Genesis 12:10 “There was famine in the land.”
“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
I read in Jewish literature an interesting twist to this verse in Genesis 12:10. The word for there was yehi can also be rendered and he was becoming. Of course we do not translate it that way because it does not make much sense to say; “He was becoming a famine.“ Or, then again, maybe it does. Jewish literature teaches us that this is a play on words. The passage is not only speaking in a physical sense but a spiritual sense as well.
Sure there was a literally famine, a lack of physical food in the land, but suppose we also rendered this “and He was becoming a famine in the land”. This little play on words gives us a double meaning. Our Jewish friends did not overlook this play on words and in fact they come right out and said that not only were people suffering a famine for physical food but for God as well. The sages render this as: “There was a lack of faith in the land.
I was listening to a talk radio show today. The host is Jewish and he made the statement that the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and might. He made the point that the commandments only said to love God. Nothing about loving your children or your parents. You are just to honor your parents. He explained God did not command us to do something that is natural. We naturally love our parents and children. But we don’t naturally love God. He then said he does not love God, he wants to but he has to honestly admit that he does not love God. He loves the Bible, but not God. A person called in, identified himself as a Christian and said that he has to admit that he does not love God, that he wants to but does not. He loves his church and religious activities, he loves his religion but he does not believe he loves God.
I really wanted to address that in my study today because I do love God with all my heart, He is more than life itself to me. If you have read any of my books you know this. I just could not think of a verse to use to study this evening, it was this verse. So, at the risk of sounding holier than thou, I think I will address this topic.
People were calling from all walks of faith to this program all expressing a desire to love God but admitting they didn’t. They had many theories and reason why they didn’t. Odd, no one mentioned one verse of Scripture, they just had an opinion, a theory, a “I think.” I could not help but think: “And He was becoming a famine in the land.” Could there be a famine of God in our land. This call in radio show opened my eyes to something I had not thought about. People are really hungry to love God, wanting to love God, wanting to love Him with all their hearts. One caller even said he wanted to really love God but his own transgressions keep standing in the way. He tries to atone for his sins, because he knows he cannot love God until he does. We live in a nation saturated with Christian television, radio, internet, social media etc. and people are still hungry for God.
So why should I be the lucky one to be able to love God? It is not luck my friends, for it was not too long ago I was like these callers. Yes, I was a born again Christian, I was a seminary and Bible College graduate and even a Bible College teacher, but I would have had to admit I too did not love God. Oh, like those callers, I longed to love God, I wanted to love God, and like that one caller I knew my transgressions stood in the way. Sure I heard all my life that Jesus died for my sins, He paid the price for my sins and all I had to do was ask to be forgiven and like the little Sunday School song I sang as a child I believed they were “buried in the deepest sea, yes that’s good enough for me.” unfortunately that was not good enough for me. I still felt I had to atone, I had to make amends. Surely I could not love God if I were still sinning. The enemy blinded me somehow and even though I believed that my sins were forgiven somehow it just never made it to my heart.
One day I reached the point of deepest despair and cried out: “Oh God, I can’t stop these transgressions, just forgive me and let me love you.” For whatever reason, I suddenly realized like John Wesley aboard that ship listening to the Moravians worship God. Suddenly, it was like scales from his eyes and heart fell. He declared in his diary, “I knew my sins were forgiven, I knew I really loved God.” Some say it was his conversion experience. I believe he was converted a long time before that, he just finally woke up to faith.
I am like that blind man that Jesus healed. All the teachers and spiritual leaders gathered around him asking: “Who is this Man, what is His authority?” The blind man just shook his head and said; “I don’t know, I don’t know, all I know is that once I was blind but now I see.”
The enemy wants to make it socially unacceptable for someone to say they love God. Why that is just not being humble, who are you to say you love the almighty, all powerful God?” Sure you love your children and your mate, because you can see them, you can touch them, you can feel them, but you can’t see God, you cannot touch God and you can’t feel God. How can you love someone you do not see, feel or touch?
I see God in my mind’s eye when I pray, I feel his presence when I worship Him and I feel his touch on my heart when I am fearful, worried, ashamed, sad and lonely as I felt today. When I see Him in my imagination, when I feel his presence and I feel the touch of peace in my heart, I cannot help but love Him and love Him so much I weep.
I know, people will say I just made up an imaginary in my mind, I just imagine his presence and touch. Ok, let them say that, but you know what? I cannot relate to those callers who are hungry to love God, for I know I love Him. There is no famine in my heart.
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