For the Genesis 22:20-24 PODCAST, Click Here!
20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, "Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah. ~ Genesis 22:20-24
Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 22 where God has told Abraham to lead his son, Isaac, up Mt. Moriah with the purpose of sacrificing him unto the Lord. Of course, as the story unfolded, the Lord Himself at the last minute told Abraham to not sacrifice his son. And then, He provided for Abraham a ram stuck in the thicket behind him. That stuck ram then became the "burnt offering" that day. The Hebrew word translated "burnt offering" literally means "to ascend." The smoke from the sacrifice ascended to God as a soothing aroma to the LORD. The "burnt offering" was the complete destruction of the animal in an effort to renew sinful man's relationship with the Holy God.
Today's passage begins with the fact that 137 year old Abraham had a sister-in-law, Milcah, who became a mother to eight boys. In addition, Abraham's brother, Nahor, had a concubine named Reumah and she had borne him another four sons. But then there was one more piece of news, seemingly insignificant, a daughter was mentioned. Abraham’s youngest nephew Bethuel had a daughter named Rebekah. Abraham had long learned that God is most often discovered in the seeming insignificant details of a story. I am sure at that moment Abraham's thoughts were captivated by the possibilities for his son. One single piece of information can suddenly change one’s life forever. This tucked away and seemingly insignificant little bit of information was given because God's narrative always includes the insignificant of this world. And, since there was about to be a transition in the narrative, this information was key to the development of the story. This information was included as a seeming afterthought so as to show that Isaac was indeed the promised seed for in just two chapters Isaac will be married to Rebekah who was Isaac’s second cousin.
I am also sure that through the years Abraham and Sarah actively looked for a wife for their son because he had to marry because the line of the seed was to come through him. So, after Abraham learned of Rebekah, he sent for his leading servant the next day and organized something then and there to make some contact with his brother and his nephew Bethuel to talk about Rebekah. Interestingly, the name of Abraham's servant isn't even given. Abraham provides for us a picture of God the Father while Isaac provides us with a picture of God the Son, and the servant provides us with a picture of God the Holy Spirit.
God had made a promise to 75 year old Abraham and 65 year old Sarah that they would have a son and through him have innumerable descendants. God kept them waiting for 25 years before giving them Isaac and then fifteen or so years later God tested Abraham as to whom he feared and loved and obeyed more than any other, and Abraham passed that test. Now, 25 years later Isaac was not married and he had no children and he was not getting any younger. This just underscores the utter value of our faith in the Lord. When we are in the habit of giving our hearts to God fully, we can trust that He is looking farther ahead than we are. In fact, God was already taking care, not only of Abraham's future needs, but also of the needs of Abraham's son.
Through the years Abraham had learned the utter value of waiting on God to bring about His plan. To his credit here, Abraham did not interfere and disrupt the plan of God. Abraham had learned that his faith had to be in the Lord. He believed that God was in control of this whole situation. In that moment that Abraham and Sarah learned of the news of his brother and his brother’s children and grandchildren, he and Sarah went to praying for the will of the sovereign God to be fulfilled in their son's life. For Abraham, it was all so shocking and yet fascinating after so many years of silence from God.
When we believe in the God of providence, we will have providences to believe in. The doctrine of providence expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or by fate but by God Who reveals the purpose of providence through the work of Christ on the Cross. Many perhaps thought that the information shared with Abraham and Sarah that day was a coincidence, but for this man and woman of faith behind all the coincidences of life is the God who is bigger than any of us can imagine. While most who believe in God believe He controls the world simply in the most general of ways, people with resurrected faith, such as Abraham had, know the God of the details is involved in all of the details of our lives. Through the writer of Genesis we see that God places importance in people and in their names and their specific place in their genealogy. Each of us has a part to play in God’s plan throughout the ages. Each of us will have a history but where will that history lead others? Where will our story with God lead others, to Him?, or will it lead them away from Him?
