VII

Picking up at Genesis 11.10----------------------- vss 10-26 follows the geneology from Shem to Abram (Abraham). Notice the lifespans are being drasticly reduced. Several ways to look at this. I believe that the following generations' lives were not shorten, but rather the earlier generations were made longer in order to populate the earth. Just a thought.-------------- Take a close look at vss 27-32. The family situation is being described. Terah (Abraham's father) took Abraham, Lot his grandson, and Abram's wife Sarai (Sarah) and left the clan to settle elsewhere (from Ur to Canaan). This was usually done to spread out as the families and their possessions grew. So Abraham and his family including nephew Lot settled in Canaan.-------------------- Incidently, the name Abram in the Hebrew means "exalted father". Abraham means "father of a multitude". It makes a point to mention that Sarai was barren, which will become prominent shortly.------------ At this time I think we are seeing God making a third beginning. First was Adam. Second was Noah. Now Abraham.---------------- In vss 12.1-3 the Lord spoke to Abram in 12.1-3. He told him to go and God will make him a great nation (Israel) And indeed He did. Two great nations, as a matter of fact.--------------------- Check out vs 3a - we need to be careful whom we might curse in this life. If God made this person's ancestors this type of promise, we could find ourselves doomed without knowing why for decades. Vs 3b states that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. He is talking about Jesus.------------------- Abram, Lot, and their families traveled to Canaan. The Canaanites were well established in this land already, but the land was good land and plentiful. You will notice how often Abram takes the time to build an altar to the Lord and called on the name or the Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord, I think, goes back to 12.1 when God told Abram "I will show you".------------------------------ Vs.12.10 - There was a famine in the land. Throughout the History of civilization, there have been many famines, seemingly all with a divine purpose. Anyway, Abram picked up and moved his entire family to Egypt. But on the way Abram decides to lie to the Egyption authorities. (I really like the Bible. God's Scriptures do not protect these great people by hiding their shortcomings. That is refreshing to me. If all of the patriarchs fell to shortcomings, then I'm in good company) Anyway, he thought that because Sarai was so beautiful, Pharoah would have Abram killed so as to take his wife, so Abram told everybody to say that Sarai is his sister. So go ahead and read vss. 14-16. Allow me to paraphrase, trying not to be too disrespectful. Pharoah took Sarai in to his palace and into his harem. Abram found favor in Pharoah's eyes because of Sarai, and Pharoah granted Abram much wealth. I would have been ashamed of myself, and maybe Abram was too.-------------------------- Vss 17-20 - Kind of funny. God punished Pharoah. Pharoah gets angry at Abram when he finds out he'd been lied to. Pharoah throws Abram and his family out of Egypt. Abram left a VERY wealthy man. ------------------------ Chapter 13------------They moved on back to Canaan near Bethel. (Abram built another altar and called on the name of the Lord again) Everything would have been good (there was no longer a famine in Canaan), but the families and possessions of Abram and Lot were too large (much wealth was measured in livestock. Livestock takes space to house and graze) They quarrelled among themselves and among the Canaanites which were there first. Due to their vast size, Abram and Lot had to split and go in different directions, further populating the earth as the families of many were forced to "spread out". Abram gave Lot his choice. Lot chose what appeared to be a better territory. Vs 11- - the whole plain of the Jordan. A rich valley but already rather heavily populated forming many cities, Sodom and Gomorrah to name a couple. When you choose what appears to be the "best", many people before you have done the same, rendering the "best" to have much baggage.------------------ vss 14-17 God promised Abram all this land for not only him, but for his offspring FOREVER. That land even today belongs to Israel. Not the Palistinians. I am on Israel's side in this situation, no matter what. Vs 18 - Abram built an altar to the Lord.-------------------------- Chapter 14------------- A few things you should know: 1) These Canaanites were warring people and still are (more on that soon). 2) When the Bible says kings went to battle, that meant the whole kingship, which were usually large tribes, descendents of Ham. 3) Our calender as a matter of record did not start until just 2012 years ago. The writers of History in these times documented time by the year of a king's reign. You'll see this throughout the Old Testament. For example, if we still did it that way, our 1985 would have been refered to as the 5th year of Ronald Reagan's presidency.--------------- Five kings waged war against four kings (Amalakites and Amorites are mentioned - these guys are a major pain for centuries yet to come) The four kings won that battle, defeating the five kings which happened to include Sodom and Gomorrah. As it goes "to the victor goes the spoils" the winning kings spoiled the defeated kings territories pillaging everything including citizens, livestock, silver, and gold. Winning battles back then entitled the winners to this. However, Abram's nephew Lot was living in Sodom at that time. Therefore he and all his massive possessions were taken by the victorious kings. This was reported to Abram. Vss 13-18 tells of Abram taking 318 trained men and going to battle against Lot's captors and recovering Lot and all his possessions. This is the first documented organized battle that involved the royal blood line.--------------- Vs. 18 is the first mention of the great, holy, how-be-he mysterious individual named Melchizedek. We won't see his name often, but when we do, it is stated as THE standard of excellence in priesthood. The highest comparison that could be made on a holy man was to be refered to as a "priest on the order of Melchizedek". Abram honored this man as a representative of God, as Abram gave a tenth of everything he had to Melchizedek.----------------------- We'll plick up on vs 21 forward tomorrow.