Hebrews 11:9
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Genesis 17:15-27
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Site of the Oaks (plural, during Abraham's life) of Mamre in Israel
How will we describe God and Abraham?
Galatians 3:6
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
~ 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
God is not shaken about one falling down laughing episode. Even if Abraham could hear the Lord God Almighty, Himself.
The Lord God Almighty is intent upon His Purpose. Telling us all have fallen and He works with the world to be saved in Jesus Christ.
Genesis 15:4
Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him 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."
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."
8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"
We saw a glimpse of faith and then... questioning. This could only be the Steadfast, Loving nature of God, I'd have found another person of bigger faith, immediately. This is indeed the same God, the one who picked up the deserter, Peter, out of the Sea of Galilee. Another one of the faithful, who thought he could walk on water.
So in Genesis 12, we meet Abram. He hears the Lord say:
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
What does Abram do?
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him
Genesis 13: God tells Abram to walk the length and the breadth of the land. Abram uses the opportunity to pick where he will settle.
Genesis 14: Abram gets busy rescuing his nephew and turns down riches from the local king, because he will depend on what God told him. God would give Abram the land.
Genesis 15: Abram is told as a young man, he will have a son & God gives Abram a sign to remember His Covenant. This sign is a gift to Abram.
Genesis 16: Abram & Sarai interpret what God said & act on their own. Disaster for Saria, leads to marital disharmony, human mistreatment, Hagar is terribly unhappy. God intervenes to let Hagar know she is important to Him as well.
Genesis 17: God tells Abram the Covenant now involves cutting his adult penis. (Very serious commitment.)
"As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
How seriously does Abraham take this forgiveness, with the blessing and now the sign required of him?
23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27 And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
Genesis 18:13-15
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."
But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."
Genesis 21
1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac (laughter) to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
God could have chosen Noah to bless. God could have chosen Adam. But the Lord God Almighty said to Abraham and to us:
Genesis 12
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Abba,
What we want to the Love Jesus has given for ourselves, for our Loved ones, the people You have given us. For our Churches, communities, county, state, Nation, the world asking for You and Your Love and Mercy.
We want to see more Heaven on earth increase to Your Glory.
We want to see more miracles of healing. Knowing You fulfill Laughter and Joy.
Making the daily journey of Life - meaningful - creating a path for the Light of the World - Jesus. And with Your help - in the name of Jesus, we will.
Amen in Jesus, Light of mankind. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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