BACKGROUND
Thirteen years after Ishmael was born, the LORD appeared to Abram and identified Himself as God Almighty - El Shaddai. This is the first time He used this name for Himself. It is used 48 times in the Old Testament with 31 of those times in the book of Job and 5 times in the book of Genesis. When used in the book of Genesis it is when He manifests Himself to the Patriarchs (Abram, Isaac in 28:3, Jacob in 35:11, 43:14, and 48:3). The context for most of this identification as El Shaddai is the covenant, "more precisely, the command for obedience and faithfulness on the part of the vassal and the promise of progeny (descendants) by God" (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
). Abram was promised "seed" and "land." He would be a father of many nations, and his name was changed from Abram ("exalted father") to Abraham ("father of a multitude of nations"). It is also important to note that this covenant was everlasting.
). Abram was promised "seed" and "land." He would be a father of many nations, and his name was changed from Abram ("exalted father") to Abraham ("father of a multitude of nations"). It is also important to note that this covenant was everlasting.
The sign of that covenant is circumcision. Why circumcision as a sign? One thought is that it was because the "seed" promised comes out of that part of the body.
We also see the renewal of the promise of a son for Abraham and Sarah. Just a reminder: It had been 25 years since the original promise for a descendant! Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 90. Here we have, as Edith Shaeffer says in Christianity is Jewish, ". . . a picture of life coming forth abundantly from those who, humanly speaking, were already dead, not of the age to have children." See Romans 4:19 and surrounding verses for a connection with the Scarlet Thread. I have written about it in the REFLECTION.
In Genesis 18, we have visitors to Abraham. Genesis 19:1 indicates that two of them were angels, and the third may have been the LORD himself because of the way the conversation went with the three visitors! I LOVE Abraham's hospitality: he hurried and did it all very quickly! These visitors reiterated the promise of a seed which was met by laughter from Sarah and the response from the LORD here is priceless and a key verse in this chapter, "Is anything too difficult for the LORD?"
REFLECTION
The words from the LORD to Sarah and Abraham ring in my head over and over:
"Is anything too difficult for the LORD?"
The way I answer that question has so much to do with what I think about God. Do I really believe His promises? Can I say AMEN to Paul's assertion about Abraham in Romans 4:18-21?
In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, 'So SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.' Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised. He was able also to perform.
I had my own little "laugh" about God's ability once when I was at a training program at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon back in 1981. Every morning, all the people in the program had half an hour to spend time with God.
One particular morning, I was up in a spartan attic bedroom in one of the rental houses near campus peering out the window located at the peak of the roof. It was summer, but, not unusual for Oregon in June, it was raining cats and dogs. My passage for that morning was Mark 9, where the man brings his demon-possessed boy to Jesus to heal. After some dialogue with Jesus, the boy's father said to Jesus:
"If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"
Jesus responds:
"'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."
Then Jesus drove out the demon.Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
I sat there in that attic bedroom, and I audibly laughed and said, "I don't believe this really happened, Lord! In fact, I don't believe you turned water into wine either or healed all those people. I don't believe it! It is too impossible."
Then, I realized the import of my words, and I cried out to God, "I want to be like that man. I do believe Lord, but my faith is so small, help my unbelief! Lord, could you show me Yourself by stopping the rain?" (I know, what was I thinking to pray such a crazy prayer in OREGON of all places? But he allowed a 90-year-old woman to get pregnant. So, why not?)
Immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun beamed through that window blinding my eyes, and I said, "OK, I believe it all." It was a defining moment in my journey.
Then, I realized the import of my words, and I cried out to God, "I want to be like that man. I do believe Lord, but my faith is so small, help my unbelief! Lord, could you show me Yourself by stopping the rain?" (I know, what was I thinking to pray such a crazy prayer in OREGON of all places? But he allowed a 90-year-old woman to get pregnant. So, why not?)
Immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun beamed through that window blinding my eyes, and I said, "OK, I believe it all." It was a defining moment in my journey.
