Genesis 18:2-3 "Who is in your tent's doorway today?"

Genesis 18:2-3: And when he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.”

The beginning of this short passage when compared to the first verse of this chapter may well present some challenge to the student of scripture who prefers to take things literally. In verse one we read that “Now the Lord appeared to him….” When one analyzes this phrase, he/she is faced with several options of interpretation. What is the intent of the word “Now”? We need to note that the word “Lord” is singular in nature. Thirdly, does the word “appeared” imply a physical visual appearance or one that resides more in the eyes of the mind?

When we get to verse two, we need to decide if it occurred subsequent to verse one or is it simply an amplification of verse one. Taking the more literal approach based strictly on the words we have before us, leads us to believe that the Lord (singular) appeared to Abraham in the eyes of his mind in verse one. (The phrase “And when he lifted up his eyes and looked” found at the beginning of verse two further supports this.) And then in verse two, Abraham visually saw in a physical way “three men (were) standing opposite him”.

Up to this point in scripture, the word ‘man’, the singular of ‘men’, has been used strictly to refer to the man that God created – Adam, and those that came after him. And for our particular study of scripture as it unfolds to us, we have no basis on which to give these two words any other interpretation at this time as some may be led to do.

We are not told exactly how these three men got to stand opposite Abraham that day. Certainly the word ‘behold’ which has as one meaning the idea of looking or listening to something amazing or unexpected, adds to the possibility that God placed them there Himself. What we may surmise is that this was in the heat of the day as Abraham had been sitting at his tent’s door and actually ran from there to meet them. In fact, this along with his very running may help us understand his first comment to the men.

Certainly Abraham had, at least that day, an eagerness to serve and be hospitable. While it is likely in his nature to be thus, it is also possible that his action was as a result of seeing God or feeling that somehow the appearance of the men was related to what occurred in verse one. It may also have been as a result of visitors being a rare occurrence where Abraham’s tent had been set up, and especially at that time of day. Nevertheless, Abraham bowed to the men and uttered, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.”

The last part of his statement may simply have been a hospitable gesture imploring his guests to stay and be refreshed – probably a most common custom in those days and in that region. It simply refers to that fact that he did not want them to move on without stopping. The second part, that of “if now I have found favor in your sight” is a little more complex. Again, it may simply have the same kind of meaning that a restaurateur of today may have in mind when he says to those considering eating in his/her establishment after browsing the menu in the window, “if you like our décor and our menu, won’t you please come in and eat here?” On the other hand, it may again have been related to what had happened between the Lord and Abraham in verse one. We have no basis for making a determination either way from the words before us.

The part of his statement that is most puzzling is the first two words, “My lord”. In the particular version of the Bible that I use for studying, when the word ‘lord’ refers to the ‘Lord’ God Almighty it is capitalized and in this particular verse that word is not capitalized. The difficulty arises as to why it is singular in number. Why didn’t Abraham say “My lords” when he had three men before him? This may be the reason that some people today believe that these three men were in fact ‘not just men’ but God in some form. Such a position cannot be arrived at from scripture itself and, in fact, later in the chapter I believe there is more evidence that it was not. I am more likely to go with the interpretation that while we would today say “my lords”, it was perfectly acceptable to address all present with the singular form of that word – that is, collectively “you are my lord” and I am your servant.

Regardless of what general interpretation one makes of these two verses, it behooves us to be hospitable people eager to serve and meet the needs of those that God puts in our paths, or as in Abraham’s case, in the doorway of his tent.

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Genesis 18:1 -- Just When You Least Expect Him

Genesis 18:1: Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.

I love this verse. I love the way it is written. I love the details it provides and the picture it paints. The “heat of the day” depicts for me a sense of discomfort. “Sitting at the tent door” implies a resolve that not much can be done about life at this point in time – perhaps even a sense of reflection on days past. Perhaps there’s a yearning for the company of God, but clearly no expectation that He will show up. Just when Abraham least expects Him, God “appeared to him”. What a change in the scene and its mood. What a life-change moment – God reappeared to him. And He did so in a familiar place – the oaks or trees of Mamre that were part of the plain to which Abram had moved his tent to as we read in Genesis 13.

God has this amazing record of appearing to us when we least expect Him, when we have exhausted our resources, and we’re struggling under the ‘heat’ of life. As we reflect on the relationship we once had with Him, he appears to give us new life, new hope, a fresh start, or additional direction. But He comes when He needs to and He’s never late.

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Genesis 17:24-27 "Household Responsibility"

Genesis 17:24-27: Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

These few verses give us an example of total obedience and total commitment. There was no turning back in those days. The field of medicine had not yet mastered the surgery of circumcision reversal or foreskin restoration. There was no doubt that the males in Abraham’s household so operated on that day would remain circumcised the rest of their lives.

I remember my teenage son wanting to get a tattoo on his back. In addition to giving him my best arguments on why I believed that was inappropriate for him, I indicated that once acquired, it could not be easily removed. For all intents and purposes, he would be stuck with it. As a courtesy to me he waited until he was much older to get one. Needless to say that even if he did want to remove it now, the cost and pain involved in so doing would be great. The tattoo will likely remain in place. My son is committed to its presence. [By the way, as I got older and wiser, I learned to accept it and while it is no longer anything that comes between us, I would still have a tough time condoning it.] The male segment of Abraham’s household made a decision that day to carry the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and between God and Abraham’s descendants, for ever.

From before the days of Abraham, through the beginning of the Christian era, and on to today, the person of faith has to make a decision to yield full obedience and commitment to the One he says he believes in. That is the ultimate goal and following that goal until one’s life ends, is what warrants the ultimate prize in eternity. Yet, a great majority of us have failed to either fully comprehend this or have decided to totally ignore it. Today, many Christians are what William Wilberforce in his book, Real Christianity, would call “social Christians”. They want the social benefits of membership, but they have no real clue as to what a genuine relationship with Christ really means and demands of them.

In the early years of her marriage, my eldest daughter and her family lived in Dallas, Texas. She described for my wife and I the events that she and her husband attended and said they were surprised to find out that just about everyone there was a “Christian”. Several years later after getting to know many of them more intimately, she admitted the following on the telephone one day: “Dad, everybody down here is a ‘christian’. Why, you can’t get a job in the Bible belt without being one!” Commitment to God requires much more than wearing a cross on a chain around one’s neck.

Finally, I believe this passage of scripture also talks to us that are heads of households – whether as fathers in a traditional family unit, or as a man or woman who is a single parent. God asked Abraham to carry out His wishes on his entire male household. I believe that had the request involved something equally applicable to both males and females, God would have expected him to carry it out on both sexes. Except for those under eight days old, age was not a discriminatory factor either. And if Abraham was ninety-nine years old, I am sure we can surmise that he had some long-time trusted servants that were close to his age.

The point I want to make is undoubtedly part and parcel of a very complex area and I know that I may step on many toes in trying to express my position. I do, however, believe that heads of households have always had, as a key priority, the responsibility of seeing to it that all members of their households observe and maintain a faith in God. I am not convinced that God has changed His mind on that. I believe the Enemy can take those of us that would not feel any guilt if a child denies the faith and make us feel guilty. Similarly, he would take those of us that feel some personal remorse or regret in such outcome and try to tell us that it “wasn’t your fault at all, after all your son/daughter is an adult and has to make his/her own decision.” The Enemy will play us whatever way he needs to.

Furthermore, I do not want to imply that it is us that make all the difference as to whether or not one of our children grows up to “keep the faith”. Clearly, that is a matter between the child and the Holy Spirit. Yet, I do not want us to believe that what we do, or do not do, does not matter at all. From my own personal life, I can tell you that I compromised my faith where I should not have when it came to the upbringing of my children, my relationships with them, and my general modeling of the Christian life. Thankfully, God still chose to intervene in their lives and they are walking with Him as married adults today. But what if He had not or what if I had compromised or failed them much more than I had, to the point that the Enemy capitalized on their feelings and they rejected the God of their father? Would I have had no responsibility for what I modeled? I believe I would have and I believe I still do. My point, especially to parents of young children, is simply this – you can and do make a difference in how your children react to the God you believe in. You cannot take the approach that if they are meant to be Christians, they will be, regardless of how you behave. Having said that, I also know that if, for whatever reason, the Holy Spirit has not yet called them unto Himself, regardless of your exemplary behavior, there is nothing you can do about it but trust His ultimate wisdom.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:23 -- The Psychology of Obedience

Genesis 17:23: Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him.

