WOW, what a fun day at church today! I was blessed and I hope you were as we remembered the lessons of Noah and redesigned the "scorecard" for what God wants to see happen. We are now to the covenant with Abraham. Genesis 12 thru 20 is the basis for most of this story but the idea of God's Covenant runs throughout Scripture. The terms New Testament and Old Testament really mean New Covenant and Old Covenant respectively. As God steered Noah's ark to safety in a world that was a new start for Noah and his family, God steers the Hebrew people through a series of barriers, road blocks, armies, rivers, twists and turns. The most formidable barrier is (and still is) stubborn people who lack the maturity, wisdom, humility, understanding and love God desires for them. Usually they lack these things by their choices (again, a modern problem).
At the beginning of Genesis 12 we learn that Abram (who will become Abraham) has a characteristic of all the folks God seems to select to be carriers of the Covenant promise. That trait is faith (read Hebrews 11). Abram is told to leave his country and go to the place God will take him. He doesn't know where. He doesn't know what lies in his path. But he 'walks' with God and has a faith-relationship with God. Genesis says, at the ripe old age of 75, Abram departed with all he had and with his family. When Abram arrives in Canaan God tells him that this land will be given to his descendants (God has told the childless Abram this will include you becoming a great nation). In Chapter 13 God renews this promise saying "I will give you so many descendants they cannot be counted"). Through several stories of intrigue, a rescue of Lot (Abram's nephew (this will become a pattern), division of land and the institution of the tithe (yes ... this happened before the giving of the Law) and several other events God and Abram enter chapter 15 where God gives some specificity to the promise. Abram is getting a little impatient and God and Abram enter into a more formal Covenant. The prophecy about his descendants being enslaved for 400 years, the birth of Ishmael (Abram and Sarai tried their plan to have a son through the handmaiden, Hagar) and many years take place (Ishmael is born when Abram is 86).
When Abram is 99 years old God decides to do a new thing with him. Abram is given the name Abraham and Sarai is given the name Sarah. The other new thing is that Abraham and Sarah are a year away from having a son named Isaac (which means laughter, since Sarah laughed when she was told she would give birth at 91 and when Abraham was 100). I bet that kid was spoiled!
Lessons? 1) God is into doing impossible things ... we should remember this when we doubt Him. 2) God keeps His promises in His time frame, not ours. 3) God's plan is beyond our logic and reasoning ... why do we try to put God in the box of our understanding? 4) God is the planner, we are the followers. 5) regarding Ishmael, his descendants would live in a part of the world we call Iraq (he is said to be the ancient father of many Arab tribes). God did say that there would be constant struggle and strife between Ishmael and others and this would be passed to his descendants. Seems that struggle continues.
Out for the evening! May God inform and bless your study!
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