March 23, 2011
Flight Plan
Hagar------Genesis 16-21
I. Who's the Boss
II. Touched by an Angel
III. Wandering in the Desert
"Dr. Charles Swindoll tells the story, about when his older daughter, Charissa, (her name means grace or charm) was a high school cheerleader. One day, at the church office, he got an emergency call from her school. The cheerleading team had been practicing, building a pyramid, for an upcoming game and she had accidentally fallen from the very top, and landed on the back of her head. To her amazement and to everybody else's, she couldn't move, at all!
He says that it took him about 15 minutes to drive from his study, at the church, to the school gym. He was praying the whole way, "Lord, you are in charge of this situation, I have no idea what I'm going to face when I get there------but you do. You are Almighty God, The Great Physician and The Creator of the Universe---you have everything in the palm of your hands------I am going to trust you, to work all of this out, for your glory and for our good."
When he got to the school, they already had Charissa immobilized, in a wrap-around stretcher. He says he slipped down to his knees beside her and took her hand and she said, "Daddy, I can't move my fingers at all and my feet and legs are numb and the rest of my body just seems to be tingling, all over."
At that moment, Dr Swindoll said, that he felt a cold fear, deep down inside his soul------but because he was her daddy, and daddies have to be brave, he leaned in close to Charissa, and whispered in her ear, "Sweetheart, I will be with you through all of this, but more importantly, Jesus will be with you. He is Lord over the whole event. There is nothing that has happened or that will happen, that He doesn't already know about."
He confesses that he and her mother, Cynthia, felt totally helpless, because, they had no control over the situation, or over the healing of their daughter's body. She was at the mercy of God. He says that he can still remember, how deliberate he was, in acknowledging Jesus, as Lord, in his own heart and encouraging Charissa to acknowledge Him, that way, too. The two parents, waited for hours, in the hospital hallway, while extensive x-rays were taken and a team of specialist physicians, examined their daughter.They prayed fervently and confidently, the whole time.
Today, Charissa is fine, physically. She recovered, with no lasting damage. She did have a fracture, but thankfully, it wasn't a permanently, paralyzing injury. But, Dr. Swindoll says that, even if she had been, permanently paralyzed----they would have still believed, that God was a good God and they would still have believed, that God was in sovereign control of Charissa's life, and they still would have believed, that God is Lord!
Hagar faced the exact same kind of fear and uncertainty in her own heart and life, as she ran, not once, but twice, into a future that seemed to be so dark, that she couldn't see beyond, the moment that she was living in----------We've all faced moments like that and we will all face them again--------but Hagar, came to the understanding that Dr. Swindoll did, and I hope that we have, that God is good and that He will still be good, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in-----and no matter what happens in those circumstances, He will be, in total control, of our lives, and the lives of everyone around us----and that no matter what the outcome is, God will still be Lord!
I. Who's the Boss?
The war in Afghanistan has touched us all. Our TVs and magazines and newspapers have made the Middle East, as familiar to us, as our own United States is. And one of the most shocking cultural differences that we have been exposed to, is how harshly women were treated under the Taliban, and continue to be treated by the men, in their culture, in so much of the whole area. Americans, on the left and the right, politically, have been horrified, to see women imprisoned, in what looks like, a black tent, with eye holes. We have been intrigued and appalled, by those faceless, blue or black shapes, that seem to be everywhere in that part of the world. It seems like women are non-persons, there, like they don't really matter, at all, in their society
In the west, we pride ourselves, on being much more progressive and enlightened and way beyond those primitive attitudes-------but we need to be careful, that we don't put women, into imaginary burkas, with our judgmental and accusatory and elitist attitudes to- ward them, or, allow ourselves, to be put in one, by someone else's attitude, toward us. Every person, male or female, has been created in the image of God, and deserves the respect and honor, that reflects, His image.
In the case of Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, there was no debate, she didn't really count, on anybody's radar screen. In another place and time, or under different circumstances, she might have received a little more respect from other people and had a better opinion of herself------but by the time she enters of Abram and Sarai's story, she was already at rock-bottom----- she was a slave----and in the patriarchal culture------that meant that she was the lowest of the low. She was a lost soul, right from the start-----stuck on the wrong side of the racial divide, between Jews and Gentiles; trapped inside a cultural system that stripped her of her rights and her dignity and her freedom. When we read about her, we tend to add insult to her injuries, because we leave her flat, on the pages of scripture, like she is one of those lifeless, life-size, cardboard, celebrity, cut-outs, that you can get, at Paper Town. She seems so small and insignificant, almost invisible, next to the larger, legendary, figures, in her story. We tend to see her as a messy complication, caught between Sarai and Abram, that needs to be identified, but then, needs to be pushed, way far back, in the closet of their lives, and ignored.
When we do that to her; we're the losers, though, because Hagar has a beautiful, healing message, that God intends for us to hear, and apply to our own hearts, every bit as much as He wants us to hear and apply, Sarai's message.
Hagar was an Egyptian, a Gentile and a foreigner. She was on the outside, looking in. Her gender and her race, alone, were enough, to make her life miserable, but they were minor complications, compared to her social status, as a slave. The scripture doesn't give us a record, of Hagar's genealogy, so, we don't really know, who she was. Legend has it, that she was the daughter of one of Pharaoh's lesser wives, and was given to Abram and Sarai, when he kicked them out of Egypt, after they had deceived him about their matrimonial status. This side of heaven, we won't know the truth, but whoever she was, she was an item, on the inventory, of Sarai's property list. It must have been horrible for her to wake up, one morning, to the news, that she had become somebody's property. (In his writings, the former American slave, Frederick Douglass, relived the dehumanizing experience form his own personal history: he wrote "Men and women, young and old, married and single; were placed on the same level, by intellectual and moral beings, with horses and sheep, and horned cattle and swine. Horses and men---cattle and women----pigs and children-----all held the same rank in the scale of social existence; and they were all subjected to the same narrow inspection, to ascertain their value in gold and silver-----which was the only standard of worth, applied by slaveholders, to slaves.
As the property of Sarai, Hagar was cut off from her family, her friends, her country and everything, she had ever known, that made up her reality. She was utterly alone in the world, with no one to speak out for her or to protect her from harm. She faced a life sentence, of catering, to the biddings of others; caring for the wealthy and serving their every whim. She didn't have any rights, not even over her own body. We can only imagine, what went through Hagar's mind, when Sarai told her, about her plan to use her, as a surrogate mother. We don't know if Sarai showed any regard for Hagar's human dignity or acknowledged that she had the same longings and hopes and dreams, that every woman has----- because Sarai's main goal, was to use her, in what she thought, was a last ditch effort, to get a child, for herself and for Abram. In the world that they lived in, polygamy and concubines, were the norm, rather than the abnormal. They were seen as necessities, to preserve and build a family, especially when the primary wife was barren. A man's worth was estimated, by the number of children that he had-----so Sarai, would have felt extremely responsible, for protecting the reputation, of her husband. Even though, a lot of young women, would have grown up, knowing that they might wind up, as the second wife or the mistress------- and Hagar might have been one of those, that did-------I don't know if that that would have made Sarai's plan, any less hurtful to Hagar.
Viewed from Sarai's perspective, her plan was a culturally and legally acceptable, course of action. Most of her contemporaries, would have seen it as her duty, to step aside and let a younger woman do for Abram, what she was incapable of doing, for him. And what was good for Sarai, but bad for Hagar, was that the law, stipulated that after it was born, the baby belonged to the barren woman, and that she had the power, to do whatever she wanted to, with her handmaiden. The law was on Sarai's side, Hagar had no voice at all, in the situation.
Viewed from Hagar's perspective, the whole thing, would have just underscored her insignificance, as a person. She had no meaning or value to Sarai, except for her reproducing capabilities, as far as we know. As a person, she was so invisible-----that no one, would ever, have been able to anticipate, how the dynamics, between the two women, would explode, after Sarai's scheme worked.
(I read a story about a Saudi Arabian woman, who never went outside, without her coal-black burka, covering her, from head to ankle. She lived in Oxford,England, which, is in many ways, an international crossroads. Walking around town on her errands----she could usually be seen, pushing a stroller, containing her small child, at a breakneck speed. Watching this woman, whose face you couldn't see, you could tell that it would take a lot to squelch her spirit------because, below the hem of her burka, glistening defiantly, as she raced along, were a pair of fiery red, patent leather shoes.)
Hagar had a lot of reasons to feel beaten down, but when she discovered she was pregnant, she must have put her fiery red shoes on, too. Although her legal status hadn't changed, her social standing had been transformed, forever. She had succeeded where Sarai had failed--------she had conceived a child. And, not only did her pregnancy validate her as a woman, but it validated her in the eyes of society, because, she was carrying a wealthy man's offspring. And even though, her attitude and actions, toward Sarai, proved to be risky, unwise and heartlessly insensitive, they must have been, an indication of Hagar's strong spirit, because they led her to scorn and somehow undermine, the barren Sarai.
Sarai, as the wounded, older woman, scripture says, lashed out at Hagar, with a vengeance. Its ironic that Sarai was oblivious to the wrongs that she had committed against Hagar, but was acutely aware and sensitive to Hagar's offense against her. (We're that way too----we can clearly see, when someone is being mean to us, but when we are being mean or insensitive to someone else, we're blind as a bat. We need to remember that God's word is a mirror, which reflects our own souls------and that we want Him to be proud of what He sees, in that mirror.
Hagar's unguarded moment of triumph, over Sarai, was short-lived, because Sarai unleashed such fury, against her handmaiden, that Hagar must have feared for her life, or she wouldn't have run away. Abram was passive in the face of his family's crisis-----and his passivity, caused the cycle of wrongs, to just get so much worse and to spiral, wildly, out of control. Legally, Hagar was the mother of his child, and morally, she deserved his protection------but, he didn't do anything!
His beloved Sarai, had been his wife for many years, and she was in indescribable pain and she turned to Abram for guidance and intervention. But, instead of working, to establish peace, in his divided home, by seeking God's help; giving godly guidance; giving calming reassurance to Sarai; and restraining Hagar, from any further incident---Abram didn't offer much of anything, except a shrug of his shoulders and the words, "that Sarai needed to do, whatever she thought was best". At the time. Abram's withdrawal, was what opened the door, for Sarai's harsh mistreatment of Hagar, which in turn, caused her to flee into the desert, in the general direction of Egypt. Hagar wanted to go home. The 2 women should have worked together, to advance Gods purpose, but they didn't--------I don't doubt that they knew what God had told Abram------I think probably, that everybody in their entourage knew--so, they should have been working together, to please God, not quarreling among themselves.
Touched by an Angel:
In a strange twist of providence, the crisis, that appeared to signal the end of Hagar's life, was actually the very beginning of it. Like the rejected Samaritan woman, in John 4, who found her life, when she encountered Jesus, at the well----- Hagar found her life, too, when she encountered the Angel of the Lord, near a a spring of water.
Historically, the church has always believed, that the OT appearances, of the Angel of the Lord, were actually pre-incarnate appearances, of the Lord Jesus. Usually in those encounters, the person didn't realize at first, who they were actually, talking to. As the conversation progressed, and sometimes, even after it was over, it would gradually dawn on them, that they had had, a divine appointment. Measuring, how much, this encounter, with the Angel of the Lord, meant to Hagar, would be too difficult for us to gage, but many theologians believe, that this, is the moment when Hagar, embraced the God of Abraham, as her God, too. She would have been in great danger------a pregnant, heart-sick, humiliated, stubborn, frightened and an all-alone, run-away slave. Life couldn't have gotten much worse for her!
The Angel of the Lord's, encounter with her, gives us an early hint, of what Paul said to the Galations in 3:28, "that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you all are one in Christ." Hagar was the perfect example of this, because she was a Gentile, a slave and a woman. And, she came to the crossroads, in her life, as an abused and rejected slave girl, who had been brought low, by her own haughtiness and discovered that, to the Angel of the Lord, she was created in the image of God and to Him, she had great value and dignity and a purpose. She understood that she mattered to God! She may have been invisible to everybody else, but on God's radar screen, she was a bright neon sign! Their meeting in the desert, was not a chance encounter----Genesis 16:7 says, "that the Angel of the Lord, found Hagar"-----the word, "found", that's used here, in Hebrew, gives the understanding, that He didn't just find her, but that He been searching for her. Running away from Sarai, drove her straight into, the arms of God.
In Genesis 16:8, the Angel of the Lord says, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" In the whole story of Hagar and her life with Sarai and Abram, they never once, addressed Hagar, by her name----but the Angel of the Lord, did, and it was obvious, that He knew everything that there was to know, about her. We can only imagine how that recognition must have filled her soul, with joy! That would have been the perfect moment, for the Angel of the Lord to free her from slavery, turn her into a princess, change her slave-clothes, into a beautiful gown and have a caravan of camels appear, to take her back, to her home in Egypt, and give her a new life. But He didn't, He did the opposite, instead. He sent her back to her mistress. For Hagar, this would have been, totally, going against, what she wanted to do. It would have been the same thing, as telling her to walk straight into, the eye of a storm. But God calls His children to do that sometimes------He will lead us into a storm, or allow us to walk there, so that we can grow; so that we will learn to cling to Him and to trust Him, in spite of our circumstances! (I was talking to a young woman the other day, who's sister is making some erratic choices-----defiantly, moving away from home, to live, unmarried, with her boyfriend---at first glance-----it looks like God couldn't possibly be a part of her plan------and He isn't, in her decision------but they're going to a town, that is saturated with people, who are godly and faithful and she will be coming into contact with them, on a daily basis in her job and in her daily living------I don't have a single doubt, that God will find her there and that He will have an encounter with her, that will send her back home to confront, whatever it is, that she's running away from----and she'll gain her life with Him, in the process.)
God would never instruct someone to return to an abusive situation; He didn't tell Hagar, to go back, to lock her into a hopeless situation------He sent her back for her protection and for the protection of the baby--------God could have closed Hagar's womb, when she was given to Abram, but He didn't, because, He had a plan for her and for Ishmael-------and, He wanted Hagar, to return, with a new attitude, to Sarai, for a purpose. He had redemption in mind. He gave her a mission, that required her to go back! And even though Hagar, would have been a baby in her faith, and terrified, God gave her the courage and the strength to go back! He will always do that for us-----God will never call us to a task, that He doesn't equip us for! ever!
God had a plan for Hagar---and His love and interest in her, enabled her to do the extraordinary-----in going back, she was able to love her neighbor, and put the interests of someone else, ahead of her own. Her response, to the Angel of the Lord, reveals to us, what true Christianity, really is------it shows us, that it is all about our relationship with Him. She gave God a name------no one else in scripture------male or female-----ever, gave God a name. But Hagar did, and that lets you know, that her belief was real-------because she named Him El Roi, which means, "the God who sees me". She understood, in the most basic way, that a person can, that we have a very personal God, and that we matter to Him. Then, she put her newly-found faith into practice------she took it into the hardest place of all-------back----- into slavery, and it was probably, the first, truly free, act of will, that she had every done.
