Showing posts with label Abraham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abraham. Show all posts

Friday, November 16, 2007

Ge. 25: The Greatest Stew in the History of Man

Chapter 25 opens describing how Abraham took a second wife: Keturah. I think this is for a couple of reasons. The first is that maybe he was still trying to kick God's promise into gear. After all these promises, after all these signs, could he really be trying to take over and do it himself? To help God out perhaps? As we have seen previously, forcing God's hand can lead to problems. See Hagar. And let's not forget that in Gen. 17:19, God says He will establish His covenant with Isaac anyway.

The other reason, possibly, is that Abraham needed a companion. What's wrong with taking a second wife in case of death? He could have been lonely, and needed that type of intimacy. After all, "things" have only been "working" for a few years.

Anyway, Keturah gives Abraham a quintet of sons...maybe some daughters, but unless I'm mistaken, only in the case of Rebekah have daughters been mentioned. Crazy sexist Bible. Would these sons ally themselves with Isaac, or be enemies to Abraham's descendants? I don't know yet. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say probably not.

Abraham probably didn't endear himself to Keturah's sons by leaving all of his vast wealth and land to Isaac, although he did offer them some nice parting gifts before sending them on their way.

Abraham kicked off after 175 years, a good old age indeed as prophesied in Gen. 15:15. Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their old man in Machpelah with Sarah. Apparently still on friendly terms with the Hittites.

Ishmael, as God promised, was fruitful and had 12 sons with the wife from Egypt that Hagar found for him as mentioned in Gen. 21:21.

Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 12 sons. Just as the Angel of the LORD said to Hagar in Gen 16:12, they lived in hostility toward their brothers. Well, I guess that answers my question.

Isaac didn't have it as easy to begin with as Ishmael. Rebekah, as hot as she was, turned out to be barren. So he did what Abraham exemplified, Isaac took it to the LORD in prayer. Abraham must have raised Isaac in the culture of prayer, and walking with God daily...Chapter 22 being the most amazing example.

As promised, God heard Isaac's prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. With two. With two jostlers, who wrestled in the womb. This was all weird and scary to Rebekah. She asked God about it as well.

"What's the deal?"

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." Kind of cryptic sounding, but actually pretty clear. That kind of thing would be hard for me to hear. I'd want my kids to get along, and be friends for life, especially if they were twins. So...not only will they possibly not get along, their whole lines will be at each other's throats.

The first on the twins to come out was all red and hairy, so he was named Esau, which I guess means "red" or "hairy" or a combination of both. Good thing he wasn't pink. The next little fella came out grasping Esau's heel, so he was given the name "Jacob," meaning heel-grasper. Hmm...where else have we heard about heels? Possibly unrelated, but there is some importance to the heel.

Esau grows up to be a skillful hunter, while Jacob kind of mellows out and hangs around the tents. Isaac, who loved the taste of wild game preferred Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob.

OK, this one time, like Esau came back from hunting all starved, and momma's boy Jacob had made some red stew. Esau could not wait to get that stew in him. He's all like, "Quick, give me some stew." Jacob realized it was time to be an exploiter, and told Esau to sell him his birthright...his inheritance, you know? Drama queen Esau was like, "I'm dying anyway, what good is my birthright?" So he swore an oath to Jacob, that for a bowl of stew, Jacob would receive all Isaac owned. Nice deal, Esau, way to be.

Questions for God:
1. Wow, I...cool. I'm glad I can just ask for something. Why would you want to keep hearing the minutia begged for by all of humanity. Well, not all humanity...those who call upon you?

  • Noah: 1046 - 1996
  • Shem: 1548 - 2148
  • Flood and the shortened lifespan - 1646
  • Arphaxad: 1648 - 2086
  • Shelah: 1683 - 2116
  • Eber: 1713 - 2143
  • Peleg: 1747 - 1956
  • Reu: 1777 - 2016
  • Serug: 1809 - 2039
  • Nahor: 1839 - 1987
  • Terah: 1868 - 2073
  • Abraham: 1938 - 2113
  • Ishmael: 2024 - 2161
  • Isaac: 2038 -
  • Jacob: 2098 -
  • Esau: 2098 -

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Ge. 23: Mmmm....business deal

OK, so on the surface, not much appears to happen in chapter 23.

