Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

God's Thoughts toward Us

surrogate parent to supply the aging couple with an offspring. Now preg nant with Abram's child, "she became very proud and arrogant toward her mistress" (Genesis 16:4, LB). Harshly rejected, the frightened, beaten Hagar fled to the wilderness, where the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water. To her the heavenly thoughts must have glistened like a string of prophetic pearls: • She must return to Sarai. • God will multiply her seed. • She is bearing a man-child. • She will call him Ishmael ("God hears"). • The boy will have the roving spirit of the Arab. • He will maintain his independence while becoming a mighty nation. Overwhelmed, Hagar burst forth in thankfulness to God, coining a name to match her inspired thoughts: "Thou God seest me" (verse 13, KJV) or "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees" (NKJV). She also named the well "The well of the living one who sees me" (verse 14, marginal note). Fourteen years after Ishmael was born, Sarah miraculously conceived and bore her own son, joyfully calling him Isaac ("Laughter"). Later, infu riated by Hagar's taunting teenager, Sarah had Hagar and the boy driven from the camp (Genesis 21:9-10). The helpless vagabonds wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. This time Hagar found no water, and she and her son despaired of life-until the angel reappeared. As he spoke, Hagar's eyes fell on a well of refreshing water. The narration ends abruptly at this point, but God's prophetic destiny for the woman and boy had only begun. Starting with only a bow and arrow and the promise of God, Ishmael grew and prospered in the wilder ness under the blessing of the Lord. He died at the age of 137, having fathered twelve princes, each of whom had his own tribe (Genesis 25:12-18). The thoughts of God found dramatic fulfillment! In the voice of God were life and hope. When the prophetic word came in ancient Israel or in the New Testa ment Church, it also produced life and hope. Ezekiel describes how Israel's boneyard was transformed by the prophetic word into a mighty army of living men (Ezekiel 37). And the prophetic activity within the Corinthian church provoked men to declare, "God is certainly among you" (1 Cor inthians 14:25). We, too, need to hear the inspired, living words of God declared in our congregational meetings. Such prophecy does not replace the Bible or any of the great historic doctrines of the Church. It is not meant to overwhelm 23 ■