April 2nd, 2021-Rushing things caused immediate and perpetual trouble.
- Hagar got treated by God’s messenger well, being called by name. This was a big deal because slaves were mostly treated as nameless nobodies.
- Her response was very much like common minded thinking-they treat me badly so I will treat them badly. God wants us to be bigger and better.
- Abram is 86 when Ishmael is born and its 11 years after God made the promise to him in Gen 15.
- Running ahead of God on His plan for our lives takes us off course and leads to unnecessary suffering. Following His plan has suffering prepared already, don’t add to it. His plan is on His timing and He is coordinating everyone else’s situations past, present and future, don’t be an idiot and try to rush things because you don’t like how you see things right now. You don’t have the God’s eye view of everyone and everything.
- Gen 17 tells us that at the age of 99, 24 years after the promise from God, there was a covenant made. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, God promised him many descendants and prosperity, with a physical sign of the covenant to be borne by the males in his household. Sarai was changed to Sara and given the promise that kings will come from her lineage. Abe fell facedown and muttered to himself about the impossibility of a 99 year old and his hot 89 year old wife having a child. God responded affirmatively. Abe even asked that the covenant be established through Ishmael but God emphasized Isaac as his covenant son. That same day all males in the house were circumcised.
- Read Gen 18:1-15. God Himself was a guest of Abe’s. Sarah laughed. In Romans we are told that Abe’s laughter was with wonder at the power of God in the face of scientific/natural impossibility and her laughter was in
disbelief. God even asked in the reading if anything is impossible for Him. - Gen 20 tells us that even Abraham was stubborn. 19 was about Lot. He went to a land and told the people that Sarah was his sister. The king, Abimelech took her as a wife but God appeared in a dream to tell him. God told Abimelech that he made the mistake with a clear conscience so he was forgiven, no one was able to make children while that went on and that curse was lifted when Sarah was restored to her husband and Abraham prayed. Notice the Bible says nothing about her resistance? We have opportunity to speak up but we don’t when we should.
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