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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 12 (21)
LESSON #1 CIRCUMCISE THE HEART/GE.21:4
LESSON #2 Hagar and Sarah-Law and Grace/Ge.21:8-21
LESSON #3 Alliance With the God Who Never Changes/Ge.21:22-34
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LESSON #1 Circumcise the Heart...Ge.21:4
Sat Mar 17, 2001
In obedience to God, Abraham circumcised Isaac eight days after his birth. Though he would be unclean for seven days [according to Moses] he was to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life. The timing of the ritual was not only ceremonial. The delaying of the "cutting" for a week after his birth would give the newborn an opportunity to build his physical strength. I have also read that the eight days allowed for certain changes to take place in the blood system which promoted clotting and thus protected the child.
It is important to understand that God had given directives and instructions to His people from the earliest times. He had instructed Adam in sacrfices and Adam had instructed his sons. Godly men made those sacrifices long before the instructions were recorded by Moses in the wilderness. God had given moral laws to Adam and Adam passed these on to his children long before the commandments were given to Moses on Sinai.In the same way, God gave the rite of circumcision to Abraham and Abraham passed it on to his sons long before God explained it to Moses was in Egypt. The ceremony had been proscribed by God when He entered into the deeper relationship with Abraham (Ge.17.) The ceremony was not learned from the Egyptians or any other group, it was taught to Abraham by God. It was to be a sign between God and the Hebrew male. The skin which was removed was symbolic of the fleshly life which was displeasing to God.
Though the sacrifices, moral laws and circumcision were practiced by the Patriarchs the meaning of those truths were not explained to us until Moses gave us the Penteteuch. Moses described and explained the sacrifices in detail. Moses stated and explained the moral laws of God in detail. And Moses explained the ceremony and the meaning of circumcision in detail.
Circumcision was performed on the flesh, as a reminder that God had "cut a covenant" with Abraham and it was to be a covenant with all of Abrhahams descendants. Though the rite was performed on the males, as the heads of the households, the females were included in the covenant blessings. God made this covenant with the shedding of blood, which intensified the meaning of the ritual. God had required Abraham to see to it that all males in his family and under his authority were circumcised.
Though this ritual had been practiced by the Hebrews for hundreds of years, we are not told the spiritual meaning until the days of Moses. As with all of the Old Testament, it prefigured the day of grace and love. In Deuteronomy 10 we read, "12 And now, Israel... serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 13 To keep the commandments of the LORD... 16 Circumcise therefore the
FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART, and be no more stiffnecked." Later, during the time of Jeremiah, we read the same thought, "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings" (Je.4:4.)
Jesus summed up the meaning of outward ritual when He said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (Jn.6:63.) Paul pointed out that it is a spiritual rite, "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Ro.2:29.)
We all need to have our hearts circumcised, by the Holy Spirit. We need to love God with the whole heart.
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LESSON #2 Hagar and Sarah-Law and Grace...Ge.21:8-21
Tue Mar 20, 2001
This account is filled with truth and heartache. Naturally Abraham was ecstatic at the birth of his son Isaac. As a normal father he celebrated his son's life at those special occasions, such as his weaning. It is likely that he was weaned from his mother to other sustenance around the age of three (8). Ishmael, the older half brother, mocked the young Isaac and Sarah became irate (9). The mocking was probably more than just light teasing; the New Testament tells us that Ishmael persecuted Isaac (Ga.4:24). Because of the behavior of the older boy (actually about 17 years old, a young man at this point) and the fear of losing part of the inheritance to the child of the slave, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away (10).
Abrhaham loved his son Ishmael and did not want to do anything to harm him (11) but God comforted him and told him He would care for Ishmael and make a nation of him because he was Abraham's descendent(12-13). Early the next morning, Abraham gave meager but sufficient supplies to Hagar and sent them on their journey. There would be no reason to load her down with much goods, he would provide more for them once they were moved out and were settled. Abraham probably gave directions to Hagar as to where the next water well would be found and how to reach her destination but she must have gotten lost, because she is seen here wandering in the wilderness (14). After using up the short supply, Hagar left her weakened son under a bush [to shade him from the heat] and went off a short distnce to cry and die (15-16). God heard Ishmael and came to their rescue (17).
God sent an angel to let her know that He would care for both of them and renew His promise to bless Ishmael (18-19). God then showed her the well of water she needed (19). The account then tells us that they settled in the area. Ishmael grew strong and Hagar took a wife for him from the land of Egypt (20-21).
This is a very instructive passage. We can learn;
1- Historical background,
2- Lessons for life from the personalities involved and
3- The allegorical application of an historical event.
