Journey's End

After Sarah’s death and Isaac’s marriage, the Scriptures tell us that Abraham “took another wife, whose name was Keturah.” (Genesis 25:1) Incredibly, she bore him six more sons! The biblical account tells us that Abraham left everything to his son Isaac, but that he provided for his other sons by giving them gifts—after which he sent them far away from Isaac. Abraham did not want anyone intruding on God’s covenant with him and the heir to the promise, Isaac.
Finally, at age 175 Abraham died and was buried with Sarah. “Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 25:8) Moses’ eulogy is rather sparse, but the New Testament writers refer to Abraham and his example over and over again. The poignant reference that he was “gathered to his people” indicates to me that he had reached the “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

How thankful I am for the account of Abraham’s life! His failures have been laid bare, but so has his heart—a heart that wanted to know and love God intimately. Abraham’s biography also reveals God’s character to me, and shows the depth of God’s desire to relate to me, as Friend to friend and Father to child.

And so the eulogy we find in Hebrews gives us a model for ourselves. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents…. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. … By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death…. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 11: 8-12; 17-19; 12:1-2)

God grant that I will be like Abraham: ready to obey, ready to believe even the impossible, focused on a more permanent prize than material gain, with my eyes fixed on Jesus, my Redeemer and Friend.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

God Guides

Abraham was nearing the end of his life, but two major events remained: the death of his beloved wife, Sarah, and the marriage of his beloved son, Isaac. Sarah died at age 127 and Abraham acquired his own land for the first time—a burial plot.

In haggling over the property, Ephron, the seller, charged an outrageous price and forced Abraham to buy more land than he actually wanted. This purchase of a burial ground, though, was an act of faith. Abraham was in fact laying claim to the land God had promised to give his descendants.

Abraham realized that he would not have descendants if Isaac never married, and he did not want a marriage with the Canaanite women in the region. He solemnly commissioned his servant (perhaps Eliezar mentioned to in chapter 15?) to find a wife from his own people. He clearly instructed Eliezar to find a woman who would be willing to move to Canaan; under no circumstances should Isaac move to another region. Abraham was confident that the God who had promised this land to Isaac’s children would “send his angel before [you] so that you can get a wife from my son from there.” (Gen. 24:7)

The servant, well-laden with presents carried on ten camels set out on the long and arduous journey to Nahor. Abraham had modeled a life of faith before the servant, and Eliezar now proceeded in just the way his master would have done: he prayed a specific prayer. “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” He was bold enough to pray that specific things would happen to indicate which young woman was meant to become Isaac’s wife.

How God must have appreciated his faith and daring, because He answered each request exactly as Eliezar had prayed before he had finished praying! And God went even further than Eliezar had asked: Rebekah, the young woman who fulfilled the prayer’s requirements was related to Abraham himself!

When Rebekah ran off to warn her mother to prepare for an overnight guest, Eliezar thanked God for His prompt answer. He knew that this meeting had not happened by chance, but had been orchestrated by the Almighty God “who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master.” (Gen. 24:27)

An interesting character inserts himself into the story at this point, a man we will come to know well later! Moses cleverly gives us a hint of this rascal’s nature when he discloses Laban’s interest in the servant’s wealth. (Gen. 24:30,31)

Once seated around the meal in Rebekah’s home, the servant wasted no time in disclosing the reason for his trip. He testified to Abraham’s faith that God would lead him to a bride for Isaac. He indicated how God had answered his prayer for guidance when He had sent Rebekah to the well.

Laban, Rebekah’s brother, and Bethuel, her father saw God’s hand in this errand as well. They quickly agreed to the marriage, profiting greatly from Abraham’s largesse. Although they weren’t ready for Rebekah to leave the following morning, as the servant had planned, she was ready. She and her servants were on the camels and heading for Canaan by morning.
The romantic side of us can just imagine Rebekah and Isaac’s notice of each other as she reached the field near his home. When Isaac heard the account of the God-ordained meeting with Rebekah, he brought her to his mother’s tent and married her. We are gratified to read that Isaac “loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Gen. 24:47)

I appreciate what this story teaches me about God’s guidance. Eliezar’s approach to the daunting task of finding a wife for Isaac from people he had probably never met is a good model. He prayed on the basis of God’s character, not fearing to be specific in his request, and then resting in his belief that God would lead him. Some parallel verses fit the story and add to my understanding of God’s promises in this regard:

Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Isaiah 65:24: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

My life is not a game of Russian roulette. God has a plan for me, and has promised to reveal it. My part is to seek after Him and to follow.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

A Lamb Provided

Abraham and Sarah have been given their promised heir, and all is quiet in the biblical account. I presume they were happily and busily raising this boy for whom they had waited so long. Then Moses writes the portentous words: “Some time later God tested Abraham.” (Gen. 22:1) None of us likes to experience God’s testing, but this was a test to the maximum. God told Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Gen. 22:2)

If I had been in Abraham’s shoes, I might have wondered if this were some sort of cruel hoax. Children I know have been troubled by this story. What if God told their parents to sacrifice them? Would they do it? And I suppose most devout parents have wondered the same. Do we really love God more than anything else?

Abraham had learned a great deal about God’s character and actions over the years of his pilgrimage. At last he trusted God enough to respond in immediate obedience to this most difficult test of all. The next morning he and Isaac and two of his servants were on their way to Mount Moriah. And finally, on the third day of the journey, he and Isaac headed off to worship by themselves.

Isaac was old enough (possibly a teenager by now) to realize that a most important ingredient was missing from this pilgrimage: the lamb. When he questioned Abraham about this omission, Abraham responded that “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Gen. 22:8)

With what emotion must Abraham have made this trip with Isaac. I sense almost an expectancy, though, in spite of the poignancy and pain of this ordeal. I believe that Abraham expected God to do something mighty and miraculous—perhaps even raise his son from the dead.

What kind of thoughts went through Isaac’s head as he was tied to the altar? Did he struggle, or had his faith grown in tandem with his father’s faith? The biblical record gives us no inkling as to the emotions going on here. Abraham knew that Isaac was God’s promised heir. Therefore, Abraham knew that something miraculous would occur in order to fulfill the remainder of the promise—that of many descendants, a land and a nation. But what a staggering step of faith to put your son on an altar and prepare this promised heir for death!

The account is descriptive (Gen. 22:9-10). The knife is raised, Abraham is ready to put his son to death, and the voice of the angel of the Lord intervenes, “Abraham, Abraham!” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Gen. 22:12) The all-knowing God surely knew the true state of Abraham’s heart before this occasion. But Abraham had passed the ultimate test, and there in the bushes, is the ram that he had said God would provide—a lamb that would substitute his life for Isaac’s. And in this sacred spot, Abraham called God by a different name: “ Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide”.

The angel of the Lord again called to Abraham, and reaffirmed the covenant, adding that “because you have done this and not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore…. (Gen. 22:16, 17) This time, though, the covenant takes on a stronger emphasis, as God swears by himself that this promise will be fulfilled.

A no doubt exhausted Abraham and Isaac returned to Beersheba where they stayed. The covenant which Abraham had recited to Isaac many times was now indelibly printed in Isaac’s mind for the future day when he would have sons.

