise. Abraham's word didn't mean much in the past, but Abimelek knows that Abraham's God is a powerful promise keeper. If Abraham makes a peace treaty in the name of his God, God will see to it that the treaty is kept.
Abraham is willing to make the treaty, and since this opportunity has presented itself he brings up something that's been bothering him. "Abraham said, 'I swear it.' Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek's servants had seized. But Abimelek said, 'I don't know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.'" (Genesis 21:24-26) Abraham has never brought this matter up before because he doesn't want to stir up any trouble. He's already caused enough trouble for Abimelek and he is reluctant to bring the matter of the well to the king's attention. If the king had not come to him asking for a peace treaty, I think Abraham would have kept silent about the well, but the request of the peace treaty provided him with a good opportunity to mention it. The king's reply was something like this: "I'm sorry that some of my servants seized your well. They weren't doing it on my orders and I wasn't aware of it til today. If you had told me about this as soon as it happened I would have taken care of the problem immediately. I will see to it that they release your well to you right away."
This meeting has gone wonderfully. Though these two men have been living peacefully in the same country, they've felt uncomfortable with each other. They probably haven't spoken with each other since the day Abimelek released Sarah back into Abraham's care and announced before a large crowd that he had not touched her and that she had not tried to be unfaithful to her husband. On that day he gave Abraham permission to remain within his country's borders and he gave gifts to Abraham before Abraham departed from his presence. I tend to think Abraham may have settled as far from Abimelek's palace as he could while still being in the same country, just so they wouldn't run into each other. Years have passed and it may have seemed to each of them that they would never be friends. But God specializes in resurrection and is able to resurrect relationships that seem to be so dead that no miracle could ever revive them.
The treaty between Abraham and Abimelek ought to give us hope about broken relationships in our own lives. These relationships may end up being restored somewhere down the line and we mustn't become discouraged if it seems like it's taking a very long time. A rift can be so deep and so wide that God needs a long time in which to soften the hearts of those who are involved. Sometimes a person wants to keep holding on to anger and hurt, and it takes time for the Lord to bring them around to feeling like they want to reconcile. Maybe you are the person who is angry and hurt. Or maybe you are the person who made someone else angry and hurt. It could be that you've tried to apologize and make things right but the other person doesn't want to listen or let you back into their life. If that's the case, all you can do is keep praying about it and let God work on their heart. If anyone can fix things, God can. And if the other person resists all His efforts to change their minds, then He's able to make you feel at peace with that. When you've done all you can do, and when that person has refused to listen to the Lord and let Him heal what needs to be healed, the Lord can help you to let the matter go and be okay. And if you're the person who has been holding onto resentment and refusing to let the Lord soften your heart toward someone who wants to make things right with you, then there's no better time than the present to let the Lord have His way in the matter. You'll feel so much better when you allow Him to help you make peace with the other person. It will feel like a heavy load has been lifted off your shoulders.
"So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelek asked Abraham, 'What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?' He replied, 'Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.' So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there." (Genesis 21:27-31) The name "Beersheba" means "well of the oath" or "well of the seven". It was a custom in ancient times to give gifts to seal a deal. Previously in Genesis, when Abimelek declared Sarah as virtuous as the day she came into his household, and when he offered any dwelling place in his country to Abraham, Abimelek showered Abraham with gifts. On the day of the treaty, Abraham showers Abimilek with sheep and cattle. Plus he offers him an additional seven ewe lambs, the acceptance of which means Abimelek acknowledges that the well was dug by Abraham and belongs only to Abraham.
"After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Philcol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time." (Genesis 21:32-34) A tamarisk tree takes a long time to grow large enough to provide shelter and shade. Abraham is making a statement of faith to the "Eternal God" when he plants this tree, for it won't reach maturity in his lifetime. His descendants also won't possess the land in his lifetime. He's planting this tree in faith, believing that the Eternal God keeps His promises, and that someday when his descendants occupy the land as God has said they will, this tree will provide shelter from the sun for them. I like to think that when Abraham finishes patting the soil in place around this newly-planted tree, he thanks the Lord for everything He's already done and for everything He's going to do.
