Holy Wholeness: Abraham
Scripture: Genesis 17:1
Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee
Spiritual Life Officer
USA Southern Territory
Possessed of a staggering promise, Abraham was puzzled as to the when and how. Well he remembered what God said: “I will make you into a great nation…I will give this land to your descendants” (Genesis 12:2,7). There was only one problem. Abraham and his wife Sarah were childless. Not only that, but they were also old. Abraham was 75 when God spoke to him and Sarah was a spry 65. Hardly the age when couples want to start a family.
No doubt Abraham and Sarah were excited, nonetheless. Monthly they looked for the signs of a coming baby. Each month they were disappointed. Months became years. Years piled on top of each other. No baby. No descendants. Just a promise that seemed more like mockery than a source of hope.
Abraham came up with an idea to help God out. In the ancient world trusted servants could be counted as family members, take the family name and through that one descendant could be counted as if they were blood relations. So, Abraham offered God the option of using his servant, Eliezer (Genesis 15:1-3). Nice try. But God made it known that Abraham would father the child.
The Wait Continues
The waiting began once more. The weeks became months that became years. Had God forgotten? Where was this child? After all, their old, wrinkled bodies were looking no more fit for childbirth or rearing children than before. It was then that Sarah hatched up an idea. If she could not be the mother, Abraham could at least be the father. So, she offered her handmaid Hagar as a concubine to bear a child to Abraham. Ishmael was born and with that Abraham and Sarah thought they had solved God’s problem for Him.
It didn’t turn out well at all. There was immediate friction between Hagar and Sarah resulting in Hagar and Ishmael being driven away (Genesis 16). And though God promised to bless Ishmael, he was not the child of promise. A baby was still in the works. But now Abraham was 86, his wife 76.
Before God dealt with Abraham about his descendants, He needed to deal with him about his divided heart. Abraham is heralded for his faith and indeed, up to this point there is evidence of it. When told to leave his home of Ur, he left to become a wanderer. When God delayed fulfilling His promises, Abraham still clung to Him in spite of any questions he had. But he seemed to have struggled with his belief in God’s power. Twice when he thought he might be threatened he lied about the relationship between he and his wife (Genesis 12:10-17; Genesis 20). And although he wanted to believe God’s promise regarding his child and the descendants that would come through him, he struggled with believing God really had the power to do it. Not unlike many people today who give lip service to trusting God but act as if God is too far away to make a difference in their world.
Be Blameless
Then God spoke, "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’” (Genesis 17:1) God had never before identified Himself as the Almighty. It was a statement to Abraham that He didn’t need Abraham’s assistance, that He knit the human body together in the first place and knew full well how it worked as well as how to overcome any difficulties that age or health had compromised. The God who set the galaxies in motion was not perplexed about a little old Middle Eastern couple who needed a baby.
With this affirmation came a requirement. “Serve Me faithfully and live a blameless life” (Genesis 17:1). Most modern Bible translators have elected to use the term blameless for the original Hebrew word. But that is not a strong enough translation of what God was saying to Abraham. The King James Version used the term perfect that back when it was published meant something different than it does now. When we say something is perfect, we mean flawless but that is not what the word meant a few centuries ago. Dr. Jonathan Pennington offers that the original word is better translated, “whole, complete or even virtuous.” That includes the idea of being blameless, but it is something more as well.
God is telling Abraham to live a whole life of devotion, a holy life. No more of this lying when you’re in a tight fix. No more of this trying to manipulate events to make the outcome the way you want it. No more of this wavering. You may not be flawless, but you can be complete in Him. Abraham had learned that his way, though painted with a religious brush, was not necessarily God’s way. For Abraham part of his problem was that he wasn’t quite ready to turn it all over completely to God.
That is precisely where many Christians are today. They know they should live a better life, that their faith should be stronger, that they ought to be living on the side of victory instead of skulking about in the shadow of defeat. God, through His Holy Spirit, will take the one who means to get down to serious business with Him and purify, empower and equip. God wants you to be complete, whole – wholly holy.
Soon after this encounter the child came. Daddy was 100 and Mama was 90. They named him Isaac. That would be the only child the couple would have. But Isaac had two sons and then his son, Jacob had twelve sons and those sons had many, many sons until the descendants were in the uncounted millions.Where is the proof that Abraham’s heart was whole before God? We find the story in Genesis 22 when God came and demanded the sacrifice of Isaac as a human sacrifice. Without question, Abraham and Isaac went together to the appointed mountain to obey. Fortunately, God rescinded the demand and Isaac lived. But this did not happen until Abraham knew through this test of faith that he was indeed whole and complete before God.
Our Corporate Prayer
Dear Lord, When trials to our faith come as they did to Abraham, please save us from complaining about how difficult our way is. Help us to trust in You and Your way. Please use the testing to purify our faith so that we might live more holy lives before You. We want what You want in us so that we can be conformed to the image of Christ. Teach our tiny hearts, dear Lord, because we cannot learn without Your help. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Our Worldwide Prayer Meeting
Tanzania Territory
Thinking it Through
God had Abraham wait a very, very long time before He fulfilled His promise to him. Was it because Abraham was not ready? Was it because other factors were not right? Is God making you wait for an answer? Can you trust Him never to tell you why He is making you wait?
Notable Quotables
It is not the quality of the instrument you place in the hands of God which determines its usefulness; it is the full surrender you make of it; it is not the quality of the agent, but it is God's having the full disposal, the undisputed sway, in using him. - Catherine Booth
Enjoy this rendering of the old hymn, "Have Thine Own Way."
We would appreciate any feedback and/or suggestions on how to improve these devotionals. Please email comments to: SpiritualLifeDevelopment@uss.salvationarmy.org or by going to our website: https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/uss/spiritual-life-development.
We would love to hear from you.
Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee
Territorial Spiritual Life Development Officer/THQ Chaplain
USA Southern Territory