Genesis 12-22 – The Story of Abraham The God We Believe In Genesis 12-22 – The Story of Abraham

Genesis 12-22 - The Story of Abraham What does this story say? How can we understand its message? What was the purpose of the story for the original audience (Israel and a mixed multitude in the wilderness)?

Genesis is written in “hindsight” Beginning Present End (Genesis) (Israel in Wilderness)

Genesis 12-22 - The Story of Abraham Not moral lessons, but pictures of God’s character God makes and keeps a promise – in spite of ongoing human failure (he is faithful) The past is used to teach about the present and the future

The Past (Creation) God and Humans in the Beginning: Genesis 1-2 1. Land – Garden in Eden 2. Birth – “be fruitful and multiply” 3. Blessing – food, water, God’s presence, life, community

The Past (Fall) God and Humans after the Fall: Genesis 3-50 1. Land – now exiled east of Eden 2. Birth – now infertility, familial pain 3. Blessing – now famine, division, violence, separation from God, idolatry

The Past (Abraham) God promises to restore the good of creation to and through Abraham and his descendants Land (Hebrew: ’eretz) Birth Blessing

The Past (Abraham) The Abrahamic Promise – Genesis 12 (ESV) 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land (’eretz) that I will show you. 

The Past (Abraham) The Abrahamic Promise – Genesis 12 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth (’eretz) shall be blessed.”

The Past (Abraham) The Abrahamic Promise – Genesis 12 1. Land – from Euphrates to Nile 2. Birth – descendants like the “stars in the sky” 3. Blessing – food, water, “I will be with you,” peace, etc.

The Future (Israel) The Future is like the Past – Leviticus 26 4 the land (’eretz) shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit . . . 5 And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely . . . 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you . . . 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened By famine By infertility By human frailty (strife, violence, unfaithfulness, poor choices, ignorance, foolishness) Even by God himself (Genesis 22)

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened For example, Genesis 12:10-20 10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened 17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.”

The Past (Abraham) God’s Promise is Repeatedly Threatened 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

The Past (Abraham) The promise is threatened by famine (blessing) in the land, and then by Abraham’s actions (birth). The promise is kept by God’s direct intervention to set Sarai free from Pharaoh’s household.

The Past (Abraham) What is the message of the “threat to the promise” theme? How was it relevant to Israel in the wilderness?

The Past (Abraham) The stories of overcoming repeated threats to God’s promise show a chosen family that is weak and subject to failure a God who keeps his promise in spite of their actions.

The Past (Abraham) The message of these stories is about God’s character in the midst of human failure: This God is always faithful! He keeps his promises even when we don’t deserve it! He is worthy of our trust!

The Present (Israel) Israel in the wilderness, like Abraham and his family, faced threats to land, birth, and blessing. God’s promise to provide them land, birth, and blessing were contingent not on their goodness but on God’s own character. Israel is encouraged to put their faith in their always faithful God.

The God We Believe In God has made promises to us in Christ: “land” – though we are sojourners, a home “birth” – though God’s kingdom appears small and inconsequential, a future “blessing” – though we suffer, a community built around God with Us (Immanuel)

The God We Believe In What should be our response to the stories of Abraham? Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. John Sammis (1887)

The God We Believe In Hebrews 11 9 By faith [Abraham] went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

The God We Believe In 13 . . . These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland . . . 15 they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

The God We Believe In Living as strangers and exiles . . . Trusting that God has a future for his people and that our lives now are signs of and invitations to that future.