Tawa Baptist

Faith Tested

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14

Title: Faith Tested

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s test
  • Abraham’s faith
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

When I was applying for ministry training with Carey College in Auckland they required us to do some testing

–         We were interviewed by a psychologist and by various other people and we had to sit a psychometric test

–         I remember being put in a small room by myself, given a questionnaire and told to answer as many of the questions as I could within a certain time frame – it wasn’t long, only about 30 minutes or so, if my memory serves me correctly

While I was sitting the test someone walked by the open window behind me – it was clear they needed help and so I was faced with a choice:

–         Do I stop what I’m doing to help them and thereby jeopardise my psychometric test results? Or, do I just ignore the person in need?

–         I decided to see if I could help the guy

–         I don’t remember what he needed now (it was nothing major) but it chewed up a few minutes and consequently I wasn’t able to complete all the questions

–         It didn’t matter though because they accepted me anyway

–         Carey must have been desperate that year

At the time I didn’t think anything of it but, it occurred to me afterwards, that maybe the guy stopping by the window asking for help was actually part of Carey’s test

–         I thought I was sitting a written tick box test when in fact the real test was whether I would interrupt what I was doing, while under pressure, to see to the needs of someone else. I guess I’ll never know.

 

Today we continue the series on Abraham, focusing on Genesis 22, page 24 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         Just to bring you up to speed, Sarah has by this stage given birth to Isaac, the long awaited son & heir to God’s promise

–         Ishmael & Hagar have left home and Isaac is probably in his mid to late teens by now, maybe around 17 or 18 years’ old

–         In these verses the Abraham cycle reaches its climax with God putting Abraham’s faith to the ultimate test. From Genesis 22, verse 1 we read…

Some time later God tested Abraham; he called to him, “Abraham!” And Abraham answered, “Yes, here I am!”

2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey, and took Isaac and two servants with him. They started out for the place that God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham saw the place in the distance. 5 Then he said to the servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice, and he himself carried a knife and live coals for starting the fire. As they walked along together, 7 Isaac spoke up, “Father!”

He answered, “Yes, my son?”

Isaac asked, “I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide one.” And the two of them walked on together.

9 When they came to the place which God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he picked up the knife to kill him. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He answered, “Yes, here I am.”

12 “Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him,” he said. “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.”

13 Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham named that place “The Lord Provides.” And even today people say, “On the Lord‘s mountain he provides.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

God’s test:

In the 1971 movie version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka is in search of someone to take over his chocolate business

–         To select the right person, someone he can trust, Mr Wonka devises a test

–         Those lucky children who win a golden ticket get a tour through his chocolate factory

–         Before they enter the factory however, a villain by the name of Slugworth, approaches each child individually and offers to pay them a large sum of money if they will steal an everlasting gobstopper for him

–         During the factory tour each child gets given an everlasting gobstopper and so the test is set

One by one each of the children eliminate themselves by some moral failure until only Charlie is left – but even Charlie has disqualified himself by stealing fizzy lifting drink, so he is dismissed by Mr Wonka without getting anything

–         Charlie’s grandpa Joe storms out in a rage determined to sell Slugworth the everlasting gobstopper but, even though there is nothing in it for him, Charlie quietly leaves the gobstopper on Mr Wonka’s desk

–         Charlie would rather remain in poverty than betray Mr Wonka

–         “So shines a good deed in a weary world”

–         Charlie has passed Mr Wonka’s test and inherits the chocolate factory

 

Genesis 22 starts with the narrator telling us that God tested Abraham saying…

–         [Please] Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.

Probably the first thing we notice here is how out of character God’s request is

–         It does not make sense, it goes against who God is, it seems to be a contradiction of God himself

–         Previously the Lord had promised a son to Abraham & Sarah, and Isaac was born. It was Isaac that God said would inherit the promise

–         Isaac was the one through whom God’s blessing would flow

–         And yet God is now telling Abraham to kill Isaac

–         “The command and the promise of God are in conflict” [1]

Quite apart from being illogical, God’s request for Abraham to sacrifice his teenage son seems immoral

–         Some centuries later, in the Bible, God makes it clear that child sacrifice is evil and therefore not to be practised, although at that point in history the law had not yet been given

–         What we have to keep in mind here is that God never intended for Isaac to be sacrificed – as verse 1 makes clear, this was just to test Abraham

–         We might listen to this story and think that Isaac’s life is at risk here

–         But Isaac’s life was not at risk – we know God would not have let any harm come to Isaac because of the promises God had made about Isaac

–         The real risk here is to Abraham’s relationship with God – because it’s the relationship that’s being tested

–         Will Abraham trust God with everything?

