Abraham/Joseph Week 5 Day 3

Isaac is born ... and all attention was now focused on the child of the promise.  I suspect Hagar and Ishmael were almost forgotten.  That's hard on a boy ... especially one who had been the "only" one in his father's eyes.  Abraham loved Ishmael.  But ... now ... ISAAC is here!  I can understand the probable resentments ... Ishmael is a young teen ... and he has been replaced. 

Read Genesis 21:8 - 21.

I am moved by what I learn about God in this reading.  I see His mercy and His love so strongly.  He took care of Ishmael and Hagar.  He met their need.  It reminds me that God loves mankind - His special creation.  He did not only love Abraham, Sarah and Isaac.  Yes, He had a special task for them to do ... a special place in the history of the world ... but He loves mankind.  Do we ever get into the realm of deception and believe that God loves perhaps our country ... or our church ... or our "kind" of people better than others?  I don't think that is so.  God loves mankind ... and He adopts into His own family those whose hearts submit to Him and who choose faith, like Abraham chose.  I learn that through Hagar and Ishmael.  Even though Hagar and Ishmael were not part of the original plan!  And I am reminded that God does not dump me when I run ahead of Him.  He can even use my mistakes and failures.

However, I also see that Hagar and Ishmael had to go.  They were not part of the promised lineage that would usher Messiah into the world ... and they had to go.  They could not dwell together with the line of promise.  You see ... they represent all things human ... all things self-reliant.  They represent our flesh tendency to think we can take care of our own relationship to the promises of God. 

"I'll take care of this, God.  Not to worry.  Just watch what I can do!" 

"I'll be so good, God will just have to let me into heaven!" 

"I'll work hard enough, do enough good stuff, right stuff, that God will owe me."    

          "If I work hard enough ... serve enough ... go to church enough ... maybe then God will accept    me."


That so often represents our thinking, even subconsciously.  That's why Hagar and Ishmael had to go ... they represented that kind of thinking.  The promises of God ... the life offered by God ... is ALL from God. 

Read Galatians 4: 21 - 31 to gain Paul's insight on these things. 

So, what do we do with these insights?  You MUST ... I MUST ... cast out the bondwoman!  We walk by faith ... only.  God does not "owe" me or you.  He gives.  We are quick to say that we do not earn our position with God ... but then we live like we do earn it ... and we expect others to earn it in ways that we think they should.  "While we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) ... not when we got cleaned up.  Do you want to be a friend of God, like Abraham?  Then walk by faith ... not by sight.  Send the 'Hagar and Ishmael' thinking out of your mind ... out of your life.  And rest in the freedom and the beauty and the wonder of the reality. 

Let's finish this chapter.  Read Genesis 21: 22 - 34.

One thing to note in these verses - God gives us another name that He chooses for Himself.  It is in verse 33.  The NIV translates the name as: the Lord, the Eternal God.  This is the first use of the name, El Olam, the Everlasting God.    Everlasting ... in our fast-paced, ever-changing, full of death and decay world and culture ... close your study today thinking about our God ... the Everlasting One. 

Lord, we worship You this day ... our El Olam, our Everlasting Lord.  You are the ONE thing in our lives that does not change - that does not decay - that we can count on to be the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  What peace of mind and heart that provides!  Thank You Lord ... for the assurance, for the security, for the love you offer.  Today Lord ... we worship You.