Healing Presence

Mark 2

We are clearly all sinners. The Bible is emphatic that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). 

But some sins are more obviously notorious in some cultures. In Jesus day, to be a "tax collector", who collaborated with the Roman invaders, and who may have also been exploiting the people by over taxing, and not keeping the ritual laws of the Bible very rigorously, was seen as very bad by the "Pharisees". The Pharisee response to 'notorious sinners', like tax collectors, was to keep separate from them to avoid ritual uncleanness (Mark 2:16). To a tax collector or other 'notorious sinners', such separation by the Pharisees, could have made them feel condemned and rejected and hopelessly unable to live the set apart, religiously pure, life called for by the Pharisees.

On the other hand, some people in our current culture may want to respond in a way that is very different to the Pharisees and they attempt to declare that what was formerly called sin is actually quite OK. This is done in an attempt to show love and acceptance.

The response of Jesus is very different to the condemning Pharisees and to our condoning current culture. Jesus' way may be described as the way of loving, supernatural healing that comes from being in His presence (v17).

Despite His seeing sinners (which is actually all of us) as "sick" (v17), Jesus called them to follow Him (v13-14, 17) and befriended and socialized with such people (v15). His association was not intended to reclassify sin as good behavior. Rather, Jesus knew that He was the Great "physician", and that spending time in His presence would bringing healing to all people (v17, 15).

May we learn from Jesus not to just speak in condemnation and rejection of sinners, nor to condone and re-classify sin, but to help other sinners, like ourselves, to find more love and healing in the presence of the Great "physician".

The only Hero is God

Genesis 27-28

In the Bible story of salvation, the only real 'Hero' is God Himself who chooses, blesses, uses and changes people who are often miserably faulty characters. 

God's plan was to continue the promised covenant line of Abraham's "offspring" through Jacob, the younger of the two sons of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 25:23). But the outworking of God's plan sadly involved low and unworthy manipulation (Jacob buying the birthright of the first born - Genesis 25:29-34) and deception (Rebekah and Jacob's lie to get Isaac to bless Jacob - Genesis 27).

After a momentous revelation of God's presence with him at Bethel, all Jacob can do is try and strike a bargain with God. If God looks after him and brings him safely home, then he will accept the Lord as his God, build a house for God and give God a tithe as an expression of his commitment to the kingship of God over his life (Genesis 28:20-22).

It would be years before Jacob would finally acknowledge the God of his fathers (Genesis 27:20; 28:23) as His own God. It would take twenty years of God blessing him (Genesis 29-31) and another huge personal encounter with God (Genesis 32). Only at the end of his life do we hear Jacob saying the Lord is "my shepherd" (Genesis 48:15).

What did (or might) it take for us to confess that "the Lord is MY Shepherd"? 

And that the only real 'Hero' in our own life story is God? 

Sovereignty and responsibility

Genesis 25, Matthew 25

After a time of barrenness, Isaac prays for his wife, Rebekah, and she conceives twins (Genesis 25:21). Again, like in the case of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 21:1-2), the promised offspring is provided by God's supernatural intervention. "The children struggled together within her" and she went to "inquire of the Lord" about "why" this was happening (Genesis 25:22) and God told her that it was partly because "the older shall serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23). Later the Apostle Paul interpreted this as a sign of God's sovereignty and calling. In Romans 9:10-12, he wrote:

[10] '....when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, [11] though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad-in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls- [12] she was told, "The older will serve the younger." (ESV).

As the two boys grew up, it became clear that another reason for why the older would serve the younger was because the older son, Esau, chose to be irresponsible and value his birthright as the elder son of Isaac, through whom the promised offspring of God would come, less than "some ... red stew". Tricky Jacob, who had made the stew, sold some of it to his brother Esau for the price of his birthright, and then the author of Genesis commented that "thus Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34).

Here we note an example of the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. On the one hand the younger son would be the chosen one, through whom God's promised line would continue, because God had sovereignly planned it that way. On the other hand, the younger took the place of the 'first born son' because the older son chose to be very irresponsible about the things of God. In Hebrews 12:16, we read of 'unholy .... Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal'. 

In the mystery of how divine sovereignty and human responsibility co-exist, we must resist thinking that the divine call caused the human character flaw, because this would destroy the reality of human choice and turn people into mere puppets manipulated by God. No, God planned for the promised offspring line to flow through the younger son, Jacob; but the older son, Esau also freely chose to throw way his birthright.

We see another example of God's sovereignty and human responsibility in our Matthew 25 reading. On the day of Judgment, the Son of Man will invite His "sheep", who cared for His needy "brothers", to "inherit the kingdom" (Matthew 25:31-40). This indicates that their salvation involved how they responsibly expressed their faith in Jesus by caring for his people (His "brothers"). But then we also note that God had sovereignly planned it that way. The Lord says, "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Before the world began, God had sovereignly "prepared" a place in the kingdom for His responsible believers (and in time He had given them the grace that enabled them to live responsible lives of caring faith? See Titus 1:1-3.)

But the "goats" who get sent "into the eternal fire" (Matthew 25:41), because they neglected Jesus in unbelief, evident in their neglect of Jesus' needy "brothers" (Matthew 25:40, 42-45), "go away into eternal punishment" (Matthew 25:46), solely because they chose to be irresponsible, inactive, uncaring, unbelievers in Jesus. God had NOT planned it to end that way for any human being. Hell was only originally intended and "prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). People were NOT 'predestined' to go to hell. 