Sarai had thought that she needed Hagar to create a baby for her husband---------but God gave Hagar something, to give to Sarai, that she needed a lot more, than she needed a child-------it was the message, that God saw Sarai too------that He is not just a disinterested spectator, floating somewhere above the clouds-------but that He is close and concerned and available, in the same way that a loving parent, is involved, emotionally, cognitively and constructively, in whatever is going on, in the life, of his children.
Hagar's encounter, with the Angel of the Lord, did the same thing, for mankind's relationship, with God, that Ipads, have done for computers------it made it a personal one. Before her encounter, with the Angel of the Lord, the scripture speaks of God in large, majestic, sweeping terms--like Elohim, the Creator God, the judge of all the world; and Yahweh or Jehovah, the covenant maker, the promise keeper; and El Shaddai, the Almighty One--------and He is all of these things------but He is also the intimate God, of Hagar's heart. He's the God who never takes His eye, off of His child, and He's the God, who will search and find His child, no matter where they run to, or where they try to hide.
Hagar, the Gentile, Egyptian slave, was given the privilege, in the scripture, of introducing, God's people, to the reality of God's omniscience-------not just to the truth, that God knows everything, but to the truth, that God knows me…..In Psalm 139:1, David expanded this understanding, when he said,"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me!…." And Jesus, took it even further when He taught His followers to call God by His family name, "Abba" or "daddy", the affectionate language of a little child, who climbs up into his daddy's lap, to be comforted.
Theologians have written many, many pages about the staggering concept, of the omniscience of God. But Hagar made it real and understandable and tangible and compact enough, to fit inside her heart. She went back to Sarai and Abram; and she still might have been invisible to them, but it wouldn't have mattered, quite so much to her, because she went back, secure in the knowledge, that God could see her, and that she could trust the warmth of His gaze, no matter what her situation turned out to be.
God gave Hagar 2 gifts, in the desert, that day------the 1st one, was the priceless discovery, of the knowledge, that God was watching her------ that she mattered to Him, even, if she didn't matter, to another soul. And her 2nd gift was just as priceless-------because in sending her back to Abram and Sarai, He was giving her the opportunity to get to know Him, even more, from other people, who knew Him too. If she had gone back to Egypt, after He saved her, it might have been too hard, for her------she might have fallen back in to the old ways, of worshiping idols. God doesn't call us to Himself----without also, calling us to His people. Its a mixed blessing for all of us, though, because the church is full of sinners, who are saved by grace, and we have a tendency to hurt each other. The people that we find there, aren't necessarily, the ones that we would choose, to be our friends, and, sadly some of our most painful wounds, come from our relationships, with other believers. But they are the people that we need and we are the people that they need. We come to know God better, and we grow stronger, in our faith, when we are joined together, to the community, of His people and we work together, to know Him.
Hagar had just begun, to know our Great God. She had so much more to learn, and there was so much more, that she needed to understand. It really puts everything into perspective, even in light, of her being kicked out of their lives later on, for her and us, to realize, that God had sent her back, to the 2 people, who were best equipped, to help her gain a richer understanding of Him. Imagine what we could learn about God, if we were able to spend 15 years with Abraham and Sarah. Hagar was going to hear about the promises of God. She was going to learn, the teachings, that Abraham, would certainly have passed on, to Ishmael. And, she would have a front-row seat, to the birth of Isaac, the child of promise.
But, we can't forget, that it would have been a two-way street-------because Hagar would have expanded their understanding of God, too--------and she will always be best known, for helping God's people, then and now-----to realize and trust that God is the God who sees you and me, right down, to the very depths of our souls.
Wandering in the Desert:
After Hagar goes back to Sarai and Abram, there's 13 years of silence, after the birth of Ishmael. This makes me think that there must have been some measure of peace, between the women in the household, even if it was an uneasy one. Until the day came, to celebrate Isaac's being weaned, from nursing his mother.
This was a time of great joy in the lives of those ancient people, and it still is today, even though, we don't throw a party to commemorate it, because, it meant that the child, had survived, the particularly dangerous years, of early childhood---- The celebration was usually held, on the child's, 3rd birthday.
Apparently, sometime during the party, Sarah, saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac, or teasing or bullying him, we don't really know how involved it was-----but we do know that she saw something, that she didn't like----- and it must have been, the last straw, because she exploded, and demanded, that both Hagar and Ishmael, be sent away, immediately. It was too much for Sarah to endure. And for Abraham, all the joy, instantly, went out of the celebration, because he loved Ishmael------he was his first-born! You can't really blame Sarah, though, she was Abraham's true wife and she had finally given him, the long awaited, son of promise----and, she and Abraham were old and she didn't know how many year,s they were going, to have left, to live, and she didn't want Ishmael, to have any claim, on Isaac's inheritance. She was a mother bear, protecting her cub.
According to the promise of God, Himself, Isaac was Abraham's true heir-------he was the one, that the covenant blessing, would eventually come through. It confused things, totally, for Ishmael to be in a position, to claim, the right of the 1st born, over the one true heir, appointed by God. Ishmael was a threat to God's purpose, for Abraham's line, as long, as he was available, to claim, that he was, more, the rightful heir, than Isaac was, because of his birth order and his age difference. So, what at first ,appeared to be an extreme overreaction, turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for everybody. God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and to do what she said and that he didn't need to worry about him, because He was going to make a great nation out of Ismael, because he was, also, Abraham's seed-------
God had promised Abraham, that He would be the father, of, so great a people, that their number wouldn't even be able, to be counted. I never realized before, that He was not just talking about the Jewish people, but that He was talking about Ishmael's children, too. God loves the Arab nation, just as much, as He loves, any nation, in the world and He doesn't want them to perish, any more than He wants anyone to ------He sent Jesus to die for them, too. There are many Arabs, who are Muslim, but there are also, many Arabs, who believe in Jesus. It is our responsibility, to love those, who don't know Him, into the kingdom, of God, just like we are called, to love everybody else there, too. That's hard, because there are so many Islamic people, who hate anyone, who doesn't share their faith------but God has called us to that responsibility, and we need to obey Him.
The apostle Paul, used the expulsion of Hagar, as an illustration of the conflict between law and grace, In Galatians 4:22-31, Paul doesn't deny, the historical facts, of what happened, he just wanted to use it, as an allegory or an object lesson, to teach the people in Galatia, and us, the truth of God's word. He said that Hagar, the bondwoman, or slave, represented legalism (which is the bondage, of trying to earn favor, with God "by works") and he said, that Sarah, represented, the perfect liberty, of God's grace (which is a free gift, it's nothing that we can earn, "by works"). Paul was reminding the Galatian believers, and us, that we are all children, of the promise, like Isaac was, if we accept Jesus as our Savior. And just like Ishmael taunted Isaac, the false teachers of Galatia were persecuting the true believers----and the false teachers in our world, taunt us too. So, Paul said, in v. 30, to cast out, the bondwoman and her son, because the son of the bondwoman, shall not be heir, with the son of the freewoman." As harsh as it may have seemed, there was a very crucial, necessary and positive, spiritual principle, contained in the expulsion, of Hagar and Ishmael. It symbolizes the important truth, that the kind of religion that is dependent on human effort ( which is represented by, the carnal scheme, that conceived Ishmael, as a false fulfillment, to the promise) is utterly incompatible, with divine grace ( which is represented by Isaac, the true heir, of God's promise). And the two are so hostile, to each other, that they can't dwell in the same place.
So, bless Abraham's heart! He obeyed God's voice and early the next morning, after, I am sure, what was a sleepless night, for everybody, sent Hagar and Ishmael off, with a limited amount of food and water. Scripture says, that they wandered in the desert, until all their supplies were gone, and that, when Hagar had reached the point of hopelessness, that she left Ishmael, under the shade of a low bush, and dragged herself, some distance away, and wept, broken-heartedly. I have a hard time understanding why she did that, because I would have wanted to be holding onto my son, until his very last breath----- but I do know, that when we're under stress and overwrought, a lot of times, we behave in irrational and less-than-godly, ways. We know, that God heard the boy crying and, that the Angel of the Lord, spoke to Hagar, again. He told her to go back to her child and to comfort him and to take responsibility for his welfare. And, He promised her, that Ishmael would be the father of a great nation, which, (Genesis 25:16) says would produce 12 tribes of men, who would live in opposition to their brothers. Only God could make that kind of promise to a woman whose child was dying and she would believe Him. It is precious to me, that right here, at her greatest point of weakness, we can see Hagar's faith, picking itself up and dusting itself off and getting ready to go forward, to wherever, God told her to go.
Scripture says, that God opened Hagar's eyes, and she was able to see what was there, that she hadn't seen before------she saw a well of water and she realized that God had never forsaken her, that He had been there, all the time------that she just needed, for Him, to open her eyes, so that she could see His provision for her and for Ishmael. She filled the skin, that Abraham had given her and gave Ishmael, a drink, of the Life-giving water, that God had provided for them; and they survived. God was with Ishmael as he grew up, and became an archer in the desert, which tells me, that He was with Hagar, too.
I don't know why, she went to Egypt, to find Ishmael a wife, but she did---------it seems like she would have gone back to Abraham's family and chosen someone, from their community, who believed, in her God-----but she didn't--------so I hope that the Egyptian girl that she did choose, to be Ishmael's wife, became a believer, in the God of Abraham, like Hagar and Ishmael. Someday, when we get to heaven, we will be able, to fill in the blanks, of the story.
Through Hagar's story, each one of us, can come to believe and to trust that God does see, each one of us, individually----- not as one person, in a sea of faces, but He sees you and me, {all by ourselves, just like, He doesn't have anybody else to think about,} but, you and me. Life can be lonely, even in the middle of the hustle and bustle of daily activities and errands and crowds and friendships. Even inside a good marriage or a close friendship, there is a dimension of loneliness, that we can't escape.
For all of us, there are plenty of desert experiences, when we suffer feelings of isolation and insignificance. And, for all of us, there are inevitable moments, when, even surrounded, by loving family and friends, we feel invisible or we have to go through something, all by ourselves, that no person can fix, no matter how much they love us, or how much we love them. It might be a surgery or a divorce or a death or some kind of failure. But, it's in those moments, that we can know, that we are't alone. The God of Hagar is with us.
When Hagar and Ishmael were dying of thirst, God opened her eyes and showed her a well. When we are consumed by misery, and as Liz Higgs, our author, says, "can't see further, than the tissue pressed against our runny noses", it's human nature for us to beg God to change our circumstances------but we need to understand, that sometimes, the circumstances, are a part of a bigger picture, and in the long run, are for our greater good-------so what we need to pray, is, that the Lord, will open up our eyes, to see beyond our circumstances and will focus them, on all the wonderful possibilities, that He has laid out, right in front of us, with His generous hands and His loving heart, in the middle of the desert. Jeremiah 32:17 says "Ah, sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth, by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
My prayer for all of us, is that we never forget, that God is always good; He is always in control; He is always Lord and that He never takes His eyes off of us.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
JOY "Sarai" March 16
Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible
March 16, 2011
Sarai------Genesis 11-16
I. Princess Bride
II. Sari Takes Charge
III. Mean Girls
Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully. One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. They were both born in 1703. The anthropologists, researching them, were able to obtain unbelievable amounts of genealogical data, and what they discovered, in their study, is remarkable:::::::: even though there are exceptions, they found that "like generations" do beget "like generations".
Max Jukes was an unbelieving man, born of an unbelieving mother, and he married a woman of like character, who lacked principle. And among their known descendants, over 1200 were studied. 310 of them became professional vagrants; 440 of them, physically wrecked their lives by a debauched lifestyle; 130 of them, were sent to prison, for an average of 13 years each-----and 7 of them were imprisoned for murder. There were over 100 of them who became alcoholics; 60 of them became habitual thieves; and 190 of them became public prostitutes. Of the 20, who learned a trade, 10 of them learned that trade in a state prison. It cost the state about $1,500,000, to take care of them, and they made no contribution, whatsoever, to society.
Jonathan Edwards, on the other hand was was the son of Esther Edwards, a woman who loved the Lord and wanted her children and her children's children, to love Him too. He was her only child, and he became a distinguished theologian, and a renowned preacher. He married a woman, from a godly family, who had a deep relationship with the Lord, herself. Their known descendants, were about as different from the Jukes family, as night is from day. 300 of them became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors; over 100 of them became college professors; over 100 of them became lawyers, with 30 of them being judges; 60 of them became medical doctors; over 60 of them became authors of good, classic books, with several of them being well-established, well-honored editors; and14 became presidents of prestigious universities. There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family. And 3, became United States congressmen, and one (Aaron Burr), became the vice-president of the United States.
This example of the contrast between these 2 families is a perfect way for us to begin our study of Sarai, the beloved wife of Abram. She was, by no means, a perfect woman, which we can clearly see, when we study her life, in the book of Genesis. But we are told in Hebrews 11:11, in Galations 4:21-31, and in 1st Peter 3:6, that she was a woman, of great faith and steadfastness, in the Lord, which, often manifested itself, in loving submission to her husband. She deserves the title and the acclaim, that should be given to the Matriarch, of the children of God, born into this world, Hebrew and Gentile together. There is no way to measure, the influence, of one godly mother, as imperfect, as she may be.
Sarai's faults are obvious enough. They are conspicuous and undeniable. She was certainly fallen and sometimes, her faith was weaker than she would have wanted it to be. Her emotions and her desires and her heart, sometimes led her, to make wrong choices. And if those things were all we knew about Sarai------we wouldn't like her very much, and we sure would't want to emulate her. Fortunately, there was much more to Sarai------- and the Lord, in His graciousness, has allowed us to see her long life, played out in the scripture------so that we can see her great strengths, right along, with her weaknesses---which is a blessing to us, because we are just like her!!!!!! Sarai's life, on the whole, is actually characterized, by humility, meekness, hospitality, faithfulness, deep affection for her husband, sincere love toward God and a hope that never died.
(Liz Curtis Higgs, the author of our study, says that we all, are like Sarai, We insist on getting our own way, thinking that we have all the answers and that our answers, are always best, for everyone involved. So what, if we control whom and what we can, whenever we can, pretending not to notice, if someone's toes get pinched, or their heart gets smashed flat, in the process. We think we know best! We don't want to rule the whole world, just our little corner of it. We don't mind waiting for what we want, just a little bit, as long as we can be guaranteed, that we will get our way, in the long run. When God pours His blessings out on us, we are quick, to sing His praises, and we are truly grateful------but you let Him tell us no, or make us wait too long, and we start thinking up, all kinds of ways to expedite the process.
Liz says that if she didn't know better, she would think that an impatient "bad girl" wrote the phrase, "God helps those who help themselves." That phrase isn't found in the bible--------it's a line from one of Aesop's fables-"the gods help them who help themselves". And she goes on to say-----"that maybe the man-made, Greek gods, needed, human effort, to get their jobs done, but that the Lord God Almighty, doesn't need one thing from a human being, man or woman, to accomplish His divine plan.
