Pastor’s Walk Podcast: Genesis Summary Part 2 (Isaac)
In this podcast Pastor John talks about Isaac and the blessings that he received from following God’s will and direction for his life.
3 thoughts on “Pastor’s Walk Podcast: Genesis Summary Part 2 (Isaac)”
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Pastor, Since we have been reading through the Bible in our congregation, I have been thinking on the behavior code of ethics for families in Genesis. I have 3 questions actually. 1. When Abraham or Jacob had concubines or other women who they were intimate with, what do you and other theologians say about this, as it pertains to spiritual repurcussions on these men? I read some notes from Dakes that said these actions were considered in the gospel structured thinking; (may not be the exact wording he used)considered to be adultery, fornication etc. 2. With the mindset out there in 2009 that people can live together and its no sin, I wonder how I would address this topic, if someone were to say that living together unwed is no worse than what Abraham or Jacob did in Genesis. I believe that Dakes said Abraham had about 7 women (concubines, wives or women servants who he was intimate with). Although in my convictions, I do not believe it is right to have intimacy any other way other than a legal married relationship, I want to be ready to address something like this.
3. Also, there might be a possibility that Abraham’s behavior was considered under the law so he was permitted to behave that way? ; we are under grace. But that brought up the question (in my mind) why is grace more stringent on sexual behavior and the law more lenient? Sorry. I’m too full of questions! But I have been trying to look these questions up.
Dear Joy, Those are excellent questions! We need to keep in mind that the written Word of God was not in existence until the time of Moses about 1500 BC. These stories were either written down or passed from patriarch to patriarch until Moses was instructed to write them down in the form of the Law or Pentateuch. The sexual conduct of men like Abraham and Jacob is a record of what they did, not an endorsement of it. Their understanding and level of accountability may have been much more limited than us today. We are more accountable because we have the whole counsel of God, the New Testament, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as God with us. We are called to walk in the light that we have!
Traditions like the using of concubines and multiple wives to produce offspring must have developed among sinful man. Children were important then to carry on the family line and to help with all of living. God had revealed Man’s purpose, to be fruitful and fill the earth! This was reiterated after the flood to Noah and his descendants. They each had only one wife on the ark, however! The mentality of slaves being property was also a development of sinful culture. The Bible seems not to treat this subject clearly either. That’s how early America had slaves and slave owners. Philemon, in the New Testament, was written concerning a run-away slave!
So God’s fuller revelation at Mt. Sinai and again with grace and truth through Jesus Christ helps us to know God’s will today in a way others did not. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s love through these truths and we who are born again have an inner desire now to love others and treat them as God commanded. We can look back at Old Testament Scripture and learn from it. We can see how God dealt mercifully with those who were going astray, and tried to lead them in His way. It is the grace of God that covers our sins as we take responsibility for what we know and choose to believe about His truth. All truth is His truth! He is the only source of Truth. We, as God’s ambassadors, are to proclaim truth in love. As we do that, the people that hear become accountable to God for their choice of response to that truth. They either repent and accept it, or repress it in unrighteousness, or deny it outright. When they make their choices, the consequences will come as decreed by the Word of God’s Truth.
Paul, the Apostle puts it in an understandable way in 2nd Corinthians 2:14-16. We have this Gospel treasure in earthen vessels! We are the fragrance of life to those who are being saved, and the fragrance of death to those who are perishing! Who is adequate for this? Our adequacy comes from Christ! May the Lord bless you with understanding and revelation and the ability to share truth with those God places in your path! We will try and comment on these questions in our next intergenerational worldview discussion next week! In His Love, Pastor John
Pastor John,
Thank you for addressing my questions here. You made some good points about there not being a written word of God until about 1500 BC. Also, that the written “record” is not an endorsement of that behavior. I remember hearing that explanation before and it makes sense.We ARE more accountable with the knowledge and the Word of God that we have available now. Thanks again. Joy