1- [History] Many of the Semitic-nomadic tribes of the Arab pininsula are descendents of Ishamael, the son of Abraham and the bondservant, Hagar. Both Isaac and Ishmael have laid claim to the Abrahamic heritage and both claim to be the rightful heir of Abraham. The Jews and Arabs both now claim the land of Palestine. These feuding sons have brought about bloody conflicts for thusands of years and have even escalated in modern times. When Abraham trusted in the ways of the flesh to bring about a promised son, brought more into the world than he ever dreamed.
2- [Lessons]
a) Abraham...Abraham loved Ishmael, but he had to let him go. When Abraham had to do the difficult thing, he got up early in the morning and did it.
b) Hagar...Though she lived with Abraham and had his child, had been loved and provided for by Abraham, she never became a follower of his God. Though she had her own encounter with God (16:7-14) and had been the recipient of His goodness, she did not take Him as her own God. Though she had been saved from disaster once before and was saved again from death by God's intervention, she did not turn to Him in faith and obedience. She not only did not follow the the Lord God, she found a wife for her son from the pagan Egyptians.
c) Ishmael...Though raised in the home of Abraham, chose to be insensitive and oppressive toward his brother, nor did He choose the God of his father.
3- {Alegory] We are told in the New Testament that this true life account is also an alegory (Ga.4:24-31). The bond woman is the Law [Mt. Sinai] which corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem which brings death and Sarah is Grace [Jerusalem from Heaven] which brings life. Their children are bondage and feedom.
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LESSON #3 Alliance With the God Who Never Changes...Ge.21:22-34
Thu Mar 22, 2001
Abraham was blessed greatly. God had enriched him materially, had protected him from his enemies, had restored him after his failures, had saved his nephew for Abrahams's sake, had given Abraham and Sarah their long desired son, Isaac. His blessing were so many and so obvious, his neighbors recognized it. When we follow Jesus, we will be mightily blessed, sometimes materially, but primarily in our spiritual life.
Abimelech and his commander, Phicol, asked Abraham to form an alliance with them and their children based on their relationship (22-23). Abraham agreed to the treaty (24). In those long-ago and far-away times, there were pockets of society which still saw the value of a right relationship with God and honored those who lived close to God. We mentioned in an earlier lesson that Abimelech himself probably had a relationship with God, here we see that he wants Abraham to enter into an alliance with him and his people. It is right when governments want to come into alliance with God and His people. Any community which wants to fluorish must align itself with God and His word. There have been moments in history when governments have given honor to Jesus Christ, and those countries were blessed abundantly. However, to turn against God and His way brings certain disaster, as those countries have
learned. Though we may not see our countries form an alliance with God, we ourselves can enter into a relationship which will secure the promise of God to do us good and not harm. Moses refused to be the Prince of pagan Egypt but chose instead to suffer ill treatment with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin for a season*. We must choose today whom we will serve*, either God or the powers of this world. Like Moses, we must consider the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of a passing government or society*.
However, there was one existing problem that Abraham wanted to work out with Abimelech. Some of Abimelech's servants had seized one of Abraham's water wells (25). Water wells were of major import and value in those days and the loss of one was a great set back. The water was important for family, tribe and livestock. Abimelech said that he had no knowledge of the loss of Abraham's well until Abraham told him (26). Sometimes the Christian thing to do is be open and honest with someone whom we think has wronged us. In doing so, we may win a person to Christ or as Abraham found out, save a relationship from the rocks of destruction because of a misunderstanding or mistake.
Abraham made the covenant with Abimelech by giving him sheep and oxen as a gift (27). Healso provided seven ewe lambs for the covenant ceremony. This ceremony would mark Abraham's ownership of the well (28-30). He named the place Beersheba meaning "place of the oath" which later became known for being the southernmost reaches of the kingdom of Israel. Abraham planted an oak or even an orchard in the area, called on the name of the Everlasting God and continued to live in the area for a long time (31-34). Obviously Abraham felt secure and at-home or he would not have planted trees which would take generations to reach full maturity. His security was not based on his worldly friendships [friendship with the world is hatred with God*], but because he was sure of the EVERLASTING GOD. He had told Abimelech that God had caused him to become a wanderer, a nomad. His life was a string of uncertainties. Though his life was filled with many changes, God never changed. God was the same from beyond one horizon to beyond the other horizon. Though Abraham would continue to travel throughout his life, he was sure of the God Who inhabits eternity. This is the first time this name is used in connection with God.
He is the God without beginning and without ending. No matter what changes we face, we can trust in the God Who changes not. He is the Everlasting God.
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