Section II Abraham, the Man Whom God Chose

Genesis 11:27—25:11

One of the most outstanding men of ancient times now becomes the focal point of interest. Abraham is honored by being exalted as a man of God in three important faiths in the world today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. During his earlier years his name was Abram (27), which means “Exalted Father.”1 The stories related to his life before God are straightforward, presenting the highlights of his spiritual adventures. But also the embarrassing hours are recorded when unbelief smote his soul and he became entangled in unpleasant situations with others.

A. TERAH'S FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, 11:27-32

Many names in this brief genealogy still persist in names of cities in the upper Mesopotamian valley. Probably the names of early settlers were given to new cities, even as now. In ancient Assyrian records, a place called “mound of Terah” can be found. The city of Haran (27) exists today on the banks of the Balikh River.

Ur of the Chaldees (28) was one of the wealthiest city-states yet excavated of the older cultures of the Mesopotamian valley. The moon god Nannar was worshiped there, and one of Ur's most famous kings was Ur-Nammu. Josh. 24:2 states that Terah's family worshiped idols. The city was destroyed about 2100 B.C. and soon afterwards there was a great migration toward the west. The families who moved west were called Amorites. Terah's family was among these migrants. Evidently they first planned to go to Canaan (31) but were detained—and Terah died in Haran (32).

B. A STRANGER IN A NEW LAND, 12:1—14:24

Abram's response to the divine call to move to another country has caught the imagination of many searchers after the will of God. His journey in faith was not a fantastic fairy tale but has the hallmarks of a down-to-earth struggle in a hostile world. Abram suffered setbacks but he persevered in pursuit of what he believed was the will of God.

1. Command and Response (12:1-9)

The structure of this story is simple. There is a command mixed with promise (1-3), Abram's act of obedience (4-6), and the theophany or appearance of God to Abraham marked by promise, to which Abram responded by worshiping (7-9).

God's command was clear-cut but stringent. Abram (1) had to leave home and kindred and move out into a new land. When he arrived in that land, the Canaanites (6) were there, but God promised, Unto thy seed will I give this land (7). The other promise was concerning a posterity which would become a great nation (2). Abram's descendents were to be possessors of the new land. Abram was to know God's blessing and was to be known as a great man. He was to be a channel of blessing (2) to others. In fact he was to be related to them in such a way that their destiny would be determined by the way they treated him. God would be gracious to those who helped him and would punish those who cursed him. Abram's influence would be worldwide, a benediction and a blessing to many nations.

Instead of arguing with God, Abram departed (4), even though he was seventy and five years old. He did not go alone, for Sarai his wife, and Lot (5), and a sizable group of servants accompanied him. The land of Canaan is presently known as Palestine.

Abram's first major stop was at Sichern (6), also known as Shechem (see map 2; Gen. 33:18-19; Josh. 24:1) or Sychar (John 4:5). Today a nearby city is called Nablus. In ancient times the city was important because an east-west and a north-south trade route intersected here. Mount Ebal soared abruptly above the city to the north and Mount Gerizim reared its head to the south. The phrase plain of Moreh would be better translated as “oak of Moreh” (ASV).

Abram had come to the land promised; but others had arrived before him, for the Canaanite was then in the land. The promise of God was seemingly annulled by this fact. To encourage Abram, God renewed and strengthened the promise by declaring specifically, Unto thy seed will I give this land (7). In response, Abram constructed an altar and worshiped God.

Moving farther south, Abram located on a ridge between Beth-el (8; see map 2) and Hai. The latter name means “the ruins.” Recent archaeological work has revealed that this site had already been abandoned for at least 500 years by the time Abram arrived. The ruins had originally been a fortress city, evidently built by the Egyptians in 2900 B.C. and destroyed about 2500 B.C. On this ridge Abram built another altar and worshiped. Soon he continued toward the south (9).

In this passage (12:1-9) we see “An Example of Faith.” (1) The divine command and promise, 1-3; (2) The obedience of faith, 4-5; (3) The life in the land, 6-9 (Alexander Maclaren).

2. Instead of a Blessing, a Troublemaker (12:10—13:4)

God had promised that Abram would be “a blessing” (2) and that in him “all families of the earth [would] be blessed” (3). But when Abram went down into Egypt (10; see map 3) due to a famine in Canaan, he was far from being a blessing to the people of that country.

