The Everlasting Covenant - 6.1 Abraham: References(1)

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6.1 Abraham in Canaan: References
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, February 15, 2010

References and Notes:
1. Abram Called to Go to Canaan
2. Arrival at Shechem
3. Covenant Given to Abraham Seven Times
4. Lot and Abram Separate
5. Abram rescues Lot
6. Faith and Belief Followed by Creeping Doubt
7. Ishmael is Born
8. Circumcision: A Token of the Covenant
9. Timing from Abram to Exodus


1. Abram is called to go “to a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1). Associated with this call is the first giving of the covenant. Abram’s response was very practical. He wasted no time. He packed up his caravan and set out for Canaan. “They went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came” (Genesis 12:4).

     2 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
     3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

2. "Arriving at Shechem (Genesis 12:6) he sets up camp in a grove of large oaks (“plain of Moreh”). Abram was passing through, a wanderer. The land was occupied by the Canaanites.

     “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him” (Genesis 12:7).
Abram may not have been welcomed by the Canaanites. God gave him the first promise of land here to encourage him. He moved on to Bethel, pitched his tent, and built another altar (Genesis 12:8). How long he stayed at these places, we do not know. We do know that he kept going south. Then a famine arose and he went to Egypt. This was his first test with his beautiful wife.


3. The Covenant was given to Abraham seven times: Genesis 12:2,3; 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-19; 21:12; 22:17,18. These events are discussed below with a brief word as to the context.

1. Land, children, blessings. Genesis 12:2,3
2. Land promised. Abram builds an altar. Genesis 12:7
3. Land of Canaan, numerous descendants. Genesis 13:15-17
4. Protection, his own child to be his heir. Genesis 15:1-5
5. Land from river of Egypt to Euphrates. Genesis 15:18
6. Abraham, father of many nations; Circumcision. Gen. 17:1-22
7. Isaac offered. All nations blessed thru Abraham. Gen. 22:17,18
** The seed of Abraham is ONE, that is Christ. Galatians 3:16


4. Lot and Abram Separate. (Genesis 13:1-12). Abram was now separated from all his relatives, except for Sarai, his wife. Without children he may have been lonely, and was still living in a tent. The Lord covenanted with him again to give him all the land he could see and descendants that could not be counted.

     14 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
     15 “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
     16 “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
     17 “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” (Genesis 13:14-17).
He moved to the plain of Mamre and soon made friends. Mamre, Aner, and Eschol were Amorites and had some knowledge of God. He lived among them for fifteen years.

     “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD” (Genesis 13:18).

5. Abram rescues Lot from the kings of the east, and pays tithe to Melchizedek (Genesis 14). Abram was successful as a military chief, but that was not God’s plan for him. God states “I am thy shield.” He did not need weapons of warfare. The covenant was given again. Abram was impatient as he still had no children, and he offered his trusted servant, Eliezer, as his heir. God plainly told him that it would be his natural son.

     1 “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
     2 “And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
     3 “And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
     4 “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
     5 “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
     6 “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:1-6).

     6. Faith and Belief Followed by Creeping Doubt
A ratification ceremony was carried out. More was given on the covenant.

   13 “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
   14 “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
   15 “And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
   16 “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Genesis 15:13-16).
After the 400+ years before Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land! The promises were rich and the future looked wonderful. But 400 years? Abram was getting desperate.

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18).


7. Ishmael is born. It seemed that God needed help. Abram and Sarai arranged for Abram to have a child by their maid, Hagar. With her pregnancy Hagar tried to usurp the place and authority of Sarai. There was trouble between Sarai and Hagar. After four more years for Abram to learn faith, he was given the covenant again and his name was changed to Abraham.

      1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
      2 “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
      3 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
      4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
      5 “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
      6 “And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
      7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
      8 “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
      9 “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
    10 “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee ...” (Genesis 17:1-10).

8. Timing from Abram to Exodus: Ussher’s Chronology  //  SDA Commentary 184-195

  Abram moved to Canaan 1921 bc 1875 bc
                The covenant confirmed, circumcision established 1891 bc  
  Jacob goes to Egypt 1706 bc 1660 bc
  The Exodus 1491 bc 1445 bc
  Fourth Year of Solomon   996 bc  

Genesis 15:13-16 indicates that Abraham’s descendants would be afflicted in a strange land for 400 years before they inherited Canaan. This information was given at the time that a covenant ceremony was done. There are two problems: (1) Exodus 12:41 states 430 not 400 years, and (2) Egypt is specified in this verse, but they lived in Egypt proper for only 215 years.

Historical comparisons show that from the time of Abraham’s sojourn into Canaan until the Exodus was 430 years. After Abraham was in Canaan a number of years he was told it would be 400 years. In Genesis chapters 12-22 it is hard to find 30 years between his sojourn until the covenant was confirmed. However, the narrative of the Bible is not always strictly chronological. Consider also that both are round numbers and are not critical to the message.

In Egypt for 430 years? At that time, Egypt was at the height of its power. They governed Syria and Palestine as well as Egypt proper.

      40 “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
      41 “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:40-41).
The age of Abraham for important events:                                                Age:
  Abraham moved to Canaan Genesis 12:4 75
            Abraham and Lot separate Genesis 13:8,9  
  Abraham rescues Lot Genesis 14  
  The covenant confirmed; 
“Thy seed” afflicted 400 years Genesis 15:8-16		  
  After 10 yrs Ishmael born of Hagar Genesis 16:3,16 86
  Circumcision established Genesis 17:10-14 99
  Three Visitors, son promised Genesis 18:1-14  
  Sodom destroyed Genesis 19  
  Episode with Abimelech Genesis 20  
  Isaac born Genesis 21 100
  The sacrifice - faith tested Genesis 22 120

  
9. How is Abraham the Father of Many Nations?

Through Isaac and Jacob he was the father of Israel and the twelve tribes.
Ishmael, also his son, had twelve sons and became a great nation.
His third wife, Keturah, had six sons, plus sons he had by concubines (Genesis 25:2, 3, 6)
Esau, a grandson, founded the kingdom of Edom.
Moab and Ammon were grand-nephews and founded their respective nations.
Jews have also had a significant place to play in the affairs of the gentile nations.


10. Circumcision: a token of the covenant.  As typical with Abraham, he acted immediately. All the males of Abraham’s house were circumcised the selfsame day!

      10 “... Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
      11 “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
      12 “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
      13 “He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:10-13).
Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah and a son was promised.

     15 “God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
     16 “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her” (Genesis 17:15-16).