Christians belong to an old family. God spoke to Abraham when he lived in the Euphrates Valley. He ordered him to move to Canaan, and when he got there told him he would give the land to him and his descendants. He also promised that the whole world would find blessing through Abraham and his descendants. The various books of the Old and New Testaments tell how it worked out. God spoke to Moses and told him to lead the Israelites away from Egypt for a meeting with God at Mt Sinai. God spoke to them out of thunder and fire. It was so terrifying that they pleaded that God should say what he wanted to Moses, and allow Moses to hand on his instructions. Moses promised that prophets after him would receive and hand on God’s word, and so it turned out.
God was not silent. Israel lived under the word of God. It was not that every person had private converse with God; Abraham, Moses and the prophets all received messages they were to hand on. Even to these God only spoke occasionally and when necessary. Israel was to live by faith in the word of God spoken through Moses and the prophets. There were people who did not believe, or who rebelled against the word of God. Some left the nation, others continued their membership, but their hearts were not in it. The result was a family, defined on the one side by membership of the nation, and on the other by faith. Only the latter would inherit the blessings promised to Abraham.
Jesus also spoke God’s words. In him God became a human being, so his whole life was a word from God. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and opened the promised kingdom to all believers. He also made it clear that he regarded as brothers and sisters all who believed in him and followed his way. Thus Christians of all nations are able to join Israel as heirs of the promises made to Abraham.
As God’s word is heard, taught, read and proclaimed some believe, some do not. The former join a family that goes way back. God’s word promises them a share in the coming kingdom of eternal life, which is what he originally had in mind when he called Abraham. Christians are Abraham’s children!
8th July 2019