I’m in Malibu, California at the Pepperdine University lectures. This week we’re hearing messages based on the stories of Genesis. Not that I really care what the lectures are based on. I’d come to listen to lectures about the intricacies of Obadiah if they were in Malibu.
Last night Rick Marrs talked about the call of Abraham in Gen. 12. He made a great point about how we tend to be fascinated with why God chose Abe. What qualities did God see in him? Why Abe and not somebody else? Marrs said the answer to such questions don’t matter. The story is not about Abraham, it’s about God.
We are too quick to approach every text in the Bible from a human/moralistic point of view. Rather than celebrating and simply embracing the call and promise of God, we want to figure out how we can be worthy of the promises of God like Abraham or whoever. Even a not so careful reading of Genesis should make clear, however, that God didn’t call the worthy. He called people like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were weak-kneed, character flawed, and just like us.
That’s good news.
I had an incredible chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a buttery dinner roll. I chased all that down with a piece of coconut pie. The food was great, but what made the experience was the music. While we were eating a local band was playing Bob Wills style Texas Swing. I felt like I had stepped back in time.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
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