In The Oak Of Mamre / Place Of Promise

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Some trees of the Old Testament have a special meaning in the history of the people of God, since some event of special significance took place near them; thus: the oak of More in Hebron, where the Lord appeared twice to Abraham (Gen. 12: 6-7; 18: 1); the oaks of Mamre that are in Hebron, where Abraham built an altar (Gen. 13: 8); the terebinth of Bethel; the oak of Jabes, where the inhabitants of the neighborhood buried Saul and his children; the oak of Ofra, where the Lord appeared to Gideon; the valley of Ela, where David killed Goliath; the tamarisk of Beersheba, where Abraham, after establishing an alliance with Abimelech, built an altar to the Lord; the tamarisk of Gabaa, where Saul received the news that they had discovered David; the palm tree of Deborah, where she used to sit and where the Israelites went up together for the judgments; the pomegranate of Migron, where Saul was sitting when Jonathan tried to cross the enemy ranks of the Philistines (Gen. 12: 6-7, 18: 1, Gen. 13: 8, 1 R. 13:14, 1 Cr. 12; Judges 6:11; 1 Sam. 17: 2; Gen. 21: 23-33; and 1 Sam. 22: 6; Judges 4: 5; 1 Sam. 14: 2).

These passages and many others tell us to what extent the trees enjoy a privileged, if accidental, character in the deeds of the people of God. Prophets and laws order to destroy every tree that may be, even indirectly, an object of worship or worship that should only be surrendered to the Lord (Deut 12: 2-3, 16:21, Jer 2:20).

The tree, which is now called "oak of Abraham", already had this name in the sixteenth century. It is an oak tree, the «Quercus pseudococcifera». The circumference of the trunk, at the base, reaches almost 8 meters; the diameter of the layer exceeds 28 m. (Thompson) This oak stands about 2.5 km west-northwest of modern Hebron.

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In the oak of Mamre, which is in Hebron, Abram built an altar to Jehovah after he separated from Lot (Genesis 13:18). He knew well, because God had told him that he had to separate from his family. On this altar, Abram has to cut relationships. Lot was a disobedience and this was the time to separate.

Mamré means vigor, there are relationships in our life that we have to leave to continue with the purpose, because they take away strength and weaken us. And when we do, we recover our vigor because now we are one with God.

There may be things that coexist with us that we know do not agree with the Word of God, but since sin is deceptive, we believe that it does not harm us and that it still remains in us. Sin is always going to be bad and, although we do not dominate, affect one way or another our spiritual and physical life.

When we accept Jesus in our life, sin can not coexist with us. It happens to us like Abram with Lot. We need to free ourselves from that burden.

A hardened heart resists obedience to God. On this altar through prayer, our relationship with God is restored. The hardness of our heart disappears.

Was Abraham qualified for the mission that God entrusted to him? Did you feel motivated by any natural advantage to fulfill it? Of course, no.

What are the things you consider when the Lord calls you to do some service? Your personal talents? His charisma? Your economic means or social influences? and that if he does not possess any of these things, does he refuse or continue?

Romans 4: 13-22

Do you think that you run with disadvantages, can not you see yourself in shape? Maybe this is the case and you are probably right and there are those who think that because of this, when God makes his plans, the Lord does not take them into account.

The apostle Paul is speaking to us about the faith and hope that Abraham had to exercise in order not to lose the promise. God appeared to him in the grove of Mamre and promised him a son and a great offspring that would become a nation. The latter is wonderful, but having a son does not seem to represent any difficulty for most men, but for Abraham because he was old and his wife was sterile, but God, as he always does, starts from scratch with someone who having children had a zero

At the moment that Abraham heard the promise of God, he believed in his promise, although what was really difficult was to maintain his faith when facing a battle inside him called "Hope against Hope".

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The Counter-Hope

In other words, everything that rose up against the fulfillment of God's promise.

His own body: "And he did not weaken in faith by considering his body, which was already as dead (being almost a hundred years old)" (Ro.4: 19). His body said to Abraham - I can not give you children

Many lose their faith by considering themselves, we should not seek faith in our bodies or in our intellectual and economic possibilities. Our bodies the only thing that they reveal, is our insufficiency to fulfill the divine purposes, your life is always going to tell you that you are very little thing, devil and very fragile.

The body of his wife: "... or the sterility of Sara's womb", he said - I can not give you children.

Others lose hope when they observe what is around them, the political, economic situation, competition, etc. When we had to buy church property in dollar-denominated installments, some did not agree to do so because the upcoming elections could bring unfavorable changes in the economy.

There are many capable people but without audacity, they are intelligent but conservative, better and less safe, than more and to wait. Some live detained in time waiting for better times, Solomon teaches us: "He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks to the clouds will not reap" (Ec.11: 4).

The past: This also spoke against the fulfillment of God's promise and his cruelest argument said: "They could not be young, at least now!

How many have been left on the road to be frustrated in their efforts, one will say: "I have failed enough to never try again." How many times do you think Abraham and Sara would have tried to have children? Are you too old to start over? However, this text more than any other speaks to the "Old Ones" encouraging them to believe that the Lord realized that their first friend was an elder.

Do not measure your present for your past: you are different from yesterday, you were designed to change, and if something has helped the past failure was to ensure future success.

The fulfillment of the promise, the time that elapsed: it was 30 years that separated the promise of its fulfillment. That emotion, how much hope Abraham had, God promised him a son at the age of 70 years.

Some are wrong when God speaks to them, not with regard to the promise, but in relation to the time of their fulfillment, and after a short wait of a few years they faint, believing that God passed from them or what happened to the Lord ?

God is not controlled by our economy, government or bad weather, can not be delayed or stopped by a traffic jam, a big rain or the flu, we do not have a God of something that can happen to him, he is not controlled by things , but He controls the entire universe. He always arrives on time, not before, not after, always on time.

When God does not do it, we try to do it, however, our work is destined to disappear.

These arguments were true and spoke strongly to Abraham's heart against his great hope; However, the Bible says that Abraham did not consider them, did not observe them, did not give himself up to his preaching, what did Abraham consider?

The hope

The promise: his hope was not based on something that he had imposed himself, but on the fact that God himself had called him "to be the father of many people" and made him the promise of a son.

Those of us who have a promise from God will have hope in our life, from the promise, the days after were all days of hope. God promised health, those who need it, wait?

All those who have hope in life will have a destiny in God. (1 Peter 1: 3-4)

He gave glory to God: he thanked God in advance, while today many complain beforehand, give glory to God when all is well, it is an activity that everyone can do, but what happens when we raise our voice in gratitude to heaven even when he stays with his windows closed?

Convinced that the power of God was sufficient: Our God is not second class, there is no other above or below him, he is unique and almighty.

His faithfulness: he knew that God was faithful, that is, he was worthy of all confidence to do all that he had promised.

This was what Abraham considered, he was determined to believe, and God gave him the promised son, what had been raised against his hope was violent, and he had the firm intention to defeat him, but he did not consider it, the greater it was the testimony of God who stopped contemplating and feeling sorry for looking to God and believing in hope.

What or who do you support yourself in the moments of greatest difficulty? Family, friends or money can be useful at times, but God's purpose demands much more than this, it demands faith in those who can do what is impossible for men.

Brother, today you may be losing your hopes, what are you considering? Who are you listening to? Job said: "Where is my hope?" To which David seems to respond from a Psalm: "My hope is in God."

We were all born with a purpose, if you have not yet reached it, ask God to take you to the oak grove of Mamre, a place of promise, there he will renew our strength and prepare us to reach destiny. Have you found your mamre oak?