God has done great things for us, hasn't He? He's brought us this far safely. He's shown us mercy we don't deserve and He's granted us forgiveness we couldn't earn. What great blessings might He have in store for us in the future? With that in mind, let's have a thankful spirit today and praise Him not only for what He's already done, but for what He's going to do.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 90, Abraham Sends Hagar And Ishmael Away
Sarah no longer wants Ishmael and his mother Hagar to be part of the family. She insists that Abraham send them away now that she and Abraham have their own son together. While Abraham was struggling with the distress Sarah's request caused him, the Lord told Abraham to do as she said. He promised Abraham that He would personally watch over and protect Ishmael and see to it that he and his descendants prosper.
We've already talked several times about the custom of Abraham's day in which a childless married couple could use one of their slave women as a surrogate mother in order to obtain a son and heir. Today we learn, from commentaries on the subject, that it was also the custom that if a man decided to disinherit a son he fathered by his slave woman, he had to give both the woman and the son their freedom papers. He no longer owned either of them or had any rights over either of them. They would be free to go wherever they pleased and do whatever they wanted to do. However, their previous owner was not obligated to provide them with anything more than enough food and water to sustain them til they reached the nearest town. Freedom was considered the greatest gift that could be bestowed upon anyone, and I don't think Abraham is being deliberately stingy when he sends Hagar and Ishmael out into the world in our passage today with mostly just the clothes on their backs and a little food and water. If he'd supplied them with much more, such as enough money to live on for several years or enough possessions with which to set up housekeeping, a naive newly-freed woman and a teenage boy could easily have been taken advantage of along the way or even robbed and killed.
After the Lord tells Abraham to go ahead and send them away, the Bible says: "Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba." (Genesis 21:14) Some scholars believe she got lost on the way to wherever she intended to go. Other scholars suggest she's waiting in the wilderness for instructions from God. After all, He came to meet her in the desert before in Genesis 16. This woman has no experience living "on the outside" so to speak. Because she's been a slave her whole life, she's always been told what to do and when and how to do it. Her room and board have been provided for her. Her life has been as highly regimented as the life of someone who has spent the last twenty-five to thirty years in prison. She's not used to making decisions for herself and she doesn't know how to begin. It could be that she wanders in the desert looking for the God who previously came looking for her.
While she wanders, she runs out of food and water. She and her son are beginning to suffer the effects of dehydration. Ishmael appears to be succumbing to dehydration quicker than his mother. He's become faint and is too weak to continue on. "When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, 'I cannot watch the boy die.' And as she sat there, she began to sob." (Genesis 21:15-16) She settles Ishmael under the only shade she can find, which is the sparse shade thrown on the desert floor by a shrub. Heartbroken and unable to stand the thought of witnessing the death of her child, she walks away and begins to cry helplessly.
It's at this point that the Lord shows up. Why did He allow the situation to become so dire before He made an appearance? I think maybe it's because Hagar and Ishmael are going to need to know in the future that He is their true source of provision and protection. Sometimes the Lord allows our situations to deteriorate so we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when things turn around, they have been turned around by Him and not by anyone or anything else. There have been a few times in my own life when nothing any human being could do was going to turn things around. I was down to nothing. Sometimes I was down to nothing financially. Other times I had nothing left to give emotionally or spiritually or mentally or physically. On the surface it might seem stingy of the Lord to let us get to that point before stepping in, but it's the mercy of the Lord that causes Him to do this. He does it to strengthen our faith, because for the rest of our lives we are going to know for certain that a miracle took place. If Hagar hadn't gotten lost on her journey, or if she hadn't run out of food and water before reaching a place of refreshment, or if she and Ishmael made it quickly and safely to the nearest town and immediately found gainful employment and a place to stay, would they have given the Lord credit for any of that? Or would they have thought they were "lucky" or that things turned out well because of their own intelligence and hard work? When the Lord helps them in the desert in their hour of desperation, they are going to credit Him with their survival, and this is something that's going to help them through the rest of their lives. From now on, their first instinct will be to turn to the Lord when they need help.
