Abram is a generous man.
He offered his nephew Lot first choice of grazing land in order to avoid
continuing quarrels with their herdsmen that would surely become a more
significant problem. The Lord had
blessed Abram and Lot and they had materially prospered. Lot chose the better portion but the Lord
promised to Abram that all he could see would be given to his descendants in
the future. This was the land that, five
hundred years later, would be described as flowing with milk and honey. The Lord also promised that Abram’s
descendants would be like dust they would be so numerous (remember that this
was the problem that prompted Pharaoh to enslave the Israelites, they were becoming
too numerous). Abram builds altars where
God makes promises. He worships based on
the promise, not on the fulfillment of the promise. He believes God can and will do as He
promises.
Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment in a very
Gentile, even pagan area. This is the
only time we see Jesus using this particular method to heal, fingers in the
ears and spitting. Why did he do these
things and why, in this instance does he take the man away privately? It would seem that both the actions Jesus
performs indicate what will be healed.
The ears and the mouth will be opened and sure enough that is what He
proclaims to effect the healing, “Be opened.”
None of these things would have
been necessary but they were signs of what he was going to do. The result is that the man receives not only
healing but wholeness. We can understand
that someone could immediately hear, healing the speech impediment immediately
is quite another matter. Reproduction of
sounds never before heard is an acquired talent. The people recognize that something truly
remarkable has happened through Jesus, they are astonished. What else could they feel? Like the woman at the well, Jesus has gone to
the nations for a sign to all people.
Paul gives an accounting of the acceptance of his ministry
by the apostolic band in Jerusalem. He
has been gone from the city quite a long time and returned there not for
validation but to meet with them. Paul
is no particular respecter of persons, believing that, likewise, God is not
either. He speaks of those who seemed like
pillars and those who seemed influential but this mattered not to him. He didn’t crave their acceptance, he simply
informed them of his ministry. In some
ways we can see a comparison with Abram and Lot, the apostles had chosen to
remain in the city and minister among the Jews and Paul had been chosen to
labor among the Gentiles and an itinerant ministry. He reports back to the Gentiles that those in
Jerusalem concur with his message and his ministry. Like Abram, God has given Paul an enormous
territory.
How firm a foundation,
ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
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