This story is almost unbelievable, but it sets the stage for redemption and gives us the first occasion of a substitionary sacrifice recorded in Scripture. A few hundred years from this point, the death of another substitionary lamb at Passover would save the descendants of Abraham and Isaac. But the story portrays an even more significant substitution, a substitution in which we can take part. The story of Isaac is an image of the sacrifice of another beloved only Son. On what many scholars believe to be the same spot as Isaac’s near-sacrifice, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ was sacrificed on a cross. This sinless Son of God is the God-provided Lamb Who rescues us from the death that should have been ours. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things.” (Rom. 8:32) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3: 16, 17)

Subscribe to Madeira musings

The Promise Fulfilled

The Lord finally provided a son for Sarah and Abraham—Isaac. With great celebration he was welcomed into the family. The old animosity between Hagar and Sarah flared again, and tarnished the festivities when Sarah noticed Ishmael (by then around 14) standing around and mocking. Who knows how Ishmael felt at this point, having enjoyed the love of Abraham into his teen years? His position of favorite was now threatened, and he had no doubt been fed plenty of unkind information about Sarah from his mother to add fuel to the fire.

Sarah was determined to remove any threat to her son, a fact that greatly distressed Abraham. God comforted Abraham with promises of blessings for both sons, but indicated that it Isaac was the heir of the promise. So Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with provisions to sustain them.

The provisions didn’t last long however, and the searing heat of the desert was strength-sapping. Leaving her son under a bush with the little remaining water, Hagar wandered away, not brave enough to witness the certain death of her son.

God again ministered to Hagar, and now to Ishmael, again promising to make Ishmael into a great nation. The text tells us “God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.” (Gen. 21:20)

It almost seems that there are too many extraneous things to the story of Isaac’s birth in this part of Genesis. We read about the fate of Ishmael, and then are given details about Abraham’s administrative dealings with Abimelech. Maybe Moses felt that Isaac's birth was almost anti-climactic at this point!

To focus back on Isaac, though, Genesis 21 has an interesting parallel in Romans 4:18-25: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had beeen said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death or our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

We’ve seen Abraham waver a bit on his journey to promise fulfillment, but God did not count those missteps against him. Instead the record is that Abraham believed God had the power and the integrity to do as He had promised. The New Testament examination of Abraham is a great promise to us as well. Our faith is the basis on which God credits righteousness to us—faith that Jesus died for our sins and was raised to life to justify us. Praise God for the illustrative example of Abraham’s life and for the hope we have, as he did, in God’s promises.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Relapse

You have to wonder, after all the spiritual progress Abraham had made, how he could fall into the same kind of sin against Abimelech that he had years earlier with Pharaoh! Here he is again pretending that Sarah is his sister in order to save his skin. (Genesis 20) He is on the brink of finally grasping the fulfilment of God’s promise, and he’s about to put that fulfilment into serious jeopardy.

The other puzzling thing to me about this passage is how a 90-year-old woman would be sexually attractive enough for a Middle Eastern potentate to want her for his harem. Obviously, there is something here that escapes me. I can more easily understand the propensity of all human beings to lapse into sin than I can understand the attractions aged Sarah held for Abimelech!

In any case, God tells Abimelech about the dire peril in which he and his people now exist, and explains how He has kept Abimelech from sin. Needless to say, Abimelech is furious with Abraham and confronts him, asking, “What was your reason for doing this?” (Gen. 20:10)

Abraham looks for a place to pass the buck, much as Adam had done in the Garden of Eden. He implies that he could not have been guaranteed of his safety from Abimelech’s people. He excuses his lie by saying that Sarah really is his half-sister. He says anything but that he had done wrong.

In spite of his lame excuses, Abimelech is generous to Abraham and Sarah, offering them livestock and the opportunity of living in his territory. Abraham prays to God and the curse of barrenness is removed from Abimelech’s people.

The story is a reminder to me that even the most faithful believer must be vigilant so as not to fall into the same kind of pattern of sin that had entrapped him or her at an earlier time. The old habits and patterns can so easily rear their ugly heads and the unsuspecting pilgrim can easily succumb. We will not be "home free" from temptation and sin until heaven, but we are assured that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Fiery Judgment

When we last saw Abraham, he was returning home after discussing with God the pending doom of judgment on Sodom. In Genesis 19 we see a glimpse of why God was intent on destroying the city.

As the angels arrived at the city gateway, they met Lot sitting in the entrance. His sitting in the gate denotes that he must have achieved a level of prominence in the social structure of the city. Much as Abraham had offered hospitality to the three divine visitors, so Lot offered hospitality to the two angels. He does not seem to be offering a leisurely meal, however; one observes a sense of urgency as he suggests they will “go on [their] way early in the morning”. When they demurred against accepting his invitation, he strongly insisted that they enter his house where he prepared a meal and offered them overnight lodging.

Lot well knew his fellow citizens, it appears, because his angelic visitors were in grave danger of being raped by a crowd of men from the town. While homosexuality was apparently common in the city, mob violence was also present. Lot tried to dissuade the mob, even offering his daughters as substitutes. This illustration of the low esteem with which women were regarded in the culture of the time is startling and offensive. How could a father offer his daughters for rape? The only way for my mind to get around the concept is to realize that this was a very different culture. Thank God that Christ introduced a radically different approach to women!

The mob had no interest in his daughters and began trying to break down the door. At this point the angels acted and struck the men with blindness, thwarting their attempts to break into the house. Now their identity as divine, rather than mere mortals, became apparent as they began to warn Lot that he and his family must flee from the city. Lot tried to persuade his sons-in-law to flee with the family, but they thought Lot was merely joking with them.

As I read the account, I sense the utter urgency of the angels as they tried to speed up the tempo of the family’s departure. “Hurry! Hurry!” But even at this point they had to forcibly and physically pull Lot and his family from the city, telling them to “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop….”

You would think that Lot would have been sensitive enough to realize that he was in a life and death situation. But still he wanted to bargain for his life. He didn’t want to leave city living for the hills (where Abraham lived). He requested to be able to flee to a small nearby town, and the angel, amazingly, agreed. Lot and his daughters managed to reach the city, and God held back the judgment until they were safely away. Lot’s wife still longed for her old home, and her hesitation and her desire to return were her cause of annihilation.

There is so much action in this story, such a feeling of desperate haste, that the account of Abraham’s early rising is a dramatic contrast. He rose in the morning, looked over the plain and saw the devastated landscape and the smoke rising from the land. It doesn’t seem to me that Lot deserved any kind of mercy or grace from God, but the Bible explains that “when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe….” What a reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer!

Lot’s life was one debacle after another. He didn’t want to head to the hills and back to Abraham, as the angel had instructed. He wanted to control things and move to another town. Life in that town must have been somewhat threatening, though, because fear impelled him and his daughters to settle in a cave in the mountains. The sophisticated city dweller was now living in primitive circumstances in a cave. His daughters, unhappy with their situation, slept with him and bore children who would eventually influence the nation of Israel away from the God of the patriarchs and to obscene pagan practices. But even in those sad births, the hand of God will be seen as an ancestress of Jesus Christ himself will come from the Moabite people.

I read this story and feel very condemning of Lot. It is therefore very hard for me to read the description of Lot in 2 Peter 2:7 and 8: “Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)….” I can deal with the offer of Lot’s daughters to the mob on the basis of different culture standards (although not standards which I understand or approve), but I wonder how Lot could stand to stay in a city where the practices were so repulsive to him? Why did he not have more of an influence as “salt and light”? Even his sons-in-law didn’t seem to regard him with any respect.

Before I feel too smug I need to remember that perhaps I too easily accommodate cultural practices and attitudes that aren’t in tune with the holiness to which God has called me. In what ways does my life reveal an easy acceptance of the status quo? Does my behaviour toward others reveal anything of my devotion to a God of holiness, mercy and love? Before I condemn, I must do my own self-examination.

God's Friend

Several Scripture references refer to Abraham as God’s friend: 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23. Genesis 18 seems to reveal something of the deep and intimate friendship Abraham had with God, when God and two angels stop by for a visit with Abraham on their way to bring judgment on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

When they appear during “the heat of the day”, Abraham was relaxing under the shade trees. As soon as they came into view, he hurried to greet them and to offer his hospitality to them. I suppose that it wasn’t too often that strangers would stop by, and it would have been a good opportunity to chat and hear something about the outside world.