There's More

Genesis 23-24

In these chapters the story of God's promise to make Abraham a great nation is developed as he buys a tiny piece of the land of Canaan (Genesis 23) and as he sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), through whom the covenant offspring will be established (Genesis 17:19). To be a great nation would involve both a land to live in and a lot of descendants to populate it. But it's not just all about these physical aspects of the blessing.

Firstly, it's not just about the physical land of Canaan.

Though God did promise the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants as an "everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8), and though Abraham does purchase a piece of this land as a burial place for his wife, Sarah,  (Genesis 23:17-20), Abraham lived his whole life as "a sojourner and foreigner" the land of Canaan (Genesis 23:4).

And even when Israel was living in the promised land, in the golden age of King David, they were considered, in one sense to still be "sojourners". In 1 Chronicles 29:15, king David prayed as follows:

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding" (ESV).

In this we note that even in the promised land it was about something more than the physical land.

Hebrews 11:9-10 says of Abraham, that '[9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God' (ESV). This is telling us that there was more to the land promised by God than just the physical territory of Canaan. The land was a metaphor of the heavenly dwelling of God. The letter to the Hebrews will further tells us that the city that Abraham was "looking forward to" was “the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22), “the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Compare  “the new Jerusalem” of the book of Revelation 21:2 – 4, 9 – 27.

Secondly, it's not just about the physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac.

Throughout the chapters of Genesis we have already looked at there is mention of how Abraham will become "a great nation" (Genesis 12:2) and also that though Abraham "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). In Genesis 15:5, God promises that Abraham will have an uncountable number of offspring. In Genesis 17:4, God promises that Abraham will "be the father of a multitude of nations". The plan of God was to bless more than just the physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac. God's plan included the blessing of all nations.

And thirdly, it's not just about the many, it's also about the One.

In Genesis 22:17, God promises that through Isaac He will "multiply" the offspring of Abraham "as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore". Then God focuses the promise on the One saying, "and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies".

In Genesis 24:60, God links Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, to this same focus from the many to the One. This focus from the many to the One is seen in the words used by Rebekah's family to bless her as she leaves to go with the servant of Abraham. They said:

"Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him."

In God's promises to Abraham He used the word "offspring" or seed or zerah in Hebrew. (Genesis 12:7; 17:7-8.)  This word, "offspring" is also there in those promises concerning Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 22:17; 24:6). This word, "offspring", can be understood as both plural (referring to many descendants) and as singular (referring to the One). The Apostle Paul picks up the possibility of a dual meaning in the word "offspring" (seed, zerah), and in Galatians 3:16, Paul refers this word, "offspring" to Christ. He wrote:

'[16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.

The promises of God to Abraham are ultimately about Jesus, the One who wants to bless all nations and take all who believe in Him to heaven.

Substitution

Genesis 22

What a strange and truly staggering passage this is which teaches us much about God and his ways.

Firstly, we see that God wants us to care for our children and not harm them.

The terrible Canaanite practice of child sacrifice in worship (Lev. 18:21; Deut. 18:10), which might have been happening in the society in which Abraham was living, was very clearly forbidden by God in this incident (Genesis 22:12). Even today, in some ways, children can be abused, misused, hurt, and neglected. Very sadly, the lives of children are sometimes valued less than the lives of adults. The Lord does not want this mistreatment or neglect of children and in the New Testament we see that children matter a lot to Jesus and they are to be brought to the Lord for His blessings (Matthew 19:13-15). We also learn that parents are to "bring (their children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord"(Ephesians 6:4 ESV).

Secondly, we see the astonishing faith of Abraham, who believed in the resurrection power of God.

Clearly Abraham believed that Isaac would return after the offering on the mountain. In verse 5 we read, of how 'Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."' 

Hebrews 11:17-19 explains this incident in the following way:

'[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, [18] of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." [19] He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back' (ESV).

Thirdly, we see how this passage teaches that "the LORD will provide" the atoning sacrifice for sin.

In Genesis 22:13-14 we read of how 'Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided" (ESV).

Centuries later another Father was on this same hill (which many believe to be in the city of Jerusalem) and on this occasion, God the Father "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:31).

 

The ram provided to be offered "instead" of Isaac (Genesis 22:13), is a type of Jesus who, as the ultimate sacrifice provided by the Lord (Genesis 22:14), was offered in our stead as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Kingdom Rules of Generosity, Servanthood and Mercy

Matthew 20

I have to break from my ongoing thoughts on Genesis to comment this morning on our secondary daily reading from Matthew 20. What an awesome unfolding of the Kingdom of God dynamics of generosity, servanthood and mercy. The parable of the kingdom in verse 1-16 sets the theme for the rest of the chapter.

Firstly, we note that in God's Kingdom, the Generosity of God rules (v1-16).

This means that "the last will be first and the first last" (v16). God chooses to show His goodness and to be "generous" (v15), and in the end the "pay" is not about our works but His grace.

Secondly, we note that in God's Kingdom, the Servanthood of God rules (v17-28).

Meaning that "whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (v27-28). In God's Kingdom it is not about who is the greatest as it is in this world (v20-26). The pattern of serving even to the point of suffering, set by Jesus (v17-19, 28), must apply also to all the followers of the Suffereing Servant (v26).

And thirdly, we note that in God's Kingdom, the Mercy of God rules (v29-34).

