Daniel's Worldview 1v1

Verse one has sent me on a journey to try and enter the world of the author. Lets for the sake of this post assume it was Daniel that penned this book. What were the events, stories and key themes that framed his view of the world? As he writes what prevailing thoughts are shaping the paragraphs he weaves?

As we jump back into Kings and Chronicles the first thing that strikes us is that Jehoiakim is one of the last rulers to feature in this passage of Israel's story. He falls right at the back of the these books. In other words Daniel finds himself at a point in history where the promise of the Kingdom seemed more distant and debatable than ever. There is a trail of division, compromise and capitulation that lies between the promise of David's rule and the poison of Jehoiakim's. Daniel could easily have been a cynic and a coward but despite the hopelessness of Israel's journey what was it that made the way for the telling of the epic story that awaits us in the prophet?

Daniel naturally references the rule of Jehoiakim in his opening verse because as a Jew his whole world was hanging on the promise of a prosperous and peaceful land under the rule of God's King. As a nation the jews understood their destiny in terms of Kingdom. The idea that a piece of the earth was going to find its intended creational purpose and that they would flourish there.

This theme of Kingdom frames the biblical story. Eden representing God's intended purpose for creation, a place where under God's loving rule his people were flourishing in the land entrusted to them. The exile from the garden is the problem the rest of the biblical story seeks a resolution to. The promise Abram receives is the reinstatement of God's intended order and ultimate blessing of the whole earth. Under King Solomon, Israel had brushed the pinnacle of that promise only to falter at the last hurdle. Disappointment follows with the Kingdom dividing, compromise with the nations and King after King paling into insignificance in comparison with what David and Solomon represented.

This narrative creates the context for Daniel. Despite Israel's desperate situation their is something very irrevocable about Israel's commitment and abandon to their sense that they were God's chosen people called to prosper and flourish in the promised land however impending their doom seemed and however impossible the political reality of their situation was. Something has happened in Israel's history that is so deeply ingrained in their psyche that no amount of muscle or violent intimidation is going to undo what has been written into their hearts. They have become a resilient and purposeful people. It isn't that all of Israel always have this character but it seems there is always a core, sometimes called a remnant, that hang on to God and his promises however tough things get.

Israel's culture is preserved through a series of feasts, celebrations, rituals and disciplines that ensure the story of God is remembered. They repeatedly seek opportunities to story tell and celebrate. Despite their familiarity with the notion and reality of exile, these resilient people, never seem to except it as final. There is something within them, however far they have drifted, that always bounces back believing that God will do what he has said.

Exploring the torah, the prophets, the psalms and wisdom literature gives us a window into Daniel's world that enriches our reading of his book.

Why I need the Psalms as I read Daniel

As I try and understand Daniel's view of the world I feel drawn to revisit the Psalms. Could they be a key piece in helping me to really understanding what it is like to be a Jew in Daniel's day?

So often I've read the Psalms as part of my daily devotions, believing that some how they are there to aid me in my intimacy with Jesus. In reality I've very often been confronted with the feeling that I need to skip whole sections because they don't seem to doing what I thought they should. In fact at times many of the emotions of fear, desertion and vengeance seem extremely abstract. Praying that God will break the teeth of my enemies has at times left me searching for a suitable application as I sip my morning coffee and think about the day ahead with my colleagues!!!

Now I'm drawn back there to discover what this poetry and song tells me about how it feels like to be a Jew in a period of history where the Kingdom sits precariously in the balance of reaching its promise on one hand and falling off the face of the earth altogether on the other. Is there anywhere that I'll find a better vista into the big themes that dominated the mind of a man like Daniel? Although many of the psalms are penned by David I feel confident that his words are reliable in representing the issues that all Jews of this period were contending for. His words became a treasured language that helped the jews collectively express their story. As Daniel's contemporaries looked back at David's life and the Kingdom that he birthed, it will have been remembered as the penultimate pinnacle in their journey. Now they are anticipating a day when a more complete and lasting expression of David's time will come at last.

The more you begin to piece together Daniel's world the smaller the old testament begins to feel. Books of law, history, poetry and prophecy converge to construct a view of the world that suddenly brings the text alive. The bible isn't a long meandering road of ideas that takes great intellectual mastery to bring together into a coherent set of doctrines. The books of the bible are a series of layers that can be placed over each other to create a picture of increasing intensity, colour and clarity. It reminds me of skiing holidays - when you first arrive in the resort it feels enormous and you quickly become disorientated and feel nervous navigating the slopes. By the end of the week you quickly realise how all the runs are connected and before you know it you start to feel at home racing all around the mountains.

I'm excited that the bible is inviting me into a drama where the landscape can quickly become familiar as I endeavour to make connections between the various forms of literature.

Daniel 1 v 1

I'm sitting by the fire with my bible on a very cold December's evening.  I'm daunted by the idea of trying to make sense of the ancient literature in my hand. I'm at a point in my faith where I really do need the bible to reassure me that it is a coherent and compelling story that makes sense of my life.  I don't want to dip into it, knowing I'm hanging my life on its message, to be defeated by feelings that its obscure, disjointed and inaccessible.  For the scripture to persuade me of its integrity I feel that the story that Jesus emerges from needs to fit him like a glove.   Surely, so late in history, Jesus can't be the first time that God has related with the world in a way that makes convincing reading.  Was he really just an obscure, one off genius that left the world taking their hats off?  Or is it possible that he can be seen to be the continuity of something deeper that God had started doing in history long before the miracle baby arrived?  

I'm looking for a faith that has more integrity and substance than the novelty of an mysterious miracle maker.  I'm far too cynical to be persuaded by personality or a one off super hero and therefore I'm thirsty to genuinely understand the context and prevailing message of the books that paved the way for Jesus.  Do they unfold to provide a coherent story that Jesus finds himself to be part of or perhaps even the climax too? Is it possible the bible might actually be  one seamless narrative that allows me to confidently interpret the world around me.  

I'm on a quest to avoid a spirituality that loosely uses an ancient text to provide proverbial wisdom that could be as easily found in the latest leadership books or uttered from the lips of an eastern guru.  As sure as I am that this type of wisdom can be found in scripture I have a hunch that bible can offer something much more compelling if we are prepared to look intently enough.  Beneath its words I'm hoping to find a structure to the story that makes sense of why I'm angry at injustice, captivated by beauty and hungry to be loved.   Is there something there that explains why life seems to matter so much and why I care so much about a world that is reportedly a meaningless accident?  I need to know what explanations are on offer as my understanding of the world drives my choices about this life.  I'm quite sure that my heart is controlled and directed by the stories that I have been persuaded by during my journey through life.   They have become my lens as I look at the world around me.

Daniel 1v1 gives me the perfect inroad into getting to grips with the bible.  It really reassures me that the quest I'm on is not just a whim but one that bible was designed to answer.  "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it".   

I'm sure we've can all empathise with those occasions in life when we have to say something meaningful.  Perhaps it is just penning a note to a friend or something far more daunting like writing a wedding day speech.  What ever the situation we all have had that hanging feeling of "how on earth do I start".  Our first words say so much and set the tone. How much more must the authors of scripture have felt that weight as they pondered their opening words with pens poised to record God's story for generations to come.  

Well the author of this prophetic book, as many of the prophetic authors did, saw it fit to start by grounding the story in its historical timeline and giving us an immediate spring board back into the history books of Kings and Chronicles.  I find this extremely encouraging because it immediately reinforces my hunch that I'm in good company when I sense that God places a significant emphasis on the historical narrative. In fact the opening verse suggest that this is exactly how God intended for us to engage with scripture. Our starting place is to find where our reading finds its natural position within the wider context of what God has been doing in history.  

I love the nudge verse one gives me to get out the book itself and investigate.  What can I find out about Jehoiakim in the history books of the bible? Where were Israel on their journey?  What were the big themes that were emerging out of their story at that time? What can all of this tell me about how the words of Daniel would have been received by the intended recipients of his day?  

In my next post I'll give some further thought to those questions and begin exploring how this information can help us to engage with the book of Daniel.     

What can Daniel offer our generation?

For quite a while I've been drawn to the book of Daniel. When something is held up as a book for our generation I start to salivate a little!!! There is a little leap in my heart that in this story there might be something that can help me make sense of the tensions of living in this unusual passage of history. I'm teased by the idea that as I thumb these pages I might discover a way that overcomes the challenges of growing up in a culture that appears so secure, materially prosperous, progressive in philosophy and the arts, and powerful on the world stage. Babylon certainly represents so many of the promises that western life holds out to us and this small groups of exiles had to figure out how to live as part of the elite class of citizens.

Sometimes when I'm reading of the poverty of Jesus and the somewhat ascetic undertones of the new testament I'm left wondering whether I'm disqualified from the Kingdom of God because I find myself among the well educated, materially prosperous and seemingly powerful class of our society. Out of guilt I've often thought to myself..."should I withdraw and distance myself from this secular culture, hide away and wait for God's return". Then at times I've swayed to the other extreme and been provoked by the aggressive fundamentalists that shout and yell and decry a depraved generation as doomed for hell. Is this the kind of faith that God is looking for? These zealots leave me wondering if perhaps I've somehow sold out.

Despite these unnerving feelings there are whispers around me that seem to provide a third way. A way that affirms the goodness of creation; a way that genuinely has faith in the redemptive work of God; a way that that is neither coldly detached nor violently zealous, and yet a way that is still deeply subversive. Can I really build a house here, plant a garden and seek the good of this city? Is it really ok to be fully engaged with the life and times of the world around me? Where are my boundaries in the finely balanced call to be engaged but not corrupted? Can Daniel give me any clues?

