Have you ever noticed the math in the book of Genesis? Have you ever counted the number of chapters devoted to various topics? For example, we have two chapters devoted to the creation of the world and just thirteen verses given to its downfall. Personally, I would like to have more details about the creation of the world. Did the world start out flat? Did the T-Rex really get along with the water buffalo? Was Adam tall, dark, and handsome? Was Eve a dream come true? Did they have navels? What was the expression on Adam's face when God handed over Eve with His blessing? I would like to know more details but we are left with two chapters and a call to faith.

We have a fellow named Abraham introduced at the end of chapter eleven who dies in chapter twenty-five. What? Count that again. Two chapters given to the creation of the world and over fourteen given to some guy named Abram who gets a name change to Abraham? That can't be right can it? Check it out for yourself; that's exactly how the Bible lines out.

Let's try to understand this a minute. Maybe God has this backward. After all, I would certainly give more attention to creation than to just one man. Or maybe my values and God's values are different.

God tells Abraham He plans to bless every family on the face of the earth (12:3). He tells Abraham that He will cause him to have descendents that outnumber the stars of heaven even though they only get a passing mention in the creation story (15:5). God also tells Abraham that He will bring this blessing to every family on earth through Abraham's descendents (12:3). And then God gives a multitude of details about His relationship with Abraham over a period of one-hundred years. We have two chapters to the creation of the world and fourteen to the friendship between God and Abraham.

Why do I keep repeating those numbers? Because it took me a long time to notice that God gives us over seven times as much material to the building of one faithful follower than to the creation of the world. It took me a long time to realize that what I value is different than what God values. I want more details about the big events of creation. God just records, "I spoke. I created. Done. But let me tell you how I build faith in My friend . . . ."

The values of God; details that center around the building and development of one faithful follower; one faithful man who will walk with God in a holy manner (17:1), one friend who will trust God with his family and future (12:1-3, 22:1-19), one person who learns how to respond in worship when God speaks (17:3), one who learns that God is faithful even though it might seem all is lost (15:1-6, 18:9-15, 21:1-7).

Nothing is mentioned about heaven or hell. Walking with God through life is reward itself. Abraham goes through many tough times over 175 years of life. But through it all, he learns the most important lesson of life. He learns faith, trust, and intimacy with his Creator. He learns to walk with God.

Have you learned the most important lesson of life? Have you learned to walk with God?

Rev. Ted Beam