Knowing God

So Abraham called that place, The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided. Genesis 22:14

How could Abraham know the character of God? I guess the question becomes even more pressing when you think about the gods HE would have known about having lived in the land of Ur. The land of Ur was a rough place to be in terms of the gods/people relationship. They had lots and lots of gods- rain gods, moon gods, goddesses of fertility-and all those gods required human blood and human sacrifice and well, lots of temple prostitution. Usually children and infants were given to the gods to fulfil these requirements. So again, how could Abraham possibly know the character of THIS God? Was THIS God mean? Was He passive? Was He angry? Did He require lots of good deeds? Lots of bad deeds? How could one know?

It seems to me that God had an invested interest in letting Abraham know exactly His character. When Abraham sold his off wife not once, but TWICE, God showed Abraham that He was merciful and willing to save Abraham from his own short-sightedness (and, cough, stupidity). When Sarah laughed at the angels for saying that she was going to have a child, God showed them that He is a God with a sense of humor, ie: instead of smiting them for laughing at the messengers, He told them to name their son “Laughter.” When Abraham and Sarah took baby matters into their own hands by having Abraham hook up with Hagar, God showed kindness to Hagar by giving her food and water in the desert and STILL followed through with His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son. But somehow Abraham just didn’t quite get it. Abraham says to God, “Far be it from you to rain destruction down on the righteous as well as the wicked. Far be it from you. Will you do what is right?” This is a challenge. Who is so bold as to challenge God to “do what is right?” Who questions the fundamental goodness of God?

So then God pulled the ultimate reversal. He becomes an actor, a playwright. He told Abraham to sacrifice his son…just like those gods and goddesses from Ur. God takes on what appears to be the role of all those other gods that Abraham had known in the past. And then. Just at the crucial moment, God steps in and says “Wait…I’m not that kind of God. I am the God that provides for YOU. You don’t provide for me.” A huge, dramatic gesture that flips Abraham’s ideas of God upside down.

This is an essential understanding. God is letting US know the essence of his character. He is a God that accepts us, that gives us everything we have. HE provides the way for us to know Him. It is not my sacrifices, nor my commitments to do good and be friendly, nor my determinations to talk less and stop biting my fingernails that qualify me to know Him.

I feel like this is something that is said a lot- the general message that it is by grace we are saved. But really, it’s hard for me to internalize. I still write my lists about how to be a better person and I kinda worry that God doesn’t like me very much because I was wretchedly vindictive and petty the other day. I mean today. And yesterday. And the day before that. But again, He is the one that provides for me. I can only stand before Him with my hands open and empty.

Holy God, help me to trust you. Help me to keep my eyes open to where you are working and to move forward with humility and love.