“Where Did Evil Come From?”

One of the common questions and objections to the idea of the existence of God is summarized by the question “Where Did Evil Come From?” While the Bible says that the original creation was very good, yet today the world is permeated with evil. So where did evil come from if God did not create it?

However, before we can answer the question “Where did evil come from?” we first need to answer the question “What is evil?”. Evil is not something that has an existence all its own; you cannot go down to the local Wal-Mart and buy some evil. Instead, evil is a corruption of that which already exists. Evil is the absence or privation of something good. For example, tooth decay can exist only as long as the tooth exists.

While some will attempt to point to the existence of evil to prove that there is no God, the exact opposite is true. The reality is that it is impossible to distinguish evil from good unless one has an infinite reference point that is absolutely good. The infinite reference point for distinguishing good from evil can only be found in God, for God alone can exhaust the definition of “absolute good”. If God does not exist there are no moral absolutes by which one has the right to judge someone or something as being evil. Thus evil actually proves the existence of God.

With that in mind, we can then answer the question “where did evil come from”? Evil came about at the moment that Adam and Eve used their God-given free will to choose to disobey God in Genesis 3:1:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

You see, for humans to be truly human requires the ability to choose and to freely love. By very definition, love is voluntary and must be freely expressed. Norman Geisler summarized this principle best when he said “forced love is rape and God is not a rapist”.

Freedom of choice, however, leaves the possibility of wrong choice. Evil is inherent in the risky gift of free choice. While God’s plan had the potential for evil when he gave humans the freedom of choice, the actual origin or evil came from man who directed his heart away from God and toward his own selfish desires. Thus, whereas God created the fact of freedom, man created the act of evil.

Ever since Adam and Eve made evil actual by their selfish rebellion, a sin nature has been passed on to all of humanity. And it is out of that sin nature that we continue to use our free choice to make evil actual. Even natural evil- earthquakes, Tsunamis, tornadoes etc. - is rooted in our wrong use of free choice, as we see in Romans 8:20-22:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

God responded to the evil that separates us from God by sending His Son Jesus to rescue us from the selfish and rebellious choices that separate us from God so that we can experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for. 

So with that in mind, here is a question to consider: How does that fact that God created freedom and man created the act of evil impact your responsibility for the choices that you make?

Jesus and Treasure...

During our Sunday evenings together at the church where I serve, we have been looking at several demands that Jesus calls His followers to as they live a life that follows Him. This past Sunday, we looked at three specific passages that reveal a timeless truth about that Jesus demands. The first passage is found in Matthew 6:19-24:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²²  "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

In another account of Jesus life, we see Jesus say the following in Luke 16:10-12:

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. ¹¹ "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? ¹² "And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Then, a few chapters later, Jesus makes a startling comment after having a conversation with a rich young man in Luke 18:24-25:

And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

In these verses, we see Jesus repeatedly command His followers to store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven. Now a natural question that arises here is “why would Jesus demand that His follower’s store up treasure in Heaven?

Jesus gives us three reasons in these verses as to why we are to store up treasure in Heaven. First, in Matthew 6:22-23, we discover that Jesus demands that we store up treasure in Heaven because we follow what we are focused on.

Then in Matthew 6:24, we see that Jesus demands that we store up treasure in Heaven because we cannot serve two masters. We will either serve money by attempting to use Jesus or we will serve Jesus with our money

Third, in Luke 18: 24-25, we discover that Jesus demands that we store up treasure in Heaven because we are tempted to worship money as our God instead of worshipping God with our money.

Now another question that arises here is “How are we supposed to do that? How should we store up treasure in Heaven?”

In Jesus life, He provides three specific instructions on how we are we to store up treasure in Heaven? In Mark 10:21, Jesus reveals for us the reality that we store up treasure in Heaven when we give generously. A second way that we store up treasure in Heaven is when we give sacrificially, which Jesus unpacks for us in Luke 12:32-34. Then, in Luke 16:10-12, Jesus reveals for us that the issue with money is faithfulness and that we store up treasure in Heaven when we are good stewards, or managers of what He gives us.

So are you following Jesus demands to store up treasure in Heaven by giving generously and sacrificially as we are faithful with all that God has given us?

