CHRISTIANS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
Genesis 21:22–34
Introduction
One of the
great debates consuming our society today is the debate over the separation of
church and state. The debate finds its source in a statement made by Thomas
Jefferson in the 1800s concerning the “wall of separation.” Some argue that the
“wall of separation” Jefferson referred to when he wrote to Baptists in
Connecticut was the separation between church and state. Others argue Jefferson
was referring to the “wall of separation” between the federal government and
state governments.[1] Needless to
say, today we have many people spending a great deal of energy to keep the
sacred with the sacred and the secular with the secular.
The
problem often found in church and state relations is how the two view one
another. When it comes to the secular, Christians often have the perspective of
the government as an evil empire. This perspective is often generated by what
the Scriptures declare about the secular government. On one hand, you have the
state being described as controlled by demonic powers. The apostle Paul said,
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In the book of
Revelation we find the godless government at its worst destined for
destruction.[2]
On the other hand, the Scriptures clearly declare the government in a positive
light. The apostle Paul tells us the government is ordained and authorized by
God and Christians are to obey the authorities of the secular government for
that very reason (Romans 13:1–7).
Here is
the reality of this seeming contradiction. God established the secular government
and at times it will function as God intends, but at other times it functions
as God never intended. The secular government is much like the sacred church.
The church, also established by God, at times functions as a blessing to all,
but at other times the God-established church acts like the devil and brings
misery on many.[3]
With all
this said, how do we as Christians make a difference in a secular society? How
do we impact the secular with the sacred? How do we keep ourselves from one
extreme of isolationism and the other extreme of secularism? The last thirteen
verses of Genesis 21 give us some great insight into answering these questions.
In these
verses we have two characters, Abraham and Abimelech. This is not the first
time we have met Abimelech in our study of the life of Abraham. In Genesis 20
we were introduced to Abimelech on account of the foolish actions of Abraham
and Sarah. They lied to Abimelech about their marital situation, putting
Abimelech under the judgment of God. The meeting of the two in these next
verses is quite different from that first meeting.
The
meeting of Abraham and Abimelech is significant to answering the questions that
have been proposed because you have a patriarch and a prince meeting together.
The sacred and the secular come together for the purpose of good. They come
together in the form of a covenant, an oath taken between two parties. The
situation presented in these verses enables Christians to see how we can truly
make a difference in our community. It enables us to see how we can participate
in the secular without losing the sacred. If Christians as individuals and as a
church body are going to make a difference in our community, then we must first
earn respect by means of our experience with God.
Earn Respect by Means of Your Experience with God
We
see this truth demonstrated in verse 22. “Now it came about at that time that
Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, ‘God
is with you in all that you do.” The period of time between Abraham and
Abimelech’s first meeting is debatable. Roughly three to four years have
passed, enough time for Abraham and Sarah to conceive and bear a child. During
this period Abimelech was able to observe the life of Abraham. Abimelech
witnessed Abraham experience God in his life, and it gave him reason to respect
Abraham.
Abimelech first
recognized the hand of God upon Abraham back in Genesis 20. Abraham had
deceived Abimelech and put him in a dangerous situation, but the Lord spoke to
Abimelech in a dream and warned him about Sarah. He also said to Abimelech that
Abraham was a prophet.
The second time
Abimelech was aware that the Lord’s hand was upon Abraham was after he
confronted Abraham concerning his sin. After Abimelech restored Sarah back to
Abraham, Abraham prayed for Abimelech and the Lord heard Abraham’s prayer and
healed the plague that had come upon Abimelech’s household. Without a doubt
these two instances gave evidence to Abimelech that Abraham had an experience
with God and that God was with him. I also imagine that over the three or four
years that Abimelech watched Abraham live and witnessed how God blessed Abraham
that he knew with surety that God was with him in all that he did.