A fresh direction

I am excited to say that the 'James on a journey' blog is winding up for a fresh wind of activity. After starting out with the intention of blogging my way through the bible I eventually ground to a halt shortly after Genesis 15. Despite the loss of momentum I look back now with great excitement at how my whole approach to engaging with scripture was an attempt to think biblically and to approach theology from what I have come to understand as a narrative perspective. In my next posts I am intending to move away from Genesis in order to reflect a little more on a number of inter-related convictions around; how we approach scripture; the Kingdom of God and the churches call to be a missional community. These three subjects have dominated my thinking over the last three years and the fruit has been reassuring. Watch this space.

God's passion for outsiders. Recovering from the damage of religion.

What I find compelling about the biblical narrative is that God always seems to meet with the most unlikely of people. That isn't just true of Jesus' ministry it can be found from the very beginning of God's story. Genesis 16 is another fine example. In the opening verses we are introduced to Hagar "an Egyptian slave girl". Previously Abraham has been told by God that his descendants would be persecuted by the Egyptians for 400 years. So not only is Hagar a slave,representing the lowest status in society, she also represents Abram's most sinister enemies. In the patriarchal world of Abram it is astonishing then to find not just a woman, not even just a slave woman but an Egyptian slave woman meeting with the living God. What makes it even more unlikely is that Hagar was also guilty of violating her relationship with Sarai by "looking with contempt on her mistress". Surely this is the final nail in Hagar's coffin, not only the the lowest status in Abram's world and but a sinner as well!

This isn't just surprising for those looking from the outside but it is the last thing Hagar expected. For Hagar the only reason God would meet with her would be for her judgment - so to see this God was to die. Hagar exclaims after the encounter "Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?" Like many people Hagar had imagined God as a distant and angry God that smites. She had not expected to discover a God who "had given heed to her affliction". What had she, an egyptian, a slave, a woman, done to deserve this kindness?!

It was the day for Hagar that plucked her from the obscurity of the cold and lonely world she lived in and gave her a future she had never dreamed of. It wasn't going to be easy for Hagar but before, her life had no prospects and yet now she was going to be the mother of a nation. Nothing in her circumstance may have changed but she had been "seen" by God and now the whole world look different and for the first time she saw the future she never thought she would have.

What is fascinating in all of this is that the people who had been called to represent God on earth had behaved in completely the opposite way towards Hagar. Abram and Sarai were the promise bearers. They had been called to be those through whom the whole earth would be blessed. They represent the future of Israel and ultimately the Church. It is astounding then that having journeyed with the patient God that had guided them on this winding journey through all kinds of dangers, despite their own failings, they remain untouched by his attributes. Instead on over looking Hagar's sin they dealt harshly with her forcing her into the isolation of the wilderness. Later on in chapter 21, Sarai actually cast Hagar out.

It seems that this story points to something that will happen again and again in the story of the people of God. Whether Israel or the Church the pattern seems set - the people of God will repeatedly fail to represent God faithfully on the earth. That is not to say that will not be great periods of history where the Church lives out its purpose but for those who think they can judge God by the actions of his people, be warned! Just as Hagar was a recipient of grace, so were Abram and Sarai. Just as Hagar was capable of failing so was Abram and Sarai. The story of the Church is a story of people saved by grace and given a future they didn't deserve. Like children growing up they too will be capable of all kinds of mistakes and failings and so to judge God by their actions would be misguided and a failure to truly understand the process of restoring a fallen world.

Sadly the people of God have time and time again done what Abram and Sarai did. They have excluded and cast out those that God had chosen. It seems that a repeated theme of Jesus' ministry that he takes the outcasts and rejects and he restores them to the family of God. He came to undo so much of the damage done by the people of God and to call us all to a new way. Jesus tore down the nationalistic religion that was riddled with pride and delighted in separating itself from those that needed grace the most. Sadly the Church has not always heeded these lessons.

We're all guilty of some form of hypocrisy and we must draw near to Jesus and pray that we will carry God's message of grace to all who need it.

Genesis 16

Wow - one and a half years have past since I last blogged!! Picking up Genesis 16 are reading it with a fresh perspective, shaped significantly by my reading of Tom Wright, has given me some new insight into the passage.

I was confused as to why Hagar would cherish the promise made to her by God that Ishmael would indeed live and become a nation, a nation at conflict with everyone around. I suppose it had not occurred to me the Hagar was a slave girl with little prospect of a meaningful future. She was at the mercy of Abram and Sarai to the point that they could determine if, who and when she would marry. Her life was marked by obscurity and there was little possibility of anything significant ever happening to her. Apart from this I guess I was blinkered by the prevailing individualism that has shaped my world view. Today our aspiration rarely reach beyond our careers or at best for the success of our immediate family. We have lost touch with the identity of families, clans, tribes and even nations. If pressed we may consent to the possibility that it would be nice for our nation to prosper but that thought will quickly move on to the more significant question of our own prosperity and our own progression. We take it for granted that life in the UK will go on and we take it for granted that our children will grow old and most likely have children of their own. For Abram and Hagar though the liklihood of longevity for family and tribe was far less certain. The dream of the next generation surviving and progressing was by no means a given. Considering that they lived in a world where conflict was common it would have been a bonus for Hagar's descentdents to live at peace. What is significant to Hagar is that her descendents would live at all, let alone that they would become a a nation of significance. This is far more than most slave girls would have ever imagined or dared to dream off. Above and beyond this Hagar future had been revealed to her by God. Hagar is overwhelmed that she has met with God and lived. Hagar, a slave girl, met with God! To meet with God was one thing but to meet with him, live and walk away with the promise that you would be the mother of a nation is altogether mind blowing for a woman of any generation but particularly for a slave from a God fearing family like Abram's.

There is something about this passage that exposes our narrow, shallow and selfish world view. I look back and am surprised that I couldn't identify with Hagar's joy. How could I read this passage over and over again and miss the significance of what had happened to her.

Its passage's like these that should help us grasp one of the big themes of the bible - "the people of God". The bible wasn't written to celebrate the greatness of a collection of individuals but was rather a story in which God is seeking to establish a family, a family that will bless the earth and will become a "people". God's story is searching for the creation of a worldwide family that live under his blessing. His work in the lives of individuals is a significant part of achieving that end, but it is not the end in itself. We need to see beyond individuals again and see that God is at work to establish the Church.

Genesis 16

I have resisted writing a blog on this passage because I found it difficult to understand it in places. However after a few months of rereading I have the following thoughts that are incomplete and insufficient but are necessary to record if I'm ever going to press on to the end of blogging this book!

We have already seen the weaknesses of the patriarch Abram when he ran to Egypt during the famine and suffered the consequences of his lack of faith in God's provision. Once again this pattern is identified in Abram's life through a new story. In this chapter almost exactly the same plot shapes the narrative. The similarities are between; the famine in Canaan and the bareness of Sarai; food from Pharaoh in Egypt and the fertility of Hagar, an Egyptian woman; the consequence of conflict with Pharaoh and the consequence of Hagar's seed growing to be a hostile enemy of Israel.

It is almost as though God wants to make it clear that his plan for our redemption has been despite man. Our default position seems to be to run to Egypt. To run to someone or something other than God to meet our deepest needs. It is remarkable to consider that God's grace is so persistent that despite Abram's perpetual flight to Egypt God does not abandon his plan to make Abram a patriarch remembered for his faith, the one who would father the nation that would carry his redemption story to the world.


The narrative reminds us again of the disastrous consequences of our lack of faith. The jealously and conflict within Sarai and the birth of a hostile nation from Hagar only serve to remind us that we will live with the consequences of the times we chose the provision of Egypt over God.

The tenderness of God towards Hagar is a wonderful reminder of the breadth of God's mission - although he intends to establish Abram's family on the earth his wider concern is always broader than the people of God. God's intention is always the blessing of the whole world and Hagar encounters this desire and describes God as "the well of the living one who sees me". What a wonderful description. I'm not quite sure how Hagar takes comfort at the fact that her descendants will always live in open hostility towards their relatives but there is not doubt that she has experienced something of the grace and tenderness of God.

Genesis 15 - Justice

Pretty much all the empires I've read about expanded their territory through naked ambition. Nothing restrained the aggressive expansion of borders other than resource and political strategy. The story of God's plan for his Kingdom Israel was very different.

I understand why we live in a time that is particularly skeptical about the notion of "empire" and "kingdom". Our history books are full of atrocities carried out by those enchanted by power. Some of these atrocities are even carried out in the name of "religion"*. As a generation we live in the wake of these abuses of power and we now struggle to trust anything that legitimises war or force.

Despite our skepticism I have been party to many conversations where we have desperately sought for answers on how to intervene in some of the worlds worst dictatorships. Inevitably I have heard the conclusion that we cannot stand by passively and watch these great atrocities from afar, surely we must do something to end the tyranny and oppression of these people. What peaceful intervention is available when the proponents are armed with guns and machetes?

The tensions surrounding this topic are huge. Many people argue that Tony Blair intervened in Iraq too soon and the regime should have been given more time and opportunity to change. I wonder if people would have thought his actions just if he had been patient and given them another 5 years to change. Perhaps some would insist even 10 years. Surely another 20 years of seeking a peaceful resolution to no avail would have finally justified military intervention?

