Genesis 15  God Takes an Oath

Context for this sermon is a congregation in a mid-sized Midwestern USA city. It has a long history of over 100 years and is made up of a cross section of the socio-economic makeup of the city.

Have you ever caught yourself asking, what am I doing here? It happens when you’re in a place where you feel like a stranger. The events around you are strange, the people are unusual, the clothing everyone else is wearing seems to go together and yours, by contrast, stands out as being horribly out of place.

It happens to us in almost every phase of our lives. When I was a little boy, I was shy. I asked myself that question even when I would go to grandma’s house. I asked it in school that first day of kindergarten. Then when I went to high school and later to college. What am I doing here? It was very real the night of our wedding rehearsal. But probably most deeply felt was the question, what am I doing here? in the delivery room when our first child was born. It comes back regularly to me, when I moved to a new church like I moved to this church a year and a half ago, and I walk into the place and I say, what am I doing here? I know I believe I’ve heard the call of God to be here, but the question is very real. What am I doing here?

I have a feeling that many people, if not all, have that sort of feeling from time to time. It’s the sort of question that we ask ourselves in order to try to sort out the pathways of our lives. We want to know how we got to where we are and how we’re supposed to act once we got here.

It’s interesting that the people in the Bible also experience that sort of questioning. Abram was in the land of Canaan. We know it today as Palestine or Israel. He had set out for this land at the request of God. And now he had been there for almost 10 years, and nothing seemed to be happening. At Abram’s age he didn’t feel like he had a lot of time to wait. He was about 80 years old at this point in his walk with God. God had told him to leave his father’s house in Ur of the Chaldeans and go to a new land that God would show him. Now I don’t know many 70 year olds who have a great urge to move several weeks journey away from the only family that they have. They just don’t do that. People at that age, in my experience anyway, are not eager to take up the challenge of moving to a new place. The question, what am I doing here? Would drum in their ears too loudly and too long. Yet Abraham did it. Why? Because he believed God had a rich promise to fulfill in his life. God had said that he would make Abram into a great nation. God would give him a multitude of descendants. It is that faith that Abram is known for in the Bible. Like the cover of our bulletin has today, faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen. That’s why he left his home in Ur.

Abram and his wife Sarah had wealth. They had a great household with many servants. Abraham even had a private army that proved itself quite powerful. But they had no children. They had no one to inherit their goods who was family. Eliaser, Abram’s steward from Damascus, a slave in his household, would become the household on Abram’s death. And so when God calls him to go to another land, because there God would make him into a great nation, Abram goes. He goes because he believes the word from God.

But nothing seems to be happening in the tents of Abram. The only pitter patter of little feet was that of servants’ children. Not of Abram and Sarah. But in faith they wait. They wait for the promised heir. They’re waiting for the land to be theirs. They wait. And they wait.

Until, these ten years later, the Lord comes to Abram in a dream. Do you hear what he says to Abram? Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. Whatever happened to the promise of a child? Wasn’t that to be the reward for Abram’s faith? Wasn’t that supposed to be his very great reward? Abram thinks so. You see, that question, what am I doing here? Has been on his mind of late. What am I doing wandering around this land. I don’t own anything. God said he would give this land to my offspring. But it doesn’t seem like this is going to happen.

I think I can identify with what is going on in Abram’s mind. What about you? Don’t you find it hard to live by faith all the time? Wouldn’t we like to see some great works of God, miracles, signs and wonders, anything that would convince us that God was nearby keeping his promises, never letting us down.

Just listen to Abraham. Oh sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless, and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You’ve given me no children; So a servant in my household will be my heir. In fact, Abraham is saying, what am I doing here? What is the point of my faith if nothing ever seems to come of it? He’s getting tired of the walk of faith. He needs more. He needs results.

So, what does God do? He makes another promise. He tells Abram that things are not how they seem. A son born from his own body will be his heir. In fact, God says, come outside on this dark night. Look at the stars. Can you count them? That’s how many descendants you will have!

When he hears it, Abram believes, and God credits that to him as righteousness. God tells us that what the Lord is looking for in our lives is a willingness to let God be God. When God leads us out on a journey of faith, he expects us to be willing to follow where God leads us. He’s looking for that far more than he’s looking to see if we are following some rules and regulations. God is looking for faith. He always has been. He always will be.

The chapter continues on as it tells us of another aspect of this encounter with God that Abram has. God goes on to tell him that God brought Abram here to give him the land to take possession of it. And again, Abram would like to know that this is really the case. And so we have recorded for us this strange vision in which God takes an oath to Abraham. God says bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon. Abram brings them and cuts them in two and arranges the halves opposite each other. As the sun is setting, he falls into a deep sleep. Initially, a thick and dreadful darkness comes over him. We need to remember the context here, God is doing this in response to Abram’s question about how he could be sure God would give the land to him. This is God’s answer. and he says, your descendants will be slaves for 400 years, but I will bring them here and they will take possession of the land.