The experience Abraham had with God
would earn him respect and esteem from the pagan king Abimelech. This is
especially interesting when you realize that of all people, Abimelech had every
reason to disrespect Abraham. Abraham lied to Abimelech and jeopardized his
life and the life of his family, and Abraham accused him of having no fear of
God. All of these things could have cultivated a deep disrespect for Abraham.
Abimelech could have said Abraham was nothing but a hypocrite who acted worse
than he did.[4]
But God restored Abraham, and God was with Abraham and blessed him in
everything he did. The very presence of God earned Abraham respect with the
secular ruler. As with Abraham, the evident presence of God in our daily life
is by no means a liability in the arena of the secular. Instead, it is an asset
that can earn us respect and favor with those who live without God.
A good
illustration of this truth is found in the book of Acts. After Pentecost and
Peter’s great sermon, many people were saved. The church was unified, they met
each other’s needs, and they worshipped the Lord every day. The church was
“praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47). God’s presence
was upon them, which resulted in favor with all the people. Believers and
unbelievers alike respected and esteemed the church on account of God’s
presence, on account of the experience with God that the early church had. The
writer of Proverbs confirms this truth. “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the
Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
Eugene Patterson’s contemporary paraphrase of this verse says, “When God
approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.”[5]
Does the public
notice that God is with you in all that you do? Have you earned the respect of
those around you because your life is pleasing to God? When God is with us and
the world notices, even the enemies of God will respect us. If we are going to
make a difference in our community, then we must earn respect by means of our
experience with God.
Find Common Ground to Work On
The
next thing that will help us make a difference in our community is somewhat of
a tall order. If we are going to make a difference in the secular, then we, the
“sacred,” must find a common ground to work on with those who are the secular.
Why is this a tall
order for Christians? We often have the mindset that if we don’t agree totally,
then there is no common ground to work on. This is demonstrated well within
Christendom with the many different denominations, which illustrates that we
don’t agree on all points. But it does not mean that we, the body of Christ,
cannot find a common ground to work on with other churches.
When, for example, the Billy Graham
Crusades visit a city, churches and individuals from all around the state and
from all different denominations unite on a common ground, the gospel of Jesus
Christ as the only means of being saved. It is possible for churches to find
common ground with other churches for the purpose of glorifying the Lord. In
the same manner it is possible for Christians to unite with the secular on
common ground for the purpose of good. Abraham and Abimelech demonstrate this
truth in Genesis 21:23–26.
“Now therefore,
swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my
offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown
to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.”
Abraham said, “I swear it.” But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the
well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. And Abimelech said,
“I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of
it until today.”
In these verses we see at least two
matters of interest for both parties, which provided a common ground for both
of them to work on: peace and justice.
Peace
The first
matter of mutual interest for both parties is that of peace.[6] Abimelech’s request to Abraham was a
request for a peaceful relationship between the two, since they were to coexist
in the same region. Most likely the request was made out of Abimelech’s
self-interest and self-preservation. A little insight is given in verse 22
where it says that “Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham.” The
presence of the commander of Abimelech’s army indicates that Abimelech viewed
Abraham as a mighty force to be reckoned with. He most likely heard about how
Abraham was able to defeat the powerful kings and rescue Lot (Genesis 14). He
also noticed how the Lord blessed him with prosperity and protection. He knew
that Abraham and his God made one powerful team. Therefore, he would seek a
covenant, a treaty between the two, that ensured peace.
Abraham
responded to Abimelech’s request with a mutual interest for peace when he said,
“I swear it” (v. 24). This is not the first time that Abraham made a peaceful
alliance with pagan kings. He did the very same thing back in Genesis 14 when
he was staying in the oaks of Mamre. Peace was a praiseworthy cause, common
ground that the two could work on together.
Jesus
said in his great sermon on the mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called sons of God.” God’s people should be advocates for peace within
the secular government. One of the greatest testimonies that we have as
Christians is to show a sinful and divided world that we can achieve peace if
we work at it.[7] Of course,
if the church is going to have any credibility regarding peace, then we need to
begin to cultivate it within the church. Another area that would provide a
common ground for prince and pagan to work on is found in Abraham’s complaint
to Abimelech.
