Tawa Baptist

Abram liberates Lot

Scripture: Genesis 14

 

Title: Abram liberates Lot

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Abram liberates Lot
  • War in the Bible
  • Abram chooses peace
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

You may have heard of the movie, Saving Private Ryan

–         Saving Private Ryan is set during the Second World War when the Allied soldiers were fighting in Europe (after the D Day landings)

–         The film tells the story of a platoon of American soldiers who are sent on a mission to the front to find Private Ryan and bring him back to safety

–         Although this platoon are outnumbered they fight bravely and eventually manage to rescue the young soldier

 

Today we continue our series on the life of Abram

–         Please turn with me to Genesis chapter 14 – page 17 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         The story of Abram in Genesis 14, is a bit like the story of Saving Private Ryan in that Abram is going into battle with a relatively small number of men to rescue his nephew Lot from a powerful enemy

–         Genesis 14 is the first account of war recorded in the Bible

–         From verse 1 we read…

 

Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, 2 went to war against five other kings: Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar). 3 These five kings had formed an alliance and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now the Dead Sea. 4 They had been under the control of Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came with their armies and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the mountains of Edom, pursuing them as far as Elparan on the edge of the desert. 7 Then they turned around and came back to Kadesh (then known as Enmishpat). They conquered all the land of the Amalekites and defeated the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.

8 Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela drew up their armies for battle in Siddim Valley and fought 9 against the kings of Elam, Goiim, Babylonia, and Ellasar, five kings against four. 10 The valley was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from the battle, they fell into the pits; but the other three kings escaped to the mountains. 11 The four kings took everything in Sodom and Gomorrah, including the food, and went away. 12 Lot, Abram’s nephew, was living in Sodom, so they took him and all his possessions.

13 But a man escaped and reported all this to Abram, the Hebrew, who was living near the sacred trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram’s allies. 14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called together all the fighting men in his camp, 318 in all, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan. 15 There he divided his men into groups, attacked the enemy by night, and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus, 16 and got back all the loot that had been taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other prisoners.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Abram liberates Lot:

Genesis 14 contains lots of unfamiliar names and places, all listed in quick succession, which makes it difficult for us to follow – so I’ve put together a table here to make it easier to understand

Basically there were two opposing alliances…

–         The mafia alliance and the rebel alliance

–         The mafia alliance was comprised of 4 kings

–         And the rebel alliance was comprised of 5 kings

 

The word ‘king’ appears 28 times in this chapter – so it’s a key word [1]

–         When we think of a king we tend to think of someone who is in charge of a whole country or perhaps a commonwealth of countries

–         But that wasn’t necessarily the case 4000 years ago when Abram walked the earth – kings at that time usually had a more modest kingdom

–         For example, Sodom & Gomorrah were cities, they weren’t countries

–         So being the king of Sodom was sort of like being the mayor of the city

–         It appears some kings though (like Chedorlaomer perhaps) may have reigned over a larger area

 

I imagine the alliance of four kings was a bit like the mafia in that they required other kings to pay them protection money

–         You pay us a tribute and we won’t destroy you

–         It was like an extortion racket, in other words, with Chederlaomer as the mafia boss – or the god father

 

I’ve given the five kings the label ‘rebel alliance’ because they rebelled

–         After 12 years of towing the line they decided to make a stand and stopped paying the tribute to the mafia alliance

–         Now the problem with the name ‘rebel alliance’ is that those who are into Star Wars will think, ‘Ah, the rebel alliance. They’re the good guys.’

–         Well, the rebel alliance may be the good guys in Star Wars but in Abram’s galaxy they were thoroughly wicked, really bad

–         So you need to understand that both the mafia and the rebels behaved in ways that were evil – neither side was good

 

The irony is that Abram, who does not have the title of king, shows more honour and more nobility than any of the 9 kings named in either alliance

 

As a consequence of the rebels’ action in not paying their tribute, the mafia alliance went on the war path

–         In verses 5-7 we read how the mafia encountered and defeated six people groups before facing off with the 5 rebel kings in the valley of Siddim

–         This might seem like unnecessary detail to us but we are told these facts so that we understand just how formidable the mafia alliance was

–         No one could stand against them

–         The mafia defeated the rebels and carried off all the loot, taking the survivors as slaves, including Abram’s nephew Lot

 

Up until this point Abram has managed to stay out of this war

–         You will remember that God had promised the land of Canaan in perpetuity to Abram and his descendants

–         All Abram had to do was trust in God’s promise – which is actually a lot more difficult than it sounds

 

Since arriving in Canaan, Abram’s faith in God’s promise had been tested – first by famine and then by prosperity

–         Now Abram’s faith is tested again, this time by the threat of foreign invaders

–         When the mafia alliance went charging through Canaan, throwing their weight around, Abram may have felt tempted to make a stand and defend his turf

–         But he doesn’t – he stays out of it, not relying on his own strength but trusting God to fulfil his promise in the fullness of time

–         It’s only when Abram learns that his nephew Lot has been taken captive that he takes action – Abram is his brother’s keeper

 

Sometimes faith is passive in the sense that we just need to sit still and leave the outcome in God’s hands

–         Other times though faith is more active, requiring us to get off our backside and do something brave

 

Abram’s motivation for getting involved in the war is not defence of his land but liberation of Lot

 

Two points to note here:

–         Firstly, Abram shows loyal (unselfish) love for Lot

–         Abram could have done nothing and simply let Lot be taken into captivity, saying, ‘He’s made his bed now he needs to lie in it’

–         But Abram doesn’t do that. (He is more gracious.) Even though there’s nothing in it for him Abram goes out of his way to set Lot free

 

The second point to note is that Abram’s response to this conflict (with the mafia alliance) is very different from his response to the conflict in Genesis 13

–         You may remember from last week’s sermon that Abram & Lot’s herdsmen started quarrelling over grazing rights for their animals

–         Abram handled that conflict by suggesting he and Lot separate, giving Lot first option of where he wanted to go

–         Lot chose the best land for himself, moving toward Sodom and eventually settling in the city of Sodom itself

 

So, in Genesis 13 Abram handles the conflict by giving way to Lot, by not contesting, not fighting

–         By contrast, in Genesis 14, Abram handles the conflict by chasing after the mafia alliance – by taking them on and not giving way to them

 

When it comes to handling conflict we need to have more than one tool in our tool box

–         The mafia alliance only had one tool, a hammer, and so every problem looked to them like a nail – just bash it

–         Abram though has a number of tools and he chooses the tool that is best suited to the situation

–         In Genesis 13 Abram uses a saw to make a clean separation with Lot

–         But in Genesis 14 Abram uses a screw driver to take apart the mafia alliance

 

Abram knows that his fighting force is not as strong as the mafia’s so he doesn’t try to face the mafia head on, with a hammer

–         He takes his enemy by surprise, attacking in small strategic groups at night

–         Abram rescues his nephew Lot and recovers the loot that had been stolen by the 4 kings – not bad for a wandering shepherd

–         This was a real David & Goliath victory – a victory for the little guy against the giants

 

Verse 16 is interesting the way it specifically mentions that Abram brought back the women, along with his nephew Lot and the other prisoners

–         In a society and culture that generally didn’t see women as equal to men, or as valuable as men, it is significant that Abram (and the narrator of Genesis) did value them

–         Women tend to suffer the most in war

–         If they are in the conflict zone itself then they are often raped or abused

–         But even if they are out of harm’s way (physically) they still suffer deeply by losing their husbands, their sons and their brothers

–         God had promised to bless others through Abram and here is a case in point – Abram’s war effort blesses women and other oppressed people

–         Abram foreshadows Christ, who came to set the captives free, not with brute force but with wisdom and truth

 

War in the Bible:

One question for us today is: what is a Christian response to war and violence?

–         Well, it seems quite complicated to me – I’m not sure we can make a blanket rule about it

–         Like Abram we need to have more than one tool in our tool box – that is, more than one strategy or response for handling conflict and we need to choose the response that best fits the situation

 

Mic Duncan wrote a series of three really helpful articles on the subject of war in the Baptist magazine last year [2]

–         He used a number of examples of responses Christians had made to war, including the way  “Maori prophets Te Whiti and Tohu employed nonviolent tactics at Parihaka in Taranaki” [3] [on the 5th November 1881]

–         Today, incidentally is Parihaka day (as NZ’ers we should be remembering Parihaka, not Guy Fawkes)

 

Another example Mic used was when the former President of the Philippines (Ferdinand Marcos) was defeated by some Catholic nuns who lay down on a main highway in front of oncoming tanks

–         The tanks stopped within an inch of their bodies and Marcos had to flee

–         They termed it the bloodless revolution [4]

 

In contrast to these non-violent responses to oppression, Mic also talked about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor in the 1930’s & 40’s…

– “After quiet and serious reflection, [Bonhoeffer] came to the view that Adolf Hitler had to be removed from power, even if it was at the point of a gun. In fact, Bonhoeffer said he would be willing to pull the trigger himself, then ask God for forgiveness. You may disagree, but in his view Hitler was like an out of control truck, swerving this way and that, harming and maiming people that got in its way. What should the Christian response be? To bandage the maimed and wounded on the sidewalk? Or to drive a spike through the truck wheels to stop it? Bonhoeffer… determined the truck must be stopped…” [5]

 

Bonhoeffer became involved in a plot to kill Hitler which failed. Bonheoffer was caught sent to prison and eventually hanged by the Nazis before the war ended

 

These 3 quite different examples show us that a Christian response to war is not one size fits all – we need a variety of tools for responding to evil

–         Abram’s responses to the conflicts he faced was different, depending on the circumstances

 

In his final article, Mic refers to six salient points made by Biblical theologian John Goldingay (and I paraphrase a bit here)

 

This is what the Bible as a whole tells us about war…

 

Firstly, war happens

–         Conflict is part of the reality of our world so we have to deal with it (or at least think about it) whether we want to or not

 

War is not one thing – that’s the second point

–         There are wars for setting people free, defensive wars, wars for power or greed, punitive wars, all sorts of different kinds of wars

–         For the mafia alliance the war was about maintaining power & control

–         Whereas for Abram it was about liberating people, in particular Lot

 

The third point is that God sometimes takes part in war

–         God does not rule out using force or violence to accomplish his purpose, although I don’t think it is his preferred option

–         As followers of Jesus this may be difficult for us to swallow but we need to remember that God is wise and free – he knows what is best and he is free to act as befits his good character, his justice & mercy

 

This third point begs the question, did God take part in Abram’s war against the mafia alliance?

–         Well, it appears he did

–         The text doesn’t say that God commanded Abram to go to war but it does imply that he supported Abram’s decision

–         I don’t believe it was just random luck that a man escaped to tell Abram that Lot had been captured

–         That was most likely God’s providence – perhaps even God’s catalyst for Abram to take action and get involved

–         Later in chapter 14, Melchizedek attributes Abram’s victory to God, which makes it clear that Abram won because God took part

–         How else could a wandering shepherd take down the most powerful military alliance at that time

 

Having just said that God sometimes takes part in war it is also true that war is not God’s ideal

–         Although Abram went to war to liberate Lot, he didn’t major on war, he preferred peace

–         God will eventually end war – His kingdom is characterised by peace

 

Which leads us to our fifth point: Some Christians should be pacifists – (i.e. resist evil in non-violent ways) as a reminder to the church and the world that God’s creation is not meant for war, that war is unnatural

 

Taken as a whole the Bible shows us more than one response to evil

–         Some must love our enemies by lying in front of tanks (they are the real heroes)

–         While others must love the oppressed by taking to the tanks in order to bring down wrong [6]

 

Abram chooses peace:

After defeating his enemies and setting the captives free Abram returns from battle and is greeted by two other kings

–         We pick up the story from verse 17 of Genesis 14…

 

17 After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,

19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,     Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High,     who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me – to Aner, Eschol and Mamre. Let them have their share.

 

May God bless the reading of his word to us

 

Two quite different kings approach Abram after his victory

–         Bera, the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem

 

Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’ and Salem means ‘peace’

–         So Melchizedek was also the king of peace

–         Righteousness and peace go hand in hand

 

Melchizedek, who is a priest of God Most High, as well as a king, greets Abram with hospitality and a blessing

–         Melchizedek wants to establish a right relationship with Abram

–         He wants peace and so does Abram who honours God by giving Melchizedek 10% of the loot – a tithe

 

The king of Sodom is quite different to Melchizedek

–         The first words out of Bera’s mouth were a demand, “Give me…”

–         No blessing, no word of thanks, no hospitality just, “Give me”

–         The king of Sodom is a selfish man, only interested in his own welfare

–         He wants to control the situation

–         But Abram won’t have a bar of it

–         Abram refuses to be manipulated by such an evil man and returns the loot to the king of Sodom

 

In this way Abram’s motivation is revealed

–         Unlike his enemies Abram did not go into battle for financial gain or for power or land

–         He simply went to rescue his nephew Lot – that is: to set the captives free

–         Again Abram points to Jesus, who also came to redeem humanity – to set us free from sin & death

 

In Luke 4 Jesus says of himself…

–         The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

 

Conclusion:

It’s not just Abram who points to Jesus, Melchizedek points to Jesus also

–         In the book of Hebrews, chapter 7, we read how Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek

–         In other words, Jesus is a high priest superior to all other priests

–         He is the King of righteousness and the Prince of peace

–         Through faith in Jesus we receive righteousness and peace with God

 

The musicians will come to lead us in song now as we prepare to honour our King, Jesus, by sharing communion together

 

Questions for reflection &/or discussion:

 

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

 

2.)    In what ways does Abram show how a true king should behave, in contrast to the 9 other kings named in verses 1-2 of Genesis 14?

 

3.)    What was Abram’s motivation for getting involved in the war?

 

4.)    How is Abram’s response to his conflict with Lot different from his response to the conflict with the ‘mafia alliance’?

 

5.)    What tools do you have in your tool box for handling conflict?

 

6.)    How are women affected by war?

–         Have you ever been affected by war, either directly or indirectly?

 

7.)    What does the Bible, as a whole, tell us about war?

–         Reflect on / discuss John Goldingay’s 6 points

 

8.)    Reflect on / discuss the contrast between Melchizedek (king of Salem) and Bera (king of Sodom)

 

9.)    How does Abram’s response to oppression, in Genesis 14, point to Jesus?

–         How does Melchizedek point to Jesus?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/5-nov-2017-abram-liberates-lot

[1] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 226.

[2] Refer Baptist Magazine, Vol 132, no’s. 4, 5 & 6.

[3] Mic Duncan, Baptist Magazine, v. 132, no. 6, page 27.

[4] Ibid, page 28.

[5] Mic Duncan, Baptist Magazine, v.132, no.6, page 17.

[6] John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology, vols. 1-3 (2003), referenced in Mic Duncan’s article in the Baptist Magazine, v.132, no.6, (2016) page 17.

Tawa Baptist

Abram & Lot separate

Scripture: Genesis 13

 

Title: Abram & Lot separate

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Abram’s choice
  • Lot’s choice
  • God’s choice
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Please turn with me to Genesis chapter 13, page 16 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         Today we continue our series on the life of Abram

–         Last week we heard how our journey of faith is often a cycle of two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back and so on

–         In Genesis chapter 12 Abram took a step backwards in going to Egypt

–         He got scared and instead of trusting God he relied on his own cunning, deceiving Pharaoh and putting Sarai’s life at risk to save himself

–         But God was with Abram and set him and Sarai free from Egypt

–         This week Abram returns to the Promised Land and takes a step forward

–         From Genesis 13, verse 1 we read…

 

Abram went north out of Egypt to the southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold. 3 Then he left there and moved from place to place, going toward Bethel. He reached the place between Bethel and Ai where he had camped before 4 and had built an altar. There he worshiped the Lord.

5 Lot also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and servants. 6 And so there was not enough pasture land for the two of them to stay together, because they had too many animals. 7 So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram’s animals and those who took care of Lot’s animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the land.)

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn’t be quarrelling. 9 So let’s separate. Choose any part of the land you want. You go one way, and I’ll go the other.”

10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away toward the east. That is how the two men parted. 12 Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled among the cities in the valley and camped near Sodom, 13 whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord.

14 After Lot had left, the Lord said to Abram, “From where you are, look carefully in all directions. 15 I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours forever. 16 I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! 17 Now, go and look over the whole land, because I am going to give it all to you.” 18 So Abram moved his camp and settled near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

This morning’s message is structured around three choices…

–         Abram’s choice, Lot’s choice and God’s choice

–         First let’s consider Abram’s choice

 

Abram’s choice:

Who can tell me who this is? [Wait]. Yes, that’s right – it’ Selwyn Toogood

–         And what show is he compering here? [Wait]. Yes – “It’s in the Bag”

 

It’s in the bag was a game show where contestants had to make a choice: either the money or the bag

–         Choosing the money was choosing certainty because you knew exactly how much you were going to get

–         Whereas choosing the bag was uncertain because you never knew what was in the bag – you might get a trip to Fiji or a paper clip

 

The choice was pretty easy at the beginning – “$5, the money or the bag?”

