"You want me to do WHAT, God?!"

Continuing through Genesis the past few mornings... came across this yesterday:
"And God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations... You shall be circumcised... it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.' " (Gen. 17:9, 11)

Because of the differences in cultures, customs, and worldview, we don't get the whole circumcision thing. Paul gives us a lot of insight on what was really going on there in Romans 2 & 4: "Circumcision is a matter of the heart, not outward and physical." (2:28-29), and it was given as a sign and a seal that God had already counted Abraham's faith as righteousness and set him apart as holy (4:10-12)

A few words help me understand this seemingly strange requirement of God to Abraham:

• Permanent - There's no undoing circumcision. No going back. You are all in. And it would remain a constant reminder of the unique covenant relationship God's people enjoyed.
• Personal - It was a 1:1 ratio. Every man had to bear his own part in the ongoing, unfolding redemptive narrative of God's plan. You couldn't be circumcised for someone else! "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:12)
• Painful - Remember, Abraham and his men were adults at this time. Like Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God, "Obedience is costly." The question is "Is it worth the cost?" That's why we call it worship; we are declaring what something is worth by what we are willing to sacrifice (see Gen. 22:12)
• Possession - God wants to set His people apart as His unique and holy treasure. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) Shepherds mark their flocks by cutting a notch or making a unique mark on their sheep so they will be easily identifiable as belonging to their master, even from a distance.

What sets me apart? Can anyone tell a difference? Do they see that I belong to Christ, or do I blend in with the surroundings as indistinguishable? A matter of the heart indeed!

That's a good question...

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9)

What an amazing verse this is! God comes looking for us, knowing full well our rebellion, our faithlessness, our depravity. He doesn't appear in wrath or judgement, but like a tender-hearted Father, he comes looking for his lost children. What a precious and hopeful thought, that even though I hide from Him, He comes looking for me!

Simon Tugwell says, "So long as we imagine that it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about; He is looking for us. And so we can afford to recognize that very often we are not looking for God; far from it, we are in full flight from him, in high rebellion against him. And He knows that and has taken it into account. He has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought finally to escape him, we run straight into his arms. So we do not have to erect a false piety for ourselves, to give us the hope of salvation. Our hope is in his determination to save us, and he will not give in." (Prayer)

You hear the tenderness, the aching heart, in His simple question, "Where are you?" He doesn't ask because He doesn't know. He doesn't need information. He is trying to show us something He already knows but we don't yet realize: that we are far from Him, by our own choosing. He wants us to open our eyes, look around, and answer the question, "Now tell me, what d you see? Where has this gotten you? Do you see where you are?"

And so He pursues. Not to condemn but to rescue. Yes, there are harsh and bitter consequences, but His plan is to reconcile, redeem, ransom, and rescue. And He sets that plan immediately into motion in verse 15, the protoevangelium, the first gospel. He then seals it in blood for the first time of many in verse 21, the first blood sacrifice to cover the sins of man. Every verse of the rest of the Old Testament is a steady march toward the culmination of that plan, ultimately realized in Jesus Christ, the final and only perfect blood sacrifice for our sin. The rest of the New Testament is the story of Himself drawing men, women, boys, and girls from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself through Jesus. The story continues today, and we are all -- all believers everywhere -- a vital part of it with an irreplaceable role to play.

And our story still starts with this question: "Where are you?" The answer to that question can change your life forever.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms: Now online!

I had the distinct honor of speaking to our church again yesterday morning. I am deeply grateful to my lead pastor, Steve Whipple, for making the investment in me and allowing me to develop as a teacher. The message is online here.

It's called a Tale of Two Kingdoms. It's a different take on the Tower of Babel as it sets within the context of the Big Picture. The Bible is One Story - the story of The Kingdom of God. But there is a counterfeit kingdom that opposes God's Kingdom and seeks to overthrow God's authority and forge a name for itself apart form God. Everyone of us, every day, is actively building one of these kingdoms or the other -- the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Self.

Check it out and give me your feedback!