Over 400 years would pass before the promise would come true. But it would come true one day. And to prove it, the Lord takes an oath. He makes a covenant with Abram. Now we need to understand something about covenants in those days to see the significance of this. In verse 18 where it says, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, the word made could also be translated cut. A covenant was cut between people. To symbolize the cutting of the covenant, animals were cut in half, and the two parties to the covenant would walk between the halves. In effect, they were saying, if I fail to live up to my half of the covenant, I will be cut in half as these animals were. It was a till death do us part sort of oath.

But look what happens there’s a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch that passed between the pieces of animal. God takes both parts of the covenant upon himself. He will guarantee the fulfillment of the covenant by agreeing to represent both Abram and himself in the covenant.

So God takes an oath to bring about his promise to Abram. Abram no longer has to be asking himself what he is doing there in the land where he doesn’t feel at home. It was his because God had taken an oath to give it to his descendants. So. in thanks for what God would bring about, he could go on in life trusting that even though outward appearances were none too encouraging, the reality was that God had given the land to him and his descendants. This was home and he didn’t need to hope for a different one.

Well, I hope your minds have been racing ahead of me to see where I’m going with this.

God is still calling people to embark on a journey of faith. He doesn’t want us to ever get the idea that this world of sin is our home country. He is ever out there ahead of us, calling us to follow him where he leads. He’s calling us to look for the promises and to pursue them even though it looks futile to do so. He says to us, you will inherit the earth. You have my word. And we say with Abram, but how can we be so be sure? How can we know for certain that this is what you are going to do for us? It looks for all intents and purposes like evil is in control here Lord. What are we doing in this place? Why are we living here?

In response God shows us his promise, his oath, like he showed Abram. He takes us to a hill outside Jerusalem. There we see 3 crosses lined up against the horizon. Then while we are there, deep darkness falls over the land even though it is the middle of the day. In the mystery of the moment, we hear the son of God cry out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? God himself is cut asunder.

God tells us, as surely as my son gave his life for you so surely will I bring you to a new world, to a new heaven and a new earth. I will accomplish my end of the covenant. So here’s what God now asks of us, live as though you own the earth. Be concerned about what you are doing to it. Be concerned about how all the citizens of the earth are treated. Don’t live with your head in the sand. Look out for those who cannot make it on their own. Be a companion to the lonely. Be the spokespersons for the creation that groans under the weight of mankind’s sinful abuse of the world. Be my coworkers to bring about good in the world.

In Hebrews Chapter 11, where it speaks of what faith is as the evidence of things not seen, it tells us that Abraham listened to God’s call to set out on a journey because he was seeking a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. If you and I were to be described by one of God’s people would they use that sort of description for us? Or would they say, they were shy people who feared to step out in faith, they preferred the safety of the familiar. So they lost even what they thought they were saving.

What is it that God is calling you to attempt for him in this year? Are you seeking to accomplish something for him which can only be done in faith? Are you willing to wait over 400 years for the fruits of your venture of faith? God has sworn that whatever we do because he called us to it will never be lost. Are you enough of a believer to set out on a journey of faith? This is God’s promise to you, be not afraid. I am your shield your very great reward.

Genesis 18 vs 1 to 15 A Tent in the Wilderness

Context for this message is a urban congregation in a midsize Midwestern USA city. That Sunday, the church was putting on a big feast for the neighborhood.

Some of the material here is derived from a lecture by a Prof named Patrick Kiefert and from commentaries on Genesis

The afternoon was beginning to heat up. The sun was blazing in the sky, and the leaves of the giant oak trees near Mamre barely were stirring. This was going to be another of those hot afternoonsth at Abraham had come to expect in the arid climate of this place called Canaan. As he sat in the shade of his tent which was conveniently pitched under the shade of one of the great oaks, Abraham surveyed the site. This Oasis in the wilderness of the southern reaches of Canaan provided for the watering of his many herds of cattle and sheep. It also was a place where many travelers were attracted to because of the sight of the great trees from a distance drew thirsty caravans to the place.

Now we need to try to visualize what an Oasis in this wilderness was like. Since there were many traders who traversed this region on their way from the rich centers of commerce to the north and the South of this region, there were always caravans of camel drivers passing through. They would need to water their animals and refill their water bags themselves. So, they would stop at these places where water was plentiful.

There they would pitch their tents and spend a day or two resting before they would again proceed on their journeys. This area of Canaan was at the edge of the great deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and as such was either the entrance into a more fertile area where the provisions of their journey were going to be more easily attainable, or it was seen as the jumping off place for the journey toward Egypt on the other side of the great desert. But as they came to Mamre, they would stop off for a while to prepare for the continuation of their journey.

The Oasis then became the place where travelers would set aside their rival claims to a place on the road and spend some time with each other and talk about the issues of life as they saw them.

Now it was while Abraham is camped for a while near the great oaks of Mamre, that our story takes place. This morning I want to have us take a close look at what happens in this story because Abraham is the father of believers, and what we see here is a picture of the way the church is to live in the world. The church is to be a tent in the wilderness for the person who is on a journey.