APPLICATION
Is anything too difficult for the LORD (18:14)? What is your deep down answer to that question? Journal and talk with the LORD about it today. Mull over this question for a while. Be honest with your answer.
There is a chapter called "Overcoming Unbelief" in Praying God's Word by Beth Moore that I have prayed through on more than one occasion. It is excellent.
There is a chapter called "Overcoming Unbelief" in Praying God's Word by Beth Moore that I have prayed through on more than one occasion. It is excellent.
Also, the narrative stories in Genesis are excellent for Imaginative Contemplation.
PRAYER
Ah Lord God, behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You (Jeremiah 32:17). We praise You as El Shaddai, God Almighty. We praise You for Your great power. Lord, we do believe. Help us in our areas of unbelief. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
5 comments:
Great story, Carol!! I love how God showed Himself to you. :)
It's interesting to me that although Ishmael was not the son of the covenant (Isaac was, v 21), he still received the sign of the covenant, circumcision. I wonder why?
The covenant includes that God will be "God to you and your descendants after you" with additional promises to make Abraham exceedingly fruitful and to give the land to Abraham's descendants. I think I've mostly focused on the numerous descendants and land before, but God is promising to be his God. There were lots of gods out there for Abraham to choose from. Not only would God be the God of Abraham (and Isaac and Jacob), but Abraham himself, as well as his descendants, would belong to God -- forever.
I like it that God lets us see Abraham's and Sarah's reactions of disbelief. It makes them more human. And God didn't seem to get angry with either of them.
Thank you for sharing your story, Carol. Last Thursday morning getting ready for school was a challenge. Daniel, our 1st grader had sprained his ankle during Awana game time. He was staying in his PJs and robe and informed us he simply could not go to school due to his injury.
We recited, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.
When we had Daniel 7 years ago, we had to face the issue of "to circumcise or not circumcise". I pondered on the meaning of circumcision and the significance of circumcison. Yes, the seed comes from that part of that body. However, I could not help think that circumcision is "circular", like a complete rainbow is a circle, a sign of eternity as well as God's promise. This act of obedience also set the Jews apart from other nations. As believers, we are called to be set-apart from the ways of the world.
This "circular" ring is a theme.
When we exchange marriage vows, it is customary to exchange gold bands or rings to signify our vow/promise to love one another for the rest of our lives.
Katrina, I think Ishmael received the sign of the covenant because he is Abraham's son, his own flesh and blood. God's grace and favor are on those He choses to bless. God chose to protect and bless Ishmael for Abraham's sake.
I remember I use to love listening to Amy Grant's rendition of El Shaddai in the 80's. Here it is on youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-EGzskcdp0
There is so much in these passages!
I thought about circumcision some, too. Katrina, I think Abraham had Ishmael circumcised because God told him to have all his descendents, and in fact "every male among you" circumcised
Circumcision is a cutting away of the foreskin (a covering of extra flesh); it involves blood and pain. The Bible talks about the circumcision of the heart. Deut. 30:6 says, "And the Lord God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendents, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." And Deut. 10:16, "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be stiff-necked (rebellious) no longer." In the NT, the Jews are condemned for being outwardly circumcised, but not inwardly - inwardly they still had that covering of pride and self sufficiency. I want my heart to be circumcised.
I also pondered the conversation about Sodom and Gomorrah, but I notice that you're going to talk about that tomorrow so I'll wait on that.
Thanks for sharing that story, Carol! How great that God gave such an immediate sign to you! I have a couple of those in my life, too. Markers to remember.
Love that phrase: fully assured that what God had promised He was able also to perform. That's faith. God is able to give us life. What was dead He makes alive.
Fwiw, I'm still working on that poem reflection of Ps. 3-4. If I get a poem I will post it on the blog.
In reviewing this, it is so good to review that time when God "helped my unbelief"! Praising Him this morning for meeting me in that upper room on a rainy day in Oregon in June of 1981.
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