Sarah dies, and Abraham negotiates a business deal with the Hittites, who we first hear of in Gen. 10:7 as descendants of Canaan, and again as whose land God promises to Abraham in Gen. 15:20.

There is this kind of weird back-and-forth, as if the two sides would be honored to give everything to the other side. Well, I'm not buying it.

Abraham wants to buy property in Hittite land to bury Sarah.

The Hittites say, "No problem, no one is refusing you. Take the best tomb."

Abraham says, "OK, tell that to Ephron son of Zohar, so I can buy Machpelah."

Ephron was sitting there anyway, and said, "No. You can have it."

Abraham comes back like, "I will pay you the price of the field. Please accept whatever I offer."

This is where it gets sleazy. Ephron goes, "Hey, you know, the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But, come onnnnnnnn, what's 400 shekels between me and you? Bury your dead." So...Ephron expected 400 shekels, which basically forced Abraham into a corner...how could Abraham not pay him less than 400 shekels? On the other hand, Abraham gains legal property in their country.

Its as if Ephron is trying to hitch his wagon to Abraham's gravy train, or get as much money out of him as possible if he's going to get land foothold.

I don't really know what 400 shekels a million years ago compares to nowadays...but maybe it was a lot?

So Abraham pays up, and is deeded the plain of Machpelah, the trees and the cave, and he buries Sarah there in the land of Canaan.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Ge. 22: Don't kill me, dad.

Numb is how I felt reading through most of chapter 22.

I wonder if that's how Abraham must have felt as he acted out chapter 22.

OK, picture this, Abraham has his son for...oh, probably a few years. This is the son for whom Abraham has waited 10 decades. God calls down to him, saying, "Take your son - your only son - you know, the son you love...(oh...forget Ishmael), and go up to Moriah, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering..."

Wow, so...not only does Abraham have to give up his only son (who he loves), he's got to offer him as a sacrifice. Not just a sacrifice...a burnt offering. Don't want to imagine setting fire to my son.

Abraham doesn't argue...doesn't question...could it be that he's finally understanding this covenant thing? God just worked in an amazing way in the previous chapter to reinforce Abraham's faith. Still, I don't imagine Abraham got much sleep that night.

The next morning, he and Isaac and two servants set out for the mountains. On the third day of traveling to this place, God revealed the place where He would have Abraham sacrifice Isaac. He tells his two servants that they will go up, worship, and return. I imagine they didn't probably buy it. I wonder what that three day journey was like. I'm sure the silence was deafening. It would be hard to listen to Isaac talk about whatever kids talked about back then...full of life and curiosity and energy, and knowing that he as a father would have to sacrifice his son. He leaves the servants behind and he and Isaac continue onward.

Isaac notices as they near the spot, Abraham has the fire and the knife...Isaac is hauling the wood...no lamb.

"Dad..."

"Yes, my son?"

"We have the fire and the wood. Where's the lamb?"

What a heartbreaking exchange to read.

Abraham answers out of either faith, or to protect Isaac from fear, "God will provide." God has always provided for Abraham, but I wonder how convicted Abraham sounded. Did he declare those words, or did he sort of choke them out?

Abraham got as far as raising the knife over his trembling son before an Angel of the Lord put a stop to the process. "Now I know that you fear God, because you would not even withhold your son." My first reaction is "What a cruel God to make Abraham go through this horrible thing." I can't imagine going through this, and I don't really understand. Did Abraham really need to get to this extreme? Did he begin to take for granted who Isaac was, and what he meant to the world? Did he forget what all he went through before he was granted his wife's son? I don't know. I imagine that I assign attributes to God that are kind of watered-down by the society in which I live, even in my own faith, that God is this soft, touchy-feely emotional being without any hardline. Like camping, God is intense!

Anyway, God provided a ram that got caught by its horns in the thicket. And Abraham sacrificed that as a burnt offering, instead of his son. I'm not sure exactly how that was a sacrifice, unless it came out of his own flock somehow, or it was there, and he could have kept it...but it was either the ram or his son...I 'unno. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask this question, but it makes me wonder. Ooh, it really makes me wonder...

