Abraham's faith journey (submission) #12

 September 23, 2020 (Wednesday)

     We have been tracking Abraham’s faith journey. One of the things I find interesting is the sense of God’s timing. After a long and disoriented journey, God makes good on His promise. “The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.” [Genesis 21:1 NLT] One of the difficult things for humans to learn is submission to God’s plan.

     God’s plan includes timing and choice. One problem in submitting to God’s plan runs along the lines of jealousy. We have the tendency to think we are entitled. When someone else gets blessed we lean towards the edge of the cliff. A bit like the people who are seeing the perfect selfie in the most dangerous place.

     Due to Abraham’s connection to Egypt, his unwillingness to trust God (he listened to his wife), and his pattern of deception, the journey is disjointed and disorienting. But faith is seldom a straight line. There are consequences of our choices. Our failures haunt us. Occasionally they force heartbreaking conflict and confusion.

     Our story continues, “But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.” [Genesis 21:9 NLT] Sarah demands Ishmael’s removal from the family, with all that it means. Abraham suffers, “This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.” [Genesis 21:11 NLT] It seems pain is generally the result of failure.

     God reassures Abraham, “But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.” [Genesis 21:13 NLT] Sending Ishmael away does not end the conflict in the family. Somehow I suspect it shapes and sharpens the conflict in future generations. Despite our natural unwillingness to submit to God’s plan, His mercy is still at work.

     This family division shows up in the New Testament. It is the basis of Paul’s theology concerning the law and grace. Citing this conflict, Paul argues, “The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.” [Galatians 4:23 NLT]

     Paul makes the contrast, “These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants…” [Galatians 4:24a NLT] The idea that it is possible to earn or deserve God’s blessing leads to slavery. The idea that God’s grace, love, and mercy can overrule and outweigh our sin, shame, and guilt is freedom.

     Let me correct myself. It’s not just freedom. It’s transforming freedom. The difference between slavery and freedom rest in whom you trust. Trust yourself and all you have is slavery to an ideal that cannot be reached. Trust God and you are transformed, in freedom, to become who God designed you to be.

     This can happen only because Jesus paid the price for our failure. He took the burden of our guilt, literally on His shoulders, on the cross. The shame, which forces us to crawl around in the darkness, is met with all-knowing and unconditional love. There is no need to hid, run, or continue to deny.

     Or as Jesus said, “It is finished.” [John 19:30b]