"Her definition of a slightly bad girl is this: a woman, unwilling to fully submit to God, in every area, every situation, every relationship, of her life." We love God; we serve Him and we worship Him-----but, we find it so hard, to trust Him completely, and to accept His plan, for our lives, and to rest, in His sovereignty. So, we quietly,or not so quietly, depending on the situation, try to take over, the reigns of control------we pray and then we move forward------asking the Lord to bless our decisions, without having heard an answer back from Him. We think we are doing all the right "good-girl" things-------when in reality, we are being as bad, as any "bad girl" as ever been.)
In this study, we have been able to see, that Sarai, is no different from any one of us and we can see, that God used her poor choices and her disobedience and her selfishness and her pride and her disappointment, to draw her closer to Himself, and to finally, in the end, give her the desire of her heart. (which we are going to see in next week's lesson, when He changes her name to Sarah and Abram's name to Abraham )
I. Princess Bride:
Sarai was Abram's half-sister. They lived in 2100 b.c. They were born 10 years apart. Terah was the father to both of them, but they had different mothers. This was not an uncommon practice, in the patriarchal days, that they lived in. Half-sibling, marital relationships, were not considered incestuous, then. Scripture didn't prohibit matrimony, between close relatives, until the time of Moses. One of the main reasons, why the Lord ultimately, forbade the practice, was because of the accumulation of genetic mutations, in the human gene pool, as time went by. God began humankind with two genetically perfect creatures, Adam and Eve, so there was no risk of any hereditary defects.
Only after sin, entered the world, did the dangers, associated with inbreeding, gradually arise. So, it was not a sin for Abram to make Sarai his wife. Scripture doesn't say a whole lot about their early years of marriage, but it does tell us one thing, that we know was a heartbreak to her and to Abram------they had no children because Sarai was barren.
Sarai's name means "my princess". She was the adored darling of her family and of her husband. She was a woman of privilege, in Ur of the Chaldees----which was a city that was the epitome of sophisticated, pagan culture. At the time, Ur, was at the height of its power and influence. It was located in lower Mesopotamia, near the confluence of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, in what is present day, Iraq. It was a flourishing and prosperous society. Archeologlists have excavated Ur, and have uncovered objects, of gold and silver and precious stones------as well as, the remains of chariots, musical instruments, weapons and even, game boards. Trade was carried out, over a vast region-------the city's ships went as far as India and Africa, via the Persian Gulf. Abram and His family must have been wealthy and part of the elite, in their society.
The city government was a superstitious theocracy, which, supposedly, worshiped the Babylonian moon god. This was the culture that built those famously, tall ziggurats, which were massive terraced towers, that had pagan temples at the top. (like the Tower of Babel) Since Abram and Sarai were only 9th generation, descendants, from Shem, the son of Noah-------they might have had some knowledge, passed down to them, about the one true God, from their ancestors. But we don't know since it isn'e mention din the scripture----- but, we do know that they grew up in such a pagan culture------that they probably, would have practiced the pagan religion, until the Lord called Abram, out of Ur, to be the father, of the great, Hebrew nation---and along with him, Sarai, to be the "His Chosen People's", mother. (I think it is interesting to note that the word Hebrew, means "Immigrant"-----because during the whole ancient history of the Jews, even up until today, they are still scattered in countries and cities, throughout the world---waiting for the time, to be able to return, to the Promised Land, that God had called Abram and Sarai to, all those many years ago. They are still immigrants, as a nation.)
It is believed, that that there was a scattered remnant, of true believers, in the world at that time. Theologians believe, that judging from the details in the book of Job, including the length of Job's life span, that he probably lived around the same time as Abram and Sarai. And Job and his friends, clearly, had a thorough familiarity, with the God of their ancestors. They lived somewhere in the Middle East, in the Land of Uz. And in the book of Genesis, somewhere, in the Dead Sea Region, Abram and Sarai met Melchizedek, who represented, an order of itinerant priests, who also knew the one true God, and worshiped Him.
The Lord's purpose in calling Abram and Sarai out of paganism, and into a relationship with Him, was so that they could be the beginning, of the great nation, which would be His witness to the world. Their nation which would have an eternal covenant with God. Through their nation, God's truth would be kept alive and passed down from generation to generation. From their nation----prophets would arise and the scriptures would be written down and preserved, and given to the world. God would dwell in their midst and would establish His sanctuary among them. And from their great nation, the Messiah would come, so that He could bless all the people of the world, by making God real to them.
Because of Sarai's obvious role in this plan, she was surely aware of the Lord's promises to Abram. She, would have longed to see those promises fulfilled for herself, and for Abram. But as long as she remained childless, the sense that everything somehow hinged on her, must have been, like the weight of the world, on her shoulders.
Scripture tells us, that when God told Abram to leave Ur, that he responded to God's command, by assembling his tents and his herds and flocks and herdsmen and serving woman, and that, he and Sarai left their past lives behind, forever. Sarai was very brave and she must have loved Abram very much, to leave her family and her friends, and all the luxuries and comforts that they had-------- to follow God's call, with her husband, into an uncertain future. There is no account that they ever returned to Ur, not even for a visit.
Sometimes, like Sarai, we have to trust the faith of someone else, to lead us in the way the Lord wants us to go------so, that He can then, develop a greater faith in us-----and---- sometimes, we have to turn away from the pleasures of this world and keep our eyes and our hearts, focused on God's promise, of things that are yet come.
Sarai was somewhere around 60-65 years old, when they set out on their journey. She was the exact age, that most people today, think is ideal, for retirement. Sarai wasn't a young woman, even by patriarchal standards, which was a time when people obviously, lived longer and were healthy and agile and vigorous, well past their 60s. The life of a nomad would have been hard on her, for so many reasons-----but there is no evidence, that she, was even a little bit reluctant, to make the trip. She was putting footsteps to a faith, that was only just starting to bloom.
The 1st leg of their journey stalled at Haran, which was about 650 miles, northwest, parallel to the Euphrates River. We don't know how long they stayed there, but they didn't get moving again, until after their father, Terah, who was traveling with them, had passed away and was buried. They traveled another 350 miles further west and then arrived in Canaan. They had a large caravan, and they were traveling on foot, for the most part, even though, they would have had camels and donkeys, and maybe even some horses---they would have been pack animals. All in all, they would have walked 1000 miles.
We can just imagine the anticipation and excitement, mingled with a little fear that they must have felt, as they neared Canaan. And we can also imagine the shock that they must have felt, when they realized, that they had arrived in a country, that was parched, by famine. And they, did the same thing, that way too often, we are tempted to do; they took matters into their own hands-----we know, in our hearts, that God is in control and that He doesn't make mistakes-----but we think in our heads, that He maybe, needs, just a little bit of help from us, to bring about His plans. (Scripture tells us, that this was an issue, that Sarai had to face several times, before she finally figured out, that God doesn't need us, to help him, He can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it.) We need to learn to accept the circumstances that God allows into our lives and realize, that we can't keep our focus on the circumstances-------we have to take our focus off of the them and put our focus on the Lord--------then, the circumstances may not change, but our attitude about the circumstances, will change.
Instead of staying, where God told them to, and waiting on Him, to tell them what to do next, they set out on another 300 mile journey, to Egypt, because Abram had heard that there was corn there. But it turned out to be a time of great testing for them--spiritually and for their marriage--------but it was a trial of their own making.
Apparently Sarai was beautiful; she must have been unbelievably so, because the closer that they got to Egypt and the more Abram looked at her, the more frightened he became------for her, certainly, but more for himself. He was afraid that she would be seen and coveted by some Egyptian, maybe even Pharaoh, himself, and that Abram would be killed, in order for someone else, to have her. That was a common practice, in that day-----adultery was punishable by death, but murder wasn't. So, if a man, especially a king or a pharaoh, wanted another man's wife------all he had to do, was kill the man and he could have her, with no repercussions. So, the plan Abram devised, was to tell everybody, the half-truth, that Sarai was his sister, so that they wouldn't be tempted to kill him. We aren't told whether Abram anticipated, that they would take Sarai into the harem or not, but its hard to believe that he considered it very carefully------ since, it would have been, putting her, into grave danger, physically, and God's plan, for a pure people, into grave danger, eternally. Abram loved Sarai, so, even though he was afraid, it doesn't seem to be part of his character, to sacrifice her, for himself, so, he must, have just been hoping, to buy some time, to get into the country, get supplies, and get out of the country, as fast as they could, without calling too much attention, to themselves.
Abram told a half-truth,but a half-truth is still a lie and its still a sin, and I can't believe that Sarai went along with it-------but she loved Abram, and she knew what the law of the land was and even though, we know that she got frustrated with him and lost her temper twice, she never disobeyed him. And we have to remember,though, that she was a baby, in the Lord, and she didn't know, that you aren't supposed to be submissive to your husband, if he's telling you to sin. Nor should a husband acquiesce to his wife, out of love for her, if she is asking him to sin. But, Sarah's sweet submissiveness, in the face of, probably, her own resistance, to Abram's request, is the reason why God was able to mold her heart, gradually, into submissiveness, to Himself. 1st Peter describes Sarah has having a meek and quiet spirit------Jesus was described in the same way--------This doesn't mean that they were weak, in any way-----the idea of "meek and quiet" comes from the Hebrew understanding, of a wild horse that is full of spirit and energy, but has a willingness to be instructed and the heart, to learn from and obey, a loving master.
God never imposes His will on ours. He allows situations to come into our lives, a lot of times, because of our own choices. And then He uses them to change us. It takes time, to change a rebel, into a child of the King. Thank goodness, God has all the patience in the world and He is willing to take the time on us, that we need---because He believes we're worth the effort, even with all of our frailties.
Pharaoh's stewards, saw her and pointed her out to Pharaoh, and brought her into his harem. Sarai must have been scared to death. Sarai, had made a mistake by lying for Abram-----but God, in His goodness, intervened and protected them. He wouldn't let His plan for them and for the Messiah, be messed up. He sent plagues on Pharaoh and his whole house. Pharaoh was terrified, but must have respected the God, of the 2 Hebrews, because he reprimanded Abram for lying, and gave Sarai back to him and evicted them from his country, with many gifts, which only increased Abram's wealth.
God still intervenes for us, today. Right at the perfect moment, when things seem the darkest-----the Lord will make His appearance, and all will be well. He still protects us, from the messes that we make, by our foolish choices. He called Sarai to a special purpose, and He has called each one of us to a special purpose, too. We need to learn to trust Him, with everything we have.We need to remember, that we have the privilege, of living our lives, in God's constant and powerful presence. No matter where we are; no matter what we have to leave behind, or who, we have to leave behind; no matter where, we're required to go, or what we're asked to give up, or to do without, or no matter how alone we feel, or appear to be, or no matter who has let us down, or who has forsaken us------we are never alone------Psalm 91-4 says, that God's overshadowing wings, are above us; and Deuternomy 33:27, tells us, that God's everlasting arms, are underneath us; and Psalm 34:7, says that the angel of the Lord, encamps, on all sides, around us, to deliver us; and Philippians 4:7, promises us, that God is inside us, with His peace, that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and our minds.
II.Sarai Takes Charge:
When the chastened couple and their entourage left Egypt, to go back to Canaan, Sarai took a new servant-girl with her, a handmaiden, named Hagar------the ancient Hebrew historians believe, that she was one of Pharaoh's own daughters. (Which might explain some of her attitude, later on in the story.)
Over a period of time, as the years went on, ten years, to be exact-----and the promise of a child didn't happen, Sarai began to doubt, that she was the one, who had been chosen by God, to be the mother, of Abram's seed. She knew that the promise had been made to him, but she began to question, whether it had been made to her, or not. She hatched a scheme, that was so ill-advised and so disobedient, to the Lord, that she regretted it, for the rest of her life. It is incredible, to think that her decision, born out of love for her husband and the desire for a child, could have had the repercussions, that it has had, down thorough the centuries, as the sons of Hagar (the Arabs) and the sons of Sarah (the Jews), are still battling over their inheritance, today. But when we step outside of God's will, we open ourselves up to all kinds of trouble.
But to be fair, from a purely human point of view, we can understand Sarai's despair. (I remember, all to well, the desire to have a child. We had had, Mary Kathryn and Griff only 18 months apart from each other-----and they had been such a blessing that we wanted to have another child 18 months from Griff-------but it wasn't in the Lord's plan-----Lizzie wasn't born until 41/2 years later---after the Lord brought me, to a place, in my faith, where I trusted Him, completely, with the size and make-up of our family. That was only 41/2 years and I was only 31 years old when she was born------and I already had 2 other, healthy, happy children.) Poor Sarai, had been married for about 60 years, at that point in time------she was 75 years old, supposedly, post-menopausal, and completely childless. No wonder, she started to question her ability, to conceive and bear a child. It was natural, for her to think that God was withholding a child from her------and He was----but not because, she wasn't ever going to have one-------but because, it had been His plan all along, for Sarah to have her little boy, in her old age, after every, earthly reason, for hope, was completely dead, so that he could put His power on display----so that all the world would know that He is God. But Sarai didn't call on God----instead she came up with her own solution to the problem. She believed that God intended for Abram to father a child---but she was afraid that time was running out, and that she had to do something.
She called on an ancient law, that stated, that if a wife didn't give birth to a child in 2 years, after their marriage, that she could purchase a slave girl for him and that the child, that was born, would then belong, to the wife and to the husband---- and the wife could, then do, anything she wanted to, with the slave girl. Sarai loved Abram and she knew that the measure of a man's worth, in their culture, was having an heir. She loved him too much, to let Abram die childless. She didn't want him to sleep with another woman-----but she honestly thought she was doing the right thing.
One spouse , for a lifetime, is what the scripture teaches, but because Hagar was "a nothing", just a piece of property, it never occurred to Sarai, that she was outside of the Lord's will, because her motivation wasn't a bad one----it was just a misguided one. She was doing it for herself and Abram, not for the Lord. She honestly thought that she knew what was best. But Abram bore a huge responsibility in this situation too. Because he was a God-fearing man, he should have said, "No Sarai, we're not doing this, God hasn't told us to", but he didn't---he wanted a child, he wanted to please his wife and he wanted to keep peace in his household---he chose to act on human emotion, too, rather than faith, in the Lord's promises.
Sarai led Abram into a situation, that encouraged him to sin. Even though, he had done a similar thing to her, when they went down into Egypt, it wasn't quite the same. He had acted out of fear and concern, but she, had worked her womanly wiles, on him. We have to be so careful, that we don't use the influence that we have over our husbands, and lead them into sin. We have all kinds of weapons in our arsenal, to try and get him, to do what we want him to do. We smile and wheedle and pout and cry and give him the silent treatment and bat our eyes and feed his tummy and stroke his ego------ and 8 times out of 10, we do get him to do, exactly, what we want him to. The reality is, though, that's not how, the Lord, wants us to treat our husbands. He wants us to treat them with respect and honor and care and tenderness and trust and obedience---and if we do, and our husbands ,are following the Lord's teaching, then he will treat us, with love and care and tenderness and respect and honor and he will lead us, into obedience, in the Lord.
A loving marriage, that is grounded in the Lord, will be made up of two people, that seek to draw each other toward the Lord, not away from Him.
