Hey Guys! How is everyone? Ok, well I've been out of this for a few days, but I've been keeping up my readings, taking mental notes and thought I'd open the discussion for today... I'm looking forward to everyone's thoughts :)
So Abraham dies at a 'good old age'.. I thought it was really nice how he was buried with his wife, Sarah even though he had taken a new wife Keturah after Sarah's death. I think that is a pretty special symbol of love, that lasts even though circumstances change. Wow, what a life Abraham lived! He was not perfect, so very human - and made many mistakes, yet God blessed him, and the generations that followed him. In chapter 12 how God promised to (then) Abram: 'I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you'. Abraham was blessed, to be a blessing. God required obedience from Abraham, and he was faithful to obey - he didn't always do it without questioning....one time he even laughed! But God could see Abraham's heart under his flaws, as He does us. How amazing would it be for God to say, '[you] obeyed me, and did everything I required of [you], keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions' as He did for Abraham in chapter 26:5. What a challenge.
Wow, so Esau came out 'as a hairy garment'. Hmm. That would be an interesting sight... And feisty Jacob had a hold of Esau's heel even as Rebekah was giving birth! These two boys were set to be handfuls even before they fully entered the world! I was thinking, perhaps Jacob was Rebekah's favorite as she would have seen him more at home (I presume) 'among the tents', while Isacc would have been proud of his masculine son, Esau a skillful hunter with the ability to satisfy his taste for wild game. Pretty sad that parents would discern between their own children though, and have favorites. Obviously, this caused heartache down the track..
One thing that stuck out to me particularly, was the power of the spoken word in these times. All Esau needed to do to pass over his birthright was swear on oath. No signing documents in the presence of lawyers, nothing - his word was steadfast. And Isaac who's testimony of forgiveness and hospitality towards Abimelek evidenced God, even after Abimelek was 'hostile'. Their oath of peacefulness was steadfast. Our world could learn a lot.
Wow, what a mess as Jacob takes Esau's blessing. Conscience stands out as a lesson in this story. How restless would Jacob and Rebekah have been after stealing Esau's blessing?? Wow, I couldn't imagine. And to add on top of this, Jacob has to flee in fear of his life. So he received Esau's blessing - but along with the blessing, he grieved his father on his deathbed, alienated his brother and was separated from all that was familiar to him. I don't think his conscience would have been too squeaky after this.
Yet.....God blessed Jacob. I love the verse: 'I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15.' God is faithful.
I thought it was interesting how Jacob says: 'IF God will be with me, and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, THEN the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.' It was as though Jacob was bargaining with God. Did you guys take it this way? Hmm. I wonder how Jacob's walk with God was like before this time...
Well..... I think that's about all for now. I am learning so much already, and we're still only in Genesis! Yep, sometimes it's a challenge to saddle up to 4 chapters (chapter 24 was a long one!), but I know this is an opportunity I'm surely not going to pass up on. Imagine how well we'll know the Bible after this year?! Pretty cool.
Until next time,
Bec x
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Yeh, Abraham was a great man. He really is father of the Christian faith in a way, as we (christians) are saved the same way as he was by faith. He demonstrated his faith by what he did, I think showing that faith is not something we keep inside us but something that is demonstrated by our actions as well.
ReplyDeleteI just had this open at work and didn't realise that the music was playing at the bottom of the page as I was listening to my ipod and it was coming through the computer speakers, so the ppl here just got half an hour of listening to delirious, they didnt complain though.
LOL honey to you having the music playing at work... :) So true we should be demonstrating our faith, not just saying we have it and then living as if we don't.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Bec, it was nice how Abraham was buried with Sarah...what a beautiful sentiment. Abraham was an amazing guy, he wasn't perfect of course, which just makes him more appealing, because we can relate to him, yet he was a "friend of God" because of his faith and trust in Him. He believed God.
Yes the spoken word in those days was binding...vows couldn't be broken and everyone kept their word - how sad this couldn't be said of most people these days. The spoken word pretty much means nothing to most people, they will lie through their teeth and keeping a promise? Well that is too far for some. Even like the marriage vows, which are meant to be binding, as they were in those days, mean nothing to most people these days, who just find an "out" if things get too hard.
Yeah I took that bit about Jacob bargaining with God the same way Bec...I'm not sure what God thinks of that. Maybe we all do that with God sometimes? Not sure, what do others think?
I was thinking how Esau "despised" his birthright and was willing to sell it for a mere bowl of stew...it certainly wasn't very important to him, but it was a BIG thing in those days, a birthright. Yet Esau let his fleshly concerns (hunger) take over his common sense. Of course he wouldn't have died if he hadn't gotten that bowl of stew - I think Esau was being a bit dramatic and shows just how much he really didn't care about the great privelege of his birthright. Well he regreted it later didn't he!
I also found it interesting in Chapter 26 when Isaac & Rebekah are in Gerar and he says Rebekah is his sister, just like his father Abraham did a long time before...and Abimilech didn't like it one bit. Funny how things pass through the generations.
Also sad about the favourism Isaac & Rebekah showed to each of their children, it caused so much trouble and grief for everyone. How great that God doesn't play favourites :)
Nina
haha that's awsome andrew, what a way to minister to those around you ay!
ReplyDeleteTrue bro, Abraham was a great example of faith. What situations do we come across where we put our faith on the line like he did?! A fair dinkum guy.
So Faith has been demonstrated extremely twice to me so far. #1 being Noah bulding an ark for 100 years or something (and pulling the whole show off... luckily for us...) and Abraham willing to sacrifice his son. I can't think of any situations close to that with me yet.
I laughed when I read your post Andrew - about the music. But, hey - Delirious isn't such bad ambience music! And yep, what an awesome way to witness. Very subtle... ;)
ReplyDeleteSo true about faith evidenced in our actions...