Abraham/Joseph Postscript

FAITH

We began our study marveling at the faith of Abraham.  We observed him choose trust ... choose to believe God and to take Him at His word.  We watched Abraham obey God.   The faith of Abraham teaches us the place of obedience in our lives.  It is necessary for the one who longs to walk with God.  We read of Jesus stating this principle in John 14.  He says, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:21)  And in verse 23 He says, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching." 

Do you want to walk with God?  Do you want to walk in faith?  Then obedience matters.  It's not optional.  It matters everyday of our lives.  It matters today ... even in the smallest details. 

We closed our study with Joseph.  We observed him choose integrity and forgiveness.  We watched him choose to walk rightly before God even in the harshest and most difficult of circumstances.  And then we marveled at his ability and willingness to forgive.  When Jesus teaches us how to pray, He includes this sentence:  "Forgive us our sins as we also have forgiven those who sin against us." (Matthew 6:12) 

Do you want to walk with God?  Do you want to walk in faith?  Then forgiveness matters.  It's not optional.  It matters everyday of our lives.  It matters today ... in both the small and the large circumstances.    We forgive because God forgives.  We forgive because we have been forgiven.  How dare we hold grudges against those who have hurt us when our God has released us from any guilt over the hurt we have caused?!  Recognize that forgiveness is a process ... it is a decision ... you make the decision in your mind first ... the emotions follow later.  It takes faith to forgive.  Faith that God knows what He is talking about when He tells us that we need to do this.  It takes trusting that God has our highest good in mind when He tells us to becomes 'forgivers' and to accept His forgiveness. 

FAITH

I have loved walking through the lives of these two great men with you.  I love the study of Genesis.  There is so much to learn about God ... about people ... about myself.  I want to close our study with words from Naomi Rosenblatt from her book, "Wrestling with Angels".  She closes her book on Genesis with these words:

"So ends the book of Genesis.  But as its name implies, Genesis is merely the beginning of a much longer story that extends over thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Bible - and over all the intervening generations connecting Abraham's family to our own.  So long as life continues on this planet, the human drama will renew itself in every generation.  So long as we persist in beginning, the creation continues.   ...  There are two powerful and interdependent calls that resound throughout Genesis: 'Go forth' and 'Fear not'.  'Go forth' addresses the active dimension of our lives.  'Fear not' addresses our spiritual dimension. ... Go forth and fear not.  But how?  By always reminding ourselves that we are created in God's image, that we are endowed with intellect and free will, compassion and responsibility, conscience and creativity.  That what we do matters.  That our life, and all life, is infinitely precious.

Go forth ... and fear not. ...

And the story begins again."

P.S.  Our next study will begin in January.  We will talk a stroll through the gospel of John and draw closer in relationship with our Lord, Jesus.  Join us ...