The truth is, that is how we should be, in all of our relationships, not just the ones between husbands and wives----we should strive, to point everybody we know, to the Lord Jesus and His desire for the choices that we make and and for the behavior that we exhibit, in every situation that we face. It isn't easy, and it requires a lot of prayer and a lot of patience and a lot of quiet listening, to be able to hear the Lord speak------- and also, it requires a lot of courage, to wait on Him--------and only to speak or move when He tells us to. But, if we're going to be obedient and grow in our faith, to be a woman of God like Sarai, ultimately became, that's what we have to do. We have to pray and rest and trust and then, He, will bring His will, to pass.
III. Mean Girls:
Boy!!!!!!!!!Did Sarai's plan backfire!!!!!!!!!!!!As soon as Hagar became pregnant, she saw herself as equal to or better than Sarai, because she was carrying the heir. (if she was Pharaoh's daughter, the pregnancy, would have given her back, some of her self-esteem). Whatever it was-----she began to feel pretty good about herself---- Scripture says, that she began to despise, her mistress-----and then, this in turn, made Sarai get mad at Abram, and she wound up, blaming him for the whole thing---not for his infidelity, she didn't see it that way, but because he was too complacent-------she wanted him to man up, and put Hagar in her place. She wanted him, as the head of the household, to fix things. She couldn't stand that, he was just hanging around in the background, not saying a word, while her household authority, was being undermined by a menial. (I don't know abut y'all, but there have been many times, when I have blamed somebody else, for a problem, that I've created-----we need to ask the Lord to help us stay clear-sighted-----we need to ask Him to show us what we've done wrong, before we start trying to cast blame on someone else, even if they are guilty, too.
We can see that Sarai was being unreasonable. The whole sordid plan, was all her big idea------- Abram, should have said no to the plan, and he should have scolded Hagar for her treatment of Sarai, like a daddy should scold a child, if that child is disrespectful to their mother, but he didn't--------And, this fit of Sarai's, was deliberately provoked by Hagar. She was utterly insolent to Sarai and it was indefensible.
We can, almost, be certain, that Hagar knew about Sarai's extreme grief, over her own barrenness---and Hagar, deliberately, tried to put salt in the wound. Since Hagar was the servant, and Sarai, was the one in charge, there was, the most brazen kind, of deliberate impudence, going on. The truth is, all 3 of them, were guilty of disobedience, to the Lord and they all, wound up reaping, bitter fruit, from it.
Abram, had to have recognized, the legitimacy, of Sarai's complaint. And he would have been wise to step in, as an arbitrator and to seek a solution that would have satisfied both women. But, and this is a lesson, for us too, Sarai, was in such a state, that he, just did what a lot of husbands do, he just told her to deal with Hagar, in her own way. How many times, do we miss out, on somebody helping us, with a crisis, because our own lousy attitude and behavior, puts them off, to the point, that they don't want to help us---we wind up cutting our noses off, to spite our faces, because our emotions are out of control.
Scripture says that Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar and that she fled from her presence. What does that mean that she dealt harshly with her?----Being mistreated can mean a lot of different things------Sarai could have made her work harder, by heaping more tasks for her to do on her job sheet---or she could have been verbally, ugly, to her----throwing sharp words at her, to cause her pain. But the closest translation, to the original Hebrew, of this passage, says, that Sarai was abusive to Hagar. Whether that was physical or emotional, we don't know, but, according to the tone of the translation, it was probably both. This doesn't paint a very pretty picture of Sarai----------yes, Hagar was boastful and her attitude was frustrating and she should have been corrected, in the appropriate way----------but striking her physically, and demoralizing her emotionally-----was not the behavior of a godly woman.
There is a warning in this, for all of us. We may not be tempted, to lift a hand against a friend, or our children, or our husbands, or even someone that we don't like---but are we careful with our words and the tone of voice that we use, when we say them. I have to say, that I am not, always.
Tempered steel is heated, and then it's cooled----and somehow this process, makes the metal stronger. That is the way it should be, with our tempers. When our tempers flare, like Sarai's did with Abram and Hagar, we should try cooling them down by dousing them, with the water of truth. What are we really so hot about? Are we too focused on the weaknesses of others to see our own failings? Is there some deep-seated disappointment, from the past interfering with our ability to act justly now? Is our anger righteous, or is it sparked pride and jealousy? In the heat of the moment, the Lord would want us to pause, long enough, for our tempers to cool, knowing, in the long run, that it will make our faith deeper and our character more more beautiful and winsome------and it won't send someone running for safety, from our words or our attitudes.
(Our author, Liz Higgs says, "that, we can if we if we want to, think of Sarai, as a saintly role model, who never stumbled, but she says,that "that would rob Sarai of her human dimension--------and deprive us of the lessons that we can learn, form her." She was a real person, who really lived, just like we are----and her story should give us wonderful hope--------the Lord wasn't finished with Sarai of Ur, and he isn't finished with you and me either------He loves us, far too much, to let us soak, in our sinfulness or drown in our guilt. We may be slightly bad girls--but He is a really good God------and thank goodness, the One, cancels out the other.")
March 16, 2011
Sarai------Genesis 11-16
I. Princess Bride
II. Sari Takes Charge
III. Mean Girls
Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully. One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. They were both born in 1703. The anthropologists, researching them, were able to obtain unbelievable amounts of genealogical data, and what they discovered, in their study, is remarkable:::::::: even though there are exceptions, they found that "like generations" do beget "like generations".
Max Jukes was an unbelieving man, born of an unbelieving mother, and he married a woman of like character, who lacked principle. And among their known descendants, over 1200 were studied. 310 of them became professional vagrants; 440 of them, physically wrecked their lives by a debauched lifestyle; 130 of them, were sent to prison, for an average of 13 years each-----and 7 of them were imprisoned for murder. There were over 100 of them who became alcoholics; 60 of them became habitual thieves; and 190 of them became public prostitutes. Of the 20, who learned a trade, 10 of them learned that trade in a state prison. It cost the state about $1,500,000, to take care of them, and they made no contribution, whatsoever, to society.
Jonathan Edwards, on the other hand was was the son of Esther Edwards, a woman who loved the Lord and wanted her children and her children's children, to love Him too. He was her only child, and he became a distinguished theologian, and a renowned preacher. He married a woman, from a godly family, who had a deep relationship with the Lord, herself. Their known descendants, were about as different from the Jukes family, as night is from day. 300 of them became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors; over 100 of them became college professors; over 100 of them became lawyers, with 30 of them being judges; 60 of them became medical doctors; over 60 of them became authors of good, classic books, with several of them being well-established, well-honored editors; and14 became presidents of prestigious universities. There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family. And 3, became United States congressmen, and one (Aaron Burr), became the vice-president of the United States.
This example of the contrast between these 2 families is a perfect way for us to begin our study of Sarai, the beloved wife of Abram. She was, by no means, a perfect woman, which we can clearly see, when we study her life, in the book of Genesis. But we are told in Hebrews 11:11, in Galations 4:21-31, and in 1st Peter 3:6, that she was a woman, of great faith and steadfastness, in the Lord, which, often manifested itself, in loving submission to her husband. She deserves the title and the acclaim, that should be given to the Matriarch, of the children of God, born into this world, Hebrew and Gentile together. There is no way to measure, the influence, of one godly mother, as imperfect, as she may be.
Sarai's faults are obvious enough. They are conspicuous and undeniable. She was certainly fallen and sometimes, her faith was weaker than she would have wanted it to be. Her emotions and her desires and her heart, sometimes led her, to make wrong choices. And if those things were all we knew about Sarai------we wouldn't like her very much, and we sure would't want to emulate her. Fortunately, there was much more to Sarai------- and the Lord, in His graciousness, has allowed us to see her long life, played out in the scripture------so that we can see her great strengths, right along, with her weaknesses---which is a blessing to us, because we are just like her!!!!!! Sarai's life, on the whole, is actually characterized, by humility, meekness, hospitality, faithfulness, deep affection for her husband, sincere love toward God and a hope that never died.
(Liz Curtis Higgs, the author of our study, says that we all, are like Sarai, We insist on getting our own way, thinking that we have all the answers and that our answers, are always best, for everyone involved. So what, if we control whom and what we can, whenever we can, pretending not to notice, if someone's toes get pinched, or their heart gets smashed flat, in the process. We think we know best! We don't want to rule the whole world, just our little corner of it. We don't mind waiting for what we want, just a little bit, as long as we can be guaranteed, that we will get our way, in the long run. When God pours His blessings out on us, we are quick, to sing His praises, and we are truly grateful------but you let Him tell us no, or make us wait too long, and we start thinking up, all kinds of ways to expedite the process.
Liz says that if she didn't know better, she would think that an impatient "bad girl" wrote the phrase, "God helps those who help themselves." That phrase isn't found in the bible--------it's a line from one of Aesop's fables-"the gods help them who help themselves". And she goes on to say-----"that maybe the man-made, Greek gods, needed, human effort, to get their jobs done, but that the Lord God Almighty, doesn't need one thing from a human being, man or woman, to accomplish His divine plan.
"Her definition of a slightly bad girl is this: a woman, unwilling to fully submit to God, in every area, every situation, every relationship, of her life." We love God; we serve Him and we worship Him-----but, we find it so hard, to trust Him completely, and to accept His plan, for our lives, and to rest, in His sovereignty. So, we quietly,or not so quietly, depending on the situation, try to take over, the reigns of control------we pray and then we move forward------asking the Lord to bless our decisions, without having heard an answer back from Him. We think we are doing all the right "good-girl" things-------when in reality, we are being as bad, as any "bad girl" as ever been.)
In this study, we have been able to see, that Sarai, is no different from any one of us and we can see, that God used her poor choices and her disobedience and her selfishness and her pride and her disappointment, to draw her closer to Himself, and to finally, in the end, give her the desire of her heart. (which we are going to see in next week's lesson, when He changes her name to Sarah and Abram's name to Abraham )
I. Princess Bride:
Sarai was Abram's half-sister. They lived in 2100 b.c. They were born 10 years apart. Terah was the father to both of them, but they had different mothers. This was not an uncommon practice, in the patriarchal days, that they lived in. Half-sibling, marital relationships, were not considered incestuous, then. Scripture didn't prohibit matrimony, between close relatives, until the time of Moses. One of the main reasons, why the Lord ultimately, forbade the practice, was because of the accumulation of genetic mutations, in the human gene pool, as time went by. God began humankind with two genetically perfect creatures, Adam and Eve, so there was no risk of any hereditary defects.
Only after sin, entered the world, did the dangers, associated with inbreeding, gradually arise. So, it was not a sin for Abram to make Sarai his wife. Scripture doesn't say a whole lot about their early years of marriage, but it does tell us one thing, that we know was a heartbreak to her and to Abram------they had no children because Sarai was barren.
Sarai's name means "my princess". She was the adored darling of her family and of her husband. She was a woman of privilege, in Ur of the Chaldees----which was a city that was the epitome of sophisticated, pagan culture. At the time, Ur, was at the height of its power and influence. It was located in lower Mesopotamia, near the confluence of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, in what is present day, Iraq. It was a flourishing and prosperous society. Archeologlists have excavated Ur, and have uncovered objects, of gold and silver and precious stones------as well as, the remains of chariots, musical instruments, weapons and even, game boards. Trade was carried out, over a vast region-------the city's ships went as far as India and Africa, via the Persian Gulf. Abram and His family must have been wealthy and part of the elite, in their society.
The city government was a superstitious theocracy, which, supposedly, worshiped the Babylonian moon god. This was the culture that built those famously, tall ziggurats, which were massive terraced towers, that had pagan temples at the top. (like the Tower of Babel) Since Abram and Sarai were only 9th generation, descendants, from Shem, the son of Noah-------they might have had some knowledge, passed down to them, about the one true God, from their ancestors. But we don't know since it isn'e mention din the scripture----- but, we do know that they grew up in such a pagan culture------that they probably, would have practiced the pagan religion, until the Lord called Abram, out of Ur, to be the father, of the great, Hebrew nation---and along with him, Sarai, to be the "His Chosen People's", mother. (I think it is interesting to note that the word Hebrew, means "Immigrant"-----because during the whole ancient history of the Jews, even up until today, they are still scattered in countries and cities, throughout the world---waiting for the time, to be able to return, to the Promised Land, that God had called Abram and Sarai to, all those many years ago. They are still immigrants, as a nation.)
It is believed, that that there was a scattered remnant, of true believers, in the world at that time. Theologians believe, that judging from the details in the book of Job, including the length of Job's life span, that he probably lived around the same time as Abram and Sarai. And Job and his friends, clearly, had a thorough familiarity, with the God of their ancestors. They lived somewhere in the Middle East, in the Land of Uz. And in the book of Genesis, somewhere, in the Dead Sea Region, Abram and Sarai met Melchizedek, who represented, an order of itinerant priests, who also knew the one true God, and worshiped Him.
The Lord's purpose in calling Abram and Sarai out of paganism, and into a relationship with Him, was so that they could be the beginning, of the great nation, which would be His witness to the world. Their nation which would have an eternal covenant with God. Through their nation, God's truth would be kept alive and passed down from generation to generation. From their nation----prophets would arise and the scriptures would be written down and preserved, and given to the world. God would dwell in their midst and would establish His sanctuary among them. And from their great nation, the Messiah would come, so that He could bless all the people of the world, by making God real to them.
Because of Sarai's obvious role in this plan, she was surely aware of the Lord's promises to Abram. She, would have longed to see those promises fulfilled for herself, and for Abram. But as long as she remained childless, the sense that everything somehow hinged on her, must have been, like the weight of the world, on her shoulders.
Scripture tells us, that when God told Abram to leave Ur, that he responded to God's command, by assembling his tents and his herds and flocks and herdsmen and serving woman, and that, he and Sarai left their past lives behind, forever. Sarai was very brave and she must have loved Abram very much, to leave her family and her friends, and all the luxuries and comforts that they had-------- to follow God's call, with her husband, into an uncertain future. There is no account that they ever returned to Ur, not even for a visit.
Sometimes, like Sarai, we have to trust the faith of someone else, to lead us in the way the Lord wants us to go------so, that He can then, develop a greater faith in us-----and---- sometimes, we have to turn away from the pleasures of this world and keep our eyes and our hearts, focused on God's promise, of things that are yet come.
Sarai was somewhere around 60-65 years old, when they set out on their journey. She was the exact age, that most people today, think is ideal, for retirement. Sarai wasn't a young woman, even by patriarchal standards, which was a time when people obviously, lived longer and were healthy and agile and vigorous, well past their 60s. The life of a nomad would have been hard on her, for so many reasons-----but there is no evidence, that she, was even a little bit reluctant, to make the trip. She was putting footsteps to a faith, that was only just starting to bloom.
The 1st leg of their journey stalled at Haran, which was about 650 miles, northwest, parallel to the Euphrates River. We don't know how long they stayed there, but they didn't get moving again, until after their father, Terah, who was traveling with them, had passed away and was buried. They traveled another 350 miles further west and then arrived in Canaan. They had a large caravan, and they were traveling on foot, for the most part, even though, they would have had camels and donkeys, and maybe even some horses---they would have been pack animals. All in all, they would have walked 1000 miles.