"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.'" (Genesis 21:17-18) Both Hagar and Ishmael are crying now. In Genesis 16 the Lord made Hagar a promise that a great nation would come from her son's family line. Today He reminds her of that promise, saying something like, "I haven't forgotten what I said to you. Did you think I wouldn't hear the cries of your son from whom I promised to make a great nation? I do hear him, and I am going to help both of you."
"Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." (Genesis 21:19) The well was already there, but Hagar was crying so bitterly she didn't even see it. She gave in to defeat before taking the few steps further that would have allowed her to see the well clearly. She never would have seen it if the Lord hadn't pointed it out. Thanks be to the God who so often steps in and redirects us when---through our own lack of faith---we are about to miss a great blessing. When the Lord reminds Hagar of His promise to give her son more descendants than any man can count, He's basically asking her the same thing the Lord Jesus will ask His disciples, "Why did you doubt, you of little faith?"
When God makes us a promise, we can count on it. Our Lord is a rock firm enough upon which to stand forever. He keeps His promise to Hagar. "God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt." (Genesis 12:20-21) The Bible will later tell us that Ishmael fathers twelve sons who become the leaders of twelve tribes, and we can safely assume Ishmael fathered many daughters as well. The Lord will provide for and protect Ishmael all the days of his life and he will die at the ripe old age of a hundred and thirty-seven.
We've already talked several times about the custom of Abraham's day in which a childless married couple could use one of their slave women as a surrogate mother in order to obtain a son and heir. Today we learn, from commentaries on the subject, that it was also the custom that if a man decided to disinherit a son he fathered by his slave woman, he had to give both the woman and the son their freedom papers. He no longer owned either of them or had any rights over either of them. They would be free to go wherever they pleased and do whatever they wanted to do. However, their previous owner was not obligated to provide them with anything more than enough food and water to sustain them til they reached the nearest town. Freedom was considered the greatest gift that could be bestowed upon anyone, and I don't think Abraham is being deliberately stingy when he sends Hagar and Ishmael out into the world in our passage today with mostly just the clothes on their backs and a little food and water. If he'd supplied them with much more, such as enough money to live on for several years or enough possessions with which to set up housekeeping, a naive newly-freed woman and a teenage boy could easily have been taken advantage of along the way or even robbed and killed.
After the Lord tells Abraham to go ahead and send them away, the Bible says: "Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba." (Genesis 21:14) Some scholars believe she got lost on the way to wherever she intended to go. Other scholars suggest she's waiting in the wilderness for instructions from God. After all, He came to meet her in the desert before in Genesis 16. This woman has no experience living "on the outside" so to speak. Because she's been a slave her whole life, she's always been told what to do and when and how to do it. Her room and board have been provided for her. Her life has been as highly regimented as the life of someone who has spent the last twenty-five to thirty years in prison. She's not used to making decisions for herself and she doesn't know how to begin. It could be that she wanders in the desert looking for the God who previously came looking for her.
While she wanders, she runs out of food and water. She and her son are beginning to suffer the effects of dehydration. Ishmael appears to be succumbing to dehydration quicker than his mother. He's become faint and is too weak to continue on. "When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, 'I cannot watch the boy die.' And as she sat there, she began to sob." (Genesis 21:15-16) She settles Ishmael under the only shade she can find, which is the sparse shade thrown on the desert floor by a shrub. Heartbroken and unable to stand the thought of witnessing the death of her child, she walks away and begins to cry helplessly.