–         Most people chose the bag at that stage

–         But as the money offered got higher the choice became harder

–         By the time Selwyn was saying “$500, the money or the bag?”, the contestant was thinking pretty hard about their choice

–         (You have to remember that in the 1970’s $500 was a more considerable sum than it is today)

–         The interesting thing was that most of the time the audience were telling the contestant to take the bag, even though the prize was unseen

–         Choosing the bag was an act of faith in that one was choosing what they could not see, rather than settling for what they could see

–         To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see [1]

 

Last week we heard how Abram was tested by famine and didn’t respond so well

–         Nevertheless God blessed Abram and he left Egypt a rich man

–         This week we hear how Abram deals with the test of prosperity

–         You might not think that prosperity is much of a test but actually it can be a more subtle and dangerous temptation than poverty

 

Abram’s nephew Lot had gone to Egypt with his uncle and had also become wealthy through his association with Abram

–         When Abram & Lot return to Canaan they have so much livestock there isn’t enough grazing land to sustain their flocks

–         Consequently, Abram & Lot’s herdsmen started having arguments over pasture – they were afraid of missing out on grass

–         What will Abram do to solve the problem this time?

–         Will he repeat the mistakes he made in Egypt or will he learn from them?

–         Well, in Genesis 13, it appears Abram has learned from his mistakes

–         In an act of practical faith and love, Abram says to his nephew Lot…

 

“We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn’t be quarrelling. So let’s separate. Choose any part of the land you want. You go one way and I’ll go the other.”

 

Sometimes separation is a bad thing, it’s destructive

–         And other times it is a good thing, it’s creative

–         Good separation is about creating healthy boundaries that bring order and function to relationships – like when God separated light & darkness, land & sea and so on to bring order to the cosmos in Genesis 1

 

Abram had the wisdom to see that separating and establishing clear boundaries was the most sensible option available to them

–         If he and Lot didn’t separate it was just a matter of time before tensions escalated and someone got hurt

–         The catch was deciding how to divide up the land (or where the boundaries would lie) so the separation was amicable and there were no further disputes in the future

–         Abram’s solution was to empower Lot by inviting him to choose first – that way Lot could never turn around later and cry ‘unfair’

 

There is no deception or self-interest on Abram’s part, as there had been in Egypt

–         Abram was Lot’s uncle and therefore his social superior

–         Abram was also richer and more powerful than Lot

–         So on all counts he could have simply told Lot to take a hike and chosen the best land for himself – but he doesn’t

–         Abram follows the golden rule of loving your neighbour as yourself and treating others the way you want to be treated (this was before the golden rule had been articulated)

–         Abram puts peace before personal gain

–         He does not seize the best land for himself, he submits the choice to Lot

–         He does not grab, he gives. He does not take, he waits

 

If this was a game of “It’s in the bag”, then Abram chose the bag (the unseen)

–         He didn’t know what Lot would choose

 

There was some risk involved with what Abram did here

–         Before going down to Egypt God had promised the land of Canaan to Abram

–         What if Lot had chosen to go toward Canaan?

–         What would become of God’s promise then?

 

But Abram doesn’t worry about that – he simply trusts God to work it out

–         God has made the promise and so God is able to find a way to fulfil that promise

–         This shows that Abram is trusting God and not relying on himself

–         Not forcing his way but letting God open the way for him

 

As John Walton notes…

–         “Abram gave up a chance for the land, eventually to gain the land” [2]

–         Just like David gave up a chance for the crown (by sparing Saul’s life), eventually to gain the crown

–         Just as Christ (when tempted by Satan) gave up a chance for the kingdoms of this world, eventually to gain God’s kingdom, something far greater

 

This is often how it is with God – he promises us something but he doesn’t give it to us straight away – he makes us wait

–         And while we are waiting we may see opportunities for a short cut to God’s promise

–         But God’s promise is not an entitlement (it is not ours by right)

–         The land, the crown, the kingdom (heaven) – they are all gifts

–         They can’t be earned or demanded or taken by force

–         They can only be received by faith

–         The fulfilment of God’s promise comes to us as a gift, not by graft

 

Eric Liddell was a man of Christian faith

–         He was also a great runner

–         His athletic ability led him to the pinnacle of his sport when he qualified to represent Scotland in the 1924 Paris Olympics

–         He was scheduled to run the 100 metre race but when he found that the heats were on a Sunday he refused to participate, feeling that it would dishonour the Lord’s day

–         Eric Liddell was criticised for this – he came under much pressure from some pretty influential people, including the then Prince of Wales

–         But Eric did not budge

–         Through a series of events he ended up running in the 400 metre race, which he not only won, but also set a world record in [3]

 

Now in using this illustration I’m not saying you shouldn’t play sports on Sundays – that’s a conscience issue between you and God

–         The point is: Eric Liddell didn’t short cut his values or beliefs

–         Yes, he wanted to win – but not at any cost, not like that

–         Eric Liddell trusted God and gave up the opportunity for a gold medal in the 100 metres, eventually to receive a gold medal in the 400

–         Sort of like Abram trusted God and gave up the opportunity for the best of the land, only to receive the land in promise to his descendants

 

Okay, so that was Abram’s choice – he went with the bag (the unseen)

–         What about Lot, what did he choose?

–         Well, it seems he went with the money – that is, with what he could see

 

Lot’s choice:

In verse 10 we read…

–         Lot looked round and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away towards the east.

 

The Jordan Valley, chosen by Lot, appears to be on the south eastern edge of the Promised Land, or perhaps just beyond it – so Lot did not choose Canaan

–         Now you will remember that Lot’s father died and Abram took Lot under his wing, protecting and providing for him

–         As we’ve already noted, Abram was Lot’s superior so one might half expect Lot to defer to his kindly uncle

–         We might think Lot would say, ‘Thanks uncle, that’s a generous offer but I’ll let you choose first’ – yet he doesn’t do this.

–         Instead Lot chooses the best land for himself

–         The Jordan Valley was well watered by streams and brooks and springs from the base of the Jordanian rift – so if it didn’t rain there was still a water supply to grow pasture and refresh flocks

–         By contrast, the land left to Abram, where Bethel & Hebron are located, depend upon the Lord to send rain [4] – so without rain there is famine

–         Living in Canaan required more faith in God than living in Jordan

 

The text doesn’t explicitly criticise Lot for his choice – after all, by choosing to move away from Canaan, Lot left the Promised Land available for Abram

–         At the same time the text does indicate in subtle ways that Lot’s choice wasn’t good from a spiritual point of view

–         Verse 11 tells us Lot moved East which raises a red flag for us the reader

–         So far in Genesis, to move east is to move away from God

–         For example, in Genesis 4 when Cain killed Abel, we read that Cain went away from the Lord’s presence to the east of Eden

–         So Lot’s moving east associates him with Cain

–         Another clue that Lot has chosen poorly is found in verses 12 & 13 of Genesis 13 where we are told Lot settled near the city of Sodom, whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord

–         Wide is the path and broad the way that leads to destruction

–         But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life [5]

–         Lot chose the wide path and not the narrow road

 

Abram chose by faith (not seeing) whereas Lot chose by sight – by what looked good to his eyes – but appearances can be deceiving

–         It’s like Bob Dylan said, “What looks large from a distance up close ain’t never that big”

 

God’s choice:

If this was a game of “It’s in the bag” then Abram has chosen the bag, Lot has chosen the money and God has chosen Abram

–         In verses 14-17 the Lord spoke to Abram re-affirming his promise…

 

14 …“From where you are, look carefully in all directions. 15 I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours forever. 16 I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! 17 Now, go and look over the whole land, because I am going to give it all to you.”

 

The technical word when God chooses someone is ‘election’

–         Not election in the sense of a democratic process

–         But election in the sense of divine appointment, divine choice

 

God’s choice of Abram came first, even though we are talking about it last

–         It was God’s choice (his promise to bless Abram) that gave Abram the faith to leave his home to come to a land he had not seen

–         It was God’s choice (his election of Abram) that gave Abram the faith to allow Lot first pick of the land

–         God’s choice of Abram enabled Abram’s faith in the first place

–         If Abram hadn’t known beforehand that God was going to provide for him he may have been less generous with Lot

 

We are often driven by a belief in scarcity – we are afraid of missing out

–         Both Abram & Lot’s herdsmen were afraid of missing out on grass for their flocks

–         When we are kids and there is a lolly scramble we rush to grab as many sweets as we can

–         Or when we are driving and someone cuts us off or steals our park we might get angry with them

–         One of the reasons that house prices are so high is our fear of missing out

–         Fear that we won’t be chosen just keeps driving the price up

–         I could go on but you get the point, our fear of missing out affects our behaviour in negative ways

–         It makes us less compassionate and more competitive

 

But when we know that God has chosen us for something good we have faith it will work out – that God will provide enough for everyone

–         We may have to wait – we may not get what we want straight away but our underlying belief becomes one of abundance, not scarcity and the peace which comes from faith is our guide

–         Easier said than done – I know

 

God’s instruction to walk through the land is significant

–         In the Ancient Near East kings asserted their right to rule their territory by symbolically tracing out its boundaries

–         The instruction for Abram to walk through the land therefore symbolises Abram’s legal acquisition of it [6]

–         The implication here is that land belongs to the Lord Almighty and it is his to allocate as he sees fit

 

As in chapter 12, when God appeared to Abram at Shechem, so here in chapter 13 Abram’s response to the Lord’s promise is worship

–         After surveying the land Abram settles at Hebron, where he builds an altar to the Lord

 

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard about three choices

–         Abram’s choice to trust God with what he could not see

–         Lot’s choice to take the easy money and run

–         And God’s choice which makes faith possible in the first place

 

Abram’s behaviour in Genesis 13 reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 5,

–         Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth

 

We often think of meekness as weakness or timidity when the opposite is true

–         The meek are not weak – they are often very powerful and courageous

–         But their power is not reckless or self-serving – it is controlled and compassionate

–         The meek are capable of showing great restraint and putting others first

–         By God’s grace Abram is meek in his dealing with Lot and Abram inherits the land

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Imagine you are a contestant in the show “It’s in the bag”. At what point do you choose the money over the bag, or do you always choose the bag?

–         Why do you think Abram chose the bag (the unseen)?

 

3.)    How does Abram handle the conflict created by his and Lot’s prosperity?

–         When is separation a good thing?

–         How did Abram ensure an amicable separation with Lot?

 

4.)    How does the text indicate that Lot’s choice was not good?

 

5.)    God chose (elected) Abram.

–         How did God’s choice (election) of Abram enable Abram’s faith?

 

6.)    How might a belief in scarcity (that there isn’t enough to go around) affect our behaviour?

–         How might a belief in abundance (that God has provided enough for everyone) affect our behaviour?

 

7.)    How does the beatitude ‘The meek shall inherit the earth’ relate to Abram?

–         What other beatitudes might relate to Abram?

 

[1] Hebrews 11:1

[2] John Walton, NIVAC ‘Genesis’, page 435.

[3] Eric Liddell’s story is used in reference to Abram in John Walton’s NIVAC commentary on Genesis, page 435.

[4] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 221.

[5] Matthew 7:13-14

[6] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, pages 222-223.

Tawa Baptist

Abram in Egypt

Scripture: Genesis 12:10-20

 

Title: Abram in Egypt

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Famine
  • Fear
  • Freedom
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

When a toddler is learning to walk, they fall over a little bit

–         No one criticises the toddler because she is just learning and needs encouragement

 

Likewise, when a child is learning to ride a bike, they fall off sometimes but no one punishes the child for this – a scraped knee is punishment enough

–         Instead we give the child confidence to pick themselves up and carry on

 

Or when a young person is learning to drive

–         They might stall a few times as they get used to the clutch but the instructor is patient with them because they are still getting the hang of it

 

Learning to trust God is a bit like learning to walk or ride a bike or drive a car

–         We make mistakes – we fall, we scrape our knees and we stall

–         But God isn’t there with a big stick ready to hit us if we get it wrong

–         He understands and gives us the grace we need to carry on learning

 

This morning we continue our series on the life of Abram

–         Last week we heard how God called Abram to leave his country, his people and his father’s house

–         Abram responded by obeying God’s call in stages

–         First he left his country and then, some years later, he left his father’s household

 

When Abram finally did make it to Canaan (the Promised Land) the Lord appeared to him and said, “To your offspring I will give this land”

–         Following this wonderful spiritual experience there is a famine in the land and Abram migrates to Egypt to avoid starvation

–         While in Egypt his faith falters – Abram’s fear & anxiety gets the better of him and he trips up

–         But the Lord isn’t waiting with a big stick to punish Abram

–         Rather God is patient and gracious as Abram learns to walk by faith

 

We pick up Abram & Sarai’s story from Genesis chapter 12, verse 10…

 

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Today’s Scripture passage conveniently divides into 3 parts…

–         Famine, fear and freedom

–         Famine in the land, fear in Abram’s heart and freedom by the Lord’s hand. First let us consider famine in the land…

 

Famine:

I remember when I was about 13 or 14 going to an Anglican youth group camp

–         To teach us what the journey of faith is like they had us all line up one behind the other and then told us to take two steps forward and one step back, two steps forward, one step back and so on

–         It was frustrating in a way but it was also effective in teaching the point

–         This is often how it is in our journey of faith

–         Things are going along fine, we feel close to God, and then we go through a famine experience

–         We might sustain some kind of loss – perhaps the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or the breakdown of a marriage

–         Or maybe we experience some kind of disappointment – either with another person or with God

–         Or our prayer life becomes stale and dry

–         Or we might suffer a famine of meaning, where we struggle to find purpose in life – somehow the things we once valued no longer seem so important

–         Whatever form or shape the famine comes in, it feels like we are taking a step backwards and it tests our faith

 

After making two steps forward (leaving his country and his father’s house to enter the Promised Land), Abram now takes one step back as he faces a literal famine in the form of a severe food shortage

–         God had promised to give the land of Canaan to Abram’s offspring and then, sometime after he gets there, Abram discovers the land is not a reliable food source

–         It’s sort of like being given a car with no petrol in the tank

–         Or a cell phone with no battery

–         Or a pair of shoes with a hole in them

–         The famine calls God’s faithfulness into question

 

On the wall here is a diagram of what to do if you are caught in a rip tide at the beach

–         A rip is a current of water on a surf beach which is moving out to sea

–         You can identify a rip by the relative calmness of the water – ironically the rip is where the water is flat (that is, where the waves aren’t)

–         If you are caught in a rip and feel yourself being taken out to sea you basically have three options:

–         Wave out to a life guard to come to your rescue

–         Or, try swimming against the current

–         Or, go with the current and swim sideways till you come out of the rip

–         Once you are out of the rip you can swim back to shore

 

Swimming against the current is probably the worst thing you can do – it will simply make you exhausted and you’ll get nowhere for your efforts

–         Waving for help and swimming to the side are better options

 

A famine is sort of like a rip tide – it’s one of those circumstances you don’t have control over

–         Abram was caught in a severe famine and he had three options:

–         He could call out to God for help

–         Or, he could try and swim against the famine by staying in the land

–         Or, he could let the current of the famine carry him to Egypt, where the food was, and then swim out the side later

 

As far as we know Abram did not call on the Lord for help or ask his advice

–         Instead he thought he would take care of it himself

–         Maybe he didn’t realise that the fulfilment of God’s promise depended more on God than it did on him

–         In any case Abram doesn’t try to swim against the famine (he doesn’t stay in the land) but rather he lets the current carry him to Egypt with a view to returning to Canaan once the famine has finished

 

Interestingly God is silent – he doesn’t say anything to try and stop Abram

–         The Lord let’s Abram make his choices and then works with the choices Abram gives him

 

Fear:

Okay, so that’s the first point, famine in the land

–         Now let’s consider our second point: Abram’s fear

 

About 6 months ago we bought a new car – a 2008 Nissan Tiida

–         The car we traded in was a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer, so the Tiida is about 13 years newer than the Lancer

–         Consequently the Tiida has a lot more technology built into it

–         One of the things with the Tiida is that talks to you

–         There is literally a voice which says ‘konichiwa’ when you turn it on

–         Not only that but the car is covered in sensors so whenever you get a bit close to something it beeps at you to warn you to stop

–         Or, if you leave your lights on, it beeps at you when you open the door to remind you to turn your lights off

–         It even has a little display estimating how many more km’s before you run out of petrol

–         The point is the new car has all this warning technology built in to it

–         You can turn the volume down though and drive old school if you want

 

Fear is a bit like warning technology built into our brain and nervous system

–         A little bit of fear can be a good thing – it warns us when danger is imminent so we can take corrective action to protect ourselves

–         Sometimes though the volume of our fear is turned up too high so that the warnings our fear gives us is all we can hear and we end up over-reacting

–         Other times our fear malfunctions – it starts beeping when it’s not supposed to, warning us of imminent danger when none exists, so that we end up anxious over nothing

 

A little bit of fear is a healthy thing but when fear has too much influence in our lives it distorts our thinking

–         It makes us forget the bigger picture and deceives us so that we feel like we have no other options than the one presented by our fear

–         Too much fear is like a cruel tyrant living in our head – it bullies us and makes us do things we don’t want to do

 

Turning the volume of fear down, in our brains, is more difficult than turning it down in a car. Verses 11-13 describe how fear affected Abram

 

11 As Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

 

The first thing to say here is that Abram’s fear was not unfounded – his fear did have some basis in reality

–         Pharaoh was a dictator with a reputation for taking whatever he wanted and disposing of whoever got in his way

–         So Abram was being sensible in heeding the warning his fear gave him

–         Unfortunately the volume of Abram’s fear was turned up too high and that prevented him from thinking clearly

–         With fear calling the shots in Abram’s mind it seemed that deceiving Pharaoh was his best option, perhaps his only option

