Showing posts with label Abram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abram. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Ge. 16: Love child

Even after the covenant promised in the last chapter, Sarai was still concerned that she and Abram had not yet conceived. In Chapter 16, she complains that God has not yet blessed them with a son. So she does what any centered, sane woman would do: She tells her husband to sleep with her maid. Hagar, an Egyptian maid servant was given as a wife to Abram by Sarai. I know the man should be joined with woman...but women? Of course, Hagar conceives. With the pregnancy hormones a-flying, and the resentful Sarai jealous, life becomes a living hell for both of them. And probably everyone else in camp.

Even though it was Sarai's idea, she blames Abram for going through with the deed. Women.

Abram, showing a masterful hand of leadership tells Sarai to deal with her maidservant herself. Sarai treats Hagar poorly, so she flees.

The Angel of the LORD finds her by a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. "What's the deal?" the Angel asks.

"Sarai was being a bi...a big jerk, so I left," Hagar replies.

The Angel tells Hagar to go back and take Sarai's abuse...to put up with it. God promised Hagar that her son's descendents would be too numerous to count, like Abram's would be. I don't know if I could go back to a scornful, barren woman if I were pregnant with her husband's heir. That would be pushing it for me.

I've learned that whenever the Bible recounts how someone is named, there's always an explanation to follow, describing what the name literally means. "Ishmael" probably means "God hears," because the Bible says God hears Hagar's suffering, and "El" is consistent with "God."

So, I guess that would make Hagar feel better...Ishmael's descendants will be too numerous to count (Genesis 15:5)...yet, Abram's descendants will be too numerous to count...God's going to run out of planet if everyone's descendants will be too numerous to count. He's already used up 2 "too numerous to counts" in the first 2000 years.

Apparently, Ishmael will turn out to be a wild man, a rowdy man, and will be notorious for picking fights easily, will not get along with his family. Hm.

At any rate, this made Hagar happy, and she named the spring after God seeing her.

She gives birth to Ishmael when Abram is 86 years old, making Ishmael born around 2024 at the earliest. Which is neat.

This whole saga is a little unsettling to me. Abram just had a bunch of amazing signs and wonders shown to him, yet still he goes about his business like he had seen nothing. Maybe he thought that God would bring him a son through his maidservant, and that was how his line would be preserved? I must admit, I am guilty of the same. God shows me how He works, and then I expect something else. Additionally, we learned way back during the creation that God typically works in a methodical, sometimes maddeningly so, process. But, come on, Abram...the maidservant?

Monday, November 05, 2007

Ge. 15: A horrifying vision, an awesome covenant.

After running roughshod over a bunch of nations, and snubbing the powerful but evil king of Sodom, Abram is probably coming down from his battle high into reality. There is probably a certain level of fear setting in at the beginning of chapter 15. Who knows who is plotting revenge against him? Against Lot? Against his people? It is for this reason that God offers some of the most relieving words of encouragement and strength I have read to this date:

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

Wow, now that is an amazing verse. I claim this verse as well. Abram was a man who walked with God and called on His name everywhere he went. God was right there on time with words Abram needed to hear, right when he needed to hear them.

Sometimes, those words aren't enough for us though. In spite of God saying that directly to Abram, still he managed to bring up the fact that he was still childless. How like me! Even though I sometimes read what I need to hear, it's not enough for me. I still find something else to trouble me.

Maybe it was the fact that these nations were probably plotting against him that made him face his own mortality. And if he were to die, he would have no heir. I'm finding out that heirs are pretty important to these people of old. He didn't really want his riches and property to go Eliezer, his servant. Nothing personal, Eliezer.

God doesn't lose His mind over this, as I'm sure I would be exasperated. Instead God gently reiterates His promise from back in chapter 12: That he would become a great nation. Someone from Abram's own seed would carry on his bloodline. God brought him outside, and gave Abram a visual object lesson. "Count the stars, if you can," God asks him. "This will be like your offspring." Abram believed, and that's what God called righteousness. God was the one who brought him out of Ur, and kept His promises so far. God then promised Abram the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Basically all of the Middle East that wasn't sand as far as the eye could see.

