Week 11
This Week Is Under Construction
Week 11: Avraham, Man of Covenant
Contents of this week’s study:
Bereshit [Genesis] 13
Day One: Avram, Man of Calling and Oath
Bereshit 14
Day Two: Avram, Man of Learning
Day Three: Avram, Man of War
Day Four: Avram, Man of Righteousness
Bereshit 15
Day Five: Avram, Man of Covenant
Day Six: Avram, Father of Nations
Day One: Avram, Man of Calling and Oath
Part One, Our Calling [purpose] is to "Bear Fruit"
Bereshit 13:14-18 (CJB)
14 Adonai said to Avram, after Lot had moved away from him, “Look all around you from where you are, to the north, the south, the east and the west. 15 All the land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever, 16 and I will make your descendants as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth — so that if a person can count the specks of dust on the earth, then your descendants can be counted. 17 Get up and walk through the length and breadth of the land, because I will give it to you.” 18 Avram moved his tent and came to live by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hevron. There he built an altar to Adonai.
In these verses, God makes an awesome promise to this man who's (although they are aging) --- wife has never born him a child. God promises His faithful servant Avram that his descendants will number so that no one can count them.
My friends, you and I should not put all our focus on merely producing physical offspring, but should also be expending our time, energy and even resources to help populate the kingdom of God by sharing Yeshua's Gospel [good news] that the kingdom is ready for us.
We are commanded to "teach" others Hashem's statutes and decrees to bring people to the place of faithfulness, and to help and encourage each-other in keeping our covenant with our king. Even when we faithfully fulfill our ministry, however, just like Avraham, we don't always see results right away, and some never see the results of their dedication within their lifetime. Still, we all must understand that God's timing is perfect, and He does have the plan for how our labors can be productive.
It can be so difficult to wait for God to make us bear the fruit of His Ruach [Holy Spirit]. You may be part of a ministry that seems to be going nowhere. Perhaps you are pastoring a church which even after years of hard work, dedication and prayer is still not growing physically or spiritually. You may have friends or loved ones for whom you’ve dedicated prayerful hours and carefully relayed the word of God to. You may be a sole servant of God, lonely in a remote Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. corner of the world where even hinting at your faith in the Jewish Messiah could cost you your life.
Let God's promise to Avram be an inspiration and comfort to you. We see only in the natural. We don’t know how the fruit of our labors will be actualized, but understanding that God can even change our wrongs, and the things others do to harm us --- into blessings in the end; know that your faithful striving, just like His word, will not return void.
As I’ve stated before, I personally don’t believe the souls we’ve influenced are the lone or even true fruit of our labors. I think the reference to producing fruit is clearly meant to direct us to work closely with Hashem [God] to make the changes within ourselves that lead us to adopt the heart and mind of God which will naturally result in improving us as the conduit of Hashem's truth and goodness here on earth.
As we've wondered before, could the following be the greater understanding of the fruit we will be judged for?
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
Let this thought comfort and sustain you as you continue faithfully despite the hardships and loneliness you may be suffering. You are not really alone, you are among many family members who have struggled, strived and suffered before you, and you will most likely not be the last to have your patience and faithfulness tested. There is nothing that can stand in the way of our developing this spiritual fruit --- except a lack of commitment; God forbid!
Part Two, Live in the place of accountability, strength and faithfulness.
Bereshit 13:18 (KJV)
18 Then Abram *[Avram] removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
The King James Bible (KJV) misses a very important point. In verse eighteen they use “plain” instead of “Oaks”. We now need to consider the idea that the oaks of Mamre will shortly become significant memorials of Hashem and Avram's covenant.
In the Strong’s:
Oaks (plain in KJV) 436H ˊêlôwn, ay-lone´; … an oak or other strong tree: --- plain, from 352H ahˊ-yil; … properly strength; hence, anything strong; specifically, a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree: --- mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram, tree.
X ______________________________________________.
While Lot moved away from his source of strength, i.e. God, to set his tent (eyes, heart, focus) toward Sodom and a life of ease.
