Study 2: Abraham and his family

The line of Shem from Noah to Terah

Sons of Noah - Genesis 10:21-31

• Shem’s third son – the seed (Genesis 10:22)

Sons of Shem Genesis 11:10-26 (read 10, 11, 24-26)

• The ninth generation is Terah (Genesis 11:26) – means moon

Sons of Terah (Genesis 11:27-25:11)

• About Terah Joshua 24:2, 3
• Begat Abram (exalted father), Nahor (river), Haran (mountaineer)

Context

Ur of the Chaldeans

• The Chaldeans were an ethnic group that lived in Mesopotamia in the first millennium B.C.

Britannica Encyclopaedia about Mesopotamia:

• The name comes from a Greek word meaning “between rivers,” referring to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, but the region can be broadly defined to include the area that is now eastern Syria, south eastern Turkey, and most of Iraq.
  The region was the centre of a culture whose influence extended throughout the Middle East and as far as the Indus valley, Egypt, and the Mediterranean.

See map

Abraham moves to the land of Canaan

Abram immediately obeys God: Genesis 12:1-9

God’s promise of land to Abram: Genesis 13:14 – 18

• God actions his promise to Abram from Genesis 12:1

Abram worries about a son Genesis 15:1-7

God’s covenant with Abraham Genesis 15:7-16

• God promise to Abram v7
• Abram’ question in relation to authenticity of the inheritance v8
• God transacts the covenant with blood: a pledge of the lives of those making the covenant, but in this case only God transacts
• God’s promise of land 15:18-21

Ishmael is born Genesis 16:1-6

• The transaction is culturally acceptable and lawful according to non-biblical sources
• Blessing promised Ishmael’s mother Hagar Genesis 5-16

God’s convent with Abram and the token of circumcision (God’s fifth appearance to Abraham) Genesis 17

• God appears the Almighty God (v1) El Shaddai = emphasises God’ power & and ability to supply (mostly used in the book of Job, else 48 times in the whole OT)
• Abraham was to be a father of more than one nation (v 4)
• God changes Abram’s name (v 5, 6)
• An everlasting covenant through the chosen (natural) seed (17:7)
• Token of circumcision (v 10, 11)
• The promised son (v 15, 16)
• Sarai’s name is changed by God (v 15)
• Abraham carries out God’s commands Genesis 17:24, 27

Isaac & Ishmael

Isaac is born; Genesis 21:1-7

Ishmael is not the promised son

• Cast out of the family: Genesis 21:8-11
• God promises Abraham that Ishmael would be a great nation: Genesis 21:12-21
• Note the focus on links of Ishmael and Egypt: his mother was Egyptian (Genesis 16:1)
• A type of contrast between the believing Remnant (of Israel) and non-remnant (Romans 9: 7, 8)
• Law and grace cannot coexist (Galatians 4:21-21)

God tests Abraham (Genesis 22:1:10)

• God provides a substitutionary provision – Genesis 22:11-14
  • This is a divine intervention: note the words of God “since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (v12)
• Abraham considered righteous due to his actions with Isaac (Hebrews 11:17-19) – it is evidence of faith he already had: Genesis 15:6. James says the same 2:22-24
  • Abraham considered resurrection possible and true

God speaks to Abraham a second time from heaven

Genesis 22:15-18

• This is the tenth appearance of God to Abraham, but the second by the Angel of the Lord (previous 22:11)

God sets out the Abrahamic covenant – a sworn oath to Himself (v 16) – the most solemn oath God can make. Made because of Abraham’s obedience, with four provisions:

1. A blessing
2. Many descendants
3. Will deal with the enemies
4. All the earth will be blessed from his descendants

Summary

What we learn from these passages

Observation 1 about faith

1. Faith obeys completely
2. Faith surrenders the best to God, holding nothing back
3. Faith waits for the Lord to provide

Observation 2 about Ishmael

If you have time compare and contrast chapters 21 (Ishmael) with chapters 22 (Isaac). See that:

• Both would make great nations because Abraham is their father
• Ishmael takes an Egyptian wife, Isaac takes an Aramean wife
• The crisis created in chapter 21 is of human origin, in chapter 22 it is of God’s origin
• Ishmael is considered Abrahams seed (21:13) but Isaac Abraham’s son (22:2)

Summary of the the Abrahamic Covenant

Provision

1. A great nation was to come out of Abraham, namely, the nation of Israel (Gen. 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:1-2, 7; 22:17b).
2. Abraham was promised a Land; specifically, the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1, 7; 13:14-15, 17; 15:17-21; 17:8).
3. Abraham himself was to be greatly blessed (Gen. 12:2b).
4. Abraham's name would be great (Gen. 12:2c).
5. Abraham will be a blessing to others (Gen. 12:2d).
6. Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Gen. 12:3a).
7. Those who curse Israel will be cursed (Gen.12:3b).
8. In Abraham all will ultimately be blessed (Gen. 12:3c; 22:18).
9. Abraham would receive a son through his wife Sarah (Gen. 15:1-4; 17:16-21).
10. Abraham’s descendants would undergo the Egyptian bondage (Gen. 15:13-14).
11. All other nations as well as Israel would come forth from Abraham (Gen. 17:3-4, 6); the Arab states are some of these nations.
12. Abram’s name was to be changed from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude” (Gen. 17:5).
13. Sarai's name, meaning “my princess,” was to be changed to Sarah, meaning “the princess” (Gen. 17:15).
14. Fourteenth: circumcision was to be a token of the covenant (Gen. 17:9-14).

Recipients

1. Abraham

Abraham was to be the father of a great nation, Israel. He was to possess all of the Promised Land. Other nations, including the Arab states, were ultimately to descend from Abraham. Many of his descendants would become kings, both Jewish and non-Jewish kings. Abraham was to receive personal blessings. Abraham was to be a blessing to others. His name was to become great, and so it is among Jews, Moslems, and in all Christendom.

1. To the Seed (Israel)

The nation of Israel was to become great. It was ultimately to become innumerable. It was to possess all of the Promised Land. It was to receive victory over its enemies. The fact that the promises were made to both Abraham and his seed shows that these blessings have not yet received complete fulfillment but await the Messianic Kingdom.

2. To the Gentiles

The Gentiles would be blessed for blessing Israel and cursed for cursing Israel. Also, they were to receive spiritual blessings, but ultimately these were to come through one specific Seed of Abraham, the Messiah. The Abrahamic Covenant contains both physical and spiritual promises. While the physical blessings were limited to the Jews only, the spiritual blessings were to extend to the Gentiles, but only through the Messiah.

Ramifications

1. Blessing

Material and spiritual

2. Time

Not all provision have been implemented

Most were implemented after Abraham’s life

3. The seed

Absolute singular – refers to Messiah

Singular – refers to Israel

Motifs

1. Land
2. Seed
3. Blessing