Voluntary Submission
In studying for my message last Sunday entitled "Getting God’s Best Through Submission" I came across a fascinating passage that clearly showed how God wants us to submit to our human authorities, even when they are mean and difficult to live with.
In Genesis 16 I found that Hagar was being "mistreated" (v.6) by her mistress and owner Sarah (Abraham's wife). So Hagar runs away into the desert to escape from Sarah and regain peace and freedom. However, on the road to freedom "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert" (v.7) and he gives her a wonderful promise about the son she would soon bear. But he also gives her a command I'm sure she didn't appreciate: "Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." (v.9)
What I found fascinating was that the word "mistreated" (v.6) and "submit" (v.9) come from the same Hebrew word in the original text. The Hebrew word "anah" means “afflicted, humbled, or abased”. So in verse 6 Sarah was humbling and abasing Hagar. In verse 9 the angel is telling Hagar to go and humble or abase herself under the authority of her mistress Sarah.
WOW. Many times we want to get from under the human authorities that God has placed over us because they are too difficult, mean, etc... But God wants us to submit voluntarily because He wants to use those very same people to build godly character into our lives, and character begins with HUMILITY. Bottom line: Humble People are Submissive.
In Genesis 16 I found that Hagar was being "mistreated" (v.6) by her mistress and owner Sarah (Abraham's wife). So Hagar runs away into the desert to escape from Sarah and regain peace and freedom. However, on the road to freedom "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert" (v.7) and he gives her a wonderful promise about the son she would soon bear. But he also gives her a command I'm sure she didn't appreciate: "Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." (v.9)
What I found fascinating was that the word "mistreated" (v.6) and "submit" (v.9) come from the same Hebrew word in the original text. The Hebrew word "anah" means “afflicted, humbled, or abased”. So in verse 6 Sarah was humbling and abasing Hagar. In verse 9 the angel is telling Hagar to go and humble or abase herself under the authority of her mistress Sarah.
WOW. Many times we want to get from under the human authorities that God has placed over us because they are too difficult, mean, etc... But God wants us to submit voluntarily because He wants to use those very same people to build godly character into our lives, and character begins with HUMILITY. Bottom line: Humble People are Submissive.
Comments
Post a Comment