Tawa Baptist

Confirming the covenant

Scripture: Genesis 17

 

Title: Confirming the Covenant

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Confirming the covenant (1-16)

o   Naming

o   Committing

o   Circumcising

  • Abraham’s response (17-27)
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

This morning we continue our series on Abram by looking at Genesis 17

–         Last week, in chapter 16, we heard how Abram had a son (Ishmael) through Sarai’s maid servant Hagar

–         By the beginning of Genesis 17 it has been 13 years since Ishmael was born even longer since God first cut a covenant with Abram in chapter 15

–         Now, in chapter 17, God confirms his covenant

–         With the covenant encounter in Genesis 15 Abram wasn’t required to do anything, but in Genesis 17 God does require a response from Abraham

 

Genesis 17 is relatively long so I’m going to handle it in two parts

–         First we’ll read verses 1-16 which deal with confirming the covenant

–         And then we’ll read the rest of the chapter later which describes Abraham’s response. From verses 1-16 of Genesis 17 we read…

 

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.

13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Confirming the covenant:

In this reading God confirms his covenant with Abram and this confirmation involves three things: naming, committing and circumcising

–         First let us consider naming…

 

Naming:

In the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India, there is an indigenous mission organisation called India Rural Evangelical Fellowship

–         It was begun in 1947 when Prasada Rao began training evangelists to go out into rural villages to preach the gospel

–         Prasada also took orphans into his home to show them the love of Christ

–         By the late 1990’s there were over 120 itinerant evangelists reaching 360 villages bringing many to Christ and planting churches

–         When these Indian believers were baptised they were often also given a new name – a Christian name

–         Many of the given names in India have a history that link the individual to the gods of their culture

–         So adopting a new name is a way of severing ties to the old life [1]

–         It’s a way of saying you are a new creation, on a new path with a new future

 

In verse 5 God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and in verse 15 the Lord changes Sarai’s name to Sarah

–         ‘Abram’ means ‘exalted father’ and ‘Abraham’ means ‘father of many nations’

–         ‘Sarai’ and ‘Sarah’ mean the same thing: ‘princess’

–         Perhaps the name Sarai looks back at her royal ancestry, while Sarah looks forward to her royal descendants – kings will come from her [2]

–         But the meaning of Sarah’s name isn’t as important as the fact that she is now included in the covenant – previously her role was unknown

 

God is renaming Sarah & Abraham because he is bringing about a new creation through them and (you will remember from Genesis 1 that) naming is one of the things God does in the act of creating

–         Their new names then are a reminder that God has severed the ties of past barrenness and given them a new future that is fruitful and blessed

 

Committing:

Naming is one aspect of confirming the covenant

–         Articulating the commitment is another aspect

 

In medieval times soldiers were sworn to allegiance by being dubbed a knight [3]

–         So becoming a knight wasn’t just a reward for service rendered it was a way of confirming loyal commitment to the king

–         The knight would get down on bended knee as a sign of his submission to the monarch

–         There were certain perks or privileges to being a knight I suppose – like enjoying a higher social status

–         But there were also responsibilities – like being obedient to your king

 

When God appears to Abram, in chapter 17, he begins by saying…

–         “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless…”

–         ‘God Almighty’ means ‘God above all else’ or ‘God of nations’ (as our national anthem affirms)

–         Von Rad says the Hebrew word translated as ‘blameless’ here signifies wholeness of relationship and integrity rather than no sin [4]

–         I guess it’s another way of saying, “Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God”

–         ‘To walk before God…’ means to orient one’s entire life toward God

–         Like when we sing ‘Jesus, be the centre…’ we are really saying we want our lives to revolve around Christ

–         God is commanding Abraham to live his life in such a way that every single step is made with reference to God

–         It’s sort of like God (the King of kings) is dubbing Abraham a loyal knight of his realm

–         And Abraham’s response is to fall facedown as a sign of his submission

 

For his part God commits to giving Abraham the land of Canaan and many descendants but that is more of a reiteration of things God has said on other occasions

–         At the heart of the covenant is the Lord’s commitment: I will be your God

 

If we think of God’s covenant like a set of Russian dolls, then the inner most doll is the Lord’s commitment to be Abraham’s God

–         I will be your God speaks of loyal relationship

–         Some of the other inner dolls include God’s promise of blessing, land and descendants but at its core God’s covenant is a relationship…

–         By saying, I will be your God the Lord is offering Himself to Abraham

–         Sort of like when a couple adopt a child – they aren’t just offering to feed and house the child, they are offering themselves to that child

–         ‘I will be your father’ – ‘I will be your mother’

–         Or when a man & woman get married – they aren’t just offering a ring or a house or an income, they are offering themselves to each other

–         ‘I will be your husband’, or ‘I will be your wife’

–         I feel sad when I hear people in de-facto relationships say, ‘Oh we’re waiting until we can afford to buy a house before we get married’

–         As if financial security is an adequate foundation for marriage

–         Somewhere along the line our society has lost the idea that marriage is about giving yourself, not getting stuff

 

At its heart then God’s covenant is a relationship in which God offers Himself

–         God offers Himself to us most clearly in giving His Son Jesus

–         For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life 

–         You see, we don’t put our faith in Jesus just so we can avoid hell and get into heaven – Heaven is a perk, it’s a privilege, but it’s not the main point

–         We put our trust in Jesus so we can receive God Himself as our Father

–         Without the inner most doll of being in a loyal loving relationship with God, heaven becomes a kind of hell anyway

–         (Like being married to someone you don’t love for financial reasons)

 

 So confirming God’s covenant involves naming, committing & circumcising  

–         Naming – that’s about a new identity

–         Committing – that’s about loyal relationship

–         And circumcising – that’s about initiation and therefore belonging

 

Now we’re only talking about male circumcision here

–         Israel didn’t practice female circumcision (thankfully)

–         Male circumcision is when the foreskin of the penis is cut off

–         I don’t believe it is as harmful as female circumcision

 

Returning to our Russian dolls…

–         If being in relationship with God is the core of the covenant (the inner most doll), then circumcision is the sign of the covenant (the outer doll)

–         As a sign of the covenant it points to what’s inside

 

We might also compare circumcision to a passport

–         A passport identifies you personally and is a sign of your citizenship, it verifies where you come (or where you belong) and it gets you places

–         Without a passport you can’t get into another country

–         Without circumcision Abraham and his descendants couldn’t participate in God’s covenant

 

Circumcision wasn’t invented by God – it was already common practice in the ancient near east when God asked Abraham to do it

–         There were two main occasions why men might be circumcised

–         Perhaps when they got married, as a sign of entry into a new family

–         Or at puberty, as a rite of passage in becoming man

–         Both those occasions represented initiation or belonging to a new group

–         God borrowed the practice of circumcision and transformed it – giving it theological significance for Abraham and Israel so that circumcision became the sign of initiation (or entry) into God’s covenant [5]

–         Circumcision is how Israelites ‘opt-in’ to God’s covenant, in other words

 

God stipulated that males in Abraham’s household should be circumcised at 8 days old

–         Again we see a connection with the account of creation in Genesis 1

–         If the first seven days represent the creation of the cosmos then day eight represents the first day of a new week of creation – the creation of Israel

–         So circumcision was a ‘let there be light’ moment

 

The other thing we notice here is that circumcision involves cutting

–         You may remember from a couple of weeks ago, when we looked at Genesis 15, that a covenant is cut – it involves the shedding of blood

–         And in this case it is the most vulnerable part of a man that is cut

–         Having children, reproducing the next generation, has been such a big deal to Abraham and now God wants a piece of his reproductive organ

–         Wow – the symbolism is rich

 

As Christians we don’t need to participate in God’s covenant with Abraham

–         So guys, if you’re still in one piece down there, don’t panic – you don’t need to go cutting anything off

 

Jesus came to establish a new covenant for all people

–         And the sign of initiation into the new covenant is baptism (being immersed in water)

–         So our equivalent of circumcision is baptism [6]

–         Baptism is like a passport into God’s kingdom

–         In being baptised we transfer our citizenship as it were – we become aliens in this world and citizens of heaven

–         We break from the past and take on a new identity

 

When you are baptised as a conscious believer (or, if you come from an infant baptism tradition, when you confirm your baptism) you are essentially saying…

–         ‘Jesus I submit to you as King. No longer am I going to live my life to suit myself. I’m going to live my life to suit you.’