–         Of course Abraham doesn’t know it’s a test, at least not yet, just as Charlie didn’t know he was being tested by Mr Wonka and just as I didn’t know the true nature of my test to get into Carey – this sort of test only works if the one being tested doesn’t realise it’s a test

 

The other thing, which isn’t so obvious in our English translations, is the gentleness or tenderness with which God speaks to Abraham here

–         Most English translations have God saying: Take your son…

–         But the Hebrew has a particle of entreaty attached, which gives this phrase a feeling of tenderness:

–         Please take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love so much…

–         Gordon Wenham sees here a hint that the Lord appreciates the costliness of what he is asking Abraham to do [2]   

It’s interesting that God requires Abraham to travel to Moriah to make the sacrifice. Moriah is 3 days journey away from Beersheba

–         Three days walking and thinking

–         Three days for the reality of what God is asking to sink in

–         Three days to change your mind

–         But Abraham doesn’t change his mind

 

The exact location of ancient Moriah is disputed – some say Moriah is where the temple in Jerusalem would later be located, which has a certain poetry to it

–         But others say this is unlikely

–         What is perhaps more significant (and more knowable) is the name itself

–         Moriah is derived from the Hebrew word ra’ah which primarily means to see to or provide

–         So in the very word Moriah (which means something like provision) we have the seed of salvation & deliverance [3]

–         If Abraham reads between the lines then he will find a hidden message of providence from God

The bigger principle we draw on for our own application is that God’s testing usually contains his provision, his salvation, his grace

 

In Mark 10 we read how Jesus tested a man who came to him. From verse 17…

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.’ ”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 

This gospel story shares a number of things in common with Abraham’s story in Genesis 22

–         In asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God was basically asking Abraham to give up everything

–         Likewise Jesus was asking the rich man to sacrifice everything

–         And, in both stories, the Lord’s testing contained his provision, his salvation, his grace

–         We’ll get to God’s provision for Abraham shortly but in the case of the rich man, Jesus wasn’t asking him to sacrifice everything for nothing

–         Rather he was saying that his giving to the poor would be transferred for him into heaven, so it wouldn’t be lost

–         What’s more Jesus wasn’t asking the rich man to step into a vacuum

–         Rather he was inviting the rich man to walk with him – so the man would be provided for within the community of Jesus’ followers

–         The Lord’s testing contained his provision – it just required a step of faith

 

Another thing we note is the Lord’s love

–         God was testing Abraham in a spirit of love – not in order to catch him out or disqualify him

–         Likewise we read that Jesus looked at the rich man and loved him

–         Jesus wasn’t trying to make it harder for the rich man – he was helping to set the man free so it would be easier for him to find eternal life

–         To be tested by God is difficult but it’s also a sign of respect & affection

–         If God tests us it’s because he believes in us – he thinks we will pass the test. God doesn’t test us beyond what we can handle

–         His testing is done in love, to strengthen us – it is not meant to destroy us

 

There’s at least one more thing these two stories share in common

Walter Brueggemann says:

–         “God tests to identify his people, to discern who is serious about faith and to know in whose lives he will be fully God” [4]

You see, it’s possible to obey God in some aspects of our life but not in others

–         The reality is: God is Lord of our life in those aspects where we trust & obey him, but something else is lord of our life in those aspects where we don’t trust him and therefore don’t do what he wants

–         For God to be fully God of our whole life we must be willing to trust him with every aspect

–         The whole meaning and purpose of Abraham’s life hinged on Isaac

–         So in asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac God was asking everything of Abraham

–         By choosing to obey God in this, Abraham was saying that he trusted God completely with Isaac’s life and with the meaning of his own life

–         Therefore the Lord knew he could be fully God in Abraham’s life

In the case of the rich man and Jesus (in Mark 10) we don’t know what the rich man chose in the end – we only know he went away sad

–         If he chose his wealth over Jesus then he was basically saying he didn’t trust God with his wealth and consequently he wasn’t willing to allow Jesus to be fully Lord of his life

 

Okay, so we’ve talked about God’s testing of Abraham

–         Now let’s consider how Abraham handled God’s test

 

Abraham’s faith:

Verse 3 tells us that early the next morning, after God had told him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham cut some fire wood, loaded his donkey and headed off to Moriah with Isaac and two servants

–         The point is, Abraham wastes no time in obeying God

 

As they draw near to the place, Abraham tells the two servants to stay where they are, while he takes Isaac with him

–         Isaac carries the wood & Abraham carries the knife & coals for the fire

–         As Christians we look at this picture and are reminded of Jesus who carried a burden of wood on his back in preparation for his sacrifice on the cross. Isaac points to Jesus.

 

As they walk along Isaac asks Abraham, where is the lamb for the sacrifice?

–         And Abraham answers, “God himself will provide one”

 

The Hebrew word for ‘provide’ used there is ra’ah – from the same root used for Moriah – it means to see to it, as in God will see to it

–         Our English word ‘provide’ comes from the Latin word ‘pro-video’ [5]

–         Video means to see and pro means before

–         So pro-video means to see before

–         God is able to provide because he can see what is needed beforehand

–         Abraham doesn’t know how God will provide he simply trusts that God will see to it – such is Abraham’s faith in the Lord

 

In verse 9 we read that when Abraham came to the place God had told him about he built an altar, arranged the wood on it, bound his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood

 

Again we see something of Jesus in the way Isaac submits to his father’s will

–         As a boy of 17 or 18, strong enough to carry a heavy load of fire wood, Isaac could have easily resisted his elderly father – but Isaac doesn’t resist, he is the picture of meekness

–         What was it Jesus said? Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Isaac actually did inherit the land

 

Abraham lifted the knife and was about to kill his son when, at the last second, the angel of the Lord called to him, from heaven, to stop

–         Speaking on God’s behalf the angel said, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not kept back your only son from him.”

–         This sentence is interesting, especially the first part…

–         Now I know that you fear God…

 

What does it mean to fear God?

