July – November, 2014
One of the most interesting characters introduced in Old Testament writings is a man named Abraham. He can trace his lineage all the way back to Shem, the youngest son of Noah. Noah was the well known builder of the ark (which brought safety to their family and all the living creatures sent to ride out the historic flood of the entire earth). Abraham’s story starts up in the 12th chapter of Genesis, and understanding his life experience helps provide the backdrop needed to understand his big problem.(1)
His name, at this point in the story, is Abram (which means ‘father is exalted’). Biblical name meanings were very significant. Later on in Abram’s life, God changed his name to Abraham (which means ‘father of a multitude’).
“Abram was born into a well off family from the prominent city of Ur, found in ancient Mesopotamia (a site in modern day Iraq, about 220 miles southeast of Baghdad).(2) The culture of Abram’s day was highly advanced, with large, middle class stone/brick homes featuring multiple floors and 10-20 rooms. Some of the homes featured chapels, and guest chambers with lavatories.(3) Archeological excavations of this area have revealed a school where students studied by use of clay tablets, which communicated lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic (with tablets focusing specifically on multiplication and division tables, and square and cube root workings). A 2040 B.C. bill of lading showed that commerce of that time was far reaching.”(4)
Abram’s father, Terah, moved the family from Ur to a city named Haran, located in northern Mesopotamia along the river Balikh.(5) The family originally intended to move to the land of Canaan, but when they got to the city of Haran, they stopped. Terah had a first born son named Haran, who died before the family left Ur, so it is possible that the name of the city held certain emotional sway over Terah’s decision. At this point, Abram and his other brother, Nahor, were grown and had wives of their own. Abram’s wife was Sarai, a woman noted for her incredible beauty. Sarai, for all her beauty, also had a big problem for her day.
Abram’s many adventures included his personal encounter with “Jehovah” God (the Hebrew name used for God when He revealed Himself to individuals in the Old Testament). After Terah’s death, Abram (at God’s leading), took his family and set out for the land of Canaan once again, with God’s promise to “…make Abram into a great nation by blessing Abram, and blessing those who blessed him – and cursing those who cursed him…”(6) Abram was 75 years of age at this time. Sarai was 65.
The nomadic family made their first documented stop near the town of Bethel (which means ‘house of God’). There Abram built an altar, seeking the manifest presence of Jehovah God once again. A famine arose in the land, which caused Abram to move the family to Egypt; and out of fear, he ordered his wife to tell everyone she was his sister (which is not a full lie, she was his half-sister from Terah’s son, Haran). The woman must have been flat out fine, because even at the age of 65, Sarai’s beauty attracted the attention of the Egyptians, and she wound up in the harem of Pharaoh. God intervened on her behalf and inflicted some terrible diseases upon the the ruler and his household, until they figured out Abram’s deception, and let her go back to her husband.
This event happened again much later in their lives, and she wound up in the possession of Abimelech, king of Gerar. God caused barrenness to come upon all of the women of the king’s household as punishment. Finally God spoke to the king in a dream and told him of Abram’s duplicity; and the next morning, the king released her to her husband, along with a 1000 pieces of silver, sheep, cattle, etc. The king also gave them permission to live any where in his lands.
Abram’s nephew Lot had tagged along with his Uncle Abram up to this point, and he too had prospered under ‘the blessing of God’. His herds experienced much increase as well. The two families finally had to separate because the herds were too big for the grazing areas. Lot took his wife, children, livestock and herdsmen, and headed for the lush plains of the decadent city of Sodom. This decision proved to be quite disastrous for Lot and his family. They were ambushed and taken captive by a group of feudal kings battling it out for tribal supremacy in the verdant plains. Abram rushed into the fray and rescued his nephew and family; and then he presented the spoils of war as an offering through the mystery king of Salem called Melchizedek. Melchizedek was also a priest of God Most High. After this offering, Abram went back to his home, and one night the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
“But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless…You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
“This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir,” the Lord replied. Then He took Abram outside and said: “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”(7)
At this point in the story, an incredible piece of truth is revealed: “Abram believed the Lord and He credited it to Abram as righteousness.” [H#6666 tsadaqah (tsed-aw-kaw)]“(8) This is a legal term…use of this word is of extreme importance to us – according to Genesis 15:6 – God treated that sort of faith as being equivalent to righteousness…in right standing; justified. In accounting terms, God transferred Abram and his faith, onto the right hand side of His ledger book.”(9)
Abram’s story does not stop there. His wife, Sarai, came up with her own plan to fix their childlessness: she wanted to use her maid servant as a surrogate mother. The plan seemed good to 85 yr old Abram, and by his next birthday, Hagar bore him a son named Ishmael. 13 years passed. Suddenly God showed up again, this time calling Abram into a covenant relationship with Him. [H#1285 briyth (ber-eeth’); a compact, covenant, league, confederacy](10) . God initiated actions for this new level of relationship, and God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. “…for I have made you a father of many nations”.(11) God changed Sarai’s name too, to Sarah, which means “Princess”.
