Reflections on Abraham Part Three: Children and Volcanos

Reflections on Abraham
Part Three: Children and Volcanos
Genesis 16.1 - .16

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. (Genesis 16.1 & .2)

In our culture we love to be in control and we love to have plans. Huge amounts of money is spent on calendars, personal organizers and software to get our plans and schedule under our control. Recently the entire European continent learned that no matter what their plans, calendars or personal organizers tell them they are not in control. The Eyjafjallajokul Volcano, whose name is nearly impossible to pronounce, shut down most of Europe’s airspace causing thousands if not millions of people to put their plans travel by air on hold. They couldn’t do what they planned to do. They learned that they were not in control and nothing they did would allow them to be in control of the volcano!

When we try to control everything and go our own way rather than waiting patiently for the LORD it causes trouble. Look at Sarai and Abram’s attempt to start a family. Abram knows the LORD has promised him a child but Sarai is either impatient or thinks she has a better plan. So she offer her maidservant, Hagar, as a surrogate and will start a family through her. She wants to be in control of this situation instead of waiting for the LORD. This causes trouble. Sarai becomes jealous of Hagar. Hagar is sent away. Abram is caught in the middle. The family Sarai wanted to start falls apart instead!

When we try to take control it causes trouble. When we try to make plans but don’t surrender them to the LORD we sin. (James 4.13 - .17) Instead we need to wait patiently for the LORD and surrender our plans to His will.

God of the Covenant: Reflections on Genesis 1 - 11

God of the Covenant
Reflection on Genesis 1 - 11

“I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” - The LORD to Noah and his sons (Genesis 9.8 - .11).

This is the first of many covenants the LORD makes between Himself and His creations. These covenants are agreements between the more powerful, CREATOR God and with the less powerful, creation. They establish a relationship between Himself and us. Like all of His covenants the LORD is the initiator. It is the LORD who makes the covenant with Noah, Abraham and the People of Israel. Today it is the LORD who through the Son, Jesus Christ, initiates and made a New Covenant with us today.

I believe the LORD creates these covenants because of His love for us and all of His creation. In spite of the fact that we have chosen to sin the LORD still wants to have a relationship with us. In order for us to be in relationship we need a covenant. An agreement that establishes our relationship. Under the “Old Covenant” the LORD was distant and frightening. Now thanks to the LORD Jesus Christ we live under a New Covenant. Under this New Covenant based on sacrifice, grace and surrender the LORD is close. No longer do we need to fearfully wait at the bottom of the Mountain of the LORD (Exodus 19.23) now we can confidently approach the Throne (Hebrews 4.16).

There is a New Covenant available for you. It is your choice to surrender to the LORD and live in His grace or reject Him and continue to live in your sin.