God says His bit, and then leaves us alone to act. The human will kicks in right at that point. In the verse before this we learned that when God had finished speaking to Abraham, He “went up from” him. Abraham now had a choice – do what God asked for in verses 9-14 of the same chapter and trust God for the rest, or once again rely on his own strength and wisdom. The decision was not an easy one for any man to make. It seems that where and when God chooses to interfere in our lives so directly, it never is. But for Abraham, a decision to obey would be difficult to carry out as well as have social implications. Oftentimes for us, the decision to obey is weighed more by its social implications rather than the physical request itself. I don’t know what was worse for Abraham -- the pain of circumcising adult males, never mind young children and babies in those days or the social cost of actually asking his household to be circumcised – all for a covenant that had been made directly to him and still with no evidence of its being delivered that could be seen by others.

Yet Scripture says that Abraham started with his son Ishmael first and then all his servants who born in the house or bought, and then every other male in his household, and circumcised them that very day. He decided to obey. Today’s social scientists would find this a fascinating study in risk-taking psychology. They would wonder what probability theory he used to decide to obey. Did the chances of God delivering His promise far outweigh His potential not to do so? Were the consequences of what Abraham was about to do in order to obey not seem as costly to him in the ‘event’ God did deliver? Was there any other explanation?

I think to best answer these questions one needs to go back to Abraham’s own personal experiences with God. I believe that while he still had his free will, he had no sane choice but to rely on his knowledge that God was indeed God, and that if he walked before Him, he would be blessed. Many psychologists today do not understand that. Perhaps it is best to say that they do not wish to accept it as a rational method for arriving at one’s decision.

[Some reader my wonder “what about Abraham, was he circumcised?” The answer comes in the verses that follow this.]

There are three interesting aspects to what Abraham did in this verse. First, there is an implication, although not conclusive, that he himself carried out God’s wishes in performing the circumcisions. At the very least, as head of the household, he saw to it that they were carried out. When God speaks to us and tells us to do something, He intends for us to either carry it out or by our means, see to it that it is accomplished. We cannot leave it to someone else, hoping God will speak to him or her as well. It’s His requirement of us and we can’t lose sight of that. [Today I took my two-year-old grandson, Elijah, for his second haircut with me – it’s our monthly ‘date’. On the way, when we were stopped at an intersection, an Asian woman in her late thirties approached our car and opened a folded sign that revealed her need for help. I had been taken before and was not about to be taken again. I shook my head indicating I would not help. Every argument for and against helping a young mother in distress who would beg on the streets of an affluent Toronto community came to mind. I won’t list them here. But the bottom line was that once again I felt this terrible empty feeling of not obeying. As I drove on I promised myself I had to deal with this issue of poverty for myself, once and for all. I decided that I have to find out not so much “what would Jesus do?” because I could never claim to have that wisdom or the audacity to think that I could predict exactly what He would do in any given case, but rather “what would Jesus have me do?” And I will as soon as I can. The point here is that failure to obey causes great emotional tension in our minds, especially if the obedience were for good or in response to God. On the other hand, obedience to evil has the same effect as disobedience for good or to God. Interestingly, this became evident to me last night as I was flicking through the channels on the television. I managed to see a few minutes of the movie Ella Enchanted. I don’t know the story at all, but I do know that Ella (I presume she was the main character I was observing) was enchanted by evil to obey it and her emotional tension was released when she at last felt free from having to do so.] Living a life of disobedience to good and God is a terrible way to live.

Secondly, Scripture says that Abraham did all this “the very same day.” Abraham did not obey in steps, a little at a time, just in case God would change His mind, or God would take mercy on him and say, “That’s enough, you’ve proven yourself.” No, Abraham carried out what God had required of him totally in that same day. He was serious in his obedience. And there was no turning back. [I often wonder how much flack he had to take from Sarah or to other women in his household who may have been married to some of the men he had to circumcise. Yet the Bible says he did what he had to do at all costs.]

Thirdly, the verse ends with a phrase that is possibly the most “personally emotional and mental peace-guaranteeing” phrase in the Bible. It is simply this, “[he did] as God had said to him.” Many years ago Billy Graham wrote a book that impacted millions, for eternity. It was called Peace With God. If I only had a few words to paraphrase that great work of a man of God, I would simply say, “Peace With God comes in actually doing as God says to us to do.” Understanding that simple principle can be as easy as pie for some, or as difficult as man trying to bring about total global harmony these days for others. I believe God has given us the ability to make it the former.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:22 (The Deafening Silence)

Genesis 17:22: And when He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

There comes a time when God concludes His discussions with us. He says His piece and then leaves it to us to decide. Sometimes the silence is deafening. Other times we have to deal with the perception, false as it may be, that we are alone without Him. In reality, He has only “gone up from” us, as He did with Abraham. He leaves us “our space” to act with our will. He does not leave the scene, but is still watching from above. This reminds me so much of what a good parent does. I cannot count the endless times I missed the opportunity to share my thoughts with my children, and then step back (or up) to watch what happens and still be there if needed, ready to step in. I know my father did not do that with me either and maybe that is where I modeled my unwise behavior in this regard. But by His grace, and perhaps out of necessity, I’ve changed my approach and can enjoy watching my adult children learn and make their own decisions. God, on the other hand, has been consistent in His approach with us from day one. Never take His silence as a forfeiture of His love and desired relationship with you.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:21

Genesis 17:21: “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”

In this verse, God seems to be clearly establishing a hierarchy of reward (from man’s perspective) and interaction (from His own perspective). Ishmael will be blessed but Isaac will enjoy a covenant with God. One gets blessed, for the sake of his father in this case, the other gets the full goods.

Whatever the intent of Abraham’s request of God for Ishmael, this is how God chose to respond. Man has the right to request, but God has the right to choose how He responds and what will actually happen. Sometimes we forget His right to do that. Our joy comes in believing that no matter what we think is right and what we seem to yearn in our hearts, God’s choice and decision is ultimately, in the bigger picture, the far more superior election. The Christian who learns that lesson well and early, has much to gain.

And then God gets more specific with Abraham. He repeats that Sarah indeed will give him a son, but now He adds “at this season next year.” I am writing these thoughts in a Winnipeg, Manitoba hotel room. Tomorrow I am facilitating a seminar for pastors on various aspects of church leadership. It occurred to me that in the secular world, oftentimes leaders are expected to just hold on to the big picture, leaving the details to subordinates. We often speak positively of those leaders that are always thinking and working at 9,000 feet rather than the clerks or technicians who only see a small part of a process or project. How different this is from the way God, who is indeed the Master Leader in every respect, operates. Yes, He has the big picture in mind. But He knows all the details and where appropriate, He shares them with His people. He is a God of preciseness.

As we study God’s communication with Abraham on the promise of an heir, we may well ask ourselves, “What is God trying to tell me? How many times does He have to tell me? What details do I need to have or can I just trust Him to do what is ultimately the best for me?” This is a Leader I cannot live my life without!

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:20

Genesis 17:20: “. . . And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.”

God’s goodness continues. He heard Abraham’s plea for Ishmael and responds kindly. This is another one of those incredible pieces of scripture found throughout the Bible where God almighty shows His love and kindness towards His children. Ishmael will be blessed. He will have heirs and together they will multiply greatly. This was great news for Abraham and Ishmael. As I read this account, however, I notice something else of even greater interest to me. God said to Abraham, “I have heard you.” No matter how old Abraham was, no matter what he did in disobedience to God, no matter how he laughed at and doubted what God had just told him, the Creator stops to tell him that He has heard him and He’ll act positively on His request. God has not changed. He still does this today with each of us, but as He sees fit as we’ll discover later in verse 21.

[Allow me to digress for a few moments of your reading. You should be aware that at this point in my study I discovered something most interesting. When I checked the commentaries on this entire section, I discovered that the authors are generally of two minds. Some have taken a position similar to mine – Abraham laughed at what God was saying and doubted it. He also was pleading that Ishmael could be seen as the one through whom the Covenant would come about and thus his request of God in verse 18 of Genesis chapter 17. Others equally respected commentators have taken a different view on several points. First, that Abraham’s laughter was one of joy. He laughed at the fact that the God in whom He believed could overcome the physical limitations of both man and nature and in fact give an old man and his wife, a baby child. Secondly, that his plea to God was not that God would somehow forget about the promise of another heir and bless him through Ishmael, but rather that Ishmael also not be forgotten in God’s plan and economy. Thirdly, we note that while some commentators agree with the tendency to believe Isaac’s name was chosen as a constant reminder to Abraham about his doubt, others add the fact that the name, which meant laughter, was also given as a prophetic sign of the fact that Isaac would bring great joy to his parents. Personally, I favor the interpretations I have suggested above for several reasons. The language is clear. There is no reference to Abraham being elated with the news. There is a possibility that those who support that view may be drawing on the phrase “and said in his heart” as found in verse 17. This would be similar to the idea we read about in the New Testament after the angel had told Mary that she was to bear the Messiah and scripture indicates that “she kept these things in her heart.” The evidence is not strong. Furthermore, if that were the case here, the beginning of verse 19 would not include the words, “But God said” and “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son.”

