Galatians 4:23, New Living Translation

“His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.”

My dear friends, when you are watching the news about the Middle East and the war that is taking place, what are your thoughts? Do you feel frightened about what is taking place? Do you feel worried about the future? Or maybe you think about the two sons of Abraham – Issac and Ishmael? If you are the same as me, and believe that the Bible is one hundred percent true and there is no mistake in His word – then you may have a similar thought as I do. The long suffering is part of the long-term consequences of the action of Abram and Sara who tried to accomplish the divine promise through their own human way,

Who can fulfill the Lord’s will but the Lord Himself?! This is not a question, but a statement! Regarding what the Lord has said, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) We can’t even fathom what the Lord’s will is, and how His way will be accomplished. If we can’t even understand how the Lord God Almighty did the things that He has done in the past, what makes us think we could possibly think we can make His will be accomplished in the future? Again, as the Word says, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25, NIV)

For part of my life as a follower of Christ, I was learning who my God is, and as a result began to clearly see who I am as well. He is the Hero, and I am a zero. He is the Rescuer, Redeemer, Life Giver, King, and Lord above all. However, I have witnessed many believers working through their agenda, making plans and schedules in their timing, and saying something along the lines of, “I am figuring out how I can make His name great.” Or “I am trying my best to fulfill the purpose that God has for my life (the church, the ministry…)”. When we hear those statements, they may sound right and noble based on the knowledge we have as humans. But when we read the writings of the one who was given wisdom by God, King Solomon, we find something different, “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” (proverbs 14:12, AB) It is a way that leads to trouble, a way that leads to a consequence.

The explanation of Galatians 4:23 looks like this, “His son (Ishmael) by the slave woman (Hagar) was born according to the flesh (nature of man), but his son (Issac) by the free woman (Sarah) was born as the result of a divine (God) promise.”

“… as the result of a divine promise.” If we fully understand that the word “Divine” means relating to or coming directly from God and God alone. As a human being, with a flesh nature, how can we expect to accomplish a promise (a will, a plan, or a purpose) that is divine? Do we truly think it was Moses and his staff which opened the Red Sea? Do we truly believe that David, a shepherd boy who killed the lion, accomplished everything he did in his own strength?

Humble, heed, and obey. The only one who can fulfill the Lord’s will is the Lord Himself!