In contrast, Avram moved to camp before God in a place of accountability (as symbolized by the place so near God's house), strength and faithfulness (as symbolized by the presence of Mamre's forest of giant oak trees.
In tomorrow's study we'll dig a bit deeper into the idea of these oak trees being used as a metaphor in this section of scripture to compare the difference in the choices made by Avram and his nephew Lot.
Could the choice to stay near God and be accountable to Him be why Avram was repeatedly chosen by God and why we need to follow his example to also be “chosen”.
Journaling:
Bereshit 13:18 (CJB)
18 Avram moved his tent and came to live by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hevron. There he built an altar to Adonai.
Whereas Lot chose to set his camp in a place where people had fallen to idolatry and corruption, Avram set up his encampment among the oaks of "Mamre". Do you think there may be some (or perhaps a lot) of revelatory insight as to why Avram chose this particular place?
The following link will take you to the Mamre page at the Abarim Publications website. Examine all the possible meanings of the name"Mamre" according to the various resources documented there, and try to consider what each of the definitions could reveal about how his time in Mamre --- so close to Hashem's "house" i.e. Beit-El --- effected and changed Avram. It is also insightful to consider each interpretation in connection with the other definitions listed on the page.
Be sure to write your ideas in your journal.
Link - Article - Abarim Publications - Meaning of "Mamre":
https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Mamre.html
Additional: If you geek out on this stuff like I do, it is a fun exercise to compare how different translations of the Bible interpret vs. 18 (most say "oaks" of Mamre). I am including the Bible Gateway link to chapter 13 below where you can find many different translations (you can also do this activity with versions of scripture you have on hand or at one of the other Bible apps).
Link - Bible Gateway - Genesis chapter 13 (this goes to the CJB, but you can explore other versions in the drop-down menu at the top of the page):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013&version=CJB
Bereshit [Genesis]Chapter 14
Day Two: Avram, Man of Learning
Before we get going let's have just a little review of the information we discussed in yesterday's study.
Lot and his family have now moved right into the busy, prosperous and treacherous city of Sodom. They are part of this very corrupt society, and in fact Lot and his wife have made very "fortunate?" liaisons by marrying their older children into wealthy and influential families -- in sin city.
Bereshit 14:1-4 (NKJV)
14 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer [Kedorlaomer] king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
In the constant effort to expand his kingdom, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam [Persia], conscripted several of his allied kings to help him conquer the growing cities of the Jordan Valley. So now, for about twelve years the rulers of the cities of the plain have been serving as vassals to Chedorloamer, but in the thirteenth year of being Persian colonies, the cities finally grow tired of the unreasonable taxation and pillaging which they must regularly suffer. Coming together as one army, the five kings rebel.
Bereshit 14:8-9 (NKJV)
8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
Concerned with the growing rebellion of his vassals, Chedorloamer once again calls upon the aid of his allied kings and comes with their combined armies to make war with these lesser kings, and even though five allied kings of the valley fought against four foreign kings, the lesser kings were still defeated and they fled, leaving their people unprotected and defenseless.
Genesis 14:10-12 (TLV)
10 Now the Valley of the Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, and those who remained fled to the hills. 11 So they took all of Sodom and Gomorrah’s possessions and their food and left. 12 They also took Lot, Avram’s nephew, and his possessions, and they left.
Jewish history records that Chedorlaomer was originally a general in Nimrod's army who made a great name for himself. After the fall of his tower, Nimrod built several other cities and Chedorlaomer left and established his own kingdom.
In the course of time Chedorlaomer's power began to grow, threatening even Nimrod's kingdom, so Nimrod went to battle with Chedorlaomer. At the end of the battle, however, it was Chedorlaomer who was the victor, and Nimrod was actually subdued under the authority of his former general.
The historians also posit the idea that "Amraphel king of Shinar", who joined Chedorlaomer in the battle with his vassal kings, was none other than "the Mighty Hunter Before God", himself, Nimrod.