–         Being baptised or confirmed as a Christian is like being made a loyal knight (or dame) of Christ

 

Now here’s the thing…

–         These external signs of the covenant (whether it’s circumcision or baptism or confirmation) they don’t mean a thing if there’s no inner doll (no loyal relationship with God)

–         Baptism is an external ritual that is supposed to reflect an internal reality

–         If we’re only getting baptised out of conformity (because that’s what people do) then the sign is meaningless

–         Or if we get baptised just for what we can get out of it, with no intention of changing our life to suit Christ, then the passport is counterfeit

–         Whether we’ve been baptised as a baby or later in life as a believer the thing that makes our baptism effective and meaningful is having a committed loyal relationship with God (with Jesus), on the inside

 

To recap what we’ve covered so far, confirming God’s covenant involves naming, committing & circumcising  

–         Naming is about a new identity

–         Committing is about loyal relationship (the inner doll)

–         And circumcising – is a sign of initiation & belonging (like a passport)

 

Abraham’s response:

How then did Abraham respond to what God said?

–         Well, we pick up the story from verse 17 of Genesis 17…

 

17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.

He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen;

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

One of the wonderful things about the Bible is its honesty

–         The Bible doesn’t paint an unrealistic picture of humanity

–         It tells it how it is, revealing human beings in all our complexity and imperfection

 

When we ask the question: how did Abraham respond to God? Genesis 17 gives us a wonderfully honest answer

–         Abraham’s response was a bit of a mixed bag

–         First he threw himself face-down in submission to God, a good start

–         But then he laughed in disbelief and suggested Ishmael as an alternative to what God had planned (not such a good follow up)

 

We have to remember that for the past 13 years Abraham probably thought that his son Ishmael (born to Hagar) would inherit God’s promise

–         If that’s the case it must have been a bit of shock for Abraham to hear that his hope had been misplaced all this time

 

Our human imperfection draws out the beauty of God’s grace

–         God doesn’t rebuke Abraham – he doesn’t withdraw his covenant because Abraham laughed in a moment of doubt

 

Instead God says a son will be born to Sarah and you will name him Isaac

–         The name ‘Isaac’ means ‘laughter’ – Isaac will be a source of joy to Abraham & Sarah

–         But God won’t forget Ishmael – Ishmael will be blessed too and will be fruitful, only he won’t inherit God’s covenant promises as Isaac will

–         God did in fact greatly increase Ishmael’s numbers – millions of Arabs today are descended from Ishmael

 

Despite an initial flicker of doubt Abraham finishes strongly, not wasting any time in obeying God

–         Abraham performs the rite of circumcision that very day on every male in his household, just as the Lord had told him

–         God is big enough to handle our doubts – what counts in the end is obedience

 

Conclusion:

We’ve heard today how God confirmed his covenant with Abraham and how Abraham responded to what God said

–         Confirming the covenant involves naming, committing and circumcising

–         Naming is about identity

–         Committing is about loyal relationship

–         And circumcising is about initiation, or opting into the covenant

 

Through Jesus, God has established a new covenant, not limited to ethnic Israel but available to anyone who is willing to receive Christ by faith

–         We opt in to this new covenant, not through circumcision, but through baptism

 

To those who have been baptised the question remains:

–         Is a loyal relationship with Jesus still at the centre of your life?

 

And to those who are yet to be baptised…

–         Are you willing to submit and commit to Jesus?

 

Questions for reflection or discussion:

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

2.)    What is the significance of God renaming Abraham & Sarah?

–         What does your name mean?

3.)    What did God mean when he said to Abram, “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.”?

4.)    At the core of the covenant is God’s commitment, “I will be your God.” What does this mean? What is God offering in saying this?

–         How does God offer Himself to us today?

5.)    In what sense is circumcision (for Israel) and baptism (for us), like a passport?

6.)    What might be the symbolic significance for Israel in circumcising boys at 8 days old?

7.)    What gives circumcision (for Israel) and baptism (for us) it’s meaning?

–         What sorts of things empty circumcision and baptism of meaning?

8.)    How did Abraham respond to what God said? (vv. 17-27)

–         How does God handle Abraham’s moment of doubt?

9.)    Have you been baptised?

–         If you have, is a loyal relationship with Jesus at the centre of your life?

–         If you haven’t, are you willing to submit and commit to Christ?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/26-nov-2017-confirming-the-covenant

[1] This illustration was found in John Walton’s NIVAC Genesis, page 468

[2] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 262

[3] This illustration was also found in John Walton’s NIVAC Genesis, page 468

[4] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 259.

[5] Incidentally, keeping the Sabbath was a sign to show continued allegiance to the covenant. So you can see why the Pharisees got a bit touchy when Jesus challenged their rules around the Sabbath. From their perspective it may have seemed like Jesus was being disloyal to the covenant, when in fact Jesus had come to establish a new covenant

 

[6] And our equivalent of keeping the Sabbath (refer above footnote) is sharing communion

Tawa Baptist

Hagar & Sarai

Scripture: Genesis 16

 

Title: Sarai & Hagar

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Hagar and Sarai
  • Hagar and the angel
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Over the past few weeks we have been working our way through the story of Abram, in Genesis

–         Near the beginning of this series I talked about Abram’s journey of faith (and ours) being characterised as two steps forward, one step back

–         Our journey of faith isn’t always linear or straight forward – sometimes we get side tracked or go in circles

–         Other times we seem to be making good progress in the right direction only to become stalled in our faith or even to regress

–         Faith is a journey – two steps forward, one step back

 

When Abram followed God’s call to leave his homeland and trust the Lord with an unknown future that was a step forward

–         Then when Abram faced famine in the land he took a step back by going to Egypt and deceiving Pharaoh

–         Since returning from Egypt Abram has been moving forward in his faith, with his amicable separation from Lot and then his rescue of Lot

–         Last week we heard how God made a covenant with Abram – another positive step

–         Today though Abram & Sarai take a step backward as they try to provide a son and heir in their own strength

–         From Genesis 16 the story of Abram’s journey of faith continues…

 

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maid servant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maid servant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

6 “Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son.

You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Today’s chapter focuses largely on Hagar. It falls naturally into two parts:

–         Verses 1-6, which deal with Hagar & Sarai’s relationship, and

–         Verses 7-14, which describe Hagar’s encounter with the angel of the Lord

–         First let us consider Hagar’s relationship with Sarai, in verses 1-6

 

Hagar & Sarai:

The famous mathematician and philosopher, Blaise Pascal once said…

–         “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

 

This quote is a bit tongue in cheek, but there is truth in it

–         It is our inability to sit still that gets us into trouble – we interfere where we should stay out of it, as countless land wars in Asia have proven

–         Sadly, Sarai interferes where she shouldn’t and the consequences for hostility are far reaching

 

Let me tell you a story…

 

Once there was a boy whose father died when he was 12

–         The boy had a brother and a sister, both younger than him

–         As the eldest child he was inclined to feel the weight of responsibility more heavily than most

 

His mum was pretty distraught for a number of years after his dad’s passing (she kind of checked out for a while) and so the boy took charge

–         Strangely he didn’t cry at the funeral or even in private afterwards

–         Everyone else was a mess so he had to be strong

–         Naturally, as the eldest son, he tried to fill his dad’s shoes, mowing the lawns, putting out the rubbish, washing the car, locking the house up at night and being a sort of surrogate father to his younger siblings

