A Passing Grade

Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.  And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.  So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.  "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."  Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere -- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah -- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.  So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.  Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.  Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.  "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.  "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."  Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. (Genesis 5-18, NASB)

After Abram returns to the altar at Beth-El, it might be expected that God speak to him, and God does, but not until he and Lot separate.  While it might not be the point, it is hard to miss that God promises great things to Abram after he handles the problem with Lot well.  Abram handles it in an unselfish way that demonstrates confidence in God for his well-being.

What remaining in the hill-country means is that Abram will be moving more often than Lot will need to, so his herds have enough to eat.  As it turns out, Lot actually moves into Sodom, leaving tent-living behind completely.  The area around him has no problem sustaining his herds and flocks. 

So Abram, the chief, the head of the family, the eldest living son of Terah, lets his younger brother's son have the "pick of the land" and accepts the more meager of the choices.  The text doesn't say this is a test, but the blessing Abram receives after is interesting in that it includes that "good land" Lot chose, not just the hill-country from where Abram views the rest.

The husband of a barren wife, nomad through a land of strangers and pagans, and tent-dweller in a land of walled cities is promised descendants as numerous as dust and the land he treads through.  If the conflict with Lot was a test, the prize for passing might be seen as hollow.  Abram had no way to achieve such a result.  He couldn't make Sarai fertile, and he could not hope to conquer the cities around him.  Yet his Master promises, and Abram believes.

I can only imagine what others would have thought if he shared this promise with them.  It would have been rather incredulous to hear a nomad with a barren wife speak of a promise from his God which would give him innumerable descendants and all the land around him.  I doubt it would have seemed easier to believe if he then told me it would happen years down the road, not just yet.  So, grow older and then God will give you children and the strength to conquer the land?  Not likely.  Yet I believe the writer of Hebrews nails it when he refers to Abram and others as looking for a city unseen that they would only experience after they had died.  Now that is faith.

I wonder where my faith would run out.  Would I have the faith to follow my Master even believing that I may not live to see the result of my obedience?  Do I have the faith that does not require vindication before those I live among?  Is it in me to obey in the face of being thought foolish, and stay the course as what I attempt to accomplish for my Master cannot be finished in my lifetime?  It's not a matter of "can I", that's a ridiculous question.  Of course I can, I just continue on when it all seems stupid.  The question is, "will I?"

In a sense I am in the midst of this now.  I live in a place with a depressed economy and a church that has a huge calling from God, and is struggling to come up with the resources.  It is on that transition from a "small church" to a "medium sized church" as "church growth" experts call it.  The reality is that this church, in a depressed community, is experiencing a crisis of faith.  The challenge to all involved is to remain faithful to the promises of God in the face of the insurmountable challenges to the call.  I am one of several on the leadership team.  So, for me, the challenge is direct to my faith, but it also calls into play a very important facet missed as I look at Abram's challenge.

Abram had so much it was difficult to sustain the household as a nomad.  Yet such was part of his calling.  His decisions affected everyone in his household, from his wife down to the water carriers.  The herdsmen couldn't have been pleased to watch their counter parts in Lot's group head down to greener pastures.  Yet Abram stays the course, in spite of what it might seem to cost his household, those closest and dearest to him.

As a leader, I have those around me who look to me for insight and guidance.  The decisions I make as a leader and the support I give to our pastor affects my family and others around me.  Yet God's call is clear even though the resources to accomplish it are not.  The people are being assembled by God in this depressed community, and we're not sure why.  But the "funds" necessary for such an endeavor haven't materialized yet.  How do we move forward without the necessary money?  And will doing so hurt those depending on us for guidance?  These are the ones who will be working in this ministry, who God has placed in this place in this time.  But for what? 

There is more that my Master is doing than just reaching one generation, no matter how lost, forgotten, or feared.  There are spiritual strongholds not even mentioned as targets, only in fear and as evidence of the enemy's strength here.  These are "gates of hell" which will not prevail against the gospel.  So, these too are "callings" and areas where my Master is at work.  The current struggle is just a glimpse of what is to come, the enemy territory we have established a beachhead within.  If I and we cannot come through this crisis of faith, we miss the blessing of God, and it will pass to others.

I can't miss this opportunity, even if my church does.  I'm not sure what that means, but I see it so clearly, the battle, the need for prayer, the need to assault the gates of hell in this community.  But I don't see the resources to do it.  Neither did Abram.  He believed anyway, and was patient in the face of insurmountable obstacles.  He relied on God and His timing (sort of anyway); and so must I.