Water pots, lunches, and stones...

In an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of John we discover three specific situations where Jesus engaged a need. In John 2, we see Jesus confronted with a need that arose after a lack of preparation for a wedding reception:

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him. When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now." This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

 In John 6, we see Jesus confronted with a need that arose after a long day of teaching and preaching:

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?" This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little." One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost." So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

 And in John 11, we see Jesus confronted with a need that arose after the death of a close friend:

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

In each case we see Jesus invite individuals to meet a need that seemed beyond their ability to meet. And in each case Jesus asked them to do what they are able to do so that He could enter in the situation to do what only He could do. However, we often fail to respond to Jesus invitation to be a part of what He is doing in the world because we are expecting Jesus to ask us to do something extraordinary. However, just like these three situations, Jesus often asks us to do the ordinary so that He can enter in and do the extraordinary.

So, how are you responding to Jesus invitation to do what you are able to do to meet a need so that Jesus can enter in to do what only He can do?

Experiencing God’s promises requires seeking God’s guidance...

This week, we have been looking on as the servant of a man named Abraham, who was in desperate need of God’s guidance, experienced God’s guidance. Wednesday, in Genesis 24:10-27, Abraham’s servant prayed for God to guide and direct him to just the right woman for Abraham’s son Isaac. God responded by leading Abraham’s servant to a young woman named Rebekah. Today, we will see how Rebekah’s family responded to all that they had heard about what had happened in Genesis 24:28:

 Then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. And he said, "Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?" So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on."

Moses tells us that when Laban saw all the bling that Rebekah had received, he responded by wanting to wine and dine Abraham’s servant to discover more information. Yet, while Laban wanted to wine and dine Abraham’s servant, Abraham’s servant was fully focused on the promise that he had made to Abraham and on God’s activity in his life. The servant refused to eat until he had spoken his mind about the mission he was on.

And when the servant received the opportunity to share the mission that he had been given by Abraham and that had been guided by the Lord, the servant seized that opportunity. The servant explained who he represented and all that God had done in the life of Abraham and Sarah. The servant shared the promise and oath that he had made and how God had guided him to Rebekah. And after sharing who he represented and the mission that he had been given by Abraham and guided on by God on, the servant gets straight to the point in Genesis 24:49:

 "So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left."

The servant basically tells Laban “if you are going to demonstrate your faithful devotion and your reliability to my master by allowing me to take Rebekah to be married to Isaac, then just tell me. And if not, just tell me so that we can go our separate ways so I can look elsewhere”. We see Rebekah’s families’ response in verse 50:

 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹ "Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken."

In other words, Rebekah’s family stated “Obviously God has made His decision, so our opinion is irrelevant”. Because God has made His decision, Laban no longer had the privilege or was in the position of making the decision. Moses then records the servant’s response and what happens next in verse 52:

 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD. The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them." Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

Abraham’s servant responded by worshipping the Lord and providing the bride price, which in the culture of the day was given as a dowry to the bride’s family. After spending the night with Rebekah’s family, Abraham’s servant was ready to hit the road to begin the long journey back to where Abraham and Isaac were the next morning. Rebekah’s family, however, attempted to delay Rebekah’s departure by trying to convince them to remain for ten days.

However, Abraham’s servant would have none of it. You see Abraham’s servant was not about to lose his focus from the mission he was given in light of the promise that he had made and God’s guidance and provision thus far. After failing to manipulate Rebekah into staying a little while longer, Abraham’s servant and Rebekah departed from her family with the prayer that wished her the power for success, prosperity and fertility as she began her life with Isaac as husband and wife.

And it is in this story that we see God reveal to us a timeless truth when it comes to God’s promises in that experiencing God’s promises requires seeking God’s guidance. Just as it was for Abraham’s servant; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; experiencing God’s promises requires seeking God’s guidance. Just as Abraham’s servant prayed for guidance so that Isaac would be able to experience God’s promises in his life, we desperately need guidance so that we can experience God’s promises in our lives.

However, unlike Abraham’s servant, in addition to prayer, as followers of Jesus we have God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the counsel of other spiritually mature followers of Jesus. Where we tend to get into trouble, however, is when we attempt to experience the promises of God on our own apart from God’s guidance. Where we tend to get into trouble, however, is when we attempt to claim God’s promises in our lives without following God’s guidance and direction for our lives.