–         Apparently it didn’t occur to Abram to enquire of the Lord

–         Just as he had left Canaan without asking God for help or advice he now also excludes God in dealing with Pharaoh

–         It’s like Abram thinks the fulfilment of the promise depends on him rather than God

–         Fear has temporarily disabled Abram’s faith in God’s promises

 

A couple of other minor technical points that this passage raises…

–         We know from other parts of Scripture that Sarai was 10 years younger than Abram and that Abram was 75 when he left Harran to go to Canaan

–         This means Sarai must have been at least 65 when she entered Egypt

–         If the genealogies in Genesis are to be accepted at face value then it appears that people 4000 years ago lived longer than we do today

–         In other words they might have aged more slowly – so their 65 may have been more like our 35 [1] (which would make sense in light of Abram’s concern about Pharaoh wanting Sarai because of her beauty)

 

The other minor point to be aware of is that Sarai was Abram’s half sister

–         We know from Genesis 20:12 that Sarai & Abram had the same father but different mothers

–         So by today’s standards their marriage would be considered incestuous,

–         But in that time and culture marrying your half-sister was acceptable – in fact it may have even given more status to the marriage [2]

 

We shouldn’t get hung up though on Sarai’s age and relationship to Abram, they are minor curiosities in the context

–         The main point is that on this occasion Abram acted out of fear, not faith

–         Fear can be a ruthless dictator – not unlike Pharaoh

–         It can distort our thinking and cause us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do

–         Fear turned Abram into a con man and it made him use his wife, Sarai, as a shield to protect and enrich himself

 

Now on the one hand we don’t want to condemn Abram for his actions, he was in a difficult situation

–         But on the other hand we can’t condone what he did either

–         We human beings are a mixture – capable of both fearful deceit and faithful courage

–         Abram is not perfect at this point – he is still learning to walk by faith and part of learning to walk by faith is learning to manage our fear

 

Fear and anxiety plays a big part in our lives these days – more than it did 20 or 30 years ago

–         I don’t think shame or guilt over our fearful responses is helpful

–         Learning to manage our fear, learning to walk by faith, is like learning to ride a bike or drive a car

–         There is no shame in falling over or in stalling – it’s part of the learning process

–         God is not standing over us with the big stick waiting to wallop us the moment we make a mistake

–         He is standing alongside us, encouraging us, helping us to find our feet

–         If you suffer from anxiety or fear then take heart by Abram’s example

–         Abram was overcome by fear at times too and yet God used him to bless many

 

As I said before, Abram’s fears were not unfounded

–         Pharaoh did in fact hear of Sarai’s beauty and took her into his harem, treating Abram well for her sake

–         Sarai and Abram didn’t get a choice in the matter – Pharaoh was a dictator. What Pharaoh wants, Pharaoh gets

–         The text doesn’t say whether Pharaoh actually slept with Sarai or not

–         We the reader are left hoping he didn’t, for Sarai’s sake at least

 

This is a picture of men behaving badly

–         Not only did Abram act out of fear to save himself

–         Pharaoh acted out of his lust to have Sarai

–         And so God intervened to set Sarai & Abram free

 

Freedom:

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free”

–         In the context Jesus was talking about holding to the truth of his teaching

–         The principle is, when we believe what is true our minds are set free

–         But when we believe what is false our minds are bound in fear

–         It appears Abram believed that God couldn’t help him with the famine or with Pharaoh and that false belief created a fear which led him to deceive Pharaoh and that deceit resulted in Sarai becoming a captive in Pharaoh’s harem

–         Consequently God intervened to set her free, not by force but by revealing the truth

 

Verse 17 tells us the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh because he had taken Abram’s wife

–         We might look at this situation and think – that doesn’t seem fair, Abram tells a porky (a big fat lie) and Pharaoh gets punished for it

–         Well, I don’t think the Lord is punishing Pharaoh, so much as trying to communicate with him

–         The message was, ‘Pharaoh, your attitude to women is sick and your whole regime is diseased. Your behaviour Pharaoh is as repulsive to me as this illness is to you’

 

I’m not sure whether Pharaoh interpreted his sickness in this way but he certainly realised something was wrong and after investigating what it might be he learned the truth, that Sarai was actually married to Abram

–         We are not told exactly how he learned this but that doesn’t matter

–         The main point is that Sarai was set free when Pharaoh learned the truth

 

When Pharaoh learns the truth he confronts Abram, saying, ‘What have you done to me?’

–         Apparently Pharaoh wants to blame Abram for his predicament

–         Now while it’s true that Abram did deceive Pharaoh, the Egyptian king is missing the point

–         Abram didn’t do this to Pharaoh – Pharaoh brought this on himself

–         It’s not okay for the king to take women against their will to use as objects for his own pleasure

–         Pharaoh has been abusing his power for quite some time it seems

–         He clearly has a Harvey Weinstein reputation, otherwise Abram wouldn’t have felt he needed to deceive Pharaoh in the first place

 

God is love – he doesn’t just love Abram & Sarai, he loves Pharaoh and the Egyptians (and Harvey Weinstein) too, even if he hates their behaviour

–         I believe the sickness God sent on Pharaoh’s household was a message of truth intended to set Pharaoh free from his own sin

–         Unfortunately the Egyptian king didn’t want to face the truth about himself – otherwise he would have said, ‘What have I done?’ rather than ‘What have you done?’

–         He repented in part (by returning Sarai to Abram) but it appears he didn’t go far enough – what about all the other women he had used?

 

The dictator is reaping what he has sown – now it’s Pharaoh’s turn to be afraid and he manages his fear by sending Abram and Sarai away

 

In many ways, God’s deliverance of Abram & Sarai from Egypt foreshadows Israel’s exodus experience

–         Just as Abram & Sarai were forced to migrate to Egypt due to a famine, so too Abram’s grandson, Jacob, moved his family to Egypt because of famine

–         Just as Sarai was oppressed by the Pharaoh of her day, so too the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians some centuries later

–         And just as God intervened with diseases so Pharaoh would set Abram & Sarai free, so too the Lord sent plagues on Egypt so another Pharaoh would let the nation of Israel go free

 

Conclusion:

There are parallels here between Abram and Jesus too

–         After the joy of Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary are forced to flee Israel to find refuge in Egypt because Herod is out to kill the new born Messiah

–         Unlike Abram though, Joseph makes the journey to Egypt, not out of fear but in faith, because an angel of the Lord instructed him in a dream

 

Another connection between Abram & Jesus…

–         After his baptism in the River Jordan, God said to Jesus – ‘This is my beloved Son with whom I’m pleased’

–         And then, straight after that wonderful (two steps forward) spiritual experience, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness (one step back) to be tested by Satan

–         And what’s the first temptation?

–         Famine, hunger. ‘If you are God’s Son, turn these stones into bread’

–         Forget God and rely on yourself

–         Unlike Abram, Jesus passed the test

 

Where you are at in your journey of faith at the moment?

–         Is this is a two steps forward or a one step back stage for you?

–         Are you walking confidently in faith or ducking & diving under that cruel dictator we call ‘Fear’?

–         Either way, the Lord Jesus is faithful to his promises

–         He does not promise us an easy ride – we all face a famine of sorts at some point

–         What Jesus does promise is to never leave us or forsake us

–         And when our journey on this earth has finished he promises heaven

–         Those two things, his presence and heaven

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Can you identify with your journey of faith being two steps forward, one step back?

–         If yes, what have the forward and backwards steps looked like for you?

–         If no, how would you describe your journey of faith?

 

3.)    What is your best option if you get caught in a rip at the beach?

–         If being caught in a famine is like being caught in a rip, what option did Abram go with?

 

4.)    How did Abram’s fear of Pharaoh affect him – what did his fear make him do?

–         How does fear affect you?

–         When is fear a good thing?

–         How might we know when fear is having too much influence in our life?

 

5.)    How does God set Abram & Sarai free?

 

6.)    How does Abram & Sarai’s sojourn in Egypt foreshadow Israel’s exodus experience?

 

7.)    Reflect on /discuss the parallels Genesis 12:10-20 raises between Abram & Jesus

 

8.)    What does Jesus promise us?

–         What does he not promise?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/22-oct-2017-abram-in-egypt

 

 

[1] Derek Kidner, Genesis, pages 116-117

[2] Ibid

Tawa Baptist

God calls Abram

Scripture: Genesis 11:27-12:9

 

Title: God calls Abram

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s creative call
  • Abram’s faith journey
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

X-men first class,

The Hobbit,

Monsters University,

Rise of the Planet of the Apes,

Batman begins,

Revenge of the Sith

The God Father, Part 2…

 

These are all examples of origin stories or prequels

–         An origin story or a prequel gives the back story on a character

–         It tells us how their story began – how they gained their powers and became a hero or a villain

–         We love origin stories

 

This morning we begin a new sermon series on the life of Abram in the book of Genesis

–         Genesis is essentially a collection of origin stories

–         The account of Abram is basically the origin story for the nation of Israel and the prequel for the Christian church – Abram is our father in the faith

 

From Genesis chapter 11, verse 27, we read Abram’s origin story…

 

27 This is the account of Terah’s family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.

32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,     and I will bless you; I will make your name great,     and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you,     and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth     will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.6 Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus help us to understand our spiritual roots

 

There’s a lot happening in this origins story – broadly speaking though it’s about God’s creative call and Abram’s faith journey

–         First let’s consider God’s creative call for this is where Abram’s story begins

 

God’s creative call:

Separation – it’s one of the key factors in any creative process

–         In Genesis 1, when God created the cosmos, he did so by separating light from darkness, land from sea and earth from sky

–         Cells reproduce by separating or dividing themselves

–         During the birthing process a child is separated from its mother’s womb

–         Then later in life the young person goes through the process of establishing their own identity by separating from their parents and eventually leaving home

–         We could go on but you get the point, separation is an essential, albeit sometimes painful, part of the creative process

 

While he was still living, in the city of Ur, the Lord God had said to Abram,

–         “Leave your country, your people and father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”

 

The Hebrew word which is translated as leave here means to determinedly dissociate one self, or literally to ‘leave by yourself’ [1]

–         God’s creative call to Abram is basically a call to separate himself from his homeland, his culture and his family’s way of life

 

This was a big call – a difficult thing

–         God was asking Abram to let go of his security, to say goodbye to everything he was familiar with and step out into the unknown

–         God didn’t tell Abram where the land was he was going to – just that he needed to leave and he would show Abram when he got there

 

It’s easy enough to understand why God required Abram to separate himself from his home land

–         For a ship to make a journey across the ocean it must leave the dock

–         For an aeroplane to fly to another country it must leave the runway

 

But why did God require Abram to leave his people and his father’s house – basically his close kin and his way of life or his culture?

 

Well, it was God’s plan to create a new nation (a redemptive community) through Abram which would be different from the other nations

–         A nation of priests who would show the rest of the world God’s ways

 

Abram’s father, Terah, was a pagan – an idol worshipper (we know this from Joshua 24, verse 2)

–         Terah most likely worshipped the moon god Sin

 

For an alcoholic to recover they must separate themselves from the booze (they must stay away from the pub and other drinkers in other words)

–         Likewise, for someone in an abusive relationship to survive they must separate themselves from the one abusing them

–         For God to create a new & redemptive community through Abram he needed to get Abram out of his old, destructive religion and that meant getting him out of his close knit pagan family

–         Basically Abram couldn’t become the father of a nation of Godly priests if he continued doing things the way his family had always done them

To give you an idea of just how close knit Abram’s family were here’s their family tree

–         Terah had at least three sons that we know of: Abram, Nahor & Haran

–         I’ve got a line through Haran’s name because he died, but not before fathering two daughters, Milkah & Iskar and a son called Lot

–         Nahor married his niece Milkah

 

By today’s standards we would say that Abram’s family were too close

–         But to be fair Abram lived about 4,000 years ago (give or take a century or two) at a time before marrying close family was outlawed or even frowned upon

–         The point is, in Abram’s case, a bit of separation from family and pagan culture was actually a good thing – a creative thing

–         You can’t make a Pavlova without first separating the egg whites from the yokes

 

Although God seems to ask a lot of Abram, the Lord does so with a series of really big promises…

 

2 “I will make you into a great nation,     and I will bless you; I will make your name great,     and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you,     and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth     will be blessed through you.”

 

We’ve been told that Abram’s wife, Sarai, was barren – she couldn’t have kids

–         So the Lord’s first promise is to give Abram so many descendants that he will become the father of a great nation

–         Again we hear echoes of the creation account in Genesis 1 where Yahweh tells the creatures he has made to be fruitful and multiply

 

God then promises to bless Abram

–         God’s blessing brings power for life, enhancement of life and the increase of life [2]  (God’s blessing makes life abundant – worth living)

–         God is promising Abram everything he could want – prosperity, fertility and victory.

 

“I will make your name great”

–         This means more than simply being famous

–         In the Ancient Near East a person’s name revealed their inner character so to have a great name meant to have a great character

–         God is promising to improve Abram’s character from the inside out – theologians might call this sanctification

 

God’s promise to make Abram a better person is instructive

–         We tend to have an idealised picture of Abram, because he is one of the heroes of the faith

–         We often think of him as a paragon of virtue from the beginning and while he did some good things at times there were other occasions when his behaviour was pretty average from a moral/ethical point of view

–         There were other people, who lived around the same time as Abram, who were more righteous or deserving of God’s favour than Abram

–         People like the high priest Melchizedek and Job – yet the Lord didn’t call them or make a great nation out of them as he did with Abram

 

It appears God chose Abram out of pure grace

–         As the apostle Paul says, God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness

–         And Abram had weakness in spades – he had heaps of it

–         From a pagan idol worshipping family, with a wife who couldn’t have children – Abram clearly wasn’t the best option available to God

 

The other thing to mention about God’s promises to Abram here is that they are not all about Abram

–         God plans to bless all people’s on earth through Abram

–         So Abram is blessed to be a blessing – he is to become a channel or a means of blessing for others

 

Also, God’s promise of blessing is inter-generational

–         The Lord’s blessing doesn’t end with Abram – it is passed on from one generation to the next

–         In fact, Abram won’t get to realise all of God’s blessings and promises in his own life time

 

In a way we are like Abram – Abram’s story is our origins story

–         Through our faith in Christ we inherit the promise of God’s kingdom

–         We might not get to realise God’s kingdom in our life time but we pass on the promise to the next generation

–         Likewise, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Lord is making our names great – not in the modern sense of being famous but in the ancient sense of making our inner character better, sanctifying us

–         And like Abram we are not blessed just for our own sake but for the sake of others – we are blessed to be a blessing to the world God loves

–         That’s the mission statement for our church really – to glorify God and be a blessing to his world

 

Okay – so that’s God’s creative call to Abram – it’s a call that separates him out from his people and his family

–         It’s a call to bless Abram and others through him

–         And it’s a call made out of pure grace, not because of anything Abram has done nor because of any potential in Abram

 

How then does Abram respond?

–         Well, it would be fair to say Abram’s response is a gradual journey of faith

 

Abram’s faith journey:

You are no doubt aware of the fable of the hare and the tortoise

–         How the tortoise won in the end, despite being slower than the hare

–         The hare, who had far more natural ability than the tortoise, was over confident and took the race for granted

–         The tortoise on the other hand knew the odds were against him but never gave up believing he could get there in the end

–         Slow and steady wins the race

 

Abram was the tortoise – he wasn’t all that fast out of the blocks and he had a few set-backs along the way but he never gave up his belief in God’s promises

–         He kept plodding on in faith and hope that God would get him and his descendants over the line in time

 

In Genesis 12 it sounds to us like God spoke to Abram while he was in Harran and then Abram left for Canaan immediately

 

But in his speech to the Jewish leaders (in Acts 7) Steven says…

–         The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’

–         So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father [Terah], God sent Abraham to this land where you are now living…

On the wall here is a map of what most people today imagine Abram’s journey looked like 4000 years ago

 

–         Although the exact location of Ur is disputed the archaeological evidence available to us suggests it is in modern day southern Iraq

–         The red line traces Abram’s journey from Ur in the south west, following the Euphrates river to Harran

–         Harran is thought to be close to the present day border between Syria and Turkey

 

God’s instruction to Abram was leave your country, your people and your father’s household

–         It appears Abram didn’t do this all at once – he did it in stages

–         First he left his country – but not his father’s household

–         He took his father’s household (or some of it at least) with him part of the way to the Promised Land – as far as Harran

–         Steven tells us it wasn’t until after Terah had died that Abram completed the journey from Harran to Canaan

 

That’s often how it is with us as well

–         Faith is a journey – our trust & obedience of God grows in stages

–         I say trust & obedience because the two go hand in hand – trust & obedience are the two main factors of faith in God

–         The degree to which we obey God reveals the degree to which we actually trust Him

–         Abram obeyed some of what God asked him to do straight away but not all of it

–         He trusted God enough at first to leave his country but it took him a bit more time to trust God enough to leave his extended family

 

To become a Christian is to start a journey of learning to trust & obey Jesus

–         It’s a journey of learning to make Jesus Christ ‘Lord’ of our whole life

–         To call Jesus ‘Lord’ is to say, “Jesus – you are the boss of my life. What you say is what I will do”

 

While the end goal is to give all of our life to Jesus – what we often do in reality is give Jesus parts of our life, in stages

–         If we are honest with ourselves we say, “Okay Jesus, you’re in charge of this part of my life and I’m in charge of the rest”

–         “You can have Sunday mornings and 10 minutes each day, while I do my devotions, but the rest of the time I don’t want to be interrupted.”