20 years of tyranny and oppression seems a life time to me. Tony Blair would certainly have long been out of office and a new generation would be growing up. 20 years of standing by and waiting.

It is light of these thoughts that I want to return to this incredible passage in Genesis 15 that set the scene for God's dealing with His Kingdom. God's guiding principle for the establishment of the nation that he would use to save the world is justice. God hates injustice. The mantra of most Kingdoms is "expand, expand, expand". God's mantra to the patriarch of Israel is "wait, wait, wait". He didn't tell Abraham "5 years and then the land is yours". No he didn't even say 15 or 50. God said I will give the Amorites 400 years to change. Their atrocities, tyranny and oppression of others hasn't yet got bad enough for him to justify their destruction. God says "I will not intervene, I will be patient, I don't care how much oil is in the land!". God will not compromise justice for anyone, not even his own chosen people.

God is even willing to allow his chosen people to suffer 400 years of slavery in order that when he does decry "judgement" on the land of Canaan He is completely justified because the deeds of the whole nation warrant destruction.

The story of Israel is not one that compares to a typical empire or Kingdom, it is radically different. It is rooted in justice and demonstrates patience to a degree we cannot even comprehend.

As I sit here I cannot begin to take in the extent of God's patience and mercy. For 400 years God patiently endured the sin of the Amorites. For 400 years they had every opportunity to turn from their wicked ways, to listen to their conscience, to recognise their evil. For 400 years God waited and chose not to intervene. God is slow to anger and rich in mercy and yet many people think they would do a better job as judge than God. They think they can stand in judgment over him and accuse him of injustice. God is patiently waiting for us to turn to him but one day our 400 years will be up and the unrepentant will finally be brought to justice. Every year God watches our most atrocious acts of violence, oppression, greed, selfishness and rebellion. He stares at the suffering we inflict on one another and yet he is patiently holding his hands out to us, longing that we would turn and embrace him and lay hold of the provision he made for the forgiveness of our sin.


Footnote

* I just wanted to address the misconception that religion causes all the wars. There are 2 points to make here:

1. The major genocides of the 20th century have been atheistic regimes that are hostile to religion.

2. Religion is not the "Gospel" of Christianity. Religion is usually a system of betterment that people embrace to try and warrant their own salvation. In other words it is a program of works that if you stick to you will earn you place in some sort of paradise after this life. Religion either leads to pride or despair. You either succeed at ticking all the boxes of religion and therefore feel superior to others or you you fail and despair because you are not good enough for God.

The "Gospel" of Christianity is very different to religion. The gospel is about accepting that we have missed the mark and that by nature we always chose to run from God. The gospel recognises that Jesus Christ lived the life we should have lived and he died the death we deserved to die. In other words God did for us what we couldn't do for ourselves and he saved us. The gospel leads to grateful joy and humility. We are not ticking boxes to pass an exam, the change in our lives is the process of us walking into the fullness of life that God created us for and is a natural response to reality of God's love and kindness in our lives.

True religion is not the cultural label given to those who fight wars and crusades, it something that changes people and draws them to Love. God is Love.

Genesis 15

The story that runs through the bible has some very strong themes that are rooted in the covenant God made with Abram. Previously we've focused in on the idea that the covenant was about the outpouring of God's blessing on Abram and and on all people through Abram. We always need to keep that aspect of the covenant central in our understanding of the biblical story. There are two other aspects of the covenant that are reinforced in chapter 15 that are also key.

Firstly the covenant relates to a people. God promised Abram offspring as numerous as the stars. Although it is completely biblical to believe that God relates to each of us as individuals it is really important to keep in mind that this covenant is about God's relationship with Abram's offspring. From this point the bible's main theme is God intimacy with a people. Reading the New Testament without that understanding can mean we miss the heart of God's redemption story.

I think sometimes we get disappointed with God because our expectations revolve around an understanding of relationship with God that is very individualistic and personally intimate. So much emphasis is placed on God being like a daddy that we only expect God to meet us in those very personal ways. If he doesn't we get really disappointed and discouraged. What exactly does a 'personal' relationship with God mean? I wonder how a stronger concept of being part of the people of God might change those expectations and help us to see new and different ways of experiencing him. Please don't misunderstand me here, I passionately believe that an individual's conviction and experience of God's love towards them is one of the most transforming and central experiences of Christian conversion. Nothing is more beautiful than the assurance of God's love towards me. What I am seeking for is a richer and deeper understanding of a relationship that the bible devotes itself to - God and His people.

The second part of the covenant detailed in this chapter is God's promise to give Abram the land of Canaan. This picks up a theme that is building in my reading of Genesis. The theme of a 'place' of blessing. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve enjoyed the blessing of God. It was a 'place', a physical location. When Adam sinned he left that place, the land of blessing. Now God is promising a new 'place' for Abram's family, a 'place' destined to be a home for God's people. A 'place' of abundant blessing. God didn't offer Abram a celestial home far, far way from the rotten and sinful earth. No, instead he pointed to the restoration of a small piece of this planet and committed to the establishment of a new place of blessing. Perhaps just a signpost of a much greater redemption. A hope that one day all the earth would be blessed through Abram. God's commitment is not the destruction of the physical earth but its renewal.

So the 3 themes that substantiate this covenant are God's people (Abram's descendants), in God's place (the promised land), enjoying God's blessing. These are the elements that Graeme Goldsworthy constantly addresses in his books - he is well worth a read for getting to grips with the the overarching story of the bible.

In the next blog I'll return to chapter 15 to consider how God will uphold justice in the establishment of His Kingdom. Perhaps one of the toughest questions we grapple with having just left a century marked by some of the most evil despotic regimes. I think we are a generation that is extremely sceptical of notions of Kingdom and Empire.

Genesis 15:1-2

I feel another entry on this fascinating exchange between God and Abram is necessary. I will probably be repeating some of the last entry.

What God says in verse 1 is surely a central pillar of our faith. Within those 3 lines God defines his role in the relationship he has called us to with him. God speaks into the chaos of Abram's world. A world in which he is surrounded by war and trouble, without a permanent home, unable to see how anything will ever change and incapable of producing a child with Sarai. In other words Abram has nothing he wants in this life. All the things that were important - peace, land and a family are alluding him. In that context God beckons Abram to realise that the things he hopes for will never bring contentment in themselves. "Abram, I am your shield and your very great reward". God's opening statement is not "Abram, Do not be afraid, you will have a child". There is something else God is trying to teach Abram first. He wants Abram to realise that actually there is only place for one God in his life. He is saying "I am enough for you".

Later in the passage God reinforces his promise of a child and of land but not before he has spoken to Abram of the correct sequencing of life. When we have ordered our life on the basis that God is enough and no need or want is exulted above him, then all our needs will really be met. Is God your shield and you your reward? Is he the one in whom all your hopes and dreams rest? Do you know that all your needs are met in him? If God has his rightful place in our life then we not need to be afraid of anything. Are you a fearful person? Go to the root - what has taken God's place in your life? What is ruling you? What is the little sovereign that is mastering you? What can you not let go of?

My generation is one that is obsessed with destiny, purpose and calling. I suppose because of the effects of individualism we often think in terms of our personal destiny and rarely in terms of being part of the collective people of God. Because of this I think we are vulnerable of making an idol of destiny. We want the role of the hero in the story, we want to be the ones they write biographies about and we want a place in history. Lots of people have fallen out of that rat race though because they have seen their ambitions and dreams allude them. When our destiny runs aways from us our faith often follows. Is God our shield and reward? Are we content when we are abased and when we abound? Our calling is important but have we become like Abram when he turns to God and says "what can you give me since I am without a child?".

Abram's relationship with God matures throughout his journey and I think we all know what happens when his son finally does come along. Abram grows to truly believe the God is his shield and reward. Have you?

In conclusion I want to return to my claim that God's statement in verse 1 is a pillar of our faith that defines God's relationship with us. He calls us to put our whole hearts into his hands. The relationship is one in which God becomes all to us and nothing else takes his place as our shield and our reward. That is to be the nature of our relationship with him.

Genesis 15:1

You know that sinking feeling after you've had a dinner party? You've used all the pans in the house, there is cake mix all over the walls from the mixer and the washing up is towered precariously by the sink! There was such momentum up to that point, you just had to get everything right before your guests arrived and once they did you you were too busy enjoying yourself. It is only in the silence that follows your final guest's departure that what you've just done actually sinks in. Now you are sat alone wondering if it was really worth it after all. Whats the point?

Well that is a rather dramatic account of a dinner party probably inspired by my wife's ambitious attempts to be a wonderful host (which she is). Imagine though what it must be like when its not a dinner you've been making but a war you have been fighting. Imagine that it wasn't a cheese soufflé that you were trying to nail but the leaders of evil and wicked nations that were exploiting the vulnerable. Imagine the sinking feeling after all that is finished. You've not been through the summit of the cheese and port but instead you have rescued the last captive and have shunned the offer of an evil ruler. Imagine then the nagging questions of "what was all this for?".

Looking at the plot line of lots of the epic films in our culture we might see Abram as achieving his destiny in Chapter 14's rescue account. Surely he has become the hero we all aspire to be? He is the rescuer. In light of this we may find his sudden emotional plummet a little surprising. Hasn't he just arrived? That would be the obvious conclusion looking through the lens of individualism that charicterises our world view. However we must understand that the culture we are reading about understood its worth not based upon its individual achievements and merit but upon the strength of its family and community. In Abram's society he had nothing. All Abram's had done was meaningless to him unless he could have a child to carry on his line.

