Tawa Baptist

The Tamarisk Tree

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/w4-ftz3ddMM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Peace
  • Prayer
  • Purpose
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

There are two kinds of trees: deciduous and evergreen.

The word deciduous means ‘to fall off’. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn, to conserve energy in winter, then regrow their leaves in spring. Deciduous trees tend to have broad leaves, like oak or maple.

In contrast, evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round and generally cope better with hot weather. The leaves of an evergreen tree tend to be narrower, like pine or kānuka.

Today we continue our series, The Testimony of Trees. Last week we heard about the tree of knowledge in Genesis 2 and 3.

This week our focus is the Tamarisk tree, in Genesis 21. There are about 60 varieties of tamarisk trees growing around the world. Some are deciduous and some are evergreen.

The variety of tamarisk native to the Middle East (the geographical setting of Genesis 21) is Tamarix Aphylla. Tamarix Aphylla is the largest of the tamarisk family, growing up to 18 meters tall.

It has slender branches and scale like leaves. The tamarisk tree is known to be very tolerant of salts. In fact, its leaves excrete salty water. Due to the high salt content of its foliage tamarix aphylla is slow to catch fire. Which means it can be used as a fire barrier.

Tamarix aphylla grows relatively quickly, providing shade from the sun and shelter from the wind for stock. It also has an extensive root system which makes it good for erosion control, particularly in sandy soils. 

Basically, tamarix aphylla is a hardy, resilient tree. A friend to shepherds in the middle east. From Genesis 21, verses 32-34 we read about the tamarisk tree.

32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

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

In the context of Genesis 21, the tamarisk tree is associated with at least three things: peace, prayer and purpose. Let’s begin by considering the peace connection.

Peace:

Last Thursday, the 6th of February, was Waitangi Day, a national holiday for the people of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) in 1840.

The Treaty was eventually signed by 531 Māori chiefs and the representatives of the Crown. Queen Victoria of England was the reigning monarch of the day.

The purpose of Te Tiriti was to protect Māori and their land, as well as establishing stable government to keep peace and order. New Zealand was a pretty wild place in those days, without law or an effective justice system.

You sometimes hear the principles of the Treaty summarized by the three P’s: partnership, participation and protection.

Those who signed the Treaty in 1840 understood it to be a covenant, a forever agreement. The wording stipulates ‘forever’. Sadly, there has been much disagreement over the interpretation and application of the Treaty during the past 185 years, not helped by the fact there are two versions of the Treaty, one in English and one in Māori.      

In verse 22 of Genesis 21, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, and his general, Phicol, offer to make a peace treaty with Abraham. If you think about it, this is quite remarkable really. Normally, with peace treaties, the party in the weaker position approaches the one in the stronger position.

Outwardly, Abimelech appears to be in a stronger position than Abraham. Abraham is a wandering shepherd, a sojourner, a resident alien in the land;   he doesn’t have a fortress or an army like Abimelech and so we don’t expect Abimelech to make a treaty with Abraham. Why then does Abimelech feel the need to do this?

Well, Abimelech gives his reason in verse 22 when he says to Abraham: “God is with you in everything you do”. What does it mean that God is with Abraham?

I’ve come up with a little acronym which outlines what it means to be with someone. W is for wellbeing, I is for intimacy, T is for trust and H is for help.

You know someone is with you when they are committed to your wellbeing. When they share themselves intimately with you. When they trust you. And when they provide you with help.   

God is with Abraham, as a friend. Theirs is a relationship characterised by wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help.

One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. Jesus is, God with us. Through faith in Jesus, we can have a relationship with God based on wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help.

Returning to Genesis, Abimelech has the spiritual sensitivity and insight to see that God is with Abraham. And so, Abimelech says to Abraham…

23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”
24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”          

By making a treaty with Abraham, Abimelech is aligning himself with Abraham’s God who holds the power of life & death. Abimelech wants Abraham to deal honestly with him and to treat him with kindness

The Hebrew word translated as kindness here is hesed. Hesed is a Hebrew term which is sometimes translated as kindness, sometimes as mercy and other times as steadfast love or loyal (covenant) love.

Hesed isn’t just an abstract concept though – it is an action, something tangible that one does for someone else’s well-being. Abimelech wants Abraham to make a solemn commitment to always treat him and his descendants with hesed, and Abraham agrees.

In agreeing to a covenant with Abimelech, Abraham shows respect, humility and meekness. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength tempered by self-control. Meekness is the twin of gentleness.

God was with Abraham and had promised the land to him. But Abraham does not let that go to his head. Abraham does not seek to take the land by force. Abraham prefers peace. He respects the people of the land and waits for God.  

Abimelech’s treaty provided Abraham with the opportunity to sort out a dispute over watering rights. Abraham had dug a well and Abimelech’s servants had seized it. Water wells were vitally important in that part of the world. Rain fall was seasonal (it wasn’t all year round) so wells were essential to the survival of people and animals alike.

Abimelech wanted peace with Abraham but without justice there can be no peace. So, Abraham sought justice over the well.

This was an awkward moment for Abimelech. The king has just given a speech about how he has treated Abraham with ‘kindness’ or hesed and now he is learning that in fact his servants have done nothing of the sort. The servants have embarrassed Abimelech and the king is quick to plead ignorance.     

What happens next is quite unexpected. Normally the one who has been wronged (in this case Abraham) would be owed some compensation. But in this situation Abraham doesn’t seek compensation for himself. He does the opposite. Abraham gives Abimelech seven sheep. Abimelech is confused and asks, ‘what does this mean?’

Abraham explains that by accepting these sheep you are acknowledging that I dug this well.

By seizing Abraham’s well, Abimelech’s servants had done an injustice to Abraham and brought shame on their master. To save face Abimelech might feel it necessary to punish his servants. But Abraham comes to the rescue of the men who seized his well by providing compensation on their behalf.  

In this way Abraham has done hesed by preserving Abimelech’s honour and shielding the servants from punishment. Indebted by Abraham’s hesed, Abimelech and his servants will now stay away from Abraham’s well.

Prayer:

It is after making this peace treaty with Abimelech that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.     

To call on the name of the Lord is another way of saying that Abraham prayed to God and worshipped him.

Elsewhere in Genesis, Abraham is noted as building an altar and calling on the name of the Lord. In this context planting a tree is like building an altar. It designates a sacred place for prayer and worship.

Now to be clear, Abraham is not worshipping the tree. The tamarisk is not like an idol that he bows down to. Nor does the tamarisk tree in anyway represent God. We should not think of the tamarisk tree as a metaphor for God.

As hardy and resilient as the tamarisk tree is, it is not eternal like God.

A tamarisk tree might live somewhere between 50 to 100 years depending on the circumstances. In contrast, the Lord lives forever.

What we notice in verse 33 is Abraham’s prayer life. He has a special place for calling on the Lord. We can pray to God anywhere and at any time, of course. God is not rooted to one location, like a tree. The Lord will hear us wherever we are. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to us if we have a special place where we pray.   

Abraham’s special place was by the tamarisk tree he planted in the dry and desolate wilderness of Beersheba. Once grown, the tamarisk tree would act as a sanctuary, providing shade from the harsh sun for Abraham while he prayed.

Prayer is like a tamarisk tree in that it provides a sanctuary for the human soul.   

The wilderness of Beersheba is an interesting choice. Around the same time as agreeing to a peace treaty with Abimelech, Abraham sent his eldest son, Ishmael into the desert of Beersheba, with his mother Hagar and a skin of water.

Abraham’s second son, Isaac, had just been born and there was friction in the household between Sarah and Hagar. Long story short, once the water had run out, Hagar left Ishmael under a bush to die. Was the bush a young tamarisk tree? Quite possibly, we can’t be sure. From verse 17 of Genesis 21 we read…

17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

Interesting that Ishmael became an archer. I read somewhere that the wood of the tamarisk tree is good for making bows. Apparently, tamarisk wood has the strength and flexibility needed.

What did Abraham pray about under his tamarisk tree? We are not told but probably all manner of things. As a parent, we could well expect him to pray for his children, that God would be with them and watch over their lives for good. In fact, God was with Ishmael and Isaac, even as they took different paths in life.

Prayer is like a tamarisk tree. It provides a sanctuary for the human soul.

Where is your tamarisk tree? Where is your sanctuary for prayer?

Do you have a private prayer closet in your home? Or do you prefer to pray in a small group of close friends? Maybe this church auditorium is your prayer place? Or perhaps you prefer to pray with your hands in the garden, pulling out weeds and watering the plants?  

The tamarisk tree of Genesis 21 is associated with peace, prayer and purpose. 

Purpose:

You may have heard of the term agroforestry. Agroforestry does not refer to angry trees. Rather agroforestry is a sustainable farming practice. That is, planting trees and shrubs alongside crops and livestock.

Agroforestry enhances biodiversity and mitigates the harmful effects of monoculture. (Monoculture is when just one crop is grown.)

Tamarisk trees are used in agroforestry as wind breaks and they also help with the reclamation of marginal lands. As already mentioned, tamarisk roots give stability to the soil and the branches provide shade for livestock. If pasture is scarce, then sheep and goats and cattle can feed off the leaves of the tamarisk.

What’s more, the tamarisk flower attracts bees, which are good for the pollination and propagation of a variety of plants. 

Abraham probably chose to plant a tamarisk (rather than an oak or something else) because it served a practical purpose. The tamarisk was suited to the harsh environment of Beersheba and, as verse 34 makes plain, Abraham intended to stay there for a good long while.

Planting tamarisk trees in Beersheba was an agroforestry strategy long before the term ‘agroforestry’ was coined. Planting tamarisk trees would help Abraham and future generations with farming and shepherding livestock.  

I can’t help noticing how Abraham is a bit like the tamarisk tree in some respects.

Through years of waiting in barrenness, God had grown Abraham & Sarah’s faith strong and deep and wide, like the root system of a tamarisk tree.

Abraham’s faith in God has proven resilient, prospering in even the harshest of environments.

Abraham (who is now over 100 years old) is still evergreen, fathering a son in his old age.

What’s more, Abraham is a salt of the earth kind of person. Just as the tamarisk leaves sweat salt, so too Abraham is salty. Abraham is in the world but not of it, maintaining the distinctive flavour of holiness.

Abraham and the tamarisk tree are both a blessing to the land. Abraham does not try to take the land by force. He is humble and meek, lending stability and peace. Abraham is a man of prayer and a servant to God’s purpose.

Perhaps also the tamarisk tree serves as a symbol of God’s purpose for the nation of Israel. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God was making a nation that would be resilient and life-giving, a source of shelter and sustenance to those who find themselves in the wilderness. A blessing to the nations.

Sadly, the people of Israel fell short of God’s purpose for the nation, as we have all fallen short. But by God’s grace Jesus fulfils God’s purpose for Israel and for all humanity.

Like Abraham, Jesus serves God’s purpose as a man of peace and prayer.

Jesus did not go to war against the occupying Roman forces of his day.

Jesus chose the path of gentleness and humility, saying…

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

And, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Conclusion:

At this point in the sermon, you might expect me to encourage you all to be more like the tamarisk tree; hardy, resilient, salty, lending stability to the land and providing shelter from the harsh elements of this world.

And while they might be good things to aspire to, I’m not sure that is the best application of the text. What you will notice as we go through this series is that each variety of tree we learn about is different.

A better question might be: If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? How has God made you? Some of you may be like the tamarisk tree, but not all of us are suited to a dry and desolate environment. Most of us do better when planted beside streams of water.

