Showing posts with label Promised Land. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Promised Land. Show all posts

Friday, May 23, 2008

Jg. 1: Some Conquering, Some Failing

Judges 1:7 "Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off had to gather their food under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died."

So, Joshua is gone, and it's time to conquer the land. So apparently this chapter takes place right around the time of Joshua's death. The Israelites (or a priest?) inquire of God as to who will take the lead, and God says Judah, since it's his land basically. So they kick butt, slay 10,000 dudes...which actually probably only means "a lot."

An interesting little vignette takes place here where Bezek's leader is tracked down and has his thumbs and big toes cut off. Weird, but think about how important those appendages are to you. Adoni-Bezek recognizes that this is God's hand of judgment upon him, as Adoni-Bezek apparently had de-thumbed and de-toed bums scavenge for scraps at his table. God has paid him back (eye for an eye). Israel was (being) used by God to pay back these other nations for their wickedness. They had to. Mystical law of the universal God.

Also interesting that the city of Jerusalem's destruction is given brief mention in only one verse here.

Verses 9 through 15 recall the section of Joshua 15:16-19, where Caleb offers his daughter to a military victor and gives her and her new husband springs of water. This occurs before Joshua's death in Joshua, but after Joshua's death in Judges. Probably simply a retelling. I don't tell stories from my life in chronological order to the same people.

Iron chariots...too much for God? Or too much for the Israelites? They were fighting without a unifying leader, apparently. Also, they were probably tired from fighting, and probably (most likely) weren't keeping their end of the bargain. That's what God said would happen if they didn't hold up their end of the covenant. Without a unifying national leader, there's also a lack of a unifying spiritual leader. And that spiritual decay made its way down the chain to the fighters. As imposing as iron chariots were, with God they would have been no match at all. They took the hills, but not the plains. Have you tried dragging an iron chariot uphill? Me neither.

The Canaanites, an important contingent in the HACPHAJ would simply not be driven out of their land by the Israelites...virtually any tribe. So while they remained, Israel enslaved them...which can only be a good thing. Right?

Monday, May 12, 2008

Jos. 15: Judah Gets Hooked UP

Joshua 15:42 "...Libnah, Ether, Ashan..."

Judah gets hooked up with so much land here. The boundaries of the land make me think it's huge. Basically everything west of the Jordan, down to Egypt, and back up the Mediterranean coast. Why do they get so much land? I looked back at the census, and found that Judah had the most people. And the land was alotted by population, if memory serves.

Anyway...lots of towns are inherited...taken over...delivered to (whatever) Judah.

29 towns in the south, 17 in the western foothills, 38 in the hill country, and 6 in the desert. Jerusalem was to belong to Judah as well, but the Bible says here that Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and they lived there together...which is not good. Probably. And the reason is that the Jebusites called on their God, Jebus. OK, so they didn't. I'm guessing Judah did or didn't do something they should/shouldn't have.

Also, there is mention of a little vignette with Caleb and his daughter. Caleb, since he was fiesty, probably needed a hubsband for his daughter, the luscious Acsah. "Whoever captures Debir gets her hand in marriage.: One guy, Othniel, does it. I don't know whether or not he knew about Caleb's promise, but he was the one who took the city, and he got the girl. She and Othniel asked Caleb for some springs to go with their new land. Women just have to accessorize, am I right?

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Jos. 13: This Land is Your Land

Joshua 13:6-7 "Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh."

By this time, Joshua is old, and God even tells him about it. But the conquering of the land is apparently not even close to being done. There were still entire kingdoms and peoples to wipe out. A bunch of Canaanite, Philistine and Gebalite land. I don't really know who these people are as yet, or where it all is, and if you want to see for yourself, take a read. But anyway, Joshua is old and haggard, so in that weakness, God steps in and conquers the land Joshua was unable to.

God gives another command on faith, this time to divide this as-yet-unconquered land among the tribes, as if it were conquered. Joshua had to have faith that God would follow through on his promise.