It's at this point that the Lord shows up. Why did He allow the situation to become so dire before He made an appearance? I think maybe it's because Hagar and Ishmael are going to need to know in the future that He is their true source of provision and protection. Sometimes the Lord allows our situations to deteriorate so we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when things turn around, they have been turned around by Him and not by anyone or anything else. There have been a few times in my own life when nothing any human being could do was going to turn things around. I was down to nothing. Sometimes I was down to nothing financially. Other times I had nothing left to give emotionally or spiritually or mentally or physically. On the surface it might seem stingy of the Lord to let us get to that point before stepping in, but it's the mercy of the Lord that causes Him to do this. He does it to strengthen our faith, because for the rest of our lives we are going to know for certain that a miracle took place. If Hagar hadn't gotten lost on her journey, or if she hadn't run out of food and water before reaching a place of refreshment, or if she and Ishmael made it quickly and safely to the nearest town and immediately found gainful employment and a place to stay, would they have given the Lord credit for any of that? Or would they have thought they were "lucky" or that things turned out well because of their own intelligence and hard work? When the Lord helps them in the desert in their hour of desperation, they are going to credit Him with their survival, and this is something that's going to help them through the rest of their lives. From now on, their first instinct will be to turn to the Lord when they need help.
"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.'" (Genesis 21:17-18) Both Hagar and Ishmael are crying now. In Genesis 16 the Lord made Hagar a promise that a great nation would come from her son's family line. Today He reminds her of that promise, saying something like, "I haven't forgotten what I said to you. Did you think I wouldn't hear the cries of your son from whom I promised to make a great nation? I do hear him, and I am going to help both of you."
"Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." (Genesis 21:19) The well was already there, but Hagar was crying so bitterly she didn't even see it. She gave in to defeat before taking the few steps further that would have allowed her to see the well clearly. She never would have seen it if the Lord hadn't pointed it out. Thanks be to the God who so often steps in and redirects us when---through our own lack of faith---we are about to miss a great blessing. When the Lord reminds Hagar of His promise to give her son more descendants than any man can count, He's basically asking her the same thing the Lord Jesus will ask His disciples, "Why did you doubt, you of little faith?"
When God makes us a promise, we can count on it. Our Lord is a rock firm enough upon which to stand forever. He keeps His promise to Hagar. "God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt." (Genesis 12:20-21) The Bible will later tell us that Ishmael fathers twelve sons who become the leaders of twelve tribes, and we can safely assume Ishmael fathered many daughters as well. The Lord will provide for and protect Ishmael all the days of his life and he will die at the ripe old age of a hundred and thirty-seven.
Monday, December 23, 2019
In The Beginning. Day 89, Trouble In The Home
Some of Abraham's chickens come home to roost today, as the saying goes. He made some mistakes earlier in Genesis that are about to boomerang back onto him. He lied about Sarah's identity to Pharoah when they went to Egypt, causing Pharoah to lavish him with gifts in order to obtain Sarah's hand in marriage. One of those gifts was an Egyptian slave girl named Hagar. This is the same Hagar who was later used as a surrogate mother by Sarah and Abraham. In our passage today, Hagar's son Ishmael becomes the fly in the ointment of Sarah's happy new life as a mother, and she decides she wants Hagar and Ishmael gone.
We begin with a celebration being thrown for Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham. "The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast." (Genesis 21:8) In those days it was typical for a mother to nurse a child until the age of three while at the same time gradually introducing more and more solid foods until the child's diet consisted entirely of solid foods. I don't know whether it was a custom to throw a party on that day or whether Abraham simply wanted to celebrate this milestone in his child's life. But he and his wife call all their friends and neighbors to a huge party for their son.
"But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, 'Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.'" (Genesis 21:9-10) Ishmael is at least sixteen years old by this time, because the Bible told us in Chapter 17 he was thirteen and that was before Isaac was ever born. I think it's possible Ishmael is already seventeen or maybe almost eighteen. He was almost at the age to be considered a grown man and to start being trained by his father about how to manage the estate.
