Genesis 16

Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms. But when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me."

What a pregnant verse! (chuckle) Abram must have thought he was getting a pretty good deal. Another wife. Another woman to have sexual relations with, oh boy. But now that fantasy has turned out to have thorns.

Sarai rightly puts the blame on Abram. Even though it was Sarai's idea, Abram should have known better. He should have refused. Refusing would have shown faith in God.

Sarai should have known Hagar would cop an attitude. As the one able to bear children she now saw herself as the number one wife. Sarai did not expect this and she did not like it one bit.

Sarai thought she was doing a good thing, helping God along. Sometimes it is a good thing. God does love initiative in his people. But in this case it was wrong. It was a case of unintended consequences. Sarai is not prepared to be Abram's second wife. Verse 5 makes it clear she is not going to stand for it. She deals with it before the baby is born. She certainly fears that when the baby is born Abram will be fond of it and that will work against her. She is right as we see.

That last challenge, "May the LORD judge between you and me." would have struck Abram to the core. He takes his relationship with God very seriously. He understands that the more severe judgment would be on him. He would know this has all been wrong. And he does not like to see Sarai feeling so bad.

Abram responds by repudiation his heir (v. 6) before he is even born. He disowns the child still in the womb. Hagar flees the harsh treatment which is just what Sarai had hoped. But an angel encourages Hagar to go back.

While Abram is willing to disown the boy, Ishmael, God is not. Everyone gets a second chance. The situation is not as God had wanted, but God works with the situation that happens. We often muddle things up but God can use our muddling to bring about his glory.

Abram makes it clear that Sarai is still wife number one even if she is barren. In that Abram still has faith that God will bring an heir through Sarai. Also God is pleased that Abram clings to the wife of his youth. Abram is not fickle enough to change her out for a younger model.

Perhaps an analogy can be made between this story and our empty apartments. We keep waiting for appropriate renters. A lot of people call to look. Some come by and even a few seem ready to move in. But nothing ever seems right. My DW prays for the right renter. I have not really gotten into that spiritual side of it, that God could truly be saving the apartment for a chosen person or persons. But God does care about everything in our life, so that is really unbelief on my part. DW is right, we wait in faith for the right time and person.

Genesis 15 - God renews the covenant

In verse 1 God says he'll be a shield for Abram. He will be Abram's shield and his reward will be very great. Abram has just been using shields. So the image is timely. God uses the everyday things to speak to us if we would listen. We hear it, often we do not stop to listen.

My commentator says the reward God gives that is very great is himself. But Abram's mind immediately goes to his lack of an heir, a son. To him at that moment the most important thing is that Sarai has not born him a son. God is not the most important thing.

God has already promised him descendants, many of them. But God wants Abram to see He is the most important thing, or person. The best gift is not the son, but God himself, the fact that he has a real relationship with the living God. The child is secondary.

How much do we get caught up in earthly desires and things we think we absolutely need, cannot live without. They become momentarily more important than our relationship with God.

God is gently teaching Abram here.

Vs. 5, Abram believed and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. That is simply grace right? That is how our belief in Jesus is reckoned. It is a gracious thing.

Vs. 13. God has plans for Abram, but it has to time out. God is absolutely just. He judges righteously all the peoples. They are important to him too.

The Amorites were sinful but God was forebearing. He waited until they were even more sinful before he finally judged them. Ours is a pretty sinful generation. But the iniquity of the Americans is not complete (vs. 16). It will happen though, it will happen if we do not repent. I pray for that repentance for our nation, for our world. If we do not repent we will be judged as the Amorites were, as the Israelites later were. It seems inevitable but I believe it is not actually.

Vs 8 Abram asks how he can be sure? God responds by using an image common at that time between equals to make a treaty. Both pass through between the animals cut in half. The animals imply what will happen to anyone who breaks the treaty.

But God passes through on his own, perhaps the heat cooks the meat as he passes through. God makes this pact on his own. He swears his loyalty in a way that Abram understands. Abram sleeps through it all. He is a passive participant.

God uses contemporary images to renew his covenant with Abram. He strengthens the relationship. Abram believes.

God goes out of his way to speak to Abram and work to strengthen their relationship. I believe he does the same thing for us. We only have to listen and believe.

Genesis 14 - kings go to war

Genesis 14 is all about Abram recapturing Lot and then giving a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek king of Salem.