Chapter 13 is mainly about the division of the 3 1/2 freak tribes, 2 1/2 who wanted their own land apart from the promised land...Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, and the Levites, who get no land period.

Lots of land is taken...including that of the Rephaites, the giants you'll remember. Some was not taken, like that of the people of Geshur and Maacah, whom the Israelites did not drive out, but the Bible doesn't yet say why this was...choice or not. Apparently, this wasn't part of the land God was going to conquer for Himself back in verse 6.

Balaam, the seer who prophesied good things about Israel, and frustrated Balak, was also put to the sword when the Midianites were crushed.

So Reuben gets:
  • The territory of Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge
  • The whole plateau past Medeba to Heshbon
  • The entire realm of Sihon
Gad inherits:
  • The territory of Jazer
  • All the towns of Gilead
  • Half the Ammonite country
  • Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim
  • Mahanaim to the territory of Debir
  • Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon
  • The rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon up to the Sea of Kinnereth (Apparently Reuben didn't get ALL the Sihon land)
Manasseh (Makir) inherits:
  • Mahanaim and including all of Bashan
  • The entire realm of Og king of Bashan
  • All the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns,
  • Half of Gilead
  • And Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan)
Levi inhereits:
  • No land
So they got that going for them.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Dt. 30: It's just a little airborne, it's still good...

Deuteronomy 30:4 "Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back."

Well, after that deluge of curses from the previous chapter, it would be easy to think that life would be hopeless...useless. And it would be. Until the sinner makes a decision to turn back to God. With the pain and horror brought by God as a result of one's falling away, how easy would it be for you to want to turn back to Him? To someone capable of that kind of aggressive punishment? Could/would you trust Him? Bearing in mind that He did give multiple fair warnings against turning away from Him. He gave multitudinous reasons to stick with Him.

Anyway...I love how verse 3 says that "God will restore your fortunes." I don't necessarily believe this has anything to do with monetary wealth. To have the wonder that was before be restored after a great sin is an amazing concept. The way you were before...the way you were intended to be...will be restored. Why would God do that? Does He have to? To keep His covenant, yes. There are many things that are mentioned in the Bible that people can do "so that it may go well with you." God will give back what people have thrown away.

But is simply returning to God the end of it? Hardly. God does so much more on His own here in verses 5 - 10... Just look at this...He will bring you to the promised land. He will make you prosperous. He will circumcise your hearts, so that you can live. He will persecute your enemies. He will make you prosperous. He will delight in you. Your job...obey. That's about it. There is so much responsibility here that God takes upon Himself in order to restore His relationship with his people.

Circumcision of the heart is a little obtuse, but pretty clear...circumcision was an external sign of the covenant. Circumcising the heart was an inward commitment to the covenant.

The end of Chapter 30 breaks down the free will choice people have between life, or death. And it's simple. No one has to ascend into heaven to understand it, or cross a sea to understand it. It is near. It is something easily grasped...within reach. Sure, God commands people to choose life, by why wouldn't you? The free will to choose death is there, but the consequences remain. Just as choosing life will lead to great expectations of blessing.

Friday, April 04, 2008

Dt. 11: The Rainmaker

Deuteronomy 11:11 "But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven."

Again, its more review here. But there are some interesting new observations. Outside of the typical "obey my commands or else," type of things, there's actually a lot going on in chapter 11.

There is a reminder that it was this group of people on the threshold of the promised land that it was they who saw all these miracles that God did for them. They witnessed it personally, it wasn't passed down to them. What's the point though? They have also seen what happened when they screwed up. God's punishment and blessings are visual. Very sensational. Obvious, one might say. They weren't relying on secondhand knowledge for what happened. They couldn't sit there and say, "Whatever, that's what you say."

