Tuesday, 15 March, 2005

Text: Galatians 3:15-18

Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person's will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offspings," as of many; but it says "And to your offspring." that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is this; the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise, For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.

I have always found this to be an interesting argument. Paul seems to make a major jump to put into the text about Abraham the notion of the Seed being Christ. But then, he makes no jump at all when he uses the legal example. The promise to Abraham was a one sided covenant. God will do this(period). God will make the people. God will bless. God will grant an inheritance to the seed of Abraham(period). That was followed in time by the "law" - another type of covenant that calls an agreement between two parties, in this case a "lord" and "lessers." The most important argument Paul is making is that since the Abrahamic covenant was first, it stands. The way we see the law is that it is given for the welfare of the "chosen" people. It is not the vehicle for salvation or making ones life right before God so as to be welcome before God. Paul is urging his friends to stay grounded in the promise he see coming through Abraham and now available to all people - even the traditiona outsiders - Gentiles.

Connection: God's promise - is everlasting. Nothing will come up in this day to say that it will no longer be the steadfast rule among us. We are surely called into a "holy" life today...but it is always in grateful response to the original promise of "God for us."

O God of promise and promise keeping, in Christ you sent your promise for life out into the whole world. We are recipients of that promise through Christ and we now live in the assurance of your gift of life. Let you Holy Spirit inspire us to see the people around as just such recipients of your grace. May our lives reflect the promise as we dance in this day in your name. Amen.