The Faith and Promise of Hagar - Genesis 16

 

At the beginning of Genesis 16, Sarai who is still barren, takes matters into her own hands and gives to Abram her Egyptian slave-girl, Hagar.  Abram dutifully obeys his wife and takes Hagar as a concubine, and before long, she becomes pregnant.  Though holding a much lower status than Sarai, Hagar is none too proud of the fact that she and not her mistress is fertile.  Sarai takes exception to Hagar's contempt and then blames Abram for the whole situation.  Abram takes a step back and reminds Sarai that Hagar is her slave and that she's free to do with her as she pleases.  Sarai takes her anger and frustration out on the Egyptian woman and not surprisingly, Hagar runs away from her mistress.  She would rather take her chances out in the wild, then continue to be abused by Sarai.

Out in the wilderness, the young woman stumbles across a spring where she encounters the angel of YHWH.  The angel asks her where's she's come from and where's she's going.  She explains the situation, and then the angel instructs her to return to Sarai.  As bad as things may be with her mistress, Hagar is far more likely to experience death and destruction alone in the desert, than she might with Abram and Sarai.  But before she returns to the first family of faith, she receives promises from YHWH.  She too will be the matriarch of many peoples and large nations.  The child in her womb is to be called Ishmael and this baby will grow up to be a "wild ass of a man" - actually a complement, not a derision.  Hagar does not know YHWH, but she calls him the "God who sees me, or the God whom she has seen."  She may not fully understand the identity of this God, but for the moment she places her trust in him, and obeying the angel, she returns to Sarai.  She eventually gives birth and Abram names his first son, Ishmael.

Culture and Customs 

Like any other historical document, we should seek to understand the Biblical narrative in its historical context.  Abram and Sarai lived in a world where slavery was commonplace.  Now, to be sure, the slavery that existed in the Near East 4,000 years ago is not exactly the same kind of slavery that existed in the American colonies and the United States from the 1600s until 1865.  However, let's be clear - slavery is never a good thing.  Throughout the entirety of the Bible, slavery was common in the Near East and the Mediterranean.  Sometimes God's people enslaved others and sometimes they were enslaved by others.

What do we make of this?  First, we acknowledge that it is human sin and brokenness that leads to things like slavery.  But secondly, we must also acknowledge that slavery in some form has been very common throughout almost all of human history and in almost every location.  God does not swoop down and miraculously end every human institution that transgresses his will.  He has given humanity freedom - both freedom for good and freedom for evil.  And so, if God is going to work through humanity - which is his chosen instrument - then he must work through human frailty and sin.  He finds and works in and through us as we are, not as he would have us to be.  And if we look at our own lives, we realize that God's work, though noticeable, takes an awful long time to mature.  There are no quick fixes.  And yet, God continues to work through us.

So, back to the story of Hagar, Sarai, and Abram.  Due to human sin and brokenness, there is a power dynamic at work and it is clear who has the power and who does not.  Sarai, as Hagar's mistress is in a position of power.  And by giving Hagar to Sarai, Hagar is powerless to resist Abram.  Though, not necessarily commonplace, it was not unheard of for an infertile woman to offer her husband a "surrogate" option in the ancient Near East.  The text does not tell us Hagar's feelings once she has become Abram's concubine.  It would be pure speculation to guess.  But, it isn't unreasonable to think that she may not be 100% thrilled.  Either way, she does become pregnant and one cannot fault her for rubbing Sarai's nose in this.  She may not have much power, but she has something that at this point Sarai is unable to attain.  And though she is not favored by her mistress, she is still favored by God.

God's Concern for the Outsider 

The reader of the Bible will discover over and over again that God has a real concern for the outsider.  There are groups who emphasize God's election of his people at the expense of everyone else.  But a close reading of the narrative does not allow for this.  In God's Kingdom, there are no outsiders except for those who choose to remain outside.

