Learning the nature of God
Genesis 12, 17. But the Lord…
What did Sarai and Abram know about the One God? Perhaps at this stage of their great adventure with God they did not know that God is abundant in mercy and that he acts on the behalf of people who trust him.
They had been born in Ur were the moon was god, had travelled through a region ruled by clans and come out the other side of the desert into Egypt, where the sun was god. In both of these religions the god was feared, he needed to be placated, and sometimes bribed, but neither religion thought that the object of their worship would continue to care for them if they displeased him.
The Bible is the record of God’s self revelation. He intended that humanity should know him and begin to understand what he is like. To do that he entered into alliance with people who would trust him. God caused other people to keep the oral records of what this alliance was like, what the humans did and how God responded. Later he caused other people to collect these records, and pass them on until they reached you and I and will reach our grandchildren. The story of how God responded to ancient people is a demonstration given by God to help us understand what he is like and what his true personality is.
Sarai and Abram would be familiar with the notion that the gods must be obeyed and that they must be placated when angry. What they learnt after Sarai left the tent of the nomad and entered into the harem of the king of Egypt, was that God would voluntarily act on their behalf.
God did not abandon these two people to the consequnences of a decion reached in extremity. He stayed with them and required no sacrifices to awake his compassion. This is an early example of the faithfulness of God, an older translation calls it the loving-kindness of God . Although they had felt helpless and afraid when they entered the mighty country of Egypt, they learnt (and probably to their surprise) that God would protect them, even in the Pharaoh's house. God did and does rescue his people from every power on earth, he turns our fear and trepidition into relief and gratitude.
You and I can confidently call on the name of the Lord knowing that he hears our prayers and that he will bring us out of, or be with us in, every tribulation.
What did Sarai and Abram know about the One God? Perhaps at this stage of their great adventure with God they did not know that God is abundant in mercy and that he acts on the behalf of people who trust him.
They had been born in Ur were the moon was god, had travelled through a region ruled by clans and come out the other side of the desert into Egypt, where the sun was god. In both of these religions the god was feared, he needed to be placated, and sometimes bribed, but neither religion thought that the object of their worship would continue to care for them if they displeased him.
The Bible is the record of God’s self revelation. He intended that humanity should know him and begin to understand what he is like. To do that he entered into alliance with people who would trust him. God caused other people to keep the oral records of what this alliance was like, what the humans did and how God responded. Later he caused other people to collect these records, and pass them on until they reached you and I and will reach our grandchildren. The story of how God responded to ancient people is a demonstration given by God to help us understand what he is like and what his true personality is.
Sarai and Abram would be familiar with the notion that the gods must be obeyed and that they must be placated when angry. What they learnt after Sarai left the tent of the nomad and entered into the harem of the king of Egypt, was that God would voluntarily act on their behalf.
God did not abandon these two people to the consequnences of a decion reached in extremity. He stayed with them and required no sacrifices to awake his compassion. This is an early example of the faithfulness of God, an older translation calls it the loving-kindness of God . Although they had felt helpless and afraid when they entered the mighty country of Egypt, they learnt (and probably to their surprise) that God would protect them, even in the Pharaoh's house. God did and does rescue his people from every power on earth, he turns our fear and trepidition into relief and gratitude.
You and I can confidently call on the name of the Lord knowing that he hears our prayers and that he will bring us out of, or be with us in, every tribulation.
posted by Jessie Coates at 11:04 PM
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