God may tolerate, even bless things from our past (Old life), but a time may come when He calls us to separate and leave them and that can be painful.
21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah AS HE HAD SAID, and the Lord did for Sarah WHAT HE HAD PROMISED. (Genesis 18:10) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Genesis 21
The miracle child, Isaac, was born to Abraham and Sarah, when they were well past the age of child bearing.
3 Abraham gave the name Isaac (Isaac means ‘he laughs’) to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
RELIGION DOESN’T USUALLY APPROVE OR APPRECIATE LAUGHTER, SOLEMNITY AND SOBRIETY ARE FAR MORE EXPECTED. Sarah first laughed in disbelief, but then in joy at the goodness of her God.
8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned ABRAHAM HELD A GREAT FEAST (More Laughter, no end to their Rejoicing). 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, ‘Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.’
Sarah saw at once the rivalry between her own son Isaac and the mocking spirit of Ishmael. She demanded that Abraham get rid of the slave woman, Hagar, and her son, even though she had been responsible for his birth. That’s the counsel of the flesh, first one way and then another, doesn’t keep it’s word, inconsistent. But God had kept His word and now there was conflict.
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. LISTEN TO WHATEVER SARAH TELLS YOU, BECAUSE IT IS THROUGH ISAAC THAT YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE RECKONED. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.’
Sarah may have spoken as a mother, protecting her son Isaac’s future interest and Abraham was upset but God said ‘Do it’. The natural and the spiritual sons, in this case, couldn’t co-exist! They had to separate, no matter how painful.
13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.
God was gracious to Abraham and Ishmael is recognised as the father of many of the Arab people today and the ancestor of Muhammad. Many people see Ishmael as an answer of the Flesh to Abraham’s quest for the promised son and a continued threat to miracle child Israel to this day.
We too need to recognise that God will only bless what is of Him, but not the initiatives of the Flesh. There is still a huge difference, between a Good Idea and A GOD IDEA! We need discernment and Abraham’s wife eventually got it right. For those who are married, Listening to our wives may be God’s wisdom, as it was for Abraham. In any event, He will make His will clear when we truly seek it.
God bless and keep you today.