Finding Inner Peace

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, stay in the land of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 26:1-2

INTRO: You would have to be a very creative writer to build a novel around Isaac

The storyteller doesn’t give us enough information to form interesting character
• he’s an average person sandwiched between an extraordinary father and extraordinary son
– as for Isaac, nothing he did stands out as unique or special
• he retraced father’s footsteps, relived father’s adventures, and even repeated one of his father’s mistakes
• when Isaac was blessed, it was for his father’s sake (vv. 5, 24)
– if we don’t find Isaac’s life interesting or exciting, it’s probably because it’s too much like our own

As soon as plot begins to take shape, we recognize it

We may even think, “Not again?!” — because already we have been through this twice with Abraham
– yet the storyteller is careful not to let us confuse this story with the others
• for example, Isaac was stopped from going to Egypt as his father had done

Gerar must not have been a large, built-up city
– after Genesis, it’s mentioned only one other time
• not enough of it survived to even know where it was located
– Isaac arrived there and took up farming
• his entourage would have looked really imposing
○ immediately, his was one of the largest and wealthiest families
• but if intimidating to the locals, he was also intimidated by them
○ so when they asked him about his wife, he said she was his sister Continue reading →

Learn to Read

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within in her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:21-23

INTRO: We’ve jumped into a story already in progress

The chapter began by wrapping up Abraham’s story
– he had married a second wife and had more children
• his wisdom is revealed in the way he provided his sons enough for a good start in accumulating their own wealth
• then sent them away in the opposite direction of Isaac
– after that last piece of business, Abraham died content with his many years

Abraham’s two sons who have been featured in his story tended to his burial
– I’m curious as to when Isaac (and, perhaps, Abraham) reconnected with Ishmael
• was it after Sara died?
• had Isaac always kept in touch? or did he locate and notify Ishmael only after Abraham died?
○ at any rate, it is beautiful he could see past his mother’s hard feelings
– afterward, it was Isaac in particular that God blessed (v. 11)

Ishmael’s presence at Abraham’s burial makes for a smooth transition
– his genealogy wraps up his story
– his descendants form twelve tribes – which now seems to be a pattern
• Abraham’s brother (Ge. 22:20-24)
○ we are being prepared to see Jacob’s twelve sons as a normative development
– Ishmael’s death

This brings us to Isaac, whose account begins the same way as Ishmael’s
– therefore, what we expect is another genealogy
– but instead, we’re in for a surprise
• Isaac’s genealogy is not a list of names, but a story that begins with his prayer for his wife
• Rebekah goes from infertility to a difficult pregnancy

So the chapter begins with final days and death of Abraham, Isaac’s father and ends with the birth of his twin sons
– this is the rhythm of an individual life — birth and death, death and birth . . .
– years ago, after visiting someone in a hospital in Long Beach, I stepped into an elevator on my way out
• a woman also entered the elevator and asked, “Do you know what floor is the maternity ward?”
○ She went on, “I just watched a friend die and now I want to see new life”
– eventually, we each discover rhythm of our own lives
• and each life’s rhythm carries forward the work of God
• so in the great chain of human lives (genealogies), there is progress
○ God is moving history forward to its goal Continue reading →

Biblical “Type-Scenes”

Stories in the Bible tend to focus on the most important events of a person’s life. Some life-events are shared in common by characters in different stories. There are instances when the description of an event in one story follows an almost identical form to a similar event in another person’s life.

When a definite pattern is used in a recurring event–such as birth, the prophetic call, meeting one’s spouse, etc.–it is a type-scene. For example, when a person was called to be a prophet, it usually included:

1. A God encounter, in which he commissions the prophet
2. The person raises an objection or tries to dodge the call
3. God resolves the problem
4. The person is divinely empowered and begins his or her service

The most important aspect of the type-scene, however, is not what these events share in common, but how they differ from the established pattern. This usually reveals something about the hero’s character or personal qualities.

The Hero Meets His Wife At A Well:

1. The hero’s journey takes him to a foreign land.
2. The hero encounters a girl at a well.
3. Either the hero or the girl draws water from the well.
4. The girl runs home to announce the presence of the “stranger” at the well.
5. The hero is welcomed into the home of the girl’s family where, usually, a meal is shared and a marriage is arranged.