–         In the Bible, to ‘fear God’ is a term which basically means to obey God

–         Fear God is code for obey God

–         People might obey God for any number of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with fear, in the sense of being terrified or anxious

–         In this context Abraham doesn’t obey God because he’s scared of what God might do to him if he disobeys

–         No. Abraham is remarkably calm about all of this – he obeys God because he trusts God and believes God will somehow provide a way

 

But the really interesting thing here is that little phrase at the start of the sentence: ‘Now I know…’

–         ‘Now I know’ seems to imply that God didn’t know something about Abraham previously

–         What? Isn’t God supposed to know everything already in advance?

–         Shouldn’t the Lord have known beforehand what Abraham would do?

 

John Walton offers a good explanation I think. He writes…

–         “We must differentiate between knowledge as cognition and knowledge as experience” [6]

–         You see, there are different types of knowledge, aren’t there

–         There’s knowing something in your head, cognitively, and there’s knowing something practically, from experience

 

Cognitive knowledge by itself is not enough – it’s less than satisfying

–         For example, I have here a bar of chocolate

–         Looking at this bar of chocolate I know cognitively (in my head) that I will enjoy it, but knowing that in my head doesn’t actually satisfy me

–         It’s only when I experience the chocolate by eating it that I know the enjoyment of it

 

Or take another example…

–         R. knows cognitively (in her head) that I love her, but if she went through our whole marriage only ever knowing that in her head, then we would have a pretty sad and empty marriage

–         But when I do the housework or I buy her something I know she likes

–         Or I give her my undivided attention and listen to her

–         Or I tell her how much I like what she is wearing, or I take her out on a date or on a holiday, then she knows in her experience that I love her

–         And knowing something in your experience is far more satisfying

 

Because we believe that God is all knowing we can agree that God knew, cognitively, what Abraham would do (in advance) – but he didn’t know it in his experience until Abraham actually obeyed him

 

God’s test enabled the Lord to taste the quality of Abraham’s faith

–         I believe God experienced Abraham’s faith as genuine and pure

–         We know his faith was genuine because he obeyed God

–         And we know it was pure because Abraham obeyed even though there was nothing in it for him & in fact obedience would have cost him dearly

–         Knowing the purity (the quality) of Abraham’s obedience of faith, in his experience, delighted God, it blessed him

 

When was the last time you did something for God that caused him to know, in his experience, that you love him?

–         We can demonstrate our love for God in a whole variety of ways, both large & small

–         We can put our shopping list prayer aside for a few minutes and spend time simply adoring him, praising him, telling him how much we appreciate and value him

–         We can love those people he places around us – even people we find difficult

–         We can forgive others as he has forgiven us

–         We can give the Lord our undivided attention, spending time in the Bible trying to listen to what he is saying

–         We can follow the promptings of his Spirit

–         We can respond in obedience to his call on our life

–         And when it feels like our life is being emptied and we can’t see the way ahead we can trust that God will provide a way, somehow

 

In verse 13, having been stopped by the angel of the Lord, Abraham looks around and sees God’s provision in the form of a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Abraham sacrifices the ram and Isaac lives

–         Then Abraham named that place Jehovah Jireh, ‘the Lord provides’

–         And guess what, the Hebrew word translated as provide is: Ra’ah

–         God saw beforehand what was needed and put the ram there in advance

 

Conclusion:

The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews makes this comment on Abraham’s faith…

 It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.” Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death – and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.  [7]

The writer of Hebrews is drawing a connection between Abraham’s faith and our faith, as Christians, in the resurrection of Jesus

–         If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. [8]

 

It has been a testing time for many people in this congregation lately

–         Some of you have experienced significant loss and all the pain and disorientation that goes with that

–         In Genesis 22 God preserves Isaac’s life, but we know from our own experience that he doesn’t always preserve life

–         To those of you who have lost the Isaac in your life, the good news is: death does not have the final say. God has provided a way

–         Through Jesus’ resurrection God has seen to it that our losses can be restored and our mistakes redeemed

 

Let us pray.

–         Loving Father, save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

–         But if it is your will that we be put to the test, grant us the grace to keep trusting you and give us eyes to see your provision within the test. Through Jesus we ask it, Amen.

 

Questions for Discussion & Reflection

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    How do you feel reading this story of Abraham being tested by God?

3.)    Have you ever sensed that God was testing you in some way?

–         How? What happened?

4.)    In what sense was God’s test of Abraham illogical and even a contradiction of God’s own character?

5.)    Compare & contrast God’s testing of Abraham in Genesis 22 with Jesus’ testing of the rich man in Mark 10. How are these stories similar? How are they different?

–         How is God’s love evident for Abraham and the rich man?

–         How did God provide for Abraham and the rich man within the test?

–         Is there any aspect of your life that you are yet to trust God with?

6.)    Can you think of other examples from the Bible, or from your own experience, where God’s testing also contained his provision?

7.)    In what ways does Isaac remind us of Jesus?

8.)    What does it mean to fear God?

9.)    In what sense did God not know? (refer Gen 22:12)

10.)       How do we know when our faith in God is genuine?

–         How do we know when our faith in God is pure?

11.)       Take some time this week to express your love for God.

 

[1] Calvin quoted in Walter Brueggemann’s commentary on Genesis, page 188.

[2] Gordon Wenham quoted in Paul Copan’s book, ‘Is God a Moral Monster?’ pages 47-48.