The severity of the famine sent Abram and his party to the well-watered delta of the Nile River in search of food for their cattle and for the families which served Abram. Apparently he had heard of the loose morals of the Egyptians, and moved by fear—they will kill me (12)—he asked his wife, Sarai (11), to He about their relationship.2

The danger which Abram anticipated was real, for soon the princes (15) took note of Sarai and took her to Pharaoh's house. At the moment Abram prospered (16), for gifts of animals and slaves were showered upon him.

Matters did not go so well with the Pharaoh (17). The Lord plagued him and his house, because his lust threatened to annul the divine promise that Abram would have a posterity. Discovering that Abram had not given the full truth about his wife, the Pharaoh called Abram (18), severely reprimanded him, and expelled him from Egypt.

It was a humiliating experience for Abram, and in spite of his wealth, his return to Canaan was hardly a victory march. Slowly making his way back to Beth-el (3) the patriarch bowed before the altar, which he had made there at the first (4), and worshiped. His trip to Egypt had been a blessing to no one. The south (1) would be the “country of Judah” (Amp. Bible).

3. The Choice That Pointed Downward (13:5-18)

Not only Abram was rich in flocks, and herds, and tents (5), but his nephew Lot also had extensive herds. Lacking in good year-round pasturage, the highlands of Palestine could not provide enough food and water. Strife (7) broke out between the herdmen in the fields, so that a conference between uncle and nephew was imperative. The presence and implied threat of the Canaanite and Perizzite in the land is noted. Such was the setting of one of the crucial decisions made in Abram's family circle.

Next comes the dialogue between Abram (8) and Lot. According to the customs of the day, the solution of the problem would have been fairly simple. The leader of the clan would work out a solution which would protect his own interests and give little regard to the interests of the contestant. But Abram preferred to step aside. He did insist that Lot separate himself (9) from Abram's family circle, but he gave to the younger man first choice of the area of Palestine in which to pasture his flocks.

From the place where they were encamped near Bethel, the Jordan valley lay visible before them to the east. Lot chose to go in that direction. Around Jericho, as now, fields were watered by abundant springs, and on the southeast side of the Dead Sea streams from the highlands fed rich fields. The area was so verdant that two symbols of fertility, the garden of the Lord (10) and the land of Egypt, seemed the only adequate means to describe it. This was in sharp contrast to the dry central mountain range of Palestine.

At the time Lot did not know of the fate which was to fall upon the land he had newly adopted. But the story is heightened with suspense by noting that destruction was due Sodom and Gomorrah. Especially is Sodom (13) mentioned as a morally unhealthy city, for its men … were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.3

In 13:5-13 we see “Lot's Choice.” (1) Lot's choice revealed his character, 10-11; (2) Lot's choice led to Sodom, 12-13; (3) Lot's choice resulted in incalculable loss, 13; cf. 19:1-28 (G. B. Williamson).

After Lot had departed, the Lord appeared to Abram and renewed His previous promises, with additions (14). Commanding Abram to survey the land (15), the Lord told him that all of it was a gift to his descendents, who would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (16). But Abram was also to claim it as his own to travel in wherever he pleased. Immediately Abram moved south and settled in the rich pasturelands around Hebron (18), then known as Mamre. It was the third place where Abram built … an altar at which he worshiped the Lord. Lot's choice seemed to promise the most returns at the moment but it was related to a potentially explosive situation. Abram's generosity seemed to have been self-damaging, if judged in the light of the customs of that day. But decisions which are difficult must sometimes be made when a man seeks to do God's will. Nevertheless, by virtue of the Lord's promises and His help, Abram's future held rich returns.

