Genesis, Message 23: The Offering of Isaac

My Great Delight in God's Word

Crystallization-Study of Genesis, Message 23

The Offering of Isaac and Experiencing God as the One Who Gives Life to the Dead

In this message, we are going through one of the most popular stories in the book of Genesis. It is about the offering of Isaac. This story continues from Genesis 21. The things happened in the story resulted from having the redeemed and covenanted well of Isaac as the source of living, which led the drinkers to the Mount Moriah where Jerusalem and the temple were being built and Christ was being crucified.
There are two big themes in this story that I would like to mention. On the one hand, with regard to Abraham's experience of offering Isaac, which perhaps was the highest peak in his spiritual journey, we clearly see the principle of offering everything back to God in order to get them back in the resurrected form for the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. On the other hand, the story clearly depicts Isaac and the ram as the types of Christ in different aspects.

Abraham's experience shows us the principle of death and resurrection.

Early in Abraham's spiritual journey, God promised to give him two important things that were needed for fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. They consisted of the seed and the land, which were for God's representation and expression on the earth. Through his spiritual journey, Abraham went through so many trials from God, and he did not perfectly pass them. However, God kept speaking and appearing to Him, and each time he encountered God, his life was changed.
The land of promise was gained by Abraham quite easily. But for the promised seed, he could not receive it straightaway. He went through the tests in which he was tempted to help God select and even produce the seed for the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. Firstly, he proposed the faithful servant Eliezer, which represents what he had, to be his heir. Even though this servant was so good, God did not accept him. Secondly, he proposed Ishmael, which represents what he could do, to God, but He again denied and rejected this son of him. Abraham had to wait until he was 99 years old when he realised that he could do nothing to contribute to God's plan. What he had and what he could do were by no means useful to God. He needed to see God as the El-Shaddai, the all-sufficient One, and as his heavenly Father, the source of everything. And he needed to terminate his own flesh through circumcision. Eventually, Isaac, the promised seed, was given to him through Sarah.
Things seemed to have gone so smoothly in Abraham and Isaac's lives until one day when was about 20 years old. God again appeared to Abraham and requested something that I would have never been willing to offer to Him if I had been asked by God. God asked him to offer Isaac, who was both his only beloved son and the seed through whom God's goal would be achieved (genesis 22:1-2; Heb 11:18). He was everything and the only hope Abraham had. Nevertheless, very impressively, Abraham was perfectly obedient to God without any sign of hesitation, despite how difficult it could be. And this obedience resulted in God's marvellous blessing at the end of the chapter, confirming what he had promised to him.

¹⁵ Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
¹⁶ and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son ---
¹⁷ blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
¹⁸ In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Genesis 22:15-28 NKJV)

Before he offered Isaac, the seed was only one. But after he offered Isaac, the seed multiplied exceedingly. The descendents through this seed would be as numerous as the stars of the heaven, which represent all the spiritual or heavenly descendents adopted by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and also as the sand on the seashore, which represents earthly descendents, the earthly Israelites. This seed was becoming a great nation.
This teaches us the principle of death and resurrection. All we have and even all we are come from God and must be offered back to God, including our Isaac, which represents God's gifts, God's works, and God's wills. In their natural form, they are not useful to God at all. They must be terminated by putting on the cross, so that we may get them back in the resurrected form. Those things then can be used by God to fulfil His eternal purpose.
With regard to this matter, Jesus gave us a good analogy of a grain of wheat. He compared this to His own life that had to die for us so that we would become his much grain and have Him as the life-giving spirit.

²³ But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:24 NKJV)

And this principle can also be applied to all other things in our lives. The more we surrender and terminate ourselves, putting on the cross to die with Him, the more resurrected life we will have. Only the resurrected form of us can God really use to fulfil His eternal purpose in us and through us.
Additionally, because of the absolute obedience to God, Abraham saw God in another aspect. He saw God as Yahweh Jireh, which means "the LORD who will see" or "the LORD who will provide."

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NKJV)

What an amazing God we have! Our God is the God who always sees us and provides all we need.

Isaac and the ram portray Christ as the Son and the Lamb of God.

Isaac typifies Christ as the Son of God.

No one in the Old Testament can portray Christ's life as beautifully as Isaac's life, especially in his experience described in Genesis 22.

