We move from salvation and the assurance of salvation to Satan and the
activity of Satan. Sarai came with temptation - "Why don't you sleep
with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her." Abram gave in to
temptation -"Abram agreed with Sarai (Genesis 16:2). The evil influence
of Sarai continued: "Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away"
(Genesis 16:6). When we read of Satan and his activity, we must not
imagine, for a moment, that Satan wins the victory over the Lord and His
purpose of salvation. This becomes clear as the story develops. The
Lord's purpose will not be thwarted by the activity of Satan. The
"Almighty Lord" will be victorious. This chapter ends with the birth of
Ishmael. It is not a high- point in the purpose of God. It is a sign
that Satan is trying to overthrow God and His gracious purpose. This
leads to a 13-year gap in God's speaking to Abraham (Genesis
16:16-17:1), but that is only a hiccup, after which God continues to
carry forward His great purpose of salvation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
-
Carl E. Braaten has written that "Serious reservations ... must be voiced against the dominant position of the idea of revelation in t...
-
From the majestic perfection of God and the privileged responsibility of humanity, we now move to the evil subtlety of Satan. An intruder...
No comments:
Post a Comment