The Sunday Conversation | with Pastor Luke Okoro | 06. 03. 2022
Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-8. 1 Samuel 3. 1Kings 2:26-27.
“And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son”. Genesis 18: 13 – 14.
God has always wanted man to come unto Him in trust and faith. And to convince man to do so, He follows His invitation to man with some promise . Somehow, it is not always usual for man to accept God’s invitation,even with all the promises.
When God called Abraham, then Abram, in Genesis 12, He directed him to leave his country of Ur of Chaldees. God gave him a promise to encourage him to obey. He promised to make him a father of many nations, a wealthy man , a blessing to his humanity, a numerous people, as sand of the sea. He promised to curse those who curse him and to bless those who bless him. Abraham would become a reference of the people of the earth.
But what is a PROMISE? And what was Abraham expected to do?.This is especially as Abraham had no child as at this point, Though married to Sarah, but she was past child- beating age, just as Abraham was also very old, being 75 years of age. Even then, a promise is a promise. A promise stands as a declaration that one would do or not do a certain thing.
A promise is an assurance, a covenant, a pledge and a solemn word of affirmation, a guarantee,, a vow or a word of honor.
We can now understand what God did with Abraham to ensure He got his loyalty. God staked His integrity to bring Abraham to obey Him. He assumed a contractual obligation , indeed,an undertaking as in a pledge to make Abraham all that He has promised him. .
The fact that Abraham left his country home for an unknowns destination and country is an affirmative that he has accepted to follow God and to accept the promises– even if it was fitful initially.
Notwithstanding, in Genesis 18, God appeared to Abraham once again after the distraction of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 16. This other appearance was to reaffirm the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12; 13 and 17 to the effect that He would make him a father of many nations by the son that would be born to him by wife Sarah , and not any one else.
So, as captured in the quoted verses above, the angel of the Lord came again to announce to Abraham the decision of heaven to give him son Issac, by Sarah, according to the time appointed by God. This promise was fulfilled, just as all other promises of God would be fulfilled at their time so appointed. Hear the testimony of heaven on the matter;
“And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken.
“For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken of him.
” And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac”. Genesis 21:1-3.
This singular act of trust and faith is at the root why Abraham is called the father of faith. Beyond all reasonableness, Abraham believed God that He who had promised has all it takes to bring it to pass. And He did not fail. It is also not possible for God to fail in your own case.
However,, there are two sides to God’s promises. The good thing about God and His promises to humanity is that man has a choice. Just as it was with Abraham, so it was with the family of Eli.
In 1 Samuel 2, God gave a promise to Eli and his children by the hand of Prophet Samuel, who grew under the tutelage of Priest Eli. Do not forget that God has earlier cautioned Eli about the reckless lifestyle of his boys, and how they went about prostituting with the women in the sanctuary. Eli was not manly at enforcing discipline, order and Godliness in his children. Are you like that? Your children? Or you leave those you lead or guide to make reckless choices so that they will accept your person? Anyway, we are still conversing on: The Integrity of God’s word.
“And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
“In that day I will perform against Eli all the which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin , I will also make an end.
” For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
” And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli , that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever” 1 Samuel 3:11-15.
This is also a promise of God to the house of high priest Eli and his family. God was so clinical in it’s fulfilment that He wiped out all the males of that dynasty to ensure that none of them emerged as priest in Israel any more.
In 1 Samuel 4, there was war between Israel and the Philistines. Consider this account as it relates to the Eli’s clan.
” And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head…
“And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there had been a great slaughter among the people , and thy two sons also: Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and the ark of God is taken” 1 Samuel 4:12-17.
The full story also contained the collapse to death of Eli and the delivery of pre mature baby by Eli’s daughter in-law and wife of Phinehas who named him I-chabod before she breathed her last. Indeed God’s glory departed from Israel on this particular day. This is also a promise fulfilled. But it has still not ended with the Elis. Several decades later, one of the Kings of Israel, Solomon thrust out priest Abiathar who was the only evidence of Eli’s priestly dynasty in Israel to close their chapter in the roll call of priests in Israel.
“And unto Abiathar the priest, the king said…
“So Solomon thrust Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord, that he might fulfil the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” 1 Kings 2:26-27.
The son’s of Eli toyed with God’s word and received just fulfilment of God’s promise concerning them. It was dangerous, and a senseless indiscretion and risk on their part. They paid dearly for it.
How much of God’s promises are you toying with , thinking it wouldn’t happen? That can also be like the risk taken by the Elis. But do you need that risk?
(To be continued).
Happy Sunday. God bless
•Pastor Okoro, revivalist and marriage counselor, can be reached on:
08051000462.