We can just imagine the anticipation and excitement, mingled with a little fear that they must have felt, as they neared Canaan. And we can also imagine the shock that they must have felt, when they realized, that they had arrived in a country, that was parched, by famine. And they, did the same thing, that way too often, we are tempted to do; they took matters into their own hands-----we know, in our hearts, that God is in control and that He doesn't make mistakes-----but we think in our heads, that He maybe, needs, just a little bit of help from us, to bring about His plans. (Scripture tells us, that this was an issue, that Sarai had to face several times, before she finally figured out, that God doesn't need us, to help him, He can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it.) We need to learn to accept the circumstances that God allows into our lives and realize, that we can't keep our focus on the circumstances-------we have to take our focus off of the them and put our focus on the Lord--------then, the circumstances may not change, but our attitude about the circumstances, will change.
Instead of staying, where God told them to, and waiting on Him, to tell them what to do next, they set out on another 300 mile journey, to Egypt, because Abram had heard that there was corn there. But it turned out to be a time of great testing for them--spiritually and for their marriage--------but it was a trial of their own making.
Apparently Sarai was beautiful; she must have been unbelievably so, because the closer that they got to Egypt and the more Abram looked at her, the more frightened he became------for her, certainly, but more for himself. He was afraid that she would be seen and coveted by some Egyptian, maybe even Pharaoh, himself, and that Abram would be killed, in order for someone else, to have her. That was a common practice, in that day-----adultery was punishable by death, but murder wasn't. So, if a man, especially a king or a pharaoh, wanted another man's wife------all he had to do, was kill the man and he could have her, with no repercussions. So, the plan Abram devised, was to tell everybody, the half-truth, that Sarai was his sister, so that they wouldn't be tempted to kill him. We aren't told whether Abram anticipated, that they would take Sarai into the harem or not, but its hard to believe that he considered it very carefully------ since, it would have been, putting her, into grave danger, physically, and God's plan, for a pure people, into grave danger, eternally. Abram loved Sarai, so, even though he was afraid, it doesn't seem to be part of his character, to sacrifice her, for himself, so, he must, have just been hoping, to buy some time, to get into the country, get supplies, and get out of the country, as fast as they could, without calling too much attention, to themselves.
Abram told a half-truth,but a half-truth is still a lie and its still a sin, and I can't believe that Sarai went along with it-------but she loved Abram, and she knew what the law of the land was and even though, we know that she got frustrated with him and lost her temper twice, she never disobeyed him. And we have to remember,though, that she was a baby, in the Lord, and she didn't know, that you aren't supposed to be submissive to your husband, if he's telling you to sin. Nor should a husband acquiesce to his wife, out of love for her, if she is asking him to sin. But, Sarah's sweet submissiveness, in the face of, probably, her own resistance, to Abram's request, is the reason why God was able to mold her heart, gradually, into submissiveness, to Himself. 1st Peter describes Sarah has having a meek and quiet spirit------Jesus was described in the same way--------This doesn't mean that they were weak, in any way-----the idea of "meek and quiet" comes from the Hebrew understanding, of a wild horse that is full of spirit and energy, but has a willingness to be instructed and the heart, to learn from and obey, a loving master.
God never imposes His will on ours. He allows situations to come into our lives, a lot of times, because of our own choices. And then He uses them to change us. It takes time, to change a rebel, into a child of the King. Thank goodness, God has all the patience in the world and He is willing to take the time on us, that we need---because He believes we're worth the effort, even with all of our frailties.
Pharaoh's stewards, saw her and pointed her out to Pharaoh, and brought her into his harem. Sarai must have been scared to death. Sarai, had made a mistake by lying for Abram-----but God, in His goodness, intervened and protected them. He wouldn't let His plan for them and for the Messiah, be messed up. He sent plagues on Pharaoh and his whole house. Pharaoh was terrified, but must have respected the God, of the 2 Hebrews, because he reprimanded Abram for lying, and gave Sarai back to him and evicted them from his country, with many gifts, which only increased Abram's wealth.
God still intervenes for us, today. Right at the perfect moment, when things seem the darkest-----the Lord will make His appearance, and all will be well. He still protects us, from the messes that we make, by our foolish choices. He called Sarai to a special purpose, and He has called each one of us to a special purpose, too. We need to learn to trust Him, with everything we have.We need to remember, that we have the privilege, of living our lives, in God's constant and powerful presence. No matter where we are; no matter what we have to leave behind, or who, we have to leave behind; no matter where, we're required to go, or what we're asked to give up, or to do without, or no matter how alone we feel, or appear to be, or no matter who has let us down, or who has forsaken us------we are never alone------Psalm 91-4 says, that God's overshadowing wings, are above us; and Deuternomy 33:27, tells us, that God's everlasting arms, are underneath us; and Psalm 34:7, says that the angel of the Lord, encamps, on all sides, around us, to deliver us; and Philippians 4:7, promises us, that God is inside us, with His peace, that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and our minds.
II.Sarai Takes Charge:
When the chastened couple and their entourage left Egypt, to go back to Canaan, Sarai took a new servant-girl with her, a handmaiden, named Hagar------the ancient Hebrew historians believe, that she was one of Pharaoh's own daughters. (Which might explain some of her attitude, later on in the story.)
Over a period of time, as the years went on, ten years, to be exact-----and the promise of a child didn't happen, Sarai began to doubt, that she was the one, who had been chosen by God, to be the mother, of Abram's seed. She knew that the promise had been made to him, but she began to question, whether it had been made to her, or not. She hatched a scheme, that was so ill-advised and so disobedient, to the Lord, that she regretted it, for the rest of her life. It is incredible, to think that her decision, born out of love for her husband and the desire for a child, could have had the repercussions, that it has had, down thorough the centuries, as the sons of Hagar (the Arabs) and the sons of Sarah (the Jews), are still battling over their inheritance, today. But when we step outside of God's will, we open ourselves up to all kinds of trouble.
But to be fair, from a purely human point of view, we can understand Sarai's despair. (I remember, all to well, the desire to have a child. We had had, Mary Kathryn and Griff only 18 months apart from each other-----and they had been such a blessing that we wanted to have another child 18 months from Griff-------but it wasn't in the Lord's plan-----Lizzie wasn't born until 41/2 years later---after the Lord brought me, to a place, in my faith, where I trusted Him, completely, with the size and make-up of our family. That was only 41/2 years and I was only 31 years old when she was born------and I already had 2 other, healthy, happy children.) Poor Sarai, had been married for about 60 years, at that point in time------she was 75 years old, supposedly, post-menopausal, and completely childless. No wonder, she started to question her ability, to conceive and bear a child. It was natural, for her to think that God was withholding a child from her------and He was----but not because, she wasn't ever going to have one-------but because, it had been His plan all along, for Sarah to have her little boy, in her old age, after every, earthly reason, for hope, was completely dead, so that he could put His power on display----so that all the world would know that He is God. But Sarai didn't call on God----instead she came up with her own solution to the problem. She believed that God intended for Abram to father a child---but she was afraid that time was running out, and that she had to do something.
She called on an ancient law, that stated, that if a wife didn't give birth to a child in 2 years, after their marriage, that she could purchase a slave girl for him and that the child, that was born, would then belong, to the wife and to the husband---- and the wife could, then do, anything she wanted to, with the slave girl. Sarai loved Abram and she knew that the measure of a man's worth, in their culture, was having an heir. She loved him too much, to let Abram die childless. She didn't want him to sleep with another woman-----but she honestly thought she was doing the right thing.
One spouse , for a lifetime, is what the scripture teaches, but because Hagar was "a nothing", just a piece of property, it never occurred to Sarai, that she was outside of the Lord's will, because her motivation wasn't a bad one----it was just a misguided one. She was doing it for herself and Abram, not for the Lord. She honestly thought that she knew what was best. But Abram bore a huge responsibility in this situation too. Because he was a God-fearing man, he should have said, "No Sarai, we're not doing this, God hasn't told us to", but he didn't---he wanted a child, he wanted to please his wife and he wanted to keep peace in his household---he chose to act on human emotion, too, rather than faith, in the Lord's promises.
Sarai led Abram into a situation, that encouraged him to sin. Even though, he had done a similar thing to her, when they went down into Egypt, it wasn't quite the same. He had acted out of fear and concern, but she, had worked her womanly wiles, on him. We have to be so careful, that we don't use the influence that we have over our husbands, and lead them into sin. We have all kinds of weapons in our arsenal, to try and get him, to do what we want him to do. We smile and wheedle and pout and cry and give him the silent treatment and bat our eyes and feed his tummy and stroke his ego------ and 8 times out of 10, we do get him to do, exactly, what we want him to. The reality is, though, that's not how, the Lord, wants us to treat our husbands. He wants us to treat them with respect and honor and care and tenderness and trust and obedience---and if we do, and our husbands ,are following the Lord's teaching, then he will treat us, with love and care and tenderness and respect and honor and he will lead us, into obedience, in the Lord.
A loving marriage, that is grounded in the Lord, will be made up of two people, that seek to draw each other toward the Lord, not away from Him.
The truth is, that is how we should be, in all of our relationships, not just the ones between husbands and wives----we should strive, to point everybody we know, to the Lord Jesus and His desire for the choices that we make and and for the behavior that we exhibit, in every situation that we face. It isn't easy, and it requires a lot of prayer and a lot of patience and a lot of quiet listening, to be able to hear the Lord speak------- and also, it requires a lot of courage, to wait on Him--------and only to speak or move when He tells us to. But, if we're going to be obedient and grow in our faith, to be a woman of God like Sarai, ultimately became, that's what we have to do. We have to pray and rest and trust and then, He, will bring His will, to pass.
III. Mean Girls:
Boy!!!!!!!!!Did Sarai's plan backfire!!!!!!!!!!!!As soon as Hagar became pregnant, she saw herself as equal to or better than Sarai, because she was carrying the heir. (if she was Pharaoh's daughter, the pregnancy, would have given her back, some of her self-esteem). Whatever it was-----she began to feel pretty good about herself---- Scripture says, that she began to despise, her mistress-----and then, this in turn, made Sarai get mad at Abram, and she wound up, blaming him for the whole thing---not for his infidelity, she didn't see it that way, but because he was too complacent-------she wanted him to man up, and put Hagar in her place. She wanted him, as the head of the household, to fix things. She couldn't stand that, he was just hanging around in the background, not saying a word, while her household authority, was being undermined by a menial. (I don't know abut y'all, but there have been many times, when I have blamed somebody else, for a problem, that I've created-----we need to ask the Lord to help us stay clear-sighted-----we need to ask Him to show us what we've done wrong, before we start trying to cast blame on someone else, even if they are guilty, too.
We can see that Sarai was being unreasonable. The whole sordid plan, was all her big idea------- Abram, should have said no to the plan, and he should have scolded Hagar for her treatment of Sarai, like a daddy should scold a child, if that child is disrespectful to their mother, but he didn't--------And, this fit of Sarai's, was deliberately provoked by Hagar. She was utterly insolent to Sarai and it was indefensible.
We can, almost, be certain, that Hagar knew about Sarai's extreme grief, over her own barrenness---and Hagar, deliberately, tried to put salt in the wound. Since Hagar was the servant, and Sarai, was the one in charge, there was, the most brazen kind, of deliberate impudence, going on. The truth is, all 3 of them, were guilty of disobedience, to the Lord and they all, wound up reaping, bitter fruit, from it.
Abram, had to have recognized, the legitimacy, of Sarai's complaint. And he would have been wise to step in, as an arbitrator and to seek a solution that would have satisfied both women. But, and this is a lesson, for us too, Sarai, was in such a state, that he, just did what a lot of husbands do, he just told her to deal with Hagar, in her own way. How many times, do we miss out, on somebody helping us, with a crisis, because our own lousy attitude and behavior, puts them off, to the point, that they don't want to help us---we wind up cutting our noses off, to spite our faces, because our emotions are out of control.
Scripture says that Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar and that she fled from her presence. What does that mean that she dealt harshly with her?----Being mistreated can mean a lot of different things------Sarai could have made her work harder, by heaping more tasks for her to do on her job sheet---or she could have been verbally, ugly, to her----throwing sharp words at her, to cause her pain. But the closest translation, to the original Hebrew, of this passage, says, that Sarai was abusive to Hagar. Whether that was physical or emotional, we don't know, but, according to the tone of the translation, it was probably both. This doesn't paint a very pretty picture of Sarai----------yes, Hagar was boastful and her attitude was frustrating and she should have been corrected, in the appropriate way----------but striking her physically, and demoralizing her emotionally-----was not the behavior of a godly woman.
There is a warning in this, for all of us. We may not be tempted, to lift a hand against a friend, or our children, or our husbands, or even someone that we don't like---but are we careful with our words and the tone of voice that we use, when we say them. I have to say, that I am not, always.
Tempered steel is heated, and then it's cooled----and somehow this process, makes the metal stronger. That is the way it should be, with our tempers. When our tempers flare, like Sarai's did with Abram and Hagar, we should try cooling them down by dousing them, with the water of truth. What are we really so hot about? Are we too focused on the weaknesses of others to see our own failings? Is there some deep-seated disappointment, from the past interfering with our ability to act justly now? Is our anger righteous, or is it sparked pride and jealousy? In the heat of the moment, the Lord would want us to pause, long enough, for our tempers to cool, knowing, in the long run, that it will make our faith deeper and our character more more beautiful and winsome------and it won't send someone running for safety, from our words or our attitudes.
(Our author, Liz Higgs says, "that, we can if we if we want to, think of Sarai, as a saintly role model, who never stumbled, but she says,that "that would rob Sarai of her human dimension--------and deprive us of the lessons that we can learn, form her." She was a real person, who really lived, just like we are----and her story should give us wonderful hope--------the Lord wasn't finished with Sarai of Ur, and he isn't finished with you and me either------He loves us, far too much, to let us soak, in our sinfulness or drown in our guilt. We may be slightly bad girls--but He is a really good God------and thank goodness, the One, cancels out the other.")
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
JOY "And So, An Invitation" March 9
March 9, 2011
And So, an Invitation
Isaiah 55:1-58:14
I. The Seller 55:1-13
II. Eunuchs and Foreigners 56:1-8
III. The Lofty One 57:14-21
IV. True Fasting 58:6-14
"Dr. Paul Carlson, was a California doctor, with a thriving practice. He agreed to join a Relief Agency, to serve for 6 months, as a medical missionary, in what was, then, called, the Belgian Congo. Returning to his lucrative practice, in California, Carlson was a changed man. He couldn't brush the Congo experience, out of his mind. He told another doctor, "If you could only see the need, you wouldn't be able to swallow your sandwich." Soon, the young doctor could do nothing else but uproot his family and move to the Congo. In the most primitive conditions he set up a clinic and gave medical care to the Congo people------all for $3,230 a year.
After 2 years, Dr. Carlson met a situation that he couldn't heal. Along with several other Americans, he was captured as a prisoner of war, in an internal revolution. Seeing a chance to escape, he raced, over to a wall and climbed to the top. A burst of bullets rang out and peppered his body. He was dead, as he slid, back down the wall.
