INTEGRITY
In the wilderness, animals attract mates through expressions of physical dominance. Sometimes that expression is brute strength, and other times it is the demonstration of dominate unique features. The peacock flashes feathers featuring eye spots. The larger the eye spots, the healthier the male. Guppies dance, deer are attracted to large antlers, and the giant tortoise of Galapagos with the longest neck are the most attractive. All of of these physical attributes are projections of physical dominance expressed to control the future of a species.
The Bible reminds us that although we may be one with creation, we are special among all the creatures. We have been blessed with the ability and the responsibility of stewardship. God calls us to a higher level of existence. Only humans can project evil intent upon their physical prowess. Stewardship recognizes there are spiritual laws as well as physical laws. Throughout history, powerful people and their institutions have used evil intent to determine the future lineage of humanity. Pharaoh tried to eliminate new born Hebrew children and Hitler tried to engineer a master race. Institutions have encouraged reproduction to flood the world with their ideology and states have limited access to economic resources, trying to pick winners and losers. The Bible tells us there are a higher spiritual principles available to all that supersede physical prowess. One principle is integrity.
Jesse Owens proved that in Germany in the 1936 Olympics, winning four gold medals. Moses proved the same thing, an infant condemned to die by drowning, “Born of Water” to over-through Pharaoh and set the Hebrew slaves free. Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Junior, not the man who assassinated him or those who persecuted his people.
And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20: 1-6
The Bible reminds us that although we may be one with creation, we are special among all the creatures. We have been blessed with the ability and the responsibility of stewardship. God calls us to a higher level of existence. Only humans can project evil intent upon their physical prowess. Stewardship recognizes there are spiritual laws as well as physical laws. Throughout history, powerful people and their institutions have used evil intent to determine the future lineage of humanity. Pharaoh tried to eliminate new born Hebrew children and Hitler tried to engineer a master race. Institutions have encouraged reproduction to flood the world with their ideology and states have limited access to economic resources, trying to pick winners and losers. The Bible tells us there are a higher spiritual principles available to all that supersede physical prowess. One principle is integrity.
Jesse Owens proved that in Germany in the 1936 Olympics, winning four gold medals. Moses proved the same thing, an infant condemned to die by drowning, “Born of Water” to over-through Pharaoh and set the Hebrew slaves free. Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Junior, not the man who assassinated him or those who persecuted his people.
And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20: 1-6
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