I also love the contrast drawn between Egypt and the Promised Land. Egypt was a land of toil, of labor...of effort. It was the Israelites themselves that were responsible for watering the land, and creating bricks out of the mud. In the Promised Land, that will be a land of relative rest. God will send the rain in season, and Israelites and cattle will be satisfied by what comes from the land. Another chapter in showing the health and vitality of the land is almost entirely contingent on the behavior of the Israelites, although it is God who watches over it. But what is the connection? Why is that so?

Also, upon possession of the Promised Land, two mountains come to prominence. The first, Gerizim, will be the one upon which the blessings of God are proclaimed. The second, Ebal, will be the base for which God's curses will be complained. Gerizim will be the symbol for obedience, while Ebal will represent disobedience. But why? These high places will be prominent. Everyone will be aware of the blessings and the curses, apparently. I wonder what has become of these mountains today, if the curses and blessings stand.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Dt. 6: Love God

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 "When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

The first few verses of chapter 6 deal with the permanence God intends for His people and for their land. For generations to come, God plans for them to be prosperous, to be happy, and to be "well." To live a long life. All this milk and honey is theirs, on condition that they follow His commands and decrees. God indicates that He is not a temporal God, to set things in motion, and then leave, contradicting deistic philosophy. God shows here that He is in it to win it, until forever. That's comforting, an idea that not only will one be able to trust God to provide for him in this life, but also to provide for the lives of his descendants. It also suggests that life is short, and God is forever. God will be permanent and unchanging.

How should one "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength?" Those three aspects of a person's life are probably the most intimate, the most conspicuous and the most defining of anyone. And how are they to be used? To love God. Have you thought about what you do with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength? I suggest that this is how God loves, with all His heart, with all His soul, and with all His strength. His defining characteristic would then have to be love. Does God need to be loved? Maybe that's the wrong question. Maybe its not a question at all. Needs imply lack. I believe God will be loved. God must be loved.

I just love verses 10 through 12. It is a reminder of who didn't build the promised land. Vast land, flourishing cities, good houses filled with good things, wells and vineyards and olive groves...everything needed for life. And none of it was done by the heirs. Nothing was done by those who inherited the above good things. It was given, provided. Taken from someone else, and given over to Israel. When these things are enjoyed, it is God who must be remembered and thanked.

Massah, the place where the Israelites quarreled over whether God was with them is invoked here as an example of how not to behave. Rather, the people can trust that God will always be among them, and the easiest reminder is that have everything they need. Their thirst will be quenched.

Moses ends the chapter with a sort of history lesson, how to explain to one's children why they do these things they do, with the sacrifices and the rituals and the rules. It is so that they can be reminded themselves as they teach their children about their history, about how they were slaves in Egypt, how they were delivered for, watched over, and given this promised land. Children would be significantly important in this way, to God, and to the people.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Dt. 4: Obey and Live

Deuteronomy 4:35 "You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other."

There is a lot more revealed about the nature of God, and man's relationship with him in Duder 4. Moses is about to lay down the law, and for many it will be a review. For some, it will be review. But how important are these laws, and how final?

Firstly, Moses says that no one should add to or subtract from the commands of God. In fact, Moses says just to keep what laws are about to be set down. Who is man to think that he could co-govern or co-legislate with God? That is unacceptable. In the previous 4 books, it is clear that man is subject to God, in power and in nature. How could God reduce Himself to a level tolerable enough for man to come alongside Him...to assist Him? It's outside either's collective nature. I think another command implicit here is to basically take these laws at face value, without needless debate. God did not want people choosing which laws they could follow, and ignoring others.

Secondly, Moses offers a new perspective on the Israelites' story in the history of the world. He points out to them that there are no other gods (on the surface). There is no similar narrative for any other nation with their respective gods. They saw how God reacted at Baal Peor when another god was given worship. It is truly a "great" nation of people whose god is as near as God is to Israel. And is that important? God has put in these laws and decrees as protection. Moses makes it pretty clear: Obey the commands so you can live. He leaves pretty dire consequences for disobedience.