When the poor blind beggars cry out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David", Jesus responds and grants healing (v33-34). He operates in a more compassionate spirit than the cruel, callous world (v31). Healing is what the blind men wanted (v33), and, by implication, healing is what Jesus also wanted to do for the sick (v34).

The question for us is, what do we want? And do we cry out for the mercy and healing of the Lord, the Son of David?

Faith or Fear?

Genesis 20

This passage is about faith and fear, negative or positive. 

Firstly, we see Abraham's unexpected negative fear and lack of faith in God.

In this incident, that reminds us of a similar event in Genesis 12:10-20, where we see Abraham's fear and lack of obedience or trust in God. After that first incident in which God revealed Himself to be a faithful "shield" to Abraham (Cf. also Genesis 15:1), surely Abraham would have learned to trust in the protection of God, but no, Abraham repeats his plan for self preservation through the use of a half truth about Sarah being his sister (v2, 12-13).

In these days of increasing insecurity, what may be our own 'default' response? A self preservation tactic or a resolute trust in God's protection?

Secondly, we see Abimelech's unexpected positive fear of God.

One reason for Abraham's fear and reliance on his lie about Sarah is his assumption that there was "no fear of God in this place" (v11, 2). By this is meant no reverence for God or respect for His standards. But to Abraham's surprise, Abimelech has more positive "fear" of God and respect for God's standards than he expected (v8-9). We also see Abimelech's active righting (or preventing) of the wrong that Abraham nearly caused (v14-16).

Let's not assume that we know how things will always work out or that God won't protect us or how people will respond to God.

Thirdly, we see God's undeserved faithfulness, protection, mercy and restoration, which should lead all to positively fear Him and have faith in Him.

 Though Abraham is fearful and self reliant, God remains faithful and keeps on supernaturally protecting his chosen servants (v3-7). God also mercifully continues to use Abraham as His praying "prophet" and mediator of His blessings, despite Abraham's failures (v7, 17).

So, what about us? Are we walking in negative fear and attempted self preservation at all costs, even if it involves bending the truth? Or are we living by faith in the God of Abraham who faithfully protects and continues to show mercy?

Corrupted by association

Genesis 19

Read though Genesis 19 with its account of a mob set on rape, the undervaluing of women and incest, and I am sure that you will agree that we are being given another example of how wicked the human race can become. We are also being given a warning about not getting closely associated with and influenced by bad characters who can mess up our lives and the lives of our family. 

In 2 Peter 2:7 we are told that Lot was a "righteous" person who was "greatly distressed" by the "wicked" conduct of Sodom but he was also foolish or stubborn enough to choose to go and live in a tent near to the notoriously "wicked" city of Sodom (Genesis 13:12-13). Later Lot obviously chose to move into the city and become a leader in this community. The NIV Study Bible comments that in the Ancient Near East, 'a city gate served as the administrative and judicial center' of a city, and that's where Lot was found when the two angels entered Sodom (Genesis 19:1). Lot obviously had a home in the city to which he invited the two visitors (Genesis 19:2-3). As a result of this close association with these "wicked" people, Lot and his family get badly affected in a number of sad ways.

Firstly, it is obvious that Lot had lost his moral compass when he offered his two betrothed daughters to an abusive mob in his over concern to show his visitors hospitality (Genesis 19:8, 14). The Faithlife Study Bible notes that in Ancient Near Eastern culture the abuse or rape of a bethrothed woman was a serious crime. At the end of the chapter we learn that sadly Lot's daughters had also lost their moral compass (Genesis 19:30-36).

Secondly, Lot and his family are in danger of sharing in the destruction about to rain down on Sodom (Genesis 19:12-13).

Thirdly, some of Lot's family think that the warning about a coming destruction is a joke. Up to that point, Lot had apparently not appeared to his future sons in law as morally distinct from the culture of Sodom. Therefore his sudden preaching of the need to flee a city about to be judged by God did not have an impact on these young men (Genesis 19:14).

Fourthly, Lot's wife seems to have not been able to get her heart and mind out of Sodom. She disobediently kept looking back (longing to return?) and was destroyed in the judgment on Sodom (Genesis 19:17, 26).

Lot's entire family was badly messed up because he chose to go and live in a notoriously "wicked" city and become closely associated with it and influenced by it. (See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.)  Though we are called to be "in" this wicked world, we are not to be "of" the world in the sense that we need to keep a moral distance from its corrupting influence. (See John 17:11, 14).

The Manifestation of God

Genesis 18

Into a scene of lavish Near Eastern hospitality (v1-8), comes a strange manifestation of God. Of the "three men" (v2) who visit Abraham, one seems to be the "LORD" (v1, 13, 17, 20, 22, 33). Is this a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus? The other two men are identified as "two angels" in Genesis 19:1. Not only does God appear in a human form, in this incident, we see three characteristics of God being manifested.

Firstly, we see the manifestation of God's Justice.

God is described by Abraham as "the Judge of all the earth" who shall "do what is just" (v25). Because He is fair and just, God will only judge Sodom if the city is actually as wicked as the rumours suggest (v20-21). This going "down to see" is not because God lacks knowledge, but because He is to be seen to be a just Judge who does not merely judge because of hearsay.

Secondly, we see the manifestation of God's Mercy.

The LORD does not "hide from Abraham" the judgment that He is about to bring upon Sodom, because God is allowing Abraham to intercede and ask Him to spare the whole place if 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 "righteous" people can be found there. And God agrees to show mercy to the whole city if there are just 10 righteous people found there (v23-32).

