WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT (GEN 24:1-25:9)
Walking by faith is not the most natural thing on earth. Like any exercise, exercising our faith is easier said than done. No one is ever quite ready - intellectually, emotionally or spiritually - for God’s ways, life’s lessons, or unexpected turns.
Abraham traveled a long way from his native Ur to Canaan. Along the road his father died. The Promised Land was not a bed of roses, by any means. Abraham strayed into Egypt when a famine struck, separated from Lot as their fortunes grew, took a concubine at his wife’s insistence, and had a son with Sarah but also witnessed the departure of Ishmael, his other son.
However, whenever Abraham stumbled, slipped or stalled, faith rescued him, pulled him out, and put him back on his feet. A man of faith is not perfect in faith but persistent in faith. Abraham’s triumph over his shortcomings, mistakes, weaknesses, blunders, and faults was nothing short of a miracle. He eventually overcame his inadequacies, suspicions, and fears and transformed himself into a giant man of faith.
A MAN OF FAITH IS A PROMISE-KEEPER
24:1 Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. 3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?" 6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. 7 "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ’To your offspring I will give this land’--he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there." (Gen 24:1-8)
Augustine, the renowned author of “The Confessions of Augustine” and one of the greatest thinkers, writers and defenders of the faith, was also known for his famous mother, Monica. Before he was saved, Augustine cohabited with a woman for 14 years, fathered a son out of wedlock, and held to heretical teachings. Rome was always a big attraction to him. He wanted to experience the big city, to explore the opportunities and to fulfill his ambitions there.
When he made up his mind to leave for the bright lights of Rome, Augustine sensed that his mother would object or, worse, follow along. So, he told his mother to meet him somewhere in town while he secretly boarded a ship to Rome. The heartbroken mother prayed for his son’s salvation for 17 years. In times of loneliness and grief Monica would run to the church for sanctuary and prayer, crying over his son’s waywardness, lifestyle, and absence. One day a bishop saw her teary in prayer, as was her habit, and gave her much hope and determination in prayer for her son. He spoke confidently to Monica, “It is not possible that the child of those tears should perish.”
Abraham’s famous last words in the Bible have not been afforded enough coverage in commentaries. After warning his servant once not to take his son back to Ur, Abraham reiterated the point to and ended the conversation with his servant this way: “Only do not take my son back there” (v 6, 8). Thus concluded the account of Abraham’s life. The reason Abraham made his servant swear an oath was clear: God’s promise of land was meant not just for the patriarch alone, but for Abraham and his offspring (Gen 12:7, 13:15, 17:8). Abraham claimed the land promise for the next and subsequent generations. The urgent request was uncharacteristic of the patriarch; not only did the boss ask a favor from his servant, but he also initiated the oath.
Already Abraham had buried his wife Sarah in Canaan instead of Ur, their native city; returning to Ur was not an option now. Abraham’s break with culture, tradition and precedent in burying Sarah in Canaan was an unmistakable message. Buying a cave and nothing else in his life was meant to send the same message to future generations that Canaan was home. Abraham would not allow Isaac to return under any circumstances, if he could help it. While he was still living, Abraham would do all that was in his power to find and bring a wife from his old country and his own relatives for his son Isaac.
Abraham determined that Isaac’s future wife must not be a Canaanite woman. Canaan, the Canaanite forefather, was cursed to be a slave to his brothers (Gen 9:25-27). Abraham’s orders to stay in Canaan defined, characterized, and established the Israelites’ mindset toward Israel. Following Abraham’s lead, Jacob’s last words to his children were to be buried with his fathers in Canaan (Gen 49:29-32).
A MAN OF FAITH IS A PILRGRIM ON EARTH
25:1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. (Gen 25:1-6)
Last century an American tourist visited the renowned Polish rabbi Hofetz Chaim. The tourist was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a cot.
The tourist asked, “Rabbi, where is your furniture?” Hofetz Chaim replied, "Where is yours?” The puzzled American asked, “Mine? But I’m only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.” The rabbi replied, “So am I, so am I.” (Ralph Spencer)
An early pilgrim said, “By the grace of God I am a Christian man, by my actions a great sinner, and by calling a homeless wanderer of the humblest birth who roams from placed to place. My worldly goods are a knapsack with some dried bread in it on my back, and in my breastpocket a Bible. And that is all.” (Jean Fleming, Between Walden and the whirlwind, Nav 85)
Man is but an alien (Ps 39:12) and a stranger on earth (Ps 119:19). He is but a breath and his days are like a fleeting shadow (Ps 144:4). His troubles are as sure as sparks fly upward (Job 5:7) and his days on earth are like a shadow, without hope (1 Chron 29:15). Like the gospel song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.” says that man. Psalms 39:6 says, “Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.” People are like grass (Isa 40:7) and like grasshoppers (Isa 40:22) - here today and gone tomorrow.