We get in trouble because the timeless reality is that our attempts to claim God’s promises in our lives are impossible apart from God’s guidance in our lives. We get into trouble because our attempts to guide and direct ourselves to God’s promises only result in us getting lost and off track when it comes to experiencing God’s promises. Because experiencing God’s promises requires seeking God’s guidance.

So here is the question for us to consider: How are you attempting to experience God’s promises in your lives?  Are you attempting to experience God’s promises apart from God’s guidance and direction? Or are you attempting to experience God’s promises by seeking God’s guidance and direction? How often do you seek God’s guidance through prayer, interaction with God’s word, and interaction with other followers of Jesus in community with one another?

A Prayer of Desperation for Direction...

This week, we are looking at a story that is recorded for us in the very first letter in the Bible, called the book of Genesis. Yesterday, we looked on as Abraham approached the end of his life and recognized that there was something that he needed to make sure was taken care of before he died. The loose end to be tied up before Abraham died was to make sure that Isaac found a wife. And since Abraham was now too old and frail to do what he believed was necessary to find Isaac the right wife, Abraham called upon his most trusted servant, the servant that had been with him the longest, to tie up this loose end.

Abraham’s servant was to head, by himself, to the land of Abraham’s relatives, which was 400 miles away, find Abraham’s relatives, and then find a wife for Isaac from one of those relatives, without Isaac. Today, we will look on as the search begins, as we see in Genesis 24:10:

Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. "Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also '-- may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master."

After entering into the oath and commitment to find Isaac a wife, the servant grabs ten camels, along with some other prized possessions of Abraham and travels north to the city Nahor. Now the city of Nahor was near the city of Haran, which is where Abraham originally came from. As we discovered earlier in this series, this would not have been a short trip. Instead, this journey would have taken a month to complete. The ten camels and other prized possessions were part of what was called the bride price, which in the culture of the day was given as a gift to the bride’s family.

Now imagine yourself as this servant. Most likely, you have never met and have no idea who Abraham’s relatives are. And Abraham did not give you a specific place or list of names to search. There is no Google. So how are you going to find his relatives, let alone know which woman is the right woman for Isaac? So what would you do?

Here we see the servant do two things. The first thing that the servant did was to place himself in a position where there was the greatest opportunity to encounter Abraham’s relatives. The servant placed himself by the well at the outskirts of town late in the day, when the most people would head there to get water.

The second thing that the servant did was to pray. And this prayer was bold and this prayer was specific. Now this prayer, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: O Lord, you are large and in charge, you rule and you reign. I have seen your activity in my master’s life. And I come to you and pray that you would guide and direct me to find the right woman for Isaac. I pray that you would continue to show your faithful devotion to my master. And God I pray that you would give me a sign to make sure that I find the right woman. So God, I am going to stand by this well, and I pray that the woman who gives me a drink of water and offers to water all the camels would be the women you have determined that would marry Isaac”.

The servant asks for two specific signs. The first sign, that the girl would offer him something to drink, would not be that unusual. The second sign, however, which was to offer to water all ten of the servants camels would be much more unlikely to happen.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave are we supposed to pray like that? Are we supposed to pray that God would give us signs, like three green traffic lights in a row, to determine God’s will and direction for our lives?” The answer to that question is no, you shouldn’t, to which some of you now are thinking “well why not, the servant did”.

Here is the reason we should not pray that way. The reason why the servant prayed that way is due to the reality that at this point in God’s story, the servant is lacking the Holy Spirit and the Bible. In addition, there are no priests or religious authority. So if you were the servant, how else would you try to discern God’s will?

In addition, notice that nowhere does it say that God agreed to these signs; all the Bible tells us is that the servant presumed upon these signs. You see, the servant was desperate for God’s guidance. The servant recognized that he had made a promise to make sure that Isaac would be in line with God’s promises. And the only way that he believed that he would be able to fulfill his promise was to ask God for guidance and direction to help position Isaac to experience God’s promises. So the servant prayed for guidance. And as the servant prayed, we see what happens in verse 15:

Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father's house?" She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." Again she said to him, "We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in." Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers."

