For The Proverbial Palate- Saturday, 05.03.2008

Proverbs 16:9

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

In our mid-week Bible study we have been looking at the promise that God made to Abraham recorded in Genesis 15:4-5

“And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”

We then find the writer to the Hebrews 6:15 says-

“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

As I recalled the story I did not remember Abram patiently enduring until he received the promise. My obstacle was that he and Sara had come up with the scheme for Abram to go in unto Hagar that he might obtain seed. Where is the patience in this?

I truly believe that what Abram and Sara had conjured up (devised) in their minds was truly how they thought God would bring to fruition His promise. I believe they were very sincere and did not see the works of the flesh in the whole matter. In other words ‘his heart devised his own way’.

Now if I had not considered this thought any further than the first half of the proverb, I would have a serious problem.  THE HEART….. consider what word of God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Again if we look at the heart of Abram and Sara this is exactly what we see; their heart deceived them and manifest the wicked works of the flesh.

So how can the heart ever devise anything that is honest and true?

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

The good news is that God’s word and will trumps our heart. He is sovereign and His will is perfect. So in the fullness of time Sarah brought forth her son, not born of the flesh, but of the will of God.

What one can not afford to miss in all of this is that Abraham had 25+ years of proving that God’s word is both faithful and true. So by the time we get to Moriah-the offering place of Isaac, Abraham had a different heart, a heart that was fully set on the faithful word of God. A heart that did not devise his own way, but the way and will of God.

One more thing that I would really like for us to consider, is what took place in Genesis 22. God told Abraham to take Isaac, his only son and offer him for a sacrifice. Without hesitation Abraham was obedient.

We remember the story, Abraham bound Isaac upon the altar and was about to put forth the knife to slay him when an angel stayed his hand. The Lord provided a ram…… Praise God!

But look what the Lord says to him immediately after this act of faithfulness…

 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:15-18

Abraham was so obedient to the word of God that he was fully prepared to kill Isaac, trusting God would raise him from the dead in order to fulfil the promise. Awesome obedience to the word of God while God is directing his steps in order to bring about His perfect will.

malachi

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