And thirdly, we see the manifestation of God's Wonderfulness.

In verses 9-11, God promises that the barren and very old Sarah will indeed "have a son" (v10). Though the idea of a 90 year old woman and a 100 year old man being able to conceive is laughable (Genesis 17:17; 18:11-12), the LORD asserts that His works are wonderful and that "nothing is too hard for the LORD" (v13-14).

In fact, it is because "the Judge of all the earth" could not find even one righteous person on earth (Genesis 6:5; Romans 3:10, 19, 23), that He needed to start a saving line of believers through Abraham and Sarah that would eventually lead to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth of the Virgin Mary was the most wonderful of all, and whose righteous life, death and resurrection would save this wicked, unrighteous earth (Matthew 1).

Covenant

Genesis 17

Some people see covenants everywhere in Scripture, even where the actual word, covenant, is not used. Limiting ourselves to where the Bible uses the word covenant, we see a number of divinely established covenants.

In our current reading through Genesis, we have already noted God's covenant with Adam (See Genesis 2:16-17; 3:17; Hosea 6:7), which involved a command and a curse if this command was not obeyed.

We also noted God's covenant with Noah and with all flesh, in which God unconditionally promised that the earth would never again be flooded. This Noahic covenant included the sign of the rainbow (Genesis 9:8-17).

Later God would establish His covenant with Moses, which included the sign of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:13-16). 

Even later on, God would establish a covenant with David, to build up His house and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:8-17; Psalm 89:3-4, 28, 34, 39).

In the fullness of time, Jesus Christ would inaugurate the New Covenant, signified in the Lord's Supper (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:22).

And in this reflection we think about God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15 and 17).

Firstly, we note that relationship with God is the essential core of this covenant.

God calls it "my covenant" nine times in  Genesis 17:2-21. He initiates it (Genesis 15:18), confirms it (Genesis 17:2) and establishes it (Genesis 17:7).

The essence of this covenant is a relationship between God and His people. In verse 7 the core of this covenant is explained as "to be God to you and to your offspring after you". And again in verse 8, God repeats this promise of relationship saying, "I will be their God." 

Secondly, we note that circumcision is the sign of this covenant.

To "keep" this covenant, every male is to be circumcised (Genesis 17:9-14, 23-26).

In the New Covenant era, Gentiles become participants in the blessings promised to Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ, but are not be required to undergo the physical sign of circumcision (Acts 15, Galatians). In fact, the Apostle Paul spiritualized circumcision in the New Covenant era. In Philippians 3:2-3 (ESV) he wrote, "[2] Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."

Thirdly, we note that the land of Canaan was promised as a part of this covenant.

 Genesis 17:7-8 ESV - "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [8] And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."

As we have noted, the essential aspect of this covenant is relationship with God, which is mentioned  before and after the promise of the land. Some would insist that the land of Canaan is indeed "an everlasting possession". Does "everlasting" (Hebrew, עוֹלָם {o-lawm'} here mean 'for ever' or 'for a long time'? There is another Hebrew word , נֵ֫צַח {neh'-tsakh} which might be stronger in referring to something perpetual, enduring, everlasting. Abraham looked by faith to an inheritance beyond the physical land, in heaven (Hebrews 11:8-10, 16). And even in the land of Canaan, Israel was said to be a "sojourner" (1 Chronicles 29:15) because ultimately the real land is "a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16).

Fourthly, we note that the supernatural, joyful line of this covenant was through Isaac.

Ishmael would also be blessed (Genesis 17:20) but the covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled supernaturally (See Genesis 18:14) through the line of Isaac, who would be born of Sarah (Genesis 17:15-22). Isaac's name means "laughter" and when God promises him a son through Sarah, Abraham "laughed" at the apparent impossibility of a child being born to such ancient parents (Genesis 17:17).

Genesis 16

Doubt in action

Yesterday we saw the amazing faith of Abram (Genesis 15:6). Today, in Genesis 16, we see his doubt in action, with unfortunate results.

Firstly, doubt is impatient.

Abram makes a big mistake when he chooses to listen to and obey his wife who seems to be impatient with God or to be doubting His promise to provide a son to Abram (Genesis 15:4; Genesis 16:2)

Secondly, doubt is self reliant.

Assuming God won't do it, Abram and Sarai do their own thing and arrange a polygamous marriage for Abram (Gen. 16:3).

The NIV Study Bible describes their self reliant action as an 'attempt to provide by human means what the Lord is accused of withholding'.

(And polygamy, though tolerated in the Old Testament,was always seen as causing problems. See Genesis 29-31; Deuteronomy 17:17; 1 Samuel 1; 1 Kings 11.)

Thirdly, doubt is unsuccessful.

Though Hagar, the servant made a wife, conceives a son, and though, in the seeing mercy of God, she and her offspring will be blessed (Genesis 16:7-14), this birth is far from what God had promised to Abram.

And the result of Sarai and Abram's self effort is contempt and mistreatment (Genesis 16:4-6) and future hostility (Genesis 16:12).

Doubting self effort may be able to produce an 'Ishmael', but (as we shall see), only God can provide an 'Isaac'!

Faith

Genesis 15

What a vitally important chapter this is with it's revelation of God's promises to Abram of offspring and of land.

We start with the promise of land in verses 7-21.

Theses verses underly the key historic events of the Old Testament history. There is the prophecied promise of the Exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan (v13-16, 18-21). This promise of the land of Canaan is assured by God cutting and making of a dreadful oath type covenant with Abram (v7-12, 17-21).