Can you imagine what that must have been like for the servant? As you are praying, a woman who just happens to be Abraham’s grandniece, who just happens to be of marriageable age and a virgin, who just happens to be beautiful, of high moral character, generous, and kind, walks up to you, gives you and drink and offers to spend the next hour watering all your camels. The servant responded by observing Rebekah in silence and she fulfilled all of the signs that he had asked God for.

And not only did Rebekah fulfill his signs, Rebekah also offered food and lodging for the servant. And at that point, the servant could remain silent no longer, but instead burst out in public praise and worship of God. The servant basically exclaimed “praise be the Lord, who has shown His faithful devotion to my master Abraham. Praise be the Lord who has answered my prayer by guiding me to Abraham’s family and providing me this woman for Isaac”.

Friday, we will see how Rebekah’s family responded to Abraham’s servant and discover a timeless truth about God and God’s promises…

A Loose End At The End Of A Blessed Life...

For the past several months, we have been looking at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Genesis, where we have seen that it is in God’s promises, and how we respond to God and His promises that powerfully impact our lives as well. This week, as we jump back into the book of Genesis, we are going to discover another timeless truth regarding God and God’s promises. So let’s discover this truth together, in Genesis 24:1:

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.

Moses begins by setting the stage for the story that we are going to look at. Moses explains that, at this point in God’s story, Abraham was old, advanced in age. In other words, Abraham’s time on earth was almost over. In addition, Moses reminds us that the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.

You see, the Lord had demonstrated to Abraham the He was a promise maker and a promise keeper. The Lord had blessed Abraham with a long life, as Abraham was now 140 years old. The Lord had blessed Abraham with a prosperous life. And the Lord had blessed Abraham with a son.

Yet, as Abraham approached the end of his life and looked in the rearview mirror of his life, he recognized that there was something that he needed to make sure was taken care of before he died. However, Abraham was now too old to take care of this loose end himself. Moses then reveals what this loose end was and brings us into the story in verse 2:

Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

You see, Abraham’s son Isaac was still single. So the loose end to be tied up before Abraham died was to make sure that Isaac found a wife. And since Abraham was now too old and frail to do what he believed was necessary to find Isaac the right wife, Abraham called upon his most trusted servant, the servant that had been with him the longest, to tie up this loose end.

Now when Moses tells us that Abraham had his servant place his hand under his thigh and swear by the name of the Lord, he is asking his most trusted servant to commit himself to a solemn oath. And this solemn oath, or commitment, was to be made in the presence of God. In addition, placing ones hand under another thigh was to serve as a word picture that this oath, or commitment, would be enforced by Abraham’s descendants.

So failure to follow through on this commitment would result in this servant having to answer to Abraham’s descendants, even if Abraham passed away before he was able to fulfill this oath. The oath, the commitment that Abraham asked his servant to fulfill, was to find a bride for his son Isaac. And this bride was not to be just any woman.

Abraham charged the servant to make sure that Isaac did not marry a woman who was from the land of Canaan, as the Canaanites were perhaps the most wicked culture that ever existed. Instead, the servant was to find a bride for Isaac from the land of his relatives. And while Abraham did not mention that Isaac must marry someone of the same faith, Isaac was to marry a woman who shared the same ethnic and cultural background.

In addition, the servant was not allowed to take Isaac with him to find his wife. Instead Isaac was to remain in the land that God had promised Abraham. So, in essence, Abraham asks his most trusted servant to head, by himself, to the land of Abraham’s relatives, which was 400 miles away, find Abraham’s relatives, and then find a wife for Isaac from one of those relatives.

Now imagine yourself as Abraham’s servant. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling at this point? Would you have questions? I know I would have several questions. We see the question that Abraham’s servant had recorded for us in verse 5:

The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?"