This passage reminds us of something we keep on seeing in this God story - The creator's initiative. God intervenes time and time again. He isn't just a God who responds to our needs, he anticipates them. This scene doesn't begin with Abram's questions and disillusionment but instead God's words of empathy. He sees Abram's need even before it is expressed.

Abram's in a very different position to us. He doesn't have millenniums of history to look back on and to know what God is like. These are the early days of revelation. God is making himself known to a people who have long been exiled from the place where God and man lived in perfect relationship. The knowledge of God was distant and dim.

The first thing God says to Abram is a command, "Do not be afraid". If you had been rescued from the evil grasp of Pharaoh and had actually come out richer than when you went in because of a miraculous intervention by God, you would probably find those words extremely compelling. If this God says "Do not be afraid" then there is no need to be afraid.

Then God says something that Abram doesn't actually seem to get - "I am your shield, your very great reward". God is gently probing Abram's heart here. He knows that Abram has actually started to look for his reward elsewhere. Abram is afraid because his hope is not longer in God but in the child that God had promise. Abram was now making an idol of this child. He turns to God and says "what can you give me since I remain childless?". Just take a minute to absorb the audacity of this statement that Abram directs at God. Abram's idolatry has blinded him to incredible gift God was offering him. Not a child, although that was implicit, but the gift of himself - "I am your very great reward".


Here is God holding himself out for Abram, inviting him to lose himself in the sufficiency of his love and provision. Why do we, like Abram, so often hang our life on the hope of God fulfilling one of our idolatrous needs when he is offering us something infinitely greater - himself. If God is offering Abram God, what is a child in comparison? Have your hopes and dreams come to mean more to you than God himself? Do you elevate an unfilled prophecy above God himself? Is God or something else your "very great reward"? Idolatry is a subtle disease of the heart. In Abram's case the the object of his idolatry was the very thing the God had promised him.

Genesis 15:1

"After this" - There is something very weighty about this little phrase. It is almost as though the writer is coming up for for a quick breath before he plunges back down into another scene of this epic story. It follows the climax of an action filled chapter - Abram at his best with his God firmly at the centre of his life. These opening 2 words mark the passing of a submit in Abram's journey, a landmark of victory. To deal with them we need not only look back but also forward. Typical of human experience - Abram seems to plummit from his mountain top to a place of despair. He cries to the Lord, "I have no Children and a servant will be my heir". What a contrast compared to his indignant refusal of the riches held out by the King of Sodom. I guess it is difficult to know how much time had passed when the verse says "after this" but the author must link the two stories for a purpose. The humanity of the biblical heroes is never skirted over. Real doubt, real fears and sometimes really big failure. Can a man of such uncompromising conviction really swing to a place of such vulnerability and uncertainty? Can you hear the voice of God as clearly as Abram, see his miraculous intervention time and time again and yet spiral into a place of doubt and disillusionment? I think chapter 15 gives a resounding "yes" in answer to that question. We can take comfort from this passage. Perhaps the knowledge that we're not alone will add some perspective next time we find ourselves descending toward these thoughts and feelings.

Genesis 14:24

I just wanted to jot a brief bookmark on this verse for an area of personal interest - capitalism and ideology. It will be a helpful place to begin shaping a biblical view of property and labour as well as providing a foundation from which to consider various idealogical positions. Abram's statement seems to affirm the idea that people should be fairly reimbursed for the work they do and the risks they take. It is also implicit within this affirmation that it is entirely reasonable for the worker to have rights over the possessions they earn through that labour and risk. It is also important to recognise the righteous example Abram sets in his position as a leader within this community - a position that would seem to be on a par with a King. Abram appears not to have exploited those under his jurisdiction. He could have denied the soldier his wage, he could have tried to levy a heavy tax and used it to grow richer himself. Instead Abram models faith, integrity and restraint - an important quality for the father of a nation.

Genesis 14:25-

If the King of Salem is synonymous with the Messiah then we are immediately met with the contrast in the closing section of this dramatic sequence of events. The King of Sodom must represent the King of evil. We’ve already been told in verse 13 that the “men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord”. So Abram’s meeting with the priest of the Most High God is abruptly followed by an encounter with the smooth talking leader of God’s enemies. The plot is a very subtle attempt to trap Abram. It isn’t the first time we’ve been introduced to such subtle and deceptive tactics. He comes dressed as a King. Would you be impressed? Flattered? His suggestion didn’t even seem unreasonable – “you keep the goods, it was after all your rescue mission”. Those words seem familiar to my own psyche. I know the reasoning of my own mind inevitably ushers me towards self-interest. There is justification for all kinds of behaviour when we reason for long enough. This time, however, Abram is on fine form and resists the persuasive voice calling out to him. He declares in no uncertain terms that “no one will make me rich accept for God”. What a powerful declaration and yet one that we sadly often neglect. How often do we fall for the empty promises that are made all around us? Idols that promise a short cut to riches only God can truly provide. I think the question we are left with is “who do we look to for the provision of our treasure?”.

Genesis 14:18-24

I haven't blogged for a long time because this passage seems so familiar that I've found it difficult to handle. I've finally found a place where it is living afresh in my heart.

The more I allow myself to meditate on verse 18 the more I realise how rich it is with prophetic imagery and perhaps even suggestive of an appearing of Chirst. Not only is 'King of Salem' synonymous with 'King of Jerusalem', the title of the coming Messiah but there he stands with bread and wine in his hands. I believe this is the first time these symbols have been introduced in Scripture and it is paired with perhaps the strongest picture yet of the coming Christ. These symbols will become the most significant meal in the life of the Church and will be shared probably on a daily basis around the world until God's story reaches its culmination and everything is restored by Jesus. It is profound to find these symbols so closely tied to Christ and yet thousands of years before his incarnation. Verse 18 is surely a nugget so easily missed and yet so deep, so rich and so prophetic.

So what a stage Abram finds himself on. Here he is stood before the "Priest of the God Most High" perhaps before Christ himself. The sequence of events in the next 2 verses is crucial in what will become a central teaching in the life of the Church - giving. If you asked most people to recall this passage they would probably jump straight in to the fact that Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe. Lets not make that mistake. The following words are central - "he blessed Abram".

Abram gave a tenth of everything in response to the blessing of God. The blessing is expressed in terms of God's deliverance of Abram's enemies into his hands. This is the place giving must flow from - realisation that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. In other words we give because we have been blessed or enriched beyond our own means. Often we are told we give because God will give back to us. I think the biblical foundation for giving is clearer here. Giving as a response to the blessings already poured out upon us. God's blessing transcends the tenses - it isn't just about the things he has done, we live in its reality and also enjoy the knowledge that his blessing makes provision for our future to. We are in the hands of God.

So we give to Christ as a joyful response for what he has done for us. Perhaps this can be mistaken for an attempted repayment - I prefer the thought that is a reflection of trust in the God who has proved he is more able to provide for me than I am able to provide for myself.

I do not intend to make much of the "tenth" that Abram gave. It would seem to me this is merely the first marker in Abram's journey towards giving everything and that is expressed fully in Abram's willingness to sacrifice Isaac.

Genesis 14:1-16

This passage has given a window into the turbulent events of world politics in the time of Abram. We are given no room to mistake the context in which Abram finds himself. Perhaps some people have a feeling the spiritual life is an opportunity just to wonder into green fields and enjoy life. Was it that simple for Abram? Did he just walk into the land and enjoy the promise the moment God delivered it? The story in point shouts a resounding 'no' in answer to this question. The world was a turbulent place. Everyone was positioning themselves for the next opportunity to extend their kingdoms, increase their power, amass wealth and dominate others. It must have been a terrifying time to live in.

Abram's family became victims of this terror. Lot is carried off into captivity with all his possessions, wives, children and other relatives. We can only surmise about the likely atrocities that were inflicted on the vulnerable members of Lots party. These events are deeply troubling.

The response to this situation feeds the biblical theme of rescue. Abram will not stand by in face of this great evil but rallies his troops and embarks on a journey to return all that his been taken. He is indignant in the face of injustice and was determined to restore Lot to his home.

I can hear the question in many people's mind. How is what these King's did to Lot any different to the what Israel did to Canaan? How is Abram's cause any more just than the cause of the people that resisted and fought Israel as they marched into land? It is a question I have often wrestled with. In the face of it however I have to reflect on the journey Israel travelled. The people of Canaan were never just displaced because God needed a home for the nation he was raising up. Israel was subject to mistreatment and slavery at the hand of their enemies for over 400 years before God finally pronounced judgment of a wicked people. Long before Israel ventured into the promise land God has said that he would not remove the inhabitants of the land because their sin had not reached its fullness. When God finally does commission his people to cross the borders of Canaan he declares that it is not because of their righteousness but because of the wickedness of those living in the land that this act was just. In other words God proclaims loudly that Israel should not be proud, empire building, arrogant militants. They should realise that this is God's judgement for a very limited window in history. What took place was with great reluctance and with the single purpose of creating a force in the world that would bless every tribe, tongue and nation.