Shortly thereafter, God revisited Abraham and Sarah again; this time He sent three angelic visitors to announce His plans to fulfill His promise for a baby of their own, a son. The Angel of the Lord said He would return about the same time in the following year, and Sarah would have a son.
Sarah was out of sight in the tent, and she was eavesdropping. At the ripe old age of 89, even in all her fineness, she knew the condition of her own, barren body. The revelation by the Angel of the Lord seemed so incredible, she burst out with laughter and spoke to herself, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” The Angel of the Lord knew what Sarah had whispered to herself, and He challenged her unbelief. Afraid, Sarah lied and said she didn’t laugh. The Angel of the Lord rejected her lie and called her out: “Yes, you did laugh.”(12)
The word here for laugh [H#6711 tsachaq (tsaw-khak’) to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); to make sport of; mock](13) is quite interesting. Her laughter was eruptive and spontaneous, an action she could not hold back. Sarah was facing the facts of her geriatric state; she was old, and the idea of her being able to finally conceive a baby seemed utterly impossible.
The Angel’s response is sobering: “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”(14)
One year later, Sarah gave birth to her own son, and Abraham christened him with the name Isaac (which means, he laughs). Sarah finally owned up to her original unbelief and replied, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”(15)
Fast forward to the Apostle Paul’s time: Abraham’s story is legendary
Abraham’s story is well known in New Testament writings. The Apostle Paul makes some interesting observations about Abraham’s life and faith:
1. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are the sons of Abraham…that no one is justified by the law [given to Moses] before God is evident; for the righteous man shall live by faith.(16)
[G#4100 pisteuo (pist-yoo-’o) to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing); i.e. credit (by implication to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to Christ); believer, commit, put trust in](17)
[G#4102 pistis (pis’-tis) persuasion; i.e. credence; moral conviction, assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity](18)
[G#1342 dikaios (dik’-ah-yos) equitable; innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively); just, righteous](19)
2. Against all hope, Abraham IN Hope believed…he faced the facts, especially in dealing with his own body…but he did it without weakening in his faith. Abraham bowed down and believed the promise spoken by God. His posture of worship put him in the manifest presence of God…knowing that God was able to produce the desired heir (a son) for Abraham, even if Abraham’s body was as good as dead at the age of 99.
Abraham was physically changed after this encounter. He took his hope, mixed it with faith, and look at the results: He lived to be 175. His wife Sarah, at the age of 89, was barren until God visited her and gave her strength to conceive. At the age of 90 she gave birth to Isaac. Abraham was 100 at that point. After Sarah’s death (at the age of 127) Abraham took another wife (Keturrah) and through her, they had 6 other sons. This does NOT sound like the body of a man who is as good as dead – and this was long before all the male enhancement drug commercials on TV.(20)
The key to this understanding was Abraham’s posture of worship. Three words in this passage give this clue:
[G#5087 tithemi (tith’ay-mee) to place in a passive or horizontal posture, bow, commit, kneel down, ordain, purpose, settle, sink down, etc.](21)
[G#2713 katenanti (kat-en’-an-tee) directly opposite; down facing, etc](22)
[G#1680 elpis (el-pece’) expectation; confidence, faith, hope](23)
Fast forward to our time: Abraham’s response must be mine too!
My current season of life has been wrought with stress, upheaval and conflict too. Since 2010, everything I leaned upon, with the exception of my hope in God, has shifted. I’ve moved twice; the first time over 700 miles from our home in Florida, and then the second move, over 400 miles from our home in Virginia. The man I called husband for 19 years chose to walk away from our marriage and our family to pursue a path I never thought possible. Watching his choices and the horrible effects they’ve had on me, my children and our financial stability has been appalling. Legal conditions enabled the situation to linger long past even a reasonable length of time. Like Abraham, I’ve tried to figure a way to fix this problem on my own. Like Sarah, most of my attempts to relieve the pressure around me have caused greater conflict. I had such great respect for all I saw God do in this man’s life prior to 2010. Waves of shock and disappointment have been almost overwhelming.
In a place of brokenness and almost despair, I found a 3×5 index card I’d made of this scripture found in the 4th chapter of Romans. It was dated August 7, 1992. I’ve been making these cards since the late 1980s. I picked up the habit from my father. I found some of the same type cards in his personal things given to me back when I was in college in 1978. I keep all my cards in a big picture storage box (looks like a nice shoe box). I take one out daily and meditate on it; make notes that may be relevant to my life issues, and it eventually gets back into the box in no particular order.
I began to read the scripture passage aloud – and suddenly I had an epiphany: I had to fully face the facts of my situation, just like Abraham had to do in his day. I cannot change my husband’s choices. The resolution to our situation is in the hands of lawyers and a judge. I am not in control of their response or the end results. However, in doing so, I do not have to waiver in my faith that good will come out of all of this conflict and disappointment.