Optional activity:
Link - Article - Chabad.com - "Nimrod the Biblical Hunter":
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3162874/jewish/Nimrod-the-Biblical-Hunter.htm
(Typical length of Chabad articles)
Journaling:
As we have seen before, ancient Israel often called people and nations by names which revealed their titles or characteristics.
Let’s consider the names of four of the five kings Lot actually chose to associate himself with: i.e. the kings of Sodom, Gamorrah, Admah and Zeboiim. Due to the constraints of time, I’m not going to go over all the characters and places in today's study, but I think we can get a glimpse of who and what is involved here.
Note: we are doing this exercise in order to consider the possible insight into the type of company Lot was keeping as revealed in the names Israel used for these kings of the Jordan Valley and to ultimately use Lot's bad choices as a foil to gain a little insight into the righteousness of Avram.
It is a well proven fact that anytime you have a collective of people, whether it’s at work, in a church or organization or just in the greater community, the whole population will develop certain characteristics. Each individual population will develop slightly different quirks and standards, and the movement of members from one group to another changes the dynamics in very interesting ways, so it is safe to assume that the meaning of the names of these kings will reveal insights which are also applicable to the populations of the cities they rule.
The Chabad link below will take you to an article on the overthrow of the cities of the Jordan Valley. As usual, I recommend reading the whole article if possible, however, if this is not doable, scroll to the section titled "The Names are Not the Same", and look for the paragraph which starts with "Rashi cites a midrash". Look at the interpreted meaning of the names of the five kings who went out to fight the foreign kings. Write the meaning of the names in your journal and add any commentary these definitions inspire.
Link - Article - Chabad - What Doomed the Ancient City of Sodom:
Day Three: Avram, Man of War
Genesis 14:11,12 (CJB)
11 The victors took all the possessions of S’dom and ‘Amora and all their food supply; then they left. 12 But as they left, they took Lot, Avram’s brother’s son, and his possessions; since he was living in S’dom.
Today’s study is meant to bring out even more of the comparison between the choices Avram and Lot each made. We noted in our first study this week that Lot chose to set his tent facing Sodom and thereby came under the authority of Bera, the wicked king of Sodom --- and ultimately under the authority of the tyrant, Chedorlaomer. In contrast, Avram moved amongst the giant trees owned by "Mamre the Amorite [in Hebrew, the Emori]".
Genesis 14:13 (CJB)
13 Someone who had escaped came and told Avram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and brother of ‘Aner; all of them allies of Avram.
Now it's finally time to dig deeper into the choices Avram has made here in Genesis chapter fourteen. You may well be wondering why Avram got away with associating so closely with these Amorite brothers (descendants of cursed Canaan; Noah's grandson). This is an issue which has, so far, eluded all my efforts to research, but perhaps we will be satisfied for now with the hazy glimpse we get from the names of these three men Avram chose to live among.
We already looked into the meaning of the name "Mamre" from the Abarim Publications website, so let's fall back to our old friend, the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to see if we can get a glimpse of this issue from another angle.
From the Strong's:
Mamre, 4471H mam-ray; from 4754H Mara, maw-raw, (PR); to rebel; hence, (through the idea of maltreating) to whip, i.e. lash (self with wings, as the ostrich in running)...
Eshkol: 812H also Eshcol: esh-kole; the same as 811H Eshcole bunch of grapes or other fruit: --- cluster (of grapes).
Some of the other sources, such as Bible Study Tools simply say Eshkol means "cluster", and I think the idea here is to be pressed or crowded in order to be challenged to overcome ones-self and the ideologies which cause a person to take the wrong path.
Link - Definition - Bible Study Tools - Eshkol:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/eshkol.htm
Aner: 6063H Aner, aw-nare; probably for 5288 na'ar, nah-ar; a boy ... from the age of infancy to adolescence, (by implication) a servant..., from 5287H (PR); ... to tumble about: --- shake (off, out, self), overthrow, toss up and down.
Did you gain any insight from the definitions of the names of these three men? If so, write a bit of what you believe is revealed in the meanings of their names in your journal.
X _________________________________________________.
