Day 7

Genesis 16:1-18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 2:1-5

God’s Chosen People

I grew up with comic books: Superman, Batman, Silver Surfer, and the Fantastic Four. Of course, I also knew the names of Bible characters, and also bits and pieces of their stories. I did not read the Bible for myself, so I assumed the characters in the Bible were analogous to the characters in comic books: courageous, controlled, noble, and prudent.  What a surprise I got as an adult, when I began to read the Bible for myself! Our Bible is no comic book! The characters in our Bible are nothing like the characters in the comic books!

We are now reading the story of Abraham, and we have heard his name so often—in sermons and Sunday lessons, in hymns and folk songs—we are apt to imagine Abraham to be some sort of ideal man, a superhero of faith. Indeed, he is the father of our faith, but Abraham is no superhero! The Bible describes this man as a long-suffering and hen-pecked husband, often vacillating, sometimes cowardly. He is the father of our faith, but not because of the virtues he held. Abraham became the father of our faith because the LORD God enlisted him in the plan of salvation.

God’s “chosen people” are not chosen for their virtues, but only for their willingness to be used by God.

The Rev. Kevin Holsapple

Similar Posts

  • Betrayed!

    ByBibleChallenge

    Day 40 Exodus 29:1‐30:10; Matthew 26:14‐46; Psalm 31:19‐24; Proverbs 8:14‐26 Betrayed! It is difficult to imagine the level of betrayal Jesus experienced from Judas. In today’s reading from Matthew, a few short words tell us the gravity of his betrayal. Only Matthew tells us the price for betrayal – the infamous thirty pieces of silver….

  • Mocker or Wise Man?

    ByBibleChallenge

    Day 44 Exodus 35:10‐36:38; Matthew 27:32‐66; Psalm 34:1‐10; Proverbs 9:7‐8 Mocker or Wise Man “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;    rebuke the wise and they will love you.” – Proverbs 9:8 Unfortunately, here is a verse from Proverbs that stings. It is so very easy to throw a retort at someone who criticizes….

  • God Knows Better

    ByBibleChallenge

    Day 184 2 Kings 22:3-23:30; Acts 21:37-22:16; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 18:11-12 God Knows Better It seems like the stories of prophets and evangelists throughout Scripture often share a common theme. They usually display some sort of pride stemming from the idea that they know how things “should be.” All have some sort of encounter with…

  • What Price, Redemption?

    ByBibleChallenge

    Day 61 Leviticus 25:47‐27:13; Mark 10:32‐52; Psalm 45:1‐17; Proverbs 10:22 What Price, Redemption? In the early history of the United States, we faced the blemish of slavery. Men, women, and children were sold as property to wealthy landowners. Even before slavery there were those who escaped persecution and came to the colonies as “indentured servants,”…