Joined

This week's readings begin with some important events in God's relationship with Abraham in Genesis chapters 18-22. Within these chapters we find an important visit of God to Abraham, the prophecy of Isaac's birth, and the casting out of Abraham's son, Ishmael, to name just a few of these events. However, I noticed something in these chapters, as well as the accompanying haftarah readings in 1 Samuel chapter 1, and 2 Kings 4, which I hadn't seen previously, and I would like to share it with you here. In Gen. 18, three men, whom Abraham immediately recognized as being of a divine nature, appeared to Abraham near his tent. Abraham hurried to make the men, whom he addressed as "My Lord", a place to rest and refresh themselves. It is during this visit in which Abraham's reverential and generous hospitality is shown, that the LORD promises that He will return to Abraham the following year when Abraham's wife Sarah, who was barren, would bear a son. As Sarah overheard the promise of God, she laughed to herself in disbelief. The LORD asked, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (v. 14). In Gen. 21, we learn that God had indeed kept His promise to Abraham, and a son, Isaac, was born to his wife Sarah (v. 1-4). It was from this son that Abraham's seed would be called by God (v. 12). Abraham's older son, Ishmael, who was born from Sarah's Egyptian servant, Hagar, scoffed at the feast made to celebrate Isaac's maturing out of infancy (v. 9). After seeing Ishmael's scoffing behavior, Sarah demanded that Ishmael and his mother be expelled from the camp. Abraham was troubled and saddened by this, but the LORD made a promise to Abraham regarding Ishmael: "Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed." (v. 13). This promise is made regarding Ishmael because of the previous promise of God to bless Abraham's seed. We see that the LORD is joined, even bound, to His prophetic Word completely, and Ishmael is one who is joined to Abraham. After Ishmael and his mother are cast out, their water runs out, and they are facing death in the desert. Hagar separated a distance from her son so she wouldn't have to witness his death: "So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept, but God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is." (v. 16-17). Hagar was also saved though because the angel told Hagar, "Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation." (v, 18). As soon as Hagar joined herself to the boy, "God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water...So God was with the lad...". (v. 19-20). God's eyes and ears were upon Ishmael because of His promise to Abraham. Hagar also benefited as she joined herself with Ishmael. Let's look at two more examples from this week's haftarah readings about blessings, and even double portion blessings, because of a joining association. In 2 Kings 4, there is a woman from Shunam, which in Hebrew means "double resting place". She had a previous miraculous encounter with the prophet Elisha, a prophet who received a double portion of the prophetic anointing (see 2 Kings 2:9-10). Because she recognized the anointing upon Elisha's life, she wanted her household to be joined to the prophet in some way. The woman suggested to her husband that they make a special room in their house for the prophet to use when he passed through their area (v. 9-11). Because of her generous and reverential hospitality (see Abraham's example above) to the double portion prophet, Elisha prophesied a son to be born to her (v. 14-17). She was overcome with the idea that she might have a son. Her son was born as the prophet said, but as he grew, he suffered a head ailment that caused him to collapse and die (v. 18-20). The Shunammite woman laid her son on the bed in the prophet's room in her home, and sent for the double portion prophet. Elisha came and caused her son to recover, and he said to the woman, "Pick up your son." (v. 33-36). The Shunammite's close association with the double portion prophet, Elisha, changed every aspect of her life. In another example from this week's haftarah reading in 1 Samuel 1, we see the familiar account of Hannah, whose name in Hebrew means "favor, grace, mercy, pity". Hannah was a barren woman, who went to the house of the LORD in Shiloh to pray desperately for a son. We know that her prayers were answered, and she conceived Samuel, who would grow to be a great prophet and judge in Israel. However, there is an interesting detail in Hannah's story that may be overlooked: her husband. Her husband's name was Elkanah, meaning "whom God created or possessed". He is described as a certain man. The Hebrew word echad is used here, which has a very special spiritual meaning. It is a word which means "oneness" or "unity". Elkanah comes from a place called Ramathaim-Zophin, which means in Hebrew "double height of the watchers". This place is within the territory of the tribe of Ephraim in Israel. Ephraim means "double ash heap, I shall be doubly fruitful". I know we are seeing a pattern here regarding the outpouring of God in the use of the term "double". There is another use of "double" within Hannah's story. Her husband provided offerings every year for his other wife and children, but to Hannah, he provided a double portion for an offering because he felt compassion for her (v. 4-5). So Hannah's husband remembered her before God in double portion offerings. Hannah was joined to a husband who understood the principle of the double portion in every way. In our own lives as believers, we can see how being joined with Christ causes us to receive many benefits because of that association. However, did we realize that Christ's portion is a kind of double portion? The Law of Moses requires that the first born receive a double portion of inheritance (Deut. 21:17). The double portion is "the right of the first born", and as we have seen above with Abraham, God is bound by His Word. Scripture describes Jesus as the first born among many brethren. Scripture also says that in order to share in the double portion of the First Born of God, Jesus, we must be conformed to His image by God: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Rom. 8:29). If we look deeper into the Hebrew meaning of shenayim, used as the word "double", as in "double portion", there is also a glimpse of being changed, as we are changed in Christ. Part of the root meaning of the word is "change, alter, duplicate, transmute (change to a higher form), disguise". Scripture promises us also that we are joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17), Who, as Firstborn, has received the double portion. Also included in the meaning of shenayim, or "double", is a reference to the number twelve. The number twelve is important in scripture. The Lord chose twelve disciples, and there were twelve apostles appointed to the church. Apostles are still appointed by God to benfit the Church. As we saw in the examples above of Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar, the Shunammite woman, and Hannah and Elkanah, the Church would be wise to join itself to those who have the apostolic calling, instead of disregarding them (see also Eph. 2:19-22, and Eph. 4:10-16). In another demonstration of the importance of "twelve", or shenayim/double, the city of New Jerusalem, which will descend from heaven, is built on a squared measure of twelve thousand furlongs, each wall measuring twelve-squared cubits, with twelve foundations of the apostles' names, and with twelve gates of pearls (Rev. 21:10-17). Therefore, we can see that the New Jerusalem is a city joined to the double, shenayim, portion. In ending this entry, I would like to include a prophecy from Isaiah. Jesus connected the prophecy of Isaiah 61, which He read in the synagogue, to Himself, the Messiah. Part of that chapter says: "But you shall be named priests of the LORD, they shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs." (Isa. 61:6-7). Many look for the manifestation of this inheritance in Christ in material increases and blessings, and there are material manifestations that result as we can see from our examples above. However, the joining with Christ begins in the spiritual realm, and must continues there as we are required to be "conformed" to His image (see also Rom. 12:1-2). I hope I have been able to express here the principle of being "joined" to the promise of God, and the path of the double portion that I found in these Sabbath scriptures for this week. The inheritance is rich and deep and high and wide, but it begins by being joined with Christ. If you would like to be joined with Christ in the double portion, as well as continuing in being conformed to Him, please join me in prayer: "Dear Father, I thank You for the promises that You have given in Your Word. I thank you that You keep Your word at all costs, as You did with Abraham. I thank You for the thread of the double portion inheritance and blessing that You have made part of Your Word, and have made available to all who will receive it through Your First Born, Jesus. Jesus came to earth and died for my sins, and rose from the dead, so I can be a joint heir with Him in all that You have given Him, including everlasting life. Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit who transforms me and conforms me to the image of Your Son by the Word of God. I ask and receive all of these things from You in the name of Jesus. AMEN."