It doesn’t appear that Abraham initially recognizes that his visitors are heavenly ones. Whatever their origin or rank, he is eager to provide them with the best meal and offer them the most comfort possible. Moses writes so descriptively that you can picture Abraham and Sarah hastily preparing a sumptuous meal and making every effort to make their visitors feel welcomed and at home.

After enjoying the carefully-prepared repast, the visitors inquire into the whereabouts of Sarah. Then we suddenly discover who the visitors are, because the Lord announces to Abraham that in about a year Sarah would have a son. At last Abraham is given a specific timetable for the long-awaited birth!

The Scriptures humorously paint the picture of Sarah eavesdropping at the door of the tent, and remind us, in no uncertain terms, that Sarah and Abraham are old – far too old to expect to have children. As Sarah listens to the male conversation on the mat outside the tent, she laughs derisively to herself. I almost sense that she thinks that the joy of childbearing would be certainly lost on a woman of her age and energy level.

God reveals that he knows exactly what Sarah is thinking, and he gently reminds her and Abraham that nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14) He forcefully states, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah, abashed at the public revelation of her thoughts lies and says she did not laugh. But God lets her know that He knows perfectly well what she’s thinking and she did, indeed, laugh.
Perhaps Sarah’s faith had not progressed as far as Abraham’s had at this point. Who knows if she had understood the gravity of God’s covenant with Abraham? God’s rebuke served to push her growth along, as we can see in Genesis 21:6 where she admits that “God has brought me laughter.” (Isaac means “he laughs”.)

God's relationship with Sarah and Abraham is relevatory:
1. He will fulfill His promises.
2. He will fulfill His promises in His own time.
3. He wants to use the periods of waiting as times of growth for us.
4. Above all else, He wants us to grow in our trust of Him.

God’s purpose in this visit was not only to give Sarah and Abraham a timetable for their son’s birth; He was also on His way to mete out judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. We read God’s thoughts as He mulls over whether or not to make Abraham privy to His plans. As God reflects about this, He affirms his unique relationship with Abraham, and He informs Abraham of His plan.

God is not acting on the basis of mere complaints about Sodom and Gomorrah’s sinfulness, but He is going to judge for Himself whether they indeed deserve to be punished. We might surmise from the text that God doesn’t know what is going on in these two cities. God, the omniscient One, is fully aware of the nature of these cities, but the Scripture figuratively indicates that He, as Judge, is not acting on mere hearsay, but is determining justice on the basis of His own observation.

As the angels continue on toward Sodom, Abraham stands before the Lord, and in interesting dialogue begins to pray for the souls of Sodom. He has relatives in the city, and does not want them to suffer the distress of destruction. (This is not the first time that Abraham has intervened for Lot and the citizens of Sodom. See Genesis 14.) We glimpse Abraham’s compassion as he pleads with God for the salvation of the city. Had Abraham been calculating that there might be ten righteous people living there? For some reason, he stops asking when he has determined that God will save the city if ten righteous people can be found there. In answer to Abraham’s prayer, God agrees to save the city for the sake of ten righteous souls. God and Abraham finish their dialogue and Abraham returns home.

Abraham has come a long way in his relationship with God. He is now at the point where he can come to God very directly with his concerns, and in this case we see him interceding on behalf of others. This story parallels some of the prayers of Moses, who intercedes for the people of Israel when all they deserve is God’s anger and wrath. Both men were willing (and close enough in their relationships with God) to pour out their hearts in prayer and petition for the benefit of other needy people.

Abraham’s prayer was based on God’s mercy, not man’s merit. His prayer was based on the fact that God, the Judge of all the earth, would only do right, and never evil. “Will you really sweep it [Sodom] away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Abraham was not bargaining with God. He desired more than anything else to see God’s compassion given to his relatives and to know God’s ways more intimately. Even though he certainly knew the reputation of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was sure from what he already knew about God, that God would not measure out punishment unjustly.This passage encourages me to keep praying for others who may not even know their great spiritual need. The ministry of intercession is a worthy one and a necessary one. Just as I depend on the prayers of others on my behalf, I can go to God on behalf of people who may not have the energy, the boldness or even the awareness that they need His help.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Abram was 99 years old and God’s promise of a special son and heir through Sarai had still not been fulfilled. At this point, Ishmael was a 9-year-old boy. God came and renewed His promise (initiated in Genesis 15:8, confirmed in Genesis 17:2 and established in Genesis 17:7.) , calling Himself El Shaddai. (The name, “God Almighty”, expresses His ability to nourish us abundantly, as well as His power and His strength.) Abram had been waiting for endless years for God to use His power and provide an heir, and certainly could have felt hopeless at this point. God pointed out Abram’s responsibility: “Walk before me and be blameless” and He promised, “I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

If Abram had been wondering about God’s ability to act, he expressed no doubt, but fell facedown in worship. In this extremely moving encounter, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many.” It is interesting that God said, “I have made you a father many.” While the promise still had not been fulfilled in human terms, in God’s view it had already been accomplished.

God mercifully restated His covenant with this elderly man, indicating that He had not forgotten the covenant and the deed was already done. God had already made Abraham the father of many nations.

God explained His part of the covenant, and indicated that if Abraham was going to receive the covenantal blessings he would need to lead a blameless life. Abraham would show his commitment to a radically different lifestyle by a radical act—his own circumcision and that of all the males in his household. What seems like a strange covenantal requirement to us was actually part of a self-maledictory oath, according to the NIV. If Abraham and his descendants did not live blameless lives before God, God could cut them off from His promises.

Did God expect Abraham to live a life of perfection? Of course not—He knew Abraham better than that! But He did expect that Abraham’s thoughts and energies would be focused on pleasing Him.

In a parallel move to his renaming of Abraham, God had a new name for Sarai—Sarah, signifying that she would be the mother of kings. At this point, Abraham fell face down again, laughing to himself in disbelief. The thought of Sarah and his having children at their advanced age was too comical for belief!

If we wonder how Abraham might have felt about his 9-year-old son, Ishmael, his love was apparent when he asked God if Ishmael couldn’t be the heir to the promise. God was clear that Ishmael would indeed be blessed, but the heir to this covenant would be Isaac. God was sovereign, and the heir of His choosing had not yet been born.

Abraham’s response to God was immediate. On that very day, he and the men in his household were circumcised. In spite of the things he still could not understand, he believed God and was eager to live under God’s blessing.

It’s really amazing to see Abraham’s immediate response to God’s instructions. In spite of the years of waiting (or probably because of them), his relationship to God had grown and deepened and he demonstrated his belief in God’s promises by fulfilling his part of the covenant. As Abraham’s spiritual descendants, God expects us to commit ourselves to holy living as well. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us “to be holy and blameless in his sight.” The apostle Paul clearly describes the fact that, even for the believing child of God, sin will always be a struggle (Romans 7:21-24), but he also affirms that fact that “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1,2). I am called to be like Abraham, focusing my life on God and pleasing Him. “Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:23)

Subscribe to Madeira musings

God Sees Me

Abram had just had a significant encounter with God. God had renewed his covenant in a solemn ceremony, and it seemed that Abram was comforted and content. God had hardly stopped reaffirming his promise, though, before Sarai came up with an idea to help God fulfill this divine plan. After all she was far too old to have a baby at this stage, so why shouldn’t Abram do what everyone else in that culture would do—have a child through Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar.