Notice in this story how God not only provides life giving water for Hagar, but also directs this young, vulnerable woman to return to Abram and Sarai.  This undoubtedly saves her life and her pregnancy.  It also provides a solid platform for her son to be raised in a better environment than he might otherwise have been exposed to if Hagar had somehow survived the desert conditions, avoided wild animals, and outwitted any potential bandits along the way.  YHWH promises to bless Ishmael and to establish many nations from his descendants, so God does not save Hagar, simply to save her, rather he saves her so that both she and her son might be a blessing to others in the future.

Seeking to Orchestrate Promise Fulfillment and Blessing

It may seem that I am being overly harsh with Abram and especially Sarai at this point.  Let me be clear - I do not think that either of these figures does anything that might be drastically different than most any other human beings would have done in their circumstances.  But, that's why a life of radical faith can be so difficult.  

Both Sarai and Abram could and should have treated Hagar and her unborn son with more dignity, care, and respect.  And the whole situation results from Sarai and Abram seeking to engineer God's blessings on their own terms.  Because God is seemingly slow in keeping his promise, they take matters into their own hands.  

As I point the finger at these faithful, and yet at sometimes faithless individuals, I recognize that there are three fingers pointed directly back at me.  How often have I failed to wait on the Lord?  How often have I trusted my own ingenuity over God's faithfulness?  How often have I simply been unfaithful, despite God's promise keeping?  How about you? - Shay    

A Covenant of Trust - Genesis 15

The gospel of Mark claims that the enemy of faith is fear, not doubt.  So it is interesting that when YHWH speaks to Abram in a vision at the beginning of Genesis 15, his first words to this patriarch are not, "do not doubt", but rather, "do not fear."  He goes onto promise Abram his protection and that his reward shall be very great.

But we can't fault Abram for a level of fear, or doubt in response.  How will the promises of God come true to this old man, when he and his post-menopausal wife are still childless?  Abram doubles down by reminding God that at this point in his story, Abram will be leaving his wealth to a slave in his household, rather than a son.  

But God's not done yet - in Abram's story, nor in this visionary exchange.  God takes Abram outside and asks the elderly gentleman to take a look at the night sky.  In our modern world filled with light pollution, we can't imagine what that sight must have been.  God dares Abram to count the stars and if he is able to do so, then his future descendants might also be numbered.  Essentially, YHWH reminds Abram that he is in fact the creator of the night sky - the moon, the stars - and if he is the God behind the creation of the universe, then is it too much to ask him to provide a son to this geriatric couple?  Abram believes the Lord after this second affirmation and the Lord considers Abram's trust to be righteousness.  But what is righteousness exactly?  The best definition I've ever heard is that it is being in a right relationship with God and a right relationship with others.  So, by trusting YHWH, Abram is on a path to a deep and satisfying relationship with the creator of the cosmos and with those whom this God might place in his path.  

Covenant 

Though Abram believes and trusts God, he still needs a little bit more in the area of assurance.  So God has him cut several animals in half, and after sunset, Abram falls into a deep sleep where he receives further promises for the future.  He will indeed have many offspring, but those descendants will become slaves and will suffer oppression for four centuries in a foreign land, before coming back to Canaan and receiving their inheritance.  After these words of prophesy, Abram witnesses a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the animals.  This seems to be an ancient covenant rite (see Jeremiah 34:18-19).  God has bound himself to Abram and Sarai and to the promises made to this patriarchal couple.  

So What?!!!

From the very beginning of the Biblical narrative, the biggest enemy of faith has been fear.  In fact, in the earlier stories about Abram, it was his fear that often led to his faithlessness.  How will Abram's natural fear be overcome?  By gradually learning to trust God more.  And the more that Abram discovers that God is fact trustworthy, the more trust Abram will place in this God and the less he will be overcome by his fears.

And one of the ways that YHWH builds that trust with Abram is through daring Abram to believe.  The God who can do even more than we can ask or imagine challenges Abram to ask for more than he can grasp and to imagine the impossible.  As we will discover in Abram's and Sarai's stories, God will not fall short in his ability to deliver.