I find the section on idolatry the most revealing. Why would God so severely and vehemently oppose cast or carved images of gods...or for that matter, even of Himself? The Israelites have not seen any form of God. I think "form" is the key word here. Form or Image seem to be synonymous with corrupt.

Just as a form is not the real thing, a mirror image is not actually you. It is a representation of you. It is you minus all of your character, minus all of the things that make you you. Forms do not see, hear, taste or smell as v. 28 puts it. These forms and images therefore (of a God unseen), are bastardized versions of God. Misrepresentations of God. An imperfect version of God upheld beyond God Himself. These things that God has created have form...calves, fish, birds, dogs, planets, stars, whatever. They are tangible creations and affectations of the actual God. They are therefore not objects of worship, rather reasons to worship, maybe?

Idolatry and form-making attempt to give a visual representation of an invisible being which will not be seen. It is anathema. Polar opposites. An idol is about as far from God as one can conceivably be.

So serious this commandment that Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses that he told the Israelites, so that they are without excuse, and calls on them to pass this command down through the generations. Destruction and scattering will be the consequences for idolatry, a revoking of their rights to the promised land.

Can Israel turn back and return to God? Oh my, yes. Verses 29-31 are just about the most uplifting verses I have read in a long time in these scriptures. God here is described as ready to be found, an answer to distress, merciful and faithful to His word.

So where is God God? Moses says everywhere, in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. God's reign permeates everything. God's superiority and distinction are singular.

Man, Deuteronomy 4 is so full of incredible things, I hope you go read it.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Dt. 3: We Kicked Some Tail

Deuteronomy 3:11 "Og king of Bashan was the last remaining Rephaite. His bed, made of iron, was over thirteen feet long and six wide. You can still see it on display in Rabbah of the People of Ammon."

Moses continues reciting to the people what they've gone through. He recounts the complete and total victory over Og, the king of Bashan. He was apparently the last of the Rephaites, that race of giants. How big was he? Well, he was laid to rest in a bed that was 13x6. My deck isn't even that big. The victory given by God was complete and total.

Moses also recounts the division of the land, telling how Reuben and Gad were able to get the land they requested, if they went to war with their brothers. I guess when I first read it, I reacted as Moses did, thinking what selfish people they were. It just goes to show that people can do something right in the eyes of God, but annoying in the eyes of ignorant me, even though I try to see through the eyes of God.

I began to think that with this writing that Moses was doing, how easy it would have been to glorify himself, and elevate himself above others, and embellish how great he was, he still included instances where he was wrong, where he sinned, and where he brought his weaknesses to God. Most evident is the place where he records how he struck the rock instead of speaking to it, and as a result was forbidden from entering the promised land himself.

Is Moses blaming the Israelites for God's anger with him in verse 26? The Israelites grumbled against him a lot, but Moses received a specific command and chose to disregard it, and essentially disregarded the holiness of God and His word. In spite of this punishment, Moses still trusted God.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Dt. 1: Where We've Been

Deuteronomy 1:32-33 "In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go."

Well, I don't know what to think now concerning the boundaries of the promised land, as Moses just said that it was up to the Euphrates River, which was originally promised to Abraham, but was not part of the promised land to the Israelites. Did God change his mind? Are the borders exact? Were they established with a kind of fluidity? And what part of the Euphrates? Its not all that far off it's the northern portion. The southeast mouth of the Euphrates presents a significant difference. Does it matter? Will the Bible be completely torn down if we get a line of demarcation wrong? I don't know. This is going to bug me, and I will have to study it deeper on my own. Ponderous.

Moses kicks off the book reiterating a few things that have happened in the past 40 years or so. Moses reminds them of the leaders that were needed, which I believe was originally proposed by Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, who kind of popped in and out of the lives of Israel.

Then he reminds them of why it took them 40 years to travel an eleven or twelve day's journey, with the spies bringing back a good report, and then Israel losing their minds and not wanting to go in, being afraid of the inhabitants of the land. Because of their attitude, their minds changed, but probably not their hearts, leading to an ill-fated charge into the hill country.