[3] Paul Copan, ‘Is God a Moral Monster?’ page 48.

[4] Walter Brueggemann’s commentary on Genesis, page 193.

[5] Karl Barth referred to in Walter Brueggemann’s commentary on Genesis, page 191.

[6] John Walton, NIVAC on Genesis, page 514.

[7] Hebrews 11:17-19

[8] Romans 10:9

Tawa Baptist

With God

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Title: With God

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God is with Abraham
  • Dispute resolution – grace & truth
  • The everlasting God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

When I was a boy my Dad was digging in our vegetable garden at home and he unearthed a Maori adze – a greenstone axe head

–         It was a very special find – quite unexpected

–         After that, I went digging too for hidden treasure, but alas I found nothing

–         It’s funny isn’t it – we could easily go to a museum, to look at an adze, but that is never as cool as finding one yourself in your own back yard

Today we pick up our sermon series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         This has been a rather interrupted series for various reasons but that’s okay – we are getting there

–         Abraham’s journey of faith can be described as two steps forward, one step back, with some sideways steps thrown in for good measure

–         Both this week’s story and next week’s represent forward steps

–         Today’s instalment focuses on Genesis 21, verses 22-34, where Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, makes a treaty with Abraham

–         At first glance this story seems a bit vanilla, a bit ordinary, just a backyard vegetable garden, nothing interesting here

–         I don’t want to talk it up too much but as I dug beneath the surface of this passage I found a couple of hidden treasures. From the NIV we read…

22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” 24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.  But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there.

After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

 May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

Three things happen in this little vignette:

  • – Abimelech approaches Abraham to make a treaty with him
  • – Abraham accepts this treaty and in the process settles a dispute
  • – And thirdly, Abraham worships the Lord, the Everlasting God.

 

God is with Abraham:

It is easier to chop wood with the grain

  • – Toast tastes better with butter
  • – We see things with the lights on
  • – Conversation goes smoother with food
  • – Perspective returns with rest
  • – Love grows with trust
  • – Grief fades with time
  • – Memory forms with repetition
  • – Truth finds a way in with grace
  • – Paint sticks with sanding
  • – Peace is sustained with justice
  • – Life finds meaning with God

With – it’s a versatile word and its one of those hidden treasures I was alluding to earlier

 

In verse 22 Abimelech and his general, Phicol, come to Abraham to make a peace treaty with him

  • – If you think about it, this is quite remarkable really
  • – Normally, with peace treaties, the party in the weaker position approaches the one in the stronger position
  • – Outwardly Abimelech appears to be in a stronger position than Abraham
  • – Abraham is a wandering shepherd – he doesn’t have a fortress or an army like Abimelech does and so we wouldn’t ordinarily expect Abimelech to approach Abraham, cap in hand, yet that’s what happens.
  • – Why then does Abimelech feel the need to do this?

Well, Abimelech gives his reason in verse 22 when he says to Abraham…

  • – “God is with you in everything you do”
  • – What does it mean that God is with Abraham

To be with someone is to be alongside them

  • – Not above them, forcing them to do things against their will
  • – And not below them, to be used like a human tool
  • – But beside them, freely acting in their interests and for their well being
  • – God is with Abraham, as a friend, standing in solidarity with him,

I’ve come up with a little acronym which outlines some of the characteristics we would expect to find when we are in a relationship with someone

  • – W is for wellbeing, I is for intimacy, T is for trust and H is for help

You know someone is with you when they are committed to your wellbeing

  • – When they share themselves intimately with you
  • – When they trust you
  • – And when they provide you with help
  • – Likewise you know you are truly with someone when you are committed to their wellbeing, even if there is nothing in it for you
  • – When you are able to be emotionally intimate with them,
  • – When you trust them deeply
  • – And when you are ready to help them should they need it

God’s ideal for marriage is that husband & wife be truly with one another

  • – Marriage is a commitment to mutual wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help

 

God was with Abraham and he wants to be with us

  • – One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’
  • – Jesus is, God with us
  • – In John 14 Jesus says to his disciples: I will ask the Father and he will send you another Counsellor to be with you forever
  • – The Counsellor Jesus is talking about here is the Holy Spirit or the Paraclete – that is, one who comes alongside to be with us

 

Returning to Genesis, how does Abimelech know that God is with Abraham?           

Some people might argue that Abraham’s wealth is evidence that God is with him – but I don’t think that’s it

  • – Yes, some people like Abraham do become wealthy because God blesses them, in that way, but wealth in itself is no indicator that God is with you
  • – People can become rich for a whole lot of reasons including being ruthless or working hard and making sacrifices or simply being in the right place at the right time
  • – By the same token, poverty or loss is no indicator of God’s absence
  • – The Scriptures tell us that God is near to the poor, the widow, the orphan, the refugee, and the broken hearted – they hold a special place in his heart

So the question remains: how then did Abimelech know that God was with Abraham?