But, this does not mean that Abram will receive his reward immediately.  He and Sarai will be forced to wait and wait and wait.  Not only will Abram and Sarai have to wait for the birth of their own son, even their descendants will have to wait and wait and wait to receive their inheritance - they will have to wait for over 400 years.  The ancients could measure things in centuries, while we have a hard time measuring things in minutes.  We live in a world of instant gratification and we have probably all grown increasingly impatient.  But the story of this faithful, though imperfect family reminds us that the best things come to those who are willing to wait.  

Where are you at in Abram's and Sarai's story?  In other words, where do you identify with these founders of our faith?  Where might their story challenge you to place more faith in our God?  What fears might a deeper trust in YHWH alleviate for you?  There is more of their story to come and there's more in yours and my story to be developed too. - Shay  

Blessed to be a Blessing - Genesis 14

Genesis 14:1-16 tells the tale of Abram intervening in a war between various kings in the Jordan Valley area.  Most kings at this point in history were rulers of small city states.  They weren't as powerful as the European kings of the Middle Ages, and they were nothing in comparison to the emperors who controlled vast regions across the ancient near east and the Mediterranean in the later Biblical narratives.  Historically, we know nothing of the specific kings mentioned in Genesis 14.  They probably existed, but were of so little significance, they're not even a footnote in history.

What's important as it relates to the Abram story is that his nephew Lot is taken captive, and so, like the good uncle that he is, Abram rallies three hundred plus men in his household to go and rescue Lot and his family.  Abram successfully routs his enemies and brings back Lot, several other captive men, women, and children, as well many valuable goods.  Verses 1-16 of this text are interesting, but  verses 17-24 hold even more intrigue.  

The Mysterious Melchizedek 

Though we have further information about Melchizedek in the Biblical corpus (Psalm 110 & Hebrews 5), there isn't much further details to be found about this mysterious character outside of the Bible.  And for the sake of understanding Genesis 14 in its original context, we must camp out here first, before allowing Psalm 110 or Hebrews 5 to influence what Genesis has to say about this shadowy figure.  

After rescuing Lot, Abram heads back to his residence in the southern part of the promised land, and along the way, he's met by the king of Sodom in a valley near what later became Jerusalem.  At this time it is known as Salem.  Abram and the king of Sodom are joined by the king of Salem, who is none other than Melchizedek.  He is not only a king, but also a priest of God Most High.  Here we need to pause for a moment.  Historically speaking, Melchizedek is a Canaanite and he would have worshiped a host of deities, just like the rest of the Canaanites living in the land.  God Most High (El El-Yon in Hebrew) is simply the chief god amongst many gods within the Canaanite pantheon.  Melchizedek is no monotheist, and he neither knows, nor worships YHWH, the God of the Israelites, and later the Jews.  However, much like Paul's attempt to point the Athenians to the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through the statue to an "unknown god" (Acts 17), so in the Genesis narrative, Melchizedek's limited understanding of God Most High, points to a hidden reality that neither he, nor even Abram fully understand at this point in time, namely that YHWH is the true maker of heaven and earth.  In other words, though Melchizedek doesn't know it, who he worships as God Most High, the highest of many deities in his mind, is in fact, YHWH, the one and only God and the creator of all that is.  

Melchizedek blesses Abram in the name of God Most High and gives this God the credit for delivering Abram from his enemies.  The king of Salem, the king of Sodom, and Abram share bread and wine together, and Abram then gives one tenth of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek as a thanksgiving offering.  

