What do you do to make an agreement with someone? Have you ever spit in your hand while your friend did the same and shake on something? Yeah, I haven’t either and frankly it sounds really gross. However, people do all kinds of things to make a promise together. What happened to the days of the good ole pinky swear? We will read a passage where God made an agreement with Abraham. It has rich meaning that gives us so much hope and encouragement.
Read Genesis 15
When you read this passage, you have to remember that Abraham just rescued Lot in a daring military action. God blessed him and he was victorious. Abraham has just experienced victory in all ways but here we see that God comes around Abraham and continues to encourage him. Abraham is surrounded by the realization that God is his shield and great reward. This is important because we need to know that the evil one will try to discourage us and tempt us to move away from a place that is close to God, a place where we have had victory through Him.
So be reminded that God comes along side you and says that He is our shield and our great reward. God also does something amazing in this passage. He makes a covenant (a promise) which is really powerful because when God makes a promise, He keeps His promises. How do they come to this covenant. Jeremiah 34:18 speaks of a ‘covenant’ or contract that certain men made with God. When they made this covenant, they cut a calf in two and then walked between the pieces. God says that since they broke their part of the covenant he will ‘treat them like the calf they cut in two’.
Even if you don’t have any background it is possible to determine from the text in Jeremiah that there is something going on with ancient contracts of the day with the making ceremonies. In today’s society, it would be done through your signature and writing contracts. Unless you have it signed and legally documented, it may not be considered valid. But ancient cultures were oral cultures and story-telling cultures. And the way contracts were often ratified (parallel to our ‘signing’ or ‘handshake’) was when the parties dramatically acted out the penalty for breaking the covenant. A way that covenants were made was to kill and animal, cut it into pieces, and walk between it as the oath was taken. This way the speaker was identifying with the animal and expressing his willingness to receive the ‘curse of the covenant’ if he is not faithful to his promise.
As you read in Genesis 15:17, we are given very graphic imagery of a smoking firepot with a blazing torch. This can be seen as God’s presence showing Himself in great power. After this demonstration, we see that God himself taking a covenantal oath (promise) and entering into a contractual, binding relationship with Abraham. I was reading some material by Tim Keller and he suggests that there are two amazing things about this covenant making ritual.
First of all, it is incredible that God goes through the pieces himself. In the ancient Near East, when a lesser party made a treaty with a great King, it was often customary that only the party took the oath and walked between the pieces. But here God lowers himself to take the oath and made himself accountable.
Second, it is even more amazing that Abram is not asked to go through the animal pieces or take an oath. If Abram were to also walk through the pieces here and now, then the promised covenant blessing would be as contingent on Abram’s keeping his promise as on God’s keeping his. But here it is all God. What an amazing thing God does for us. He continues to show us His mercy, grace and love. It should blow us away that the mighty Creator loves us and takes initiative with us. Take some time just in reflection of this fact.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Knowing Where the Praise Truly Lies
As you come into the presence of God today to read His Word and meditate on the words He may be speaking to you, pray for a receptive heart, that you may be humble enough to accept and allow God’s words to change your life today. Spend some time praying.
Read Genesis 14
God definitely works in cool ways. If you think about it, five kings weren’t able to defeat those four kings. Yet, God used Abram and his 318 trained men (as opposed to the thousands at the kings’ disposal) to show everyone that numbers do not matter when it comes to God bringing about His plan on this earth. Let me draw your attention to what happened after Abram’s victory though; both the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem approach Abram, though with vastly different purposes. The king of Sodom approaches Abram and tells Abram: just give me back all my relatives and subjects whom you’ve saved, and I will give you all the rest of the non-human goodies that you captured from those four kings. Abram will have nothing to do with it though, recognizing that the king of Sodom simply wants to be able to say, “I have made Abram rich.” So Abram rejects his offer. In contrast, when the king of Salem, Melchizedek, approaches Abram, he does something completely different. Unlike the king of Sodom, he does not praise Abram for defeating the four kings and saving all the captives. Instead, Melchizedek praises God and thanks Him for using Abram to “deliver your enemies into your hand.”