Yet we have these two very different views. We must realize that Scripture is there for all of us to read, study, and reflect on. Sometimes there is no question as to what is being communicated in which all of us will come to a similar viewpoint. Other times, our interpretations may differ. More often still our ‘assumptions’ about what was really meant, or what gave rise to the statement (that is, the assigning of motive) around words we read in Scripture, is indeed human interpretation, be it yours, mine, or a famous commentator’s. One may argue that he/she supports interpretation A over B because he/she knows that commentator A was a learned scholar. Another person may argue for B because they believe commentator B is really filled with the Holy Spirit and a real man/woman of God. We should remember that scholarship does not trump God-inspired interpretation. At the same time, we must also remember that we have no inside track as to who is being definitely inspired by God or truly filled with His Spirit. That then leaves us two options. First to be aware of the various interpretations available for any given passage, from reasonably faith-based sources, and ensuring that such do not contradict other aspects of Scripture on which all agree. Secondly, to search the Scriptures ourselves, in prayer, and to analyze them in search of what God may be saying directly to us about them. It is critical for you, the reader, to keep this in mind as we continue our study together.]

Ishmael, we are told, will become the father of twelve princes and a great nation. Ishmael’s favor will be bestowed on him because of Abraham’s sake. God was saying to Abraham, “I heard you, therefore, your son Ishmael will be blessed.” God used the word “exceedingly” in reference to Ishmael being multiplied in generations to come. At face value the word implies that whatever is being discussed will indeed “exceed” something else. It is possible that God meant Ishmael’s nation would far exceed in number, one day, those of his neighbors, the nation of Israel and perhaps others.

There is no indication as to whether or not the blessing for Ishmael went beyond the promise of very fruitful multiplication and the political spheres of princes and nationhood. For example, there is no mention of any spiritual blessings, although we do know today that faith in Christ has indeed touched the hearts and lives of many of Ishmael’s descendents. Suffice it to say, that Ishmael who was born in sin, and his offspring after him, would indeed have blessings bestowed on them because of Abraham’s faith in
God. We see examples of the same thing today – children that are blessed materially or with great talent, not because of their walk with God, but because of their parents’ relationship with the Almighty. One wonders whether that blessing is perhaps allowed for the sake of the parents’ own joy.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:19

Genesis 17:19: But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. . .”

In verses 17-18 of this chapter, we see Abraham having an opportunity to react to God’s words. He used it to laugh at what God was saying, to question the possibility of His statement, and even to attempt to have God view the offspring of his sin differently. God still speaks to each of us that know Him today. We all have an opportunity to react and respond to what He tells us. We would do well to examine whether or not we are guilty of the same type of reactions as Abraham exhibited in this passage. If so, we need to seek His forgiveness and commence a life of complete assurance in Whom we have believed.

Verse 19 starts with my favorite pair of words in the entire Bible, “But God.” No matter what we think or say or do, along come these two words, “But God.” And their impact becomes even greater when the third word is added, “But God said.” Watch out, for here comes the “final word” on the subject. We need to listen for and be sensitive to the “But God said” times in our life.

For starters in this case, God said, “No, Abraham, you have it all wrong.” So He repeats and clarifies the situation for Abraham. “Sarah, your own wife Abraham, will indeed bear you a son,” God seems to be telling him. God knows that some of us simply need to have His message to us repeated over and over again. And not only that, but when God speaks on the same topic on successive occasions, He often provides additional information. In this case He tells Abraham that he will call his son Isaac. Lexicographers tell us that the Hebrew meaning of the name Isaac is “one who laughs, mocks, sports, or toys with”. God was telling Abraham that Isaac will be a continual reminder to him that he first laughed at what God had promised him. As such, God wanted Abraham to always remember who God was and that he could count on His promises and word. What has God put in your life in order for you to daily remember who He is and what He has done and will do for you? Sometimes those things are there to keep us humble before God. Sometimes they are such as to encourage us before God. Whatever God has put in your life for this purpose, identify it, and treasure it as a gift from Him, even if it seems like it hurts, as I’m sure Abraham was not thrilled about having his son called, “he laughs”.

Then God goes on to say, “though because of your reaction Abraham, his name will be ‘he laughs’, I will still establish my covenant with him as well. He’s in this deal with you, and his descendants after him.” Wow, God’s goodness just keeps on coming for Abraham. This is the genealogy that God will bless. The promise will go from Abraham, to Isaac, to his descendants. What a God.

After how Abraham had reacted to God earlier, God could have been angry or He could have withdrawn from him. Instead, we see a patient God who loves Abraham so much that He takes the time to repeat and clarify His will for Abraham’s life. And in that, He includes Abraham’s son and grandchildren and their descendants after that. God has a special promise for each of us and for those that come after us. May we be as careful not to laugh at or question what He tells us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:17-18

Genesis 17:17-18: Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!”

Can you believe it? Abraham had just lived twenty-four years experiencing the hand of God since God spoke to him, in Genesis 12, and told him to go to the land which God would show him and that He would make him a great nation and bless him. God took care of Him during a famine. He saw God at work in Egypt when Pharaoh thought Sarai was his sister due to a lie he and she contrived. God had made Abram rich in livestock, silver, and gold. He saw God work out the disputes between Lot and himself. When Lot was taken captive by the enemy, he saw God use him to rescue his nephew and at the same time receive great honor and blessings from others. God saw him through the difficulties between Sarai and Hagar. And earlier in this chapter God reestablishes His covenant with Abram and gives him a new name. Yet, Abraham falls flat on his face, not in worship, but in laughter.

And rather than speaking back to the Lord, scripture says he said what he did “in his heart”. Did he, or do we for that matter, think that God has no access to what we think or determine to do, believe, or feel, in our hearts? If so, he, and we, are both mistaken. Abraham’s uttering to himself, “Will a child be born to a hundred year old man? And can a ninety year old woman even bear one?” may, at face value, appear like two simple questions. But for the believer in the Almighty God as Abraham was, they amount to sheer unbelief in God’s ability to deliver what He promises. His questions remind us of the serpent’s mutterings to Eve when he said, in Genesis 3 “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And then later, “You surely shall not die!”

Once again, here is man considering God’s words in his own limited humanity. And perhaps we can identify with him, because after all, from a human perspective, he is right. One hundred year old couples do not have children, even in those days. We approach much of life in this way when it comes to spiritual matters or to the mysteries of God. Our beliefs are often limited to our experiences and to what we know to be true. Yet what God calls on us to do is to first deal with our belief in Him. Once we do that, then all else that He says must be relied upon. William Wilberforce in his book Real Christianity goes to great lengths to explain that basic requirement of the real Christian to take God at His word, or else doubt his own faith in such an Entity. Why would anyone want a God that he or she cannot trust?

With those thoughts of doubt in his mind, armed, albeit inappropriately, with what he considered to be the obvious answers to his private questions, Abraham then somehow musters up the ability to say to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” Now what exactly does that mean? I believe it can mean one of two things. First, considering how Abraham reacted to God’s statement about another child of his coming from Sarah, we could believe that this statement is his plea to God to set aside His intention and simply let Hagar’s son Ishmael be the very heir through which the covenant will come. That is, he is imploring God to find favor with Ishmael over any other potential heir that Abraham does not believe is even naturally possible. Alternatively, although I believe less probable given the flow of the content, Abraham may have accepted the fact that God will provide another heir and he is simply asking God not to forget Ishmael and to somehow bless him as well. Like a true father, Abraham still loves the son he had outside of God’s intention for his life.

At this point God had every right to become angry with Abraham and even to withdraw His promise to him. But does He? In the next passage, we find out.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:15-16

Genesis 17:15-16: Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall come from her.”

When God makes a promise to the head of the household, He does not forget about that man’s family. Sarai, Abraham’s wife, was included in the covenant and indeed a very integral part of it. But first, as Abraham had to leave his old name of Abram behind, Sarai too would get a new name. And Abraham was charged to call her Sarah, the name given to Him for her by God.

