Era Two: Something

We are still in Genesis, the “book of beginnings”, as Era 2: Something unfolds.  In fact, the first two eras of the eight eras of the Bible are contained in the first book of the Bible.  (Genesis is a pretty important book!)  I really like how this book helps jog my memory on the previous era(s) we have studied up to this point.  My brain feels like it is on summer break right now so I can use all the memory jogging help I can get!

What stuck out to me as I read through this era and the Scripture that corresponded with it was that God CHOSE the Hebrew race to be SOMETHING and blessed them SO THAT they would be a blessing to others.  With all the time I have spent studying covenant, I have never really stopped and looked at the “SO THAT” in that covenantal promise that God gave to Abram (later Abraham).  This then begs the question in my own mind…do I live to be a blessing to others?  Do I share the blessing (Christ in me…the hope of glory…Colossians 1:27) with others so that they are blessed too?  It reminds me of our Matthew study we did a few semesters ago where we looked at the Beatitudes and the blessings that were discussed by Christ.  Because we are part of the Kingdom we are already blessed with all the things the Beatitudes describe…it’s already ours!  Am I living that way?  Blessed?  And am I blessing others because of the blessings given to me in Christ?

The other thing that was a good reminder to me was the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac and the demonstration of Abraham’s faith throughout the entire scene.  As I read this chapter, I tried to view it afresh and imagine how each person must have felt during the entire drama.  But what struck me anew was that decisions were NOT made based on feelings but based on fact.  Did Abraham want to sacrifice his one and only long-awaited, beloved son?  Did he FEEL like that was the right thing to do? NO!  Did Isaac want to be bound upon an altar and sacrificed?  Did he FEEL like that was the right thing to do? NO!  (Just for some perspective, most scholars put Isaac in his late teens or early twenties at this point…completely capable of escaping his very aged father of 110+ if he had wanted to.)  But did they act on their feelings or on the fact that God had promised Abraham that Isaac would be the son of blessing…in whom a great nation would come from?  They acted on faith…on the fact that God was faithful!  It is Who He is.

What an example for us today!  But, how do we exercise our faith muscles?  How can we have faith in what God tells us even when the circumstances FEEL so wrong?  I believe it is by KNOWING HIM.  And we can only know Him by learning about Him through studying His Word, seeking Him through prayer and tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit which resides in each of us once we are His.

Lastly, the story of Abraham and Isaac carries so much more emotion because we sense the overwhelming relief of Abraham when a substitute was given to die in place of his only son, Isaac.  More than a thousand years later, there would be another substitute that died…this time for us.  God would send his one and only beloved Son to be our substitute.  Does that make your heart race…to know God’s love for you?  Wow!

So, here are some questions to ponder in regards to Era 2: Something –

               

1.       Why is this era named the Something Era in regards to the Hebrew people?

2.        How does the blessing that God promises to Abram (later Abraham) and Christ fit together?

3.       What did you discover about Abraham’s faith?  How did using the New Testament verses (Romans 4:19-21, Hebrews 11:17-19, and Galatians 3:8, 16) expound and help interpret this for you?

4.       So, this is where the rubber meets the road.  Where is your faith?  Are you on the puny side of spiritual muscle building?  Are we walking by feelings or fear or by faith?  Do we know the God Who is faithful to the end?  Do you want to know Him more?

Era 3: Exiting coming soon!  Peace out!