Just as a note before today’s reading. In yesterday’s reading, did you see the importance of the ages of Noah and the children of Shem after the flood? Abraham could have known Noah and very probably did. Scholars talk about the decay in oral tradition and so, oral tradition not being very reliable and thereby corrupting the facts, but Adam would have lived to see Noah’s father and Noah would have lived to know and teach Abraham. Often we see the Bible so one dimensionally that we think that Abraham (or King Josiah) just “boom” had that faith, and do not see that , as in our lives, faith, or the lack thereof, is often nourished by those close to us. Read the Bible as a letter from God to you. Be curious and understand that detail is there to teach us something, not simply to fill pages.
Genesis 16:1-18:19
16:1-6 As followers of Christ, I know there are many ways to look at events in the Bible, events where people make decisions without the right kind of trust. For me, I understand from this that God is extremely gracious, forgiving, kind and faithful.
The Spirit has given us the benefit of knowing that Abraham and Sarah never needed to do this. We understand they were driven by sadness and frustration. Those of us who are married know the emotional pressure “life” brings into a relationship and how weak we are to withstand constant pressure from one another through disappointment and arguing. Whereas in the psalms it talks about constantly crying out to God, faith also has to be accompanied by ardent waiting.
There is no evidence to suggest they prayed about this decision, but then, none to suggest they didn't pray. "Abram listened to the voice of his wife" is the key to this. Not that a husband shouldn't listen to his wife, obviously, but in this matter it involved a very clear promise of God and Abraham's personal experience with Him. This promise was as good as gold, set in stone, unmovable. Look at Genesis 3:17, "And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife…"
As disciples, we have been told certain things that we know are true about this world, the heart of man, our need of the Word and to love and follow Christ. These at least are constants, good as gold, set in stone, unmovable. The Word provides guidance in all the important relationships of life. So, we shouldn't let anything or anyone remove our resolve to follow and obey.
Interestingly, in Romans 4:20 it says of Abraham, "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God…" His distrust was not in the promise. It was confusion and despair in waiting over the means of God fulfilling that promise.
Imagine how life suddenly got complicated for Abe and Sarah. This “marriage” was a legal thing to do in that culture, but what they had understood as the "dream" (Abe and Sarah and baby) died. She gave her husband to another, younger woman, that pretty little thing they picked up in Egypt. And behold, Hagar is pregnant, meaning Sarah was the problem. Now, this young woman is flaunting it and Abe has grown emotionally connected (in love?) with her.
Any lessons here about how we can complicate our lives by not waiting on God and emotionally seeking other solutions?
Abe takes no leadership (guilty conscience?) and wimps out. Sarah gets mean. Hagar flees.
16:7-14
God had a sub-plan here for a man named Ishmael, a descendant of Abraham. Also, once God gave His promise, He made good on it. Every child born of Abraham became a people. The truthfulness and faithfulness to Abraham, even in his weakness in seeking the promise (note: it wasn't lust, like David, or power and lust, like Solomon) was still rewarded by God.
As disciples, as humans in the body of death, it is hard for our motives to be pure, but it happens, especially seeking the promises of God. Yet we are still frail. God blesses us in our frailty, in seeking His will and promises (Jn. 15 for example). Where we get into trouble is willfully stepping in front of the train, (lust, power, arrogance, sin in general). Forgiveness and restoration after willfully stepping in front of the train can be found, but like David and Solomon, it doesn't mean you'll have all your arms or legs.
God is tender, though corrective to Hagar, in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham.
Ishmael is to be a "Wild Ass of a Man," meaning virile, strong, athletic, commanding. A guy who could put it in the upper left corner of the net, by the post and crossbar, from mid-field, and if he got in the penalty box with the ball, you were finished.
You have to believe that Hagar related this all to Abraham (therefore we have the account) and that this calmed Sarah, who welcomed the humbled Hagar.
16:15-17:21
Note that Abe was 86 and the next verse he’s 99. God apparently used Ishmael as a small glimmer of hope as they waited, until the true fulfillment, 14 years later.
In preparation for this fulfillment, God restates the covenant, changes Abe's name, and gives him the sign of the covenant, circumcision. Remember that the fulfillment was unconditional. Circumcision was a required act of obedience for the nation of Israel. But it still was an act of faith to those who had faith. Just like followers of Christ, to some obedience is duty, but to those who know the love of Christ and gratefulness for salvation, obedience is an act of faith and love. How can you explain this to someone who doesn't see it? As a note, Paul makes a point in saying that Abraham was given the promise and pronounced righteous while he was still uncircumcised.