I feel like I’ve also had an experience rather similar to that of Abram’s recently: I was recently elected Homecoming King of Wheaton North High School. Just like Abram, I had accomplished something quite…impressive (trying to say this with maximum humility). Like Abram, I had overcome the odds (only being here two years prior to my election). And like Abram, I was congratulated by various groups from school and church. Yet, I think that I’ve been continually reminded by friends and family that the real glory and praise belongs to God. In fact, one of my friends from school (another member of the homecoming court) texted me Friday afternoon (after I found out I was the Homecoming King) with the verse Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In a sense, he acted as the Melchizedek to my Abram; he reminded me that ultimately, the approval we should be seeking should be from God, not from man. That we should desire to gain God’s accolades, not human ones. Not that human accolades are bad; by no means! In fact, it’s important that we are periodically encouraged and built up by those around us. It’s just that, when we look at the big picture, it’s ultimately God’s accolades that truly matter. So even in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of homecoming week, God continually reminds me that He is the one behind all the good in my life and that even when humans recognize me for my achievements, I am simply another person in continual need of more of Him.
Have you been relying too much on human praises to keep you going? Have you been taking the glory when it truly belongs to God? How is God convicting you to seek His praise over human praise? How is God calling you to use the spotlight you’ve been placed in to redirect that spotlight to where it belongs—with God? Pray about it. Be honest with God (and yourself) because you can’t fool Him. Ask Him to change your heart and mindset tangibly today. Because, in the long run, He is the one who deserves all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
Read Genesis 14
God definitely works in cool ways. If you think about it, five kings weren’t able to defeat those four kings. Yet, God used Abram and his 318 trained men (as opposed to the thousands at the kings’ disposal) to show everyone that numbers do not matter when it comes to God bringing about His plan on this earth. Let me draw your attention to what happened after Abram’s victory though; both the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem approach Abram, though with vastly different purposes. The king of Sodom approaches Abram and tells Abram: just give me back all my relatives and subjects whom you’ve saved, and I will give you all the rest of the non-human goodies that you captured from those four kings. Abram will have nothing to do with it though, recognizing that the king of Sodom simply wants to be able to say, “I have made Abram rich.” So Abram rejects his offer. In contrast, when the king of Salem, Melchizedek, approaches Abram, he does something completely different. Unlike the king of Sodom, he does not praise Abram for defeating the four kings and saving all the captives. Instead, Melchizedek praises God and thanks Him for using Abram to “deliver your enemies into your hand.”
I feel like I’ve also had an experience rather similar to that of Abram’s recently: I was recently elected Homecoming King of Wheaton North High School. Just like Abram, I had accomplished something quite…impressive (trying to say this with maximum humility). Like Abram, I had overcome the odds (only being here two years prior to my election). And like Abram, I was congratulated by various groups from school and church. Yet, I think that I’ve been continually reminded by friends and family that the real glory and praise belongs to God. In fact, one of my friends from school (another member of the homecoming court) texted me Friday afternoon (after I found out I was the Homecoming King) with the verse Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In a sense, he acted as the Melchizedek to my Abram; he reminded me that ultimately, the approval we should be seeking should be from God, not from man. That we should desire to gain God’s accolades, not human ones. Not that human accolades are bad; by no means! In fact, it’s important that we are periodically encouraged and built up by those around us. It’s just that, when we look at the big picture, it’s ultimately God’s accolades that truly matter. So even in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of homecoming week, God continually reminds me that He is the one behind all the good in my life and that even when humans recognize me for my achievements, I am simply another person in continual need of more of Him.
Have you been relying too much on human praises to keep you going? Have you been taking the glory when it truly belongs to God? How is God convicting you to seek His praise over human praise? How is God calling you to use the spotlight you’ve been placed in to redirect that spotlight to where it belongs—with God? Pray about it. Be honest with God (and yourself) because you can’t fool Him. Ask Him to change your heart and mindset tangibly today. Because, in the long run, He is the one who deserves all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Following God Blindfolded
Read Genesis 13
Have you ever noticed how Egypt is never most desirable place in the Bible? I mean sure, if the land is in a famine and there’s no water in sight, then Egypt looks pretty tempting; but otherwise it’s never really the “place” to be. Today in Genesis 13 we find Abram coming out of Egypt and out of a period of, let’s face it, rather cowardly living.
