Father Abraham

Father Abraham.  Had many sons.  Many sons had father Abraham.  I am one of them.  And so are you.  So let's all praise the Lord.  (Right arm.)

Let's praise the Lord?  Because we're Abraham's sons?  I didn't get it when I was a kid, much less why that called for robot dancing and singing in rounds, and now reading the story I seem to be in good company.  I'm not sure Abraham or his wife got it either.

When God and Abram meet in Chapter 12, it is clear that their encounter centers on God's promise to him.  Abram listens, and does what God tells him.  Then... Abram gets off track.  He gets scared, doesn't look to God, takes matters into his own hands.  God comes again to Abram in a vision, communicating the same message as before.  Abram believes God, responds to Him, engages with Him.  Then... Abram gets off track.  He gives in to his wife's fears and her own failure to trust God or her husband.  Rather than take his promise back, or let it be forgotten, this time God appears to Abram, gives him and his wife new names, and reminds them of His promises to them.  As if He understands how hard it is for them to grasp what He tells them, He gives them tangible steps to take so that they can not only remember but begin living out His plan for them.

In itself, this overview of God's pursuit of Abraham and Sarah is amazing.  It was 24 years between the time God first engaged with Abram to when God gave him the name Abraham.  God was unbelievably patient with Abraham and yet perfectly on time to carry out the plan He had all along.

God responds to Abraham in a fascinating way as he starts to realize just what God is actually wanting to involve him in.  Keep in mind that at this point Abraham has an illegitimate son (by the coercion of his wife and exploitation of their maidservant) and Abraham and Sarah have become masters of obnoxious explanations for why they "meant" to do the things that got so messed up.  If anyone, ever, was entitled to one juicy "I told you so," it was God when Abraham and Sarah finally started to realize what God had been telling them all along.

But that's not His response.

God responds to Abraham with gentleness, and enthusiasm that he is starting to participate in a plan God designed to be experienced in relationship.

In chapter 17, Abraham falls facedown - twice - when God appears to him.  Abraham listens and wants to believe what God says about creating a nation from Abraham's family, but it seems so far-fetched to Abraham, as it has all along.  Many of the choices Abraham has made seemed to come from wanting to believe God's promise but not understanding how it could happen, and so trying to make his own way for God's promise to come true.  Case in point, his son Ishmael.  And Abraham is struggling to let go of that skepticism now.  Abraham begs for God to just make Ishmael the one to carry the blessing.  God validates Abraham's fatherly love for Ishmael, leaning into the soft places of Abraham's heart to remind him of the way He has designed for the promise to be carried out.  With Sarah as the mother.  With Abraham believing and obeying.  In relationship with God.

God could have taken numerous opportunities to prove His point.  He didn't.  Instead, He engaged in deeper, more real, more head-on, and ever-gentle pursuit of Abraham so that He could involve him in what He was doing to carry out a plan that would forever change history.

If God would have given up on Abraham because he was thick-headed, aloof, hard-hearted, self-righteous, forgetful or obnoxious, it would be understandable.

It is not because of Abraham that a blessed nation was brought forth by God.  It is because of God.

Father Abraham.  Had many sons.  Many sons had father Abraham.  I am one of them.  And so are you.  So let's all praise the Lord!

Seeing God, Seeing People

How did Job get to be an advocate for the powerless and poor?  Job 24-28.

Several times from their soapboxes Job's friends have decried the burdens he carries as the result of his own wickedness.  They repeatedly launch into long-winded explanations of how God deals with the wicked and why Job needs to realize his troubles have to be the result of his own shortcomings.  After all, anyone experiencing rejection, weakness or hardship must have only themselves to blame.  People are poor and afflicted because they deserve it.  And people who are good, pure and upright get the good stuff they are entitled to.  Right?

Throughout the story Job refuses to accept this reasoning, turning away from human logic and instead seeking God in relationship and humble fear.  It's not until his friends' incessant talking really starts to grind on him that we hear his bold retort and learn more about Job's views.