What About the Village People?

Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.  And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.  So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.  "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."  Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere -- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah -- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.  So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.  Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.  Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.  I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.  Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."  Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. (Genesis 13:5-18 NASB)

After returning from Egypt, the extensive amount of grazing required for both Abram and Lot was too much for the around them to support.  To solve the strife between the two sets of shepherds, Abram let Lot choose where he would go.  Looking about, Lot saw that the areas around the Jordan were more lush than the mountain and hills of Canaan.  He chose the Jordan region.

It says that Lot settled among the cities of the "valley", and specifically beside Sodom.  It also comments that even then, the men of Sodom were evil and tremendous failures to God.  As the chapters progress, it becomes clear that Lot's choice was a very bad one.

Another note is that the Canaanites and the "Perizzites", or villagers, were then in the land too.  So, this problem was affecting more than just the herdsmen, flocks, and herds of Abram and Lot.  The people who actually lived and worked the land were also affected, even if not involved in the dispute.  The villagers of Canaan watched as Lot took his things and headed for the Jordan Valley.  They witnessed what would probably not have been the solution reached by the "city-states" around them.

After Lot leaves, God speaks to Abram.  Standing on the hills around Beth-El and the "Ruins" God asks him to look around, north, south, east and west.  Not only will all this land be his but his offspring will be as numerous as the dust of the land.  This is the promise to a man with a barren wife.  God then tells him to walk around his future gift to his descendants.  He goes from Beth-El to Hebron; or from the middle of Canaan to a hill country mid way between Beth-El and the southern edge of Canaan.  There he parks himself in the trees of Mamre.  This, along with the Oak of Moreh, become favorite hang outs of Abram.  There he builds another altar to God.

Do I consider the people outside my "church" when dealing with things inside it?  What I mean by that is do I consider the "others", or just the person I'm dealing with, or just my point of view, or just what this means to my place of worship?  Even if I'm not being "selfish", am I being "kingdom minded"?  There are great promises of my Master, things He has in His mind to accomplish in my community.  He doesn't need me to do them, but if I want to be a part of what He does, I need to accept and submit to His perspective at the cost of my own.

What if I wind up with the lesser options?  What if I get less than everyone else?  What happens to my family?  What happens to my favorite songs, favorite "chair" in the worship center, and my position of respect?  What if I loose respect because I took the lower seat at the table, and was left there?  Well, as long as I don't loose my relationship with my Master.  I'm good with all the rest (or at least I should be).

Returning to the House of God

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.  Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.  He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 13:1-4)

Abram has had a "close call" in Egypt where he seems to have nearly lost Sarai to the Pharaoh.  And now he returns to Bethel (actually Beth-El, meaning House of God), and sets up his tents where he built the altar before.  The text is very specific about him returning to the same place.  There he worships, where he worshiped before.  But this is not where the text says God appeared to him, that was in Shechem.  This is where he sought God.

I wondered if this was a place where he sought God for an experience like he had in Shechem, but was disappointed.  From this account, I would think he wasn't disappointed, but had a very meaningful experience with God, even if it wasn't what he was looking for. 

I have places like this, and in nearly every place I have lived, I have somewhere like this, where I sought God and had a meaningful experience of worship.  I have a lot fewer places where God sought me and initiated the worship, like Shechem.  Most of my places are more like Beth-El.  I haven't found one here though.  That needs to change.

For me, these places are outside, remote (or feel remote), and have a view.  In Idaho, this was easy.  In Texas, it was...not nearly as easy, at least not where we were.  In California I knew of all sorts of places near where I was raised.  But while they weren't hard to find, it was difficult to find "pure ones".  In some, I tainted them with something I had done wrong there as well.  So the number there is fewer than it should be. 

I think I need to find a place around here where I seek my Master in worship.  Not corporate worship, I already have a great place for that.  And not study because I have that as well.  My need is for prayer.  These times of prayer are what I need to loose the stuff and gain my Master; contemplative places.  I call on the name of my Master, and most times the experiences are just time without revelation. 

I think I know a place I can use, but it also seems used by others for other things.  Perhaps I can reclaim some land for my Master, call on His name, and empty myself for His filling.  Or maybe I'll just sit in His lap and be quiet.

How Did He Know?

Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.  It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."  It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.  Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.  Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.  But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.  Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?  "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go."  Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. (Genesis 12:10-20 NASB)

Having yesterday examined whether Abram was being shrewed and faithful or cowardly and un-trusting, I want to look at Pharaoh.  How did Pharaoh know from the "plagues" on his household, that the problem was that Sarai was Abram's wife, and not his sister as he claimed?

There is a lot of detail just left out of this story.  The account of Abram's second go-around in Genesis 20 has a lot more specifics.  Here we're not told if Pharaoh consummated his marriage with Sarai, we're not told what form the "plagues" took, and we're not told how he determined that Sarai was already married.  There's a lot left out, so I'm forced to look elsewhere for clues.

First, in Genesis 20 I am given more detail, and there it says in verse 4 that the king did not come near her.  I would find it strange if God allowed it in chapter 12 but not later on in chapter 20.  On the other hand, the account in chapter 20 is sandwiched between God giving specifics of Isaac's coming, and the actually birth of Isaac.  So, in order to set aside any concerns that Isaac might not be from Abraham, was I given specifics?  Even so, it seems unlikely that God would permit Pharaoh to "touch" Sarai, when He prevents this other king from doing so. 

Second, it seems from the account of Joseph and Moses that Egyptians are rather adept at, and hold in high regard, spiritual "magic". The priests of Pharaoh are able to replicate some of the plagues that God sends on the Egyptians. Dream interpretations are held in high regard, and that there are those who can interpret them is "understood". I wonder if God revealed through Pharaoh's "priests" or other such official the real situation Pharaoh and his household was in.

These two things are really just possibilities without firm support.  What I can surmise from this is that God thought it was important to ensure Sarai did not remain with Pharaoh.  That may seem an obvious statement, but consider that Abram could have moved on and married another.  God didn't really need Sarai to accomplish His plan, He just "wanted" to accomplish His plan through her.  But could there have been another reason God want sent plagues on Pharaoh and his household?

The accounts of God and His dealings with Egypt are not exactly the same as they are for other nations around Israel.  He seems to reveal Himself more and permit them to exist longer than other nations.  That is not to say He doesn't punish them and that there no passages that prophesy against them.  But there are also passages that prophesy against Israel as well.  For reasons I have not been able to find in Scripture, God seems to really like Egypt.  He uses them to "care" for His people in a sense that He does not with Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.  With those empires there is a dispersion of His people.  With Egypt they are kept together and assembled to become a formidable nation (which is probably why the Egyptians feared them).

On the other hand, Israel is warned not to "return" to Egypt, even to buy horses (which I always thought was an interesting specific).  It's as if God wants to work on Egypt, but also keep His people untainted by them.  This doesn't really work, and even in the Second-Temple period, there are a great number of Jews in Egypt.  They even build their own temple in Elephantine.  In spite of Jeremiah's prophesy against working with/going to Egypt, he is kidnapped by Jewish rebels who then escape to Egypt (one of the great ironies of his life).

I suspect that this account of Abram in Egypt might be one of the earliest accounts of God's work among them, to reveal Himself to them.  History does not teach that God was able to reach them as a nation, or never for very long, but Scripture can be seen to indicate He tries on several occasions.  For whatever reason, God loves Egypt.

Can I learn from this that my Master is also the Master of communication?  Regardless of how Pharaoh knew Sarai was Abram's wife, the knowledge originated with my Master.  Even if my Master worked through Egypt's "spiritual magic" to reveal it, he got the message loud and clear.  So, if my Master is so clear with a pagan who He never really reaches completely, why would I wonder so often what my Master says to me?  Can't I trust that what He wants me to know He will reveal?  Can't I rely on His timing?  He informed Pharaoh in a timely fashion, so why would I doubt He would work more vaguely with me (when it was important)?

I think my problem here is that I want to know what I want to know when I want to know it.  On the other hand, my Master reveals only what He wants me to know, and only as He wants me to know it.  The "progressive revelation" my Master uses with Abram/Abraham, He also uses with me.  That's how I got out here to Nevada in the first place.  It was a progressive revelation of where and how He would make it possible for us to be here.  And yet, I still struggle with wanting to be in control of the flow of information from my Master.  And that means that I still struggle with letting Him have mastery over me.  Once again, I must submit to the Master of communication and timing.  What I perceive now from my Master is that I'm a slow learner.  I get that loud and clear.

