Unchangeable God, Ever Present Helper (Part 1)

Posted on April 6, 2022

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Unchangeable God, Ever Present Helper (Part 1)

Unprecedented times as the world is facing, the hardships, the insecurity and palpable hopelessness, bring men to the valley of weariness, despair and anguish; discouraged we wonder where is God?

Over the next few days, we take a look at the lives of three men, who had the promises or covenant of God just as we have, and see how they came through the apparent dead-ends they faced. Let’s start with the case of Abraham, the father of faith.

10 years into the promise to be given the land and descendants who will occupy same, listen to Abraham in Genesis 15:1-4 (NLT)

Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great. But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir. Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.

Does this sound like a man who was content with the state he found himself, the questions gnawing his mind and perhaps the pressure of comments surrounding him? It certainly does not appear so! Subsequent events recorded in Genesis 16 reveal what happens to us when we wilt under the weight of circumstances. We take things into our hands as did happen here in the desperation to bring God’s promise to pass. Ismael was born when Abraham was 86, about a year after Genesis 15!

It wasn’t until 13 years after that God showed up again and the opening verses of Genesis 17 speak volumes! In a clear rebuke of Abraham in verse 1, and the excuses of Abraham in verses 15-25

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” …Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham. On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.

God made Abraham another offer even while Abraham was still unwilling or rather content to stay with what they had produced, that we may fully understand the personality of our God as Paul told his son in the faith Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:13If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

Thankfully, Abraham believed God and obeyed the covenant that would be the trigger bringing to pass of the promise of a son! It took the shedding of his own blood and that of all the males in his household to bring to fulfilment the promise of a son! Not as was the case in the covenant sacrifice that confirmed the land in Genesis 15!

To close, remember our text of today – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) – So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

This is not a time to give up, rather be strong and hold on to the God who will neither fail nor abandon you. Selah.

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