Now let's think about the promise of offspring in verses 1-6.

Theses six verses underly the core message of the whole Bible. Verse 6 could be seen as one of the key 'Gospel' verses of the whole of Scripture. It is quoted in Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22; Galatians 3:6 and James 2:23.

God promises the long childless Abram that he will have a son and many offspring and Abram just "believed the LORD". He took God at His Word and believed Him to be truthful. Faith does include living in obedience to God's law, or being righteous and in favor with God. But Abram's faith, even before it became a lived out obedience, was "counted ... to him as righteousness". The ESV Study Bible puts it like this: 'Before Abram has proved himself righteous by his deeds, he is counted (that is, regarded) as righteous because of his faith'. The Apostle Paul will eventually define this being credited with righteousness by faith alone as the Gospel doctrine of justification by faith (Roman 4:3-5; Galatians 3:8).

Greatness

Genesis 14

What makes people "rich"?

Or how do we expect to receive or achieve the things we have been promised (by God)?

For some it's a matter of 'God helps those who help themselves'.

With Abram in Genesis 14 we see a different approach. This chapter points us towards the way in which Abram expected to become "rich" (v23). And, of course, the father of faith was looking to God as his source and provider.

This passage shows us four great things about the God who make Abram great:

Firstly, we see God's Power.

God is revealed in His many names and in this portion we see Him as "God" (El) "Most High" (Elyon), "The LORD" (Yahweh), "Possessor (Qana) of heaven and earth". (See verses 19-20, 22).

'Qana', translated as "Possessor" (ESV, NASB) or "Creator" (NIV, NET Bible), literally means 'Builder', and refers to God's building of creation as His Temple. (see my blog notes on Genesis 1 called 'Priests in God's Cosmic Temple').

Secondly, we see God's Priest.

Verse 18 introduces us to a mystery priest king called "Melchizedek king of Salem.... priest of God Most High", whose name literally means 'king of righteousness' and his city, "Salem", meaning 'peace' could refer to Jerusalem.

And this mystery priest king of peace meets Abram with a meal of "bread and wine" and he then "blessed" Abram (v19) and assured him that the victory won in battle was by the enabling of God (v20).

We will meet this Melchizedek much later on when the New Testament letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is a "high priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 5:10). And because of his mysterious mention in Genesis 14, Melchizedek "is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues as a priest forever" (Heb. 7:3). And the letter to the Hebrews argues that Jesus' Melchizedek type priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Mosaic covenant (Genesis 14:20; Heb. 7:4-10).

Thirdly, we see God's Portion.

In Genesis 14, we find the Bible's first mention of the ancient practice of giving a tithe to your king. Abram acknowledged Melchizedek to be his king by way he "gave him a tenth of everything" (v20). This practice of tithing to a king (1 Samuel 8:15) would be developed in the Biblical record as a way of honoring God as our King by worshipping Him with our tithes (See Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23; 1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

Fourthly, we see God's Provision.

The king of Sodom says that Abram can "take the goods" that were brought back after Abram's defeat of the four kings of the north (v16, 21), but Abram refuses to take anything lest it be said that they had "made Abram rich" (v22-23). Clearly Abram trusts God alone for the Land that he had been promised.

Who or what are we trusting to make us "rich"?

May we ever look to God and not rely on our own efforts.

Choices

Thursday 12th

Choices

Genesis 13

How do we make choices?

Is there something special about the way believers in Jesus are to make choices?

Genesis 13 shows that there was a big difference between the way Lot and Abram made choices.

Firstly, we see the bad choice of Lot. Lot chose badly because he based his choice purely on himself, on what things looked like to him. When asked by Abram to choose the piece of land he wanted to go and live on, Lot made his choice based on what looked better to him (v10-12). But Lot also chose to ignore the fact that living in that place would involve him having to get closely associated with people that the passage describes as "great sinners" (v13). And sadly this bad choice would lead to disaster for Lot (See Genesis 14:12 and Genesis 19). The way to disaster is to think we know what is best for ourselves and that compromise with evil does not matter.

Then we may also note in this chapter of Genesis the way that Abram made his choices surrounded by and soaked in prayer, the voice of God and worship (v4, 14, 18). And because God was his focus and Leader, the way Abram conducted his life and made choices would result in God blessing him (v14-17). 

Let's choose to live and make our choices in the way of faith, like Abram, and live our lives surrounded by and soaked in prayer, the voice of God (in Scripture and in prophetic gifts), worship and the promise of God's blessing.

"All shall be blessed"

Genesis 12

Here is Genesis 12, the awesome journey to the salvation of the world begins!

And, as we have been shown in Genesis 1-11, just how badly this world needs to be saved from great wickedness (Genesis 6:5) and self-centered, proud disobedience (Genesis 11:4).

Here at the beginning of the journey, we see God's intention in building a new family of faith through Abram, who is renamed, "Abraham" (meaning 'father of a multitude') in Genesis 17:5. It is not just to bless the physical descendants of Abraham, but to also bless "all the families of the earth."

This promise of universal blessing is repeated four times in Genesis (18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). The last three expressions of this promise use the word "offspring", which in Hebrew is zera, meaning seed. This "offspring", or seed, will be the source of the blessing for all nations.

And the Apostle Paul sees this promise to bless all nations through the "offspring" of Abraham as finally fulfilled and available in Christ (Galatians 3:16).

One of the things that I admire about the Bible (and which attests to its authenticity) is it's shocking honesty about it's great heroes. Even when the truth exposes their 'feet of clay'.

In Genesis 12, having read of God's universal purpose for Abram (v1-3) and of Abram's obedience (v4-6) and worship (v7-9), we then get told of his fear, cowardice, lying and failure to protect his wife when they journey to Egypt in a time of famine. Because he fears that the Egyptians will kill him for his wife, he get her to say that she is his sister (v10-13). Sarai duly gets taken "into Pharaoh's house" and Abram gets given great riches for her (v14-16). But for the intervention of the Lord, the promise could have died in the sands of Egypt (v17-20).

The only real, flawless Hero in Scripture is "the LORD."

The story of salvation

Genesis 10-11

The sinful human race have already been judged by God in the flood (Genesis 6-8), and sadly after that they continue in their selfish disobedience, trying to build their own “tower” of religion to heaven (probably a ziggurat) and trying to populate one city, rather than “be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (11:4),as God had commanded (9:1,7). So God restrained them at “Babel” by confusing their language and “dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth” (11:8-9). Genesis 10, known as the 'Table of Nations' outlines this dispersion of peoples in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean region, the world of the Bible.

That pretty much sums up godless, disobedient humanity and sets the scene for the story of how God built His own people of faith and salvation through Abram (whose name gets changed to Abraham). We are told that Abram's wife, Sarai (to called Sarah), was "barren" (11:30), hinting of how God would 'create' His people supernaturally.

The genealogy (a word that can mean 'story') of Shem (11:10-26) is moving the story from Noah to Abram, just as the genealogy of Adam in Genesis 5 moved the story to Noah. These three leaders, Adam, Noah and Abram sum up the story of the Bible up to this point (Genesis 1-11) and speak of creation, a new beginning and the story of God's own people of faith and salvation.

The NIV Study Bible provides a marvelous summary of the significance of the new development that began with Abram:

"With God’s calling of Abram out of the post-Babel peoples, the story of God’s ways with humankind shifts focus from universal history to the history of God’s relationship with a particular person and people. Here begins the history of his saving work, in which human sin is not only judged (the flood) or restrained (Babel) but forgiven (through atonement) and overcome (through the purifying of human hearts). Throughout the rest of Scripture the unfolding of this history remains the golden thread and central theme. Its final outcome is made sure through Jesus Christ, “the son of Abraham” .

'Whenever you see a rainbow'

Genesis 9

Clearly the flood didn't wash away sin. Soon after the flood, Noah gets drunk and his youngest son dishonours him. The earth is a place of “fear” (v2) and ‘violence is abroad’ (Kidner). This passage indicates something of what is needed in response to sin.

Firstly more law is added, both permissive and prohibitive.

The Lord permits the human consumption of meat (v3), but prohibits the eating of blood, which speaks of “life” (v4). The Mosaic law will develop this idea and it will give significance to animal  blood sacrifices, and ultimately to the blood of Christ that cleanses from sin (1 John 1:7).

Also, murder is to be punished (v5-6), and humanity is commanded to “be fruitful and multiply” (v1, 7). Growth in numbers of offspring corresponds to the New Testament commission to be fruitful in making disciples of all nations (See how this idea is developed in John 4:35-36, 13:34-35, 15:16).

Secondly, more care is required, especially to show honour.

The strange incident in which Noah’s son Ham “saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside” (v22) is full of possible implication as to what actually happened. It was serious enough for the eventually sobered up Noah to curse “Canaan”, the son of Ham (v25, 10:6). (This curse has been very misused by some and it probably only refers to what would eventually happen to the Canaanites when the children of Israel conquered the Holy Land.) The other two sons show a proper honour and respect for their father, even in a time of disgrace (v23), and this extra special care to show honour is obviously commended as better than the behavior of Ham (v26-27). To honour parents would become the fifth Commanment of the Mosaic law (Exodus 20:12)

And thirdly, more grace and mercy is given by God.

This undeserved love of God towards His fallen creation is expressed in the form of a “covenant” (v8-17), which involves God’s promise “that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood “ (v11), and includes the assuring sign of the rainbow in the clouds (v12-17). In this divinely established covenant,  the active  participant is God and the human recipients of the covenant are objects of His undeserved favour and gift. As the old children’s chorus put it, ‘Whenever you see a rainbow, remember God is good.’

A New Beginning

A New Beginning

Genesis 8

It's still early enough in this new year to be able to commit to a new beginning and Genesis 8 gives us an attractive picture of a new beginning after the devastating flood. Noah was checking if the land had dried out and so he sends out a dove. We read in Genesis 8:11 (ESV, "And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth." We sometimes think that the dove with an olive leaf in it beak is a symbol for peace, but in this Genesis passage it's more a picture of new creation. The water has subsided, the land is coming back to life and the plants have started to regrow.

Genesis 8 points us to a number of things about a new beginning.

It begins with God.

The God who remembers.  

Verse 1 says, "But God remembered Noah". ' To “remember” in the Bible is often not merely to recall people to mind but to express concern for them, to act with loving care for them. When God remembers his children, he does so “with favor” (Ne 5:19; 13:31)' (NIV Study Bible note).

The God of mercy. 

We see the mercy of God towards sinful humanity in    verses 21-22 (ESV), '[21] And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. [22] While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."

It begins with God's Creative Spirit. 