  • – You may remember, in Genesis 20, how Abraham deceived Abimelech by saying that Sarah was his sister, all the while leaving out the part about her being his wife
  • – Abimelech unwittingly took Sarah into his harem but before he slept with her the Lord confronted Abimelech in a dream and told him to return Sarah to her husband, Abraham
  • – When he had done this Abraham prayed for Abimelech and the Lord healed Abimelech, his wife and the women in his household, so they could have children
  • – So that was one obvious sign, to Abimelech, that God was with Abraham

After this, Sarah became pregnant to Abraham and gave birth to Isaac

  • – Sarah was 90 years old when that happened
  • – Given that Sarah had gone past the age of menopause this was a miracle comparable to that of resurrection
  • – Sarah’s pregnancy at 90 and Isaac’s birth were another clear sign, to Abimelech, that God was with Abraham in a life-giving way

Consequently Abimelech makes a treaty with Abraham in order to align himself with Abraham’s God who holds the power of life & death

  • – Abimelech is looking for some insurance – a hedge against spiritual risk
  • – He doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Abraham or his God
  • – Abimelech wants Abraham to deal honestly with him and to treat him with kindness

The Hebrew word translated as kindness here is hesed

–         We don’t really have one single word in English for hesed

–         It is a Jewish term which is sometimes translated as kindness, sometimes as mercy and other times as steadfast love or loyal (covenant) love

–         Hesed isn’t just an abstract concept though – it is an action, something tangible that one does for someone else’s well-being

Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed… [1]

–         Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s not something you do to entertain a whim or a fancy

–         Secondly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the hesed is in a position to provide – given the circumstances no one else can do it

–         And thirdly, hesed takes place in the context of an existing relationship

 

Abimelech wants Abraham to make a solemn commitment to always treat him and his descendants with hesed – and Abraham quickly agrees

–         It appears Abimelech’s treaty provided Abraham with the opportunity to sort out a problem – a dispute over watering rights

–         And Abraham’s creative solution to this dispute un-earths another hidden treasure

 

Dispute resolution – grace & truth

Abraham had dug a well of water and Abimelech’s servants had seized it

–         Water wells were vitally important in that part of the world

–         Rain fall was seasonal – it wasn’t all year round – so wells were essential to the survival of people and animals alike

 

Abimelech wanted peace with Abraham but without justice there can be no peace – peace is sustained with justice

–         Therefore Abraham sought justice over the well

–         What’s interesting here is the way Abraham resolves this dispute – with truth and grace

–         Abraham doesn’t sweep the issue under the carpet – he doesn’t fudge the truth or pretend there is no problem

–         Rather he addresses the issue by speaking the truth

 

I imagine this was an awkward moment, especially for Abimelech

–         The Philistine king has just given a speech about how he has treated Abraham with ‘kindness’ or hesed and now he is learning that in actual fact his servants have done nothing of the sort

–         The servants have embarrassed Abimelech and the king is quick to plead ignorance, as he had done when God confronted him about Sarah

 

What happens next is quite unexpected – like finding a hidden treasure in a vegetable garden

–         Normally the one who has been wronged – in this case Abraham – would be owed some compensation

–         When Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham he gave Abraham 1000 pieces of silver by way of vindicating Sarah and compensating her

–         But in this situation Abraham doesn’t seek compensation for himself

–         He does the opposite – he compensates Abimelech by giving him 7 sheep

–         Abimelech is confused by this act of grace – he asks what does this mean

–         And Abraham explains that by accepting these sheep you are acknowledging the well is mine

Truth and grace you see

–         By taking Abraham’s well Abimelech’s servants had done an injustice to Abraham and brought shame on their master

–         To save face Abimelech might feel it necessary to punish his servants

–         But Abraham comes to the rescue of the men who seized his well by providing compensation on their behalf

–         In this way Abraham has preserved Abimelech’s honour and shielded the servants from punishment

–         Touched by Abraham’s act of grace, Abimelech and his servants will now stay away from Abraham’s well

Abraham’s act of grace toward his enemies is at the same time an act of hesed

 

Let me tell you a story…

–         Once there was a police officer who worked in a small town

–         This police officer had a son called Ned

–         Ned tended to get picked on at school because it was a small town and everyone knew who his Dad was

–         Ned responded to the treatment he got by becoming a bit of a rebel – he felt a strong urge to prove to everyone that he wasn’t like his dad

One day, to show how tough he was and how little he cared for the rules Ned stole an orange Mark 2, Ford Escort – and took it for a joy ride. He was 16 and still on his restricted.

The Escort was in mint condition – it was owned by a retired guy called Jim

–         Jim had plenty of time on his hands and had lovingly restored the car, partly because he liked that sort of thing but also because the car used to belong to his late wife and so he felt a sentimental attachment to it

–         It didn’t take much for Jim to figure out who had stolen his car – a neighbour saw Ned driving away in it

–         Jim didn’t react in the heat of the moment – he gave it a few days and thought about what he would do

–         On the one hand he didn’t want to ruin the boy’s life with a criminal record or a bad reputation but on the other hand there still needed to be some kind of consequence

–         Without justice there is no peace, for the victim or the perpetrator

In the end Jim called the policeman and asked him to come over to his house

–         Jim explained the situation, how Ned had been seen stealing his car four days ago

–         What Jim wanted was restoration – both for himself and Ned

–         If Ned was willing to admit what he had done and return the car, Jim would drop the matter

–         He just wanted his car back and for Ned to unburden his conscience

The policeman went home and confronted his son about it

–         Sure enough Ned knew where the Escort was, abandoned not far out of town in an old quarry

–         The car had a few more k’s on the clock and it needed a clean but apart from that it was okay

When Ned and his father returned the Escort to Jim they found him working on an old Cortina in his garage

–         Shame faced and embarrassed Ned made his apology and asked if there was anything he could do to make it up to Jim

–         Jim listened and said, ‘Yes, since you seem to like driving so much I bought this old Cortina for you. You can help me restore it.’