4. Crisis in the Valley (14:1-24)

Unexpectedly, danger from the north became a reality in the form of a vicious attack by four kings. An identification of Amraphel (1) with Hammurabi, an important Babylonian monarch, had a strong appeal to some OT scholars several decades ago.4 However, archaeological materials related to Hammurabi date him later than Abraham's time. Yet Shinar was an ancient name for Babylon. Arioch is remarkably like the ancient name Ariukki, to the north of Babylon in the land of the Hurrians. Nothing is known of a Chedorlaomer, but Elam was the name of the highlands east of the Tigris River. Tidal was one of the Hittite kings called Tudkhula or Tudhaliya.5

The five kings who joined in a defensive alliance in the vale of Siddim (3), an area south of the Dead Sea, were ill prepared to ward off the invaders. They surrendered and for twelve years (4) they were satellites of the foreigners. Then they rebelled and the results were disastrous. The invaders returned and ruthlessly slaughtered the inhabitants of the high plateau east of the Dead Sea (see map 2). Some of these people were remembered as giants. For Rephaims (5) see Gen. 15:20 and Deut. 2:11; also 3:11, where the term is translated as “giants.” The Zuzims were the same as the “Zamzummims” of Deut. 2:20. For Emims see Deut. 2:10-11. The term Horites (6) seems to have been used of, the aboriginal inhabitants of Edom (Gen. 36:20; Deut. 2:12, 22). The latter were near the rich copper ore deposits of the southern part of the Arabah, and evidently this ore was what the kings were primarily interested in.

After the victories described in 5-6, the kings swung out into the desert to the south and west of the Dead Sea, looting the rich oasis of Kadesh (7, Kadesh-barnea; see map 3) and destroying the settlement at Hazezon-tamar, which is modern En-gedi. The major battle with the defending kings took place in the vale of Siddim (8) and ended in a complete rout and chaos. The victors carried off much booty and many slaves, among whom was Lot … and his goods (12).

A fugitive from the raid told Abram (13) of the fate of Lot. The ordinarily peace-loving patriarch gathered a band of three hundred and eighteen (14). By skill and sheer courage they managed to rescue Lot, many other captives, and much of the booty after an arduous pursuit of more than 100 miles northward to Dan (see maps 2 and 3).

On the return trip to Hebron, Abram and his party passed by ancient Jerusalem, through the valley of Shaveh (17), possibly the Kidron valley. There he was met by a party of distinguished and grateful leaders of the land. For the first time, Abram had proved to be a blessing to his neighbors (see 12:2-3).

Melchisedek (18), the dignified priest-king of Salem (Jerusalem), provided food and drink for the victors and pronounced a blessing on Abram (19). The name most high God (18) was a common designation of Divinity in the country of Palestine at that time. In response Abram gave … tithes (20) to Melchizedek. The king of Sodom (21) was less religiously inclined. He asked for his people back, yet was generous enough to offer Abram whatever booty remained from the fight. Abram had little respect for this man and replied that he had taken a vow not to keep any of the goods belonging to the king of Sodom, lest it be used against him later by that unsavory person. Abram also made it clear that his God carried the title Lord (22, “Jehovah,” ASV) and was not just another Canaanite deity. The only thing Abram requested was that the soldiers have a reward for their services and that his allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre (24), receive a share from the booty.

The stalwart character of Melchizedek and his status as a respected priest-king became significant in later pronouncements about the longed-for Messiah. Psalms 110:4 relates the Messiah to “the order of Melchizedek” and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews quotes this portion of the Psalms to show that Christ is of this kind of priestly order rather than of the Aaronic order (Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1-21).

The writer of Hebrews places emphasis on the meaning of Melchizedek's name and status in order to note that both he and Christ were men of righteousness and peace (Heb. 7:1-2). The next correlation is a stress on personal strength and worth rather than on lineage. Thus their office did not pass to another automatically. Christ is a High Priest rather than merely a priest, and instead of giving a blessing only, Christ saves “to the uttermost” (Heb. 7:25-26).6

C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, 15:1—17:27

Unlike the pagan religions of Abram's neighbors whose faith was polytheistic and nature-centered, the faith of Abram was monotheistic and covenant-centered. Neither Babylon, Syria, nor Egypt knew of a religion that was personal, with a dynamic relationship operative between God and man. But God established such a relationship with Abram and with his descendents by making a covenant with him.

1. God's Covenant with Abram (15:1-21)

In the society of the upper Mesopotamian valley, covenant making was common between men and between nations.7 God used this form of personal relationship as the medium to convey His revelation to Abram (1) and his descendents. The communication came by way of a vision in which the Covenant Maker calmed the fear of Abram and identified himself as his shield, and … exceeding great reward. The term shield denotes protection; and reward, with its adjectives, conveys the idea of abundant graciousness. Both represent God as filled with concern for the anxieties which Abram had.

