Awestruck Heroes: Abraham and Jacob
Awestruck Heroes: Abraham and Jacob.
“Lord Yahweh, there is no God like You! You are wondrously great, and Your name is mighty in power. You are unrivalled in Your greatness! Who can fail to be impressed by You, King of the nations. It is completely proper to reverence You, for who could fail to stand in awe before You! It is in Your very nature to be worshipped. Among all the elite of the world, there is still no one as magnificent as You, no one who could compare with you.” (Jeremiah 10:7).
AWE: To encounter vastness, something beyond one’s frame of reference, outside of one’s mental grasp; surrendering reverently to something greater than oneself; an outward-focused sense of wonder and astonishment; not just a momentary feeling, but a spiritual way of life and an actual neurological event that rewires the human brain.
Awesome? Is there a word that has been more trivialized these days than the word “awesome?” I confess that I have unthinkingly become a culprit in this misuse of what is a wonder-full word. Awesome seems to be in the air and ready to escape the lips of practically everyone, describing everything from a hamburger to a TV show, from a dollar store to a restaurant, from a celebrity to a superstar. But the word itself means something vast that is worthy of awe and wonder and astonishment. So let’s get picky here… Really now, isn’t the Lord God, the Creator of the universe, the only one who could be worthy of awesome? In our common experience here on planet earth, it would seem wise to leave a reserved seat for awesome, front row, center aisle, in the worship section. Maybe we could think up some reasonable synonyms for awesome, like tremendous, terrific, superb, fantastic, spectacular, extraordinary, or even sublime or really cool. But I propose that we reserve the word awesome for God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Aspects of Awe will be studied in this blog series as we consider the biblical quality of awe to be a diamond with a lot of facets. We’ll be looking at awesomeness in the Hebrew Bible, in the Gospels, and how the experience of awe affects our brain. Yes, to be in awe is a neurological event as well as a spiritual one.
Awe in the Hebrew Bible. Awe turned out to be a rather common experience in ancient Judaism and the Old Testament. The Hebrew word most used for awe is “yare,” which is often translated as “fear” and has a wide spectrum of meanings. Yare could be used for extreme terror when facing danger, or for reverent awe before the Lord; for withdrawing in fear from something vastly superior, or approaching God in adoration and wonder; an experience that leads to fleeing in dread or worshipping in reverence. Yare could signify escape from danger or obedience out of profound respect. Yare is used almost 400 times in the Hebrew Bible, and its meaning depends on the context. Awe in the OT could be a temporary emotional experience or a more permanent attitude in one’s walk with God. For the most part though, apparently starting with Abraham, yare and the fear of God came to mean awestruck adoration, reverent devotion, profound respect, fearful honor, and loyal obedience as a result of such awe of God. Biblical awe will be studied in the lives of many faithful heroes in the Hebrew Bible who were happy to be awed and to use the word awesome… from Abraham to Jacob; from Moses to David; from Solomon to Isaiah; from Habakkuk to Malachi. As we’ll see, these stalwarts knew how to use the word “awesome!”
ABRAHAM IS AWESTRUCK. “… But the Angel of Yahweh, the Angel of the LORD, called to Abraham out of heaven and said, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ And Abraham said, ‘Here I am!’ (“hineni”). The Angel said to him, ‘Do not reach out with the knife in your hand against the boy, and do nothing to harm him; for now I know that you truly fear (“yare“) God with reverence and profound respect, since you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son!” (Genesis 22:11-12; Amplified Bible).
Angel of Yahweh. Angel of the LORD. This is another mysterious appearance of a specially designated Angel of Yahweh. In many places in the Hebrew Bible, this particular Angel is specifically identified with the Lord God and is distinguished from Yahweh. This One-of-a-Kind heavenly Messenger has appeared as a divine visitor to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre and on Mt. Moriah, was a welcome comfort to Hagar, and a wrestling opponent to Jacob. This Angel appeared to Moses in the burning bush, as a sustainer to Elijah and a redeemer to Isaiah. This Angel was reportedly with Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace and to Daniel himself on the banks of the Tigris River. He appeared to Gideon on the threshing floor and to Samson’s parents at his birth announcement. Balaam was shocked to see Him while riding his donkey, and so was Joshua just outside the city of Jericho. Most scholars, including the early church Fathers, considered this special Angel of Yahweh to be God in the form of a Man, the preincarnate Christ, Lord God’s unique Representative to speak His mind and do His will on earth. It is safe to say that it is Jesus Himself who is shouting so urgently to Abraham about to slaughter his son. Isn’t it especially poignant that Jesus is asking the father not to slay his son, when a few centuries later He is asking His Father to withdraw the cup of death from Him?
Doubled, with Meaning. ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ In Scripture, it is no accident when someone is named twice. Twice-naming was spoken when there is an intense urgency, or a deep intimacy, a request to pay special attention, or an announcement that what follows will be a crucial turning point in that person’s life. We see this with Moses at the burning bush, Samuel before a special message, Jacob before going to Egypt, and Absolom when David was in such agony. Jesus continued that biblical tradition when twice-naming Martha in his love for her, Peter while being warned, Saul on the road to Damascus, and in His lament over Jerusalem. So it’s no surprise that Abraham noticed the urgency and importance of his name being called out twice from heaven, and that his immediate response would be “Here I am!”