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 13:3-4) Sometimes, after particularly low periods in our walk with God it’s good to go back to where we started to regain some perspective and this is exactly what Abram does. He goes back to the place he first worships God and calls out to him again. Now notice how God has already set Abram up for the next step of faith, and ironically, he does it by blessing him and Lot so much that they now have to separate and Abram has to make a choice in order to maintain peace between him and his nephew. Of course, as the oldest male leader of the family Abram has every right to take the best property, so why doesn’t he? Or maybe if we look at it another way, maybe Abram had already made his choice. He chose to do the will of God, and Lot chose to follow his own will. Where did it lead them? Lot chose the land that looked more fertile, the land that reminded him of Egypt and it lead him to settle down right into the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram in his choice to live in the desert receives God’s encouragement. The thing is though God encourages him to look up from where he is and around him, and he promises Abram he will receive something that he will never see. Abram could have easily relied on all that God had already given him, he could have easily settled like Lot in the plentiful land, but that was not God’s will. No, God’s will for Abram was wandering in the desert following him the rest of his life, but it was something that would fulfill God’s will, and ultimately it was the best thing for Abram. Notice that once Abram pitched his tents near Mamre the first thing he did was build and altar to the LORD. He didn’t return to the next best thing to Egypt like Lot .What does it all mean? Personally, it’s always meant I can’t take settling for the typical “American dream” for granted. It’s meant I have to remember and consider what kind of Egypt God has brought me out of and where he is leading. What is the Egypt in your life? Are you trying your best to get back to your Egypt? Are you open to where God is leading you? Ask God for the faith to trust him even when you feel like you don’t see where he is leading you.
Have you ever noticed how Egypt is never most desirable place in the Bible? I mean sure, if the land is in a famine and there’s no water in sight, then Egypt looks pretty tempting; but otherwise it’s never really the “place” to be. Today in Genesis 13 we find Abram coming out of Egypt and out of a period of, let’s face it, rather cowardly living.
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 13:3-4) Sometimes, after particularly low periods in our walk with God it’s good to go back to where we started to regain some perspective and this is exactly what Abram does. He goes back to the place he first worships God and calls out to him again. Now notice how God has already set Abram up for the next step of faith, and ironically, he does it by blessing him and Lot so much that they now have to separate and Abram has to make a choice in order to maintain peace between him and his nephew. Of course, as the oldest male leader of the family Abram has every right to take the best property, so why doesn’t he? Or maybe if we look at it another way, maybe Abram had already made his choice. He chose to do the will of God, and Lot chose to follow his own will. Where did it lead them? Lot chose the land that looked more fertile, the land that reminded him of Egypt and it lead him to settle down right into the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram in his choice to live in the desert receives God’s encouragement. The thing is though God encourages him to look up from where he is and around him, and he promises Abram he will receive something that he will never see. Abram could have easily relied on all that God had already given him, he could have easily settled like Lot in the plentiful land, but that was not God’s will. No, God’s will for Abram was wandering in the desert following him the rest of his life, but it was something that would fulfill God’s will, and ultimately it was the best thing for Abram. Notice that once Abram pitched his tents near Mamre the first thing he did was build and altar to the LORD. He didn’t return to the next best thing to Egypt like Lot .What does it all mean? Personally, it’s always meant I can’t take settling for the typical “American dream” for granted. It’s meant I have to remember and consider what kind of Egypt God has brought me out of and where he is leading. What is the Egypt in your life? Are you trying your best to get back to your Egypt? Are you open to where God is leading you? Ask God for the faith to trust him even when you feel like you don’t see where he is leading you.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
God’s Plan Never Fails
Read Genesis 12: 10-20
The Jewish, Muslims, and many Christians make Abram out to be some amazing saintly figure. A man of faith he may be, but a man of great character he is definitely not. We see that in this interesting story.
Abram went down to Egypt to escape the famine. But wait! In yesterday’s reading, God has clearly shown Abram the land He was giving him. What’s Abram doing in Egypt? Yes, there’s a famine, but what’s wrong with trusting God to provide? So now, he’s in Egypt, and before they even entered Egypt, Abram told his wife, “Hey - you’re really hot looking, but if the Egyptians see you, they’ll want to kill me so they can have you. So to save myself, just say you’re my sister, so nobody will kill me.”