So back to the story. Somehow Abram's small band of men manages to rout the army of this alliance of Kings and recovers everything that was taken from him. I wonder if their is something of a Kingdom message concealed within the words of this story. The underdog that put right a great injustice. The unknown hero who crushed the cruel grip of a dark Kingdom. It is a story that resounds with hope for the vulnerable. It is a message of freedom for the captives. It is surely a message that those that belong to the family of the promise can hope even when every reason for them to do so may have melted away. Perhaps it is also a message for those who have wandered away from the promise? After all it was Lot who wandered off to Sodom in the first place. Lot had walked away from the man of the promise. He thought he could build his own Kingdom, do it his own way, found his own nation. Grace triumphs in the end and despite his attempt to go it alone, despite his self belief, the promise comes and rescues him from the enemy. I don't think it will be the first time we see that pattern.

It is amazing how persistent the promise can be in the lives of those that refuse to believe. God's grace, his rescue, his love just keeps coming after us even when we've abandoned it. Lot just cannot get away from from God's providence. Lets be clear here - the hero of the story isn't Abram - it is God. We are told in no uncertain terms that this victory Abram won was most certainly a divine intervention:

"And blessed be the God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." (v20)

So God stood up for captives, he fought for the vulnerable and he made it clear to the world that his promise would advance despite their attempt to weild power, intimidate and dominate.

I think we should reflect on our own faith journey in light of this story. If we really want to hope in the promise of God we can be confident it will be messy. Intimidation will loom at every corner. Believing God is never without opposition. God's heart beat must constantly be worked out in a turbulent and rebellious world that will resist his passion to bless. Will we hang on and believe God?

A final reflection on Genesis 13

Sometimes church life seems to be subject to the same power struggles as any other organisations. We get caught up with our own progression, our own ministry, our own position, our own preferences and our own agenda. There is a fight to assert ourselves firmly in the driving seat and for the church to bear our mark. I wonder if we forget what the promise is really about? Do we lose sight of what the Kingdom is? What is it we are trying to control? How important are the battles we are trying to fight? Do they really impact on the coming of a Kingdom where God is recognised as God, the poor are clothed, the hungry fed, the broken hearted healed, the captive set free, the lonely befriended and the whole world blessed because of who we are? Do our preferences about music, hymn books, structure, dress and all the other things that we fight about really have anything at all to do with the promise? Is God not looking for a worshiping people who are working to see the world bear His mark again? A world where love triumphs over cultural differences.

Abram did not let the decision that he and Lot faced overshadow the promise. He didn't fight to assert his preference over which ways they would go. His concern was with the promise and his faith was in God to deliver it. He didn't need to fight this battle. He recognised that this decision was irrelevant in terms of the realisation of God’s promise. How often do we take the courage to follow Abram in letting go? Do we return to the promise and assess whether the battles we are fighting are really worth it? What is it we are hoping for; a social club that ticks our boxes or a Kingdom that blesses the world? Divest your emotions from the irrelevant.

Genesis 13: 4-18

Perhaps more than any other generations before us and more than most of the world around us, we struggle with the question of what to do with our lives. Opportunity abounds. Doctor? teacher? Engineer? Artist? Economist? Management consultant? Banker? Aid worker? Church worker? We are quite obsessed with the question of what to do with ourselves. As a result there are endless books on discovering God's will, guidance, how to hear the Spirit's leading. Many are very helpful and full of good advice. There is however something extremely refreshing about this passage. It starts with Abram calling on the name of the Lord, as he stumbles on the alter he had built earlier in his journey. This reminds us that Abram was and is a worshipper. His life is a response to God. He is training his eyes to look upward in his daily life. He walks with God and for God. This pattern of life prepares Abram's heart for the big decisions.

In chapter 13 we hit one of those decision points for Abram. He has so much wealth that it is starting to create trouble in the group. Lot was a brother and Abram didn't want his camp to be disturbed by such quarreling amongst family. You would think that Abram would have been preparing for some serious negotiations with Lot and strategising about how he could get the best deal for himself. The land was, after all, promised to him and not Lot. You can imagine the tension Abram must have been feeling - 'what if I get this decision wrong'. 'What if I miss out on God's will and choose the wrong part of the land for myself'. What if...what if... Sound familiar?

Surprisingly the text shows no tension in Abram. Instead it appears Abram's confidence is not in his ability to make the right decisions but rather in the promise of God. Abram's faith is in God and not in his own ability to apply the right guidance formula to his situation. He is so confident in the promise of God that he allows Lot to chose which part of the land he wants. "You choose Lot, you go left and I'll go right, you go right and I'll go left...whichever way I go God's promise will prevail"

So perhaps we need to stop worrying about whether we've heard right or whether we've correctly followed the steps from the latest book. Lets worship and move forward.

Interestingly in this passage, God spoke to Abram after he had moved on and not before. The reassurance of the promise came when Lot had sailed off into the distance.

The chapter ends with Abram building an alter. It is the third time in the passage that Abram has taken time to focus in on God and to place him firmly at the centre of his life. A rhythm is emerging, a rhythm that we should work at adopting.

A final thought - when we talk of promises in the Church today, it often relates to those individual words that are about our personal lives. The promise Abram held onto was a promise for a nation, a people that would bless all people. I'm keen as I read the scriptures to really discover what it is that God has promised to the New Testament church. What are promises that we should really be hanging our lives on. What are things that are about more than just me. What can I really be confident of.

Genesis 13: 1-3

The opening scene of chapter 13 paints a powerful portrait of repentance. Abraham returns to the place he had been earlier. He had taken a detour that nearly cost him everything. He had looked for provision for his needs outside of the promise of God. Abraham was now retracing his steps asking himself carefully where he had gone wrong. There must have been a great deal of wisdom in journeying to Egypt. On the face of it any sensible man would surely take his family away from the famine to the land of plenty. The case for the journey was compelling and Abraham submitted to its wisdom.

This pattern was one that would hinder the line of Abraham over and over again in the generations that would follow him. Israel repeatedly lost confidence in the promise and looked to the surrounding nations as allies. When testing times came the temptation was to lose sight of God. Where is God? He seems distant! He doesn't seem real in our present situation! Who else can help?

God's requirement of us is faith. To believe him. To believe that the Kingdom he promised to Abraham is the only Kingdom worth belonging to. To trust that he has, is and will build that Kingdom. However attractive the other Kingdoms look, their foundations are shallow and crumbling, and their high walls are deceptive. No doubt today we will face the same temptation as Abraham and his descendants. We will wonder where God's Kingdom is, we'll question the promise, we'll feel the draw of materialism, fame, power, pleasure. They will beckon to us to come and be satisfied now. We'll find ways to meet our needs with substitutes when we lose faith in the promise. We will run to Egypt.

All of this boils down to the breaking of the first command. We lose faith in God and look to something else for provision, rescue, reward. We stop believing that God is enough and our faith shifts onto other things. They become our god. We hope they will deliver us from our struggles, we hope they will satisfy our deepest needs, we think they have power to save. We all have gods. We all are hoping in something. Faith in Yahweh is always tested. Famine comes. Trouble comes. Disappointment comes. Life tests the promise. Every story in scripture is marked by this pattern. Faith holds onto the promise even when everything around you is screaming out to let go. Faith doesn’t run to Egypt when the famine comes.

So what does chapter 13 verses 1-3 offer? It offers grace. It recognises that along the journey we sometimes do run to Egypt. We sometimes do fall into idolatry. We sometimes fail. However Abraham retraced his steps. He walked back along way he came and he rediscovered the place in his journey where he had taken the detour. He repented.

I like the thought that he went back to where he had come from. Sometimes repentance is sold as emotional response to the bad things we’ve done. We say sorry, we cry, we get up, we carry on. Sometimes that’s ok but sometimes it probably means something more. What will it mean for us to journey back to the road we left. How can we find the path we were once walking but that we have since departed from. What steps must we take to get back there? Don’t mistake these questions as a call for penance. I’m not suggesting you can pay for your mistakes to appease God. Grace had already come to Abraham. Pharaoh had already released and blessed him. God had already intervened. The journey back is more about rediscovering the promise and revitalising your hope.

Genesis 12 - Further reflections

The pattern that emerges is this chapter is promise, pressure,panick. It is a pattern that most of us would identify with as we journey along on the spiritual life. The promise of God comes to Abram and offers him a great future. The faith Abram demonstrates in this promise is quickly met with an extreme pressure. He finds himself in a land where there is a severe famine. It seems unthinkable that you can move from being the future blessing of all the nations to finding yourself at the mercy of nature. Abram's only option to survive the famine was to journey into territory where his own life would be at threat. Abram's initial enthusiam for God's offer quickly diminished into panick. Abram sees no alternative but to offer his wife to another man in order to protect himself. Some people come to faith under the impression that Christianity delivers you from the troubles and challenges of life. When reality sets in it becomes clear that we will all walk through dark valleys and face troubling times. There are also days that we might panick, like Abram, but it is encouraging to know that God does not abandon us even when we regress from faith. As we learn to trust God and resist the need to be in control, we will dicover that keeping faith is a lot less hassle than panicking. I wonder if Abram and Sarai's relationship was ever the same again after this incident.

Genesis 12 - What else can we learn

Having devoted a post to the centrality of Genesis 12 to the overarching story of God and his pursuit to bless humanity on a global scale, I now want to revisit the narrative and observe the life of a 'Godly' man.