I would think that Abram’s faith, for which he had been commended so recently, would have been strong enough to resist this temptation. But the text tells us, “Abram agreed to what Sarai said.” Hagar, the servant, became pregnant by Abram, and she began to taunt her mistress for her barren state. Sarai, who had dreamed up this brilliant idea in the first place now blamed Abram for the hostility in family relations. (This blame game has been seen before in the story of Adam and Eve’s fall, and has been characteristic of the human race ever since!)

Admirable Abram was not very admirable in this tale. Conflict was not something that energized him, and it was much easier to wash his hands of the situation. “Do whatever you want with Hagar,” he told Sarai. Sarai put her resentment into action, making things so bad that Hagar ran away.

Hagar may have removed herself from the persecution of Sarai and the disinterest of Abram, but she had not removed herself from the presence of the Lord. We read that “the angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert”. He exhorted her to go back to her mistress, but not before he had ministered to her and comforted her with a promise concerning her son. (Genesis 16:10-12)

Somehow this promise would not comfort me—I would not want my son to live in “hostility with his brothers” nor “with everyone’s hand against him”, but in spite of the predictions of future of difficulty for her son and in spite of the exhortation to return to Sarai, Hagar was comforted. The name the angel gave her son, Ishmael—“God hears”, would be a constant reminder to her of this angelic meeting in the desert. And as the text goes on, we realize what Hagar realized. This was no mere angel who ministered to her, but the Lord himself. She was amazed to “ have now seen the One who sees me” and survived. Rather than being destroyed she had, in fact, experienced spiritual healing. So strengthened in spirit she returned home, bearing the son, Ishmael, to Abram.

The short term results of trying to fulfill God’s promise themselves caused a rift in the relationship between Sarai and Abram and a rift in the relationship of employer and employee. The long term results go on in incessant conflict in the Middle East. I wonder in what ways I may have prolonged the fulfilling of God’s will in my life by too often trying to take matters into my own hands?

This story is a sad one, but it also comforts. God was not too lofty to care about the needs and hurts of a lowly slave. He compassionately dealt with Hagar and was aware of her hurt, as well as her responsibilities. Hagar discovered the truth of Job 31:4: “Does he not see my ways and count my every step?” Knowing that God knew her through and through and having experienced his loving care, she was fortified for the future.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Reassurance

Genesis 15 is a pivotal point in the entire Bible, with God outlining his promise to Abram in a dramatic way, and with the introduction of the doctrine of Justification by Faith. Abram had just repudiated the offer of material gain from the king of Sodom and had affirmed his faith in “the Lord, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and Earth.” God, cognizant of Abram’s whole-hearted commitment toward Him came to Abram in a vision and promised to be his Protector and his Reward.

Abram had other things on his mind besides God’s protection and God’s reward. What about that long-ago promise that Abram would have a son? Abram reminded God that so far no son has been given, and wondered aloud if his only recourse was to declare his trusted servant as his heir.

God had intervened to comfort Abram, and He assured Abram that a son would indeed be born to Abram and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Genesis 15:6 declares: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” The situation had not changed, but in dialogue with God, Abram was reminded that God was trustworthy and would keep His promises. Communication with God was enough to remind Abram of God's character and to restore his faith.

The Apostle Paul quotes this verse twice in his epistles (Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6) and the Apostle James cites it as well (James 2:23). This brief little sentence is of outmost importance to Christian belief. We do not (cannot) earn our way to heaven; rather, God responds to our faith in Him by crediting us with righteousness—a righteousness that we do not possess in ourselves. Derek Kidner says that “this story and the argument of Romans 4 present faith not as a crowning merit but as readiness to accept what God promises.”

How amazing that Abram was ready to accept what God had promised, even though, humanly speaking, time was irrevocably running out for the possibility of a birth to him and Sarai. God didn’t only affirm that the promise of a son would be fulfilled, He also reiterated that Abram would come to possess the land where he now lived as an alien.

Abram was not afraid to ask questions. How would he gain possession of the land? God did not only make him a promise in this instance; He actually renewed the covenant through enacting a Near Eastern royal land-grant treaty with Abram. This solemn, sombre ceremony must have had great impact on Abram. Here he was in the midst of dreadful darkness, but also in the presence of God--symbolized by the smoking firepot and blazing torch. The slain animals illustrated the self-maledictory nature of this covenant—“may it be so done to me if I do not keep my pledge.” God reassured Abram in a very tactile and dramatic way that His promises was sure and not just fluffs of Abram's imagination. Not all the news of the future was comforting, however, as God told Abram that his descendants would be aliens, strangers and then slaves in a far-away land. They would suffer for 400 years before God would rescue them. But in God’s perfect timing Abram’s descendants would indeed gain possession of the Promised Land.

Apart from the doctrinal importance of this passage of Scripture, there is also a message of personal comfort to those of us who have prayed for years for the fulfilment of what we believe are promises from God. God may take a long time answering my prayers, but the length of time it takes for Him to act does not mean that He has withdrawn His love, or forgotten me. God was aware of the questions that Abram asked before he asked them. He came to Abram to comfort and reassure him, and to reaffirm that He would bring His plans and promises to fruition. Abram’s responsibility was to continue dialoguing with God, and to believe God. My responsibility is the same. How encouraging to know that as I get to know God better and grow in my commitment to Him, He will comfort and encourage me, giving me the faith I need to believe that He can even do the impossible.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Military Man

How many times might Abram have wished that he had never included Lot on his safari to the Promised Land? Lot had chosen what looked like the best place to live—in the well-irrigated plain near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The choice turned out to be a dangerous one, as he and his family were caught in the crossfire of war and captured.

If we’ve just regarded Abram as a simple peaceful nomad, we are suddenly confronted with him as a battle commander and military strategist. He called out the trained men in his household and pursued the kidnapping army. Lot may have chosen to desert Abram for the city and selfishly chosen the better land. None of this mattered to Abram as he rushed off, not only to rescue Lot and his family, but all Lot’s possessions as well.

Upon his victorious return, Abram was met by the kings of Sodom and Salem. Melchizedek of Salem, both a priest and a king, blessed Abram, affirming Abram’s relationship with the God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Gen. 14: 19 and 20)

In contrast to Melchizedek, whose role was to give glory to God, the king of Sodom presented Abram with an intriguing offer. If Abram gave him the people, Abram could keep all the material wealth for himself. Abram, who had just given a tenth of all he had to Melchizedek was not at all tempted. He had affirmed by his tithe, his recognition of Melchizedek’s kingship in Jerusalem. He had also seen in Melchizedek’s benediction his relationship to the “Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.” So with great insight, he refused the king of Sodom’s offer, boldly stating that he did not want to accept anything that would cause people to think that the king of Sodom had made Abram rich or mighty or powerful. Abram was God’s man and he wanted no alliances that might sully that relationship or God’s reputation.

Paul later wrote about what Abram had so presciently understood: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?" (2 Cor. 6:14) Our alliances may well cause compromise that is untenable for people who want to walk in communion with God. Paul, reflecting on the various covenants God had made with his people, wrote, "As God has said, 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'" (2 Cor. 6:16b) Abram wanted, above all else, to walk with God, and he chose to trust God to bless him, rather than being enticed to accept wealth offered by the king of wicked Sodom.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Test of Faith

Abram was now a very wealthy man, as was his nephew, Lot. They had so many possessions, especially in the form of livestock, that the land where they had settled could not sustain both of them. The situation became difficult enough for quarrelling to erupt between their herdsman.

Abram realized that the situation was pretty untenable at this point. His ungrasping character and his total dependence on God’s provision shine through in this little vignette, in sharp contrast to Lot’s selfishness and longing for the trappings of civilization. Abram suggested that Lot select a portion of land for himself, and Abram would take what was left. Here is the man who had been promised an inheritance of land from God offering to take second-best in order to keep peace in the family! He obviously felt no need to look out for his own interests; his desire to live in harmony with his nephew was paramount.

