For the past 3 weeks we have been reading about the life of Abraham. This week we finish his story in the Torah. As we have been reading about him we notice a few things. Abram is not introduced like everyone prior to him in the Bible. Adam walked with God, Enoch also walked with God and was no more. He walked right into heaven. Noah is called a righteous man. Then we come to Abraham, and who we are really introduced to is Terah and his family. They are on the move, then they settle. God comes to Abram and tells him to keep going. God tells him to go to a land he does not know, and that he will become a great nation.
This is our only introduction. Abram leaves with his wife, nephew, his wealth and his servants. When we read Abram’s story we cannot read it with the end in mind. We have to read it like it is the 1st time we have ever read it. We have to put ourselves in Abram’s sandals. Abram does not know that he is going to have a son. All he knows is his wife is barren, and he has a nephew, who he is investing into. Then Lot is separated from Abram. After Lot was separated from Abram God tells Abram he will have all the land he can see and his descendants will be as numerous as the dust. After this word Abram has to rescue Lot. So Abram thinks God has given him Lot back to be the one who Abram will have the promise through. The king then comes and asks Abram for all the people. Lot goes with the King and Abram see the promise slip away again.
God comes to Abram again in a Vision, reaffirms the promise. Abram now asks God if his servant Eliezer will be his heir since God has not given him a son. God tells him no that Eliezer will not be his heir. God tells him he will have a son then takes him outside to look up at the sky. God then tells Abram he will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. Abram then is told his descendants will be in bondage for 400 years.
Sarai now knows that Abram is promised a son. However at this point she has not been mentioned in the promise. Sarai then takes her servant Hagar and offers this forbidden fruit to Abram so he can have a son. This way in Sarai’s mind she is still a part and can raise the boy as her own. Things don’t go as planned for Sarai. Hagar begins to think she is better than Sarai. Sarai then puts Hagar out which later become why Egypt is the nation that enslaves the Jews.
13 years after Ishmael is born God comes to Abram again at age 99. This time God changes his name. God gives Abraham a sign of God’s covenant, circumcision. God tells Abraham to circumcise himself and every male in his house. God then tells Abraham that he is changing Sarai’s name to Sarah and that she will give him a son that the promise will come through. Abraham asks if Ishmael can be the one and God says no. After Abraham circumcised himself God comes to him and tells him about the birth of Isaac and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham is still holding on to Lot. Lot is saved but after the destruction Abraham now believes he has lost Lot forever.
As Isaac is weaned Abraham threw a feast and Ishmael made fun of him so Sarah has Abraham send Ishmael and Hagar away. Abraham went to God, God told him to do as Sarah says. Abraham however only sent them away with bread and water so they would have to come back. Abraham was not willing to let go. Because of this later Abraham would have to go up the mountain and place Isaac, his promise, on the alter. This time Abraham passes the test.
Abraham’s life has been about giving up what he thinks he has for what God really has for him. What are you willing to give up for what God really has for you? What God has for you is better that what you have for yourself.
