Blog Takes a Break

I'm going to take a bit of a break from posting on this blog, probably for a week or so.  I have a long history of migraine headaches and am hitting a bad cycle of them.  Time to back off from as many time-critical demands as I can so as to concentrate on those which are genuine obligations.  Desperate for some lectionary posts?  Check the archives.  While you do, pray for me to get back onto an even keel.

Exodus 10.21-11.10, Hebrews 4.1-16 - Lectionary for 3/31/10 - Wednesday in Holy Week

Today's readings are Exodus 10.21-11.10 and Hebrews 4.1-16.

In today's reading we see that our Lord threatens destruction against unbelieving Egypt.  As if the plagues they had sustained thus far were not enough, they are now threatened with the death of every firstborn of the nation.  Egypt has already been plunged into various hardships which threatened their water supply, their food supply, their sanitation, and all their physical comfort.  Now, after enduring a night that lasted three days, they are threatened with the loss of their future leaders, an overturn of all the customs of inheritance, a tremendous social upheaval.  All they need to do is release Israel from bondage.

Why does Pharaoh refuse to grant God's demand given through Moses?  This ongoing refusal angers Moses.  It is very provocative.  Yet God has told us many times that Pharaoh's refusal results in God's showing his wonders and his majesty.  Notice in Exodus 11.3 that the people of Egypt understood that the Israelites had God's favor and they did not.  They were willing to give what they had to the people of Israel.  Doubtless many of them would even ask to join with Israel, becoming members of the covenant community as well.  In this way the offspring of Abraham can become a blessing to another nation.

As with the people of Israel, our society looks at us.  We proclaim God's wonders.  Do we exhibit them?  We suggest that our Lord is mighty.  Do we live as if he is mighty?  We say that the Lord is forgiving.  Do we confess our sins and seek his forgiveness?  We say that the Lord gave himself for our sins.  Do we realize that we are without hope except for this forgiveness?  May the Lord display his wonders in our society, showing through us his nature, a nature that convicts of sin, brings people to repentance, grants them forgiveness, and makes them walk in new life through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Exodus 9.29-10.20, Hebrews 3.1-19 - Lectionary for 3/30/10 - Tuesday in Holy Week

Today's readings are Exodus 9.29-10.20 and Hebrews 3.1-19.

As we continue to follow the conflict between God and Pharaoh we see that Pharaoh continues to harden his heart against God's calling.  He knows he is wrong.  He admits he is wrong.  He makes promises to let Israel go and he goes back on those promises.  He confesses he is wrong, asks forgiveness, then sins against God and Moses yet again.  His heart seems to soften then harden again.

We find it easy to condemn Pharaoh, but we are really very much like he is.  We know what our Lord has revealed to us in Scripture yet we secretly think there are some things that we would do differently.  We have the audacity to think we are right and God is wrong.  We know God's calling but we question his wisdom.  We confess our sin and then we go sin again.  We harden our hearts again and again.

Let us not be fooled!  Our Lord will accomplish his will, his good and perfect will.  Just as he delivers Israel out of the bondage they endure in Egypt, he will also deliver his people out of their bondage to sin.  He has done what is necessary.  Through Christ's death and resurrection the burden of sin has been released.  We simply continue to live in it, taking it upon ourselves, hardening our hearts over and over.  Yet Jesus has broken the bonds of sin.  He has cancelled the debt that we owed.  He has taken our sin upon himself.  He has risen victorious over death, hell and the grave.  He has done all that is necessary to complete his perfect will.  All that remains is for him to gather his people to himself.

Lord, we confess we live in a state of contradiction.  Though you have forgiven our sin yet we live as though we are slaves to sin.  Grant us your forgiveness and remind us of your promise that you will never leave us or forsake us.  Accomplish your good will in and through us.

Exodus 9.1-28, Hebrews 2.1-18 - Lectionary for 3/29/10 - Monday in Holy Week

Today's readings are Exodus 9.1-28 and Hebrews 2.1-18.

Today we read that the Lord continues to pour out plagues on Egypt.  Now he makes it very clear that he is distinguishing between his people, the Hebrews, and the Egyptians.  He spares the livestock and crops of the Hebrews from the plagues which destroy livestock and growing plants.  Pharaoh's confession in Exodus 9.27-28 is telling.  "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.  Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail.  I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer" (ESV). 

How many times do we see God's displeasure against sin?  We know what our Lord has commanded, at least certainly enough to know we are repeat offenders.  We know he calls for perfect righteousness.  We know he has defined that righteousness.  We need only to read the Ten Commandments to realize that we fail.  For that matter, we need only to read the first commandment to realize that.  Really?  Do we love and trust God only, with our whole heart, all the time, no matter what?  Or do we daily erect other false gods?  

What has our Lord shown us in this passage?  He makes a distinction between those who are united by their calling and their faith in him, those who have held to his promises and continued with God's covenant community, and those who are not his people.  We can even see in our modern society that there are some situations which are much worse for those who are not involved in a local church, for those who are not placing their hope in God, for those who are trusting in themselves and nothing but themselves.  Our Lord shows us daily that it is by his grace we live.  

In closing, let's simply observe that Pharaoh seemed persuaded, as we seem persuaded.  Did he let the people of Israel go?  Not this time.  When we are persuaded, when we confess our sin, when we promise to go and sin no more, we are equally liable to go back on our promise.  We are equally likely to forsake our commitments.  But we'll see in a subsequent reading that God delivers his people anyway.  He will accomplish his will and desire regardless of the weakness of our faith.  In Christ, sinners are saved, period.  In Christ, sin is atoned for, period.  In Christ we can look forward to the resurrection of the body, period.  Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life.  This is not dependent on the quality of my faith.  It is not dependent on my perseverance.  It is not dependent on me at all.  It is dependent on the validity of God's promise.  Let us then look to our Lord, the one who makes his mighty promises and who keeps them.

Exodus 8.1-32, Hebrews 1.1-14 - Lectionary for 3/28/10 - Palm Sunday

Today's readings are Exodus 8.1-32 and Hebrews 1.1-14.

Our Lord continues pouring out plagues on Egypt.  Notice just a few things.  First, both frogs and flies had some sacred significance to Egyptians.  God is turning something that is significant to the local culture into a curse against that culture.  He is showing that what they honor is something which he can use to inflict judgment on them.  Also notice that beginning with the plague of flies God makes a distinction between Egypt and the Hebrews.  He brings no plague of flies on the Hebrews but he does on the Egyptians.