Social scientists; psychologists, sociologists, economists and others have devoted much thought and consideration to developing models that will explain human behaviour. Early models were linear, simplistic and of limited value. More recent models have recognised the huge range of dependencies that sway our decisions and affect our behaviours. Abram's story seems be a prime example of how inherently inconsistent the human condition is. Abram is courageous, risky and the model of faith in the opening verses. By the end of the chapter he has been reduced to a cowardly, deceitful, self-interested betrayer - handing his wife over to Pharaoh to protect his own life. It is following Abram’s building of an alter to the Lord, an act of worship, that his demise begins. One moment Abram was a man of great faith and his life was marked by worship - the next he seems to have lost it all.

We all aspire to be the Abram of the opening verses. Men and women, who step out, take risks; become heroes of the faith. Youthful optimism convinces us that we have the integrity, the character, and the faith to become great. Unfortunately, like Abram, the day comes when we falter, stumble or collapse in a heap. It only takes a moment of fear, a flash of desire, a second of anger. Confronted with our humanity we are often left devastated and crippled. The pulpit is so often used as a vehicle of emotional manipulation and high ideals are preached. We are urged to be like Abram but rarely do we progress beyond the first few verses and see that Abraham was a weak and fearful man. When the inevitable happens in our lives we are left feeling unworthy and detached from the community that once esteemed us. Our eyes are so earthly bound that we see no hope or future for the fallen.

It is as though the author of Genesis hardly pauses as he pens the demise of Abram, he surges onto the providence of God. Abram's behaviour was despicable. To treat Sarai as though she was an asset that he could appease Pharaoh with was shameful. God stoops down and protects Sarai and in doing so extends grace to Abram. The intervention of God came despite Abram's sin and Sarai's cooperation. This is God at his most glorious. This is the God of grace at work. God was perfectly entitled to punish or abandon Abram in his faithlessness; instead he extends mercy and honours his promise to make Abram a nation. God's decision would become the story of the rest of scripture. His promise to bless the whole earth would advance despite man's constant failure.

Some times the Church stands self-righteously over the world and when great leaders are suddenly exposed for secret sins the mask is shattered and the self-righteous stunned. The model we are given in scripture is that all good men are also bad men and the gospel is about our brokenness and not our righteousness. Righteousness is the work of the redeemer that flows from the recognition that none of us are heroes but we look to a compassionate restorer. The rock on which God chooses to build his Church was the greatest failure of all. Peter's determination to be the great disciple who stood by a suffering saviour terminated in the explicit and aggressive denial of God himself. Peter discovered that there was nothing in himself that could cause him to rise above his own sinfulness. The brokenness that followed was the qualification that Jesus esteemed and provoked the commission "feed my sheep". Jesus wanted a broken man to lead his people, a man who had exhausted his own effort and fallen on the Redeemer.

Genesis 12 puts God firmly as the centre of the picture. It leaves no room for hoping in human heroes. As ever the author of Genesis causes us to lift our heads and look up. We all fail at times, sometimes it is sin, sometimes a ministry dream doesn't work out, maybe our business fails - the list is endless. Life leaves us broken. Brokenness leads us to safest place of all.

NB - this post is not suggesting that we all escape the consequences of our sin in this life, or that we should expect to prosper even when we sin, nor is it meant to diminish the severity of sin.

Genesis 12

I've been sat here for half an hour trying to find some way of introducing genesis 12. I've played with words, told personal stories and attempted to use contemporary examples that would somehow convey the magnitude of this portion of history. Every time I've had to caress the delete key and start over again. I'm quite simply lost for words. I don't know how to express the gravity of what is about to happen.

When God opens his mouth and the promise of Genesis 12 is spoken to Abraham, the nation of Israel is born. For some that may bring negative connotations. They may have fallen on the wrong side of the conflict that has raged over land in the middle east. Other's are troubled by the idea that God would choose one nation over another. With human reason we argue that God would not be just if he chose one and not another.

All of our wisdom melts into insignificance as God unfolds his plan in these verses. Why is he choosing, singling out, make one special and not another? How could he? The answer is compelling. God says to Abraham "I will bless you". Why? "So that you will be a blessing" and so that "in you all the families of the earth will be blessed". God's vision is expansive, extending not just to the physical borders of one nation or the strategic partners in the continent but to every home, in every far flung inhabitance on the earth. God is driven by the greater good of all he has made. God's heart is bent on blessing, enriching, restoring, renewing and reviving the home of every tribe and tongue and nation. God has never been anything other than completely, intentionally and single mindedly missional. He is pursuing his lost creation with all his passion and energy.

What defines God's approach? It is relational. At the heart of God's world is relationship. Here we see the very essence of God's redemptive plan. God says "Abraham...I'm taking you, my man...I'm using you, and little by little through your offspring my message of blessing and love is going to spread from man to man, family to family, friend to friend." As sure as the scientist knows that metal will not resist the flow of electrical current, so God was sure that relationship would be the fastest and most effective conduit for his blessing. He knew that to start with one was the surest way to reach them all.

Faith is the property that defines Abraham as an effective conductor. He will not resist God's touch. He is willing, whatever the cost, to stand in the place where God will fulfil his purposes and enrich the world. We too are called to that place of privilege. We are invited to become part of God's worldwide redemption mission.

Unfortunately not every one has faith. They set themselves against God's mission and refuse to carry his current of love. The result..."and the one who curses you, I will curse". It is a great tragedy that many will resist God and sadly suffer its consequence. God's invitation is relatively straight forward "blessing" or "curse", "life" or "death", "hope" or "hopelessness"?. He has set his energy on giving us every opportunity to be children of Abraham and the invitation has excluded no one. God's desire for us all is blessing. Why resist a God such as this?

These verses frame the rest of scripture. What unfolds in rest of this great story is God's unrelenting fight to fulfil the promise that "all the families of the earth will be blessed". The journey is full of unexpected twist and turns and it is not one free of human suffering and trials but in everything God remains faithful to what he spoke to Abraham.

Genesis 11: 27-32 - Silently, silently, God is at work before we know it.

This short account of Terah's life points to God's silent working. God has not spoken to Terah in the way he would do to Abram. Despite this Terah has already begun the journey that Abram would complete. For some reason he finds himself compelled to move in the direction of the promise land and he ups sticks and drags his family across country. I'm humbled as I reflect on how God has been at work for our good long before we even wake up. God is silently at work in ways we would never imagine. God is sovereignly working out his purposes even through the lives of those who do not believe.

Significantly, these verse record that Abram's wife Sarai is barren. This sets the scene for God's miraculous covenant promise with Abram.

This short passage builds the stage for the potentially the most signifincant section of Old Testament written. The characters have been introduced - Abram and Sarai. The direction has been set - Canaan. What now unfolds will change the world forever.

Genesis 11:1-9

I think everyone must have dreamt of being significant at least once in their lives. Quite often, as the years go by, life's events suppress such thoughts and force us to settle for just existing. Getting by is as big as our ambitions get. It seems sad to me that people often reach such a point of hopelessness.

Babel seems to reveal to us another of life's tragedys. The people were so repelled by the thought of this hopelessness, the prospect of insignificant wandering, that they determined to make themselves famous. Their vision was to build themselves a throne in heaven. I guess this a picture of finding contentment, peace and significance. They were determined that they had it in them'selves' to do this.

I cannot quell this thirst for significance inside of me. I cannot make it disappear. Does this appetite within leave me in the same boat as those that strived at Babel? I'm not convinced it does. The desire for significance is a desire to find meaning and purpose in life. If allowed it can be a quest to rediscover Eden and understand again the place we have in God's heart. The tragedy of Babel is that the people pursue this, not by searching for God, but by looking within. It would appear to me that this story speaks powerfully to our times. Those of us caught in life's rat race can often make the mistake of thinking that if we keep striving and keep building then just round the corner we will arrive at a place called "happiness". The problem is that eventually we wake up to find that much of what we have invested our lives in has crumbled around us. The tower eventually tumbles. "Self" has an unsaitable appetite and however high we build the tower eventually we realise the sky has no limit.

God says "this is only the beginning of what they will do". It reminds me of those horror stories that people tell you when you are a kid...remember the ones with endless stair cases and you are being chased by some dark and terrible creature. God, in His kindness, steps into try and save people from this endless pursuit of contentment. He knows that they will stop at nothing to discover this "illusion" called fame.

God's act at Babel is merciful. He steps in and tears down the illusion. God's desire is that mankind would realise that quest for significance, the pursuit of heaven, is completely impossible outside of Himself. We need to look not to our selves but to God to discover our significance. Soon enough you will discover that nothing is more significant than being the object of His love, knowing your were made to walk with him and live for him.

As the people of Babel were scattered, and the foundation of the city lay in ruins, the people were probably lying under the stars in the deserts, no longer consumed with an illusion, wondering who is out there. Sometimes the things that cause our tower to tumble force us to rethink and that can be the greatest act of grace in our lives.

A friend said to me recently that "our moment seems really heavy". That night I woke up and felt acutely aware of just how temporal I am. Today seems so important, we seem insistent on taking ourselves so seriously. Today will just be another day that will drift off into history and if our investment was in the illusion of this world then we will watch all that we had hoped in fade with the flowers of the field. God has told us that the only thing that will remain is love. May we find our significance as we soak in His love and learn to love as he loved.

Naked - A revisit to Genesis ??

During my teenage years I had a very painful relationship with the mirror. Every day it would remind me of the confidence crippling condition that plagued my face. I'm sure on average an hour or more a day was spent twisting my head in directions that it should not go and constantly adjusting mirrors to ensure I could see from every angle just how bad the acne really was.. The other 23 hours were spent wondering whether I would be accepted looking like a shiny red porous ketchup bottle that had accidentally been filled with mustard. It was pretty hard to get out of my head the reflection I had been staring at.