Justice
While Abraham has
Abimelech’s ear, he voices a complaint concerning a certain issue in verse 25.
“But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the
servants of Abimelech seized.” The verb complained means to “determine what is
right.”[8]
Abraham pleaded for justice, for that is what justice is all about,
“determining what is right.”
One cannot have
true peaceful relations without justice.[9]
Here lies the second matter of mutual interest that the two could agree on: to
do what is right. Abimelech, in an indirect way is going to acknowledge the
injustice and do the right thing. “I do not know who has done this thing; you
did not tell me, nor did I hear about it today” (v. 26). Abimelech pleaded
ignorance in the situation, but he corrected the situation once it was made
know to him. We know this to be true not because the text tells us directly,
but because Abraham and Abimelech followed by cutting a covenant between them.
Christians and the
secular government can come together in matters of determining what is right.
Justice is a form of morality, and Christians can find different aspects of
morality that are of mutual interest to both the Christian and the state. In a
Christian magazine article concerning Christians in politics, the author
stated that Christians and the state could find a common ground in the areas of
common morality, civil morality, and social morality.
Christians are
aliens in a foreign land, just like Abraham in this text, but that does not
mean that we cannot come together with those of this world for praiseworthy
purposes. In fact, we must find a common ground to work on if we are truly
going to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But there is a
warning to our involvement that is revealed in this text. We need to find
common ground without compromising our character or principles.
Don’t Compromise Your Character or Your Principles
It is one
thing to find common ground in secular society for the purpose of good, but
Christians must not find that common ground by compromising their character or
their principles.
Character
Within
these verses we have a subtle rebuke of the foolish actions that Abraham took
in Genesis 20 when Abraham deceived Abimelech by telling him that Sarah was his
sister and by omitting the fact that she was his wife. Abraham lied to save his
neck. The fact that Abimelech had to ask for an oath from Abraham indicated
that he lacked trust in Abraham. In Genesis 21:23 Abimelech says, “Now
therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or my
offspring.” We can see from Abimelech’s words that he did not trust Abraham.
Abimelech knew that God was with Abraham and that God had restored him
after his foolish deception, but he also knew that Abraham was capable of
deceit. Therefore, he asked Abraham to swear by God that he would not deal
falsely with him. This is a significant rebuke to Abraham. This statement on
the part of Abimelech is also significant for God’s people and their need to
maintain a godly character.
Professing Christians have high expectations from the world. The secular
expect God’s people to be people of integrity, people of character. Even more
importantly, God expects his people to have integrity and good character.
People should be able to trust God’s people on account of their character. When
former President Clinton ran for office, he was questioned about his character
and he responded, “Character is not the issue.” I disagree. Our credibility
before a secular world is established through our integrity and character. Find
common ground to work on, but don’t in any way compromise your character and
integrity.
Principles
Just as
important to our character are our principles. In fact, if you compromise your
principles you in essence compromise your character. We can find common ground
to work on, but not at the expense of the beliefs that we hold and cherish. We
must be in the world, but not of the world. To maintain this position as God’s
people in the community we must realize that we will need to go our separate
ways on many issues on account of our principles.
After
Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant, and Abraham named the place Beersheba,
we are told in verse 32, “So they made a covenant at Beersheeba; and Abimelech
and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the
Philistines.” Though the patriarch and the pagan found common ground to work
on, their separation reveals that they were two men and two ways.[10]
The same
is true of the church. We may find common ground to work on with a secular
society, but the truth still remains—we are different from the world. We have
different priorities, different purposes, and yes, different principles than
the world. Therefore, there will be issues that divide, issues in which the
church must rise up and declare, “Thus says the Lord.”