Pharaoh and his advisers start to recognize that this is God's hand and that they cannot either cause these things to happen or control them.  Moses can pray that the Lord will remove a plague and it will be removed.  But Pharaoh and his wise men are unable to do anything about the situations.

When we realize that we are in trouble, when we realize that we are unable to help ourselves, when we see that the things our culture values are not all we would like them to be, may we also look to the Lord who uses those things in our lives.  May the Lord show us the distinction between his blessing and his curse.  May the Lord show us how he has come to bring life, hope, blessing, all embodied in God the Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life to redeem this world to himself.

Exodus 7.1-25, Mark 16.1-20 - Lectionary for 3/27/10 - Saturday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 7.1-25 and Mark 16.120.

At God's command Moses goes to Pharaoh with the demand that Pharaoh should let his people go.  Pharaoh, again, as we would expect, denies the request.  He does not want to release his slave population.  He knows that if they leave the Egyptians will be without a valuable labor force.  He may also fear their rebellion spreading to other segments of the population.  Notice how God has prepared Moses for this.  He has warned Moses that he should not expect a positive response but instead that God will deliver his people from Egypt through supernatural signs and by bringing trouble on Egypt.  

This is exactly what God does in this world.  He overturns our judgment, our wisdom, our plans through his supernatural signs.  He works counter to our expectations.  We plan out how our lives should go.  We take steps, wise steps, well reasoned steps toward furthering our lives, our careers, raising our children, any number of other things.  We think we are well reasoned.  Yet our Lord overturns reason again and again.  He shows himself to be the supernatural Lord who works in ways we would not expect.  

Two of the ways God works in counterintuitive ways are pictured in this reading.  First, a serpent is something which would be dangerous.  Yet the serpent God creates not only does no harm to its master, Aaron, but it also overcomes many other serpents.  The serpent God creates provokes the magicians of Egypt to do something quite dangerous, in creating dangerous serpents of their own.  God takes what would normally be an accursed animal and shows his glory through it.  Second, he shows through turning the water of Egypt to blood temporarily that he is the master of life and death.  He is able to bring terrible destruction on the people of Egypt, just as he brings good on them, good which they never even noticed because it was so plentiful and seemed so permanent.  

We realize that we take God's provision for granted.  We often act as though this world is all there is.  We act as though we will never have a shortage of common materials, all of which are ultimately provided by our Lord.  We act as though God does not matter.  Yet in this time of Lent we are brought face to face with the fact that the Lord is real, that he is acting in the world, and that his ultimate goal is to redeem us from the death we cannot avoid by dying that death on our behalf.  We see that this world is on the brink of eternity.  It is not our permanent resting place.  Our Lord has gone before us in resurrection to eternal life.  He likewise calls us to join with him by faith.  We need not fear the serpents or the water which we cannot drink.  He gives us life forever.

Exodus 5.1-6.1, Mark 15.33-47 - Lectionary for 3/26/10 - Friday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 5.1-6.1 and Mark 15.33-47.

In our Old Testament reading we see the people of Israel, who have been suffering from oppression, suffering still more.  When Pharaoh hears of their plan to leave he increases their workload, imposing a demand on them which they cannot fulfill.  The people of Israel receive penalties and cry out even more to the Lord for deliverance.  Pharaoh gloats that the people have not been delivered from their labors.

How often are we like Pharaoh?  When someone wants something that we don't want to grant we increase that person's labors.  The teenager wants some special privilege so we parents impose burdensome tasks on the child.  An employee is dealing with a situation away from work which would be made much easier if he were to leave a little early.  We say it would be fine as long as all the day's work is done and then we find extra work.  Someone who has offended us wishes to be reconciled and we make it more difficult because, quite frankly, we want to hurt that person.  We pile heavy burdens on those we disagree with, burdens we would not be willing or able to move no matter how hard we tried.

What is God's promise?  He repeats his promise in Exodus 6.1.  He will deliver his people.  In fact, he will deliver them in such a way that Pharaoh, who did not want them to leave, will drive them out himself.  Our Lord fulfills his promises.  He fulfills them in ways that we can't imagine.  He fulfills them in such a way that the very people who try to hinder his will are left speechless.  Consider the crucifixion of Christ.  The one who did no wrong is convicted as a criminal.  The one who is a king is stripped of all his authority.  The deathless one is put to a cruel death.  The sinless one receives the burden of the sin of the world.  The plans of sinful humans and of the devil seem to be complete as they have put the Lord of life to death.  But God has promised a savior and that's exactly what he delivers, counter to expectation, counter to reason, counter to all our plans against him.  In the resurrection of Christ we see God's triumph over death, hell and the grave.  Indeed our Lord's promises in Christ are fulfilled.

Exodus 4.19-31, Mark 15.16-32 - Lectionary for 3/25/10 - Thursday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 4.19-31 and Mark 15.16-32.

In Exodus today we see that Moses is returned to Egypt.  The Lord has prepared him to face Pharaoh.  The Lord has also prepared the circumstances of Moses' return.  He has observed that the people who were going to kill Moses were all dead and gone.  He has visited Aaron to arrange a meeting, since Aaron is going to act as Moses' spokesman.

Observe the mirror image in verses 21-26.  Pharaoh will be punished by the loss of his firstborn son if he does not allow Israel to go serve God.  Yet because of the Moses' failure to keep the covenant of circumcision God threatens to punish Moses on behalf of his child.  So doing, our Lord teaches us that the disobedience of his covenant people is very serious.  As we harm our children by our failure, so the Lord allows the blame to be on our heads.  Yet at the same time, through the shedding of blood, our Lord has appointed forgiveness.  He has called out a special people to himself, through the shedding of his own blood, received by faith.

As the Israelites could do, so also we can believe.  We, like them, hear that the Lord visits his people.  We know our Lord has seen our affliction.  May we, like the Israelites, bow down and worship our Lord and Savior, who has come to us to redeem us through the shedding of his own blood.

Exodus 4.1-18, Mark 15.1-15 - Lectionary for 3/24/10 - Wednesday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 4.1-18 and Mark 15.1-15.