Time Magazine reported the senseless killing: (this is what it said) "Dr. Carlson's murder, along with the massacre, of perhaps another hundred whites, and thousands of blacks, had a special tragic meaning. Dr. Carlson symbolized all the white men-----and there are many----who want nothing from Africa, but a chance to help. He was no saint and no deliberate martyr. He was a highly skilled physician who, out of a strong, Christian faith and a sense, of common humanity, had gone to the Congo, to treat the sick."
This, is a dramatic illustration, of what a humble and contrite believer will do. If our relationship with the Lord is a healthy one, and we are walking with Him, in the way that we should be-------then, we will go, to where God is at work, loving people and meeting their needs and we will join Him, in the battle----- against poverty, ignorance, sickness, superstition, injustice, heartbreak, depression, discouragement, uncertainty, agnostic and atheistic lies about God and death-----no matter where the job happens to be-----and no matter who it happens to be with. The humble believer, really, only has one person to answer to and that person is God----and the only real cost, that we should worry about, materially, emotionally and spiritually, is the cost, of not obeying God, the Father. (I can remember hearing Sandra Martin's daughter, Maeve, say, one time, that she had learned, that she would rather be in the Lord's will, in danger, than out of the Lord's will, and safe.)
God, is calling, each one of us to serve. And He is calling us, in as many ways, as there are people, in this room, to find ways to serve others (believers and non-believers) with His love. What, or Who, has He put on our hearts?-----and it doesn't have to be something as dramatic, as pulling up roots, and going to the Congo--------it can be as simple as going to the hospital and taking lunch to a friend, whose mother's had a stroke--------or staying in touch with somebody, on a daily basis, who is struggling, with a sick child or a parent-------or it can be going to Canada to run a soccer camp and a Vacation Bible School-----or it can be, giving a shower for a friend, who's having a baby or getting married-------or taking someone, who is widowed, either by divorce or death, to lunch, for their birthday, cause their husband isn't there, to do it anymore--------or taking a walk with a friend, whose husband is wheelchair bound, from MS, just to let her get out of the house and talk--------or it could be, going, to deepest, darkest Africa, to alleviate physical suffering, and in the process, alleviating, spiritual suffering. God's possibilities are endless. Remember, God's ways are not our ways. If God is pointing us, in some, specific direction, we need to pay attention----and go where He tells us to-------because---- there will be honor and glory, for Him, there; hope and encouragement for the people, being served, there;----- and for us, there will be blessing, in the here and now, there, and blessing, for all eternity.
I. The Seller 55:1-13
The grace, that Jesus bought for us, is not a theory or an interpretation, it is a real experience. And God wants us to enjoy it freely. His invitation is too good to refuse----- it's too good, to even delay. God's call, to come----- lies so closely to His heart, that it's repeated, in one of the very last verses, in the Bible----Revelation 22:17 says, "The Spirit and the Bride say Come!" and let him, who hears, say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." This is the message, that God wants every single person, ever born, to hear. He is saying, "Don't just sit there thinking about this, theorizing and hesitating and making excuses, for your disobedience. Get up! Come over here! I have prepared a rich, spiritual privilege for you-----someone else has already paid your bill-----Come!"
The invitation is given, to anyone, who thirsts after spiritual refreshment, to come and receive it, from the Lord's hands. Thirst is our motivation, but we know, that if we are left to our own devices, we don't always thirst after spiritual things. It's God, who makes us aware of our need, and then, it's God who prompts us to reach out to Him, by telling us to "Come!" We have no reason to refuse Him and we have no reason to cling to our own selfish idolatries. If what we thirst after, isn't from God-------it will never satisfy us, no matter how expensive, it is, or no matter how hard, we try to make it work. Our world is a vast marketplace of unsatisfying, but costly remedies, for our God-shaped longings-------- We are offered exactly what we need to quench our thirst, for free, but we aren't very smart shoppers-----we still try to buy what we think we need, and we pay, too high, a cost for it.
In this passage,the Lord is pictured, selling His wares in the marketplace. He talks about water, wine and milk----because they are all representatives, of the satisfaction, that we can only find, in Him. In eastern Bazaars, water sellers are common. Water is a precious commodity and a thirsty customer will spend, whatever it takes, if he can, to get a drink. A lot of people are suspicious of the promise that Jesus makes, to give His water freely. They just can't believe, that it could really be desirable and valuable, if it's free------ they don't trust getting something for nothing. The truth is, though, that God's blessings, may be free to the person receiving them, but they definitely were not free-----Jesus paid for them, with everything that He had.
God calls us to come and eat, at a wonderful banquet. And His open feast, is not a soup kitchen-----He serves, wonderful, delicious, flavorful food. It is refreshment for our souls, not for our bodies.The Lord is addressing anyone, who tries to seek satisfaction, in our own strength. He is talking to people who spend their energy and their money on acquiring property and pursuing pleasures, in a vain attempt, to find peace and happiness. Nothing, we can do, can provide real fulfillment. It doesn't matter how much money we make, or how many people we know, or how many accolades we achieve, or how big our house is, or how much property we acquire, or how many pleasures, we indulge ourselves in, real satisfaction will always be, just beyond, our reach. There is only one place where the soul can find satisfaction, and that, is in the Lord Jesus. Listening to and studying God's Word and then obeying it, is how we come to His table.
God has made an everlasting covenant, with every person, who has accepted His invitation. He promised King David, that his (David's) dynasty would rule forever. Human failure and pride can't destroy that covenant. Jesus's life, death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit's, indwelling of a believer's heart, is proof, that God, will never, back out of His promises. At Jesus' baptism, God chose to speak, from heaven, in a voice, which said, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:17) God's love for us, is guaranteed, by His love, for His son, who has His full and eternal approval. Why does God love Jesus, so much? John Flavel, a Puritan pastor, in the 1700's, wrote an imaginary conversation between the Father and the Son, in heaven, that gives us a little glimpse of the Father's great love for His Son (Jesus), and for us.
(" Father: My son, here is a company of poor, miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them. What shall be done for these souls. Son: O my Father, such is my love and pity for them that, rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety. Bring in all Thy bills, that I may see what they owe Thee. Lord, bring them all in, that there be no after-reckonings with them. At my hand, shall thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer Thy wrath, than they should suffer it. Upon me, my Father, upon me, be all their debt. Father: But my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last cent. Expect no discounts. If I spare them, I will not spare Thee. Son: Content, Father. Let it be so. Charge it all to me. I am able to pay it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.")
Our salvation is more than a decision, that we made at some point in time. It flows from a covenant that God made, in eternity. David had no understanding, of the real meaning, of God's promise to thehim------ that, one day, the Messiah would come from His line--but God knew. And the Here are"sure mercies of David" that are given to us, are endless and they are absolute. This is the promise that God makes, to everyone, who has heard His call, and has turned to Him, in faith and obedience. Our souls will live forever and they will participate in God's everlasting covenant.
God's invitation to all people, is 2-fold----First------He says to come and eat and drink and be satisfied and and then Second-------He says to seek Him, not because He is hidden or hard to find, but because He loves us.
Isaiah is saying here, that God just doesn't love the Jews, His chosen ones, but that He loves, every soul, that He has created and He wants them all to come to Him. To "seek" the Lord, means to stop dawdling and messing round with our faith and get intentional about it. It means to place God as our highest priority. We have to set our highest value on Him, and remove anything, that keeps us from Him. We have to hear and obey His word, without any backtalk or hesitation; we have to budget our money for His use, first, and we have to plan our days, leaving room, for anything unexpected, that He brings our way. Seeking the Lord, is a realignment, of our whole lives, and our whole way of thinking, and our whole way of behaving, and our whole way of speaking and interacting, in every relationship, that we have. Instead of being the token, religious garnish, on the side of our daily lives, seeking Jesus, means that He becomes the main meal-----He is the entre' and we can continually feast on Him. He is near to us, He is not far off. He is not unavailable and aloof.He invites us to come closer and closer to Him.
Today, is the day of grace. Faith and repentance are the only requirements.Repentance, is turning, from the old way of doing something, and embracing, a new way to do it. We are wicked, by nature, I don't care how good and sweet we are. Our natural way, of everything that we do, is contrary, to the will God------because, we want to exercise our will and get our way. That is why we have to be intentional, about turning away from ourselves and our desires. We have to make a conscious choice, to choose the ways of the Lord. We need repentance, so urgently, because God's thoughts and ways are as high above ours, as the sky is from the earth. We may not see very much wrong in our lives, a lot of times, we don't, but what matters, is how God sees us. We can't defend, our well-established habits and our feelings, when they are examined under God's light. They won't stand up under His scrutiny. We have to examine them, by lining them up with the scripture, and we have to repent of them, by adjusting anything and everything, in our lives, that doesn't fit into the footprint, that the Lord Jesus, left for us to follow. We will, never, actually get it, completely right---------but being able to understand the truth, that we can't, get it all right, humbles us, and that's the beginning, the middle and the end, of our salvation. It is all about God, and if we will keep listening humbly, to God's word, He will faithfully, continue to surprise us, with what He can do.
Isaiah 55: 8-11, is one of the most beautiful, and comforting passages of scripture in the whole Bible. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways, your ways," says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be, that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
Our "ways", are to a large degree, governed by the world around us. We, are locked into time and space and we're controlled by gravity and the other laws, of the universe-------but God, isn't locked into anything. He's totally free, from anything, that would try to control Him. Just like His ways and His thoughts, are so beyond ours-----His will, is unhindered, by any obstacle. By His command, the rain falls to the earth and provides the moisture, that's necessary, for all living things to grow. That's His plan, and it operates, independently of human beings-------we can't do anything, that can really control nature, that God doesn't allow us to do, even, with all of our scientific technology. It is beyond us.
And, God's living, breathing Word, is like the rain--we can't quench it; it saturates us and we flourish under it---and it will fulfill, whatever God wants it to. We can't begin to fathom, how this happens, we just have to believe that it does and to participate in it, as it goes forth. It is our handbook for living; and it is our recipe for blessing. Whatever deep purpose, God might have for His Word, will work out, exactly like He wants it to. It will never return to Him empty, and it will accomplish, whatever He pleases, and it will prosper in the thing He sent for it to do. When we realize, that God's Word, is the great tool to bring about His purposes, on this earth, it becomes a tremendous privilege, for us to hold it in our hands, and to study it every day.
As Isaiah, concludes chapter 55, He pronounces a wonderful blessing, on everyone and everything. This is another beautiful passage of scripture, that feels our hearts with joy, as we read it, " For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come the Cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the Myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." This will be the final exultation of nature, on the restored earth. No more sin, no more curse-------the earth will be perfect and it will praise it's maker. And not only will the change in nature be dramatic, but it will be permanent. The present earth has a designated life-span. It was created in the beginning and it will be discarded when its purpose has come to an end. The new earth will not have any limits. It will be everlasting!!!!!!! It's incredible peace and beauty, will never grow old, the flowers it produces, will never fade, and the Lord's name will be glorified, for all eternity.
II. Eunuchs and Foreigners: 56:1-8
The future, that we've been promised, is what strengthens us, to live well, today. We can live righteous lives, because of the Lord's finished work on the cross, more than 2000 years ago. We can live righteous lives, because we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We can live righteous lives, because we have the the inherent and complete Word of God, contained in the scripture. The promises that that we have been given, for our future, should activate us, today.
The total fullness, of God's salvation, will be ours one day. If we belong to God, nothing will stop it. And He wants us to live, right now, on the basis of that-----We are the living evidence of the future------we, are God's prophetic presence, in the world. God wants us to live in such a way, every day, so that there can be no doubt, that He is in control, of our past, our present and our future. The justice and righteousness, that He wants us to "keep" or to exhibit, is not, self-righteous legalism, it is an outward expression of trust, and rest, and delight, in the Lord.
The person, who chooses to set his mind on a holy life, is the person who will be blessed, and who will bless others. In Isaiah's day, keeping the Sabbath, was one way, that a person could show on the outside, what was going on, on the inside, in their hearts. It was a very important part of their religious lives. It was a reminder to the people, that God was the Creator, because the Sabbath, was a key component, of the Creation. In 6 days, God fulfilled His creative work, and on the 7th day, He rested. He didn't rest, because He was tired; He rested because His work was done; it was complete. Then God, Himself, marked the 7th day, as a day of rest for the people of Israel-------so that they would remember, His sovereignty.
Believers today, don't recognize the Jewish Sabbath, because it was part of the Law, which was done away with------ when Jesus, ushered in the New Covenant, through His death and resurrection. Jesus, became the fulfillment of the Sabbath, when He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) Instead of the Jewish Sabbath, we now have the Lord's Day. This is the day, that we should set aside, to remind us, of the Lord's resurrection.
It hasn't been commanded, for us to keep this day separate, but the Church, from its earliest days, has done it voluntarily, which is what makes, keeping it separate, even more special and gives it, even more value, in the Lord's eyes. We live under grace, we don't live under the Law-----but we honor the Lord and His great gift to us, when we keep Sunday, holy. Israel, by their recognition of the Sabbath, manifested their love to Jehovah--and by observing, Sunday, as special, we do the same thing. We need to remember that Sunday, is not, an extra Saturday. I have reminded us before, that we shouldn't think of Sunday, as the end of the week-end-----it isn't just a day, to get caught up for Monday. It is the Lord's Day and, it is the day, when we are supposed to set aside lesser things and replenish ourselves and others, with the fullness of God. We are supposed to structure our schedules around glorifying and enjoying God together.
Foreigners and emasculated men were barred from Jewish worship. Foreign cultures were pagan and emasculation, marred God's creation. But Isaiah makes it clear, in this passage, that no one will have to miss out on future blessings, if they give their hearts to the Lord. No matter what nationality they are or what kind of disability they may have.----- It was always God's intention, for the Temple to be for all people. But even during Jesus' earthly ministry, there were people who were kept from worshipping in the temple. The only part of the Temple that Gentiles were permitted to enter, was the outer court---which was actually called, the Court of the Gentiles. When Jesus sacrificed Himself, though, He paved the way for all believers, to be able to go right into, the Holy of Holies, and worship God in the way, that He deserves to be worshipped. Above all else, God values a heart, that is dedicated to the Lord Jesus. He will throw the doors of His house wide open to anyone who comes to Him, with a humble and contrite heart .
God's house of prayer, is big and colorful and joyfully united together, as one family-----with God as our Father, and Jesus as our brother and with the Holy Spirit, binding us all together, in the bond of love.
When we accept the truth of this fact, and implement, the practice of it, into our lives----then our churches, are able to move toward revival. Revival, is God, coming down, among us, visiting us, dwelling with us, in His glory. Revival is the presence of God; the immediacy of God; the kiss of God; the nearness of God, in His goodness and power. Revival, is a time, in the season of the church, when God causes, the normal ministry of the Gospel, to make itself felt, with extra----ordinary, spiritual power. It is a time when God reveals Himself to us, in a new and glorious way!