As the Spirit of God hovered creatively over the unformed, void, early creation to form and fill (Genesis 1:2), so God's creative "wind" (which is His Spirit) blows over the the earth after the flood to re-create (Gen. 8:1).

When God was launching the new creation ministry of Jesus, 'the Spirit of God descended like a dove and coming to rest on' Jesus (Matthew 3:16). This is a link to the new creation dove with an olive leaf in her mouth after the flood.

It begins with worship

Genesis 8:20 (ESV) says, "Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.Genesis  [21] And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth."

As we worship the LORD, His mercy opens the way for sinners to experience new beginnings.

"And the Lord shut him in"

Genesis 7

"And the Lord shut him in"

'Noah’s flood has numerous parallels in ancient Near Eastern literature.' There is the 'Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh .... the Babylonian story of Atrahasis' and 'Sumerian text known as the Eridu Genesis'  (Faithlife Study Bible, Jason C. Kuo). It is likely that some huge ancient deluge is remembered in all these accounts.

The biblical account warns of God's judgment of sin and of God's concern and ability to save. 2 Peter 2:5,9 ESV says, "[5] if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;...... [9] then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment."

The eight human beings who got saved "went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood" (Genesis 7:7 ESV). God had promised to save Noah and his family from the flood (Genesis 6:17-18), but they needed to actually go "into the ark" to experience this salvation. God has promised His people salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1), but to experience this great salvation, we need to be "in Christ" by believing into Christ (Ephesians 1:13).

People ponder how all those many animals were captured and brought into the ark, but the text of Genesis 7 indicates that God was at work to enable Noah to do what God had commanded him to do. The text says that animals "went into the ark with Noah (or literally 'went to Noah into the ark') as God had commanded Noah." (Genesis 7:9 ESV). It seems to imply that God caused them to go to Noah and into the ark. (In a similar way, the Lord will enable us to do the things He has commanded us to do. See Matthew 28:19-20; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:29).

Genesis 7:16 ESV says that the animals "went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in." What a beautiful picture of the Lord's care and concern to save as He personally shuts the door of the ark behind Noah, his family and the many animals.


It is noteworthy that two of God's names are used in this verse. It is as Elohim ("God ") that He "commanded", but it is as YHWH ("the LORD") that He "shut Him in". The NIV Study Bible notes that God 'closed the door behind Noah and his family ... in his role as redeeming Lord.' The name YHWH is connected the the Hebrew verb, hayah, which means to be. In Exodus 3:14-15 ESV we read of how 'God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM (hayah) has sent me to you.'" [15] God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.' This saving name of the LORD (YHWH) was given fuller meaning when God redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt (See Exodus 6:3,6). It was given its fullest meaning in Jesus who said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58 ESV).

Great Wickedness!

Genesis 6

Great Wickedness!

By the time we reach Genesis 6, the awful effects of the Fall (in Genesis 3) have increased to the point where "the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5 ESV). By the way, this is the world in which we currently live. No wonder it can become such a mess and a misery at times. And it's not God's fault. This is not what He willed. See Genesis 1-2 for a picture of the world as God wills it to be.

One illustration of humanities great wickedness is given in verses 1-4. It contains a pattern of sin that is similar to the pattern of sin first seen in Genesis 3:6, where Eve saw, delighted in and took what God had forbidden. In Genesis 6:2 (ESV) we read of how "the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose." It is not clear who these "sons of God" and "daughters of man" were, but it seems that these "sons of God" were taking any women that they wanted. This exploitation of women (who, by inference from this text, should not be taken or forced into marriage against their wills) was seen by God as so bad that He speaks of withdrawing His Spirit from mortal man (v3). Here we see Scripture revealing a very high view of women and challenging to accepted Ancient Near Eastern attitudes.

In His sorrow and heartfelt grief at sin (v6), the Lord speaks of "blotting out" the creatures He has made (v7), except for the one obedient man (v22), Noah, who "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (v8) and who, like believing Enoch (Genesis 5:22-24), "walked with God" (v9).


Whether the flood was global or local, what is clear is that it was universal in relation to the judgment on humanity (v11-13, 17). Only Noah and his family and a certain number of animals would be saved though the construction of an ark (v14-22). This message of judgment and salvation becomes a foundational theme of the Bible, and entering the ark becomes a picture of believing into Jesus Christ for salvation from the judgment on sin (1 Peter 3:18-21).

Walking with God

Genesis 5

This chapter moves the narrative from Adam to Noah and sets the scene for the next huge event in world history (the Flood). The chapter is a "Linear genealogy" which  "focuses on one person in each generation" and connects "one individual to one specific ancestor in a previous generation" (Faithlife Study Bible). The great ages recorded for these people, between 700 and a 1000 years, are similar to an ancient list of Sumerian kings who also predated a huge flood. It is not clear whether these ages are meant to be taken literally and they may have symbolic significances. For example the 365 years of Enoch (v23) "corresponds to the number of days in a solar year, so Enoch became a central figure in later Jewish calendrical mysticism" " (Faithlife Study Bible).

There are two exceptions to the formulaic description of each generation, Enoch and Noah.
We will see more of Noah tomorrow, as we consider this "one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands" (v29). 

Let's think for a moment about Enoch. Genesis 5:22 and 24 (ESV) say that, "Enoch walked with God"; then verse 24 says "and he was not, for God took him." The usual formulaic ending, "and he died", is omitted.