Our Lord has promised mighty signs to Moses.  He has appeared to Moses in the burning bush which is not consumed.  He has shown that he can adjust the way nature works to bring about his will.  Yet Moses has trouble believing that God's power is in him and will work through him to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage.  The Lord gives multiple signs for Moses to perform.  Yet Moses still doubts, he still does not wish to speak out for God.  Therefore the Lord sends Aaron to convey the message he has given Moses to the Pharaoh, the people of Egypt, and the children of Israel.

Do we face fears and doubts?  We certainly do.  Look what we proclaim as a Christian gospel, after all.  We proclaim that sin is real, that it is an offense against God, who is invisible.  We proclaim that there is one God who is eternally existent in three persons.  Yet we maintain this is one God.  We proclaim that sin brings death and that only the death of a perfect sinless human in our place can deliver us from sin.  We proclaim that all humans are sinful, therefore to deliver us from sin we need a perfect human who must be specially provided by God.  We proclaim that the sin of one person somehow puts sin onto all people and that the death of the perfect human will pay the penalty of sin for all humans, including those who have already died.  We proclaim that the perfect one who died for human sin was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven.  We proclaim a bodily resurrection, a resurrection to life in blessing for all who believe and a resurrection to life in condemnation for all who do not believe.  We say that this eternal blessed life is procured not by our good works but by the good work of Jesus on our behalf.  Is this enough to make us doubt?  We Christians proclaim lots of things which seem utterly insane.  Yet we have reason to believe they are absolutely true.  

Just how supernatural is our Lord?  Just how able to create, sustain, and adjust this natural world is he?  Has he ever changed in this regard? While we fear that we are wrong, let us also look to our Lord in faith, knowing that he is the one who has done mighty signs in the world before and that he can continue to work in just the same way in the future.  He has promised never to leave us.  He has promised that he will be with us to the end.  Resting in this promise of Matthew 28, let us then trust that he will be just as good as his word.

Exodus 2.23-3.22, Mark 14.53-72 - Lectionary for 3/23/10 - Tuesday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 2.23-3.22 and Mark 14.53-72.

In our reading today from Exodus we see one of the most powerful revelations of God in the Old Testament.  God has heard the cry of his people.  Their woes come before him (as always) and he remembers his covenant (just like he always does).  The people have become aware that they are oppressed.  They have seen that they cannot deliver themselves from their situation.  At long last the people of Israel see that they are unable to work salvation for themselves by themselves.  What is God's promise?  He promises to deliver the people from Egypt with his mighty hand.  He shows himself through a miraculous appearance.  He speaks directly to his messengers who will carry his word of promise to others.  He himself will provide the physical means by which the people will receive deliverance from their bondage.

This passage mightily proclaims the Gospel.  We see that we all are bound in sin.  We are unable to escape.  No matter how much piety we try, no matter how many programs we follow, no matter how hard we work at it, we are unable to deliver ourselves from these besetting sins.  We run here and there finding no rest, no comfort.  We may escape from some of the situations where others sin against us, but we are quite able to sin all on our own and enjoy the fruits of it.  And our sin does have consequences.  We can see it.  We can feel it.  We can taste it.  We live with the strife, the dissatisfaction, the physical consequences of our sin.  We fear to speak with someone we have offended.  We have to work extra hard because we have debts to pay.  We weigh ourselves realizing that we have less self-control than we'd like.  We have topics that we just don't talk about.  We  shudder to realize that God really can see inside our hearts.  We hide behind vague corporate confession and we're really glad when the pastor doesn't announce that we'll confess our sins before God and then shut up for fifteen or twenty minutes so we can really get started.  We cannot break this power of sin.  We need someone else to do it, just as the Israelites could not break the binding power of Egypt.

Who is it that breaks sin?  God himself comes down with mighty signs, with miraculous power, in the person of Jesus Christ, living a sinless life on our behalf, not to show us the way to our own perfection, but to actually be perfection for us.  When we sin we sin against our Lord.  When we think and do things that bring the fruit of sin upon ourselves, we pour the penalty for that sin on our Lord and Savior.  He comes and subjects himself to the power and pain of sin, not entering into it, but destroying its power.  With his mighty hand he delivers us from sin.  How does he do this?  He does it by his death and resurrection.  He reveals it through his proclaimed Word, through his  enacted Word in the Sacraments, through the work of his messengers.  As he sent Moses and Aaron, so he sends countless Christian pastors and other Christian workers who bring the good news of Christ to our world.  

Our Lord has raised himself up as a deliverer, the deliverer we need, to rescue us from the bondage in Egypt, the bondage of sin.

Exodus 2.1-22, Mark 14.32-52 - Lectionary for 3/22/10 - Monday, Lent 5

Today's readings are Exodus 2.1-22 and Mark 14.32-52.

In Exodus chapter 2 we are introduced to Moses.  Born of humble parentage, from the house of Levi, Moses originally was under a death sentence.  The standing orders were to execute Hebrew male children.  Yet Moses' mother hid him as long as possible then took what seemed like desperate measures to try preserving his life.  With Moses' sister watching, Moses was picked up by the daughter of Pharaoh.   The baby needed a nurse, so Moses' sister was able to bring his mother.  Moses was therefore able to be brought up by his own mother, doubtless learning about God's covenant with His people.  

Because Moses was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter he ended up being instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.  He was elevated to royal rank.  It appears that Moses was known as an Egyptian, though he seemed to be known to the Hebrews in verse 13 as a Hebrew, not a genuine Egyptian.  Yet there is no doubt that Moses had rank and privilege.  But rank and privilege aren't all they are cut out to be.  They may not be helpful to us at times.  See that just as anyone would, Moses was under threat of death after he had killed an Egyptian and tried to hide his actions.  Just like anyone else could, Moses became a fugitive from the law.

Is God's hand on us when we are elevated to authority?  Is his hand on us when we become fugitives?  We would do better to ask when God's hand stops guiding us and protecting us.  In fact, we understand with Paul that nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8).  We are truly God's sons by adoption (John 1).  And unlike Pharaoh's sons, who must flee from him when they sin, God's sons come to him in faith to receive forgiveness for their sin (1 John 1).  Moses' interaction with Pharaoh, his sin of murder, changed his life forever.  He was driven to the next step in his life of service to God.  We likewise see our circumstances as ways the Lord directs us.  Even our sins and their consequences have an influence on the way we will progress in our life and work.  May the Lord grant that we ever look to him and his provision, confessing our sins, seeing the love our Father has lavished upon us, walking in faith, knowing that he has provided for us in the past and will continue to provide for us forever.