The point is, don’t try and be something you are not. Be who God made you to be. Whatever tree you might be like, grow where you are planted and let God fulfil his purpose for your life.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, help us to grow to full maturity in Christ and be the people together you made us to be. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What are some of the characteristics of tamarix aphylla? What are tamarisk trees useful for?
  3. Why did Abraham plant a tamarisk tree in Genesis 21? What is the tamarisk tree associated with in Genesis 21?
  4. Where is your tamarisk tree? Where is your sanctuary for prayer? 
  5. In what ways is Abraham like a tamarisk tree?
  6. In what ways are Jesus and Abraham similar? (How do Abraham’s actions in Genesis 21 point to Jesus?)
  7. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? How has God made you?
Tawa Baptist

With

Scripture: Genesis 39

Video Link: https://youtu.be/S4Rksw5XlBQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s presence
  • Joseph’s faithfulness
  • God’s kindness
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Sometimes when you are reading a book or watching a movie you come across a story within the story. The smaller story helps to make sense of the bigger story.

The Bible is really one big story, the true story in fact, of God and his people. Today we continue our sermon series in the life of Joseph, focusing on Genesis 39. The account of Joseph is one of those smaller stories which helps to make sense of God’s bigger story.

You may remember from two weeks ago how Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers. From verse 1 of Genesis 39 we pick up the story…

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put Joseph in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!”

But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” She kept his cloak beside her until Joseph’s master came home. Then she told him this story:

“That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the jailer. So the jailer put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The jailer paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

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

There are three parts to Genesis 39. Verses 1-6 emphasize God’s presence with Joseph. Verses 7-19 reveal Joseph’s faithfulness to God. And verses 20-23 tell us about God’s kindness to Joseph.

These three things; presence, faithfulness and kindness, all find connections with the bigger story of God and his people. First let’s consider God’s presence with Joseph.  

God’s presence – vv. 1-6:

Nicky Gumble tells the story of a young boy playing on a piano. The boy didn’t know what he was doing really. He simply banged away at the keys in front of him.

A maestro happened to hear the child and although the boy was making a ghastly sound, he didn’t interrupt. He simply listened. After a while, the maestro noticed that the boy seemed to be following his own rough sort of pattern.

The maestro then sat down beside the boy and began filling in notes alongside the pattern the boy was making. And in moments the noise was transformed into song. The maestro’s presence made all the difference.

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery to get rid of him and then lied to their father to cover up what they had done. Consequently, Joseph was taken to Egypt. The Lord did not stop this from happening. But the Lord was with Joseph in Egypt.

What does it mean to be with someone?

To be with someone means to be by their side, to identify with them and to stand in solidarity with them. To be with someone means to keep pace with them, not running ahead and not lagging behind. To be with someone means to listen to them.

To be with someone means to join in whatever it is they are doing. To help them and to support them by filling in the missing notes.

God was with Joseph in Egypt. That means the Lord came alongside Joseph and joined in with the work that Joseph was doing. In a sense, it’s like God chose to become a slave with Joseph.

The signs of God’s presence may differ, depending on the situation, but in Joseph’s case the light of God’s presence was evident in the success of Joseph’s work. Everything Joseph put his hand to prospered.

This resulted in Joseph being trusted and given greater freedom to manage Potiphar’s household. Those who are faithful with little will be trusted with much.

Joseph was blessed to be a blessing. Joseph’s success was to Potiphar’s profit. God doesn’t just bless us for our own sakes. God blesses us for the sake of the world.

Jesus talked about putting our lamp on a stand and not hiding it under a bushel. Let your light shine before others.

If the light Jesus is referring to here is the light of God’s presence, then Jesus wants us to put our light on a stand so that others may benefit. Jesus wants us to let people see that God is with us.

Joseph’s faithfulness – vv. 7-19:

Now in associating God’s presence with Joseph’s success (as Genesis 39 does) we must underline the fact that true success (in Christian thought) is defined by faithfulness, not health, wealth or popularity. As we remain in Christ and faithful to God our lives will bear good fruit.

The problem with success is that it often comes with the ball and chain of temptation. And without faithfulness to set us free, it is just a matter of time before temptation puts our success in the ditch of failure.

Temptation can come in many forms but for Joseph it came in the form of Potiphar’s wife. It doesn’t pay to be too attractive.

Apparently, Joseph’s chiseled features, bronzed skin and good teeth were too much and after a while Potiphar’s wife told Joseph to sleep with her. The phrase, ‘Come to bed with me’, in the original Hebrew, is only two words. A very blunt command. Maybe something like, ‘sex now’.

Joseph tells her, clearly, ‘no’. Joseph resists temptation with truth. And the truth is, sleeping with Potiphar’s wife would be a wicked betrayal of his master’s trust and a sin against God. Joseph could not live with himself if he committed adultery. These are the facts.

We might think that would be the end of the matter but unfortunately that is not how temptation works. Potiphar’s wife keeps on trying to seduce Joseph day after day.

Temptation is a siege. With temptation we are surrounded on every side. Temptation wears us down slowly, over time, before making its final assault, often when we are at our weakest.

Joseph is under no illusion. He has the self-awareness to know he is vulnerable. He is a young man in his twenties and, at that age, the male libido is strong. To add to his vulnerability, Joseph is alone. He doesn’t have a wife and is a long way from home.

Who wouldn’t hunger for a little comfort in his situation? But Joseph doesn’t take the short cut offered by temptation. Joseph seeks refuge in the Lord who is with him.

What about us? What can we do to resist temptation? Not just sexual temptation but any kind of temptation? Whether it is the temptation to gossip or lie or feel sorry for ourselves or whatever. Three things…

Firstly, be completely honest with yourself. Have the self-awareness to understand your points of vulnerability and put safeguards in place.

For example, if alcohol is a weakness for you, then don’t go to the pub. Put distance between yourself and temptation. Sometimes an accountability group is necessary for keeping you honest. Like AA or Celebrate Recovery.

A second thing you can do to resist temptation is think about the outcome if you were to give in. How is this action going to affect the people I care about? How will this affect my own personal wellbeing? Could I live with myself if I did this?

Thirdly, find a life-giving alternative to temptation. For example, spend time with people who respect you and care about you. Take a holiday somewhere nice. Or, if reading is your thing, then enjoy a good book.

Whatever is decent, whatever is noble, whatever is true, think about that. Whatever fills your spiritual tank and keeps you grounded, do that. Remember to pray.

As a slave Joseph is trapped. He can’t resign and get another job. He can’t even take a holiday. Nevertheless, Joseph successfully resisted the siege of temptation by standing firm in his resolve and keeping out of her way.

Now it needs to be acknowledged that Genesis 39 isn’t just about resisting temptation. It’s also about sexual harassment. Potiphar’s wife was sexually harassing Joseph. Joseph wanted her to stop but she wouldn’t.  

Joseph was a slave and slaves are often exploited for sex. Potiphar’s wife thought she was entitled to Joseph’s body. But she wasn’t. Your body is sacred. It is holy. Your body belongs to you and to Christ. No one else has a right to it.

Avoiding Potiphar’s wife works for a while but eventually she gets Joseph alone and grabs his cloak. At this point her prolonged sexual harassment of Joseph threatens to become sexual assault. It is unusual for a woman to do this. More often it is men who assault women.

If we think about this from Joseph’s point of view, we realise he has three options. He could give in to her and let her have her way. He could hit her in self-defense. Or he could run. Freeze, fight or flight.

Joseph flees. He runs for his life, leaving his cloak in her hand. It is the only righteous option available to him. By running Joseph shows respect for everyone concerned. Unfortunately, it makes him look guilty.

Potiphar’s wife uses Joseph’s cloak to frame him. She blames Joseph for her own crime. This shows us that she did not love Joseph. The inclination of love is to give and protect. First, she seeks to consume Joseph and when she can’t do that, she tries to destroy him.  

We know that Joseph is innocent because the text makes it clear he did no wrong and because sexual abuse is about power. You can’t abuse someone when you have no power over them. Joseph is a slave. At no point did Joseph have any power over Potiphar’s wife. Potiphar’s wife holds the power over Joseph.

Sadly, not everyone who is sexually harassed is able to run or defend themselves. If you are a survivor of abuse, then you need to know, it’s not your fault. You are not to blame. What was done to you was wrong but that does not make you wrong.   

If you ever find yourself in the position of being harassed, then you don’t have to put up with that. You are not a slave. You have options. You can ask someone you trust for help and formulate an escape plan.

But in asking for help, please understand that (depending on the situation) other people or agencies like the police or Women’s Refuge may need to be involved. If you want to escape an abusive situation then you will need help and that means some people finding out.

Of course, in a room this size, there may be some who are guilty of abusing their power. If that’s you, what can you do?

Well, you can stop and be honest with yourself. Don’t make it worse. Don’t double down. Admit your wrongdoing and repent. That means stepping aside from positions of power and seeking help. Seeking God’s mercy for your soul.

Split Enz have a song from the 1980’s. The chorus reads: History never repeats, tell myself before I go to sleep. Don’t say the words you might regret. I lost before, you know I can’t forget.

We like to tell ourselves that history never repeats but deep down we know that is not always true. The time, the place, the people may all be different, but sometimes we get hurt again in the same way we’ve been hurt before. And we can’t forget.

History repeats itself for Joseph. Just as Joseph’s brothers took his cloak from him, so too, Potiphar’s wife strips Joseph of his cloak. And just as Joseph’s screams from the pit were ignored by his brothers, so too Joseph’s voice is silenced by the accusations of his master’s wife.

Verse 19 tells us how Potiphar burned with anger on hearing his wife’s version of events. It is unclear, though, exactly who Potiphar was angry with. Was he angry with Joseph or was he angry with his wife?  

Potiphar is no fool. Potiphar knows his wife’s character and he knows Joseph’s character too. In all likelihood, Potiphar suspects Joseph to be innocent but in order to save face and keep peace with his wife he has to punish Joseph in some way.

God’s kindness – verses 20-23:

Potiphar could have had Joseph killed on the spot. But he doesn’t. Instead, he puts Joseph in the king’s prison.

Although it probably doesn’t seem like it, being put in the king’s prison was a kindness really. Not only was this the most lenient punishment Potiphar could hand Joseph, it also meant Joseph was free from further harassment by Potiphar’s wife.

Sometimes the thing we fear most is the very thing God uses to set us free from our fear.

Verse 21 says the Lord (Yahweh) was with Joseph (in prison); he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warden.  

The word translated as kindness is actually hesed, in the original Hebrew.

Kindness doesn’t do justice to the full meaning of hesed. Loyal love or steadfast love is a better translation.

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

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

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

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

Examples of hesed might include donating a kidney to save a loved one’s life. Or adopting the child of a friend who has died. Or paying off a significant debt for a family member so they are not in poverty.

In Genesis 39, the Lord God did hesed for Joseph in a number of ways. The Lord saved Joseph from being killed. The Lord was with Joseph in prison, so that he was not harmed. And the Lord gave Joseph favour with the prison warden, so that Joseph was trusted to run the place.  

It’s interesting that God did not prevent Potiphar’s wife from maligning Joseph. But the Lord did not abandon Joseph either. God joined Joseph in prison and worked it for good, as we will see in the coming weeks.   

It’s good to remember that. When we are going through a hard time, God is with us in that experience.

Conclusion:

I said at the beginning of this message that the account of Joseph is one of those smaller stories in the Bible which helps to make sense of God’s bigger story. You have probably figured it out already but, if not, let me explain…

What happened to Joseph foreshadows what would happen to the people of Israel. Just as Joseph was a slave in Egypt, so too the people of Israel became slaves in Egypt.

And just as Joseph was raised to a position of honour, before being thrown into jail, so too Israel was exalted for a time among the nations, before being thrown into exile in Babylon.

But whether they were exalted or humiliated, God stuck with his people through thick and thin. The Lord showed hesed (loyal love) to Israel.

Sadly, the people of Israel were not always as faithful or righteous as Joseph. The nation of Israel was more like Judah, who we heard about last week.