From Faith to Fear: Do I Really Trust God?

Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.  It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."  It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.  Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.  Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.  But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.  Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?  "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go."  Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. (Genesis 12:10-20 NASB)

Having walked the length of the land promised to him, Abram finds it necessary to go to Egypt for food (hmm, this sounds familiar for some reason).  He has been told that his Master will curse anyone just dishonoring him, he has been told he will be a blessing on every family, he has been told that his Master will be with him to guide him all along the way.  These have been "carrots" for his faith.  It seems that these carrots are fine motivators to travel, but this motivation hasn't yet been "faith".

On their way into the land, Abram tells Sarai to pretend to be his sister.  Abram says this for a few reasons.  First, so that it may go well with him; and second, so that he might live.  It would seem that Abram doesn't want to be bothered or that it might not go well for him.  As he left Haran, the promise was that whoever "dishonored" him, God would curse.  What did he really have to fear, even from annoying people?  What I don't get is why God seems to work with this method.

So, they enter the land of Egypt.  It turns out that Abram is right, and the Egyptians are very taken with Sarai.  In fact, they are so taken, the princes of Egypt hear of her and tell the Pharaoh how amazing she is.  Pharaoh is so taken that he takes her as his wife.  It really is an astonishing turn of events.  I don't know if Abram expected such a dramatic reaction, but there is no protest recorded.  What can he say after he has said she's his sister?  And Pharaoh gives him stuff, the equivalent of a year's groceries, new cars, extra hands around the mobile-ranch.  How can he change his story now?  And yet his wife is in the house of another, and it's his fault.

It's possible that Abram was surprised at the turn of events, but I have to ask myself, "What did he expect, if not that someone would try to take her as their wife?"  Seriously, if she's beautiful and "unattached" what would have been the alternative outcome?  Had he refused to let her marry, he would be in danger of the same fate he was trying to prevent, his death.  All of a sudden, I'm not so enamoured with Abram's devotion to his wife, the devotion that kept him from getting a newer child-bearing wife in Haran.  This is actually sort of creepy.  But there might be an alternative interpretation.

I leave Abram, and I think of Sarai; what does she think of all this?  Her husband, her master and lord, essentially sells her as a wife to another.  This is a completely different culture, so I can't judge it by what my wife would think or feel if I tried this; after all, Abram survives his wife, I'm not sure I would.  Taking into account the way she treats him after this, I would say that she is clearly aware of what's developing, and is at least acquiescent.  That baffles me.  Is it her devotion to Abram that leads her to respond this way?  Is it somehow that she trusts his faith; that it will be alright and she doesn't have to worry about these developments?  You may ask at this point, "what faith?"

At this point, I have to hold on to a couple of things to reach this next conclusion.  The setting of these two things has to do with the culture; the culture is not what I live in now.  These guys were traders, and everyone "haggles" seeking the "best deal".  Nomads have always been known for this, it was a survival technique with them.  So, it is reasonable to assume that Abram was too.  The readers aren't told, it's assumed, everyone knows that.

So what are the two things?  First, I asked some "rhetorical questions" a few paragraphs before.  "What did Abram expect, if not that someone would try to take Sarai as their wife?"  So, knowing this, why would he willingly enter into this charade?  Well, I believe the second is that he also knew that whoever dishonored him, like taking his wife for their own, would be cursed by God.  What?  Think about it.  Sure it's a famine, and he needs food, but "selling" his wife?  Not likely, even if she was barren, it's doubtful he would sell her just to get relief from a famine.  Don't forget, God seems to go along with this plan.  I believe that it's possible that Abram sought the best deal for himself at the expense of the Egyptians, knowing he had God as his "muscle".

If this is true, it doesn't necessarily put Abram in a better light, but it does explain a few things.  For instance, why does he do it again (Genesis 20)?  I have always wondered how God could go along with something like this.  Where was a prophet like Nathan to call Abram to task for selling his wife?  But God doesn't, in fact in Genesis 20 God warns the poor king duped by this charade so he doesn't defile Sarah (at that point she's Sarah).  And again Abraham (at that point his name is changed too) is blessed by the king, and even allowed to stay in the country.  I think it's possible what is typically thought of as a failure of faith is actually a manipulation of his position before God.  And before we castigate Abram for this, if it's true, I recommend a thorough reading of Luke 16.  The parable that begins doesn't describe this situation, but rather an attitude of God toward what we might think of as "double-dealing".  I think it might be a cultural thing.  But really, I can't even be sure of that.

