I had several thoughts about Ch 20... my first one was a very human thought: wow, Sarah must have been in great shape for being 90! Then, I thought about how Abraham had a bad habit of repeating past problems (see Gen 12:10-20)... but I know I struggle with this, too... I think I've mastered an area of my life, and then, Bam!, I do the same dumb, sinful thing all over again!... and it's those half-truths that can really get me, because I want to justify them by saying, well, I didn't exactly lie... but we find out in Ch 21, that that can really catch up to us (more about this below). Also, I thought it was cool that God upheld Abraham even though Abraham had messed up again... God tells Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet and that through Abraham's prayers, Abimelech's family would live (and we find out later, be healed... verses 7, and 17-18).
The study notes also said that Abimelech represents a kind of "accountability partner"... one who bravely sets you straight (verse 9-10)... thank-you for helping us in this area and holding us accountable! We all need people who are willing to do this. :)
Chapter 21: Both God and Abraham fulfill parts of their treaty.... I thought Sarah's reaction to having a baby was so sweet (verse 7), I was like, AWWWW. :)
In verses 8-21, I thought it was cool how God uses everything for His good and as a part of His plan... even when we mess up, it doesn't thwart God, He just continues in the blessings... of course there is consequence for sinful actions (like the jealousy and heartbreak over two wives and two sons, etc). I also liked how it says that God was with Ishmael (verse 20)... even though he was abandoned by his own family, he still had God by his side. Oh, and an interesting note... I always thought that Ishmael was a very young boy when I read just this part in the past (the way it talks about Hagar taking the stuff, the boy crying, and her taking him by the hand - verses 14, 16-18), but when I calculated the years, Ishmael was actually 15.
I thought it was interesting that Abraham and Abimelech were still friends after the half-truth (or we'll just call it what it was: a lie) Abraham told him about Sarah (Ch 20)... but it did strike me, also, that Abraham's past lie still characterized him to some degree, because Abimelech asked Abraham if Abraham was going to deal falsely with him (verse 23)... so, just because God has forgiven us, does not mean that the people we hurt in the past have fully healed from the wounds we gave them... I want to make sure I remember this and do my best not to inflict the wounds of my sin on others in the first place.
Chapter 22: The idea of Isaac can be paralleled to Jesus... I have heard these references given by others in the past: Isaac carried his own wood for the sacrifice, like Jesus carried His own cross to the crucificion (although, I could not find a reference for this, as all said that Simon was told to carry it for Him, but it could be tradition that Jesus carried it before Simon as was customary... any references or higher theological thoughts on this???); also, Abraham was asked to give up his ONLY son, just like God gave up His ONLY son for the sacrifice (John 3:16); Hebrews 11:17-19 makes a mention that Abraham believed God could raise his son from the dead if Abraham sacrificed him, which is what God did for us when He raised Jesus from the dead (Luke 24:6-7); also, the Study Notes say that Jesus can also be seen as the ram substitute, for us (verse 13-14).
Also, I thought it was cool that God swore by Himself (verse 16), and in Hebrews 6:13-14, it states that He did this because there was nothing greater for Him to swear by. :) This chapter made me think about how God doesn't just want us to follow and obey Him in some things, He wants us to obey Him in all things with all of our being... He wants us to love Him more than His gifts... put Him first in all things... and realize that God does not bless us just because we try to bless ourselves... it is His blessing, so He will provide it.
I liked Chapter 23, because it was a good model for how we should be when we go to another culture: we should not go thinking they owe us something or that we know everything or are all that, instead, we should be humble, fair regardless of our prestige or position, and love God so much that our love pours out on those around us erasing all unnessary lines dividing us: so we become like members of the family to them, and they to us. The study notes say that this chapter reflects many Hittite laws and customs, plus one wheeler-dealer who seems generous, but is truly greedy.
Hope you have a very wonderful New Year, full of blessings... just remember what we have learned about God and His blessings through our look into Abraham... He who promises is faithful and will provide (Psalm 145)!
In His Love,
sandJ
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-20:2 Abraham called Sarah his sister again - how often do I do this? Learn a lesson of trust from God, and then go back and make the same mistake and re-learn the same lesson. v.6 Also made me think about, when does my sin cause others to sin?
ReplyDelete-20:11 Abraham thought because there was "no God in this place", that God was then, not in control in that place. When and where do I think like that? Grace's public school, at times, for sure.
-21:4 God is so sovereign. He placed circumcision on the 8th day after birth, and there have been studies done in current times that confirm that there is an increase in pain tolerance in babies at 8 days old. I love to hear when modern science confirms God's Word.
-21:14-20 God allowed the suffering of Ishmael and Hagar in the desert. She thought she was going to lose him, but God saved him. I struggled through a similar thing when my dad was on life support for 3 weeks in the ICU. I understood God completing his will, either death or life, but at the time, I couldn't grasp the suffering in between. Then my dad was healed, so why the suffering? How amazingly that suffering has grown my dad as well as each one of our family members that went through it, in different ways. There is purpose in suffering, what a great lesson to learn, as it is a great sustainer through the suffering. There are few things (or maybe nothing) sadder to me than those that are suffering without the heart knowledge that there is a purpose for it. And there are few things more inspiring than seeing someone in the midst of suffering with a clear vision, through faith alone, that the suffering is for a purpose, because God is good.
-22 Now this story is one I just cannot fathom. I understand why it has to be there, and what great faith Abraham showed, and how it points to the day that God the Father allowed his Son to be sacrificed, but I just can't begin to get my mind around what that must have been like for either Abraham or Isaac.
-22:21 On a lighter note, did anyone else read the brother's names Uz and Buz as "Uzz and Buzz"? Is this correct pronunciation? The only other alternative I can think of is "Ooz and Booze", so both are just making me laugh tonight.
-23 I like how Abraham insisted on paying a fair price for the burial place for Sarah.
Wow, I was wordy tonight-
ok, on to your comments
So good - love the "accountability partner" comment, did not think about that relationship that way, but I agree. Like the definition, too, one who bravely sets you straight.
Just got done reading your notes, and I love, love, love all you have to say! So insightful and true! I did a little digging on Jesus carrying the cross, because you're right, it doesn't say he did - I think it was Roman law for the condemned to carry their cross, so that may be why he is often depicted that way. The bottom line is, we're not going to know, since it's not clearly in the text. It probably could have happened either way - he may have been in bad enough shape after the flogging to not have been physically able to carry it, so they asked Simon of Cyrene, or he may have carried it for a while, then when he couldn't anymore "as they were going out" (Matthew 22:37), they asked Simon of Cyrene to carry it. To me the "as they were going out" could mean either out of the palace (immediately), or out of the city (later).
I've now written a book, and not a very good one, so Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!!! We love you!!!
ReplyDeleteMay God Bless you coming 2010!!
Yes, read today.
Sandj