So, after this reading, I imagine Israel probably was feeling a little sheepish, and probably annoyed. After all, all the times they screwed up were being listed off and read back to them. They were being reminded of their failings, and nobody wants that.

But here they were, on the doorstep of the promised land. The inhabitants had been defeated. And Moses was ready to give a history lesson. It's like waiting to open presents on Christmas until after the Bible reading....let me have my gift already!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Nu. 34: Live here

Numbers 34:2 "Command the Israelites, When you come into the land of Canaan (which is the land that shall be yours for an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries)"

The north border:
From the Great Sea to Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath to Zedad to Ziphron to Hazar Enan.

The east border:
From Hazar Enan to Shepham to Riblah to the Sea of Kinnereth (Galilee), down the Jordan River to the Salt Sea.

The south border:
From the Salt Sea to Zin to Kadesh Barnea to Hazar Addar to Azmon to the Wadi of Egypt to the Great Sea

The west border:
The Great Sea

So, what exactly are the boundaries of the promised land? I found a map. Thanks to the people at cdlib.org, who are graciously unaware of what I have blatantly stolen from them.

Next to that, I found another map based on the promise made to Abraham.
What gives? The promised land has shrunk big time it would seem. Well, we do need to be reminded that this land in the lower map was promised to Abraham's descendants. The land in the upper map was promised to the descendants of Jacob. You can be a descendant of Abraham and not be a descendant of Jacob. Abraham's descendants came also from Ishmael, Esau...etc. Is it that simple though? Ponderous.

Additionally, there were descendants of Jacob (Reuben, Gad, Manasseh) that chose to inherit land outside of the promised land, east of the Jordan River.

Then God had Moses have Eleazar and Joshua along with leaders from the other 9.5 tribes help assign inheritance based on lots. From Urim and Thummim maybe?

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Nu. 33: Connect the Dots

Numbers 33:5 "The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth."

Israel's journey from Egypt to the threshold of the promised land is chronicled in chapter 33. I tried looking these place up on maps to try to find out what their journey actually looked like. Only thing we really have are educated guesses. The point is, they took 40 years to travel about 200-ish miles. If they traveled every day, taking the sabbath off, that's a mind-blowing rate of about 72 feet per day. No, that's feet-per-day. Does God take his sweet time, people?

The passage lists off about forty places where the Israelites stopped and camped.
The people had made it as far as Rithmah in the desert of Paran before they lost their minds and rebelled after hearing the scouts' report. That wasn't even in the right direction of the promised land. If these people knew where the promised land was, and continued to be led by this cloud in the wrong direction, no wonder they were ready to rebel so easily.

Moses, who still hasn't been gathered unto his people after seeing the promised land from the mountain in chapter 27, and devastating the Midianites in chapter 31, is told to instruct the Israelites on how to capture the land. Interesting that this land was given to them, but they still had to go in and take it.

The Israelites were to follow the five Ds: Drive out, Destroy, Demolish, Distribute, and Drive out.
  • Drive out the inhabitants
  • Destroy carved images and cast idols
  • Demolish the high places
  • Distribute the land by lot.
The Israelites cast lots to determine where tribes would live, and larger clans (Judah, Issachar, Zebulun) would get larger parcels of land. Duh.

Seems easy enough. Go forth into the land, and with God on their side, they kick butt and take land. Biblical narrative over. Everyone lives happily ever after.

But verse 55 serves as a warning as to what would happen if they don't follow the 5 D's. The inhabitants would become "barbs in their eyes" and "thorns in their sides." Then God will turn his anger on the Israelites as opposed to the people the Israelites were supposed to wipe out.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Nu. 32: Promise This

Numbers 32:33 "Moses gave the families of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan—the land, its towns, and all the territories connected with them—the works."