A dialogue ensues in which Abram makes known his deep distress. God had promised that Abram would have a child (12: 1-7; 13:14-17). But no child had come to bless his household. Why? Hurrian law, prevalent around Haran, from which Abram came, made provision for a childless couple to adopt a servant to care for them in their old age and to bury them. In turn the adopted heir received the wealth of the family. Evidently Abram had thus adopted Eliezer of Damascus (2), but he was not satisfied. This provision did not seem to correspond to the promise which God had made to him. One born in my house (3) is better “one belonging to my household” (Berk.).

In reply, the Lord (4) assured Abram that Eliezer was not to be the heir, but that God would still give Abram an heir of whom he would be the father. To reinforce the promise, God commanded Abram to look now toward heaven, and tell (count) the stars (5). The vast array of stars which sprinkled the sky would be comparable to the number of descendents which would count Abram as their father.

Abram's response was complete surrender to God's will and an acceptance of His promise as adequate to answer his questions. For the first time in Scriptures the word believe occurs (6). Basically, it means to be firmly established or rooted. In this context it means that Abram grounded himself in the integrity of God. In response, God accepted this act of faith as an act of righteousness which discounted the previous doubting.

This verse was very important to Paul, who used it to demonstrate in Romans 4 that believing God is the basis for obtaining salvation and that righteousness is a gift of God. Virtually the same argument is used in Galatians 3 (see commentary on these cc., BBC, Vols. VIII and IX).

In 15:1 there is suggested “The Faith of Abraham.” (1) The record of faithfulness, After these things, cf. cc. 12—14; (2) The reward of faithfulness, 1-6 (G. B. Williamson).

The dialogue next concentrates on the relationship of the land (7) to Abram's seed. After a brief reference to His previous call to Abram, God repeated His promise that Palestine would be a home for the patriarch's children. Abram asked for some tangible evidence, since he did not own any of the land over which he roamed. It was in this context that the covenant was actually established.

Following ancient procedures of making covenants, God directed Abram to prepare three animals—an heifer (9), a she goat, and a ram—each three years old, and two birds—a turtledove, and a young pigeon. After sacrificing them, Abram split the carcasses of the animals and laid them on the ground, watching over them to protect them from the scavenger birds (10). Then, as the sun was going down (12), God appeared to Abram in the form of an horror of great darkness (“a terror and shuddering fear,” Amp. Bible).

The message of the Revealer was filled with detail added to the previous promises. Of the seed (13), God said their possession of the land would not be immediate, but that Abram's descendents must first dwell in another land. There they would be servants for four hundred years, in which time they would know affliction. Yet God would judge … that nation (14) and would deliver Abram's people.

Abram would not possess the entire land himself, yet he would know a sense of peace (15) in his old age and death. Returning to the matter of the land, God indicated that the Amorites (16), who then inhabited it, must be given time to demonstrate their lack of responsibility and their abundance of iniquity. The wresting of the land from them would not occur until it could be on a firm moral basis.

At the moment that the sun went down (17), God manifested himself in a different manner. He symbolized His participation and His seal of the covenant by passing between the sacrificed animals as a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp. In Scripture fire often symbolizes God's presence.

The chapter has a summarizing remark, noting that the covenant promise included the boundaries of the Promised Land. They stretched from the river of Egypt (18), the Wadi el-'Arish, halfway between Philistia and Egypt, to the river Euphrates. Following that is a list of the 10 groups which dwelt in Canaan in Abram's times.

From 15:5-18, Alexander Maclaren preached on “God's Covenant with Abram.” (1) God's promise, 5, 7; (2) A man's triumphant faith, 6; (3) Gospel truth, He counted it to him for righteousness, 6; (4) The covenant reaffirmed, 7, 13-18.

2. The Substitute Wife (16:1-16)

Time passed and Sarai (1) continued childless. God had not promised that the son would come from her (15:4) and the problem of an unfulfilled promise remained. To Sarai a custom from their homeland appeared to be the answer. This custom provided that a childless wife must provide her husband with a servant girl to serve in her stead. The offspring would be regarded as her own.8 Sarai had an Egyptian servant named Hagar, whom she offered to Abram (2). Abram accepted the offer and in a short time Hagar was with child.

