| 17:1 | 亞 伯 蘭 年 九 十 九 歲 的 時 候 、 耶 和 華 向 他 顯 現 、 對 他 說 、 我 是 全 能 的 神 、 你 當 在 我 面 前 作 完 全 人 。 | |
| 17:2 | 我 就 與 你 立 約 、 使 你 的 後 裔 極 其 繁 多 。 | |
| 17:3 | 亞 伯 蘭 俯 伏 在 地 、 神 又 對 他 說 、 | |
| 17:4 | 我 與 你 立 約 、 你 要 作 多 國 的 父 。 | |
| 17:5 | 從 此 以 後 、 你 的 名 不 再 叫 亞 伯 蘭 、 要 叫 亞 伯 拉 罕 、 因 為 我 已 立 你 作 多 國 的 父 。 |
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
The Lord appeared to Abraham when he was ninety-nine years old. God confirmed the covenant with Abraham again by showing His name, El-Shaddai (God-Almighty), to him and renamed him from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many). This was a critical experience of Abraham with God that his life changed forever as we know that Issac would be born to him one year later. He re-lived his life by faith and walked closely to God day by day and even to the point that he responded to God by sacrificing Issac.
My Lord, I am now over fifty years old and do want to be like Abraham to see how You appear to me in my life again. I, like Abraham, have been following you for many years but my life still requires a renewal to experience Your Presence and Direction in my life. I want to experience You as the El-Shaddai God whose Power is so great to change my life forever that I have a new name like Abraham - not exalting myself anymore but becoming the spiritual father of the new generation. I want to hear Your confirmation with my life again that You make Your covenant with me, showing me the way to fulfill your plan in my life as I totally surrender to you. My Holy Spirit, good morning to you again! Show me God's way and let me see His Power in transforming my life - You are El-Shaddai!
To learn that God is God-Almighty (El-Shaddai) is not a once-for-all experience as we will soon find that Abraham will have the same experiences/tests later.
ReplyDeleteThe end of Chapter 16 said that Abraham was 86 years old, and the beginning of Chapter 17 said now he was 99. Why only after 13 years later, God reveal Himself to Abraham as God-Almighty (El-Shaddai) and said “walk before me, and be thou perfect”? What was Abraham’s response? 17.3 And Abram fell on his face!
I am thinking, if I were Abram, and if God asked me “be thou perfect” 13 years ago, I will gladly reply “Sure, Lord!” But, today! After 13 years, after you had angry with me and silent for 13 years, what can I say? I know that I had failed you. I know that I had done something wrong that made you keep yourself silence.
That is the point. If 13 years ago, God reveal Himself as God-Almighty, that seems to be somewhat redundant to be – for by that time, I can (because I did not know that I cannot)! I think, 13 years ago, Abram, even at the age of 86, he was still have his last resort of his own, that he set up the plan (or, agree the plan) together with his wife. Hence, by that time, God cannot reveal Himself as El-Shaddai.
For 13 years later, his last resort had been totally consumed up. What can a 99 year-old grandpa do?
This is the clue - when you are lack of nothing, can God show you that He Himself is everything? Unless you are poor in spirit can we learn to enter into His own richness?
That is why right after God proclaim His covenant with Abraham, He asked Abraham to be circumcised because “he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith”(Romans 4.11). And we also “in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ” (Col 2.11). God cannot allow the flesh to go (or grow) with the promise (which is spiritual). Not long, we see that God has His demand again “Cast out this handmaid and her son” (Gen 21.10). What was the response of Abraham? And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. Now, it is time again for Abraham to learn that God-Almighty again. But, the promise of God is not to co-exist with the effort of flesh of man! Knowing that God is El-Shaddai, he obeys.
But, later, the gift of God took the place. Isaac, as the promise (or gift) from God took the attention of Abraham. Isaac is now “THY son, THINE only son, whom THOU loves” as described by God. It seems God was so cruel to say that. Why just simply say that “take Isaac for an offering” instead of such description as “THY son, THINE only son, whom THOU loves”. Because he had to learn that God is God-Almighty. As it is say in Spiritual Man Chapter 4 “誰能明白，神賜了以撒，又要亞伯拉罕捨去以撒呢？但是，知道神心的人，就不願意停止在神天然的恩賜，而欲安息在賜恩的神裏面。神的目的，乃是我們除祂以外，並不『貼』在甚麼人、甚麼東西和甚麼事情上─雖然也許這些就是神自己所賜的。”
By faith, we are sons of Abraham (Gal 3.7), let’s follow the steps of our spiritual fore-father “So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham”. (Galatians 3.9)