1. Abraham Believed Yahweh l He reckoned it to him as righteousness l Yahweh reckoned it to Abraham as righteousness. [his faithful response to the promise] l Abraham reckoned it to Yahweh as righteousness. [Yahweh’s faithful promise of descendants]

2. The Faithfulness of Abraham n Abram and Sarai leave Mesopotamia (12:4); let Lot choose land (12:9) n Refuse plunder from war (chap 14) n Believe in Yahweh (15:6) n Kindness to strangers (chap 18) n Pray for Sodom (18:23-32) n Send servant to get wife for Isaac (24:7) n Gifts to Keturah’s sons and Abraham sends them away (25:5-6)

3. Faithlessness of Abraham and Sarah l Abram leaves land when famine strikes; deceives Pharaoh to save himself (chap 12) l Plans to make slave his heir (chap 15) l Abraham and Sarah seek child by their own devices (Hagar; chap 16) l Sarah laughs about her pregnancy; she lies.

4. The “Covenant of Pieces” l A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch = signs of Yahweh’s presence l Passing between cut up animals = a ritually enacted curse. Cf. Jer 34; Sefire treaties 8c) l May I, Yahweh, be cut in pieces if I ever violate this covenant to give Israel’s ancestors the land l What an idea! A promise endorsed by a self- imposed divine curse

5. The Function of Gen 15:13-16 l It explains why immediate promise to Abraham is only fulfilled 400 years later: the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Cf. Lev 18:24-25 l Early adumbration of the Exodus from Egypt l Two traditions combined: 400 (430) years; 4th generation

6. Interpretations of the Ancestral Covenant l J: Covenant reaches its fulfilment in the empire of David--from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates--and in covenant with David (2 Samuel 7 and 23) l D: Covenant reaches its fulfilment in the covenant Yahweh made with Israel at Horeb/Sinai l P: Everlasting covenant is an end in itself

7. Covenantal Developments l Covenant with David is basis for Israel’s messianic hope n But in Isa 55:3: Benefits of the covenant with David are extended to all the people l Sinai covenant could lead to blessings or curses n Jeremiah:new Sinaitic covenant; Ezekiel: new, everlasting covenant l No covenant for P at Sinai

8. Traits of the Priestly view of the Ancestors (Genesis 17) l Be blameless l I will make you exceedingly fruitful; also made to Sarah l New name Abraham/Sarah to mark new status l New name for deity = El Shaddai (El the one of the cosmic mountain) l Everlasting covenant…also with descendants

9. Priestly view (continued) l land of sojournings as an everlasting possession (Genesis 23; 28:1-4; 35:9- 12; 48:3-7) l “God promise” = the land (cf. Exod 6:6-7 the Exodus; 29:43-44 God will meet with them) l Circumcision as sign of the covenant l Abraham carries through rite on the same day l Circumcision extended also to foreigners

10. Circumcision l Practiced by Egyptians, not practiced by Philistines, Babylonians l Originally a puberty rite l Cf. Exod 4:24-26 l Becomes an infancy rite in Israel

11. P’s Chronology of Abraham n leaves Haran at 75; receives Hagar at 85-- waited patiently 10 years for a child n Isaac born when Abraham was 100 (Sarah 90) n Abraham dies at 175--lived 100 years in the land n Difficulties: Sarah a ravishing beauty at 65 (chap 12) and at 90 (chap 20) n Ishmael 17 when Hagar carries him away and throws him under a bush

12. Ur of the Chaldeans l Elsewhere ancestral traditions point to N.W. Mesopotamia l Chaldeans do not antedate end of 2nd millennium l Known to P 11:31 and J 11:28

13. The (near) sacrifice of Isaac l Aspects of Hebrew narrative contrasted with the Odyssey l What would have happened if… n Abraham had actually sacrificed Isaac n Abraham had told Isaac what he was going to do n Isaac had seen his father tremble as he raised the knife n Abraham had found the substitute ram on the way up the mountain

14. The (near) sacrifice of Isaac (continued) l typological connection with crucifixion l popular motif in Christian art l in Judaism--a meritorious act that reassures people that they are safe as Isaac’s descendants; God remembers Isaac and heeds prayer of Jewish people l in Islam--Ishmael was the one almost sacrificed (“one and only son”)

15. The (near) sacrifice of Isaac (continued) l Rejection of human sacrifice l Mt. Moriah = site of Solomon’s temple l vv. 15-18 blessings are a reward for a particular act of Abraham

16. The Last Days of Abraham l The Cave at Machpelah--the only real estate owned by the ancestors l Abraham and Keturah have six sons--he gave them gifts and had them move out of the land. l Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah all buried there.

17. The Problem of Eliezer l The heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. Speiser: Two types of heirs in Hurrian (Nuzi) law: aplu or direct heir; ewuru or indirect heir, when normal inheritors lacking l Nuzi texts do NOT deal with adoption of servants, such as Eliezer, and the adoptees at Nuzi could inherit alongside natural son (whereas Eliezer could not)