Nevertheless, Joseph points to Christ who resists temptation and remains faithful to God. Jesus fulfils God’s purpose for Israel in an even greater way than Joseph.    

Let us finish with one other connection, from Psalm 139…

7 Where can I go from your Spirit, O Lord? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

May we be aware of God’s presence with us this week and always. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What does it mean to be with someone? In what ways are you aware of God’s presence with you? How might you let people see that God is with you?
  • Why does Joseph refuse to sleep with Potiphar’s wife? Why do you resist temptation?
  • What temptations are you particularly vulnerable to? What strategies do you have for resisting temptation?
  • What can you do to escape a situation of harassment or abuse? How can you help someone who tells you they are being harassed or abused?
  • What is hesed? How does God do hesed for Joseph? How has God done hesed for you? Who can you do hesed for?
  • In what ways does the smaller story of Joseph illuminate the bigger story of God and his people?

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

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 36

Scripture: Psalm 36

Video Link: https://youtu.be/HYK-TE2dACc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Prophecy (1-4)
  • Praise (5-9)
  • Prayer (10-12)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Tell me, what do these things all share in common?

The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, The Great Divorce, The Abolition of Man, The Four Loves and The Magician’s Nephew. [Wait]

That’s right, they are all books written by C.S. Lewis.

Clive Staples Lewis was a wonderful servant of the Lord whose writing continues to bring light and clarity to our thinking about God.

In his book, The Great Divorce, Lewis says: There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

I quite like that quote. It sums up our reality as human beings. We depend on God for our goodness and indeed for our very lives. Lewis’ words here remind me of Psalm 36, the focus of our message today.   

The title of this Psalm reads: ‘For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord’. There are only two psalms which describe David as the Lord’s servant. This one and Psalm 18. 

From verse 1 of Psalm 36 we read…

1 I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. 5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise!

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

David, the servant of the Lord does three things in this psalm: prophecy, praise and prayer. As the servant of the Lord David knows the truth about humanity, he adores God’s goodness and he prays in faith.

Prophecy:

In popular culture a prophet is thought to be someone who predicts the future. In the Bible though a prophet is someone who communicates God’s message. He or she sees the truth of the present situation and speaks that truth to the people; how the people respond shapes their future.

Broadly speaking, the prophets of the Old Testament gave two kinds of messages: messages of judgment and messages of hope.

Those who were proud and had turned away from God tended to get a message of judgment. You’re on the wrong track, change your direction in life before you end up destroying yourself.

While the humble poor, who were suffering oppression, tended to receive a message of hope. Keep looking to the Lord and trusting in him. He will deliver you and restore you.     

Messages of judgement and hope are not either / or. They are both / and. They go together. There is hope in God’s judgement. When we return to God we are saved.

C.S. Lewis was somewhat of a prophet during the 20th Century, although he probably would not have seen himself in that way.

In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis writes: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.

Lewis goes on to say: ‘Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of an army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — [Jesus is] the only complete realist.’

Psalm 36 begins with David giving a prophecy. Verse 1 reads: I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Sometimes prophets are called Seers because they have the God given ability to see into a person’s heart. David’s message, from God, is not a prediction of the future. Rather it is a vision of what goes on inside an evil person. David knows the truth about humanity and it is not pretty.

In some ways the human heart is like a loaded gun waiting for the wrong circumstances to pull the trigger. I remember my systematic theology lecturer, saying: ‘Christians should be the least surprised by sin’. When people do bad things we should not be shocked by it.

We should not look down on the wicked nor think of ourselves as too good to commit evil. That potential is within each one of us. Those who think they are not capable of evil are like the person C.S. Lewis described as never having offered any real resistance to sin. 

David knows his potential for evil and he knows what it is to suffer at the hands of evil doers. That’s probably how God gave him the insight.

There’s a scene in the movie Shawshank Redemption where Andy, a wrongly convicted prisoner, approaches the boss of the prison for justice. The prison boss won’t help Andy and so Andy says to him, ‘How can you be so obtuse?’

To be obtuse is to be insensitive or hard hearted, lacking compassion. The wicked are obtuse, they are deluded. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The boss of the prison is like that; he does not fear the Lord. 

Usually the term ‘fear of the Lord’ means having reverence and respect for God. But in Psalm 36 the word fear leans more towards terror and being afraid for your life.

There are basically two reasons why a person obeys God. The first reason is because they love God and want to please him. But if a person does not love God they might still obey him just to save their own skin, because they are afraid of what God will do to them if they don’t act justly. 

Obviously, the ideal is to obey God because we love him. But God is gracious enough that he will still accept the person who obeys him out of fear. However, God will not accept the person who neither loves him nor fears him. The wicked are so obtuse that they don’t even fear God, much less love him.

In verse 3, David says the wicked are deceitful and they fail to act wisely or do good. In the Bible, wisdom is not about being brainy or super smart and intelligent. Wisdom is about doing the morally right thing, the good thing.

Being a Christian is not easy. There are times when it is frustrating and difficult and confusing and humiliating and painful and a whole list of other unpleasant things. But don’t let that put you off. It’s not all bad and it is worth it in the end. In the meantime, it helps to be very clear in your own mind, about why you are a Christian.

Perhaps, like me, you started the Christian journey from a place of fearing the Lord and wanting to avoid hell. That’s okay. We all have to start somewhere. It is better to fear the Lord than ignore him.

But fear of the Lord by itself is not enough; it won’t get you through this life. At some point you need to grow in your love for the Lord. And the only way I know of growing in your love for the Lord is to focus on his goodness and to enjoy his love for yourself.

In verses 5-9 of Psalm 36, David praises God for his goodness and love.     

Praise:

In his book, Reflection on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis writes about praise. He says,

I thought of praise in terms of compliment, approval or the giving of honour. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…

We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment… It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.

Lewis is pointing out here the relationship between praise and enjoyment. God does not need our praise. He is not insecure or vain. We praise God because we have experienced his love and we enjoy him. We can’t help but praise him. 

It’s like when anyone in our family sees a rainbow and has to tell the others. Or when the surf is going off and you just have to tell your mates to get out there and catch a wave. Or when you hear a really good joke and need to share it. Praise is essentially the expression of enjoyment. Praise liberates joy.

In verses 5-6 of Psalm 36, David liberates some joy when he praises God by saying: Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

The first thing we notice here is the spaciousness of God. God is not small or stingy. He is roomy and generous. The love and faithfulness of the Lord is sky high – it has no limits. His righteousness is as solid and dependable and unmissable as the highest mountain range.

I remember waking up at Aoraki Mt Cook and looking out the window at Mount Sefton, on a beautiful cloudless blue sky day. It was spectacular. I couldn’t stop looking at the mountains all around us. That’s what God’s righteousness is like. It is awesome and beautiful and impossible to miss.

Once again our friend, Mr Lewis, clarifies things when he writes: We may ignore but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito. (Letters to Malcolm)

God’s justice is like the great deep. The great deep refers to the ocean.

Like the ocean, God’s justice is a powerful force that cannot be manipulated or controlled by human beings. God’s justice has hidden depths. There is a certain mystery to it. God’s justice is teeming with life and it feeds us, it supports our life. God’s justice is also patient, turning rock into sand. 

Returning to verse 5, the word translated as love is actually hesed. (My apologies for not pronouncing it correctly.) Hesed is steadfast love, loyal love.

Hesed is not just a feeling. It is an action. Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed. [1]

Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s a big deal.

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

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

Unlike human hesed which is limited, God’s hesed (his loyal love) is unlimited, it crosses boundaries reaching to the heavens. This is like saying, ‘No one and nothing is beyond the reach of God’s love’.  

In the gospels, Jesus crossed boundaries in a righteous way, extending divine hesed to people he did not know. In doing that he transformed their lives and created a special kind of relationship with them.

When Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath, that was hesed.

When Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons, that was hesed.

When Jesus protected the woman caught in adultery, that was hesed.

When Jesus forgave the man who was paralysed and then healed him, that was hesed.

When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner, that was hesed. 

When Jesus died on the cross to make us right with God, that was hesed.

Verses 5-6 are about the greatness of God, while verses 7-9 are about God’s care and providence. Or, as verse 8 puts it, People feast on the abundance of your house.

The image here is one of joyful celebration. In his book, The Weight of Glory, Lewis observes how ‘the sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal’.

Christians readily see connections in these verses with Jesus who identified himself as the light of the world, the bread of life and a well springing up to eternal life. 

Verse 9 of Psalm 36 is beautiful poetry, full of mystery. It says: in your light we see light. I’m not sure these words are fully knowable but, given the context, light suggests joy along with purity, clarity and truth.

Possibly C.S. Lewis had verse 9 in mind when he wrote: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen – not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. (Is Theology Poetry) 

It is the light of God’s goodness and love which helps us to trust the Lord and to see what is right. 

Exuberant praise welling up out of enjoyment of God is one thing, but David (like us) was living in a fallen world. The Lord’s servant still had to contend with the difficult reality of wicked men who sought to do him harm. And so Psalm 36 moves from prophecy to praise to prayer.

Prayer:

Here’s another little gem from Lewis: Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.

This is something I have found to be true in my own experience. I imagine that after David had killed Goliath, it may have been tempting for him to stop relying on God. I expect a victory like that would make most young men a bit cocky, a bit over confident. But not David. He does not turn away from God in pride. 

The secret to David’s success is that he relies on God all over again, every day, as if nothing had yet been done. We demonstrate our reliance on God through prayer. That is, by asking for his help daily.

David’s prayer in verses 10-11 of Psalm 36 is this: Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

Once again the Hebrew word for love, in verse 10, is hesed. David is asking God to support the righteous and the upright in heart. Righteousness indicates right actions in one’s relationships with others, while uprightness of heart refers to one’s inner life being true or without pretence.

The upright in heart are like the pure in heart. They are the same on the inside as they are on the outside. They don’t pretend to be something they are not.  

David stands in solidarity with the righteous and upright in heart when he asks God to protect him in verse 11. David wants God’s love (his divine hesed) to set the agenda for his life, not the power of proud men. 

Verse 12 is a statement of faith: See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise! David is voicing his confidence in God’s ability to protect him. His faith is not blind or unfounded. It is based on his experience of God helping him in the past.  

We, who are Christian, may feel a bit uncomfortable with David’s prayer. He was a soldier, having to fight for his life. Most of us know nothing of mortal combat. We may have occasional fantasies of violence against our enemies, when we feel angry or afraid, but we know this is wrong.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for their well-being, not their downfall. So what are we to do with David’s prayer?   

Another word from C.S. Lewis on prayer may help us here: We must lay before God what is in us; not what ought to be in us.

The psalms are unapologetically honest. They reveal what is actually in the psalmist and not necessarily what ought to be in him. Our prayer life needs to be honest, otherwise it loses its power.

If we are not honest with God we risk resenting him or, even worse, becoming obtuse and deluding ourselves. The upright in heart are honest with God, even when their truth is difficult to say.      

Please hear me on this. Honest is not careless. We still need to keep our prayers respectful, remembering that God loves us and wants the best for us.

Conclusion:

There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

So the question for each one of us is, which way are we facing?

Are you looking to the Lord, feasting on his goodness?

Or do you have your back to him, pretending he is not there?

Jesus shows us the goodness of God. He shows us what it looks like to be made in the image of God, what it is to be truly human in the best sense of that word.

When we look to Jesus, when we build our life on his teaching and follow his example, we become good.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your love and faithfulness, your justice and mercy, your grace and truth. Give us a vision of yourself, in the face of Jesus, that we would reflect your image and enjoy you forever. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Do you have a favourite C.S. Lewis book or quote? What is it and why do you like it?
  • What do you think C.S. Lewis meant when he wrote: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good?
  • Why did you become a Christian? Is your reason for being a Christian the same now as it was when you started your journey of faith?
  • Discuss / reflect on the relationship between praise and enjoyment. Why do we praise God?
  • In what ways is God’s justice like the ocean? In what ways is God’s righteousness like a great mountain range? What does David mean when he says, “God’s love (hesed) reaches to the heavens”? What are verses 5-6 telling us about God?
  • Why does David pray? Why do you pray? Why is it important that we keep our prayer life honest?
  • Take some time this week to contemplate the various ways Psalm 36 connects with Jesus.