I'm left once again, not really understanding my Master.  Do I manipulate my position before my Master?  Should I?  Is my faith strong enough that I would risk all that is precious because I know my Master has my back?  I suppose that is the real question.  Is my faith that strong?  I hope that after nearly 40 years of walking with Jesus it would be, but I don't think it is even now.  I have more growing to do...still.

The "Carrot" and Obedience

Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 8 Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:1-9 NASB)

Abram is commanded to finish his father's trip.  It doesn't say that God commanded Terah, Abram's father, I've just always assumed that.  But God is clearly commanding Abram.  And it's a huge command; leave your country, your relatives, your father's house and go to a land I'll tell you about later.  And yet there are obvious elements following this command that function as "carrots" to push along obedience.

The second carrot I notice, but the first obvious one is that Abram will become a great nation.  His wife is barren so this is a really strange, but very attractive promise to Abram.  It includes the hope his Sarai will be healed of her barrenness.  That's a pretty good carrot to leave the family most likely making her life harder than she makes it herself.

The third carrot I notice (yet the second obvious one), is the blessing of God.  It's as if the rest of passage just expands on that theme or thought.  Or at least it would be if the rest of the explanation of benefits didn't include a command.  The "fifth carrot" really isn't an obvious carrot; but I'll get to that.  This carrot, the blessing of God, means that Abram has the favor of God.  The obedience will bring the reward of God's favor; huge lesson there.

The fourth carrot I notice is the exaltation of Abram's name.  Abram is one of three sons, the oldest, and one with the fewest children (precisely zero).  Even if he is famous around Haran, he would be known for his lack of children along with anything else positive.  That is not a comfortable stigma.  It smacks of one stricken by the gods, as well as a dim-witted one.   Under his circumstances he should "pick up" another wife with whom to have children; a practice not unheard of so far in Scripture (Genesis 4:19).  This would be a "reversal of fortune" that would publicly vindicate Abram's devotion to his God and his wife.

The fifth carrot is not necessarily obvious.  The translations of this "blessing" are almost universally "And you will be a blessing".  In order to translate it this way, the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures is used where the verb to be is in the future tense.  The Greek text here is probably the older text, and has a lot of support in the Dead Sea Scrolls (much to everyone's surprise).  But in the Hebrew text the verb to be is an imperative, a command; i.e. "be a blessing".  In other words, in the Hebrew text Abram is compelled to pass on the blessing he has received.

The sixth carrot I notice is protection, which is worded in a very interesting manner.  Although it is almost universally translated as, "And the one who curses you I will curse" it may be more accurate to translate it as, "And the one dishonoring you I will curse."  The word used for what others might do to Abram is the antonym of "honor" not "bless".  It may be semantics, but the Hebrew for honor is a word that means "to make heavy" and the word for "curse" here means "to make light".  It fits better as "dishonor" than curse.  Although the words may be similar in meaning, the difference is in severity.  Even if someone gets a bit upset or just messes with Abram, God will curse him.  Now that's honor!

The last carrot is a widespread blessing of every family through Abram.  That is huge.  Something will come about through Abram that affect every family ever.  I know this to be Jesus, but Abram would have no idea.  In fact, many of Abram's kids had, and still have, no idea (well, okay, they have ideas, but those ideas are not Jesus).

So what is the first carrot?  The first carrot is hidden in the direction Abram is to go.  His destination is "...a land I will show you."  What is implied in this statement is that his personal guide is the One having made the land, and all that is in it.  His guide is God Himself.  That is a carrot of intimate relationship and camaraderie with the Creator of the universe.  They will be hanging out together, and the directions to travel will come directly from God.  I focused so much on the "not knowing" that I missed the implied intimate "revelation".

But there may be more carrots.  These are the ones I found.  I know my Master doesn't always provide carrots, but He did here with Abram.  Perhaps the greatest carrot for me is the one I've already received.  I live in the blessing of Abram to all families.  Already having Jesus, His Spirit, and communion with the Father, I live within the greatest carrot of all time.  Is it time to up my level of obedience?  No, it's LONG over due!