–         Finances were tight but they got by – he worked part time after school to supplement the family’s income

–         And as soon as he was old enough to leave school he found a fulltime job – after all, supporting a teenage family isn’t cheap

 

The years went by and the 12 year old boy was soon 19

–         All the adults around him thought he was wonderful the way he helped his mum

–         They wished their sons could be more like him and wanted their daughters to go out with him

–         But the way things appear on the outside is not always how they are on the inside

–         You see, in his rush to take care of everyone else the boy had forgotten to take care of himself

 

Grief is a debt that must be paid – the longer you leave it the more the interest accumulates

–         Sadly, in the 7 years since his father had died, the boy had ignored his grief and now the repo man was calling

–         The wound in his soul had grown hard, like a boil ready to burst

–         He had become so sensitive that no one could get near him

–         He was anxious all the time and couldn’t relax, couldn’t sit still in a room by himself – busy-ness was his sanctuary, rescuing others his comfort

 

While it appeared to everyone else like he was pure in heart, helping his family selflessly, his virtue was really a cry for someone to save him

 

Everything came to a head one day when his sister, the youngest of the three, broke curfew

–         It was a Saturday night and his little sister (who was now 14) had gone to the movies with her friends – or at least that’s what she had told him

–         They had an agreement that she would be home by 11pm – the movie finished at 10

–         It was now after midnight and the boy’s sister still hadn’t come home

 

It’s funny how it’s the little things that undo us in the end

–         An off-hand remark here or there

–         The hint of contempt in someone’s eyes

–         Not getting a reply to the email we sent two weeks ago

–         Not being acknowledged by someone in the supermarket

–         Being defriended on Facebook

–         Or, as was the case with the boy, not getting a single reply to any of the 15 text messages he’d sent his sister since 11pm

 

In hindsight he should have remained calm and simply trusted his sister but when you are in as much pain as he was, you can’t sit quietly in your room

–         The sense that he was personally responsible for the decisions his sister made was as overwhelming as it was irrational

–         As soon as she walked through the front door he started yelling at her

–         His ranting about how much trouble she was in and how ungrateful she was for all he had done for her, lasted a full 30 minutes

–         Not once did he stop to listen to her – it was a monologue of judgment and condemnation (hostility conceived in his pain)

 

At the time he felt totally justified in his tirade – after all, he had sacrificed so much for her (for them all really) – but his righteous indignation was short lived

–         Like many teenagers his sister was both sensitive and obstinate at the same time

–         Normally she would have given back as good as she got but this time her response was to run away

 

The responsible older brother was a complete wreck

–         His already high level of anxiety went into overdrive and after 36 hours with no sleep, not knowing where she was, he finally broke down

–         The boil in his soul burst and seven years of pent up grief came flooding out – the tears kept coming and he was powerless to stop them

 

The difficult truth he now faced was that all this time he thought he had been helping his family when in reality he was simply avoiding his pain and his grief

–         Worse than that, his pain was hurting those closest to him

 

Sarai was sort of like the boy in the story except her wound was not being able to have children

–         There are no words that can do justice to the pain of not being able to have kids when that’s the only thing in the world you want

–         On top of her personal grief Sarai also had to deal with the public shame that barren women suffered in her culture

–         In our culture it is not a shameful thing if you can’t have children

–         It might be a sad thing but no one blames the infertile couple – it’s just considered bad luck

–         But in the ancient near east people did apportion blame

–         In Sarai’s culture not being able to have children made people wonder what you had done wrong to offend the gods

–         This sort of prejudice only rubbed salt in Sarai’s wound and created a feeling of alienation and loneliness for Sarai

 

Not able to sit quietly in her room Sarai conceives a solution herself, out of her own hurt

–         Sarai tells her husband, Abram, to take her maid-servant, Hagar, as a second wife (or a concubine) and try to have children through her

–         God had promised Abram a son from his own body but he hadn’t, as yet, said whether that son will come through Sarai or someone else

 

Sarai’s solution probably seems wrong to us, on a number of levels

–         Obviously there’s the polygamy aspect but there’s also the question of whether Hagar had any choice in the matter (the text doesn’t say)

–         But 4000 years ago, in the ancient world, this was acceptable practice

–         In fact, one could argue that Sarai would have been considered by many, in her culture, to be doing the right & noble thing by Abram

–         She can’t give Abram children herself so she provides another woman who can. Abram passively goes along with it

 

Now just because people in ancient times did something it doesn’t automatically follow that it’s a good idea and we should do it too

–         Genesis 16 is not a license for polygamy

–         Nor is it making an ethical judgement on surrogacy arrangements

–         Much of the Bible is simply description, not all of it is prescription

–         Genesis 16 doesn’t make an explicit statement about the right or wrong of Sarai’s solution – the text simply presents the story and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions

–         This is what they did and this was the consequence

–         Abram agreed to Sarai’s suggestion, he slept with Hagar and hostility was born

 

As soon as Hagar knew she was pregnant she despised Sarai

–         Funny how it’s the little things that undo us in the end

–         An off-hand remark here or there

–         The hint of contempt in Hagar’s eyes

–         Pretending not to hear when Sarai called her

–         Rubbing her belly in front of Sarai

–         It all gets too much for Sarai – her dream has become a nightmare

–         She blames Abram for this as many a wife is inclined to do

 

And Abram abdicates responsibility, as many a husband is inclined to do, saying, “Do with her whatever you think best.’

–         Previously Abram had stepped in when he should have stayed well clear of Hagar – now he stays well clear when he should have stepped in

–         The result is that Sarai (who is in a great deal of pain), mistreats Hagar and Hagar runs away, with the hoped for son in utero

 

Based on Sarai & Hagar’s experience we would have to conclude that polygamy is not a good idea and surrogacy comes with a pretty big emotional cost

 

In Genesis 12, Abram chose the fertility of Egypt because of the barrenness (or famine) in the land of Canaan

–         Now here in Genesis 16, Abram chooses the fertility of the Egyptian maid-servant because of the barrenness of Sarai

–         This is one step back for Abram

–         God’s promised son will come through divine miracle, not human engineering

 

Okay, so that’s verses 1-6, Hagar & Sarai’s very difficult relationship

–         Now let’s consider Hagar’s encounter with the angel of the Lord

–         How does God handle Hagar?

 

Hagar and the angel:

Well, before we get into that, let me finish the story I was telling you before, of the boy and his sister – the one who ran away

 

As you’ve probably worked out the girl was 7 when her dad died

–         At seven she idealised her father and this ideal was forever preserved with his passing

–         No man could ever live up to the photo shopped memory of him in her mind – not even her older brother

–         While her brother had an over developed sense of responsibility she was the opposite – dreamy and care free

–         Always leaving things lying around the house, never on time, always losing things

–         She just couldn’t understand why her brother was so intense all the time

 

After he had yelled at her that night she snuck out of the house and went to hide at a friend’s place

–         No way was she going to spend another minute under the same roof as her stupid family – they just didn’t understand her, they didn’t get her

–         She felt like the only one who understood was her dad and he was dead

 

Hiding at her friend’s house was never going to be a long term solution

–         After a couple of days she bought a bus ticket and headed for Auckland

–         It was a long drive from Wellington and, as she was sitting at the front of the bus, she got talking to the driver

–         Although she didn’t mean to she ended up telling him her life’s story

–         Funny how you can say things to a complete stranger that you would never say to your family

 

As the driver listened to the girl he guessed she was running away, although she didn’t say as much

 

The bus stopped in Taihape to give people a chance to stretch their legs and get something to eat

–         The driver shouted the girl some lunch since she had used all her money on the bus ticket. Then he told her straight…

–         ‘You’re a bright kid and you’ve got spunk, I can see that. It’s a tough deal losing your dad so young. But I wonder what he would think about you breaking up the family by running away like you are.’

