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God’s two questions – Where from and to?

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On September 18, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:8-9 speaks of the conversation that transpired between the angel of the Lord and Hagar, the Egyptian servant girl who was running away from her mistress, Sarai, whom she had despised.

The angel of the Lord (pre-incarnate Christ) said “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?” which in other words were two questions, posed by God – i.e, where from and where to?

Points to ponder:
These two questions of God (where from and where to) are extremely crucial and important in our understanding God’s interests in our whereabouts. Even though he is omniscient, God wants us to acknowledge our place – both from and to. We must be running from the things that displease him and be running to him. God is asking you today as he did Hagar – where from and to?

Genesis 16:8 -9 (KJV)
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Hagar – Person, Position, Place

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On September 17, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:8 tells us of the way in which the angel of the Lord (pre-incarnate Christ) addresses and questions Hagar. It states the angel of the Lord said “Hagar, Sarai maid, Where are you coming from and where will you go?” Notice how, the angel of the Lord, knew not only who Hagar was (as in her position – Sarai’s maid) but also her name personally for he addresses her by name (her person personally). Then he wants her to acknowledge that her running away from her mistress was not to be and asks her, her position (i.e., where she came from and where will she be going?).

Points to ponder:
Many a times, we like Hagar, tend to run – run from authority and life’s unfair situations, only to be called and reminded by God, who not only calls us personally by name, but also reminds us of our position and place. Are you hearing God calling you by name, today? Do you know your position as God has willfully ordained for you and do you know where you are coming from and where you are going?

Genesis 16:8 (KJV)
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

A Fountain in the wilderness

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On September 16, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:7 states that the angel of the Lord found Hagar, who was fleeing from her mistress, Sarai, by a fountain of water in the wilderness. Notice, how the Bible not only describes a singular fountain of water, but it is also specific about the location of the fountain, which is in the wilderness.

Jeremiah 2:13 refers to the Holy Spirit as THE fountain (singular) of living waters. Jesus, when speaking of the Holy Spirit, describes the Holy Spirit, as one who resides within those who believe, and THE One who will flow out of the believer, as rivers of living waters; One could say, like a fountain gushing forth upward toward God and spreading sideways towards his people. Even in the wilderness of life’s situations, no matter how parched, life may seem to you, remember, that Jesus can find you there – by a fountain in your life’s wilderness.

Points to ponder:
Are you in a wilderness? If so, don’t lose hope, for Jesus Christ, the angel of the Lord, will find you there, and even in the wilderness, there will be a fountain – the fountain of living waters – the Holy Spirit – poured into all who believe.

Genesis 16:7 (KJV)
7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

The angel of the Lord found …

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On September 5, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Theophany, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:7-13 gives the account of the encounter between the angel of the Lord and Hagar who was running away from her mistress Sarai. In subsequent articles, we will dissect and learn the hidden truths from this encounter, but for now, let us look at who is this angel of the Lord?

Although the identity of this angel of the Lord is not explicitly stated, close scrutiny of this text indicates that this was not just another mere messenger from God. First, this angel of the Lord promises to multiply her seed, which is something only God can do. Second, Hagar, in fact addresses this angel of the Lord who spoke with her, as God (Genesis 16:13). These help us recognize and agree with other Biblical scholars, that this angel of the Lord is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ – God himself (Theophany to Hagar).

Furthermore, what is interesting to note is that Bible says, the angel of the Lord found Hagar, implying that Hagar was being sought after and hence found.

Points to ponder:
Jesus is the messenger of God, the messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1) of God i.e., the angel of the Lord. He seeks us and finds us, even if we are in a wilderness. Have you been found by Jesus, the the angel of the Lord.

Genesis 16:7-13 (KJV)
7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

Depend on the Lord or be despised

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On September 4, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:4-6 gives the account of Hagar, the Egyptian servant girl of Sarai, who despised Sarai when she conceived. Sarai had brought this upon herself, for she had asked Abram, her husband, to take Hagar as his wife so that she may obtain children through Hagar, instead of trusting and depending on the Lord God, who had promised Abram, not just a seed, but an entire nation through him. Now Sarai is despised and complains to Abram and what is interesting to note is that she actually blames Abram that it is his fault that she is in the situation she is in – despised by her own servant girl. Furthermore, Sarai, drags the Lord into her situation, and seeks justice for what she rightfully had received. Abram does not get involved and lets Sarai deal with Hagar as Sarai pleased, and Sarai treats Hagar so harshly that Hagar flees from her mistress.

