When God Has a Plan it Reflects

his divine purgative. This relates to all people whatever their rank or position in life wether king or popper.

At the time Abraham was told by the Lord to leave his home land (Gen 12:1) God gave him the promise that he would be made into a great nation (Gen 12:2). Years later he complained to God about the lack of son. The Lord reconfirmed this promise (see Gen 15:4). In a moment of weakness, through an inappropriate plan, Abraham had a child through Sarah’s servant Hagar resulting in a son named Ishamael.

When Abraham was 99 years old he asked the Lord to give Ishamael the privilege of living under God’s special blessing! (Gen 17:18). The request was rejected Abraham was again told "my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year” (Gen 17:21).

Abraham had two sons. One was born of human scheming, that is Ishamael, the father of the Arab nations. The other, Isaac the son of the promise, was born in harmony with the plan of God. He would become the father of the Jewish nation. The Lord, in his divine timing, had exercised his prerogative. As the Lord had planned it was with the son of the freeborn wife, not the slave-wife, that he established an everlasting covenant (Gen 17:19). God's divine prerogative stood firm.

Isaac would in time have two sons of his own. They were twins --- Esau and Jacob. Before they were even born Rebekah had been told by God that the older son would serve his younger brother (Gen 25:23). Esau the older brother is described in Scripture as being immoral and godless (Heb 12:16) because he traded away his birthright. Jacob was also no spiritual giant. Under his mother's influence he deceived his father so he could obtain the blessing that should have gone to Esau (Gen 27:5-10). For his own safety Jacob went to live with his Uncle Labon and these two men spent much of the next 20 years (Gen 31:38) scheming against each other.

The level of trust between them was so low that when Jacob decided to return to his home land with his family and possessions he left secretly (see Gen 31:20). When he finally returned home he told his brother that Esau that he would settle near him at Seir. However, because of fear and a lack of trust Jacob settled in Succoth (Gen 33:14-17).

Even though both brothers appear to be less than honourable the Bible states that God loved Jacob, but had rejected Esau”(Romans 9:13). God had an immutable plan that was governed by his divine prerogative.

In both pairing God made divine choices. He chose Isaac not Ishamael and Jacob not Esau. Do these actions of God seem to be fair and appropriate? Maybe not at first glance. However, he is the creator we are the created. The prophet Isaiah records these words from the mouth of God “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine (Isa 55:8-9).

Are God's ways fair? Certainly for he is God. Does this mean that we will be always able to grasp them? Absolutely not — don’t forget that he is God! As such he has the right to exercise his indiscernible divine prerogative in all things according to his holy nature.

Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.