• Isaac was born supernaturally not according to the flesh, but God's promise.
  Jesus was born supernaturally not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13).
• Isaac was the only begotten son of Abraham (Genesis 22:2).
  Jesus was the only begotten Son of God the Father, full of grace and truth (John 12:14).
• Isaac was beloved of his father (Genesis 22:2).
  Jesus was declared to be the Father's beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased (Mark 1:11).
• Isaac journeyed to the Mount Moriah by a donkey (Genesis 22:3).
  Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey (John 12:15).
• Isaac headed to the Mount Moriah with 2 servants of Abraham's (Genesis 22:3).
  Jesus was at the Golgotha with 2 others (John 19:18).
• Isaac carried the wood for the offering (Genesis 22:6).
  Jesus carried His cross for the offering of His own life (John 19:17).
• Isaac was offered on the altar as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:7-10) and received back in figurative sense (Hebrew 11:19).
  Jesus was crucified on the cross probably at the very same place (Mount Moriah, where Jerusalem was built; 2 Chronicles 3:1) as an offering and resurrected from the dead to be received by all the believers.
• Isaac was offered by Abraham his father (Genesis 22:7-10).
  Jesus was not killed by man, but by God the Father who give man power to crucify Him (John 19:11).

From other parts of his life, we can also see Christ in his life in many ways.

• Isaac never left Canaan in this whole life.
  Jesus was always in the bosom of the Father (John 3:13; 1:18).
• And unlike his father and his sons, Isaac had got only on wife, Rebekah.
  Jesus had only one corporate Bride, the Church.
• Isaac and Rebekah were from the same household.
  Both Jesus and the Church are the begotten of God. And in His full humanity, He has become like us and able to receive man to be His beloved Bride.

Therefore no one can deny that Isaac is the very type of the Son of God, who was absolutely obedient to the Father even to the point of death (Philippians 2:8).

The ram typifies Christ as the Son of God.

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (Genesis 22:13-14 NKJV)

The story tells that it was the ram, not Isaac, that was killed as the burnt offering. As all other types of Christ, Isaac alone could not perfectly portray Christ's life. He was the type of Christ as the Son of God, but the ram was the type of Christ as the Lamb of God, who died on the Cross, to take way the sins of the world. The Son of God was not killed, as He was God and thereby could not die. But here we see that the Son of God, as described early in John chapter 1, became the Lamb of God, as declared by John the Baptist, and was offered on the Cross!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NKJV)

Interestingly, Genesis 22:13 describes that the ram was caught in a thicket by its horn. A ram, or adult male sheep, is a strong version of a lamb, a young sheep, and a thicket represents lowly and fallen humanity. Therefore this story clearly describes that the very Son of God, who was all-powerful, was willing to be caught in humanity and offered to God as our Substitute. Praise the Lord that Christ is both Isaac and the ram. He is the Son and the Lamb. He is everything we need for the redemption of our sins. Hallelujah!

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: Crystallization-Study of Genesis, week 23.

• Life Study of Genesis, messages 57 and 58.

• God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob chapters 6 and 7.

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)

Genesis, Message 22: Two Wells - Two Sources of Living

My Great Delight in God's Word

Crystallization-Study of Genesis, Message 22

Two Wells - Two Sources of Living

Christ is the source of living water

In the New Testament, Jesus revealed that He was the source of living water. He said to the Samaritan woman that, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14 NKJV) Furthermore, He gave us a wonderful promise that "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38 NKJV) Jesus is the source of living for all the believers, and if we drink of this water, we will not only be brought into everlasting life, but we will also have the rivers of living water flow out of our heart. What a wonderful promise we have!
With regard to the illustration of Christ as the source of living water, we also see some sources of water in the Old Testament that clearly typify Christ.
In Exodus, when Israel people did not have water to drink, the rock in Horeb was struck by Moses and became the source of water for them.

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:6 NKJV)

The same situation happened again in Number 20. The people was so thirsty because of lack of water supply, and complained against Moses. And again, a rock was also to be the source of water for them. But God's instruction to Moses was different this time. He did not have to strike the rock again. All Moses needed to do was speak to the rock!

"Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." (Number 20:8 NKJV)

In order to become the source of water, the rock needed to be struck. And it needed to be struck only once. After it has already been struck, it did not need to be struck again. It needed only to be spoken to, and water would come out of it.
The rock both in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 typifies Christ as the source of living water. For Christ to become the source of living water, He needed to be crucified on the Cross. His mission was perfectly completed and He did not have to be crucified again. Only once was adequate for all people in the past, present and future. All we need to do to receive this water supply today is speak to the Rock!
Another type of Christ as the source of living water is found in Genesis 21. I believe most people, including me, have read through this chapter without noticing the importance of the 2 wells, the well of Ishmael and the well of Isaac. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Moses mentioned these 2 wells so that readers might learn some spiritual lessons from them. I really appreciate the ministry of brother Witness Lee that clearly explains this matter.

Two wells in Genesis 21 represents two sources of living.

In Genesis 21, there are 2 sources of water mentioned, the well of Ishmael and the well of Isaac. They were totally different in their nature and their effect, resulting in totally different outcomes and destinies for the drinkers. 

1. Well of Ishmael represents our soul as the source of living.

¹⁹ Then God opened her [Hagar's] eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
²⁰ So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
²¹ He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. (Genesis 21:19-21 NKJV)

The well of Ishmael was a natural source of water. It was located in the wilderness. Drinking from this well, Ishmael became an archer and joined to Egypt by marrying an Egyptian.
What does this illustration mean? The well of Ishmael represents our soul as the source of living.
Our soul, composed of mind, will and emotion, is natural source of living. Resulting from the fall of man, everyone has this well as the source of living by default. Everyone's life is therefore directed by what he thinks, what he wants and what he feels. This source is in wilderness, signifying the place rejected by God. Drinking from this well, he is made an archer like Nimrod, the very origin of Babel and Babylonian Empire (Genesis 10:8-12). Like an archer, he fights and kills with selfish ambitions for building up of his own kingdom. Eventually, he will be joined to the world, depicted by the marriage to an Egyptian.

2. Well of Isaac represents Christ in our spirit as the source of living

²² And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.
²³ Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt."
²⁴ And Abraham said, "I will swear."
²⁵ Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized.
²⁶ And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today."
²⁷ So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
²⁹ Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?"
³⁰ And he said, "You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well."
³¹ Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
³² Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
³³ Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
³⁴ And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days. (Genesis 22:27-34 NKJV)

In contrast to the well of Ishmael, the well of Isaac was not a natural source, but was dug by Abraham. It was seized by Abimelech's servants. To make it available again, Abraham therefore redeemed it from Abimelech and made a covenant with him. This well was not located in the wilderness like Ishmael's well, but in a proper place called Beersheba. Drinking from this well, Abraham became a planter and Isaac's life was heading to Moriah, the place where Jerusalem, with the temple in it, was being built and Jesus was being crucified (2 Chronicles 3:1).
What does this well represent? It represents Christ in our spirit as source of living.
This source is not natural. In order for it to be made available to us, the processes of redemption and covenanting are requuired. And it was fully redeemed on the Cross at a great cost - the life of Christ Himself. Through His resurrection, He has become the life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45), now dwelling within our spirit. If we drink of this source, we will become a planter, growing life for building up of God's kingdom. We will experience the Triune God as the eternal life dispensed into us and living in us. Ultimately, we will be brought to Zion in which God's temple is built, and our destiny is the New Jerusalem.
Here another name of the LORD is mentioned. Abraham called Him "the Everlasting God." This name comes from the word "El Olam," which can mean either the eternal God or the concealed, hidden and veiled God. Both ways of translation are equally true with regard to the nature of our God. He is eternal, yet very mysterious. We can never know Him unless He reveals Himself to us.
Hallelujah for the well of Isaac! We don't have to drink from the well of Ishmael anymore. Everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus now has free access to the well of Isaac, which is Christ in our spirit, as his source of living. If we drink of the water from this well, we will experience joy unspeakable and full of glory, which will cause us to call upon the name of the LORD and experience Him as the God who is very mysterious yet very real, ever-existing, and ever-living.

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: Crystallization-Study of Genesis, week 22.