In other words, Abraham’s servant asks “well what if I find one of your relatives that is interested in marrying Isaac, but does not want to leave? If there is a woman that wants to marry Isaac but wants to stay where she is at, should I help Isaac move so he can marry her?” We see Abraham’s response in verse 6:

 Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Abraham’s response is pointed and powerful. His response, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “Be very careful and be on guard to make sure that never happens. Make sure that never happens because it was God who led me from there to here and promised to me that my descendants would someday live here and become a great nation.  And because God is a promise maker and a promise keeper, He will prepare the way for you to find the right woman for Isaac. You just need to follow my instructions and trust me. If there are no women that are willing to come back with you and marry Isaac, you are free from your commitment. But I am confident that God will lead you to the right woman”.

You see, from Abraham’s perspective, Abraham was confident that the Lord would continue to fulfill His promises to him, so his servant should be confident that he will find a spouse for Isaac there. The woman would not have to be coerced, but could reject the move to Canaan. However, under no circumstances was Isaac to move back to the region where Abraham had come from. Moses tells us that the servant responded by binding himself to the oath and commitment to find Isaac a wife.

Tomorrow, we will look on as the search begins….

Our confident trust in God’s promises is proven by our obedience to God’s word...

This week we have been looking at one of the most disturbing conversations that is recorded for us in the entire Bible. Wednesday, we looked on as a man named Abraham responded by preparing to obey the Lord’s disturbing command to kill and sacrifice as an act of worship to God his only son, who was the one person who could fulfill God’s promise that had been made to him.  

Now, as we asked ourselves on Tuesday, what would possess Abraham to go through with this? What was Abraham thinking here? We find the answer to this question from a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 11:17, we read the following:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

You see, Abraham so trusted in God that he believed and placed his confident trust in the reality that God would raise him from the dead in order to keep His promises. Abraham obeyed God’s command trusting that his obedience would be rewarded by God. So in obedience to God’s command, Abraham prepared to slaughter his one and only son. And as Abraham prepared to prove his obedience to God, we see God enter into this situation in a powerful way in verse 11:

 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."

The Lord Himself called from Heaven and commanded Abraham to do nothing to his son Isaac. The Lord then reveals the reason for the change in His command: “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."?

Now when God says now I know, God is not saying that He previously did not know something. Instead God is saying that Abraham had proven and demonstrated something what He already knew about him. Abraham had provided the evidence to humanity throughout history along with every spiritual being that did not know what God did know. And what Abraham had proven and demonstrated; the evidence that Abraham had provided, was that he feared God.

Now when the Bible uses the phrase fear God, or the fear of the Lord, this phrase is not talking about being afraid of God. Instead the phrase fear God conveys the sense of having a reverent awe of God that results in submission and obedience. Abraham’s obedience to God was evidence of His reverence and awe of God. Abraham’s obedience was evidence that he had submitted his life to God as the one who sets the agenda and is large and in charge. And as Moses continues we see God respond to the evidence that Abraham had provided in verse 13:

 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Abraham’s trust in God that was revealed by His obedience to God resulted in God reaffirming His promises to him. The Lord reminds Abraham that his obedience would result in a life of blessing for himself and his family and in a family tree that would reached across continents and centuries. The Lord reminds Abraham that his obedience would result in all humanity having the opportunity to find blessing as Abram found blessing.

And that promise was fulfilled a little over 2,000 years ago, when a descendant from Abraham, named Jesus Christ entered into the temple at Jerusalem that was built on Mount Moriah and proclaimed “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”. You see Jesus Christ, as God in a bod, was chosen by God to enter into humanity in order to live the life we refused to live, and then  allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives, so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life.

And it is in this disturbing conversation and what happened after that we see God reveal to us a timeless truth when it comes to God’s promises. And that timeless truth is that our confident trust in God’s promises is proven by our obedience to God’s word. Just as it was for Abraham and Isaac; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; our confident trust in God’s promises is proven by our obedience to God’s word.

You see it is one’s obedience to God that reveals our trust in God and God’s promises. It is one’s obedience to God that provides the evidence of our reverence and awe of God. It is one’s obedience to God that provides the evidence that we had submitted our life to God as the one who sets the agenda and is large and in charge.

Where we tend to get into trouble, however, is when we attempt to claim the promises of God in our lives without being obedient to God’s word in our lives. Where we tend to get into trouble, however, is when we attempt to claim that we hold God in awe and reverence while we rebel against God and God’s word. Where we tend to get into trouble, however, is when we attempt to claim that God is large and in charge of our lives while we claim to be the ones who set the agenda and are large and in charge of our lives.