Intense emotions deep in the heart of each participant were entangled with the problem of interpreting a divine promise by means of legal provisions. Hagar (4) became arrogant toward her mistress, and Sarai became bitter and abusive (5). Going to her husband, she accused him of depriving her of basic rights as a wife and demanded that he act. The Amplified Bible renders 5a, “May [the responsibility for] my wrong and deprivation of rights be upon you!” It was contrary to their homeland custom for servant wives to show disrespect to the principal wife. Abram (6) declined to punish Hagar but permitted Sarai to act as she pleased.

The same custom which permitted a substitute wife refused to allow the expulsion of that wife after she became pregnant, whatever her attitude might be. But Sarai was resourceful. She dealt hardly with her, forcing the girl to run away.

Hagar was on her way to her homeland, Egypt, when the angel of the Lord (7) appeared to her at a fountain as she approached the wilderness of Shur (see map 2). In reply to his question, Hagar (8) confessed that she was fleeing from Sarai. Instead of showing sympathy, the angel of the Lord commanded the girl to return to thy mistress (9). In return for this submission to abuse, a promise of a numerous seed (10) was granted to Hagar. The child to be born was to be named Ishmael (11) as a reminder that God had heard her prayer of desperation. Yet the son would be unusual in character. He would not fit in well with the quiet family of Abram. Rather he would love the wild, free life of the desert. Few would be the men who would love his ways.

Hagar's response was one of gratitude and worship. God had taken note of her plight and she was thankful. Verse 13ab has been rendered, “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing” (Amp. Bible). Instead of resenting the command, she faithfully turned her steps back to Sarai's tent. In honor of her great spiritual experience she named the well Beer-lahai-roi (14, “The well of him that liveth and seeth me”). She had solved no problems by running away. Now she faced her difficulty with Sarai with courage and with a new hope.

In due time the son was born and Abram (15), evidently aware of Hagar's experience at the well, named the child Ishmael (cf. 11). He had a son, but not the one whom God had promised.

3. The Token of the Covenant (17:1-27)

Thirteen years passed and again the Lord appeared to Abram (1). Typical of covenant-making occasions, the Divine One identified himself to Abram. He was Almighty God (El Shaddai). No other detail is given, but He had a command for Abram. It was brief but stringent: Walk before me, and be thou perfec t In an earlier time, Enoch had illustrated the first part of the commandment by living a life fully obedient and acceptable to God (5:24). Noah also had been designated as perfect (see 6:9), meaning that he was a man of one will, a man of integrity. Abram was to be like these men of God.

Reacting to the news that God desired to renew the covenant of promise (2) with him, Abram fell on his face (3), overwhelmed by the knowledge that God was talking to him. The patriarch's prostration was a common posture in his day to show reverence or extreme awe.

In 17:1-6 we see “God's Assurance to Abram.” (1) God is all-sufficient, la, 4-6; (2) God is the all-wise Judge, 2-3; (3) God's eternal ideal for man is perfection, lb (G. B. Williamson).

God's message to Abram came in four parts: 17:5-8, 9-14, 15-16, and 19-21—in two cases interspersed with conversation involving Abram.

God's first word reiterated the reality of the covenant relationship (4), but the promise of a seed was enlarged to Thou shalt be a father of many nations. The covenant was then reinforced by a change of Abram's name to Abraham (5). The promise was further expanded to include a posterity of kings (6). Another addition was the assurance that the relationship would be everlasting (7). It was also personal, so that Abraham's seed could claim the covenant-making God as their own God. This was possible because God himself had established the relationship, not because they had taken the initiative to seek Him. A new note was also introduced into the promise of the land: it was to be an everlasting possession (8).

“Waiting Faith Rewarded” is the theme of 17:1-9. (1) God's character and our duty, 1; (2) The sign of the covenant, 5; (3) The substance of the covenant, 2, 4, 7-8 (Alexander Maclaren).

