Genesis 12. 1-4a NIV courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.
Notice first that his name is Abram, not Abraham. The name change occurs later in the story. Here God is just getting started in this relationship - calling out of obscurity a man Abram and in exchange for Abram's obedience, God promises three things.
Now, leaving one's family behind was occassionally necessary - sometimes the flocks got so large that new land had to be found in order for all to survive. But remember that the extended family - (the next level up would have been the tribe) - were the Social Security system of its day. Family took care of family; they stuck together in times of sorrow, famine, invasion, disaster. To leave one's family behind - and to strike out on your own (without other family members to give aid) - was either an act of courage or foolhardiness. At that time, individuals took wives/husbands from within their extended family. Cousins married cousins. You can see the problem when you strike out on your own.
God's first promise was to show them a land for them to settle on. You won't go wandering around aimlessly. You won't face enemies who are unwilling to relinquish their land. I will show the land for you, which of course means that you will be able to support yourself.
God's second promise makes a great deal of sense. "I will make of you a great nation." We could focus on the ego portions of this, but I think that the reassurance comes from the security that a large family provided. In a time when having people remember you and the deeds of your life was the equivalent of 'eternal life' this promise of a great nation ensured that Abram would be cared for in his old age and not forgotten after his death.
Then an amazing promise: not the 'blessings/curses' portion but the part that goes "And all people on earth will be blessed through you." That is one amazing promise and perhaps harder to believe than the land and offspring promises. All people on earth - that's one huge promise.
That brings us to two important points.
#1 The people of Israel understood themselves to be the messengers of God's blessings for the world. It was to be through Israel that God's light was brought to others who knew not God. Aaron was called to be a priest to Israel (in the Moses saga) but it was Israel who was called to be a priest to the nations. This is an awesome honor, but a great responsibility as well. It was critical that Israel maintain a righteous relationship with God; if Israel failed then how would the world know? I believe that understanding this mindset is important to understanding the rhythm of faith and practice among the Hebrews. What would it mean to you if you understood yourself to be responsible for bringing holiness into the lives of others? (and is that not in fact your call?)
#2 As the apostle Paul was wrestling with the notion of Jesus as Messiah (being himself a devout Jew and Jesus a crucified criminal) Paul returns to this passage of blessing and promise. The people of Israel didn't take notice that God said 'all people' - not all the members of your tribe or all the people you know, but all people - and down the line that promise would include those outside of Israel. To be a light or blessing to all nations is to be a blessing to the Gentiles as well as the Jews - those who live inside Torah and those who do not. Or so Paul taught. Not every one bought the argument.
The apostle Paul uses this to indicate that Jesus is not the negation of God's promises to Israel but rather the one going ahead like Moses did to bring redemption and freedom to all people. In fact, as the named children of God, Israel has a special place in the great history of God and God's interaction with this world. We Christians are often guilty of failing to own the power and call of the Old Testament and the stories of faith that are found there - as if they are not important to the faith life of followers of Jesus. I would hold that we stand on the shoulders of these believers. Their stories help us live out faithful lives in the nitty gritty of this world even as we cling to Jesus and the power of his forgiveness.
A final note: if you spend any time in Genesis you will discover that Abram wasn't perfect; very few of the characters of the OT are. Faith isn't about our perfection. Forgetting that can lead us down some very dangerous paths.
Blessings to all.
I did not comment this past week because I contemplated long and hard about how we do fail to own the power and the call of the old testament and I realized that I could definately use a refresher course on the entire Old Testament. (and so I'm starting from the beginning again).
ReplyDelete"Faith isn't about our perfection"
this line stuck with me since the day it was posted and I've thought a lot about how people that do not consider themselves Christians often have the misconception that we (Christians) think we are better than them and only our opinions matter... But most non-beleivers don't realize that Christians often struggle with faith, we hear THEIR opinions too and we know we are not perfect, we are constantly re-focusing and working hard to grow in our faith... how do we effectively communicate that to non-beleivers so they don't automatically brush us off? We are not robots of the Bible... we follow the Lord willingly and lovingly...How do we fulfill our duties as Christians in the "nitty gritty" world when we are so easily brushed off as religious zealots.
.... I'm looking for inspiration in the Old Testament... any suggestions are welcome :)
A journey of faith, with its twists and turns along with its dark corners of no answers, is in direct opposition to the American way: set a goal, plan your course, work hard.
ReplyDeleteWhen added to conscious choices to make hard decisions and live a life of generosity and sacrifice, it is truly incomprehensible to many folks. In Jesus' time, it made some folks really angry.
It might be helpful to remember that we are called to be a light to the nations which we symbolize with a candle - not a 300 watt searchlight. We are to bring light and not heat - although as we all know, heat will often follow when the light shines in the dark places. We are to be able to give witness to the hope we hold in Jesus.
Not only aren't there any promises that others will simply accept us as we are, rather, Jesus warns that followers will have to pick up their cross as well. Even I as a pastor rarely make (emphasize that 'make') someone feel guilty. I simply speak the truth and the guilt arises from within themselves. It happens to me as well whereever the gospel is preached/lived rightly by others.
But when you've heard the call, and you have tasted the life available in Christ, then you follow.
As for inspiration, I'd start with Psalm 139. It well captures the complex relationship we have with this God who loves us. No answers; just faithfulness. I am not always happy with that God, but in the long run, what other kind of God could truly be God? If I could figure God out, then how weak would that make God?
"It might be helpful to remember that we are called to be a light to the nations which we symbolize with a candle - not a 300 watt searchlight."
ReplyDeleteI love this quote... sometimes we forget to examine the way we do things... the way we are speaking to others, the ways we are showing our lights in the world... we may be coming off differently than we think...
I also think that what people SEE you do, speaks much louder than what they hear you say (although words are immensely important still)...People are brought to the LORD through actions, not just words.