Earlier in my blog I wrote about how self conciousness seemed to be a consequence of the fall. Before this event it was as though Adam and Eve were staring intently into the person of God. In a sense God acted like a mirror. They were defined by what they saw. What Adam saw in God helped him understand himself. Then suddenly they were plunged into darkness. The mirror which once defined them was now seemingly opaque. I sense the terror of that moment as I read Genesis. Suddenly this deep and searching question grips them, 'who am I'? They became aware, in a new way, of this thing called self, now starved of what once fed it.

It seems funny when you think of it like this that it took philosophers until the enlightenment to begin trying to figure things out with themselves as the first point of reference (humanism). It would seem it took thousands of years for their brains to catch up with their souls. Here was Adam staring into a broken mirror lost and confused as he looks down and realises he is stood there naked and all the animals were watching. The changed, self concious Adam is desperately looking for some kind of assurance that he is 'OK'. Self is no longer feeding on God, it is searching for some sort of covering, something else to give it meaning.

We all know that struggle, don't we? The nagging questions of are we 'OK' or not? Are we loved, accepted, included. A constant looking at others, trying to figure out whether we are made in their image or not. I'm surely not as fat as her? Do I sound as confident as that? Have I got the same determination as him? Surely I don't dress that bad? If only I could get as toned as him! Our relationship economy ensures that we surround ourselves with the people that make us feel good, the ones that we like the image of, the rest we push out into life's lonely corridors. The ones that stammer; or dress funny; or can't figure out social rules all leave us with this nervous thought that actually we might not be OK either. 'Self' likes to feed of people that comfort it. So we reward those people, and with 'self' puffed up by the reward it returns the compliment. We group ourselves in packs feeding off each other, trying to understand ourselves in a broken mirror and closing the doors tightly to those that don't conform.

Some people give up the fight, they resign themselves to being losers, they take comfort in hating themselves. Others buys Ferraris and polish them until they are so shiny that they can just about see their own reflection. They feel really good about themselves because they think they are a Ferrari.

Jesus is different. Really different. He has what Adam lost. At one point he turns around to his friends and says "I only do what I see my father doing". He has got it. He has the intent starring into God thing that Adam seemed to lose. Jesus wasn't busy building himself nice houses or hanging out with the righteous people. He didn't need that stuff to make him feel good about himself. He didn't struggle with the questions that we struggle with. He didn't need the posh car or the job title to convince himself that he had made it. No! Jesus was staring into God and what he saw defined him. What he was looking at explained the "who" question for him. We feel insecure when people don't like us, we feel undermined when people question us, we retaliate when people hate us. Jesus hung on the cross, staring intently into the faces of his enemies, their eyes so hate filled that they had demanded his life and yet from His heart Jesus pleads for them to be forgiven. Nothing is more deeply moving, more utterly profound, more truly beautiful than this moment. This is the definition of wholeness, the explanation of what it means to be fully human (in the creation sense). Only the person who lives staring into the mystery called Love could do this.

Until I started to think like this I never really understood how I could be called righteous. I didn't get why, although I went on sinning, I some how got to be righteous because of the cross. Then I realised that Adam wasn't staring into a mirror at the beginning of the story as I thought. In fact it was the other way round. Adam was the mirror. Eternal life was the opportunity to tilt a lump of dust and water in the direction of a great light. The glorious reflection defines, gives meaning, identity and reason. Jesus fixed what severed that relationship in the garden, he took a cloth, dipped it his own blood, wiped down your mirror and then invited you to look into the light again. Despite the memories fading in the glass, despite the shadows that occasional darken your shine the invitation cries out for you to allow the warmth of His light to fall on you again. As you respond in this way His righteousness begins to define you, His love begins to stream out of you, His beauty marks. Left congealed in the bloody rag is the dirt that once dimmed this perfect reflection. You are free.

I guess this all helps me to understand a little more of what it means to die to self, to take up my cross daily, to lose my life. All the reference points I once used to understand myself have got to go. The constant inventing myself in the image of others must end. I'm in the world but the world will not define me. I'm not made of the stuff of this world. I can't look there any more to understand my identity. Eternal life will found when I rediscover the God whose image I was created in.

Why God is Beautiful - A reflection on the first half of Genesis

Just got back from a holiday in the French Alps with the family. There we were all gathered round the dinner table, entrepreneurs, doctors, managers, aid workers, young and old. The conversation was lively as the educated thrashed out the concepts of right and wrong and how they might protect the lives of the next generation from decisions and choices that would damage and spoil. There was something familiar about the answers. Previously we had discussed Sudan and sat bemused as what to do. Should the outside world intervene. Should we send the military in. Should we cut out the perpatrators of this terrible evil. We reflected on Iraq and other messy situations where we thought we had a clever answer.

It seems to be a question everyone asks, "why doesn't God intervene". Most of our lives we fight against intervention. For most of us it starts young and we push our parents away and wonder why they always have to interfere. As we get older we get frustrated with our managers at work; the inland revenue, the nanny state. In politics there is a constant battle for the devolution of decision making to a local level. In fact when you really think about it most of us don't really like intervention at all, well certainly the strong handed authoritarian stuff.

Despite our dislike of such intervention one of the first objections we make against God is "why didn't he stop that, why didn't he step in". As I've been living in Genesis I've started to realise that actually God is normally one step ahead of us. Some people think the flood is just a story but just imagine for a minute that you were God. Imagine for a moment that time stood still and you could cast you eye across every human interaction on the earth. Yeah sure you would see some beautiful things; people sharing their food with the hungry, nurses caring for the sick, families laughing together, couples making love but you'd also see some deeply distressing things; a machete lifted against an pregnant women, a young girl being abused by an old man, a crying child as parents raged against each other; a drunk verbally assaulting his fearful wife; a deceptive preacher teasing money out of the vulnerable; a holy huddle closing their doors to societies outcasts; a rich man walking past the homeless. What would you do if every where you looked all that you could see was 'human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil - evil, evil, evil from morning to night." (Genesis 6, The Message). I think you would call your friends up and you'ld all sit round the table and you'ld say someone needs to intervene. You'd wonder why God didn't and you'd probably even doubt that he cared. You expect the perpetrators to be stopped and to never again be allowed to do this. You'd soon realise that actually you were a passionate interventionist.

You know what? God took your advice...He did what everyone expects of him. He did what everyone thinks he doesn't do (or hasn't done)...He intervened. He stopped the murderers in their tracks, he rooted out the deceivers, he cut off the proud, he removed the religious con men, he shackled the selfish rich men, he crushed those who crushed others. You know what the result was? Just one man and his family was left. The problem is that when we curse God for not stepping in we somehow want to isolate ourselves from the worlds problems. We deceive ourselves into thinking there is some easily distinguishable line between what is right and wrong and that by some remarkable fate we fall on the right side of that line. Sometimes I get forgetful and think that I'm not really part of the problem, that I'm good. I forget that I think about myself most of the time, buy things that were made in sweat shops, walk past homeless people daily and always find I'm too busy to anything about some of the terrible things I'm party to.

You know what happened after God tried the "stick your boot" in method? He promised he would never, ever, do it again (on that scale). Why? Because it didn't fix the problem. Noah got drunk, Canaan raped his father (or least dishonored him), the people of Babel tried to make themselves into God and the proliferation started all over again.

Sin is not a benign cancer that can be cut out, it is ragingly malignant and knows no boundaries. God cannot be the surgeon you want him to be because that method just won't work, you must discover another, wiser, more beautiful means of hope.

It was at this point in my thinking that I suddenly realised the significance of God's promise to Abraham. Suddenly it all became so much more meaningful. The heart of the promise was not about creating a little pocket in the world where everything worked and people were good. No! The vision was much bigger, much more enchanting, much more beautiful. God's promise was given for the purpose of a world wide blessing. A blessing that would extend to every family and touch every life. As far as I can see the rest of this great book (the bible) goes on to explore the fulfillment of this promise. God's method of intervention changes from 'strong hand' to a relational approach in which he would embody his love.

God's unrestrained passion to bless, restore, renew and rescue the earth advances despite human sin. It advances despite the fact the deceit marred the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It advances despite the blood on the hands of the vengeful fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob's sons). It advances despite famine and barrenness. It advances in the face of great human suffering. God's intention to reach us with his love, despite our sin, prevails as the bible unfolds. Centuries of rebellion, spiritual adultery, idolatry and yet still God would not go back on his word. Despite humanities refusal to work with him he would pursue his vision of bringing blessing to the whole earth once again.

The out working of God's promise to Abraham becomes clearer when God's promises to David a Son in 2 Samuel 7. This is the first explicit articulation of the person that would come to establish God's vision. It is a great signpost in the story that would reveal Jesus as the hope of the world. This new, relational, method of intervention would reach the world in an unexpected way. Sadly many still haven't grasped this restorative story.

Many people fail to realise the Old Testament is a great story of grace. It is about the advancement of a promise despite human resistance and pride. It is a story where love triumphs despite evil. It never hides the ugly things that marred the journey, it speaks honestly and lovingly into our reality. It speaks loudly of why God is beautiful.

