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Archbishop praises endurance of Anglicans in Zimbabwe

The Archbishop of Canterbury delivered a reassuring message of Gods triumph in spite of adversities to Anglicans in Zimbabwe

Vique

God’s promises never fail

Fri, 07/01/2011
Genesis Chapters 21 to 23

GENESIS 21

The Birth of Isaac

Commentary

25 years before, God had made a promise to Abraham (then Abram) that all peoples on earth will be blessed through him.  After 5 years, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was just a dream and it would not come to pass.  But with God, that would be an unwise position to adopt because in Abraham and Sarah’s case, the promise was fulfilled at the appointed time, 25 years later.  It is instructive to note that at the appointed time, God visited (attended to) Sarah and the son of promise was born.  I can only imagine the changes that Sarah’s body went through to be ready to conceive and to give birth for she was past childbearing age being 90 years old. Who had ever heard of such a thing? A pregnant 90 year old woman.  It just goes to show that God will do whatever is necessary to fulfil his promises.  The laughter of doubt of both Abraham (Genesis 17:17) and Sarah (Genesis 18:12) was turned to laughter of joy. 


Sibling rivalry
As Isaac begins to grow, the elder brother mocks him.  We may be tempted to explain Ishmael’s behaviour as children playing and on the face of it maybe it is. However, Paul in Galatians 4:22 - 29 explains it differently as a spiritual battle of persecution between the children of flesh (those who live by the flesh) and children of promise (those who follow God in faith through the promise).  Could this be what Sarah saw having experienced Hagar’s behaviour 13 years earlier, Ishmael manifesting the same behaviour as his mother?  Or could it just be a mother’s instinct to protect her own child?  God’s response to Abraham’s displeasure seems to support Sarah’s position. Get rid of the son of the flesh. There is to be no reconciliation with the flesh, no peaceful coexistence lest the flesh corrupts. The son of the flesh must simply be put away to protect the son of promise.  This might seem harsh but God does not like mockers - Proverbs 19:29, and he resists them (Proverbs 3:34) but this is about protecting the son of promise. In obedience to God, Abraham gives up Ishmael, his eldest son.  Was this preparation for what was to come?

The test
As if giving up Ishmael was not enough, God tests Abraham to see if he was prepared to do anything for Him, even give up the most precious thing he had, something he had hoped and waited so long for.  What a test and what a pass mark Abraham obtained.  We cannot begin to imagine what Abraham went through but we can observe his responses.
Abraham rose early in the morning. He did not waste time in obeying the Lord.
He considered what he was about to do as ‘worship’.
He must have been convinced that God had one more move because in Isaac the nations of the world will be blessed so whatever God was about to do, the world would be blessed.
Even if he was afraid, he was prepared to trust God.
There is no indication that he told Sarah about it. What would her reaction have been?

How would we react if God asked us to do half of what he asked Abraham?

The result
Much has to be said about Isaac himself.  It is obvious that he understood (Genesis 22:7) what was to happen; yet he did not run (I would). He willingly complied even to lie down on the altar.  He demonstrated his faith in God and his father.

A closer examination of the text reveals a hidden picture.  Another time, another mountain (some say it was the same mountain). Another father giving up his only son, another only son carrying his own burden (wood for Isaac, a cross for Jesus) both children of promise, both for one purpose “the nations of the earth shall be blessed”.

What great examples Abraham, Sarah and Isaac are to us individually and as a family.

Bunmi Olubode

2 CHRONICLES 20:20

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”

Mrs

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