There are a lot of place names used. These are city states. Most of them are not shown on any historical maps. There is Zoar, that is at the south tip of the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). Elam, is that the same at Edom? If so that is a region to the east of the Dead Sea, southern Jordan. This is where Petra is now.

The king of Elam and his allies march to take over the other kings that have rebelled against his rule. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are part of the group that has rebelled. There is a lot of debate as to where Sodom and Gomorrah existed. Now perhaps the majority think it on the northern side of the Dead Sea. But before recently it was thought to be on the southern side.

So the armies were fighting in the lowlands around the Jordan River and around the Dead Sea, it seems. They stayed out of the highlands where Abram lived. The kings probably thought there was little of value up there to take.

There was a big battle four kings versus five. The five kings lost. It says that those who escaped the battle ran up into the hills. The hills, where Abram was, was relatively safe.

After the victory the army of the king of Elam was probably tired and hungry, ready to get home.

This was probably not a big army nor was it well trained. These were city-states not densely populated. The victorious army probably was not even 1,000 men.

Abram and his allies surprised attacked at night and split up to make themselves seem more numerous. I wonder that they chased them beyond Damascus. That would be to the north. So was Elam in the north and not Edom? Probably.

Abram came out of the highlands. They were the fierce country nomads who were used to using weapons against wild animals. They hunted and protected their herds. The lowlanders that they attacked were city dwellers used to farming and domestic animals.

So Abram attacked a tired army with a force that was much more proficient with weapons so it is not surprising that they won.

Abram had little respect for the king of Sodom. Sodom was simply interested in his possessions. Abram had more respect for the king of Salem since that king knew God with with him. He appreciated the spiritual. Melchizedek, the king of Salem gave glory to God for their victory. Abram acknowledged God's favor and so he assented to give Melchizedek an offering, in the name of God.

Melchizedek was called a king and a priest. As a priest he brought bread and wine. Was this for some sacred meal? Then Melchizedek blessed Abram. He did this in his role as priest of God Most High. I do not think the word YHWH (Yahweh) is used here, it is an older word for God.

Abram would not take any of the spoil that belonged to the other kings. He had gone simply to save Lot and his family. But the allies that went with him, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, he let them do as they wished.

Abram still felt responsible for his kin. If they had left Lot alone he would not have gotten involved. Otherwise this was not his fight. Abram was still a sojourner in the land. God promised him his descendants would eventually own it, but he did not own it now.

Genesis 13 Lot chooses the valley

Lot chooses the valley. There are a lot of assumptions we make about this exchange. First it goes back to whether Lot is to be here at all. I think the answer is yes. But is there a sure answer to this?

Genesis 11:31 says something very interesting. Terah, Abram's father, was on the way to Canaan with his family. He seems to have heard the call of God before Abram did. They left Ur, and all the rest of their kinfolk, but they only made it as far as Haran. The city of Haran would be at the limit of people of like culture. It was a border town, so to speak.

It seems Terah was called too but he only made it to the border of his culture and never got up the nerve to continue on into the strange land of Canaan. It would be a bit like crossing the Atlantic from Europe to America three hundred years ago. Once committed there would be no turning back. Terah made a good start but it was up to Abram to continue the journey. He stopped in Haran. He lived in Haran and later died here.

Lot was part of Terah's immediate family. Lot's father had died and Terah was his guardian. So when Terah died Abram took on the position of guardian.

But later we will find that Abram does not consider Lot his heir. So my musing here may not be totally right. How did this relationship totally work? Are we back with the idea that Lot being an interloper, a man who tags along with Abram but who is unwelcome? Perhaps Abram did not consider Lot like an adoptive son. The guardianship, however it was seen, did not involve a direct kinship obligation.

Abram felt a strong enough kinship to Lot that he did not feel he could refuse him when he wanted to come too. But it was not strong enough to feel that he was an heir.

Lot was given a choice by Abram. He chose the valley. We usually consider this a poor decision. The people he was going to live with were wholly evil. Yet it seems Lot did not take on their evil ways. He is delivered out of Sodom and Gomorrah before their judgment because of Abram's intercession. But certainly also because of Lot's own righteousness.

Abram took the highlands, a land perhaps better suited for herding livestock. It would have been an area sparsely inhabited. But is there any reason to think those who lived in the highlands were any less sinful than those in the valley? Both Abram and Lot would still face temptations to conform, worship the local gods, do as others around them did. It seems Lot and Abram did resist.