Points to ponder:
What can we learn from this? When we do not depend on the Lord God, we potentially put ourselves in a position where people can despise us. Are you and I depending on the Lord God or are we being despised by people. If it is the latter, it is highly likely that we are not doing the former. Depend on the Lord God.

Genesis 16:4-6 (KJV)
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.
6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

God, the (first) Laborer

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On September 3, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Labor Day, Through the Bible

On the first Monday of September, people in the United States of America celebrate Labor day, annually, as a national tribute to the contributions and achievements, workers have made toward the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country, even though Labor day is not exclusive to the United States, wherein it is synonymously referred to as International Workers Day. Although the origin of the Labor day can be speculatively traced back to the early 1800’s, close scrutiny of the Bible, which is the Holy Infallible word of God, gives us insight, that the very first Labor day, is first recorded in the beginning chapters of the book of Genesis.

Genesis 1 and 2 gives us the account of God creating the universe and all of creation in it. Then Genesis 2:2-3 states “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

Notice, how the verses read, “God ended his work and rested from all his work which he made and having rested he sanctified the day because of his rest” just as one today would rest from all the work they have done on Labor day. This not only establishes the fact that the very first Labor day was celebrated by God himself, but that God is the first Laborer and that there is no unfinished business with God. It further illustrates that sanctification can come from rest.

Points to ponder:
John 19:30 states that Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished.” God’s work for the salvation of mankind is finished and there is no unfinished issues in this matter. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invited all, saying “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” All we need to do is to believe in Jesus and rest in him (Hebrews 4:7-9) which brings about the sanctification of our souls (Matthew 11:29).

Many of us (me included) work arduously all year long and seldom take time to rest, often impacting the very ability to complete (end) the work we have at hand. From God, the first Laborer, let us learn to end our work and rest – rest in him, which brings sanctification. The sabbath (rest) was made for man and not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27) says Jesus Christ, the Lord of the sabbath day (Matthew 12:8). Let us follow the best example of all – God, the Laborer – to finish the work, he has given us and take time to rest in him.

Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Labor day Ref: http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm

Whose voice are you hearkening to?

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On August 28, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:1-3 gives the account of the conversation that transpired between Sarai and Abram her husband. Since Sarai was barren and did not have children, she asks Abram to take here Egyptian handmaid (servant/slave) as his wife and to have children through her. What is pitiful to note is not just the state of affairs that Sarai is in, for she did not recognize the Sovereignty of God, who had promised her husband, not only The Seed through him (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16), but also a innumerable number of seeds, as much as the stars in the sky and as the sands of the seashore (Genesis 22:17), but even more pitiful is the fact that Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary gives us two definitions for the word “hearken”. The first uses the word “listen” to define the word “hearken” and then uses the phrase “to give respectful attention” to give it a stronger meaning.

In other words, Abram agreed respectfully to Sarai’s voice to take matters into his own hands and bring forth a progeny through Hagar, his wife’s servant. Interestingly, just before this conversation, Abram is actually found reasoning with God, asking for a child, lest his own servant Eliezer be the heir to him (Genesis 15:1-4). God tells that the servant in his household shall not be his heir (Genesis 15:4) and yet here we see Abram listening to his wife’s voice, over that of God, and trying to rearrange God’s plan and timing. Abram rightfully should have counseled Sarai to hearken to God’s voice, and be assured of a child through Sarai.

Points to ponder: 
Many a times, we find ourselves hearkening to various voices – voices of our families, our friends, our colleagues, our superiors, our peers, etc. instead of hearkening (agreeing with respectfully) to the voice of God, through his word (the Bible), in the meditation of our hearts with him, or through his people. Whose voice are you hearkening to, today?

Genesis 16:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

 

 

 

Behold now, the Lord …

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On August 27, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 16:1-3 gives us the account of the conversation that transpired between Abram and his wife Sarai. Sarai was barren and she tells Abram to take Hagar, her Eqyptian handmaid (servant/slave) as his wife, and have children through her.

What is pitiful is that while Sarai correctly recognized the source of her barrenness as God, for children are a heritage of the Lord (Psalm 127:3) and we know Sarai knew this for she said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing:”, she failed to recognize the Sovereignty of God, who had promised to create in her, the seed ex nihilo (out of nothing; out of her barrenness).

Points to ponder:
Many a times we fail to see the Sovereignty of God by focusing on the barrenness in us. While God may allow times of barrenness in our life, he is always Sovereign – a Sovereign God for whom it is easy to create ex nihilo; streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:6). Instead of saying, “Behold now, the Lord has restrained us”, let us just say “Behold now, the Lord” for he is Sovereign and can turn our barrenness into a lasting legacy.