Hineni (Hebrew word, literal meaning “Behold, I am!” but is generally translated in Bible as “Here I am.”) In Scripture it is a response of someone to someone else asking for attention. It could be a response to God, to an angel, a response of a child to a parent, or a servant to a master. Sometimes it is even a loving response of a parent to a child. The Biblical ‘Here I am’ means you have my full attention; I am at your service; I am completely available to you; whatever you want, I am all in; I am in total readiness to hear and obey you; I have no hesitation in responding to you. Most of the time in Scripture the person saying ‘Here I am’ doesn’t yet know what the caller wants from him. So hineni can essentially be a statement of faith. When someone in authority initiates Here I am, such as God, it is a declaration of presence and readiness to speak or act. Generally, hineni is often stated in a pivotal moment of that person’s life. Here I am can just be a casual response to a caller, but it often is an important moment in the life of the person responding. If we are truly children of Abraham, we should be developing the pattern of saying ‘Here I am’ in our walk with God. Abraham is the Biblical champion of saying hineni, saying it three times in one chapter alone (Gen. 22).
Abraham’s Final Exam. The Angel Jesus intervened just in the nick of time, saving Isaac from being sacrificed, and confirming Abraham’s deep reverent trust in God. The Angel then spoke to Abraham a second time, repeating the promise made to him so long ago, that there would be countless descendants in Abraham’s line. The Lord then exclaimed that, “In your seed, all the nations of earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (22:18). The Angel’s message was straight from heaven, heard loud and clear by Abraham and Isaac. A ram was then found in a thicket, and this was God’s provision for the burnt offering. Isaac, perhaps still terrified and perplexed, must have been thinking… that could have been me! But God came to the rescue. In due time, Father God would offer a divine Lamb, and know what it was like to lose a Son. Only this next time, there would be no rescue.
JACOB IS AWESTRUCK. “Then Jacob woke up from his sleep and exclaimed, “Truly God is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it! I didn’t even know it!’ And Jacob was shaken with solemn wonder, and he cried out, ‘How awesome (“yare”), how absolutely awe-inspiring is this sacred place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:16-17).
In Genesis 28 we find an exhausted Jacob on the run from his angry brother Esau who he had cheated. Jacob finally finds a place where he can lay his head and rest for a while. He finds a suitable stone that would serve as his pillow, and immediately falls asleep. And then something monumental happened.
“Then Jacob dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord Yahweh stood above it, and said, ‘I am Yahweh, God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants… Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven!’ (Genesis 28:12-17).
So Jacob named that place Bethel, the House of God. Then he took the stone pillow and anointed it, thus establishing a memorial that enabled Bethel to remain an important religious site until well after Solomon. Little did Jacob know at that time that his dream was a picture of the Messiah, and that it would be fulfilled by the Messiah Himself!
Fast-forward to the time of Jesus Christ… “When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, He said of him, ‘There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception.’ Nathaniel asked, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathaniel answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel!’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said I saw you under the fig tree. You are going to see greater things than that!’ And then Jesus added, ‘Amen, Amen, I tell you. Truly, Truly, I say to you. You will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of Man.’” (John 1:43-51).
Jacob’s Ladder in the Flesh. Jesus seemed surprised that a simple miracle like seeing Nathaniel in a distant place under a fig tree would impress him so much. It has been speculated that Nathaniel was meditating on Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28 while under the fig tree. Do you think that’s a big deal, asks Jesus, that I saw you and knew what you were reading? You haven’t seen anything yet! You will soon be given the spiritual sight to see an open heaven, and I will join heaven and earth as the Son of Man. I will be just like Jacob’s ladder, Jesus is saying, when I am lifted up. You will see angels going up and down on this stairway, Nathaniel! You will see me join two worlds, heaven where God resides and earth where man dwells! I will turn Jacob’s ladder into my ladder, Nathaniel! I will become Jacob’s ladder myself! Imagine that!
Jesus presents Himself in John 1:50 as that ladder of Jacob reaching to heaven. He is the One who brings heaven to earth, and earth to heaven. As that ladder, Jesus is able to be in heaven and earth at the same time. In Him, God and man are united, so it is He that connects heaven and earth, God and man. It is Jesus who opens heaven to see God at the top of the ladder. The ultimate fulfillment is when Jesus is lifted up on the Cross (John 3:14), Jesus and the Cross together forming the ladder of salvation being lifted up to God’s presence in heaven. In Jesus, heaven opened, whether at His birth, His baptism, the Transfiguration, or even His Ascension. As with Jacob’s ladder, heaven tends to open when Jesus is around
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. ‘Certainly not. I tell you he is the king of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion –The Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he — quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and make no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” “I’m longing to see him,” said Peter, “even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.” “That’s right, Son of Adam,” said Mr. Beaver… (from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis).