Genesis 12 marks the beginning of the real story of the Bible. Chapters 1-11 are a prologue both to Genesis and to the Bible as a whole. They introduced us to “characters” (not least God – singular and with a capital G) and to the central issue that the Bible addresses. In chapter 12 we are introduced to Abraham, the first of the ancestors of the people God chose. Their story will fill the rest of the Old Testament. But also in Gen 12 we have to recognise what an odd choice God made. The people later on known as the Jews were neither more numerous, powerful, beautiful, clever… than any other people around them, yet God chose Sarah, Abraham and their descendants….

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Photo by FirstBaptistNashville

The first week’s readings covered the prologue to Genesis, the second week covers the Ancestors of Faith, the Matriarchs and Patriarchs of Israel. Here we begin to see the first outlines of God’s plan to restore a world warped and twisted by human sin. We also begin to discover what it means to be “people of faith”.

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The picture caption included this:

ABRAHAM – PROMISE
The first vertical window from the entrance on the north side represents Abraham and promise. Abraham believed God. The winding path of light blue that leads upward is symbolic of the faith of Abraham as he heard the call of God in Ur of Chaldees and went out not knowing where he was going. The green is symbolic of hope. The sword in hand at the bottom of the window tells of the spirit and faith of Abraham when he was willing to offer up his son, Isaac. The touches of red and orange suggest sacrificial fire.