2015-04-24
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week we saw in JAS 2: 21-24 that Abraham’s faith led to him being justified, i.e. deemed righteous, innocent, and acceptable by God. Moreover JAS 2: 17, 22 reveal: Faith not accompanied by actions is dead; Abraham’s faith and his actions worked together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. These are the things that made Abraham stand out in God’s mind as the right person to establish a line of descendants through his son, Isaac, (the son of the promise), who would become the Jewish people. They would be set apart by their belief in one and only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [see DT 6: 4-5]. But there is more, for us to see. We needed to understand that our God keeps His promises, just as He did the one He made to Joshua, that His people, the Jews, would have land on which to live. JS 1: 1-6 reveals this promise of land and even repeats the extent God intended originally stated in GN 15: 18-21—This covered all of what is modern dayIsrael,Lebanon, part of southernSyria, to theEuphratesRiver inIraq, extending from theMediterranean Sea. Obviously, this extent of the promise hasn’t been fulfilled yet, due to human disobedience to God’s will. Today,Israel is the size ofNew Jersey and covers the territory originally populated by the Canaanites and other tribes believing in multiple gods that Joshua defeated with God’s help. It’s not hard to imagine how detestable more modern pacts trading land for peace betweenIsrael and the Arabs must be to God.
Let’s return to ancient times in order to better understand the Abrahamic Covenant. GN 15: 16, “In the fourth generation, your descendants will come back here for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” This reveals that it would be about 400 [actually 430] years of slavery for the Jews inEgypt, before God would set up the circumstances for their exodus from that land. We can see that God has a much loftier perspective than any humans can, and that He had the power to cause change in His perfect time and way. It is my belief that God always does things, not only for righteous reasons, but in a way to maximize lessons for those who love Him, so they can eventually gain eternal life. In this case, God was giving the Ammorites just enough rope to hang themselves. We must note that their nation, as with many ofIsrael’s ancient enemies, no longer exists in modern times.
EX 3: 21-22, EX 11: 1-3, and EX 12: 35-36 all relate the fact that God used His power to cause the Egyptians to be favorable to the Jews leaving Egypt, even to the point of supplying them materially. We must remember that back in GN 15: 17, God walked alone through the pieces of animal sacrifice, so that the entire covenant depended on Him alone. This meant that it would stand. IS 46: 9-10, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” Just as God has the power to make the situation favorable for His people, He also can allow the evil one to bring negative consequences for us when we disobey Him. An example of that might be the situation when Sarai became impatient in her inability to conceive a child, hatched the plan with Abraham for him to sleep with Sarai’s handmaiden, and Hagar became pregnant with Ishmael in GN 16. Jealously, an ugly sin, followed on Sarai’s part, and it led to Abraham expelling Hagar and Ishmael from their camp. It is the descendants of Ishmael who are today’s Arabs, still sworn enemies ofIsrael. And yes, there are other examples of where God’s chosen people have disappointed Him that led to negative consequences.
It’s a waste of time to recall the past and refuse to learn anything from it. This has been a dominant theme throughout all the writing this author has done. More than almost anything, I would wish that we would learn God’s lessons well and come to understand our need to obey Him and rely on Him. My reasons for saying this are not only selfish ones, e.g. my desire to personally go to heaven in God’s perfect time and way. We have our legacy that we leave behind to consider. Fewer older generations are entirely satisfied with the generations that are younger and alive at the same time on this earth. We see families never eating a meal together, the trend toward secularization in our society, all kinds of greed and materialism, and the loss of a God-centered consciousness. God has allowed us to enjoy the benefits of technical advancement, the conveniences of this present life, and a longer lifespan with better health. And yet, we turn these things into idols, always trying “to keep up with the Jones,’” always wanting more and more. Today’s society doesn’t know how to separate needs from wants, never slows down enough to recognize it’s blessings and from Whom they come. And my question concerning Israel is: When will it ever be at peace with its neighbors, live comfortably without worrying about being attacked or having to defend itself from attack (maybe even nuclear) by its neighbors? God brings me back to IS 9: 6 and 11: 1-12 as His answer. Praise and thanks forever be to Him!
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before You with knees bent, arms lifted, and heads bowed in reverence and in awe. We acknowledge Who You are in our lives and the utter superiority of Your righteous power. PS 86: 8, “Among the gods there is none like You, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.” These words from David only scratch the surface, for as our Covenant Partner, You are so central to our lives. We accept that we must rely on You, and we ask for Your guidance and wisdom. PS 119: 105, “Your word is a lamp unto our feet, a light for our path.” PS 143: 10, “Teach me to do Your will, for Your are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Even though it is long after You made Your covenant with Abraham, You have allowed us to know the long-term ramifications of it’s three gifts of a people, land, and a King. Because of Your love for Your human creation, You have grafted-in believing Gentiles to worship You in addition to believing Jews [RO 11: 17]. We rely that one day, Your promise of land, as You intended it, will come to pass. We also acknowledge the prophesy of Your Kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ [2 SAM 7: 12-13; PS 2: 4; IS 9: 6; DN 2: 34-35; DN 7: 13-14; DN 9: 27; MT 1: 21-23; COL 3: 3-4; REV 19: 11-12]. We read these Bible passages to be reminded of the message that You left us, to inform, protect, equip, and encourage us in our faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray to You, to let You know that they matter enough to us to effect our thoughts, decisions, and behavior in a manner that will please You. To those who are willing to listen and have not yet come to faith, we ask this question: Do you know that God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to the cross, so that all who believe in Him can have everlasting life? [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 23-25]. Yes, Lord, we are sinners greatly in need of relying on You. We thank and praise You for being here for us and loving us that much, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Our review of the Abrahamic Covenant continues at the behest of the Holy Spirit. We will look at the meaning of circumcision to the Jewish people and revisit the issue of commitments in our modern day lives. Each of us goes through trails, losses, and disappointments in our lives. As Peter wrote, in 1 PET 5: 8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” We’ve been given the power to send the devil packing by our Lord, Jesus Christ [EPH 1: 18-20], if we will do so in His mighty name. This doesn’t mean our trouble will stop suddenly, but it does mean that He offers His outstretched hand of help when matters become too difficult for us to deal with alone. It also means there is a hidden blessing in all this trouble. It is the strengthening and maturing power that we acquire in working things out. This too comes from our Covenant Partner, because His enemies are also our enemies, His concerns our also our concerns. We need never forget that when we are saddest, His arms are around us and support us. DT 33: 27, “God has always been your Defense; His eternal arms are your support.” We can find comfort in knowing our loving Lord lives and loves us. Once again, praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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