–         The girl blushed a little – how did he know she was running away?

–         ‘This guy understands me’, she thought to herself

 

‘If you ask me’, the driver said, ‘you’re better off back at home with your family, even if your brother is a bit intense.

–         Family isn’t perfect, life isn’t perfect, and kid, you might not want to hear this but I bet your dad wasn’t perfect either.

–         Now I can take you all the way to Auckland if you like but there’s another bus heading for Wellington – it’s due to stop here in about 10 minutes. If you want I can talk to the driver and you can get on board that one, no extra charge. You decide.’

 

The girl thought for a moment

–         The driver’s words were strong but the truth of what he was saying resonated with her – she knew he was right

–         It wasn’t what she wanted to hear but it was what she needed to hear

–         He wasn’t giving her a sales pitch and he wasn’t tip toeing around her feelings either – he was showing her the respect of being honest and trusting her decision, something her brother never did

–         ‘Okay’, she said, ‘I’ll catch the next bus back to Wellington’

–         ‘Smart move kid, smart move. You have a bright future. No sense in throwing it away over wounded pride’

 

Later that evening, when she walked into the living room at home, she found her brother curled up on the couch

–         It had been 3 days since their argument – he looked terrible

–         She could see he had been crying – he never cried

–         There was no reprisal this time, no accusation, no emotional blackmail.

–         He simply said, ‘I’m pleased you’re home. Sorry for yelling at you. I can get a bit intense sometimes’

–         She smiled and said, ‘Yea, you can. But no one’s perfect. I’m sorry too.’

 

Things were different after that – better than they had been

 

When Hagar ran away, she didn’t get on a bus – she probably made her way on foot

–         If Abram’s camp was still in Hebron then Hagar had travelled about 70 miles through inhospitable territory by the time she encountered the angel

–         This means she had been on the road for at least a week [1]

 

When the angel finds Hagar he asks two open ended questions:

–         Where have you come from and where are you going?

–         By doing this the angel is giving Hagar the opportunity talk about her past and her future – like the bus driver the angel starts by listening

–         Hagar gives an honest answer to where she has come from but can’t say where she is going – she doesn’t see a future for herself

 

Then the angel of the Lord gives it to Hagar straight…

–         “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

–         Submitting to Sarai is the opposite of despising her

–         This isn’t what Hagar wanted to hear but it is what she needed to hear

–         The angel wasn’t giving her a sales pitch and he wasn’t tip toeing around her feelings either – he was showing her the respect of being honest and trusting her decision. Hagar knew he was right

 

The angel then goes on to say he will increase Hagar’s descendants so that they will be too numerous to count

–         This is essentially the same as what God said to Abram in chapter 15

 

The angel tells Hagar to name her son ‘Ishmael’

–         Ishmael means ‘God hears’ – so every time she calls her son by name Hagar will be reminded of how the Lord heard her misery and put her back on the right track, like the good shepherd restoring the lost sheep

 

When the angel had finished Hagar gave the Lord the name…

–         “You are the God who sees me.”

–         To be seen by God means to be understood and valued by the Lord

–         Not only had God seen Hagar’s misery, he had also seen a future for her and her son

 

That God would even notice her, let alone go out of his way to restore her hope (by revealing her future) was a profound realisation for Hagar of her worth

–         Everyone, including Hagar, would have thought that God would send his angel to comfort and encourage Sarai – after all, Sarai is the first wife of Abram and she is clearly in a lot of pain because she can’t have kids

–         But the Lord plans to speak to Sarai later – on this occasion God attends to Hagar, the outsider

 

All this takes place by a well

–         In this way the angel of the Lord reminds us of Jesus who, 2000 years later, would talk to another outsider by a well, the Samaritan woman [2]

–         That woman would also come away from her conversation with Jesus knowing that God had seen her misery – that she was understood and valued by the Lord

 

Conclusion:

Who is it that you identify with most in this story?

 

Are you in pain like Sarai (unable to sit quietly in a room alone), unwittingly hurting others, even as you try to solve the problem in your own strength?

 

Or are you like Abram, abdicating your responsibility when you should be manning up and giving your family Godly leadership?

 

Or are you like Hagar, despising those in authority and running away when the going gets tough?

 

Or are you like the angel of the Lord, listening to the runaways and putting them back on the right path with words of truth & hope?

 

Questions for discussion / reflection:

 

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

 

2.)    Discuss Blaise Pascal’s statement…

–         “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

–         What do you think Pascal meant?

–         Why was Sarai unable to sit quietly in a room?

 

3.)    What ‘little things’ threaten to undo you (or at least irritate you the most)?

 

4.)    What does Abram, Sarai & Hagar’s experience, in Genesis 16, show us about polygamy and surrogacy?

 

5.)    How did the angel of the Lord approach Hagar initially?

–         What difference does listening first make?

 

6.)    In what sense does God “see” Hagar?

–         (What does it mean to be seen by God?)

 

7.)    How does the angel of the Lord remind us of Jesus?

 

8.)    Who do you identify with most?

–         Sarai (in pain)

–         Abram (who abdicates)

–         Hagar (who runs)

–         The angel (who listens and guides)

 

 

[1] John Walton, NIVAC Genesis, page 448.

[2] John 4

Tawa Baptist

God’s covenant with Abram

Scripture: Genesis 15

Title: God’s covenant with Abram

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Conversation 1 – counting stars (vv. 1-6)
  • Conversation 2 – cutting a covenant (vv. 7-21)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the life of Abram by focusing on Genesis 15

–         Last week we heard how Abram went to war to rescue his nephew Lot

–         This week we listen in to two conversations God has with Abram

–         To make it easier to follow we’ll deal with these two conversations separately – firstly from Genesis 15, verses 1-6 we read…

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.     I am your shield,     your reward will be very great.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

Conversation 1 – counting stars (vv. 1-6)

Let me tell you a story…

 

One day a young acorn was growing on a tree

–         As he hung there he wondered to himself…

–         ‘Why am I here? What is the point of being an acorn?’

 

So he asked the leaves beside him if they knew why he was there

–         They never stopped whispering to each other, except on a still day

–         The leaves looked at the little acorn with contempt and said,

–         ‘We are here to clothe the tree and make her look beautiful. But we can’t think what you are here for, you ugly little nut.’

–         Then they went back whispering to each other like they always did, except on a still day

 

The young acorn was hurt by their tone and fell silently into his own thoughts

–         It was true that they were delicate and thin while he was round and fat

–         But he couldn’t help the way he looked – it was just the way he was

–         Still he wondered, if I’m not here to look beautiful then why am I here?

 

By and by a finch landed on the branch beside him tickling the leaves with her quick jerky movements

–         The young acorn asked the finch, ‘Why am I here?’

–         And the finch looked at the acorn with pity saying, ‘I am here to fly through the whole forest. I can travel wherever I please’, said the finch. ‘But you are stuck where you are – you are going nowhere’

–         Then, as if to prove her point, the finch flew away

 

The acorn thought hard about what the finch had said

–         It was true that the finch could fly and that he was going nowhere. But that didn’t answer his question, not really. He couldn’t help not having wings – it was just the way he was

–         Still he wondered, if I’m not here to fly through the forest then why am I here?

 

By and by a squirrel came along the branch he was hanging on, stopping every few seconds to rub his whole head in his hands

–         The little acorn wondered why he did that but thought it too rude to ask so ventured another question instead, ‘Why am I here, Mr Squirrel?’

–         The squirrel smiled at him but not in a warm friendly way, like the sun when it rises in the morning

–         The squirrel’s smile was more sinister, like he was holding back a secret

–         ‘I am here to store up food to eat and you are here to become my dinner. But not just yet, you’re too green right now. I’ll come back for you later.’

