Posts Tagged ‘Marriage Covenant’
I would never dare say that prayer out loud to God even though that was what in my heart all along for fear that God would actually take my son away from me just to test my love for Him. I wouldn’t want to be in the position of Abraham when God tested him.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” – Genesis 22:2
God knows everything. He knows what I think. He knows what was in my heart. He knows my fears. He knows me more than I could ever know myself. It was very foolish of me to ever think that I could pretend before God that nothing was bothering me. The thing that I dreaded the most finally came when God have put me into the test.
It happened one quiet evening on April 25, 2006 when my mother and I were having our devotion. The Holy Spirit led us to enter into covenant with each other. It has been four months since the death of my father; it has been four months since my son and I left Canada. My husband allowed us to stay as he went back alone in Canada. He understands my desire to be with my mother as she adjusts to living a life without my father. Part of the reason I wanted to spend more time with her was to share my faith with her. I want her to experience the SHALOM kind of peace the Bible teaches which only Jesus can give.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
Entering into a covenant with someone is like entering into a marriage covenant where you promise your love, support, protection, wealth — whatever you and your covenant partner have will become as one property. The lesser party is blessed by the wealthier party. Now I could understand why the Holy Spirit led me to enter into a covenant with my mother. God wants me to take the responsibility of taking care of my mother. To commemorate that evening I told my mother that we should exchange something like a souvenir which will serve as a reminder of our covenant with each other.
My mother said, “Anak, I’ve got nothing valuable to give to you,” then she took the pillow besides her and motioned to remove its pillow case then said, “I’ve got nothing on my hand except this pillow case of mine, keep it wherever you go.” I gladly took the pillow case and folded it. I thought to myself, this was very handy as I could bring it anywhere.
When it was my turn, I stood up. I started to look around our rented apartment for something very nice to leave to her before I go back to Canada. I noticed on the wall near our front door an elegant picture frame of my son. It was a collage of Ethan’s photographs; a gift from my friend back in Toronto. I walked towards that wall and look admiringly at my son’s pictures when he was just less than two years old. Then I heard that still small voice inside of me said, “No, not the frame. Look behind you.”
As I looked behind me, my gaze got fixated on the sofa where my son was sleeping peacefully. I suddenly felt cold; my knees gave up, I slump down to the floor and cried. I knew it would come to this… that one day I would have to face my fear. I slowly made my way towards my son; carried him on my arms and handed him to my mother. Seeing that I was unable to talk because of my heavy sobbing, my mother begun to speak words of comfort and said, “Anak, I don’t think God wants me to have your son. Maybe, He just wants me to help you take care and help you raise up Ethan.” Then she added, “I have a confession to make. When you decided to stay and started looking for an apartment so I can live with you. I said to myself that I will just play along with your so called ‘faith’ since you are the one among my children who’s capable of providing for me. Now that I’ve seen how important your faith is to you that you are willing to give up the care of your son to me… I am moved by your conviction. I believe now, my daughter.”
I couldn’t make out what my mother was saying to me that time; a lot of questions were running thru my mind. Why does He want me to let go of my son? Does that mean God will bring me and my husband to a foreign land where we could serve Him while we left our son in the care of my mother? Is this the path for us? Esser and I were in the crossroads of our lives. We don’t know why we couldn’t find satisfaction and comfort living in a blessed country like Canada. If there was anything we need to find out, we need to find out soon before our son went to school. But I don’t want Ethan to grow up without us on his side. I know this was the case of some of our friends whether they were missionaries or just plainly working for a living abroad. Is this what they call ‘sacrifice’? I was just hoping it will be different for us. I couldn’t take it anymore. I run upstairs and went into my room. I just wanted to be alone.
God spoke to me and said, “When you gave your son to your mother, it’s like you have given your son to Me. You have given your cares, your burden, and your fear in My arms. I know how much you love your son but I love him more as much as I love you. You’ll do anything to protect him and keep him safe but you can’t be around him all the time — I can. You’ll give everything to save up for his future but I have already set his destiny. I will be a Father to him as much as you are a precious daughter to Me. Do not let your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid. The only thing I ask you to guard is your heart — guard it against worry.”
In an instant, the heaviness I felt a while ago burst into thin air. I can’t believe the Father was communicating to me not in an audible voice but through my thoughts. I sat up on the edge of my bed with a Bible on hand. I want to know more about the Almighty Father; my knowledge of Him was limited to my experience with my earthly father. I’ve never heard from my father that he loves me, though in my heart I know that he does. I guess it makes a world of difference if I could hear those words from his lips. I wish I could say of my father that he was a good provider but I could understand if he can’t because of our complex family set-up. I know that my father was by nature kind and generous but there were situations which forced him to do otherwise. I could understand if he thought that it was just enough for me to finished high school since he saw everyone else got married, have kids, and still asked support from their parents. What was hard for me to understand was his absence on my graduation when I finally got my Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology; but I could understand the tears that fell from his eyes when I first gave him money from my salary.
While I was reminiscing the times with my father, I opened my Bible and read the whole chapter of Genesis 22. I saw that our Heavenly Father is a Father who always gives and not take. He even provided a ram for Abraham for a burnt offering instead of his son. And so Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Because of Abraham’s trust to our Heavenly Father God said to him:
“By Myself I have sworn,” says the Lord, “because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed My voice.” – Genesis 22:16-18
“Because you have obeyed My voice…” these words from the Bible got me thinking; what if I didn’t obey the Holy Spirit’s leading a while ago – what would be my standing before the Father. As worry begun to slowly creep in my heart, it is then that God said to me, “You will still be precious to Me. I will not ask anything from you which you cannot do. It is my Spirit in you which enables you to do things for Me.”
“But Lord, what if I fail? I’m only human.” I said.
“Remember that I am the God who cut the covenant with Abraham. I am the One who walked between the split animals to take the responsibilities of the lesser party. In keeping of this covenant, any failure on the part of Abraham or Abraham’s heir will rest upon My head. I am the Father who sacrificed His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perished but have everlasting life. The punishment for the failure of humanity has rested on My Son’s head as they crowned Him with thorns.” God replied.
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. – Genesis 22:7-8
God continued, “As Isaac was very obedient to his father even to the point of death so was my Son even to the worst kind of punishment. It was my Son’s obedience that I see in every heart of those who put their trust in Christ. I want you to know that because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross you will never lose your right standing with Me.”
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 22:18
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. – Galatians 3:16
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3:29
How wonderful it was to be taught by the Father. I closed my eyes and prayed, “Father, I thanked You for the sacrifice of Your Son to whom I put my trust. He died and rose again to bring me to a place of right standing with You. And because of His obedience all the promises and blessings in the Bible is upon me. Lord Jesus, I thanked You for You have made me forever righteous – and nothing or no one could ever take that away from me. Hallelujah!”
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