Meandering Around Canaan

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."  So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.  Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.  Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.  The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.  Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.  Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:1-9 NASB)

Abram completes the journey from Ur begun by his father years before (see Gen. 11:31-32).  He took with him the ones of his family who would go, all their stuff and headed out.  He left Haran, a place probably named for his little brother who died in Ur before they left, and he left behind his brother Nahor and his family.  His father had died, never completing the trip around the "Fertile Crescent."  So, in a real sense, he's not necessarily leaving "home" per se, but half his family.  It was still hard.

The promise begins as a promise that he will be a great nation; a nation that will bless all the families of the earth.  It begins there and begins to take shape as Abram travels the length of Canaan.  His descendants will possess Canaan; the land he walks through.  And as he passes through, he builds altars; stone object of worship.  These are things used to literally give something up to the One sending him through the land, away from his family; as if he hadn't given up enough, and he hadn't.

God speaks to him at Shechem, and he builds an altar.  He proceeds to Beth-El and God does not speak to him, but he builds another altar anyway.  He then proceeds to the Negeb, a more difficult, more arid place.  There he does not build an altar; at least not yet.  Could it be that the trouble he winds up in during the latter half of this chapter is due to him not building an altar in Negeb?

At what point do I need to stop giving stuff up to my Master?  When is it a good idea to not build another altar and send stuff up in smoke to the One giving it to me in the first place?  It's not that I would withhold the stuff, but the rather the attitude that doesn't see giving it up as necessary; it's just not important to build the altar at this point.  Is that as dangerous as it sounds?  Could the apathy that ignores the importance of offering as a part, the central part, of worship be devastating? 

It is easy for me to get caught up in "worship"; the elements of song and word.  But it is not always easy for me to see the part where I give up something as valuable, or at least as valuable as the other parts.  It was in worship at the Temple that the poor widow gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4).  It was her Creator who made a point of stopping to watch what everyone else missed.  Isn't that the part of worship I want to leave off, or leave out?  It's the hard one where I do the expression instead of the worship leaders or preachers.  I like spectating, and I have a wonderful church in which to spectate worship.  But I must be the one making the altar, and giving something precious back to my Master.  Only then have I truly ascribed worth to my Master in faith.

Confession Is Good For A Soul?

In Psalm 32, David rejoices over the forgiveness he received from God.  Part of that relief came right in the center of the Psalm, in verse 5 where he says he confessed his sin to God.  It is said that confession is good for the soul.  It is, but it can be hard on the one confessed to; that's just part of the consequences.

I bring this up because I confessed a sin to someone, and it hurt them deeply.  To be fair, they have not always responded this way, but things are hard for them right now, and their difficulty partly stems from me, even before the confession.

So, do I not confess because it hurts someone when I do?  That is a dangerous route for me.  My struggles thrive in secret, and even sometimes confession to another does not help bring them to light.  The pain caused when I confess is part of what I avoid through my compulsive behavior.  To not confess only strengthens the compulsion, even when I'm avoiding causing another pain. 

Another element here is that I must see the pain I cause others.  Without that, I can easily delude myself into believing I'm not hurting anyone but myself.  It's never been true.  I don't need to be compulsive to hurt someone, but I typically do when I am.  My compulsions are self-focused, self-delusional, and devoid of my Master.  They are dangerous for those reasons.  For those reasons I need to get out of my delusional selfishness and see these behaviors for what they really are, and what they really do.

I did, and it hurt me to hurt another.  It had to be done, to hurt them, in order to stop the hurting of them.  I can't allow the compulsion to thrive in secret expecting that they will not be hurt if I don't tell them.  There are many ways I have discovered that the pain I cause happens anyway.  I am not the same person when I am caught up in a compulsion (although I am finding that I can be a different person even without them). 

The basic truth here is that confession is good for both the soul confessing and the soul confessed to.  It may not feel good at first, but it helps stop the behavior that hurts, and what hurt was done can begin to heal.  It is scary, but it is necessary, and it is good for my soul.  Now I'm just waiting for the good feelings to catch up.

Ironies Best Avoided

Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.  It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.  They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.  They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."  The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.  The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.  "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:1-9 NASB)

Why would my Master care if His human creatures built a tower and city or not?  What would it matter if they had the same language and one name?  In fact, wouldn't things be better if that were true?  What was it that was so terrible about a unified humanity?

