Students of intellectual history know that the reason why science took off in Western Civilization during the 1500’s is because of Christianity’s conviction that God is a rational God who communicates to us in ways that He intends for us to understand. Therefore, if it is true that a rational God spoke the universe into existence, as the Bible states in Genesis 1, then it is possible for us to examine it and understand it.
The fruits of the conviction that the universe is the result of divine rational speech are being borne out to this day. Indeed, science describes the coded DNA in every living cell as “language” and the laws governing the universe as “information.” When we look at creation, then, we are literally looking at the thought of God expressed outwardly as His Word: an unavoidable, undeniable, concrete, objective reality that moment by moment makes its presence known to us as we “listen” to it.
So when the Bible describes Jesus Christ as “the Word” who created all things (John 1:1) and who “upholds all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17), it couldn’t be more scientifically relevant.
What, then, is the nature of God’s Word and how do we as believers model God’s Word in this world? The Book of Genesis answers these two questions in its beginning, the story of creation, and in its climax, the story of Judah sacrificing himself for Benjamin.
God’s Word
If there is anything Genesis 1 is about, it is about the veracity and efficacy of God’s Word. The phrase, “And God said…and it was so,” occurs over and over again. The point? Creation reveals to us that God does what He says he is going to do. God’s word must come to pass because God is faithful and omnipotent.
But not only do we learn from Genesis 1 that God does what He says He is going to do, we also learn that what God does in creation as a result of what He says is good. The phrase, “and it was good,” also occurs numerous times in Genesis 1. God’s creation must be good because God Himself is good.
In contrast to Genesis 1 stands the story of the Fall in Genesis 3, which also focuses on the nature of God’s word. Satan tempts Eve by questioning God’s word, “Has God said…?” then contradicting God’s word, “You will not surely die,” and finally by casting doubt on it’s goodness, “For God knows that you will be like Him…”
The result of the Fall is that we now have two narratives in creation at once, the harmony and beauty of God’s word as expressed in the remnants of His original creation mixed with the dissonance and ugliness of Satan’s lies that originated in the Fall.
So the question is, as children of God, how important is keeping our word when it comes to walking with God in this fallen and wicked world, a world that has deeply marred ourselves as well? The answer according to Genesis is, “Extremely important.” In fact, the story of Judah offering himself as a sacrifice for his brother Benjamin near the end of the book is saying that a godly man keeping his word regardless of the consequences is so important that it has the power to change the course of human history.
The Word of a Man of God
The story of Judah offering himself as a substitute to save Benjamin is not only the climax to the story of Joseph and his brothers, which occupies the last 14 chapters in Genesis, but also the climax to the entire book. If the Word of God is critical and responsible for all that we see in creation that is good, then the word of a man of God is also critical and responsible for accomplishing good in a creation that has been marred by sin.
- A Man of God Does What He Says Regardless of the Consequences
Just as Genesis 1 teaches us that God does what He says, so the story of Judah and Benjamin teaches us that a man of God in a fallen world does what He says he is going to do as well, no matter what the consequences are. In Genesis 44, Judah says:
“Your servant guaranteed the safety of the boy to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life! ‘Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord?s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.? (Genesis 44:32-34).
Here, everything hinges on what Judah said to his father and what he does as a consequence. He said that he would guarantee Benjamin’s safety. Then he offers himself in place of Benjamin so Benjamin can go free. The irony is that this is exactly the opposite of what he and his brothers did to Joseph, the very man he unknowingly is talking to.
- When a Man of God Does What He Says, It’s Good
The result of Judah doing what he said he would do? There is a complete and total transformation of the situation. Joseph, who can no longer restrain himself, reveals himself to his brothers, they reconcile and Joseph again sees his father, Jacob.
The parallel, then, is this: God does what He says, a man of God does what he says. When God does what He says, it’s good. When a man of God does what he says, it’s good too.
So in men’s ministry, we stress the keeping of our word in any covenant relationship, such as marriage and family. And in men’s team ministry, we stress the keeping of our word in our commitment to their widowed and single parents – part of our New Covenant relationship with God and with our fellow believers. What we say, we do. When we do what we say, it’s good.
How has God tested you when it comes to keeping your word?
This post originally appeared in NewCommandment.org.
_______________________________________________________________
Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
_______________________________________________________________
