The Summit’s Relationship Healing (Genesis 21:22-31)
The Field of Answers of the 1st 2nd 3rd RUTC: 6/20/2021
The Summit’s Relationship Healing (Genesis 21:22-31)
It is often said that life is relationships. Success, failure, blessings, and curses come from this. The relationship with God, family relationships, friends, relationships in the business or workplace, and relationships with neighbors are included. Today is Father’s Day. One of the blessings a parent can give to the children is the blessing of relationships. A child’s personality, social skills, and even spirituality are controlled by the child’s relationship type with the parents. Depending on what kind of relationship the parents enjoyed with God, blessings or curses can be relayed (Exodus 20:4-5). Likewise, depending on the relationships the parents had with people, blessings or suffering can be relayed.
The problem is that the world does not only consist of relationships of peace and blessings. Many are like bitter roots that bring suffering and uneasiness. Some relationships envy for no apparent reason, and when trying to make things right, it only brings more persecution. Suppose those relationships continue or are forced to endure it. In that case, it can bring severe depression, social phobia, panic disorders, and other mental problems. There are many people whose relationship scars developed into spiritual problems, causing nightmares, affliction, and auditory hallucinations. There are too many instances where the parent’s mental and spiritual afflictions are passed down to the children. We personally may have the same problems. I need to receive God’s answer, save myself, save the world and stand as a witness that even saves posterity. Let us look at how the difficult relationship in the passage became a relationship of blessings and how that blessing was relayed to posterity.
- This blessing is called “the blessing of Beersheba.” “Beer” means well, and “Sheba” means seven.
1) The first southern gateway into Canaan was the region of Beersheba.
① The Philistines settled beforehand and blocked Abraham through disputes.
It’s the greed of humans for vested rights and personal possessions. These events take place in the school, workplace, and even in the family and church.
② Abraham held onto the God-given covenant in Genesis 12:1-3 and only looked upon God.
He yielded everything and silently went about his way.
2) One day, the king and army commander of Philistine came to him. They came for two reasons.
① They said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.”
Even unbelievers know how God blesses us. It goes beyond restoring relationships to where they follow what we say. That is evangelism. Potiphar, the chief prison guard, and even the king followed what Joseph said because God blessed him. Thus, the most important evangelism is relationship evangelism. Unbelievers are watching us.
② They requested that peace would be kept with them, their children and grandchildren. They were asking to go together.
It was then when Abraham gifted the king with sheep and cattle and held a banquet. Then, the two men swore an oath there. Evidence was made by placing seven ewe lambs on the well that Abraham had dug. This is “the blessing of Beersheba.”
- May you hold onto the three models that Abraham showed that compelled him to enjoy these blessings as a covenant.
1) Enjoy the relationship with God in all my problems and conflict. This is the beginning.
① God is the One who judges those who do evil against me and also the One who can change them to be my blessing.
It was God who hardened Pharoah’s heart and also the One who made him surrender. I will transcend everything, find victory in everything, and everything will clear up when I enjoy God.
② Begin with enjoying the gospel. Christ came so that all problems, conflicts, and scars cannot become a curse.
He became my Priest, shed His blood, and delivered me (Romans 8:1-2). Hold onto the covenant that nothing can destroy me who is in Christ (Romans 8:30-39). He became my King and destroyed Satan’s head that made me crumble with all conflicts (Genesis 3:15, 1 John 3:8). Do not worry, be discouraged and weakened but fight a battle of faith and spiritual battle in Satan’s face (1 Peter 5:7-9). He became my Prophet and became my door (John 10:9), way (John 14:6), and key (Matthew 16:19). All I need to do is look upon Him, receive strength, and wait until he opens the door, opens the way, and gives me the evidence.
③ Solve everything through the gospel and conclude with the gospel. We must share this forum.
No problem is a problem. God will bring all things together and do good works. He will make everything into evidence.
2) Resolve interpersonal relationships in the gospel.
① People who give me difficulty are also coming from their scars. More fundamentally speaking, it comes from their spiritual problems.
They are doing that unwittingly while being deceived by the Devil. This was Jesus’ prayer on the cross (Luke 23:24).
② There are people I must pray for and help. That is why it is said to be compassionate with one another (Ephesians 4:32). Evangelism and missions start with the heart that is compassionate to others. That is how persecutor Paul became an evangelist later on
③ God will make me into a vessel that saves others and the world within that.
Because my vessel became one that could embrace the enemy, even the Philistinian king came and became one who blesses each other. The seven remnants all made their vessels in problems (true summit, spiritual summit).
3) We must make all relationships while preparing for the future.
① Everything I do truthfully today becomes a future blessing. This is how credit is made in relationships with people.
The small prayer, small things I yield, and small devotion I do today are stacking future answers. Hence, train to hide others’ transgressions, forgiving and blessing them. The blessing I will enjoy will begin (Psalms 35:11-13).
② Even the Philistinian king, who was an unbeliever, made an oath thinking about non only himself, but his sons and descendants as well (verse 23).
The parents need to be at this level. Believe that the covenant, prayer, and devotion that I have held onto today will be relayed to my posterity. A similar problem came to Isaac, Abraham’s son, later on, but God made it into even more significant evidence (Genesis 26:26-33). Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus’ cross, but later on, his son became the main figure of Romans 16 (Romans 16:13). All remnants, give the greatest thanksgiving for the sole fact that I am in this gospel and covenant blessing through my parents.
③ The true future for us is eternity. It is the blessing and answer that is stacked in heaven (Matthew 6:20).
It said that the works of saving people on earth (evangelism) and all the things we do to save the world (missions) will become an eternal prize and crown (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Conclusion – Do not crumble because of relationships, but may you become the true summit that makes relationships into an eternal blessing for my posterity and me.