“The God of Abraham. . .and the awe of Isaac”

Genesis 31:53-54

The old scribe who set down in writing for us the Genesis story makes a startling distinction between the religion of Abraham and the religion of Isaac.  He speaks of the “God of Abraham” and the “awe of Isaac.”

The meaning is clear.  These are not two separate deities, but one.  The difference lay not in the God of these two men, but in their relationship with God.  Abraham had a vital religious life which the scriptures describe as a daily companionship with the Eternal God.  For Isaac, Abraham’s son, religion was a pale, colorless thing.  The God with whom Abraham walked and talked was to Isaac a vague, nebulous notion.  Isaac had heard about his father’s God, but he did not know him first hand.  The living God, whom Abraham knew as a burning presence, was to Isaac nothing more than an uneasy dread, an awesome fear.

The scripture lesson for us from this old Genesis story, simply put, is just this:  “Be an Abraham.  Don’t be an Isaac.  Don’t settle for a second-hand religion.  Don’t let anyone fool you into being satisfied with a hand-me-down faith.”

Some things may be economically and wisely acquired second-hand, such as a good, clean, textbook.  “Good as new,” we say, and rightly.  Some articles even bring a premium price just because they are second-hand, like rare Chippendale or Hepplewhite antiques, or a Persian rug of matched and mellowed colors.  But there are some things which, if they come to us second-hand or hand-me-down, are absolutely of no value.  Who wants a second-hand toothbrush?

Religion is one of those commodities, which, if come by second-hand, if entirely hand-me-down in quality, has no value at all.  In fact, second-hand religion is worse than no religion at all.

No matter how much our parents love us and want to do for us, they cannot have a religious experience for us.  No man can have his religion in his wife’s name.  You cannot send a representative for you on a European tour and have her come back and dump in your lap all the beauties of art and architecture she saw, all the wisdom of cultures and philosophies she gleaned, all the joys of human companionship she felt.

Religion is a pilgrimage to be embarked upon, not a pill to be swallowed.  It is an experiment to be worked out in a wonderful laboratory, not a musty old theological proposition to be agreed to.

Oh, it is true that you can be helped by others who have made the journey before you.  They can whet your appetite for the adventure by telling you their exciting experiences. They can help by pointing out dangers to avoid and points of interest not to miss, but you must go yourself – there is no substitute for that.  Parents, teachers, friends in the communion of saints – the congregation of your church – are wonderful helpers.

Yet, one of the horrible outcomes of institutionalized religion – with its educational program, its stated, formal worship services, its committee meetings, and its perfunctory services – is that it has tended to make people believe that religion is a commodity which can be acquired secondhand.  Yes, one of the unpardonable dis-services of organized religion is that it encourages people to feign more than they feel, and to try to traffic in faith as a commodity that can be had second-hand, when it never can.

Soren Kierkegaard suggested that perhaps Isaac’s faith may have been dwarfed in that traumatic experience on Mt. Moriah, when Abraham took his young son, Isaac, with him to offer a sacrifice to God.  Kierkegaard describes that event in these words:  “In the early morning everything was prepared for that never to be forgotten journey.  Abraham bade his wife, Sarah, farewell.  He and his son, Isaac, rode in harmony along the way until they reached Mr. Moriah.  Then Abraham prepared quietly for the sacrifice – calmly and quietly; but when he turned and drew the knife, Isaac saw his left hand was clasped in despair, and a tremor passed through his body, but Abraham drew the knife. But before the knife fell to pierce the terrified boy’s chest, Abraham glimpsed a ram caught by its horns in a thicket, and Abraham quickly caught the ram, substituted the ram for his son, stabbing it, instead of Isaac, as a bloody sacrifice to God.”  So concluded Kierkegaard in his Fear and Tremblings.

Was it Abrahams’ fierce faith that frightened the boy and alienated him from so demanding a God?  Was it thus that henceforth the God of Abraham became the Awe of Isaac?  Pearl Buck testified that the austerity of her father’s religion alienated her from her missionary father and his God.

Or was it that Isaac detected, in the closeness of the father-son relationship, what others less intimate could not see, namely, a wavering of the father’s faith, a despair beneath the outward bluster of belief, a basic insincerity, and so, for Isaac, faith was killed, or reduced to a quiescent formality?

Who can predict the effect on others of the outward motions of our faith – of attraction or revulsion?  Of calling attention to Christ, or to ourselves?  Of striking the note of sincerity or insincerity?