"See this land? It's going to be yours."
"Yeah, but...how do I know?" I don't think Abram was being belligerent or faithless here, he was just honest with his questions before God. The promise of wealth is an exciting one, and its natural to be cynical.

God seems to take it in stride, and what follows is a rather bizarre sequence of events to cement this land covenant. God commanded Abram to bring Him a 3-year-old calf, goat, and ram, and a turtledove and pigeon. Abram cut the calf, goat and ram in half and separated them, but didn't cut up the birds. I'm guessing it had to do with the sacrificial "cleanliness" of the animals. Sure enough, vultures came, and Abram drove them away. The birds would have undoubtedly fouled the "clean" sacrifices. Abram prevented the clean from becoming unclean.

Later that evening, Abram fell asleep, and the KJV says a "horror of great darkness fell upon him." God was going to reveal the bad news - good news segment of His promise.

The good news: Abram would have offspring.
The bad news: Said offspring would be a stranger in a strange land.
The very bad news: Offspring would be enslaved.
The awfully very bad news: Offspring would be subject to these other people for 400 years.
The good news: God will judge the enslaving nation.
The very good news: Abram's people will come out of it with great wealth and substance.
The awfully very good news: Abram will go peacefully to his forefathers, after a long life.

But not yet...the Amorites apparently weren't done being baked to a good evil yet.

When the sun went down, a smoking firepot and torch passed between the halves of the animals Abram had slain. I suppose that with the fire, the covenant will be made true, will be made firm between the two sides (God and Abram? Or Man?) So far, God has made covenants with Adam, Noah, and Abram. And to some extent, Cain.

God tells Abram He will give him the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, and the Rephaims, the Amorites, the Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites. Woo!

Questions for God:
1. What was with that sacrifice?
2. What did you think when Abram asked how he could be sure that you would give him this land?
3. Where were all the -ites going to go?

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Ge. 14: This...IS...ABRAAAAAAMM!!

In Chapter 14, there is war. The lowdown of it is that King Chedorlaomer of Elam was ruling over these five other cities as well: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela. He had probably been collecting (read: confiscating) some sort of a tribute from these towns for 12 years. By year 13, they had enough, and rebelled. Chederlaomer and his buddies from Shinar, Ellasar, and Goiim rolled their boys into the valley to put down the rebellion.

As I was reading this, I thought...now, this is a change of pace. What does this war have to to with Abram, who as shown in the previous chapter was a man of peace? I'unno. I guess I'll have to keep reading.

Anyway, they battle it out, and Lot, who had moved to Sodom, was in the middle of the whole deal. His possessions were stolen, he was kidnapped, and it was a bad deal all around. The KJV says that the valley was full of slimepits, which I find very weird and scary, and a bunch of guys from both sides fell in. Anyway, someone escaped the slaughter and came and told Abram about Lot. Well, Abram did not take too kindly to this news. He armed his trained men (318 according to verse 14.) Where have I heard this number before?

Anyway, Abram goes in like "Yippee-Kai-Ay" and gets rowdy on everyone, using guerrilla tactics, and kicks hiney all the way to Dan. He frees Lot, gets his possessions back, and everything is hunky again. Bera (king of Sodom) benefits from Abram's actions, and he calls his allies together in the valley of Shaveh to bring honor to him. Melchizadek (king of Salem...Jerusalem?) comes out though, first, and brings bread and wine. Mel is described as the "priest of the most high God."

I think this is the first time in the Bible we see the priesthood. I wonder when that began?

Well, if Abram had any thoughts of allowing himself to be glorified by what was taking place (which I assume that he did not) Melchizadek brought it back around onto God. He blessed Abram, who belonged to The Most High God, the creator and possessor of heaven and earth. He praised God for delivering the enemy into Abram's hand, and generally just making everything work out according to plan. Abram was promised that he would become a great nation, after all.

Bera probably saw this happening, and thought, "Well, this is all fine and good, praise god, yadda yadda...give me back my people, and you can have all these riches and possessions."

Abram said, "You aren't going to be able to tell people my riches came from you. They have come from God. I won't even take a shoelace from you. Beat it, Bera." He allows those who helped him in battle take the share.