And Abraham called that place The Lord will Provide. Places were named pretty obviously 4.7 billion years ago.

The angel calls out again, and says that because Abraham was willing to go through with this, God will surely bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and the sand on the shore, and that his descendents will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and bless all nations. Not much different than what was promised previously in chapter 15. Except for the whole taking over enemies' cities thing.

So Abraham goes back and lives in Beersheba.

As a footnote, Abraham finds out that his long lost brother Nahor has some kids: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Nahor's concubine had some sons, as well...Tebah, Galham, Tahash, and Maacah. Neat.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Ge. 21: Huzzah for Isaac...Ishmael is outty-five

OK, Finally! I can rejoice with Abraham, because in chapter 21, Sarah gives birth to Isaac (c. 2038), presumably meaning "laughter." The Bible says it was at God's appointed time, exactly when He said He'd deliver (Gen 18:10). I'm pretty happy for Abe, because he waited a very long time to have a son by his wife, the way it was meant to be. I have only the frame of reference of a few years at the longest in waiting on God to provide an answer to prayer. And when He did, I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving and...well, relief. God consistently shows He is a specific person, not a vague concept. I cannot imagine the joy that Abraham felt. He just wanted to party.

The birth of Ishmael led to pain and controversy and family dischord. The birth of Isaac was unifying, to Abraham and Sarah, and to Abraham and his family.

Ishmael was born pre-circumcision covenant...he had to be brought in after the 8 day rule. Isaac was born, and was circumcised into the covenant exactly as God intended.

Ishmael was a result of man attempting to force God's hand. Isaac was the hand God stacked the deck to play.

Ishmael was a mocker at the feast celebrating Isaac's weaning. Sarah saw this, and was not willing to have Ishmael share in Isaac's inheritance. She told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham wasn't at peace with that type of decision, so he took it to the LORD. God said, "Listen to Sarah, because like I said, Isaac will be the source of your offspring, and fulfillment of my promise."

What's interesting next is that God says he will also make Ishmael a great nation as well. This is not because God wanted Hagar or Ishmael to feel better, or as some sort of a consolation. It was merely because Abraham was his father. So Abe gives them the boot the next day.

Hagar and Ishmael wander around in the desert until the provisions given them by Abraham run out. Hagar is desperate. In her tears, the Angel of the Lord comforts her. I don't know if this is a new angel, or if its the one that gave her comfort the last time she was in the desert after being banished. The angel encourages Hagar, telling her that God hears her cries, and not to worry. God graciously reveals a well that may or may nor have been there before, and Hagar and Ishmael are saved. The Bible says God was with Ishmael, despite him not necessarily being a part of the covenant. Was this due to Ishmael's father being Abraham, or the fact the God was benevolent to everyone? Maybe it's something else entirely.

Meanwhile, Abimelech is conferring with Abraham, telling him not to pull any stunts on him, as a favor to the nation in which he lives that shows him kindness. After swearing it, Abraham tells Abimelech that maybe his nation isn't so kind. Apparently some of Abimelech's men seized a well dig by Abraham's men. Abimelech is like, "This is news to me." Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a testimony that he is telling the truth. Seven, like on the ark...

Anyway, the well is called Beersheba. Maybe there were a lot Beersheba's back in the day, because Beersheba is where Hagar encountered the angel. Same, different...thats a question for God.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the Eternal God.

Questions for God:
1. Is everyone assigned an angel, or what? How does that work?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Ge. 20: Again With the Wife-Sister Thing

Abraham probably needed a change of pace from living near where Sodom and Gomorrah used to be, so he moved to Gerar. I don't know where that is, other than that it is probably in the Middle East somewhere, and is near Kadesh and Shur, according to Chapter 20.

Abraham pulls the same stunt on Gerar's King Abimelech with his wife/half sister Sarah as he did with Pharaoh back in chapter 12. Abimelech sees that Sarah is pretty hot, even for a ninety-year-old chick.

So, Abimelech sends for her to be added to his wifery, and God appears to him to tell him that he is "as good as dead" because he has taken a married woman. Abimelech maintains his innocence, telling God that Abraham told him she was his sister.

