Genesis 22 is troubling for many. It comes up frequently in conversations with my atheist friends. I have heard many helpful readings of this story as you probably have as well. It is a story that is an ultimate example of not holding too close the things that God gives us. It displays how Abraham has become a new man ready to trust in the promises of God no matter how bizarre. It is also a victorious example of how God tests us to mature our faith (as opposed to old Satan who tests us to destroy our faith). Yet, the big question that still haunts is 'why would God ask Abraham to do something that is against his character?' Not to mention issues around child sacrifice.
To this question I respond 'he's not (asking us to do something against his character)'. He's asking us to do something that seems to us to be against his character. When we read this story through the eyes of the original audience we see the story in this light. It is my position that Moses is writing Genesis to the Israelites to encourage them to 'man-up' and enter the promised land, believing that God will give them victory over those who currently inhabit the land.
The reader is told at the very start that God is not going to ask Abraham to really murder his son ('God tested Abraham'). The story is read all the way through that Isaac will the be fine and it will be a tremendous example of faith.
This is how the story reads. It reads this way because it identifies with how the Israelites must have felt. The call to enter the promised land would have felt like a call to sacrifice their young men in war. While Genesis 22 doesn't tell us the age of Isaac, he is old enough to carry all the wood for the sacrifice, but young enough to be called a young man (so, a good age to join the army). The story is told then to these fathers, that while it may seem like you are going to lose your son, God will preserve the descendants of Abraham and give victory securely.
At the end of the chapter is some information about Abraham's extended family, from which Isaac's wife Rebekah comes from. This further showing how God is working beyond what we know to ensure his promises are fulfilled.
We too are asked to do things as Christians that seems foolish in the eyes of the others, but the things we do have promises attached to them by God. Our focus here is not on why God is asking us to do (pray, give to the poor, speak against immorality, take communion, etc) but on how he works mightily in what we are doing.
"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God" 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Does Abraham 'see' God?
We're dealing with Genesis 18-19 this Sunday which contains numerous passages that create difficulty. I will deal with some of them then, but I won't have time to look at the identity of the three visitors that Abraham meets in Chapter 18. In 18:1 the chapter begins with 'And the LORD appeared to him (Abraham)'. 18:2 goes on to say 'He (Abraham) lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him'. One of the men is identified as 'the LORD', a divine name for God.
The idea of Abraham meeting God in the appearance of a man passing by in the heat of the day causes concern to some. For me, the story is helpful as one of the biggest questions my children ask is 'can we see God'. Telling Bible stories about men who saw God and wrote down what he said is helpful. But did Abraham actually see God? What about Moses who is told that he cannot look upon God's face (Exodus 33:23)? Or Jesus who tells us that no one has seen the father (John 6:46)? Is this a contradiction?
Evangelical Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer reminds us of two theological truths about God regarding our question. One, God promises us his presence and two, God is transcendent, and therefore too much for us to look at (it is simply impossible for humans to fully grasp the divine). The divine visitor that Abraham hosts keeps the balance of these two ideas. God's presence is both with Abraham, but is not the full revelation of who God is. A good comparison would be Moses and the burning bush. The bush is a physical sign of the presence of God, God is speaking, but this is not all there is to God. So our answer is, no Abraham did not see the whole of God, but yes, the man he saw was a physical representation of the presence of God.
This must be included in our explanation to children as well. We need to explain how big God is, yet also teach how God has promised his presence. God will be with his people, never leaving, always near. Matthew 28:20, John 14:18, Galatians 3:14 are helpful here.
The idea of Abraham meeting God in the appearance of a man passing by in the heat of the day causes concern to some. For me, the story is helpful as one of the biggest questions my children ask is 'can we see God'. Telling Bible stories about men who saw God and wrote down what he said is helpful. But did Abraham actually see God? What about Moses who is told that he cannot look upon God's face (Exodus 33:23)? Or Jesus who tells us that no one has seen the father (John 6:46)? Is this a contradiction?
Evangelical Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer reminds us of two theological truths about God regarding our question. One, God promises us his presence and two, God is transcendent, and therefore too much for us to look at (it is simply impossible for humans to fully grasp the divine). The divine visitor that Abraham hosts keeps the balance of these two ideas. God's presence is both with Abraham, but is not the full revelation of who God is. A good comparison would be Moses and the burning bush. The bush is a physical sign of the presence of God, God is speaking, but this is not all there is to God. So our answer is, no Abraham did not see the whole of God, but yes, the man he saw was a physical representation of the presence of God.
This must be included in our explanation to children as well. We need to explain how big God is, yet also teach how God has promised his presence. God will be with his people, never leaving, always near. Matthew 28:20, John 14:18, Galatians 3:14 are helpful here.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
William Wilberforce
If you take a first year history course you won't hear about Jeremiah Burroughs, or many of the others I've been discussing with you. However, you can't talk about world history without discussing the changes that William Wilberforce in 18th century England. He wasn't raised with much Christian influence, rather from a well-to-do family that afforded him the opportunity to slack-off, drink and gamble all while his Cambridge education was paid for. Even though he wasted this opportunity, he was well-spoken, and from a influential family. This led him to be elected to parliament at only 21 years of age. When he turned 25 he became a Christian, though for a few years he struggled between Jesus and the world. Eventually he resigned from his clubs, dealt with his drinking problems and quit gambling when he beat a man who couldn't afford it.
