Sometime between 1900 and 1500 years before the birth of Christ, a nomadic family, living on the socio-economic fringe of Mesopotamia and headed by a fellow named Abraham migrated from the fertile crescent of the Tigris-Euphrates River valley south through Palestine, eventually settling in the region of the Negeb desert. From one perspective, it was rather unspectacular. As Christians, however, we consider this one of history's most pivotal events. We believe that through a call issued to Abraham and his family, God fashioned a community to serve as a guide for faithful living that would result in a blessing for all the world.

For a moment, let us capsulize the message of Scripture to this point in Genesis. In creation, God intended a good world. He filled the world with creatures on whic…