Job describes in detail the poverty and hardship he has witnessed in his community.  Adults have few opportunities to work.  Families scrounge in fields and wastelands for food.  There is no clothing or shelter to keep warm and dry.  The work that is available is not enough to provide a meal, even though it may involve preparing food for others.  Parents' children are taken away to repay debts.  People are hurting.  Alone.  Ignored.  Exploited.  Dying.

In reference to these people, Job says that God is not assigning blame.  Job points out the difference between experiencing a miserable situation and choosing to rebel against God.  Job does not think there is something wrong with those who are powerless and weak, and he criticizes his friends for thinking they can help those who are struggling by giving them advice on how to stop being "wicked."

Job again is demonstrating a vital difference between him and his friends.  Just as Job lists the attributes of God and seeks to know Him while his friends recommend rituals to try and give easy-answers, Job sees people as individuals like him instead of others to sit in judgment upon.  Job may not mention any solutions to the problems, but simply returns his focus to the relationship that has given him meaning in the midst of distress.  Which apparently has likewise produced compassion and understanding within him.

Good and Better

I am fascinated by the advice Job's friends give him, and how it reveals what they have come to believe about God.  It seems that each friend represents a different view of humanity, of God, and of death.  Job 22-23.

As Eliphaz, Bildad and Frodo (just kidding - Zophar) hound Job about his wickedness as if it surely must be the reason he's going through this misery, Job continues to respond by processing the attributes of God and his desire to approach and talk with Him.  I would like to take a deeper look into each friend's point of view, but for now will focus on the discussion between Eliphaz and Job in these two chapters specifically.

In this section, Job has just pointed out several reasons why he disagrees with his friends, and Eliphaz responds with his commentary on the position man is in compared to God.  Eliphaz doesn't see how a person's righteousness could have any affect on God, since people are really wicked at the core and must do things to make up for this and prove to God that they are putting Him in the highest position in their lives.  Eliphaz implies that Job is wayward and defiant for thinking he matters enough to God to argue his case.  Job should just be quiet and do something to give homage to God: discard his gold and claim God as his only treasure.

Job holds on tight to his belief that he does matter to God.  Rather than trying to appease a distant or easily angered ruler, Job believes that God sees him and is refining him so that Job can experience connection to God as His treasure.  He says, "when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

So while Eliphaz's ritual may be good, Job's response seems better: It would be good for God to be Job's most valued possession.  It is better for Job to pursue belonging to God.

Job continues to be strengthened, and maybe even protected from his friends' advice, as he believes God wants a relationship with him.

The Only Hope is Hope

Job 10-21.  So good, I accidentally read ahead.

As Job's friends challenge his reasoning and test his patience, Job's frustration leads him to be more and more direct - both to his friends and to God.  He seems to be going through a process of deciding who God is and how he relates to people.  Job calls him "watcher of men," "my Judge," "O God," "the Almighty," and "my Redeemer."  These names reveal Job's internal transformation as he goes from feeling that God is targeting him and is too distant to be approached by a man, to seeing God as the one he will direct his honest feelings to and expect to get a response.

The question of whether or not Job will find a way to Hope in God is answered as Job processes what he feels, knows and believes.  He is afraid, and his fear is enough to keep him from addressing God.  He knows God is powerful, that He made Job, and that He doesn't punish the blameless.  Job desires to speak to and argue his case with God, but is unsure if he believes God would give him a hearing or plunge him into a slime pit (Job's words, not mine).  Job's friends are so unhelpful in this decision that he calls them "worthless physicians" whose only smart move would be to stop talking.

Job is unsure where he stands with God.  No one he knows can help, and finding out means risking death if God is not who Job hopes he is.  Job's only hope, is Hope.

With a mix of apathy toward his life, anger over his own turmoil, and conviction that God won't find him at fault, Job finally steps forward to say what's on his mind to God despite his dread and his friends' obnoxious advice.  In this moment Job says, "Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?  Though he may slay me, yet will I hope in him."  Come what may, Job has turned his misery from cries to no one into conversation with God.  His pain remains, but this Hope allows Job to pursue the answers he desires.  He will wait for the one he believes can renew him.

