September 7, 2020 (Monday)
Thirteen
years after Abram had Ishmael, God spoke to him again. Most of us would have
issues if God only spoke to us every 13 years. One impression I have about
mature faith is: maturity does not need coddling. Abram did not need God to
talk to him every day for Abram to remain faithful.
Then
again, a lot has happened. By a lot, I mean some ugly family intrigue. At this
point, life has settled down for Abram. Time for God to stir him, again. “When
Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El
Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy.” [Genesis 17:1 CEB] It seems every
time God wants to reveal more about Himself, He introduces a name. Here it is
“El Shaddai,” meaning “God Almighty.”
The
“almighty” part separates Abram’s God from other false, made-up, or designer
gods. Here’s where things ought to "rub us the wrong way." If God is
truly “Almighty” then we have no right, ability, or authority to define God or
the way God works. So, why do we even try it?
In
Genesis 17:2, God expands his covenant to include Abram’s descendants. God
reminds him, he will be the father of MANY nations. God’s intention is, “I will
be your God and your descendants’ God after you.” [Genesis 17:6c CEB]. His
intention is to be the God of MANY nations, not just one.
The
covenant God established with Abram has been unilateral. Meaning, God has done
everything while Abram has done nothing, except believe. Now things have
changed. God requires something of Abram and his descendants. “This is my
covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Circumcise every male.”
[Genesis 17:10 CEB] This is going to be a symbol of a serious commitment. The
rituals, ways of doing things, God established are for our sake. These rituals
bind us together.
Do NOT
let another point of this chapter be missed. God renames Abram (see Genesis
17:5) and Sarai (see Genesis 17:15). What God does is add an “H” to their
names. The “Yah” is the breath of God. I believe it is the same breath of God
that made Adam a living being. In my New Testament understanding, this is the
Holy Spirit.
God
then turns Abraham’s world upside down. “I will bless her and even give you a
son from her.” [Genesis 17:16a CEB] In my imagination, I see Abraham wondering
if he heard that correctly. His response was “priceless.” Let’s watch as,
“Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, Can a 100-year-old
man become a father, or Sarah, a 90-year-old woman, have a child? To God
Abraham said, “If only you would accept Ishmael!” [Genesis 17:17 – 18 CEB]
Why would
God do this? Certainly God was jesting. But human ways are not our ways. God
has another plan. Here we have a dividing point in religious history. “But God
said, “No, your wife Sarah will give birth to a son for you, and you will name
him Isaac. I will set up my covenant with him and with his descendants after
him as an enduring covenant.” [Genesis 17:19 CEB] God also promised to bless
Ishmael and his descendants.
This
story ends with two points, “When God finished speaking to him, God ascended,
leaving Abraham alone.” [Genesis 17:22 CEB] First point, what do we do when the
religious experience has ended? The second point, Abraham obeyed. We are not
talking about something simple like leaving home. Obedience, in this case,
involved surgery and a token loss of himself.
Abraham
had it easy. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer
live, but Christ lives in me.” [Galatians 2:20a CEB] The follower of Jesus must
lose all, not just a token piece of skin.
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