We do not know much about these names, especially the former. The dictionaries that have attempted to define them seem to agree that Sarai can be translated as “princess” while Sarah means “noblewoman”. Perhaps those are fitting translations for Abraham’s wife, as they may be for any female. In my family, my fiancée was indeed my princess – I did all I could for her (and she for her prince). As my new bride, she continued to enjoy that extra or focused attention and special care that all brides deserve throughout their entire married life. But in reality, with the purchase of a home, the arrival of children, the aging of our parents, and any extra responsibilities that one’s career may through our way, rare is the spouse that can maintain such constant and more importantly, readily evident, adoration for their partner. My ‘princess’ indeed became a ‘noblewoman’ making way for two new ‘princesses’ in our family as God blessed us with two beautiful daughters first and then later our ‘prince’. What the writers of songs in the sixties called “young love” turned into deep devotion, true affection, and a strong appreciation of one partner’s unrelenting commitment to the other and to the family as a whole.

The latter part of this passage may however have more to say about the meaning of Sarah then the dictionaries may suggest. God goes on to say He will bless Sarah and give to Abraham a son by her. Those words ‘by her’ are interesting and possibly a reference to Abraham agreeing to Sarai’s efforts to procure him a son by way of Hagar. It seems as if God is saying to Abraham, “don’t make a mistake again, your son will come by her, not any other woman.” God forgives our mistakes, but keeps reminding us that the right way to pursue things in our lives is by His methods, not ours.

Then God says again, “Then I will bless her.” It is not clear to the layman whether this is intended to imply the beginning of Sarah’s blessing, or just a continuance of it as in the very prior sentence God has already indicated He will bless her with a son. Perhaps the first reference is to the blessing that results in a pregnancy – the honor of a woman to take a child. In the latter sentence, the blessing may be one for Sarah herself. With this blessing God says, “ . . . she shall be a mother of nations.” And furthermore, that “kings of people” – that is, those that rule these nations, will come from her. What an honor. What a blessing indeed.

It is this blessing that I believe is somehow connected to the real meaning of Sarah, just as Abraham meant father of many nations, so to Sarah was intended to imply mother of many nations. Father Abraham would ultimately have the joy of seeing God’s promise to him come about through his very own and beloved wife, Mother Sarah. What a privilege it is for those that are in the Lord’s service and are married, to be able to share somehow in that ministry together. That is what God gave Abraham and Sarah. That is what He had intended for Adam and Eve from the start. That is what He intends for you and me that are married today.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:9-14

Genesis 17:9-14: God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

It is after He has reassured Abraham of His covenant with him that God goes on to show Abraham what his part will be. Interestingly, God does not ask Abraham to undertake any action that will directly help bring about the promised outcome of the covenant. Abraham’s role and the role of all those that come after him is one of simply continued
faith and belief in the covenant’s promise. And that faith and belief is to be evidenced by each male being circumcised. God Himself says that will be “the sign” of the covenant. The same is true for believers today. God delivers His promises – our part is first and foremost simply to have faith demonstrated in various ways that are pleasing to God and then to follow His instructions and guidance in our lives. But our part is nothing that will directly bring about our salvation.

And God does go on to give us instructions. In Abraham’s case, He instructed Abraham that the circumcision ceremony would take place on the eighth day of life for newborns. And furthermore, God instructs that not only Abraham’s descendants are to have this operation performed on them, but also any servant that is born in their homes or any adult servant who has been bought by Abraham or his descendants. Circumcision then became that part of the sign of the covenant that is man’s responsibility in this case. There are promises or covenants that God has made with all His children and we are required to uphold the corresponding requirements that God outlines in conjunction with each. For example, later in Scripture we will hear God saying, “If My people…do so and so…then I will…do this.”

In addition, God, in speaking to you or me through other parts of Scripture, through other Christians from whom we seek help, or through our conversations with Him in prayer, may communicate a promise unique to us and along with it the role that we need to play in its fruition. God grant each of us the wisdom to fulfill our part with faith and patience. Abraham’s descendants had to do it with a sign in their flesh – a sign that because of its nature was private, rather than public. Our covenants are between God and us. What the world sees is the outcome of the covenant – living life as a child of His.

In this section of scripture God also warns Abraham about any male who will not be circumcised. That male will be cut off from the family because he would have broken God’s covenant. What God offers is clearly a covenant for all of Abraham’s descendants. Therein lies the evidence of His universal love (to Abraham’s seed in this case, without exception). On the receiving end, however, individually man may choose to reject the covenant by not fulfilling his own part. Therein lies evidence of God’s justice. The same is true of salvation today.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:3-8

Genesis 17:3-8: And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Abram surely had not forgotten how he tried to take matters into his hands, not trusting God to deliver on His promise for an heir. That God would still talk with him in the way He did was beyond anything that he would have expected. Sometimes we are like that. I know from personal experience, that when I do what I should not, I don’t expect God to be as forgiving as He always is. I feel I’ve blown my relationship with Him forever if not for a long time. Yet, I forget that while I may disappoint God, as His child, He still has a covenant with me. He still is my Father and I am His son. So Abram falls on his face before God in total worship, respect, and submission. And His loving Father continues to talk with him and to assure him again of His love and His plans for his life.

God basically tells him, “Listen, I made a deal with you, and I intend to keep it. No matter what you’ve done. I believe this agreement can still be accomplished. It’s not too late.” Abram may have given up on himself and perhaps God, but God never gave up on Himself or Abram. Like the ultimate loving Father that He is, God never gives up on His children. No matter what you or I have done. If we’re willing to be led by Him, there is still hope for a future that you could never have dreamed of.

God tells Abram “you will be the father of many nations.” There’s no doubt about it – “you will be.” It was a certainty. Because God exists, then anything He says will happen can in fact be counted on. It’s as simple as that. Our fallen humanity and our lack of faith get in our way of readily accepting that kind of thinking. All of God’s promises to His children will be, or have been, fulfilled. In His way and manner. That is a reality, but we need also to make it a state of mind and way of life.

Now God does a most interesting thing next. He modifies Abram’s name. Abram, which meant exalted father, was already a pretty good name. So why vary it? I think it is important to note that God did not totally change Abram’s name, although He could have and in fact, in the New Testament we read of Christ changing the name of one of His disciples. God does not always want us to forget our past and the various stages He has brought us through. Here, God just wants to expand Abram’s name to include His covenant with him – that is, to give him a name that also means “father of many nations”.

It is as if God was saying, “Abram, you had a little trouble remembering my covenant with you. So let me arrange that this will not happen again. Every time you hear someone calling you, you’ll remember my promise, and it will come to pass.” And you know that name He gave Abram that day also serves to remind us of God’s covenant with him, ensuring that our views do not go counter to that promise even today. What an amazing God. He so much wants us to succeed and to be happy. What has God had to do in your life to help you remember His promises? For me, it was something as simple as having two young girls and a little boy start calling me ‘dad’. God had kept His promises of giving my wife and I children and now He wanted me to keep mine of being a loving dad just like Him.

Then God goes on to describe in greater detail what the impact of that revised name will be. Abraham would become the father or originator of many nations and be extremely fruitful with respect to generations of people coming after him. God promises his people will be established into nations. It is of interest here to note that God promised more than one nation being established from Abraham’s seed, but He did not promise kingdoms. God would be their king. This idea is further supported when one studies the next phrase, “and kings shall come forth from you”. Interestingly, it does not say “and I will allow kings to come forth from you” but rather just that they will. The significance of that distinction becomes clearer as the Old Testament unfolds.

The Lord then reiterates that He will establish His covenant not only with Abraham but also with Abraham’s descendents. There will be no expiration date – it’s an everlasting covenant. And here’s the first bonus – the covenant includes the fact that He will be God to Abraham and his descendants forever. Not only will Abraham be the father of many nations, but God will also be his God and the God of his children forever. There is nothing that Abraham’s people can do that will change that. They may disappoint God but He will be their God forever. We need to remember that as we deal with Israel today.

And then comes bonus number two – God will give to Abraham and his descendents all the lands on which they journey including all of Canaan. And he’ll give it to them as “an everlasting possession” – that’s forever. The land is not something they will trade or lose in a war. As I pen these words on April 2, 2008, I am struck by the fact that in this verse written thousands of years ago we have the very basis of what this world’s greatest strife is all about today – the ongoing situation between Israel and Palestine, a situation that has somehow managed to engage the entire world on one side or another. God will not have His covenant broken by anyone – be it Jew, Palestinian, American, or any other world power that may attempt to resolve this issue in a way contrary to this verse.