Although our story has not yet shown Job to get any answers from God, we do see Job start to experience relationship with God after this leap of faith.  When he cries, he feels that his tears are poured out to God.  He calls God his witness, his advocate, his intercessor, and his friend.  Job's heart is being transformed.  Not only is he Hoping, he's seeing that desiring death (as he had before) is counterproductive.  It is preferable, even wise, to have Hope.  Something within Job is being satisfied, and as he continues to seek God he desires even more of Him.  He starts to believe that somehow he will see God.  He is strengthened by the Hope growing within him, even though his situation remains the same.

I am inspired by the encouragement Job finds in God.  But surely God's covenant after the flood was meant to help people avoid situations like this, where they weren't sure if it was safe to have Hope or not.  What happened between the time of the covenant and Job's lifetime, that this message was so lost among Job's people?

To Hope or Not To Hope

Job speaks the language of life. Who cannot relate to this guy? His description of his experiences is timeless. Job 6-9.

The chronological reading brings so much information to light. God makes the covenant with Noah and all living things. It is meant to prove to people that God cares and relates to them, so that they can believe He is near even when He feels far. So that people can cling to a real Hope. Then Noah's descendants populate the earth, and we get to zoom in on one man's life to see how this is all playing out. Was that covenant necessary? Is it actually doing any good?

We witness Job's inner dialogue as he resolves to keep his integrity and not curse God after being stripped of everything. But Job teeters at the edge of a profound moment: whether or not he will find a reason to want his life. Whether or not he will Hope. Job's competing and swirling thoughts are raw, human, and real. Job is expressing pain, powerlessness, angst, defeat, and longing as he wrestles with what's happened to him and what it might mean. Job is lost without answers.

This is the point where Job will either head in the direction of Satan's or of God's prediction. Will he find a reason worth living for, even without the strength of everything he's just lost? Now that he's realized he does not have the power to help himself, that the ability to create success in his life is beyond him, will he remember the covenant? Has its history been taught to him by his ancestors? Does it mean anything to him?

Seeing Job's raw human condition exposed shows how necessary God's covenant was. Job remarks on how powerful God is, that it doesn't really matter if someone is blameless or wicked. Job wishes God were a man like him, so he could confront him in court and speak up without fear. He wants to know what God is like, to have more understanding of the relationship between him and God and what it means. Can the power of God's promise provide for Job in his greatest need? Can it bring meaning to Job's situation, hope to replace his misery?

False Freedom

It really is amazing how old the Old Testament is. Since we're going in chronological order, Genesis is on pause. Today Job 1-5.

So far in our stories, God has shown himself to be in the habit of asking questions He already knows the answers to (which, really, would be every question). God asked Adam where he was when Adam was hiding, in order to engage with him and create a moment for Adam to think about what he was doing. In this story, God engages with Satan, asking "Where have you come from?" Rather than plotting in their corners as arch rivals, God and Satan are interacting and debating. And they begin to talk about our man Job.

Satan is not impressed with Job because he has such a happy life. Job is wealthy. A family man. He has a good reputation and the success to back it up. Satan calls all of this "a hedge" around Job and a no-brainer reason why Job would be a fan of God's. Satan thinks Job is a total wimp who only looks strong because of all his blessings. Take away his great life, Satan argues with God, and Job will "curse you to your face" (Job 1:11). A valid argument, really. Does Job love God because of all his stuff or for some deeper, unshakable reason? To use the word in our story, can Job maintain his integrity when it is challenged to the extreme?

As Job's life starts to crumble around him - he loses his oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, camels, sons, daughters, and health - grief overwhelms him. His wife can't believe he doesn't just "curse God and die" since after all, what's left to live for? Job does not speak a word against God, but he does question the point of a life of misery.

A life of misery. This is the perception Job has of his world immediately after the loss of almost everything that matters to him. Was Satan sort of right? Did Job's blessings shield and comfort him, serving as his primary source of peace, rest and wellbeing? This seems to be the case when Job wonders what is the point in living life if the best thing about it is death?