Ned was deeply touched by Jim’s act of grace and for the next six months they worked on the car together, after school and in the weekends

–         Ned stayed out of trouble and learned some skills at the same time

–         With a project to keep his mind occupied he didn’t worry so much about what others thought of him

–         In more than one way Jim put Ned on a life-giving path

 

It’s amazing what an act of hesed can do – the power of grace & truth, you see

 

Okay, so far we’ve heard how God was with Abraham

–         We’ve also heard how Abraham resolved a dispute in a creative way – with an act of hesed and in a spirit of truth & grace

–         Our passage this morning concludes with Abraham worshipping the Everlasting God

 

The Everlasting God:

At our church forum last November we had a time of prayer

  • – Just prior to that meeting one of our church members shared a vision they had seen of a giant cactus growing in this auditorium
  • – We are not entirely sure what the meaning of the vision is but we discussed it at the meeting and one of the things that came out was the resilience of the cactus plant
  • – Cacti have a number of good qualities including the ability to survive in very arid and desolate environments

 

In Genesis 21, verse 33, we read that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God

Tamarisk trees have a deep-ranging root system which searches out water and enables the tree to survive in very dry conditions

  • – The fruit is a capsule with numerous seeds
  • – There are many varieties of tamarisk – some can grow as tall as 18 metres
  • – Tamarisks are valued for their ability to withstand drought and salty soil [2]
  • – They are a hardy tree often planted for shelter or feed
  • – The tamarisk is similar to a cactus plant in that it is resilient in harsh environments but it is perhaps even more versatile in that it provides a good wind break in the desert and its leaves can be eaten by livestock

 

Elsewhere in Genesis Abraham is noted as building an altar and calling on the name of the Lord – here he plants a tree and calls on the name of the Lord

  • – In this context planting a tree is like building an altar – it serves as a living memorial to the Everlasting God
  • – It’s a way saying: God is in this place, even a desolate dry place like Beersheba

Abraham probably chose to plant a tamarisk because it suited the environment but I can’t help noticing how Abraham is a bit like the tamarisk tree

  • – Through years of waiting in barrenness God has grown Abraham & Sarah’s faith strong & deep, like the root system of a tamarisk tree
  • – Abraham, who is now over a 100 years old, has moved from place to place in obedience to God’s call and he has shown resilience, prospering in even the harshest of environments
  • – Perhaps too the tamarisk tree is a parable for the nation of Israel
  • – Through Abraham, God was making a nation that would be resilient and life-giving – a source of shelter and sustenance to those who find themselves in the wilderness

 

Conclusion:

Sometimes our journey of faith can take us to barren, desolate, dry places

  • – Abraham’s story is similar to our story – it reminds us that God can still be found in the places we least expect

 

Let us pray…

  • – Everlasting God, resilient God, life-giving, hesed making God. God of grace & truth, justice & peace – be with us we ask
  • – May we be aware of your loving commitment to our well-being, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in
  • – Help us to discover you in unexpected places
  • – Fill us with your Spirit of grace & truth that we may settle our disputes and reconcile our differences in ways that are creative & life-giving
  • – May we be open to receive the help you provide, and ready to pass on your help where there is a need
  • – May we grow in our intimacy & trust with you and each other
  • – Through Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What does it mean that God was with Abraham?

–         How might we know that God is with us?

–         How is Jesus present with us today?

3.)    What is hesed? (E.g. what sorts of words begin to describe hesed, what three conditions need to be met for an act of hesed?)

–         Can you think of a time in your own life when you have been the recipient of hesed? What happened?

–         Is there someone you can do hesed for?

4.)    How did Abraham handle the dispute over the well?

–         What was unusual / creative about Abraham’s approach?

5.)    What is the significance of Abraham planting a tamarisk tree?

6.)    Discuss / reflect on the acronym W.I.T.H. (Well-being, Intimacy, Trust, Help)

–         Who do you need to be with this week, this month, this year?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/10-june-2018-with-god

[1] Katherine Doob-Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24

[2] https://www.britannica.com/plant/tamarisk

Tawa Baptist

The Holy Trinity

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Title: The Holy Trinity

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Spirit’s role
  • The Son’s role
  • God’s love
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

The Spanish artist, Bartolome Murillo, has a painting of the Holy Trinity

–         ‘Trinity’ is a word theologians use to describe one God in three divine persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

–         We might think of the Trinity as a community of divine love or as the life of God

In Murillo’s painting God the Father is in heaven, as an older man with a beard, while Jesus is the boy (on earth) standing between Mary & Joseph

–         In between God the Father and God the Son is God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove

What I like about this painting is it shows humanity participating in the life of God, through Jesus

–         This is essentially why Jesus came – so we could join the divine community (the holy trinity) and experience abundant life with God

This morning’s message is based on John 3:1-17, the lectionary reading for last Sunday, the 27th May – Trinity Sunday

–         I had originally planned to preach this sermon last week but decided to postpone it because I felt to bring a different message last Sunday

–         In John 3 a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus talks with Jesus at night and through their conversation we catch a glimpse of the Trinity

