Judges 4-6 | Luke 4:31-44

“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.” Galatians 4:22-23

Do we recognize that our best for God is not good enough? When Abram was 75 years old, God appeared to him and said: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3). In obedience, Abram left his home with his wife Sarai and nephew Lot.

After some time passed, God appeared to Abram again and told him: “…a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir….Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them….So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:4-5). By that time, Abram was already 86 years old and had been waiting quite some time for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Since Sarai was well past the age of childbearing, they deduced that God probably meant for them to build a family through a surrogate. Abram slept with Hagar, the Egyptian slave, and she bore a child and named him Ishmael.

Abram thought he was living in the promise, but God appeared to him again and said: “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations….As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her” (Genesis 17:5, 15). The child Abraham had—Ishmael—was not the child that God promised, but Sarah’s son, Isaac.

Ishmael is a picture of the flesh, living by the law and trying to do our best for God. Ishmael was not born in rebellion against God; he was born in an attempt to please God. Although it was God’s idea to have a son, Abraham did his best when it seemed like God was not doing anything. Ishmael is a picture of what Abraham did for God, whereas Isaac is a picture of what God did for Abraham.  

Do we find ourselves striving to do our best for God when all He is asking is for us to trust Him?

PRAYER

Father God, I come before You confessing that I am striving to do my best for You. Help me to trust, even when it seems like You are not doing anything, and know that You are working in the secret. Thank You, Lord.