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

Tawa Baptist

Christmas Day Message

Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-25 & Micah 6:8

Did anyone get tickets to a concert or sports match this year for Christmas?

  • When you go to a large arena or concert hall for some major event you are normally given allocated seating
  • The ticket will have on it where you are to sit
  • So, for example, if we sold tickets to the Tawa community Christmas day service my ticket might have written on it – aisle 2, row D, seat 3
  • If we imagine this here is aisle two, then I would find my seat by going to row D, seat 3. [go to row D]
  • Row D is 4 rows from the front and seat 3 is 3 seats in
  • Which means you are sitting in my seat. I’m just kidding.
  • Can you reach under ‘our’ seat and see what you can find? [wait]

An envelope. Why don’t you open it and tell us what’s inside?

  • Can you read the words on the card for us?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

  • Micah 6:8

Well done – you can keep that. [walk back up onto the stage]

The Tawa College motto (on the crest above us) says ‘Do justly’. It’s a quote from the prophet Micah

Earlier in the service Steven gave a reading from Matthew 1, describing the birth of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective

  • Joseph offers us a wonderful example of what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God

Joseph, who was a descendant of king David, was engaged to be married to Mary when he learned that Mary was pregnant

  • Joseph didn’t know who the father was but he knew the baby wasn’t his
  • I expect Joseph felt a cocktail of emotions: hurt, betrayed, angry, disappointed, perplexed and sad, all at the same time
  • It would have been tempting to lash out or react in the heat of the moment but Joseph doesn’t do that.
  • Joseph takes some time to be still and think things through.

He is a righteous man, which means Joseph seeks to do the right thing by God and his neighbour. But what is ‘the right thing’ in this situation?

  • In some ways, discerning what God wants you to do is like finding your allocated seat in a stadium or concert hall
  • You start by finding the right aisle (the justice aisle), then the right row (the mercy row) and finally the right seat (the humility seat)
  • Is it just, is it merciful, is it humble?

The Law of Moses made it clear Joseph could not marry Mary

  • Deuteronomy 22 says a woman who is betrothed to one man but sleeps with another must be stoned, killed at the city gate, along with the man who got her into trouble
  • As a devout Jew, Joseph was well aware of this.
  • But he was also familiar with the teachings of the prophets – people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Micah
  • It was the prophets who gave the people a lens through which they could interpret and apply the Law
  • How was Joseph to interpret and apply Deuteronomy 22?
  • Through the lens of justice, mercy and humility

Thinking about the justice aspect, Joseph didn’t know who the man was who got Mary pregnant

  • It was hardly fair that Mary should die while the bloke (whoever he was) got off scot free – Moses’ law never intended that
  • In any case, when we step back from the detail and look at the bigger picture of the Bible, we notice God’s justice is more inclined to restore than destroy
  • Following the letter of the law in this situation would have undermined its spirit. Therefore, justice said, Joseph couldn’t kill Mary

What about mercy?   

  • Well, the Hebrew word in Micah 6, verse 8, translated as mercy, is hesed
  • Hesed can mean mercy or kindness or loyal love
  • There are three criteria to hesed in the Hebrew Bible:
  • First, an act of hesed is done for someone you know already
  • Second, the action is essential to the survival or basic well-being of the recipient (it is no small thing)
  • And thirdly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the act of hesed is in a position to provide [1] (no one else can do it)

Joseph was in a position to do hesed for Mary

  • He had an existing relationship with her
  • He could literally save her life and the life of her child
  • And he was the only one who could save her
  • To love hesed is to look for opportunities to do hesed
  • Because Joseph was a righteous man he decided he would do hesed for Mary by saving her from death and from shame

What about humility?   

  • Well, humility is about having your feet on the ground and knowing yourself, particularly knowing your limits
  • Humility is also about having a right perspective – not thinking too highly of yourself but not devaluing yourself either.
  • Humility says, take the plank out of your own eye before you worry about the speck in someone else’s
  • Likewise, humility says, those who are without sin may throw the first stone.

So justice, mercy and humility all said Joseph should not apply the letter of the law by having Mary stoned but that he should divorce Mary privately, to save her from public disgrace   

  • This honoured the spirit or intent of the law, without doing harm to Mary or his own conscience
  • Based on the information he had, it was the most compassionate and just option available to Joseph

But Joseph didn’t have all the facts. As it turned out, Mary had not slept with anyone. She was still a virgin, still faithful to Joseph. 

  • Mary conceived in a holy unique way, by a miracle of God’s Spirit
  • The angel of the Lord revealed this to Joseph in a dream, telling Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife and instructing Joseph to name the child ‘Jesus’ – which means ‘the Lord saves’.

Joseph was quick to do what the Lord had told him because it ticked all three boxes of justice, mercy and humility

Now, if you are like me, you may be wondering, why didn’t God tell Joseph how Mary got pregnant ahead of time, to save him going through all that stress and angst of trying to figure the right thing?

  • Well, sometimes God leaves us in a difficult situation (just for a little while) to reveal the contents of our heart and to glorify Himself
  • If Joseph hadn’t gone through this process, we wouldn’t have been given the example of his compassionate justice and Mary wouldn’t have known how much Joseph loved her.  

Joseph’s story reveals the beauty of God’s wisdom

  • God didn’t choose just anyone to raise his Son
  • God chose a thoughtful and righteous man   
  • Joseph’s action in caring for Mary and her baby points to the wise and tender nature of Jesus’ righteousness 
  • Like Joseph, Jesus went beyond the letter of the law to find its spirit
  • And even more than Joseph, Jesus embodies the justice, mercy and humility of God. 

Let us pray…

  • Lord, sometimes life presents us with some hard choices
  • I pray for those who are facing difficult decisions this Christmas and New Year
  • Give us the tender wisdom we need to find our seat, our place, in your will and purpose
  • Help us to slow down, take time and think things through
  • Shine your light on the Scriptures that we may apply your word with justice, mercy and humility
  • We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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

Tawa Baptist

Healing in Ruth

Scripture: Ruth

Title: Healing

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Ruth 1
  • Ruth 2
  • Ruth 3
  • Ruth 4
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Aristotle is quoted as saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

–         The idea here is of synergy or working together

–         Said another way, the interaction or cooperation of two or more parts produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

 

For example, if you take a raw egg by itself then it doesn’t taste that nice

–         Yes, you can eat it and it will give you some nutritional benefit but it’s not that appetising

–         Likewise if you take some flour by itself it’s barely edible

–         But when you combine the egg & flour with some other ingredients, like sugar and butter and cocoa powder, then put it in the oven to cook, the whole cake that comes out is far nicer to eat than each separate ingredient on its own

 

Today we conclude our series on care of the soul, using the acronym HEALING

–         Over the past couple of months or so we have looked at how Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving support the well-being of the soul

–         For the sake of understanding we have looked at each word separately but actually these seven parts work together in an inter-related way

–         There is synergy between them so that when we put them together the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

–         Hope is a primary source of energy and inspires both appreciation and lament

o   When hope is fulfilled appreciation is the right response

o   Likewise, when hope is disappointed, lament is the natural response

–         Hope also provides the energy for nurture & giving, which in turn provide the oil for inter-dependent relationships

 

One Biblical story which shows all seven of these things working together is the story of Ruth & Naomi

 

Ruth 1

The book of Ruth is set during the time of the Judges in Israel – so that’s after the people have entered the Promised Land, but before kings were appointed – around the time of Samson and Gideon, give or take

 

Because of a famine Naomi leaves Bethlehem with her husband and two sons and migrates to Moab

–         The Moabites were sort of like cousins to the Israelites but they didn’t really get on all that well

–         The Moabites were descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot, who had an incestuous relationship with his daughters

–         Things must have been pretty grim for Naomi’s husband to think that Moab offered greener pastures

–         Anyway, while they are away in Moab Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls, Orpah & Ruth

–         About 10 years pass and then Naomi’s two sons die as well – it’s a complete disaster from Naomi’s point of view

–         There was no widow’s benefit or DPB, no state housing and not many options for single women in that context

 

Naomi hears there has been a good crop back in Israel so she says goodbye to Orpah & Ruth, and starts to head back to her home town of Bethlehem

–         But Orpah & Ruth want to go with Naomi – apparently they are not as bad as their chequered ancestry would make them seem

–         Naomi then makes a big speech about how her situation is hopeless, because she is too old to get married again, and if they stay with her their situation will be hopeless too

–         Orpah returns to Moab but Ruth insists on staying with Naomi saying…

 

“Don’t ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried.

 

Ruth was committed to Naomi until death do us part, so Naomi let Ruth come with her. Ruth’s presence and promise to Naomi is the catalyst for hope

–         Ruth & Naomi together are greater than the sum of Ruth & Naomi apart

 

But Naomi can’t see that just yet – when she returns to Israel Naomi tells people to call her ‘Marah’ because Naomi means pleasant, whereas Marah means bitter

–         Why call me Naomi when the Lord Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble

–         To feel condemned by God is to believe that nothing good waits for you in the future – condemnation is the opposite of hope

–         Hopelessness (despair) is a form of blindness – a loss of perspective

–         Yes, Naomi has been on the receiving end of trouble but it doesn’t automatically follow that God has condemned her

–         At this point Naomi fails to see the good that God has provided in the form of her daughter-in-law Ruth

 

We could say that, Naomi’s behaviour in changing her name and blaming God for her troubles is a form of lament

–         It is because her hope has been disappointed that Naomi feels so bitter

–         Naomi doesn’t deny what she is feeling – she faces it honestly

–         Naomi has lost almost everything and she isn’t ready to forgive God

–         While Naomi is seeking to give honest expression to her grief she is perhaps being unfair in blaming God – better that though than taking it out on the people around you – God’s grace is sufficient for Naomi

–         Interestingly no one in Bethlehem chastises Naomi for her lament

–         They simply listen to her, in silence, and respect how she feels

–         Because really there are no words to do justice to what she is feeling

 

Ruth 2

Hope is not the only source of energy – food is a form of energy too

–         The barley harvest was just beginning when they arrived in Bethlehem so Ruth goes out to glean in the fields behind the harvesters

–         Gleaning means picking up what the harvesters leave behind

 

At its best ancient Israel was an inter-dependent unity

–         People didn’t function independently – the community valued each of its members and relied on each other to provide care & nurture for all

–         Their welfare system was quite different to ours

–         One of the ways the rich provided for the poor was by allowing the poor to glean after the harvesters in their field

–         This was genius really because it allowed the poor the dignity of working for their daily bread and it saved the rich from becoming too greedy

–         The outcome was to nurture better relationships between the rich & poor

–         In our society there is a growing gap between rich & poor, but in the Bethlehem of Naomi’s day the lives of the rich & poor were more closely woven together so they weren’t afraid of each other

 

It so happened that Ruth went to work in the field of Boaz

–         “It so happened” is code for God set this meeting up

 

After enquiring about Ruth with his harvesters, Boaz approaches her with a view to connecting her with the right people in the local community

–         The time of the Judges in Israel was a bit like the wild west – not everyone was as virtuous as Boaz

–         Some people would take advantage of a foreigner like Ruth – they might assume that with her Moabite heritage she would be promiscuous

–         So Boaz invites Ruth to stay with the women in his field and drink from his water jars

–         Boaz is a man of power & influence in the community but he doesn’t see this power and influence as his to do whatever he likes with

–         In Boaz’ mind the whole community is greater than the sum of its individual parts

–         Boaz recognises that his position, his wealth, belongs to God and he is just a steward of it

–         Boaz wisely & generously gives what God has entrusted him with for the benefit of the poor and marginalised, like Ruth & Naomi

 

However, Boaz does this in a way that genuinely appreciates Ruth’s character

–         He doesn’t patronise her or make her feel small in any way

–         “I have heard about everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you had never known before. May the Lord reward you for what you have done.”