We don't know exactly who or what Ishmael was mocking. I don't know whether he was making fun of Isaac or whether he was displaying a disrespectful attitude toward Abraham and Sarah or whether he was just being a typical teen who thought having to attend a party for a small child was boring and "lame". Some scholars believe Ishmael was jealous of Isaac, because until Isaac was born Ishmael was the only child and the heir apparent of Abraham's estate. He may have felt pushed aside in favor of the young child. It could be that Ishmael sees the handwriting on the wall on the day Abraham throws this lavish party for Isaac. Perhaps Abraham has never thrown a party for Ishmael, and it's at this point that Ishmael realizes Isaac is being presented to the community as Abraham's favorite son and chosen heir.
As a woman I can understand Sarah's resentment of Hagar and her son, although this situation is Sarah's own fault. It was her idea to adopt a pagan custom in which a barren woman could give a slave woman as a second wife to her husband in order to bring about the birth of a son. The child would belong to the first wife and her husband, since the slave woman also belonged to them, and in this way the couple could provide an heir for themselves. Sarah regretted her decision as soon as she found out Hagar was pregnant and she's regretted her decision ever since. But she's tolerated Hagar and Ishmael. Now though, as she mingles among her guests, looking flushed and happy and proud, she spots Ishmael acting up. She loses her temper. Pulling her husband aside, she whispers angrily to him that he must get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Up til now she may have made her peace with the idea that Ishmael and Isaac would share their father's estate upon his death, but now she can't stand the thought of Ishmael being in her life for another minute. She wants her son Isaac to inherit everything, not have to share it with the young man who is standing in the corner making fun of the festivities.
Abraham is not happy with this turn of events. "The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son." (Genesis 21:11) I am sure Abraham loves Ishmael. He's concerned for his firstborn son. He doesn't want to do what Sarah is telling him to do, even though he understands where she's coming from. I think in his heart he feels a lot like Sarah does; he wants Ishmael to be his primary heir. But I don't think he ever intended to cut Ishmael out of the inheritance altogether. I think he would have provided amply for Ishmael in his will.
I imagine several days may have passed while Abraham wrestled with this problem. Perhaps he tried to convince Sarah to change her mind. Maybe he tried to talk to Ishmael about changing his attitude. He may have presented various solutions to the problem which no one accepted. But during this time I believe he took the problem to the Lord in prayer because we find the Lord telling him what he should do. "But God said to him, 'Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of a slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.'" (Genesis 21:12-13)
The child of the promise is to be the heir, not the child Abraham obtained by getting ahead of God and trying to fix his problem on his own. The child who was born by miraculous means will be one of the patriarchs of the nation of Israel and will be the ancestor of the Messiah. The son whom Abraham gained by worldly means will not be the one from whose line God's own Son will come. While it may not seem fair to us that God says it's alright for Abraham to cast Ishmael aside as his heir, it was never God's will for Abraham to conceive a child with Hagar in the first place. Ishmael was begotten because Abraham went down a path God never intended him to go down, but the Lord is going to be gracious to Ishmael. Though this young man will never be Abraham's heir, the Lord will watch over him and bless him. He will do great things for him. Naturally Abraham doesn't want to be separated from his son or be unable to personally watch over him, but the Lord promises to be with Ishmael and to watch over him. Those of you who are parents know you can't always be with your children to protect them. I'm sure it must be a comfort to know that the Lord is with them when you can't be, and this is what comforts Abraham in regard to Ishmael.
Join us tomorrow as Abraham regretfully and sadly does what he's been told to do.
We begin with a celebration being thrown for Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham. "The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast." (Genesis 21:8) In those days it was typical for a mother to nurse a child until the age of three while at the same time gradually introducing more and more solid foods until the child's diet consisted entirely of solid foods. I don't know whether it was a custom to throw a party on that day or whether Abraham simply wanted to celebrate this milestone in his child's life. But he and his wife call all their friends and neighbors to a huge party for their son.
