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Genesis 16
Genesis 16 - "Submit thyself"
"And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his
wife." (Gen 16:3 KJV)
Man seems to disbelieve God, so we think we have to help Him fulfil His promise. I assure you God does not need our help, many problems are caused by us trying to interfere with the workings of God in lives of others. Disbelief always leads to disaster. There is a principle taught here though that you never hear from the pulpits today, it is seen in the words "submit thyself," in v. 9 of this chapter.
The best way to handle authority is to submit to it. (Eccl. 10:4). Our children submit to us, and we are pleased when they do. We try harder to please them when they please us. The same with our wives, they submit to us, and we give them the desires of their hearts. Submitting to authority is the best way to get it working for you. It is the same with our Lord, when we submit, He blesses us more. Submission works wonders! This is taught in 1 Peter 5:5 concerning children, but the principle is for us all. If you can't submit to authority now, how are you going to submit to Christ's authority when the time comes to do so? God wants submission, resistance is rebellion. 1 Peter 4:14 teaches us that if we are reproached for that which we did not do, "The Spirit of God and of glory is is upon us. Do you crave this Spirit? Simply submit, don't fight the authorities in your life.
We are all under authority of some sort, our entire lives are under authority; are we going to allow it to work for us, or fight against it? Think about it, brethren.
Genesis 17 - "A New Name"
(Gen 17:5 KJV) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
When God changes a mans name, He also fulfils His purpose in that man's life. We see a great example of this in Saul of Tarsus (Paul); a changed name represents a changed heart, a changed life, (Rev. 2:17), and is often a favorable thing when given by God. Along with a new name comes a new covenant, a pact between man and God. The new covenant?
Circumcision. A sign, to be performed on the "eighth day," (Gen. 17:12,12, it takes eight days after a baby is born for the blood to coagulate so that the baby doesn't bleed to death). It is a sign between God and His people that they accept each other under the specified terms! The covenant is an everlasting possession, as is Christ, to all who accept it (Him), it is still practiced today. Note the phrase "And I will be their God" (17:8), Oh what grace divine, what joy abounds in that one statement alone. God is willing to be our God, though every one of us fall short of His glory (Rom. 3:23), and none is worthy of Him, still, He will be our God! So, we have here, an everlasting possession (17:8), and an everlasting covenant (v.13). Thank God He is an everlasting God!
The covenant was to bless Abraham and make him a "father of many nations, many peoples," and, of course, that is exactly what God did. Would you dare to make a pact with God? Would you dare break that covenant? I hope not. God loves obedience; He loves humility; He loves honesty, He is a God of loves, and we need to see Him as such in our lives.
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