–         Ruth is an unlikely heroine – most people wouldn’t expect her to show this level of loyalty and care to Naomi

–         Boaz is making it clear that both he and the Lord appreciate Ruth’s faith and love – they see past the prejudice and beneath the superficial things to recognise the inner quality of her heart  

 

Appreciation begets appreciation. Ruth says to Boaz…

–         “You are very kind to me sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me…”

 

When Ruth comes home with lots of grain and Naomi learns that Ruth has been gleaning in Boaz’ field, Naomi expresses her appreciation too saying…

–         “May the Lord bless Boaz. The Lord always keeps his promises to the living and the dead. That man is a close relative of ours, one of those responsible for taking care of us.”

–         This is a remarkable change of tune from Naomi

–         For the first time in this story she sounds a note of hope – she imagines a future in which she & Ruth are not condemned but rather redeemed

You see, in ancient Israel, hope was provided for through the law in a number of ways

–         For example, if someone fell on hard times financially, and had to sell their land, or themselves into slavery, then a close family member (known as a ‘kinsman redeemer’) was obligated under the law to redeem them by buying their land and their freedom

–         Likewise, if a husband died then that man’s brother or closest male relative was obligated to marry the widow, both to provide a home for the woman and to give the woman (and her late husband) an heir, a son

–         It wasn’t a good deal, financially, for the bloke who had to marry his dead brother’s widow, but it provided something more valuable than money

–         It provided security, nurture and hope for the whole community

–         The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Naomi has hope because the Law of Moses requires Boaz to redeem them

–         And this hope lifts her spirits, it gives her a new found energy and makes it possible for her to imagine a future in which Ruth is married with children and they all live happily ever after

–         The interesting thing about Naomi’s hope is that it isn’t all about Naomi

–         Naomi’s hope and happiness is tied to Ruth’s future in an inter-dependent way

 

Ruth 3

With this new found hope Naomi suggests a daring plan designed to get Boaz to marry Ruth

–         The plan is risky and one wonders why Naomi doesn’t propose a more straight forward plan, but the risk heightens the sense of suspense and makes for a better story I suppose

So Ruth went to the threshing place and did just what her mother-in-law had told her. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went to the pile of barley and lay down to sleep. Ruth slipped over quietly, lifted the covers and lay down at his feet. During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet.  

“Who are you?” he asked.

“It’s Ruth, sir,” she answered. “Because you are a close relative, you are responsible for taking care of me. So please marry me.”

[Don’t you love the way she proposes to him – it’s brilliant]

“The Lord bless you,” Boaz said. “You are showing even greater family loyalty in what you are doing now than in what you did for your mother-in-law. You might have gone looking for a young man, either rich or poor, but you haven’t. Now don’t worry, Ruth. I will do everything you ask; as everyone in town knows, you are a fine woman.   

 

That expression, ‘family loyalty’ translates from the Hebrew word hesed

–         I’ve talked about hesed before

–         Katherine Sakenfeld gives the best definition I think…

 

Hesed is variously translated as kindness, mercy, faithfulness or loyalty

–         There are three criteria to hesed in the Hebrew Bible:

–         First, the action is essential to the survival or basic well-being of the recipient

–         Second, the needed action is one that only the person doing the act of hesed is in a position to provide

–         And thirdly, an act of hesed takes place within the context of an existing, positive relationship [1]

 

Boaz is commending Ruth for her hesed (or her loyal love) toward Naomi and her late husband

–         In terms of our HEALING acronym hesed relates closely with nurture & giving

 

Ruth showed hesed (or kindness & nurture) to Naomi by sticking with her and taking care of her through thick & thin

–         Without Ruth’s support it is uncertain whether Naomi would have survived – after all it was Ruth who provided food for them both

–         Not only that but Ruth was a comforting companion for Naomi – she saved her mother-in-law from being overwhelmed by loneliness & grief

 

Likewise, Ruth showed generous hesed to her late husband Mahlon by seeking a husband from among Mahlon’s relatives

–         In this way Mahlon’s name would be preserved in Israel

–         If Ruth had gone after a younger man, who wasn’t related to Mahlon, then the child would not be counted as Mahlon’s son or Naomi’s grandson – no one else could give Mahlon a son in this way, only Ruth

Boaz has the insight to truly appreciate Ruth’s nurture & giving and is ready to respond in kind with his own generous nurture of Ruth & Naomi, but first he must negotiate with another kinsman-redeemer who is more closely related than himself

 

Ruth 4

Boaz does everything out in the open and above board – he follows the right process to avoid arguments later

–         At the town gate, in the presence of the elders, Boaz asks the closer kinsman redeemer if he will redeem Naomi’s field (that is, buy it off Naomi so the land stays in the family and Naomi is provided for)

–         At first the man is willing to do this but when he learns that marrying Ruth is part of the deal he pulls out because then the field would belong to any children he has with Ruth – this man isn’t feeling that generous

–         We shouldn’t be too tough on him though – he was simply being honest

–         Ruth would be better off with Boaz because Boaz really appreciated her in a way that the other guy didn’t

–         So Boaz, who is the next closest relative, steps in to redeem the situation by purchasing the field and marrying Ruth

–         Financially it is not in Boaz’ interests to do this but Boaz is thinking of the bigger picture – he is thinking of the community as a whole, not just himself

–         Boaz & Ruth together are greater than the sum of Boaz & Ruth apart

 

Ruth & Boaz are married with the blessing of the community and, by God’s grace, a son is born to Ruth

–         The women of Bethlehem have the last word, saying to Naomi…

“Praise the Lord! He has given you a grandson today to take care of you. May the boy become famous in Israel! Your daughter-in-law loves you, and has done more for you than seven sons. And now she has given you a grandson, who will bring new life to you and give you security in your old age.”

Naomi took the child, held him close, and took care of him.

The women of the neighbourhood named the boy Obed. They told everyone, “A son has been born to Naomi!”

Here we have appreciation, inter-dependence, nurture & giving, altogether, in just a couple of verses

  • – The women express their appreciation in praise to God for the birth of Obed and the loyal love of Ruth
  • – Ruth gives her first born son to Naomi
  • – And Naomi nurtures the child
  • – Inter-dependence is seen in the way the women of the neighbourhood name the boy and rejoice with Naomi
  • – What happens to one part of the body affects the rest – if one part suffers, all the other parts suffer with it and if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness
  • – The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

 

Conclusion:

The book of Ruth finishes with a genealogy

  • – Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David
  • – As in, king David – which makes Ruth & Boaz the ancestors of Jesus

The story of Naomi & Ruth is a story of how God heals the broken hearted and the poor in spirit, not through quick miracles but through more ordinary things like time, patience, loyal love and the people we least expect

  • – Hope, Energy, Appreciation, Lament, Inter-dependence, Nurture and Giving, they are all present in the healing process as Naomi goes from emptiness to fullness, from feeling condemned to being redeemed, from death to life, from disorientation to a new orientation

 

Ruth’s promise of hesed to Naomi reminds me of Jesus’ promise to be with us always, wherever we go [2]

Boaz’ action in redeeming Ruth & Naomi also reminds me of Jesus

Jesus, the Son of Man (the Son of Humankind), is our kinsman redeemer

  • – God has the power to take all the fragments, all the broken pieces of your life, and make you whole again
  • – It is the Spirit of Jesus who makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    Can you think of some examples, from everyday life, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?

–         Discuss the way the different parts of our H.E.A.L.I.N.G. acronym work together

3.)    What is the significance of Ruth’s promise to Naomi?

–         What difference does this make for both of them?

4.)    Why does Naomi insist on being called Marah, in chapter 1?

–         How is this a form of lament?

5.)    How was the welfare system, operating in the story of Ruth, different from our welfare system today?

–         How did gleaning foster inter-dependence?

–         How does Boaz use his wealth & influence to help the poor & marginalised?

6.)    What does Boaz appreciate about Ruth?

–         How does Boaz express his appreciation for Ruth?

7.)    What are some of the ways the Law of Moses provided hope for people?

8.)    How does Ruth show hesed (loyal love) to Naomi and her late husband Mahlon?

–         How does the concept of hesed relate to our H.E.A.L.I.N.G. acronym?

9.)    In what sense is Jesus our kinsman redeemer?

 

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

[2] Matthew 28:20

Tawa Baptist

Marriage

Scripture: Genesis 24:28-61

Title: Marriage – Part 1

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose
  • Marriage is an act of hesed, providing security
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         Last week we heard about God’s fingerprints and how the Lord led Abraham’s servant to Rebekah at a well

–         This morning Abraham’s servant arranges Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage with Rebekah’s family

–         From Genesis chapter 24, verses 28-61, in the NIV we read…

The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.

 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said. So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.

And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

“He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’

“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’

“Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.

 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”

When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.”

But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.”

Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said. So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”

Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

 May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

In many ways this morning’s Bible reading probably seems strange to us

–         The way people went about arranging a marriage in the ancient near east was quite different to the way we go about marriage in the west today

–         I’ve talked about the cultural differences between the ancient world and the modern west on other occasions & don’t want to repeat that now

–         If you are interested in the cultural stuff then you can read the sermon notes from the 8th July on the church website later

 

This morning our message focuses on the subject of marriage

–         This isn’t just a message for those who are married though – it has relevance for everyone, whether you are in a relationship or not

–         Today’s reading from Genesis 24 doesn’t tell us everything about marriage but it does touch on at least two very important aspects:

o   Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

o   And marriage is an act of hesed, providing security

–         First let’s consider marriage as an act of God

 

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose:

When we hear that phrase, ‘an act of God’ we tend to think of some sort of catastrophe or disaster – something going wrong outside of our control

–         For example, an earthquake or a storm is deemed an act of God

–         Acts of God aren’t just negative things though – justice, peace, healing & freedom can also be acts of God

–         In a general sense marriage is an act of God – it is his idea, his initiative, one of his positive, creative actions for our wellbeing

–         Unlike an earthquake or a storm though, which we can’t control, marriage is an act of God that we do get a say in

Those who have been following this series on Abraham will be aware of the repetition in this morning’s reading

–         When Abraham’s servant is shown hospitality by Rebekah’s family he refuses to eat until he has stated the reason for his visit

–         He tells the whole story from the beginning of chapter 24 – how Abraham sent him to find a wife for Isaac and how God answered his prayer with Rebekah

–         The main point of this retelling of events is to make it clear that God specifically wants Rebekah to marry Isaac

–         Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage is God’s initiative – it is an act of God

This is not to say that every marriage is especially arranged by God – many people get married without reference to God

–         Nor is it to say there is only one right person for you to marry in the whole world – there are any number of people that you could be compatible with and some that you will never be compatible with

–         But in Isaac & Rebekah’s case God was involved with the details

Rebekah’s brother (Laban) and her father (Bethuel) both agree that God is in this and since God is so clearly at work to join Rebekah & Isaac’s lives together, how can they object?

