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Some of us come from a world far from God and have come close to God. Others were “born into” the family of God, with your faith journey established by your parents but you had to grow into your own unique relationship with HaShem. We are all on our own journey to the Kingdom of God, and we have met others on the same road who are heading in the same direction.
In the Torah reading לך לֹך Lech Lecha (“go forth,” Genesis 12–17), we see how God is establishing Abram as His emissary on earth, but it was not an easy path. Abram was not the perfect emissary. God often has to save Abram and his family from Abram’s errors in judgement. Unfortunately, Abram’s son Isaac repeats some of these errors.
We need to watch for repeating motifs in Scripture, because HaShem uses repetitions of words, phrases and details of key events and people to point us toward lessons. As those who have mastered a challenging skill know well, the best way to learn something is to repeat the lesson multiple times.
Where is our hometown? Where do we come from? The place where you were born isn’t necessarily your hometown. Your hometown is the place where your identity and values really gelled.
Abram was born and raised in Ur of the Chaldeans. He later moved, with his family to Aram. He later left Aram to the land God promised him. When Abram left Aram, he left behind all the idolatry and paganism that his brothers did not.
You can’t dabble in the dark side and presume it won’t taint you, because it will inevitably desensitize you. Lot later learned that the hard way because he didn’t change Sodom; Sodom changed him.
Have you ever returned to your hometown for a family reunion, high school reunion, etc.? When you return home you often feel like you are in an alien place because your life has grown in a different direction since you left.
Have you made progress in your path from bondage to freedom. We are told “you can’t take it with you” but we need to understand that we shouldn’t want to take it with us.
God of resurrection
Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) was quizzed about whether there would be a resurrection, and Yeshua ties that reality that the LORD is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
“On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.’ “Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. “Last of all, the woman died. “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”” (Matthew 22:23–28 NASB)
This question posed by the Saduccees shows that they were not really looking forward to the Kingdom of God because they wanted to know if they would have the same status in the Kingdom that they had on earth.
We are not to long for Mitzraim, we are not supposed to long for the life we lived before we came to the LORD.
“’For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?” But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11–14 NASB)
We are not going form one house of bondage to another house of bondage, but we are called to live a new way of life. Do we want God to change us to the most inner parts of our character or do we want Him to just clean us up superficially?
Meet El Roi: God Who sees everything
The prophet Yeshiyahu in the traditional parallel passage for Lech Lecha (Isaiah 40:27-41:16) talks about Israel as a servant of the LORD (a theme picked up again in Israel 42). But earlier in the book, the prophet talks about himself as the servant of the LORD. And the ultimate servant of the LORD is the Mashiakh (Messiah), foretold in Isaiah 52–53. Similarly, Abram was also a servant of the LORD, preparing the land of Canaan for the Kingdom of Heaven and later the arrival of the Messiah.
In Haftarat Lech Lecha, we see that God is the one who raises nations up and takes them down, just like we read the victory given to Abram and his allies in rescuing Lot.
Likewise, we are called to serve God in whatever nation He has planted us, but we are to remember we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven first, not of the nation He has planted us for a time.
Genesis 13: Is the grass greener at Sodom?
Initially Abram’s entire family followed him out of Ur, but most of them settled in Aram, in modern day Syria. When Abram left to continue the journey God asked of him, Lot and his family joined him and continued the journey.
The quarrel we read about between Abram’s family and Lot’s narrow the focus of God’s Word further?
Lot’s choice of the plains around Sodom and Gomorrah rather than the land on the west side of the Jordan that didn’t look as pleasant shows us Lot’s priorities. We can also extrapolate that when looking at our choices between a job or activity that looks appealing but will immerse us in an environment that affects our relationship with God.
I would presume that Lot must have known something about the horrible reputation of Sodom and Gomorrah, yet he went anyway. Where were Lot’s abundant flocks and staff when he had to flee his home in Sodom? He lost everything except his two young daughters when he was finally forced to flee Sodom for good.
Are we serving our neighbors or do we think “I’ll never see them again so I will treat them however I want?” This was the sin of Sodom against the strangers and guests who came into their town. The only reason the cities of the plain were saved from judgement as long as they were was because Lot, imperfect as he was, was in their midst.