We get in trouble because the timeless reality is that our selfish rebellion and disobedience reveals that reality that we do not trust God and God’s promises. Because our confident trust in God’s promises is proven by our obedience to God’s word.

 So here is the question for us to consider: What does the level of your obedience to God reveal about the level of your confident trust in God?  Does your obedience to God demonstrate and provide the proof of your trust in God? Or does your lifestyle of selfish rebellion and disobedience to God demonstrate and provide the proof of your lack of trust in God?

A Disturbing Response...

This week, we are looking at what is perhaps the most disturbing conversation that is recorded for us the Bible, which is found in the 22^nd chapter of the book of Genesis. Yesterday, we looked on as God tested Abraham by commanding him to kill his only son, who was the fulfillment o God’s promises to him. Today, as Moses continues to record this story, we see Moses shift from a disturbing command to a disturbing response by Abraham to God’s command in verse 3:

 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."

Moses tells us that Abraham responded to God’s command by waking up early the next morning to fulfill God’s command. Abraham informed two slaves and Isaac that they were going on a trip. After informing them of the trip Abraham then went and split enough wood to build a fire that would consume his son.

But why would Abraham, who already was bringing two servants with him on this trip split the wood? Why is Abraham doing all the work that a servant would normally do? Is it to preoccupy his mind so as to take it off of God’s command? Is it so as to not arouse suspicions or questions? Moses does not say. What Moses does tell us is that the group made the approximately fifty mile trip in three days. And on the third day, Abraham saw the mountains of Moriah, which was the place where God had commanded.

Now another question that arises here is “why make Abraham have to travel 50 miles in a three day period of time to kill and sacrifice his son? I mean, if the command itself isn’t bad enough, then God makes Abraham travel that far over that amount of time to follow God’s command.” Imagine yourself as Abraham. What would be going through your mid as you travel those 50 miles over those three days? So why would God make Abraham travel to this specific place?

The reason why Mount Moriah is because Mount Moriah would later become a part of a city called Jerusalem. Mount Moriah would be the very place that King David would offer a sacrifice to appease God’s right and just response to his act of selfishness and rebellion. Mount Moriah would be the very place where Solomon would build the temple.

Moses tells us that upon seeing Mount Moriah in the distance, Abraham commanded the servants to remain with the donkey, while he and Isaac would go up to worship and then return. But why would Abraham make such a statement?  Is he lying to the servants? Is he lying to his son Isaac? Did Abraham actually believe that they would both come back? How could he believe that in light of God’s command? Moses then tells us what happens next in verse 6:

 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

You see, Isaac wasn’t a toddler in a stroller. Isaac was not some 95 pound weakling. Isaac was what we would call in our culture today a young man who was strong enough to carry all of the wood that would be necessary to consume an offering of worship on his back. What Isaac didn’t know, however, was that the wood that he was carrying was to consume him.

Unaware of who the wood was for, Isaac and Abraham walked up to the top of Mount Moriah. While Isaac carried the wood, Abraham carried the fire and the knife. Now this knife was not a paring knife. Instead the word for knife that is used here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, refers to a butcher’s knife. And as a father and a son walk up together to the top of the mountain, we see the son ask a question in verse 7:

 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

In other words Isaac asks “Hey dad. Yes son. You said we’re going up to the top to worship God right? Yup, that’s what we are going to do. Dad, it seems like we are missing something.  What do you mean, son. Well, we have the wood and the fire for the offering, but what are we going to offer to God in worship? Dad, we didn’t bring a lamb? Now this morning, imagine yourself as Abraham. How are you going to answer that question? What are you going to say? How would you respond? We see Abraham’s response in verse 8:

 Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

What is so interesting about Abraham’s response is that this phrase “God will provide” literally means God will see so as to choose and select. Abraham is saying “God will see to it that we have something to worship Him with. When we get up there, God will choose and select what we give Him in worship”. Apparently, the father’s answer satisfied the son, as Moses tells us that the two of them continued to walk to the top of the mountain. How long do you think that walk was for Abraham? The story continues in verse 9:

 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

Now this morning, imagine being Abraham. You reach the top of Mount Moriah. As your son watches, you build an altar that you are planning to use to sacrifice your own son on. After stacking the rocks to build the altar; after stacking the wood to build the fire, you then turn to your attention to your son. The son that you wished and longed for; the son who was the fulfillment of God’s promise to you; the son that you watched grow into a young man; the son who has brought joy into your life.

