Tonight is Part I
Hagar got a raw deal. I've thought a lot about her this week and I want nothing to do with her! I'm sure she was nice enough, but I've decided "nice enough" isn't good enough.
I'm guessing Ms. Hagar isn't front and center in your short term memory, so I'll do the catching up for you:
Back before Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham... (you love me for getting that song stuck in your head, admit it)... Anyway, God had given him a vision and a promise about those "many sons". Abe was 85ish. He, being a communicative husband, left his little moment with the Almighty and went home to tell his wife about the direction their life was now apparently heading...
Wellllll, Sarah (Sarai) was intelligent. She had no problem with the math or the biology and according to her own understanding, she wasn't about to imagine her AARP eligible body cranking out any infants anytime soon. She was also an economizing wife. She already HAD the house-help in a maid (Hagar) and decided that she'd be the "safe bet" pertaining to getting on with the dream. She, like only a wife can do, gave specific instructions to Abe: “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abe obeyed. Hagar readily conceived. Obviously, because Sarah didn't do much THINKING before she did her speaking, she was surprised to find that she was jealous and angry. She pouted then got downright ugly about it. Apparently she didn't want what she wanted. Wives! So, Sarah was mean enough to Hagar that the maid ended up running away. God, the pursuer, restorer of people and situations, sent an angel to Hagar. After a little chit-chat that included some encouragement, a few promised blessings and and a command to return to Abraham, the pregnant Hagar went home. Abe was 86 when his illegitimate, firstborn son, Ishmael, was born.
Eventually, about the time Ishmael started his junior high home-school course, God came back to Abe and reminded him of His promise, lengthened his name (from Abram to Abraham) and got then got really specific: “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Abe's reaction? He hit the ground laughing. Then he said: “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac...
Long story short, God didn't stutter or mince words. It happened EXACTLY that way-- 25 or so years AFTER the promise...
Now flash forward a few years. Get this: God comes back to Abraham and very clearly tells him to take Isaac up the mountain, build a fire, and sacrifice him as an offering to God. Uhhhhhh, what?! Yep, that's the request: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you"
By now Abraham trusts, completely, that he legitimately heard and now recognized the voice of God. He trusts that voice. He trusts the love of his God and he responds the only way that makes sense to him anymore. He got up, got his boy, grabbed a donkey, cut some fire wood and headed out. THREE days later (I wonder if he did much thinking on that little three day jaunt with his sweet, trusting, son...), Abraham reached his destination.
As he started unpacking his wood and preparing his fire, Isaac asked: "Hey dad, what are we doing? This looks a little like a sacrifice of worship, but I think we forgot the lamb..." (A Collene paraphrase.)
Abraham confidently responded, knowing that he knew what he knew even after the visible evidence, once again, contradicted the promise: “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
Abe continued obediently. Alter built? Check. Fire started? Check. Knife sharp? Check. Son bound? Check. He placed Isaac on top of the wood and raised his knife.
“Abraham! Abraham!”
The shout came from heaven, an angel of the Lord.
Abraham answered, "Here I am."
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
WHEW! Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the bushes. God provided a sacrifice, restored the promise and carried out His original plan through Abraham's legitimate offspring, Isaac.
Unfortunately, as is always the case, there's a cost associated with catching the "vision" from God and sprinting ahead to make it happen. Ishmael was also blessed with a big ole family. If you like history, look it up. Abraham's little sprint ahead of God cost him and continues to ripple through the family.
We've all had that puppy, the one we call "come" to. He speeds to you, but then blows right past. Where the heck is that dumb dog going?! I am that dog. "Wait, isn't my master running after me? I had the vision, I thought we were going!" My master is shaking his head in the distance. "Collene, I'm the one that knows where we're going, come back to me and heel..." It seems I still need more training.
My new woulda-been-a-friend-except-he's-dead, Oswald Chambers, put it a different way in his January 4th entry for 'My Utmost For His Highest'. I've probably read it a dozen times in the last four days. Like Oswald says,
"At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a
friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something
else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on
the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult
situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s
timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When
it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.
Good Lord! In light of that, I pray I
don't restlessly look for a Hagar to fulfill God's vision for me as it
pertains to my own understanding! I've experienced, one too many times,
the "it will take years to untangle" scenario Oswald warned about. I
sense the call to pack up my donkey, my altar building supplies and some
fire-starter and to grab my dreams and sharpen my knife.
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