I don't really know.  Although I haven't searched exhaustively, so far I haven't found a corresponding account in ancient texts of the region of Mesopotamia.  There's one for the flood, and some others that correspond to other features of the first 11 chapters of Genesis, but not this one, at least I haven't found it yet.  And there are not a lot of references back to this account in the rest of Scripture.  So it has not been possible for me to find commentary on this account either internally in Scripture or externally in archaeology.  I will have to settle for oblique references and possible tangents to this event.  There's a lot of room for error in such research, if it even is research. 

On the surface though I find a few possible pieces of evidence.  For instance, Yahweh goes down to look at the city and His comment is that "now no purpose of theirs will be withheld from them."  I find this to be the best clue as to what my Master is concerned about in this.  Yet, there is another earlier in Genesis 10, it's just much more circumstantial than this one.  These two are the best pieces I have at the moment.

The response of Yahweh to the building project almost damages the Sovereignty of Yahweh.  He sounds afraid or concerned that His domination will be diminished by a unified humanity; as if people really did have the ability or power to diminish Him.  It sounds this way on the surface, but I think that my Master is really more concerned about His human creatures missing their purpose for living entirely.

Paul says in Acts 17:24-28 that people have been created by God that they might seek Him.  I believe that building a tower and city to unify the people of the land become people seeking themselves.  Their purpose in building was to assure that they remain unified.  The tower would reach to the heavens, yet not to be with Yahweh, but to be seen across the plain of Shinar, and maintain their unity.  The ancient "towers" of the Mesopotamian region were step pyramids, and were always temples.  It seems the worship from this tower would have been of someone or something other than Yahweh.

At this point I want to bring in the oblique circumstantial evidence from Genesis 10:7-12 (verse 7 because I believe it indicates that 8-12 was inserted rather than organic to the passage).  Nimrod is where I believe the problem with the city and tower really lies.  He is a strange character.  In Micah 5:6, his name refers to the Assyrians, and there is a city "Nimrud" that has been found in the northern region of the two rivers.  The references to him in Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1 sound like the Nephelim from Genesis 6.  He was a "Mighty One on the Land"; and I believe a distraction from following God.

With someone as capable as Nimrod around, where's the need for Yahweh?  Yet Nimrod himself seems to be a "mighty hunter before Yahweh," so I at least sense that He is a follower of Yahweh to some extent.  The reference seems to indicate that Yahweh is pleased with Nimrod, or at least not displeased.  But the people of the plains wanted to be one people unified around a city and tower they have constructed.  Nimrod is not mentioned, and they don't want to be unified around Yahweh.  I think that is where the problem begins.  A person powerful enough to distract them from their dependence upon Yahweh leads to a self-reliant solution to their desires for identity.

That's my suspicion, but really the only real evidence support only that they were not really interested in solutions coming from Yahweh, but self-reliant ones.  Even if they intended the tower as a place to worship Yahweh, He wasn't included in the project.  He had to come down to look at it on His own initiative, not invited in the project at the first.  The purpose was not to glorify Him, but to unify the people.  So, the response of Yahweh is to bring about the very thing they were trying to avoid.

I get distracted by things that lead me away from my Master.  Lately I have looked around me at others and wished I had what they have.  I have looked away from what my Master has provided me, and focused on what He hasn't.  And the irony is that I have done this in the midst of having been provided an amazing trip to the West Indies.  It's insanity it is.  That's crazy to be so distracted.  Yet I have been.  It hit me this morning.  I looked at what others had, or could do, or whatever, and wished I were someone who could have those things.  I wasn't content with what my Master provides to me, I wanted more.

I'm back now though.  I certainly hope I have come to my senses.  Now I need to go back through my pictures and review the wonderful place I was blessed to enjoy last week.  It would have been nice to have enjoyed it more while there.  Matthew, thy name is Bonehead.

Homeward Bound

I wish I had words to sum up the experience here.  I don't.  It has been a wonderful trip, and we have been blessed.  The wonders of the creativity of my Master have overwhelmed us.

It has been a fun time of simple things like searching for unique shells.  It has been a time of exquisite sunsets, breath-taking sunrises, and soothing breezes.

Even the simplest of views has amazing elements of beauty, whether in the textures of clouds, the line traced by a tree, the curve of the hills, or the blending shades of sand, water, and sky; simple yet elegant. It is the way of my Master.

The rocks cry out in praise to the Master for having been clothed in the foam of a thousand waves. I can only join them in comparative mute admiration for what I witness.

I look forward to being home, yet I will also feel the pull to this place, and these people.