Whether you saw any hints as to the kind of men these three brothers were or not, I now want you to consider the idea I have gleaned from this exercise, and note in your journal whether you're inclined to agree with me or not (you can also message me on the home page if you feel strongly about your own idea or if you have questions).
*To me, it sounds like Avram has gone to school; like he's a spiritual youth who is having rules and the idea of "reverence" impressed upon him. The idea in the name Mamre, with the wings of the ostrich beating against it's body while running seems to me like "self discipline". Considering this idea, the oak trees on Mamre's land feel, in some kind of ethereal way, to represent the structure of a school house --- and perhaps an endless source of switches for spanking.
The hint at whipping (spanking) so apparent in the definition of the name Mamre is meant to remind us of the discipline a child receives when being taught to follow the rules.
Perhaps you remember the following quote from the Abarim Publications article on the meaning of the name "Mamre" from our research earlier this week. Quote: "It's not always emphasized but since the Bible is concerned with the history of mankind's wisdom tradition rather than with sight-seeing, the famous "oaks of Mamre" obviously don't denote a breezy stand of fine timber but a wisdom school."
If you too felt there is a hint of a [self] disciplinary action, or educational opportunity taking place in today's scriptures and revealed in the meaning of the names of Avram's three allies, I think it is safe to say you now have confirmation of your inclination revealed in the idea of a "wisdom school" in the quote from the Abarim Publications article.
Let's remember that Avram seems to have chosen to move to this proverbial "school house", but one wonders why this man would be drawn to the unnamed, strict school master --- instead of choosing to follow Lot to the bright lights and self gratification which would be so abundant in the wild streets of Sodom.
Genesis 14:14-17 (CJB)
14 When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, who had been born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night he and his servants divided his forces against them, then attacked and pursued them all the way to Hovah, north of Dammesek *(Damascus). 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot with his goods, together with the women and the other people. 17 After his return from slaughtering K’dorla‘omer and the kings with him, the king of S’dom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley, also known as the King’s Valley.
Now we see that Avram has been busy. He has trained (taught) all the men of his household in combat tactics and has earned their trust and loyalty. The men with Avram, including Mamre and his two brothers, are willing to follow Avram into battle against the armies of four great kings!
Perhaps training and teaching the men of his army is the true reason Avram moved to camp among the oaks of Mamre; i.e. the spiritual - schoolhouse; or maybe the forest was both a place of self discipline as well as a training ground for those who were part of his household.
Journaling:
Write your thoughts about why Avram chose to move to the "schoolhouse" and the strict school master instead of going with Lot to live a life of ease in the Jordan River Valley. Do you believe Lot's life under Bera, king of Sodom was as lush as he may have expected? Also note whether you think it may be important, in our covenant with the King of all creation, to do as Avram did here and sometimes (or often) choose the more difficult, leaner and less pleasurable situations --- in the King's schoolhouse --- in order to become more faithful covenant partners with our King. Have you been shying away from His tough lessons?
How do you think the following verses from the Brit Hadashah [New Testament] relate to this idea of Avram being disciplined and/or disciplining himself?
Matthew 7:13,14 (CJB)
13 “Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
John 15:2 (CJB)
Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.
Day Four: Avram, Man of Righteousness
Genesis 14:17-20 (CJB)
17 After his *[Avram's] return from slaughtering K’dorla‘omer and the kings with him, the king of S’dom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley, also known as the King’s Valley.
18 Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen of El ‘Elyon [God Most High], 19 so he blessed him with these words:
“Blessed be Avram by El ‘Elyon,
maker of heaven of earth.
20 and blessed be El ‘Elyon,
who handed your enemies over to you.”
Avram gave him a tenth of everything.
In the Hebrew the King of Shalem [shalom] is called the Malki-Tsadik or Melekh-Tsadik i.e. "King [or priest] of Righteousness".
There is still a great controversy in the Christian world about who the Malki-tsadik [Melekh-Tsadik] was. The following article gives us some very interesting Jewish thought to ponder.
Link - Article - Chabad.com - Who Was Melchizadek?