The fact that God is arranging Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage doesn’t mean that Rebekah has no choice in the matter

–         God gives each of us free will and he respects the choices we make

–         In verse 58 we read how Rebekah was asked, ‘Will you go with this man?’ and Rebekah said, ‘I will’

–         Interestingly, it is only after Rebekah has given her consent that she receives a blessing

–         God’s purpose is often pleasing to us, it is generally a good fit with who we are – happily Rebekah was in harmony with God’s will and prepared to marry Isaac

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         The point I’m making here is that marriage isn’t just for the wellbeing of the couple – marriage actually serves a larger purpose in God’s plan

–         God’s purpose for Isaac & Rebekah was to keep the faith, to establish the nation of Israel and to carry God’s promises to the next generation

–         Isaac & Rebekah were part of God’s legacy for blessing the world through Christ

To those who might be looking for a partner in marriage I would say, involve God in the decision – look for his fingerprints and think about his purpose

–         Christian marriage isn’t just a commitment to mutual happiness, it’s also a commitment to each other’s usefulness in God’s kingdom

 

If you were here last Sunday you may remember the story I told about Caleb; the guy on the train who was in the right place at the right time with the right kind of presence to stop 3 drunk guys harassing a woman in her 20’s

–         A fingerprints of God moment

Caleb never actually spoke to the woman that night on the train – he didn’t know anything about her and thought he would never see her again

–         Over 2 months went past during which time Caleb had got on with the regular routines of his life – work, church, Bible study, friends

–         This was a new routine for Caleb as he hadn’t been a Christian for long

One Sunday, while in church, he thought he saw the young woman from the train sitting a few rows in front of him but he couldn’t be sure from behind – and besides what were the chances of that happening

–         It was a bit difficult to concentrate on the sermon after that

When the service had finished Caleb just sat in his pew feeling awkward

–         Probably it wasn’t her – memory can be such an unreliable thing

–         But if it was then what should he do?

–         Christian culture was still quite strange to Caleb and he wasn’t always sure what was appropriate

He was just thinking, ‘I should probably leave before she sees me’, when an elderly woman, Mrs Green, walked up and said, ‘Ah, Caleb, come and meet my grand-daughter

–         At first Caleb was relieved to be in conversation with someone safe

–         But then, to Caleb’s absolute horror, Mrs Green led him straight to the young woman from the train

–         It was definitely her – she recognised him instantly and started to blush, then quickly recovered by introducing herself as Jen

–         Caleb was too stunned to remember to introduce himself – she was even more beautiful up close and she smelled lovely

–         Fortunately Mrs Green, who was as sharp as a tack, came to his rescue and said, ‘This is Caleb. Caleb is the young man I was telling you about who came round and changed my light bulb the other week.’

–         Jen smiled, paused a moment as if remembering that night, and then said, ‘It seems you are quite the Good Samaritan’.

–         Caleb laughed nervously, unsure whether that made him weird or not

–         Jen seemed to read his face like a book and immediately put him at ease

–         ‘I’m pleased to meet you Caleb. I wanted to say thank you for what you did that night. I was really scared and you went out of your way to make me safe.’

–         ‘It was nothing really’, Caleb replied.

–         ‘Well it meant something to me’, said Jen

–         It had actually meant something to him too

–         Jen’s honesty touched Caleb’s heart and for the first time in his life he experienced emotional intimacy

 

Mrs Green could sense the connection between the two and wisely invited Caleb to join her and Jen for lunch, and Caleb accepted

–         A year later Jen & Caleb were married and four years after that they went to Carey College to train for ministry. Now they are pastoring a church

–         Each wedding anniversary they take a ride on a train and tell their kids the story of how God (and Jen’s grandma) arranged their marriage

 

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         At its best marriage is also an act of hesed, providing security

 

Marriage is an act of hesed, providing security:

In verse 49, after having told his story, Abraham’s servant says to Rebekah’s family, Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

 

The word translated as ‘kindness’ there is hesed in the original Hebrew

–         It’s one of those Hebrew words that needs more than one English word to capture it’s meaning

–         Sometimes it is translated as kindness, other times as mercy or steadfast love or loyalty. Hesed is often used in connection with God’s covenant

Hesed isn’t a trifling thing – hesed is an act of real importance, it’s a big deal

–         With hesed the inferior partner depends on the kindness of the superior to meet a desperate need.

–         In this case Abraham’s servant is putting himself in the position of the inferior partner by asking Rebekah’s family to show kindness, loyalty or hesed to Abraham, by giving their permission for Rebekah to marry Isaac

The point is, marriage is an act of hesed

–         God intended marriage to be characterised by kindness, mercy, steadfast love and loyalty

–         The hesed of marriage isn’t a one off thing though – it’s an on-going commitment that provides security for the whole family

We note the concern for Rebekah’s welfare & security in the speech that Abraham’s servant gives…

–         In verse 35 the servant says that his master Abraham is wealthy, with the implication that Rebekah will be looked after financially

–         Then in verse 36 the servant says that Isaac was born when Sarah was very old, implying that Isaac is still young and so Rebekah will be marrying someone close to her age

–         Also in verse 36 the servant says that Isaac will inherit everything – again implying that Rebekah will be secure financially

–         In verse 37 the servant goes on to say that Abraham won’t let Isaac marry any of the local Canaanite girls – so Rebekah’s family know that Rebekah will be the only wife, she won’t have to compete with other women

–         In all these ways Abraham’s servant is reassuring Rebekah and her family that marrying Isaac is a good deal – it will mean security for her

We might think this emphasis on wealth & prospects is a bit mercenary – where’s the romance in talking about money? But in that culture practical concerns were more important than romance

–         If you were a father (or a brother) then you needed to know that your daughter (or sister) would be taken care of

 

Often at the beginning of a romantic relationship there is a kind of blindness – when we see the other person through rose tinted glasses and we kind of ignore or overlook their bad points

–         Not only that but common sense sometimes goes out the window and we have this false sense of security

–         ‘All I need is the air that I breathe to love you’, as the song goes

–         Well, air is a good start but you also need an income and a roof over your head and a community of people around you to lend you support

–         The practical stuff matters and you need to get that sorted, through good honest conversation, before you get married – that’s partly what pre-marriage counselling is about

 

Conclusion:

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         And (Godly) marriage is an act of hesed, providing security

In many ways marriage has lost its meaning in our society today

–         Most people these days don’t think of marriage as something that God is involved in – theirs is a cord of two strands, not three

–         A lot of marriages are characterised by violence, unfaithfulness and insecurity, rather than the security created by kindness, steadfast love and loyalty that God intends

 

At its best marriage points to our relationship with Christ

–         Marriage is meant to be a living parable or a picture of the kind of the union (or relationship) Jesus wants to have with people

–         A relationship that serves a greater purpose beyond itself – God’s purpose

–         A relationship characterised by security born of hesed

When marriage is dishonoured or abused people lose the vision of what a relationship with God (through Christ) could be like

–         By the same token, when marriage is honoured and functions as God intended, people catch a glimpse of the mystery of union with Jesus

 

In a few moments we are going to share communion together

–         Communion is a sacred ritual in which Christians remember & celebrate the mystery of our union with God through Christ

–         The musicians will come now and lead us in song as we prepare our hearts

 

Questions for discussion or reflection

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

2.)    What is your experience of marriage?

–         E.g. this could be the model/example you inherited from your parents’ marriage, or it might be your own experience of being married, or divorced, or widowed, or single, etc.

–         How has your experience shaped your understanding of, and attitude to, marriage?

3.)    What is the main point of the servant’s retelling of the events of chapter 24?

–         In what sense is marriage (generally) an act of God?

–         In what sense is Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage specifically an act of God?

–         If you are married, how is God involved in your marriage?

4.)    What larger purpose does marriage serve beyond the happiness of the couple?

5.)    What do we mean when we say: marriage is an act of hesed, providing security?

6.)     If you are contemplating marriage, what could you do to sort out the practicalities before you get married?

–         What might some of those practicalities be?

–         Or, if you are already married, what you would suggest an engaged couple talk about before the wedding day? (What advice would you give your kids?)

7.)    Take some time this week to reflect on how the mystery of marriage (at its best) points to the mystery of union with Christ

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/29-jul-2018-marriage

Tawa Baptist

With God

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Title: With God

Structure:

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

Introduction:

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

–         It was a very special find – quite unexpected

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

Three things happen in this little vignette:

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

 

God is with Abraham:

It is easier to chop wood with the grain

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

To be with someone is to be alongside them

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

God was with Abraham and he wants to be with us

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hebrew word translated as kindness here is hesed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Dispute resolution – grace & truth

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

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

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

 

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

–         Therefore Abraham sought justice over the well

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

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

–         Rather he addresses the issue by speaking the truth

 

I imagine this was an awkward moment, especially for Abimelech

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truth and grace you see

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Let me tell you a story…

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

–         This police officer had a son called Ned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The policeman went home and confronted his son about it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

The Everlasting God:

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

 

Let us pray…

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

–         How might we know that God is with us?

–         How is Jesus present with us today?

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

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

–         Is there someone you can do hesed for?

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Tawa Baptist

Naomi & Ruth

Scripture: Ruth 1 & 3

 

Title: Naomi & Ruth

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – unlikely friendship
  • Ruth 1 – Naomi & Ruth’s hesed
  • Ruth 3 – Ruth & Boaz’ hesed
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a bird nestled on the belly of a cat

–         This is an unlikely pairing – normally we would expect cats to hunt and kill birds, not give refuge to them

 

Today we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses and Joshua, who we heard about two weeks ago

–         The aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel

–         King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth

–         Naomi & Ruth’s friendship was as unlikely as that of a cat and a bird

–         They were years apart in age

–         They were from a different ethnic & cultural background – Naomi from Israel and Ruth from Moab

–         They had grown up with a different religion

–         Their nations had been at war (off and on) for many years

–         And, they were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, which is often (but not always) a relationship fraught with tension or at least distance

 

Despite all these differences though there was real warmth and commitment in their relationship

–         It wasn’t a mentoring relationship as such (like Moses & Joshua)

–         It was more of a mutually caring intergenerational friendship – with both of them looking out for one another’s interests

 

The name Ruth means ‘friend’ or ‘companion’

–         And the name Naomi means ‘sweetness’ or ‘pleasantness’

–         Although they are an unlikely pairing, Naomi and Ruth characterise the ideal inter-generational relationship – one of friendship & companioning, sweetness & pleasantness

 

We don’t have time to cover all four chapters of Ruth this morning

–         I will be focusing mainly on chapters 1 & 3

 

Ruth 1 – Naomi & Ruth’s Hesed:

The story is set during the time of the Judges in ancient Israel – which is after Joshua and before Saul & David

–         In many ways it was the worst of times – but it brought out the best in certain people

–         There was a famine in the land and Naomi’s husband and two sons were forced to leave Bethlehem to try and find food in Moab, the land of their enemies – they were essentially refugees – displaced people

 

While they were in Moab, Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls: Orpah and Ruth. Neither Orpah nor Ruth had any children

 

Ten years passed in Moab before Naomi’s two sons died also

–         There are no words to describe the profoundness of Naomi’s loss

 

When she hears that God has provided food for his people in Israel, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem with her two daughters-in-law

–         Not long into the journey home Naomi releases Orpah and Ruth from their obligation to her, saying:

 

“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

 

There weren’t many options for single women in the Ancient Near East – it was a tough world

Although Naomi has suffered the worst kind of loss imaginable, and could well do with the comfort and support of Orpah & Ruth, she puts aside her own need and releases her daughters-in-law

–         Naomi knows she can’t provide for them herself and, having already been married, it will be hard enough for Ruth & Orpah to find another husband among their own people let alone among the men of Israel

–         Going back to Moab is Orpah & Ruth’s best bet, even though it means more loss for Naomi

 

That word ‘kindness’ is hesed in the original Hebrew

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

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

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

 

Both Orpah and Ruth had shown hesed to their late husbands, while they were alive, and to Naomi – now Naomi wants to return the favour

 

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

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

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

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

 

Now an act of hesed can be a relatively small thing or it can be a really big thing

–         Let me give you some examples of hesed – one which is relatively simple and two which are more significant:

 

Imagine you are tucked up in bed one cold winter’s night, enjoying a nice sleep when your cell-phone goes off – you sit up and answer it

–         It’s someone you know from work – what could they want at 2 o’clock in the morning?

