Continuing on with our journey of reading the Bible in a year, we have come to the story of Abraham (whom was originally named Abram until chapter 17 when a covenant is made between God and Abram). In an effort to make these a little more readable and fruitful, I am going to try and limit the length. This will result in more posts but perhaps will make it easier for you to keep up with this blog as well as the Scripture readings. If you haven’t noticed yet, I have added a link with the opportunity for you to subscribe to this blog for easier notification when a post is made. Feel free to subscribe or check back periodically.

Now, as the first six sub-books of Genesis come to a close, we are introduced to the genealogy of Terah. Though there were many offspring of Terah the Bible focuses on three: Abram, Nahor, and Lot (who is the son of Haran, son of Terah). Though it is not clear here, later verses indicate that Abram was not the firstborn but through the beginning of the seventh sub-book we see that Abram is a very important man. It is here in the seventh sub-book of Genesis, approximately 400 years after the flood, that we see a realization of God’s plan for the redemption of humankind.

God calls Abraham to prepare the foundation of a nation that will see to mankind’s redemption and through Abraham’s faithful submission to God, God promises three very significant items. These same items are repeated in several locations throughout the Bible, to several different people within Abraham’s genealogy. God promises that Abraham’s descendants will inherit the land of Canaan, they will become a great nation, and they will be a blessing to all nations. This very promise is repeated approximately 10 times in the Bible and further forms the foundation for the rest of the Bible. It is clear through these scriptures that God is revealing to us what He is up to and what He has planned for us through the life of Abraham and his descendants.

It is important to take note of Abraham’s actions as he travelled from Haran through the land of Canaan. Abraham was called to found a nation free from idolatry. Abraham (in chapter 12) is called to go “… to the land that I (God) will show you.” Here, out of faith, Abraham leaves a well settled land (Haran) with well developed roads to Babylon, Assyria, Syria, Asia Minor, and Egypt to a new land that God would show him. In every location that Abraham came to rest (Shechem, Bethel, Hebron) he built an altar to the Lord and worshipped God. Abraham continuously acknowledged God as his Lord and demonstrated his faith to the people he came in contact with. Abraham continued to journey on until we see him travel to Egypt due to a vast famine.

It is through Abraham’s journey to Egypt that we see the first inclination of Abraham’s human nature. As Abraham enters Egypt he indicates to his wife Sarai (whom becomes Sarah) that they shall proclaim their relationship as siblings rather than husband and wife. I find that this instance is the first location where we see Abraham take matters into his own hands for the sake of his own survival. Though the scripture doesn’t indicate one way or the other whether Abraham did so under the guidance of God, it is hard to believe that God would lead Abraham to be deceitful. In this instance it is important to note that Abraham did not fully lie, as Sarai was his half-sister, but Abraham did so in a deceitful manner. Of course, it was customary in this time period for rulers and powerful people to confiscate beautiful women and kill their husbands. We can surely understand why Abraham would do this but it is evident that even a man of such great faith, as Abraham, still has weaknesses and shortcomings in their faith. I believe this to be imperative in the demonstration of God’s great plan for mankind’s redemption.

Abraham and Lot (Abraham’s nephew), along with their families and herds, returned to to the Negeb. Both had extensive herds and there was strife between each others’ herdsmen. Abraham gave Lot the choice of land and they separated. At this time, we see clearly from chapter 13, verse 13, that the land in which Lot settled (“… as far as Sodom.”) were “… wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” On the other hand, we see that the Lord again blesses Abraham and reiterates the promises He made to Abraham as chapter 13 concludes. As chapter 14 begins, we see a customary action, reaffirmed from cuneiform documents during the patriarchal period, that various kings often made alliances in fighting against others. Not much sticks out to me here other than the fact that Abraham defeated these kings with their alliances leading only 318 men. Though I am not sure how significant 318 men is at this time, I can only imagine that this is small compared to the men of kings who have alliance with one another. It is by the hand of God that Abraham could have defeated these kings at the time with only 318 men. After this defeat is actualized, a priest-king came to Abraham and blessed him. Here in verse 20 of chapter 14 we see that Abraham responds to the blessing of this priest-king by providing him (Melchizedek) with “… a tenth of everything.” It is this custom that many christians follow today in tithing one tenth to the church. As a side note, Hebrew tradition says that the priest-king who blessed Abraham was Shem, the son of Noah. During this time Shem would have been alive and if this is in fact true, it would indicate that God had already chosen this land (now known as Jerusalem) to be the scene of human redemption (side note taken from Halley’s Bible Handbook).

In chapter 15 we again see the promises God made to Abraham. It is here that God also makes a covenant with Abraham and declares that Abraham shall have his own son as his heir. Two important notes is that God indicates Abraham’s offspring will be afflicted for 400 years (living as foreigners in a foreign land) and that in the fourth generation they shall return making reference to the Amorites. This covenant is done using an ancient custom of passing between the pieces of sacrificed animals which signified that if either party did not uphold their oath the same shall be done to them. Unfortunately, Abraham again shows his human nature when he and Sarai demonstrated their disbelief in the son God promised by participating in a custom of the day to ensure a male heir. Sarai gave Abraham her Egyptian servant as his wife. As indicated in my previous post, it is in times like these that we see the demonstration of how listening to and placing our faith in those other than the Lord, we can be lead astray. In this case, the disbelief and disobedience of Abraham lead to separation and anguish between Abraham and Sarai as well as between Sarai and her Egyptian servant Hagar. This is the point in which the unholy line of Ishmael begins.