Okay, so now back to Psalm 110 and Hebrews 5.  In Psalm 110, in what became a "Messianic Psalm" for the people of Israel, the figure of Melchizedek is used as an example of a king who is also a priest (someone who performs a mediatory role between the people and God).  Essentially, according to the Psalmist, the Davidic king will not only rule his people and win battles on their behalf, but like Melchizedek, will also act as a go-between for God's people and YHWH himself.  The writer of Hebrews later uses Psalm 110 to demonstrate how Jesus is the ultimate High Priest, as well as King, even though he was not descended from Aaron and was not a part of the priestly caste.  

A Few Takeaways 

1. It is easy for us to forget that our understanding of God 2,000 years on the other side of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is very different than anyone who lived 4,000 years ago.  We forget that Abram and Sarai were not monotheists as we understand monotheism today.  See Joshua 24:2.  Did they come to discover that God Most High (YWHW) was in fact the only true God?  Or did they know him as their own personal God, but not necessarily the only god?  Did they simply see him as the highest and most powerful of all other gods?  The text is unclear, but it is safe to say that based on the rest of the Old Testament, God's people continued to struggle with undivided devotion to him.  Sarai and Abram were not different.  Of course, we sometimes struggle with idolatry as well.  Our false gods just go by different names.    

2.  In Genesis 14, Abram is blessed by Melchizedek.  God's promise of blessing to Abram continues to come to fruition in a variety of circumstances and through a plethora of different people.  And Abram is also becoming a blessing to others in return.  He blesses Lot and others by rescuing them.  

3. Both of these takeaways apply to us too. God works in our lives and blesses us despite our limited understanding of him and our ignorance of his providential ways.  But God doesn't bless us just for ourselves.  He blesses us in order that we too would be a blessing for others as well.  As it was for Melchizedek and Abram, so may it be for us! - Shay 

Abram's Faith Begins to Grow (at least a little) - Genesis Thirteen

 

The last we saw of Abram, he had narrowly escaped Egypt with his own life and his own wife intact.  Now, in chapter 13 of Genesis, he journeys back to the spot between Bethel and Ai, where he had previously made a sacrifice to God and called on his name.  Though his time in Egypt was tenuous, Abram has come out of the ordeal better off than when he entered it.  Pharaoh (with YHWH's nudging) has made Abram a very wealthy man indeed.  

His nephew, Lot, has also accumulated a great deal a wealth and is still hanging out with his uncle.  But there's a problem.  The land of Canaan might have been known as a land flowing with milk and honey to later generations, but there is only so much grazable land and water, and eventually things come to a head between the herders of Abram's livestock and the herders of Lot's animals.  Not to mention, you still have the native inhabitants occupying the territory.  There's only so much the land can produce.  What should be done.

The logical thing would be for Abram to give Lot his marching orders.  It might go something like this: "Okay little nephew - I've babysat you long enough.  Don't you think its time for you to strike out on your own and provide for yourself in this world?  God has promised me this land, so you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!"  

But that's not what Abram does.  Instead of dictating to Lot what he must do, Abram instead offers Lot a choice.  He honors Lot by offering him the opportunity to choose where he would like to live.  Being the older member of the family, he could have easily sent Lot on his way, and Lot would have probably accepted this decision without objection.  But in this moment, Abram is not only magnanimous in his treatment of his nephew, he takes a step back and trusts YHWH to eventually fulfill his earlier promises.  Abram's in control, but he's not a control freak.  In this moment, he is ever-so-gradually letting go of the reigns and allowing God to take control.

And that is essentially what faith is all about.  It is trust.  Faith is, to harness a cliche, the ability to let go and to let God!  In the previous blog post we discovered that though Abram had a strong initial faith to answer God's call, his faith was immature and naive.  When confronted with a couple of tests, he not only failed, he failed miserably.  In Genesis 13, Abram's faith has grown, at least a little.  He is willing to trust in YHWH's promises, even if at first glance it might seem that he is in danger of being usurped by his younger upstart nephew.  

Lot chooses to take his flocks to the east, down into the Jordan River Valley amongst the depraved cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  We will discover what a poor choice this is later in the narrative, but for now the reader is left with a sigh of relief as Abram settles in the land of Canaan, instead of near the cities of the plain.  