The effect of one generation upon another, of one person upon another, in matters of faith and religion, varies all the way from the fellow who blames his parents for his present disinterest in God because they made him attend church too regularly when he was young, and so turned him against all things religious, to Matthew Arnold who traced his faith to the well-spring of his father’s faith, and in his poem, Rugby Chapel described his father, as the great encourager of young men making the march of faith through the wilderness of the world, “recalling the stragglers, refreshing the out-worn, praising, re-inspiring the brave not to give up but to press on – on to the bound of the waste – on to the City of God.”

But the essential thing for each of us is this, that every one of us must have a faith that is our very own.   Everyone must have his or her own experience of God that is personally and intimately one’s very own, which is not just family tradition, denominational legacy, or mere formal learning.  There is no second-hand religion.

Where may the encounter take place?  Anywhere.  Is a church more likely as the location for this encounter than a gambling casino?  Is prayer the posture for beholding the glory of God more than sitting or walking or running? Would meditating on the stock market reports from Wall Street be more conducive to having a personal encounter with God than studying the Bible with friends or family?

If we are waiting for a surgical operation are we more likely to experience it in a hospital than a hotel?  A person eager to encounter God will go where others say God found them, and best of all, of course, to go again where last God found us.

Remember the example of Jacob, Isaac’s son.  The 35^th chapter of Genesis begins with the significant statement: “And God said to Jacob.” This is the beginning of every event of lasting significance. Thus began creation: “And God said, ‘Let there be light.” Thus began the incarnation: “And God said to Mary.” Thus began the Pauline Apostleship: “And God said, ‘Saul, why persecutest thou me?’”

This is the manner of the personal encounter of God with everyone.  We become conscious that God is speaking to us.

Of course this event recorded in Genesis 35 was not the first time God had spoken to Jacob.  But usually Jacob was responding to so many other stimuli in his consciousness.  For us the telephone is always ringing, the TV soap opera serial is right at its most exciting climax, the big business deal is not quite consummated.

But this time when God spoke to Jacob, Jacob acted in good faith — never mind the interruption – and he obeyed.  Jacob ordered his family to burn the household idols, to pack up, and off they started to Bethel.

And what was Bethel to Jacob?  Oh, Bethel was not so much a geographical location on a map as it was an old familiar psychological plateau, a remembered place of a former spiritual rendezvous.  It was the place and moment and inner reality that marked Jacob’s encounter with the Living God when he, years ago, was on the run from his brother, Esau, whom he had wronged.  Bethel was the place, the moment, when his eyes were opened to the realities of the spiritual world, when he, Jacob, saw the angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth – when God spoke to him and blessed him.  Now, belatedly, Jacob was re-emerging to his life with God.

Of this, I am sure – not until the Holy Spirit of God kindles fire in our souls do we awaken to God’s Presence.  Then we become what Wm. Barclay called “Spirit dipped people.” Then we are dyed through and through with the Spirit of God.  Oh, that our whole life might be soaked in the color of Christian character and this color would be plainly visible in any light or relationship in which we find ourselves.

 

 

PASTORAL PRAYER

O Thou Eternal God, who hast gathered us in this place and art bidding us come to worship Thee for the refreshing of our souls and the glory of Thy Name; Thou knowest with what difficulties we come.  Our fickle thoughts dart here and there.  We are anxious and concerned about many things, yet we acknowledge that Thou are the source of our life, the lover of our souls, our constant defender from all harm both night and day; who healest all our diseases, forgives all our iniquities, who crowned our days with honor, tender mercies, and loving kindness.  O Lord, help us now as we seek to worship Thee.  Hold our wandering thought in reverent attention upon Thy waiting Presence, that we may really present unto Thee our prayers and petitions, which we so gravely need, and Thou are so eager to grant.

For Thy church we pray and our congregation, that Thy Holy Spirit may dwell among us, deepening our spiritual life, perfecting the gifts of Thy grace among us, empowering us for the works of compassion, reclamation and brotherhood that Thou are calling us as a church of Jesus Christ to perform.

For the sick, we pray Thy healing, and the gift of quiet, patient courage.

For the sad, discouraged and bereaved, we ask Thy comfort and such a faith in the unseen, eternal world that they may endure all the losses and trials of this mortal life with steadfast hearts.

For our young people, we pray bright visions of unselfish service and for all those of us who are growing old, assurance that we are loved and needed.

As the people of Thy household we pray these petitions in the name of and for the sake of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen