If you've ever moved to a new location, did you feel yourself fitting in right away? Did it take time? Did you have to prove yourself somehow before you were truly accepted? Maybe it wasn't a new location. . .maybe it was being part of an organization or church. I have to wonder if Abraham felt the same way.
Do you realize that he moved constantly? The only time the Bible mentions him having a piece of land to call his own was when he insisted on buying a burial site for Sarah. Even though the people respected him and he'd lived there for decades, he still called himself a foreigner to the people.
And yet, centuries later his descendents saw this land as the place to return to. It was after all the land God promised to Abraham. And when they did return they fought for the land and won it. Of course, fighting for the land has never really gone away.
Over time, Abraham's family changed the nature of the people of the land. Oh, the land may be referred to once in a while as Canaan, but it is not thought of as the land of rough Godless people. No, the land and it's people in general are known to love God and desire to worship him as they did in days gone by.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Making a Memory
How many times have you hung pictures on a wall so you could remember something special? Like a wedding or a vacation. Each time you pass it in the hallway your heart and mind relive the joy of that moment. Nothing can compare to that.
Well, back in the day of Abraham they didn't have cameras or walls for hanging pictures. But they did have stones for building up altars and memorials to honor God and his promises. Through tradition future generations would have learned the significance of the stones and locations. And, how did the generations find these stones?
Well, they were actually put up along the road known as the ridge route. I never gave it much thought until I read A Visual Guide to Bible Events. Even Abraham would have passed these many times as he moved his flock back and forth along the road in search of pastureland. Interesting. A bit like walking by a picture in the hallway, don't you think?
Even with these remembrances Abraham still made mistakes and in spite of that he continued to gain favor with God. I find this perplexing yet comforting at the same time.
Well, back in the day of Abraham they didn't have cameras or walls for hanging pictures. But they did have stones for building up altars and memorials to honor God and his promises. Through tradition future generations would have learned the significance of the stones and locations. And, how did the generations find these stones?
Well, they were actually put up along the road known as the ridge route. I never gave it much thought until I read A Visual Guide to Bible Events. Even Abraham would have passed these many times as he moved his flock back and forth along the road in search of pastureland. Interesting. A bit like walking by a picture in the hallway, don't you think?
Even with these remembrances Abraham still made mistakes and in spite of that he continued to gain favor with God. I find this perplexing yet comforting at the same time.
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