I fell to my knees and began to weep – and suddenly I realized that holding back the tears was not necessary – they were part of my worship too. I began to agree with Abraham’s prayer: God has power to do that which He promised. In all things, He is working for my good.
Instead of meditating on my problems and the magnitude of the solution needed to bring real relief to me and my kids, I began to simply agree with Abraham: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which do not exist as though they did, has the power to do that which He promised.(24) This became my food for thought – and my weapon of warfare every time the waves of fear and hurt came after me. The despair and hopelessness began to break as I confessed my fears before the One who said to fear not!
Other revelations:
1. God is the only source of hope that is sure – He is Theos Elpis – the God of hope. His hope has power to bring change.
“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”(25)
2. Hope has to be the anchor of our soul; it has to be mixed with full assurance of the goodness, the grace, the power and the justice of God. It is this mixture of hope, assurance and faith that creates the foundation for God’s super in our natural. Abraham and Sarah hoped for a child. Until Abraham leaned his entire personality upon God and God’s ability, and he did this in a posture of worship, nothing changed. Hope by itself won’t change anything.(26)
3. “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”(27)
[H# 6822 tsaphah (tsaw-faw) to lean forward, to peer into the distance; to observe, await; behold; espy, look up, wait for; keep the watch](28)
[H#3176 yachal (yaw-chal) to wait; to be patient; hope; cause to have or make to hope; be pained; stay, tarry, trust, wait](29)
[H#430 – elohiym (el-o-heem) your God of power and might; Creator God](30)
[H#3468 yesha’ (yeh’-shah); liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety, salvation, saving](31)
4. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord.(32)
[H# 982 batach (baw-takh) – to hie for refuge; to trust, be sure or confident – be bold; careless (without care), put confidence, hope, trust](32)
[H#4009 mibtach (mib-tawkh’) a refuge; security, assurance, confidence, hope, sure, trust](33)
5. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.(34)
Endnotes**************************************************************
(1) Harrison, R.K.; “Abraham”; “Holman Bible Dictionary”; copyright 1991; Holman Bible Publisher; Nashville, TN; page 10.
(2) Fleming, David M.; “UR”; “Holman Bible Dictionary”; copyright 1991; Holman Bible Publisher; Nashville, TN; page 1385.
(3) Excerpts from footnotes from Genesis 11:26 introduction of Terah, father of Abram; “The Comparative Study Bibe – The Amplified Version”: copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 28.
(4) Ibid; page 28.
(5) Fleming; David M.; “Haran”; Holman Bible Dictionary”; copyright 1991; Holman Bible Publisher; Nashville, TN; page 605.
(6) Genesis 12:1-9; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; pages 29-31.
(7) Genesis 15; ibid; page 37.
(8) Hebrew # 6666 tsdaqah; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 119.
(9) Zodhiates, Spiros; Th.D; Hebrew #6666 Tsdaqah; “Lexical Aids to the Old Testament”; “The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible”; copyright 1984, 1990 AMG International, Inc.; Chattanooga, TN; page 1768.
(10) Hebrew #1285 byriyth; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 23.
(11) Genesis 17:5; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 41.
(12) Genesis 17,18; ibid; pages 41-45.
(13) Hebrew #6711; tsachaq; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 120.
(14) Genesis 18:14; ibid; page 45.
(15) Genesis 21:1-7; ibid; page 51.
(16) Galatians 3:5-24; Zodhiates, Spiros; Th.D; “The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible”; copyright 1984, 1990 AMG International, Inc.; Chattanooga, TN; pages 1552-1555.
(17) Greek # 4100 pisteuo; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 120.
(18) Greek #4102 pistis; ibid; page 71.
(19) Greek #1343 dikaios; ibid; pages 23-24.
(20) Genesis 21-25; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; pages 51-65.
(21) Greek #5087 tithemi; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 90.
(22) Greek # 2713 katenanti; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 48.
(23) Greek #1680 elpis; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 29.
(24) Romans 4:17-25; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 2873.
(25) Romans 15:13; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 2901.
(26) Hebrews 6:17-20; ibid; page 3097.
(27) Micah 7:7, 18-20; ibid; page 2355.
(28) Hebrew # 6822 tsaphah; ; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 122.
(29) Hebrew # 3176 yachal; ; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 56.
(30) Hebrew # 430 elohiym; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 8.
(31) Hebrew # 3468 yesha; ; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 61.
(32) Jeremiah 17:7; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 1937.
(33) Hebrew # 982 batach; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 18.
(34) H#4009 mibtach; “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible”; copyright 1995,1996; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; page 71.
(35) Psalm 27:13-14; “The Comparative Study Bible – The New International Version”; copyright 1999; Zondervan Publishing; Grand Rapids, MI; page 1403.
Not A Matter of Talk 