And as we have seen in Abram's and Sarai's stories, and as we will continue to see throughout the entire narrative of scripture, it is God's faithfulness that stands out.  YHWH invites Abram to dream about the future.  He tells him to lift up his eyes and look north, south, east, and west.  He dares him to imagine that one day, all the land that he can see will be his and will be the possession of his offspring.  At this point, Abram doesn't own even a clod of dirt in this promised land and he doesn't have a single child, much less numerous descendants.  But God challenges Abram to walk the length and breadth of the land, trusting that it will one day be his.  God outrageously claims that if anyone can count the dust of the earth - so numerous will Abram's progeny be.  These are bold promises and it takes a bold man like Abram to believe them.  Abram responds to God's invitation and begins to put down slightly more permanent roots in the land.  And he again builds an altar to the Lord.

But, tempting as it may be to assume Abram and Sarai have arrived, in many ways their story with God is just beginning.  There are still further tests to come and quite a few more roadblocks and failures along the way.  Much like our lives, Abram's journey isn't linear.  It's full of stops and starts, ups and downs, victories, and failures.  Though he will continue to grow in his faith, he will also stumble and fall along the way.  Sound familiar? - Shay  

Gen 12:10-20 - Abram Fails the Test Twice

When we first meet Abram in Genesis 12:1-9, we are painted a picture of a man who is either full of blind faith or is simply naive.  When an unknown God calls, he goes. But after finding himself in the promised land, he discovers the land he's been guaranteed is a famine land.  Now Abram's blind faith receives its first test.  Will he remain in the land, or will he bail?  He bails and he and his entourage make the several hundred miles journey south into Egypt, where Abram faces another test and then fails miserably again.

Self-Service 

I mentioned in the previous blog that the ages of Abram and Sarai seem to be exaggerated in the Biblical text.  Sarai seems to be a gorgeous gal - a real looker.  She's so beautiful that Abram is concerned that the Egyptians might kill him to get to Sarai.  This dilemma probably would not be faced by most couples subscribed to the AARP.  Do what you will with this, but I believe that Mr. and Mrs. Abe are probably more middle-aged, than old-aged at this point.

Regardless, Abram feels threatened.  So, what's his solution?  Sacrifice.  Not a sacrifice to YHWH.  No, our not-so-honest Abe is willing to sacrifice his own wife to save his own skin.  And it works - at least until it doesn't.  Sarai pretends to be Abe's sister (the later Genesis account hints that Sarai is a half-sibling of Abram, but clearly Abram has forced his wife to be dishonest regarding her relationship with him).

Pharaoh gets wind of this newly arrived hottie and decides to add her to his harem.  Abram loses his wife, but he gains livestock and servants.  Sarai loses her freedom and possibly her future, but her husband saves himself.  There's a lot of discussion about "patriarchy" in our modern world, but the ancient world really was patriarchal.

Abram is the villain in this story.  Sarai is the victim and Pharaoh is an innocent bystander who comes out smelling of roses.  

The Hero of the Story 

The hero of the story, is surprisingly, Pharaoh.  It was common in the ancient world for people like Pharaoh to amass a large harem of wives, just as they amassed a large retinue of many things.  This was certainly not an ideal way to organize families and relationships, but it was culturally normative for this period in human history.  Assuming that Sarai was simply the unmarried sister of a resident sojourner, Pharaoh brings Sarai into his household as one of his many wives and this would have usually been a benefit to both Sarai and her seeming brother, Abram.  Though of course, this does not fully take into account the feelings of Sarai.  And it must be said, that on the whole, the world is probably a better place when powerful men don't accumulate wives like trading cards.  However, much like arranged marriages in many modern cultures, it was simply the way things were done at that time, and so we shouldn't judge Pharaoh too harshly.  From his perspective, he has acted in good faith.  