A Fractured Life

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall hot take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:1-4

INTRO: This chapter marks a transition in Genesis

We move from the story of Abraham to the story of Isaac
– so this episode that begins with Abraham in his tent will end with Isaac in an open field

The story goes at a rapid pace that creates a sense of urgency
– Abraham’s servant is anxious to quickly complete his mission
– Rebekah will run back and forth from the well to “quickly” provide water for the servant and his camels
• she will also run home to announce the stranger’s arrival
– Laban: will run out to the well to greet the servant
– the servant: will refuse to eat until he’s revealed his quest
– Laban and his family: will be compelled to give their immediate consent
– the servant: will refuse to delay his departure to return home
There is no travelogue
– although the distance between Canaan and Mesopotamia was great and required a lot of travel time
• as a result, leaving on a journey and arriving at the destination occur instantly
– all the way through, we feel we’re being rushed
• and yet this is the longest chapter in the story of Abraham and rich in details

Storytelling is an art-form, with its own tools and techniques
– one of the literary tools of the Hebrew Scriptures is the “type-scene”

[For readers of this blog, see the “Type-Scene” notes that were handed out when I gave this talk]

This is a recurring “Boy meets girl” type-scene Continue reading →

When to Practice Slow-Motion

Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arbah (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” Genesis 23:1-4

INTRO: You know how, when hiking or riding a bike up a steep hill, you have to stop and catch your breath?

That’s how I feel at this point in Abraham’s story
– after all he’s been through recently, he needs space to breathe
– but that is not how the story goes

We just read of his shocking ordeal with Isaac, now we turn the page and Sarah dies
– no one’s been with him longer or knows him better
• now she’s gone and Abraham is left to mourn and weep

The storyteller doesn’t linger over the details

There’s no pathetic bedside scene, no last words uttered with her final breath
– only her lifespan briefly stated (in two lines, the second in reverse order from the first)

The life of Sarah, 127 years;
years were life of Sarah.

• then the simple statement, “Sarah died”
– the same succinct style is used of Abraham–he went to mourn and weep–that’s it

But we know these losses leave their mark on us

A few years after my brother-in-law died, I sat with my sister, Janette, and our folks around their table. We knew that Janette grieved his lost, but we never saw it. I won’t say that she handled it stoically, but that it was perhaps too personal to let others see and possibly intrude on her sacred wound. She also threw herself into caring for her grandchildren and to being strong for others.
It was Christmas day and roughly the same time of year that Greg had passed. We were missing Greg and reminiscing on his life when Janette said, “They say time heals, but I don’t believe that. I think you just get used to living with the pain.” Continue reading →

When God Calls Your Name

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

INTRO: I’m going to give you a pointer about reading the Bible:

When you come to something disturbing, assume it’s supposed to be disturbing
– some things we learn best by extreme examples
• the lesson becomes clearer
• a disturbing visual image or extreme emotion makes a very strong impression on our memory
– so don’t get frustrated with the disturbing passages, get curious and probe them

The Story

Vv. 1-2, “After these things” – an important time reference
– after the miracle birth when God’s promise was at last fulfilled, God came to Abraham with a new demand
• at least we are warned that this is a “test”

Abraham answered, “Here I am” – and he says this three times in this chapter, to God, Isaac, and the angel of God
• each time he says this, his response is followed by a dramatic interaction
• we could almost say that Abraham’s “Here I am” is what moves the plot forward
– “Take” (or “took”) is a key word in the story, occurring six times
• although he acts at God’s command, Abraham is the one doing the “taking”

Note how God zeroes in on Isaac: your son – your only son – whom you love – Isaac
– like concentric circles around a bull’s-eye
• the details are meant to exclude anyone else or permit any confusion
• two more times in the story God will refer to Isaac as “your son, your only son” (vv. 12, 16)
○ the storyteller does not allow us to forget what Isaac is to Abraham
– “and go” (Hebrew: lek lakah) a rare expression that first appeared in Genesis 12:1
• it connects these two episodes: the first and last time God spoke with Abraham
• there God had zeroed in on his home:
○ “from your country, / And from your relatives / and from your father’s house”
○ then it was his father he had to give up and now it is his son

This is the first time that “love” is mentioned in scripture – as it turns out, Isaac will be a lover

V. 3, “So Abraham rose early in the morning”
– nothing is more baffling in this story than Abraham’s silence
– child sacrifice was practiced in his part of the world
• perhaps he assumed he had offended God and now the deal was off
• remember, Abraham’s theological knowledge was limited

But doesn’t he even have any questions?! – cf. 15:2; 18:23, where he immediately responded with questions
• what goes on within Abraham’s heart and mind is hidden from us — his thoughts or feelings
○ when Sarah wanted Hagar gone, Abraham was greatly distressed
○ where is the haggler who bartered with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah?
• it’s almost eerie how he saddles donkey, splits wood and gets up and goes in silence

“The result of this style is a terrible intensity, a story which is so stark as to be almost unbearable.” Everett Fox

– as they travel, who carries the greater burden?