As Lot looked over the fertile plain of Jordan, he knew what he wanted, and he chose this prime real estate for himself. Abram stayed in the land of the Canaanites, while Lot moved toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses tells us in this account that Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t exactly places where a man of God would want to settle, as their inhabitants were wicked and “were sinning greatly against the Lord.”

It would be interesting to know how Abram felt at this point. Might he have felt a tinge of resentment toward his self-centered nephew? Certainly he must have felt a sense of loss and lonesomeness at losing Lot’s company to the allure of the nearby cities. The one family companion who had accompanied him and his wife on their journey was now gone.

God’s intimate knowledge of Abram’s heart and character is revealed at the close of the chapter. He knew the loneliness and the generosity of Abram’s spirit. In His mercy, God again stepped in to reassure Abram and reconfirm His promise. In an interesting parallel to Abram’s showing Lot the land, now God told Abram to look at the land that lay before him. “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land for I am giving it to you.”

What an instructive passage for me as am exposed to both the character of Abram and the character of God! Abram was confident enough in God’s care and promises that he was able to be generous to a nephew who surely did not deserve such largesse. And God, Abram’s merciful Father and Friend, responded to Abram’s generosity and implicit faith by reconfirming all He had promised. So Abram moved, not to the cities, but to the shelter of the great trees at Mamre and he again responded to God’s kindness in worship.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Detour

When Abram left Haran, God had promised that He would bless Abram, and also that He would protect Him: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” But famine came to the land, and Abram took matters into his own hands and set out for the well-watered land of Egypt. There certainly was nothing wrong in Abram’s looking out for the welfare of his family, but we get no indication that he communicated with God at all about the wisdom of this decision. Matters deteriorated still further when Abram sought to protect himself at the expense of his wife, Sarai. Sure that Sarai’s great beauty would put his own life in danger, he suggested to Sarai that she say she is his sister, so that she could legitimately join Pharaoh’s harem without putting Abram’s life in jeopardy. (Comments could be made about the state of this marriage, if Abram was willing to save his own skin at the expense of Sarai's skin!)

God was not at all pleased about this situation, and caused an epidemic in Pharaoh’s household. It was clear to the ethically-minded Egyptians that something evil was afoot, and when Pharaoh discovered the nature of Abram’s lie, he sent him and his household packing. Interestingly enough, Abram was made very wealthy during his time in Egypt; one would think that he might have had the goodness to refuse the wealth gotten in such an illegitimate way. Obviously, his ethical sense had not matured greatly at this point!

Wealthy Abram headed from Egypt to the Negev. The Bible tells us that “he went from place to place until he came to Bethel…where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.” (Gen. 13:3-4)

This little detour of Abram’s is quite instructive. How often do we allow fear to distract us from the promises of God to protect us and lead us in His ways? And how often do we try to solve problems with our own solutions? Abram saw a problem—lack of food and consequent hunger—and he solved it in his own way without consulting his divine Protector. His emotional reaction of fear was not wrong in itself, but giving into the fear rather than acting on faith, led him on a trip to Egypt and a sin against the Egyptians.

Once he left Egypt, Abram traveled from place to place, seeming to be almost embarrassed to face God again. But eventually he headed back to Bethel where he had first worshipped, and he worshipped again. The old adage says that we can never go home again, but it’s comforting that, in our relationship with God, He longs for us to go home again (see the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15). Abram got sidetracked briefly, but once he was confronted with his sin (by the pagan Pharaoh of all people) he knew where to go—back to the God who had promised to make him great and to protect him in times of trouble.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Step of Faith

Abraham merits three different mentions in the "amazing faith chapter” of Hebrews 11. The first mention tells us that, “Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

If I read Hebrews 11 without reference to the details of the story found in Genesis, I could get discouraged. The author of Hebrews presents Abraham as such a paragon of faith it would be easy to think that no other human being could possibly measure up. But his story is so instructive and so encouraging to me, because the book of Genesis honestly describes his progress from a sometimes faltering God-follower to a man of extraordinary faith, an intimate friend of God. There is hope for me as I examine the way God shaped him into the man who would fulfill God's unique purposes.

Genesis 11:31 gives us a tantalizing detail. The text reads: “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” Did God initially call Terah? Something must have precipitated the family’s move from Ur to Haran, but for some reason or other, they only went as far as Haran. The only other mention about this disrupted journey comes in the book of Acts. Stephen, in his historical summary of the Israelites before the Sanhedrin, says in Acts 7:2: “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land [Israel] where you are now living.”

Unfortunately, there are no real clues to explain what happened, so we must move on. Genesis, chapter 12 opens with the second call of God to Abram, to leave his country and his birth family and head to an unnamed destination—a place God would show him. God promised that He would protect Abram and that Abram would become (1) a great nation; (2) a great name; (3) and a blessing to all peoples. This promise will be reiterated and expanded on throughout Abram's life.

God didn’t give Abram much information about the necessity of a move, but something must have happened to deepen Abram's belief and trust in God during the years in Haran. Perhaps Terah’s health had been such that an elongated stop in Haran was necessary for the family, or perhaps it was a lapse of faith. In any case, Abram’s trust in God and His promises somehow increased enough for him to obey the second call with immediacy: “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him….” (Gen. 12:4)

The divine call meant that Abram had to leave the security of a known environment for the insecurity of the unknown. He had to leave the warmth of family relationships to live among strangers, some of whom might be antagonistic to him. He had to leave the comfort and sophistication of life in Ur for the tents of a nomad. In spite of the inconveniences and dangers, the divine call was enough for Abram. He moved to Canaan, pitched his tents on land that God promised his offspring would one day possess, and he built an altar and worshipped.

Abram’s obedience and entrance into a life of total dependence upon God is really a metaphor for the life of a believer. Jesus’ call to us to follow Him is just as radical, although living as we do within the trappings of 21st century comfort, it’s sometimes hard to see it that way. Abram’s focus moved from the petty minutia of daily life to “The Big Picture” of a future, permanent home. He was willing to follow God to an unknown destination and live in impermanent dwellings, because he knew, in the core of his being, that life is transitory and all that really counts are the promises of God. Our call may involve a physical move, as it did for Abram, but more likely it will mean a spiritual move from satisfying our ego-driven goals, to determining to live in God-glorifying ways—ways that will hasten the coming of His kingdom. It will certainly mean looking at the world through the lens of God’s holiness and living a life that is radically cross-cultural. It is not an easy call, nor one to be taken lightly.

Abram’s embryonic faith caused him to obey God’s call and trust God’s promises for future blessing. His initial step of faith would take him on an incredible journey of learning to dialogue actively with God, seeing God’s provide in times of stress and trouble, and coming to trust God’s promises in the most impossible of situations.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Ziggurat

According to Genesis 10, Noah’s descendants grew numerous enough to become nations and sociologically advanced enough to found cities. We even recognize some of the place names from our study of history—places like Babylon, Nineveh, Assyria, Sodom and Gomorrah. In spite of the population explosion the world was still united by one language.

I actually don’t ever recall hearing a sermon about this story, but it was always part of Sunday School classes. As a child it always seemed a bit ridiculous to think that people would actually suppose they could build a tower tall enough to reach the sky. How absurd! Looking at it from an adult perspective, though, I can’t help but think that many of mankind’s combined efforts seem just as doomed to failure.