Exodus 1.1-22, Mark 14.12-31 - Lectionary for 3/21/10 - Fifth Sunday in Lent

Today's readings are Exodus 1.1-22 and Mark 14.12-31.

As we read the beginning of Exodus today we move quickly through a long period of Israel's history.  The children of Jacob have lived in Egypt for close to 500 years by Exodus chapter 1.  Coming across this reading gives us an opportunity to think how things have changed for our people over the past half a millennium.  How different they are today than they were in the early 1500s.  We can look ahead and wonder what our descendants will find in their world around the year 2500.  It will, no doubt, be a much different world in some ways than it is today.  Yet we always want to consider what we will learn from our passage of Scripture.  What predictions can we safely make for future generations?

The children of Israel have had the blessing of God.  They have increased in the land.  They have grown strong.  We see this pattern that God's people tend to increase, not decrease.  They tend to be less likely to engage in destructive behaviors.  Christ's people tend to take care of one another as well as taking care of the people around them.  We value life so we are more likely to delight in bringing children into this world.  God blesses his people in many ways.  We can assume in the future we will continue to see that our Lord and Savior increases his flock.

The children of Israel here find themselves in a time of persecution.  We likewise should realize that there are times of freedom and times of bondage.  There are times of rejoicing and times of mourning.  There are times when societies delight in and embrace Christians and there are times when societies persecute Christians.  The twentieth century was probably the most dangerous century in which to be a Christian to date.  It will not always be that way, but we can assume there will be times and places that cause serious physical danger to believers, just as the Egyptian society described in Exodus 1 is dangerous to the Hebrews.

What do we see of God's provision?  We see that even in the dangerous time there are people living, working, having children, fearing God, and raising their families.  Our Lord will continue to care for and provide for his people even when they are in physical danger.

When we think about persecution we are faced with two important issues.  First, we are faced with our own mortality.  Though we have eternal confidence in the Lord who has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us, that he is with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28), we realize that there are enemies who can kill our bodies.  We also realize that there are some people in this world who would like to take the opportunity to destroy every living Christian's life.  This has happened in every age and will continue to be one of the signs of this fallen world.  Ultimately we also realize that even the redeemed are still sinners.  We realize that temporal death and eternal punishment are what we deserve.  We frankly deserve nothing better than to be dragged out into the street and to die a painful death.  The soul who sins must die.  We confess that we are sinners.  Go ahead, do the math.

Yet there is a second issue this passage brings before us.  We realize that though our bodies are mortal, though we are steeped in sin, though we deserve God's eternal punishment, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has taken that penalty on himself.  He, the perfect Lamb of God, came to live in our stead, to die in our place, to give his life a ransom for many, for all who believe, in fact.  So when we see people struggling with the persecution that comes upon them, we simultaneously see people raising their eyes in faith, looking to Jesus, realizing that while they may bear the scorn of people in their society, he has borne the pain of scorn.  He has borne the penalty for sin, and that while they deserve that penalty, while we deserve that penalty, he deserves none of it.  Willingly he gave himself to die a sinner's death in order that we who are sinners by nature may live the life of the Second Adam.  

Lord, may we have eyes to see your grace, a heart to desire your mercy poured out upon your people, and steadfast trust in your completed work of salvation.

Genesis 49.29-50.7, 14-26, Mark 14.1-11 - Lectionary for 3/20/10 - Saturday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 49.29-50.7, 14-26 and Mark 14.1-11.

We see at long last that Joseph's brothers ask his forgiveness.  They have long realized that they sinned against their brother.  Yet they don't seem to ask his forgiveness until after their father's death, when they begin to worry about their safety.  We don't know when it happened, but Joseph had forgiven them and he expressed his forgiveness to them.

Some counselors talk about two types of forgiveness, attitudinal forgiveness and transactional forgiveness.  Attitudinal forgiveness is what happens when you decide that you can forgive the sin someone committed against you, whether or not that person has confessed and whether or not you will ever have the opportunity to express it.  Think about the situation if someone thoughtlessly does something that has a negative impact on your life, even a brief one.  Someone cuts you off in traffic or makes a rude gesture, someone unknown to you vandalizes your property, etc.  Attitudinal forgiveness allows you not to carry a grudge around.  It's an important step to make.  Somewhere along the line, Joseph had developed an attitude of forgiving his brothers.  Transactional forgiveness is what we see here in Genesis 50.  The brothers apologize and Joseph expresses forgiveness.

We can find comfort in looking to our Lord and Savior.  He had an attitude of forgiveness which impelled him to take on human form and come to us.  He transacted that forgiveness when he died, receiving in his body the penalty for our sin.  Our lives have been transformed by forgiveness.  May they also be used to transform those around us as we receive and grant forgiveness.

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us."

"Freely you have received, freely give."

Lord, may you make your people a people characterized by your loving forgiveness.

Genesis 47.1-31, Mark 13.24-37 - Lectionary for 3/19/10 - Friday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 47.1-31 and Mark 13.24-37.

I happen to live in a country in which government control and taxation seem to be increasing every year.  Sometimes it's difficult to know how to deal with this situation biblically.  The people of Egypt had a problem similar to this in the time of Joseph.  During the famine the people spent all their money to buy food from their government, food they themselves had raised.  When the money was gone they had to sell their livestock to the government in order to buy food.  They were effectively decapitalized.  Finally they sold themselves into slavery.  It isn't clear how the people were released from their slavery at the end of the famine, yet they were released.  Afterward they had a 20% tax on what they were able to produce.  

We see the outcome.  After many years it does not seem to have had an overall ill effect on Egypt.  For centuries afterward they remained the major stable food producer in their region.  They had an asset that they could exploit freely.

Where's the biblical application of all this?  God, in his providence, has supplied us with what we need.  In times of hardship and in times of plenty we know that our Lord is the sovereign ruler of all creation.  He has cared for his people.  We can look confidently at his finished work on the cross and know that our deepest problem, sin, has been atoned for.  Our God feeds the wild birds.  How much more will he care for and cherish his chosen people?

Genesis 45.1-20, 24-28, Mark 13.1-23 - Lectionary for 3/18/10 - Thursday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 45.1-20, 24-28 and Mark 13.1-23.

