Absolutely amazing!
Remember Tuesday's post, "Even if we don't, He is..."? The last thing that I said in that post was, "I find it amazing that even when we don't trust God to be our shield, He still is!"
Well, guess what? Here we are, 3 days later, and in Genesis 15:1 God gives Abram a vision in which the word of the Lord came to him saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." Isn't it awesome how God will speak to you, show you something, and then confirm it for you. Case and point, the word of the Lord spoken to Abram in this vision is EXACTLY the message that I was trying to get across! (I promise that I did not read ahead!) Abram told Sarai to lie because he was afraid... he did not trust God to be his shield... his protector.
Speak Lord, for your servant listens...
Genesis 15:1 - 17:27
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen Spoil the Broth...
In the vision God promises Abram that his reward will be great. Abram replies to God, "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless..." I can literally feel Abram's heart in what he has said to God. He has desired to have children, heirs of his own union, to receive his inheritance. However, he has none. This breaks his heart. In verse 3, Abram says to God, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." At this point God reassures Abram that a servant will not be his heir. God says, "... a son, coming from your own body will be your heir".
This was not the only promise that God makes to Abram regarding his offspring. He takes Abram outside and says, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Even though God has promised that Abram would have a son "from his own body", it has not happened. Realizing this, Abram's wife, Sarai, talks Abram into taking her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, as his wife for the purpose of Hagar bearing him a son. Abram agreed to Sarai's plan. (Oh, what a tangled web we weave...) Hagar becomes pregnant.
Finally, at last, a fulfillment of God's promise!
Or was it?
When Hagar learns that she is pregnant, she begins to despise Sarai. Sarai goes to Abram and says, "You are responsible for the wrong that I am suffering", speaking of what Hagar is doing to her. (Hold the phone... wasn't this Sarai's idea to begin with?) Abram tells her to do whatever she thinks is best. (I am not EXACTLY sure what he meant by this. But, honestly, it sounds like it could have taken a very bad turn!) Sarai began to treat Hagar so badly that Hagar ran away.
The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring in the desert. (Any time that I see "spring in the desert" my first inclination is "a place of refreshing/renewal during a very dry and difficult time. What does it mean to you?) The angel said to her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her... I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count". He then told her, "You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael (which means "God hears"), for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Hagar returned to Abram, bore him a son, and he was named Ishmael.
Let's see... What do we have here?
We have 2 people, who have involved a 3rd person, trying to bring God's promise to fulfillment. In doing so they have brought a son into the world who, from what the angel of the Lord has said about him, will have a very difficult life. Remember, "He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." The hand of man fulfilling God's promise can have consequences that will affect not only those involved, but also generations to come.
Seeing what Abram and Sarai had done, God comes to Abram and says, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." What I hear God saying here is, "Abram, I am God, I am God Almighty, I am capable of doing that which I promise. You must walk blameless before me. Do not try to fulfill my promises to you by your own hand. Wait on me. If I promise it to you, I will give it to you."
God then "confirms" His covenant with Abram telling him that he will be the father of many nations. At this point God changes Abram's name to Abraham, meaning "father of nations". As outward sign of God's covenant with Abraham, God tells him Abraham that he, his household, the generations to come, even those who he has bought with money... every male among them is to be circumcised. God is so serious about this covenant that he tells Abraham that any male not circumcised will be cut off from His people, for he has broken God's covenant. God also blesses Sarai, telling Abraham that she will surely give him a son, she will be the mother of many nations. In fact, kings will come from her. God then changes her name to Sarah.
In spite of all that God has promised and done, Abraham still looks at the natural and tells God that he and Sarah are too old to have children. He appeals to God saying, God "if only Ishmael might live under Your blessing". God heard Abraham's cry and reaffirms that Sarah WILL bear him a son, his name shall be Isaac, and God's covenant will be established with him as a covenant for generations after him. God also heard Abraham's HEART! God says to Abraham, "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
An important point to remember...
We should never try to find a substitute for God's promise. If God promises... He will deliver. It might not be according to our timing. But, He will deliver!
Often in our impatience, we try to find ways to bring God's promises to pass and we end up with our own personal "Ismael", without the blessings of God. God will hear our heart of repentance and forgive us for not waiting on Him. However, the "product of our helping God out" often comes with many difficulties that we must be live with.
The blessings of God will always be found in God's promises, His plan.
Choices, choices... should we wait on God's timing, for the fulfillment of His promises? Or, should we ask, "Do you need a little help God?"
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