We saw: Covenant announced to Abraham.
We saw: Upon receiving the covenant news, Abram is tested with famine. Act of self-reliance he goes to Egypt - echoes of the Exodus story.
- We saw: Covenant brought back into play, ratified by God alone. Initiated and confirmed by God. Abram unconscious. God is the only one who can bring us from death to life.
We saw: Another scene where self-reliance ruled the day - Sarai (plan B). We've seen trusting and faith and then wavering into self-reliance.
Chapter 17. Covenant of circumcision.
Verses 1-3. Abram has been waiting for 24 years by this time, waiting for the initial covenant message, waiting for itself to be true. Thirteen years have passed since Ishmael was born. It's natural to assume that in these 13 years (even though God has said), that Abram will feel an attachment to Ishmael.
Verses 4-5. What just happened with this renaming? We know that names in the OT were meant to be prophetic. "Abram" = Father of Many (not having any). "Abraham" = Father of a multitude." God speaks this name over him - so profound. God speaks it; it's done (verse 5) "I have made you" - done.
Verses 6-8. God has a sign He wants associated with this covenant - circumcision. Why circumcision? Because every male who is marked, the vehicle for begetting needs to bear this sign. The means by which Abraham will become a great nation.
- Needs to bear a tangible reminder that it's God's faithfulness that brings this about. It's marked as a reminder of original sin passed from Father to son and also
- Marked as a warning that those who forsake the covenant, will be cut off.
- Marked as a promise because the seed of Christ will ultimately come through Abraham's line.
It's an appropriate sign (a bloody sign) because the parting of flesh and the shedding of blood are a reenactment of that covenant theme where Abraham lay unconscious and God placed the covenant in place.
Think about the sign for the New Covenant: baptism. An un-bloody sign for the New Covenant. Why? Because there is no longer any need for the shedding of blood for sins remission. The final sacrifice has been made. The covenant again ratified by Jesus. God's means for circumcision sign to be personal.
Verses 15-16. "Sarah" = princess. "I will give you a son by her." Hebrew "have given." This thing is done. Abraham and Sarah don't perceive it to be done but God says it's done.
Verses 17-18. Abraham bursts into laughter. Why? This is a different kind of laughter. A joyful laughter of a man of faith. "This is too good to be true" kind of laughter. An underlying sentiment follows: Plan B could still work right?
Verse 19. God's response: "No. Sarah is your wife; call him Isaac" meaning "he laughs."
Verse 20-21. News flash! They have waited 24 years and now the time frame is given to them. What else is going on here with these name changes? Did you notice "Abram" became "Abraham" "Sarai" became "Sarah." The "ha" sound here is meaningful. The "Ru-ah" of God (Genesis 1-11) which is the Spirit and Breath of God that hovered over the waters of creation. Breath of God also that was breathed into man when he was formed.
The breath of God that blew over the flood waters of the earth. When the flood waters dried up. The "ac" of God. It's here now in these names. Their plain human names combined with the breath of God. They are enlivened and called to His purposes.
Typical of Abraham - he immediately obeys the covenant of circumcision.
Chapter 18. Another kind of laughter.
Verses 1-6. Abraham resting outside his tent at the heat of day. "By the oaks of Mamre." Oaks were the place where foreign gods were worshiped. Specifically, fertility gods. Here we have a question of the fertility of this chosen man of God. Pattern: "lifts up his eyes."
We're not sure yet who the three men are. He says "Oh Lord." We can get thrown off here. This is a title of respect.
Typical pattern of near ancient Middle Eastern culture and hospitality verses 4-5.
Verses 6. He's preparing a feast. These things take time: Bread and meat.
Verse 8. Curds and milk brought to them. Why doesn't he sit? He's standing ready to serve. A sign of his humility.
Verse 9. "Sarah, your wife." These three people are a manifestation of God. God knows where Sarah is. He is inquiring for the purpose of drawing people in. "In the tent" you can hear every single thing going on. Sarah hasn't heard the promise of a child from God yet. God now is going to give this promise directly to her.
Verses 10-11. "The way of woman." What does Moses want us to understand? No longer able to have a child now. No hope of being fertile.
Verse 12. Is this the same kind of laughter that Abraham had? No. It's a bitter laugh.
Verse 13. "Sarah laughed to herself in the tent." Why did Sarah laugh? She is finding out what Hagar found out - He's the God who hears and sees.