What is Jacob's response when he finds that Joseph is alive?  He is astonished.  "His heart became numb" (Gen. 45.26b, ESV) so that he couldn't speak.  I'd like us to observe that Jacob is moved in this great way to find that his son whom he thought dead was alive.  Yet we are not moved in such a way when we look to Jesus who was reported as dead and showed himself to be alive.  We are not moved in this way when we find that someone is believing on Christ, seeking to walk in faith and obedience to his calling.  We are not moved this way when we contemplate that our Lord has given us life from death, ransoming us by his faithfulness.  What kind of ingrates are we?  Our Lord has given us eternal life and we complain about the weather, the condition of the roads, the person who cut us off in traffic.  Our Lord has risen with healing in his wings and we complain because we are suffering from some of the pains of this mortal life.  Let it not be so!  Let us rather turn to our Lord, seeing how bad death and privation is.  Let us rejoice in what he has given us.  Let us look to him in hope.  Let us eagerly anticipate our heavenly home, by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Genesis 44.1-18, 32-34, Mark 12.28-44 - Lectonary for 3/17/10 - Wednesday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 44.1-18, 32-34 and Mark 12.28-44.

As we read in Genesis today we should realize that we still do not know exactly why Joseph is tormenting his brothers as he is.  I want to keep my thesis on the table still, that Joseph is sinning against them because he has been angered by them.  What we do see is that Joseph's brothers are moved to despair.  They realize their sin against their brother and how depriving their father of his beloved son was a really cruel thing to do.  They have probably realized that before, but here and now they are forced to confront the issue.  Instead of relieving themselves of an annoying brother for their own convenience, they are being relieved of a non-annoying brother at someone else's whim.  The tables have been turned on them.  They are being sinned against in a way rather similar to the way they sinned against their father by selling Joseph and allowing him to think Joseph was dead.

Is any of us above such sin?  Is any one of us above doing something that will harm another person in order to make for our convenience or comfort?  Though we may try not to do much harm, we are nonetheless engaged in the very same kind of sin Joseph was practicing, the very same sin his brothers practiced.  We want our way and when we don't get our way we make life difficult for others.  That's the way we are.  What do we deserve?  We deserve exactly the kind of punishment Joseph and his brothers all deserved.  In the words of Draco, the lawgiver of Athens, the reason the death penalty was imposed so freely was that lots of crimes deserved death.  He was only sorry there wasn't a more severe penalty for the more severe crimes.  In the bible, the soul who sins dies.  It's as simple as that.  We all deserve exactly that.

What is the hope here?  See again the typology of Joseph, our picture of Jesus.  Joseph "died" in the place of is brothers.  He went ahead of them and provided a means by which they could live.  He gave them what they needed and gave it to them without demanding money.  Likewise, we who believe have hope in Jesus, who has endured suffering and death for our sin.  We have hope in Jesus, who lives again as the firstfruits of the resurrection.  We look to our Lord who has demonstrated himself to be the savior adequate for the whole world's sin.  We look to Christ.

Genesis 43.1-28, Mark 12.13-27 - Lectionary for 3/16/10 - Tuesday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 43.1-28 and Mark 12.13-27.

Joseph's steward told Joseph's brothers that they had great treasure in their sacks. No doubt he was right.  The children of Israel bore great treasure with them, not because they had money to pay for their food, not because they had been given food freely by Joseph, but because they were the people bearing God's promise.  They were the people from whom the Savior would come to bring a blessing not only to their family but to all the nations.  They were the people who could look to God in hope, knowing that they were partakers of the promise.  Yes, Joseph's brothers bear great treasure.

As God was providing for the people of Israel, giving them what they needed in terms of food and physical safety, so also he provides for his people, the children of Abraham by faith, who look to him as the fulfiller of his promise.  We look to Jesus, the savior of the world, who gave himself for us.  We look to Jesus, the one who gives us his body and his blood that we may eat and drink by faith and receive nourishment for our souls.  We look to the living Word of God, who has also given a written word that we can read and study.  We bear great treasure as we bear the Gospel of Christ to this suffering and dying world.  

Yet how often we also live as Joseph's brothers lived.  They knew there was food for purchase.  They did not know that the provision for their needs was being made by the one whom they had killed and who lived to give them life.  Likewise we, when we eat ungratefully, when we take the Word of God for granted, when we trust in ourselves rather than in our Lord, we bring shame on God.  We act as though he is irrelevant, as though he doesn't care, even as though he doesn't exist.  We, like Joseph's brothers, are blind to the reality of God's provision for us in Christ.

May the Lord open our eyes to see the great treasure he has given us.  May the Lord grant us repentance and forgiveness as we see the enormity of our folly and look to him in faith.

Genesis 42.1-34, 38, Mark 12.1-12 - Lectionary for 3/15/10 - Monday, Lent 4

Today's readings are Genesis 42.1-34, 38 and Mark 12.1-12.

Many times when we consider the interactions between Joseph and his brothers who came to buy food from Egypt we try to explain away Joseph's roughness.  We make countless excuses for Joseph.  We try to compare him to God, who shows us many difficult providences.  We try to guard him from all blame.  After all, he's a hero in the Scriptures, right?

I want to propose something a little bit radical today.  Joseph is sinning against his brothers.  They sinned against him in selling him into slavery and in holding animosity against him before that.  Now, some twenty years later, he is sinning right back at them.  He's angry.  He's upset that he has been taken away from his family and his home.  He doesn't want them to recognize him.  He may even be thinking of doing them harm.  He sells them grain and then puts their money back in the bags.  This allows him to prosecute them if he wants to.  He makes their interactions difficult.

Are we holding things against others who have hurt us in the past?  Are we, like Joseph, in need of repentance?  Are we causing people to bear the sins that their Lord and Savior has already died for?  Let us then repent and see the depth of the forgiveness our Lord purchased for us, the same forgiveness the Lord purchased for those who sin against us.  Let us not repay sin with more sin, but let us be used by our Lord to repay sin with the forgiveness our Lord has given us.

Genesis 41.28-57, Mark 11.20-33 - Lectionary for 3/14/10 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

Today's readings are Genesis 41.28-57 and Mark 11.20-33.