It Was My Wife Who's To Blame, But I Helped Where I Could

It was a cocktail party and I don't drink.  That was the first problem.  The second was that I don't like to dress up.  But we went because we had to; part of the price for being invited to such a place.

The food was excellent, the band played soft and soothing.  I actually knew the people we sat with, so that helped.  And it was there that the  conversation happened.  It was my wife who brought it up; God, she asked my co-worker and her husband.  I chimed in on theological points, and we discussed different denominational views and so on.  It was a good conversation, and God moved them to reconsider a relationship with Him.

It was my wife who was to blame here, but I helped where I could.  I have no excuse for not running point other than that I was on the other side of the table.  But it is simply an excuse.

The food was amazing, the atmoshpere was very nice.  The conversations around us were loud, but we could still hear each other.  It was a good point to bring up the Maker of the ingredients used by the chefs.  The night was a good one.  But we still felt out of place among such "finery".

We hold the knowledge of the True Light illuminating every person coming into the world.  And yet the soft lights barely illuminating our food got more attention.  We spoke of Him to others, and the Master Light blessed.  It was not our favorite venue, but it was where He placed us.

But the new day shows up, and the water beckons.  We begin our day with a prayer and searching Scriptures.  It is a good day, begun well.  Will we serve our Master today?  Will I?

I've had my swim and my coffee, so I have no excuse of being sleepy.  It's another beautiful day in a paradise by the sea.

Views From Within The Beauty

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, it is also in the eye of the Creator.



Perhaps the colors I see are only pale shadows of what I will see in heaven, but I truly enjoy the approximation here.  It is still the Sculptor of delicate petals and the Painter of vibrant colors I have to thank.  He is the One presenting these things to me, showing off, but the One who should be.

Is the color beneath the waves any less vibrant?  It's as if the very water itself glows with color and life.  Again the Sculptor and Painter presents His work, only this time we had to dive for it.

The closest approximation of people and technology just cannot touch the vibrancy of my Master.  How can I not point to the wonders of my Master and praise Him?  But how do I do it so others realize the beauty and think to praise?  I try.  That in and of itself will go a long way.  It could be that my Master will make up the difference.

Day 1 And I Already Need Help

I walk from the room to swim.  I need to wake up and accept that I am not here because of what or who I am.  I am here because I was once again, sent.  I have been sent here by my Master, and I am here at His service.  I seem to be forgetting that.  It is a vacation, but every vacation is also an opportunity to serve.

You see, it's the first day and I already see I have so much room for improvement.  My wife and I didn't pray over a meal last night, and I didn't think much of it at first, until a couple next to us did.  How simple an opportunity was missed?  I need to be one of those.  Not that I do it to draw attention to myself and any righteousness I might have (I have none but His), but rather because I accomplish two things.  It becomes clear that my Master has followers among them.  And these will hold me accountable for my actions and attitudes; they will know what I am because I will no longer be hiding.

I don't want to leave an empty spot where someone needs to see a disciple of the Master.  Master, You love me, You have my back, and I am at Your service.

The Sea and Tranquility

I am forced to spend the next three days much as you see me here. The waves roll loudly to rush the beach. The wind rustles the palm fronds. It lulls me to serenity.

But this is simply the stuff my Master adds to the best human creatures can make of His creation. The resort is wonderful. It is a beautiful setting. But it the elements only my Master can add that bring serenity. So I find my life, in many ways. I do the best I can with what I have of His creation. But it is, again, the elements on He adds that enable a serene experience within that creation.

So once again, my Master grants me peace. Yet not as the world gives peace (or tries to), but His peace; the peace He enjoys Himself. I am truly blessed.

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Meandering Abroad

Curtain Bluff | Antigua, West Indies

For the next five days I will be at the resort described in the link above. I will be there with a lot of sales folk from my company; many of whom have no or little relationship with my Master. My goal, and what readers of this blog will keep me accountable for,  is that I be a salted light to people in tasteless darkness; that the glory of my Master draw them to Him. That should be...difficult, if only because it is so hard for people to look past the person for what makes them; and it is so hard for me to be content giving the attention away.

That's where this blog comes in. I am able to be here with my wife only because my Master made it possible. I was the farmer who planted fields and watered; but it was my Master Who caused the growth, granting me a harvest. Please help me maintain that "farmer mentality" so necessary to seeking the glory of Another!

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