Day 3 – Genesis 12-19

The story of the LORD God creating and dealing with people started with one (Adam) and grew to a world filled with wickedness. Then, God worked with one man, Noah. Emerging from the Ark with seven others the world grew into a mass of selfish, arrogant people united in the purpose of building a city and a tower to show their awesomeness. After God scattered them and confused their language, He returned to find one man. The LORD focused on a man of faith, weakness, courage and fear … Abram, soon to known as Abraham. The story of Abram / Abraham is the story that will dominate the remainder of the Bible, because it is about his family (the Hebrews, known also as the “children of Israel” or simply “Israel”) and ultimately his descendant, Jesus. Abraham is called a friend of God (James 2:23), and the church that Jesus died to save are heirs to a promise made to him in Genesis (Galatians 3:26-29).

What can we learn about God? How should we be like Abraham? Let’s explore.

God is a promise-keeper and a covenant maker. I cannot imagine what it was like to hear what Abram heard when God told him to travel to Canaan. The fear and uncertainty of the command was quickly displaced by the promises of the Supreme, Self-Existent God who is bound by His Word. In rapid succession, before fear could give way to doubt, Yahweh promised
• “I will show you the way to Canaan”
• “I will make of you a great nation”
• “I will bless you and make your name great”
• “I will bless whoever blesses you, and curse whoever curses you”
• “I will bless all of the families of the earth through you”
Soon after arriving in Canaan, a placed filled with people already, Yahweh promised Abram, “I will give this land to your family”. Building upon these promises, and reassuring Abram after he separated from Lot, God promised He would give Abram everything he could see to the north, south, east and west AND to a childless man He promised a family that would grow to be an uncountable multitude.

Later, God confirmed His promises with covenants – an ancient near-east tradition called a Suzerain Treaty whereby a superior party formalizes an agreement with an inferior party in exchange for certain conditions. God committed Himself to Abram (land and family) in exchange for Abram’s commitment to Him (Genesis 15:7-21). Changing Abram’s name to Abraham, God, again, made a covenant with him and his family, the covenant of circumcision that would represent a separation from the world. Changing his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah, God promised that she would bear a son in her old age and all of these promises would be fulfilled through him. The LORD God would be faithful to His covenants. The question is, would the descendants of Abraham keep the covenants?

Abram is an altar builder. Each time Yahweh spoke promises to Abraham, he built an altar to the LORD. Even after straying from the provision of God into Egypt (where he built no altars), Abraham returned to one previously built. Why? As with Cain and Abel, Noah (and all of the people), God told people them He was pleased with the aroma of sacrifices. Abraham was obedient in this, and affirming his faith that God would care for him and keep his promises. The “hows” and the “whys” were irrelevant to him, because he trusted God. Because of this, everywhere Abraham went, an altar was built. Oh that my life and my travels would so reflect the importance I place upon Yahweh, His presence, His promises and His covenants.

God calls people. Coming out of Ur, Abram settled in Haran until his father died. Yahweh spoke to him and called his to leave his home and go to Canaan. Amazingly, the response is a simple, “So Abram went”. There was nothing God called him to do that he wasn’t capable of doing. In fact, all of the hard stuff was going to be accomplished by God, not Abraham. Throughout His dealings with people, Yahweh calls people to the wondrous things He is intent upon accomplishing. Even the word translated “church” means “the called out assembly”. The whole idea of this is based upon an all-powerful Creator giving His creatures free will, and then asking them to choose.

Abraham called upon the LORD. At Bethel (which means “House of God”) Abram not only built an altar and then returned to it, he called upon the LORD. We find this term in both the OT and NT, especially in regard to salvation. To truly understand what we are being taught, we must understand this is not a passive “Hey, God” or “Help me, Jesus”. With Abram and with us we see a simple, trusting faith in the Supreme, Self-Existent God who is makes promises and covenants. Based upon the trustworthy nature of God and the covenant/promise He has made, we choose to come to Him, obey Him and invoke the very name of Yahweh Elohim to fulfill what He has committed Himself to do. We see this in Abraham, and I pray God sees it in us!

God displays His righteousness in judgment. When His patience with the wicked people in Sodom and Gomorrah finally ran out, God acted and executed His judgment upon those people. As with all of His judgments, Yahweh does not act impetuously or cavalierly or unfairly when destroying these cities. His righteousness will not allow it. Sin was committed, consequences ensued. So it will be with us in the end. Only the loving mercy of God displayed in the sacrificial, substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross as a consequence of human sin can save us.

Abraham expected God to display mercy consistent with His righteousness. During all of this, we see Abraham interceding on behalf of the people in these two cities. Some consider this to be bargaining with God. I’m not so sure. God knows all things, even the thoughts and purposes of the human heart. By agreeing to forestall His righteous judgment if only 10 righteous people can be found, Yahweh teaches Abraham that he can count on God to be consistent with His nature as well as His word. So can we. As fallible, unworthy people we can consistently trust God’s constancy. The “I Am that I Am” truly is the “He Is Who He Is”.

Consider His nature. Consider His ways. Strive to love Him more!