The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by John H. Walton

Author:John H. Walton [Walton, John H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006060 Religion / Biblical Commentary / Old Testament
ISBN: 9780310866206
Publisher: HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Published: 2014-04-21T16:37:23+00:00

This is the plight of those who live in a world without revelation. That is why the covenant is so important to us and why the law was such a treasure to Israel. God had spoken. In grace, he condescended to communicate concerning what pleases him and what angers him. We don’t have to guess. He has opened to us his character, his attributes, his heart. How sad it is that the reality of revelation has become so commonplace to us. What a tragedy that we take it for granted. Though we have every reason to revel in the thrill of our eternal destiny, we would be terribly remiss if we failed to realize that greater than the privilege of living forever is that of knowing God because, in the end, our faith is about God, not about us.

We need be wary, however, for in today’s world there are many who seek to neutralize the revelation that we take for granted. From critical scholars who consider the Bible no different from any other ancient literature to the pluralistic demagogues who tell us that one religious book is as good as another, many discount the Bible’s status as God’s revelation. We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that without the Bible, we would know nothing about God.15 It is only through his Word that we learn the extent and nuances of his holiness, his sovereignty, his justice, his faithfulness, his grace, and his love.

Dispensers. Philip Yancey’s book What’s So Amazing About Grace? stands as a powerful call for Christians to view themselves not just as beneficiaries of grace but as agents of grace, dispensers not collectors.16 We were not designed to be cisterns but aqueducts. The covenant not only made Abram and his family recipients of revelation and grace but set them up as agents of revelation and grace. Through them all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Revelation is not unlike other acts of grace in this regard. The grace that God brings into our lives is a grace that should be evident in us as we live lives of grace. As Yancey points out, this means that we should stand ready to forgive as we have been forgiven, to be charitable in our attitudes toward those we disagree with, to exude grace to everyone around us. Unfortunately, most of us would have to agree with him that such grace is often not associated with Christianity.

Mark Twain used to talk about people who were “good in the worst sense of the word,” a phrase that, for many, captures the reputation of Christians today. Recently, I have been asking questions of strangers—for example, seatmates on an airplane—when I strike up a conversation. “When I say the words ‘evangelical Christian’ what comes to mind?” In reply, mostly I hear political descriptions: of strident pro-life activists, or gay-rights opponents, or proposals for censoring the Internet. I hear references to the Moral Majority, an organization disbanded years ago. Not once—not once—have I heard a description redolent of grace.

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