Vv. 4-8, After three days, “Abraham raised his eyes”
– this means more than he merely spotted the place
• he had been looking for it
○ maybe hoping he would never see it
– that’s as far as the servants will go
• he transferred the wood to Isaac’s back
• “he took in his hand the fire and the knife”
○ Von Rad, observed that Abraham carried “the dangerous objects” — the instruments of death and sacrifice

On the way, Isaac raised the obvious question
– this is a very important moment
• it brings to surface what Abraham had been hiding
○ but it also reveals what Abraham could not see for himself
○ i.e., how all of this would work out,
the point of this horrible ordeal
– “God will provide” – lit. “see” (as in the phrase where he raised eyes and saw)
• “God will see to that”
• God sees and he’ll take care of it

Vv. 9-14, The way their arrival at Mount Moriah is described matches their departure
– after lots of action (verbs), Abraham had left – now after his arrival there is again lots of action
• but the action slows down in verse 10 when details are spelled out
○ the high point of the suspense
○ the key word, “took,” tells us that we have reached the climax of the story

“Abraham, Abraham!” repetition helps us hear the urgency in the angel’s voice
– “Don’t hurt him. I know what I needed to find out”
• “fear God” – is an abbreviated way to describe devotion to God
• that God means everything to you
○ God must come first
– again Abraham “raised his eyes and looked and behold”
• he saw what he told Isaac to expect
• the first “take” created the tension in this story (v. 2)
○ now this final “took” resolves the tension
– Abraham named the place “Yahweh will see (to it)”
• proverb, “In the mount of Yahweh it will be seen”
○ this would be a good proverb to spend some time with in meditation

Vv. 15-19, Abraham has passed the test
– when God swears an oath to Abraham, he swears by himself! (Hebrews 6:13-18)
– “greatly bless” and “greatly multiply” are literally “bless you, bless you” and “multiply, multiply”
• it is as if the words do not carry enough force
○ they have to be repeated to grasp the magnitude of what God will do
– Abraham had become the man God wanted to bless
• and through him, bring a blessing to the whole world

• God won’t speak to Abraham again
○ he doesn’t need to–Abraham is what God wants him to be

A Personal Study Note: In the New Testament we are told that Abraham received Isaac back from the dead “as a type.” That is to say, Isaac’s story include themes that foreshadow persons or events that would occur later on in history. Thinking of Isaac as a type of Jesus, return to this chapter and go through it on your own, looking for the ways that events in Isaac’s life are mirrored in Christ’s life. You will find this to be a fascinating exercise.

CONC: I think we leave this story with a sigh of relief

Not only for Isaac’s rescue, but for our own sakes

“I’m glad God doesn’t still do this to people”
– but he does – he still asks us to hand over our Isaac — that which means most to us
• he doesn’t ask us to kill or burn it
• but he does ask us to surrender it to him

It’s typical that when we come to these points, our spiritual journey stops making sense
– it suddenly becomes really difficult to keep going, like climbing a vertical wall at a high altitude
• everything that used to feed our spirit dries up
• in fact, we feel like we’ve gone as far as possible

How to keep going? It takes a moment by moment surrender to God
– “Here I am” – this is how people answered when God called
• it is a way of saying, “I present myself to you, Lord”
• we make ourselves present to God – a state in which: we are responsive, receptive, and ready
– we do not have to be wise, or pious, or perfect
• we can only give God who we are right now and what we have right now
○ that is all God ever asks for — whatever we have to offer in this moment; even our pain and sorrow if that’s all we have
○ God wants us, not our promises or IOUs
• we present to him what he wants when we say, “Here I am, without pretense or ulterior motives, but in transparent surrender to You”

“With just a little bit of grace, I can be here, really exist here, present, open, available, immediate. With just a little grace I can see the sunset, feel the cold air, sense the beauty, feel my reactions, experience my thoughts arising and the emotions they engender, perceive my little attempts at control, experience my commentary, notice my leaving.”
Gerald May, The Wisdom of Wilderness

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 →

Reducing the Stress of Strife

Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Genesis 13:5-7

INTRO: Why is the term “spiritual journey” a good metaphor for the Christian life?

. . . .

There’s an important lesson in Genesis 13 about how spiritual growth occurs
– the word translated “journey” in verse 2 means “starting point” or “stage” (of journey)
• Abram’s journey took him “from the Negev . . . to the place where his tent had been”
The lesson: we grow by leaving one place and arriving at another
– or leaving one thing to take up another

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things (1 Cor. 13:11)

Notice that Abram returned to “place [he] had been at the beginning”
-it’s as if he made a wrong move and had to start over
• so he returned to the “place of the altar” – that’s where we go to start over
• we return to that vital connection with God
– so sometimes our progress is backward, before resuming our forward movement

Vv. 5-7, God’s blessings put a strain on their relationship

Literally, “the land could not bear them to dwell together”
– they became a drain on the land’s limited resources
– so the unpleasant interaction between their hired hands began to erupt Continue reading →