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1326593/jewish/Who-Was-Melchizedek.htm
Question:
What was the bread and wine - Melekh-tsadik brought out to Avram - for? The answer to this question is found in the article on the blood covenant which we studied a few weeks ago (you can find it in the topics Cache on the homepage). Read the following before pulling up the article.
In the blood covenant article referenced above, I divided the most common rituals (involved in establishing a blood-covenant) into sections with letters and titles; in your journal, write the part # and title of the ritual you believe the "bread and wine" fulfills (example at the end of the next paragraph).
The bread and wine, whether we're talking about Melekh - tsadik taking it out to Avram when he returned victorious, Yeshua telling His talmidim [apostles] to "do this in remembrance of Me" or when we partake of the bread and wine at the Shabbat table on Friday night, it is the fulfillment of ritual part ___, ______________________..
Do you think there is another of the rituals being fulfilled when Yeshua notes that the bread and wine represent His body and blood "which are broken and spilled for their [our] sake"? Yes No
If you don't understand this exercise or if you are unsure what ritual[s] we are talking about here, don't worry, we'll address this issue shortly and in our video discussion at the end of today's lesson.
Avram was returning from war when Melekh - tsadik brought bread and wine. Q-1) Did Avram go to war to:
1) acquire land and/or goods, 2) show all the other people's how God would fight for him, 3) to redeem his kinsman, Lot, and all the others who were taken captive with him 4) to join his covenant partner [God] in rescuing Lot; who had also covenanted with God
Luke 22:19-20 (CJB) Yeshua and the Bread and Wine Ritual
19 Also, taking a piece of matzah *(bread), he made the b’rakhah *(blessing), broke it, gave it to them and said, “This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20 He did the same with the cup *(wine) after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.
Of course we have clarified a few times that Yeshua's ministry and crucifixion are elements of the "renewal" of the covenant, not to bring a new covenant.
The bread and wine are the fulfillment [or commemoration] of ritual #7, the celebratory meal.
In Luke 22, Yeshua is observing the Passover Seder with His Talmidim (disciples).
In defining the bread or matzah as His body and the wine as representing His blood, Yeshua is also fulfilling the covenant ritual of:
Ritual # _____
X __________________________________________________
Check the "Blood Covenant" article again and write your answer in your journal.
As we discussed before, in establishing a blood covenant, the covenant partner vows that their life and being are no longer theirs alone; but they will henceforth belong also to their covenant partner, and they will give their very life and/or livelyhood for the other.
In His ritual, Yeshua notes that the renewed covenant will be signed in His own blood. Then, at the end of verse nineteen Yeshua says, "do this in remembrance of me". In other words, from now on do this as a memorial that I have fulfilled this covenant oath which I swore to Avram; that I would make the way back into the covenant for those of his offspring who would go astray.
Answer the following according to your understanding in relation to this week's studies
1) Lot ended up in captivity because:
He chose a life of normality, ease and affluence over a life of structure, self discipline and self denial. Yes No
2) Avram chose to avoid a life of ease and self gratification, choosing, instead, to guard his covenant with God. Avram's self discipline, humility and dedication to being ready at all times proved him wise and made him successful in the end. Yes No
3) Melikh-tsadik brought bread and wine as part of the ritual of making and memorializing the blood covenant between God and Avram [Avraham] and his descendants. Yes No
4) If we have concluded the bread and wine in Avram's story is clearly a covenant ritual, we must also deduce that these elements in the Passover seder, Yehsua's seder with His disciples, and our Shabbat night meal are also covenant rituals. Yes No
5) If we partake of these covenant rituals, we are proclaiming our devotion to our covenant partner, God, and to being part of what He is doing. We are also vowing to guard ourselves from breaking our covenant promises [transgression or "sin"].
Yes No
Journaling:
Lot had clearly been betrayed by the king of Sodom when the king ran away from battle, leaving his people undefended. The curious thing to me is that Lot still didn’t choose to return to God's land after the war.
Bera, the king of Sodom (if he survived the tar pit and this is him) offered Avram a bargain saying that Avram could have all the goods that had been stolen from the city.