By the way, did Abram really know that they’ll kill Sarai? No - he made things up! In reality, the Egyptians wouldn’t do that - their religion is has severe penalties against murder. Anyways, they went into Egypt and Pharaoh, who found Sarai to be really hot, made her his wife! Now, we’ll stop there. Keep in mind that God’s plan for a nation of Israel was almost derailed by Abram’s sin. First of all, he wasn’t supposed to be in Egypt to begin with, and secondly, he wasn’t supposed to lie to Pharaoh about Sarai. And now, it seems that things are going to be screwed up because of what Abram did. But God sent a plague among Pharaoh and his family, and it wouldn’t be long before Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abram’s wife, not sister. Nothing will screw up God’s plan.
Oftentimes it certainly feels like this world is continually out of control, doesn’t it? It almost feels, nowadays, that the world is falling apart day after day. There is great uncertainty in the air with lots of insecurity, lots of anger and resentment. People die out of senseless violence in many parts of the world. Even my mom tells me that she cannot help but fear what the near future will bring. But isn’t it great that God’s plan is never derailed, even in the midst of our sin? Indeed, God is in control. He is Lord over all - and sin has nothing against him! What encouragement! What blessing!
Yes, sin has its consequences. But in the end, God makes sure that his kingdom marches on forward. Just last week at Princeton Seminary’s opening chapel, Rev. Nancy Gross, the Dean of Students, preached on how because technology is moving so fast, there might come a day - according to scientists - that everything we know will fuse together. Indeed, there may come a day when God is completely optional to human knowledge, because scientists think they know everything. But even so, Dean Gross reminded us that as Christians we always go back to the Gospel. Even though the world races forward and falls apart, God is always Lord of all and in control.
Thus, let us always remember that God is Lord of all, and His plans never fail. Let this truth continually strengthen us to fight the good fight, to take our stand with arms high and hearts abandoned!
The Jewish, Muslims, and many Christians make Abram out to be some amazing saintly figure. A man of faith he may be, but a man of great character he is definitely not. We see that in this interesting story.
Abram went down to Egypt to escape the famine. But wait! In yesterday’s reading, God has clearly shown Abram the land He was giving him. What’s Abram doing in Egypt? Yes, there’s a famine, but what’s wrong with trusting God to provide? So now, he’s in Egypt, and before they even entered Egypt, Abram told his wife, “Hey - you’re really hot looking, but if the Egyptians see you, they’ll want to kill me so they can have you. So to save myself, just say you’re my sister, so nobody will kill me.”
By the way, did Abram really know that they’ll kill Sarai? No - he made things up! In reality, the Egyptians wouldn’t do that - their religion is has severe penalties against murder. Anyways, they went into Egypt and Pharaoh, who found Sarai to be really hot, made her his wife! Now, we’ll stop there. Keep in mind that God’s plan for a nation of Israel was almost derailed by Abram’s sin. First of all, he wasn’t supposed to be in Egypt to begin with, and secondly, he wasn’t supposed to lie to Pharaoh about Sarai. And now, it seems that things are going to be screwed up because of what Abram did. But God sent a plague among Pharaoh and his family, and it wouldn’t be long before Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abram’s wife, not sister. Nothing will screw up God’s plan.
Oftentimes it certainly feels like this world is continually out of control, doesn’t it? It almost feels, nowadays, that the world is falling apart day after day. There is great uncertainty in the air with lots of insecurity, lots of anger and resentment. People die out of senseless violence in many parts of the world. Even my mom tells me that she cannot help but fear what the near future will bring. But isn’t it great that God’s plan is never derailed, even in the midst of our sin? Indeed, God is in control. He is Lord over all - and sin has nothing against him! What encouragement! What blessing!
Yes, sin has its consequences. But in the end, God makes sure that his kingdom marches on forward. Just last week at Princeton Seminary’s opening chapel, Rev. Nancy Gross, the Dean of Students, preached on how because technology is moving so fast, there might come a day - according to scientists - that everything we know will fuse together. Indeed, there may come a day when God is completely optional to human knowledge, because scientists think they know everything. But even so, Dean Gross reminded us that as Christians we always go back to the Gospel. Even though the world races forward and falls apart, God is always Lord of all and in control.