But Abram clearly has not acted in good faith.  Who could have imagined that a man would so easily pawn off his own wife?  Pharaoh has no idea that this is what Abram has done.  He only realizes the situation when YHWH afflicts his household with immense plagues.  Again, let's stress - Pharaoh has done nothing wrong.  But, he perceives that the plagues afflicting his household are the work of God.  In this instance, he has a greater spiritual awareness than Abram.  

Once aware of this mistake, he immediately rectifies the situation. Though in a position of power and with the ability to kill Abram and continue on as nothing has occurred, Pharaoh instead restores Sarai to Abram and not-so-subtly invites Abram to depart Egypt.  But, rather than asking for restitution or demanding the return of his previous gifts from Abram, Pharaoh simply lets Abram and Sarai leave.  Pharaoh and his family have suffered for Abram's sin, and yet the self-serving Abram is allowed to simply move on as if nothing untoward has occurred.  And in fact, Abram leaves Egypt wealthier than when he arrived.  If there is a hero in this story, it is undoubtedly Pharaoh!

God's Faithfulness

Actually, the hero of this narrative and the hero of the entire big narrative of the Bible is God!  Despite Abram's failure to trust God, God remains faithful to the promises made to Abram.  He gets Pharaoh's attention through the plagues, ensuring that Sarai is returned and protected within the household of the cowardly Abram.  Though Abram does not deserve it, he is blessed in his Egyptian sojourn, returning to the land of Canaan wealthier than when he left.  

But let's not forget that Pharaoh too has been blessed by God.  He may not call on YHWH as his one and only sovereign, but if we believe that YHWH is the only God of creation, then it is by YHWH's grace that Pharaoh has amassed the wealth and the authority he commands.  Pharaoh is in a God-given position to bless Abram, not the other way around.

A Few Takeaways 

God is faithful.  Period.  Full-stop.  God is faithful.  God is faithful, even when Abram is not.  God is faithful even when we are unfaithful.  

And just as God calls a less than stellar Abram, so he calls us as we are, not as he would have us to be.  That doesn't mean that God desires to leave us in whatever state he finds us - quite the contrary.  God certainly desires us to become all that we can become through his power and grace.  But God is not daunted by our failures or our character flaws.  He can and does amazing things through our broken dispositions, choices, and situations.

A final thought worth reflecting on.  Are we able to accept that we are often the villains, not the heroes in our stories?  Abram is certainly at the center of this Biblical narrative, but he is the villain, not the hero.  We so often are as well.  Do we recognize this?  Something to ponder. - Shay 

The Call of Abraham

He is considered the father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  He is one of the most famous individuals from all of antiquity.  And though his wife, Sarah, is not quite as famous as Father Abraham, she too is more or less a household name.  Beginning in the final verses of Genesis 11 through the opening verses of Genesis 25, the story of Abraham and Sarah forms the foundation of three major religions.  Over the next several months, I plan to explore and exploit the life and times of these seminal figures, and I invite you to join me for this exploration.  I will be writing from an explicitly Christian perspective, but I believe that Jews, Muslims, Atheists, and people of other faiths will enjoy this journey too.  So, let's buckle up and get ready for an adventure!

History

For the past several hundred years, there has been debate on whether or not the Genesis narratives of Abraham are what we would call history, or whether they belong to some other literary genre.  As this is still an ongoing debate among Biblical, historical, and literary scholars, I can only give my opinion, which along with $6 can get you a coffee at Starbucks.  From my perspective, I see these stories as a kind of "family history" with a theological bend.  I believe that Abraham and Sarah were both real people, but I doubt that their experiences were exactly what we read in Genesis 12-25.  I believe that the basic facts of the narrative occurred, but those events were passed down orally through many generations and in their current written form, have been altered to make theological points to the audiences they were originally composed for.  This does not make these stories untrue, but rather the truth of these stories has been shaped in order to have the greatest possible impact on their original audience.  

