In the beginning God--the first four words of the Bible are more than an introduction to the creation story or to the book of Genesis. They supply the key which opens our understanding to the Bible as a whole. They tell us that the religion of the Bible is a religion of the the initiative of God.You can never take God by surprise. You can never anticipate him. He always makes the first move. He is always there 'in the beginning.' Before man existed, God acted. Before man stirs himself to seek God, God sought man. In the Bible we do not see man groping after God; we see God reaching after man.
Mt. Sinai as a Thin Place
14 years ago
Here's a really cool thing concerning God's covenants. At the very end of today's reading Abram cuts the animals in half, falls asleep, and when he wakes up there is a brand of fire passing between them. Well, apparently, one way of making a covenant between people back in ancient times was to cut animals in half and walk between them declaring your promises and saying if you don't hold up your end of the bargain the other guy can be all wrathful on you. So that's what that was all about. God was completing the covenant ritual--but it was only him. Abram didn't walk between the animals. God instigated the whole thing. I guess it's kind of saying only God can be truly faithful to his promises.
ReplyDeleteI as also interested in Melchezedek. He came into Abram's life only once and never heard from again. He reminded Abram that it was God's victory, not Abram's. Melchezedek was one of a small group of God-honoring people throughout the Pld Testament who came in contact with the Jews (Israelites) but were not Jews themselves. I believe this is the first mention in the Bible of someone other than an Israelite believing in God.
ReplyDeleteTacy,
ReplyDeletesee also: Psalm 110:4 and various verses in Hebrews chapters 5,6 &7. We see a foreshadowing of God's plan of redemption through Jesus already in this little verse about Melchizedek.