GOD ADVOCATES FOR HIS PEOPLE

In Genesis 12 and 20, we have unusual stories of God protecting Abraham and Sarah while they were living in areas controlled by the Egyptian Empire.   In chapter 20, they were actually in an area that would later become part of Israel - very near what we would call the Gaza strip today.

In both cases we see what appears to be a lack of faith on Abraham's part to trust God to protect him and Sarah.  He literally lies to the local kings, telling them that his wife, Sarah, is actually his sister.  This is only partly a lie [Genesis 20:12], since she was the daughter of Abraham's father, but not his mother.  

In each case, Sarah - being noticeably beautiful, even at an older age - was taken into the harem of these foreign kings.  This is preposterous to us as we read it today!  It seems completely inconsiderate of Abraham to allow such a thing to happen!  Abraham's self-preservation offends us!  In the first case, Sarah is there long enough to have made an impression on the king!   

However, in each situation God takes up Sarah's case by intervening with these foreign kings.  

In chapter 12, the king's household begins to suffer a severe skin disease as a punishment for the Pharaoh's sin.  He realizes that it is because of his sin with Sarah and immediately releases her.  Having given tremendous wealth to Abraham, the Pharaoh then asked Abraham to leave the area with his massive flocks and family system.  

In chapter 20, God spoke to Abimelech in a dream, warning him: "'Look, you are a dead man because the woman you have taken into your harem is a married woman.'  Up to this point, Abimelech had not physically approached her."  [v.3-4]  

This episode is peculiarly interesting because of God's validation of the King of Gerar:

ABIMELECH:  I took her in my harem without knowing the truth.  I acted with integrity.  I am completely innocent.

Then God replied to him still in his dream.

ETERNAL ONE:  Yes, I know you did this with integrity in your heart.  It was I who prevented you from crossing the line.  I protected you from yourself by not letting you touch her.  Now do the right thing. Return the man's wife.  He is one of my prophets.  He will pray and intercede for you, and you will live. But if you do not give her back, I assure you, you will die - you and everyone associated with you.  [vs.5-7]  [All scriptures are from The Voice Bible]

 The odd thing about these passages is that Abraham comes off as being the one with a lack of faith!  But, in his shortfall, God steps in to protect him and Sarah, as well as the Egyptian kings and their families!  

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There are several things we can presuppose from these incidents:

1. God is always watching!  He knows the intricate details of our lives and circumstances.  He misses nothing!

2.  Not only is God always watching, but He intervenes!  God has not left this world like a clock that is wound and is now winding down!  He is engaged!  He inserts Himself in the affairs of His people!  He cares!  God acts!

3. God protects us!  One of the wonders we will marvel at someday in the distant future is when God reveals His actions on our behalf!  We have benefitted from His protection at times and in ways that we have no awareness of!  Some of our greatest - most passionate praise - will come when these things are revealed!  Some of us have stretched the duty of our guardian angels by our careless and wreckless behavior!  😉

4. There are people who cross our lives who are faith-driven although we may never know it!  Abimelech was clearly a God-fearing man who was concerned to live his life with integrity!  We should never assume that people we deal with in the discourse of our day are spiritually lost people!  God's people are sprinkled everywhere!  The person who rear-ended you last week may be a believer who was simply distracted.  Bring an awareness into every connection you make, watching for signs that this person (or these people) may be Christ-followers!  

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Kind and Loving God,

Thank You for protecting us 24/7!  Thank You for advocating for us even when we are unaware that You are doing so!  Thank You that You are always pressing forward in people and places that might surprise us - to make Your love and Word known!  

You're an awesome God, and it's our privilege to serve You!  Amen.

 

COULD GOD BE TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION?

This is an excerpt from an editorial comment in the midst of Isaiah 11 in The Voice Bible:

“When God judges—when God punishes—He does so for a reason. His judgment is always measured, finite, and based on His covenant loyalty. God takes no delight in His people’s suffering; but sometimes, tragically, it is necessary. Willful ignorance and blatant disregard for God and others cannot be ignored. In the end, God’s purpose is to repair a world deeply injured by sin and its consequences. So His next move is to rescue and restore His covenant partners. Reconciliation and grace always follow destruction.”