Context 

Though there's legitimate debate on how we understand the historicity of the Abraham narratives, there is no real debate regarding the primeval narratives of Genesis 1-11.  Genesis 1-11 is neither history nor science, but are mythopoeic texts packed full of rich theology.  They tell us that God (YHWH) created the universe, but they don't tell us how.  Genesis 1-11 tells us why God crafted his creation (for relationship), but these writings don't give us a timeline of when this occurred.  The basic message of Genesis 1-11 is that God created all that is, with humanity being the crown of his creation.  His intention was to dwell with humankind within his creation, but humanity rebelled against God and severed the relationship that God intended, damaging not only ourselves, but also the creation.  Yet, God did not give up on his creatures or his creation and began a rescue mission to free humanity and the entire world from its bondage to sin and decay (see Romans 8).  From Genesis 12 on, the rest of the Bible details that rescue mission, climaxing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  I have written about this in a series of blogs found earlier on this site, beginning in May of 2023.  See also my series on Genesis 1-11 beginning in January of 2025.  But for today and the following months, we will focus on Abraham and Sarah, as God's rescue mission is launched through their lives.

The Call 

"Go!".  That's the call that Abram (he will later be re-named, Abraham) receives from YHWH.  Go from what to where?  At the beginning of Genesis 12, Abram and his family are living in the city of Haran, in what is today the border areas between southeastern Turkey and Syria.  God doesn't initially tell Abram exactly where he will take him, but "the call" requires Abram and Sarah to leave their family and all that they've known before.  As far as the text is concerned, Abram doesn't ask any questions, he simply goes.   The only relative to join them is Abram's nephew, Lot (along with a larger entourage of other servants).  

But God does provide Abram with a few promises as he embarks on this life-altering journey.  God tells him that though his wife, Sarai (she too will later be re-named) is barren, they will eventually be the patriarch and matriarch of a great nation.  YHWH will bless Abram and make his name great, so that Abram will also be a blessing to others.  Those who bless this man, will be blessed, while those who curse him, will be cursed.  In fact, through Abram and his offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.

We are told that Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran.  Let's be honest, this raises a lot of questions.  In line with other ancient Near Eastern texts, the Bible ascribes fantastic ages to the early heroes of the Biblical stories.  These old ages should not be pressed as literal, but should rather be seen as symbolic.  As the Biblical narrative progresses, the ages of people begin to come in line with actual ages of people in history.  We know that due to high infant mortality rates 4,000 years ago (the time that Abraham would have lived), the average human lifespan was only 20-35 years.  That doesn't mean that people did not sometimes live into old age.  Certainly, people would have occasionally reached the age of 75, or even older, but they would not have been capable of doing what Abraham, and some of the other Biblical heroes of old were said to have done at that ripe old age.  Genesis claims that Abraham died at 175.  Obviously, this is a large rounded number and not literal.  As we work our way through these texts, please take the ages ascribed to the characters with a large chunk of salt!

At any rate, Abram makes his way from Syria, down into what is today, modern Israel.  Once in the land of Canaan, God appears to Abram and declares that this piece of dirt will one day belong to his descendants.  He builds an altar to YHWH (though he would not have known this God as YHWH as the later Israelites would) and then swiftly moves onto a location in the hill country between Bethel and Ai where he again builds an altar to God and calls on the name of this God who had so suddenly yanked him out of all that he knew and understood.  He invoked a name he neither knew, nor understood, because somehow, someway, he believed that this God would do something special for himself and his future family.  Abram trusts at this stage, though there's not much reason for him to put his faith in this God. 

The Ramifications of the Call 

Abram was minding his own business when he received God's call.  That's often the way it is for us as well.  We move along through the day-to-day minutia of life and then all of a sudden, we are confronted with a choice or an opportunity we were not expecting.  Will we stay or will we go?  How might we answer the various calls that God might place on our lives?

