1. Base Camp
When people are climbing Mount Everest, there are at least 4 camps that people stop at on the way up. They have to stop because of the physical limitations of their bodies. They need time to rest. They need time to acclimatize to the atmosphere. They need time to be prepared to move up another leg of the mountain. People were not designed to go from an altitude of 0 to 29,000 feet overnight. In the same way, God knows our limitations. He is not looking for us to reach the summit overnight, though He is looking for us to journey with Him all the way to the summit.
2. Abraham had a time of rest in his journey through the desert – Genesis 21.22-34
3. Context of Honest dealings between Abraham and Abimilech
I. Passing Through the Land (v. 34)
A. Abraham was in Philistia Temporarily
1. “Many Days” – Unspecified; not “all” days
2. A short time
B. Abraham’s Time in Philistia was Potentially Tragic
1. Trespasser/Squatter
2. The Covenant with Abimelech – vv. 25-32, especially v. 27
a. Abraham’s first blood-path covenant – Genesis 15.1-21
b. The basis for him to keep going – God would make the covenant sure
David Livingstone was a talented doctor, missionary, and adventurous explorer. He was also a very sickly man. When he went into Africa as a missionary in the 19th century he took a goat with him so that he would have access to the goat’s milk for health reasons.
His desire was to reach the natives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. To do that, he would have to overcome incredible barriers: differences in race, culture, and language. Few of the people trusted him. The task looked impossible.
Then, one day a tribesman gave him some advice that provided the breakthrough he needed. He said, “You need to cut a covenant.” The man went on to explain that when two parties, even warring parties cut a covenant, they immediately become involved in a cooperative relationship. Everything that one party possesses belongs to the other. A covenant was serious and was binding until death.
Livingstone got excited about the possibility of progress in his mission work. However, as he was preparing to cut the covenant with the tribe he realized that he would have to give up his goat. It would belong to the tribe and without access to the goat’s milk, he would die.
It was a difficult decision but he decided to follow through with it, even if it meant slow death for him. He believed that it might be the best opportunity for Africans of that generation to hear the gospel and become Christians.
This was, however a wise decision. In the days that followed, Livingstone began to understand how powerful the covenant partnership could be. Not only did he live, he had access to everything in the tribe, including his goat. Both parties shared everything. He even found out that his covenant with one tribe gave him access to other tribes as well. He was no longer an outsider, he was part of a huge family of tribes all linked together by covenants.
C. We Are Temporarily in Our Land
1. Unspecified amount of time –
a. “Vapor/Mist” – James 4.14
b. “Few and Troubled” – Job 14.4
2. Dangerous – 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15.18-19
3. Rely on a blood covenant with God through Yeshua (Jesus) – 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22.20
4. It is easier to deal with difficulty if we prepare in advance
a. Job called on God in trouble – 20 Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1.20-22
b. Because he had spent time in preparation – There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.// And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.// 8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Job 1.1, 5, 8
5. Even though
a. Few days and troubles; passing through
b. Be about the business of God – “Occupy” – Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’ Luke 19.13
II. Planning for the Land
Approaching 85 years of age, Mrs. Wells finally decided it was time to give up her home in North Carolina and move to Miami. She was given the name of a Florida realtor, who enthusiastically drove her all over Miami, extolling the virtues of every apartment they looked at.
"And this one, what a steal," he said, "the investment of a lifetime. Why, in 10 years it's gonna be worth three times as much!"
"Sonny," interrupted Mrs. Wells, "at my age I don't even buy green bananas."
Age has a way of changing our perspective on time. When we were younger, we felt that we would live forever. But every year, we come more and more to grips with the idea that life is short, and every day is to be savored.
That's not to say that we shouldn't plan for the future (not buying green bananas is a little extreme!), but we should always live with the realization that we're not promised even one more day.
A. Abraham Thought Ahead
[The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.
1. Tamarisk Tree needs cultivation – does not grow on its own in rugged conditions [similar to the word of God falling on the path; rocky soil; and thorny ground in Parable of Sower
2. The tree’s needles absorb moisture from the air as salt does; this results in cooler shade for travelers
3. Tamarisk Trees are slow growing – takes many years to grow to a good size
a. Not for You or your children
b. For future generations
c. [Establishing the Constitution for “ourselves and our posterity”
B. The Tree was a Symbol of His Faith/Trust in God
1. He believed he was planting on land that would belong to his descendants
2. He was a blessing to the future – Genesis 12.1-3
Conclusion
1. How much of my life is about me?
a. Comfort – Enjoyment – Personal Gain
b. How much to bless others and future generations?
[In ancient China, the people wanted to defend themselves from the barbaric hordes in the North and they built the Great Wall of China. It was too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around. Very secure.
Yet during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times. Was the wall a failure? Not really. Not once did the enemies managed to climb over the wall, destroy it or go around it. How then did they get into China? They bribed the gatekeeper, and then marched right in through a gate.
The fatal flaw was in placing too much reliance on a wall and not putting enough effort into building character.
2. The actions of Yeshua (Jesus)
a. His love demonstrated – 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15.12-14//Romans 5.8
b. Future Unity – 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17.20-21
c. He is our rabbi and we are to imitate him
3. God prepared some things in advance:
a. A world for man – Genesis 1-2
b. A Savior for mankind – 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. 21 Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1.18-21
c. Works for the Saved to do – 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2.8-10
d. A Place for the saved – “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14.1-3
4. On the one hand we consider only today and not tomorrow (Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day. Matthew 6.34)
5. On the other hand we realize that we impact the future with today’s decisions
