2nd Sunday In Lent, Year A. Series

Genesis 12:1-4, Psalm 121:1-8, Romans 4:1-5, Romans 4:13-17, John 3:1-17, Matthew 17:1-9.

A). ABRAM STEPS OUT IN FAITH.

Genesis 12:1-4.

Our story begins in Ur of the Chaldees, in what is now Southern Iraq, a predominantly pagan city of about 250,000 people, with a central temple to the moon god Sin. Here Abram’s father Terah was thought to have been a craftsman within the moon cult. At a crucial turning point in history, and for reasons unknown, Terah and various members of his family determined to travel to Canaan, and, uprooting themselves from all that was familiar, took to the road.

They got as far as Haran, another centre of moon worship on the trade routes between Syria and Turkey. The allure of this pagan city detained them, and there they settled down (Genesis 11:31). Where they stopped, there Terah died (Genesis 11:32).

Abram was called to leave his father’s house in order to go to a land which the LORD would show him (Genesis 12:1). “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him” (Genesis 12:4), into the unknown. This was a step of faith not unlike our initiation into Christianity, where we are required to leave all and follow Jesus (Luke 9:57-62).

Along with the command, the LORD made two promises. First of all there was a promise of land (Genesis 12:1). Secondly, though Abram’s wife Sarai was barren (cf. Genesis 11:30), Abram was informed that he would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2).

Furthermore Abram would be blessed in his walk with God. That blessing would manifest itself in a tangible “greatness.” The “exalted Father” (as his name means) would become a source of blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).

God was focussing the whole of salvation history into one family. From that family, the whole world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Yet every single person who opposes this family, which is ultimately the family of Jesus Christ, falls under a divine curse.

At 75 years old Abram obeyed the call of the LORD, and “departed out of Haran” (Genesis 12:4).

Abraham’s name is found in the list of faith’s champions (Hebrews 11:8-10). There we are reminded that Abram obeyed God, stepped out beyond the spurious security of all that was familiar, and set his sights beyond the temporal to the eternal. Sarah’s faith is also praised in relation to the birth of their son (Hebrews 11:11-12).

This is only the beginning of the life story of Abraham, but we know from the rest of Scripture that it had a good end. Certainly, Abram possessed little by way of land within the land of promise, but he was blessed with prosperity there, and received the promise of posterity (Hebrews 6:13-15). And through Jesus Christ “the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1) blessing does come to “every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

B). A SONG FOR THE JOURNEY.

Psalm 121:1-8.

This is a “song of ascent” - quite possibly sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem for one of the festivals. It would be an appropriate Psalm for returning exiles, too, when faced with the dangers of a thousand mile journey back across the wilderness from Babylon. There is danger here: and there is hope.

Psalm 121:1 seems to be a question. Perhaps the cantor “looks to the hills” and envisages the dangers that may lurk there. It is all too easy to focus upon the wild animals, landslides, and bandits in our walk with God.

There is also the danger posed by the idolatry of the ‘high places’ - which was part of the cause of the exile in the first place. Will I “lift up my eyes to the hills,” as if they were going to help me? “Where will my help come from?”

There is danger, too, if we are looking to our destination, as if that is the source of our help. Will pilgrimages help me, going up to Mount Zion, or even ‘going to church’? Going to church is to be commended, of course, for it is often the place where we meet God - but it is not an end in itself.

In Psalm 121:2 he answers himself: “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Our God is not a god of the hills, or a god of the valleys (1 Kings 20:28). He is the Creator of all.

Then the choir/ congregation/ fellow travellers join in, speaking in the third person throughout the rest of the Psalm. We each have our own individual race to run, the course that the Lord Himself has set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Yet it is well to remember that we are not alone.

Others - also with their own races to run - are there with us: fellow-travellers in the way. Even as we strengthen ourselves in the Lord, there are others to help uphold our arms (Exodus 17:12), adding their ‘Amen’ to our prayers. ‘So lift up the arms that hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet’ (Hebrews 12:12-13).