Of course, we don't have the benefit of hindsight when we face these choices.  Neither did Abram.  He didn't even know this God by name (see Exodus 6:3), though through time, he got to know him by God's actions.  The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that we walk by faith, and not by sight - Abram exemplified this.  

It goes without saying that when called, God's people are always taken out of their comfort zones, stretched, and called upon to do the seemingly impossible.  But God doesn't just send us on our way, he journeys with us and equips us with what we need to remain faithful and fruitful.  

The ramifications for Abram and Sarah were immense.  The call on their lives were not only life changing, but they changed the entire course of history and beyond.  And there's more to this story to come. - Shay

Revelation Recap

The two most controversial texts in all of the Bible must be the first 11 chapters of Genesis and the book of Revelation.  I have tried to tackle these writings over the past year and a bit.  These are the alpha and omega texts of the great book - the beginning and the end.  Now that we've come to the end of Revelation, we should summarize our findings.  I'll leave us with what I believe to be four essential takeaways from our study.

A Contextual Reading of Revelation is Crucial

The New Testament scholar, Ben Witherington has said that a "text without a context is nothing but a pre-text to make something mean whatever we want it to mean."  One of the reasons that Revelation has been so misunderstood through the centuries is that it has so often been read with little or no understanding of its historical, social, cultural, Biblical, and theological context.  This book was not written to modern 21st century people, but to mixed congregations of Jews and Gentiles living in the late 1st century in what is today modern Turkey under the reign of an increasingly hostile government intent on promoting unhindered devotion to the Roman Empire and its emperor.  The prophet John was not concerned that people living thousands of years later might de-code the future based on his literary work, but rather that the 7 churches of Asia Minor might maintain their loyalty to King Jesus despite persecution and the lure of pagan practices.  Through God's providence and the Holy Spirit, we can very much benefit from this work of art as well, but we must seek to understand what this writing meant to its first readers before we can apply it to our much later contexts.  That brings us to our next point.

Revelation is an Unveiling of God's Reality 

When we scroll through social media feeds or watch the nightly news, we are confronted with a barrage of information that seems to indicate that the world is spinning out of control with no hope for the future.  Those who rule the kingdoms of our world often do so for their own benefit and so many times they make decisions that destroy the lives of ordinary people.  The 7 churches of Asia also lived in such a world, but the message of John's Apocalypse was that God's reality far exceeds that which we see around us in everyday life.  It may seem that Caesar, or whomever rules supreme, but the message of Revelation is that God is still seated on the throne, Jesus reigns at his right hand, and the Spirit is still active in our world and in our lives, despite the chaos that surrounds us.  

Revelation Challenges Us to Remain Faithful to Jesus 

But though Christ is seated on the throne, that doesn't mean his followers are immune to the seductions of this age.  John's audience was at risk of embracing the idolatry of emperor worship and the immorality of their local pagan culture.  We too can be tempted by the same kinds of things.  Nationalism and unreflective patriotism are real threats to the purity of the Christian faith, while immorality is always available to us around the next bend.  Revelation proclaims that Christ is indeed King, but we must remain diligent to keep him firmly seated on the thrones of our hearts.

The Apocalypse Reveals God's Ultimate Plan for Creation

And more than anything else, Revelation is a book of hope.  Not only does God continue to reign, but he will also someday bring that reign to earth where his will for the universe will finally be realized.  God will not give up on his creatures nor on his creation but will fully redeem them through the resurrection and transformation of human bodies and through the rejuvenation of the world.  Our future isn't disembodied bliss in an ethereal heaven, but a fully physical and robust life in the (re)new(ed) heavens and earth.  Revelation tells us that we will not only live in God's unmediated presence, but we will also reign with him over the world.  Though John's writing doesn't tell us when this will happen, it reaffirms that it will in fact happen.  

If you are a follower of Jesus, then this is your future!  If you have not yet given your allegiance to Christ the King, Revelation invites you to do so.  "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'  And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.'  And let everyone who is thirsty come.  Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift...Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!" - Shay