Genesis 9 - The Curse of Canaan

I cannot claim to have a strong understanding of the reason and role of cursing in the Old Testament. It leaves us with difficult questions about why future generations are victims of their parents sins. It is a reality, however, that even into today's world we see the power of sin passing down through generations. We cannot escape the far reaching consequences of sin in a relational world. The language of the west is "free choice" but the reality is that no choice is free of implications for those around us.

"Why shouldn't you be able to get quietly drunk in the confines of your own home?", "As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else"

Common words spoken in our society and yet if only we took a moment to consider the story of Noah or even look closely at our own lives, the foolishness of those words would become apparent. Every choice we make can have far reaching consequences. Just a little drunkenness** led from one thing to another and the destiny of a nation was compromised. Let us not minimise the danger of sin or deconstruct everything until we lose all grasp on what is right or wrong. Sin devastates.

Thank God that he has made a way to break the power of generational sin and to deliver us from our own sin. Let us fall into the arms of the God who rescues.


**I enjoy a drink myself and am not condemning the consumption of alcohol in moderation. It just happens that in this story the root of the consequences lay there. All manner of sin has equally devastating impact.

What if Ham's sin was sexual?

Having read a number of commentaries now I have found that some people think Ham's sin was sexual. "he looked upon his father's nakedness" is apparently used else where in the bible to describe the sexual act. It is also argued that the reason Noah knew what had happened the next day was because of the evidence of rape. Whether or not these assumptions are correct I still feel the previous post was broadly accurate. We can still contrast God's response to sin in Genesis 3 with Ham's response here. In both stories the guilty end up naked. God stepped in to cover and protect, Ham took advantage of another man's weakness. If we dare to compare our own response to sin with God's what does it reveal?

Genesis 9 - Rethink

I feel a strong conviction that I have failed to expound the greater sin in the story of Noah and Ham. My tendency in the last post was to focus in on Noah's guilt. Adamant that there was someone to blame I pursued Noah for his reckless behavior.

I'm left undone as I realise the very heart of this passage condemns exactly that attitude. Everything in the passage points towards Ham's guilt in this situation. Failing to understand, I did exactly what Ham was guilty of. I pointed the finger, I exposed, I blamed. I didn't take the attitude that God took when he saw Adam naked. God by nature acted with grace, covering Adam's shame. God in love and sacrifice offered Adam a refuge. I, with Ham and the Pharisees and the Church, did what most offended Jesus in his earthly ministry and what was most unlike the God of Genesis 3. I judged, I sought to expose, I sought to shame, I stood tall and proud. Ofcourse sin should be challenged, we need rebuke and correction in the life of our communities. Yet Ham's sin was in his attitude - conceited, arrogant and proud. Aligning himself with the 'righteous' he sought to shame, humiliate and condemn.

I'm astounded at the depth of this passage. At face value I saw a moral lesson but deep beneath the words I have discovered the heart of God. I see the rescuer, the redeemer, the God of outrageous grace. I see him imploring the Church to shake of the spirit of Ham and to regain His image as the one who intervenes, not only with judgment but with grace.

This admission is not to say that we should ignore Noah's error or avoid discussing its implications but that the greater sin and the one the evangelical church should be more acutely aware of is the attitude of judgment and the tendency to want to expose the sin of others. Ham had Genesis 3 as his example, we have countless more stories that tell us about the nature of our God - when will we return to His image and embrace the life of grace?

God help us. Amen.

**I'm acutely aware that God pronounces the curse on Adam and Eve before he covers their shame in Genesis 3. This response is not to undermine the importance of understanding the law and judgment. These are ofcourse foundational to any notion of atonement and rescue. This post however is to address the attitude with which we respond to the sins of others, when we ourselves are often most guilty of all.

Genesis 9

Just as we saw in the first chapter of Genesis God demonstrates his generosity and favour towards humanity once again. Verse 1 starts not with Noah but with God. It is God who actively chooses to bless Noah. It is God's initiative and his passion towards humankind that overflows in his lavish affirmation of how precious we are in His sight. He wanted us to be fruitful and multiply (a command I'm sure Noah and his sons relished). He wanted us to fill His earth. How precious a thought - that God would delight in us filling the earth and ruling his creation.

God gave Adam all the riches of Eden, now with everything back to square one He again begins by another act of generosity. Noah is given all the birds, the creatures large and small, the fish in the sea, everything is made subject to him.

What follows this declaration of God's favour is deeply troubling and yet another mark of the depth of God's love. God was under no illusion that His mighty act of judgment (the flood) would eradicate humanity's sin. As quickly as the waters subside God begins to lay the foundations for his rescue plan for our crippling condition. Aware of the seed of sin that still had root in man's heart God begins to unpack the foundational principles upon which His saving grace would be founded. He teaches justice. If a man murders, his life will be required of him. At this early stage God reveals the significance of blood. God requires the blood of a murderer. If you shed the blood of another your blood will be required of you. This teaching becomes a foundational principle upon which God will unfold how he intends to rescue us from the imprisoning power of sin. It may seem a rather morbid place to begin but this reveals that God was clearly under no illusion about what lay ahead. He was under no illusion that the future was one in which sin would prevail (if only for a time). God held the future in his hands and already he was preparing us for His great saving act that would liberate us.

It is in this context that God establishes a covenant with mankind: knowing what is install; knowing the wounds we would cause him; the anguish that would come from our Godless acts; the cost He would have to bear. Despite all this he promises to endure with us. To give us time and space to discover him and to return to His ways. The covenant God established with us is unshakeable - He gave us his word. The rainbow is a wonderful sign to us that we would not be wiped out in this way again.

Despite God abundant generosity, even before chapter 9 closes, the record of mankind's failure begins. We are told Noah was drunk. The passage does not directly comment of the sins committed by those involved in this story. The whole episode, however, stems from Noah's drunkenness. Whether or not this was Noah first experience of alcohol is irrelevant. The important lesson for us is to understand that consequences of what happened. His drunken state ended him up in a situation where he was lying around naked in front of his son. Ham exposes his father bringing great shame upon him. There is guilt on the part of both men. Noah was responsible for the situation he found himself in, a state where he was completely out of control and unable even to cover himself with a blanket. Ham dishonoured his father. Maybe he wanted his brother to see, so that he could justify his own sinful behaviors. Maybe he was gloating that his father, who would have corrected him on many occasions, had now finally fallen. We can speculate about these things but what is important is that Ham exposed his own father's shame, rather than offering a covering. He did not treat his father as he would have wanted to be treated. The implications were far reaching and Ham and his descendents were condemned to a life of servitude and slavery. All this flowed from having a few too many. One small act of foolishness had repercussions that were far reaching, touching the whole community and generations to come.

Genesis 8: 20-22

Yet another demonstration of how God delights in those who choose to honour him. As we saw with Abel's offering, it pleases God when we give him our best. Noah's first thought when he left the ark was to build an alter to the Lord and to make an offering. How tempting it would have been to put his own needs first. Huge questions loomed over him, 'where will I live, what will I live in, how will I feed my family?', yet in the face of those uncertainties he made his priority to worship God. Is there any better example of how to face the uncertainties of tomorrow? It is our tendency to marginalise God when we face the pressures of life. By busying ourselves we somehow think we can succeed in our own strength. It might seem to make sense to search relentlessly for work when we face unemployment, to work longer and harder when the bills can't be paid or to study on Sundays when our exams loom. How often do we stop and build an alter when the pressures of life close in? How often do we make space for the sacrifice of praise? Noah's faith demonstrates to us the importance of choosing the right priority.

God's response to Noah's faith is delight. His offering is sweet to Lord's senses. It pleased God. Can you think of any greater joy than bringing delight to your creator? Can their be a higher aspiration? Oh that we would know what it means to give our best for Him.

God's response is to offer Noah grace and certainty for the future. He promises to never again destroy the earth in this way despite the wickedness of man's heart. In other words, 'even though your offspring might deserve this kind of judgment Noah, I will show mercy to them'. God promises to endure with us despite our inclination towards evil. He will give us the opportunity to turn to him for healing. What grace.

Genesis 8: 1-19

This passage begins, as many of the passages in this book have, with God. His centrality to each story is distinctive. The rhythm of the book continually returning us to God. We began with His supremacy displayed through creation, causing us to express joy and wonder at all He did. Now we discover him at the heart of this tragedy. Many would expect such an occasion to be marked by his absence but the truth is that His presence is the reason why so many are found dead. In our society we are reluctant to acknowledge God as sovereign and we try and persuade ourselves he is not a judge. Chapter seven however reminds us of His character and His refusal to tolerate sin. It should be a reminder to us not to be comfortable about the state that our world is in.

Verse one doesn't leave us with God the judge, but presents us again with His redemptive nature. With Noah left floating high above the mountain tops and the world washed out, his hope of survival was dwindling as the food supplies grew thin. The passage reminds us that God is active, taking the iniative in restoring all things. It was God who caused the waters to subside and without Him Noah would have been doomed. We are reminded that God's work in our lives may be dismissed as nature when in fact He issued the command. It was the wind that Noah heard but it was God's intervention that caused it. What followed, probably because Noah knew who was behind the wind, was expectation and action. He began to send the birds out to determine the state of the land.

Noah's relationship with God is marked by God's instruction and Noah's obedience. God instructs Noah when to the leave the ark and Noah steps out again into the unknown. It is a beautiful sequence of hearing and responding that should mark the lives of all who embark on the life of faith. God's commission to Noah is redemptive, to multiply in the land and cause the world to abound again with life.