Let’s look at B’Reishit/Genesis chapter 16
“Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the Way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:7-8
WOW! There is so much of us in this account with Hagar and the Messenger, isn’t there? Cannot the Messenger of the LORD pose the same questions to each and everyone of us today, year 5769/2008-9? Aren’t we in the wilderness and aren’t we still dealing with these same issues in our own lives, where we’ve come from and where we are going? Most of us don’t have a clue where we come from and what our future hold? Aren’t we still in this identity crisis today at this moment? Aren’t we and haven’t we all been fleeing from one thing or another, whether it be our past, painful memories, relationships, Fear, Truth, GOD, even ourselves in a lot of ways? There is nothing new under the sun! We are still dealing with the same issues today that are found in the Torah accounts! The Torah is alive and well for us today, and for our children tomorrow, B”H!
Surely the Messenger of God Almighty, who knew her not only by name but by status/position in life: “Hagar, Sarai’s maid,” could He not also have known where she had come from and where she was going? Of course He did, but He asked her anyway to engage her and meet her where she was in her understanding and to open up her mind to things hidden from her, to the fact that in her womb were future princes (Genesis 17:20 and 21:18) and a multitude that cannot be counted! These promises were thus revealed in several encounters between Hagar and Avraham! We must be faithful with the little bit that is revealed at first in order to be entrusted with much more in the future. So therefore first she had to heed the voice of this Messenger of Good News and obey His command to return to the very hard place (from her perspective; but in reality this place was blessed and was in the will of God for her, this place was where the blessings were to be birthed and brought forth!) yes, the very place she was running away from, and all of us run from even now, is the place of blessing awaiting us! A Rose in the midst of thorns! There lies the blessing!
The Angel of the LORD said to her (Hagar), “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand!” (Yes, that very hand that dealt harshly with her mentioned in an earlier parsuk/verse.)
“Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” And the Angel of the LORD said to her: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Yishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.” 16:9-11
I tell you this for I am expressing the very heart of God in this, that Hashem has heard all of your afflictions and all of mine, but it’s in this place that HE will have us birth forth His purposes! And so if we are commanded to return, repent, revisit those same places, let’s not hesitate to obey but let’s be quick to change our minds and hearts and do as Hashem commands and receive the blessing, receive our calling and fulfill our destiny! No longer a servant or maid of someone but called to be a daughter or son of GOD and a mother or father of princes, and princesses, of a multitude!
There is another angle I want to approach as well! This, I tell you, is a Blueprint for the Arab (Yishmael) nations to come to the blessings and true fulfillment of this promise in the Spirit! Twelve spiritual princes are still to be begotten by Yishmael! The Arab nations and the “Palestinians” will all need to repent and submit first to the GOD of Israel, to the Truth of His Torah and His Moshiach/Messenger, but would also need to submit to Israel, the People/Wife/Mistress of the Living GOD! But note that Sarai had to be, herself, first submitted to Avraham, her husband, who in turn was fully obedient and submitted to HaKadosh Baruch Hu in all things, walking in Faith, blameless before God!
In order for the Arab nations, and all the other nations at that, to submit to us, to our ordained postion in GOD, as the chosen People/Nation of Kings and Ministers of God Almighty, we will have to submit to His Way, His Truth, His LIFE! How can anyone submit to us if we ourselves are NOT submitted to God and His TRUTH which He has revealed and will continue to reveal to all! It is written that the nations will come to us in the latter days to learn the Ways of Hashem; but how can we teach them if we ourselves don’t know all His Ways!
Until then, we will not be the head nation we’re supposed to be, we will instead be the tail! We can only birth forth our destiny of being a light to the Nations when we humbly and fully submit to ‘THE’ LIGHT of the World! YESHUA HU OR HA’OLAM!
“YEHI OR VA YEHI OR!” “LET THERE BE LIGHT! AND THERE WAS LIGHT!”
But we all know that SUBMISSION IS A CHOICE! YOURS AND MINE TO MAKE; ALONE!
CHOOSE LIFE!
One last thought! Someone recently asked me “So how religious are you?” To which I replied: “Well, I love God with all my heart and I obey HIM no matter what and keep His Ways which He has revealed to me! Many call themselves ‘religious’ but yet lack in intimacy with the Holy ONE / HaKadosh Baruch Hu, AND the understanding of all His Ways! You see anyone can easily fake religion, and religious practices; why the agents and spies do it all the time in foreign countries, I’m sure, in order to get the info they need! But no one can fake True intimacy with God! Just as Moshe Rabbeinu couldn’t fake it and even attempted to hide it from the ‘religious’ people by covering his head and face with a veil to keep the glorious shine exuding out of his being simply from having spent quality time in God’s Presence, hiding it from his very people! But you see, those who truly possess INTIMACY with the Living God may try to hide and veil it for a while from their own people because we sometimes feel naked in our intimacy with God as well we should like Adam and Chava in Gan Eden; but ultimately His Glory will have to be seen by all. His GLORY is not meant to be hidden, and will NOT be for long!
But not so for someone who is simply religious without true intimacy, and knowledge of HaKadosh Baruch Hu! He or she may fool many for a while that they have ‘intimacy’ with God and profound knowledge that woo others in ignorance or who lack knowledge themselves, but ultimately they too will be exposed as frauds and as non-intimates! So how religious am I? Hopefully very little but I am deeply intimate with the Creator of the world and I can’t hide it any longer! It has taken over me! Blessed be the LORD! May His Glorious Presence overtake all of us swiftly and soon! Without His Presence all we have is religion and that my friends will always fall short and is never enough, especially in these dark trying times we are entering in! Happy Submission to the One True God, and His Moshiach my holy brothers and sisters!
Shalom, shalom!
“Thus says the LORD:
“Let NOT the wise man glory in his wisdom; Let not the mighty man glory in his might; nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this: “That he understands and knows Me, that I AM ADONAI, exercising Mercy/Lovingkingness, Judgment, and Charity/Righteousness in the Earth; for in these I delight,” says the LORD!” Jeremiah 9:22-24
