Connecting Scriptures:  Hebrews 11:8, Galatians 3:14, Exodus 33:1, Psalm 105:9-12

Grace.

In worldly terms it is defined as “the quality of being pleasantly polite, or a willingness to be fair and honest”.  In God’s vocabulary, it means, “God’s unmerited favor and love freely given to humanity, particularly in the form of forgiveness and salvation”.  The worlds is about relational conduct.  God’s grace has nothing to do with us, in our earning of it or deserving it.  It’s not a mutual back and forth.  It is God giving all, to us.  

So far in the narrative we have seen God’s grace in multiple ways.  Adam didn’t die right away, God clothed him and Eve as they left the garden.  He sparred Noah and He kept the people of creation moving out over the earth when they had the brilliant idea to stay put and “make a name for themselves”.  These were all acts of freely given love and favor.  But, when God called Abram, I believe we see our first biggest example.  Abram came from a people who worshipped the moon, which stands to reason that he did too (Joshua 24:2-3).  He was a rich man, the eldest of the children born to Terah and he was married to a woman who was unable to have children.  He probably had a comfortable, good life.  We don’t know the reason that Terah moved his family in the direction of Canaan, but half way they stopped in Haran and Terah died, leaving Abram in charge of the family and its future.  It appears that God was already moving and shaping his path even before Genesis 12:1. 

God, looked at a man and family situation that wasn’t searching for Him, and chose to pour His love and favor upon him.  God chose to speak and appear to Abram not because he had a “good heart” or potential; it was because God was weaving together a salvation story that was going to take a while to tell and, in that moment, He was starting with one man and one family.  He was going take the impossible situation of barrenness and a foreign territory and create a people that were set apart.  He was giving them and us a picture of a Grace to hold onto.

Abram said yes.  It was a simple obedience.  All the days before were regular living and working, then God speaks and nothing is ever the same.  Abram’s origin is a creation story.  But, Abram was still a sin filled man, so the second portion of chapter 12 reminds us of that.  In his fear and need for self preservation, he sets aside his marriage and Sarai’s safety to make passage in Egypt.  Did Abram know God would protect him and his family wherever they went?  Did he recall the promise of blessing and curses in their defense?  Doesn’t appear he did.  God’s mercy is seen in the fact that even though Abram made this error in judgement, He still protected (sending a plague to free Sarai) and blessed Abram and Sarai (leaving Egypt with more than he arrived with).  

When we read the Bible, the most important thing to keep in mind is context.  Remember the author is Moses.  A man who is leading a people who had been liberated from Egypt by plague and with pockets full of Egyptian gold and goods.  Sound familiar to our account today?  I can imagine as God is recounting Israels history to Moses in that tent of meeting, light bulbs were going off in his head.  God has a pattern we can discern that helps us to see his character.  Here, we can learn and know that God is all Grace to us, the underserving.  Because he chose to bless and keep Abram and Sarai, even when they made poor choices (they will make TONS more), may it help us see God’s constant and sovereign hand on us as not determined by our circumstances, but rather our need.  They needed mercy, as do we.  

Questions for Reflection:

1.  This is the beginning to the Abrahamic Covenant.  What are the promises made to Abram?

2.  How is all the world to be blessed through Abram?  Who receives the promise today? 

3.  How have you seen God’s grace and mercy in your life?  Praise Him in thanksgiving as you name all the ways.