–         Well, they’ve been out on the town, it’s freezing cold, they’re wearing a cocktail dress and they’ve lost their jacket and their purse

–         It’s too far, too dangerous and too cold for them to walk home

–         And without money or a card they can’t pay for a taxi so they are asking you for a ride – no one else is returning their calls

–         It’s a bit of an inconvenience for you but you are a kind hearted person

–         What’s more you couldn’t live with yourself if you did nothing and some harm came to them

–         So you put on some clothes, get in your car, drive to where they are and take them home

 

That is an act of hesed – a simple act of kindness or mercy

–         Getting them to a warm & safe place is essential to their well-being

–         Under the circumstances there is no one else available to help them

–         And you have an existing relationship with them

 

Okay, that’s a relatively small act of hesed – now a more significant or demanding example…

 

Imagine a good friend of yours gets sick and they need a kidney transplant but no donor can be found

–         You care for your friend deeply and want to help them

–         So you go and get yourself checked out to see if you are a match and as providence would have it you are

–         You donate one of your kidney’s to your friend and they live

 

That is an act of hesed – but the meaning of hesed in that situation goes beyond simple kindness – it is really a sacrificial act of mercy & loyal love

–         The action of donating a kidney is essential to your friend’s basic survival

–         It is something that, under the circumstances, only you can do

–         And it’s done in the context of an existing relationship with your friend

 

Another example…

–         This time imagine a slightly different scenario with your good friend

–         Imagine they are sick but there is nothing the doctors can do for them

–         Your friend is going to die and, because your friend has no family members able to do it, she asks you to take care of her 2 year child

–         So you agree to adopt the child and raise her as your own

 

That is an act of hesed – an act which demonstrates both kindness & loyal love

–         Although you can’t save your friend’s life you are still doing something huge for their well-being (and the well-being of their child)

–         You are giving them peace of mind in their last days by providing security for their daughter

–         No one else is going to love that child like you will – without you the child would most likely end up lost in the system

–         And you are doing this in the context of an existing positive relationship with your friend

 

Returning to Ruth & Naomi: by releasing her daughters-in-law Naomi is performing an act of hesed for them

–         It meets all three criteria

–         Her action in releasing them from further obligation is for their wellbeing

–         It is an action that only Naomi can perform – no one else can do it

–         And Naomi has an existing positive relationship with Ruth & Orpah

 

Orpah takes a bit of convincing but in the end she accepts Naomi’s advice and returns to Moab

–         Ruth, on the other hand, insists on staying with Naomi saying:

 

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried…”

 

Ruth commits herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people and to Naomi’s God

–         And this commitment isn’t just until Naomi dies – it is until Ruth dies

–         Ruth will be buried where Naomi is buried

–         If you think about it Ruth was essentially saying goodbye to her family and her homeland for good

 

This was huge – Ruth was making this commitment at great risk to herself

–         She didn’t know whether Naomi’s people would accept her or not

–         Abraham, that great father of the faith, stepped out into the unknown but only after God called him and made a promise to him

–         Ruth’s faith was even greater than Abraham’s

–         Ruth steps out into the unknown without any word from God and what’s more she does so without the wealth and backing that Abram had

 

The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians:

–         The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love

–         Ruth takes a massive leap of faith out of her love for Naomi

 

Ruth knows that her own chances of survival are better if she returns to Moab but she also knows that Naomi’s chances of survival are better if she (Ruth) goes to Israel and takes care of Naomi

–         By releasing Ruth from further obligation, Naomi had performed hesed for her daughter-in-law

–         Ruth responds by going above and beyond, doing an even greater act of hesed for Naomi

–         Ruth is performing an action essential to Naomi’s well-being & survival

–         No one else is available to take care of Naomi – her husband and sons are dead and Orpah has gone back to Moab

–         Furthermore Ruth is doing this hesed in the context of an existing positive relationship with Naomi

–         Ruth’s hesed ticks all the boxes

 

What we note here is that both Naomi’s & Ruth’s acts of hesed are done freely and out of genuine love and concern for one another’s well-being – not out of grudging duty or obligation

 

When Naomi returns to Bethlehem (her home town) she is greeted by the people there but she says to them:

–         “Don’t call me Naomi (which means sweetness), call me Mara (which means bitterness) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty…”

 

Naomi has been emptied by her loss

–         She has nothing to show for her life and nothing to look forward to

–         She is alive physically but (inside) her sense of hope has died

 

One of the things that young people can give us is hope – a sense that life doesn’t end with us (that the future holds something good)

–         The young don’t usually realise they are doing this though

–         By the same token those of us who are older may also miss the hope the young have to offer

 

Ruth embodies hope, only Naomi can’t see it straight away – she is blinded by her grief

–         But nor does Ruth realise it – she is simply getting on with it, making sure they don’t starve

 

Ruth 3 – Ruth & Boaz’ Hesed:

Ruth goes out to glean in the fields – picking up the left-overs after the harvesters have been through – and in the process she meets Boaz, a wealthy and influential citizen of Bethlehem

–         As providence would have it Boaz is a good match for Ruth – by which I mean he is related to Naomi’s late husband, he is able to provide for Ruth and they seem to like each other

–         When Naomi hears of Boaz her hope (embodied by Ruth) is kindled

 

After some months have passed Naomi comes up with a plan to find some security for them both by getting Boaz to marry Ruth

–         Not only would this provide Ruth & Naomi with financial security and protection, it could also provide an heir for Ruth’s late husband

 

You see the Law of Moses provided for widows through something called levirate marriage [2]

–         ‘The levirate law provided that when a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child by her to preserve the lineage of the man who had died.’ [3]

–         Keeping the family line going was a really big deal in ancient culture

 

Under normal circumstances Naomi might approach Boaz herself and ask if he would help them out by marrying Ruth (sort of like an arranged marriage), but these weren’t normal circumstances

–         Ruth was a Moabite – a foreigner

–         Furthermore, Boaz wasn’t Ruth’s brother-in-law, although he was a near relative of Naomi’s late husband

–         So the law of levirate marriage was not an exact fit in this situation

–         If Naomi approached Boaz he might easily say ‘no’

–         But if Ruth dolled herself up and got close to him at night, well he might find it more difficult to say ‘no’.

 

Naomi said to Ruth…

–         “Wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down… go and uncover his feet and lie down too. He will tell you what to do.”

 

It was a risky plan

–         What if Ruth was seen by someone else, sneaking into bed with Boaz?

–         What if Boaz took advantage of Ruth? (Everyone would believe Boaz – no one would believe Ruth)

–         Or what if he thought she was a bit loose and rejected her?

–         Ruth was putting her reputation on the line in a culture where reputation was everything

–         But that’s one of the great things about young people – they are often more ready to take risks than those of us who are older and feel like we have something to lose

 

Ruth does what Naomi says – well, sort of

–         She gets under the blankets with Boaz while he is asleep

–         There is no hanky panky but when he wakes up in the middle of the night to find another person there he doesn’t tell her what to do

–         He is startled – it is dark and he can’t see, so he asks a question…

–         “Who are you?”  To which Ruth replies…

 

“I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer”

 

This is a poetic way of saying ‘marry me’

–         Ruth doesn’t wait for Boaz to tell her what to do – she tells Boaz what she wants

–         Some men might be put off by that sort of forthrightness but not Boaz

–         He responds positively to Ruth saying…

 

“The Lord bless you, my daughter. This kindness [this hesed] is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor…”

 

There’s that word, hesed, again

–         Ruth’s first act of hesed was to promise to go with Naomi wherever she might go – to be Naomi’s companion till the end of her days

–         Now Ruth’s second act of hesed is to marry within the family

 

In thinking of the three criteria for hesed…

–         Ruth is doing something essential for the well-being of others – seeking an heir for her late husband and a grandson for Naomi

–         This is something no one else can do – Naomi has no other children

–         And it is done in the context of existing relationships

 

If Ruth had gone after a younger man who wasn’t related to Naomi, then Ruth’s first born would not be considered Naomi’s grandchild, nor would he carry on her late husband’s name (and as I’ve already mentioned, carrying on the family line was massive in ancient Hebrew culture)

 

Boaz is impressed by Ruth’s noble character – he loves her hesed

–         And, after a little plot twist, he reciprocates the hesed by redeeming Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth. Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed.

–         Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of king David

–         This really is an intergenerational story where people of all ages are valued and cared for – each with a vital role to play

 

Conclusion:

Ruth & Naomi provide an ideal to inspire our own intergenerational relationships

–         I’m not saying we all need to make the same level of commitment as Ruth did with Naomi – but we do well to look for opportunities to demonstrate hesed where it is in our power to do so

 

In Micah 6, verse 8 – the passage of Scripture we looked at last week – the prophet says:

–         And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

–         The original Hebrew word, translated there as ‘mercy’, is actually hesed

–         So the Lord God Almighty requires us to love hesed

–         That is to enjoy performing acts of hesed, when it is in our power to do so, and to value or cherish the acts of hesed we witness or receive

–         Together Ruth, Naomi and Boaz show us what it means to ‘love hesed’

 

Some times our acts of hesed will be relatively small, like picking someone up in town in the middle of the night

–         Other times we may be asked to consider a far bigger act of hesed – one which can only be done once and can’t be repeated

–         If you donate a kidney to your friend you can’t donate one to anyone else

–         Likewise, Ruth’s hesed for Naomi prevented her from taking care of her own parents (presumably there were others in Ruth’s family who could do that)

 

My intention here is not to load you up with some impossible burden

–         It is not always in our power to do hesed – no matter how much we may want to

–         If you are not a match then you can’t donate your kidney to save your friend

–         What you can do though is walk with your friend through the process – be their companion so they don’t have to go through it alone

 

Who can you do hesed for – whether younger or older?

–         Who can you companion – through good times and bad?

 

[Jesus performed acts of hesed (kindness, mercy & loyal love) throughout his ministry as he healed the sick and forgave the guilty and delivered people from evil. His ultimate act of hesed though we remember now in the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup. Through his death on the cross Jesus did something for us that no one else could do – he reconciled us to God…]

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/2-july-2017-naomi-ruth

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

[2] Deuteronomy 25:5-10

[3] Katherine Sakenfeld, ‘Just Wives’, page 36.

Tawa Baptist

YHWH

Scripture: Exodus 34:1-9

 

Title: YHWH

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • YHWH
  • Moses
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on Moses in Exodus

  • You may remember that God made a covenant with Israel – a sacred agreement in which they were committed in loyalty to Yahweh
  • Sadly the people were quick to break this commitment by making and worshipping a golden calf
  • But Moses interceded for the people asking God not to destroy them
  • And God listened to Moses
  • This morning’s reading picks up the part in the story where God is renewing the covenant with Israel – giving them a second chance

 

Israel didn’t really appreciate what God was offering them in the covenant

  • But now, through their fall and failure, they learn more deeply the extent of God’s steadfast love for them

 

Today I will be reading from the New Revised Standard Version

  • The words will appear on the wall behind me
  • Exodus chapter 34, verses 1 – 9

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to me, on the top of the mountain.