In verse 6, God says that He knew Abimelech had a clear conscience, so He kept him from sinning against God. He did not let Abimelech touch her. I find this very amazing, that God would go out of his way to prevent someone from sinning against Him. This is the first time I can recall in scripture of God explicitly preventing sin. So far, God has set his standard, and sort of allowed people to make their own choices. God intervenes here, protecting Abimelech from a mistake that would have meant death (v. 7).

So Abimelech calls in his officials, and confronts Abraham in front of them...probably so they don't suspect the king of any wrongdoing. Abraham confesses that he made an assumption that there was no fear or respect of God in Gerar, and was paranoid that he would be killed and his wife assimilated into a concubine. Ironically, it was Abraham who's faith was questionable, not depending on God, his deliverer multiple times, even back with the Pharaoh in the same situation. He even tries to defend it by saying she was his half-sister. Half truth is still 100% lie.

So, like Pharaoh, Abimelech gives Abraham a bunch of cattle and money and good stuff. Despite Abraham's deception and his essentially not trusting God with his wife, he makes out like a bandit.

I gotta like Abimelech's sense of humor, because he turns to Sarah, and says, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver." This is the first time I laughed out loud while reading the Bible. He doesn't call Abraham Sarah's husband...he calls him her brother. Just as Abraham had claimed. Anyway, this gift is meant to vindicate Sarah, in that she didn't do anything wrong, and probably also show that Abimelech was guilty of no wrongdoing as well.

Then we have a happy ending, in which God heals Abimelech and all the womenfolk of his house, because God had shut up their wombs while Abraham made his home there. Craziness.
I don't know how long Abraham was there, but it was long enough that the women of Abimelech's house could not conceive.

Lets Review:
Chapter one: Creation
Chapter two: Eve
Chapter three: Sin in the garden
Chapter four: Cain kills Abel, genealogy
Chapter five: Adam to Noah genealogy
Chapter six: Nephelim, Noah chosen
Chapter seven: The flood
Chapter eight: The flood recedes
Chapter nine: God's covenant: The Rainbow; Ham cursed
Chapter ten: Table of nations
Chapter eleven: Tower of Babel; Sons of Shem
Chapter twelve: Abram is called; Egypt
Chapter thirteen: Abram and Lot separate
Chapter fourteen: Abram goes to war
Chapter fifteen: God promises a covenant with Abram
Chapter sixteen: Ishmael the stopgap
Chapter seventeen: God's covenant of circumcision
Chapter eighteen: Three visitors, Abraham wants to protect Sodom
Chapter nineteen: Destruction of S & G, Lot's daughters
Chapter twenty: Abraham and Abimelech

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Ge. 18: Abraham the Negotiator

Wow, man....chapter 18 is fascinating all the way through. I've read some amazing stuff through the course of this study, but this is pretty cool.

So, one day, Abraham is just chilling under a tree when the LORD appears to him. Abraham saw three men standing there, and must have connected them as messengers from God. He hurries over to them, and starts getting lots of water, cheese, milk, the fatted calf and a whole lot of bread.

While these guys were eating the food, Abraham stood by like a nice waiter, and watched.

"Where's your wife?" One of them asked?
"There, in the tent," Abe replied.

The LORD then promises that this time next year, Sarah will bear him a son. Now I imagine what would happen if my Grandma Gamble was told that she was going to have a son, she'd crack up. Sarah does the same thing. Old ladies would laugh if they were told they would have a kid, especially at their advanced age. Sarah even comments how old Abraham is.

Still, she would be given the pleasure of having a kid. And she laughed. And God heard her laugh. He asked Abraham why she all the sudden had a sense of humor.

Abraham probably threw up his hands as if to say, "Don't ask me."

So God asks Sarah why she laughed. Out of fear, she denies it. God isn't one to be lied to. "Yes you did," He replies.

After that, Abraham, God and the three men are walking toward Sodom. God reveals to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God says that Abraham is the chosen one to lead his people and his nation after him to walk in the way of the Lord, so that Abraham's descendants would fulfill their end of the covenant. God's covenant contingent on their obedience? Apparently this was not so in Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm not sure what S & G have to do with Abraham and his house, but I'm guessing that Abraham had a lot of family living there...not just Lot and his wife.

