I’m behind, as usual, with my scripture study. So I started with last week’s and got to the second sentence, yes - the second sentence and there began a two hour study. It began with Matthew 1.
Abraham was a Hittite and as such he would have understood and strived to follow the traditions of having two legitimate wives so as to attempt the certainty of a male heir. My curiosity was kindled with the Number ‘14’. My research uncovered the following:
- The doubling of the number ‘7’ to 14 is a reminder of perfection.
- 7 was the amount of time God took to create the world.
- 7 are the primary directions
- behind
- ahead
- right Side
- left side
- above
- below
- here
- 2 may refer to incarnation because it takes 2 to create life in partnership with God
- There are 3 sets of 14 mentioned which may evoke a sense of the triune God.
- Interestlingly the 14th day of the first month is when Passover is celebrated.
- 430 years before the first Passover God covenented with Abraham regarding his descendants. When divided by 14 we get 30.7, which is the approximate age of Christ when he was cruicified.
The name Issac means “He will laugh” perhaps forshadowing the carnel nature of humans. We also need to remember that Abraham and Sarah laughed when they were told they would be parents.. Unlike the prophets to follow him, Issac’s name was never changed. Issac never left Cannan likely because he had been consecrated to God. He can be seen as a ‘type’ of Christ in that he was to be a blood sacrafice (which legend says caused his Mother’s death), which embodied Heavenly Father’s promise to mankind. Issac carried the wood for the scraficial fire up the mountain just as Jesus carried the cross for his cruixfiction.
Ismael was the older brother of Issac and typifies mans struggle with bondage to the things of this world and it’s propencity to becoming a barrier to the Way of God.
Issac typifies grace which is the center doctrince of the Way of God. God’s grace permeates every element of our beings if we would only allow it. This grace is then demonstrated through our works, or in other words our efforts to lead a life defined by service to others by being a pinpoint of light in the dreary world. Without these works, which should be second nature for the redeemed, the grace of God is put into serious question. What is the point of grace if not for spreading it’s light to everyone?
Issac was a gift from God. His parents could have never imagined the impact his life would have on human history. Courage is a hallmark of strong faith and is indespensible in a life along the Way of God.. If we embrace our destiny and true nature as children of God then we face the numerous challenges of life courage that can only be bestowed by God, solidified by Jesus and manifested by the Holy Ghost.
This idea lends itself well to the idea of living with an eternal perspective. Our earthly time is less than a blink in our Real life. Issac’s progeny demonstrates many wonderful attributes including:
- Being leaders to those who are followers.
- Being guides to those who are lost.
- Being an inspiration to those who have no inspiration.
- Being workers of deeds that are good to those who have only known bad.
- Being prayer warriors by continuing the Abrahamic call of daily prayer
- Being charitable in a world that swims with selfishness.
- Being servants who are reflections of God.
7 Points. Interesting indeed.
Issac is also known as the ‘digger of wells’. This is another evidence that he was a ‘type’ of Christ. Christ endowed his followers with the tools and desire to dig wells, to uncover the clear, refreshing Water of his atonement. Water that has the power to stave off thirst if only we would allow it by our thoughts, intnets, actions and reflections.. By digging wells we provide a ready source for those who are searching. We would do well to remember to dig wells along our path of life. Only then can we have the potential of providing life to others intersecting our path.
Abrraham was shilded by God himself and promised an “exceedingly great reward”. Let that sink in. A reward that exceeds great. Can you imagine?
Abraham boldly asks God what could he possible give him. He taunted God by declaring that Eliezer of Damascus was to be his heir. He complains to God that he had not been given any seed and reminds God that an heir must be born in his home. God responds by saying that Eliezer would not be his heir and that his heir would definitely come from his own body.
The Bible says that God took Abraham ‘abroad’ and commanded him to consider the starts and promised him that his progeny would be as vast as those pinpoints of light. To his credit, Abraham believed God and proclaimed himself to be VERY righteous.
It is thought that Eliezer was the head steward of Abraham’s household and was in fact his biological son by his concubine Meshek. Ishmael had been the product of his intimacy with Hager.
Abrham’s father was Torah who also had two wives. Abraham was the son of one and Sarah was the daughter of the other. Abraham’s other wife was Keturah. They all shared a father. Both of Abraham’s were barren to this point. Keturah gave birth to Abraham’s first born son Joktan whose lineage is traced through the Joktanite Tribes of Arabia
Eliezer can be viewed as a ‘type’ of the Holy Spirit. Being at tentative to the needs of the house. Operating in the background while depending on the people of the home to let their needs be known and acting on their behalf per their supplications.
You are in need of nothing that you don’t already have.