Genesis 16:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

Smoking furnace and burning lamp

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On August 26, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 15:17 reads “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”, where pieces refers to the elements of the sacrifice that Abram had brought before God.

So while it was dark, we see a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passing between the sacrifice. What could this mean?
Some commentaries exposit and state that the smoking furnace refers to the afflictions of the Israelites (the seed of Abram) would face and they get their basis from other scriptural texts which portray
– the Egyptians who enslaved the Israelites as a furnace of iron (1 Kings 8:51),
– the Assyrian (Sennacherib), who besieged the Israelites whose reign was symbolic of a furnace in Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:9)
They also exposit and state the the burning lamp symbolizes the salvation of the Israelites (the seed of Abram), which they exposit from the Scripture recorded in 1 Kings 11:36 and 15:4 and Isaiah 62:1. 1 Kings 11:26 and 15:4 both express the words of God, who for David’s sake, said that there will be a lamp who will be set forth establish Jerusalem. Isaiah 62:1 refers this lamp that burns as one of salvation.

While these are certainly plausible, I am convinced that the two symbols here, of the smoking furnace, and the burning lamp are symbolic of the persons of the Triune Godhead and I deduce these, not by mere opinion, but by substantiating text in the Bible.
First, the smoking furnace and burning lamp were animate and passed through the pieces of the sacrifice, accepting the sacrifice that was offered and so it is less likely that these symbols directly meant the afflictions and salvation of Israel, as the commentators state. Furthermore, Exodus 19:18 states that when the LORD God descended upon mount Sinai in fire, the mount was altogether in smoke, which ascended as the smoke of a furnace. So this makes me believe that the smoking furnace is symbolic of God, the Father, the first person of the Trinity.
I must admit that the identity of the burning lamp is a little more ambiguous. On one hand, it could be symbolic of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, who is the light of the world, who shined out in the darkness as a burning lamp. When Jesus walked with the men on the road to Emmaus, they felt their hearts burn within them (Luke 24:32), which further accentuates this proposition that Jesus is the burning lamp. On the other hand, it is also possible that the burning lamp could be symbolic of the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, who though being one (Ephesians 4:4) is expressed as seven lamps of fire before the throne of God (Revelation 4:5), in whose midst stands Jesus Christ, the lamb of God (Revelation 5:6). Herein, we get a glimpse of the Triune God in One (God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit God) all at work in the acceptance of the sacrifice offered by Abram.

Points to ponder:
If you/I were to offer your life as a living sacrifice today, would you/I have the Triune God in one passing through your/my life and accepting the sacrifice of our life, while we live in a dark sinful world? Would you/I see a smoking furnace and a burning lamp pass through your/my life? Think about it.

Genesis 15:17 (KJV)
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

Exodus 19:17-19 (KJV)
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

Luke 24:32 (KJV)
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Isaiah 62:1 (KJV)

1 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

For the iniquity is not yet full

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On August 25, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The Lord tells Abram that his seed shall be strangers and slaves in a land that is not their own, but then the Lord would judge the nation whom they would serve and in the fourth generation they shall return to where he is, in the land that would be Abram’s, that the Lord was going to give him, for the iniquity of the Amorites (one of the people groups whose land would be given to Abram) is not yet full.

This statement of the Lord makes us want to try to answer two questions –
First, what is the iniquity of the Amorites?
Second, what does it mean that the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full?

First, by looking at another passage in the Scripture, we can deduce that the iniquity of the Amorites was predominantly idolatry, for when the evil king Ahab is described in 1 Kings 21:26, he is likened to the Amorites for their idolatry. Second, the rampancy of sin (of idolatry) had not yet reached its full, during the time of Abram and so the Lord tarries for not one, but for four generations, before bringing his judgment on the Amorites and other pagan nations that worshipped and followed other false gods. In fact, close scrutiny of this, gives us insight into the longsuffering nature of The Lord, who waits patiently for his people to return to him, not wanting anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9).

Points to ponder:
What are your idols? Is it your family, your job, your possessions … what is it? Let us not be likened to the sin that displeases God as was Ahab. God is a Loving yet he is a Just God and his judgments are timely … never too early and never too late. He is patient with each one of us, but a time will come when his longsuffering and loving nature would give way for his just nature and he would judge all who choose not to follow and worship him alone, violating his commandment of having “no other gods before him.” (Exodus 20:3). A time is coming, when the antichrist shall come upon the earth and sin shall have reached its full – let us watch out for God’s judgment may then fall on mankind.

Genesis 15:14-16
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

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