The God of Abraham many thousands of years ago is the same God of Abraham’s descendents today. May we be encouraged by that fact.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 17:1-2

Genesis 17:1-2: Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.”

We have another opportunity here to look at the timeline that we started at the very beginning of this study. We last left it as follows:

• 3171 Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran (Gen. 11:26)
• 3219 Peleg died (Gen. 11:19)
• 3220 Nahor died (Gen. 11:25)
• 3272 Serug died (Gen. 11:23)
• 3306 Terah died at age 205 (Gen. 11:32)

We can continue this further by inserting some more dates based on later chapters:

• 3246 Abram departs from Haran with Lot at age 75 (Gen. 12:4)
• 3257 Abraham was 86 when Hagar bore Ishmael to him (Gen. 16:16)
• 3270 Abraham was 99 when God appears to him (Gen. 17:1)

We’ll continue to watch this timeline develop as we study the Word further – but somehow I’m having difficulty thinking we will arrive at the billions of years scientists figured we (or at least dinosaurs) have been around.



This chapter begins with two verses that are packed with lessons. For starters, Abram was ninety-nine years old. Chances are that no one that old will ever read this commentary. In fact, Abram was 39 years older than I am as I write this. Just when I feel that I have missed life’s great opportunity to serve God in some meaningful way, along comes this verse in God’s perfect timing, to tell me it is never too late. God still appears to old men and women and His message is the same.

What God said to Abram that day in history is not really that different than what He says to you and me today. It’s critical stuff, yet it is very simple stuff. In fact, this utterance of the Almighty encompasses God’s plan for everyone that would follow it. First, He is God Almighty. No need to debate it. Either one accepts it or one doesn’t. Second, we need to walk before Him. We need to walk in His presence recognizing who He is and being under His leadership as God Almighty. Third, we are to be blameless. We are to live holy lives in His presence. And at the same time, we are to recognize that only He can make us blameless before His righteousness. [Perhaps this is a direct inference to what the Gospel is all about.]

Now here comes a most interesting part. God wants to actually implement His covenant or promises to us. Well, what’s been holding Him up? If language means anything, then I have to believe that the fulfilling of God’s promises is a function of two things. The first is something that is not referred to in this verse and that is the overall impact of “God’s divine timing”. Things will happen in His appointed time for them to happen. But the second condition impacting the delivery of God’s promises to some extent is hidden in the word that commences the last sentence of verse two – namely, “And”. This word ties in a sequential manner, what God expects of us and what He will do for us. I believe that while God will do His part, we need to do ours – recognize Him as God Almighty and live accordingly including walking before Him and being as upright as humanly possible.

And still with those two conditions in place, God will see to it that His promises are delivered, that His blessings will be poured out on us, regardless of how we react. In Abram’s case, the blessing was that his descendants would be multiplied exceedingly, numbered like the sands of the earth.

There are two inherent dangers in this kind of thinking, however. The first is that one starts to believe, “what’s the use of being good, when we’re going to get blessed anyway?” That is a fallacy. God clearly has a blessing for us, but it may not be the ultimate blessing we could have received had we done our part. The second inherent danger is that we desperately try to figure out God’s thinking and rationale of how and why He does what He does in this whole thing of “promise-lifestyle-blessing” process. Forget it. We are not God. We do not think like God, we do not see like God, we have no idea of what lies ahead like God, and besides, God has the total right to act, as He, God Almighty alone, wants to act.

Where do you and I stand today in this simple summary of purpose and life that God gave to Abram? Do we see Him as God Almighty? Do we walk before Him? Are we blameless to the extent we humanly can be? If so, God will keep His promises to us and we will be blessed with the blessing He has for us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

My Job as a Leader in Ministry (I Thess. 5:14)

This morning I was struck by the following verse: "We exhort you [we request of you], brethren, warn [admonish] them that are unruly, comfort [encourage] the feebleminded [fainthearted], support [help] the weak, be patient toward all." I Thess. 5:14.

As I read that I wondered whether or not that would make a great verse for everyone in the ministry (including pastors, Ministry Centre Directors, missionaries, and all Christian leaders). Surely, if we are doing our job right this very day, having committed our time to the Lord -- there will be those that we can request things of; there will be those we need to admonish or warn; there will be those we will need to comfort; there will be those we need to help or support; and then we need to be patient with all that we come across -- in the ministry and outside of it. Boy, do we ever need to depend on Him today!

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 1:15-16

Genesis 16:15-16: So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Hagar had fled Abram’s household, is found by the angel of the Lord and told about the future of the son she is carrying. Soon thereafter she has the baby boy. We can deduce from scripture, that somehow she was not too far from Abram’s household because we are told he calls the child by the name that the angel told Hagar she shall name him. Abram does not actually give the child his name, but only calls him by that name already given to him. It is clear that Abram comes into contact with the child, and thus with Hagar once more.

When this occurs Abram is eight-six years old. What an experience that must have been for Abram? He is faced with product of his taking matters into his own hands in order to bring about what God Himself what God had promised to deliver. As I read these verses, I have a sense of this older man who has had a most challenging and interesting life to date, has made mistakes, strived to walk with God and be His friend, and now is content to simply accept the outcomes of his decisions. Perhaps he is through fighting; perhaps he has lost hope.

When a man (or woman) reaches his (or her) later years, there comes a point in time, we must accept the outcomes of our choices made earlier in life. Sometimes this is very hard, but no matter what, the believer in the Almighty knows that all is not lost, that God is still in control, that He still cares, and that His plan for rest of our days is much better than anything we can bring about on our own. The true believer keeps on believing.

At this point, we are not told exactly what happens to Hagar. We do not know right away whether or not she is accepted back into Abram’s household and we have no indication of how Sarai treats her. In fact, the story in Genesis picks up thirteen years later.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 16:13-14

Genesis 16:13-14: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “Thou art a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Hagar recognizes the angel as being from God. In the earlier passage the angel indicated he was not to be confused with the Lord as he said, “Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.” Yet, here, Hagar, speaks directly to God who sent the messenger and says, “You are a God who sees.” He sees individuals; He sees needs; He sees our sins and weaknesses; He sees the future. Like Hagar, we can call out to Him and acknowledge, “He is a God who sees.” Not to do so, we miss out on His omnipotence that can be applied to our lives and in our times of distress.

Now Hagar asks herself the following question, “Is it possible that who I just saw was not an angel, but God Himself? And if so, is it possible that I did that and am still alive?” Two things are of interest here. We see no reference in the passage (from vs. 7 forward) that the angel actually “appeared” to Hagar. It is possible therefore, that the angel was always behind her or, because she indicated seeing something, that she only saw the angel’s back. If so, she may have seen God to that extent. Secondly, it is interesting that Hagar becomes the first one as far as scripture is concerned to recognize somehow that seeing the face of God could mean death. Nothing in Genesis so far implies that idea.

Hagar there and then decides to somehow eternalize the fact that God sees us, and her in particular, as she names the well where she was visited by an angel. She calls it Beer-lahai-roi, which in Hebrew means “well of the Living One seeing me.” What historical element do we have in our own experience – some great event, perhaps some treasured artifact that brings back a memory of a time in our lives when we knew without a doubt that the all-seeing God was and is, and that He sees us?

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

My Eight Days of (Christless) Christmas!

My Eight Days of (Christless) Christmas!

By Ken Godevenos

I know it’s been around for years for the majority of the world. I just kept refusing to accept it as part of “my world” and this year I gave up. Here are just some of things that led up to this stark revelation and decision in my own life in 2007:

December 17 – My younger daughter and I, both followers of Christ, had occasion to wish a government employee we had just done some business with best wishes at this special time of the year. I started with the usual “Merry Christmas!” The man did not look either Jewish or Muslim, so why wouldn’t I? My daughter, who often readily shares her faith with friends, echoed “Happy Holidays”. I was a little taken aback, but if I remember correctly the man responded to both of us with a “you, too; see you in the New Year”. Needless to say that incident became a topic of great discussion on the drive home. My daughter taking the position that saying “Merry Christmas” to someone who didn’t necessarily believe in Christmas or celebrate it wasn’t doing Christianity any real good. I, taking the position that wishing someone Merry Christmas (unless you knew that they weren’t Christian) wasn’t about converting anyone, but rather my right to maintain the privilege of freely expressing my joy of this special holiday which is mine – and it’s Christmas – and nothing short of Christmas. My daughter and I agreed to disagree on this one and she simply wrote it off as just another evidence of the generation gap between us.

