Genesis 12-15
Day 18: Genesis 12-15 Notes & Takeaways
Notes from my Bible, @myrenewedfaith
Today’s reading starts with the call of Abram and the Abrahamic Covenant (Job 12:1-3). We see that the LORD told Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household to a new land that God would show him. (God promised the land of Canaan, what might be called “greater Israel.”) We see right away that the Lord promises to bless him and make him into a great nation, to make his name great, and to curse those who curse him.
We see in Job 12:4 that, “Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him.” Two things to note here:
Abram believed the Lord, he trusted him, and had faith. This is why he is called the father of the believing (Gal 3:7).
Abram was 75 years old when he departed Harran and when he did he took his nephew Lot with him. This was a partial obedience by Abram. God commanded him to go out from your family (Genesis 12:1) yet he brought his nephew Lot. Lot would not be a blessing to Abram and bring him trouble and inconvenience.
We also see the Lord appear to Abram and He tells him that to his offspring He will give this land. A special note here is where it says that Abram “pitched his tent” (Job 12:8). Abram, even once in the land God gave him, lived in a tent, not a house. Tents were for those passing through, not staying permanently somewhere. You see, Abram (and even Isaac and Jacob) lived in tents because they were like pilgrims, not yet at their final destination. Their final destination was a better country— a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:8-16). Therefore we should also live as they did, with our hearts and minds set on the eternal, always living as foreigners of this earth, because our true dwelling place is in heaven.
As he continues on his journey, there is a famine that takes Abram and Sarai to Egypt where they tell a half-lie to Pharaoh: that they are not married but that Sarai was his sister. This was only half true as Sarai was his half sister, but his intentions were a lie. Abram depended more on his lie than trusting on God to protect them. When pharaoh finds out he told them to go, and “treated him well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels” (Job 12:16). This is where we believe that Hagar came from, his Egyptian maidservant, who would later bear Ishmael with Abram.
In chapter 13 we see that Abram is right back where he started, and both he and Lot had lots of cattle and flocks, so he finally did as God commanded him to do in Genesis 12:1, to leave his family and separate. So that is what they did. Abram, very kindly, gave up part of the land to Lot. This shows us that whether Lot chose right or left, Abram trusted that God would take care of him and his needs. Once again, the LORD blesses Abram. He tells him that his offspring will be like the dust of the earth, so many that they can’t even be counted (Job 14:14-17).
Chapter 14 brings more of the trouble and inconvenience we mentioned earlier. Lot is kidnapped during the first war spoken of in the Bible. There are 4 kings who go into battle with a group of 5 kings. The conquerors kidnap Lot, among others, but Abram, hears of his relative being taken captive and calls out 318 of his trained men to pursue them.
The fact that Abram has not only 318 fighting men at his disposal, shows his wealth, but the fact that they are trained for battle shows his prudence. They had victory over the 4 kings and brought back Lot, the goods, the women, and the people. Afterwards King Melchizedek (who is also a priest of God) broke bread and wine with Abram and blessed him. Abram gave to the LORD by giving Melchizedek a tenth of his assets (his tithe).
We end today’s reading with chapter 15 with the Lord’s covenant with Abram. Abram asks the LORD if Eliezer of Damascus, his chief assistant, his main servant, and associate will be his heir as he has no children. But the Lord tells him that he will bear a son of his own flesh and blood and that his offspring will be like the stars (Job 15:1-5).
So the LORD tells him to bring the animals and Abram knows exactly what this means. “Abram knew exactly what to do with these animals; he understood that according to the custom of his time, God told him to get a contract ready for signing.
i. In those days, contracts were made by the sacrificial cutting of animals, with the split carcasses of the animals lying on the ground. The covenant was made when parties to the agreement walked through the animal parts together, repeating the terms of the covenant. The LORD made a covenant in Genesis 15:18is literally, “the LORD cut a covenant.”
ii. Jeremiah 34:18-20 makes reference to this same practice of a covenant made by cutting animals and repeating the oath of the covenant as one walks through the animal parts.
iii. The symbolism was plain. First, this is a covenant so serious, it is sealed with blood. Second, if I break this covenant, let this same bloodshed be poured out on my animals and me.
iv. When Abram had his doubts and wanted assurance from the LORD, God said to him clearly, “Let’s sign a contract and settle this once for all.”
In walking through the sacrificed animals in the covenant ceremony, God represented Himself by two emblems – a smoking oven and a burning torch.
i. The smoking oven reminds us of the many times smoke or a cloud represented the presence of God:
· As the pillar of cloud with Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22).
· As the smoke on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18).
· As the cloud of God’s Shekinah glory (1 Kings 8:10-12).
ii. The burning torch reminds us of the many times fire represented the presence of God:
· As the pillar of fire with Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22).
· As the burning bush displaying the presence of God before Moses (Exodus 3:4).
· As the fire from heaven that at times consumed sacrifices that pleased God (1 Kings 18:38, 1 Chronicles 21:26, 2 Chronicles 7:1).”(Enduring Word Commentary)
God, represented by the smoking oven and the burning torch, passed through the animal parts by Himself. He sealed the deal. He made a covenant contract with Abram to show how serious he was about the promise he had made to him.
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