Genesis 20-22

In a nutshell, I've been slacking. Or shamming. Choose which word fits best for you, BUT God is faithful and I am catching up. It's been over a month, and yes, I was a tad bit ashamed. However, being ashamed won't get the task completed...


Genesis 20-22: Abraham and Sarah go to yet another town and tell the king they are siblings. Isaac is born. Sarah kicks Hagar and Ishmael out.  God tells Abraham to sacrafice Isaac. Ram in the bush. 


There were a few scriptures that kept jumping out at me. So spiritually, I was forced to get unsettled from my comfortable reading spot to grab a highlighter. However, it's always worth it when God unsettles you...


Gen 20:16 says, "And to Sarah he (Abimelech) said, Behold, I have given this brother of yours a thousand pieces of silver; see, it is to compensate you [for all that has occurred] and to vindicate your honor before all who are with you; before all men you are cleared and compensated" (AMP)


I kept reading that passage over and over. I haven't gotten a full revelation of it yet, but Sarah was definitely caught in the middle because she had to do what her husband asked. So she had to go along with the "truth stretching" Abraham decided upon. BUT, she was cleared and compensated and her honor was vindicated in the end. 


That's pretty powerful. If we keep doing what we are supposed to do, our honor will be vindicated. If we continue to follow the person God has placed as our leader (pastor, husband, etc) we will be honored even when their deeds are not so honorable. 


Gen 21:2, 12-13, 22
When I looked at these scriptures, I was reminded of God's faithfulness. I was reminded of that God is not a man, he doesn't lie. When God says something is going to happen, it will! Even when we arn't patient...that's probably grace & mercy working in our favor. I learned before, Abraham and Sarah were impatient and decided to use Hagar as a vehicle to produce offspring. Well, Sarah became pregnant "at the set time of which God has spoken to him" (v.2). 


When God reveals to us when something will come to pass, hold tight. It will. Thank God he's not like us, he doesn't reneg (like in spades), recant, make mistakes, revoke, or take back his word. 


Even though God did not intend for Ishmael to be Abraham's heir, he still blessed Ishmael and made him a nation. Ishmael went on to become a great archer. This made me think of the children some of us may not have intended to have as early as we did. God has plans for them too! Yes, it may not be the family structure you desired, but God can work in ANYsituation. Remember the question God asked in Gen 18:14...is anything to hard for the Lord? of course not. 


Gen 22:12
Hearing the "ram in the bush" story growing up did not put me at ease. I thought God was pretty mean for making Abraham even consider sacrificing his ONLY son. I didn't think it was fair. And I didn't understand why God would do that. 


Now that I've grown older, I see it in a totally different light. Luke 10:27 discusses that we should love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, so if that is that case, I should not be willing to put something (or person) ahead of my love and dedication to Him. God told Abraham over and over and over that He would make him a great nation and that he would have innumerable descendants, liken that of the stars in the sky or sand in a desert. Abraham had seen God's faithfulness, grace, and mercy enough times to believe that God will provide in that situation even if he had to sacrifice his son Isaac. 


Sometimes God will test us by asking us to sacrifice something that we love/enjoy a lot. It could be money, time, a relationship, a job, or something else that we cherish. But this is not because He wants us to be unhappy, maybe He wants us to refocus. Maybe He wants us to prove in deed where our true allegiance and dedication lies.  


There won't always be an instantaneous "ram in a bush", but God is always Jehovah-Jireh as Abraham and Isaac found out in that chapter.