Sermons: Genesis

In the book of Genesis, we find elements of the narrative regarding the life of Abram (and those who follow) that are...., well, nothing short of shocking. One of them is found in today’s passage. Even here at the beginning of the unfolding of the plan of redemption being worked out by God through his servant, Abram, our understanding is grown that God “...is...merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness....” (Exodus 34:6). God is faithful to his own purpose and promises, even when his chosen servants fail.

In this greater narrative until of Genesis 11:27-21:7, God has brought Abraham and Sarah on a journey. They’ve struggled with the tension between their physical limitations and God’s promises. They’ve had highs and lows on this journey, but God has used all of that to bring them into a deeper faith and a deeper joy. As we walk through life, as we struggle to believe the promises we have in Christ, we can recognize that God is using the highs and lows of our life to bring us into deeper faith and deeper joy.

In Genesis 24 we again see the sovereign hand of God as he continues to fulfill his purpose and promises. Abraham’s life is coming to a close and he sees a problem. His son, through whom the covenant line would continue, had no wife. If Abraham was to indeed be a blessing to all nations then something needed to change. God will do what he said he would do and he is kind enough to involve his people in the process. Dependent on God, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. God providentially insures success.

Ed Welch wrote: “Shame. You feel worthless, rejected, dirty and exposed. Sometimes you feel it because of what you have done [or] from something that has been done to you.” Shame speaks to our identity and always makes us feel broken and worthless. It permeates our culture and is present in our church. I want to talk about shame this morning but I want to put it into a context that I’m rather excited about – a God-shaped context. I believe that our shame can move toward healing and wholeness only when we bring it before God and his people. God wants to take our shame and heal it.

In this passage we see that God is keeping his promises to Jacob. We also see some glimpses of hope in Jacob’s life. So far, we have only been aware of Jacob’s sin and messiness. However, that begins to shift. God is doing something in Jacob. He is shaping him by his grace even as he fulfills his promises in his life. We will trace out these next scenes of his life by asking: (1) What is God doing (particularly related to his promises)? (2) How is God shaping Jacob? In the end we will see that God always keeps his promises and changes his people along the way.