Thus, let us always remember that God is Lord of all, and His plans never fail. Let this truth continually strengthen us to fight the good fight, to take our stand with arms high and hearts abandoned!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Go and God will
Allow me to introduce a new character to the Genesis narrative, Abraham (or Abram before God changes his name). No, he isn’t the main character. Despite thirteen chapters devoted to the story of his life, Abraham is not the center of the story. In fact, when we first meet him, there’s not really anything significant about him. Unlike Enoch who walked with God or Noah who was blameless in his generation, we’re not clued into Abraham’s spiritual life. But very quickly, we see there is something significant about God’s interaction with him.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Right off the bat, God asks Abraham to do something big. Something seemingly unthinkable. He wants Abraham to leave his country, his family, his home and go to the land that He would show him. Go. That’s all He asks of Abraham. Not “go and”, but just go. And immediately after telling Abraham what he’s to do, God tells him what He’s going to do. God says, “You go and I will…” I will show you, I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you. I will, I will, I will. Over and over again, God reminds Abraham that He is doing all the work; that what he’s asking of Abraham is tiny in comparison to what He is about to accomplish in Abraham’s life. God had so much in store for Abraham, and wanted nothing from Abraham except that he trust Him.
So to what extent did God want Abraham to trust him? When does God tell Abraham which land He was giving him? In Genesis 12:7, God appears to Abraham and says “To your offspring I will give this land.” Abraham was camped at Shechem at the time. That means he was already in the land that God had promised Him. God was effectively saying to Abraham, “Get in your car (or camel) and drive until I stop you. Trust that I will bring you where I want you to go.” And that’s what Abraham did. He trusted God and had faith that he would not be led astray if he followed God wherever He led.
So what is God calling you to go and do in your life? Take some time to ask God to clearly tell you what that is. Perhaps its to go and talk to your friend about Jesus. Or maybe its to go and befriend that student who is marginalized or totally unlike you. Whatever it is, God is telling you to go and trust Him. I assure you if you do that, the rest of the story becomes about what God will do and is doing. You go and God will.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Right off the bat, God asks Abraham to do something big. Something seemingly unthinkable. He wants Abraham to leave his country, his family, his home and go to the land that He would show him. Go. That’s all He asks of Abraham. Not “go and”, but just go. And immediately after telling Abraham what he’s to do, God tells him what He’s going to do. God says, “You go and I will…” I will show you, I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you. I will, I will, I will. Over and over again, God reminds Abraham that He is doing all the work; that what he’s asking of Abraham is tiny in comparison to what He is about to accomplish in Abraham’s life. God had so much in store for Abraham, and wanted nothing from Abraham except that he trust Him.
So to what extent did God want Abraham to trust him? When does God tell Abraham which land He was giving him? In Genesis 12:7, God appears to Abraham and says “To your offspring I will give this land.” Abraham was camped at Shechem at the time. That means he was already in the land that God had promised Him. God was effectively saying to Abraham, “Get in your car (or camel) and drive until I stop you. Trust that I will bring you where I want you to go.” And that’s what Abraham did. He trusted God and had faith that he would not be led astray if he followed God wherever He led.
So what is God calling you to go and do in your life? Take some time to ask God to clearly tell you what that is. Perhaps its to go and talk to your friend about Jesus. Or maybe its to go and befriend that student who is marginalized or totally unlike you. Whatever it is, God is telling you to go and trust Him. I assure you if you do that, the rest of the story becomes about what God will do and is doing. You go and God will.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Family Tree
Have you ever tried to trace back your family tree past your grandparents? I think some of us have seen those type of things in our families but most of us would just see them as names. We don’t know much beyond our grandparents and parents. I know understanding where and how my dad grew up in Tianan, Taiwan allows me to understand so much more about him. He worked diligently from a family that wasn’t very well off to get a good education and make a “better” life for himself and his family. Understanding that about my dad allows me to have a much better context of who he is and why he does certain things.