This is an attempt to understand that there are consequences when we stray from God – whether deliberately through rebellion and evil action, or subtly by distraction or laziness.  When we stray, God will use situations and circumstances to get our attention!  He wants us back BECAUSE HE LOVES US! 

Consider a similar message from the New Testament text: 

See that you don’t turn away from the One who is speaking; for if the ones who heard and refused the One who spoke on earth faced punishment, then how much more will we suffer if we turn away from the One speaking from heaven— [Hebrews 12:25 All quotes from The Voice Bible] 

Earlier in this same passage, this message is even more clear:

My child, do not ignore the instruction that comes from the Lord,
or lose heart when He steps in to correct you;
For the Lord disciplines those He loves,
and He corrects each one He takes as His own.

Endure hardship as God’s discipline and rejoice that He is treating you as His children, for what child doesn’t experience discipline from a parent? But if you are not experiencing the correction that all true children receive, then it may be that you are not His children after all. Remember, when our human parents disciplined us, we respected them. If that was true, shouldn’t we respect and live under the correction of the Father of all spirits even more? Our parents corrected us for a time as seemed good to them, but God only corrects us to our good so that we may share in His holiness. [Hebrews 12:6-10]

When we feel as though we are being punished, we should not get angry with God and shake our fist in His face.  Rather, we should submit ourselves to Him humbly and seek His face! 

If, indeed, God has brought circumstances to bear in our lives, won’t He willingly show us the way through – if we humbly seek Him and deliberately change our ways?

The author of Hebrews likens God to a loving parent who disciplines their children in hopes of helping them to learn, adjust their behavior and act responsibly.  God is the same!  He wants us to be at our best and to achieve that which He purposed for us since we were formed in our mother’s womb! 

Sometimes, we may not be sure why we’re suffering.  So, go to God and ask!

Lord,

 

I’m in pain!  Things are not going well.  Our problems are overwhelming us!  We need Your guidance! 

 

Are we doing something displeasing to You?

Have we been unjust in our dealings?

Have we slipped in our devotion to You?

Have we sinned and separated ourselves from Your love and grace?

 

As little Samuel learned from the high priest Eli, we must pray:  "Speak, Lord, for Your servant heareth."  [I Samuel 3:6 KJV]

Learning to listen in prayer is a VERY IMPORTANT lesson!  God wants you to respond!  God will find a way to communicate with you.  He might use His Word – which is a very common way for Him to instruct us.  He may use a pastor or counselor.  He may use worship times to correct and instruct us.  Just stay focused and be sincere!  Seeking Him is the key!

If you need a prayer partner or want to talk about this season you’re passing through, feel free to contact me via a private message.  I’d be honored to walk with you and pray with you! 

GOD'S CORRECTIVE LOVE

Eve and Adam did the very thing God told them NOT to do!  Lost their home because of it.

Moses got angry with the Israelites and hit the rock!  Lost the Promised Land as a result.

David seems to have thought he could get away with a little sinning.  A legacy of death and incest came because of it.

The Israelites must not have believed that God would actually let the Babylonians come and destroy their city.  Big mistake! 

Jonah thought he could get away with saying "No" to God.  Wrong!

Annanias and Sapphira lied about a gift they gave the church.  It was the last thing they ever did!

With this evidence - and much more - why do we think we can get away with ignoring, disobeying, and defying God?

Do we think the changeless God has changed?

Or do we think that somehow we're an exception? 

God punishes evil and does whatever He needs to do to bring the wanderer back to His ways.

Much of the pain being experienced in our culture today is God's corrective love!  He is trying to hedge His beloved children in and bring them back to Himself.  He loves us!  He wants us to walk in His ways! 

He loves us too much to let us go on in our rebellion.