God Wants a People
In Genesis 11 we find the record of an experiment in community building that did not meet with God's approval. When, after the worldwide Flood, the descendants of the original survivors decided to stick together and build a city with a huge tower in the southern part of what is now Iraq, God was extremely displeased. This was not what God had intended. Yet, in the following chapter—Genesis 12—the idea of community building is once again brought into focus, but now in a very positive sense. God told Abraham (who at that time was still called Abram) that He wanted to form a people whom He would call His own.
What was the major difference between the Tower of Babel initiative at community building and God's plan to make Abraham and his posterity into His people? Compare Gen. 11:1-4 with Gen. 12:1-3.
From the story of the calling of Abraham onward, the Old Testament centers on the experiences of the people of God, their failures and their triumphs. The people of Israel had the mission of making their covenant-God known to all other nations. They were to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. We know how, as a people, Israel failed to accomplish its task. When the Messiah came, He was rejected and killed as a criminal by certain leaders who should have welcomed Him as their Redeemer. At the same time, many remained faithful to the Lord and formed the nucleus of what was to become the Christian church.
Read 1 Peter 2:9, 10. What's the message to us today?
God's New Testament people consist of Jews and Gentiles, of men and women from every nation, tribe, and linguistic group. Like Israel in Old Testament times, they now have the responsibility of teaching others about divine grace. Like Israel of old, they, too, belong to a special community of believers.
| What parallels can you draw between ancient Israel and the church of today? What lessons should we learn from them? What mistakes should we avoid? |
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