Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…
Understanding important truths
from the Bible….
ABRAHAM’S DREAM
Genesis 15:13-16 NKJV
13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them
four hundred years.
14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out
with great possessions.
15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age
16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Dreams were one way God gave His inspired word to chosen spokesmen. In Abraham’s dream God revealed to Abraham and to us certain important prophetic and moral truths. Abraham holds a number of offices, being a prophet was one of them.
First God revealed that Israel would spend 400 years in the land of another
nation. Providentially this happened with Jacob and his family migrating to Egypt.
What plans were made by Jacob and his son? They had no plans to move from their home. Necessity drove them to leave their home and land to find food. All the providence of
God in bringing this to pass is summed up by Joseph in Genesis 45:8; 50:20
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father
to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of
Egypt.
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order
to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
They went to find relief from a famine and stayed 400 years. Just as it was not their intent
when they left Canaan, it was God’s purpose which he revealed to Abraham.
Secondly Abraham is told they will be servants in this foreign land. The degree of servitude intended is not explained. But we see them at the time of their exodus in extreme bondage.
The extremity of this bondage is expressed in Israel’s “groaning”. In the scope of 400 years this bondage might have been fairly recent when they are described in Exodus as being slaves. Whatever else might be said their bondage was a prophetic certainty.
The third item of notice is God’s moral concern. In verse 16 the Amorites are mentioned in a
way that can only be understood as judicial. They had come before the bar of justice, a sentence was meted out, and it was to be executed at the proper moment.
to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of
Egypt.
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order
to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
They went to find relief from a famine and stayed 400 years. Just as it was not their intent
when they left Canaan, it was God’s purpose which he revealed to Abraham.
Secondly Abraham is told they will be servants in this foreign land. The degree of servitude intended is not explained. But we see them at the time of their exodus in extreme bondage.
The extremity of this bondage is expressed in Israel’s “groaning”. In the scope of 400 years this bondage might have been fairly recent when they are described in Exodus as being slaves. Whatever else might be said their bondage was a prophetic certainty.
The third item of notice is God’s moral concern. In verse 16 the Amorites are mentioned in a
way that can only be understood as judicial. They had come before the bar of justice, a sentence was meted out, and it was to be executed at the proper moment.
The Amorites were famous for their cruelty, idolatry, and general rapacious conduct. God has set a period for the end of their peculiar society. He revealed this to Abraham and set His judgment to be fulfilled by Israel’s overthrow of the Amorite nation. The prophecies given to Abraham were fulfilled. History in Scripture is replete with fulfilled prophecies. The prophecies of
Christ and the Church are a part of our Christian knowledge and faith. These are to be an aid in our confidence in God’s providential provision for His people.
Application:
1. The Christian’s future is as certain as it is a mystery.
2. Our final deliverance is as certain as Christ’s resurrection.
3. We can’t consider either prosperity or bondage as final.
Christ and the Church are a part of our Christian knowledge and faith. These are to be an aid in our confidence in God’s providential provision for His people.
Application:
1. The Christian’s future is as certain as it is a mystery.
2. Our final deliverance is as certain as Christ’s resurrection.
3. We can’t consider either prosperity or bondage as final.
No comments:
Post a Comment
darlenesf@hughes.net