–         Then the squirrel rubbed his whole head in his hands one more time before disappearing along the branch

 

The young acorn was so scared he forgot to breathe for a moment

–         All his thoughts had run into hiding and it took him the rest of the afternoon to coax them out again

–         It was true that some of the older brown acorns went missing sometimes but life didn’t seem fair if his only purpose was to feed a greedy squirrel

–         He couldn’t help the way he tasted – it was just the way he was

–         Still he wondered, I must be more than lunch for a squirrel

 

By and by the little acorn asked everyone he could think of, ‘Why am I here?’

–         But no one could give him a proper answer

–         After a while the acorn gave up asking and tried to distract himself by thinking about other more trivial things

 

Then one night there was a big storm

 

The wind blew so hard that the acorn, who wasn’t so young and green anymore, fell off the branch and landed on the ground

 

A few days later, after the storm had passed, a little girl came by and picked up the thoughtful acorn

–         Her hands were soft like nothing the acorn had ever felt before

–         And her eyes were kind like nothing the acorn had ever seen before

–         And her voice was sweet like nothing the acorn had ever heard before

 

She showed the acorn to her grandad and asked him, ‘What is this here for?’

–         The old man looked at the acorn and then at the little girl

–         ‘You see that big tree there? This acorn is here to become like that oak’

–         The girl looked in awe at the acorn then carefully placed it back on the ground where she had found it

 

The acorn heard what the old man had said and even though he didn’t know how it would happen he still believed it was true

–         Now he knew at last why he was here

 

Genesis 15 is not the first time God has spoken to Abram, but it is the first time he has spoken to Abram in a vision

–         This vision happens at night, when the stars are out

–         We are told that ‘the word of the Lord came to Abram’

–         Prophetic messages are often introduced in the Bible with this phrase which signals to us that Abram is a prophet

–         Last week we heard how Abram acted in a kingly manner, even though he didn’t have the title of king

–         This week he acts in a prophetic manner

 

The Lord says three things to Abram…

–         Do not be afraid

–         I am your shield, and

–         Your reward will be very great

 

God often introduces himself by saying, ‘Don’t be afraid’

–         Fear is a natural response to the presence of God

–         After all God is the most powerful being there is

 

Then God says to Abram, ‘I am your shield’

–         A shield is something you hold close by your side to protect you

–         Given that Abram has just recently defeated the most powerful military alliance in the area he might very well be worried about reprisals

–         He needn’t worry though for God is his shield – right there beside him to protect him

 

The third thing God says is, ‘Your reward will be very great’

–         You may remember from last week (in Genesis 14) that Abram refused the reward of the spoils of war – he wanted nothing to do with the loot of Sodom, preferring instead to trust in God for his reward

–         Now here, in chapter 15, God is saying Abram will receive a great reward

–         What that reward looks like though is still somewhat ambiguous

 

Abram responds to God by saying…

–         What can you give me since I remain childless?

 

It’s not that Abram doubts God’s ability to deliver

–         It’s really more a question of meaning or purpose

–         Like the acorn Abram is wondering why am I here?

–         If the answer is to receive a great reward or to become rich then I don’t get it – there’s no meaning in that because when I die the reward goes to my servant Eliezer

–         Wealth is only a means to an end, not an end in itself

 

Then the word of the Lord came to him

–         Remember, that phrase means that what follows is a prophetic message

–         And the message is: Abram, you will father a son

–         Then God takes Abram outside (in his pyjamas) and shows him the stars saying, in effect, you will have so many descendants you won’t be able to count them

–         This is Abram’s oak tree moment – this is when the acorn gets a clear picture of why he is here and what he will become

 

At this point Abram doesn’t know how God will accomplish this

–         He simply believes God – he takes God at his word

 

I say ‘simply’ but as we know, simple isn’t the same as easy

–         Sarai was barren (she couldn’t have kids) and Abram wasn’t getting any younger

–         Believing that God would give him a son from his own body was equivalent to the acorn believing he would become a mighty oak one day

–         It’s equivalent to believing that God can raise people from the dead

–         That he can transform our mortal bodies into the immortal

–         It is such a leap that we must go beyond our own logic and exercise our imagination – which is what Abram does

–         Abram believes God’s word to him and God credits it to him as righteousness

 

Righteousness is a word that means ‘right relationship’

–         So a righteous person is someone who relates to others in a right way

–         They do justice and love mercy

–         Abram was not morally perfect – he didn’t always relate to others with justice & mercy – but by believing in God, by taking the Lord at his word, Abram did relate to God in a right way

 

Verse 6 is famously used by the apostle Paul in the New Testament [1]

–         “Abraham is the model for our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, faith God will credit to us as righteousness” [2]

 

Conversation 2 – cutting a covenant (vv. 7-21)

Okay, so that’s the first conversation between God & Abram in Genesis 15

–         Now let’s hear their second conversation in this chapter

 

From verses 7-21 we read…

 

7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord cut a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

On the wall here is a diagram, to scale, of the sun & planets in our solar system

–         As you can see the sun is enormous relative to any other planet

–         God designed it this way I believe

–         Not only does the sun provide light, which is the foundation of life on earth, the mass of the sun also provides the gravity needed to give order and stability to the solar system

–         Who knows what would happen without the gravity of the sun

–         Maybe the planets would float all over the place and bump into each – it would be chaos

–         God created the sun to give order and life and stability to our planet

 

In the first 6 verses of Genesis 15 God talks to Abram about children

–         Now, in the last 15 verses (which we just read), God talks about land

–         This second conversation takes place during the day and then at dusk

 

The Lord begins by reminding Abram that he brought him out of Ur to take possession of the land of Canaan

–         As I understand it God is saying, ‘Abram, we have history and a future. I’ve got plans and a purpose for you’

–         One gets the feeling there was more that God was going to say before Abram interrupts the Lord with another question…

–         How can I know that I’ll gain possession of it?

–         And the question is jarring, isn’t it, because it sounds like Abram doesn’t believe God – he wants some kind of guarantee or solid commitment

–         When Zechariah (the father of John the baptist) asked a similar question he was struck dumb and couldn’t talk for 9 months [3]

 

Some experts reckon that Abram’s questioning of God comes out of faith, not unbelief

–         They reason it takes more faith to speak up before God with a compliant than it does to despair in silence [4]

–         Maybe, but the fact is Abram is asking for a guarantee and asking for guarantees is a long way from taking God at his word

–         Abram believed God’s word that he would become a father

–         So why doesn’t he take God at his word about the Promised Land? [5]

 

Well, I can’t pretend to know the heart and mind of Abram

–         What I am in touch with (through my own experience) is that faith needs commitment to survive, in much the same way that a plant needs sunlight

–         Or in much the same way that the earth needs the gravity of the sun to give it stability, so that it doesn’t float all over the place

–         We are not big enough to sustain the commitment that faith requires

–         We don’t have the mass & gravity to give order and stability to faith

–         So we look to God to provide the commitment (the light and the gravity) that our faith needs to thrive

–         Our faith commitment depends on God’s much larger commitment to us

 

God had promised to give Abram possession of the land but the problem was there were already at least 10 other people groups living in the land

–         Add to that the complication of foreign invaders, which Abram had recently been fighting with, and we can see that, without a firm commitment or guarantee from God, Abram’s belief in God’s promises was at risk of becoming destabilised

–         Like our earth would be destabilised without the gravity of the sun

 

God, in his grace, understands that for our faith to survive, over the long haul, he needs to provide the guarantee of a stable commitment

–         So the Lord God gives Abram the guarantee he asked for

–         The Lord tells Abram to bring him some livestock and birds

–         Abram does this, cutting the livestock in two and laying the pieces on the ground opposite each other

–         This was a messy and smelly business – there would have been a lot of blood and flies

 

Abram has to wait till the end of the day, shooing away the carrion, until God speaks again

 

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

 

This thick and dreadful darkness signals to Abram (and to us) that what is about to take place carries huge gravity

 

The Lord goes on to explain the future to Abram – how his descendants will be enslaved in a country not their own for 400 years

