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Parashah Lekh Lekha לך לך
To what lengths will God go to rescue a rebellious world?
Have you ever had a friend that refused to give up on you?
Do you have a family member, mom or dad, grandma or grandad, that always stood in your corner?
Bailed you out when times were tough, loved you when you were dead wrong.
Patient with you while you discovered life’s purpose?
Have you ever had someone or have someone in your life that wants you to meet good fortune on every bend.
As Glen Hansard said the kind of friend that would say to you, “May your winning streak.
May it never end’” The kind of friend or person that would look you in the eye and say, “All my money is on you.
All my eggs are in your basket.”
And not only do they say it to you but they actually say it to other people and say to them, “My money is on him, you ought to put your money down to.
My eggs are in his basket.
You ougt to put your eggs in to.”
Here is the thing, they don’t just say to you because things are going good for you, they say even when times are tough.
If you have ever had a friend or family member like that, her is what you realize: they are putting more work into the relationship then you ever will but they do it for your sake and not their own.
In our portion this week, we are going to look at one such relationship that should inform us about our relationship with God.
Ha-Foke-Bah
If you are joining us for the first time this week or if you have been away and coming back to CBM we are in series through the book of Genesis.
We are taking a Jewish approach to this series by studying each Parashah - a parashah is the weekly reading of the Torah that Jews all around the world adhere to.
And as we study each Parashah, I want to honor my Chief Rabbi who though not trained in an official seminary, and though born in a poor city to a poor family, and though not widely accepted by the majority of his contemporary rabbis was considered by many Jewish men to be what the Torah and Prophets was all about (John 1:45)
My Chief Rabbi did not flench or hesitate when he said Luke 24:44
This series is one where we study our ancient foundations and see how they spoke back them and spoke about Him and speak to us today.
We have said that all of Bereshit, the whole book of Genesis is about this one verse Genesis 50:20
At the end of the book, Joseph who is a seed of Abraham says that God is in the business of fixing our messes.
He is in the business of rescuing a people who create their own problems.
That God takes what we meant for evil (ra’ah) and turns it to good (tov).
Or to say it another way, Genesis is God’s rescue plan through the family of Abraham for a rebellious people.
Insert Image of all the sin of Genesis 1-11
From what we have seen in the first two parashot the world is deeply rebellious.
From Adam we learned that the greatest problem the world faces is that the image of God has been corrupted by sin and changed in to the image of sinful Adam.
And, that only the serpent crusher will every bring this problem to its final conclusion.
Last week, in parashah Noach, we asked the question, “What is God’s highest priority for a rebellious world?”
Is highest priority is that we would walk with Him in a meaningful and purposeful relationship.
And, we saw that Noach responded to grace with obedience and after the flood God ceased His war against humankind by making a covenant with Noah and the world and confirmed it with a sign: his bow hung in the sky.
Yet, after the flood instead of starting an amazing new God-centered society he decided to get drunk and naked in his tent and the world fell into rebellion with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel.
The Babel story is different.
In all the other narratives, after God judges the sin of the people he immediately provides a rescue.
Adam and Eve receive a sacrifice.
Cain a mark.
Noach a boat and a covenant.
After Babel, we just get the Genealogy of Shem.
And what is more, this genealogy shows us that God is no longer giving people extra-ordinary long lives.
Shem lives to be 600 years old.
That is pretty long but Terah the last person mentioned only lives to be 205 years of age.
Human life expectancy is shrinking.
That leads us to the most important question this Parashah, Lech Lecha, answers, “How far will God go to rescue a rebellious people?”
I don’t know about you but on more than one occasion I have wondered: God, why aren’t you done with me?
I usually ask this question after a rebellious episode of sin in my life or some moment where I realize that what I thought was God’s will really turned out to just be my one flesh, my own will.
And now, I was dealing with the mess I had created rather than the harvest of fruit I was hoping for.
In these moments, I realize that God has not left me and he has not quit me.
I think to myself, “God, why aren’t you done with me?”
We have all been there at some point.
I would dare to say that anyone who has been in a relationship with the Lord for more than a week has wondered if they have already out ran the grace of God.
We have all been there where we have wondered if God’s grace would really cover my disobedience.
Would he really and truly not hold this sin against me.
Just how far will God go to rescue me a sometime rebellious sinner and sometimes ignorant sinner and sometimes not sure if I hit His will quit right kind of guy?
Just how far will God go to rescue me and how many times?
I will not ask you to raise your hands but I know if I did probably everyone in this room would say they have been here before.
Our portion tell us something amazing:
God assumes full responsibility for Abraham, and his family, even when he disobeys Him.
The Suzerain Calls Abram (Gen 12)
Suzerain Needs definition.
The Suzerain Calls Abram
Abram Obeys God.
Abram Worships God.
Abram Obeys God.
Abram Worships God.
The Suzerain Protects Abraham’s Wife (Gen 12)
Famine Strikes Abram.
Pharaoh Wants Sarai.
Abram Marries-Off Sarai.
God Rescues Abram.
Abram Worships God.
The Suzerain Protects Abraham’s Land (Gen 13)
Land Limitations Create Strife.
Lot Sues Abram.
Abram Offers Land.
God Rescues Abram
Abram Worships God.
The Suzerain Protects Abraham’s Life (Gen 14).
Eastern Kings Attack Canaan.
Lot Taken Captive
Abram Attacks Eastern Kings
God Rescues Abram.
Abram Worships God.
The Suzerain Protects Abraham’s Future (Gen 16-17)
Barreness Disturbs Sarai.
Sarai Offers Hagar.
Hagar Births Ishmael.
God Rescues Abram.
Abraham Worships God.
When you look at this structure of these stories you can tell that Moses, the author, has created a pattern.
Whenever you see a pattern it did not just happen by accident.
Moses, the author, put the pattern there so we would chase down the question.
Initially it is tempting to ask the question, “Was Abram doing the will of God?”
You notice that just before Abram makes a major decision he does not do a whole lot of talking with God.
He does not talk to God about going to Egypt nor about the whole deal with offering Lot any piece of the land he wants nor does he talk to God about going out and waging a war against four victorious kings for the sake of one man, his nephew, and his family.
That is not the right question.
This portion of the Scriptures is not trying to investigate knowing the will of God.
No, it is trying to help us see what kind of a Suzerain is Adonai.
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