Blog Posts - Created through Him

Created Through Him

The wisdom and mercy of God

11/8/2013

3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:3-4).

This is an odd situation to our modern minds. But for the time in which this occurred, the idea not having offspring was one of shame. Therefore the human inclination was to do whatever it took to produce a progeny. What Abraham and Sarah did was probably commonplace at the time and within accepted behavior. But this was not God’s design and plan for humanity. So, while tolerated and allowed, it was not good and there were many problems that resulted. God however accomplishes His plan even when humans go astray. This reveals both the wisdom and mercy of our Creator.

Waiting upon the Lord

11/7/2013

1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai (Genesis 16:1-2).

Any doubts about the human frailty and sin of Abraham and Sarah should be dispelled in these verses. They got inpatient with God. And as human often do when they get inpatient with God, they act. When they act they act according to their will and their ideas. They did what seemed like a good idea to them. But God in His infinite wisdom knows what is best and it is according to His timing and will that we are to wait upon. As good of a people as Abraham and Sarah were, they still lacked the eternal perspective and future understanding of God. The bottom line here is; wait upon the Lord. For if God promises, the promise is sure to occur.

The covenants of God

11/6/2013

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites (Genesis 15:15-21).

God always ratifies a covenant. That is, God guarantees the promise of the covenant. So it was a sure thing that the descendants of Abraham would occupy the land God had promised. The promises of God are often seemingly impossible at the time of their promise. But nothing is really impossible with God.

A future prophecy

11/5/2013

8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance (Genesis 15:8-14).

This is a difficult exchange to understand and yet it contains a easily recognized prophecy. Abraham is questioning God as to how he is to know what his inheritance will be. God answers Abraham with a prophecy. The prophecy is that the nation that arises from Abraham’s offspring would be held in a land not their own for 400 years. This is a reference to the time of Israel’s slavery in Egypt. This prophecy was given many hundreds of years before it was to be fulfilled.

Counted as righteousness

11/4/2013

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it (Genesis 15:5-7).

God promised Abraham that his decedents would be too numerous to count. It took faith for Abraham to believe God, since at the time (and he was old) Abraham had no children. There is a very significant theological fact reveled in verse 6. Abraham’s belief was counted as righteousness. So faith is saving. Specifically, faith in God is saving.

God is faithful

11/3/2013

1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir (Genesis 15:1-4).

The Lord’s promises are sure and irrevocable. When God promises a son, a son will be born. God is neither interested nor constrained by typical human concerns of feasibility. All things are possible with God. This should not surprise us since the God that created, called the Universe into existence out of the power of His command. And so when God promises a heir, a heir will be provided. God is faithful.

Rewards

11/2/2013

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: 24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion (Genesis 14:21-24).

Abraham wanted God to get the glory for the victory. Therefore, Abraham didn’t want any of the wealth from the victory from the king of Sodom. What God provided was sufficient. The lesson from Abraham is that we are to rely on rewards form God and not human rewards.

Dual victories

11/1/2013

13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all (Genesis 14:13-20).

This is an interesting scene from scripture. Abraham recuses Lot and then is greeted by both the king of Sodom and by Melchizedek. The king of Sodom represents the kings of this world and Melchizedek represents the king of heaven. Both praised Abraham. Abraham was victorious in earthly terms and because he was righteous before God he was also victorious in heavenly term. The former victory based on actions and the latter based on grace. And in this we see the separation between actions and grace. Actions are of Man, and grace is of God.

Consequences of war

10/31/2013

3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar. 8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; 9 With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. 10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. 11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed (Genesis 14:3-12).

The consequences of war are far reaching. What starts as a simple conflict, often transitions, rather insidiously, to something that is much greater. We see this in modern warfare as well. Alliances can also lead to expanded conflict. It is not that alliances are bad, but that the ramifications of alliances are very pronounced in the presence of war. The unfortunate consequences are that innocent people suffer. This is the case with Lot. Lot was caught up in the conflict. This is why God desires us to live in peace in as much as we have ability and control. The sorrow from war is profound to the people involved and to the God that created the people.

Fighting our own way

10/30/2013

1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; 2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar (Genesis 14:1-2).

This was the beginning of a regional war. It seems that not too many generations after the flood, alliances and wars began to occur. This happens all too frequently when nations forget to serve and worship God. The wondering of people away from God is due to a lack of true commitment towards God. This lack of commitment leaves people little choice but to go their own way. This way is not the way that leads to life.

Created Through Him