That’s when God shows up and He begins to go to work on Jacob. Wrestling with him. Struggling with him. Forcing Jacob to come to grips with himself on a lot of levels. Forcing Jacob to face his past, his sin, his fear, his brokenness. But Jacob is a strong and stubborn man. He fights God all night long.
These are all honest, real questions that should be raised by any reflective, thoughtful, engaged readers of the Bible. And they press us to the primary question which will undergird our entire journey this year...Will we let God be God? Can we agree that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts? Can we agree that in standing outside of time and space, He has a perspective we can never grasp? Can we agree that God is infinite in wisdom and understanding? Omniscient and omnipotent? Again, will we let God be God?
One of the most famous stories in all of Scripture is the sacrifice of Isaac. It has been the subject of some of the most incredible artwork throughout the centuries. It has influenced the plot lines of famous works of literature. There is just something deeply compelling about this story for believers and non-believers alike. An old man taking his son. His only son. The son whom he loves and offering him as a sacrifice.
All one has to do is look at the life of Abraham...It’s not a perfect life. It’s not a safe life. It’s not an easy life. Abraham is given far more than he can ever handle. He is pushed further than he himself would ever choose to go. God never stops demanding, never stops commanding. And he just keeps walking by faith.
Readings for the day: Genesis 12 and 13
Welcome to week 2! This week begins with the call to Abram. A seminal event in salvation history. God choosing one man from one family, one clan, one tribe descended from Noah’s oldest son Shem to become the father of a great nation. God’s nation. The nation of Israel.
And what is God’s call to Abram? Essentially the same call He gave to Adam and Eve. The same call He gave to Noah and his family. Be fruitful. Multiply. Fill the earth. Have dominion. Only this time, God isn’t going to leave it up to Abram. Because human beings remain so prone to evil, God steps in...
All that sounds well and good except Abram’s got issues! He is 75 years old which is not the best time in life to be starting over. His wife Sarai is barren and their childlessness is a source of incredible shame. He has to leave yet another city where he was established to go to an unknown place. When he finally arrives in the Promised Land, there is a famine. This drives him to Egypt where he fears his life will be in danger. He lies about his relationship with Sarai which puts God’s promise at risk. He returns from Egypt only to experience so much conflict with his nephew, they have to separate. LIfe is certainly not easy for Abram!
And yet the call of God remains. After everything is said and done and Abram’s finally found a good spot to settle down, God speaks to him again...
God’s promise will be fulfilled. Not because Abram is faithful. Not because Abram is righteous. Not because Abram found favor with God. But because God is all these things and more! God will bring about His will on the earth! God will deliver on His promises! God will fulfill His purposes! And it doesn’t really matter what humanity does or doesn’t do. God will bring His plan to pass!
Does this give you hope today? To know He is at work in your life right now making you fruitful? Multiplying you in ways you cannot begin to imagine? Sending you out to fill the earth with His image and glory? Giving you dominion over all He has made? Does it take the pressure off a bit? Knowig that God will accomplish this in your life? I hope so! And like Abram, it doesn’t matter what obstacles stand in your way! God is faithful! In Christ, His promises are sure! In Christ, His promises will come to pass! In Christ, He will fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives!
The corruption was so vast and so evil that God actually regrets that he made man in the first place and is deeply grieved to see what has become of the special creature He made in His own image. And because the evil is so radical and so pervasive, God performs an equally radical and pervasive form of surgery.
Who knows how long Adam and Eve lived and worked in the glory of Eden. What we do know is that there came a day when paradise wasn’t enough. Tempted by Satan, they disobeyed God. They fell into sin. And because of their exalted position - literally God’s vice-regents on earth - all of creation suffered the consequences of their tragic choice.
Readings for the Day: Genesis 1 & 2
Nothing. Emptiness. Void. Before time. Before space. Before matter. There was only God. Already Trinity. Already Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Existing from eternity in Three Persons. Complete. Full. Rich. God needed nothing. God lacked nothing. God was eternally satisfied in Himself. Decision. Resolve. Commitment. God choosing to create. God choosing to bring forth life and light and beauty and order. God choosing to love and be loved.
Let there be Light!
Let there be Heaven!
Let there be Earth and Seas!
Let there be plants, trees, and flowers!
Let there stars and sun and moon!
Let there be fish and birds!
Let there be beasts on the earth!
Something. Time and space and matter now come into being. A universe filled with stars and planets and galaxies bursts into being. The first sunrise. The first sunset. Tides begin. The first buds appear on the earth. The first babies are born on the earth and in the sea. And through it all, there is God. Still lacking nothing. Still needing nothing. Still eternally satisfied but deeply in love with all He creates.
Out of love, God provides a guardian. Someone to take care of all He has made. A creature made in His own image. Male and female, they too are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. They are given a sacred charge. To subdue the earth. To hold dominion over creation. God entrusting to them a precious gift. They are to steward life. To make sure it flourishes and God’s good purposes come to pass. They are to nurture and care for it. They are to work and keep it. They are to guard and protect it.
So much gets lost in the debates over whether creation happened in six literal 24-hour days. Or whether the plural first person (“Let us make...”) is an early reference to the Trinity or simply the use of the royal “we” that was common in Ancient Near East literature. Or parsing the differences between the two creation accounts, one poetry (Gen. 1) and one prose (Gen. 2), that we lose sight of the point of the text.
God creates something out of nothing. Brings order to chaos. Light to darkness. Fills the void. And then sets humanity up as His vice-regents on the earth. They are given the authority to rule over all He has made in His name. They are to walk in obedience with Him and thereby enjoy a unique relationship with their Creator. They are to work. They are to be fruitful. They are to multiply and fill the earth with the image and glory of God. This is their purpose. This is the role God designed them to play.
Think about all God has entrusted into your hands today. Think about all the responsibilities God has given you. Family. Friends. Work. Wealth. Talent. Ability. How are you stewarding these gifts for His glory? How are you living out your God-given purpose to nurture life today in all you say, think, and do? How will you contribute to the flourishing of those around you?
Reading the Bible every day is essential to one’s spiritual growth. Not because God has given us homework but because God’s Word is “living and active.” God’s Word is literally “God-breathed.” God’s Word comes alive through the Holy Spirit and speaks to the deepest needs of every human heart. It is the primary way we get to know God and it is the primary way He speaks to us.
There is a "moral vision" in the Bible that we can draw wisdom from as we vote on issues that affect us in the 21st century. It will confront us. Challenge us. Force us to come to grips with the fact that we too often settle for what is most expedient rather than what is best for our nation in the long-term. We too often settle for the "lesser of two evils" without acknowledging that the lesser of two evils is still evil. We too often don't consider our own biases, prejudices, and privilege when we vote and that prevents us from walking a mile in another person's shoes. Ultimately, we tend to vote for what is in our own best interest rather than the collective good.
Our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values and, as a result, the church has enjoyed "home field" advantage for centuries. A respected place in society. Tax relief. Housing allowances. These are just some of the tangible privileges we've grown accustomed to and there are many intangible benefits as well. Those are now going away. We are beginning to taste what life is like for most of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world where the church is not so closely aligned with the state
Why would I read a book - or really a collection of books - that were written over thousands of years, mainly chronicling the journey of a people (the Jews) to which I have no connection, climaxing in the birth, death, and resurrection of a man named Jesus who lived almost two thousand years ago? Why would I not only read these words each year but more importantly, try to pattern my life accordingly? Why would I commit my life to studying this book and teach others to do the same?
