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Updated: Jun 21, 2022
We often refer to God as Father, and perhaps miss out on some of what the early authors of the Bible had in mind. In a sense God is the Father of all as the creator, but passages like (Isa. 63:16–17) link the idea of God as Father to the one who redeems His of the covenant people, and forgives their sins. It denotes a special relationship.
To redeem means to compensate for the faults or bad aspects, gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment. It is possession through payment.
To restore, on the other hand, is a process of perfecting - to bring something back to it's original state.
God is committed redeeming and restoring! The narrative in the Bible is all about God redeeming and restoring, bringing tov back to his tov creation.
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To do this, He begins with a man named Abram, who we meet Gen 11 & 12 75. He makes a covenant with Abram; that through his descendants, blessing would come to all. However, Abram as 75 at the time, with no children! Twenty-five years later, the promised son is born.
Sometimes the promises of God become harder to believe as time goes by. Be encouraged to wait well. God always does what He said.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11
In the waiting, don't let your timeframe be the measure of God's tov. Don't let the promise be bigger than the promise maker. Don't be like Abram, and take things into your own hands 10 years into the waiting.
Some of God’s promises come to pass quickly, even overnight. Others stretch over long periods of time, acting as sinews holding together the history of his covenant people over centuries. David Mathis
In the waiting, remember we have the Spirit who strengthens us, Community which encourages us and the Word which tells stories of how God has always been faithful to his word.
Back to Abram, now, Abraham. He finally had the one thing he had wanted - Isaac. Now, a good few years later, when Isaac was somewhere between 20 and 37 (don't imagine a little toddler) God asked Abraham to him to give Isaac back.
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2
This may seem crazy, and contradi