Lot took the easy way and married a local woman. This will cause him grief later when she refuses to break away from the sinful culture she was raised in. Abram already had a wife from his own people. It would have been hard, but not impossible for Lot to get a wife from the old country. We see that later Abram (now Abraham) is able to get a wife for his son from his own people. Lot takes the easy way and picks a woman from nearby.

After Lot leaves Abram God speaks to Abram and tells him he will inherit all the land, including the land just given to Lot. North south east and west from the high vantage point, all would be his. God encourages him to travel around and see the land. He encourages Abram that He would protect him, "I will be your shield."

To keep peace Abram separated from Lot. Lot was given the choice. It might even have been impolite to take the worst portion out of deference. He took the one he thought would be best for his flocks. He was probably not wrong. But it had unintended consequences. He would have been better knowing God's mind. Perhaps he would have been better to choose to stay near Abram. But it seems Lot did not have the same relationship with God that Abram did.

This is not the one I want but:
Proverbs 16:1-2 CEV We humans make plans, but the LORD has the final word. (2) We may think we know what is right, but the LORD is the judge of our motives.

African Christians returning to help

I noted that the woman who read the lessons today was African. She had a slight accent but was well spoken.

I thought it interesting that the woman in the morning who did the opening and introduced announcements after worship was also an African Christian. She is youthful yet mature. That is why she got the role.

I do not know anything about the woman in the evening but she too is probably mature. She did a nice job with no fuss. She stayed for the sermon then left early. She was not as young but not old.

I was thinking Africa is starting to send Christians back to us. They do not have to have the title of missionary. Mature faithful Christians are a role model for all of us.

Europe and U.S.A. sent missionaries to Africa. Now they are returning the favor as Europe and U.S.A. need help now.

Many African Christians have a fresh faith that we sorely need here. It is wonderful that they are coming in to help us. We are indebted to them.

Hidden Power of Electronic Culture by Shane Hipps

I've been reading this book. It is a recommendation from a DTS professor. It was in a list of books about church organization and planting.

This book is a review of Marshall McLuhan. Now I read "Understanding Media" about 40 years ago. The simple idea was that "the medium is the message". I thought I understood what McLuhan was trying to say. I've never forgotten that and did use it to understand that radio was a hot medium and TV was a cool medium. I think that is a quote from McLuhan. And I think I understand what that means.

Hipps seems to be trying to use McLuhan's methods on more modern media such as the internet.

Right now I am about half done with the book. He is speaking about the effects of the printing press. He describes that as a medium change: printing. The proliferation of books made changes in the way people think.

Before books and printing the church used pictures and icons to explain the message to largely illiterate parishioners. Now there were books, Bibles and also books from the former great cultures that occurred before the "Dark Ages". So many of the books printed were of the great Greek and Roman works that had been preserved.

Hipps mentioned a very interesting thing. He said the advent of printing brought a revival of Paul's letters. Paul's intricate arguments cannot be depicted by pictures or anything iconic.

Also now the Bible was in the hand of individuals allowing for individual opinion. Before this a more corporate understanding was brought by oral messages, especially sermons and teachings done by priests.

I am finding this all very interesting. But no, I still can't remember it as well as I would like.

But the McLuhan message is still helpful. I do like McLuhan and agree with Hipps that he is a under appreciated genius.

Sunday June 27

HF preached in the morning. You can always expect the unexpected when he preaches.

We learned a lot about gyms, especially "Spinner Classes". And demon class instructors. That reminds me about going to an exercise class on a cruise ship. There was this tall thin foreign lady who ran the class. She did exercises that used the body. Well that was fine for a thin woman like her. But for a fat person like me it was awful. I could do two or three when she could simply go or and on. Talk about "never see her sweat". While I was sweating like crazy trying to keep up. I finally just gave up and watched. That was my first and last class.

There was some jokes about HF being the only man at this class. I walk past "Spinner classes" at the gym I go to. They are all women. Some of them look pretty cute and it might be cool to watch them exercise. But no I don't think I'll be joining such a class. The leaders of all these classes are women too. I can hear their voices counting. It would have to take a very special kind of man to join a "Spinner Class".

He went through Nehemiah. That is a book that is rarely covered. But try as I might I cannot remember what the point finally was. It must have been about teamwork or something.

Now I cannot remember why the illustration about the gym was used. But it was entertaining.