–         Or we say, “You can change these parts of my life Jesus – you can take away my grief, my pain, my anger, my sickness and my guilt but I don’t want you to change my bad habits or my bad attitudes. There are some sins I still quite enjoy and want to hold on to”

–         Or we say, “Jesus, I know you said ‘Pick up your cross and follow me’ but that would ruin my reputation and I’m not quite ready to sacrifice my reputation just yet.”

–         Or we say, “Jesus, I know you said, ‘Love God, love your neighbour and love your enemies’, and I can do some of that. I can love those people who make me feel good, but the rest of humanity I can’t stand.”

 

What I’m trying to say here is that most of us don’t give our whole life to Jesus all at once – we tend to give it to him in stages or bits and pieces

–         Christian faith is a journey – we don’t start at the destination

–         We don’t start with 100% trust & obedience in Christ, we might only start with 2% or ½ a percent – that’s okay, God can work with ½ a percent, nothing is impossible for him

 

One of the areas of my life that I have yet to surrender to Jesus is sleep

–         I love sleep – I get a bit grumpy without it

–         I work hard during the day and so I expect as my reward to be able to rest well at night and most nights I do sleep well

–         But there are times when I don’t

–         Sometimes that’s my own fault because I’ve eaten too much desert before going to bed

–         Other times though it feels like God is keeping me up to spend some time with Him, to pray, and when that happens I’m usually not very happy

 

You see, sleep is a part of my life that I’m still learning to trust Jesus with

–         If I don’t sleep well I get anxious that I’m not going to perform well the next day – which indicates that I’m trusting more in my own ability than I am in the grace of God

–         For Jesus, prayer was more valuable than sleep – as we see in the Garden of Gethsemane for example

–         But for me, at this stage in my journey of faith, sleep is usually more important than prayer – I’m not proud of it, I’m just being honest

–         I know (in my head) that the night belongs to God as much as the day, so I am without excuse

–         If Jesus wants to keep me up in the middle of the night to say something to me or to have me pray for someone then he can, because he is Lord, and no part of my life should be off limits to him

 

Now let me be clear – sleep is good, we need our sleep

–         And it is good and right and necessary for us to have boundaries in our relationships with other people

–         But in our relationship with Jesus the aim is to have no boundaries – to put up no walls or obstacles

–         The goal is to let him be in charge of every area of our lives – to trust him with our work, our sleep, our family, our finances, our future, our reputation, everything

 

There’s a café in Porirua called ‘Kaizen’ (they do a fantastic Rueben sandwich)

–         Kaizen is a Japanese word which simply means improvement

–         Faith is a journey of improvement where we learn to trust God more and more each day, where we give more of the territory of our heart to Jesus

–         If our faith in Jesus is like a tree, then it takes time for the tree to grow and develop the fruit of loving our enemies

–         It takes time to trust Jesus with our reputation

–         It takes time to value prayer over sleep

 

Abram’s faith & obedience grew in stages

–         It wasn’t there perfectly all at once, from the beginning

–         Fortunately the Lord is patient & understanding with Abram and with us

–         He waits for Abram and gives him time just as he gives us time

–         Of course, we never know when the time is going to run out

 

As I mentioned before, when Abram set out he didn’t know that Canaan was the destination

–         God didn’t tell Abram where he was supposed to be going

–         He simply said, leave and I’ll tell you when you get there

–         Abram only knew he had arrived when God appeared to him at Shechem

–         Shechem is pretty much in the centre of the Promised Land

 

When Abram finally arrived in Canaan he found it was already occupied – so he couldn’t take possession of the land straight away, he had to wait

–         In fact he couldn’t take possession of it during his lifetime – it would be Abram’s descendants who would enjoy the land

–         Now this could have been a bit of a disappointment to Abram

–         He had left his country and travelled all this way only to be told, ‘you can look but you can’t take hold’

–         Abram’s response is not disappointment though – his response is worship

–         He builds an altar in that place

–         Building an altar is sort of like planting a flag – it’s a way of saying this land belongs to the Lord

–         Building an altar is also an act of faith – it’s a very practical way of Abram saying, “I believe you Lord”

–         The altar would stand as a reminder to Abram of God’s promise

 

Conclusion:

The song that Matt chose to conclude our service this morning is Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son

–         The songs we sing in church are sort like mini altars

–         They provide a focal point for worshipping God

–         They are like a flag we plant in the ground by which we proclaim our faith in the Lord and they remind us of God’s promises to us in Christ

 

This particular song, Thine be the glory, reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection and also of God’s promise of resurrection for all those who have heard God’s call to leave their old way of life behind and embark on a journey of faith with Jesus

–         Let’s stand and sing…

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

2.)    What is your origins story?

–         In what ways can you identify with Abram’s back story?

 

3.)    What new creation is God bringing about in calling Abram?

–         Why does Abram need to leave (separate from) his country, his people and his father’s house?

 

4.)    What does the Lord promise to do for Abram?

 

5.)    Why did God choose (or elect) Abram?

 

6.)    Abram obeyed / trusted God in stages and that’s often how it is with us as well

–         Are there parts of your life that are off limits to Jesus? (That is: parts you still want to be in control of)

 

7.)    What was significant about Abram building an altar at Shechem?

–         In what sense are the songs we sing in church a bit like mini altars?

–         You might want to take some time to worship God in song, perhaps by singing along to a Christian worship CD (either as a group or on your own at home)

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/15-oct-2017-god-calls-abram

 

 

[1] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 205.

[2] Horst quoted in Waltke’s Genesis, page 205

Tawa Baptist

Barnabas & Mark

Scripture: Acts 15:36-40

 

Title: Barnabas & Mark

 

The term ‘big hearted’ describes someone who is:

–         Compassionate, generous, open, kind, gracious, encouraging & noble

–         Someone who is big hearted looks beyond the flaws in others to see their  potential – they accept people and make room for them

 

Please turn with me to Acts chapter 15, verse 36 – page 171 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         This morning we continue our series on intergenerational relationships

–         An intergenerational relationship is one between people of different ages or generations

–         Next week Brian Gillies will conclude our sermon series by looking at the relationship between Jonathon’s son, Mephibosheth, and David

–         This morning’s focus though is Barnabas & Mark, two missionaries in the New Testament

–         Barnabas was Mark’s older ‘big hearted’ cousin

–         Although the young Mark made a false start, Barnabas gave him the grace and the courage to make a fresh start

 

From Acts 15, verse 36 we read…

 

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in every town where we preached the word of the Lord, and let us find out how they are getting along.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, 38 but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. 39 There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord’s grace.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus give us understanding

 

Although the focus of today’s message is primarily the relationship between Barnabas and Mark we can’t we really talk about them without also mentioning the relationship between Barnabas & Paul and Peter & Mark

–         Intergenerational relationships don’t just happen in pairs – they often hold together within a network or a community

 

Barnabas and Paul had been friends and co-workers for a number of years

–         When Paul first became a Christian all the other believers were scared of him and wouldn’t accept him

–         You can’t blame them though; previously Paul (who was then known as Saul) had been persecuting Christians

–         So it was a bit suspicious having him turn up on their door step wanting to be friends – maybe it was a trick

 

Barnabas (who was full of the Holy Spirit and faith[1]) was big hearted enough to forgive the past

–         He trusted the Holy Spirit’s work in Paul’s life – that Paul’s conversion would stick and he acted as Paul’s advocate in that situation

–         Barnabas took Paul to the apostles and vouched that his conversion was genuine

–         Consequently Paul found acceptance among the other Christian believers

 

About eight years later, after Paul had returned to his home town of Tarsus and been all but forgotten, it was Barnabas who remembered Paul and went to Tarsus to enlist his help in teaching the new Gentile converts in Antioch

–         I’m not sure if there was any age difference between Barnabas and Paul but Barnabas had certainly been a Christian longer than Paul

–         Barnabas saw potential in Paul and sought to develop that potential

–         If it had not been for Barnabas, Paul may not have had such an influence in spreading the gospel

 

After a year or so of ministering together in Antioch, Paul & Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to deliver a monetary offering for the believers there

–         While in Jerusalem they met Barnabas’ cousin , John Mark

–         The church in Jerusalem met in Mark’s mother’s house – so Mark would have had a strong Christian network

–         Many of the original disciples, people like Peter, James & John, would have gathered in his home for worship services

 

Barnabas & Paul took John Mark back to Antioch with them [2]

–         Then, sometime later, when the Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Paul out on their first missionary journey together they decided to take John Mark with them as their helper [3]

–         But for reasons unknown to us Mark didn’t complete the journey – he gave up part way through

–         Sometimes when we are young we bite off more than we can chew or we simply mess up and make a false start

–         Those of us who are older need to be careful not to place so much hope or expectation on our young people that we are devastated when they slip or fail

–         Our young people are still learning and growing as we are all learning & growing

–         On the one hand young people need to be allowed to take some risks but we shouldn’t be surprised by a few false starts along the way

–         Those of us who are older need to remember our own mistakes and the grace we’ve been shown

–         We need to be big hearted enough to give a second or third chance

 

After Barnabas & Paul finished their first missionary journey they returned home

–         Sometime later they decided to make a second trip to visit and encourage the churches they had planted the first time

–         Big hearted Barnabas wanted to give his cousin, John Mark, a second chance – after all, being given another chance is the gospel of Jesus, the gospel of grace – but Paul was adamant that Mark should stay behind

 

If we give Paul the benefit of the doubt he was probably thinking of both Mark’s well-being and the success of the mission

–         What if Mark turned back a second time – that wouldn’t be good for him or the mission

 

It appears that in Paul’s mind at least Mark came with too much risk

–         Barnabas, on the other hand, had a different perspective

–         He was willing to trust God with the risk

 

Barnabas’ real name was actually Joseph

–         Joseph got the nickname ‘Barnabas’ because he encouraged people

–         That’s what Barnabas means, ‘son of encouragement’ [4]

–         Encouragement is more than just saying nice things to people

–         To encourage someone literally means to put courage into them – to give them confidence

–         Barnabas gave people confidence with his presence, his trust and his words of truth

 

I imagine that Mark felt like a complete failure after his false start

–         Barnabas could see that Mark had ability – what he lacked was confidence

–         Mark needed someone like Barnabas to give him the courage to get back on the horse and try again

 

Remember it was Barnabas who believed in Paul when no one else did

–         It was Barnabas who opened the door for Paul to be included in the fellowship of the early church

–         It must have seemed, to Barnabas, like a double standard that Paul would reject Mark, given Paul’s own chequered history

 

The Bible is a very honest book – it tells the story warts and all

–         Luke, the writer of Acts, does not hide the fact that Barnabas & Paul had a ‘sharp argument’ over this

–         Here we have two Godly men, full of the Holy Spirit, good men who love Jesus and are totally committed to serving him, whatever the cost, and yet they have this heated argument over whether or not to take Mark

 

That neither Barnabas nor Paul were prepared to back down shows us that this issue touched on a deep conviction for them both

–         Perhaps for Paul the deep conviction was that people needed to hear the good news about Jesus – nothing should get in the way of their mission and Mark’s lack of reliability threatened the mission

–         Perhaps for Barnabas it was a matter of integrity – ensuring they practiced the gospel they preached

–         How can we go on a missions’ trip preaching a gospel of grace if we ourselves are not willing to be big hearted enough to forgive Mark?

 

Barnabas was being consistent in advocating to give John Mark a second chance, just as he had advocated for giving Paul a chance years earlier

–         Despite Barnabas’ advocacy Paul didn’t see it the same way and the two of them decided to part company for a while:

–         Barnabas & Mark went to Cyprus while Paul & Silas went to Cilicia

 

This bust up may seem less than ideal to us but God used the separation for good

–         Paul went on to mentor the young Timothy and after working with Barnabas in Cyprus, John Mark went on to become Peter’s assistant

–         God, in his grace, was big hearted enough to use Paul & Barnabas’ disagreement to multiply the workers

 

I said before that intergenerational relationships don’t just happen in pairs – they often hold together in a network or a community

–         A healthy inter-generational church provides the network of relationships necessary to sustain and grow faith

–         Mark had more than one mentor

–         As well as Barnabas and Paul, Mark also had Peter

 

In many ways Peter was a good match for Mark

–         The apostle Peter, who denied Jesus three times, was well acquainted with false starts – his failure served to deepen his experience of grace

–         As Jesus said, the more you’ve been forgiven, the more you love

 

Mark assisted Peter as he preached the good news about Jesus

–         In one of his letters Peter refers to Mark as a son [5]

–         Clearly Peter appreciated Mark and loved him

–         Tradition tells us that John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark based on Peter’s preaching

 

Mark may have made a false start but by God’s grace, mediated through Barnabas and Peter, he found the courage to make a fresh start

 

But Mark’s story doesn’t end with Peter

–         The gospel of Jesus is a gospel of forgiveness & reconciliation

–         We don’t know exactly how it happened but it did happen

–         Mark & Paul were reconciled to one another (as were Barnabas & Paul)

 

Some years later, in his letter to the Colossians, Paul writes…

–         Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions to welcome Mark if he comes your way.) Joshua, also called Justus, sends greetings too. These three are the only Jewish converts who work with me for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a great help to me. [6]

 

But wait, there’s more…

–         Towards the end of his life, Paul writes to his protégé Timothy saying,

–         Get Mark and bring him with you, because he can help me in the work. [7]

 

Paul, who previously rejected Mark because he didn’t think he was up to it, now accepts Mark and acknowledges that Mark is a great help to him

–         By implication Paul was admitting that his old friend Barnabas was right

–         That’s the grace of God – that’s the power of the gospel

 

So what do we take from this – what is the application for our lives?

–         Well, two things…

 

Firstly, if we make a false start or we mess up in some way or turn back as Mark did, then that doesn’t mean the end for us

–         The good news is that through Jesus we get a second chance

–         And not just a second chance, but a third and a fourth and so on

–         When Peter asked Jesus, ‘How many times should I forgive’ the Lord replied, ’70 x seven’ – or as often as the person repents in other words

–         So that’s the first thing, with Jesus a false start makes room for grace

 

The second point of application is that we (like Barnabas) need to be big hearted enough to give courage & confidence to others who are struggling in the faith

–         The early church in Jerusalem struggled to believe that Paul had really changed but Barnabas gave them confidence to trust the Holy Spirit’s work of conversion in Paul’s life

–         Some years later Paul himself struggled to believe that Mark could make it as a missionary but Barnabas stood up for Mark, giving the young man confidence to trust in God’s grace and make fresh start

 

Eventually Paul came round too

–         Paul learned that God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness

–         He also learned that believers in Christ are connected, like a network or a body

–         We need each other: the eye cannot say to the hand I don’t need you

–         [Nor can Paul say to Mark I don’t need you]

–         On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; and those parts that we think aren’t worth very much are the ones which we treat with greater care. [8]

 

So the question is: who can you be a Barnabas for?

–         Who is your Mark?

–         Who can you encourage?

–         Who can you give confidence to?

–         Who needs greater care?

 

Questions

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

2.)    What does the term ‘big hearted’ mean to you?

–         Can you think of someone who is big hearted?

3.)    How did Barnabas help Paul (and the church) when Paul was a new convert?

4.)    What does it mean to encourage someone?

–         How did Barnabas encourage people?

5.)    How did God use Paul & Barnabas’ separation for good?

6.)    How did Paul’s attitude toward Mark change over time?

7.)    Who can you be a Barnabas for?

–         Who is your Mark?

–         Who can you encourage?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/1-oct-17-barnabas-mark

[1] Acts 11:24

[2] Acts 12:25

[3] Acts 13:1-5

[4] Acts 4:36

[5] 1st Peter 5:12-13

[6] Colossian 4:10

[7] 2 Timothy 4:11

[8] 1 Corinthians 12:21-22

Tawa Baptist

Saul, David & Jonathon

Scriptures: 1st Samuel 17:31-40; 19:1-7 & 24:1-7

 

Title: Saul, David & Jonathon

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Saul & David
  • Jonathon & David
  • David & Saul
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Last year there was a four part documentary series on TV called Why Am I? The science of us.

–         The series was based on the groundbreaking work of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Study which has documented the well-being of 1037 people born in Dunedin between 1972 and 1973

–         So it’s a massive long term scientific research project basically

 

One of the things they looked at was the question of nature vs. nurture

–         Are we the way we are because we were born that way (nature)?

–         Or are we the product of our environment (nurture)?