Verses 14-15. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Why was Sarah afraid? She realizes who these three men must be. God responded to her life (Annanias/Saphira). But here we see a longsuffering God. Listen how Abraham and Sarah are spoken of in Hebrews hall of faith. Hebrew 11:11-12. Abraham was "as good as dead." Romans 4:19 NIV "as good as dead." Sarah's womb also dead.
What is the message? Dead. God has them exactly where He wants them to be - where the only reason a child could come would be a miraculous one. He intends to display to them and all that witness the event that He is a God who brings life out of death (praise you God!)
Verses 16-20. Tension being set up here. If ever there was a lesson regarding the wages of sin, it's the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is saying "should I conceal this from Abraham, who's going to need to understand the importance of righteousness?" - to keep the way of the Lord. This is something Abraham needs to witness, a teaching moment.
Verses 20-21. "Out cry" = God hears. "to see" = God sees. God comes down "to see." He did this in Eden, tower of Babel. God wants to witness what's happening. Why? He's bearing witness that He can beyond doubt establish the guilt of those He is going to see. God's judgments are perfect and made with every fact in view. We must understand this. If we are tempted to look at His judgment and call them too harsh, we may be thinking that because our whole experience of going through a legal process where justice is melted out is with a judge who has limited facts and a jury as well. Eye-witnesses don't remember things as well. The judge here, the Lord, holds all the facts.
Verses 22-23. Abraham questions. God will never sweep away the righteous with the wicked.
Verses 24-25. "Yes." God will do what is just.
Verse 26. "Not only will I not make the righteous perish with the wicked, I won't even make the wicked perish, if there are 50 righteous." He keeps going down to 10. Even if 10, He will not do it.
Here's what is NOT happening. Abraham is NOT bargaining with God. God knows how many righteous there are. He's being patient with Abraham. Why? He's interceding for others. Also, will learn a lesson about the severity of sin and the faithfulness of God to eradicate it.
Genesis 19. God Himself plus two angels. Where was lot sitting? In the gate of Sodom. Where lot came from: Pitched his tent toward Sodom; then living in Sodom; this indicates (at the gate) that in all likelihood he is a city leader. Wow!
Verses 1-2. We see a similar scene like when they found Abraham at the door of his tent. Verse 2 still. They are messing with Lot.
Verse 3. What are they doing? Establishing his awareness of just how bad things are.
Verse 4. "All" - the people surrounded the house. Why this language? Establishing the guilt of the whole place.
Verse 5. "Know them." Sexual relations.
Verses 6-7. "My brothers." "Wickedly." Lot knows there is wickedness.
Verse 8. The view of women here in the Middle East: is she beautiful, a virgin, can she have a baby. A trump card here.
Verse 9. Quickly the hands of brotherhood are severed as soon as their sin is pointed out. A sojourner and now unwelcome.
Verse 10. Angels brought Lot back in and shut the door.
Verse 11. Struck with blindness. They wore themselves out trying to find the door. Set on doing evil.
Verse 12. Lot goes to the men who are supposed to marry his daughters. The son-in-laws think he is joking (13-14).
Verse 15-16. "But he lingered." God promised "I will bless those who bless you." Lot is being bailed out because of Abraham.
Verses 17-20. "This city is near enough." He's bargaining that he might go to Zoar - not the hills. In chapter 14, Zoar was in a grouping of cities which included Sodom and Gomorrah.
Verses 23-26. Lot's wife. Why a pillar of salt? And what is indicated by her looking back? She's going to miss it. In this time period, what was salt used for? A preservative. She's preferring in her heart a fond memory of Sodom. Don't look behind you when I deliver you from sin. Luke 17-32-33 "remember Lots wife."
Verse 27. Abraham knows now there were not even 10.
Verse 29. Delivers Lot for Abraham's sake.
Verse 30-38. Daughters seek to secure offspring by incest. Original context of the audience - verse 37. Moab (Moabites). Verse 38 - Ben Ammi (Ammorites). "This is where those enemies came from" (original audience).
Chapter 20:1-7. Abraham again messes up.
Verse 8. Role reversal. Abimelech rises early to obey. The pagan will lecture Abraham.
Verses 9-12. Who here is demonstrating a greater fear of the Lord? Abimelech.
Verse 13. Sarah is old here. A good political alliance. Abimelech sends Abraham with stuff.
Verse 16. "You brother." Why is this important? This story is worse because Sarah is probably already pregnant. There must be clarity about who the father is. God will jealously protect His covenant.
We await a better Savior!
This concludes Session 3 of God of Covenant.
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