God might be withholding his judgement from our nation, or state or our community only because we are still present and interceding for them. If and when the pain that reaches God becomes too great, He may have to calls us out and judge the nation in a powerful way. We will have to trust God when He tells us to flee, just as Lot had to when the angels came to lead him out, even though he lost everything he owned and most of what was entrusted to his care including his two older daughters, his wife and all his household servants, livestock and money.
Genesis 14: Abram bails out Lot and the cities of the Plain
Abraham’s descendants didn’t actually inherit land of the Canaanites until the rebellion of the Amorites was full. That happened nearly 500 years later.
What should Abram’s saving of Lot, Sodom, Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain from conquest-induced slavery should taught Lot and the cities?
How did Abram’s battles foreshadow Israel’s role in the world?
There is an irony of Melchizekek (“king of righteousness”), king of Salem, and priest of Most High God, interceding for God just a few miles to the west of cities so wicked God would “nuke” them.
Heb. 6:19–7:6 reinforces the idea that true servants of God can come from a different lineage than Abram’s. Melchizedek foreshadowed Messiah because he had no known earthly lineage. He had a prominent role without ancestors or descendants of note. He was also no a descendant of Aaron, the one who God later appointed to be the patriarch of His priestly clan.
“A priest forever.” Priests from the line of Aharon served from ages 25–50, the high priest until his death, and all priests were dependent on the Mishkan’s altar for consecration. A Melchizedek priest’s commission wasn’t dependent on the Mishkan.This shows how God works in the world. Even as He was narrowing the scope of history down to Abram’s descendants, He has servants among other peoples, including the most wicked.
Genesis 15: Abram’s promised descendants
Gen. 15:1: “The word of the LORD” came to Abram in a vision.
This is the first reference to the “word of the Lord” in the Scriptures. Other passages are Psalm 138:2, John 1, and Rev. 1:8.
Gen. 15:2–7: A conversation with God.
Abram is worried that he won’t have an heir from his own seed to pass his inheritance. The LORD promises him as many descendants as the stars in the sky.
Is Abram’s choice of Eleazar as heir an example of faith in God or trust in human abilities?
Gen. 15:6: “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
This is one of the most fundamental passages in the Bible, because it shows that trusting in God’s instructions is what’s considered “righteousness.” This isn’t lip-service. It comes from a character of trust — trustworthiness.
Paul quotes this in Rom. 4:3 and Gal. 3:6, and Ya’akob quotes it in Jas. 2:23. Abram is a type of all who will ever be saved.
What about the common teaching that everyone before Yeshua came was saved by following the Law and presenting offerings, and everyone afterward by having faith in Yeshua?
Gen. 15:8–21: The LORD sealed the covenant.
One of each of the acceptable sacrificial animals (cow, sheep, goat, pigeon and dove) is offered.
This ceremony appears to be a traditional sealing of a suzerain–vassal covenant, mentioned in ancient texts of other nations.
The LORD put a twist on this ceremony by walking through the offering by Himself. That showed He was making an unconditional promise to Abram and his descendents.
The LORD said the “iniquity of the Canaanites was not yet full.” See 2nd Peter 3:9.
Genesis 16: Hagar and Ishmael
It had been 10 years since the Lord promised Sarai a son (Gen. 16:1–4). In this situation, it seems that Sarai’s faith is much weaker than Abram’s, but the consequences are the same — bad! They probably acquired Hagar while in Egypt.
What does this story teach us about slavery and polygamy?
What does it teach us about the worldwide conflict raging out of the Middle East today, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael?
When Hagar meets an angel, it was the first time the LORD had spoken directly to a woman since Eve (Gen. 16:5–16). The LORD names Hagar’s child Ishmael, which means “God hears.” Hagar names the well El-Roi, which means “the God Who sees.”
The language of the foretold naming of Ishmael sounds similar to the instructions the angel Gabriel gave to Miriam (Mary) to name her son Yeshua.