 

What they discovered is that it isn’t necessarily either / or, it can be both / and

–         In other words, with many things nature loads the gun while nurture (or environment) pulls the trigger

–         This could be both a negative thing and a positive thing

–         For example, you could have a genetic predisposition to a certain type of illness which is triggered under certain environmental conditions

–         On the other hand you may also have latent strengths built into your DNA which are brought out under particular circumstances

 

Science is helpful (it provides part of the picture) but one of the things that science doesn’t take into account is God

–         None of us have perfect DNA and none of us grow up in a perfect environment

–         Everyone faces challenges one way or another – no one is exempt

–         But at the end of the day God’s grace trumps both nature and nurture

 

My grandfather had a tough life in many ways

–         When his dad died his mum remarried and his step father beat him regularly, for no good reason – just because he was there

–         It wasn’t a good environment so my pop got out – he left home to make his way in the world at the tender age of 12

–         He lived through the great depression and then served in the Air Force during the second world war

–         He was part of a Lancaster bomber crew

–         Somehow he survived 87 missions flying over Africa and Europe

 

Now some people would go through all of that violence and hardship only to be completely wrecked by it

–         It would trigger something bad in them and bring out the worst

–         They might abuse alcohol or beat their wife or their kids or suffer some kind of emotional collapse

–         But, by the grace of God, that wasn’t the case with my grandfather

–         Somehow God used all that bad stuff to bring the best out of him

–         He never drank to excess, he was faithful to one wife, and he was never violent with his family, in fact he was kind & generous to them

–         He died at the age of 92 from lung cancer, probably triggered by smoking cigarettes when he was younger

 

I’m not sure what genetic bullets nature loaded in his gun but I’m convinced that God’s grace trumped his environment

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         A couple of weeks ago we looked at the mentoring relationship between Paul & Timothy

–         Paul was like a father to Timothy – he believed in Timothy and gave Timothy good guidance, both through his letters and his example

 

Today’s focus is on Saul, David & Jonathon

–         Saul was the first king of Israel and David was his successor

–         Jonathon was Saul’s son and David’s best friend

 

Saul’s relationship with David was quite different from Paul & Timothy’s

–         While Saul was old enough to be David’s father, Saul did not believe in David & Saul provided lousy guidance, both bad advice & a bad example

–         In fact, Saul went out his way to try and destroy David

 

Now we might think that the violence and hardship that Saul put David through would trigger something bad in David and bring out the worst in him

–         But, by the grace of God, that wasn’t the case with David

–         God used Saul to bring the best out in David

–         Whatever David’s DNA may have been the Spirit of God was with him

–         God’s grace trumped David’s environment

 

Saul & David:

Please turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 17, verse 31 – page 285 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         To set the scene, the Philistine giant, Goliath, is challenging the Israelites to a dual – winner takes all

–         None of the Israelite soldiers are willing to take him on – none that is except David, who isn’t really in the army as he is still a boy

–         Nevertheless the Spirit of God has loaded David with bullets of courage and the Philistine’s challenge triggers David’s courage

–         From verse 31 of 1st Samuel 17 we read…

 

31 Some men heard what David had said, and they told Saul, who sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”

 

33 “No,” answered Saul. “How could you fight him? You’re just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”

 

34 “Your Majesty,” David said, “I take care of my father’s sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35 I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. 36 I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. 37 The Lord has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from this Philistine.”

 

“All right,” Saul answered. “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38 He gave his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David’s head, and a coat of armour. 39 David strapped Saul’s sword over the armour and tried to walk, but he couldn’t, because he wasn’t used to wearing them. “I can’t fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I’m not used to it.” So he took it all off. 40 He took his shepherd’s stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

The first thing we notice here is that Saul doesn’t believe in David, like Paul believed in Timothy

–         Saul says: “How could you fight him? You’re just a boy…”

–         Saul doesn’t believe in David but God believes in David

–         And David believes in God

–         David is convinced that God can use him as young as he is

–         God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness

 

Eventually Saul agrees to let David fight and the guidance he gives David is, ‘wear my armour’

–         Saul’s advice is bad – his armour doesn’t fit

–         Fortunately David has the good sense not to follow Saul’s advice

 

In refusing Saul’s armour David reminds us of Jesus who put aside the traditions of men and used a simpler approach

–         Jesus did not allow himself to be weighed down by the cumbersome armour of the Pharisees’ man made rules & regulations

–         Instead Jesus made himself vulnerable (without armour), slaying evil with the slingshot of his tongue and the smooth stones of his Word

 

A point of application here – be discerning about the advice you accept

–         You are wise if you consider the advice of those more experienced than you, but at the end of the day you are the one who has to live with that advice so you decide whether it’s a good fit for you or not

 

I remember about 14 years ago I was in my last semester of training for pastoral ministry and was considering a call from this church

–         At that time Tawa had a bad reputation

–         It has a better reputation now so you don’t need to worry

–         But back then it was hard to find anyone who would say anything good about the place

–         It was quite a confusing time

–         There I was getting advice from people I respected, who were older and more experienced than I was, telling me not to come here

–         And yet it felt to me like we would be a good fit for Tawa

 

We had other options and they were good options, but (like Saul’s armour) they just didn’t fit

–         Now I’m not suggesting the people who were guiding us were like Saul – they were good people but it appears they got it wrong in this instance

–         In the end we made a decision to respectfully set aside their advice and we came here

–         As it turned out you were lovely to us (on the whole)

 

The point is, we don’t live in a perfect world

–         Sometimes our mentors get it wrong

–         Listen to your elders, by all means, but be discerning about what advice you take

–         Wisdom comes from God and God places his Spirit in our hearts to recognise his wisdom

 

In spite of Saul’s doubt and bad advice David faces and kills Goliath, because God is with him

–         After that Saul becomes jealous of David’s success and sends him off to fight Israel’s enemies in the vain hope that David will be killed

–         But the combat experience is good for David and makes him even more popular with the army and the people alike

–         Ironically, in trying to make things more difficult for David, Saul actually brings the best out of David – that’s God’s grace

 

Jonathon & David:

Please turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 19 – page 287 in your pew Bibles

–         Saul had a son named Jonathon

–         Jonathon was very different from his father

–         Jonathon loved David as himself – they were best friends

–         In many ways Jonathon was like an older brother to David – he looked out for David and advocated for him, even at the expense of himself

–         From 1st Samuel 19, verse 1, we read…

 

Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officials that he planned to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David, 2 and so he told him, “My father is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning; hide in some secret place and stay there. 3 I will go and stand by my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak to him about you. If I find out anything, I will let you know.”

 

4 Jonathan praised David to Saul and said, “Sir, don’t do wrong to your servant David. He has never done you any wrong; on the contrary, everything he has done has been a great help to you. 5 He risked his life when he killed Goliath, and the Lord won a great victory for Israel. When you saw it, you were glad. Why, then, do you now want to do wrong to an innocent man and kill David for no reason at all?”

 

6 Saul was convinced by what Jonathan said and made a vow in the Lord‘s name that he would not kill David. 7 So Jonathan called David and told him everything; then he took him to Saul, and David served the king as he had before.

 

I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old there was a guy at school who was a few years older than me, I guess he would have been about 12

–         For some reason he looked out for me

–         We didn’t hang out all the time but he was friendly and talked to me, even though there was nothing in it for him

–         It doesn’t sound like much now but when you are a junior and a senior student talks to you in a positive way it gives you a real boost – it makes you feel good about yourself

–         Not only that but it says to the other kids at school, ‘Don’t pick on this kid. He’s with me’

 

My older friend had the job of ringing the school bell at the end of lunch to tell people to go back to class

–         It wasn’t an electronic bell – it was an actual metal bell that you rang by hand (this was before electricity)

–         Anyway, one day he saw me across the quad, called me over and asked me to ring the bell for him.

–         He was doing me a favour – it was a special privilege to ring the bell

 

Unfortunately this is one of those anecdotes that doesn’t go anywhere

–         He left school the next year and we lost touch after that

 

I tell you this story to highlight the value of friendships with those who are just a few years ahead of you

 

With most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at in this series the age gap between the people involved has been quite large – anywhere from 20-60 years

–         We don’t know exactly how old Jonathon was in relation to David but I imagine it was probably something like 5 years difference, give or take

–         While they weren’t, strictly speaking, of a different generation from each other, Jonathon was still a few years older

–         Sometimes we need someone, who is like an older brother or sister, to show us kindness and give us confidence

–         People, like Jonathon, who are old enough to take care of us but still close enough in age that we can relate with them easily

 

In the reading from Samuel 19 we see that Saul’s jealousy (his madness) has grown to the point that he is actually talking to others about killing David

–         But Jonathon intervenes to protect David

–         With sound logic and diplomacy Jonathon convinces Saul not to harm David and David is restored to Saul’s presence once more

–         Blessed are the peacemakers. They will be called children of God

 

It wasn’t really in Jonathon’s interests to advocate for David like this

–         By protecting David’s life Jonathon was putting David ahead of himself, opening the door for David to become the next king of Israel

–         Jonathon cares more for David’s well-being than he does for the throne

–         Saul’s appalling behaviour only serves to bring the best out of Jonathon

–         That’s God’s grace

 

In some ways Jonathon reminds me of John Baptist – Jonathon opened doors for David, sort of like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus

–         Jonathon was willing to decrease so that David (God’s Messiah/anointed one) could increase

 

We need a Jonathon in our lives, especially when we are younger – someone who will watch over us for good, be our advocate and open doors for us

–         Here at Tawa Baptist we encourage our teenage young people to get involved as helpers in Sunday school and crèche

–         Club Intermed also have junior leaders who are just a couple of years older than the kids who attend the programme

–         In youth group Daryl recruits leaders in their late teens and twenties – just a few years ahead of those in College

–         And at Night Church Peter & Dan encourage those just a few years younger than them to play music, sing and lead worship alongside them

 

Three main reasons we do things this way

–         One, we need the practical help, the extra hands

–         Two, it’s good for the discipleship of those helping

–         And three, it creates the opportunity for those who are younger to form positive, healthy relationships with those just a couple of years older

–         If you are 8 then it’s often easier to relate with someone who is 14, than someone who is 44

–         Or if you’re 16, then someone who’s 23 is likely to be more in touch with what you’re going through because the 23 year old has just gone through it themselves

–         We still need parent and grandparent figures but older brother & sister relationships are also needed – it’s not either / or, it’s both / and

 

Jonathon was a comfort & shield for David in dealing with Saul

–         Who is your Jonathon?

–         Who is your David?

 

Jonathon’s peace-making efforts worked for a time but eventually Saul lost the plot again and David was forced to get out of that toxic environment

–         Jonathon helps David escape, while still keeping the door open in their relationship

 

David & Saul:

We pick up Saul & David’s story again from 1st Samuel 24 – page 292

–         Saul was obsessed with destroying David. From verse 1 we read…

 

When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2 Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself.

 

It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4 They said to him, “This is your chance! The Lord has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.”

 

David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe without Saul’s knowing it. 5 But then David’s conscience began to hurt, 6 and he said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” 7 So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.

 

In the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker and Darth Vada have a light sabre dual

–         Luke beats Vada and cuts his hand off then the dark lord encourages Luke to kill Vada and turn to the dark side but Luke refuses

 

In some ways Saul is like Darth Vada and David is like Luke

–         Luke has it in his power to kill Vada but he refuses to give in to the dark side, just as David has it in his power to kill Saul but instead chooses to spare Saul’s life

–         By God’s grace Saul’s dark side brought the best out of David

 

In our reading from Samuel 24 David gets some more bad advice, not from Saul this time but from his friends who tell him to kill Saul, just as the dark lord told Luke to kill his father

–         Fortunately David has the conscience to reject his friend’s advice

–         David refuses to turn to the dark side as Saul had done

–         Instead David leaves the matter in God’s hands

–         By setting the right example the young David becomes a mentor to the senior Saul

 

By saving Saul’s life David once again points to Jesus, who had the power to destroy his enemies but instead resisted the temptation and submitted to God’s purpose by going to the cross to die for his enemies

–         Both David and Jesus show us God’s grace

 

Conclusion:

You may be wondering why I chose to preach on Saul & David, given that Saul wasn’t a particularly good model for David

–         Well, not all intergenerational relationships are healthy or good

–         That’s the reality of the world we live in

–         We don’t always get to have a Moses or an Elijah or a Paul as our mentor

–         Sometimes we might get a Saul but usually we have someone who is a mixture of good and bad

 

Saul & David’s very imperfect intergenerational relationship shows us that the future of the protégé doesn’t need to be determined by the mentor

–         By the power of God’s Spirit the protégé (in this case David) has a choice about how he will respond to Saul, his would be mentor

 

So, if those older than you haven’t provided a good example, if they (like Saul) have given bad advice or misbehaved in some way, you have a choice

–         By God’s grace you can choose to be different from them

–         My grandfather chose to be different from his step father

–         David & Jonathon both chose to be different from Saul

–         What it comes down to is knowing who you are and who you want to be

–         (Usually when we are given a really bad example, that clarifies for us who we don’t want to be and by implication who we do want to be)

–         As Christians we find our identity in Christ – we want to be like Jesus

 

I’m not saying it’s an easy choice to make

–         You don’t just click your fingers and say, “I’m going to be different from my parents or my boss or whoever is in authority over me”

–         There’s usually quite a bit of pain and anger and forgiveness involved

–         The point is, if the model you’ve been given is bad then you need to get out of that environment and find a better model

–         Jesus is our model – there’s no one better than him

 

The other thing Saul and David’s relationship shows us is that ultimately God is in control

–         God’s grace trumps our nature and our nurture

–         What Saul intended for David’s harm, God used for David’s good

–         And that should encourage us when we, who are mentors, do a bad job

–         We might not intend to harm the next generation, as Saul did, but we are bound to make mistakes and stuff it up from time to time

–         The good news is, God is gracious – he is able to redeem our mistakes

–         In fact our mistakes (our weaknesses) are often what God uses to bring out the best in others

 

Reflection Questions:

 

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

 

2.)    What do you think of the Dunedin study’s finding that nature loads the gun and nurture (or environment) pulls the trigger?

 

3.)    God, in his grace, is able to use a bad environment to bring out the best in people

–         How did God use Saul to bring out the best in David?

–         Thinking of your own life situation and / or upbringing, how has God’s grace been at work to bring out the best in you (or others)?

 

4.)    What led David to not take Saul’s advice (in wearing Saul’s armour)?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 17:31-40)

–         How might we discern what advice to accept and what to reject?

 

5.)    Do you have (or have you had) a Jonathon in your life?

–         Who can you be a Jonathon to?

 

6.)    How does David become a mentor (set an example) for Saul?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 24)

 

7.)    In what ways does David point to Jesus?

–         How does Jonathon remind us of John the Baptist?

 

8.)    What two main things does Saul & David’s (imperfect) intergenerational relationship show us?

 

Tawa Baptist

Paul & Timothy

Scripture: 1st Timothy 4:6-16

 

Title: Paul & Timothy

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s belief in Timothy
  • Paul’s guidance for Timothy
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

I have here a guitar with six strings

–         For the strings to work (to make a sound) they need to be held in tension

–         To create the tension one end of the string is firmly tied to the main body of the guitar while the other end of the string is attached to a tuning peg

–         This end is fixed – it doesn’t change

–         This end can and does change

–         With just the right amount of tension the string sounds the right note

–         If there is no tension at all then there’s no sound

–         But with too much tension the string is out of tune and at risk of breaking

 

Today we continue our series on inter-generational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         The focus of this morning’s message is the mentoring relationship between the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

–         Mentoring relationships are a bit like guitar strings

–         With mentoring we need to hold two things in tension: belief & guidance

–         On the one hand we need to have a rock solid belief or trust in the other person – that’s like this end of the string which doesn’t change

–         At the same time we need room to make adjustments by giving & receiving guidance – that’s like this end where the string is tuned

–         Belief and guidance – two things held in tension – both needed to keep the relationship in tune

 

As a father in the faith (a mentor) to Timothy, Paul believed strongly in Timothy – he trusted him with significant responsibility and difficult tasks

–         But Paul’s trust wasn’t abdication

–         He didn’t blindly leave Timothy to his own devices

–         Rather Paul trusted his young protégé and gave him guidance

–         First let’s consider Paul’s belief in Timothy

 

Paul’s belief in Timothy:

In thinking about this idea of believing in people let me tell you a personal story

–         When I was in my late 20’s I attended a Baptist church in Tauranga

–         Little by little the leadership of the church trusted me with responsibilities

–         After a while I became a house group leader

–         Then one day the pastor asked me to preach on a Sunday morning

–         Afterwards he gave me some guidance – 54 minutes is too long for a sermon (apparently I’m not that interesting to listen to)

–         But the pastor believed in me enough to ask again and next time I followed his guidance and made the message shorter

 

My faith really grew in that church because people older than me believed in me and they cared enough to give me guidance and feedback

 

After watching me in action for a couple of years the pastor of the church told me he believed I had a call to pastoral ministry

–         Some others said the same thing around the same time so we went to Carey College to get more guidance, which is how we ended up here

 

The basic point I’m trying to make is that when you are mentoring people you need to believe in them and provide them with guidance

–         It doesn’t work to do one without the other

–         Belief & guidance go together

 

To expound that point a little more…

–         You don’t just tell people you believe in them – you show them by trusting them with real responsibility

 

This is how it was with Paul & Timothy

–         Paul demonstrated his belief in Timothy both with words of prophecy and with actions – that is, by trusting Timothy with real responsibility

 

To give you some context, Paul’s first missionary journey took him through Timothy’s home town of Lystra

–         We can’t be sure but it is possible (perhaps even likely) that Paul led Timothy to Christian faith during that visit

–         What we do know for certain is that Paul enlisted Timothy’s help on his second missionary journey. In Acts 16 we read…

 

Paul travelled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. All the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him…

 

It appears that Timothy’s mother was a Christian but his dad wasn’t

–         This meant Timothy had a difficult choice to make

–         In becoming a Christian he was aligning himself with Jesus

–         The risk was that he might alienate his father in the process

–         Nevertheless Timothy took the risk

 

It also appears Timothy had some special quality to him because all the believers spoke well of him

–         Most likely Timothy had showed promise as a preacher and had an easy personality so he got on well with people generally

 

Evidently Paul saw something in him too because he invited Timothy to accompany him on his second missionary journey