The second word concentrated on the keeping of the covenant (9) and the token of the covenant (11). It was a series of commands. Every man child among you shall be circumcised (10), was the basic stipulation. The normal time of circumcision was to be when the child was eight days old (12). There were to be no class distinctions, for those in servitude were to rank equally with free men in the covenant. Servants could participate in the everlasting covenant (13), but of those who were not circumcised it was said, That soul shall be cut off from his people (14). As far as is known, the institution of the rite of circumcision among Abraham's people struck the first blow against the evil of slavery and for human equality before God.

The third word was concerned with the relationship of Sarai (15) to the birth of the promised son. This point had never been clarified in previous conversations between God and Abraham. She was to have a change of name. The more archaic form Sarai was to be changed to a new spelling, Sarah (15). As far as is known both spellings mean simply “princess.” She was to have a divine blessing and would be the mother of a son (16), but more, a mother of nations and kings.

For the second time Abraham fell upon his face (17), but this time he laughed. His age and that of his wife would seem to preclude the fulfillment of such a promise. Surely it would be better to think in terms of the welfare of Ishmael (18). But God was insistent. Sarah was to be a mother, and the son's name was to be Isaac (19). Here is a play on words, for Isaac actually means “laughter.” That which seemed laughable from the human viewpoint would truly be a reality.

As for Ishmael (20), God had plans to bless him as the ancestor of twelve princes, of a great nation. Nevertheless, the covenant was not to be with his lineage; it was to be with Isaac (21), whom Sarah would bear in due time.

Having received God's commands and promises, Abraham obeyed immediately. He had all the males in his house (23) circumcised the selfsame day. At that time Abraham was ninety years old and nine (24), and Ishmael (25) was thirteen. Circumcision became the sign of the Hebrew commitment to a religious faith which was to stand for centuries throughout OT times. It was a faith strikingly different from any of the surrounding people. Here was a faith based upon a revelation from God set in a framework of personal relationship with man, instead of a framework of natural forces.9

D. WAITING FOR THE TRUE SON, 18:1—20:18

These three chapters stand between the promise that Sarah would bear the true heir and the fulfillment of that promise. Chapters 18 and 19 return one to the content of cc. 13 and 14. The fortunes and misfortunes of Lot are common to both sets of chapters. Chapter 20 also harks back to a previous event, the deception of the Pharaoh of Egypt concerning the true kinship of Sarah to Abraham. As in the previous chapters, Abraham's character shines brightly in contrast to that of Lot, but not so well in contrast to the alien monarch.

1. Not a Laughing Matter (18:1-15)

Lest the reader be misled by the detail of the story, the first verse makes it clear that what is involved is a theophany, an appearance of the Lord (1), at Abraham's tent in Mamre. The word plains probably should be translated “oaks, or terebinths” (Amp. Bible). Abraham was resting in the shade during the heat of the day, i.e., the hour or two before and after noon.

Looking up, Abraham was surprised to see three men (2). He immediately responded with the hospitality which still survives among the common folk of Palestine today. Bowing before them, Abraham begged the strangers to stop at his tent, have the dust of the road washed from their feet, and relax under the tree (4). The patriarch assured them that food would be served them and then they could travel on. For therefore are ye come (5) means, “That is why you have come to your servant” (Amp. Bible). The strangers responded graciously to the invitation, and Abraham (6) hurried to the flocks for a calf after asking Sarah to prepare cakes upon the hearth, a small clay oven. The butter (8) could have been made from the milk of cows, of goats, or of camels. The milk was probably sour. Such curdled milk is still highly regarded as a refreshing drink on a hot day in Palestine. According to custom, the women of the camp did not show themselves while visitors were present, nor did the host eat with his guests. His duty was to attend to their every need.

The inquiry about his wife (9) must have struck Abraham as quite lacking in good manners, for his reply carries an overtone of surprise. The movement shows a growing comprehension that one of the visitors was different from the others. It was he (10) who promised that Sarah's coming motherhood was to be a reality. Though Abraham had received this news before (17: 15-19), Sarah had not been informed. She now laughed (12) to herself, musing on the improbability of motherhood at her age. But she was shocked with fright when she heard the stranger, now designated as Lord (Yahweh, 13), question her husband about her secret unbelief. He queried, Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (14), and then reasserted, Sarah shall have a son. The woman was so taken off guard that she mumbled a denial, only to receive a rebuke in return. Thus did Sarah learn of her future role in God's purposes for His people, and she had stumbled at the threshold of the impossible, humanly viewed.

