Israel’s family history is one with a sketchy past. Deceit, manipulation, lack of trust, and outright rebellion are just a few characteristics - many of which can be seen in the man whom the entire nation would be named after. Jacob, is later renamed Israel, grasps for what was not his while his twin brother lets it all go for fleeting satisfaction. And yet, though these two brothers lived thousands of years before us, they not only tell the story of Israel but the story of humanity.
God just won’t give up on His plan to partner with humanity as His representatives to care for creation. He chose a man, Abram, to grow a family which would build a nation in order to bless the rest of the world. Abram didn’t always come through on his end of the partnership. Neither would his descendants. But there would be one who would come as a descendant of humanity and of God Himself, who would uphold both ends of the partnership, and take on the bloody consequence of those who broke it.
The story of the flood is not a cutesy children’s tale with animals and a boat. It’s a horrific, tragic, true story. Yet, on the other side of the chaotic waters, it is also a true story of hope and restoration. Join us as we look at this story and try to tackle some of the difficult questions it brings up.
This week's gathering was a little different as the realities of Covid forced us to all meet via Zoom. Please excuse the recording quality and the tone which was much more teaching and discussion than sermon.
God created some great potential in small beginnings, and called humanity to partner with Him in making it all flourish. How has humanity done with this partnership?
We begin a 40 week series through the entire True Story of Scripture, starting at the very beginning. Back in the day, God made everything up there and down here. He made order in the midst of chaos and placed life in the space where it could flourish. Then He appointed a particular creature, humans, to care for all of it.
As we try to realign our hearts to the True Story of the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, we are reminded of our true identity in Jesus. We are a family of missionary servants, learning to follow Jesus. Or, to put it another way, we are a community of God’s people, learning to live in God’s ways, for the sake of our city.
The Bible tells one cohesive story from Creation to Restoration - and it is the True Story of the whole world. God, the Creator of the world, is the main character of this story. But this God existed even before the story began. We may not be able to know everything about this God, but by His love and grace, we can know God.
Perhaps you've heard this story before. The story of the virgin who gives a miraculous birth to a baby. The baby who would one day die and miraculously rise again. But this story is miraculous not only because of what happens, but because of why it happens. God has come to save His people, and to be with us.
Finally, after centuries of waiting, longing, and hoping, a miraculous birth occurred among the people of Israel. Well, not the one you're thinking of. At least, not just yet. Before Jesus was born, his cousin John was. Have you ever stopped to question why? Why did a regular human need to come and prepare people for the true perfect Son to come? Then again, why has God chosen to partner with humanity all throughout history?
Since the very beginning of the true story of the world, God's people have been waiting for the coming of their Rescuer. In the garden, a promise was given that he would one day come. And not only would he come from some far off place, but God would use the man and woman themselves to partner with his coming. All these years later, we have both seen him come and we wait again for him to return. We are a people of advent.
It all boils down to this: will you trust God?
This was what God wanted from His people from the very beginning - and it's His complaint to His people at the very end of the Old Testament. They have not trusted Him. They have not been an obedient son. Yet, God gave them a promise that a better Son was coming to serve the Father perfectly, on their behalf.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God. The second goes with it - to love others. In the message from Malachi, God had addressed first how Israel has not loved Him, then He went on to address their lack of love toward one another. They had not loved their own wives and families well, and that lack of concern for others spilled out to other parts of the community as well; the orphans, widows, and foreigners. All of this stemmed from their apathy toward God and His ways. How could they turn back to God and His love? Better yet - How can you and I deal with our own apathy toward God and His ways?
Malachi is the last prophetic book of the Old Testament, before a 400 year period of silence, until finally another prophet named John would come to get everyone ready for the coming Messiah.
In these parting words from the Lord, He reminds the people through Malachi that He has loved them, that He still loves them, and that He will always love them. But where is there love and honor for Him? Their hearts have grown cold. Their worship apathetic. As we hear these words spoken to Israel long ago, do we also find a message that can be spoken to us today?
Jonah seemed to repent in chapter two. But is it possible to repent of your repentance? Don’t you and I do that all the time? Have you ever been sorry for your sin only to find yourself doing it again?
In chapter 3, God tells Jonah once again to go to Nineveh. This time he actually does, but it seems like he does the bare minimum required for the job. He barely goes into the city and preaches the only part of God’s message he likes - the part about Nineveh’s destruction. Yet, somehow God still uses Jonah’s actions and brings rescue to the great city of Nineveh. They humble themselves before God and recognize His power over them, and in His graciousness, He saves them.
Vomit. Giant sea creatures. Repentance. This tale has it all.
What seemed like certain death was actually God's saving grace when Jonah was swallowed up by the big fish. 3 days and 3 nights in the dark belly of the beast, Jonah had time to reflect and turn from his foolishness (even if temporarily). Then, at that moment God breathed new life into Jonah - or in this case, vomited new life.
Thankfully a better prophet came into the world who also descended into the dark belly of the beast of death on our behalf... but not because he was running from God, but because he was obedient to Him. Then on the third day he rose again (not from vomit this time). Now we can have new life breathed into the dark belly of the beast of our sin.
The book of Jonah has often been relegated to a children's story about a whale. But Jonah's story is the story of Israel. It's the story of God's people. It's the story of you and I... and more importantly, it's the story of the God who relentlessly pursues His people.
Why do we run from this God? You and I do it too, not just Jonah. What is your boat to Tarshish? Why do we look to so many other false hopes in the midst of the storm of our life? God is the only one who can calm the storm, as He enters into the storm on our behalf.
