Living in the Image of God M04S16
We discuss God’s interaction with Abraham regarding the covenant, to understand that his promise for a husband or wife belongs to the husband-wife union. His promise of a great offspring expansion for Abraham and an identical promise for Sarah convey a promise for Abraham-Sarah union, to be fulfilled for them as one. The interaction conveys a message that God’s promise for a husband or wife regarding wisdom or knowledge, material possession, child bearing, or other areas of human need; is a promise for the husband-wife union and will be fulfilled for them as one. Therefore, a husband and wife need to interact with God as a union, even if physically separate, in order to receive fulfillment of his promise.
This study continues a series to understand the individual responsibility regarding family leadership. Our previous studies in the series led to understanding the husband as the overall leader of the household and the wife as the spiritual gateway of the family and occasional leader in specific matters. Both husband and wife are individually responsible to honor and support family leadership. The family will benefit greatly if they do. The series is based on bible examples of husband-wife interactions and relationships.
Understanding Based on Previous Studies in the Series
As we learned through the first study in the series, the life of the Shunammite couple illustrates the family leadership structure and benefits of honoring and supporting family leadership. The couple honored and supported each other’s contribution to family leadership and was blessed abundantly as a result. The Shunammite woman honored and supported her husband as overall leader of the household, whereas the husband supported his wife as spiritual gateway of the family and leader in specific matters.
The next segment of the study led to understanding the basic family leadership structure through the creation account of Adam and Eve. There we learned that God created marriage to combine a man and woman to form a union of seamless complements, that is adequate for the mission of representing him among all creation. He created man for the mission but found him inadequate. Then he created woman as comparable companion and helper from within.
The series has continued with a study of the Abraham-Sarah union, in four segments to focus enough on the details. The first segment discussed the call of Abraham-Sarah, which led to understanding that God uses the family leadership structure to communicate his will to the family. He called Abraham-Sarah to a mission by speaking to Abraham. Based on the interactions, we can surmise that he relied on Abraham’s leadership of the union and seamless communication with Sarah to ensure that Abraham-Sarah shared the information and commitments seamlessly.
The second Abraham-Sarah segment provides an example on defeating an external aggression by working together in honor and support for family leadership. In the example, Abraham-Sarah sought to address childlessness by having a child through their maidservant Hagar. The attempt started successfully in that Hagar became pregnant through Abraham. However, she desired more and attempted to disrupt the Abraham-Sarah union by despising Sarah. Abraham-Sarah called on the strength of their union and their honor and support for family leadership to defeat the attempted disruption by Hagar.
Current Study in the Series
The current study, third in the Abraham-Sarah subseries, leads to understanding that God’s promise of blessing for a husband or wife is a promise for the husband-wife union that will be fulfilled for them as one. The understanding is based on God’s interaction with Abraham regarding the covenant. In the interaction, he revealed to Abraham a promise for Abraham and an identical promise for Sarah.
Both promises foretold a great offspring expansion for Abraham and a great offspring expansion for Sarah, as if they were two lone persons. The promise, however, was for the Abraham-Sarah union and would be fulfilled for them as one. Thus, the interaction conveys a message that a promise for Abraham is a promise for the Abraham-Sarah union; a promise for Sarah is a promise for the Abraham-Sarah union; and the promise will be fulfilled for them as one. That is, God’s promise of blessing for a husband or wife is a promise for the husband-wife union.
Covenant Condition
The covenant condition describes what God expects from Abraham. He made the covenant with Abraham on the condition that Abraham will worship and serve him [Genesis 17:1–2]: “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
The condition and covenant apply to all people. However, this study focuses on understanding the covenant in terms of God’s promise for Abraham, Sarah, and Abraham-Sarah union; and implications regarding his promise for a husband-wife union through the husband or wife.
Promise for Abraham
In the covenant, God promised a great expansion of Abraham’s offspring [Genesis 17:4–6]: “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.”
The promise is for Abraham specifically, because the expression “father of many nations” applies specifically to Abraham. There is no reference to Sarah in the promise. However, in the same interaction, God revealed to Abraham an identical promise for Sarah.
Promise for Sarah
In the same interaction with Abraham regarding the covenant, God revealed to Abraham his promise of a great offspring expansion for Sarah [Genesis 17:15–16]: “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
The promise is specifically for Sarah, because the expression “mother of nations” applies specifically to Sarah. However, the promise is identical to God’s promise for Abraham discussed in the foregoing section.
Promise for Husband-Wife Union
In the interaction, God revealed to Abraham a promise for Abraham and an identical promise for Sarah, thus conveying a message that his promise of a great offspring expansion for Abraham is the same as a promise of a great offspring expansion for Sarah, which really is a promise of a great offspring expansion for the Abraham-Sarah union. The promise will be fulfilled for them as one.
Therefore, through his interaction with Abraham regarding the covenant, God conveys a message that his promise for a husband or wife is a promise for the husband-wife union, to be fulfilled for them as one. His promise for a husband or wife regarding wisdom or knowledge, material possession, child bearing, or other areas of human need; is a promise for the husband-wife union and will be fulfilled for them as one. For this reason, a husband and wife need to interact with God as a union, even if they are physically in different places, in order to receive fulfillment of God’s promise.
Summary of What We Learned
The study discusses God’s interaction with Abraham regarding the covenant, to understand that his promise for a husband or wife belongs to the husband-wife union. His promise of a great offspring expansion for Abraham and an identical promise for Sarah convey a promise for Abraham-Sarah union, to be fulfilled for them as one.
The interaction conveys a message that God’s promise for a husband or wife regarding wisdom or knowledge, material possession, child bearing, or other areas of human need; is a promise for the husband-wife union and will be fulfilled for them as one. Therefore, a husband and wife need to interact with God as a union, even if physically separate, in order to receive fulfillment of his promise.