the glorious exchange

Rough week? Listen to what Pastor Edwards has to say to us today, from his Images of Divine Things (1728):

The way in which most things we use are serviceable to us and answer their end is in their being strained, or hard-pressed, or violently agitated. Thus the way in which the bow answers its end is in hard straining of it to shoot the arrow and do the execution; the bow that won’t bear straining is good for nothing. So it is with a staff that a man walks with: it answers its end in being hard-pressed. So it is with many of the members of our bodies, our teeth, our feet, etc; and so with most of the utensils of life, an ax, a saw, a flail, a rope, a chain, etc. They are useful and answer their end by some violent straining, pressure, agitation, collision, or impulsion, and they that are so weak not to bear the trial of such usage are good for nothing.

Here is a lively representation of the way in which true and sincere saints (which are often in Scripture represented as God’s instruments or utensils) answer God’s end, and serve and glorify Him in it: by enduring temptation, going through hard labor, suffering, or self-denial or such service or strains hard upon nature and self. Hypocrites are like a broken tooth, a foot out of joint, a broken staff, a deceitful bow, which fail when pressed or strained.

Wise words from a dead white guy.

Today we discussed Sarah and her role in the foundation of God’s people, through whom would come Christ. Here’s some notes, and at the end, resources leading you into being a woman both like Sarah, and not like her. Take what is good from her life, redeem what is bad. She makes mistakes, like all of us: the key is to learn from them and not make the same ones she did.

Notes

• Leaving Ur was no small feat for Sarai and Abraham: they left family, property, comfort, financial stability, and friends all because Abram had “heard from God”. Did Sarai have faith? Yep.
• When Abram whored Sarai out,  Sarai had a responsibility: first to Christ/God. Yes, women, you should submit to your husbands, but at the same time, you have to keep them in submission to Christ. Guys: don’t whore your wives out. Not a good idea.
• After Sarai has waited for a while (20+years), she decides to take matters into her own hands.  How often do we do this? We try to save ourselves via success in the business world, being “good a Christian”, etc. But the bottom line is this: our attempts at salvation only make things worse. It’s a good thing that our Christ is gracious.
• When the visitors show up, Abraham and Sarah are very hospitable: killing a cow on the spot. That’s hospitality: being gracious and polite to people not like you. How many relationships do you have with people not like you? How many sinners that are still deep in their sin do you know? How close is your relationship with the holy God of the universe, Jesus Christ?
• When Sarah laughs at Jesus, it’s a much deeper problem than simply laughing at the idea of having a kid at 90. It’s laughing at the very Word of God, and indeed at God Himself. She has been hearing for 25 years that God will come through, but she still doesn’t believe it/like it/accept it. How many times do we do this? How many times do we laugh at the Word of God, even after we’ve ‘accepted it as true’? How many times do we laugh in God’s face, daring Him to do something about it? Not cool. Not cool at all.
  
• All in all, Abraham’s role in Genesis 21-22 is a shadow of the Father’s role in the story of redemption. Sarah’s role is the shadow of the virgin Mary. And Isaac’s role is, of course, the shadow of Christ. All Scripture shadows Christ. Period.

Resources

Check out the list of resources specifically for women here: Women of Genesis: Eve

Check out the commentary I primarily use for Genesis here: John Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis 

If you have any questions, comments, etc, please feel free to comment on this post!

Stuff I’m Digging Recently

• My Jesus.
• My woman.
• My city.
• David Crowder’s new one.
• Shane and Shane’s new one.
• Flyleaf
• The Reformed Pastor, by Richard Baxter. (It’s rockin’ my hair off.)
• Our study in Genesis on the women of Genesis.
• Personal devotions in various texts (1 Samuel, Job, Daniel)

Good stuff, there…good stuff.

I’m wondering: how, as church planters, do we move people from unchurched to meeting in groups with others to discuss Jesus? In my city, it seems as if there is a HUGE dividing line between the unchurched and Pharisaical Christians (there are devout Jesus-lovers, but they are the minority, I think). The unchurched want nothing to do with anything Christian, although they love Jesus. I agree with Vince Antonucci in that we now have two barriers to the Gospel in Bible belt culture: the Cross and the “church” (lower-case ‘c’).  So my question is this: what kinds of things are you doing to break the ‘church’ barrier?

When I first started following Jesus, I would write psalms as an act of spiritual discipline. I have since forgotten this practice…until today. I was sitting in Starbucks and I just started to write. Here’s what came out:

Why must I be thrown at the feet of Your mercy?
          Can I not bow on my own?
No, indeed I cannot. Remind me, Lord, of Your
          good favor.
Bring to memory what You have delivered
          me from.
Call forth thoughts of yesterday from within
          the very depths of my being.
Pierce my thoughts with the sharpened arrows
          of Your abounding grace.
For You, my Redeemer, have brought me to my
          knees.
I did not come on my own. I was bade,
          yet I did not come.
I spit in the beckoning hand, yet it
          remained open…until at last…
Your hand clutched at my heart, wrenching
          it as dirty laundry.
Where I was once blind…I saw.
     And to my knees I fell.
          At last.

Thoughts?