Abraham and Sarah – Immigrants who learn to live with their neighbours.
Abraham and Sarah are promised that they will possess the land of Canaan, but that doesn’t happen in their lifetimes. They take it on trust. Thye are constantly on the move as they seek good grazing for their large number of animals, but they own no land except one little burial plot after Sarah dies. They are wealthy in worldly terms, and perhaps that makes it easier, but there is still the uncertainty of having little control over where they will be living in 6 months’ time. Let’s consider how Abraham and Sarah got on with their neighbours.
On Sunday we looked at how Abraham bravely took his 318 men and rescued his nephew Lot and all the other prisoners who had been captured when the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah stopped paying tribute to the powerful king who ruled over them (Genesis 14:13-24).
Abraham has just defeated a powerful attacking force. He could have chosen to make himself a king, but he didn’t. He returned to his homebase, and kept nothing of what he had re-captured for himself. He and Sarah make very effort to live at peace with their neighbours, to help them, and not take from them.
When the mysterious Melchizedek , the priest/king of Salem, comes out with bread and wine to bless Abraham, Abraham receives the blessing. Abraham has a slightly different name for the God he serves, but he knows Melchizedek genuinely serves the Creator God. He lives in a multi-faith setting. Without preaching, he points to his God by his integrity and support for others, but actively supports the faith that is common with his neighbours – that there is a creator God who blesses us with life, and this life is a gift that calls us to live at peace, as much as we are able.
Living with integrity, trusting in God to provide, looking to get on with neighbours without dominating or controlling, acting bravely to protect and rescue when needed – I see Abraham and Sarah modelling this for us.