December 18 – Over and over I kept asking myself where I had gone wrong with how I brought my children up and wondering what I could have done differently. Or better still, was there something I could do as a grandparent to at least save my grandchildren from similar ‘neo-think’ attitudes I was hearing.

December 19 – I attended my six-year old granddaughter’s concert. In a one hour show, mention of the real meaning of Christmas got one line as follows: “Christian families celebrate the birth of Jesus.” Hanukkah got several more references through which the actual story about the origin of the holiday was fully described. Of course, other world religions got considerable mention as well. I should have known better as the evening’s theme for the children was “December around the world.” How silly of me to think this might have actually been a Christmas concert. But what blew my (Christmas) socks off was the following utterance from one of the child narrators: “And in Canada, we celebrate Kwanzaa.”

“Really?” I asked myself. “I didn’t know that.” I decided to listen more intently and learn. It turns out that Kwanzaa is an African American harvest festival holiday observed by African communities throughout the world that celebrates family, community, and culture. It is a seven-day holiday that begins December 26 (thank God, at least they had the courtesy to start on Boxing Day and no earlier) and continues through January 1.

In particular seven principles are celebrated during Kwanzaa and the kids knew them all: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. I was really interested in the last one. My research yielded the fact that when the observers of Kwanzaa celebrate faith, they celebrate “Imani” which is defined as the need “To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.” Interesting philosophy. As I listened to the news of a 35 year father get sentenced for the crime of sexually abusing his four-year old daughter live on the internet for the sake of another man (which thankfully turned out to be an undercover agent), I can see that everybody can have ultimate faith in their parents. As I watch teachers be convicted of drug peddling, sexual activities with minors in their class, and other covert activities, I can see that everybody can have ultimate faith in their teachers. As I watch one elected official after another fail to keep the promises they made, I can see that everybody can have ultimate faith in their leaders. As I watch Palestinians and Israelis fight, or Afghanis and rebel forces kill each other, with or without the help of Americans and Canadians, I can see that everybody can have ultimate faith in the ‘righteousness and victory of (their) struggle’. Well, we still can have ultimate faith in our ‘people’. Hello, these teachers, these leaders, these fighting warriors are our people!

But in Canada and North America in general, I’m told we now celebrate Kwanzaa. By the way I wondered whether there is any connection between the word “Imani” and the Muslim faith. A little snooping around and ‘by coincidence of course’ I came up with the fact that IMAN is the acronym for the Iranian Muslim Association of North America. Interesting, but perhaps just a coincidence.

December 20 – I was still smarting from what I had experienced the night before at our public school event. My mind was most uncomfortable with it all.

December 21 – That was the day my wife received an email containing a poem. It was from a woman who was a friend of our daughters in our previous neighborhood when the kids were growing up. The woman always appreciated my wife and now that she has children of her own, has kept up a good correspondence with her. In this particular email, the woman shared, with all her friends, a poem that her own son brought home from school the other day thinking they would find it most interesting. Here’s the poem:
I Believe

Anna E Lawson

I believe in Santa Claus.
I believe that Santa Claus is a Spirit
A lovely, joyous, Christmas spirit
That roams the earth Every December,
And knocks at our hearts, And wants to come in.

Santa Claus Is a Spirit of Love.
Love for the home folks, Great love for the children,
Greater love for the lonely one, And greatest love for those who grieve.

I believe in Santa Claus.
I believe in the Spirit of Christmas.
I will open my heart To Santa Claus, The Spirit of Christmas Love.
And this Christmas I will make people happy Because – it is Christmas.

My wife’s response to her young friend speaks my own sentiment most eloquently. Here it is: “You know J, I read this poem and I appreciate the effort the author is making to bring some higher value to what has become a very consumer driven, materialistic season but as I read I felt very sad because it is Jesus Christ who is the answer to all that is wrong with the world today not Santa Claus. Jesus is the one who is Love, He doesn't just give love, He loved us so much He died for each one of us regardless of who we are or who we have become and it is Jesus Christ who stands - not just at Christmas but all year long - at the door of our hearts longing for us to let Him in to heal our hurts and give us hope and comfort. So instead of 'letting Santa Claus in' it would be so much more real and effective to see Jesus for who He really is - the Son of God who was born to live a perfect life and then die in our place to rise again so we might have everlasting life with Him through letting Him into our hearts. This is what Christmas is really all about and we have completely lost sight of this as a society and every year we pay a greater and greater price for having substituted Santa Claus for Jesus Christ. It must break the heart of God to see us so clearly reject His great love for us. Thank you for sharing this with me. It made me realize once more just how very far away from the truth our world has drifted. God bless you and may you have a meaningful Christmas.”

In fact, if you can stand to read the poem again, try substituting Jesus Christ for Santa Claus and see how well it works, except that as my wife underscored, Christ is not around just in the Decembers of our lives. If one were really cynical, one could argue that the author simply took a Christian idea and turned into a more widely acceptable universal thought. In addition, she may well have been angry at her parents, the Church, Christianity in general, or God Himself.

Here’s what my wife wrote to our children, two of them now with children of their own, as she forwarded the poem to them: “Hi, I just wanted to share this with you as an illustration of why I didn't teach you that Santa is real. I was appalled at the way this author took the spiritual language that we use in talking about salvation through Jesus Christ and applied it to a fictitious 'jolly old elf'. I did write a very nice note back to J that I will forward to you. Love you, Mommy.”

After the concert and then learning that this poem came home from school, I knew that our grandchildren didn’t have a hope in hell [a real English idiom and saying meaning ‘if something doesn’t have a hope in hell, it stands absolutely no chance of succeeding’]. Our grandchildren had no chance at succeeding in living a Christian life as they got older unless we made a point of telling them they will be different, they will be ignored, they will even be criticized, and ultimately may have to pay a penalty for what they believe.

December 22 continued – That was the day I went to do some year-end banking. The staff at my credit union is wonderful and very diverse. One or our regular tellers (of East Indian origin) was off and another delightful young lady with the same ethnicity served me. Discussion turned to the holidays and she shared with me how both she and our regular teller celebrate the Christmas holiday as well as their own faith’s festivals. She mentioned it had to do with the fact that the kids hear about and have to deal with it at school, etc., so rather than fight it, it’s easier to just join in. I indicated that religious holidays should have much more meaning than simply great times and that it is difficult for me to celebrate the holidays of other faiths, although I can perfectly understand adherents of those faiths celebrating on those occasions. The friendly Assistant Manager whom my wife and I adore piped in with “and why not; who wouldn’t want to celebrate Hanukkah for example with eight days of gift-getting?” I see – Christmas and any other year-end holiday, religious or otherwise, is now all about getting gifts.

I was getting very close to hearing the ice crack on the lake of hopes for holding out and believing if we all Christians worked hard, we could still save Christmas.

December 22 continued – The last straw arrived on my computer screen with today’s electronic news courtesy of our metropolitan paper. There was an article entitled “The naughty truth about Christmas” by Sandro Contenta (Toronto Star). It was written just for me as it began, “For those of you who think Christmas celebrations have ‘lost’ their spiritual meaning, think again. Some historians say they never really had any. When the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus, they brought luxury goods: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Loaded with symbolism, perhaps, but certainly superfluous when a blanket would have done just fine.” Ugh, get a life. At least the writer and the historian quoted accept that Jesus was born and that the three wise men did visit him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Interestingly, that’s what the Bible says. But of course, we only accept portions of Scripture that suit our goal for the day (and today it was to write a story about how Christmas never had any “piety and Christian values” in the first place. From there, the article goes on to describe just how consumer-oriented December 25th has become.