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)

Genesis, Message 21: Living a Grace-enjoying Life for God's Good Pleasure

My Great Delight in God's Word

Crystallization-Study of Genesis, Message 21

Living a Grace-enjoying Life for God's Good Pleasure

Experience of Isaac represents experience of grace

The experience of Abraham represents the experience of God as our heavenly Father, who is the source of everything. However, experience of Abraham is not complete. We also need to see the experiences of Isaac and Jacob. Even though they were 3 distinct persons, the collective experiences all these 3 forefathers demonstrate a complete experience with God that everyone should see.

Now we are going to focus on the experience of Isaac, which represents the experience of God of Grace and teaches us that everything we have is received from God. All we need to do is enjoy grace.

What is grace? This word is a very big word. Many theologians have beautifully described it as "undeserved love," "unmerited favour," and "God's Riches At Christ Expenses." All these definitions are absolutely correct. However, if we consider the bible carefully, we will see that "Grace" is much more than that. Grace is nothing less than Christ Himself given to us for the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. Christ is grace personified. 

In the Old Testament, the best thing man could ever experience was God's blessing, which had to do with outward things. The purpose of the blessing was for his existence. But praise the Lord that now we, the New Testament believers, can enjoy not only blessing from God for our existence, but also grace of God for the fulfilment of His eternal purpose.

Unlike God's blessing, grace has nothing to do with outward things. It is not about what we have or what we can do. It has to do with our inward being. It is the matter of what we are! As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10. By the grace of God, we are what we are!

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV)

Putting this verse together with Galatians 2:20, we can clearly see the principle of Christian living. After being saved, we still live this new life, yet not we, but the grace of God is with us / Christ lives in us.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

Therefore grace is Christ Himself wrought into our being for our enjoyment and for the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. It is not something outside us, but Someone who lives in us, works in us and do things for us. Grace is nothing less than Christ Himself living in us as our life and our everything.

Experience of Isaac exemplifies a life of grace enjoyer

Isaac's life is so amazing. He did not have to do hard works. He did not have to cross the river. He did not have to dig the wells by himself. He did not have to fight against enemies. Everything he had was inherited from Abraham his father. Therefore the experience of Isaac is the experience of receiving. Everything he had was received from his father.

Furthermore, we don't see much suffering in his life either. He did not have to go through many dealings from God as Abraham did. Even in time of troubles, Isaac did not seem to suffer a lot. Even when his mother Sarah died, while Abraham was in great sorrow, we don't have a record of Isaac's weeping. The next scene in which he appears in the bible is in Genesis 24.

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening. (Genesis 24:63 NKJV)

Yes, in time of sorrow when he lost his mother, Isaac still enjoyed the fellowship with the Lord. He is a perfect example of a grace enjoyer.

Like Isaac, we are predestined to live a life of grace enjoyer

Interestingly, there is no any indication that Isaac was a spiritual person. He seemed not to deserve being listed as a hero of faith. But grace came to him regardless of his spirituality or religiousness. God's grace is for everyone, both spiritual and unspiritual, both religious and unreligious. Everyone needs grace.

It is God's preordained way that all His people enjoy grace. When we have right standing before God, we must enjoy grace. But even when we do not have right standing before God, we can also enjoy grace. God's grace is unconditional. It is so available to us however our spiritual status is. Grace comes upon us regardless of our standing. Nevertheless, this unconditional grace by no means endorses our improper standing before God. The more we enjoy grace, the more Christ grows in us and the more our life will be transformed. This will eventually bring us to the right standing before God. We will then arrive at the proper place in which we worship God, call upon His name and become His testimony on the earth.

It is a great misunderstanding that after one has been saved by grace through faith, he must live a suffering life and must be religious or self-spiritual, trying to keep all the Lord's commandments using his own effort. Even after we have been saved by grace, we still must live a life of grace enjoyer. Enjoying grace is the means whereby our life is transformed and God's eternal purpose is fulfilled in us and through us.

Brothers and sisters, God does not call us to be a religious person, but to be an enjoyer of grace, which is Christ Himself wrought into us for our enjoyment. We don't have to be religious to enjoy grace. Ironically, the more religious we are, the less likely we will enjoy grace. When we try to please God using our own effort, we exercise our fleshly endeavour, resulting in pride, the very cause of Lucifer's fall. Nothing can frustrate grace more than our self or our flesh can. Being religious is not what God wants from us. It is not the means whereby God is pleased and His eternal purpose is fulfilled. He just needs us to have the experience of Isaac by enjoying Christ day by day.