Abram was the original Leonidas here in Chapter 14. He took a bunch of shepherds (presumably) and fought what I assume is a powerful force. Powerful enough to keep five cities under wraps and bully them to the point of rebellion. How did he do that?

Questions for God?
When was the priesthood established?
Who is this Melchizadek fellow?

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Ge. 13: Lot's Goodbye, the Promise of Land.

So after Pharaoh, Pharaoh, oh baby, makes Abram go, Abram travels back to familiar territory -- between Bethel and Ai. By this time, Noah had acquired a buttload of cattle, gold, and silver. He really did a number on those rich Egyptian suckers. Anyway, as he had previously done, He "called on the name of the LORD." So, no matter where he was, or what he was doing, He seemed to have a constant open dialogue with God.

This time, though, Lot was with them. He was apparently just as wealthy, with flocks and gold and flat screen HDTVs. The land was just not capable of supporting both factions, in addition to the Canaanites and Perizzites. So the herdsmen of each side got to pushing and shoving, and shouting things. Generally causing a ruckus.

Abram, not one given to enjoying conflict, comes to his senses, and realizes they have this whole land. Why fight over tiny parts of it? He and Lot are going to have to part company. It's been real. The ultimate in shrewd dealmakers, Abram says to Lot, he says, "If you go left, I'll go right. If you go right, I'll go left." Lot wasn't going to miss this opportunity. He considered his options...

Well-watered Jordan plain...or...something less. No brainer. The Bible mentions that this was before God destroyed the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Sodom and Gomorrah being the southern limit of Canaanite lands as mentioned in Genesis 10:19.) So...we'll see what that's all about at some point, I'm sure. Anyway, Lot sets up shop near those cities, full of men who were wicked and "sinning greatly against the Lord." While I'm certain there were cities just as foul, this pair bears special mention, for some reason.

Lot's choice of land probably didn't upset Abram too badly. I'm sure he was a little bummed, not just because he had inferior land, but he parted ways with Lot...probably the last connection he had to his brother Haran. Lot had been with him through a lot of crazy times and upheaval. He had to have expected it, though. Abram would continue to live in the land of Canaan.

The LORD came to him, and this is the miracle of this chapter. I imagine Him putting His mighty arm around Abram, saying "...Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." God had something bigger and better for Abram than simple green pastures for his sheep, which was Lot jumped on. I see myself a lot ... in Lot. Something looks great at first, so I snatch it up...missing the bigger point at times, and missing out on greater blessing because of my impatience. There would have been room for Lot in the land God gave to Abram...but only physically. God wanted to give this to Abram.

So Abram packs up and moves again to Hebron, in the West Bank, and builds an altar to God.

Questions for God:
1. Do I want to know what I've missed out on?
2. What does that really mean, like the dust? Like, really mean?

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Ge. 12: A great nation...thanks to a hot wife.

So after dad dies, Abram was told by God to leave his country, his people, and his father's household, and go to this land somewhere. Probably the last thing on your mind right after your old man kicks off is leaving the grieving.

"Where, God?" asks Jon-if-he-were-Abram.
"Relax, I'll show you," answers the LORD.
"Ugh, it better be sweet."
"Don't worry, Jon-if-he-were-Abram. It will be."


So God tells Abram the following:

"I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

That does sound like a pretty sweet deal. Sweet enough for me to move after my dad's death. Probably not the reason Abram moved. Something tells me Abram would have done it, blessing or no blessing. But this is quite a promise. I can't wait to see how God fulfills this one.

So the 75-year-old Abe takes off, brings his hot wife, and his brother Haran's son, Lot. Since Haran died, I'm guessing Abram took Lot on as a son, loaded up the mules, and the "people they had acquired in Haran." Slaves probably. Or servants. Hired Hands...I'unno. Slavery bad. So they go to Canaan. And what do you know, they get there.

So Abram goes as far into Canaan as the "great tree of Moreh at Shechem." Verse 6 was apparently written by JRR Tolkien. The significance of this tree is not known to me at this point in my reading, but probably it had some meaning to the Canaanites or...Shechemites?

