Week 3
Abraham's Family Story, Part 1
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 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 shall be blessed.”
What is God's purpose for Abram? As descendants in the faith of Abraham, how do we relate to this sense of purpose? What does it mean to be "blessed to be a blessing"?
Note how inclusive this covenant is - God's will for "all families" of the earth to be blessed. The history we have in scripture traces the story of one people who do begin to see themselves as God's chosen people, but chosen for what purpose? Reformed Christianity believes we are elect to serve God. To be a person of faith is to recognize our place as both recipients AND givers of grace.
"And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness."
Abraham becomes the first model for faith-based righteousness. The core conviction of Protestant Christianity is that it is faith alone in Jesus Christ that saves. Being a person of good works alone is a noble thing, but the core problem that humanity has cannot be solved by good intentions and human effort. We need God's leadership and intervention.
Quick aside: The New Testament book of Hebrews heavily relies on Abraham's life to make a case for what it means to "live by faith".
Let's get into some family drama!
Abraham + Hagar + Sarah
Abraham has the covenant promise of "being fruitful and multiplying", but he and Sarah are unable to conceive. According to their cultural practice of guaranteeing a male heir by whatever means necessary, Abraham conceives a son Ishmael with Hagar, Sarah's slave. Hagar then looks down on Sarah for not being able to conceive, and Sarah treats her harshly in return, and they live in tension.
Later Sarah does bear a son - Isaac, after laughing at God who promised such a miracle in her old age. And Isaac and Ishmael play together, angering Sarah, who throws Hagar and Ishmael out. They are left to die in the wilderness, when God comes to their rescue.
God shows grace and love for this whole family. Who are we tempted to judge? How does God respond to that person?
Living by faith is not without trial and hurt. What role does faith play in Sarah's suffering? Are there times you have laughed at God? with God? What role does faith play in Hagar's suffering?
In the end, God is able to minister to everyone. No one is judged to have been 'right' or 'wrong' but simply people doing the best they can to cope with their circumstances. God loves them all.
Islam branches off an as Abrahamic faith from here, following the lineage of Ishmael, while Judeo-Christians follow the lineage of Isaac. What does God tell us about Ishmael's future? How does that inform how the faiths should relate? What does it take for us to read this story with grace for Hagar?
I'm quite moved by the way Isaac and Ishmael have no animosity. They want to be loving brothers. When their father dies, they come together to bury him. Genesis 25 then also gives Ishmael a nice eulogy when he dies. Can you see the undercurrent of grace?
As we continue to explore Genesis, let's keep an ear out for the themes we've uncovered so far:
Covenant promises, unlikely grace, individual identity, family relationship drama, faithfulness as a long game, and the universality of God's vision for God's people.
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