Abe was good with what God was saying up until now, but God renamed Sarai to Sarah and the dream, which they had always known was true, flamed to life again and Abraham goes into this "testing of the waters" thing with God because he can't believe his ears. He had always known that the promise would be with Sarah. I'll bet he was a happy man.
17:22-27
This would become the national sign of Israel, meaning they were under the promise of God. That was a redemptive promise, all nations would be blessed. It was perverted into nationalistic pride and patriotism. The promise eventually became lost to most of Israel.
But this was a sign of faith. I have to laugh, because the real act of faith wasn't from Abraham, it was from the 300-500+? men in the camp who came out, listened to Abraham tell them of hearing God in the wilderness, then he pulls out a knife, says line up and lift your robes. Whoa! That's faith. I can't imagine (and don't want to) what that day looked like. No discipleship course that I know of asks for commitment like this.
18:1-19
This section of reading probably should have stopped at verse 16.
Sarah hears the promise firsthand. The traditional way of understanding the visitors is Christ, pre-incarnate, often described, but not always, as "The Angel of the Lord," and two angels. Notice in Vs. 10, 13, 17, "the LORD said." Understand too as a side note, they were not illusions, they were real bodies, physical, fingerprints. When they ate, the food went through teeth, into a mouth and down an esophagus, not into a vacuum in their bodies. They, as spiritual beings, had no problem making a body in a second, with moving parts and all the latest upgrades. God did that at creation, too.
Sarah listened at the key-hole as they talked and laughed in wonder. God showed her kindness and understanding for her lie told in embarrassment, not deceit.
Vs. 16 introduces Christ's discussion with Abraham regarding the destruction of Sodom. Sodom was a city, but also a region. Abraham would now (for us, tomorrow actually) see how just and gracious God is.
As a disciple, what do you take away today, to help you follow Christ, with Joy and Faith and Focus?
Matthew 6:1-24
The true power of our walk with Christ is in secret. It is Christ in us when no one is looking and no one wants to go with, or when people oppose us. Who are we really, inside, alone with God? So much of Christianity is Sunday morning and if we have a group to support us. The church is to be the group reaching the world, but it begins with the individual disciple, living authentically with Christ.
The Lord's prayer is a way for a disciple to tune his heart to God and reality as he prays. There is no magic in it being recite en masse in a church service. The tuning of heart attitudes is its brilliance. Jesus could not have given us anything shorter or more comprehensive to tune our hearts toward God or our day, before and in our praying. Think through every phrase.
For me, I understand the warning against an unforgiving attitude this way. Even as disciples we sin and ask forgiveness of God and others. More often than not, God withholds consequences and furthers blessing in our walk. This encourages us to keep on seeking forgiveness and restitution with God and it furthers our work, reaching out and making disciples (bearing fruit).
I have experienced and seen, when I harbor bad attitudes toward people who offend me, and do not show them the same forgiveness, understanding, mercy and grace that my Father shows me, He holds me to the spot, makes life and heart difficult, until I'm willing to forgive. God doesn't play games like this, even with His own children and those serving Him. As a man sows, so shall he reap is still in force, regardless of who we are.
After the warnings of religion for the approval of the public, Jesus shows His disciples where this problem really comes from, seeking reward on earth, either from people or pleasure or money. As disciples, our understanding of this earth has to be different. We understand that what Christ did wasn't for heaven on earth for us. This earth will perish and the only thing that will be saved is people who have trusted Christ.
"Real life" will happen in the next "building," not in this one. So to place our value here is totally blind. To not be working with the love of Christ to free others, as we have been freed in Christ, is equally as blind. If therefore your understanding, your perception of Christ doesn't make you see this, this "darkness" is deeper than you know. You are not serving Christ, you are serving another master. All Christians are “technically” disciples, but all are really not disciples for this reason.
Discipleship is a choice to follow, to be hungry, to strain for what is unseen. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, and it will show by your fruit.
Psalm 7
Very few of us understand a need to pray like this. Few of us have found this much opposition in our walk with Christ. Psalms like these made CS Lewis doubt their inspiration. They are inspired and God understands. There is forgiveness and understanding, but even Jesus said there would be judgment and eternal punishment. How else can God help us understand His final attitude toward the disobedient and rebellious, than by allowing us to help others and be persecuted for it? And yet God shows His mercy until the end. As disciples, knowing the grace of God, so should we. And we should cry out to Him, as this psalm encourages.
Proverbs 2:1-5
Treasure, receive, call out, seek, search….and you will understand and find.
In following Christ, this is what separates the "men from the boys and the women from the girls." Jesus is about to say just this in His sermon to His disciples.
As a disciple, where is your treasure? How deeply will love empower you to dig?
No comments:
Post a Comment