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THE CHURCH ON HIGHER GROUND |
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HOMEPAGE |
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THE PLAN |
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HOMEPAGE & MENU FOR OTHER LESSONS |
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STUDY OUTLINE |
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PAGE 11 ABIMELECH/ISAAC BORN/COST OF SIN (20-21)
LESSON #1 ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH/GE.20:1-18
LESSON #2 ISAAC BORN/GE.21:1-3
LESSON #3 THE COST OF SIN/Ge.21:4-7
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LESSON #1 Abraham and Abimelech...Ge.20:1-18
Fri Mar 9, 2001
For whatever reason, Abraham pulled up his tent stakes and journeyed on. It could have been because of the recent happenings in the region; the total destruction of entire cities, the scorching of the land, the final failure of Lot and Lot's failure to seek out Abraham. Or maybe he just had itchy feet, but I doubt it. He had been a wanderer since coming to Canaan. He also traveled across the territory that God had promised to give to him. Maybe his flocks needed new grazing land. Whatever the reason, Abraham moved south and ended up on the well watered plains of Gerar (1).
Abraham had become a well known and powerful leader in the region. However, Abraham feared for his life when he journeyed through Gerar because he did not know the moral or spiritual condition of the people or of King Abimelech (11). Again Abraham was afraid that he would be killed because the king would want to take Sarah for himself. He told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister and Abimelech proceeded to add Sarah to his family as his wife (2).
We might wonder how Abraham could repeat the same sin of deceit which he had committed while in Egypt. He had entered into and was experiencing a deeper and closer relationship with God than he had in his younger life. Keep in mind, no matter how close we get to God we still have a free will and can distrust and disobey God. Another thing to remember is, whatever areas were a stumbling block to us before our total commitment can be a stumbling block to us after our total commitment. Total commitment will bring about a change within us, but it does not remove us from this world of testing. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, and He refused to sin, and so can we by His grace.
Apparently, Abibelech had some understanding and relationship with God because God warned Abimelech in a dream that he would be slain if took another man's wife (3). Impressively, Abimelech had not defiled Sarah and asked God if He would slay a NATION [not just a man] though it was blameless (4). We find pockets of faith scattered throughout the times of the Patriarchs; Abraham, Lot, Melchizedek and maybe Abimelech. Men in those early days of human history were not far removed from the truth of God, it is just that most of them lived like they were, as it is today.
Abimelech declared his own integrity in the "Sarah" situation. He said he had been deceived (5) and God acknowledged that in a dream, saying that He knew Abimelech had not deliberately done evil and that He had even saved Abimelech from sinning against Him (6). God directed Abimelech to restore Sarah to Abraham and told him that since Abraham is a prophet, he should have Abraham pray for him (7). God would destroy Abimelech and his people if he did not do the right thing (7). Abimelech told his countrymen what God had said and they responded with fear (8). The fear of man is destructive, the fear of God is constructive.
When Abimelech confronted Abraham about why he had deceived him, Abraham admitted his fear of what men might do to him [which is the same as a lack of faith in God] (9-11). Abraham further explained that Sarah was his half sister and that they had agreed to this "story" from the time of their first journey (12-13). Abimelech gave gifts to Abraham, restored Sarah and then offered him to live anywhere he would like in his kingdom (14-16). Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his family to be healed of their inability to bear children (17). God had caused them to lose their reproductive ability because of Sarah being taken into the family (18).
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LESSON #2 The Joy of Faith...Ge.21:1-3
Tue Mar 13, 2001
God is true to His word. "The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken" (vs.1) God never fails*. God always keeps His word*. God cannot lie*. Twenty-five years earlier, when Abraham was seventy-five years old, God had promised Abraham a son as the fulfillment of the promised "Seed." God had confirmed and re-confirmed His promise with Abraham. Abraham was getting old, even by their standards, and he still had not gotten a man-child from the LORD. Though he had resorted to his own carnal solution, he did not have the promised son from God. Twenty-five years...that is a long time to wait for something you wanted at the beginning.