The world is not enough for the pilgrim. True citizenship, rest, and joy is in heaven (Phil 3:20), where lowly bodies are transformed into glorious bodies.
Abraham, who had an abundance of servants, gold, and livestock (Gen 12:16, 13:2, 20:16), bought and owned the barest minimum. He never possessed material goods long enough for them to gain sentimental value on him. He was an alien, a sojourner (Gen 20:1, 21:23, 34). All he had transacted in his life was a cave for his family grave. He could have bought more but he saw no need to, even though he had the reason and time to pass on land and property to the next generation. He had eight sons from three women, and he could have at least left a house for each one, but Abraham was a man who was in the world but not of the world.
Very early in his life, after Abraham was already very wealthy (Gen 13:2), he gave a tenth of everything he possessed to Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High (Gen 14:18-20). He was never motivated by money or a lover of money. Family and relatives mean much more to him. Even when he was offered the goods he recovered from the kings that invaded Sodom, he refused to accept anything from the king of Sodom for reward so that the king could never boast of making Abraham rich (Gen 14:22-24). Abraham’s motive for the daring rescue was to save Lot and not to make money.
Abraham gave away much of what he had on his own terms. He gave to whoever he wanted to - to Isaac and his other sons; he gave whatever he wanted to - his other sons received gifts, and Isaac, everything else; and he gave whenever he wanted to - while he was living (Gen 25:5-6). He did not want his sons, their wives and children to quarrel, wrangle and fight over the money, property, livestock and servants.
A MAN OF FAITH IS A PEACEMAKER AT HEART
Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and
full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite (Gen 25:9)
The death of my grandmother sparked a family upheaval. She had three sons and a daughter. The number 1 son’s wife was the terror of the extended Yap family. All the kids in the clan were on their best behavior when she was around. Our family’s annual visit to the grave was scheduled at a different time from my eldest uncle’s family just to avoid seeing her. During the mandatory yearly Chinese New Year visitation to their home, we made excuses to leave early just to avoid her flaming barbs. She chewed up relatives one by one to show her muscle in the family. My worst punishment and nightmare was to be sent by my father to live with my uncle’s family.
About ten years before my grandmother passed away, her only daughter, or my aunt, made the mistake of not inviting my eldest uncle’s family or any Yap family members to her wedding. The wedding couple was young, poor, and idealistic. They could not afford a banquet and couldn’t care less of what people think or say. My eldest uncle’s wife made her pay years later. When my grandmother died, my eldest uncle’s wife, the new matriarch of the family, barred my aunt from attending her mother’s funeral. It broke my aunt’s heart to this day. The families have never met or spoken to each other since.
Even my first cousin, the son of my eldest uncle, bemoaned how his mother’s antics alienated most relatives. He once remarked, “You know what? I have never met my cousins from my aunt’s side because of my mother!”
A man of faith who walks in faith with God is neighborly, cordial and kind to others. Abraham was never unpleasant to others, confrontational or bitter with others. Abraham cared for his sons, his relatives, and his neighbors. Abraham prevented his sons from continuing the war their respective mother started. The most beautiful picture in his death was the sight of Ishmael and Isaac jointly burying their father (Gen 25:9). They were both his sons. Abraham valued peace with others in life and brought peace to others in death.
Abraham provided for his other sons from a later marriage to Keturah and made sure that history did not repeat itself. Although Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away, while he was still living, from his son Isaac to the land of the east (Gen 25:5-6).
Abraham’s peacemaking efforts in the family were not an aberration. He protected his herdsmen from turf wars, averted a quarrel with his nephew Lot, and even rescued Lot when he was captured (Gen 14:11-12). When he realized that the angels who visited him had turned away and were heading toward and bent on destroying Sodom, where Lot was residing, Abraham literally stood in the path of God (Gen 18:22). He boldly asked God ten different questions, making up six mock numbers in six rapid-fire exchanges with Him. Abraham asked God to the limit, even risking annoying Him (Gen 21:30, 32), for the sake of his Lot, but he came out with an understanding, an appreciation, and a gratitude for God’s justice, mercy and love.
(Gen 21:31-34)
Finally, he made peace with his neighbors. His relationship with Abimelech, the Philistine, was admirable. Unlike his brisk journey into foreign Egypt that ended on a sour note, he had a good rapport and made a good-faith treaty with neighbor Abimelech and stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time. After airing their grievances upon meeting, Abimelech invited Abraham to live in the land, and Abraham, in return, prayed for Abimelech (Gen 20:15-18). When a misunderstanding almost erupted again, Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty (Gen 21:25-34).
Victor Yap
http://epreaching.blogspot.com/
www.riversidecma.org(For sermon series)
www.preachchrist.com (For Chinese sermons)
