Blessed

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BLESSED

Gen 22:13-24

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. 20 Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah.

NIV

Abraham called that place "The LORD Will Provide," as we noticed before, but here is where he hears from the angel of the LORD a second time. The LORD said that he swears by himself regarding Abraham and all his descendants. No one else can make that statement. We cannot say that we swear by ourselves, yet isn't that what a promise is? When or if we say, "I promise," aren't we swearing by ourselves? Jesus said that just because long ago men made oaths, we are not to swear at all, either by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or our own head, for we cannot make one hair on our heads white or black; the only thing that is left is to let our yes be yes, and our no be no. James reiterates those words of Jesus. Let us learn this lesson well. We should not ever ask someone to promise us they will do something for us, for we would be asking them to disobey our Lord.  It might be acceptable to ask if they will do something, but we must accept their yes or no without objection or requiring them to clarify their answer. Only God can swear, and he only swears by himself because he is the only one who can always fulfill what he swears he will do. Secondly, the reason the LORD swore that he would bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore, and through his offspring, who will be Jesus, all nations on earth will be blessed, is because Abraham obeyed him. Our response to that blessing is that we are blessed because of Jesus. However, at the same time, are we not also supposed to obey the LORD as Abraham did? Of course, we could say that we would not withhold our child from the LORD. If he determined we should give him our child, not that we would sacrifice them as a burnt offering, but if the LORD wanted to take our child, we should not be angry with him, but love him, knowing he has a plan and a purpose for all that he does. Our response should always be to obey him, first because we are already blessed, secondly, because as we obey him, he will continually bless us beyond our wildest dreams.