Genesis 17:1-7 NLT
17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
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15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
*This came true even though Sarah was 90 years old when Issac was born and she nursed him herself.
The story has begun. From this man and woman would come the Savior of the world. It’s a simple story. It’s a difficult story. It’s a story of failure and happiness. It’s a story of truth and fulfillment. And at the end it’s a story of success because God was involved in lives and people walked believing in him wholeheartedly for all that they were to Him.
*Genesis 3:15 is after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. God was laying out what was going to happen to them and their bloodline. He said this because they did the one thing God said not to do.
Genesis 3:15:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel”.
*On the Cross is the ultimate conclusion of this statement. Satan struck at Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, with all his cunning that he had. Satan managed to get Jesus on the Cross and he was going to die. (That, was planned by God before creation even began).
Can you imagine the excitement that was filling Satan to be so close to accomplishing what he had been trying to do since time had begun. All down through history cheating, lying, maneuvering people and things to kill the one that was there to defeat him.
In your mind put yourself where Satan and all his cohorts are. Watching, listening, watching Jesus forgive as he is dying. Forgiving while he is hanging on the old rugged cross in agony.
Satan on the edge of his seat waiting for the last human breath to leave Jesus. It’s all quiet, you could hear a pin drop. All of them holding their breath. Then,,,finally the last breath leaves and no breath is taken in. No life giving air that humans need to live.
Satan waits, and waits. Then he jumps in the air with his arms in the air and all of his little demons jump to their feet too. A loud cheer goes out and it’s like at a football game. A wave starts and goes back and forth with loud yells.
Then suddenly Satan stops and stands still and all wonder what’s happening. Why isn’t he cheering anymore?
The one called Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, isn’t really there. Oh His body is but He isn’t. Then Satan feels a hard kick to his head. He realizes he has lost the fight. Satan drops to his chair with his head in his hands.
It’s possible God allows Satan to see Jesus in the Abode of the Dead preaching about what has just happened. Oh the joy I bet they felt. And I would like to have been there at that “covered dish dinner” wouldn’t you!?
Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”.
Immanuel means God with us.
So….The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and He will be among us.
This is the man, this is the God, this is the one true God that is fully God and fully human.
As we move towards April 4th remember the battle that has taken place for you.
Remember the One that suffered and died for you.
Remember the One that offers you salvation because of what he did.
This is the season of Lent. Between now and Resurrection Morning read your Bible, Pray and give something to the Lord that you love to eat, drink, or watch so when you think about doing it - you will think about why you aren’t partaking of it and lift God up in Holy Praise.
