Action Missionaire Enfants
God is Love
I John 4:8
Children
Bible studies
GOD HEARS THE VOICE OF THE CHILD
Genesis 21:17, “God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”
The context:
Abrahm had a son, Ishmael, with Sarah’s Egyptian servant, Hagar. Sarah, Abram’s wife also had a child with Abram when she was very old, the child of promise, Isaac. In verse 9 we read that Sarah saw Ishmael laughing at (some versions say mocking) Isaac. So she told Abraham to make Hagar and her son leave. Abraham was not happy about this!
God himself had to speak to this Patriarch so that he listened to his wife.
Then the child, who was already an adolescent, found himself in the desert with his mother. The water quickly ran out and his mother sat away from him so she didn’t have to see him die.
What did Ismael say to God? The Bible doesn’t tell us but God listened to him. And the Angel of God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well and the child was saved. He became an archer in the desert.
THE CONFLICT
Conflict between Abraham, Sarah and God
Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3) but this had not yet happened.
So Abraham wanted to “help God”. Since his wife Sarah was barren, he decided Hagar the servant would have the promised child.
Conflict between Sarah and Hagar
The result was problematic because Hagar looked down on Sarah and Sarah mistreated Hagar who in the end had to flee to the desert (Genesis 16:4-8).
• Note that God intervenes at each stage. He is not distant in our lives!
• A child is the cause of the conflict, misunderstandings, frustrations, rejections. God is not unaware he is the God of life.
It’s true that God says what will happen. We notice this today, “He (this child) will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers”. (Genesis 16:12)
The voice of the child
So when death in the desert was so close, “God heard the voice of the child”.
Yes God hears the children, he sees that they speak with groans and tears, with words and behaviour that is sometimes beyond the understanding of adults.
God knows what each heart needs, whether child or adult!
Jesus spoke of the special attention that God gave to the children:
“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”.
Jesus himself: Blessed the little children and prayed for them (Matthew 19:13-15)
Gave back life to the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:49-56)
Healed the child who would throw himself in the fire (Matthew 17:14-18)
And us today
Put into practice the Word of God, us, parents and teachers
Ephesians 6:4 “And you, fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged”
- Let’s raise our children to God the Father, to the one who knows the number of days given to each one and who prepared all of our paths.
- Let’s raise our children by correcting them by instruction and teaching, Word and Spirit
- Let’s encourage our children in showing them that God has put us at their side to help them to continue to grow in a manner pleasing to the Eternal and to men (1 Samuel 2:26).
Don’t look down on the children
*“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”.
Not looking down on a child is seeing their sufferings, needs, isolation and rejection that they face because they are different (race, handicap, intelligence, social standing…)
It’s listening to them, to hear their cries and tears, their words, groans and longings and to respond to them.
Don’t lead them astray
“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea”
- Not leading them astray means to bring them to the Father, to show them the path they should follow so that they grow in a way pleasing to God and to man. It’s to give them the food that is the bread of of heaven daily.
- Not leading a child astray is to let them enter into their eternal destiny by the only path: Jesus!
Mark 10:14 Jesus said to them
“Let the little children come unto me, and do not prevent them, for to such is the kingdom of God.”
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