In this story (18:1-4, 9-14) we find evidence that (1) God permits impossible situations to develop, 10-12; (2) God can do the seemingly impossible, 13; (3) God is glorified in the proof of His power, 14 (G. B. Williamson).

2. A Persistent Intercession (18:16-33)

There was another aspect of the men's visit which was reserved for Abraham's ears. Having reaffirmed God's promise of a son coming by means of Sarah, and having demonstrated a divine ability to know a woman's secret thoughts, the Lord (17) had little difficulty convincing Abraham of the gravity of the next item of news. The brief soliloquy (17-19) reveals the confidence the Lord had in this man, based upon careful evaluation of his character. Abraham could be trusted to rule and to teach his children in such a way that the divine will revealed to him would continue into future generations. Thus there would be continuity in justice (19, tsedakah), which is more often translated “righteousness.” It connotes adherence to proper standards, whether moral or judicial. The preservation of judgment (mishpat), i.e., the maintenance of harmonious relations between people, would not be just a one-generation affair. Continuity in these values was what the Lord wanted and Abraham, with his descendents, gave promise of a fulfillment of His will. Thus He felt justified for unveiling a portion of His personal burden to Abraham.

The divine concern also involved Sodom and Gomorrah (20), for the cries of complaint which had come to the Lord indicated that their sin was very grievous. The Lord was now on His way to make a personal inspection of conditions. The strong anthropomorphism of this scene does not suggest ignorance on God's part. Rather, the point is centered on the Lord's intimate concern about social evils; they do not go unnoticed. Another emphasis is God's basic justice. He does not execute judgment on hearsay; He knows at first hand what the situation is. Furthermore, He is willing to give consideration to other means than destruction for correcting matters. He is willing to listen to and evaluate the prayers of those whom He trusts.

When Abraham heard the news about Sodom and Gomorrah, a deep burden gripped his soul, for he was fully aware of Lot's residence near these cities.

Abraham's sense of justice came quickly to expression. Surely the righteous (23, tsaddik), those who have been living acceptably before God, should not be punished with the wicked. Abraham began with high optimism. Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city (24), could God be just and destroy them? The divine response was that the Lord would deliver the city if fifty (26) could be found. But what if that number could not be found, would a shortage of five people (28) bring disaster?

Abraham well knew his own place before God, for in terms of power and authority he was but dust and ashes (27). Yet he persisted, lowering the figure from 45 to forty (29), to thirty (30), to twenty (31). Each time the Lord acceded to the patriarch's request. Finally he reached the number ten (32), which was almost the size of Lot's family. Receiving the assurance that judgment would be withheld should ten be found, Abraham ceased his intercession. The outcome must thereafter depend on the spiritual condition of his nephew's family.

In 18:20-33 our attention is directed to “The Just Judge.” The focus is on v. 25. (1) The extension of God's mercy in answer to prayer, 23-26; (2) The execution of God's judgment upon the impenitent sinners, 20-21; cf. 19:23-24; (3) The exemption of the righteous, 26-32; cf. 19:12-22 (G. B. Williamson).

3. There Were Not Even Ten (19:1-29)

The story of this chapter has several distinguishable parts. The setting is in vv. 1-3. Then follow the crisis situation (4-11), the hour of decision (12-16), the act of deliverance (17-22), and the act of judgment (23-29).

Two of the men, now called angels (1), arrived in Sodom soon after leaving Abraham in Hebron, though the distance between the two places was an ordinary two days' journey. Lot was at the gate of the city, where men were accustomed to gather at the end of a day's work. Often legal affairs were transacted at the gate (Ruth 4:1-12). Lot extended greetings and offered lodging to the strangers. Yielding to his persistence, the angels were treated with generous hospitality.

Just before time for bed, Lot and his new friends became aware of a commotion outside his house. It was a multitude of the men of Sodom (4) of every age, fired with bestial lust. The famed sin of the city was being displayed in all its ugliness. The men wanted the strangers delivered to them so they could engage in homosexual acts with them, a sin which has become known as sodomy.

