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Monday,
June 9, 2008
Working
toward the
Fifth Sunday of Pentecost - Year A
This
Week's Theme:
"His Kingdom Comes"
Mon
Tue
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Archive
Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) (ESV)
1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre,
as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three
men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from
the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth
3 and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your
sight, do not pass by your servant.
4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and
rest yourselves under the tree,
5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh
yourselves, and after that you may pass on-since you have come
to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."
6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and
said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make
cakes."
7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender
and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.
8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had
prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under
the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?"
And he said, "She is in the tent."
10 The Lord said, "I will surely return to you about
this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son."
And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years.
The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I
am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?"
13 The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh
and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed
time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah
shall have a son."
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh,"
for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
21:1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord
did to Sarah as he had promised.
2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old
age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him,
whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight
days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was
born to him.
6 And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me;
everyone who hears will laugh over me."
7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that
Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his
old age."
Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the
Crossway
Bibles Web Service
For
as soon as any extraordinary difficulty occurs, then, whatever
God has promised, seems to us fabulous; yea, the moment he speaks,
the perverse thought insinuates itself, How will he fulfill what
he promises? Being bound down, and preoccupied by such narrow
thoughts, we exclude his power, the knowledge of which is better
to us than a thousand worlds. In short, he who does not expect
more from God than he is able to comprehend in the scanty measure
of his own reason, does him grievous wrong. Meanwhile, the word
of the Lord ought to be inseparably joined with his power; for
nothing is more preposterous, than to inquire what God can do,
to the setting aside of his declared will. In this way the Papists
plunge themselves into a profound labyrinth, when they dispute
concerning the absolute power of God. Therefore, unless we are
willing to be involved in absurd dotings, it is necessary that
the word should precede us like a lamp; so that his power and
his will may be conjoined by an inseparable bond. This rule the
Apostle prescribes to us, when he says, "Being certainly
persuaded, that what he has promised, he is able to perform."
(Rom 4:21)
—John Calvin,
Commentaries
Pulling
It Together
When a king of this world states he will do something for his
subject, the subject fully expects it to come to pass. How odd
that we trust the temporal and doubt the eternal. In the USA,
one knows that he should not trust the campaign promises of presidential
candidates, but many do anyway. Some citizens will vote because
of promises made to them that they know from experience will
likely not come to pass. This is only more reason for Christians
to live in another kingdom. There is a Prince who promises peace
and prosperity and he keeps his promises. God assures you that
he will give you what you really need (2Co 9:8)—but in order
that you may meet the needs of others. He does not give as the
world promises to give. (Jn 14:27) Even the peace he promises
is not Miss America "peace," but the promise of himself.
"Let not your hearts be troubled." Believe in the One
who promises instead of hoping in the promises themselves. Live
in a different society; live in the kingdom of promise. |
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