Devotion 16
DEVOTION 16: “Stumbling Blocks - Be Careful Whose Voice You Hearken Unto” coming out of Gen. 16
We learned that Abram was the one called-out by God. It was not Lot, Sarai or Terah the biological father of Abram.
The call is individual.
The Church is the Called-out people of God. They are individuals specifically culled-out by God, separated unto Himself.
The Church is not something we join. The Church is something we are called into by the One Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Abram has been called-out by God. He has cut a Covenant with God after God has spoken to him in a vision.
Genesis 15:1 “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”
God fulfilled that vision with a Covenant. Yet Abram makes a grave decision without consulting the Lord.
Let’s read:
Genesis 16:1-2 “Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. [2] And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
Sarai’s unbelief (sin) will quickly be a stumbling block for Abram.
Abram hearkened unto the unbelieving voice of Sarai. He entered into her sin just like Eve brought Adam into her sin.
Sin is just a symptom. Unbelief is the condition. We sin against God because we don’t believe Him.
The believer lives not in sin because he or she believes, and has received the answer to sin. The unbeliever lives in sin because he or she does not believe the answer for sin.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 16:3-5 “And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. [4] And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. [5] And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.”
When we step out of line of the Word of God, we are entering into catastrophe.
Abram is entering into catastrophe with the birth of Ishmael. A catastrophe which continues today in the battle between the Arabs and Jews, just like the catastrophe of Adam continues today by the sinful nature in all born out of Adam.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 16:6-11 “But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. [7] And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. [8] And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. [9] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. [10] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. [11] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.”
The Angel of the Lord (Jesus Christ) gave him the name Ishmael. He mentioned him to be great for God knows the destination of all of us from the beginning. Yet the call was to Abram, and his seed out of Sarai.
The Bridegroom (Abram) and the bride (Sarai) are one. When the Bridegroom is called the bride is also called.
The Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and the Bride (the Church) are one. When Jesus Christ comes for His Church, they will be one in Word. Not by denomination or organization but in Word. The Church will be men and women who are lined up with the Word.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 16:12-16 “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. [13] And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? [14] Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. [15] And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. [16] And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.”
Stepping out of the Word of God can cost us a lifetime and sometimes a generation.
Stay in line with the Word. Believe and confess Christ the Word as we’ve traced Him from the First Adam. The Church and the Bridegroom will be one in Word, in Christ!
We learned that Abram was the one called-out by God. It was not Lot, Sarai or Terah the biological father of Abram.
The call is individual.
The Church is the Called-out people of God. They are individuals specifically culled-out by God, separated unto Himself.
The Church is not something we join. The Church is something we are called into by the One Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Abram has been called-out by God. He has cut a Covenant with God after God has spoken to him in a vision.
Genesis 15:1 “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”
God fulfilled that vision with a Covenant. Yet Abram makes a grave decision without consulting the Lord.
Let’s read:
Genesis 16:1-2 “Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. [2] And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
Sarai’s unbelief (sin) will quickly be a stumbling block for Abram.
Abram hearkened unto the unbelieving voice of Sarai. He entered into her sin just like Eve brought Adam into her sin.
Sin is just a symptom. Unbelief is the condition. We sin against God because we don’t believe Him.
The believer lives not in sin because he or she believes, and has received the answer to sin. The unbeliever lives in sin because he or she does not believe the answer for sin.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 16:3-5 “And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. [4] And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. [5] And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.”
When we step out of line of the Word of God, we are entering into catastrophe.
Abram is entering into catastrophe with the birth of Ishmael. A catastrophe which continues today in the battle between the Arabs and Jews, just like the catastrophe of Adam continues today by the sinful nature in all born out of Adam.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 16:6-11 “But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. [7] And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. [8] And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. [9] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. [10] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. [11] And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.”
The Angel of the Lord (Jesus Christ) gave him the name Ishmael. He mentioned him to be great for God knows the destination of all of us from the beginning. Yet the call was to Abram, and his seed out of Sarai.
The Bridegroom (Abram) and the bride (Sarai) are one. When the Bridegroom is called the bride is also called.
The Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and the Bride (the Church) are one. When Jesus Christ comes for His Church, they will be one in Word. Not by denomination or organization but in Word. The Church will be men and women who are lined up with the Word.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 16:12-16 “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. [13] And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? [14] Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. [15] And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. [16] And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.”
Stepping out of the Word of God can cost us a lifetime and sometimes a generation.
Stay in line with the Word. Believe and confess Christ the Word as we’ve traced Him from the First Adam. The Church and the Bridegroom will be one in Word, in Christ!
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