Devotion 21

DEVOTION 21: “The Word of God becomes life in Sarah” coming out of Gen. 21

The Word of God created the universe. Before He spoke the world into existence, there was nothing! There were no sea, land, water or inhabitants. 

His Word brought things into existence as an extension of Himself. Not to stand aside of His creation but to create extensions of Himself.

The barren Sarah received and believed the Word, and the Word became flesh in her. The Word brought out life, turning the barren woman to the mother of the Church. 

Let’s read:

Genesis 21:1-3 “And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. [2] For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. [3] And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.”

The Word of God became flesh in Sarah. She bore Isaac, and through the seed of Isaac will be Jacob or Israel through whose genealogy Jesus Christ (the Word) of God will ultimately come. 

Notice that when you start with one seed, you end up with the same seed. 

For example you plant a mango seed, the end will grow a mango seed. If you plant an orange seed, and will ultimately grow into more mango seeds.

Likewise, when the Word of God was planted Int the womb of Sarah, it ultimately through the genealogy became the Word of God on the womb of Mary, coming out as Jesus Christ the Word of God. 

When we receive the Word of God (Jesus Christ), we are likewise transformed into the Word of God. The Seed will transform us so that we become just like the Seed. 

We continue our reading:

Genesis 21:4 “And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.”

Abraham did not waste any time circumcising the child, placing him right into the Covenant. 

Without circumcision Isaac will be out of the Covenant.

We continue our reading:

Genesis 21:5-13 “And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. [6] And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. [7] And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. [8] And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. [9] And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. [10] Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. [11] And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. [12] And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. [13] And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.”

God will not cut off Ishmael because he was a circumcised seed of Abraham. Though Ishmael began outside the Will and Word of God, he was grafted in by circumcision. 

God made a nation of Ishmael because he was part of the Covenant of Circumcision.

We continue our reading:

Genesis 21:14-16 “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. [15] And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. [16] And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.”

Obviously this woman Hagar did not know or believe the Word of God to make a nation out of Ishmael. She was thinking death while the Word of God had stated life. 

Likewise, when we are not lined up with the Word of God, our actions are in contradiction with the Word of God, and this is the source of many of our frustrations and despair. 

We continue our reading:

Genesis 21:17-22 “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. [18] Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. [19] And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. [20] And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. [21] And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. [22] And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:”

In other words, the Word of God is with you Abraham. Abraham was fruitful because he had the Word of God in him.

We are fruitless ( not bearing sustainable fruit) because we have not the Word of God. 

We continue our reading:

Genesis 21:23-29 “Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. [24] And Abraham said, I will swear. [25] And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. [26] And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. [27] And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. [28] And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. [29] And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?”

Abimelech though living for God as best ad he could, did not have the Word of God. He questions the seven ewe lambs because he had no concept of the Sacrifice, the perfect (seven) Sacrifice. This perfect sacrifice is pointing to the ultimate Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

We conclude our reading:

Genesis 21:30-34 “And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. [31] Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. [32] Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. [33] And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. [34] And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.”

The Word of God becoming flesh in us.

Let the Word of God become flesh in you. Believe and confess Christ the Word as we’ve traced Him from the First Adam. The Seed in you will ultimately transform you into the Seed, in Christ!

No Comments