You turn to your son and explain that you need to bind his hands and his feet. I mean imagine yourself as Abraham. How do you say something like that to your son? How would it feel to bind his hands and feet? And imagine being Isaac? What would you say? How would you feel?

Moses does not tell us what was said or the details of the conversation between Abraham and Isaac. All that Moses tells us is that Isaac allowed his father to bind his hands and feet and then helped his father place him on the altar on top of the wood. While Moses does not give us all the details, here is a question to consider: How much would you have to trust your dad to allow him to bind you and place you on an altar? As a twenty or thirty something, how much trust would you have to have in your father to allow your father to stretch out a butcher knife over you?

And imagine being Abraham. How much trust would you have to have in God to stretch out your hand to slay your son? How much trust would you have to have to kill and sacrifice as an act of worship to God the one person who could fulfill God’s promise that had been made to you? 

And if that is not enough, there is one additional piece of information that you need to know. When Moses says that Abraham stretched out the knife to slay his son, this is what that would have involved. You see, just like any other act of sacrificial worship, the first thing that Abraham would have done would be to be kill Isaac by cutting his throat with the butcher knife. Then Abraham would have to drain and dispose of the blood of his son Isaac. Then Abraham would have to cut Isaac into sections. And lastly, Abraham would have to place Isaac’s body parts on the altar to be burned until there was nothing but ashes. And you have to do that to your only son.

So back to the question that we asked yesterday, namely “What would possess Abraham to go through with this? What was Abraham thinking here?” Friday, we will see Moses answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth….

A Disturbing Command...

This week, I would like for us to continue to look at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Genesis. And as we jump back into the book of Genesis, we are going to see the Lord engage Abraham in a conversation that is perhaps one of the most disturbing conversations in the entire Bible. And it is in this conversation, and Abraham’s response to the conversation, that, we will discover another timeless truth regarding God and God’s promises. So let’s discover this truth together, in Genesis 22:1:

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

You see, I told you it was a disturbing conversation, didn’t I? Moses gives us a glimpse into this conversation by explaining that some time after the events that we looked at last week occurred, that God tested Abraham. Now, while we do not know exactly how much time elapsed between what we looked at least week and this conversation, most scholars believe that this conversation occurred between 20-35 years after the events that we looked at last week.

However, while we cannot be exact as to when these events occurred, Moses makes absolutely certain that we know how God tested Abraham. God commanded Abraham "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Now if this conversation between God and Abraham was occurring today, this command would have sounded something like this: “Abraham would you please take your son, your only son, you know that son that I gave you in your old age and would you  kill him and offer him on an altar as an act of worship to me”.

Now, I don’t know about you, but this conversation provokes several questions doesn’t it? I mean what is going on here? The first question that naturally comes to mind here is “well why is God testing Abraham anyways?” The word test here literally means to test to prove and provide evidence that demonstrates the truth of what someone or something is really like. So, God is providing a test to Abraham to see if there was any evidence to prove that Abraham was in possession of something.

On the one hand that makes total sense doesn’t it? I mean, that is why we take tests, isn’t it? It isn’t enough to say that we know how to drive a car; we have to take a driving test to prove that we know how to drive a car. It is not enough to say that I know what I have studied; we have to take a test to prove that we know what we have studied. It is not enough to say we are patient. It is only when we have our patience tested that we prove, or demonstrate whether or not we are actually patient.  But what does Abraham need to prove and provide evidence about? What does he need to demonstrate that he possesses that requires God to test him? And doesn’t God already know the answer?

A second question that comes to mind here is “why would God command Abraham to kill and offer his son Isaac as an act of worship? I mean that command seems extreme.” By commanding Abraham with the words please take, we see the Lord acknowledging to Abraham that he is fully aware of the gravity of what He is commanding him to do. With this phrase God is acknowledging to Abraham that He fully recognizes the great cost of what He is commanding him to do. God knows how much Abraham cares for Isaac and how much this will cost Abraham.