–         God is talking about the Israelites in Egypt

–         But the Lord God will punish the nation that mistreats Israel and bring Abram’s descendants out of slavery

–         The implication here is that possession of the land is a slow train coming – it won’t happen overnight

–         There will be a lot of waiting and suffering before the promise is fulfilled

–         I guess if we are going to ask God for guarantees we need to be ready to hear what he wants to tell us – we may not like it

 

Verse 16 explains the reason for the delay…

–         16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

 

God is patient and just – he is slow to anger and rich in love

–         He intends to give the inhabitants of the land more than 400 years to change their wicked ways

–         Only when they’ve gone past the point of no return will the Amorites be dispossessed of the land

–         The reference to God’s patience in waiting for the sin of the Amorites to reach its fullness indicates that Joshua’s invasion was an act of justice, not aggression [6]

 

Verse 17 describes God cutting a covenant with Abram

 

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire-pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord cut a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land…

 

In the ancient culture, of Abram’s time, this is how people made an irrevocable agreement

–         It was called cutting a covenant because you cut the animals in half and walked between them as a way of saying, ‘If I break this promise then what has been done to the animals will be done to me’ [7]

 

It was serious, heavy weight, stuff

–         In our culture we don’t really have anything that comes close to this level of commitment

–         Our culture is relatively low on commitment but high on inclusion,

–         The prevailing thought is pretty much anything goes, so long as you don’t hurt anyone else – we’re more easy come, easy go

–         Our society, as a whole, tends to value convenience over commitment

 

The smoking fire-pot and blazing torch are symbols of God’s presence

–         The Lord walks between the animals that Abram has cut in two to demonstrate his solemn commitment to do what he has promised

–         What we notice is that God is the only one who walks between the severed animals – Abram doesn’t walk between them

–         So this is a one sided covenant – God is binding himself

–         It’s not that God requires nothing of Abram – as we’ll see when we get to chapter 17, God does ask some things of Abram and his descendants

–         The point here is that Abram can have 100% confidence in God’s oath

 

God’s covenant with Abram had the mass & gravity of the sun providing the light and stability Abram’s faith needed

–         But not just stability for Abram’s faith – also stability for the faith of his descendants

–         Isaac and Jacob and all the Israelites could look to this covenant and it would give light and order to their life, even through the hardest times

 

Conclusion:

Now God didn’t just cut a covenant with Abram

–         He has also cut a covenant with us

 

When Jesus went to the cross God was cutting a covenant with humanity

–         He was making an irrevocable commitment that anyone who accepts Jesus by faith will have their sins forgiven and be gifted eternal life in the kingdom of heaven

–         God’s commitment to us, as demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, has the mass & gravity & light to give stability and life to our faith

 

So the question is: do you believe in Jesus?

–         His death & resurrection

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/12-nov-2017-gods-covenant-with-abram

 

Questions for discussion / reflection:

 

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

 

2.)    In what sense is Abram like the acorn in the story?

–         Why are you here? (What is the purpose or meaning of your life?)

 

3.)    How was Abram’s belief that God could make him a father equivalent to believing in resurrection from the dead?

–         What do you believe about the resurrection?

 

4.)     What is righteousness?

 

5.)    Why do you think Abram asks God for a guarantee in verse 8?

–         What does our faith depend on for stability and survival?

 

6.)    Why must Abram’s descendants wait over 400 years before God’s promise of them possessing the land is realised?

 

7.)    What does it mean to cut a covenant?

 

8.)    What covenant has God cut with us?

 

Footnotes

[1] Romans 4

[2][2] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 247.

[3] Luke 1:18

[4] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 241.

[5] Part of me wants to come to Abram’s rescue and put a positive spin on his words by saying that Abram was asking the question in pursuit of the promise. So, ‘How can I know I’ll gain possession of it?’ means something like, ‘Great I believe you God. When can I start kicking people out?’ But I suspect that would stretching the text too far

[6] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 244.

[7] Refer to Jeremiah 34:18-19

Tawa Baptist

Abram liberates Lot

Scripture: Genesis 14

 

Title: Abram liberates Lot

 

Structure:

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

 

Introduction:

You may have heard of the movie, Saving Private Ryan

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

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

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

 

Today we continue our series on the life of Abram

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

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

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

–         From verse 1 we read…

 

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

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

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

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Abram liberates Lot:

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

Basically there were two opposing alliances…

–         The mafia alliance and the rebel alliance

–         The mafia alliance was comprised of 4 kings

–         And the rebel alliance was comprised of 5 kings

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

–         No one could stand against them

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

Two points to note here:

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Women tend to suffer the most in war

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

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

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

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

 

War in the Bible:

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         They termed it the bloodless revolution [4]

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Firstly, war happens

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

The third point is that God sometimes takes part in war

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

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

 

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

–         Well, it appears he did

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

Abram chooses peace:

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

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

 

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

19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

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

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

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

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

 

May God bless the reading of his word to us

 

Two quite different kings approach Abram after his victory

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

 

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

–         So Melchizedek was also the king of peace

–         Righteousness and peace go hand in hand

 

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

–         Melchizedek wants to establish a right relationship with Abram

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

 

The king of Sodom is quite different to Melchizedek

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

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

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

–         He wants to control the situation

–         But Abram won’t have a bar of it

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

 

In this way Abram’s motivation is revealed

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

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

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

 

In Luke 4 Jesus says of himself…

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Questions for reflection &/or discussion:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

6.)    How are women affected by war?

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

 

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

–         Reflect on / discuss John Goldingay’s 6 points

 

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

 

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

–         How does Melchizedek point to Jesus?

 

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

[1] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 226.

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

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

[4] Ibid, page 28.

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

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

Tawa Baptist

Abram & Lot separate

Scripture: Genesis 13

 

Title: Abram & Lot separate

 

Structure:

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

 

Introduction:

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

–         Today we continue our series on the life of Abram

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

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

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

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

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

–         From Genesis 13, verse 1 we read…

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

This morning’s message is structured around three choices…

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

–         First let’s consider Abram’s choice

 

Abram’s choice:

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

–         Most people chose the bag at that stage

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Sometimes separation is a bad thing, it’s destructive

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Abram was also richer and more powerful than Lot

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

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

–         Abram puts peace before personal gain

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

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

 

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

–         He didn’t know what Lot would choose

 

There was some risk involved with what Abram did here

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

–         What if Lot had chosen to go toward Canaan?

–         What would become of God’s promise then?

 

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

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

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

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

 

As John Walton notes…

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         They can only be received by faith

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

 

Eric Liddell was a man of Christian faith

–         He was also a great runner

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

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

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

–         But Eric did not budge

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         What about Lot, what did he choose?

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

 

Lot’s choice:

In verse 10 we read…

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

 

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

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

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

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

–         Instead Lot chooses the best land for himself

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         So Lot’s moving east associates him with Cain

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

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

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

–         Lot chose the wide path and not the narrow road

 

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

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

 

God’s choice:

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

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

 

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

 

The technical word when God chooses someone is ‘election’

–         Not election in the sense of a democratic process

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         It makes us less compassionate and more competitive

 

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

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

–         Easier said than done – I know

 

God’s instruction to walk through the land is significant

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard about three choices

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

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

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

 

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

–         Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         When is separation a good thing?

–         How did Abram ensure an amicable separation with Lot?

 

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

 

5.)    God chose (elected) Abram.

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         What other beatitudes might relate to Abram?

 

[1] Hebrews 11:1

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

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

[4] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 221.

