6 February 2010
Psalm 75, 76; Gen. 24:28-51; Heb. 12:12-29; John 7:14-36

The servant is determined to tell his story and complete his mission. In this one passage we hear the story of how Rebekah came to be the wife of Isaac two more times. It is important that she is an answer to prayer, that as God has provided a son for Abraham, so has He provided a wife for that son. Now, Abraham and all those who read this story will know that God’s will was being done in all the events of the lives of the patriarchs. It was not only important to Abraham that his son not marry one of these Canaanites, it was also important to God. The story is remarkable in that the servant’s prayer was decisively answered in Rebekah. Even her brother Laban cannot find a word to speak in response to the story, a truly remarkable thing as we will see later.

His teaching gets their attention but their questions continually relate to his origins. Where did He get this learning since we know He didn’t study with any of the rabbis? How can he be Messiah when we know where He comes from and His parents? What Jesus was saying and doing should have been their focus and it appears that some did see these things and believe, but the leaders and many others miss what is in front of them. What they know or think they know is the problem. Jesus is clear that His purpose isn’t to make a name for Himself here but to glorify the Father. It continually amazes me that Jesus doesn’t bother to correct people when they assume they know something that is wrong. He doesn’t defend Himself against their mistaken assumptions, He simply continues the work.

Jesus is the firstborn, the only begotten, and like Abel, was put to death because His sacrifice was found acceptable by God in a way that Cain’s was not. God told Cain to deal with the sin that was crouching at his door as it wanted to have him and in the end sin won out. The writer here tells us that we are not passive in our spiritual lives either, he encourages action in order to grow and it is clear that we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must resist sin and temptation but we have the Holy Spirit in us to enable us to resist. He also speaks of the tension between God as consuming fire and also in the love of God in sending His Son to die for us. We must not lose that tension in our understanding of Him, His holiness remains unapproachable, we must continue to treat Him with fear and awe but know that His love also desires us to come near the throne, but only by virtue of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.