This is a Gleaning from Genesis 15:13-16. Here is the amazing thing to me...God spoke to Abraham on some of the troubles his descendants would have...but they would survive!
Earlier in the chapter God had just spoke to His friend Abram and explained how well it would be for him in regards to his descendants...Abram would have a large family.
Yet here, God speaks to him and tells him about the rough times that would come for his descendants...like the 400 years of slavery in Egypt.
My experience with true friends is this: honesty is the highest virtue a person can have when it comes to friendship.
Honesty is defined as: " a fairness and being straightforward in your conduct toward another. It is being adherent to the facts in a most sincere way." A true friendship involves integrity that has a proven track record with a person who you refer to as "your friend."
Here in Genesis God does not "paint a picture" like you might see in a Walt Disney movie. He doesn't hold back from telling Abram the trials his descendants will face. It's not going to be a "walk in the park" for Abram's beloved family...but they will come through it.
The "deep sleep" that Abram falls into is described by many Bible scholars as a night Christ Himself was to face, God's own Son, on the night of His betrayal.
The friendship between Abram and his friend God, had grown deep...and Abram's friend now shares with him...things to come...
" As the sun was about to set, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying horror, a shuddering fear, a great darkness that was both heavy and dreadful..came upon Abram.
In the midst of all this sense of terrible darkness, God spoke to Abram and said:" You need to know this, I will not "paint some picture" that is not there. Your descendants will face difficult times , they will be like foreigners living in a land that is not theirs, a land that does not belong to them.
They will be afflicted, oppressed, and even forced into slavery...and it will last a while...400 years. They will be slaves, they will be mistreated and wore-out as slaves to a people of Egypt.
But, judgment day will arrive...and the punishment for all the atrocities they have done to your descendants...will be rectified...and your descendants will find their freedom, and march out of Egypt with great possessions, and get to their point of destination in due time...and will take possession of their true land...and will receive much more!
Now Abram, as for you, you will not see any of this. Instead, you will live out your life in peace, and be buried at a very old age.
Yet, when the time of slavery in Egypt has concluded, and My punishment is accomplishing its given task to the Egyptians, your descendants will receive much wealth and have numerous possessions.
Many generations will have passed, then your descendants will return to their God, prepare to enter a Promised Land to them, and find their comfort...in me!
And the Amorites, who had dwelled in the Promised Land, but had not yet seen their destruction as your descendants move toward them...will see for themselves the Glory and the Promise,...the fulfillment of what I have promised you...Abram!"
The Sacrifice of Isaac...what was Abraham thinking when his Friend (God) had revealed to him all this?....
Earlier in the chapter God had just spoke to His friend Abram and explained how well it would be for him in regards to his descendants...Abram would have a large family.
Yet here, God speaks to him and tells him about the rough times that would come for his descendants...like the 400 years of slavery in Egypt.
My experience with true friends is this: honesty is the highest virtue a person can have when it comes to friendship.
Honesty is defined as: " a fairness and being straightforward in your conduct toward another. It is being adherent to the facts in a most sincere way." A true friendship involves integrity that has a proven track record with a person who you refer to as "your friend."
Here in Genesis God does not "paint a picture" like you might see in a Walt Disney movie. He doesn't hold back from telling Abram the trials his descendants will face. It's not going to be a "walk in the park" for Abram's beloved family...but they will come through it.
The "deep sleep" that Abram falls into is described by many Bible scholars as a night Christ Himself was to face, God's own Son, on the night of His betrayal.
The friendship between Abram and his friend God, had grown deep...and Abram's friend now shares with him...things to come...
" As the sun was about to set, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying horror, a shuddering fear, a great darkness that was both heavy and dreadful..came upon Abram.
In the midst of all this sense of terrible darkness, God spoke to Abram and said:" You need to know this, I will not "paint some picture" that is not there. Your descendants will face difficult times , they will be like foreigners living in a land that is not theirs, a land that does not belong to them.
They will be afflicted, oppressed, and even forced into slavery...and it will last a while...400 years. They will be slaves, they will be mistreated and wore-out as slaves to a people of Egypt.
But, judgment day will arrive...and the punishment for all the atrocities they have done to your descendants...will be rectified...and your descendants will find their freedom, and march out of Egypt with great possessions, and get to their point of destination in due time...and will take possession of their true land...and will receive much more!
Now Abram, as for you, you will not see any of this. Instead, you will live out your life in peace, and be buried at a very old age.
Yet, when the time of slavery in Egypt has concluded, and My punishment is accomplishing its given task to the Egyptians, your descendants will receive much wealth and have numerous possessions.
Many generations will have passed, then your descendants will return to their God, prepare to enter a Promised Land to them, and find their comfort...in me!
And the Amorites, who had dwelled in the Promised Land, but had not yet seen their destruction as your descendants move toward them...will see for themselves the Glory and the Promise,...the fulfillment of what I have promised you...Abram!"
The Sacrifice of Isaac...what was Abraham thinking when his Friend (God) had revealed to him all this?....
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