Read Genesis 11:10-32
We hit another genealogy in Genesis. It seems like just a bunch of names but here’s the significance of this genealogical record - the family tree of Abraham. As a descendant of Shem, his ancestors had settled in Ur, a city located in the southeastern part of current-day Iraq. We see in this passage that his father (Terah) took the family and migrated northwest to Haran, a city close to the border of current-day Turkey and Syria. We'll see in Genesis that God led Abraham southwest from Haran to the land of Canaan. Incidentally, Abram's father, Terah, began this move to Canaan according to verse 31. They traveled along the Euphrates to get there, a trip which led them to Haran where they settled. It would not have been feasible to head directly west across the mountain range to go to Canaan. Abraham finishes the trip to Canaan from Haran in Genesis 12. Altogether, through Haran, the trip to Canaan would have been approximately 1,500 miles. As for the religious affiliation of Terah, notice the comment Joshua makes about Terah and Abraham's ancestors in Joshua 24:2, " 2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.” Prior to Abraham, his people were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods.
This is important for us to understand who Abraham is and in what ways he was growing up. He was being taught to follow many gods and they traveled many places together as a family. He needed to depend on family and trust them. But in the next chapter in Genesis 12, God would establish a very important covenant (promise) with Abraham. I hope this gives us lots of hope in the God that takes a hold of our lives. I know we think that since we were raised a certain way, or we were brought up in a certain way, that our lives will be dictated by that. Although that does shape who we are and what we do, God’s plans and calling for us are so much greater than those things. When we understand our context, it is an even stronger understanding of what God is doing in our lives. So take some time to understand your context, your story and how God has called you. Trust in God and His plan and it will hopefully enrich your understanding of God and what He desires from you.
Read Genesis 11:10-32
We hit another genealogy in Genesis. It seems like just a bunch of names but here’s the significance of this genealogical record - the family tree of Abraham. As a descendant of Shem, his ancestors had settled in Ur, a city located in the southeastern part of current-day Iraq. We see in this passage that his father (Terah) took the family and migrated northwest to Haran, a city close to the border of current-day Turkey and Syria. We'll see in Genesis that God led Abraham southwest from Haran to the land of Canaan. Incidentally, Abram's father, Terah, began this move to Canaan according to verse 31. They traveled along the Euphrates to get there, a trip which led them to Haran where they settled. It would not have been feasible to head directly west across the mountain range to go to Canaan. Abraham finishes the trip to Canaan from Haran in Genesis 12. Altogether, through Haran, the trip to Canaan would have been approximately 1,500 miles. As for the religious affiliation of Terah, notice the comment Joshua makes about Terah and Abraham's ancestors in Joshua 24:2, " 2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.” Prior to Abraham, his people were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods.
This is important for us to understand who Abraham is and in what ways he was growing up. He was being taught to follow many gods and they traveled many places together as a family. He needed to depend on family and trust them. But in the next chapter in Genesis 12, God would establish a very important covenant (promise) with Abraham. I hope this gives us lots of hope in the God that takes a hold of our lives. I know we think that since we were raised a certain way, or we were brought up in a certain way, that our lives will be dictated by that. Although that does shape who we are and what we do, God’s plans and calling for us are so much greater than those things. When we understand our context, it is an even stronger understanding of what God is doing in our lives. So take some time to understand your context, your story and how God has called you. Trust in God and His plan and it will hopefully enrich your understanding of God and what He desires from you.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tearing down our proud spires, and learning to obey
Before we delve into today’s passage about the Tower of Babel, I would like to draw your attention back to Genesis 1:28: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” This passage documents the very first commandment that God gives to humans: to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And God does not command this only once; in fact, he states his desire for humans to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” multiple times (Genesis 9:1, 7)! God wanted humans to flourish and spread out over the earth and be able to enjoy everything that God had given them.
Now read Genesis 11:1-9
Upon initial reading, you might think that there’s nothing wrong with what humans did. After all, they simply wanted to feel safe and be acknowledged for their hard work right? The catch is that there is far more to the story than those two innocent motivations. In fact, the people that appear in this story do not have pure intentions at all. You see, people wanted to “build ourselves a city” and “make a name for ourselves.” They wanted to find security in the things they built and be praised for the things they did. Notice the self-sufficiency that is implied by their words. Not once do they mention God or His will for humans (which was to multiply and fill the earth, not to remain all clumped together). So God comes down, because his created beings (already) aren’t doing what they were created to do, and confuses their language so that they all speak different languages now and must disperse because they can’t communicate with one another anymore. Problem solved right? Now humans will fill the earth and do God’s will and—nope, humans just never learn. If you look throughout the history of our world, you will see numerous examples of people trying to exalt themselves and burrow in their own fortresses that they erect to feel safe. Just look at all the Chinese emperors, or the Roman Caesars, or the European kings. All these fellows ever wanted to do was to conquer, add to their land, make a name for themselves so they’d be remembered for all they had done, and essentially construct a reputation for themselves so that everyone else would look to them as the prime example of perfection.
