Ministry of Love

The intention of this blog is to share Biblical messages at least on a weekly basis. Any response is appreciated. I do not expect everyone to agree with my interpretation of Biblical passages. I will try to respond with love and thoughtfulness.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Musings: 6/4/08; Moving by JAH

We are approaching the date we are to move across the state, and it is such a problem! Moving is enough to make a person sick if they have to do a lot, or most of the moving themselves. That brings Abraham to mind. His father Terah left Ur of the Chaldeans to go Canaan with two of his three sons and their wives. His son Haran was deceased. Since Genesis 12:1 says that God had already spoken to Abram and told him to go to "the land I will show you." It is likely that was Terah's reason for moving. Abram was not called Abraham until Genesis 17:5 when God promised him Sarai would become a mother, and he would be "Father of many nations." That's what Abraham means. Abraham was 99 years old when God changed his name, and one hundred when Isaac was born.

Back to the move. Abraham couldn't call a moving van, or rent a U Haul, or Penske truck like we can. Besides that, he had to move all of his sheep, camels and whatever other livestock he possessed. Family ties were strong, and apparently he felt responsible for his nephew Lot, so Lot's family and everything he possessed had to move with him.

What would be maybe an hour's trip for us today took weeks probably, and every time they stopped they had to unpack their tents, put them up, and then take then down and repack them when they started again. We have "pop-up" tents today, but theirs were made with hefty wood frames and were covered with several layers of hair-covered animal hides. I'm sure water was scarce at that time as it is today. They had to provide water for all their livestock as well as people. Their nomadic existence was unbelievably hard.

They didn't complain about the drudgery of moving because God had made a promise to Abraham and Sarai, later called Sarah. Hebrews 11: 10 says they were looking for "the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

Can my wife and I face another move with that same faith? Yes, we can. We're looking beyond this life in the flesh to a new life in heaven with Jesus and our heavenly Father in a "city whose architect and builder" is God. It won't happen immediately, but the trip to get there is worth all that we are or have.

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