Noah’s descendants became urbanized and advanced technologically (Genesis 11:3 tells us that they were making bricks at this point), and they became convinced that, by working together, they could do anything. Why not band together, make a city with a huge tower, and become known all over the world? This early attempt at organization did not even come under the umbrella of trying to improve things for humanity. The whole point of the enterprise was ego-satisfaction: “Come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)

The Lord, knowing the dangers of a joint effort by people whose “every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21), stepped in and thwarted the plan in a masterstroke of communication confusion. God did not want to give mankind the opportunity to band together and promote a godless domination of the world. The languages of mankind were distorted beyond recognition, and the Lord scattered the people “over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:9)

This story fits into the historical and archaeological record of the time. Ziggurats were not unknown in the region (remember diagrams of them in history books?) and the goal of building them had often been reaching the sky or the heavens. It seems that in the case of the Tower of Babel, the people’s goal was to reach heaven themselves, and in so doing, achieve great renown and world domination. They had forgotten their place in the creation order—they were the pinnacle of creation, certainly, but they were not above the Creator.

The biblical account doesn’t really give us much information about the kind of people Noah’s descendants were, but it seems fair to assume that they were godless. There is no record of God communicating with any one of them in the way he had with Enoch or Noah. God had given people the responsibility to care for the rest of creation, but in no sense did He relinquish His ultimate care over the creation to man. Paul’s description in Romans 1:20 is helpful in understanding this story: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

In a short, but vivid story, God shows us the futility of acting outside of His will and He reveals another aspect of His character—His sovereignty is not to be shared. God has created us as reasoning, creative beings, but our creativity and our ingenuity are suitable only within the bounds of His will and direction. If we have the arrogance to make our plans outside of his purview, we should expect that our earth-bound, ego-driven goals will be thwarted or redirected.

The incident on the Plain of Shinar is a reminder of how easy it is to take my eyes off God and spend my energy in worthless, self-aggrandizing pursuits. Revelation 4:11 sets me firmly in my place: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things and by Your will they were created and have their being.”

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Run with Perseverance

The Bible writes with brutal honesty about its heroes, exposing not only their great acts of faith, but their struggles with sin as well. In Genesis 9 we see Noah pleasing God, and also failing. The honesty of the biblical record is instructive and encourages me to get up and keep trying after I slip and fall.

The story of God’s rainbow is so familiar that it is easy to miss the impact of God’s sovereign act. God received Noah’s offering with great pleasure and he made a covenant with Noah and his sons—a covenant that scholars call the Noahic Covenant. This covenant was a "no-strings attached" covenant--what is called a Royal Grant Covenant, not made by some human ruler, but by the King of the Universe Himself with his creation.

God reiterated the command to Noah that he had previously given Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” There are subtle differences in His instructions though. Man’s sovereignty over creation is restated, but now the animal kingdom will fear man. All the plants are given to man for food, but animals are now also part of man’s diet—with some special instructions. God restates the fact that mankind bears his image, and murder now carries the penalty of death. The sanctity of life could not be more clearly delineated by the Sovereign Lord. And God promises, with a stunning visual display, that natural catastrophe will never again be used to destroy all creation. This promise was made to Noah and his sons in spite of the fact that God knew “every inclination of [man’s] heart is evil from childhood.” (Gen. 8:21) Disappointment with His creation did not change God into a tyrant, rather His merciful character was again demonstrated in this encounter between Noah and God.

Just as happens so often with modern day people, this stirring spiritual experience was quickly swallowed up in the normalcy of everyday life. Noah resumed the tasks of planting and harvesting, and we read that he enjoyed the fruits of his labours so much, he became drunk. Scholars indicate that, in this rather strange story, Ham committed some sort of sexual sin against his father, and told his brothers (who were shocked at the incident) what had happened. Family relationships were disrupted, and Noah ended up cursing his own son, Ham. (The use of this curse to justify the slave trade of the 1800s could not have been more warped. The Canaanites were actually a Caucasian people, not black, as American southerners at the time averred.) The curse would have long-lasting effects, however, resulting in constant enmity between the descendants of Shem (the Israelites) and the descendants of Ham (the Canaanites).

How sad that the last Old Testament record we have of Noah ends on a down note. Thank God for the New Testament that records him as a hero of the faith in spite of this lapse! “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7) It certainly is not at all coincidental that the writer of Hebrews follows his chapter on faith heroes with the reminder: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfect of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Had Noah neglected his relationship with God once the calamity of the flood was over? What influences might have induced him to let down his guard sufficiently to become drunk? The picture drawn of Noah in chapter 9 certainly doesn't look like a spiritual hero. We don’t know what factors were involved in this sad episode. But we do know that sin can “easily entangle” us as well, and that we must persevere in our race for righteousness. The life of holiness does not come easily, nor without setbacks, but thank God that Jesus is our perfect example, our brother, our Saviour and our helper in this race.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

The Silence of God

What would it be like to live on an ark for over a year? Noah and his family were crowded together with all sorts of animals; I can imagine that sometimes tempers were frayed and living conditions were hopelessly difficult. I’ve often wondered if God sanitized the environment in some way, or if it was just like living in a shut-up barn for months? At any rate, it was a seemingly endless year from the time the Lord shut the door on the ark and God told Noah he could leave the ark for dry ground.

None of us like to experience the silence of God, although surely it is something all of us experience from time to time. It seems, from the biblical account that God did not dialogue with Noah during the time Noah was in the ark. Did Noah feel abandoned, or secure in the knowledge that God was saving him and his family from destruction?

Chapter 8:1 says, But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. I’m sure God hadn’t literally forgotten Noah during the 40 days and 40 nights of rain, and the 150 days of flooded ground. But the writer of Genesis, in his concise phrasing of v. 1 clearly conveys how Noah may well have felt – forgotten by God, if not abandoned by Him. Job, another upright man, who experienced God’s silence with soul-searing intensity, poetically expressed his sense of abandonment, but also faith: …if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job 23:8-10) Perhaps Noah, the one upright man in his generation, could have echoed Job’s remarks.

Job also expresses the feelings that God Himself may have felt during this time of silence and separation from his creation: You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. (Job 12:15) How amazing to think that God enjoys his relationship so much with us, he longs for us!

My imagination perhaps works overtime as I think about this story, trying to get into Noah’s mind during his time of isolation. I cling to the comforting words, But God remembered Noah…. The waiting did not stop even at this point -- it took months for the waters to recede, but God sustained Noah’s faith through his emissaries, the raven and the dove. (See Genesis 8.)

What did the earth look like when Noah and his family disembarked? Was it as fresh and new as it had been at creation? However it looked, Noah’s first response was to worship God. In spite of the strains and stresses of life in the ark, Noah’s first thought was gratitude to God for His mercy and redemptive care.

It would be helpful to talk with Noah about this time of silence: How did you deal with it, Noah? Did you ever doubt that God was going to continue to care for you? Was the fact that He had given you such a clear indication of His plans enough to sustain you through the silence, the darkness?

When God gave Noah the news about the destruction of the earth, and His redemptive plan for Noah’s family, He gave Him a promise: But I will establish my covenant with you. God didn’t give him a whole lot of information, but it was a promise that Noah believed. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah challenges me. He suffered through the silence of God and had so little information on which to sustain his faith. But, thank God, he was sustained until God opened the door to fully restored communion with Himself—and Noah’s response was worship.

Subscribe to Madeira musings

Deluge

Subscribe to Madeira musings

The book of Genesis describes Noah as “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God.” In contrast to the corruption of the world around him, Noah was exemplary, and like his ancestor, Enoch, lived a life in communion with God. Because of the closeness of their relationship, God gave Noah details of His plan to destroy the world, and He gave Noah instructions to build an ark which would be the means of Noah and his family’s salvation. Hebrews 11:7 tells us: By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." I don’t believe that Noah was afraid of God, but he had enough “holy fear” to believe that when God told him judgment was coming, it was on its way.

Most school-age children have heard this story of Noah building an ark, and have imagined what it would have been like for Noah to build a big boat in the middle of a desert region. Although the biblical account of Genesis does not depict the jeers of the onlookers, surely Noah must have been regarded as a bit “off his head”. Day after day he worked at the construction site, probably wondering what God’s promised destruction would look like, and what kind of world would await him and his family when they emerged from the ark.

Whatever questions Noah may have had about the advisability of this building project, his response to God’s instructions is repeated several times: “Noah did everything just as God had said.” Noah knew God so well, that even though he surely did not understand God’s plan, he was willing to obey it. And God knew Noah, had seen his obedience and righteousness, and in mercy, had determined to save Noah from the judgment which was looming over the rest of mankind.

Jesus actually painted the scene for us and tied it to a prophecy about His second coming: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Mt. 24: 37-39)

Noah built the ark, God closed him and his family and the animals he had collected in the ark, and they waited—for a whole long week before God acted. When the storm finally broke in sudden intensity on the people outside the ark, the sound of the downpour on the roof must have been deafening to Noah and his family. What must the family have felt as they heard the cries of the people washed away in the flood waters, and realized God’s mercy in providing for their salvation?

Four rather obvious lessons emerge from this passage. The first is that the judgment of God will come, and the consequences will be serious. God’s patience is long, but not unlimited; He did shut the door of the ark.

The second lesson is the importance of living a prepared life. 2 Peter 3:11-13 stresses: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” It’s kind of interesting to think that the quality of my life could actually speed up the return of Christ. I’d have to say, in the present world climate, it might be a good idea to help speed things up!

The third lesson is that, although judgment is sure, so our hope is also sure that a new heaven and new earth will be created. 2 Peter 3:14: “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

The fourth lesson we discover is that God is merciful. Jesus said, “My Father, who has given them [his disciples] to me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hands.” John 10:28 Surely, Noah and his family, as they heard the rage of the storm descend, had experienced God’s mercy as He held them in the ark of His design.

God Grieves

Subscribe to Madeira musings

By the time of Noah, Adam’s descendants had degenerated into a depraved people, so degenerate in fact, that God regretted ever making man. The state of mankind is rather succinctly described in Genesis 6 with a rather bizarre narration of marriages between humans and giants (I'll let my Old Testament expert daughter-in-law deal with explaining that kind of stuff!), but also a description of the state of man’s heart. According to the account, mankind had become wicked, so wicked that he was totally inclined toward evil.

It is hard to imagine total inclination toward evil, although I have an idea that in some sectors of our society, that description might be fairly apt. Why people would have traded the kind of intimacy Enoch had had with God for depravity is beyond me, but that was the state of the world at this point in the biblical account.

Even more interesting, though, than the description of how mankind had deteriorated, is what the passage reveals about God’s character. In Genesis 6:5-7 we read. “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.’”

God had created man in his image. He had created man for communion with Himself. But by the time of Noah’s generation, God’s image had been defaced and evil, wickedness, violence and corruption characterized mankind and life on earth. In reflecting on this description, I can’t help but wonder what God’s thoughts are on the current condition of his creation.

What is so heart-wrenching about this story is God’s response to the evil. If I ever entertain thoughts that perhaps God does not really care about human suffering and evil, all I have to do is re-read Genesis 6. God is not unaware of what’s happening: he sees the greatness of man’s wickedness and he is aware that we are inclined toward evil all the time. But not only is God fully aware of our situation, he suffers grief and pain because of the state of the world. Our holy, grieving Creator cannot co-exist with an evil creation; judgment is the course of action that must be taken.

I don’t think that most artists after creating a masterpiece would destroy it. In this account, though, we see that God is so disturbed over what his creation has done to itself that he determines to wipe it out. God is going to destroy his magnum opus. Of course, it is not only man who will suffer in the process; the innocent animal kingdom will suffer as well. (Ecologists could have a great time with this passage!)

Somewhere recently I read that the account in Genesis from the Fall to the Flood is really a story of God’s judgment. Our sin deserves the judgment of God—no question about it. But it is also in the Flood story that we begin to see the major theme of the Bible: the possibility of redemption. Genesis 6:8: “But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.” And it is at this point in the Bible, that God’s plan to save us begins to unfold.

There are implications in this well-known story for me. God is fully aware of my visible sins, as well as the hidden inclinations of my heart. My behaviour can result in His judgment or approval. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds me “that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” May God grant me the honesty to examine the inclinations of my heart, and may He incline me toward Himself. Amen.

A Hidden Jewel

If I’m honest, I generally skip over the genealogical tables of the Bible. Although I know better, I suppose they have too often felt like lists of unpronounceable names without much purpose. Usually, however, hidden in the litany is some little jewel of information that I shouldn’t miss. Genesis 5 is the “origin story” of Adam’s family, and in the outline of Adam’s family tree is an interesting character—Enoch. Genesis gives us hardly any details about Enoch, except enticing ones—the facts that he was the father of earth’s oldest man, Methuselah, that “he walked with God” and that “he was no more, because God took him away.” (Gen. 5:21-24)

Just as Adam had walked in the Garden with God before the fall, so Enoch walked with God and apparently had such an intimate relationship with him that he didn’t even die. In some supernatural way, God just took him to heaven.

I protest at the paucity of information. What was the world like when Enoch lived? What were the people around him like? What was it about his life that God spared him the most common of all human experiences besides birth, that of death? How can I model myself on him if I don’t know anything about him?

Filling in the blanks is a bit like a treasure hunt, and there are a couple of golden nuggets in the New Testament that give some color to the sketch of Enoch. Hebrews 11 parallels the Genesis story so neatly, giving us a New Testament perspective on Old Testament history. In Hebrews 11:5 we read: “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”

What about him pleased God? Again I’d like a bit more specificity. And the writer of Hebrews does not disappoint me. He goes on in verse 6: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Now that is something I can grasp. Faith pleases God, and the type of faith that pleases Him is that I believe in Him—I believe in a God who is actually present in the universe and in space and time. Belief is not all that matters, though; God pays attention to my attitude towards Him. “He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I suppose it is not surprising that if I believe that God actually exists, I would want to know more about Him. Enoch sought God so diligently that he walked in an intimate, dialoguing relationship with God. His life was set toward communion with his Maker.

The New Testament has another little bit of important information about Enoch that is worth noticing. Jude 14 and 15 tells us that: “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men [described in vv. 5-13]: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’” Enoch didn’t just believe in God; Enoch knew that for those who did not believe there would be dire consequences.

So there actually is meat to the story and implications for my life. Malachi 3:16 speaks of “a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name.” Spiritual disciplines aren’t only for my good (although they surely have a positive effect on my life and draw me into closer communion with God); God actually notices my attitudes toward Him. He cares that I want to “earnestly seek Him.”

My belief in God, though, must surely include a belief that God will eventually judge the ungodly. My behaviour should acknowledge the fact that I not only believe in God, but I believe in the Second Coming. Enoch’s life was characterized by a realization that this life was not the end of the story and he cared enough to tell others that judgment was inevitable. Enoch’s faith resulted in his seeking to know God better and a concern that others know that their attitudes and actions toward God were of eternal importance.

A change of attitude

In examining God’s dialogue with Cain (a dialogue God carried on in spite of foreknowing the outcome), I can’t help but reflect on 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Cain’s story reveals so much of God’s merciful character and love that I too often miss in a cursory reading of this account.

I sense that Cain leaves God with certain emotions, realizing that he is suffering deserved punishment. The emotions were not enough to overcome his pride though, because Cain went “out from the Lord’s presence”. Adam and Eve’s heir produced a family devoid of communion with God—and the lack of divine influence showed in their behaviour. True, the line produced gifted artists and musicians, but it also produced Lamech, a murderer far worse than Cain. (Gen. 4:22-23).

