IV. God Makes a Covenant with a
Faithful Man to Create a New People in Canaan (Abram)
-
faith is rewarded with the promise of a new people
For some of the larger interpretations,
conclusions or applications of this whole story of Abraham, I am indebted to
Eugene Roop, writer of the Believers Church Bible Commentary, Genesis, Herald
Press: Scottdale, Pennsylvania; Kitchener, Ontario, 1987 Pages 93-164.
Roop first, in some explanatory articles at the
back of this volume, tells us that Hebrew stories are, in comparison to our
more modern western narratives, actually quite sparse in their content
(Characteristics of Hebrew Narrative, Page 313). They tend to only contain two
actors and say very little about either of them or the setting, including the
timing. The focus is on the dialogue between the two characters and the actions
they take.
The story of Abram begins in Genesis 11:26 and
ends in Genesis 25:11, apart, of course, from all the subsequent references to Abram
throughout the rest of the Old and even New Testament. We first meet Abram, as
he was first called, in the account of the descendants of Shem, the eldest son
of Noah, in Genesis 11:10-26. The lineage runs Shem, Arpachsad, Shelah, Eber
(from which the name and people of the Hebrews is evidently derived), Peleg, Reu,
Serug and then Nahor. Nahor was the father of Terah who was the father of
Abram, Nahor, you could say the second, and Haran.
In Genesis 11:27-30, where the account shifted
to giving us the descendants of Terah, Lot is added in as the son of Haran. As
part of this genealogy, which is unusual in the generally patriarchal nature of
these lists in the Old Testament, we are told that Abram's wife was Sarai. We
also told in verse 30 that she was barren; she had no child. This is typical
Hebrew repetition for emphasis.
As Roop explains, in his article Reading
Genealogies (page 326), the Hebrews were not so much concerned with accuracy of
descendants and dates. They were more concerned with who was in the genealogy
and what their importance might be. Therefore, we have to look at this section
and note the emphasis on Abram, Lot and even Sarai.
The next part of the story tells us that, again,
reflecting paucity of detail in Hebrew tales, Terah took his son Abram and
grandson Lot (Lot's father Haran having already died in Ur of the Chaldeans,
which was where these people originated), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, and
move from there to go to the land of Canaan, but only got as far as Haran,
where they settled and died. The name of this place to us sounds the same as
the name of Abram's brother, Lot's father, but in Hebrew the "h" is
apparently different so we don't know that there is a connection. We are not
told either why this family decided to move towards Canaan. Perhaps they simply
needed more space for their flocks.
Then, again reflecting the simplicity of the
tale, chapter 12 begins simply with God saying to Abram that he was to take his
family and “leave his country and his father's house to go to the land that I
will show you." We are not even told here where this specifically was.
Abram was also told that "I will make of you a great nation, and I will
bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who curse you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (12:2-4)
Here then, two new elements enter the story of Abram-
or three, if you count God giving Abram a command - a promise and a blessing.
In any case, verse four tells us that Abram went, and took his nephew Lot with
him. Verse five mentions he also took his wife Sarai and all their possessions
and the persons they had acquired in Haran and set forth for the land of
Canaan. This makes me wonder whether God in fact had already also told Terah to
head towards Canaan, or at least put the idea in his head, and was now simply
reminding Abram that it was time to continue the journey.
In verses 12: 5B-9, we are told of Abram going
to Shechem, Bethel and then the Negev, the South. Again, bringing up these
names here tells us of the importance and the overall story, as details are not
included in Hebrew stories unless they are noteworthy. This introduces places
that were already apparently religiously significant and became even more so as
religious centers in the later nation of Israel. At Shechem, God appears again
and tells Abram, "To your offspring I will give this land", resulting
in Abram building an altar to the Lord there,” no doubt referring to worship,
which he also did at Bethel where it says he "invoked the name of the
Lord."
12:10-20 is a saga of Abram and Sarai having to
move to Egypt with their clan because of famine in the land of Canaan. This is
another recurring theme in the story of God's people, as it happened with the
whole nation of Israel in Joseph and Jacob's time, and for a different reason,
Jesus himself ultimately spent time in Egypt with his parents; that was of
course when King Herod wanted to kill him. There is also a recurring theme here
of the wife in distress, as it happens again between Abram and a local king Abimelech
and later on with Abram's son Isaac and Pharaoh, King of Egypt.
Another element that occurs in this story is
that Abram appears to put his own interests first, being afraid that he would
be killed so that Pharaoh can have his beautiful wife. Therefore, he tells Sarai
to tell the Pharaoh she is his sister, removing the need for Abram to be killed
as competition. In some ways, it appears that Abram is prepared to sacrifice Sarai's
purity for his own sake. It is almost surprising than in a way, that Abram
benefits from this because Pharaoh gives Abram a lot of sheep, oxen, male
donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys and camels, simply to have her
as part of his harem (12:16). However, God steps in, can we say - for Sarai's
sake? - possibly because she is to be the mother of Abram's son, who is to
figure importantly in the lineage of his people and so needs her integrity and
reputation safeguarded. God sends plagues on Pharaoh and his house. As a
result, Pharaoh finds out the truth and sends Abram and Sarai packing, still
with all that they had acquired.