In December 2006, Canadians spent, excluding the automotive sector, $874 per capita (versus $630 each for every other month). With an improved economy, 2007 predictions are we’ll spend even more. The pollster Angus Reid (Dec. 07) found that 85 per cent of Canadians believe Christmas has lost its ‘spiritual meaning’. I wonder why? No here’s the line that gets me: “There's still plenty of love, charity and family bonding at this time of year. But the gift, and the purchase, rule. Without the iPod, the necktie, the flat screen TV or the jewelry, we're forgotten. We don't exist.” And, Contenta goes on quoting a marketing professor, “Christmas is the quintessential celebration of our entitlement to abundance. So how are you going to fight that?”
Let Contenta and his experts enlighten us further: “It certainly isn't the Christian component of the celebration that has propelled it into unlikely corners of the planet, making it what one anthropologist has called "the first global consumer holiday." And more… “Merchants have jumped on the Christmas bandwagon in Japan, Hong Kong, and northern India, and are increasingly catering to the holiday in Beijing, says Russell Belk, a marketing professor at York University. The results are sometimes curious, like the Tokyo department store that decorated its Christmas tree with red women's panties or the one that displayed a crucified Santa Claus. . . . the holiday's Christian context is lost on most people . . . interviewed there. They see it as a piece of modernity, as a part of the West."
Contenta continues: “A new documentary, What Would Jesus Buy?, chronicles a mock evangelical leader in the U.S. trying to exorcise the "shopocalypse" from the holiday spirit. Planetary doom aside, there's no evidence that rapacity and increased wealth has made us happier, according to polling data of the past 50 years complied by Richard Layard, a leading British economist. He quotes Karl Marx to make his point: "A house may be large or small; as long as the surrounding houses are equally small, it satisfies all social demands for a dwelling. But if a palace rises beside the little house, the little house shrinks into a hut." And yet, despite the righteous doom and gloom, the excessive behavior feels right.”
Now, listen to this next part – it’s critical and it’s for all intents and purposes, written about Christians and our holiday, by non-Christians. Here it is almost verbatim:
"I don't think Christmas has ever been primarily celebrated as a Christian holiday," says historian Stephen Nissenbaum, author of the acclaimed book, The Battle for Christmas.
"Christmas has never been controlled by Christians. It has never been Christianized. They didn't control it when it was carnival and misrule, and they don't control it now that it's corporate capitalism," he says. To a certain extent, some Christian churches have only themselves to blame for complaints of how Christmas is celebrated.

“The trouble began early in the 4th century, when the Roman church picked Dec. 25 as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, although nothing in the Bible suggests that date. The church was piggybacking on a well-established festive period. The pagan midwinter festival in ancient Roman times, Saturnalia, celebrated a time of abundance. The harvest was in, the new wine and beer was ready to drink, and the air was cold enough for animals to be slaughtered and meat preserved.

"What you've got is a combination of an unusual amount of leisure time, because the men had finished their work, and plenty of food and drink. That's a very combustible mix – and it combusted," says Nissenbaum, a professor at the University of Massachusetts. The result was several days of wild outdoor partying in late December, what Nissenbaum says might today strike us as a sexually charged blend of Mardi Gras, Halloween and New Year's Eve. Fuelling the revelry was a tradition of freeing some slaves during the festivities and allowing others to make demands on their masters – a ritual social inversion acting as a safety valve that reinforced the master-slave relationship the rest of the year, Nissenbaum says. The festivities struck even some contemporary observers as a bit excessive, according to The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, by University of Manitoba historian Gerry Bowler. It quotes the 4th-century Greek pagan Sophist, Libanius: "The impulse to spend seizes everyone. He who the whole year through has taken pleasure in saving and piling up his money becomes suddenly extravagant."

“Bowler notes King John of England's grocery list in 1213 for his Christmas festivities: 3,000 capons; 1,000 salted eels; 400 hogs; 100 pounds of almonds; and 24 casks of wine. Bowler adds that in 1861, the 50 inhabitants of a fort in northern Canada consumed 105 gallons of rum and brandy in one week. Piggybacking on existing cultural festivals was one way Christian churches spread their religion across Europe. But it meant grappling with the festivals' customs.

“In the 17th century, Puritans, who had long seen the holiday as a Catholic manifestation, concluded that attempts to tame or "Christianize" Christmas had failed. They managed to get Christmas banned for several years in England and Massachusetts, which was then an English colony. The holiday returned in the 1660s, picking up a tradition of "wassailing," which in New England involved drunken bands of men banging on the doors of the rich, demanding entry and singing songs in return for food and alcohol. "It was a rough version of caroling," Nissenbaum says. "It made for a lot of tense interaction."

“The modern version of Christmas, Nissenbaum argues, began in New York in the early 19th century. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and the rich were beginning to segregate themselves in exclusive neighborhoods. More than ever, they wanted to end wassailing, which by then exhibited overtones of class conflict. A group of wealthy, reactionary members of the New York Historical Society launched a campaign to domesticate Christmas, Nissenbaum says. Their most powerful tool was The Night Before Christmas, a poem written in 1822 by one of the group's members, Clement Moore.
The widely reprinted poem – with images of children snug in their beds, stockings hung by the chimney, and a reindeer-riding, chimney-squeezing, gift-bearing St. Nicholas – became the roadmap for taking Christmas from the wilds of the outdoors to the family-centred serenity of the indoors. "That poem was the basic transformation that produced Santa Claus as we know him and Christmas as we know it," Nissenbaum says.

“Santa's gift-giving role paralleled the strengthening of childhood as a distinctive phase of development, particularly with the advent of mass education. Until childhood's "invention," children were largely seen as miniature adults. Merchants were quick to capitalize on the trends, using the Santa Claus image to lure customers and advertise presents for children by the 1830s. A decade later, men dressed as Santa Claus are in the big shops of New York and Philadelphia. He first enters a Canadian store in New Brunswick in the 1870s. "As soon as the Christmas ritual became privatized, domesticated and child-centred, it also became commercial," Nissenbaum says.

“New York began cracking down on street rowdiness, particularly after an 1827 Christmas riot where wassailers invaded houses, tore up fences and broke up religious services. New York's first police force was formed a year later, permits were required to parade the streets, and rowdy Christmas behavior was criminalized. By the 1840s, the United States was in a depression and newspaper editorials began encouraging people to shop at Christmas to improve the economy. Complaints about what to buy people who have everything were already common. Christmas as we know it – domesticated, family-centred and commercialized – was firmly in place by the 1840s.”

December 23 – The first thing that comes to my head after rereading the above article is this: “If that is true, why then do we as Christians, with the encouragement of our churches, continue to celebrate what clearly is not a Christian holiday?”

In response, my mind yields arguments like these: “why can’t we use it to gain access to those that yet have not heard of Christ?” Or, “it’s a great way to introduce Christianity to our own children.” Or, “too great a portion of our own constituency, that is the merchants among us, depend so much on it for their economic survival now.” Or, “we can’t admit we made a mistake now.” And so on.

December 24 – The family starts to arrive for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner at our house. For the third year now, we enjoy several fresh lobsters that the children enjoy boiling themselves. Everyone stays over so we can be together to open our presents Christmas morning. And then the thought hits me: “Am I being a hypocrite?”

How can I justify doing what I’m doing knowing what I know and feeling what I feel? Do I blurt it out loud – so loud in fact that my eldest daughter and family who could not be with us this year hears me down in South Carolina? What will the children really think? Then there’s my church and the mission I help oversee. What will they think? Can I find another way out?

I agonize the rest of the day. Thank God, while Santa Claus is making his rounds, I have the night to think it out clearly. I retire for the night while my darling fills everyone’s stockings placed so wonderfully on the hearth. This year our eldest granddaughter has taken the trouble of putting the appropriate names on each stocking just in case anyone gets mixed up. The two oldest children know that Santa Claus is really either daddy or me. The three younger ones aren’t there yet. I can’t sleep. I roll over and catch a glimpse of the clock – 3:10 a.m. I can’t believe it.

December 25 – There never is a need to set the alarm for Christmas morning anymore. My wife is always up early making sure everything is just right. Sometimes she wins the race of who gets down to the tree first and sometimes the grandchildren get there first.

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to work it all out in mind. I’m called downstairs. I dress with trepidation. I know there’s an expectation to join in the festivities with real zeal. Children and grandchildren have a real ability to detect ‘acting’ in their parents, never mind straight disinterest. I give my head a shake and wish everyone a Merry Christmas as I commence collecting my kisses from each one. But my mind is still going like crazy.

The traditional Christmas Story is read from one of the Gospels in the New Testament. And then with the help of the youngest grandchild capable of helping, the Christmas gifts are distributed. My paper company stock rises as we collect two or more green plastic garbage bags full of wrapping paper, tags and bows. The joy is excruciating for several minutes that hour. And slowly, one gift after another gets abandoned as something new steals the attention of most of the receivers.

It’s almost seven in the evening. The festivities are over. Some of the family has moved on to the other side of the relations; others have gone home; and some want to stay another night. All are accommodated with love.