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: Crystallization-Study of Genesis, week 21.

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)

Genesis, Message 20: The God of Abraham Seen in His Dealings with Abraham

My Great Delight in God's Word

Crystallization-Study of Genesis, Message 20

The God of Abraham Seen in His Dealings with Abraham

Abraham went through a lot of dealings from God in his life. Those dealings were very precious to him, as he grew up in the relational and experiential knowledge of God after each dealing.
In this message, I'm going to share some characteristics of God that we can observe in Abraham's experience of God's dealings with him.

God of Glory

² And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
³ and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.'
⁴ Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. (Acts 7:2-4 NKJV)

The first appearing of God to Abraham is recorded in the book of Acts. God revealed Himself to Abraham as the God of glory.
At that time, Abraham was living in the land full of idol worshipping. He must have been so familiar with many gods in the land. But when God appeared to him, he could immediately see something different in this God. There were no any other gods like Him. After this encounter with God, his life could never be the same.
Brothers and sisters, if you have never known this God, please come to Him, learn more about Him, and you will understand why Abraham decided to leave his homeland to follow this God. This God is so good, so glorious, so gracious and so awesome. Come and taste Him today!

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11 NKJV)
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

But if you have already known Him, praise Him today. Don't be afraid that you will praise Him too much. That can never happen. Furthermore, follow Him, turn your eyes upon Him and keep beholding His glory. As a result, your life will be gradually transformed from glory to glory into His glorious image.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

God of Blessing

¹ Now the LORD had said to Abram: " Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
² I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
⁴ So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4 NKJV)

Even though Abraham followed what God told him to do without hesitation, he failed to do it completely. He did not get into the good land, but dwelt in Haran. Moreover, he did not leave his relatives, but had them with him in his journey. Nevertheless, God did not and would never give up on him. He kept speaking to him. Here God spoke to him again, and give him the great promises concerning the land, the seed and the blessing to the world. This God is the God who loves to bless His people.
However, we know that we all are sinners, and God cannot bless us fully because of our sinful condition. Praise the Lord that He has already solved this problem for us. He did that because of the fact that, while He hates sin, He loves sinners. He came to die for us, to redeem us from the curse of the law. He even became a curse for us, so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. And the greatest blessing one can ever has is God Himself as the Spirit whom we have received through faith! By having the Spirit dwelling within us, we can now experience our Triune God not only in an objective way (intellectually), but also in a very subjective way (experientially and relationally).

¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")
¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV)
For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:19 NKJV)

God of secret care for His elect

Soon after a peak of spiritual walk in Abraham life, he fell down. In time of famine, instead of trusting in God, he decided to come down to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20). To save his own life, he committed a serious sin by lying that his wife was his sister, putting her life at risk. Even though God did not appear in the scene, He did work behind the scene out of His secret care for His elect. He protected the lives of him and his wife. He was still faithful even though he was not.
Hallelujah! What a privilege that we have the God who always cares for us. Even though many times we are faithless, He is always faithful. Even though we may not see Him and may even doubt if God really cares for us, please be assured that that God always does. He is always at work, and His aim is to work all things for good to those who love Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

God of shield and great reward

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)

After fighting with the kings to rescue Lot, and offending Melchizedek by denying the gift from him, Abraham became afraid of revenge from them. To comfort him, God came to him in a vision, starting the conversation with "Do not be afraid." Why should he not be afraid? Because God Himself would be his shield and his exceedingly great reward.
Brothers and sisters, are you afraid of someone and something today? Do not be afraid. Our God is our shield and our great reward! And here is one of God's wonderful promises for you.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)

God of all-sufficiency

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1 NKJV)

After begetting Ishmael through Hagar, God did not appear or speak to him for a long time. God could not work the seed into him yet, because he was still too strong, even though he was over 86 years old already. God had to wait until he reached the point in which he realised he could not accomplish God's purpose using his own human effort or his natural strength. And that was when he was 99 years old. God then appeared to him again as the "El Shaddai," the All-sufficient God (rendered here as the Almighty One). All we need for the fulfilment of God's purpose is the All-sufficient One.
Brothers and sisters, do you know God as the All-sufficient One? Never try to serve God with your own strength. Don't try to help God produce the seed, bringing forth Christ. Only God Himself can accomplish His purpose in us and through us. Would you trust in the All-sufficient One today?