[5] Matthew 7:13-14

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

Tawa Baptist

Abram in Egypt

Scripture: Genesis 12:10-20

 

Title: Abram in Egypt

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Famine
  • Fear
  • Freedom
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

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

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

 

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

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

 

Or when a young person is learning to drive

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

This morning we continue our series on the life of Abram

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

–         Abram responded by obeying God’s call in stages

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Today’s Scripture passage conveniently divides into 3 parts…

–         Famine, fear and freedom

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

 

Famine:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Or our prayer life becomes stale and dry

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         Or a cell phone with no battery

–         Or a pair of shoes with a hole in them

–         The famine calls God’s faithfulness into question

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         Or, try swimming against the current

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

–         He could call out to God for help

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

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

 

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

–         Instead he thought he would take care of it himself

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

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

 

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

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

 

Fear:

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Fear can be a ruthless dictator – not unlike Pharaoh

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

This is a picture of men behaving badly

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

–         Pharaoh acted out of his lust to have Sarai

–         And so God intervened to set Sarai & Abram free

 

Freedom:

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free”

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

–         Apparently Pharaoh wants to blame Abram for his predicament

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

There are parallels here between Abram and Jesus too

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

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

 

Another connection between Abram & Jesus…

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

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

–         And what’s the first temptation?

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

–         Forget God and rely on yourself

–         Unlike Abram, Jesus passed the test

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Those two things, his presence and heaven

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         How does fear affect you?

–         When is fear a good thing?

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

8.)    What does Jesus promise us?

–         What does he not promise?

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

 

 

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

[2] Ibid

Tawa Baptist

God calls Abram

Scripture: Genesis 11:27-12:9

 

Title: God calls Abram

 

Structure:

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

 

Introduction:

X-men first class,

The Hobbit,

Monsters University,

Rise of the Planet of the Apes,

Batman begins,

Revenge of the Sith

The God Father, Part 2…

 

These are all examples of origin stories or prequels

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

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

–         We love origin stories

 

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

–         Genesis is essentially a collection of origin stories

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

God’s creative call:

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

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

–         Cells reproduce by separating or dividing themselves

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

This was a big call – a difficult thing

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         Terah most likely worshipped the moon god Sin

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Nahor married his niece Milkah

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

God then promises to bless Abram

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

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

 

“I will make your name great”

–         This means more than simply being famous

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

It appears God chose Abram out of pure grace

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

How then does Abram respond?

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

 

Abram’s faith journey:

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

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

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

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

–         Slow and steady wins the race

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

That’s often how it is with us as well

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         But there are times when I don’t

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Kaizen is a Japanese word which simply means improvement

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

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

–         It takes time to trust Jesus with our reputation

–         It takes time to value prayer over sleep

 

Abram’s faith & obedience grew in stages

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         He builds an altar in that place

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

–         They provide a focal point for worshipping God

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

 

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

–         Let’s stand and sing…

 

Reflection / discussion questions:

 

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

 

2.)    What is your origins story?

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

[1] Bruce Waltke, Genesis, page 205.

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

Tawa Baptist

Barnabas & Mark

Scripture: Acts 15:36-40

 

Title: Barnabas & Mark

 

The term ‘big hearted’ describes someone who is:

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

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

 

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

–         This morning we continue our series on intergenerational relationships

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

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

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

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

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

 

From Acts 15, verse 36 we read…

 

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

 

May the Spirit of Jesus give us understanding

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         Consequently Paul found acceptance among the other Christian believers

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

–         He was willing to trust God with the risk

 

Barnabas’ real name was actually Joseph

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

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

–         Encouragement is more than just saying nice things to people

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Mark had more than one mentor

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

 

In many ways Peter was a good match for Mark

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

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

 

Mark assisted Peter as he preached the good news about Jesus

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

–         Clearly Peter appreciated Mark and loved him

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

 

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

 

But Mark’s story doesn’t end with Peter

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

But wait, there’s more…

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

–         Well, two things…

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Eventually Paul came round too

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Who is your Mark?

–         Who can you encourage?

–         Who can you give confidence to?

–         Who needs greater care?

 

Questions

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

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

–         Can you think of someone who is big hearted?

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

4.)    What does it mean to encourage someone?

–         How did Barnabas encourage people?

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

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

7.)    Who can you be a Barnabas for?

–         Who is your Mark?

–         Who can you encourage?

 

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

[1] Acts 11:24

[2] Acts 12:25

[3] Acts 13:1-5

[4] Acts 4:36

[5] 1st Peter 5:12-13

[6] Colossian 4:10

[7] 2 Timothy 4:11

[8] 1 Corinthians 12:21-22

Tawa Baptist

Time

Title: Time

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Time is a gift
  • Time has a purpose
  • Conclusion – reflection stations

 

Introduction:

With today being the start of daylight savings the theme of our all-age service this morning is time

–         There’s two things I want to say about time

–         Firstly, that time is one of God’s gifts to us

–         And secondly, that time has a purpose or a goal

 

Time is a gift:

We often hear it said that ‘time is money’

–         This is wrong in that it leads us to think we somehow earn time by working

–         The truth is: time is not money – time is a gift from God

–         We don’t do anything to earn time, we receive it freely

–         We don’t all get the same amount of time and none us knows when our time will run out – so we need to make the most of each day

 

Time is God’s gift to us and it’s a multifaceted gift

 

On the wall here is a picture of a Swiss Army knife

–         A Swiss Army knife has a range of different uses

–         It can be used as a bottle opener, a screwdriver, a pair of scissors, tweezers, a tooth pick, a cork screw and so on

 

In God’s hands, time is a bit like a Swiss Army knife

–         God uses time in a whole variety of ways to accomplish his purpose

 

For example, we are not born fully developed – God gives us time to grow and to learn

–         When we are sick or hurt in some way, God uses time to heal us

–         Or, if we have suffered some kind of loss then God gives us time to grieve and accept our loss

–         When we pray God gives us time by listening to us

–         And when we are tired God gives us time to rest

–         When we make a mistake or get off track God waits for us – he gives us time to come to our senses and return to him

–         God uses time to achieve his purpose with us and for us

 

God is generous in giving us time

–         When someone is generous in giving us time we call that patience

–         God is patient with us

 

Time is God’s gift to us and time has a purpose, an end goal

 

Time has a purpose:

We might think of time sort of like a wheel on a bicycle

–         Like a wheel, time goes round and round in circles but always moving the bicycle forward toward a destination

 

We see the cyclical nature of time in the days, the months & seasons of the year

–         The sun rises, it’s day time, the sun sets and it’s night time, then the sun rises again and sets and so on

–         Summer follows spring and autumn follows summer and winter follows autumn and then we are into spring again and so the cycle goes

–         In the ancient world, in which the Bible was written, the year was structured around the annual cycle of farming:

–         Planting, growing and harvesting crops

 

Like a wheel on a bicycle God uses time to bring things to fulfilment

 

Fulfilment is a word which means to complete, to make perfect or whole

–         A bicycle fulfils its purpose when it gets its rider to her destination

–         A seed fulfils its purpose when it grows into a tree and bears fruit

–         A caterpillar fulfils its purpose when it becomes a butterfly

–         Wisdom fulfils its purpose when justice is done

–         Medicine fulfils its purpose when a person is made well

–         Guilt fulfils its purpose when the wrong doer repents

–         Grief fulfils its purpose when we make peace with our loss

–         The law fulfils its purpose when we love God and our neighbour

–         We human beings fulfil our purpose when we become like Jesus

 

The point is God uses time to fulfil the purpose of things

–         Whether it’s a seed or a caterpillar or a human being, God uses time to make his creation complete, perfect and whole

 

What about time itself – what is the fulfilment of time?