 

3 No one shall come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; and do not let flocks or herds graze in front of that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the former ones; and he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

 

5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, “The Lord.” 6  The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate [merciful] and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,7 keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

 

8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 He said, “If now I have found favour in your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

YHWH:

On the wall here we have some text language

  • If you are under the age of 30 then this will probably be easy
  • But if you are over 40 then it might be a bit harder
  • So for those over 40 only – what does BTW mean? [Wait]
  • Yes – that’s right – ‘By The Way’

 

That was an easy one to get you started

  • What about FWIW? [Wait]
  • ‘For What It’s Worth’

 

Okay – one more – BOT [Wait]

  • ‘Back On Topic’

 

You could be forgiven for thinking the title of this morning’s message (on the front page of the newsletter) was text language – YHWH

  • But it’s not – this is God’s name
  • In English it is usually translated simply as LORD, all in capitals
  • But really it is untranslatable
  • We tend to put vowels in to at least make it pronounceable – so it sounds something like ‘Yahweh’
  • In any case there is significant mystery and sacredness in the name

In Exodus 33 Moses had asked to see the Lord’s glory and God had said…

  • I will make my goodness pass before you and will proclaim my name before you …but you cannot see my face… you may see my back.
  • Now in chapter 34 (the passage we read earlier) God does just that

 

6  The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate [merciful] and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…

 

Yahweh is different from the deities of the pagan nations around ancient Israel

  • The gods of the other nations were represented by wooden or metal statues – something the people could see and touch
  • Something that wouldn’t talk back or tell them what to do
  • Something they could control

 

But Yahweh forbids the people to represent Him in this way

  • Instead Yahweh represents Himself with words: poetry is God’s language
  • Words are like seeds – they are powerful and once buried in the soil of our imagination take root, grow and bear fruit in our actions

 

The first characteristic or attribute God reveals about Himself here is that He is compassionate (sometimes also translated merciful)

 

Compassionate and merciful are relatively long words in English

  • The Hebrew root word is quite short – just three letters ‘RHM’
  • As Phyllis Tribble observes, the Hebrew word for ‘compassionate’ or ‘merciful’, when used in relation to Yahweh, is intimately connected to the word for ‘womb’ [1]
  • Compassionate and womb share the same linguistic root

 

A womb is a sacred and holy part of a woman’s body

  • It is where human life grows and is formed in secret
  • A womb is a powerfully creative thing – a place of nourishment and protection for the child
  • And it is cloaked in mystery – science doesn’t yet understand it

 

It’s like God is saying in poetic language…

  • ‘My inner most being is sort of like a womb
  • At my core is mystery, power and creative energy
  • I am like a mother to you Israel, carrying and protecting and nourishing you, bringing you into this world at great pain to myself
  • And like a mother I am compassionate’

 

To be compassionate means to receive the other person’s suffering

  • To see their sadness and pain and reach out to accept them so they know they are not alone
  • We don’t have to pretend with God
  • If God asks us how we are we don’t have to say, “I’m fine”, if we are not
  • We can be honest with God – He can handle it

 

Steve Apirana has a song we sometimes sing in church called, Something Beautiful

  • Something beautiful, something good
  • All my confusion, He understood
  • All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
  • But He made something beautiful out of my life

 

This is really a song about God’s compassion

  • God has the power to receive our pain and suffering
  • To take it into Himself and transform it into something beautiful
  • To do something creative with it so that it serves a good purpose
  • Just like when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery
  • God received Joseph’s rejection (his pain & suffering) and used it to save many people, including Joseph’s brothers

 

In the ‘Gospel for Asia’ magazine which came out this month there is an article – a true story of a 2 day old baby girl who was left in a rubbish bin [2]

  • The doctor had said the baby was abnormal and the parents felt so ashamed they threw the child into a dumpster
  • The sister-in-law of the man who had thrown the child away was a Christian. Her name, Pranaya
  • When Pranaya learned that her wee niece had been put out with the rubbish, she went & found the child, reached into the bin & lifted her up
  • Pranaya carried the baby home, named her Jansi and cared for her
  • Even after Pranaya married and had children of her own, she still accepted Jansi in her family

 

Pranaya showed compassion, graciousness & steadfast love – she reached out to accept someone else’s suffering – to carry, nurture, protect and nourish Jansi

  • This is what God did for Israel and it’s what He does for each of us

 

The second word God uses to describe Himself is gracious

  • To be gracious here means that Yahweh acts freely and generously, without need for compensation or hope of benefit
  • God works pro-bono – for free and without agenda
  • God’s graciousness points to His freedom
  • God doesn’t do things for us because He needs something from us
  • God doesn’t need anything – He is able to meet His own needs
  • God does things for us because He wants to and He can

 

That phrase, slow to anger, literally translates from the Hebrew ‘long of nose’ or ‘long nostrils’ – this is Hebrew idiom which is lost on us to some extent

  • Make the snort of anger noise – that’s a snort of anger
  • To say that God has long nostrils means, it takes a long time for the snort of anger to come through God’s nose

 

In today’s English idiom we might say ‘God has a long fuse’

  • Someone with a short fuse is someone with a quick temper – they explode in anger at the smallest thing
  • Someone with a long fuse (like God) is not prone to exploding

 

As we heard last week, anger or wrath is not primary to God

  • It is secondary and temporary
  • If anger is represented by the white ball in a game of pool then the cue which sets the white ball moving is God’s care
  • Like an expert pool player God is in control of His anger

 

We could say that ‘slow to anger’ basically means God is patient

  • He is not pressured or in a hurry – He measures twice and cuts once

 

Steadfast love is mentioned two times by Yahweh in today’s passage – so it is given extra emphasis

  • It translates from the Hebrew word hesed
  • Hesed doesn’t have an exact English equivalent
  • Loyal love or covenant love or steadfast love are generally the best translations
  • Steadfast love (Hesed) is not a romantic feeling which waxes and wanes
  • It is not skinny love
  • Steadfast love has substance – backbone
  • It is an unswerving, unbreakable commitment to someone else’s well-being

 

William Shakespeare was describing something like steadfast love when he wrote…

  • Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;

 

In other words, true love is constant – it does not change with the circumstances

  • Steadfast love goes on loving the other person even when that love is not reciprocated
  • The commitment that Noah shows for Ally in the movie the Note Book is steadfast love
  • The commitment Ruth shows to her mother-in-law Naomi (in the Bible) is also steadfast love

 

Faithfulness is complete trustworthiness and reliability

  • It means Yahweh won’t go back on what He has promised
  • He won’t break His word – His word is truth
  • God does not promise Israel an easy road
  • He promises to go with them – He promises His presence

 

In verse 7 the Lord continues revealing His character saying He is a God who

  • …keeps steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

 

 

Now, at first glance this statement sounds contradictory

  • God is saying He forgives people but then in the same breath He also says He doesn’t clear the guilty
  • So which is it: forgiveness or justice? Grace or punishment?
  • Well, it’s not either / or with God – it’s both / and
  • The steadfast love of God requires Him to exercise both forgiveness and just judgement

 

What we notice is that the judgement – or the just consequence – is limited to 3 or 4 generations, while the steadfast love is unlimited, for 1000’s

  • Wrath is not a continuous aspect of God’s nature
  • Wrath is temporary – a particular response to a historical situation
  • God’s natural inclination, His default setting if you like, is to show steadfast love

But steadfast love does not mean anything goes

  • There is no predictability or inevitability about divine grace
  • We should not presume upon God’s forgiveness
  • We can’t say, ‘Well, I know this is wrong but I’m going to do it anyway because God is my mate, He will forgive me, it’s in His nature.’
  • God is not obligated to forgive us
  • If we are playing Him for fool then He will see through that

 

The Lord is slow to anger and quick to forgive but that doesn’t mean we have immunity from the consequences of our actions

  • For forgiveness to really happen, something has to die
  • Usually it is our pride and wilfulness which needs to die

 

Okay, so hopefully that helps you to understand something of the meaning of Yahweh’s name

  • But really we can only know Yahweh through a relationship with Him
  • We can only know Yahweh’s compassion if we suffer
  • We can only know His graciousness if we have empty hands to receive from Him
  • We can only know His steadfast love & faithfulness if we trust Him through thick & thin
  • We can only know His patience and forgiveness if we admit our failure

 

The other person in this morning’s reading is Moses – let’s take a look at things from his perspective

 

Moses:

Moses has just experienced a revelation of God’s goodness

  • There is something overwhelming about God’s goodness
  • There is a grandeur and a beauty to it (like a mountain range) which both inspires us and makes us feel inadequate at the same time

 

God’s goodness infinitely outweighs our goodness – we become aware that we are unworthy, not equal partners in the relationship

Moses responds by bowing before God in worship

  • Worship is the appropriate response to God’s goodness
  • In bowing we are saying, ‘God, You are the bigger, better person here. How can I possibly stand in Your presence.’

 

Based on Yahweh’s revelation of Himself, Moses goes on to ask three things of the Lord (for the sake of Israel)…

  • Go with us – that’s presence
  • Forgive us – that’s grace
  • And take us as Your inheritance – that’s acceptance
  • Presence, forgiveness and acceptance

 

One interesting thing we observe here is the way Moses identifies himself with the people in their sinfulness

  • Go with us – forgive us – accept us
  • Moses could have said forgive them – but he doesn’t
  • Moses wasn’t part of the golden calf debacle and yet he stands in solidarity with the people – he wears their shame, he carries their cross
  • Remind you of anyone?

 

Forgiveness is the key to Yahweh’s relationship with Israel

  • In order for Yahweh to accept Israel and go with Israel, the Lord will need to be prepared to forgive Israel, for they are a stiff necked people
  • Like a mule that won’t be led by its master Israel will fight God and resist Him each step of the way

 

In verse 10 God answers Moses’ prayer for presence, forgiveness and acceptance by saying: “I hereby make a covenant [with Israel]”

  • Renewal of the covenant is not automatic – Moses must make an admission of guilt on behalf of the people

 

We are not that different to Israel

  • Forgiveness is key to our relationship with God also
  • Without God’s forgiveness we can’t know His presence or acceptance
  • But forgiveness is not automatic – there needs to be an admission of guilt on our part, otherwise it is not an open or honest relationship

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard about the Lord’s name – His character, His values, His nature

 

As the Son of Man, Jesus is like the new Moses – interceding for humanity before God – carrying the cross of our shame – asking for God’s presence, forgiveness and acceptance for us

 

And, as the Son of God, Jesus embodies and personifies Yahweh’s name

  • Jesus shows us God’s compassion and graciousness
  • His patience, steadfast love and faithfulness
  • Most of all though Jesus shows us God’s forgiveness on the cross
  • This is not a forgiveness to be presumed upon or treated lightly
  • This is a forgiveness which calls us first to confession and then to the obedience of faith

 

As a way of responding to the message this morning I would like to lead you in a guided prayer. I invite you to close your eyes as we pray…

 

Imagine you are in the place of Moses

  • You are up the mountain in the cleft of a rock
  • No one else is with you – just God
  • You can’t see God – you can only hear Him

 

God speaks His holy name to you

  • It is not like anything you have heard before and you’re not sure if you could even repeat it

 

God goes on to explain the meaning of His name

  • This is God’s character, His values, His nature

 

The Lord is compassionate – able to handle your deepest hurt and pain

  • He is gracious – giving generously without expectation of return
  • The Lord is patient – unhurried and completely in control of Himself
  • His love is steadfast – like a mountain range – majestic, immense, ancient
  • There is a strength & reliability in His words which both reassures you & makes you feel uneasy at the same time

 

This revelation of God’s goodness inspires your trust

  • But it also reveals your own lack of goodness
  • Your lack of compassion
  • Your lack of graciousness
  • Your lack of patience and self-control
  • The skinniness of your love and the lightness of your words

 

How can you stand in God’s presence – this is not a relationship of equals

 

God finishes talking and gives you opportunity to respond

 

What is it you want to say to Him?

  • What is it you want to ask?
  • Take a moment now to quietly speak to the Lord (in your heart)
  • [Wait]

 

Lord, go with us, forgive us and accept us we pray

  • In Jesus’ name. Amen

[1] Walter Brueggemann, ‘Theology of the Old Testament’, page 216.

[2] Gospel for Asia magazine, November 2015, pages 20-21.