A World of Weirdness

“Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” Genesis 19:19-20

INTRO: This is another flood-type story – an act of divine judgment that “cleans the slate”

In fact, specific details link the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the earlier flood event
– these don’t make for best-selling stories or sermons in our culture
• they remind us of the ugliest expressions of judgmental religion
– but if we’re going to take scripture seriously we have to must look at them
• acts of divine judgment tell us:
○ it does matter to God how we treat him and others
○ there are consequences to human choices and actions

Nevertheless, only a believer with a sick mind could relish the anguish of people who are punished by God
– God certainly doesn’t enjoy it, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked . . .” (Ezekiel 33:11)
– in fact, he has placed his people in the world to prevent its decay into judgment
• that’s what it is to be the “salt of earth” and “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16)
• so the way we want to approach stories like this, is with great humility

These events are a continuation of last week’s story Continue reading →

Now As For You . . .

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Walk before Me, and be blameless.
I will establish My covenant between Me and you;
And I will multiply you exceedingly.”

Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him saying,
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you
And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
No longer shall your name be called Abram,
But your name shall be Abraham;
For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations . . .” Genesis 17:1-6

INTRO: I wonder if, at ninety-nine, Abram was ready for this

I imagine him responding,
“Walk before You, Lord? Could I just sit in a chair and rock before You?”

Last week Dad was in the hospital for a surgical procedure
– I spent three sleepless nights with him
• the most difficult part was watching him cough
• the most encouraging part was watching him work at his recovery
– at eighty-six, nothing is easy for him
• in early June, when I spent a week with my folks, both of them at different times said to me,
“Chuck, don’t get old”
– Yesterday morning, I sat by the window waiting for Dad to wake up
• I was in Psalm 150 and the words, “Let everything that has breath . . .” hit hard
• the purpose of Dad’s surgery was to help increase the volume of air he inhales with each breath
○ I wrote in my notebook:
“I have to say, regarding Dad’s attitude and fight, he is an excellent example for me. ‘More like Dad . . .’”

So Abram was old, but his journey wasn’t over
– and I think that’s all I want to say today Continue reading →

Desperate Decisions

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar had bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Genesis 16:1-2, 15-16

INTRO: Reading the first and last sentences of chapter 16 could give us the wrong idea about this story

It begins, “problem stated” and ends, “problem solved”
– but the brilliance of the story is what goes on in between
• brewing within is the tension that drives plot — otherwise, there is no story, only details
• the tension erupts between the two women who are associated with Abram

Vv. 1-3, The storyteller provides no moral commentary regarding their actions

Whether what they did was right or wrong, sinful or righteous, there’s no clue

“Pious” commentators can’t stand this
– so they provide titles for this type of story like, “Abram and Sarai’s Sin” or “Abram’s Lapse of Faith”
• they feel it’s necessary for them to tell Bible readers, “This is not how we solve our problems”
○ as if anyone reading this story would draw that conclusion
○ it’s obvious, this was a different time and culture, and these were unusual circumstances
• the storyteller has no problem adding moral commentary when it is called for
○ Adam and Eve, Cain, Tower of Babel, etc.
○ but there’s none given in this instance and we don’t need to insert any

Here we simply have normal people trying to understand God’s will Continue reading →