Here is a believer in God, who lived his whole life by faith, in close communion with God, and then was taken to dwell with God in heaven. It is possible that the meaning here is that Enoch went home to God without passing through the experience of physical death. (See Hebrews 11:5). The prophet Elijah is another who went home without dying (See See 2 Kings 2:1,5.9,10). The Apostle Paul says that believers on earth at the time of Christ's return will be changed into their resurrection bodies instantly and without dying (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). Wouldn't that be great!

The letter the the Hebrews draws an important lesson from the life of Enoch, saying:

[5] … Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:5-6 ESV)

That Enoch 'pleased God' is the Septuagint version of "walked with God".

And what a challenge for us to walk our entire lives with God by faith, meaning that we not only "believe that he exists" but that we also "seek him" and "draw near to God".

Ruined lives

Genesis 4

The ruining, spreading rule of sin

Genesis 4 is the story of how the first rebellion against God (in Genesis 3) led to a sad and sorry and sick state of ruin and misery on the earth.

Verse 7 is a key to understand this gloomy chapter. God counsels Cain saying, saying, "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it" (ESV).

'Sin is being personified here as a demonic force, waiting to pounce on Cain' (Faithlife Study Bible).

If people do not resist sin, it will "rule over" them and ruin everything. We see this ruining rule of sin as it spreads through Genesis 4:

Sin ruins worship making it substandard

(v3-7)

The difference between the offerings of Cain and Abel was a matter of value, cost and sacrifice. 

The Faithlife Study Bible comments on verses 3-4 saying that 'the Hebrew word order here may hint that Cain brought whatever was close at hand while Abel brought the best of what he had'.

Cain's offering had little or no real value. It was just any old "the fruit of the ground" (v3). It cost him little, was not missed and was not a real sacrifice. It was substandard worship that showed he did not highly value God or seek to honour Him very much.

On the other hand, Abel's offering was the very best he had to give to the Lord of his life. It was "the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions" (v4). It was a costly sacrifice that showed his love and reverence for his God. "And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering" (v4).

Sin ruins relationships making them murderous (v8-10)

This is the first of a long line of sinful murders recorded in the Bible. Though people may refrain from physically killing, Jesus warned of the anger, insults and contempt that are just as sinfully murderous (Matthew 5:21-22).

Sin ruins everything increasingly making life difficult and dangerous and disobedient (v11-24)
For Cain and his family and his descendants, sin results in poverty and a struggle to get enough to eat (v11-12).
 Sin makes them vulnerable and likely to be attacked and killed in a hostile, sinful world (v12-14). 
Sin leads to inventive ways of doing marriage and the first mention of polygamy is found in verse 19. This was a departure from God's intention for monogamous marriage revealed in Genesis 2:24.
Sin increases down the renerations and the violence of Cain explodes into the vengeance and arrogance of Lamech (v23-24).
But sin is not the only thing in Genesis 4, because God's mercy never gives up.

We see God's mercy in His protection of Cain (v15) and in the growth of families (v17-18, 25-26), the development of farming (v20), music (v21) and metal work (v22).
We especially see the mercy of God in His allowing and enabling people to begin to pray. We are told that "at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord" (v26).

The biggest disaster of history

Genesis 3

This chapter records the biggest disaster of history. It explains why the world is a risky, sometimes miserable place in which much that is not God's will happens. It also contains the first recorded glimpse of the Gospel of salvation and gives the reason why the story of salvation (which is the great story of the Bible) is needed.

In this chapter, the dreadful Fall from the original goodness of God’s creation, is presented in three dimensions:

Firstly, we are introduced to the Satanic Dimension

Before the fall of humanity, a fall must have already occurred in the spiritual realm. We can deduce this from the fact that when Satan first shows up in the story he is already in rebellion against God.

A brief glance through Genesis 3:1-5 shows that the serpent is the enemy of God. In the Book of Revelation this serpent is clearly identified as Satan, the fallen opponent of God (Rev. 12:9). Other Scriptures hint at this rebellion within the ranks of the angelic creatures. It seems possible that this rebellion occurred during the process of creation and had some negative influence on the earth as it was being formed in those earliest stages (See Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4).  

Satan, the serpent, concentrated his attack on the content (Gen. 3:1-3) and truth (Gen. 3:4-5) of the Word of God and successfully tempted the first humans to disbelieve and disobey God’s Word.

This leads to the Sin Dimension

 

Sin is disobedience to God’s Word, motivated by selfishness (See Genesis 3:3, 6, 11). Sin may also be seen as siding with the enemy of God (Gen. 3:1-6).

The results of sin are separation from God (Gen. 3:7-10), misery (Gen. 3:16-19), death (Gen. 3:19) and the removal of the possibility of eternal life (Gen. 3:22-24).

Thankfully there is also the Salvation Dimension

Even in this bleak story of the Fall, there is already a hint of the promised Suffering Saviour. Genesis 3:15 is the first reference to Jesus in the Bible, hinting at His Human Birth as “the woman’s offspring”, His Resurrection Victory for “he shall bruise the serpent’s head” and His Saving Death, for the serpent “shall bruise his heel”.

And here in Genesis 3 we also see a picture of humanities failure to achieve their own salvation by their works (Genesis 3:7) and God's gracious provision of salvation (Genesis 3:21). The idea of salvation as a covering or garment is developed in the Scriptures (See Isaiah 61:10; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).

God’s provision of "skins" from a dead animal as the covering for sin also hints at the blood sacrifice of the cross that will achieve our salvation (Heb. 9:12).