The word , tol'dot, variously translated account, chronicles, history or story in different English versions, is also the name of a complete sidra further on in the book of Genesis (25:19-28:9) where the text tells the story of Yitz'chak when he takes over from his father Avraham as head of the family and Patriarch living in the Land. It comes from a root verb , yalad, which means to bring forth and speaks of family history and origins. Our family history, with our physical appearance tells people who we are and, more importantly, where we come from and who is responsible for us.

In the Psalms, the Bible tells us that "The heavens declare the glory of G-d, the dome of the sky speaks the works of His hands. Every day it utters speech, every night it reveals knowledge. Without speech, without a word, without their voices being heard, their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4, CJB). In the book of Acts, we find Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba telling the crowds at Lystra that G-d "did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17, NASB).

Everything that G-d does is for a purpose, for a testimony to bear witness to who He is and the fact that He exists. We are a part of that witness to the world by our actions and by our words, by the choices we take and the attitudes that we demonstrate - often sub-consciously - as we go about our daily lives. Yeshua told the disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14, NASB) and Kefa wrote to the believers in the Diaspora that they should " live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of your good actions, give glory to to G-d on the day of His coming" (1 Peter 2:12, CJB).

Whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, everything that we do or say tells a story of who we are, where we come from and who is responsible for us. The question is: what story do we tell ?

Further Study: Ya'akov (James) 3:4-12; Matthew 12:37

Application: Try and observe yourself during today and see what message you are sending out to those who are watching you. As well as listening to your words, what else is coming from the tone of your voice and from your body language? Are you a good witness for G-d?

© Jonathan Allen, 2004