Category: Ministry

The Gospel for the City in Genesis 25-27

Genesis 25:12-27:46 reminds us that God is faithful to fulfill his covenant promises despite human unfaithfulness.  Isaac shows a similar failure of faith, as did his father. He lies about Rebecca being his wife and instead of blessing the nations, he arouses disdain from them. Yet, despite Isaac’s unfaithfulness, the Lord blesses him and causes him to prosper. He recovers numerous wells that his father had dug and digs new ones, making his mark as he sojourns in the land of promise. In the land of promise he builds an altar and worships, calling upon the name of YAHWEH.  Isaac’s sojourn in the land of promise it twice threatened both by famine and disputes with Abimelech and his herdsmen. Nevertheless, God encourages him to remain in the land of promise and twice reaffirms to him the promise given to Abraham. Isaac and Rebecca give birth to Jacob and Esau.

Though Esau is the firstborn, Jacob is chosen of God to be the bearer of the Abrahamic promise.  Esau later confirms God’s choice showing his disregard for the birthright by selling his firstborn rights for a meal to Jacob.  Esau also shows his disregard for covenantal life by marrying two women who displeased his parents. Though the birthright and the Abraham blessing belong to Jacob, he yet resorts to chicanery and deception to obtain the blessing from Isaac.  Nevertheless, in grace to Jacob God affirms that the Abrahamic promise will come through his offspring.

Our faithfulness, as God’s covenant people, is often tested. The rest that was expected in the land was only partially realized by the patriarchs. This “rest” in the land anticipated “rest” in Jesus Christ (Matt 11:28-30).  This rest is semi-realized in the believers present experience in Christ (Heb 4:3), yet it awaits a more consummate fulfillment (Heb 4:9) in the New Creation. Our rest is sometimes threatened by natural elements (famine) and relational conflict (Abimelech’s herdsmen).

This is especially true in urban ministry.  The natural and relational elements of city living are often more adverse due to the increased diversity, density, and depravity of the city. The corrupt politics, the deteriorating infrastructures, the inefficient government services, and the depleted availability of goods and services (especially in poor neighborhoods) aim to disturb the rest (landedness) we have found in Christ. We are often faced with the question faced by the patriarchs: Do we seek to find that rest in some other place than in Christ or do we endure those challenges to that rest by believing that God’s promise is secure in Christ? We bring blessing to the nations, neither by our own self-protective designs, nor by flight from the difficulties of life. We do not need to contrive means to secure the blessing of God in Christ. It is a gift of God’s grace. We bring blessing to the nations by looking in faith to God’s promise in Christ – abiding in Him and enjoying the rest He offers.

The Gospel for the City in Genesis 21-22

In Genesis 21-22 Abraham’s faith that God would bless the nations through his offspring is now tested. Isaac, the son through whom the promise will be fulfilled, has become for Abraham the visible evidence of that promise. The underlying question of Genesis 22 is this:  Is Abraham’s faith still dependent on the Word of God or is it now placed in the physical presence of Isaac? Is Abraham walking by faith or is he walking by sight?

Abraham is ordered to offer the son of promise as a sacrifice. Abraham, in obedience to the God who called him and believing that God would resurrect the son of promise, takes his son to the mountain top and lays him on the altar of sacrifice.  God prevents Abraham from slaying Isaac and graciously supplies a substitute sacrifice.

The promise of numerous descendants and blessing to the nations is confirmed again to Abraham.

Abraham models the faith of all true followers of Christ. He believed that God could raise the dead.

Hebrews 11:17-19   17 ¶ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,  18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”  19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Like Abraham, our present actions are based upon our faith in God’s future actions. Furthermore, we live on the other side of Christ’s resurrection and are called to an even deeper faith. The God who has raised Jesus from the dead is the God who assures us that through faith we participate in His resurrection. Immediately through faith we receive new life in the inaugurated kingdom of Jesus and ultimately are assured of resurrected life in the consummated kingdom of Jesus.

The promised offspring of Abraham who would bless the nations has come. We are recipients of that blessing as well as mediators of that blessing to the nations. That is why followers of Christ eschew ethnic pride; they deplore racism and mono-culturalism. Many believers today are reversing the white flight that abandoned cities for the safer suburbs. They realize that cities are where the nations of the world are congregating and that King Jesus, is a king for the nations.  In most major cities today, you can literally obey the command of Jesus to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.”