The world
says, “It’s a choice.” God’s people say, “It’s a life.” The world says, “It’s
an alternative lifestyle.” God’s people say, “It’s sinful.” The world says, “It
will help the economy and education.” God’s people say, “It will destroy lives
and families.” The church has a
higher calling, a calling to proclaim the righteousness and justice of a holy
God. Our first responsibility is not to the authorities of the world, but to
the one who has the authority over the world—Jesus Christ. There are times when
God’s people must tell the world, “We must obey God before we obey man.” We
must find common ground to work on, but not at the expense of our character and
our principles.
Never Forget Your Ultimate Purpose
As God’s
people get involved with the secular to make a difference, we must never forget
our ultimate purpose. We strive for peace and justice with the secular world
for a purpose and that purpose is revealed in the actions of Abraham. “Abraham
planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the
LORD, the Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33).
Abraham
does two things in this verse: he plants a tree and he calls on the name of the
Lord. Here we have a name for God that shows up for the first time in the
Bible. The Hebrew name for God here is “El-Olam.” In Genesis 14 the Lord was
called “El-Elyon,” which means “God Most High.” In Genesis 17 the Lord was
called “El-Shaddai,” which means “God Almighty.” Now, the Lord is called
“El-Olam” which means the “Eternal God,” or the
”Everlasting God.” In planting the tree and calling upon the Lord Abraham did two things that reveal the ultimate purpose of God’s people. Abraham worshipped and witnessed. He proclaimed the truth of the one true God, who is God Most High, God Almighty, and Eternal God.
”Everlasting God.” In planting the tree and calling upon the Lord Abraham did two things that reveal the ultimate purpose of God’s people. Abraham worshipped and witnessed. He proclaimed the truth of the one true God, who is God Most High, God Almighty, and Eternal God.
The tree
was a reminder of the covenant, but it was also a statement of faith that God
would protect his well. The tree would be a constant reminder of God’s
provision of water from that well. By planting the tree Abraham was telling the
whole world about the Lord—El-Olam and his faithfulness.
As
Christians involved in the secular world we must not forget our ultimate
purpose to be a witness of El-Olam to the world. But we don’t have to plant a
tree to declare the faithfulness of God because God planted the tree for us.
God planted a tree on place called Calvary, a tree that revealed his love and
faithfulness to humanity. Christians must remember that we must point a secular
and dying world to a tree called Calvary. Kings and kingdoms will all pass
away, but only what is done for Christ and his kingdom will last forever.
When
George Briggs was governor of Massachusetts, he had three friends who visited
Israel. One of the attractions they visited was Golgotha. As they made their
way up Calvary’s slope, one of the men picked up a branch to help him make the
climb. When the men returned from their trip, they gave the governor the stick
they had picked up on Calvary and said, “Governor, we want you to know that
when we stood on Calvary, we remembered you.” He accepted the gift with
gratitude and replied to the men, “I appreciate your consideration of me,
gentlemen, but I am still more thankful for Christ, who thought of me there.”
The
greatest difference that Christians can make in our community is to point
people to the tree of Calvary. The greatest impact we can have on a community
for God is to proclaim the truth of Christ in a world that so desperately needs
him. The body of Christ as a whole and individually can make a difference.
First, we must earn respect by means of our experience with God. God’s presence
in our life is an asset. Then we must find common ground to work with the
secular, a common ground that does not cause us to compromise our character or
our principles. We must remember the ultimate purpose of God’s people: to point
people to Jesus, who can make all the difference in a community.
[1] David
Holwick, Holwick’s Sermon Data Base. (This story came from Chuck
Colson’s Ministry.)
[2] Boice 669.
[3] Boice 669.
[4] Boice 669.
[5] Eugene H.
Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado
Springs: NavPress Publishing Group, 2002).
[6] Boice 661.
[7] Boice 672.
[8] Waltke 299.
[9] Boice
673–674.
[10] Boice 674.
