Genesis 18:16-19
2007.Jun.09 20:55
In God’s Confidence
Read Genesis 18:16-19 | Full Chapter
I’m going to throw in a summary here of a rather short passage just to help me get my head around what exactly is going on (although I don’t anticipate succeeding). Previously, three men show up, possibly including Jehovah, or possibly all messengers from him. Abraham has them stop by his tent, gives them food and drink, they discuss geriatric child-bearing, yadda, yadda. Now, the men get up to leave and Abraham walks with them for a time. Jehovah, besides informing Abraham and Sarah that their long-awaited child will be born in a year, is planning to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God asks himself whether he ought to tell Abraham his intentions.
God does tell Abraham and in my next entry, I’ll look at Abraham’s response. But I want to look now at Jehovah’s rationale for confiding in Abraham his intentions.
- Abraham will have many descendants, among which will be a powerful nation (assume, Israel)
- Abraham’s line will bless the entire earth (although not the only way in which it does so, to me this particularly reflects the offer of salvation to all through Jesus Christ).
- God has chosen him for these things.
- Abraham will teach God’s law to others.
In other words, Abraham is going to influence a lot of people, throughout generations. So, God’s choosing to confide in him is probably as much about Abraham sharing his personal tales of God’s justice, righteousness and power as about God simply wanting to confide in Abraham.
And yet, that second point, that Jehovah does confide in Abraham should not be overlooked. Jehovah often chooses to work through the weak, it is true, but the weak must be at least somewhat willing. And there is a key (or maybe just a stretch of logic–you decide!): Jehovah confides in Abraham because Abraham and Sarah (whose part in this is essential) have proven themselves willing to walk in faith and do as Jehovah commands; not perfectly, to be certain, but in their weaknesses, they have consistently returned to God after their failures and grown through the experience. Abraham and Sarah are excellent examples of what God can and will do with broken but willing vessels. He does such impressive things throughout their lives, and he talks personally with them, often confiding in them and reassuring them as a friend.