Something I learned about Sodom and Gomorrah was that God heard an outcry for and from Sodom and Gomorrah. There must have been a lot of people crying out to God there, as victims. So God wanted a firsthand look at what was going on, and to see if it was really as bad as the cries reaching His ears. I'm sure God could have seen those grievous sins all right from where he was, but he wanted Abraham on hand with Him to see what He would do.

The three men make their way to Sodom, while Abraham stands in front of God, asking Him if God would sweep away the righteous with the wicked. A really, amazing honest question, that I'm not sure I would have the guts to ask. Abraham goes for it though, and in this chapter shows some amazing intestinal fortitude in pressing God lower and lower on the amount of righteous people who, if found, will stay God's hand of judgement on the city. Abraham keeps going lower and lower, each number not as probable as the next....50...45...40...30...20...10? He could. Go. All. The....Ten? Ten righteous people in two whole cities? No?

Abraham must have either had some satisfaction that there must be at least ten decent people in two cities that size, or he chose not to press God further. He probably was figuring how many people Lot had with him by now, and probably assumed that his own family would at least be righteous. I think this happens to us. "They're with me, they're ok." And we see them through the eyes of family, overlooking

Abraham went home, while God continued on His way to Sodom.

Questions for God:
1. What were the three men like?
2. What was that meal like?
3. Were you kidding around arguing with Sarah over whether or not she laughed? Did that offend you?
4. What set Sodom apart so much than other cities that were probably crying out to you?
5. Were there other cities crying out to you?
6. Was Abraham's line the only one that was trusting you? Thus the importance of Sodom because of Lot?

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Gen. 17: Don't be Cut Off

So, chapter 17 takes place about 13 years after chapter 16 comes to a close. By this time, Ishmael is a young boy, and Abram is 99 years old, his wife Sarai is about 90. Abram was already an old fogey when God made the covenant with him all those years ago. By this time, I wonder how Abram's faith was holding up. Even with screwed-up ages compared to modern times, its getting pretty late in the game to father an heir. If God made me a promise, I'd probably give Him less than 13 years before I'd start letting my doubts creep in.

Finally, God appears before Abram and says, "All right, I'm ready to confirm this covenant. You're numbers will start to increase." I don't know if God jumped out of nowhere after 13 years of total silence, or if He had been making appearances here and there...the Bible doesn't say. But Abram falls face down before God...out of fear, awe, reverence...I'd do the same, I suppose.

God announces that this is a covenant of circumcision. Ouch. Every male 8 days and up from here to...forever...will have to have a bit of minor surgery on the most intimate part of his body. Perhaps this cutting is a reminder of the reproductive dedication to the covenant between God and man? This covenant is one of flesh. That it is not the human body that reproduces humans...there is a miracle from God that reproduces humans. Imagine Abram's reaction to God telling him this.

"You want me to what my what?"

Anyway, in order to be identified as a child of God, there must be circumcision. The foreskin must be removed. It is possible the foreskin was symbolic of the unclean? Anyone who doesn't undergo circumcision will be...well, "cut off." Hey, God's words, not mine. This is a covenant that man is capable of breaking in flesh. God says, "I'm good to go" but if man refuses to take this action, he breaks the covenant, and will not be a part of God's promise.

Sarai becomes Sarah, and Abram becomes Abraham. Probably means "father of many nations." This name change comes as a result of the new covenant, I'd assume, as things change drastically in this movement of God. What an amazing thing to be told that Kings of nations would be born in your line. Awesome.

Anyway, Abraham...I'm not sure how he's taking this. God said all this before. Abraham even laughs...."I'm 99 years old, and my wife is about to hit 90. How will we see this? Are you talking about Ishmael?"

Noooooo....God said it would include Sarah...duhhh.

God gets very specific with Abraham, telling him that the covenant will be established through Isaac, who will be born to Sarah. Sure, Ishmael will have it good, be the father of 12 nations and such, but the everlasting covenant will be through Isaac, who will be born by this time NEXT YEAR! Finally! God gives a time frame. Sometimes we just need those.