God knew Abram was shaky and needed assurance. It had been a very intense time for Abram. If you remember in the previous chapter, Abram went to war against four kings to rescue Lot and his family. Abram going after Lot is an example of grace. At one time, we were all “Lots” living in sin. God loved us and chased us down in spite of who we were.
Abram had refused any of the spoils of war from the most powerful king of the land, King Sodom. I’m sure Abram was somewhat fearful and discouraged that the king could come back for revenge against him so God came to him in a vision. Gen. 15:1 – “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’”. God wanted to reassure him that He was his protector. We should not look at our circumstances, but look to God who is in control. There is no need to fear the future. We need to rely on God and He will calm our fears.
God said He would be Abram’s shield. God is our shield by protecting, deflecting and absorbing the arrows and darts from the enemy, Satan. God said He is Abram’s very great reward. He is our very great reward when we place our faith in Him. We get a relationship with Him for all eternity.
Principle: God is a shield and reward to those who trust in Him.
Abram was struggling with doubt. Years had passed since God made the promises to him. Abram questioned God in Gen. 15:2-6. He was questing God because he knew he didn’t have the ability at his age to have a son. He probably wondered if he even heard God right. He wanted very much to do his part in fulfilling God’s promise. He probably was wondering how this would happen. There was no disapproval from God. God just said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars…. So shall your offspring be.” – Gen. 15:5. Abram’s offspring today are all those who believe in Christ Jesus. See Rom. 4:16. Gal. 3:7, 29.
Doubt is different than unbelief. Doubt is the natural journey of faith. Are you doubting? Are you open to dialog with God? God is where we go when afraid and experiencing doubt. We all need assurance from God. To us, God’s timing seems so off. God showed Abram the stars to assure him that He was capable of fulfilling His promise. Abram was led to focus on God and what God could do. Abram took God at His Word and believed God. “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” – Gen. 15:6. Rom. 1:16-17 tells us that the righteousness will live by faith. Abram was righteous because he lived by faith.
Principle: Sinful men are counted righteous by grace through faith in the Word of God.
God had promised that Abram would possess the land. Abram asked, “How can I know that I will gain possession of it?” – Gen 15:8. Abram didn’t demand how this was going to happen. He just went to God submissive, but confused. God didn’t answer Aram, but instead told him to bring a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon. Abram did as God said, but then he killed them and cut them in half even though God didn’t tell him to do that. Abram simply understood what this was all about. It was to be a covenant with God.
In those days there was no written contract. A covenant was made with sacrificial animals, split them in half, and the parties of the covenant would ratify it by walking between the halves. God was personally and deeply committed to this covenant with Abram. With this covenant Abram was guaranteed God’s promise. If we believe, God promises us that we are saved and our salvation is secure. It is not secure based on you obeying, but on the Jesus’ work on the cross. Don’t live life afraid that you are not good enough.
Abram fell asleep and God revealed to him His future plans. God’s plans for Abram’s descendants were good, but there would be many terrible troubles. God told Abram that his descendants would be slaves in Egypt for 400 years. (Gen. 15:12-17). We learn in the book of Exodus that all these things happened as God said. After the 400 years God used Moses to free the people and God let them back to the country called Canaan. God makes something good out of something horrible. He freed them from Egypt. God did not enslave Israel. It was man’s free will that did that. Today God assures us that trouble will come, but He is our very present help in times of trouble.
Israel is the most disputed piece of real estate on the earth. Israel today is one of the tiniest nations on the earth. It’s only 260 miles at its longest point. It would fit into the United States 768 times. Israel is a democratic nation, but is surrounded by 22 hostile Arab/Islamic nations. These Arab countries are 640 times larger than Israel. They want Israel to turn over all the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Golan Heights and half of Jerusalem to them. Islam’s Koran commands Muslims to force the entire planet to submit to its control, yet Israel is viewed as an aggressor. Israel fights only defensive wars, because it resists total destruction from its enemies. Even though it’s a tiny nation, God continues to protect Israel to this day.
God promised Abram and his descendants the land of Israel, which includes from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. Abram believed God and entered into a covenant with Him. When the sun had set, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the animal pieces. That was God. “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates…’.” – Gen. 15:18. This is their Promised Land.
Principle: God’s grace is sufficient while we wait for His promises to be fulfilled.
Genesis 16 – Hagar and Ishmael
God promised Abram a son, but so far after 10 years it didn’t happen. They became impatient waiting on God. Sarai lived in pain and disgrace. So after much frustration and the social stigma she took matters into her own hands. She suggested to Abram that he sleep with her maidservant Hagar and maybe that way they could build a family through her. (Gen. 16:1-4) At that time Sarai’s suggestion was acceptable practice in society. Abram went along with this and Hagar became pregnant. They were influenced by the world’s standards. They did not seek God in their decision. God was not consulted or His will sought. God had told them several times that they would have a son, but it had been 10 years and time tested their faith. True faith waits for God’s timing.
Hagar probably considered it a privilege to carry Abram’s son, but resented Sarai because she had to submit to her. Sarai was jealous of her being pregnant. Hagar despised Sarai. Sarai blamed Abram. Abram refused to intervene. Sarai mistreated Hagar. Hagar fled into the desert. What a mess! I think Abram was the one who was really at fault in all this. He was a passive husband and not a loving leader. He followed the instructions of his wife and did what she told him. Instead he should have shown Sarai understanding, security and leadership for her heartache. He should have gone to God along with Sarai to ask for strength and patience. Plans without prayer produce problems.
Hagar was prideful and angry. She was so unhappy that she ran away. She was God’s child and He loved her as He loves us. God chased after her just as He chases after us. Verse 7 says the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar, but I think it was Jesus who appeared to her. He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” – Gen. 16:8. By Him addressing her as “servant of Sarai” showed that this marriage was outside God’s law and was wrong and sinful. Marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman. He appeared 3 times, which shows He cared for her. He told her to go back and submit to Sarai, that she was to have a son and his name would be Ishmael, and that he would have lots of descendants but also lots of hostility. She needed confidence from God that everything was alright. God’s promise to have many descendants would encourage her. Hagar gave the Lord a name, “the God who sees me” – Gen. 16:13.
When Abram was 86 years old, Hagar gave birth to a son and Abram named him Ishmael. There were would be consequences because of the decision that Abram and Sarai made. Hagar’s descendants would become some of the Arab nations of today. There was hostility between Hagar and Sarai and it continues today between Arabs and Jews.
Are you struggling and think you need to get your act together before God helps you? Hagar was a mess. Are you on the run? When you meet with God, it can be hard. Hagar was told to go back and submit to Sarai. If you are running away, God is watching and will meet you where you are. Just trust and submit to Him.
Principle: Whenever we run ahead of God, there is trouble; true faith waits on God’s timing.
Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
__________________________________________
If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.
You can follow this blog by clicking "Subscribe by Email". If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.
No comments:
Post a Comment