Joseph has shown that God is able to provide the Egyptians with a prediction of future events.  As Joseph is raised to high position in Egypt let's notice what he does.  He readily accepts the exaltation of the Egyptians.  He behaves like a mighty prince in Egypt.  He taxes the people then allows them to spend their assets buying back what he took from them in the years of plenty.  While this action served to protect people in some measure from famine, it did not stop the people from becoming impoverished.

Do we take God's blessings and use them as an opportunity to profit?  On one level we certainly should.  God makes rich people as well as poor people.  Do we accept authority?  It is not a bad thing.  It can be used to bless people.  The question is how we use that authority, how we use that profit.  Do we use it to deprive people of what they have worked for?  Or do we use it to serve our neighbor and help him to protect and improve his income and assets?  Let us remember that where we use what our Lord has given us to tread upon our neighbor we are acting in opposition to his mercy and grace.  Has he blessed us?  We are to bless those around us.  After all, who is it that makes us blessed?  Who is it who provides us with our daily bread?  Who is it who gave himself to become a curse for us so we could be blessed in the resurrection?  

Our God and Father, who is ever merciful and exalted on high, and who exalts whom you wish, we pray that you may work in and through us to bring blessing to the least of these our brothers, as you have also poured out your blessings without measure on us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Genesis 41.1-27, Mark 11.1-19 - Lectionary for 3/13/10 - Saturday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 41.1-27 and Mark 11.1-19.

Today Joseph is released from prison and brought before Pharaoh to do what none of the Egyptian magicians were able to do.  Pharaoh had a dream which Joseph told him represented seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine.

In some parts of Western Christianity these days there is a big interest in miraculous signs, interpretation of dreams, and other spiritual gifts.  Joseph's ability to tell what the dreams meant is often cited as an authority for all of God's people to expect similar understanding and to find authoritative words of God in dreams and natural phenomena.  But something we should realize is that in Joseph's time God had not provided his people with a definitive written word which could be studied and pondered.  We can therefore expect that he would have been more likely to reveal principles and events to people by means of natural revelation and supernatural dreams, visions, and utterances.  

This brings us to a second important point about natural revelation and the kind of revelation we receive in dreams and visions.  Christians universally confess with the Scripture that God has revealed himself in nature.  We can see his power, his intricate workmanship, his provision, all around us.  No doubt people sometimes have dreams that are downright prophetic in nature.  Yet interpretation of all these matters is dependent on how the interpreter understands them.  As Pharaoh's magicians didn't know what the dream was about but Joseph did, so also we may expect that we would understand sometimes but sometimes not.  We certainly tend to filter all we see through our own experience, which is not necessarily a reliable filter.  Add a slightly vague revelation to an unreliable filter and you can see that the recipient of God's revelation will want to be very cautious indeed.

The Scripture, God's revealed and definitive word about himself and his creation, gives us a much more clear revelation.  Should we discount dreams altogether?  Certainly not.  But we are far better advised to spend our time seeking understanding of our world through good understanding of the Scripture.  Let us look to the Word of God and see what God has done.  Knowing this we are very well prepared to understand what he is doing in our world right now.

Genesis 40.1-23, Mark 10.32-52 - Lectionary for 3/12/10 - Friday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 40.1-23 and Mark 10.32-52.

There's a real truth gap in our society today.  People are willing to tell some of the truth, some of the time.  This is a very serious problem.  Consider, for instance, what we see in Joseph as we read Genesis 40.  What if Joseph were like so many of our pastors of churches today?  He might give the positive, rosy interpretation of the dream to both the cupbearer and the baker.  After all, the Lord wants to redeem you. He wants to restore you to prosperity.  He will restore you to political favor.  This is the time of God's favor.  This is your day, the day you move forward in victory.

Now I must shake myself and get the Joel Osteen out of my voice.  All right, that worked.  Ahem.  That's all very good and well, but it is not true for everyone.  The Lord has sovereignly appointed that the cupbearer will be restored to his position but the baker will not.  While we proclaim Gospel and point out the favor of God in Christ, we also must point out the deadly, crushing weight of the Law.  The soul who sins must die.  The wages of sin is death.  If we try to earn God's favor through our good works, no matter how hard we work, we will surely fail.  

In our society there's altogether too much one-sided preaching.  Either it's all Gospel with no contrasting Law or, worse yet, there's Law posing as Gospel.  Joseph didn't fall into those traps. He told the truth.  There's condemnation and there's blessing.  We all earn the condemnation.  God's good pleasure has been to bless all who believe on him despite that condemnation we have earned.  Law and Gospel.  

Genesis 39.1-23, Mark 10.13-31 - Lectionary for 3/11/10 - Thursday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 39.1-23 and Mark 10.13-31.

We rejoin the story of Joseph when we find him in Egypt, serving in the household to which he was sold.  There's something about adversity that matures a person.  In yesterday's reading Joseph was quite certain he would be the ruler of his family.  We have to wonder if he still thought that in today's reading.  Some time in slavery could make us doubt our destiny.  Yet as Joseph served his Lord and his owner faithfully he saw God's blessing fall on the household.  Things looked pretty good again until the incident with his owner's wife.  Joseph goes to prison, falsely accused of misconduct.  It looks bad.  Yet even in prison, Joseph is elevated again.

What are we to make of this?  It would be nice to say that if we are faithful to the Lord everything will be fine and we will be elevated in rank.  Then again, we could say that if we are faithful to the Lord we will likely be sold into slavery and imprisoned on false pretenses.  What we can say for a fact is that the Lord knows his people and will accomplish his good pleasure through them.  He has taken Joseph to Egypt and put him into situations that develop Joseph's character and abilities.  He has put Joseph into position to be elevated and guard the food supply of the country.  He has taken Joseph and started preparing him to serve faithfully no matter the circumstances.

May the Lord use us as well.  May he also bless us to see some of the good he is accomplishing in and through us.  

Genesis 37.1-36, Mark 10.1-12 - Lectionary for 3/10/10 - Wednesday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 37.1-36 and Mark 10.1-12.

In some varieties of American Fundamentalism there is (or at least was when I was involved in it) an intense interest in what is called "typology."  Typology has nothing to do with using a typewriter.  In Greek, the word τυπος (typos) means a pattern or image.  This is where we get words like "archetype" and "prototype" as well as "typewriter."  When we speak of typology in biblical interpretation we are looking at a character or situation which is emblematic of another, later character or situation.  That other character or situation is the "antitype," essentially the fulfillment.