As Abraham is sitting at the door of his tent there in the shade of one of the great trees of Mamre, he sees a small group of people coming toward the Oasis in the heat of the afternoon. One can about imagine the way the heat is shimmering from off the land and Abraham has to peer through the shimmers to make out three men who are standing nearby. These are not the usual traders, they appear to just be three men travelling on foot by themselves. No animals or other people accompany them.

Notice then what Abraham does, he gets up and hurries to meet them and he bows to the ground, and invites them to come into the shade near his tent. There he brings water for their feet and their refreshment.

Now we have to keep in mind that the storyteller has informed us of whom one of these men is, he is the Lord. But Abraham doesn’t know that. He didn’t look up and see a person and say to himself, ohh that’s God I better be nice to him. No this is the way Abraham treated the stranger who came walking toward the Oasis where he was. He hurries to meet him. He gets Sarah to bake some fine bread and he himself goes to choose a calf to slaughter for a meal for these guests of his. It was his desire to be the giver of hospitality which caused him to go out of his way to be of service to the ones who came his way in need. Abraham has no way of knowing whether these men will be able to pay for their meal or not, it made no difference. He is going to provide a fine meal for these men as they stop off on their journey.

As such Abraham gives us a picture of what God wants the church to be. Abraham is often called the father of believers and is referred to as a man on whom we can model our lives for he is called the friend of God. When he is going to leave his disciples, Jesus tells them that he calls them friends. the church is the gathering of the friends of God. And as such they need to know how friends of God act. And Abraham gives us this picture of how he acts when a stranger approaches.

Another reason to pay careful attention to this picture of the friend of God is a parable Jesus tells us in Matthew 25. There in that story we hear about judgment day. Jesus will decide our fate on how we treat other people, and, in speaking to those who have done his will who are his church, Jesus specifically mentions, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Abraham shows us what that means. He provides a place for the stranger on his journey. Nothing is too good for the stranger.

And what happens in the course of the conversation is that both Abraham and Sarah discover that one of the men is the Lord himself. And they find that in welcoming the stranger, they themselves are welcomed into the presence of almighty God. The promise of God will come true within a year. You will have a son and you will call him laughter, or we call it Isaac, for you laugh at the power of God.

Now in our day, we need to realize that there are strangers all around us. In fact, most of us who make up the population of North America consider ourselves to be strangers to most everybody else. Almost everyone will have 3 or 4 jobs in their lifetime, many even having seven or more. The great majority of the population of the United States moves at least four times in their lifetimes. It is in this sort of nomadic situation that we live out our lives.

In recent years there have been three particularly fascinating books written on the subject of the influence of the movie The Wizard of Oz on the North American mentality. And they agree on one central idea — nearly 3/4 of the American population can identify with Dorothy as she makes her way to the emerald city with just a few friends. Ours is a nation that feels like we as individuals, we’re just so many orphans making our way to who knows where up that yellow brick road. And we’re looking for a few safe places to rest on this journey.

As a people, we are looking for an Oasis, a tent in the wilderness where we can stop and be refreshed for a while. Where we will be welcomed because we are people who need to be in relationship with other people. Where we can love and be loved, a place where we can have people deal with us as people rather than as consumers or clients or prospects to be pursued.

Just think of some of the more popular TV programs which have been around (and this is in in the later years of the 90s) there’s a small group of close friends on Seinfeld. There’s small groups of friends on friends. The small circle of friends on home improvement, coach and ER. They all have one thing in common, they portray A relatively small group of people who do not treat each other as business partners or clients or some such functional relationship, they feature people interacting with other people. One reason they’re so popular is that the population of the US watches and says, I want a group like that in my life. But what do you find?

People who have lived somewhere for years and they know only a few of their neighbors. People have just moved to a new neighborhood and have no friends nearby. People have chosen to move to a new community and now have no one with whom to share their lives. People who feel like Dorothy and who are saying to their pets, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto. And they begin their journey to the emerald city alone.

Until they come into contact with one of God’s friends who know the truth about what a church is to be like and they know that the church can be described as a tent in the wilderness. A place of welcoming, a place of hospitality. A place where strangers are made to feel at home. A place where as the people interact they experience the presence of God himself.

When the church sees itself as a tent for the people of God and the stranger who needs to be introduced to God, then there are certain things the church begins to do. First of all, she realizes how important small groups are to people. We cannot deal with 50 people or more on a close basis. It’s more like 10 or less. So the church to seeks to have all its people get into small groups who can walk with each other on their journey. By having small groups we limit the number of people we have to interact with and makes it possible for us to know each other as people.

The church realizes that a tent goes with us on our journey. The church walks along with people as they make their way toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The tent of a small group creates a safe place to get to know each other period no one gets to know others well in a large public setting. It takes time on a small scale in a protected place. Then we find our lives being enriched by each other.

Today we welcome our neighborhood to a meal under a tent. As people who know the word of God and do know God as a friend, we need to welcome those who are strangers and go out of our way to make them feel welcome because in them God himself appears to us.

Are you a friend of God? Then you too, like Abraham your father before you, will make this a welcoming place, a warm place where strangers will find refreshment from the heat of the days of their lives and know that God is in this place.