Genesis 22, 23, 24 Reflections
Genesis 22 tells the well known story of Abraham being tested by God, in asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. It kept on running through my mind, why would God test Abraham in such a way. I have this feeling, if God came up to a parent today, and asked us to sacrifice our one and only child, we would probably do as Sarah did when God told her she was going to conceive a child at the age of ninety, laugh. I can hear it now, are you crazy, why would You, my loving God, asking me to do such as thing. But, I also started thinking about all the little things that God asks us to sacrifice, and we still have a hard time conforming to even that. Daily meditation (It takes too long,) Prayer to God (I don't know how,) Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (I'm too tired,) or tithing (How can I afford to take care of my family and tithe at the same time? All the while, we find that storage is one of the most profitable businesses in the United States. We have too much stuff.) I do not say these things to make people feel bad or to put blame on others. I am a victim to every single one of the things I have listed above. Daily meditation (I'm reading The Bourne Identity, I do not have time right now,) Prayer to God (I'm sooooo hungry, I just want to eat or He already knows what I need, I'll just thank Him later,) Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (...I'm too tired,) and tithing (We are so young, we need to get established first.) I have come up with the same excuses. I am excited though. God has revealed Himself to me. He has opened my heart, and revealed Himself in the words I read everyday. Daily meditation has become addictive for me. Reading and writing in this journal has allowed God back into my daily life. Prayer has found its way into all of the situations in my life. God may know what I am thinking, but I now feel if I confide in God with my thanks and requests, I hear and know what I am thinking too. Even if I can not make it to Mount Olivet to praise God with fellow Christians, I still take the time to meditate on God's word, reflect and give thanks for the blessings He has provided, and rest as He did, but rest in the light of the Lord. I still need to work on tithing, but I now pray to God to reveal His answers to me. God has revealed in this powerful story to me, the need for me to reflect on the sacrifices I do today that He asks of me, and strive to offer more of myself up to God.
As I read Genesis 23, 24, I found myself looking through the eyes of the servant that was sent by Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac. Throughout the story, I witness how the servant is revealed more and more to the God of his master. Abraham chooses his eldest servant, and asks the servant to put his hand on Abraham's thigh to make an oath to not retrieve a wife from the Canaanites, but would find a wife from the homeland of Abraham. Right away the servant does not put complete trust in Abraham and his god, God. The servant tells Abraham, there is no way I will get a woman to follow me back here to be the wife of Isaac, and Abraham responds by telling him in summary, look at me when I tell you, the same god that has showered me with blessings is the same god that is the LORD God of heaven, this is the same god that has spoken to me and swore unto me and has provided for me all of my life. He will be with you on your journey. Abraham proceeds to tell his servant signs that will let him know that God is with him. As you read on, the servant is exposed more and more to the trust Abraham has in God and the love God has for Abraham, because the signs he was told to look for start happening to him right in front of his face. After all the events occur, the surprise is shown in the details of his account in Genesis 24:42 - 49.
42 And I come this day unto the well, and said, O LORD of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw from thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. 45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. 49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or the left.
As I read the text again, I could not help be imagine and hear the voice of the servant in a rambling surprised voice exclaiming everything as it was laid out to him. This journey began as a journey to retrieve as wife for his masters son. The journey ended as a journey of faith and trust in his masters god. The servant bows down his head, worships God, and gives blessings to God for all that he has experienced.
As I travel down this journey of mine. I find myself more and more reading the Bible through the eyes of the servant. I have always had a strong faith and relationship with God. But as I read on, I find God revealing Himself to me in ways I never saw before. I thank God for his friendship, companionship, love, blessing and trust. And, I ask that He continue to walk with me on this journey and reveal Himself not only to me, but to whomever finds comfort in the writings He inspires through me.
Questions for follow up:
Q - Abraham says in Genesis 23:2 - 3 2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh. 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth,... What is the historical significance of swearing to the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth by placing a persons hand on someone else's thigh?
Q - Why does Abraham not want the servant to get a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites? Did I miss an earlier account of God asking Abraham not to do so? Is there a major significance as to why Isaac is chosen a wife from Abraham's homeland?
Q - Genesis 24:67 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death
It doesn't tell us that Isaac had a traditional wedding, but that he "took" Rebekah, and she became his wife. What would have been the tradition in those days?
Matthew 8 Reflections
Matthew 8 takes on a lot of the same meaning as the Old Testament reading for today, Genesis 22 - 24. Jesus has now finished the sermon on the mountain, where a great number of people came to hear him. Of those people, where the disciples Jesus picked up a long the way. In many ways, the disciples were still in the same boat as the servant in the story from Genesis. The big differences in the experience the disciples are having versus the servant is, the disciples are walking with God in the flesh. Jesus walks and performs many miracles. He cleanses a leper, He heals palsy, commands fever away from Peter's mother-in-law, and casts out demons. The story that everyone remembers was the calming of the storm, Matthew 8:23 - 27 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? We are shown the limited amount of faith that Jesus current disciples hold for their new master. I have a feeling, as I continue reading, I will see the eyes of Jesus disciples being opened more and more to the power of God and His son Jesus Christ. What a wonderment it would have been.
Psalm 7:10 - 17 Reflections
I have been bothered by my Psalm readings for the past few days. I continually read through the mouth of David, how he perceives God will judge the unrighteous. There are some similarities between the messages in the book of Psalm and the messages Jesus provides us about the unrighteous. Where the similarities end for me, is I perceive David justifying the death of the unrighteous on earth, where Jesus speaks of eternal death. I will continue to ask God to reveal Himself to me in the book of Psalm.
Questions for follow up:
Q - Am I reading to far between the lines, or are these similar questions that many Christians come up with about the book of Psalm?
- Through faith, word, and deed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be you Lord God and your son Jesus Christ...Amen
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