So, what then did I decide about Christmas? Glad you asked. Let me present you with my new Christless Christmas Manifesto:

1. I believe Christians joined the festivals of their culture many years ago with every good intention.
2. I know we celebrate the birth of Christ at the wrong time of the year.
3. I know we overdo the gift receiving and giving thing.
4. I know many Christian merchants depend on Christmas for their part of their livelihood.
5. I know Satan has via Santa Claus and other aspects of Christmas, been able to completely deplete it of any Christian religious meaning it may have picked up during its existence; but then again, why shouldn’t he for it wasn’t our holiday from the start.
6. I admit all of the above; but I will still continue to celebrate it because I do believe that Christ can be shared effectively with many during this period.
7. I will continue, because there is yet no law against Christmas and truth, to stand up for what I believe at all costs, including the following:
a. My right to say Merry Christmas whenever I feel like it and to anyone I feel like, save and except those I know are practicing Jews or Muslims or from some other know faith which categorically rejects Christianity.
b. My right to teach my children that Santa Claus is not real and to tell my grandchildren what I believe if and when they ask me. (I am also not responsible what they tell their friends.)
c. My right to remind people that Christmas still has both a religious and Christian meaning for many.
d. My right to object to non-Christians imposing their values on the Christmas holiday; let them use their own for such purposes.
e. My right to try and convince my fellow Christian brothers and sisters of what I believe the Christian church has to accept as being true about Christmas and how and where we may have gone wrong.
8. Finally, I will pray for Christ’s return to earth to bring an end to all this mess we have created because of our own sinfulness.

Going Forward – I think it is time for Christ followers to somehow re-establish their special ownership of Christmas. I believe we were successful when we reclaimed Easter from the Easter Bunny and the commercialism surrounding that holiday. We did it with our own very special greeting to replace what has become the world’s “happy Easter”. We started saying, “Christ is Risen” and fellow Christians would reply, “He is Risen Indeed.” Granted, we are said to have taken our lead in that from the first-century Christians and thus it was a natural for us.

But maybe we can do the same thing with Christmas – 21st century Christians can make a new greeting their very own and those that follow after us can consider it a natural in the years to come if the actualization of our greeting’s response has not yet happened. Here it is. . .

Next time someone says, “Merry Christmas”, try saying “Christ has come!” And when eventually others start saying that to you, respond with “And will come again!” That in a nutshell is the true message of Christmas. In that simple exchange of greetings Christians can somehow reclaim the holiday named after their Lord and Savior. Let us become “good Grinches” for the sake of the Baby.

And by the way, “Christ has come!” To which, I’m sure you can reply, “And is coming again!”

Ken B. Godevenos, Newmarket, Ontario, 2007

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 16:11-12

Genesis 16:11-12: The angel of the Lord said to her further, “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

Hagar knew she was pregnant and didn’t need the angel of the Lord to tell her. But isn’t it nice to know that God knows what’s going on in our lives. And then God adds His additional knowledge to the situation; the angel tells her she shall have a son.

Life is like that. We know some things, but not all things. We experience the ‘today’ of our lives and have hope for, or fear of, the ‘tomorrow’. But God knows both today and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that. He does not get surprised. A friend of mine lost his job recently and the best advice that a mutual friend of ours could give him was this: “You know, God did not look upon the world this morning and say, ‘Oh, look, Nelson (not his real name), lost his job. How did that happen?’ No, God knew from the beginning of time that you would lose your job at this time and that was in His plans for you. Find out about those plans and run with them.”

That’s what you need to do when unexpected things happen to you. Realize that they were not unexpected for God but rather they were in His plans for you. Find out more about those plans and run with them. It’s the best thing that can ever happen to you.

The angel also tells her that she will call the son Ishmael. Now, that’s interesting itself. Can you imagine someone telling a young mother today in our culture what to call her baby? I know that parents, in-laws, and sometimes husbands do not get much of a say in that regard. When my wife and I had children, there was a protocol to follow. Usually in my Greek background, boys would be given their paternal (second sons, their maternal) grandfather’s name and their father’s name as their second name. Girls would be given their maternal (or paternal) grandmother’s name and take on their own mother’s name as their second name. It could get quite confusing if there were several siblings having children around the same time and certainly confusing from generation to generation. But that was expected. Today, research indicates that the rich and famous give their children less common names – usually of movie stars. Then that becomes very vogue and the masses start to imitate them, which makes the uniqueness of the name lose its value and it falls out of grace.

But in Hagar’s day, a young woman who was used to hearing about God from her master Abram would have no problem obeying the angel of the Lord when it came to naming her child at birth. Interestingly, the unborn child’s name is based on the mother’s life. Ishmael means “God hears or has heard” with reference of course to Hagar’s woes in life. We should not miss the symbolism of this (i.e. the name of the child being tied to the mother’s experience). Children are a gift from God and if we allow ourselves to see them as such, we will realize that they often come just at the time that we need some new hope, a new start, a closer relationship with the Creator.

Yet, even that blessing sometimes comes with the understanding that there will be challenges ahead and the road will not always be as smooth as we would like it to be. This new son of Hagar’s will be, she was told, a “wild donkey of a man”. He will always be fighting against everyone else and everyone else will be fighting him. Not the greatest news a mother-to-be wants to hear about her son yet to be born. Still scripture says that this son is intended to be God’s response to Hagar’s afflictions. In circumstances like these, we have to trust God and wait for life to unfold as He planned it for us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Prayer for Dad

Recently my daughter, Esther, sent along this "Prayer for Dad" to my wife. It was originally written (save and except for revisions to include references to her dad) by Stormie Omartian. It is very moving to know that people who love me actually pray this way for me. You, in turn, may find it of value for someone you love:

"Lord, I pray that my father will have a reputation that is untarnished. I know that a man is often valued 'by what others say of him' (Proverbs 27:21), so I pray that he will be respected in our town and people will speak highly of him. You've said in Your Word that "a curse wihtout casue shall not alight" (Proverbs 26:2b). I pray that there would never be any reason for bad things to be said of him. Keep him out of legal entanglements. Protect him from lawsuits and criminal proceedings. Deliver him from his enemies, O God. Defend him from those who rise up to do him harm. (Psalms 59:1) In You, O Lord, we put our trust. Let us never be put to shame. (Psalms 71:1) If You are for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

"Your Word says that "a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire." (Matthew 7:18,19) I pray that my father will bear good fruit out of the goodness that is within him, and that he will be known by the good that his does. May the fruits of honesty, trustworthiness, and humility sweetenall of his dealings so that his reputatin will never be spoiled.

"Preserve his life frm the enemy, hide him from the secret counsel of the wicked. Pull him out of any net which has been laid for him (Psalm 31:4). Keep him safe from the evil of gossiping mouths. Where there has been ill spoken of him, touch the lips of those who speak it with Your refining fire. Let the respnsibility of those involved by revealed. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion who seek to destroy his life; let them be driven backward and brought to dishonour who wish him evil. (Psalms 40:14) May he trust in YUou and not be afraid of what man can do to him. (Psalms 56:11) For You have said whoever believes in You will not be put to shame. (Romans 10:11) Led him, guide him, and be his might fortress and hiding place. May his light so shine before men that they see his good works and glorify You, Lord. (Matthew 5:16)"

Thank you, daughter. Thank you, Lord. May each of my readers enjoy the blessings that this prayer can bring on their own lives.

Until next time,

Ken B. Godevenos

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 16:10 -- A Promise to Hagar?

Genesis 16:10: Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendents so that they shall be too many to count.”

Wait a minute. Is not this the kind of promise that God made to Abram in Genesis 15:5? And we know that that promise was to come through Abram and Sarai, not Hagar. Yet, God’s Angel is now telling Hagar that her descendents will be “too many to count”.

Hagar was asked to return to her mistress and submit to her authority and we can only assume that she was willing, knowing it was the right thing to do. Now the Angel encourages her in that most difficult task by sharing the mercy God will show her and her offspring for generations to come.

Was God putting less emphasis on His original plan like politicians who change their minds? No. What about His original promise to Abram? It still stands. Was the plan changing? No. Why did God do that? We don’t know. We can only surmise and many have done just that.

I like to think that how God treated Hagar is just one more indication or foretelling of how He planned to treat the world beyond Abram and his seed. One thing we know for sure and that is that Abram could not go to God and complain about the fact that a similar promise was made to Hagar.

None of us have the right to see others get less of a blessing if God so chooses to bless them. God will keep His promises to us, but He has the right to make similar promises and blessings on others, even with fewer conditions attached. That’s a lesson many of us do not easily accept.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.