The king said to Avram "Give me the people". Have you ever wondered why?
Take a few minutes to ponder this issue in light of the revelation of the probable meaning of the name "Bera" as explained in the article at Abarim Publications linked below.
Link - Definition Article - Abarim Publications - "Meaning of the name, Bera"
https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bera.html
The whole definition-article is important, however, if you are crunched for time or unsure how to use this resource, scroll to the bottom of the definition page and note the meaning in your journal as given -- according to the Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names.
Day Five: Avram, Father of Nations
Genesis 14:21-24 (CJB)
21 The king of S’dom said to Avram, “Give me the people, and keep the goods for yourself.”
22 But Avram answered the king of S’dom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to Adonai, El ‘Elyon, maker of heaven and earth,
23 that I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal thong of anything that is yours; so that you won’t be able to say, ‘I made Avram rich.’
24 I will take only what my troops have eaten and the share of the spoil belonging to the men who came with me — ‘Aner, Eshkol and Mamre; let them have their share.”
Questions from Genesis 14: 21-24:
1) In vs. 21, Is the king of Sodom offering Avram the physical spoil of war as payment?
2) Was it -- for the "goods" that Avram went to war in the first place? Why did Avram go to war?
3) In vs. 22, what is Avram describing when he says "I raised my hand in an oath to Adonai"? a) just a promise b) a covenant
Bereshit Chapter 15
Genesis 15:1 (TLV)
15 After these things the word of Adonai came to Abram in a vision saying,
“Do not fear, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
In the Strong's:
Shield 4043H magen, maw-gane': also (in plural) feminine meg-in-naw': a shield, figuratively a protector... From 1598H gaw-nan' (PR): to hedge about, i.e. protect: --- defend
X________________________________________________.
Reward 7939H sakar, saw-kawr: payment of contract; in the concrete - salary, fare, maintenance; by implication- benefit: --- hire, price, reward [-ed], wages, worth, From 7936H saw-kar (PR): apparently akin (by prosthesis)to 3739H through the idea of temporary purchase... 3739H kaw-raw (PR): ... by implication (in a bargain) to purchase.
X________________________________________________.
Go back to our list of the most common rituals used in establishing a blood covenant in the "topics cache" and write the oaths you think God is assuring Avram He will fulfill when He tells His covenant partner that He is Avram's "shield and reward".
Shield: # ___, _____________________________________.
Reward: # ___, ____________________________________.
In verse one above, God is telling Avram " I am your covenant partner and I am faithful to fulfill my covenant oaths", however, re-read the definition of "reward" from the Strong's listing again, or maybe you caught sight of this the first time. Do Hashem's words, "your - very - great- reward" bring to mind Matthew 6: 19-21 (CJB)
19 “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. 21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.
Consider God's faithfulness to His oaths in stepping in to help Avram in comparison to the lack of faithfulness of Bera, king of Sodom toward the people of his city, including Lot.
1) Note what Bera and the other kings of the Jordan Valley did when their cities were overtaken by Chedorlaomer: See the Day Two study earlier this week Genesis 14:10 While Bera and the other kings ran away to save themselves, God himself, fought alongside Avram to free Lot and the people of Sodom.
2) and what scripture says Bera proposed to do with the people of Sodom's resources which Avram brought back: see the beginning of today's study Genesis 14:21 Whereas God had prospered both Avram and Lot in many ways, the king of Sodom wanted to give his people's food and treasure away.
We are still left to wonder why Lot stayed in Sodom instead of returning to God and the blessing of living in His land. We'll discuss some ideas about this issue in our video discussion.
The Oath of a Heritage
Genesis 15:2,3 (TLV)
2 But Abram said, “My Lord Adonai, what will You give me, since I am living without children, and the heir of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look! You have given me no seed, so a house-born servant is my heir.”
Abram pushes a subject that is weighing very heavily upon his heart here. Abram, I’m sure, wanted to have a family, and Sarai, undoubtedly, suffered the emptiness and stigma of remaining childless. I suggest, however, that Avram, who has already been declared righteous by God, is not just worried about who will inherit his worldly goods. What is really at stake here is who will inherit Avram's legacy. How is Avram to know for sure that his progeny will be the ones who dwell in God's land of Israel, Gan Ayden, and who will become priest before God after Avram is gone?
