WAITING ON THE PROMISES

Isaiah 40: 31 …They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

WAITING ON THE PROMISES

Gloria Phifer

Ps 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.

Hebrew for wait...gavah…to bind together perhaps by twisting. To expect…look patiently, tarry, wait for or upon. Look up. Hope. To wait or look eagerly.

       We are going to be looking at Abraham and how he waited upon the Lord for the promises to be fulfilled.

       Blessed are those who wait …wait in expectation.  Just as you wait when you are expecting a child. At first you can not see or feel what is inside of you.  You trust.  You plan. You confess, "I'm expecting." A tiny fluttering movement…listening to the heartbeat through the doctor's stethoscope (now there are ultra sounds). For nine months you wait.  Your expectation expands and has movement and activity. The day of delivery…pain that is soon forgotten…because your expectation has arrived for you to see...to hold…and to love. So are the promises of God.  Believe…you are expecting and they will come to fruition. (To full maturity.)  Ps 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. Is 30:18. Therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him.

       Webster dictionary "Wait...to stay for. To stop until the arrival of person or event; to attend to a table. To be expecting. An act, a period of waiting.

What are your thoughts on waiting? Why is waiting important to God? Why are we blessed as we wait on God? What does waiting do for us? Why do you think God waits?

THE COVENANT GOD

MOVING OUT IN FAITH

       I was going to skip over Abraham and go on to the Name Hagar (his second wife) gave God. ("El-Roi...the God Who sees me" }But, how can you overlook Abraham…it's impossible. Abraham believed the promises of God and it was counted unto him as righteousness.

       Abraham was a descendant of Shem (Noah's son). Abram was from Ur of the Chaldees. It was located in Babylonia…they worshipped the moon as god. Abram was called by God to leave the Babylonia system. LASB "Abram grew up inUr of the Chaldeans, an important city in the ancient world. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a flourishing civilization there in Abram's day. The city carried on an extensive trade with its neighbors and had a vast library. Growing up in Ur, Abram was probably well educated." Abrams father, Terah took his family and was headed for Canaan; they stopped in Haran and settled there…Terah died. (Terah was headed in the right direction but he never made it to Canaan.} The name Terah in Hebrew means "Delay."

What are your thoughts about Terah already heading for Canaan? Why do you think he settled in Haran?

       Gen 12:1-9.

       "Pack up Sarai; we're getting out of here.  Oh by the way, we'll need all the tents. We're camping out for the rest of our lives.  Not sure where we're going, but when we get there the Lord will show me." Abram was 75 years old.

       As I thought about the tents and being a nomad…I remembered Hebrews 11:8-10

Abram left Haran by faith.  Abram was not looking for an earthly city. Abraham was looking for a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. Col. 3:1-4.  Heb. 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please God. We must believe that HE IS and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

       Why do you believe faith is so important to God? Why does it please Him?

Do we realize and live as we are only strangers passing through this land? Are we looking (expectantly) for the City designed and built by God? The Heavenly Jerusalem.

       Canaan in Hebrew - Kna'an-ken-ah-an…means humiliated. A son of Ham. Lowland.  

 Gen 12:1-4 8 when they came to Canaan He built an altar unto the Lord in Canaan. Bethel was on the west and Ha'i was on the east.  Bethel - Hebrew- beyth-El…"House of God". A place in Palestine. Ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on the border of Benjamin, (tribes of Israel, sons of Jacob).   Hai on the east - Hai Hebrew -'ay- "ah'ee"  Place in Palestine…"heap of ruins.

What are your thoughts when you see that he built an altar at the place of…"House of God on one side …and heap of ruins on the other side?

LASB "Altars symbolized communion with God and commemorated notable encounters with Him. Built of rough stones and earth, altars often remained in place for years as continual reminders of God's protection and promises. Building altars helped Abram remember that God was the center of his life.

Built any altars lately? What would an altar in your life mean to you?

       He called on The Name…Hebrew-Shem-" The Name as designation of God. Reputation, fame, glory." Of the Lord…"Jehovah. "He called … call in Hebrew-"quara"…Through the idea of accosting a person met. To call out to. To properly address by name. Invite. Proclamation. To call out, recite, cry out, proclaim, utter a loud sound. To call unto (for help) Call with the Name of God."

 Has there been a time when you called on the Name of God (Jesus) with a loud sound?

        Abram left the place of his altar and traveled south (towards Egypt). A famine was in the land. (vs. 10) up to this point Abram has walked by faith in the promises of God.  Now, because of the famine, he leaves Canaan and goes down to Egypt. (Egypt is a type of the world. In Exodus we see it was the central system of the known world at that time.)  Vs. 11.  He was in fear. He was afraid the Egyptians would kill him because Sarai was so beautiful. I do not see any place where the Lord told him to leave Canaan.  While he was in Canaan, even though the Canaanites were in the land, he was not afraid; he was in faith, and now that he enters Egypt he is fearful.

 Are there times when we go to the world for our source instead of God? 

What are you thoughts on Abram building an altar to God and then when things look rough he goes to Egypt? Can you identify?

What happens when we get out of faith and we fear?                                                      

One antidote for fear…Ps. 23:4 He is with us…fear not!

Gen 12:14-17. It amazes me that Abram ends up with gifts and possessions from Pharaoh.  They were escorted out of the country.   "Back to Canaan Abram."

Are you amazed that even when you blow it, God's favor is still on you? I am.

       One of the things I love about the Bible, we see great men of faith, but God lets us see their weaknesses too.

       Gen. 13:1-4. Abram returned to the altar he had made before he left Canaan. He returned to his real source Lord God…Jehovah. Can you identify?

       In Isaiah 30:1-21 Israel has an enemy...the Assyrians. Israel was going to go to Egypt and to Pharaoh for their help. They were not listening to the Lord. The Lord says in vs. 7 "Their strength is to sit still". In other words "Wait on the Lord." They are rebellious to the Lord they want "human help". The Lord is warning them.  Vs. 15 What the Lord wants is for Israel to return and rest (in Jehovah) then they would be saved. In quietness and in confidence would be their strength (quietness and confidence in God) but they would not. They are determined to go to Egypt and Pharaoh for help. Vs18 Blessed are they that wait for Him. He will answer their cry even though the Lord has given them the bread of adversity and the waters of affliction…yet, He will keep on teaching them. The Lord should be the One we look to in every situation…not the world.

       There is a lovely book called "Hinds Feet on High Places". Each time little "Much Afraid" has a test she builds an altar to her Shepherd. She picks up a stone and puts it in her pocket.  At the end of the journey when she pours out the stones they have become Gems.  Her tests had turned into jewels. Have you had any tests where you have had to lay your heart on the altar?

Beloved one...trust in the promises of God. Wait on Him and He will act on your behalf.