genesis 15:12
AS THE SUN WAS SETTING, ABRAM FELL INTO A
DEEP SLEEP; AND TERROR CAME UPON HIM, A GREAT
DARKNESS.
GENESIS 15:12
Have you ever read a Bible book for children with this story?
Have you ever read a sermon with this story?
If you have you, have been very priviliged; few have ever heard of this story.
I love this story.
It is in the midst of this darkness and terror that God speaks to Abram.
In fact, this terror and darkness were part of the answer Abram got to the questions he asked at the beginning of the chapter.
It was one of does days in which one is with a low amount of faith. Abram the father of faith with a low level of faith...and God decided to display a bit of His greatness...to help Abram.
That morning God had told Abram "do not fear, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
Abram´s answer was:"O Lord God, what willyou give me? I am childless"
God speaks with faith: "count the stars, so shall your posterity be and you will have this land to possess."
Abram answers: "o Lord God, how am I to know
that I shall possess it?"
Have you ever answered God that way? I have...I do.
O LORD GOD...HOW?
So God covers Abram in deep darkness in another version I have found "a terrifying darkness". And there God gives Abram a clear description of his future and of his descendants future.
Here God tells Abram that his descendants will be slaves for 400 years.
I will be honest. When I heard the story of Joseph, and how he went through all that awfull stuff "to later save his family",,,well, I always ended up with this feeling that God hadn´t planned things well enough.
Sure, Jacob and his family were saved BUT they later ended up as slaves...doesn´t sound too good a deal. Specially because in our Mexican Anthem we sing "in every son you have a soldier, who would rather die that to be a slave". Slavery good? God allowing His people to become slaves and taking such a long time to free them?
It just doesn´t match. Something didn´t seem rigth. I never said it out loud. But I did question God. How powerful a God is He? How intelligent is He?
So when I noticed this scripture my brain just went crazy. GOD...YOU KNEW ABOUT IT ALL ALONG?
I mean, you were not caugth by surprise? Moses wasn´t a PLAN B because Plan A hadn´t worked out as planned? wow!
God had a plan, a strategy. He was going to take them to Egypt and provide them with stability so they could grow in number. 70 people entered Egypt, Thousands and thousands left Egypt. so you have an idea: the men from the tribe of Levi were 22,000!There were twelve tribes...
I like this God. His strategies are strange, but He does know what He is doing!!!!!
This time Abram did not answer with another question, as he had done in the morning...it is very hard to be in the "well, God I am not sure about your plan" attitude when you are surrounded by a "terryfing darkness"
Now, I continue to wonder about this guy, Abram. Did you notice that as soon as this chapter ends the next chapter describes how he accepts Sarai´s option of taking Agar to have a son?
How human we are...how fragile...God reaveals himself to us in amazing ways. Different ways but never the less all amazing ways...it scares me to see our human nature. How easily we decide that God doesnt really know what He is doing...we better find a way to help Him out. That God exists is not the question, the question is the HOW. A God that tells you in advance that your descendants will be slaves, mmmm...maybe we should give Him a hand.
yesterday God gave me back the nations...today I wake up with one thought:
O LORD GOD! ....HOW?
As I meditate on this scripture I can hear Him whispering into my heart:
"Bea Gasca, trust me. Take one step at a time.
My ways are strange, BUT they are perfect."
THE WAY OF THE LORD IS PERFECT
II SAMUEL 22:31
May God grant me the grace to do things
right this time.
DEEP SLEEP; AND TERROR CAME UPON HIM, A GREAT
DARKNESS.
GENESIS 15:12
Have you ever read a Bible book for children with this story?
Have you ever read a sermon with this story?
If you have you, have been very priviliged; few have ever heard of this story.
I love this story.
It is in the midst of this darkness and terror that God speaks to Abram.
In fact, this terror and darkness were part of the answer Abram got to the questions he asked at the beginning of the chapter.
It was one of does days in which one is with a low amount of faith. Abram the father of faith with a low level of faith...and God decided to display a bit of His greatness...to help Abram.
That morning God had told Abram "do not fear, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
Abram´s answer was:"O Lord God, what willyou give me? I am childless"
God speaks with faith: "count the stars, so shall your posterity be and you will have this land to possess."
Abram answers: "o Lord God, how am I to know
that I shall possess it?"
Have you ever answered God that way? I have...I do.
O LORD GOD...HOW?
So God covers Abram in deep darkness in another version I have found "a terrifying darkness". And there God gives Abram a clear description of his future and of his descendants future.
Here God tells Abram that his descendants will be slaves for 400 years.
I will be honest. When I heard the story of Joseph, and how he went through all that awfull stuff "to later save his family",,,well, I always ended up with this feeling that God hadn´t planned things well enough.
Sure, Jacob and his family were saved BUT they later ended up as slaves...doesn´t sound too good a deal. Specially because in our Mexican Anthem we sing "in every son you have a soldier, who would rather die that to be a slave". Slavery good? God allowing His people to become slaves and taking such a long time to free them?
It just doesn´t match. Something didn´t seem rigth. I never said it out loud. But I did question God. How powerful a God is He? How intelligent is He?
So when I noticed this scripture my brain just went crazy. GOD...YOU KNEW ABOUT IT ALL ALONG?
I mean, you were not caugth by surprise? Moses wasn´t a PLAN B because Plan A hadn´t worked out as planned? wow!
God had a plan, a strategy. He was going to take them to Egypt and provide them with stability so they could grow in number. 70 people entered Egypt, Thousands and thousands left Egypt. so you have an idea: the men from the tribe of Levi were 22,000!There were twelve tribes...
I like this God. His strategies are strange, but He does know what He is doing!!!!!
This time Abram did not answer with another question, as he had done in the morning...it is very hard to be in the "well, God I am not sure about your plan" attitude when you are surrounded by a "terryfing darkness"
Now, I continue to wonder about this guy, Abram. Did you notice that as soon as this chapter ends the next chapter describes how he accepts Sarai´s option of taking Agar to have a son?
How human we are...how fragile...God reaveals himself to us in amazing ways. Different ways but never the less all amazing ways...it scares me to see our human nature. How easily we decide that God doesnt really know what He is doing...we better find a way to help Him out. That God exists is not the question, the question is the HOW. A God that tells you in advance that your descendants will be slaves, mmmm...maybe we should give Him a hand.
yesterday God gave me back the nations...today I wake up with one thought:
O LORD GOD! ....HOW?
As I meditate on this scripture I can hear Him whispering into my heart:
"Bea Gasca, trust me. Take one step at a time.
My ways are strange, BUT they are perfect."
THE WAY OF THE LORD IS PERFECT
II SAMUEL 22:31
May God grant me the grace to do things
right this time.
posted by thisfool @ 7:56 AM
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