So, the jist of Numbers 32 is that Gad, Reuben and Manasseh were doing a little scouting, and figured that the land they were already near, Jazer and Gilead, were actually not that bad for raising livestock and families. This was not the land promised to them, but not yet handed over to them by God. They wanted this land for themselves, and would allow the promised land to be divided among the other tribes.

I find it interesting that here, this deviation is brought directly to Moses and Eleazar, rather than presumptively moving into the land. Before they made all their plans, and roused the rabble, they took their requests to the leaders.

Moses, who knew that an armed conflict was coming that would pit the Israelites against the inhabitants of the promised land across the Jordan from them, suspected ulterior motives. Truthfully, I would have done the same thing. As I read, I waited for Moses to bring the hammer down on them, and for God to send a plague through them or something. Moses recounted the situation with Caleb and Joshua, and gave warning of the LORD's destructive power on those who disobey Him. But punishment never happened. Gad and Reuben proved themselves by offering to gear up and go to battle with the rest of the Israelites against the occupants of the promised land. They would prepare cities on the east side of the Jordan, and would not return until the Israelites had their inheritance on the west side of the Jordan.

Moses consented to this deal, and Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh took over the cities they wanted.

Was it just short-sightedness that made them want to take this land? Why would they not want to partake in this promised land? Was it the desire for more land? What does it mean to their ancestors who died in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land?

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Nu. 13: Aughhh!! Giants! Grapes!

Numbers 13 is that story I used to hear as a kid about how these men explored the promised land and then everyone but two came back and said they were afraid of the giants and the fortified cities. I also remember seeing an illustration in a kids Bible Stories book where they were the size of grasshoppers compared to them. Awesome. Creepy. Anyway.

God tells Moses to have someone from each tribe go into the land "which I am giving" to the Israelites. Not the land that He "will give." Suggests that this land gift was a process that was currently underway. It wasn't quite theirs yet, but it was essentially a done deal. Anyway, someone from each tribe (except the Levites, a'course) is picked to go into the land and explore it. One of them was Joshua, the son of Nun, who was helping Moses out with whatever, and had already been a military leader.

They had very clear instructions. To see if the people were strong or week, few or many. If the land was good or bad. If the towns were fortified. If the soil was fertile or poor. Trees or not. Bring back some of the fruit of the land while you're at it. You know. All the stuff you want to know before you move to a new place.

They checked out the Desert of Zin, Rehob, Lebo Hamath, Hebron, to Kadesh, and back. They saw the land where the descendents of Anak lived...giants. These are revealed to be the Nephilim, who were first mentioned around the fall of man in Genesis 6 I believe. More on the Nephilim here. Probably in giant cities. I wonder how giant, though. Because as a kid, you hear about giants, and you think about like Jack and the Beanstalk, or King Kong, where if you get picked up by one of them, you're like the size of his finger, and he holds you like a banana. But the reality is, maybe they were only like the size of Yao Ming or something. Which is freakishly tall, but not monstrously tall. I don't know.

The people weren't the only thing that was bigger out there. It took two people to carry a cluster of grapes back to the Israelites. Maybe the grapes were like the size of apples.

When the explorers got back, they told Moses that the land flowed with milk and honey, but that the people were huge as well as their cities. The people probably freaked out and were yelling, so Caleb gets up and tells them to be quiet, and that they can go take possession of the land, and should do so immediately. I love Caleb, he was like, balls out. "Lets go take the land!" But he gets lassoed back to "reality" by the other guys he was with. "They are stronger than we are." Which was probably true. But God was capable of providing awesome military victory to his people, like when Abram got all rowdy and when Joshua fought the Amalekites. This wasn't too long ago, since Joshua was one of the men who went in to explore Canaan.

So these explorers who were scared went in among the people, and denounced this land as well as the plan. I'm sure God was real happy with this attitude, because the fear and the distrust was not brought to him, rather to the people. We'll see what happens. After all, this promised land was promised to them, so was God also promising them defeat at the hands of the Hittites, Jebusites and the Amalekites?

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?