God with His human friendship

In Genesis 18, God came to Abraham in human form. That was the pre-incarnate Christ who visited him and had a sweet fellowship with Him. This could happen on the grounds of intimate relationship with God after terminating his own flesh through circumcision, and acknowledging God as the All-sufficient One.
Our God is the God who loves to have relationship with man. He does not want us to be religious Christians, but to be romantic ones who love Him and love to fellowship with Him. He is now knocking at the door. If you just open the door for Him, He will come in to you and feast with you and you with Him.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20 NKJV)

God with His trial

Concerning the seed, Abraham had to go through 3 main tests.

The first test - begetting Ishmael

To have the seed, instead of waiting for God's perfect timing, he decided to help God produce the seed through Hagar. That was successful, but not acceptable to God. The source of this seed was not from God, but from human effort, and the timing was premature. This resulted in God's silence for almost 13 years, before He appeared to him again in Genesis 17.
This experience teaches us that our own effort has no role in the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose. The best it can produce is Ishmael, not Isaac. We therefore must terminate our own natural ability so that God can fulfil His purpose through us.

The second test - praying for Abimelech

Soon after a sweet fellowship with God in Genesis 18, Abraham was tested again. In Genesis 19, he went southward to the land of Gerar. To save his own life, he again lied that Sarah was his sister. Because of this, God closed up the wombs of the house of Abimelech. To protect Sarah, God appeared to Abimelech in his dream one night and warned Him about Sarah. To re-open the closed wombs, he needed to have Abraham pray for them. Abraham therefore had to pray for the thing he himself could not have. That must be so difficult for him. But this was an important lesson that he must learn. The success of his prayer was not dependent upon his own achievement. The only source of every success is God. Abraham needed to see God as His heavenly Father, who is the source of everything.
This experience teaches us that we need to be totally dependent upon God, trusting only Him to accomplish His purpose in us and through us.

The third test - offering Isaac

After Isaac was born, God commanded Abraham to offer his own son, Isaac. Why did God do that? Was Isaac not the seed whom God had promised? Why then did He tell Abraham to offer the seed to Him? This taught Abraham that before he begot Isaac, he must see Him as the Father. Even after he begot Isaac, he still needed to see Him as the Father. He must not see Isaac as the source, and must not let Isaac replace Him who gave this son to him. He must always see God as the Father.
What does Isaac represent in our life? Isaac can be God's gifts, God's wills, or God's works. By themselves, they are good things. But they must not replace God in our hearts. They must not become what we cherish and care for more than God who gives them.
This experience of Abraham's teaches us that we need to always look to Him and know Him as the Father. We must not prioritise even God's gifts, God's wills, or God's works above our relationship with Him. We must not let them replace God.
I really appreciate what Oswald Chambers wrote about this, which correlates well with this lesson, saying "Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?"

Thank the Lord for these lessons we can learn from Abraham's experiences through the trials. And praise the Lord also that He is our heavenly Father who too loves His children to let them be the same. Because He loves us, He gives us various trials so that we will overcome and be made perfect and complete.

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4 NKJV)

God as the Father

Altogether, the dealings of God with Abraham lead us to one conclusion. We must know Him personally and experientially as our heavenly Father.
There are two aspects of the word "Father" that we must see. On the one hand, with regard to our relationship with God, He is our Abba Father who cares for us, and we are His beloved sons. On the other hand, He is the Father of all things. He is the source of all things. Everything comes from Him and belongs to Him. We therefore are to trust Him. With Him, nothing is impossible.
May I end this article with the message given by Watchman Nee in his book "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

It is true that there are different levels in our service to God, and we can serve Him wherever we are. But the real question is, "What kind of service should we have in order to satisfy Him?" Those who satisfy God know the cross on the negative side and know God as the Father on the positive side. If our service does not have this knowledge, it lacks spiritual value. May the Lord be gracious to us to show us that everything God did with Abraham was to reveal Himself as the Father and the Initiator of everything.

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: Crystallization-Study of Genesis, week 20.

• Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 2) Vol. 35: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chapters 3-5.

