[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
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"God heard the lad crying; and
the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What is the
matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad
where he is.’"
Hagar's life was destroyed by her
master and mistress. They were supposed to protect her, provide her and
preserve her. However, they have molested her, driven her out, and even left
her to die.
What a [bad] master and mistress!
Do you have a complaint against your boss, employer, CEO, CM, PM, DC, etc.?
Well! God didn't seem to be very
angry with Abraham and Sarah like we would want God to do against our employer
who misused [have wronged] us. Think about that, next time you curse your
employer or those in power.
Hagar and Ishmael were crying, but
it's not recorded any of their complaint or their curse. And God had
compassion for them. That's the way how we go through any injustice: not by
cursing others, but by crying out to God for His compassion.
And v20-21 furthermore
reveals how God was with them throughout their days. Hagar is a good example
of a victim, actually!
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"Abraham stretched out his
hand and took the knife to slay his son."
Some people didn't believe that
Jesus died to satisfy the demands of the Father. They said that it would be
tantamount to child abuse.
I heard that even N. T. Wright
endorsed a book that says the concept of Atonement is portraying a child-abusing
God.
Well, God asked even a mere man,
Abraham to kill [forget about abusing] his son, the horrific death of
sacrifice, cutting the body in half. It's not even strangling to death. It's
not a 5-minute kill. It's hours long sacrifice.
Why wouldn't God kill His Son, if a
mere man Abraham could? God could because Jesus was more willing, even than
Isaac. Moreover, Jesus is God, He can raise Himself up. And He rose again!
Call it child abuse, or whatever,
that's the Gospel.
Some may say that loving and
getting married to one woman is selfish, why not share spouses? Redefining good
and evil. Calling good evil and evil good!
Sin makes people stupid. Professing
to be wise, they are fools!
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"He spoke to Ephron in the hearing
of the people of the land, saying, 'If you will only please listen to me;
I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead
there.'"
Mighty people are honoured
everywhere. They get freebies [favour and gifts] everywhere.
They [even] often misused their
privilege. They often owed many things to many people and hardly realize those.
Suppose, you are DC or SDO and your
son is crying for ice-cream, any of your staff members would be quick to get
ice-cream for him.
Abraham isn't interested in
freebies. He is not taking anything for free. He paid them well!
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"So that I may make you
solemnly promise by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You
must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I am living"
“Be careful never to take my son
back there!” Abraham told his servant."
Determined. Faithful. Conservative.
Wise. God-honouring.
Tired of people who are quick to
compromise. Professing and becoming liberals, they have no spine to die
for, just protesting, disdaining, and killing others. Look at Abraham!
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"Abraham breathed his last and
died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered
to his people."
Wow! He lived his life to the full!
A satisfying life lived. It's not only Abraham's faith or his life we love, we
may as well like his death!
He died a happy man, a satisfied
man! Let's think about that!
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"The LORD appeared to him and
said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell
you.'"
What a chapter is this. It begins
with famine and ends with prosperity. It begins with Abraham fearing Abimelech,
and ends with Abimelech fearing Abraham!
The challenge was real. The
circumstance was hard. But God's commandment was true as well. Isaac obeyed and
behold what a change of fortune!
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"Isaac said to his son, 'How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?' And he said, 'Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me.'"
Using the name of God to deceive
his own father and brother. Well, how many times have we sinned in the name of
God?
Telling lies, insincere confession,
disingenuous expression using “Raguang Zaozian pan khou rui" [“by
the grace of God”] in unrighteous achievement, activities, etc.
Even for richness through
corruption, job through bribery. Achievement through cheating. Successful exam
result through copying etc. Huh!
Children of Jacob!
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"Now Esau saw that Isaac had
blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from
there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, 'You shall not
take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,' and that Jacob has
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his father and his mother
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to Paddan-aram.”
There's a good thing in Jacob
despite his deceitful nature. (Like Loki in Marvel Cinematic Universe, huh?)
He obeyed his father and mother.
What does the Bible say concerning children obeying their parents?
Furthermore, he didn't marry a
Canaanite woman, for which his grandfather Abraham would be grateful.
Esau disobeyed. BTW, [do you
remember] why was King Saul rejected? To obey is better than what...? [1
Sam. 15:22-23]
Jesus obeyed to the point of what? [Phil.
2:8]
And how do we make disciples of all
nations? Teaching them to what? [Matt. 28:19-20]
And what did Jesus say of our
demonstration of love for Him? If you love Me, you will what? [John 14:15]
And that lovely hymn sings,
"To be happy in Jesus is but to trust and...." What? [Obey!]
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"Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.'"
Jacob stayed in Rachel's home. They
loved each other. Obviously, everyone knew them. Everyone had no problem with
their affection for each other. It was 7 years already. Yet Jacob and Rachel
maintained their sexual purity.
What that [stupid wicked] people
cannot maintain their purity!? What [stupid wicked] people have a live-in
relationship before their marriage!
What [wicked stupid] people went on
date to have sex and see if they can be together!
What [wicked stupid] people
compromised their marriage bed before marriage!
We will see again in Joseph [a
chaste faithful young man]. Indeed, Jacob, his father had been a role model for
Joseph to maintain his sexual purity!
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"She said, 'Here is my
maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too
may have children.'"
Sin is messy, ugly, and dirty, huh!
It doesn't stop there. Leah did the same! If this is not messy enough, look,
Jacob took advantage of them!
Leah was sad that Rachel, her own
beloved sister will not give up on her husband Jacob. Yet she is more than
willing to give her ordinary maid to Jacob for her selfish sense of security!
She didn't want Jacob to sleep with
even her own sister, who actually had always been his real lover. Yet she had
no problem, Jacob sleeping with someone under her control, her maid! What a
selfish hypocrite!
Indeed, it was plain jealousy, a
jealousy that leads to greater sin, a kind of sin which is far beyond logic,
irrational, stupid, wicked, and unimaginable!
The Scripture recorded it to show the stupidity and wickedness of sin. Sin is always around us, we must be on guard at all times!