Readings for today: Genesis 17-19
You may be familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous phrase, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” Though he found himself in the midst of a titanic struggle for civil rights in our country, he was confident God was on his side. Bending what humanity intended for evil for the ultimate good. I see a similar dynamic in play when I reflect on the life of Ishmael.
Born of a slave woman. Set aside in favor of another. Cast out of his home to die. Robbed of any inheritance due to the jealousy of another. The odds were stacked against Ishmael. He could easily have perished in an ancient near east context where internecine family rivalries could be fierce and bloody. Furthermore, he was the product of sin. Conceived due to Abram and Sarai’s lack of faith. A potential threat to the covenantal promises of God. As such, he could easily have come under God’s judgment. But the arc of God’s grace is long. The wideness of God’s mercy cannot be measured. The breadth and depth of God’s love cannot be plumbed. So Ishmael is included in God’s blessing. He is given his own set of promises. He will be fruitful and multiply. He will become the father of many tribes. He will become a great nation.
Ishmael is a great example of how God takes even our sinful human choices and bends them to His sovereign will. He can use even our lack of faith at times to bring about his purposes in the world. This is hard for us to understand. We too often believe the lie that there are some choices we cannot come back from. Some decisions that take us past the point of no return. Some sins that are more heinous than others that condemn us to hell. None of it is true. God’s grace is greater than we can possibly imagine. It is greater than our greatest sin. It is greater than worst mistake. It is greater than any horrible decision we may make. It’s why we sing, Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 20-23