Lent
February 23, 2015
Scripture Reading: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. — Genesis 17:4-7
“Abram” means exalted father. With the extension to “Abraham” he became exalted father of many nations.* He certainly was a very human father. Negotiating the tension between his wife and her handmaiden, the mother of his first child, he turned the handmaiden and her child away but, tradition says, he maintained contact with them and I presume helped to support them. This oldest son and his younger half-brother were at least on good enough terms to collaborate on their father’s funeral. (Genesis 25:9)
Abraham was a devout follower of God, obedient even to being willing to offer his younger son as a sacrifice, but God stopped him. God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham to be God to Abraham and to his offspring after him. Now that is a rather remarkable situation. Many Christians are asked to acknowledge our belief that Jesus is the Christ the son of God but have we ever thought about the fact that God chose to be our God? What does that mean? What does that mean to you personally?
If you have a chance, this week you might want to read the entire poem to the song we know as the God of Abraham Praise and contemplate the nature of God. The first verse of the poem is:
The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love; Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav’n confessed; I bow and bless the sacred Name forever blessed.**
Prayer: Lord, as I contemplate the death of Jesus, I am drawn to finding a deeper understanding of our relationship and what it means to the way I live my life. I am a seeker; help me to find wholeness in you. Amen.
*http://biblehub.com/hebrew/85.htm
** Words: From The Yigdal of Daniel ben Judah, a Jewish judge in Rome, circa 1400, paraphrased by Thomas Olivers, circa 1765; first appeared in The Gospel Magazine, April 1775. The lyrics are based on the 13 creeds of Moses Maimonides (circa 1130-1204). See at http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/godofabe.htm