While Adam’s line could have ended with Cain’s family, God gave Adam a child in place of the murdered Abel: Seth. Something changed Eve's attitude between the birth of Cain and Seth. When Cain was born, she had said “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man” (Gen. 4:1)—sort of a “God is my co-pilot” theme. The trauma of sibling rivalry, murder and the loss of two sons—one to death and the other from abandonment—obviously changed her attitude toward herself and God. With Seth’s birth the narrator reveals that her focus had moved from herself to the mercy and grace of God: “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him…. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.” (Gen. 4:25b; 26b)

The sparse biblical account hardly reveals the amount of suffering that must have been endured in this sad episode of early human history. What emotions must have seared the souls of Adam and Eve as they watched their two boys grow up with such differing characters! How horrific to be faced with the hatred of your oldest son toward his youngest brother—a hatred so intense that it resulted in murder. It would have been easy to have become bitter against God for allowing the murder, and then for driving their only remaining son far away.

I could wish that the narrator of the story had given us more details. I’d like to know if Adam and Eve ranted about the situation, or if they accepted it as part of their punishment. After all, they had brought sin to the human race. It seems in some way, though, they must still have been relating to God. At least we know that Eve was able to worship God and to see His mercy in the birth of Seth. And we know that people began to call on God’s name, realizing that there was Someone majestic and merciful who could meet their deepest needs.

This is a story about the shedding of innocent blood—a senseless murder. It is a story that strongly points to the mercy of God—a mercy that would culminate in the shedding of another innocent Man’s blood. It is Jesus’ innocent blood that frees us from Cain’s punishment. While Cain was punished by being separated from God, Jesus’ blood brings us into God’s presence. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God.” (Heb. 9:14) Jesus’ blood shed for us makes it possible for us to worship and adore.

More on Cain...

Our initial reaction to the Cain and Abel story in Genesis 4 is to feel uncomfortable about God’s rejection of Cain’s worship. After all, he did bring a sacrifice, didn’t he? The story deserves a closer look though, and some closer application. It is true that both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord, and that God was pleased with Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s offering.

I’m no Old Testament scholar, but I know that later instructions to the Israelites included offerings of produce, so the content of Cain’s offering could not have been the problem. It would be interesting to know what Cain’s attitude was as he brought his offering to God—God was privy to his attitude, but we’re not. We can deduce a lot, though, from Cain’s response to God’s reaction to his offering. He was “very angry, and his face was downcast.” (Gen. 4:5b) It seems to me that if Cain had gone to God initially with a desire to express his honor and love for God’s “worth-ship”, he might have responded differently to God’s rebuke. Might he have felt remorse or regret rather than anger? With what attitudes might Cain have initially approached God—attitudes that I should check for in my own life? Could he have approached God with self-satisfaction rather than thankfulness? Perhaps he was competing with Abel and concerned that his offering be better than Abel’s offering of a lamb? Who’s to say? In any case, we know that there was something about his heart attitude that was an offence to God’s holiness, majesty and power. Hebrews 11:4 gives us an oblique glimpse into Cain’s character, when it cites Abel as a man of faith and righteousness. The conclusion we must draw from the little we are told is that Abel was a godly man and Cain was not.

It’s easy to observe God’s condemnation of Cain’s offering for whatever reasons, and miss the fact that God was eager to give Cain a second chance. God dialogues with Cain about his anger and even cajoles him with the possibility of doing right. He also warns about the devastating consequences of allow his disappointment to devolve into deeper sin—“sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must master it”. (Gen. 4:7)

God’s warning is worth noticing as it applies to us as well. How many times are we in danger of sin’s devastating pounce on our lives? Significantly, we don’t have to be victims of sin; God gives us the option—and the Holy Spirit power—to master it. So with what grief and seriousness we read of Cain’s response to God’s prodding to change his ways—far from mastering sin, he lets his anger spiral out of control into the murder of his own brother.

The story continues with more amazing dialogue between Cain and God. Rather than turning his back completely on Cain, God continues to dialogue with him. Cain is under a curse, but even there, God shows His mercy and offers him protection and the opportunity to build his own clan. The mercy of God is incomprehensible, but Cain didn’t accept it: “Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” (Gen. 4:16)

God takes worship more seriously than I like to think. The story of Cain makes me realize that I need to approach worship with a far different attitude than I generally do. It would be easy to digress into self-loathing at this point, wouldn’t it? The comforting thing is that God doesn’t expect me to be perfect. God reminded Cain that he did have another chance; he could make things right.

It's through the cross of Christ I can worship. NT Wright says “It is the faith that on the cross Jesus in principle won the victory over sin, violence, pride, arrogance, and even death itself, and that that victory can now be implemented. This faith refuses to accept that violence, greed and pride are unassailable and unchallengeable. This faith will go to work to challenge and subvert those destructive forces, in ourselves…” (For All God’s Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church, NT Wright, p. 55)

Genesis doesn’t give us a lot of information about Abel, but we can be encouraged that his offering pleased God. Hebrews rounds his story out commending him for his faith. God grant that my worship be like Abel’s, full of a sense of who God is and the faith that He will help me live the life of worship for which I was created—a life of worship.

Revival

Thinking about revival has led me to read about revival. I am impressed with much of what Brian Edwards writes about the subject. His definition of revival is a "remarkable increase in the spiritual life of a large number of God's people, accompanied by an awesome awareness of the presence of God, intensity of prayer and praise, a deep conviction of sin with a passionate longing for holiness and unusual effectiveness in evangelism, leading to the salvation of many unbelievers." I don't know that such a thing has occurred in my lifetime--on a large scale at any rate. It seems that we in the West are much too aware of our "freedom in Christ" to do whatever we want and are too consumed with busy-ness to pray for such a moving of God's Spirit in our lives--or my life anyway. The revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries resulted in large scale social action--and had a long-lasting effect on individuals and culture.

The BBC last night reported on the arrest of the polygamist in the US. The reporter was asked why America seems to be more prone to the growth of these huge and dangerous cults centered on one dynamic figure. He replied that he wasn't religious at all, so he didn't really understand the phenomenon. However, he said since America is so religious, he thinks authorities aren't willing to prosecute such people because of fears of stepping on people's rights to religious freedom.

Are we so religious? I'm not sure we are anymore, although I know George Bush was elected by the religious right as much as anybody. If we are religious, it doesn't seem that we're striving after holiness....

We had lunch with an Indian couple today. She is a convert from Hinduism and he grew up in a Christian home. I couldn't help but reflect on the difference in attitude toward spiritual things. As young people they grew up learning more than 1,000 Bible verses. Their 6-year-old son is eager for Sunday School to start back up on Sunday so he can learn his Bible verses!

My own spiritual state is really the only one I can address, although I can pray for spiritual revival in the lives of those around me as well as for myself. I have been personally seared by reading about God's rejection of Cain's sacrifice. Cain's worship was off-base; I wonder how often my own worship (corporate or personal) is off-base?

Something about this techology

Okay, I've tried to establish my URL four times now, and I certainly hope it works this time! Maybe I'm not really meant to waste my timing on blogging....

I'm really curious, though, and I wonder if anyone out there knows the answer to a question that's been bothering me for months now. Apparently, there was a religious revival in Ulster, Ireland in 1859. What I'd like to know is if it had any effect on how Catholics and Protestants treated each other? There doesn't seem to be any evidence of this, but I'm sure there must be someone who has information about spirituality and social reform in Ireland--if it ever occurred. I don't have time to write more on this subject now, but will come back to it tomorrow. Of course, something else may be on my mind by then.