–         We also hear how we might participate in this community of divine love

–         From John 3, verses 1-17 we read…

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”  4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

May God’s Spirit illuminate this reading for us

In this conversation Jesus reveals to Nicodemus how a human being can participate in the life of God

–         Jesus begins by talking about the renewal or rebirth brought about by the Holy Spirit, then Jesus talks about his own role in revealing God and redeeming humanity. First let’s consider the role of the Spirit

 

The Spirit’s role:

We human beings were made to breathe air and to live above ground

–         If we wanted to go under water we would need to put on scuba gear

–         That would enable us to breathe under water for a little while but we couldn’t really live there under the sea – not without growing gills and changing internally so we could cope with the cold water

–         It would be similar if we wanted to live on Mars – we couldn’t survive on Mars without a space suit, there is too little oxygen and too little warmth

–         To be able to live on Mars naturally our whole body chemistry and physiology would need to undergo a fundamental change

 

In John 3 Jesus talks about the ‘Kingdom of God’ & ‘eternal life’ & ‘heaven’

–         In the context these three expressions are different ways of describing the same thing – life with God or life within the Trinity, God’s life

–         The way we come into this world, the way we are born naturally, we could no more live in heaven or in God’s kingdom than we could on mars or underwater

–         To be able to participate in the life of the Trinity we need to undergo a fundamental change – we need to be born again or born from above

–         (The Greek word used here can be translated both ways)

This concept of transformation is illustrated in nature by frogs and butterflies

–         To be able to live on land and breathe above water a tadpole must undergo a fundamental change

–         Likewise to become a butterfly a caterpillar must be reformed in a cocoon

–         So it is with us – to enter God’s life we must be reborn, but our re-formation is not something we can bring about ourselves

–         It is the Holy Spirit who transforms us and makes us able to enjoy heaven

Now this may seem old hat to us because we have had these words of Jesus for 2000 years – but for Nicodemus this was shocking news

–         Nicodemus was a Pharisee – someone who had taken a vow to learn and apply the entire Old Testament Law, plus all the other man-made rules the Pharisees had put around God’s Law

–         Nicodemus had grown up being taught and believing that he would get into God’s Kingdom by being a descendant of Abraham and following the rules – but Jesus was telling him, what he had devoted his whole life to wasn’t going to cut it

Going back to my previous analogies of living underwater or on Mars – it doesn’t matter how much I practice holding my breath I’m never going to be able to hold my breath long enough to live in the sea or survive on Mars

–         My body has to change to suit the environment

–         Same thing with living in heaven – it doesn’t matter how hard I practice keeping the Law, that won’t support eternal life

–         Heaven isn’t a list of rules to follow to the letter – it is a divine community of love to be enjoyed forever

–         Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying the Law is redundant now and we can do whatever we like

–         Many aspects of God’s Law are still helpful to us in this life

–         The point is: heaven is different to earth and if we are going to breathe the air of heaven we need to be changed by God’s Spirit

Nicodemus was having a hard time accepting this so Jesus goes out of his way to explain in terms that a Biblical scholar like Nicodemus would understand…

–         I am telling you the truth: no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

–         To be born of water and the Spirit is a reference to cleansing & renewal

–         In Ezekiel 36:25-27 God says to the Jewish exiles…

I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. I will put my Spirit in you and I will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you

In this passage Ezekiel was looking forward to the time when God would give his people a new heart and a new mind so they could love him and each other naturally, without having to hold their breath as it were

–         By alluding to this prophecy from Ezekiel, Jesus is pointing out to Nicodemus that the time of renewal (or being born again) is at hand

–         But this renewal – this total conversion experience – is a gift from God

How exactly the Spirit brings about this change in us is a mystery – there is no magic formula

–         We can’t tell the Spirit what to do any more than we can tell the wind what to do.

–         The Holy Spirit is a powerful and untameable movement of life

Okay, so that’s one of the things the Holy Spirit does – he brings about a fundamental change in us so we can participate in the eternal life of the Trinity

 

The Son’s role:

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, has the same purpose only his role is slightly different: Jesus reveals God and redeems humanity

Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night – in the dark

–         If we give Nicodemus the benefit of the doubt this is most likely because he wanted to have a decent conversation with Jesus without being interrupted. During the day Jesus would be surrounded with people and it would be difficult to talk for very long

Elsewhere in the gospel of John, Jesus is described as the light of the world

–         What does light do? It reveals things – so we can see

–         Now physical light – from the sun in the sky – reveals physical things

–         But spiritual light – from Jesus the Son of God – reveals spiritual things

–         Nicodemus has been in the dark and when we are in the dark we can’t see

–         So in coming to Jesus, the spiritual light of the world, Nicodemus is stepping out of the darkness and into the light in order to see spiritual things – that is, the things of God

 

Imagine someone, you’ve never met or even seen before, who lives in a completely different country, making a proposal of marriage to you

–         (For the sake of this illustration those who are already married will need to imagine they are single)

–         The deal is you have to leave your old life behind and make a new life with them – follow them wherever they go

–         It sounds a bit dodgey doesn’t it – like some sort of internet scam

–         Most of us wouldn’t take up a proposal like that

But what if the person who was proposing marriage came to you in the flesh, so you could see what they were like and get to know them a bit – then you wouldn’t be making a decision in the dark, so it would be easier to trust them

