Heilsgeschichte. In my studies I encountered this beautiful German word that sounds a bit like a sneeze. It means holy history or salvation history. All history is finally His story. God is working to redeem the lost world and restore the whole creation for eternity.
Israel had a heilsgeschichte, articulated clearly in Deuteronomy. “My father was a wandering Aramean.” God started the plan of salvation by working with Abraham and sending him into the promised land. Ultimately, under Joseph’s protection, Jacob and the family ended up in Egypt. “The Lord heard us and saw our misery. The Lord brought us out.” As the Israelites entered the promised land they were to remember the history of God saving them and bring an offering to the Lord. Then they were to share with the foreigners who lived among them.
So what is our salvation story? We had wandered far away from God in our sin. So we sometimes sing, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” When we were dead in trespasses and sins, the Lord brought us out of our sin and death and into his holiness and life. Our history is holy, too! What shall we do? We bring an offering of praise and provision to the Lord. Then we share with others in proportion to God’s sharing with us. What will we give God today in response to his new mercies? What will we give others?
