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Friday, May 26, 2017

AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE (blogging Genesis 17)

Genesis 17.


Despite the drama between the boy’s mom and Abram’s first wife, Abram the Hebrew loved his son, his only child:  Ishmael.  So, in Genesis 17, when God appeared to Abram promising that this time next year he and Sarai would have new names and a new baby boy, Abraham’s initial response was, “Nah.  Nevermind.”

And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” (Genesis 17:18)

Abraham tried to laugh off God’s offer. Well, actually it’s more like Abraham fell out laughing AT the idea of turning a 100 year-old man and a 90 year-old woman into new parents.  (Genesis 17: 17).


God didn’t think it was funny.  And, it wasn’t an offer.  It was a covenant.  And this was not a negotiation. 


For all of Abraham’s ha-has, God was so serious that He imposed a special ritual to show how very much He meant business.  “Abraham,” God said, “Take a sharp rock and cut skin off your penis.”

Laughter abruptly cuts off.

“I’m sorry, Lord, what?”

The mark of the non-negotiable covenant held by the descendants of Abraham and Sarah would be circumcision. 

“And,” God said, “the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin,cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” (Genesis 17:14)
that person shall be

“Cut off.”  Get it?  Circumcision was God’s way of saying, “Remember My covenant or I’ll cut off more that.”

But wait.  There was more. 
 
In Genesis 12:2 God promised Abram that he would be the father of a great nation.  In chapter 17, right after changing his name to Abraham, God said, “I have made you a father of many nations” (Genesis 17: 4). 

Christians and Jews revere Abraham as the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, who was the father of the 12 patriarchs, who were the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Isaac was the promised child whose line would receive, record, and remember the law and the prophets.

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?  Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2)

The covenant of the Word of God and of the incarnate, Living Word of God ---- Jesus--- rested with Isaac, but the promises of nation-sized greatness and favor was good for all Abraham’s kids.  And Abraham had lots of kids.

Ishmael, his oldest son, begat 12 tribes of his own, each of which became a nation (Genesis 25: 12-18).    After Sarah died, Abraham remarried and had 6 more sons by Keturah.  One of them founded the Midianites (Genesis 25:1-4).  Isaac’s other son, Esau, founded the Edomite nation (Genesis 36).  True to His word, God, made Abraham and Sarah the patriarchs of multiple nations.

A couple of lessons:
1)      We have the free will to accept or reject God’s offers of grace, but some of those offers are non-negotiable.  There may be certain things in this life that God has decided you ARE going to do ---- or else.  There are some things in this life that God has decided you or I will do and there is no “or else.” 

Jonah didn’t want to preach to the Ninevites.  He was willing to drown to avoid preaching to the Ninevites.  Jonah would rather have died in the desert sun than preach to the Ninevites.  Jonah preached to the doggone Ninevites.

Figure out what the non-negotiable are in your calling from God, and do them because  God isn’t going to let it go. 

2)      Abraham had assumed he would be remembered by one nation through one son.  God preserved Abraham’s name through many sons who fathered many nations. 

On the way to fulfilling your non-negotiable mission, God can do great things for and through you.   AFTER you have run your race and finished your course, God can do even more great things for and through you.   

Instead of waiting for that ONE magnificent thing you’re going to do, do all your things magnificently.   

Don’t just leave a legacy.  Leave legacies. 

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

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