In today's reading from Genesis we see Joseph realizing he will rule over his family.  We see him being betrayed by his brothers and reported as dead.  We see that he is actually alive.  In this character of Joseph we can see a type of Christ.  Jesus, who proclaims himself to be the Son of God, is given over to death by his own brothers, the Jews, just like Joseph is sold by Judah, his brother, the ancestor of Jesus.  Joseph is stripped of his garments and reported as dead.  We see that Jesus was pronounced dead by a centurion, someone whose training and experience led him to identify "dead" quite adequately.  Joseph was sent into a foreign country from which he was later to show himself as the one upon whom the lives of his brothers depended.  Likewise, Jesus will show himself in his return as the one upon whom all our lives depend.

What else do you see?  I left some out on purpose.

Lord, may we rejoice as we see you, the sin-bearer, the savior of the world, the one who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Genesis 35.1-29, Mark 9.33-50 - Lectionary for 3/9/10 - Tuesday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 35.1-29 and Mark 9.33-50.

Our Genesis reading today reminds us that we don't always perceive things as they are.  I'd like to give just a brief sample of what I saw in the passage.

Isaac who was dying before Jacob left finally dies now after many years.

Jacob and Esau seem to be reconciled though they would never be able to get along.

The wife Jacob would love forever is the first to die.

Faithful Jacob's family had to destroy their idols.

What other unexpected things do we see in this passage?  How about in our own lives?  How do those unexpected things point us to theological truths that seem altogether too odd to be true?

Genesis 29.1-30, Mark 9.14-32 - Lectionary for 3/8/10 - Monday, Lent 3

Today's readings are Genesis 29.1-30 and Mark 9.14-32.

We continue in today's reading to see the fruit of sin and deceit.  Jacob thinks he has found true love.  He works for seven years to gain his bride.  Apparently he trusts Laban.  Laban seems to esteem Jacob.  Yet when it comes time to marry Rachel, Jacob the deceiver is himself the deceived.

This is a fact of life.  We are sinned against.  The critical question is how we respond when we are sinned against.  Do we respond with anger, indignation, sorrow, envy, maybe a desire for revenge?  Some of these responses may be appropriate in some limited circumstances.  Yet if we look at ourselves carefully, our response to sin is almost always to sin right back.  Do we start out with righteous anger at someone's sin?  Good.  But then we become angry not because that person has sinned against God but because the person has sinned against us.  We start to want retribution and to think how God's vengeance for sin isn't timely enough.  Or maybe we start to feel self-righteous, saying we would never do what that person did.  Our response to sin is almost always sin.  We are just as capable of sin as those who sin against us.

When we are sinned against we have an opportunity to see that we have need of repentance, just as the person who sinned against us does.  And the good news is that we have a savior, the kind of savior we need, Christ the Lord, who became sin for us.  He became sin not only for those who sin against us, but also for us as we sin right back.  Our Lord has become sin, taking our sin upon himself, the undefiled becoming that which is defilement.  Our Lord has received the full measure of justice at the hand of the Father.  The soul who sins must die, and so God the Son clothes himself in mortality, becomes sin for us, and dies in our place.  Our savior shows us the power of resurrection.  Though sin kills, we are brought to life in Christ.  When we are sinned against, let us look to our mighty savior.

Genesis 27.30-45; 28.10-22, Mark 9.1-13 - Lectionary for 3/7/10 - Third Sunday in Lent

Today's readings are Genesis 27.30-45 and 28.10-22 and Mark 9.1-13.

We see in our Genesis reading today that Jacob is blessed indeed but Esau's "blessing" is a bit more like a curse.  Esau will become a great nation, but he will suffer under the yoke of his brother's rule.  He will strive to break that domination.  

As we think about the kind of life situations we have, sometimes we see that we have difficulties because of general human weakness.  We didn't know something that would possibly have affected one of our decisions, we made the wrong decision and things don't work out well.  Sometimes we have difficulties because of other people's sin.  The decisions others make have a profound influence on our situations.  Sometimes God gives us hard things as a result of our own folly. 

Let's consider the situation of Isaac's family in that regard.  Esau sold his birthright.  He continues to go without it.  He has no claim to primacy because he yielded that claim.  Jacob acted deceitfully in obtaining Esau's blessing.  He has to leave home from fear of retribution.  He leaves behind an alienated family.  Isaac favored Esau in his relationships and thus nurtured strife within his family.  Rebekah favored Jacob in her relationships and thus nurtured strife within the family.  We all are likewise guilty of holding wrong priorities, making foolish decisions, and harming ourselves and our families.  Maybe our sins aren't as obvious as those of Isaac's family, at least not to us, but they are present nonetheless.

Even people who are God's chosen ones, heirs of the promises of God, bring difficulties on themselves and on others.  We all sin.  When we see the fruit of sin, may our Lord drive us to look all the more to Jesus, who has reversed the curse of sin, becoming sin for us, satisfying God's righteous judgment upon sin.

Genesis 27.1-29, Mark 8.22-38 - Lectionary for 3/6/10 - Saturday, Lent 2

Today's readings are Genesis 27.1-29 and Mark 8.22-38.

Our Lord directs his blessing in unexpected ways.  See today how Jacob, the second son of Isaac, the child of the promise, though not literally the first born of Abraham, receives the blessing from his father, blessing him to be the one his brothers will serve.  Jacob, the one whose name means "deceiver" is becoming a channel of blessing to all nations.  He is given this blessing which is so solemn it cannot be revoked by his father.  He is given this birthright which he had earlier deceived his brother into yielding.  He is given promised blessing of God's favor.

Whom do we seek to bless?  Do we always seek the one who seems the most worthy?  Do we seek the one who seems to need it the most?  Do we shy away from some and favor others?  Let us rather ask whom God would bless through us.  May he Lord give us the courage to act as his channel of blessing to whatever person he wishes to bless through us.

Genesis 24.32-52, 61-67, Mark 8.1-21 - Lectionary for 3/5/10 - Friday, Lent 2

Today's readings are Genesis 24.32-52 and 61-67 and Mark 8.1-21.

We see today that Abraham's servant completes his mission.  The Lord has indeed gone before him.  The bride he has selected from Abraham's ancestral household is given to him and to Isaac by her father.  She herself is quite willing to go.  They return and Isaac joins with Rebekah in marriage.