Journaling:
Genesis 14:4-6 (TLV)
4 Then behold, the word of Adonai came to him saying, “This one will not be your heir, but in fact, one who will come from your own body will be your heir. 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your seed be.”
6 Then he believed in Adonai and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Now, God begins to unravel an amazing puzzle. He shows Avram a glimpse of what He is going to bring about through the provision of Avram’s heir.
Avram understood when God led him out and showed him the night sky full of stars that there was a promise, agreement (a covenant) God was making with him that he would be the conduit of ultimate restoration.
Write your thoughts in your journal for now.
Day Six: Avram, Man of Covenant
Genesis 15:5 (TLV)
5 He took him outside and said, “Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your seed be.”
Q) In yesterday's morsel of scripture which I've added here again, God promised Avram that he would be the father of nations. In the verses below, is God still talking about people?
Genesis 15:7 (TLV)
7 Then He said to him, “I am Adonai who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, in order to give you this land to inherit it.”
Genesis 15:8-10 (TLV)
8 So he said, “My Lord Adonai, how will I know that I will inherit it?” 9 Then He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old young cow, a three year old she-goat, a three year old ram, a turtle-dove and a young bird.” 10 So he brought all these to Him and cut them in half, and put each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
Genesis 15:11 (TLV)
11 Then birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
Genesis 15:12-14 (TLV)
12 When the sun was about to set and a deep sleep fell on Abram, behold, terror of great darkness was falling upon him! 13 Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. 14 But I am going to judge the nation that they will serve. Afterward they will go out with many possessions.
Genesis 15:15 (TLV)
15 But you, you will come to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age.
*Avram got to know that he would have a long life. We don’t usually have that luxury, so we must be ready for eternity today.
Genesis 15:16-21 (TLV)
16 Then in the fourth generation they will return here—for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 When the sun set and it became dark, behold, there was a smoking oven and a fiery torch that passed between these pieces. 18 On that day Adonai cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River: 19 the Kenite, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Raphaites, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
From the Strong's:
Smoking 6227H ˋâshân, aw-shawn´; smoke (literally or figuratively) (vapor, dust, anger): --- smoke (-ing), from 6225H aw-shan´; (PR) to smoke, whether literal or figurative: --- be angry, (be on a) smoke.
Furnace 8574H tannûwr, tan-noor´; a fire pot: ---furnace, oven, from 5216H nêrâh, nay-raw´;(properly) to glisten; a lamp, (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively): --- candle, lamp, light.
*Do these two definitions possibly make you think about the pillar of cloud by day? See Exodus 13:21-22
Burning 784H ´êsh, aysh; a primary word (literally or figuratively): --- burning, fiery, fire, flaming hot.
Lamp 3940H lappîyd, lap-peed´; … Prob. Meaning to shine, a flambou, lamp or flame: --- (fire-) brand, (burning) lamp, lightning, torch.
*Do these two definitions make you think about the pillar of fire by night?
Journaling:
1) Write your thoughts about whether you think God gave Avram a vision of how He would protect Avram's descendants with the pillars of cloud and fire when it came time to deliver them from Egypt in the future.
2) Could the "terror of great darkness from vs. 12 (above) be part of the same vision? Remember, one of the plagues which God brought on Pharoah and the Egyptians was total, oppressive darkness; this was one of the plagues which didn't effect the homes of God's people.
3) In His "covenant of the pieces" with Avram God was promising:
Write all that apply
a) that Avram would have a vast inheritance of children, grandchildren, etc.
b) that God would deliver Avram's descendants even when they got careless and ended up enslaved to a foreign nation.
c) that as God's faithful covenant partner, Avram would enjoy a long rich life.
d) That the nation which would oppress Avram's descendants would be destroyed (judged, condemned).
e) that Avram's descendants who kept this covenant of the pieces with God would always inherit God's land, Israel.
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