–         Paul was a clever guy – perhaps he saw Timothy’s mixed parentage (half Jewish / half Greek) as making him an ideal candidate for mission work

–         Timothy would be able to act as a bridge between Jews and Gentiles

–         In any case the fact that Paul was keen to recruit Timothy is saying something because Paul wasn’t easily impressed

 

At the end of Acts 15 we read how Paul wouldn’t take John Mark (the writer of the gospel of Mark) with him because Mark didn’t go the distance on their first mission trip

–         Essentially Paul didn’t believe in Mark but he did believe in Timothy

–         And he demonstrated that belief with words & actions – he spoke words of prophecy over Timothy and he asked Timothy to join them

–         (The words of prophecy aren’t mentioned in Acts but Paul does remind Timothy of them years later in both his letters to Timothy [1])

 

The life of a Christian missionary in the first century was pretty dangerous – there was a good chance of being whipped, thrown in prison or even killed

–         Timothy, for his part, responded to Paul’s belief in him by taking the risk and submitting to Paul’s guidance

–         Timothy was most likely in his late teens or early 20’s at this stage, which makes Paul’s belief in Timothy even more remarkable in that cultural context where the younger you were the less respect you got, generally

 

Timothy accompanied Paul & Silas to Macedonia

–         The next time we hear about Timothy is in Acts 17

–         After arriving in Berea there is trouble and Paul has to leave but Silas & Timothy stay behind in what is a hostile situation – most likely to instruct the new believers in the faith

–         By leaving Timothy in Berea Paul is demonstrating his belief in Timothy

–         Eventually Timothy & Silas catch up with Paul in Corinth

 

Over time Timothy becomes Paul’s right hand man – he is to Paul what Joshua was to Moses

–         Paul continues to show he believes in Timothy by sending the young protégé as his representative to teach and encourage some of the churches Paul had planted on his various missionary journeys

 

For example, while Paul was in Athens, he sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to establish them in their faith and encourage them through teaching & preaching [2]

–         Although the Thessalonian believers received Timothy positively the city of Thessalonica was not a friendly place

–         The young church was experiencing persecution there – but Paul had confidence in Timothy that he could handle the challenge

–         Timothy would have needed to be a calm presence, providing comfort and strength to the believers there

 

Sometime later, while Paul was establishing the church in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he sent Timothy to the Corinthian church

–         This was also a challenging assignment for Timothy but in a different way to Thessalonica

–         The Corinthian believers had got off track by listening to false teachers and following bad theology

–         Paul sent Timothy into that situation to correct dodgy doctrine and immoral behaviour

–         Paul writes about Timothy’s purpose in his letter to the Corinthians saying…

Therefore I sent Timothy to you, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church [3]

 

Here we catch a glimpse of the closeness there is between Timothy & Paul

–         Paul loves Timothy like a son and Timothy knows Paul’s ways like a son knows a father

 

Timothy is often portrayed by preachers as a bit timid, a bit sickly and not particularly robust, always in need of encouragement

–         But there isn’t much Biblical evidence for this stereotyping of Timothy

–         In actual fact the New Testament shows us that Timothy was faithful, resilient and steadfast under pressure

–         You don’t send someone you love into difficult situations if you don’t think they can handle it

–         What’s more you don’t keep going back into hard places if you are timid

 

Paul believed in Timothy but it wasn’t blind belief – it came with guidance

 

Paul’s guidance for Timothy:

Earlier I told you a personal story of my pastor believing in me – that was when I was in my late 20’s

–         Let me tell you another personal story of something that happened when I was about 10 years younger than that – this story is a little bit different

 

So there I was, 18 and full of confidence, sitting in church with my best friend when the director for Youth For Christ (YFC) came up to my friend and asked him if he would like to be a youth leader

–         My friend wasn’t really that keen – he said he’d think about it which meant ‘probably not’

–         The funny thing was the director didn’t ask me – even though I was sitting right there beside him when he asked my friend

–         Not sure why that was – I suppose it’s because he didn’t really believe I’d be suitable – he was probably right

–         But that didn’t stop me from saying, “I’ll do it”

–         I could tell by the way he stumbled over his words that he wasn’t expecting me to volunteer like that

–         Clearly I wasn’t his first choice but he must have been desperate because he agreed to take me on, with guidance

 

Now in that little story I brought belief while the director brought the guidance

–         I believed in the mission of YFC, I believed in the director and I believed in myself, even if no one else did

–         I worked with YFC for a number of years part time and did eventually earn the director’s trust – we got on well together

–         However, a big part of earning his trust was my willingness to follow his guidance

 

Towards the end of Paul’s life, while he was in prison, he sent Timothy to the church in Ephesus, once again as his representative to sort out some issues there

–         It was while Timothy was in Ephesus that Paul wrote two personal letters to him, which we know as 1st & 2nd Timothy

–         Among other things these letters contained some guidance for Timothy

 

Please turn with me to 1st Timothy chapter 4, verse 6 – page 262 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         This is one of those passages where Paul gives Timothy guidance 

–         By this stage Timothy has worked with Paul for something like 13 to 15 years (thereabouts)

–         Which means Timothy would have been in his late 20’s or early 30’s

–         One of the things we notice about Paul’s guidance is that isn’t coercive

–         Paul doesn’t force his way with Timothy

–         Rather he offers Timothy the benefit of his experience & example, then allows Timothy room to choose for himself

–         From 1st Timothy chapter 4, verse 6 we read…

 

6 If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed. 7 But keep away from those godless legends, which are not worth telling. Keep yourself in training for a godly life. 8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future. 9 This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed. 10 We struggle and work hard, because we have placed our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all and especially of those who believe.

 

11 Give them these instructions and these teachings. 12 Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity. 13 Until I come, give your time and effort to the public reading of the Scriptures and to preaching and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things and devote yourself to them, in order that your progress may be seen by all. 16 Watch yourself and watch your teaching. Keep on doing these things, because if you do, you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Quite often when professional sports people are interviewed on TV prior to a big match they get asked a question which is a bit provocative or controversial and you hear them respond by saying something like…

–         “We’re not thinking about that. That’s outside of our control. We’re focusing on what we can control.”

–         The idea is, there’s no point in worrying about what other people are thinking or saying because you can’t do anything about that

–         The best you can do is control yourself and so that’s what you give your time and thought to

–         Making your tackles, reducing handling errors and giving clean passes

–         They’re the sorts of things you focus on because they are the things you can control – they’re also the sorts of things that silence your critics

 

As I said before Timothy was sent to the Ephesian church to sort out some problems there

–         False teachers had been spreading various heresies among the Ephesian believers and it was Timothy’s job to remind people of the truth

–         Paul wanted Timothy to stand for the truth

–         This meant Timothy was facing opposition from the false teachers

–         So people were thinking and saying all sorts of things that weren’t true both about God and Timothy

–         Paul’s advice (his guidance) for Timothy was don’t worry about what other people are thinking and saying – you can’t control that

–         Focus instead on what you can control

 

Don’t get caught up in pointless arguments over words and myths – instead read the Scriptures publicly and preach from them

–         Because by preaching from the Scriptures you make truth clear, giving people a pathway out of the confusion created by the false teachers

 

Don’t let people look down on you because you are younger than them but instead be an example to them

–         In other words, don’t worry about what other people think of you

–         Let your actions speak for you

–         Or as Ghandi famously said, “Be the change you want to see”

–         Because it’s your example which will silence your critics

 

As William Mounce observes…

–         “Many of the characteristics that Paul encourages Timothy to follow stand in contrast to the opponents’ characteristics

–         Timothy is to be an example in speech (the opponents are babblers)

–         Timothy is to be an example in conduct (the opponents have brought the church into disrepute)

–         Timothy is to be an example in love (which the opponents have abandoned)

–         Timothy is to be an example in faith (which the opponents have ship wrecked)

–         And Timothy is to be an example in purity (which the opponents have stained)” [4]

 

In short Paul tells Timothy to persevere in the truth because the truth will always prevail in the end, while that which is false cannot last

–         And the way to persevere in the truth is to watch yourself & watch your teaching

–         In other words, take care of your own relationship with Jesus first and practice what you preach

–         Don’t worry about what your opponents are saying or doing – it’s not your job to control them

–         Just focus on what you’re doing – keep your eye on the ball

 

It’s like when you’re driving a car – you need to be aware of other traffic but not distracted by it

–         Keep your eyes on the road – look where you’re going, otherwise you’ll go where you’re looking

–         If someone else is driving dangerously, give them a wide birth – you concentrate on driving safely

–         It’s the same principle for Timothy at Ephesus

 

So that’s a sample of Paul’s guidance for Timothy

–         In many ways its great advice for us too

 

Maybe you’re at work surrounded by people behaving badly

–         You can’t control them but you can control yourself

–         Be different from them (that’s what it means to be salt & light)

 

Or perhaps you have a husband or a wife or children or parents or friends who don’t share your belief in Jesus

–         That can be quite lonely at times

–         You might get on well enough but there is still a level of intimacy that you can’t share with them

–         Timothy understood what it was like to have a father who didn’t believe

–         We can’t control what other people think or believe

–         What we can do is pray for them, talk about Jesus and be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith & purity

 

Conclusion:

As I said last week, one of our values here at Tawa Baptist is passing on our faith to the next generation

–         We want to see others continue to walk in trust with Jesus

–         One of the ways people learn faith is by having someone show faith in them – it’s in being trusted that we learn to trust

–         It’s when we realise that God believes in us that we are able to believe in Christ

 

The other thing we do in passing on our faith is we provide guidance

–         Guidance is not coercion, it’s not force

–         Guidance is offering the benefit of our experience and example in a way that leaves the other person free to choose

–         Jesus is the source of our guidance – he’s our prime example

–         But he’s not just a historical example – Jesus continues to guide people today by giving his Spirit to those who believe

 

Let me leave you with two questions…

 

Do you know that God believes in you?

–         He believes in you so much that he sent his only Son, in trust, that you would accept him

 

If you do know that, and you have accepted Jesus, then what guidance are you giving others by your own example?

 

Reflection questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Can you think of a time when someone believed in you?

–         How did their belief affect you? What difference did it make to you?

 

3.)    Is there someone younger (in the faith) than you that you believe in?

–         How can you demonstrate through your actions that you believe in them?

 

4.)    How did Paul demonstrate his belief in Timothy?

–         How did Timothy respond to Paul’s belief in him?

 

5.)    Putting aside the stereotype we often get of Timothy (as shy, timid, sickly, etc.) what picture does the New Testament actually give us of Timothy?

 

6.)    What do we notice about the nature of Paul’s guidance?

 

7.)    What advice (guidance) did Paul give Timothy in his letter? (from 1st Timothy 4:6-16)

–         How might we apply Paul’s advice to our own lives and situations?

 

8.)    What guidance have you found most helpful in your walk of faith?

–         What guidance are you giving others by your own example?

 

9.)    Do you know that God believes in you?

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/3-sep-2017-paul-timothy

[1] 1st Timothy 4:14 and 2nd Timothy 1:6

[2] 1st Thessalonians 3:1-3

[3] 1st Corinthians 4:17

[4][4] William Mounce, Word Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, page 245.

Tawa Baptist

Elijah & Elisha

Scriptures: 1st Kings 19:19-21 & 2nd Kings 2

 

Title: Elijah & Elisha

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The call of Elisha
  • The empowerment of Elisha
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a Maori Adze (or axe)

–         The head of the axe is made out greenstone (pounamu) and the handle is made out of wood

–         The handle has carving on it which symbolises the history or whakapapa of those leaders who have carried the adze in previous generations

–         With each new generation of leadership the greenstone head is removed and a new handle is carved for the new leader

–         So the pounamu head stays the same from generation to generation, while the handle changes

–         This means there is continuity with the past but also freshness or newness with each succeeding generation

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         This morning’s focus is the relationship between Elijah & Elisha

–         This is a relationship in which the mantle of prophetic leadership is passed from one generation to the next, so the work of God continues

–         Elisha is like the new handle for the old pounamu axe head

–         Elisha carries the word of God as Elijah did before him and as others would after him

 

Today’s message is in two parts:

–         Firstly, the call of Elisha and then the empowerment of Elisha

 

Elisha’s call:

The call of Elisha is found in 1st Kings 19, just after Elijah’s encounter with the Lord God on Mt Horeb

–         After defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah runs for his life into the wilderness because Jezebel wants to kill him

–         Elijah feels scared and alone – he has lost his perspective, his sense of continuity (some would say he is burnt out)

–         But God meets him, not in the fire or the wind or the earthquake but in sheer silence

–         After this Yahweh tells Elijah to go and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to succeed him as prophet

–         By giving Elijah an apprentice the Lord is making Elijah’s work less lonely and he is giving Elijah a sense of hope & continuity

–         The Lord’s work will not die with Elijah

–         From verse 19 of 1st Kings chapter 19, we read…

 

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

 

On the wall here is a picture of some Korowai

–         A Korowai is a special type of Maori cloak (or mantle) woven out of flax with tassels and sometimes feathers on it

–         It can take anywhere between 4-12 months to make a Korowai by hand

–         They are a special garment to be worn on special occasions like graduations or weddings and other important ceremonies

–         Korowai are often handed down as an heirloom from one generation to the next

–         They provide a continuity or connection with the past, present and future

–         A Korowai is reflective of honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection, skill & beauty

 

One of the intriguing things about Elisha’s call is that Elijah doesn’t actually say anything to Elisha

–         Elijah simply takes his cloak (or his mantle) and throws it over Elisha

–         Elijah’s cloak wasn’t a Korowai as such, (it may have been quite ordinary for all we know) but it was nevertheless special because Elijah wore it

–         By throwing his mantle over Elisha, Elijah was effectively bestowing honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection and skill on Elisha

–         It was an invitation for Elisha to become his successor and Elisha understood this intuitively

 

Another thing we note is that Elijah found Elisha at work in the fields plowing

–         To give some context the land had been in drought for over 3 years and after Elijah prayed the rains came

–         This meant that farmers, like Elisha, were finally able to get out and plow the ground and sow their crops

–         Which means Elisha was being called to leave his work at a time when things were picking up again

–         It wasn’t so much that one door closed and another opened for Elisha

–         It was more like two doors opened at the same time and Elisha had to choose which one he was going to walk through

–         Was he going to be a farmer or a prophet?

 

Elisha chose to follow Elijah – but first he asked permission to kiss his parents good bye

 

Elijah granted permission saying: “What have I done to you?”

–         It is unclear what Elijah meant by this exactly

–         It could mean, ‘you are free to choose what you do’

–         But at the same time, Elijah may have his own experience in mind so he means something like, ‘In calling you to be a prophet, I’ve called you to a difficult life. You will be lonely, misunderstood and you will lack the usual securities and comforts that other people enjoy’

–         Jesus said a similar thing to those who followed him – people will hate you because of me

 

Elisha is young and willing – he’s a good keen man which is just what the older more jaded Elijah needs

–         After some difficult experiences Elijah (who is recovering from burn out) is at risk of falling into cynicism and contempt

–         Elisha is a breath of fresh air for Elijah

–         I imagine Elisha’s youthful enthusiasm and sense of hopefulness inspired Elijah to be the best version of himself that he could be, for Elisha’s sake

 

To mark his commitment in following Elijah and God’s call, Elisha sacrifices his two bulls as a fellowship offering – there’s no turning back now

–         Sometimes choosing continuity with God’s story means discontinuity with our old way of life

–         Elisha feeds the people with the meat from his oxen

–         This is symbolic of his ministry – as a prophet Elisha will sustain people with the meat of God’s word (man cannot live by bread alone)

 

When I started here at Tawa, you (the congregation) gave me a mantle of sorts – a cloak in the form of a Hurricanes rugby jersey

–         I come from the Waikato / Bay of Plenty area where the Chiefs are based

–         Had I been a Chiefs supporter I suppose I would have had to burn my chiefs jersey, sort of like Elisha burned his oxen and farming equipment

–         Luckily for me I was never a Chiefs supporter

 

After Elisha has said his goodbyes and fed the people he goes with Elijah and becomes his attendant or servant

–         Similar language is used of Joshua who became Moses’ servant centuries earlier

–         We, the reader, are meant to see the continuity woven into the Korowai of God’s salvation story

–         Elisha is to Elijah what Joshua was to Moses – someone chosen by God to carry on the Lord’s work after Elijah is gone

 

Elisha’s empowerment:

Some of the external doors of the church auditorium have been difficult to open and close, partly due to their age and partly due to all the rain we’ve had lately

–         During the week Ewan & Neville fixed the fire exit here at the front

–         One of the things they did to free the door up was replace the hinges – the old hinges were a bit rusted and seized

–         They didn’t throw the door out – they kept the door but replaced the hinges so there is continuity with the past, present and future

 

The purpose of a hinge is to allow movement and change – to create openings and endings

–         In some ways a prophet is a bit like a hinge in that they allow movement and change

–         They are anchored to the past (the door frame) and to the present (the door itself)

–         Through the words they speak God’s prophets make society aware of hinge moments in human history

–         They let people know when new doors of hope have been opened

–         They also warn people when old doors of sin & injustice are about to close in judgment

 

Of course, it is God who opens and closes the doors of history – the prophet (like the hinge) simply helps to facilitate that movement

–         If a prophet performs the function of a hinge in history then we could say, Elisha is like the new set of hinges on the old door

 

We are not told much about how Elijah mentors Elisha, as we were with Moses & Joshua