It is in chapter 17 that God instituted circumcision as the symbol of a new covenant with Abraham. It is in chapter 17 that God gives Abram his new name: Abraham. Again, we see the promises God has given to Abraham in verses 5 through 8. This is also where Sarai receives her new name: Sarah. Lastly, God declares that Sarah shall bear a son by the name of Isaac. Out of faith and obedience, Abraham gathers all the males of his household and has them circumcised. Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised and committed to circumcising all males of his household on the 8th day after their birth. God returns to Abraham in chapter 18 and Abraham knows it is God. God shares his declaration of Isaac once again and in doing so, we see God’s great power and knowledge as He knew Sarah had laughed. Abraham’s faith is also clearly demonstrated for he did not believe Sarah’s false statement but rather believed the Lord in that Sarah did laugh. Out of this entire section (chapter 17 and 18) I believe one of the most significant points is that God makes it clear that He will not punish Ishmael but He will also not establish His covenant with Ishmael. Instead, God clearly states that He will establish His everlasting covenant with Isaac and Isaac will serve the Lord instead of Ishmael.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah are a reminder of God’s justice for the wicked of the world. God does, however, show us how He listens to our pleas and has mercy for us through the conversation with Abraham about saving the righteous. God also shows that He has mercy by saving His servant Lot. Interesting note is in verse 14 of chapter 19, Lot pleads with his sons-in-law but they do not listen (demonstrating their lack of faith) and thus perish under the fury of God. God also demonstrates how just He is when Lot’s wife disobeys the Lord and looks back as He had commanded them not to. She instantaneously turns to salt. Subsequently, Lot’s daughters sin against God by causing their father (Lot) to drink wine and become drunk. Then both Lot’s daughters lay with their father (Lot) so as to become pregnant and preserve offspring from their father. This sin leads to separation and anguish through the lineage of the Moabites and Ammonites (each from the son of both daughters) who become bitter enemies of Abraham’s descendants (later in 1 Samuel and 2 Chronicles).

Again, we see Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith in the protection of the Lord when they deceitfully share their relationship as siblings with Abimelech. The Lord, however, maintained His promise and brought a son to Abraham and Sarah whom they named Isaac, as they had been commanded to do. Abraham maintained his part of the covenant by circumcising Isaac on the eighth day. We see here that God also maintains His promise that He will bless Ishmael when God protects Hagar and Ishmael during their journey after being cast out from the house of Abraham.

God tests Abraham’s faith by calling him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Though it had been demonstrated many times over that God maintains His promises, here we see God call Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac before Isaac had any children. How then, can Isaac be the father of nations as God had promised? In either case, Abraham follows the order of God out of unwavering faith. We know that this command must have been from God for no man would have set out to sacrifice his own son if he was not certain of the divine calling. It is extremely interesting that here we see a father offering his only son as a sacrifice just as God offers His only son as a sacrifice. It is also interesting that it is after three days that Abraham is shown the place the sacrifice is to be performed. Just as Jesus Christ was dead for three days. Additionally, it is interesting that there is a substitution for Isaac, just as Christ was a substitution for us. Lastly, there is an actual sacrifice (of that provided by God) that took place on Mount Moriah, the very place that God’s son Jesus Christ is offered 2000 years later. This is extremely important, that the events of the birth of the nation of Israel (the Hebrew nation) foreshadows the very purpose this nation was to bring about.

We close out the seventh sub-book of Genesis with the death of Sarah and the purchase of a burial cave by Abraham. This very cave, known as the cave of Machpelah, is a sacred place. There, three pairs of cenotaphs (above ground monuments) can be found and it is believed that one pair is for Abraham and Sarah, one pair is for Isaac and Rebekah, and one pair is for Jacob and Leah. To date, the underground chambers have not been completely investigated but the stone work is believed to be Herodian which is consistent with the time. The descendants of Abraham begin with Isaac and chapter 24 is explicitly to find a suitable wife for Isaac, one who would maintain the lineage of Abraham free from idolatry and therefore not from Canaan. Personally, I take great stake in the story of how Rebekah had come to be Isaac’s wife as I believe the Lord to call us to each other and shall we listen to His calling and follow His guidance, we shall find the mate of which God intends for our life. Abraham died at the age of 175. Thirty-eight years after Sarah’s death Abraham married Keturah and she bore him six sons. One of these sons formed the Midianites whom five hundred years later Moses would marry a Midianite woman. In verse 11 of chapter 25, “… God blessed Isaac his (Abraham’s) son.”

ESV Daily Reading Bible Halley’s Bible Handbook