• My Utmost for His Highest, "It Is the Lord!." (http://utmost.org/it-is-the-lord)

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)

Genesis, Message 19: Living in Fellowship with God

My Great Delight in God's Word

Crystallization-Study of Genesis, Message 19

Living in Fellowship with God

In Genesis 17, Abraham became a new man. He used to rely upon his own strength in producing the seed. He came to realisation that he was as good as dead. He and his wife were too old to have a child. And God revealed to him as "El Shaddai," the Almighty God, which also means the All-Sufficient God. Furthermore, he went through the process of circumcision, terminating his own flesh. The old Abraham who trusted in his own strength became the new Abraham who trusted God as the All-Sufficient One!

In this message, I'm going to share something from Abraham's experience in Genesis 18. God came to visit him, had fellowship with him, reassured him that the seed was coming, and revealed His plan of judgment on Sodom. At the end, I'm going to share about Lot's failure.

The LORD comes to visit Abraham.

Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. (Genesis 18:1-8 NKJV)

From the story, we see that there were 3 men came to visit Abraham. Obviously, one of them was the LORD, as indicated in verses 13-14, and the other 2 were the angels, as indicated in Genesis 19:1. The LORD appeared as the Pre-incarnate Christ to Abraham.
Before this chapter, God had never appeared to Abraham as a human. Abraham was not ready yet. He needed to have his own self terminated through circumcision in Genesis 17, and know God as his All-sufficient One first. He then became ready to converse with God face to face. Therefore after this experience, God was not only the Almighty Glorious One to him, but also a Friend who loved to have a personal talk with him.
Did Abraham deserve God's visit? If we consider Abraham's life, we will see that he does not deserve God's visit at all. In Genesis 12, he revealed his selfishness by lying that Sarah was his sister in order to safe his life in Egypt. He must have been very proud of the scheme, because he performed it again with Abimelech later in Genesis 20. (Even worse, his own son, Isaac, might have heard the strategy from his parents, and used it too with another Abimelech in Genesis 26.) And instead of waiting patiently for God's answer regarding the seed, he was so obedient to his wife Sarah by taking her maid Hagar as another wife. (Please note that I'm not suggesting that a husband should be rebellious to his wife!) This resulted in chaotic situations afterwards. But regardless of his imperfection, God first revealed Himself to Abraham, even in human form. And what was Abraham's reaction? He quickly ran to the men, welcomed them, and enjoyed fellowship with them. He stood there by them while they were eating.
Brothers and sisters, the bible says clearly that no one is righteous in God's eye. No one is worthy of His visit. Romans 5:6-11 explicitly says that we were weak and ungodly (v. 6). We were sinners (v. 8), and God's enemies (v. 10). We were absolutely unworthy. Yet by Grace, Christ, the Creator of the universe, became flesh to dwell among His people (John 1:14). Moreover, He who had never sinned became sin for us, and died for us at the cross, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). As C. S. Lewis writes, The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.
I always say to new believers that Christianity is not a religion. It is not about following the lists of dos and don'ts. It is all about relationship. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20 NKJV)
What is your response to His calling? Would you gladly open the door and welcome Him? Would you like to be there beside Him, enjoying a sweet fellowship with Him?

The LORD promises to give Abraham the seed at the time of life.

[And the Lord said to Abraham] "Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." (Genesis 18:14 NKJV)

Next, the LORD said to them that Sarah would surely have a son. When? At the time of "life."
Abraham was so old then. He was nearly 100 years old, and Sarah was post-menopausal (Genesis 18:11). It was absolutely impossible for them to have a child. His impotent body was as good as dead and that Sarah’s womb, too, was dead (Romans 4:19). But "is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14 NKJV) Surely, the answer is "NO." And about one year after that, Abraham begot the seed through Sarah as God promised. They eventually begot Isaac, which is the type of Christ.
What is the time of life for us? It is the time appointed by God. It is the time when we realise that we are but nothing, as good as dead. Only at that divinely appointed time can God fully work Christ into us so that we can participate in more life, and thereby bring forth Christ. These things are totally impossible for us to do. There is no way that we can participate in more life and have Christ brought forth from us, fulfilling God's purpose. That's why we need Christ who loves to do the impossible things. With Him, nothing is impossible.
Are you willing to participate in more life and bring forth Christ for the fulfilment of God's purpose on the earth today?

The LORD reveals His plan of judgment on Sodom to Abraham.

Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing" (Genesis 18:16-17 NKJV)

Then, Abraham, the friend of God (James 2:23), went with the Lord to send them on the way. And the Lord revealed him His plan that He would destroy Sodom, because the people there were exceedingly wicked. In fact, God came to Abraham to find an intercessor. That's why He revealed His plan of judgment to His friend. What was Abraham's reaction when he heard the plan? He interceded for Sodom.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord tells us that "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15 NKJV) Perhaps God is revealing His plan to you today. Perhaps God is calling you to be His intercessor, so that He can move through your prayer. What would be your response? Would you willingly participate in His move by interceding according to what God has revealed to you?
According to Abraham's experience, we can see that intercession is not merely a request that we make for others. Neither is it about our heart's desire. It is an intimate conversation with God according to His heart's desire that has been unveiled to us. We need not use very formal high words as we speak to the royal family. We only converse with Him as we talk with our friends. It is so easy, isn't it?
Here the means whereby God accomplishes His purpose is shown. God first has a desire. He then puts that desire into the heart of someone who is after His heart and has burden to participate in God's move on the earth. As a result, that person prays to God for it. And through the prayer of that saint, God moves and accomplishes the desire of His heart. Without our prayer, He cannot move. This confirms the statement of St Augustine that "Without God, we cannot. Without us, He will not."
One may ask, Why did God want to save Lot? Lot was not a very spiritual person. His descendents would even become enemies of His chosen nation. There seemed to be no reason for God to save his life. But He did this because Lot would become the father of the Moabite people. He did this to protect Christ's genealogy through Ruth the Moabite who was the great grand mother of King David.

A lesson from Lot's failure

Abraham decided to stay in Canaan, the good land God had promised to him. Even though he drifted away sometimes, but he eventually came back to live in the land. Geographically, the triangular boundaries of the land of Canaan consist of Egypt, Chaldea and Sodom, which represent the world, the idol worshipping and the sin. The good land was surrounded by these cities. Sadly, unlike Abraham, Lot decided to leave the good land and settled down in Sodom.
Brothers and sisters, please stay in the land of Canaan, which represents Christ. Stay in Christ by keep enjoying the fellowship with Him and His people. Never drift into the surrounding countries, so that we will not end up pitifully like Lot. Only in Christ can we live in, live on, defeat our enemies, and become His dwelling and His expression for the fulfilment of His eternal purpose.
I do agree a postulation of brother Witness Lee about Lot. He noted that Lot never came back to stay with Abraham again after their separation. Even after he was rescued from captivity, he went back to Sodom again, in spite of the wickedness of the people there. Coming back to Abraham seemed not to be a choice he would ever consider.
We did not know the cause of the strife between Abram and Lot's herdsmen. Whatever the cause was, Lot might think he was on the right side and Abraham did wrong to him by not giving him justice. He might have left Abraham with anger or frustration, and he seemed not to forgive. Moreover, there is no record that he really appreciated Abraham's fight for rescuing him. He preferred coming back to the wicked city rather than staying with Abraham in the land of Canaan. He became a leader in that city, as implied by his sitting in the gate of the city. His moral standard became degenerated, as evident by his decision to give his virgin daughter to the wicked men of the city to protect the guests and himself. And Genesis 19 records the extremely pitiful end of his life.
The story reminds me of one sister, Lotsy (pseudonym). Lotsy seemed to be very strong in The Lord when she first became a Christian. But one day she faced a life crisis. She was generously supported by another dear sister Abramy (pseudonym too). Abramy tried her best to help Lotsy. Abramy fervently prayed for and financially supported Lotsy so much that Abramy had very little money left for her own living. However, because of a few words or questions that Abramy said or asked, Lotsy felt so displeased or even angry that she gradually drifted away from the fellowship. Regardless of Lotsy hostile reaction, Abramy still genuinely loved Lotsy, and continued to help her. Nevertheless, it seemed that Lotsy had no desire to forgive and reconcile with Abramy. She became so blinded by the hatred that she could not see how gracious Abramy had been to her. May God have mercy on Lotsy that she would eventually come back and be reconciled with Abramy so that she would not end up like Lot who was saved but totally defeated.

Further reading

• The Holy Word for Morning Revival: Crystallization-Study of Genesis, week 19.

Thirayost Nimmanon (Tony)