–         Presumably Elisha learned like any apprentice, by watching and doing

–         In any case the emphasis of the text isn’t on the technical aspects of mentoring – it is rather on the spiritual empowerment of Elisha

 

The next time we hear about Elijah & Elisha together is 2nd Kings chapter 2

–         After a bit of a tiki-tour through Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho, Elijah & Elisha head out into the wilderness toward the Jordan

–         They both know that Elijah is soon to be taken by God

–         When they reach the river Elijah strikes the water with his cloak, the water divides and the two of them walk across on dry ground

–         Sort of like Moses separating the Red Sea with his staff

–         Once again we find a continuity – the past, present and future are woven together into the wider cloak of the Biblical narrative

–         We pick up the story from verse 9 or 2nd Kings chapter 2…

 

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

 

In ancient Jewish culture the first born son inherited a double portion of the Father’s estate

–         So in asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, Elisha is asking to be Elijah’s legitimate heir – that is, the prophet’s successor

–         Elisha wants to carry on the prophetic work Elijah started but he needs the power of Elijah’s spirit to do that

–         And by “Elijah’s spirit” we don’t mean his human spirit we mean the Spirit of God that rests on Elijah

 

Elijah says to Elisha, “You have asked a difficult thing”

–         In other words, it’s not up to me whether you will be my successor or not

–         I can’t control what the Spirit of God does any more than I can control where the wind blows

–         The hinge doesn’t get to tell the carpenter what door it will hang on

 

From verse 11…

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

 

By calling Elijah his “father”, Elisha is showing deep respect and affection for his predecessor

–          “The chariots and horsemen of Israel” is another title of respect for Elijah

–          Elisha is basically saying that Elijah is the Lord’s weapon against evil

–          God’s word through Elijah was far more powerful than any army of chariots and horsemen

 

The point, not to be missed here, is that Elisha saw his master go, which means he would inherit Elijah’s spirit – the Spirit of God

–         Elisha would now become the Lord’s weapon against evil

 

Yet again we see continuity with the past, present & future

–         Elijah’s ascension foreshadows Jesus’ ascension to heaven – it is all part of the weaving of the larger Biblical narrative of salvation

–         Just as Elijah ascended to God’s presence in heaven before Elisha inherited his spirit – so too Jesus ascended to heaven before pouring out his Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost

–          So if Jesus is like Elijah then we are sort of like Elisha, empowered by Jesus’ Spirit to carry on the Lord’s work

 

Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

 

Again we notice the Lord’s masterful weaving

–         Just as Joshua (the successor to Moses) separated the river Jordan so the people could cross over into the Promised Land, so too Elisha (the successor to Elijah) divides the waters of the Jordan on his re-entry

 

The interesting thing here is that it didn’t work the first time for Elisha

–         He has to strike the water twice and ask where God is before the river parts for him

–         Perhaps this is a reminder that the power is not in Elijah’s mantle – the cloak is not magic – the power is with the Lord God Almighty

 

In any case…

15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

 

Conclusion:

The other night around our dinner table one of the kids asked what is salience?

–         I had a vague idea but wanted to make sure I had my facts straight so went to get a dictionary off the book shelf to look it up

–         Robyn laughed at me (as she usually does) and said, “Just google it”

–         Of course I ignored her and went off to find an actual dictionary while she looked up a virtual dictionary on her phone

–         Robyn has kept up with the new generation – I’m more old school

–         Not that it really matters – different approaches, same answer

 

Salience is the quality of being particularly noticeable or important

–         A salient point is one which is prominent – or sticks out like a tall poppy

 

The story of Elijah & Elisha is enigmatic – it is cloaked in mystery

–         Yes, theirs is an intergenerational relationship but so what?

–         What is the salient point of their story?

–         What’s the application for us?

 

Well, the thing that stands out most prominently to me is that God is weaving the cloak (the Korowai) of our salvation

–         One of our values as a church is passing on our faith (the Christian faith) to the next generation

–         We don’t want the church to end with us – we want to leave things in good shape for our kids and see them continue walking with Jesus

–         We want there to be a continuity between the past, present and future

–         That’s one of the reasons we encourage an intergenerational culture in the life of the church – that’s why we are having this sermon series

 

The salient point with Elijah & Elisha’s story is that God is the weaver, not Elijah & Elisha

–         Yes, Elijah was obedient to God when the Lord told him to appoint Elisha as his successor

–         And yes, Elisha was willing to submit to God’s purpose, even though he had other options

–         But really it was the Spirit of God who empowered both Elijah & Elisha and created the continuity

 

What I’m trying to say is that, even though the tide of cultural change is against us at present, we don’t need to be anxious about the future of the church

–         Yes, we have our part to play but what really counts with passing on our faith to the next generation is the power of God’s Spirit

–         Like Elijah, we don’t get to tell the Spirit what to do

–         God is the master weaver and he will draw it all together in the end

–         We are part of his larger Korowai – his cloak of salvation

–         The Lord will provide the continuity by his Spirit

 

 

Reflection Questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Why did God tell Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet?

–         How might Elisha help Elijah?

 

3.)    What was the significance or meaning of Elijah throwing his cloak (mantle) over Elisha?

 

4.)    Have you (like Elisha) had the experience of two doors opening at the same time and needing to make a decision about which one you will walk through?

–         Can you share your story? (E.g. What happened? How did God guide you? What and why did you decide as you did? Etc.)

 

5.)    How is Elisha similar to Joshua?

 

6.)    In what sense is a prophet like a hinge?

 

7.)    What does Elisha mean when he asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit?

–         Why is this a difficult thing to ask for?

 

8.)    In what ways does Elijah foreshadow Jesus?

 

9.)    What is the salient point in the story of Elijah & Elisha?

–         And what’s the application for us?

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/27-aug-2017-elijah-elisha

Tawa Baptist

Jephthah and his daughter

Scripture: Judges 11

 

Title: Jephthah & his daughter

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jephthah’s rejection
  • Jephthah’s vow
  • Jephthah’s daughter
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a piece of rock with a vein of gold running through it

–         It is the image of a precious metal mixed in common granite

–         People can be like this – a mixture of things precious and things base

 

This morning we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible – that is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         Most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at so far have been positive – like Moses & Joshua, Naomi & Ruth and Eli & Samuel

–         Not all intergenerational relationships are so rosy though

–         Some are more a mixture of things precious and things base

 

The focus of today’s message is Jephthah and his daughter, whose name we are not told

–         Theirs is truly an intergenerational story but not in a good way

–         More in the sense of the sins of the father having a negative downstream impact on the next generation

–         Having said that the hard rock of this story is not without its veins of gold

 

Jephthah was one of the Judges (or leaders) of ancient Israel during the time between Joshua and the kings, Saul & David

–         The Israelites had moved into the Promised Land, after their 40 years in the wilderness, but they hadn’t yet subdued their enemies

 

The period of the Judges was a sad time in Israel’s history when the nation was unfaithful to the Lord (Yahweh) by worshipping the Canaanite gods

–         Generation after generation there was a repeating pattern of the people rejecting Yahweh, then being oppressed by their enemies before turning back to Yahweh for help

–         When his people repented the Lord would empower a special Judge to lead Israel against their enemies.

–         Israel would gain the victory and everything would be okay for a while until the people forgot the Lord again and began to conform to the ways of the world around them

–         Sadly with each cycle the behaviour of the next generation got worse

 

With this background we read the book of Judges knowing that the stories it contains are not an ideal to aspire to, but rather a cautionary tale of what happens when people don’t follow the ways of God

 

Jephthah came after Gideon and before Sampson

–         Like most of the Judges of that time, Jephthah was a mixture of things precious and things base

 

We will cover three parts of Jephthah’s story this morning…

–         Jephthah’s rejection, Jephthah’s vow, and Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s rejection:

Let’s begin with Jephthah’s rejection – from Judges, chapter 11, verse 1

–         I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version…

 

Now Jephthah the Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, was a mighty warrior. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away, saying to him, “You shall not inherit anything in our father’s house; for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws collected around Jephthah and went raiding with him.

 

4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the Ammonites.”

 

7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Are you not the very ones who rejected me and drove me out of my father’s house? So why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?” 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Nevertheless, we have now turned back to you, so that you may go with us and fight with the Ammonites, and become head over us, over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

 

Who can tell me what this guy on the wall is famous for?

–         His name is Dr Thomas Midgley [Wait for people to respond]

–         That’s right – Dr Midgley was a key figure in a team of chemists who put lead in petrol and produced the first chlorofluorocarbons or CFC’s

–         Lead has been taken out of petrol now because its considered too much of a health risk and CFC’s are what caused the hole in the ozone layer

–         So Dr Midgley is famous for at least two innovations which damaged the environment on a large scale

 

There was a saying in ancient Israel

–         “The fathers eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge”

–         It basically means that children often have to live with the consequences of their parents’ actions

–         Thomas Midgley died in 1944 before many of us were born but the sour grapes he ate have set our teeth on edge

–         We are still living with the ill-effects of his work – the sins of our fathers

 

Jephthah paid the price for the sins of his father

–         Mr Gilead got a prostitute pregnant and Jephthah was born

–         Although Jephthah was not to blame for his father’s actions his half-brothers would not accept him and forced him to leave home

 

Two weeks ago I showed you a tripod for holding a video camera

–         For the tripod to stand on its own it needs three legs

–         With just one or two legs the tripod will fall over and the camera will be damaged

–         Three things the human soul needs to stand are identity, belonging and purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose go together – they give us strength & security – a sense of wholeness and well-being or shalom

 

When Jephthah’s brothers rejected him and drove him away they cut off his identity & belonging in their family so that Jephthah was forced to find these things elsewhere

–         Acceptance is the way to strengthen identity & belonging

–         Had his brothers accepted him I think Jephthah’s story would have had a very different outcome

 

Jephthah was a leader so he soon attracted other outcasts and became a force to be reckoned with

 

When Israel’s enemies threaten, the leaders of Gilead come cap in hand to ask Jephthah for help

–         Their approach is quite self-serving – they don’t really care about Jephthah, they just want to save their own necks

–         Jephthah agrees but only if they accept him as their leader

–         They have offered Jephthah purpose but he wants identity and belonging as well – he is hungry for their acceptance

–         The deal is done

 

In some ways Jephthah’s treatment at the hands of his brothers is a parable (in miniature) of Yahweh’s experience with Israel

–         Through no fault of His own the Lord is rejected by Israel and then, when Israel find themselves in trouble, they repent and ask for help

–         Israel doesn’t really care about Yahweh – they are desperate and are using the Lord for their own ends

–         Although Yahweh doesn’t need Israel’s acceptance (like Jephthah did) the Lord is still in a difficult position

–         He knows Israel is using him and will reject him again but he can’t turn his back on the people he loves

 

Once he has been made leader of the Gileadites, Jephthah approaches the king of the Ammonites (Israel’s enemies) and seeks a diplomatic solution

–         This shows wisdom and good leadership on Jephthah’s part

–         Unfortunately it doesn’t work

–         Israel is in a weaker position so the Ammonites choose war

 

In his exchange with the king of the Ammonites, Jephthah has his finest hour

–         From verse 27 of chapter 11 Jephthah says…

 

27 It is not I who have sinned against you, but you are the one who does me wrong by making war on me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today for the Israelites or for the Ammonites.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not heed the message that Jephthah sent him.

 

Although Israel is in a weaker position from a military point of view, Jephthah has the faith to say publicly that the Lord God (Yahweh) is the ultimate judge and he will decide who is right and who gets the land

–         There is real gold in what Jephthah says here but the gold soon runs out and Jephthah’s finest hour is turned to stone

 

Jephthah’s vow:

29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord’s, to be offered up by me as a burnt offering.”

 

Jephthah is making a solemn deal with the Lord

–         If God gives him victory he will kill (as a human sacrifice) the first person who comes out of his house to meet him

 

Steve Hansen has been on the telly lately advertising Arnott’s biscuits

–         The ads imagine Steve Hansen (coach of the All Blacks) riding on a motorbike through a post-apocalyptic wasteland

–         Steve then recreates the events which led to the destruction of the world

–         Essentially it involves one of the All Blacks eating someone else’s biscuits (either their Shapes or their Tim Tams)

–         Then the person who has lost their biscuits over reacts, triggering a series of misunderstandings which lead to nuclear war

–         The moral of the story is, “Never, ever lose your biscuit.”

 

To ‘lose your biscuit’ means to lose your cool or lose your perspective

–         ‘Never lose your biscuit’, therefore, means stay calm

–         Don’t be afraid, don’t stress out, don’t over react because you don’t know what disaster may come from it

 

Unfortunately Jephthah did lose his biscuit

–         In public Jephthah was full of confidence that God, the righteous judge, would give him the victory

–         But in private Jephthah was that scared little boy who had never been properly accepted – who longed to be identified with his father’s family, to be counted as belonging with his brothers

 

Jephthah had been called by men to fight the Ammonites – but God had not spoken to him yet

–         God had spoken to other leaders in the past, either through an angel (as he did with Gideon) or through a prophet (as he did with Barak)

–         But in Jephthah’s case, Yahweh had been strangely silent

 

Certainly the Lord had sent his Spirit on Jephthah enabling him to go through various towns to rally support

–         The presence of God’s Spirit on Jephthah should have given him confidence that he had God’s support – but it didn’t

–         Perhaps Jephthah wasn’t aware of the Spirit’s empowering presence – perhaps he mistakenly thought he was doing this in his own strength

–         Or maybe he was aware of God’s Spirit with him but didn’t make the connection that this implied the Lord’s support

 

Whatever the reason, on the eve of battle Jephthah was not able to stand the awful silence of God and he lost his biscuit, making a rash and unnecessary vow

 

Let me be very clear – Jephthah’s vow had nothing to do with the Spirit of God and everything to do with Jephthah’s own fear & insecurity

–         Jephthah had power from the Holy Spirit to do a particular task but having power from God is not the same thing as having a relationship with Him

–         Jephthah didn’t really have a relationship with the Lord and so he didn’t know God all that well

–         Because he had been rejected by his own family in the past, Jephthah was probably afraid the same thing might happen with God & he over reacted

–         But God is not like Jephthah’s family, the Lord is faithful

 

Jephthah’s vow was wrong on a number of counts

–         Firstly, it involved human sacrifice, which is against God’s Law

–         The Old Testament Law allowed animal sacrifice but human sacrifice was murder – it was absolutely forbidden

–         It stands to reason that Jephthah didn’t know this

 

Secondly, Jephthah’s vow was a faithless attempt to bind God

–         God is free – he won’t be placed under obligation by us, although he may of his own free choice place himself under obligation for us

–         Trying to manipulate the gods by making sacrifices is a pagan thing

–         Yahweh does not operate like that

–         The Lord operates by grace and faith

–         We don’t pay God to do things for us

–         In faith we receive from God, freely, and we respond with thankfulness

 

Jephthah mistakenly thought he could make a deal with God

–         The tragedy is that Jephthah already had the victory

–         He didn’t need to make a deal with God – he simply needed to trust God

 

As I said at the beginning of this message – the stories of the Judges are not an ideal to aspire to, they are cautionary tales, warning us of what to avoid

 

Okay – so far we’ve heard about Jephthah’s rejection as a youth and his rash vow as an adult

–         Now let’s consider the intergenerational impact on Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s Daughter:

After winning a crushing victory over his enemies, Jephthah returns home triumphant. We pick up the story from verse 34 of Judges 11…

 

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing. She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.”

 

36 She said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: Grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I.” 38 “Go,” he said and sent her away for two months. So she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

 

39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to the vow he had made. She had never slept with a man. So there arose an Israelite custom that 40 for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

 

May the Spirit of God help us to know Jesus

 

When Jephthah made his vow to sacrifice the first person who came out of his house to meet him he probably had in mind one of his many servants

–         I don’t think he was expecting to kill his only daughter

–         And yet, as cruel chance would have it, she was the first to meet him when he returned home

 

The text makes it clear that she was his only child and that she was a virgin – which means that with her death Jephthah would have no descendants

–         In that culture, to die without children or descendants was a fate worse than death – this is why Jephthah tears his clothes as a sign of grief

–         In seeking to bind the Lord with a vow Jephthah has bound himself and can see no way out of it

 

We shouldn’t interpret this as Yahweh’s punishment of Jephthah

–         The Lord does not punish children for their parents’ mistakes – although children are sometimes the innocent victims of their parents sins

–         In this case Jephthah actually has the audacity to blame his daughter for his own mistake saying: “You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me.”

–         It was hardly her fault though – she didn’t know about his vow

 

I don’t believe God wanted any person to die or suffer for Jephthah’s vow

–         I say this because God’s Law provided a way out in situations like this

 

In Leviticus chapter 5 we read,

 

If someone makes a careless vow, no matter what it is about, he is guilty as soon as he realises what he has done. When a person is guilty, he must confess the sin, and as a penalty for the sin he must bring to the Lord a female sheep or goat as an offering. The priest shall offer the sacrifice for the man’s sin.