Satan and God seem to be discussing human life in a much different way than Job does. Job even uses Satan's phrase "hedged in" to describe his feeling of being unable to understand or enjoy life now that he's lost so much. Satan predicted that Job's blessings are something he hides behind; and now Job is feeling trapped in misery without them. God and Satan recognize that there is more to life than what a man has, and their debate centers around whether or not people can experience meaning beyond themselves to do upright things even when life stinks. God believes Job can. Satan aims to squeeze Job senseless to prove that he can't.

Even though at this point our protagonist is feeling that peace, joy and comfort are tied to the blessings he's lost, I suspect he will later find these essentials in God somehow. Because although he is grieving now, he upholds his integrity in what he says and does not curse God like Satan thought he would.

The Promise

Just because I read this book in segments doesn't make it any less One. Big. Story. Genesis 7-11.

As Noah enters the picture, so does a practice that becomes central to the story: establishing a covenant. This is about promise, relationship, and an unbreakable tie between God and people. This is a good thing for Noah's family and the zoo in tow.

If covenants are so good, and such a strong symbol of God's love and care toward people, why were there no covenants in Eden?

The story of Cain and Abel illustrates the separation of how people see their relationship with God, and how God sees it. One view is flawed, insecure, jealous, uncertain, inaccurate, and changing. The other view is not. Both are, however, powerful enough to influence the course of human history... which is being framed in these chapters.

In Eden prior to The Fruit Incident, people (Adam and Eve) aren't confused about how God sees them. They experience connection, equality, confidence and completeness as individuals and as a unit. Qualities which already seem out of reach by Noah's time which is characterized by corruption, evil and violence. People are confused in their relationships with each other and with God, who seems distant and mysterious now. The creation God placed on earth and filled with His Breath goes on "rewind" as the select few are drawn to the ark and shut in by God himself. The rest, erased.

In a type of re-creation, the land and waters are separated again. The people, the animals, the plants, emerge again. And God says the new word: covenant. In the first creation, God's relationship didn't have to be proven. It was shared fully and viewed accurately. Now human perception is misleading, and proof of relationship with a sign and reminder is God's response to Noah, the 2nd Adam, and his family. What didn't need proof before is now proven, for the sake of people having something to cling to so that they might know and stay close to God: Hope.

Perception vs. Reality. And the winner is...

Genesis 4-7 today.

A wise Jewish man once taught me to read the Bible from the perspective of a human. Meaning, some statements in the Bible are meant to be questioned, to reveal the discrepancy between the character's point of view and the reality of the situation. Since the occurrence of what I'm calling "The Fruit Incident" in Eden and in all subsequent events, we are witnessing the dichotomy of what is actually happening between man and God, and what man thinks is happening between him and God. Enter Cain and Abel.

Cain is convinced he does not have what he desires from God: Acceptance. Cain pouts. He kills. He shirks his responsibility. He pities himself, makes the situation worse than it actually is, and runs away as if he had no choice.

Drama, drama.

Even in his crazy ways, Cain gets more than he deserves. God counsels him, corrects and guides him, protects him, and marks him. Cain is convinced that God is moving away from him, but God repeatedly shows that He is moving toward him in kindness.

I suspect this would not be the last time in history that a man or woman actually had the things he desired from God, but remained convinced that he didn't.

Could a robot enjoy a life of bliss?

November 1st 2010 marks my first day reading, in chronological order, the stories of the Bible in 1 year. Since writing helps me get more out of what I read, I intend to share my thoughts. Which also gives me something to blog about, since obviously I don't blog about anything else.

I just finished reading Genesis, chapters 1-3. I am bothered by what I just read about the man and woman God created and placed in Eden to live. They had the perfect life; they had everything. And they completely blew it on something that frankly sounds like the scenario played out between every toddler and parent on the planet, much more than a temptation worthy of compromising the fate of mankind for the rest of earth's existence. Thanks a lot Adam and Eve. But I'm getting ahead of myself... allow me to back up in the story.