Scripture often compares the marriage to Christ and the Church.  The Church is the bride of Christ.  If we may be so bold as to make an allegory here, let's observe that Rebekah is given over to her husband.  She doesn't spend time toying with him or toying with the idea of whether or not marriage would be a good idea.  When the meet, they marry.  I fear that many people in our modern society have the idea they would like to try out the Christian faith.  Is this not like taking marriage for a "test drive" - what the Bible clearly paints as sexual immorality?  This ought not to be, particularly in matters of the faith.  Certainly Rebekah had familiarity with what marriage was, what would be expected of her, what the blessings would be and what the demands would be.  Likewise it is right that people should be exposed to what life in the Christian Church will be like.  But let's not be so hesitant to expect that people will dedicate themselves to a wholehearted life in the body of Christ.  These are matters of eternal life.  They are not to be toyed with.

Lord, as you prepared Isaac to care for Rebekah, so you yourself care for your body, the Church.  May we see the loving care you exhibit for your people.  May we devote ourselves to you in love and trust.

Genesis 24.1-31, Mark 7.24-37 - Lectionary for 3/4/10 - Thursday, Lent 2

Today's readings are Genesis 24.1-31 and Mark 7.24-37.

As we read in Genesis today we may get the idea that Isaac was not very active in pursuit of a wife.  That's actually a bit of a misnomer.  We should realize that it was really Abraham's job to secure a wife for Isaac.  That's exactly what Abraham sets out to do here.

Much is made today of the kind of search people carry on for a husband or wife.  We often want just the right person.  In fact, many people have such a tendency to want just the right person, to "marry up" and secure a spouse who is good looking, smart, funny, and preferably wealthier than we are, we see a growing population of adults who have not married.  They just haven't been able to find someone good enough.  As they age, marriage becomes more difficult.

What kind of person does Abraham desire for his son, the child of promise?  He desires a woman who is from his clan and who is willing to come and marry Isaac.  That's all?  That's all.  He wants Isaac to have a wife who will be faithful, who understands that Isaac will be her husband, her guard, her guide.  He wants Isaac to have a wife who will be a companion to him and will join with him in bringing God's promised blessing to all people.  Looks are optional.  Wealth is optional.  In the final analysis, Abraham is interested in seeing his son married to someone who will leave home and family and follow Isaac.

Consider the adventure the servant goes on.  He enters into unknown territory.  He doesn't know anyone there.  He is to go and bring back a bride.  Armed with a fleet of camels, presumably a number of other servants, and a bunch of golden gifts, he goes, entrusts himself to the mercy of God, and finds a distant cousin of Abraham on the first try.  God proves to the servant that he will in fact work  to enable the servant to accomplish his task.

What has our Lord placed before us today?  What task has he given us?  Are we ready to look past the cultural hangups we have?  Are we ready to look for the task to be accomplished in God's timing, using our Lord's resources, taking us along for a wild ride?  Are we ready to trudge around town looking for the person who will offer to water our camels for us?  Are we ready to face a task which may bring us defeat and send us home without success, as this servant of Abraham was?  Are we ready to give God the glory for whatever situation he brings us into and whatever outcome he brings about?  Let us rejoice in his provision, in the tasks he has given us, in the opportunities we have to love and serve our neighbors, and in the fact that he actually understands the task truly at hand.

Genesis 22.1-19, Mark 7.1-23 - Lectionary for 3/3/10 - Wednesday, Lent 2

Today's readings are Genesis 22.1-19 and Mark 7.1-23.

We have made a bit of a chronological jump in our reading in Genesis.  When we last saw Isaac he was a newborn.  It is now some fourteen years later.  Abraham, a very old man now, receives another directive from God.  This time he is to believe that the child of promise God has given him, Isaac, is to be sacrificed as a burnt offering.  He is to be an offering to God, given by the hand of his father.  Abraham is to take this child for whom he waited and waited, the child of promise, and give him over to God in a way that runs counter to everything he understands about righteousness.  Human sacrifice wasn't anywhere in Abraham's playbook.  In fact, there are lots of things in this episode which weren't in Abraham's playbook.  Isaac is the child of promise through whom Abraham will have countless offspring.  This was God's promise.  Now God is saying he should kill Isaac, which ends that hope.  Earlier Abraham was as good as dead.  Now he would be again.  God values life.  Abraham values life.  If Abraham kills Isaac at God's command what does this say about their commitment to life?  If God intends to raise up another child of promise, how long is he going to keep Abraham waiting this time?  He's hardly a young man anymore, and his wife is now over a hundred years old.

What is Abraham's action?  We know he takes his son, his only son, to offer him a sacrifice to God.  He realizes that the same Lord who gives promises and fulfills those promises can and will govern everything rightly.  Though he doesn't understand what is happening he is willing to accept God's plan.

At the right moment, just when it was a critical situation, God provided a ram for the burnt offering.  He provided the ram in the thicket to replace Isaac.  And he provided Jesus Christ, his son, his only son, as the perfect sacrifice for sin.  In this, all the nations of the earth are blessed.  

Genesis 21.1-21, Mark 6.35-56 - Lectionary for 3/2/10 - Tuesday, Lent 2

Today's readings are Genesis 21.1-21 and Mark 6.35-56.

Today we see two children who receive promises from God.  The child of promise is Isaac, the promised child of Abraham and Sarah, delivered in their extreme old age.  Yet we also see another promise here.  We see God promising to make a great nation from the child Ishmael.  Counter to Sarah's desire, our Lord cares for even the child who is not the child of promise.  Through the offspring of Abraham all the nations of the world will be blessed, including the Ishmaelites. 

We see here the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior.  Though he could have restricted his death only for the sins of some, only for the children of Abraham, only for those who would believe, he instead gave his life as an atonement not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2).  Jesus, the promised son of Abraham, blesses all nations, including those who were specifically not included among the descendants of Abraham according to the promise.

Salvation really is by grace.  It is not a matter of law.  It is not a matter of human lineage.  It is not a matter of anything but God's grace and the completed work of Jesus on the cross.  How do I know I am a Christian?  Not because I believe well enough, but because I believe Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom for sinners, and I know that I am a sinner.  Here is God's grace and mercy.  Here is the work of the child of promise who blesses all nations.