Readings for today: Romans 9-12
One of the biggest questions one has to grapple with in reading the Bible has to do with the nature and character of God. Is He a God who can be trusted? Is He a good God? A righteous God? A holy God? If one concludes the answer to these questions is “Yes”, then these narratives begin to make sense. If one concludes the answer to these questions is “No” or “Not sure”, then these narratives get messy and really difficult to understand. Why does God allow Noah to curse his grandson for something his father did? Why does God seem to overlook Abraham’s lying? Why does God turn Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt simply for a glance backwards and yet seemingly does nothing to Lot’s daughters when they rape their father to get pregnant? How could God allow Hagar and Ishmael to be treated so terribly by Sarah? And what are we to make of the conflict between Esau and Jacob which began before they were even born?
These are all honest, real questions that should be raised by any reflective, thoughtful, engaged Christians. They press us to the primary question which has undergirded our entire journey through the Bible this year...Will we let God be God? Can we agree His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts? Can we agree that in standing outside of time and space, He has a perspective we can never grasp? Can we agree that God is infinite in wisdom and understanding? Omniscient and omnipotent? Again, will we let God be God? Will we trust His sovereign decision to choose Israel and not the other nations? Will we trust His sovereign plan to use Israel for the sake of the other nations? Will we trust His sovereign decision to use this particular family, the family of Abraham, with all of its baggage and dysfunction?
This is essentially what the Apostle Paul says we should do in our reading from Romans today. “Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans?” (Romans 9:20-21 MSG) Now, does this mean we can’t ask our questions? Is Paul trying to shame us all into silence? I don’t think so. He simply calls us to place our faith in the character and nature of God. He calls us to faith rather than doubt when it comes to the goodness and faithfulness of God. He calls us to believe God has a plan, even when we don’t understand it.
All of this is running in the background when Paul writes his letter to the Roman Christians. Essentially, he argues that when we let God be God, everything else falls into place. We can look back into the Old Testament and see the guidance of God as He leads the servant of Abraham miraculously to Rebekah. We see the hand of God as Abraham settles his estate and dies peacefully among his people. His funeral attended by his two boys, Ishmael and Isaac, who reunite to bury their father in what must have been a tender scene. We see both Ishmael and Isaac receive the blessing of God as their families grow. We see God heal Rebekah’s barren womb in what will become a pattern throughout the Old Testament. We witness the sovereign choice of God to elect Jacob to carry on the promise even though Esau is the firstborn. We see Esau confirm that decision as he despises his birthright, selling it to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Finally, we see God renew His covenant with Isaac, almost immediately followed by Isaac’s repetition of the same mistakes his father had made. Time and again we are reminded that unless God acts to preserve His promise, we are doomed. The human race is just too dysfunctional. Too prone to evil. To easily seduced by sin.
This should challenge us as well as comfort us. God calls us into relationship with Himself because He wants to use us as His instruments to fill the earth with His glory. And this demands something of us. Actually, it demands everything from us! At the same time, the successful completion of God’s plan doesn’t depend on human effort. Again, I love what Paul says in Romans 9:16, “Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:16 MSG) Thankfully, God is moving ahead of us, always with His plan in mind. And as we link arms with Him, align our will with His will, the Kingdom of God comes on earth as it is in heaven.
Readings for tomorrow: Romans 13-16