Then God appears out of nowhere, (mind freak!) and says, "To your offspring, I will give this land." Out of his thanksgiving, Abram builds an altar right there to God. Later, he moved on into some hills between Bethel and Ai, and worships God. Then he moves on to Negev. This guy is making serious tracks. I wonder if he was collecting those etched glass cube things with 3D bubbles inside that look like things.

Then a famine causes him to move down to Egypt. Pharaoh's reputation must have been pretty awful when it came to old dudes with hot wives, so it goes down like this. He tells Sarai (and probably everyone with him) to act like Sarai is his sister. You'd hate to miss the memo on that one and blow it at an inopportune time.

"Hey Abram, why's your wife hanging out with Pharaoh so much?"
"My wife? Why...you know she's my sister."
"Your sister? You married your sister?"
And then Pharaoh would butt in all authoritatively, demanding to know what the meaning of this is.


Sure enough, the Egyptians run and tell Pharaoh that there's this hot chick that's new to the area, and she's with her...overly affectionate brother and a bunch of people and some kids and stuff. Whether or not Abram expected the royal treatment from Pharaoh with receiving sheep and cattle, donkeys and servants...I don't know. I don't want to be cynical about the guy, but he already is lying. (Yes, God blesses those who lie anyway). I'm not going to let my sins get me too down, because Abram was hardcore blessed in spite of his weaknesses, and lack of faith that God would pull him through this.

If God was going to make a great nation out of me, I guess I'd trust him with the life of my wife.

Because of this deception, God inflicted the Pharaoh and his household with "serious diseases." Presumably either poison ivy or AIDS. Pharaoh, though he was punk'd by some nomad wanderer, was no dummy. He knew it was probably Sarai at the root of his problems. In his anguish, he begged Abram, "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Go away." So Pharaoh tells Abram and his men to hit the road.

I think this little vignette at the end reminds of all the times I've needlessly worried about something that, at the time, I thought was going to be all earth-shattering, but turns out to be quite harmless, and that it is OK to trust God through those situations. When I get there, and am going through it...sure it can be tough, but it's never as bad as my sense of dread creates it to be.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Ge. 11: Babel and Shem, Shem and Babel, Abram!!!

So, where in chapter 10, dudes were beginning to move all over the world, chapter 11 starts with some dudes breaking the rule. They stuck to one place: Shinar. All we can really know about Shinar at this point was that it was somewhere in Mesopotamia.

"You know what's a good idea?" One guy said.
"No. What?" Said oblivious other guy.
"Making millions of bricks." One guy replied.
"Uhh..." Said oblivious other guy.
"No, we'll make millions of bricks and then stack 'em all together. We'll make a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens," said One guy.
"Like my Legos?" said third guy.
"Are you still playing with those?" asked One guy, incredulous. "No, this tower and city will stop us from spreading over the face of the earth. We'll get to be together! Forever!"

God is no dummy. He saw what was going on. If the people couldn't understand each other, they couldn't work with each other. Then they'd move away to the ends of the earth. Which makes me wonder: I know God commanded people to spread out over the earth, but why? Would God feel his creation was for naught if it wasn't being enjoyed and experienced by man?

This whole deal with Babel shows me that God will frustrate man when man thinks he can do it on his own.

Shem is revealed to be 100 2 years after the flood. By the timeline in what I have read, with the flood at about 1646, Shem would have been born in 1548...

And these dates are estimates based on the numbers the Bible has given me. They may be useless to you, but its neat for me to see how time passes, and who was still alive when so and so was born.

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

Abram, Nahor, Haran: 1938 -

So Terah has three boys. Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and Nahor got hitched to Sarai and Milcah respectively. Sarai was barren. Terah had a mind to up and move the family (Abram and Sarai, and Haran, Milcah and their son Lot to Canaan. On the way there, they settled in ... Haran. Maybe they said, "Lets honor the dead one by settling in an area named after him. I wonder why they didn't make it? Guess I have to keep reading.

Terah died there.

Questions for God:
1. Why didn't Terah make it to Canaan? Why did they want to move to Canaan anyway?