Abraham Pt. 2 and 3

Just wanted to type a few notes about what we covered last Sunday and give a heads up on what we will be covering next Sunday.

First...last Sunday.

I want to correct a mistake I made in class...I said that, within the context of Chapter 16 that Sarai (Abram's wife) was already at menopause. I was wrong...that isn't explicitly stated until chapter 18.

Going back to chapter 15, we see that God makes a covenant with Abram regarding the promised land and Abram's descendants. Abram seems to doubt God's promises of offspring and land by asking God for some tangible evidence of their fulfillments. We might be temtped to think Abram shows a lack of faith, but the story doesn't seem to implicate Abram in the least and he is even commended for his belief and faith within the story.

How should we look at it, then? I think it actually paints a positive picture of Abram in that he aggressively asks God to fulfill his promises. God has already promised to Abram the things he asks for...so I don't think that Abram is so much doubting God as he is seeking the fulfillment of his promises...the blessings from God. It reminds me of Jesus' following teachings:

1. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled"
2. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be added unto you"
3. The parable of the man who knocks on his neighbor's door in the middle of the night to borrow something. Jesus says that he who knocks repeatedly is who will be answered, versus the guy who knocks once and gives up when his neighbor doesn't wake up.

The lesson is that vibrant faith does not simply wait idly for God's blessing, but persistently seeks it from God. Here Abram is the father of faith and his reward is the covenant which acts as an unbreakable contract with God over the promised land.


For next week we will cover chatpers 17, 18 and 19 which deal with circumcision, Isaac, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Come with comments and questions!

until then...

casey