In the first chapter of Genesis, God is busy. We read what He says, sees, separates, calls, creates, makes, forms, and blesses. He rests. He orchestrates how our world will function, its parts co-existing, helping each other to flourish. Plants, trees, fruits, seeds growing to be eaten. Lights in orbit marking seasons, days, years. Making a planet that's meant to be inhabited and then populating it in a way that is "fitting." Nothing lacking in its worth, including man. He forms him. Breathes into him, turning "dust of the ground" into a living being. And gently, tenderly, God places the man to live in a garden He personally had planted. Like Ty Pennington's special project on Extreme Home Makeover - beautiful and functional, it's man's home.

And then there's what feels like "the catch." This tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What's it doing there? Just one chapter ago nothing existed but the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. Am I stuck in the final season of Lost? Does this tree possess some power that can't be eliminated, only contained? God warns Adam not to eat this fruit, and in what reads like the same breath astutely observes, "It is not good for the man to be alone." Well said. Get that guy some back up so he doesn't sabotage this paradise situation.

Now I don't know about you, but as more of a loner than a people person I would be putting on the breaks about bringing someone else in on my perfect little home. Again with great tenderness and understanding, God engages Adam to sort through the other animals one by one, with God bringing each one over "to see what he would name them." Fully engaged, God and Adam share this once-in-a-planet-formation opportunity, creator and creation in an intimate moment as equals. God could have done this on his own. But he includes Adam, sharing his power, and allowing Adam to see that there really isn't a suitable partner for him out there. From Adam God creates the woman, and Adam is fully committed to her as an extension of himself. They are together, they are in close connection with God, and they are free.

We know what happens next. Eve listens to the lie. Adam listens to the lie. They feel ashamed, they hide. They start trying to take care of themselves apart from God and losing sight of His commitment to them. The consequences are inevitable for the tempter and the tempted. Life in paradise is over; everything is changed for Adam, Eve, and all generations to come.

So why was this tree of knowledge there in the first place? Couldn't God have just left that one little plant out of the landscaping design? And why does God's "because you have done this" speech not include some hope, some instruction for how to get back to the connection and freedom they had?

It's easy for me to see God as reading Adam and Eve their rights, giving them a speech they have coming as part of their punishment for being "bad." But the consequences of their choice have already shown themselves as Adam and Eve felt for the first time that they were lacking and needed to find a way to cover themselves. They felt fear that led them to run, avoid, hide, distrust, and blame. God is giving statement of fact that will play out for them due to their choice rather than a punishment he himself is giving. They will experience pain and hardship, unsatisfied desires, unfulfillable longings. They will experience separation from the only home where they were truly satisfied. Maybe God did not have to give them instructions for life, hope of heaven, when He knew they would spend their lives longing to gain back what had been revealed as they lived together with Him in the garden. The hope of heaven had been implanted in their hearts as a paradise lost, and they would long for it anyway without needing to be told. And even though they tried to avoid God and cover themselves, God allows blood to be shed for them, to Himself provide a covering for them. Though their world has changed forever, His love and wise compassion has not changed.

I'm bothered by their loss. I'm sorrowful thinking of how quickly their immeasurable wealth was squandered, and for what? It's like a heart breaking in its final crack as Adam, with nothing else to give, gives Eve her name. He is a man stripped of once overflowing joy, but saves his last shred of honor so that he can give it to the one he loves. Or perhaps it's his attempt to feel what he once had with God, going back to the moment he felt so connected with Him.

I wish Adam and Eve could have stayed in Eden forever. Harmony. Personal, open, fulfilling, exciting relationship with God. Flourishing life. Bliss.

I don't know why God included this tree of knowledge that could drive such a wedge into Adam and Eve's relationship with Him. But I do know I'm thankful that He is a God who creates the wonders my heart longs for, and allows me to have the choice to come freely to Him. Without the tree of knowledge, maybe we'd all be robots, only connected to God by obligation or inability to think of anything else. Inability to fully commit. To love. To accept the kind of relationship that is like an extension of myself, a long-lost part of me.

And I don't know about you, but I don't need to be told to long for a place where I'm as free and as unafraid as the first man and woman started out to be. Somehow my heart does that all on its own.