Much happens in our reading today. Sari and Abram plan to "help" God along with his plan for a child. Sari advises Abram to go sleep with her Egyptian maidservant Hagar. Hagar means "flight." Hagar conceives and subsequently challenges arise in the household, Abram tells Sari to "Do with Hagar whatever she thinks best", Sari mistreats Hagar and Hagar subsequently departs on the road to Shur (Shur is a wall bordering Eastern Egypt).
In the wilderness, Hagar encounters an angel of the Lord, who asks where have you come from and where are you going and is ultimately instructed to return to Sari...She complies. She is advised that her child will be named Ishmael and a blessing is given. Hagar recognizes the Lord.
13 years later, God appears to Abram and confirms His covenant. Abram falls facedown and is advised the covenant is an everlasting covenant. The land of Canaan is Abram's, the covenant must be kept; circumcision of the males at 8 days. Uncircumcised to be cut off. Abram and Sari were then given the names Abraham and Sarah. Abraham falls facedown, laughs and advised his son is to be named Isaac and will be born in a year, the father of 12 rulers, father of a great nation. On that very day Abraham circumcised males of his household.
Three heavenly visitors appear and Sarah is told of Isaac. Sarah laughs, perhaps not realizing or believing that there is nothing too hard for the Lord, and lies about the laugh.
As the visitors leave, Abraham again hears of his offspring being a blessing to all nations on earth. The conversation changes to Sodom and Gomorrah and the Lord advises of impending destruction. Abraham negotiates with the Lord to save the city if only ten righteous people live there.
Thoughts:
Do we try to take God's plan into our own hands, or do we allow God's plan to work in His way on His schedule? Look at the challenges we have in our current world because of Abram and Sari taking the plan into their own hands.
When God speaks, do we listen like Hagar, or do we run like Jonah? Jonah ultimately complied with God's request.
Do we "fall facedown" before God? Do we hold back in our faith? Do we "laugh" when God tells us____?
God's gifts are for our own benefit. Circumcision was a sign of the new covenant to actually represent a circumcision of the heart...death to sin...Pointing to Jesus. This gift was given for our benefit. Not many years ago, the American Acadamy of Pediatrics took the position that there was no benefit to circumcision. Some years later, The Center for Disease Control advised the pediatricians to revise their position, for circumcision made the transmission of certain "social disesaes" less effective. God is wise.
Abraham acts on his instructions immediately, he does not delay. How often do we delay, what are the costs of delay?
Do we realize that nothing is too hard for the Lord?
Do we realize that we are made righteous by the blood of Jesus?
Again we have an example of God listening to requests.
Pray for effective time management.
In Christ.
David P
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