–         The person’s presence shines light on their character and their motivation

–         As it turns out this person is gracious and true – they are powerful but also understated & kind

–         They don’t have any photos of the country they come from (so you can’t see where you’ll be living) but they do describe to you (by way of parables) what their country is like – a beautiful & peaceful place

–         What’s more you get the feeling they really love you – that they would even die for you

–         In the end you are faced with a choice: either reject the proposal and stick with life as you know it, or, trust the person and go with them

If you think about it, that’s pretty much what God is proposing: leave your old life behind and make a new life with him

–         But so we don’t have to make a decision in the dark Jesus came, from heaven to earth, to shine light on God – to show us what God is like so we would be better able to trust God and find redemption for our souls

–         Jesus is the light of the world who reveals God’s heart & mind, his character & motivation, in order to redeem humanity.

–         In verses 11-13 we read…

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen… Notice Jesus says ‘we’, not ‘I’.

–         It’s not entirely clear who Jesus means by ‘we’ but perhaps he is referring to the divine we: God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit – it fits the context

–         …yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

–         In other words, ‘Nicodemus, you just don’t get it. And you’re not getting it because you don’t really trust me, at least not yet. Trust, faith, belief precede understanding

–         13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

–         Jesus is basically saying: “I’m here to reveal God to you. I’ve been to heaven. I’m not talking in theory. I know what the life of God is like from the inside, from my own experience.”

The Son of Man is Jesus’ favourite way of referring to himself

–         It’s a phrase which has different layers of meaning

–         On the lips of Jesus it is often a veiled way of saying ‘Messiah’ and at the same time an identification with humanity

–         You see, in shining light on God, Jesus is also shining light on what it means to be human. Jesus reveals our purpose – he shows us what it looks like to be made in the image of God

 

In verses 14 & 15 Jesus goes on to talk about his role in redeeming humanity…

–         And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Once again Jesus is making it easy for Nicodemus to understand by referring to a story from the book of Numbers (which Nicodemus would be familiar with)

–         While living in the wilderness the people of Israel were attacked by venomous snakes and cried out to be saved

–         The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a pole; anyone can look at it and live.”

–         Moses did what God said and those who looked at the bronze snake were saved

Jesus is saying, “I’m a bit like that bronze snake – I am God’s means of salvation (his redemption) for people.”

–         Nicodemus wouldn’t have understood at the time but later, when he was taking Jesus’ body down from the cross, he would have realised Jesus was saying, “My crucifixion, my being lifted up on a pole, will save those who look to me in faith”

 

God’s love:

And so we come to perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible…

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Although God the Father is not explicitly mentioned in these verses, talk of God’s Son implies there is a Father

–         Here we see God reaching out through the Son to save the world

–         In the gospel of John the world means those who are opposed to God

–         Those who have rebelled against God – God’s enemies

–         God’s motivation is not to condemn the world but to save it

–         God doesn’t just love his friends – God loves his enemies as well

Once there was a wealthy land owner who grew all kinds of fruit on his orchard

–         Although he was wealthy he was also generous & kind

–         The people in the nearby village relied on this man for their livelihood

–         He provided paid employment for everyone and the whole valley prospered because of his enterprise

–         In all his dealings the landowner never left anyone out of pocket

–         Some people loved him but others were envious

One day a group of villagers decided they didn’t want to work for the orchardist anymore and, in the dark of night, they set fire to his fruit trees and then scurried home for fear of being caught

–         It was a senseless move really because they were cutting off their own living – without the trees they would be out of work

The wind picked up and the fire got out of control threatening the village

–         As the orchardist looked down the valley he had a choice to make – let the sleeping village burn (that would be justice) or send someone to warn the villagers and save them (that would be mercy)

–         The orchardist chose mercy and sent his son – the villagers knew his son and would surely listen to him

 

The son ran door to door waking people and warning them to escape

–         Those who had started the fire pretended to be asleep, ignoring the warning – they knew they had done wrong and thought the orchardist’s son had come to take revenge on them, when he had actually come to redeem them

–         But those who trusted the son and heeded his warning were saved and welcomed into the Father’s house

 

God is like the orchardist – he didn’t start the fire, his enemies did. But he didn’t stand by and do nothing either

–         God loved all the villagers enough to send his only son to save anyone who would believe in him

 

Conclusion:

Through his act of mercy in saving us, Jesus reveals the love of God

–         And through the power of the Holy Spirit we experience the renewal that is necessary for us to participate in the life of God (the divine community of love)

 

Questions for discussion & reflection

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What do you imagine ‘heaven’ or ‘eternal life’ or the ‘Kingdom of God’ to be like?

3.)    What role does the Holy Spirit have in preparing us for eternal life with God?

–         What does it mean to ‘born again’ or ‘born from above’?

–         Why did Nicodemus struggle to accept what Jesus said about being born again?

4.)    What role(s) does Jesus have in our salvation?

5.)    Thinking of the broader context of John’s gospel – what is the significance of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night?

6.)    How does God make it easier for us to trust him?

7.)    What is the meaning of the bronze snake on the pole story, from Numbers 21?

8.)    What do verses 16-17 of John 3 show us about God’s heart (his motivation)?

–         What do you think God’s attitude is toward you? (E.g. Do you think he means you harm or good?)  Why do you think this?