Waiting For The Promise

Date: Friday, January 09, 2015
Today's Chapters: Genesis 25-27
Message Title: Waiting For The Promise

Hello My Friend, 

Salvation is not given to us by some merit in our part, it is simply God's gift of grace to all who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. God has graciously saved us, made us new creatures, and prepared us to do His work, but it is only through God's grace that we can mess up time and time again and still receive the blessing He promised. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” -Ephesians 2:4-8.

After Sarah died, Abraham remarried and had several children, their lineage is listed, while they were not the focus, it's an interesting contrast to how they would play a part in the lives of the Israelites years later. “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.” - Genesis 25:1-7.

Abraham made sure to separate them from Isaac, the promised seed that would make up the Israelites, and in which Jesus would descend. God always separates His children from those who would hinder or separate us from Him, even if that means He has to separate us from our own family. While everyone is a creation of God, not all are His children, which means we have loved ones that will end up in hell because they never knew Him as their Father. There is only one way to be born into the family of God, and that is by knowing the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:16,17.

Issac and Rebekah had twins, Esau and Jacob, even in the womb they were fighting, and God foretold that Jacob would be head over Esau. We get an insight as to the events that take place in which Jacob would become head over Esau, as well as the seed that would make up the Israelites. “And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” - Genesis 25:27-34.

For a bowl of soup, Esau gave up his birthright, and this act of carelessness not only proved to God that he had no intention of following Him, it also would bring a division between the two countries, so much so that Gos would eventually destroy it, also known as Edom. “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:6-8,12-16.

God sent a famine in the land, one in which Isaac found himself making the same mistakes as his father. It was during this trial that God spoke to him. “And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well. Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.” - Genesis 26:24-29.

When we please the Lord, even our enemies find peace, God allows us to interact with the people in the world, not only to keep us faithful, give others an opportunity to know Christ as well. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

We do not hear much about Isaac's life beyond him being the seed that God promised He would establish His covenant with. Much of this is due to the fact that he tried to alter God's will by blessing Esau with what should have been Jacob's. Since Rebekah never forgot what God told her, she came up with a scheme to deceive Isaac into thinking he was blessing Esau. “And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.” - Genesis 27:1-8.

When God promises that something will come to pass it will happen no matter how many times people try to divert His will. Oh, they might think they can slow Him down or get Him to change His mind, but once He has spoken it it will come to pass at the appointed time, even with detours along the way. When God makes a promise to us He keeps it, we do not have to help Him out, all we have to do is be faithful, love Him, and wait patiently for Him. “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” - Romans 8:27-29.

Today's Prayer: God, When we put our faith and trust in Your Son we never fully comprehend just how merciful You are until we are faced with a situation that cries mercy. Thank You, for Your grace, it is infinite and given freely to all who call upon Your Son to save them. Lord, be with us in all that we do, lead us and guide us through the mercy and grace that only You can provide, while others mock us, remind us that Your grace is sufficient enough to keep our heads up high no matter how many times we fall. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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