Now this leads to a third question, which is “why would Abraham even consider following this command? Doesn’t God know that Abraham would recognize that this contradicts God’s character?” The reason that Abraham would not object to God’s command as being strange can be explained by understanding two aspects of the context that this conversation takes place in. First, at this point in God’s story, the Ten Commandments had not been given. And God had not given any instructions regarding the worship of Him, as we will see later in the Bible.

Second, the cultures that surrounded Abraham and his family frequently killed their children and offered them up as an act of worship. While we look at this as morally reprehensible today in light of what God has revealed to us through His word and character, Abraham had not been exposed to that yet.

You see, the test for Abraham was not the unusual and potentially morally objectionable nature of the command. The test was for Abraham that God was asking Abraham to kill and sacrifice as an act of worship to God the one person who could fulfill God’s promise that had been made to him. God commands Abraham to give up to death what was closest to himself, which would put to death God’s promises to Abraham.

I mean, how would God’s promises to Abraham be fulfilled, if his son, who was the one through whom the promise was to be fulfilled, was killed. Now this morning, imagine yourself as Abraham. Place yourself in his shoes. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond? You see, Abraham does not know that this is a test. All Abraham knows is that God has just commanded him to kill and offer up his only son as an act of worship. Do you think Abraham had questions?

Tomorrow, as Moses continues to record this story, we will see more questions arise as Moses shifts to focus on Abraham’s response to God’s command…

Exciting times of transition at City Bible Church…..

As we near the end of summer, we have looked in the rearview mirror in wonder at the evidences of God’s activity here at City Bible Church. We continue to see God work in and through the faithfulness of His people to bring people to Him as we partner together as a community of faith to create environments where people can explore faith and grow in their faith while experiencing genuine and authentic community. God has blessed us with an amazing group of godly men and women who provide point leadership to ministry environments that engage every age and stage of life. God has also blessed us with a multitude of volunteers that invest their time serving God by serving others as a part of a ministry team.

We also continue to see God work in and through the faithfulness of His people who provide point leadership for community groups, which meet throughout the week and throughout the community and create supportive and encouraging environments where people can take that next step when it comes to their relationship with Jesus. God has continued to multiply community group leaders and community groups.

While looking in the rearview mirror with gratitude and worship to God for all that He has done, we have also been looking forward to the future.  Specifically, we have been prayerfully planning how we can help those who come through the doors of City Bible Church experience God and move on a spiritual journey from being “consumers” who are shopping and searching for answers when it comes to Jesus and the Bible to being “owners” who own a genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus? How can we help those who come through the doors of City Bible Church move from being “owners” to be “investors” who are investing their time, talents, and treasure in the kingdom mission we have been given by Jesus?  How can we provide support and leadership on a staffing level for the amazing group of ministry team leaders and community group leaders that God has blessed us with?

As we have watched God guide and direct this process, we are excited to share where God has led us when it comes to staffing for the future. Sherri Smith, who has done an outstanding job as our Administrative Assistant for the past five years, is transitioning to a new position to become Director of Ministries. Sherri’s role will include helping those who attend City Bible Church find the right place where they can invest their time as part of a community group and their talents as part of a ministry team. In addition, Sherri will provide administrative support and resourcing to all the ministry team leaders at City Bible Church while ensuring that the ministries themselves remain aligned with the vision and mission that God has given us as a church. Sherri has been blessed with the gifting and talents to excel at this role and we look forward to all that God is going to do in and through her as Director of Ministries.

As Sherri transitions to her new role as Director of Ministries, we are excited to be able to bring on staff Jacque McIntyre as our new part-time Administrative Assistant. Starting August 19^th Jacque will be the voice that you hear on the phone and the face that you see in the office. In addition, Jacque will provide administrative support for Sherri, Tom Messina, who heads our Emergency Assistance Window and me.  Jacque has the gifts and heart that will make her a great addition to the team.

As Pastor at City Bible Church, I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of such an amazing staff and community of faith. As we head into the fall and a new ministry year, I look forward to what God has in store and invite you to be a part of what God is doing!

 

Dave