–         Well, eternity is the fulfilment of time

–         Eternity is time made complete, time made perfect and whole

 

Conclusion:

Time is God’s gift to us and time has a purpose

Tawa Baptist

Saul, David & Jonathon

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

 

Title: Saul, David & Jonathon

 

Structure:

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

 

Introduction:

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

My grandfather had a tough life in many ways

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

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

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

–         He was part of a Lancaster bomber crew

–         Somehow he survived 87 missions flying over Africa and Europe

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

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

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

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

 

Today’s focus is on Saul, David & Jonathon

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         God used Saul to bring the best out in David

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

–         God’s grace trumped David’s environment

 

Saul & David:

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

–         And David believes in God

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

–         God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         At that time Tawa had a bad reputation

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

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

–         It was quite a confusing time

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Sometimes our mentors get it wrong

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Jonathon & David:

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

–         Saul had a son named Jonathon

–         Jonathon was very different from his father

–         Jonathon loved David as himself – they were best friends

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

–         For some reason he looked out for me

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Anyway, one day he saw me across the quad, called me over and asked me to ring the bell for him.

–         He was doing me a favour – it was a special privilege to ring the bell

 

Unfortunately this is one of those anecdotes that doesn’t go anywhere

–         He left school the next year and we lost touch after that

 

I tell you this story to highlight the value of friendships with those who are just a few years ahead of you

 

With most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at in this series the age gap between the people involved has been quite large – anywhere from 20-60 years

–         We don’t know exactly how old Jonathon was in relation to David but I imagine it was probably something like 5 years difference, give or take

–         While they weren’t, strictly speaking, of a different generation from each other, Jonathon was still a few years older

–         Sometimes we need someone, who is like an older brother or sister, to show us kindness and give us confidence

–         People, like Jonathon, who are old enough to take care of us but still close enough in age that we can relate with them easily

 

In the reading from Samuel 19 we see that Saul’s jealousy (his madness) has grown to the point that he is actually talking to others about killing David

–         But Jonathon intervenes to protect David

–         With sound logic and diplomacy Jonathon convinces Saul not to harm David and David is restored to Saul’s presence once more

–         Blessed are the peacemakers. They will be called children of God

 

It wasn’t really in Jonathon’s interests to advocate for David like this

–         By protecting David’s life Jonathon was putting David ahead of himself, opening the door for David to become the next king of Israel

–         Jonathon cares more for David’s well-being than he does for the throne

–         Saul’s appalling behaviour only serves to bring the best out of Jonathon

–         That’s God’s grace

 

In some ways Jonathon reminds me of John Baptist – Jonathon opened doors for David, sort of like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus

–         Jonathon was willing to decrease so that David (God’s Messiah/anointed one) could increase

 

We need a Jonathon in our lives, especially when we are younger – someone who will watch over us for good, be our advocate and open doors for us

–         Here at Tawa Baptist we encourage our teenage young people to get involved as helpers in Sunday school and crèche

–         Club Intermed also have junior leaders who are just a couple of years older than the kids who attend the programme

–         In youth group Daryl recruits leaders in their late teens and twenties – just a few years ahead of those in College

–         And at Night Church Peter & Dan encourage those just a few years younger than them to play music, sing and lead worship alongside them

 

Three main reasons we do things this way

–         One, we need the practical help, the extra hands

–         Two, it’s good for the discipleship of those helping

–         And three, it creates the opportunity for those who are younger to form positive, healthy relationships with those just a couple of years older

–         If you are 8 then it’s often easier to relate with someone who is 14, than someone who is 44

–         Or if you’re 16, then someone who’s 23 is likely to be more in touch with what you’re going through because the 23 year old has just gone through it themselves

–         We still need parent and grandparent figures but older brother & sister relationships are also needed – it’s not either / or, it’s both / and

 

Jonathon was a comfort & shield for David in dealing with Saul

–         Who is your Jonathon?

–         Who is your David?

 

Jonathon’s peace-making efforts worked for a time but eventually Saul lost the plot again and David was forced to get out of that toxic environment

–         Jonathon helps David escape, while still keeping the door open in their relationship

 

David & Saul:

We pick up Saul & David’s story again from 1st Samuel 24 – page 292

–         Saul was obsessed with destroying David. From verse 1 we read…

 

When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2 Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself.

 

It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4 They said to him, “This is your chance! The Lord has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.”

 

David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe without Saul’s knowing it. 5 But then David’s conscience began to hurt, 6 and he said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” 7 So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.

 

In the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker and Darth Vada have a light sabre dual

–         Luke beats Vada and cuts his hand off then the dark lord encourages Luke to kill Vada and turn to the dark side but Luke refuses

 

In some ways Saul is like Darth Vada and David is like Luke

–         Luke has it in his power to kill Vada but he refuses to give in to the dark side, just as David has it in his power to kill Saul but instead chooses to spare Saul’s life

–         By God’s grace Saul’s dark side brought the best out of David

 

In our reading from Samuel 24 David gets some more bad advice, not from Saul this time but from his friends who tell him to kill Saul, just as the dark lord told Luke to kill his father

–         Fortunately David has the conscience to reject his friend’s advice

–         David refuses to turn to the dark side as Saul had done

–         Instead David leaves the matter in God’s hands

–         By setting the right example the young David becomes a mentor to the senior Saul

 

By saving Saul’s life David once again points to Jesus, who had the power to destroy his enemies but instead resisted the temptation and submitted to God’s purpose by going to the cross to die for his enemies

–         Both David and Jesus show us God’s grace

 

Conclusion:

You may be wondering why I chose to preach on Saul & David, given that Saul wasn’t a particularly good model for David

–         Well, not all intergenerational relationships are healthy or good

–         That’s the reality of the world we live in

–         We don’t always get to have a Moses or an Elijah or a Paul as our mentor

–         Sometimes we might get a Saul but usually we have someone who is a mixture of good and bad

 

Saul & David’s very imperfect intergenerational relationship shows us that the future of the protégé doesn’t need to be determined by the mentor

–         By the power of God’s Spirit the protégé (in this case David) has a choice about how he will respond to Saul, his would be mentor

 

So, if those older than you haven’t provided a good example, if they (like Saul) have given bad advice or misbehaved in some way, you have a choice

–         By God’s grace you can choose to be different from them

–         My grandfather chose to be different from his step father

–         David & Jonathon both chose to be different from Saul

–         What it comes down to is knowing who you are and who you want to be

–         (Usually when we are given a really bad example, that clarifies for us who we don’t want to be and by implication who we do want to be)

–         As Christians we find our identity in Christ – we want to be like Jesus

 

I’m not saying it’s an easy choice to make

–         You don’t just click your fingers and say, “I’m going to be different from my parents or my boss or whoever is in authority over me”

–         There’s usually quite a bit of pain and anger and forgiveness involved

–         The point is, if the model you’ve been given is bad then you need to get out of that environment and find a better model

–         Jesus is our model – there’s no one better than him

 

The other thing Saul and David’s relationship shows us is that ultimately God is in control

–         God’s grace trumps our nature and our nurture

–         What Saul intended for David’s harm, God used for David’s good

–         And that should encourage us when we, who are mentors, do a bad job

–         We might not intend to harm the next generation, as Saul did, but we are bound to make mistakes and stuff it up from time to time

–         The good news is, God is gracious – he is able to redeem our mistakes

–         In fact our mistakes (our weaknesses) are often what God uses to bring out the best in others

 

Reflection Questions:

 

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

 

2.)    What do you think of the Dunedin study’s finding that nature loads the gun and nurture (or environment) pulls the trigger?

 

3.)    God, in his grace, is able to use a bad environment to bring out the best in people

–         How did God use Saul to bring out the best in David?

–         Thinking of your own life situation and / or upbringing, how has God’s grace been at work to bring out the best in you (or others)?

 

4.)    What led David to not take Saul’s advice (in wearing Saul’s armour)?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 17:31-40)

–         How might we discern what advice to accept and what to reject?

 

5.)    Do you have (or have you had) a Jonathon in your life?

–         Who can you be a Jonathon to?

 

6.)    How does David become a mentor (set an example) for Saul?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 24)

 

7.)    In what ways does David point to Jesus?

–         How does Jonathon remind us of John the Baptist?

 

8.)    What two main things does Saul & David’s (imperfect) intergenerational relationship show us?