As a politician, he never lost and election and became good friends with William Pitt who would become Prime Minister at only 25 years of age. While Wilberforce was small in size, he was a brilliant public speaker and influenced many in his lifetime. By far the most significant of his influences, and his life's pursuit, was to put an end to the slave trade. During Wilberforces lifetime, England captured between 35000 and 50000 Africans every year, shipping them to America where they were sold at great profit. The economy profited enormously because of it, but the capture and slave ship conditions were horrible. Mark Galli accurately summarizes it this way:
A boat of 100 to 150 tons could carry 300 to 600 slaves. Five feet of space separated the decks. Male slaves were laid on the floor and on shelves, manacled together in pairs, sometimes so closely packed they had to lie on their sides in sultry heat and rank air. Abruptly torn from their homes, wholly unused to the sea, they lay terrified by the mystery of what was to become of them.
They were fed the coarsest food. Numbers fell ill. Dysentery was rife. In fine weather, they would be taken on deck for a time and forced to dance in their chains, for exercise, while their quarters below were cleaned. In rough weather, they had to remain below. Conditions in a severe Atlantic gale of some days' duration would multiply their sufferings. It is a wonder that only up to a quarter of the slaves died on the voyage. But it is not a wonder that sometimes an African, temporarily released from his fetters, would leap into the sea.
Women and children were not chained together or packed so closely. But the women were regularly exposed to sailors' lust and children to sailors' cruelty. John Newton often told about a mate "who threw a child overboard because it moaned at night in its mother's arms and kept him awake."
Wilberforce spent his entire life working to end this. Though he had the support of the people, too many influential people made huge profits from the evil enterprise. Bill after bill was introduced into commons, but was defeated. Yet, days before his death, in the summer of 1833 the emancipation act passed and put an end to to the slave trade.
William Wilberforce, after his conversion struggled with his post in politics. He thought long about becoming a minister, but those around him confirmed his calling to fight against this great evil in the only place it could be defeated - government. Many great evils exist in our culture as well, they are protected by big money. What are these issues and what should the church's involvement be with these things? Is Wilberforce just a great example, or are any believers actually following his example? What does the Bible say about being involved in politics, fighting for reforms? We'll consider these things and more on Wednesday night. And hopefully another video.
*A post-thought about this. I should mention that this is a glaring example of how people have not always made the best moral decisions. The foundation of our morals is critical, and history should prove to us that. Our own decisions about right and wrong can easily be flawed, but God's word about morality is not. This should inform our decisions so we don't repeat the grave evils of those before us. Emancipation is not the great idea Wilberforce came up with, enforcing God's word is.
As a politician, he never lost and election and became good friends with William Pitt who would become Prime Minister at only 25 years of age. While Wilberforce was small in size, he was a brilliant public speaker and influenced many in his lifetime. By far the most significant of his influences, and his life's pursuit, was to put an end to the slave trade. During Wilberforces lifetime, England captured between 35000 and 50000 Africans every year, shipping them to America where they were sold at great profit. The economy profited enormously because of it, but the capture and slave ship conditions were horrible. Mark Galli accurately summarizes it this way:
A boat of 100 to 150 tons could carry 300 to 600 slaves. Five feet of space separated the decks. Male slaves were laid on the floor and on shelves, manacled together in pairs, sometimes so closely packed they had to lie on their sides in sultry heat and rank air. Abruptly torn from their homes, wholly unused to the sea, they lay terrified by the mystery of what was to become of them.
They were fed the coarsest food. Numbers fell ill. Dysentery was rife. In fine weather, they would be taken on deck for a time and forced to dance in their chains, for exercise, while their quarters below were cleaned. In rough weather, they had to remain below. Conditions in a severe Atlantic gale of some days' duration would multiply their sufferings. It is a wonder that only up to a quarter of the slaves died on the voyage. But it is not a wonder that sometimes an African, temporarily released from his fetters, would leap into the sea.
Women and children were not chained together or packed so closely. But the women were regularly exposed to sailors' lust and children to sailors' cruelty. John Newton often told about a mate "who threw a child overboard because it moaned at night in its mother's arms and kept him awake."
Wilberforce spent his entire life working to end this. Though he had the support of the people, too many influential people made huge profits from the evil enterprise. Bill after bill was introduced into commons, but was defeated. Yet, days before his death, in the summer of 1833 the emancipation act passed and put an end to to the slave trade.
William Wilberforce, after his conversion struggled with his post in politics. He thought long about becoming a minister, but those around him confirmed his calling to fight against this great evil in the only place it could be defeated - government. Many great evils exist in our culture as well, they are protected by big money. What are these issues and what should the church's involvement be with these things? Is Wilberforce just a great example, or are any believers actually following his example? What does the Bible say about being involved in politics, fighting for reforms? We'll consider these things and more on Wednesday night. And hopefully another video.
*A post-thought about this. I should mention that this is a glaring example of how people have not always made the best moral decisions. The foundation of our morals is critical, and history should prove to us that. Our own decisions about right and wrong can easily be flawed, but God's word about morality is not. This should inform our decisions so we don't repeat the grave evils of those before us. Emancipation is not the great idea Wilberforce came up with, enforcing God's word is.
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