(Chuck Smith was pastoring a little church in Costa Mesa, California in the late 1960s, not far from the beach. God began to pour out His Spirit. Teenage kids started getting saved and coming to the Church.But there was a problem. The oil deposits off the coast of California bubble up little globs of oil that land on the beach now and then, about the size of a quarter. If you step on one, it sticks to the bottom of your foot and you mess up carpet when you get home.
So, these young people began to come into the church right off the beach. They didn't know that the were supposed to wear shoes. All they knew, was that Jesus was outta sight, and that church was cool. God was gathering in ousters, and it was beautifully real and authentic. But the new carpets and new pews at Pastor Smith;s church were getting ruined. One Sunday morning, Chuck arrived at church to find a sign posted outside that read, "Shirts and Shoes please." He took it down. After the service he met with the church officers. They talked it through. They agreed that they would remove the new carpet and pews before they would hinder one kid from coming to Christ. And that wise decision cleared the way for God to visit Calvary Chapel with revival. There was standing room only, five nights a week.)
The paster and the people in that church chose to care about what God cares about, and nothing else. That's authenticity---------a house of prayer, gathering in everyone, who will come and worship the Lord.
III. The Lofty One 57:14-21
God, is in 2 places. He dwells in the high and holy place, where we can't go, yet, because He's God. And He dwells among the lowly and contrite, where we can go, because He is our Savior. So, the way for us to find God, is obvious------if we humble ourselves, He will find us.
God isn't like us. We like to live in the best house that we can afford, in the nicest neighborhood, that we can afford. God, on the other hand, doesn't value upward mobility like we do-------He values downward mobility-------not because He feels uncomfortable, dwelling in the high and holy place, but because, down low, is where He finds the people who are the most open to Him. If we go to where God is, it will never hurt us, to lower ourselves. Lowliness, is spiritual humility, that admits, that where we really belong, is at the bottom. This is a liberating and freeing realization and it opens us, and life up, for God, to be able to move, in and on our hearts. (There was a parable about a wedding feast, that Jesus told in Luke 14:7-11 that illustrates this. Some guests were crowding up to the head table, but the host told him that those seats were reserved for others. They were embarrassed---------And at the same time, the people who had come in and sat in the lower places, at the table, were invited to move up to the head table, to the seats of honor. )
Every one of us, should be like those people, who came into the wedding feast and sat down, at the low end of the table-------that's where we belong------not because we aren't children of the King-----but because we are. If we are going to be like Him, then we have to humble ourselves and choose to dwell in the places where the spiritually, gentle and contrite, are closest to Him. That lowliness of Spirit; that discounting, of the importance of Himself, so that He could come and dwell with us, is what makes Him, The Lofty One. (There is a History Channel episode that tells the story of the Navy's precision flying team, the Blue Angels. When the team reviews the films of their performance, the leader points out the slight mistakes that they made at each point. These are the best pilots in the Navy--but whenever their leader points out a mistake, their standard reply is, "Just glad to be here Sir.") That is the attitude we should have---to be so humbled by the position, that we find ourselves in, in Christ----- that no matter what situation comes our way-------that our standard response is, "Just glad to be here Lord."
Jesus said in Matt 5:4, "Blessed are those who morn, for they shall be comforted." and Paul said in Ephesians 2:17, "Christ came and preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near." He preached peace, to the Jews, who rejected Him and He preached peace, to the Gentiles, who accepted Him--------and He still is preaching to anyone who will listen. He hasn't stopped. And He won't stop, until everyone, has heard the Gospel message. If we will stay spiritually low and humble, with Him, then He will dwell with us, with a peace and healing and a comfort that we can't explain, but that we know could only be a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
Peace is not natural to us. We are restless by nature-------never completely satisfied, never completely content, and never completely relaxed. This is because our hearts are wicked---we can't take our focus off the Lord, not even for one second---because when we do------we start elevating ourselves to lofty places. (Chuck Colsen writes about a despairing young women, who was exhausted by an endless round of parties. When a psychologist suggested that she stop, she said, "You mean I don't have to do what I don't want to do?") We need a Savior--------the Lord doesn't just confront our wickedness-------He forgives us---and He opens our hearts, so that He can revive His lofty self, within us.
IV. True Fasting 58:6-14
When it comes to fasting, God is more concerned, with practical mercy and kindness, than He is with denying oneself food, for an hour or two. The way that people were fasting in Isaiah's day, was unacceptable to God. The people boasted of the fact that they fasted, and then complained that no one seemed to notice their sacrifice! When we fast or worship, because its the thing to do, it becomes hypocritical. Fasting is a very private thing, between the individual and God. True fasting leads to humility before the Lord; and it leads to seeking Him, where He may be found. (Do you remember Louisa May Alcott's story, of Little Women, " It was Christmas morning and the March girls gave away their breakfast to a poor neighbor family who had even less than they did. The March family were poor themselves, but they showed compassion on their neighbors and denied themselves, in the process.) That's the kind of thing, that the Lord loves to accept, as a fast. He saw, the actions of clothing the naked; and encouraging someone to walk away form sin, as being far closer, to His understanding of fasting, than missing a few meals is. Jesus and Paul, did both fast, from meals, but they did it voluntarily, so that they could focus better, on the Lord and the task that He had called them to-------not because the religious leaders demanded it or God required it. God places more value on actions that are motivated by our devotion to Him, than He does, on all, the religious observances, we practice, because we think we are supposed to.
God seeks practical Christianity, from His children. He wants the outward working of our faith, to be motivated by, an inner commitment to Him. If we meet His requirements, then we will receive great blessings from Him. We have to be careful though, that we're doing it for the right reasons. There are plenty of people who are burdened for the hungry and the oppressed and the poor, but they don't know God. Their good works, are socially motivated------we have to make sure that, that isn't why we are practicing good deeds. We have to also ,check ourselves, to make sure that we aren't working and fasting, in the name of the Lord, because we think that it will earn us something. That kind of effort never pleases God, because it isn't the natural outworking of the Holy Spirit-------it can be an expression of natural kindness and compassion, but it can also be self-centered pride.
To any one of us, who will commit ourselves to Him, the Lord promises great blessings--------spiritual light will flood our souls; our spiritual wounds will be healed and our righteousness will be acknowledged. God will protect us from our enemies and He will hear our prayers. If we will turn from oppression and quit pointing fingers at other people and stop gossiping and talking ugly about people and if we will meet the needs of the hungry and will work to free the afflicted, from whatever they are in bondage to-----then, a light of blessing will descend on us, that nothing will ever be able to remove. He will also guide us, refresh us and strengthen us. He will make us "like a well-watered garden, whose waters will never run dry, for all of eternity" and He will use us, to repair the damage, that has been inflicted on mankind, by mankind, for generation after generation after generation. He will use us to restore human dignity, according to the the Gospel, in the way that it was intended to be, in the Garden.
The Sabbath, is mentioned again, here, because God wants us to recognize our dependence on Him and to honor His sovereign power over us. If we are faithful in our obedience to the Lord as we serve Him----then He will free us from His disapproval and we will hear Him whisper in our ear---------you are ready; you are prepared; you understand; you have been revived; you are compassionate; you are humble; you are free; I have given you triumph over the evil in this world---------now go out and serve….
And So, an Invitation
Isaiah 55:1-58:14
I. The Seller 55:1-13
II. Eunuchs and Foreigners 56:1-8
III. The Lofty One 57:14-21
IV. True Fasting 58:6-14
"Dr. Paul Carlson, was a California doctor, with a thriving practice. He agreed to join a Relief Agency, to serve for 6 months, as a medical missionary, in what was, then, called, the Belgian Congo. Returning to his lucrative practice, in California, Carlson was a changed man. He couldn't brush the Congo experience, out of his mind. He told another doctor, "If you could only see the need, you wouldn't be able to swallow your sandwich." Soon, the young doctor could do nothing else but uproot his family and move to the Congo. In the most primitive conditions he set up a clinic and gave medical care to the Congo people------all for $3,230 a year.
After 2 years, Dr. Carlson met a situation that he couldn't heal. Along with several other Americans, he was captured as a prisoner of war, in an internal revolution. Seeing a chance to escape, he raced, over to a wall and climbed to the top. A burst of bullets rang out and peppered his body. He was dead, as he slid, back down the wall.
Time Magazine reported the senseless killing: (this is what it said) "Dr. Carlson's murder, along with the massacre, of perhaps another hundred whites, and thousands of blacks, had a special tragic meaning. Dr. Carlson symbolized all the white men-----and there are many----who want nothing from Africa, but a chance to help. He was no saint and no deliberate martyr. He was a highly skilled physician who, out of a strong, Christian faith and a sense, of common humanity, had gone to the Congo, to treat the sick."
This, is a dramatic illustration, of what a humble and contrite believer will do. If our relationship with the Lord is a healthy one, and we are walking with Him, in the way that we should be-------then, we will go, to where God is at work, loving people and meeting their needs and we will join Him, in the battle----- against poverty, ignorance, sickness, superstition, injustice, heartbreak, depression, discouragement, uncertainty, agnostic and atheistic lies about God and death-----no matter where the job happens to be-----and no matter who it happens to be with. The humble believer, really, only has one person to answer to and that person is God----and the only real cost, that we should worry about, materially, emotionally and spiritually, is the cost, of not obeying God, the Father. (I can remember hearing Sandra Martin's daughter, Maeve, say, one time, that she had learned, that she would rather be in the Lord's will, in danger, than out of the Lord's will, and safe.)
God, is calling, each one of us to serve. And He is calling us, in as many ways, as there are people, in this room, to find ways to serve others (believers and non-believers) with His love. What, or Who, has He put on our hearts?-----and it doesn't have to be something as dramatic, as pulling up roots, and going to the Congo--------it can be as simple as going to the hospital and taking lunch to a friend, whose mother's had a stroke--------or staying in touch with somebody, on a daily basis, who is struggling, with a sick child or a parent-------or it can be going to Canada to run a soccer camp and a Vacation Bible School-----or it can be, giving a shower for a friend, who's having a baby or getting married-------or taking someone, who is widowed, either by divorce or death, to lunch, for their birthday, cause their husband isn't there, to do it anymore--------or taking a walk with a friend, whose husband is wheelchair bound, from MS, just to let her get out of the house and talk--------or it could be, going, to deepest, darkest Africa, to alleviate physical suffering, and in the process, alleviating, spiritual suffering. God's possibilities are endless. Remember, God's ways are not our ways. If God is pointing us, in some, specific direction, we need to pay attention----and go where He tells us to-------because---- there will be honor and glory, for Him, there; hope and encouragement for the people, being served, there;----- and for us, there will be blessing, in the here and now, there, and blessing, for all eternity.
I. The Seller 55:1-13
The grace, that Jesus bought for us, is not a theory or an interpretation, it is a real experience. And God wants us to enjoy it freely. His invitation is too good to refuse----- it's too good, to even delay. God's call, to come----- lies so closely to His heart, that it's repeated, in one of the very last verses, in the Bible----Revelation 22:17 says, "The Spirit and the Bride say Come!" and let him, who hears, say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." This is the message, that God wants every single person, ever born, to hear. He is saying, "Don't just sit there thinking about this, theorizing and hesitating and making excuses, for your disobedience. Get up! Come over here! I have prepared a rich, spiritual privilege for you-----someone else has already paid your bill-----Come!"
The invitation is given, to anyone, who thirsts after spiritual refreshment, to come and receive it, from the Lord's hands. Thirst is our motivation, but we know, that if we are left to our own devices, we don't always thirst after spiritual things. It's God, who makes us aware of our need, and then, it's God who prompts us to reach out to Him, by telling us to "Come!" We have no reason to refuse Him and we have no reason to cling to our own selfish idolatries. If what we thirst after, isn't from God-------it will never satisfy us, no matter how expensive, it is, or no matter how hard, we try to make it work. Our world is a vast marketplace of unsatisfying, but costly remedies, for our God-shaped longings-------- We are offered exactly what we need to quench our thirst, for free, but we aren't very smart shoppers-----we still try to buy what we think we need, and we pay, too high, a cost for it.
In this passage,the Lord is pictured, selling His wares in the marketplace. He talks about water, wine and milk----because they are all representatives, of the satisfaction, that we can only find, in Him. In eastern Bazaars, water sellers are common. Water is a precious commodity and a thirsty customer will spend, whatever it takes, if he can, to get a drink. A lot of people are suspicious of the promise that Jesus makes, to give His water freely. They just can't believe, that it could really be desirable and valuable, if it's free------ they don't trust getting something for nothing. The truth is, though, that God's blessings, may be free to the person receiving them, but they definitely were not free-----Jesus paid for them, with everything that He had.
God calls us to come and eat, at a wonderful banquet. And His open feast, is not a soup kitchen-----He serves, wonderful, delicious, flavorful food. It is refreshment for our souls, not for our bodies.The Lord is addressing anyone, who tries to seek satisfaction, in our own strength. He is talking to people who spend their energy and their money on acquiring property and pursuing pleasures, in a vain attempt, to find peace and happiness. Nothing, we can do, can provide real fulfillment. It doesn't matter how much money we make, or how many people we know, or how many accolades we achieve, or how big our house is, or how much property we acquire, or how many pleasures, we indulge ourselves in, real satisfaction will always be, just beyond, our reach. There is only one place where the soul can find satisfaction, and that, is in the Lord Jesus. Listening to and studying God's Word and then obeying it, is how we come to His table.
God has made an everlasting covenant, with every person, who has accepted His invitation. He promised King David, that his (David's) dynasty would rule forever. Human failure and pride can't destroy that covenant. Jesus's life, death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit's, indwelling of a believer's heart, is proof, that God, will never, back out of His promises. At Jesus' baptism, God chose to speak, from heaven, in a voice, which said, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:17) God's love for us, is guaranteed, by His love, for His son, who has His full and eternal approval. Why does God love Jesus, so much? John Flavel, a Puritan pastor, in the 1700's, wrote an imaginary conversation between the Father and the Son, in heaven, that gives us a little glimpse of the Father's great love for His Son (Jesus), and for us.
(" Father: My son, here is a company of poor, miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them. What shall be done for these souls. Son: O my Father, such is my love and pity for them that, rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety. Bring in all Thy bills, that I may see what they owe Thee. Lord, bring them all in, that there be no after-reckonings with them. At my hand, shall thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer Thy wrath, than they should suffer it. Upon me, my Father, upon me, be all their debt. Father: But my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last cent. Expect no discounts. If I spare them, I will not spare Thee. Son: Content, Father. Let it be so. Charge it all to me. I am able to pay it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.")
Our salvation is more than a decision, that we made at some point in time. It flows from a covenant that God made, in eternity. David had no understanding, of the real meaning, of God's promise to thehim------ that, one day, the Messiah would come from His line--but God knew. And the Here are"sure mercies of David" that are given to us, are endless and they are absolute. This is the promise that God makes, to everyone, who has heard His call, and has turned to Him, in faith and obedience. Our souls will live forever and they will participate in God's everlasting covenant.
God's invitation to all people, is 2-fold----First------He says to come and eat and drink and be satisfied and and then Second-------He says to seek Him, not because He is hidden or hard to find, but because He loves us.
