Genesis 16-17; Matthew 5: 27-48 (by rmj)
Gen 16
1. God’s timing is just conceived very differently sometimes. We need to accept that. The last chapter was about a powerful, exciting promise from God to Abram. Now, this chapter indicates that 10 years later, Abram still has no child. That’s tough! Still, God hadn’t forgotten or reneged.
2. I think it’s way too easy to blame Sarai here for trying to have kids thru Hagar. But polygamy wasn’t frowned upon at the time, and God didn’t specify how Abram would have children. What struck me, tho, is that Sarai needed her own Word, and should’ve sought God for that instead. Abram had his word and reassurance, but Sarai needed hers, too. Rather than ride on the coat tails of someone else’s word, I should seek out my own and receive my own assurance from God do I don’t mess things up.
3. When Sarai mistreated Hagar and Hagar fled, the angel of the Lord told her to ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ I’ve read this story a million times, but I don’t know why I don’t remember Hagar actually being told to go back. Interesting. We REALLY need to know when we’re in the plan/purpose of God and when we’re not. Otherwise, we’ll exit a situation bcos it’s uncomfortable, not realizing it was all part of The Plan. This is not to condone abuse at all, tho. 😞
4. God sees me.
Gen 17
1. 13 years later, still no son (apart from Ishmael, who wasn’t the one God had promised to give).
2. Abraham still worshipped the Lord steadfastly - even when he clearly couldn’t understand how he’d have s child with Sarah. He wasn’t bitter. He even gave God an ‘out’ by asking that God just bless Ishmael instead of talking about this unborn son continually. But God insisted that Sarah would bead Isaac! God’s Word stands firm forever! My feelings and impatience don’t matter. What He says, He will do. He’s not interested in giving me second best, even though my impatience might be ready to settle for this.
3. Abraham was such a worshipper; so committed to God. Imagine a 99 year old man being circumcised with his 13 year old don and all his servants. Abraham did this ‘on that very day’ that God instructed him (vs 23).
Matthew 5:27-48
My bible is the ‘NIV and The Message Side-by-Side Bible.’ I bought it cos I've used the NIV for years and I like it, but I’m often blessed by how clearly The Message version breaks things down. I wish I could type out this entire passage from The Message, but it’s not necessary. I just really enjoyed the clarity of it all.
As an example, vs 44: ‘I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for them you are working out your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty ... In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up.’
Whoa!!!
Verses 31-32 dwell on divorce, which I’m always interested in. The translation is simple, logical, and one of the clearest. The verses demonstrate that at that time, men (who, in such a patriarchal time and setting, where the ones with the power to initiate divorce) were divorcing their wives in a cavalier manner, feeling righteous because they had carried out these divorces in a legal manner. Jesus was rebuking their Self- righteousness, reminding them that, in divorcing their wives, they were putting them in a vulnerable position during that era - pushing them into the position of ‘adultresses’ because (I’m assuming) other married men could easily take advantage of unattached women - and did. It ends by saying, ‘You can’t use legal cover to mask a moral failure.’ Jesus is casting the women of that era as the victims of a harsh patriarchal Time. However, in our day and in our setting, we tend to cast divorced women as the willful sinners.
Lastly, in our day and age where it’s no longer impossible or unthinkable for a woman to file for divorce, I wonder how we should view this scripture. In the same way, I suppose. Divorce should not be a cover for selfishness, whether the initiator is make or female.
1. God’s timing is just conceived very differently sometimes. We need to accept that. The last chapter was about a powerful, exciting promise from God to Abram. Now, this chapter indicates that 10 years later, Abram still has no child. That’s tough! Still, God hadn’t forgotten or reneged.
2. I think it’s way too easy to blame Sarai here for trying to have kids thru Hagar. But polygamy wasn’t frowned upon at the time, and God didn’t specify how Abram would have children. What struck me, tho, is that Sarai needed her own Word, and should’ve sought God for that instead. Abram had his word and reassurance, but Sarai needed hers, too. Rather than ride on the coat tails of someone else’s word, I should seek out my own and receive my own assurance from God do I don’t mess things up.
3. When Sarai mistreated Hagar and Hagar fled, the angel of the Lord told her to ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ I’ve read this story a million times, but I don’t know why I don’t remember Hagar actually being told to go back. Interesting. We REALLY need to know when we’re in the plan/purpose of God and when we’re not. Otherwise, we’ll exit a situation bcos it’s uncomfortable, not realizing it was all part of The Plan. This is not to condone abuse at all, tho. 😞
4. God sees me.
Gen 17
1. 13 years later, still no son (apart from Ishmael, who wasn’t the one God had promised to give).
2. Abraham still worshipped the Lord steadfastly - even when he clearly couldn’t understand how he’d have s child with Sarah. He wasn’t bitter. He even gave God an ‘out’ by asking that God just bless Ishmael instead of talking about this unborn son continually. But God insisted that Sarah would bead Isaac! God’s Word stands firm forever! My feelings and impatience don’t matter. What He says, He will do. He’s not interested in giving me second best, even though my impatience might be ready to settle for this.
3. Abraham was such a worshipper; so committed to God. Imagine a 99 year old man being circumcised with his 13 year old don and all his servants. Abraham did this ‘on that very day’ that God instructed him (vs 23).
Matthew 5:27-48
My bible is the ‘NIV and The Message Side-by-Side Bible.’ I bought it cos I've used the NIV for years and I like it, but I’m often blessed by how clearly The Message version breaks things down. I wish I could type out this entire passage from The Message, but it’s not necessary. I just really enjoyed the clarity of it all.
As an example, vs 44: ‘I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for them you are working out your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty ... In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up.’
Whoa!!!
Verses 31-32 dwell on divorce, which I’m always interested in. The translation is simple, logical, and one of the clearest. The verses demonstrate that at that time, men (who, in such a patriarchal time and setting, where the ones with the power to initiate divorce) were divorcing their wives in a cavalier manner, feeling righteous because they had carried out these divorces in a legal manner. Jesus was rebuking their Self- righteousness, reminding them that, in divorcing their wives, they were putting them in a vulnerable position during that era - pushing them into the position of ‘adultresses’ because (I’m assuming) other married men could easily take advantage of unattached women - and did. It ends by saying, ‘You can’t use legal cover to mask a moral failure.’ Jesus is casting the women of that era as the victims of a harsh patriarchal Time. However, in our day and in our setting, we tend to cast divorced women as the willful sinners.
Lastly, in our day and age where it’s no longer impossible or unthinkable for a woman to file for divorce, I wonder how we should view this scripture. In the same way, I suppose. Divorce should not be a cover for selfishness, whether the initiator is make or female.
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