God insisted that Hagar return to Sarai rather than Abram because she was not Abram’s true wife. In God’s eyes, Abram only had one wife and that was Sarai. However, in answer to Abram’s prayer, God did acknowledge Ishmael as Abram’s son and promised to give him an inheritance, but Ishamel would not receive the most important inheritance, which was to the be forbearer of the Messiah.
This text tell us something very important about Ishmael and his descendants and the worldwide conflict raging out of the Middle East today, which is that as long as they attempt to usurp the inhertance of Isaac and his descendants, they will never be at peace. Only when they walk in the path laid out by Messiah Yeshua (rather than the path of Islam’s false prophet Mohammed) then there will be peace between Isaac and Ishmael.
The Apostle Paul contrasts Sarah and Hagar as the “freewoman” and “bondwoman” (Gal. 4:21–31). He outlines the one covenant which came from Sinai as a refernece to Jerusalem on Earth and compared her to Hagar, who was “in slavery with her children” Like in Acts 15:1, “children” of this covenant say, “You must be circumcised and follow the law of Moses to be saved.”
Other covenant comes from the Jerusalem above, who is symbolized by Sarah who was the freewoman and is “our mother” in faith.
God saves those who trust in His ways, and The Way is trust in Yeshua for salvation.
Children of the bondwoman (Hagar/Ishamel/Islam) persecuted the children of the freewoman (Sarah/Yeshua/Judeo-Christians).
Yeshua was attacked for “loosening” the interpretations of the Torah of the leaders of the time period.
He called her to do something difficult, yet both accepted the message with humility.
Genesis 17: What is in a name?
Gen. 17:1–8: Abram & Sarai get new names: Abraham = “father of multitudes.” Sarah = “mother of nations.”
Names were very important in Biblical times. Names often were considered prophetic:
Adam = “Man.” Comes from the word for “ground” or “earth,” adamah.
Eve = “Mother of the living.” Comes from khai, which means “life.”
Abel = “Breath” or “vanity.”
Seth = “Substitute” or “replacement.”
The LORD changed Abram & Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah for two reasons:
1. Make a new prophecy.
2. Exercise authority/prerogative over them and dedicate them to Him.
He did the same with:
- Ya’acob (Jacob) (“supplanter”) → Israel (“struggles with God”)
- Solomon (“his peace”) → Jedidiah (“beloved of the Lord)
- The Branch, Son of Man, etc. → Yehoshua/Yeshua (Jesus) (“The LORD saves”)
God will give those who overcome the world a “new name.”
“‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’” (Rev. 2:17)
“‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” (Rev. 3:11–12)
Circumcision a covenant, or a sign of a covenant?
Gen. 17:9–14: The LORD establishes a visible sign of covenant (Hebrew: brit) — circumcision. Abraham wasn’t the first person circumcised. It was a common procedure in Egypt & the Mid-East.
Why did the LORD pick this ritual as a mark of faith for Abraham and his male descendants?
Circumcision is not the covenant but a sign of the covenant. The real covenant is the Lord’s promise, which Abraham accepted by faith. (Romans 2:29, Colossians 2:11, Deuteronomy 10:16, Jeremiah 4:4)
Jewish males are circumcised at 8 days old.
Muslims (in reference to this story) are circumcised at 13, the age of Ishmael.
It’s a very personal symbol. Only the parents & wife will ever see it — in a modest culture.
When the parents see it, it confirms their faithfulness to the word of the LORD.
To the wife, it confirms she’s married to a man from a family obedient to the LORD’s law.
To the man himself, it’s a reminder of his link in the chain going back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Abram shows us how a ‘friend of God’ prays
Gen. 17:15–17: Abraham laughed. Why? Why didn’t the LORD rebuke his laughter?What does this say about how we can relate to the LORD in prayer?
Gen. 17:18–27: Abraham loved Ishmael and wanted him to be the heir, after God told Abraham that his servant Eleazar wouldn’t be his heir. Why didn’t the LORD go for those options? What needed to change within Abram/Abraham as he was praying for these alternate inheritors?
Even though Ismael wasn’t meant to be the heir, he was circumcised anyway.
Could it be that Abraham wanted Ishmael to have the blessings that came with circumcision, even if he couldn’t have the inheritance?
Summary: Tammy