Genesis 17:1-27

Abraham has been waiting for a very long time to see the promises God made to him come true. It has been several decades since Abraham left Ur with the promise of property and the provision of posterity.  Abraham is still living in a tent and Sarah still has no son.  Just when it looked like all hope was lost and Abraham must have been questioning whether or not God had forgotten all about him; God shows up.  We might be tempted to question Abraham’s faith, but we must remember that Ishmael, Abraham’s illegitimate son, is now a teen-ager.  We often have a hard time waiting for 13 days for God to answer our prayers.  Abraham has been waiting for far more than 13 years.
GOD REPEATS HIS SOLEMN COVENANT:  God must have known that Abraham was struggling, so He comes to Abraham once again and repeats the covenant that He had made with Abraham.  He tells Abraham that he will be the father of many nations that his descendants will possess the Promised Land and He even changes his name.  Abraham cannot believe that Sarah will still be able to bear a child and asks God about his son Ishmael.  God affirms that Ishmael will be the father of a nation as well, but that Sarah’s son will be the child of promise.  I can just imagine Abraham shaking his head and wondering how in the world any of this could ever happen.  There are times when we feel the same way.  We think that the odds are all stacked against us and the situation we face is hopeless.  It is precisely at those times in our lives that God loves to show up and show off.  He loves to bring hope in times of despair.  He know what we face and how much we can handle and He is always faithful to reveal His will to us and remind us of His promises just when we need it the most.
GOD REVEALS HIS SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION:  God tells Abraham that He wants all of the males in his household to be circumcised on the eighth day.  This was to be a constant reminder of God’s covenant and a sign of agreement to obey God’s will.  God wants His people to be set apart and different from the world around them.  We are not to look or act like the world but are to remember that God has set us apart for Himself.  This sign was to remind Abraham and all of His future generations that they were called by God for a special purpose and that God expected them to live in a way that would reflect their special relationship with the Lord.  We must constantly remember that we belong to the Lord and that He has special promises through which He is determined to bless us.  When we are discouraged it is vital that we remember the Lord and His promises to us.
GOD REJOICES IN A SPECIAL CONCEPTION:  God once again lets Abraham and Sarah know that they will have a child.  Sarah overhears the conversation between God and laughs in her heart as she does not understand how this could happen.  Her monthly cycle has stopped she sees no way for this promise to be able to come true.  God has her right where He wants her.  She is in a position where God alone will be able to do what for man is impossible.  God never worries about having the odds stacked against Him.  He makes it very clear to Sarah that there is nothing that is too hard for Him.  Sarah too gets a name change and God tells them that their son’s name will be Isaac which means laughter.  I think God has an amazing sense of humor and takes a special delight in doing that which is astounding.  When we find ourselves in impossible situations it should be a great comfort for us to know that God rejoices in doing the unexpected and the improbable.  That is when His glory shines the brightest.
GOD RECEIVES SINCERE COOPERATION:  Abraham does exactly what God told him to do.  He circumcised every male in his home including himself.  This must have been a very difficult thing for all who were affected.  There was a lot of pain and humiliation involved in this act of obedience.  Following God is not often easy, but it is always necessary and worth it.  May God find in our hearts a willingness and disposition to obey God no matter how painful, difficult or humiliating this obedience requires.  Disobedience will always result in far more pain and humiliation.  We must always remember and trust that God knows best.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not   to teach any different doctrine,   nor   to devote themselves to myths and endless   genealogies, which promote   speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.    The aim of our charge is love   that issues from a pure heart and   a good conscience and   a sincere faith.    Certain persons, by   swerving from these, have wandered away into   vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law,   without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.   There will always be false teachers that come into the church attempting to distract people from the truth and destroy people’s faith.  When this happens, it is the job of spiritually mature leaders to confront these false teachers and correct their teachings.  However, it is important that this correction be accomplished with the right motives and methods. 
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more