Many miles and trials had passed
And still no promised son.
Many years and tears...
but still no promised one.
At ninety-nine years old, Abraham was called to walk before God and be perfect, and when he was promised a son, he laughed for joy. When Sarah over heard God promise her a son in her old age, and past the child bearing time, she laughed from disbelief. But Abraham believed God. That would be a great way to be thought of, as the man or woman or boy or girl who believed God. Put your name in the blank, "But ______ believed God."
First, do you face problems larger than you can solve? Second, do you call on God to conquer your problems? Third, are you close enough to God that He promises you
victory over your problems? Fourth, does your faith hold on regardless of the obstacles and hurdles you encounter? The question is not, did you believe God for your salvation, but do you believe God for every area of your life, every day? That is what it means to say that, "He (she) believed God."
God is faithful. He never fails. He is always on time. What a shame to have an appointment with God and miss it, not because He didn't do what He promised, but because you didn't believe Him for the answer. God is so gracious. Though Abraham sometimes came short, and though Sarah sometimes doubted, God was always faithful. He stirred their faith to overcome their failure.
Too often people start out with a firey faith but then cool off when faced with the cold realities of life. To paraphrase what someone has said, "You can tell how hot your faith was by how warm it is after someone throws cold water on it." Most believers have barely enough faith to save themselves, much less to confront and reach a lost and dying world. We need to have a faith which stirs faith in others. We need to not only be inspired, but inspiring.
Abraham's faith must have inspired Sarah because we read that Sarah believed God and received strength to have her son*. God builds our faith by blessing us. When Sarah became pregnant in her old age her faith was stirred to have the strength for the birthing of the child. We must let the faithfulness of God stir us with new faith. With the fulfilling of the promise Sarah found herself laughing again, but this time for the joy of God's goodness and not her own disbelief.
When we put our trust in the LORD, we will have joy. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Ps.16:11.
Abraham named his son Isaac (vs.2), which means laughter. May our lives be fruitful with the laughter of faith and the joy of the LORD.
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LESSON #3 The Flesh and The Spirit...Ge.21:4-7
Thu Mar 15, 2001
A newborn brings joy to a family, but the joy of this family was exceedingly great. At age seventy-five, God had promised Abraham a child and had confirmed His promise from time to time*. At about the age of eighty-five Abraham resorts to a carnal attempt to accomplish the will of God and gives Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, a son*.
There is no record of God communicating with Abraham for the next thirteen years. Those silent days were probably a sad and difficult time for Abraham. There is an old saying which goes, "Having your cake and eating it too," which means getting all you want in life. There is an opposite side to this concept seen in Abraham's life. When he did not get what he wanted, when he wanted it, he attempted to fulfill the promise to have a son, by going outside of God's will and way with Hagar. Though he ended up with a son, he did not hear from God for the next thirteen years. Carnality comes with a great price, as Abraham was to find out. Not only had he lost fellowship with God, he eventually lost his son Ishmael as well*, [Ishmael represents the flesh.] Abraham did not eat cake nor did he have it either. Abraham went from the potential of a win-win situation to a lose-lose situation. Selfish desire and behavior makes us losers in life.
This truth is first seen in lucifer who would not be satisfied with being God's Covering Angel*. he wanted to exalt himself to a position that was equal to or superior to God Himself*. The next time we see this principle at work is in Adam and Eve attempting to become as gods*. The carnal [fleshly, selfish] way became part of the fallen nature of man. It trails all the way through the Scriptures. It trails all the way through human history.
We have all followed this trail. But God has a better plan. He provides a Way that makes us more than conquerors* and leads us in His triumph* and gives us victory*. The way of the flesh is the way of death. It is not just the fleshly behavior that brings death, but to be fleshly minded is death*.
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