March 07th, 2020

The Second Sunday in Lent will be the first Sunday in Lent that the gospel text looks at the Gospel according to John [3:1-17], and we will stay with that account until Palm Sunday. Since there will be a few more opportunities to look at that gospel account, I thought it would be good to look at the Old Testament text for this Sunday, since that text is from the special book of Genesis.

The use of Genesis within this first year of the three-year series is interesting. Last week we looked at critical ‘watershed’ chapter, Genesis 3. This week, the text is from Genesis 12[:1-9], another watershed chapter—since the start of the redemption story begins here with Abram. And on Trinity Sunday we will be looking at the very beginning in Genesis 1. And there is one more Sunday, during the season of Pentecost, when we will be looking at the very end, the very last chapter, Genesis 50.

Some people think that the farther away in time that something happened, the more disconnected they are from it. But just the opposite can be true. If a certain book of the bible is important, we will hear from its beginning AND its end.

In this Old Testament text from Genesis 12, Abram has been told to move to the Promised Land. As was mentioned above, this starts the story of redemption. God certainly created things, but how he redeems them is much more important. This is not just a story of ‘What happened?’; this is ‘What happened that is incredibly important?’
Some people look at these first chapters in the life of Abram/Abraham, and they think that the circumcision story or the story of him FINALLY having a son is the most important thing, and some people make either of these things the turning point for the entire section. (Turning points are typical in Hebrew literature.) But there could be another, more important, more central, turning point.

The turning point suggested below is the same one that appeared in the story of Noah (see 8:1), and it is the same turning point that will appear in the story of Jacob and Rachel (see 30:22). The turning point for those three stories is the same, the remembrance of God. The name ‘God’ is usually connected with a command. For ‘God’ to do something gracious is different and catches our attention. And his remembrance is certainly a good and different thing.

God does not have to remember us. We are sinners and do not deserve to be remembered. But he can choose to remember for a particular reason. And please remember that this is not a simple remembrance that makes a person’s name come to mind. This is a remembrance that does something good. This remembrance is an active and lively thing.

This remembrance changes things. The events before the remembrance and the events after the remembrance have a connection and are in a particular order, and it changes from something negative to positive, and the order is reversed.

It should be noted that some of the extremely negative things that involve Abram/Abraham may not described in a negative way in this ‘outline’ for a very simple purpose; God does not want these things to be remembered. Abraham could be remembered as someone who keeps lying about Sarah being his wife, but that is not a good thing to remember. The focus is meant to be on God’s good news.

For God to remember a person is significant. The criminal on the cross just asked to be remembered, and Jesus gave him so much more (see Luke 23:43). Here is an ‘outline’ of basically chapters 11-25 that go from negative to positive and turn at 19:29.

    1. Genealogy: Sarah is barren (11:27-32)
    2. Blessings are promised to Abram (12:1-9)
    3. Abram’s possessions increase, although there are some significant difficulties              (12:10-13:17)
    4. Abram and Sarai live near Mamre at Hebron (13:18)
    5. Details are given regarding the kings in the area (14:1-12)
    6. Abram is tempted to get rich from the gifts of another (14:13-24)
    7. Abram makes a covenant with Yahweh (15:1-21)
    8. Hagar is pregnant with Ishmael and runs away (16:1-16)
    9. The covenant of circumcision is given (17:1-27)
    10. Isaac is promised (18:1-15)
    11. Abraham intercedes on Lot’s behalf (18:16-33)
    12. Most of Lot’s family is preserved (19:1-28)
    AND GOD REMEMBERED ABRAHAM… (19:29)
    12. Lot’s family line is preserved (19:30-38)
    11. Abraham intercedes on Abimelech’s behalf (20:1-18)
    10. Isaac is born (21:1-3)
    9. Isaac is circumcised (21:4-7)
    8. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away (21:8-21)
    7. Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech (21:22-34)
    6. Abraham is tested regarding his love for his son (22:1-19)
    5. Details are given regarding Nahor, Abraham’s brother (22:20-24)
    4. Abraham purchases property near Mamre at Hebron to bury Sarah (23:1-20)
    3. Abraham’s ‘possessions’ help him to find a wife for his son, although there are              some small difficulties (24:1-58)
    2. Blessings are given to Rebekah as she leaves her family (24:59-67)
    1. Genealogy: Keturah has several children with Abraham (25:1-11)
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Why go to such detail to tell the story? Because the story is so incredibly important. And this is just the start.