Saturday, February 7, 2009

Today’s Passage: Genesis 10-12

In today’s passage, we read about the descendants of Noah (the many that there were) all the way to the beginning of the stories about Abram, aka Abraham. Before chapter 12 (the start of the journey for Abraham) though, we read about the multitudes of people that resulted from Noah’s family. What I found interesting in this part of today’s passage was that after many years, the descendants began to become self-aware...a sort of self confidence arose among them. The two phrases, “they said to one another…” and “let us make a name for ourselves…” specifically stuck out like a sore thumb! I thought of this as a way of depicting the people as self-sufficient. Then we read the LORD decides to change things up a bit. The LORD, knowing the heart of man, changed the face of the earth forever by “confusing” their language. It made me inspect my life for “towers” of things that I have built in my life that do not reflect what the LORD wants from me. How has the LORD changed things up for you when you thought you did not need him and you could make a name for yourself?

After the confusing of the languages, the author of Genesis skips forward to the time of Abram. This story reveals the classic heart of man. Often times when we are doing the things that God asks us to do, there comes this temptation to take the wheel so that we can do our “better plan.” Ultimately, however, we end up worried to death and seeking the LORD in our time of need in order to bail us out! We see this very thing in Abram's life.

Although there is much to say about this particular passage, what stuck out when I read it was the fact that we hear nothing about Abram until now. It’s almost as if everything was a given. All of a sudden God tells Abram to pack up his things, leave his country, and head to an unknown place. God also promises Abram from the beginning that He is going to make him into a great nation. God will bless all of his families. (For those of us who already know, Abram and Saria cannot have children.) Then at no hesitation, Abram leaves as the LORD directed. All is well when following the LORD’s way.

When I read this, I think the biggest thing that jumped out at me was the fact that Abram follows the Lord to this unknown place. Then when things got hard (the famine), instead of waiting and trusting in the Lord, he takes matters into his own hands. (Oh, how we see where that can get us!). While in Egypt on his hunt for food and shelter, he only finds himself in more trouble and worried for his life. Ultimately, we see the Lord step in to save Abram, but it is to wonder how the journey could have been without the stress had he originally trusted in the Lord. This passage is definitely an eye opener for your and my Christian walk. Shall we trust in the Lord, even with the small details!