13:1 to 13 is the story of Abram and Lot's
separation. On the one hand, it appears that Uncle Abram is generous to his
nephew Lot by letting him choose whatever land he wants. Perhaps typical of
young men, Lot chooses the best, given the opportunity, and moves to the fertile
plains of the Jordan River. Abram is left with the rocky hills of the Western
part of Canaan. However, just as with the story with Sarai, there could be a
negative side here. When Abram allows Lot to leave him, Lot appears to be
removed from the sphere of God's blessing on Abram and his family. He becomes
associated with the people of Sodom, who are identified in verse 13 as
"wicked, great sinners against the Lord." And so Lot is placed in
danger or temptation. Actually, this is the consequence of his own choice to
move away from Abram rather than work out some other solution to the problem of
the conflict between their herdsmen with their large crops and needing room.
As happens between God and humans though, that
is a choice Abram and Lot made and a God does not interfere. In fact, in
13:14-18, which is sometimes interpreted as a comfort to Abram being left with
poor land after what happened with Lot, God comes to him again. This time he
tells him to look over the whole land in all directions and says that, quoting
verse 15: “for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your
offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so
that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring can also be
counted. Rise up, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I will
give it to you." It seems that God is promising Abram all the land in the
future in any case. So Abram does again obediently pick up his tent and move to
experience more of the land, as God had suggested, and settles at Hebron,
building another altar. Again, Hebron is not just mentioned as a geographical
detail, but is a place that figures prominently in subsequent biblical narratives
like Shechem and Bethel.
Another element of the stories that Roop brings
out here is that these are indeed stories of promise, but there is also delay.
Time passes and God's promises are not fulfilled. Indeed, with emphasis on Sarai's
bareness, there is tension to this point as to whether such a story or a
promise could even be kept. That brings us to chapter 15, which begins again
with God coming to Abram, but this time in a vision, telling him not to be
afraid for he is his shield and his reward will be very great.
This links us back to Chapter 14, which indeed
has been left with the words, “After these things,” at the beginning of chapter
15. In that story, Abram had magnanimously turned down a reward offered by the
King of Sodom for Abram's going after an invading army and retrieving Lot and
his family and all his possessions. In doing so, there may have also been
others of the Sodom area that were saved, are why would the king be concerned.
Perhaps the King of Sodom now regarded Lot is one of his subjects and was glad
for Abram's role in rescuing him, and perhaps also, of course, in helping drive
that army away.
Coming back though, to the idea of unfulfilled
promises, Abram now challenges God in 15:2, "Oh Lord God, what will you
give me,” - remember, God had just promised a reward – “for I continue
childless, and the heir at my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram makes
similar complaints more than once in this chapter and the author of the
commentary makes the point in this regard that this is not something that
cannot happen in the context of a relationship with God. God does not reject us
when we question him but is open to our complaints and responds to them, but in
his time and way. Again, that may call for us to wait because of a delay in
fulfillment of promises.
In 15:5-6 we then have an account of a way in
which God deals with doubting humans in a number of instances in the Bible.
Abram is questioning God about having one son. God takes him out at night and
shows him all of the stars, and asks if he can count them. Then he simply tells
him (15: 5C), "So shall your descendants be." It is as if God is
saying, if I can create all of this wonder, why do you doubt that I can give
you one son. This idea of we mortals not understanding God and ultimately
having to admit that he is in control and has all the power, which we can
realize when we look at the created world, occurs in the Psalms from time to
time, and most notably, ultimately, in the story of Job's complaints towards
God. Job wants to know why all the calamities recorded in his story have
happened to him. God never gives him an answer but just, if you want to put it
bluntly, shuts him up by reminding him of the vastness of the created universe
and the power, intelligence and wisdom that it shows and that this all comes
from God, so who is Job to question God.
God's tactic is successful, if you want to put
it that way. Verse six says "He (meaning Abram) believed the Lord; and the
Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness." The commentary author Roop
states that in some ways the word believe is better translated trust. Belief can
simply be a matter of accepting the truth of some facts or evidence. Trust
means moving forward with somebody or being willing to do what somebody wants
you to. In any case, the key point here is that Abram simply took God at his
word, and that was enough for God to regard him as righteous. Roop points out
that another Old Testament theologian, Gerhard Von Rad, has made the point that
the word righteousness in this context does not mean so much the state of a
person’s goodness, as we often interpret it. It has more to do with how one is
seen in the relationship, and we have already been learning how important
relationship is in the Bible.
These two verses have also been key verses in
the influential study and thinking of many figures in church history. This
begins with the Apostle Paul referring to this in Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6 when
he argues that righteousness, being right in relation to God, comes about not
by any action, such as being circumcised or obeying the law - he is debating
with Jews who say all Christians have to do this - but simply by faith, belief
or trust, taking God, and by the New Testament time, Jesus, at their word. This
is the beginning of the development of the doctrine of salvation by grace
through faith as developed by Martin Luther and also accepted by our own
Anabaptist forefathers. In this, they did not differ from other Anabaptist
reformers such as the Reformed Church in Switzerland either. Ulrich Zwingli, the
Reformed Leader there, apparently also emphasized God's grace being shown here.
Indeed, as already mentioned with respect to
God continuing in relationship with Abram in spite of Abram's weak points, what
he did with Sarai and perhaps also Lot, and challenging him, it is important to
note that God accepted Abram in this righteous relationship in spite of his
imperfection. That should be comfort for all of us who might often question our
goodness or whether we are worthy. Here, as in so many stories, it all begins
with God, and if we follow him, he works it out for our good.
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