Over the past couple of Sundays I've had the opportunity to preach during Faith's evening service, continuing the preaching through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Last night I preached on S.C. question eighty-eight, using Acts 2:36-44 as the text. One of the points I tried to make in explaining the phrase "the benefits of redemption" was that "redemption" is more than just the legal assumption/purchase of the rights to that which is redeemed, but must include the faithful fulfillment of the promise made when redeeming. This is why Boaz made sure the man in line to redeem Naomi knew of all the responsibilities he would be acquiring.
To illustrate the idea that redemption must include both purchase and fulfillment I contrasted Onan to Boaz. And the entire time there was one phrase going through my head that I knew I shouldn't say...and I got through that part of the sermon without saying it.
But toward the end of the sermon I referred back to the contrast between Onan and Boaz, and plumb forgot about my resolution. I said that Onan failed to follow through. I don't think anyone noticed. At least, I didn't see any snickers.
During Christmas I was thinking about sex in its "gift" aspect(s). Sex is gift-giving, and not just immediately, but because it is baby-making, inheritance-making. The giving of gifts of any kind is the giving of honor. Through sex parents give to each other, and gain honor abroad through their children. Man gained honor when Mary conceived through the Holy Ghost; the Gift-Giver was coming as a Gift.
That is the rationale for Christmas gift-giving which will be explained to our children as they get older; it will of course be edited, not for content, but for comprehensibility.
There is no natural conclusion to this post. I started it just to mention my faux pas with Onan, and sort of flowed from that into my incomplete Christmas meditations. I.e. That's all, folks.
To illustrate the idea that redemption must include both purchase and fulfillment I contrasted Onan to Boaz. And the entire time there was one phrase going through my head that I knew I shouldn't say...and I got through that part of the sermon without saying it.
But toward the end of the sermon I referred back to the contrast between Onan and Boaz, and plumb forgot about my resolution. I said that Onan failed to follow through. I don't think anyone noticed. At least, I didn't see any snickers.
During Christmas I was thinking about sex in its "gift" aspect(s). Sex is gift-giving, and not just immediately, but because it is baby-making, inheritance-making. The giving of gifts of any kind is the giving of honor. Through sex parents give to each other, and gain honor abroad through their children. Man gained honor when Mary conceived through the Holy Ghost; the Gift-Giver was coming as a Gift.
That is the rationale for Christmas gift-giving which will be explained to our children as they get older; it will of course be edited, not for content, but for comprehensibility.
There is no natural conclusion to this post. I started it just to mention my faux pas with Onan, and sort of flowed from that into my incomplete Christmas meditations. I.e. That's all, folks.
Comments
Post a Comment