 

Jephthah had made a careless and evil vow

–         Clearly God did not require Jephthah to follow through on his vow and murder his daughter – yet that is exactly what Jephthah did

–         By carrying out his vow, Jephthah made his word more important than God’s word

–         So there was no virtue in Jephthah keeping his vow – he only made things worse

 

Most likely Jephthah was ignorant of the fact that…

–         One, human sacrifice is unacceptable to the Lord

–         And two, if you do make a rash vow, God has provided a way out

–         All Jephthah needed to do was confess that his vow was a mistake and have a priest offer an animal sacrifice in place of his daughter

–         The biggest cost would have been to Jephthah’s pride in admitting he had made a mistake

–         But there is less shame in admitting you are wrong and stopping evil than insisting you are right and fulfilling it

 

Whether he was aware of God’s law or not Jephthah didn’t need to kill her

 

This is what Jesus had to say about oaths and vows…

 

“You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by earth, because it is the resting place for his feet; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.  Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’, be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No’. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”    

 

Jephthah’s vow came from the evil one

 

Thinking about our granite rock with a ribbon of gold in it – the response of Jephthah’s daughter is something very precious

–         She is far more gracious and courageous than her father

–         She doesn’t blame him for his mistake, even though he unfairly blames her – nor does she try to negotiate her way out of it

–         Instead she asks for two months to grieve with her friends in the hills

–         This is a wise move by Jephthah’s daughter – it creates a period of grace

–         Who knows what might happen in that grace period

–         Perhaps someone from the community will intervene and persuade her father to change his mind – or maybe God will intervene

 

When Abram was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, an angel of the Lord intervened to stop Abram and God provided a ram as a substitute

–         Also, when Saul made a rash vow which could have cost his son Jonathon his life, the men around Saul intervened to save Jonathon

 

Sadly there is no intervention for Jephthah’s daughter, divine or otherwise

–         No one thinks to inform Jephthah of the way out and God remains silent

–         The two months pass and Jephthah kills his only child

 

Conclusion:

When we put it altogether this is such a tragic story

–         We have Jephthah’s painful rejection as a young person

–         His unnecessary vow – made out of fear and insecurity

–         And then his failure to find redemption for his only child

 

Hebrews 11 mentions Jephthah as one of the heroes of the faith, which is surprising given his faithless vow & ignorance of God’s ways

–         The fact that he makes it in is more a testament to God’s grace than anything else – Jephthah is a cautionary tale, not an ideal to follow

–         I think his daughter is more the hero, for she reminds us of Jesus who accepted his Father’s will in going to the cross for our redemption

 

Jephthah’s daughter also reminds us of the millions of innocent children who are sacrificed in our world today, through child abuse, slavery, war or blind ambition and neglect

–         As John Hamlin puts it…

 

Jephthah sacrificed his daughter because of his own anxieties and ambitions. Today parents who have a driving ambition to achieve security, wealth or fame may, through neglect, unwittingly sacrifice the welfare of their own children. We might also look at nations whose drive for power or wealth or security is so strong that a whole generation of its youth may be lost in war, while the after effects may lead many to drugs or crime. [1]

 

We may not be that different to Jephthah

–         We may be disturbed by the reality that God seems to remain silent in the face of this child abuse

–         Perhaps we should be more concerned with our own silence

–         Humanity is more culpable than God

–         That said, God doesn’t always intervene to save those most vulnerable

–         I don’t have an adequate answer for this – I can’t see the whole picture

–         All I have is my one or two pieces of the puzzle

 

I do believe in resurrection though – that those innocents who are sacrificed (like Jephthah’s daughter) are given abundant life in heaven

–         God is just and merciful – he makes all things new in the end

 

I also believe, there is a redeemer

–         A redeemer for those who have been condemned by the sins of their parents

–         And a redeemer for those who have lost their biscuit and over reacted – causing others to suffer

–         The name of this redeemer is Jesus, God’s own Son

 

 

Let us pray…

 

–         For those children in our world today who are sacrificed or abused in various ways – for God’s healing grace and redemption

–         For those who are parents – that the sins of the parents would not be passed on to their children (this may involve asking God to forgive our own parents)

–         Forgiveness for those times when we ‘lose our biscuit’ or over react causing others grief

 

Out Takes

It is probable that Jephthah was not well acquainted with God’s law

–          He had lived much of his life as an outlaw among pagans, therefore he wasn’t exposed to a lot of teaching about God’s ways

–          But I’m not sure living in ancient Israel would have helped him that much either

–          The time of the Judges was a time when people largely ignored God’s law anyway and did whatever seemed best in their own eyes

 

 

[1] E. John Hamlin, “Judges, At Risk in the Promised Land”, page 124.

Tawa Baptist

Job & Elihu

Scripture: Job 32-37

 

Title: Job & Elihu

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Job
  • Elihu
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

As you arrived this morning, some of you would have been given a puzzle piece

–         Based on the piece of the puzzle you have, can you tell me what you think the full picture is?  (What time of the year is it? Etc.)

–         [Let people make their guesses]

Well, they were (mostly) good guesses – but this is the full picture when you put all the pieces together…

It’s a photo of The Remarkables taken from Frankton, near Queenstown

–         The point I’m trying to make here is that when we have only one piece of the puzzle it is extremely difficult to accurately imagine the whole picture

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible by focusing on Job & Elihu

–         Job was an elder in the community and Elihu was a young man

 

Job:

For those not familiar with the story, Job was a righteous man who went out his way to always do the right thing by God and his neighbour

–         He lived by a strict moral ethical code

–         Job prospered in everything he did, had a large family and was well respected in the community – he was a genuinely good guy

–         Then one day Job lost everything

–         Through a series of unfortunate events he lost his great wealth and all his children were killed in a single day

–         Despite this incredible loss Job did not curse God

–         He said, ‘The Lord gives and takes away – blessed be his name’

 

Not long after that Job lost his health as well – he was covered in painful boils

–         Although he was suffering in every way that its possible for a man to suffer, Job still did not curse God

 

For seven days he sat in silence on the ash heap, scraping the puss out of his boils with pieces of broken pottery

–         When Job’s friends came to offer him comfort they could hardly recognise him

–         The three men sat in silence with Job, waiting for him to speak

 

When Job finally did open his mouth, it wasn’t to curse God but rather to curse the day of his birth – Job felt so miserable he wished he’d never been born

 

Although Job didn’t curse God he still had a beef with the Almighty

–         All his life he had lived by a strict moral code based on the belief that God is just and all powerful – he rewards good behaviour & punishes bad

–         That was the one piece of the puzzle that Job had

–         He didn’t have other pieces of the puzzle like we do

–         For example, he didn’t know there was a resurrection of the dead

–         For the people of Job’s day this life was all there was – you lived and died and that was it

–         So if you didn’t get justice in this life, you missed out altogether

 

And therein lies the rub for Job – he felt he had been unfairly treated

–         Job knew that, although he wasn’t perfect, he had never done anything bad enough to deserve this

–         How could God (who is just) let a good man like him come to ruin?

–         If Job had a belief in the resurrection then he would at least have the comfort of knowing that whatever injustices he suffered in this life, God would make it up to him in heaven

–         But Job doesn’t have that piece of the puzzle

 

From Job’s perspective it seems that God has punished him unfairly, without explanation

–         Job wants his day in court with the Lord

–         He wants God to tell him what he’s done wrong

–         Job wants the opportunity to justify himself – but God is silent

 

Job’s friends (Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar) are well meaning but unfortunately they have the same puzzle piece that Job has

–         Like Job they believe God rewards good behaviour and punishes bad (in this life) – end of story

–         Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar don’t want to face the inconvenient truth that sometimes bad things happen to good people – so this life isn’t fair

–         They can’t see a both / and solution to this problem

–         They can’t see how both God and Job can be justified at the same time

–         For them it is either / or – either Job is right or God is right

–         God can’t be wrong therefore Job must have done something really bad to deserve the calamity that has fallen on him

 

Now not everything the friends say is wrong – some of what they say is right and true – they simply lack the humility to admit they don’t have all the answers

–         Their faith isn’t spacious enough to accommodate doubt

–         Like someone once said, ‘the opposite of faith isn’t doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty’

 

As the dialogue goes back and forth between Job and his friends, the friends become more hostile toward Job until in the end they accuse him of heinous crimes from the past – crimes Job never committed

–         Job is misunderstood by those closest to him and that just adds to his feelings of isolation and mistreatment

 

In their rush to defend God, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are unkind to Job (they kick the man while he is down). As Derek Kidner points out…

–         “One of the lessons of the book is that God [hates] our special pleading for him, with its suppression of unwelcome facts” [1]

–         In other words, God doesn’t like it when we deny or falsify the facts to defend him

 

Job said it well when he replied to friends…

 

Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?

Will you show partiality toward him, will you plead the case for God?

Will it be well with you when he searches you out? [2]

 

Last night Robyn and I went to my cousin’s, 40th birthday party

–         My cousin is married to an artist and he had a painting on the wall that looked something like this…

If you can imagine a whole lot of circles of different sizes and colours arranged on the wall, with space in between the circles – it looks really cool

–         The artist has an interesting process

–         He starts by painting one really big single art work and then he cuts the circles out and puts them on the wall

–         So we don’t get to see the whole picture – we just see bits and pieces

 

Some would call this abstract art but in my mind it points to reality

–         I don’t know why he paints like this but I reckon it’s a parable of how we experience life

–         We never see the full picture – we only see bits and pieces

–         We have blind spots

–         There are gaps in our understanding and gaps in our conversation

–         There’s the things we say and the things we hide

–         There’s our words and our silence

–         There’s the circles and the space in between

–         Faith lives in the space in between

 

God, the artist, sees the whole picture – we don’t

–         We might look at the fragmented pieces of our life and not be able to make sense of it – that’s how it was for Job

–         He didn’t have the full picture – he just had bits & pieces and he was struggling to join the dots, to make sense of it all

 

It was similar for Job’s friends – they looked at the ruin of Job’s life and couldn’t see the full picture

–         They weren’t comfortable with the space in between – they tried to force all the circles together and in the process they left no room for faith

–         They misunderstood both Job and God

 

All the while that Job and his three friends are having this conversation, others are watching and listening in, including a young man called Elihu

–         The interesting thing here, from an intergenerational perspective, is that young people (like Elihu) were allowed to observe and even participate in deep theological discussions like this

–         They weren’t excluded or shielded from these difficult matters

 

 We pick up the story from Job chapter 32…

 

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.  

 

Elihu is angry with his elders because he feels like they have misrepresented God in their conversation

–         By insisting on his innocence Job has made it appear as though God is unjust

–         And by letting Job have the last word, the three friends have made it seem like God was in the wrong

 

For the next six chapters Elihu presents his ideas

–         Some commentators dismiss Elihu’s contribution as unimportant

–         But when we listen to what he has to say with an open mind, without looking down on him because of his age, we have to admit he adds value

–         Elihu does take a different approach to his elders and in the process helps us to see one or two other pieces to the puzzle

–         He doesn’t have the whole picture and he misunderstands Job at times but he also foreshadows some of the things Yahweh says to Job later

 

The first point of difference is that Elihu addresses Job by name

 

You might think this is a small thing but actually it’s quite significant

–         How do you feel when someone forgets your name?

–         Most of us feel less somehow

–         But when people remember our name we feel like we matter, we exist – we are not nobody – we are somebody

 

Elihu calls Job by name which is a way of acknowledging that Job is a person and he is not ashamed to admit that he knows Job

–         Job’s three friends don’t use Job’s name when talking to him which seems to indicate that he has become a stranger to them

–         It’s not that they’ve had a senior moment and forgotten Job’s name

–         It’s more like they are embarrassed to admit they know Job and that’s hurtful

–         (Having said all that I hope I don’t forget anyone’s name today – if I do, it’s not intentional)

 

The next main point of difference is that Elihu bases his comments on what he has heard Job say

–         He doesn’t accuse Job of some imaginary sin from the past or make up some alternative facts like Job’s friends did

–         Elihu sticks to the evidence available to him

–         Elihu was actually listening to Job and trying to give him a fair go

 

This said, Elihu sometimes gets his wires crossed and misunderstands Job

 

For example, in chapter 33, Elihu quotes Job as saying…

–         ‘I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt. Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.’

 

Elihu makes it sound like Job is claiming moral perfection and…

–         “While Job is confident that he has followed God’s way faithfully, he never asserts that he has not sinned.” [3]

–         Job’s position is that he cannot recall having ever done anything bad enough to warrant such harsh punishment

–         Elihu hasn’t properly understood Job

 

On the whole though Elihu’s basic approach is miles better than that of Job’s three friends, even if it lacks some refinement

 

Another point of difference is that Job and his friends seem obsessed with the cause of Job’s suffering while Elihu suggests they would be better to consider the general purpose of suffering

 

Do you understand the difference between cause and purpose?

–         If you are receiving chemo treatment for cancer then you might experience some hair loss

–         The cause of the hair loss is the chemo drugs – but you don’t think too much about the cause because there’s no gain in that

–         Rather you choose to focus on the purpose of the chemo drugs, which is to make you better

–         Thinking about the purpose gives meaning to the hair loss and strengthens your resolve to carry on with the treatment

 

Elihu tries to get Job and his friends to quit their obsession with the cause of Job’s suffering and start thinking about the purpose – what does suffering achieve?

 

In chapter 33 Elihu says to Job…

–         Why do you complain to [God] that he answers none of man’s words? For God does speak – now one way, now another – though man may not perceive it. [God speaks] in a dream, in a vision of the night… Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain…

 

One of Job’s complaints was that God was silent and wouldn’t respond to him

–         Elihu suggests that God has been trying to communicate with Job

–         Through dreams of the night (Job had certainly had nightmares)

–         And through pain (C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s mega phone – Job was in a lot of pain)

–         The purpose of the nightmares and pain, according to Elihu, is so God…

…may terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword

 

In other words, stop worrying about the cause of your suffering Job and consider God’s purpose which is to save you from death

 

While Elihu is on the right track, he can’t see the whole picture

–         God’s purpose isn’t to turn Job away from wrong doing – Job was never on the wrong path in the first place

–         God’s purpose was to set Job free from the prison of himself

–         Of course Job didn’t know this at the time – we seldom know the purpose until after the fact

 

Elihu carries on, in chapter 33, with a note of hope, saying…

 

Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator… to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him’ – then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.

 

Elihu’s idea here is that God provides an angel to help the man in trouble – to be his advocate, pay the bail and get him out of prison

–         This is really Job’s idea, but Elihu does well to agree with Job on this point – Job had said in chapter 16…

 

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

 

In his desperation Job had accurately guessed one of the pieces of the puzzle yet unseen – a very important piece as it turns out

–         Jesus is our witness in heaven – our advocate on high

–         The Spirit of Jesus is our intercessor and friend who pleads with God on our behalf (with groans and sighs too deep for words)

 

One of the poetic twists in the story is that Job himself acts as a mediator and intercessor, praying for God to forgive his friends, at the end of the book

 

In chapters 34 & 35 Elihu gives Job a hard time for insisting on his own innocence – this is not Elihu’s finest speech

–         Like Job’s friends, Elihu’s purpose is to defend the reputation of God

–         Ironically, in making the point that God is just, Elihu is unfair to Job

–         What Elihu doesn’t realise is that it’s not necessary, in Job’s case, to defend God – the Lord is big enough to handle our questions and doubts

 

Elihu finishes well though – in chapters 36 & 37 he focuses on the greatness and splendour of God – which is what Job needs

–         Elihu asks Job a series of questions which Job can’t answer. He says…

 

Listen to this Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightening flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

 

And so on…

–         Because of his obsession with being right Job had become locked in a prison of self-absorption

–         By talking about the mastery and wisdom of God in creation, Elihu reminds Job that he is not the centre of the universe.

–         The world doesn’t revolve around Job

–         In this way Elihu gets Job thinking about something other than himself and he anticipates God, who asks Job a lot of unanswerable questions too

 

Conclusion:

God’s response seems baffling to us for God doesn’t speak directly to Job’s complaint (which is essentially, ‘What have I done to deserve this?’)

–         The point seems to be that Job and his friends had arrived at a faulty conclusion because they weren’t asking the right questions

–         God wasn’t interested in punishing Job – he wanted to set Job free from his moralistic, man-centered theology

 

Sometimes, like Job, we can become too preoccupied with questions of ethics and our destiny

–         We might be uncomfortable with the space in between the circles – the unknown, the realm of mystery, where faith lives – God is in the gaps

–         If we force the circles together too tightly – if we try to confine God within our narrow theological system – then God may need to pull the circles apart again to make room for faith and communion with Him

–         God is in the gaps

 

It’s when Job gives up trying to justify himself that God vindicates Job, restoring his life and perspective

 

The people at the Fuller Youth Institute say that…

  • – Young people who have safe relationships in which to share their questions and struggles tend to have stronger faith
  • – But I don’t think it’s just young people that need safe relationships
  • – We all need someone who will listen without condemning us and without trying to save us or fix our theology
  • – Being safe doesn’t mean having all the answers – it means being able to handle the truth with grace and without fudging the facts to defend God
  • – It means having a faith that is spacious enough to accommodate doubt

 

Sadly, neither Job’s friends nor Elihu were equipped to provide Job with a safe relationship (although Elihu did a slightly better job than his elders)

  • – Through the process though Job became a safe person for others

 

I’m not sure how you have suffered

–         I’m not sure what doubts you wrestle with

–         But I am sure you can’t provide sanctuary for others unless you yourself have suffered loss and been hollowed out by grief

 

As Jesus said…

–         “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”  [4]

[1] Derek Kidner, ‘The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes’, page 61-62.

[2] Job 13:7-9

[3] John Hartley, NICOT ‘Job’, page 440.

[4] This is the Message Bible’s translation of Matthew 5:4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted’.