Isaiah is saying here, that God just doesn't love the Jews, His chosen ones, but that He loves, every soul, that He has created and He wants them all to come to Him. To "seek" the Lord, means to stop dawdling and messing round with our faith and get intentional about it. It means to place God as our highest priority. We have to set our highest value on Him, and remove anything, that keeps us from Him. We have to hear and obey His word, without any backtalk or hesitation; we have to budget our money for His use, first, and we have to plan our days, leaving room, for anything unexpected, that He brings our way. Seeking the Lord, is a realignment, of our whole lives, and our whole way of thinking, and our whole way of behaving, and our whole way of speaking and interacting, in every relationship, that we have. Instead of being the token, religious garnish, on the side of our daily lives, seeking Jesus, means that He becomes the main meal-----He is the entre' and we can continually feast on Him. He is near to us, He is not far off. He is not unavailable and aloof.He invites us to come closer and closer to Him.
Today, is the day of grace. Faith and repentance are the only requirements.Repentance, is turning, from the old way of doing something, and embracing, a new way to do it. We are wicked, by nature, I don't care how good and sweet we are. Our natural way, of everything that we do, is contrary, to the will God------because, we want to exercise our will and get our way. That is why we have to be intentional, about turning away from ourselves and our desires. We have to make a conscious choice, to choose the ways of the Lord. We need repentance, so urgently, because God's thoughts and ways are as high above ours, as the sky is from the earth. We may not see very much wrong in our lives, a lot of times, we don't, but what matters, is how God sees us. We can't defend, our well-established habits and our feelings, when they are examined under God's light. They won't stand up under His scrutiny. We have to examine them, by lining them up with the scripture, and we have to repent of them, by adjusting anything and everything, in our lives, that doesn't fit into the footprint, that the Lord Jesus, left for us to follow. We will, never, actually get it, completely right---------but being able to understand the truth, that we can't, get it all right, humbles us, and that's the beginning, the middle and the end, of our salvation. It is all about God, and if we will keep listening humbly, to God's word, He will faithfully, continue to surprise us, with what He can do.
Isaiah 55: 8-11, is one of the most beautiful, and comforting passages of scripture in the whole Bible. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways, your ways," says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be, that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
Our "ways", are to a large degree, governed by the world around us. We, are locked into time and space and we're controlled by gravity and the other laws, of the universe-------but God, isn't locked into anything. He's totally free, from anything, that would try to control Him. Just like His ways and His thoughts, are so beyond ours-----His will, is unhindered, by any obstacle. By His command, the rain falls to the earth and provides the moisture, that's necessary, for all living things to grow. That's His plan, and it operates, independently of human beings-------we can't do anything, that can really control nature, that God doesn't allow us to do, even, with all of our scientific technology. It is beyond us.
And, God's living, breathing Word, is like the rain--we can't quench it; it saturates us and we flourish under it---and it will fulfill, whatever God wants it to. We can't begin to fathom, how this happens, we just have to believe that it does and to participate in it, as it goes forth. It is our handbook for living; and it is our recipe for blessing. Whatever deep purpose, God might have for His Word, will work out, exactly like He wants it to. It will never return to Him empty, and it will accomplish, whatever He pleases, and it will prosper in the thing He sent for it to do. When we realize, that God's Word, is the great tool to bring about His purposes, on this earth, it becomes a tremendous privilege, for us to hold it in our hands, and to study it every day.
As Isaiah, concludes chapter 55, He pronounces a wonderful blessing, on everyone and everything. This is another beautiful passage of scripture, that feels our hearts with joy, as we read it, " For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come the Cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the Myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." This will be the final exultation of nature, on the restored earth. No more sin, no more curse-------the earth will be perfect and it will praise it's maker. And not only will the change in nature be dramatic, but it will be permanent. The present earth has a designated life-span. It was created in the beginning and it will be discarded when its purpose has come to an end. The new earth will not have any limits. It will be everlasting!!!!!!! It's incredible peace and beauty, will never grow old, the flowers it produces, will never fade, and the Lord's name will be glorified, for all eternity.
II. Eunuchs and Foreigners: 56:1-8
The future, that we've been promised, is what strengthens us, to live well, today. We can live righteous lives, because of the Lord's finished work on the cross, more than 2000 years ago. We can live righteous lives, because we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We can live righteous lives, because we have the the inherent and complete Word of God, contained in the scripture. The promises that that we have been given, for our future, should activate us, today.
The total fullness, of God's salvation, will be ours one day. If we belong to God, nothing will stop it. And He wants us to live, right now, on the basis of that-----We are the living evidence of the future------we, are God's prophetic presence, in the world. God wants us to live in such a way, every day, so that there can be no doubt, that He is in control, of our past, our present and our future. The justice and righteousness, that He wants us to "keep" or to exhibit, is not, self-righteous legalism, it is an outward expression of trust, and rest, and delight, in the Lord.
The person, who chooses to set his mind on a holy life, is the person who will be blessed, and who will bless others. In Isaiah's day, keeping the Sabbath, was one way, that a person could show on the outside, what was going on, on the inside, in their hearts. It was a very important part of their religious lives. It was a reminder to the people, that God was the Creator, because the Sabbath, was a key component, of the Creation. In 6 days, God fulfilled His creative work, and on the 7th day, He rested. He didn't rest, because He was tired; He rested because His work was done; it was complete. Then God, Himself, marked the 7th day, as a day of rest for the people of Israel-------so that they would remember, His sovereignty.
Believers today, don't recognize the Jewish Sabbath, because it was part of the Law, which was done away with------ when Jesus, ushered in the New Covenant, through His death and resurrection. Jesus, became the fulfillment of the Sabbath, when He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) Instead of the Jewish Sabbath, we now have the Lord's Day. This is the day, that we should set aside, to remind us, of the Lord's resurrection.
It hasn't been commanded, for us to keep this day separate, but the Church, from its earliest days, has done it voluntarily, which is what makes, keeping it separate, even more special and gives it, even more value, in the Lord's eyes. We live under grace, we don't live under the Law-----but we honor the Lord and His great gift to us, when we keep Sunday, holy. Israel, by their recognition of the Sabbath, manifested their love to Jehovah--and by observing, Sunday, as special, we do the same thing. We need to remember that Sunday, is not, an extra Saturday. I have reminded us before, that we shouldn't think of Sunday, as the end of the week-end-----it isn't just a day, to get caught up for Monday. It is the Lord's Day and, it is the day, when we are supposed to set aside lesser things and replenish ourselves and others, with the fullness of God. We are supposed to structure our schedules around glorifying and enjoying God together.
Foreigners and emasculated men were barred from Jewish worship. Foreign cultures were pagan and emasculation, marred God's creation. But Isaiah makes it clear, in this passage, that no one will have to miss out on future blessings, if they give their hearts to the Lord. No matter what nationality they are or what kind of disability they may have.----- It was always God's intention, for the Temple to be for all people. But even during Jesus' earthly ministry, there were people who were kept from worshipping in the temple. The only part of the Temple that Gentiles were permitted to enter, was the outer court---which was actually called, the Court of the Gentiles. When Jesus sacrificed Himself, though, He paved the way for all believers, to be able to go right into, the Holy of Holies, and worship God in the way, that He deserves to be worshipped. Above all else, God values a heart, that is dedicated to the Lord Jesus. He will throw the doors of His house wide open to anyone who comes to Him, with a humble and contrite heart .
God's house of prayer, is big and colorful and joyfully united together, as one family-----with God as our Father, and Jesus as our brother and with the Holy Spirit, binding us all together, in the bond of love.
When we accept the truth of this fact, and implement, the practice of it, into our lives----then our churches, are able to move toward revival. Revival, is God, coming down, among us, visiting us, dwelling with us, in His glory. Revival is the presence of God; the immediacy of God; the kiss of God; the nearness of God, in His goodness and power. Revival, is a time, in the season of the church, when God causes, the normal ministry of the Gospel, to make itself felt, with extra----ordinary, spiritual power. It is a time when God reveals Himself to us, in a new and glorious way!
(Chuck Smith was pastoring a little church in Costa Mesa, California in the late 1960s, not far from the beach. God began to pour out His Spirit. Teenage kids started getting saved and coming to the Church.But there was a problem. The oil deposits off the coast of California bubble up little globs of oil that land on the beach now and then, about the size of a quarter. If you step on one, it sticks to the bottom of your foot and you mess up carpet when you get home.
So, these young people began to come into the church right off the beach. They didn't know that the were supposed to wear shoes. All they knew, was that Jesus was outta sight, and that church was cool. God was gathering in ousters, and it was beautifully real and authentic. But the new carpets and new pews at Pastor Smith;s church were getting ruined. One Sunday morning, Chuck arrived at church to find a sign posted outside that read, "Shirts and Shoes please." He took it down. After the service he met with the church officers. They talked it through. They agreed that they would remove the new carpet and pews before they would hinder one kid from coming to Christ. And that wise decision cleared the way for God to visit Calvary Chapel with revival. There was standing room only, five nights a week.)
The paster and the people in that church chose to care about what God cares about, and nothing else. That's authenticity---------a house of prayer, gathering in everyone, who will come and worship the Lord.
III. The Lofty One 57:14-21
God, is in 2 places. He dwells in the high and holy place, where we can't go, yet, because He's God. And He dwells among the lowly and contrite, where we can go, because He is our Savior. So, the way for us to find God, is obvious------if we humble ourselves, He will find us.
God isn't like us. We like to live in the best house that we can afford, in the nicest neighborhood, that we can afford. God, on the other hand, doesn't value upward mobility like we do-------He values downward mobility-------not because He feels uncomfortable, dwelling in the high and holy place, but because, down low, is where He finds the people who are the most open to Him. If we go to where God is, it will never hurt us, to lower ourselves. Lowliness, is spiritual humility, that admits, that where we really belong, is at the bottom. This is a liberating and freeing realization and it opens us, and life up, for God, to be able to move, in and on our hearts. (There was a parable about a wedding feast, that Jesus told in Luke 14:7-11 that illustrates this. Some guests were crowding up to the head table, but the host told him that those seats were reserved for others. They were embarrassed---------And at the same time, the people who had come in and sat in the lower places, at the table, were invited to move up to the head table, to the seats of honor. )
Every one of us, should be like those people, who came into the wedding feast and sat down, at the low end of the table-------that's where we belong------not because we aren't children of the King-----but because we are. If we are going to be like Him, then we have to humble ourselves and choose to dwell in the places where the spiritually, gentle and contrite, are closest to Him. That lowliness of Spirit; that discounting, of the importance of Himself, so that He could come and dwell with us, is what makes Him, The Lofty One. (There is a History Channel episode that tells the story of the Navy's precision flying team, the Blue Angels. When the team reviews the films of their performance, the leader points out the slight mistakes that they made at each point. These are the best pilots in the Navy--but whenever their leader points out a mistake, their standard reply is, "Just glad to be here Sir.") That is the attitude we should have---to be so humbled by the position, that we find ourselves in, in Christ----- that no matter what situation comes our way-------that our standard response is, "Just glad to be here Lord."
Jesus said in Matt 5:4, "Blessed are those who morn, for they shall be comforted." and Paul said in Ephesians 2:17, "Christ came and preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near." He preached peace, to the Jews, who rejected Him and He preached peace, to the Gentiles, who accepted Him--------and He still is preaching to anyone who will listen. He hasn't stopped. And He won't stop, until everyone, has heard the Gospel message. If we will stay spiritually low and humble, with Him, then He will dwell with us, with a peace and healing and a comfort that we can't explain, but that we know could only be a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
Peace is not natural to us. We are restless by nature-------never completely satisfied, never completely content, and never completely relaxed. This is because our hearts are wicked---we can't take our focus off the Lord, not even for one second---because when we do------we start elevating ourselves to lofty places. (Chuck Colsen writes about a despairing young women, who was exhausted by an endless round of parties. When a psychologist suggested that she stop, she said, "You mean I don't have to do what I don't want to do?") We need a Savior--------the Lord doesn't just confront our wickedness-------He forgives us---and He opens our hearts, so that He can revive His lofty self, within us.
IV. True Fasting 58:6-14
When it comes to fasting, God is more concerned, with practical mercy and kindness, than He is with denying oneself food, for an hour or two. The way that people were fasting in Isaiah's day, was unacceptable to God. The people boasted of the fact that they fasted, and then complained that no one seemed to notice their sacrifice! When we fast or worship, because its the thing to do, it becomes hypocritical. Fasting is a very private thing, between the individual and God. True fasting leads to humility before the Lord; and it leads to seeking Him, where He may be found. (Do you remember Louisa May Alcott's story, of Little Women, " It was Christmas morning and the March girls gave away their breakfast to a poor neighbor family who had even less than they did. The March family were poor themselves, but they showed compassion on their neighbors and denied themselves, in the process.) That's the kind of thing, that the Lord loves to accept, as a fast. He saw, the actions of clothing the naked; and encouraging someone to walk away form sin, as being far closer, to His understanding of fasting, than missing a few meals is. Jesus and Paul, did both fast, from meals, but they did it voluntarily, so that they could focus better, on the Lord and the task that He had called them to-------not because the religious leaders demanded it or God required it. God places more value on actions that are motivated by our devotion to Him, than He does, on all, the religious observances, we practice, because we think we are supposed to.
God seeks practical Christianity, from His children. He wants the outward working of our faith, to be motivated by, an inner commitment to Him. If we meet His requirements, then we will receive great blessings from Him. We have to be careful though, that we're doing it for the right reasons. There are plenty of people who are burdened for the hungry and the oppressed and the poor, but they don't know God. Their good works, are socially motivated------we have to make sure that, that isn't why we are practicing good deeds. We have to also ,check ourselves, to make sure that we aren't working and fasting, in the name of the Lord, because we think that it will earn us something. That kind of effort never pleases God, because it isn't the natural outworking of the Holy Spirit-------it can be an expression of natural kindness and compassion, but it can also be self-centered pride.
To any one of us, who will commit ourselves to Him, the Lord promises great blessings--------spiritual light will flood our souls; our spiritual wounds will be healed and our righteousness will be acknowledged. God will protect us from our enemies and He will hear our prayers. If we will turn from oppression and quit pointing fingers at other people and stop gossiping and talking ugly about people and if we will meet the needs of the hungry and will work to free the afflicted, from whatever they are in bondage to-----then, a light of blessing will descend on us, that nothing will ever be able to remove. He will also guide us, refresh us and strengthen us. He will make us "like a well-watered garden, whose waters will never run dry, for all of eternity" and He will use us, to repair the damage, that has been inflicted on mankind, by mankind, for generation after generation after generation. He will use us to restore human dignity, according to the the Gospel, in the way that it was intended to be, in the Garden.
The Sabbath, is mentioned again, here, because God wants us to recognize our dependence on Him and to honor His sovereign power over us. If we are faithful in our obedience to the Lord as we serve Him----then He will free us from His disapproval and we will hear Him whisper in our ear---------you are ready; you are prepared; you understand; you have been revived; you are compassionate; you are humble; you are free; I have given you triumph over the evil in this world---------now go out and serve….
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