Unfathomable
If you can count the sands that stretch as far as the eye can see,
Then you can start to know the mind of the Lord God Almighty.
When you can number the stars that spread throughout the heavens above,
Then you will comprehend the awesome power of his love.
Now Abraham was a faithful man, he trusted in his Lord,
But even he just could not see how God would keep his word.
God promised him descendents – more than he could ever know-
When Abraham and Sarah were past the age to make it so.
Because things seemed impossible, they decided to lend a hand,
So he lay with Sarah’s servant in order to help fulfill God’s plan.
That servant bore him Ishmael, and a nation he would become,
But the blessing God intended was reserved for Sarah’s son.
Sarah laughed when the angels told them she would bear a son,
For in her old age it was obvious her bearing days were done.
But, for the Maker of the universe this task was easy still,
And Sarah bore him Isaac according to God’s will.
Now even though God’s plan was carried out in proper time,
The damage was already done within Abraham’s line.
Though Abraham loved both his sons, the first was sent away,
And Ishmael’s bitter rivalry continues to this day.
How often have we made our plans before we’ve stopped to pray?
Or decided that we are more equipped than God to choose the way?
In truth our reckless wandering leads to bitterness and strife.
How better it would be if we would trust him with our life?
Genesis 12-22: God calls Abraham
Abraham (formerly known as Abram) was a man of righteousness who found favor with God. Abraham was not a perfect man; he made mistakes just like the rest of us. He did, however, put his faith and trust in the living God, and his actions reflected his faith. God rewarded his faith. God promised Abraham that from his lineage would come a great nation, and that through that nation, the whole world would be blessed.
When Abraham and his wife Sarah (formerly Sarai) heard this, they were a bit confused. You see, Abraham and Sarah had no children, and they were now quite old. Sarah, in fact, was likely past her childbearing years and had never been able to conceive. Under the circumstances, the promise seemed impossible, but with God, all things are possible. God told Abraham to look at the night sky and try to count the stars, as the number of his offspring would be as vast as this.
Now, even though Abraham was a righteous man, neither he nor his wife could understand how God would accomplish this. From their limited human comprehension, it was impossible, so they decided to help God out. Sarah told Abraham that he should sleep with her servant, as any child conceived from a slave was considered the son or daughter of the master. Abraham did as Sarah asked, and he and Sarah’s servant Hagar conceived Ishmael.
But God did not need “help”, and Ishmael was not the child of the promise. Sarah did bear a child, Isaac, at the age of 90. From Isaac would come the nation of Israel, and from this nation, Christ Jesus the Savior was born through which all nations would be blessed. But Abraham and Sarah would pay for their lack of faith. The strife between Ishmael and Isaac and between Hagar and Sarah was so great that eventually, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away.
What happened to Ishmael? Prior to his birth, the angel of the Lord prophesied to his mother that a great nation would come from Ishmael as well. This is what the Angel of God told Hagar.
“‘This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.’”
(Gen 16:12b)
The descendants of Ishmael make up much of what we now know as the Arab nation, and the strife between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac has continued throughout history.
Have you ever felt that you were in an “impossible” situation? No situation is too big or too complicated for the Creator of the universe! Ephesians tells us this:
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Ephesians 3:20
God knows our situations and our needs far more than we do, and he knows exactly what needs to happen in our lives. We just need to trust him.
Related Devotional
Resources
For more information on the current tensions between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, we recommend the books “Jerusalem Countdown” by John Hagee; and “Promised Land” by Derek Prince.
You can get a free copy of the book, “The Middle East in Bible Prophecy” here: The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.
“The Cure for Doubt” with Ray Stedman: The Cure For Doubt
Music and lyrics by LuAnne Barnet. Copyright (c) 2004 LuAnne Barnet. All Rights Reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Royalty-free images from Videoblocks.com
Information on the Creation Museum can be found at https://answersingenesis.org/