Now the Lord said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him...
Genesis 12:1-4
No actually, I kind of need you to read that again, only slower this time.
Thanks.
I'm not going to keep you in suspense. Abram's story is the story of the Holy Man's preparation for the Test.
About thirty years after Abram left Ur and settled in Haran with his father, his brother, and all those who belonged to them God promised Abram something. He promised to bless all the families of the earth by making Abram a great nation.
All Abram had to do was pack up and move.
It' true, Abram may have been quite the sore thumb in the first place. He certainly didn't seem to fit in. How was a man supposed to make a name for himself (very important to the Sumerian mindset) if his wife couldn't have children? Especially when his brother had twelve little legacies eating at Terah's table, and adding to the family fortunes?
So, why didn't Abram just get himself a second wife, or a concubine or six? Dunno, but who can fault his loyalty? (I'm not gonna, because let's face it, curses have a nasty habit of ricocheting in any case, but this is one of those times when God promises curses in return)
It could be Abram loved Sarai, and it was as simple as that. Abram and Sarai were, after all, Awdawmish in body and soul. They were helpmates. Two become one flesh. (Three cliches in a row, but they weren't cliches thousands of years ago, and not to Abram and Sarai)
As uncomfortable as it must have been for our obedient servant in a household that was in the process of salting itself into and among other villages and tribes who enjoyed sufficient pastureland, access to a major river, established vineyards and productive orchards, Haran must have been a good place to live; all tucked in and prosperous in the foothills of the mountains of Ararat -- away from all the confusion, the babble if you will.
It couldn't have been an easy thing for Abram to do. He could have chosen not to leave his country his relatives and his father's house, and who could blame him? Of course, Abram's God, YHWH, would have been highly disappointed, so there's that.
Then there's the strong possibility that God didn't use his voice amplifying app and the Bluetooth speakers he'd hidden in the clouds to tell Abram what to do and what he would get if he did. From the way I read the Bible's story, God speaks either to the heart or in the heart.
Let's imagine an ongoing conversation between God and his son, who lived a safe albeit stagnant life with his polytheistic family. Now imagine that conversation unfolded over the course of thirty years. All that time to listen, observe, think, learn, prepare. Then, when Abram was restless enough, God set the condition of the promise:
"Go forth from your country...to the land which I will show you..."
Abram did it.
He had already answered the defining question of his faith.
I heard that. Some of y'all think Abram's faith was a matter of believing in God, of believing that God actually exists.
I don't guess Abram even thought of that question.
The defining question for Abram was: Did he believe what God told him; did he trust God to make good on His word?
Obviously Abram's answer was, "Yes."
"So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him..."
...at the age of seventy-five, in the year 372 PD.
By God's promise, Abram's obedience set him apart from his people. Set apart; that's the definition of holy. That's not to say Abram didn't have baggage.
Sarai went with him as did his nephew Lot, along with all those who belonged to them. Man, there's just no avoiding the whole slavery issue.
Next Time: Those Who Belonged to Abram (working title)
Peace Y'all
Thanks.
I'm not going to keep you in suspense. Abram's story is the story of the Holy Man's preparation for the Test.
About thirty years after Abram left Ur and settled in Haran with his father, his brother, and all those who belonged to them God promised Abram something. He promised to bless all the families of the earth by making Abram a great nation.
All Abram had to do was pack up and move.
It' true, Abram may have been quite the sore thumb in the first place. He certainly didn't seem to fit in. How was a man supposed to make a name for himself (very important to the Sumerian mindset) if his wife couldn't have children? Especially when his brother had twelve little legacies eating at Terah's table, and adding to the family fortunes?
So, why didn't Abram just get himself a second wife, or a concubine or six? Dunno, but who can fault his loyalty? (I'm not gonna, because let's face it, curses have a nasty habit of ricocheting in any case, but this is one of those times when God promises curses in return)
It could be Abram loved Sarai, and it was as simple as that. Abram and Sarai were, after all, Awdawmish in body and soul. They were helpmates. Two become one flesh. (Three cliches in a row, but they weren't cliches thousands of years ago, and not to Abram and Sarai)
Geography Alert!
Place includes the physical characteristics of the location and the human characteristics that make them what they are. Geography emphasizes the understanding of both of these factors, and the ways they shape each other.
As uncomfortable as it must have been for our obedient servant in a household that was in the process of salting itself into and among other villages and tribes who enjoyed sufficient pastureland, access to a major river, established vineyards and productive orchards, Haran must have been a good place to live; all tucked in and prosperous in the foothills of the mountains of Ararat -- away from all the confusion, the babble if you will.
It couldn't have been an easy thing for Abram to do. He could have chosen not to leave his country his relatives and his father's house, and who could blame him? Of course, Abram's God, YHWH, would have been highly disappointed, so there's that.
Then there's the strong possibility that God didn't use his voice amplifying app and the Bluetooth speakers he'd hidden in the clouds to tell Abram what to do and what he would get if he did. From the way I read the Bible's story, God speaks either to the heart or in the heart.
Let's imagine an ongoing conversation between God and his son, who lived a safe albeit stagnant life with his polytheistic family. Now imagine that conversation unfolded over the course of thirty years. All that time to listen, observe, think, learn, prepare. Then, when Abram was restless enough, God set the condition of the promise:
"Go forth from your country...to the land which I will show you..."
Abram did it.
He had already answered the defining question of his faith.
I heard that. Some of y'all think Abram's faith was a matter of believing in God, of believing that God actually exists.
I don't guess Abram even thought of that question.
The defining question for Abram was: Did he believe what God told him; did he trust God to make good on His word?
Obviously Abram's answer was, "Yes."
"So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him..."
...at the age of seventy-five, in the year 372 PD.
By God's promise, Abram's obedience set him apart from his people. Set apart; that's the definition of holy. That's not to say Abram didn't have baggage.
Sarai went with him as did his nephew Lot, along with all those who belonged to them. Man, there's just no avoiding the whole slavery issue.
Next Time: Those Who Belonged to Abram (working title)
Peace Y'all
No comments:
Post a Comment