Questions
9.
a.
mocking
b.
Hagar represents man’s attempt to be self-justified through works. Impossible to become part of God’s family, only by grace
c.
He did not abandon them, opened their eyes, provided for them, stayed with, saved, became a great nation
d.
The word of God last forever – while we face certain death God has the ability to bring us through it
10.
It is the difference between self sufficiency, self strength and complete submission to God’s strength. The second is stronger, but weaker and subject to mocking by the first in human view
b.
In the desert with a single skin of water, left for dead, but God saves. Mocking and despising/jealousy leads to being set apart
11.
a.
Struggle between patiently submitting and being led by the spirit and impatiently wanting to run forward
b.
The spirit controls my heart and the Lord fills me to overflowing with his Love, but I become impatient, allow human nature
My Daily Journal:
I was reminded of how God uses the desert. The desert is a barren, stripped down place. When Abraham followed Sarah’s wishes he abandoned this side of his family (something clearly not meant as an example of how to behave as a man) and sent them out into the desert with minimal provisions.
We find ourselves in the desert sometimes as well. We go through periods of time where things are plentiful and, at least on the surface, all may be seeming to go well. Then, one day we find ourselves in the desert, relying on the things we brought from our old life until those run out. In the deserts of life we have a hard time focusing on anything except the troubles all around us and the life we used to have.
But, God provides. To go from one mountaintop to the next you must go through the valley. God brings us into desert times in our lives so that we may learn to rely on him. In doing homiletics on this passage it struck me that every verse I summarized from 17-21 started with God. God heard, God called, God promised, God opened, God provided…
The Notes are Good 