by Jerram Barrs
Chapter 3: Sarah, The Mother of All Who Believe
Chapter 4 begins with Jerram explaining some historical context for the story of Abraham and Sarah (or Sarai and Abram as the case is for the first half of the chapter). I don't think the historical questions have ever been a stumbling block in my belief of the story happening, though my not understanding of said history has most assuredly played into my not truly grasping the true significance of it all.
He goes on to say, "the major theme of the history of Sarah is the fulfillment of the promise made to Eve." I think this was new information for me and something I need to think a bit more on. I'm not sure why I've never connected the promise made to Eve and the promise made to Sarai, but it all makes sense.
In speaking of the call of Sarai and Abram, Jerram says on page 60, "In the promises he makes to them we see God taking another major step forward in his desire to bring redemption to the human race. God calls Sarai and Abram to himself, so that they might have fellowship with him and so that they might become the mother and father of the people of Israel. He also calls them to leave their country, their people, and their family and to travel to another land that he will show them."
There are a series of promises to Sarai and Abram detailed. The second one mentioned was this one: "'I will bless you--Sarai and Abram--with personal fellowship with me' (Genesis 12:2, 15:1). This promise of personal felloswhip with God is the very heart of the covenant. This is God's great longing, a desire to have intimate fellowship with those he created for himself but who had rebelled against him.:
Sometimes it is so easy for me to see this big long story as a precursor to personal fellowship and not specifically a call to it in and of itself. Again, something I should probably think more about.
There is much more in this chapter, but I'll quote only one more thing tonight. On page 62, Jerram says, "The whole story of Sarai and Abram unfolded in these accounts in Genesis is also a story of tests of faith. Will Sarai (and Abram) trust God's promises, and will they believe him and yield themselves to his purposes, and will they be content to let him fulfill his promises in his time? Or will they seek to take their lives and future into their own hands and design their own means of trying to bring about the fulfillment of his promises at times of their choosing? These, of course, are the questions that we all face. Will we do the Lord's work in the Lord's way? Will we yield ourselves to the Lord and to his sovereign purporses, or will we try to take our histories into our own hands?"
These are the questions indeed.
One of the discussion questions at the end of the chapter asks, "Were you shocked by any part of the story of Sarah? Does the realism of the Bible about human sin present youw ith problems?"
I'll say this - I don't think I've allowed myself to own the word "shocked" with regards to this story before, but when taken for what it is, it is precisely that. As for the second part, I find myself continually relieved by the accounts of imperfection in those numbered among the faithful. As said on page 70, "When we think of the repeated failures in their lives and the lack of faith apparent in so many of their actions, we should find it encouraging that they are set before us as examples."
I do.
But here's my question: Why is it easier to accept failure in the lives of people in the Bible and not in those in our present context? I find it much harder to believe in the redemption of someone now who, say, commits adultery and is a professed Christian. I don't really have that same struggle with David. I'm not exactly sure why.
To read thoughts from the rest of the book, click below:
