On Thursday I was supposed to read Genesis 20 thru 22, but I wasn't able to get to it until yesterday. Those chapters were talking about Abraham and Sarah.
Chapter 20 talked about Abraham betraying Abimelech as him and Sarah passed thru his land because Sarah was so beautiful that Abraham was afraid that Abimelech's men would kill him to get to Sarah. Of course God was watching over Abraham and Sarah and spoke to Abimelech in a dream telling him to give Sarah back to Abraham because it was wrong. Wouldn't you like to know when and I am sure it has happened that, God has spoken to someone on your behalf? I know I would. I am pretty sure there have been sometimes that I am pretty sure it was only because of God and not because of me but to know that he actually talked to someone in only the way that God can would be kind of cool.
Chapter 21 talks about the birth of Isaac. Now being a woman similar to Sarah in that I too have a barren womb the fact that she even had Isaac was a miracle in and of itself. I am not sure how old Sarah was but it states that Abraham was 100 so lets say she was at least well into her 80s or above, so other than God intervening it was next to impossible for her to conceive. So I can see why she was so overcome with joy that she was laughing as his birth. But what I don't exactly agree with is Sarah's attitude toward Hagar and Ishmael. Sarah is the one who let Abraham sleep with Hagar, so technically it is all her fault that Ishmael is even on the earth at all. So I am very glad that God saw favor toward Hagar and Ishmael and took care of them after they were turned away. I can only imagine how hard it was on Abraham to send them away, even if he didn't have any real feelings for Hagar but I am sure that he loved Ishmael with all of his heart and soul and to have to watch them walk away probably broke, I am sure that Abraham prayed for them everyday.
In Chapter 22 God tested Abraham's faith by telling him "Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you." (verse 2) Can you imagine what was going thru Abraham's head, I am sure his heart skipped a beat, but he knew the whole time that God would provide something. Because as Abraham, Isaac, and his servants took out for the mountain and as they were leaving the servants to continue the journey on their own he even told them, "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."(verse 5) or at least that is how I read it that he knew that God would hopefully supply an alternative, but Abraham was so obedient to God that he would sacrifice his own son. But I wonder if maybe Ismael was in the back of his mind on the whole journey.
But also what about Isaac who let his father tie him up and place him on the alter, you know that some where in the past he had seen enough sacrifices by his father that he had to start putting the pieces together that he was to be the sacrifice that God was going to provide that Isaac had asked Abraham about on the way to the mountain top in verses 7 & 8.
If you ever need a good example of putting all your faith in God that is probably one of the best ever.
Now to put a slight human element to it because I know that I think of all of these bible stories as super spiritual and almost not on a real people level. But can you imagine how Sarah reacted when she found out what happened if we know about it I am sure she found out about is somewhere along the way. Even if she wasn't told directly by Isaac or Abraham, but you know that Isaac told his friends and you know how stories get told and rumors are spun. Needless to say I am sure Abraham was in the dog tent for a while.
Today's reading is:
Genesis 27-28
Matthew 8:18-34
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