Month: August 2020

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 16:6

When Sarah asked Abraham to have a child with her maidservant, she actually thought it would solve their problem. Sarah’s suggestion was a sincere plan, intended to help her and Abraham fulfill their dream of having children. Sarah had said to her husband, “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Genesis 16:2). Apparently, Abraham wasn’t the only one that was concerned with having a family. As his wife, Sarah was also in need of children. And since she was aware that her husband also longed to have an heir, she presented a plan. But while Abraham was still hopeful that God would give them a child as He had promised, Sarah had gotten to a point where she now felt she wasn’t part of that promise. So she said, “The Lord has kept me from having children.” No doubt, Sarah had given up.

Although Sarah made the wrong move, we shouldn’t crucify her. Sarah couldn’t have had the kind of faith Abraham had because she wasn’t the one who held the vision. Possibly, if God had showed her the same thing He showed Abraham she wouldn’t have had a backup plan. Therefore, her suggestion to Abraham was faulty, not because she had evil intentions, but for the reason that she wasn’t the person who saw the vision. In your walk with God, you might encounter people who would play the same role as Sarah. They are often the closest to you. They would be a part of your dream because they are related or associated to you. Because they have ties with you, whatever vision God lays on you will affect them. These people will not understand God’s plan for you as you would do. So forgive them when they offer the wrong advice.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me tolerant heart. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-6

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 16:4

God did not only tell Abraham that he would be a father of many nations. He followed up that promise with a covenant. In other words, God made an agreement with Abraham and then sealed it with His word. This contract was actually made on the day Abraham cried out to God and demanded to know how God’s promises will be fulfilled in his life. In response, God had asked Abraham to present a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon for a sacrifice (Genesis 15:8-9). On that fateful day, God made a pact with Abraham. Obviously, the purpose of that covenant was to reaffirm God’s commitment in fulfilling His promises to Abraham. God had wanted Abraham to feel confident that he would surely have a son through whom the prophecy will be fulfilled. Normally, Abraham should have gone to sleep after that event. But he didn’t.

When Abraham agreed to have a child with Hagar, he tampered his agreement with God. By following his wife’s advice, Abraham ignored the terms of agreement. One could say that Abraham’s decision to have a child with Hagar was an attempt to help God fulfill His word. Since the promised child wasn’t forthcoming, they decided to have a child anyhow. When Sarah asked Abraham to sleep with her maidservant, the plan was to build a family through Hagar. Although their strategy bore Ishmael, it backfired in the end. Interestingly, what the old couple tried to do is exactly what we often do in our walk with God. Oftentimes, we begin our journey with God, with high hopes and commitment. But when things don’t work out as we expect, we allow doubt and other people’s opinion to get in the way. Please don’t sleep with Hagar. Wait on God!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I will wait on you. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-3

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 15:6

After God reassured Abraham that he would have his own son, “Abraham believed the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). But despite his faith in God, the child didn’t show up. Year after year, Abraham waited expectantly for God to fulfill his word, but nothing happened. Abraham might have pondered why his wife didn’t have a child in spite of God’s promise. He might have wondered if he actually understood God’s promise. If you’ve ever waited on God to fulfill his promises to you, you would understand what Abraham went through. Abraham had done what God had asked him to do by leaving his own country to a foreign land. Now that he was becoming old and still didn’t have a child, God was still reassuring him that he would have possession over the land he was renting. How could that be? Abraham must have struggled with his thoughts.

So when Sarah, Abraham’s wife came up with the idea that Abraham should sleep with her maidservant so they can build a dynasty through her, Abraham fell for it. At that time, Abraham was not only concerned with having a son that would inherit his wealth; he also wanted to start a family that would take possession over Canaan. But notice that although the idea came from Sarah, the final decision was made by Abraham who agreed without pressure. Therefore, we shouldn’t crucify Sarah because she wasn’t the one who God spoke to. She couldn’t have understood God’s instructions better than Abraham. Abraham, whom God had spoken to, should have known better. He was the one who heard from God, therefore it was his vision. What Abraham did, is what usually happens when we let others get in the way of our relationship with God. You will not make that mistake in Jesus name!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to stay focused. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-3

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 15:3

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and go to a land He will show him, Abraham complied, but he didn’t do exactly what God asked him to do. God had said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Indeed, Abraham left his country but he didn’t completely separate himself from his people because Lot went with him. Why did he do that? Possibly, Abraham knew exactly what he was doing when he allowed Lot, his nephew to accompany him. Recall that when God called Abraham, he didn’t have a child of his own. Although he was wealthy, he didn’t have an heir. So, Abraham might have carried Lot along with him because he needed to feel safe that his wealth wasn’t going to be inherited by a stranger if he eventually died without a child.

Abraham was concerned about an heir even though he trusted God. Once, during a conversation with God, Abraham said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” At the time, Abraham had been separated from Lot. But God knew what was in Abraham’s heart. He knew the man was troubled that his separation from his nephew meant he might end up giving his wealth to a servant. Most likely, it was for this reason that God had to reassure Abraham. Immediately Lot left for Sodom, God had comforted Abraham that He would make his “offspring like the dust of the earth.” Obviously, Lot had been Abraham’s back up plan – a strategy intended to make him feel secure. Lot was Abraham’s half bread. Like Abraham, are you trusting God and at the same time worried that He might fail you?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, increase my faith. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 13:1-18

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.