Genesis 25: 12-18
“These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.” That is verse twelve, and often I’ve wondered, and I must say more so of late, than in the past; how would life be different if Ishmael had not been born? How would life in Israel be different, with its neighbors and with the world at large? Would we have the problems in the Middle East that we have today, would we have the hate of a people who want to make us live under the laws of Islam?
Ishmael is an example of religion, and God has made a promise and things are going south, so let’s help God out. Folks, He is Creator God and He does not need our help! And now we have people saying things like, “It is God’s fault we are in this mess.” He is God and He could have kept Abraham from that Hagar woman, but those same people want the freedom of choice, choice to love God and obey or the freedom to live independent of God. Often we want our cake and we want to eat it, when and how we want.
I’ve often wondered who would yell the loudest, if our freedom of worship were taken from us in the United States, the one who attends and supports their local church, or the ones who attend on Easter and Christmas? Are we that much different than Sarah and Abraham when it comes to believing God’s promises? It is my humble opinion, that we could not carry Abraham’s sandals, in fact, many of us live our lives as if God has not made any promises and that is wrong!
Sometimes we need to agree with the facts; Abraham was a man of God, a follower of God, a man who wanted a son, and a man who went passive on his woman when she suggested a way to help God fulfill the promised son. Abraham showed no leadership! He at that point was no different than Adam, who stood next to his wife when she was tempted and went passive on her, and because of that act, sin entered the world. Anytime the husband drops the ball of leadership in his family, that family is going to suffer and in both Adam’s and Abraham’s case, it has been passed on to all who came after them.
God so loved us that He gave us the freedom to choose, it is your choice, living under His commandments or living independent of them, one brings blessing and the other brings curses. Micah 6:8 is one of my favorite verses, often it comes into my mind and when I’m leaning in the direction of living independently of God’s promises or commands. It goes like this; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”? Do not confuse “Walking with God” to mean, staying in good standing with your local church. Many churches are filled with how to build up self, but not how to believe and obey the promises of God’s word. How is your soul, are you living in friendship with the Lord? And dads and Granddads, how are you doing in the area of leadership?
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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