God’s Great Purposes
This week I’m taking a break from highlighting ministries to muse on our Lectionary readings.
Our Old Testament readings from Genesis recently have been about one of the most dysfunctional families in the whole Bible. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel all make questionable choices to say the least. Abraham nearly sacrifices his son, tells people in power that his wife is his sister to get out of a tight spot, and sends Hagar and his son Ishmael out into the desert with nothing but a waterskin. Sarah encourages Abraham to take Hagar to his bed and then become wildly jealous of her. Isaac and Rebecca both play favorites with their two sons, and Rebecca schemes with Jacob to steal his brother’s birthright. Jacob tricks his father. It goes on and on.
And yet…God uses these highly imperfect people to build a nation to be his people. He blesses them and counts them as righteous. Wow!
There is so much about these stories that is puzzling. The commentaries I looked at didn’t help. The one thing that is abundantly clear is that God used these imperfect people for God’s great purposes.
God uses us, His current imperfect children, for His purposes too. God loves us and counts us as righteous. Wow!
Susan Bowen
Vestry Member