"But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, 'Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.'" (Genesis 21:9-10) Ishmael is at least sixteen years old by this time, because the Bible told us in Chapter 17 he was thirteen and that was before Isaac was ever born. I think it's possible Ishmael is already seventeen or maybe almost eighteen. He was almost at the age to be considered a grown man and to start being trained by his father about how to manage the estate.
We don't know exactly who or what Ishmael was mocking. I don't know whether he was making fun of Isaac or whether he was displaying a disrespectful attitude toward Abraham and Sarah or whether he was just being a typical teen who thought having to attend a party for a small child was boring and "lame". Some scholars believe Ishmael was jealous of Isaac, because until Isaac was born Ishmael was the only child and the heir apparent of Abraham's estate. He may have felt pushed aside in favor of the young child. It could be that Ishmael sees the handwriting on the wall on the day Abraham throws this lavish party for Isaac. Perhaps Abraham has never thrown a party for Ishmael, and it's at this point that Ishmael realizes Isaac is being presented to the community as Abraham's favorite son and chosen heir.
As a woman I can understand Sarah's resentment of Hagar and her son, although this situation is Sarah's own fault. It was her idea to adopt a pagan custom in which a barren woman could give a slave woman as a second wife to her husband in order to bring about the birth of a son. The child would belong to the first wife and her husband, since the slave woman also belonged to them, and in this way the couple could provide an heir for themselves. Sarah regretted her decision as soon as she found out Hagar was pregnant and she's regretted her decision ever since. But she's tolerated Hagar and Ishmael. Now though, as she mingles among her guests, looking flushed and happy and proud, she spots Ishmael acting up. She loses her temper. Pulling her husband aside, she whispers angrily to him that he must get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Up til now she may have made her peace with the idea that Ishmael and Isaac would share their father's estate upon his death, but now she can't stand the thought of Ishmael being in her life for another minute. She wants her son Isaac to inherit everything, not have to share it with the young man who is standing in the corner making fun of the festivities.
Abraham is not happy with this turn of events. "The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son." (Genesis 21:11) I am sure Abraham loves Ishmael. He's concerned for his firstborn son. He doesn't want to do what Sarah is telling him to do, even though he understands where she's coming from. I think in his heart he feels a lot like Sarah does; he wants Ishmael to be his primary heir. But I don't think he ever intended to cut Ishmael out of the inheritance altogether. I think he would have provided amply for Ishmael in his will.
I imagine several days may have passed while Abraham wrestled with this problem. Perhaps he tried to convince Sarah to change her mind. Maybe he tried to talk to Ishmael about changing his attitude. He may have presented various solutions to the problem which no one accepted. But during this time I believe he took the problem to the Lord in prayer because we find the Lord telling him what he should do. "But God said to him, 'Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of a slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.'" (Genesis 21:12-13)
The child of the promise is to be the heir, not the child Abraham obtained by getting ahead of God and trying to fix his problem on his own. The child who was born by miraculous means will be one of the patriarchs of the nation of Israel and will be the ancestor of the Messiah. The son whom Abraham gained by worldly means will not be the one from whose line God's own Son will come. While it may not seem fair to us that God says it's alright for Abraham to cast Ishmael aside as his heir, it was never God's will for Abraham to conceive a child with Hagar in the first place. Ishmael was begotten because Abraham went down a path God never intended him to go down, but the Lord is going to be gracious to Ishmael. Though this young man will never be Abraham's heir, the Lord will watch over him and bless him. He will do great things for him. Naturally Abraham doesn't want to be separated from his son or be unable to personally watch over him, but the Lord promises to be with Ishmael and to watch over him. Those of you who are parents know you can't always be with your children to protect them. I'm sure it must be a comfort to know that the Lord is with them when you can't be, and this is what comforts Abraham in regard to Ishmael.
Join us tomorrow as Abraham regretfully and sadly does what he's been told to do.
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