6. Abraham and the Covenant of Faith

Abraham and the Covenant of Faith Encountering the First Patriarch Story of the Old Testament Dr. Grant Testut Who is Abram? Name means “Exalted Father” Descendant of Shem (11:10) and Eber (11:16) Son of Terah; brother of Nahor and Haran Married to Sarai Comes from “Ur of the Chaldeans” His family plans to go to Canaan; stops at Haran “Abraham’s Journey from Ur to Canaan” (József Molnár, 1850) God’s Promise to Abram Yahweh makes a promise to Abram in Haran. “Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Go from your land, from the place of your birth, and from your father’s household (bêt ’?b) to the land that I shall show you, and I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you should be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I shall curse. And all the families (mišpe??th) of the earth shall be blessed in you.’” - Genesis 12:1-3 Father’s Household (bêt ’?v) Clan Tribe Nation ? ? ? ? God’s Promise to Abram Yahweh makes a promise to Abram. Three major elements: God will make Abram into a great nation God will make Abram’s name great All families of the earth will be blessed in Abram This is a covenant (Acts 3:25), though not called that here. Two parties involved; expectations of each: “You yourselves are children of the prophets and of the covenant that God arranged with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” - Acts 3:25 God’s Promise to Abram Yahweh makes a promise to Abram. Three major elements: God will make Abram into a great nation God will make Abram’s name great All families of the earth will be blessed in Abram This is a covenant (Acts 3:25), though not called that here. Two parties involved; expectations of each: Abram must leave his home and trust the LORD. The LORD will bless Abram. Abram’s Journey to Canaan Ur Haran Shechem Bethel Abram’s devotion to Yahweh Abram journeys to Canaan (12:4-5) Abram is already seventy-five Yahweh promises to give Canaan to his offspring (12:7) Abram builds an altar at Shechem (12:7) Abram builds an altar at Bethel (12:8) Point of Weak Faith Abram goes to Egypt during famine in Canaan (12:10) Tells Sarai to say she is his sister (12:11-13) Pharaoh intends to make Sarai his wife. (12:15, 19) Yahweh sends diseases on Pharaoh’s household (12:17) In the end Yahweh saves the day First fulfillment of blessing formula (12:3) Abram and Sarai blessed with wealth (12:16) Pharaoh and family cursed Chapters 13-14 Abram and Lot separate (ch. 13) Lot moves to Sodom (13:12) Abram moves to Hebron (13:18); builds altar to Yahweh Battle arises between Mesopotamian and Jordanian kings (ch. 14) Lot captured by the four Mesopotamian kings Abram rescues Lot Abram blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem Abram gives him a tenth (tithe) of the goods Abram refuses gift from king of Sodom “Now, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High (’?l ‘?ly?n). He blessed Abram,…and Abram gave him a tenth (ma‘a??r) of everything…Then Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, the maker of heaven and earth, (pledging) that I would take neither a thread nor even as much as a sandal thong from among anything that is yours, so that you should not say, “I myself have made Abram rich (he‘ešarti).”’” - Genesis 14:18-23 Hebron Sodom(?) Abram and Lot Part Ways Further promises from God Abram begins to doubt. Thinks Eliezer (household slave) will be his heir Yahweh assures Abram. “Now, the word of Yahweh came to Abram: ‘This one shall not be your heir, but rather one who comes forth from your loins, he shall be your heir.’ Then Yahweh brought Abram outside and said, ‘Just look at the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And he said, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram trusted Yahweh, and he accounted it to him as righteousness.” - Genesis 15:4-6 “Genesis 15:5 Illustration” (Alex Park) Further promises from God Abram begins to doubt. Thinks Eliezer (household slave) will be his heir Yahweh assures Abram. “Rather it is one who comes from your body who shall be your heir.” (vs. 4) Abram’s descendants shall be like the stars (vs. 5) “He (Abram) believed Yahweh, and he (Yahweh) reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (vs. 6) Covenant Confirmed Yahweh initiates a covenant ceremony. “Then he said to him, ‘I am Yahweh who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.’ But Abram said, ‘Lord Yahweh, how may I know that I shall possess it?’ So Yahweh said to him, ‘Fetch me a three-year old heifer, a three-year old female goat, a three-year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ So Abram fetched him all these things, he cut them in two down the middle, and he put each half opposite the other. He did not, however, cut the birds in half.” - Genesis 15:7-10 Covenant Confirmed Yahweh initiates a covenant ceremony. “Cut in two” (Hb. b?tar) > “Covenant” (Hb. ber?t) Similar to the ceremony in Jer. 34:18 (ESV, NIV, or RSV) “I shall make those men who overstepped my covenant, who did not fulfill the stipulations of the covenant that they made (lit. “cut”; Hb. k?rat) before me, (like) the calf that they cut (Hb. k?rat) in two, and between whose halves they passed.” - Jeremiah 34:18 Covenant Confirmed Yahweh initiates a covenant ceremony. “Cut in two” (Hb. b?tar) > “Covenant” (Hb. ber?t) Similar to the ceremony in Jer. 34:18 (ESV, NIV, or RSV) Compare Bronze-Age Hittite and Neo-Assyrian covenants 400 year enslavement (and deliverance) foretold “For the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” (vs. 16) Smoking furnace and burning torch It is Yahweh who passes through the pieces! Chapter 17 Abram 99 years old Abram -> Abraham (“Father of a Multitude”) “For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” (17:6) Covenant of Circumcision Sarai -> Sarah (“Noble Lady”) Abraham laughs -> Isaac (“He laughs”) Abraham asks about Ishmael being his heir (vs. 18) “But my covenant I shall establish with Isaac” (vs. 21) Chapter 18 Abraham visited by “three men” Example of ancient hospitality Renewed promise of a son through Sarah Sarah laughs The LORD speaks of judging Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham persuades God Sodom and Gomorrah Why would Lot offer his two daughters? Standards of ANE hospitality “They have come under the shade of my roof.” (19:8) Lesser of two evils Lot’s wife looks back – pillar of salt Figure for volcanic activity (fire and brimstone)? Lot’s wife pillar (halite – rock salt) Victims of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii (A.D. 79) Preserved by Ash Lot’s Wife Pillar (Jabal as-Sud?m) Origins of Moab and Ammon Lot’s daughters commit incest Birth of Moab (“From the Father”) and Ammon (Ben-Ammi - “Son of my Kinsman”) Future enemies of Israel Israel Ammon Moab Edom