When I think of everything that humans do to try and make themselves feel secure and put themselves on a pedestal, I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of their efforts. I am not saying this to criticize because I myself am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a naturally humble person. Not even close. In fact, pride and finding security in my own achievements is something that I struggle with mightily every single day. The difference between me and all those Chinese emperors though is that I am continually reminded by God that He is the ultimate security and that He ultimately deserves all the glory. That means none for me or you,
‘cause it all belongs to God. Not that I don’t still struggle with pride and following God’s will for my life. In fact, I continually need to pray that God will remind me to be humble enough so that I can do His work effectively.
Reflect on how you have been proud, seeking glory for yourself, and still trying to find security in the things of this world. How is God telling you to change? What are some tangible things that you can do to show your trust in God? That He is your ultimate security? That our pride gets in the way of His plan?
Because I believe that if we all learn to put down our thoroughly burned bricks and our bitumen mortar, stop constructing our own spires and fortresses exalting ourselves, and begin to humbly follow God’s plan for us…He will honor that change in our hearts and allow us to take an even bigger part in the change He desires to bring upon our lost world. God, our God, our amazing, loving God has a plan for our world. And, similar to how the ending of the movie “To Save a Life” so eloquently put it, that He allows us to have a part in His master plan…that’s truly amazing.
Now read Genesis 11:1-9
Upon initial reading, you might think that there’s nothing wrong with what humans did. After all, they simply wanted to feel safe and be acknowledged for their hard work right? The catch is that there is far more to the story than those two innocent motivations. In fact, the people that appear in this story do not have pure intentions at all. You see, people wanted to “build ourselves a city” and “make a name for ourselves.” They wanted to find security in the things they built and be praised for the things they did. Notice the self-sufficiency that is implied by their words. Not once do they mention God or His will for humans (which was to multiply and fill the earth, not to remain all clumped together). So God comes down, because his created beings (already) aren’t doing what they were created to do, and confuses their language so that they all speak different languages now and must disperse because they can’t communicate with one another anymore. Problem solved right? Now humans will fill the earth and do God’s will and—nope, humans just never learn. If you look throughout the history of our world, you will see numerous examples of people trying to exalt themselves and burrow in their own fortresses that they erect to feel safe. Just look at all the Chinese emperors, or the Roman Caesars, or the European kings. All these fellows ever wanted to do was to conquer, add to their land, make a name for themselves so they’d be remembered for all they had done, and essentially construct a reputation for themselves so that everyone else would look to them as the prime example of perfection.
When I think of everything that humans do to try and make themselves feel secure and put themselves on a pedestal, I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of their efforts. I am not saying this to criticize because I myself am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a naturally humble person. Not even close. In fact, pride and finding security in my own achievements is something that I struggle with mightily every single day. The difference between me and all those Chinese emperors though is that I am continually reminded by God that He is the ultimate security and that He ultimately deserves all the glory. That means none for me or you,
‘cause it all belongs to God. Not that I don’t still struggle with pride and following God’s will for my life. In fact, I continually need to pray that God will remind me to be humble enough so that I can do His work effectively.
Reflect on how you have been proud, seeking glory for yourself, and still trying to find security in the things of this world. How is God telling you to change? What are some tangible things that you can do to show your trust in God? That He is your ultimate security? That our pride gets in the way of His plan?
Because I believe that if we all learn to put down our thoroughly burned bricks and our bitumen mortar, stop constructing our own spires and fortresses exalting ourselves, and begin to humbly follow God’s plan for us…He will honor that change in our hearts and allow us to take an even bigger part in the change He desires to bring upon our lost world. God, our God, our amazing, loving God has a plan for our world. And, similar to how the ending of the movie “To Save a Life” so eloquently put it, that He allows us to have a part in His master plan…that’s truly amazing.
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