Lot was shocked and confused by the demand. In his confusion, Lot unwittingly unveiled another major sin of his day, a tragic devaluation of womanhood. Placing more value on the honor of his male visitors than on the welfare of his two young daughters (8), Lot offered them to the men to be abused as they saw fit. But the men took the offer as an insult and accused Lot of being an arrogant alien. The Berkeley Version translates 9cd, “This fellow came here as an immigrant and he keeps acting as a judge.”

Seeing Lot's danger, the visitors rescued him from the mob and afflicted the men with blindness (11). The underlying Hebrew indicates that the blindness was caused by a dazzling flash of light.

The angels did not need to press the investigation further. The moral condition of Sodom was abundantly clear. Therefore they urged Lot (12) to warn every member of his household, including his sons-in-law, to prepare for flight out of the city. There was no question now of the imminence of judgment. Lot obeyed the command but met with rebuffs from his sons in law (14). Only four in the family remained, far from the minimum which Abraham had set for saving the city from destruction (18:32).

As the hour for departure arrived, Lot seemed too paralyzed for action. The men (16) had to take both his hand and that of his wife, as well as the daughters, in order to get them to move out of the city. Under the terms of Abraham's request, the men were not under obligation to do this. They showed concern for Lot and his family only because of the Lord being merciful unto him.

At the edge of the city more directions were given. The family was told, Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain (17). But Lot (18) still was not fully aware of the magnitude of the disaster that was to come. He was more afraid of the vague dangers of the mountains and pled for the privilege of hiding in a nearby village called Zoar, which meant little one (20). One of the angels granted him that concession but urged him to get to the village as fast as possible. Lot arrived in Zoar (22) in the nick of time, for the hour of destruction was at sunrise.

The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (24) was awesome. The text does not mention an earthquake, but one could possibly have occurred, releasing from the earth explosive gases which, mixed with the deposits of sulphur in the area, created a fearsome scene. Not all even of the fleeing family escaped. Lot's wife looked back (26), disobeying the command of the angel, and she died, becoming a pillar of salt.

In the story of Lot's escape (19:15-26) Alexander Maclaren sees “The Swift Destroyer.” (1) Lot's lingering and rescue, 15-16; (2) Escape for your life, 17-22; (3) Grim destruction, 23-25; (4) The fate of the loiterer, 26.

Another sad figure surveyed the smoke of the country (28) from the safe heights east of Mamre. He was aware of the cause of the smoke, but he did not as yet know that the angels had mercifully delivered his nephew Lot from the holocaust. He did not yet know that this deliverance had taken place because God remembered Abraham (29).

4. Lot's Drunkenness (19:30-38)

The final story of Lot's life is not a savory one. Like Noah (9:20-23), Lot became entangled with wine (32) after experiencing a remarkable escape from death. But in this instance the man's daughters were involved. Lot had retired into the mountains in spite of his earlier fears (19) and had set up a home in a remote cave.

One must judge the incident with compassion, for the series of disasters which had struck the three were by no means trivial. They did not know whether anyone in the valley had escaped beside themselves. The girls were in desperate straits. Where was a man to marry them, and where was there a son to preserve their father's name? That was a question of no small importance in their society.

The solution they devised was a shocking one, though they managed to rationalize it to their own satisfaction. But they knew better than to discuss it with their father. Their scheme was to reduce their father to insensibility with wine and then in turn have sexual relations with him. They succeeded and in due time gave birth to sons.

The story does not seem to be appended to the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in order to condemn either Lot or the daughters. Rather its purpose seems merely to relate how the Moabites and the Ammonites came into being and why they were regarded as close relatives to the Hebrew people. On the other hand, there is no sense of moral approval.

5. Failing to Be a Blessing (20:1-18)

Abraham was gripped by a deep fear whenever he moved into close relationship with a political power which was stronger than his own. The reputation of his pagan neighbors probably gave him reason for fear. Here, as in the account of Abraham's journey to Egypt (12:14-20), the patriarch's distrust of the pagan rulers centers in their lust for a variety of women in their harems. Neither story denies that such lust existed. Rather, both stories casually depict both the Pharaoh and Abimelech (2) as taking Sarah into their entourage soon after they discovered that she was but a sister to Abraham. It was Abraham's fear for his own life that motivated him to fail to clarify the peculiar sister-wife relationship common to his homeland but not understood in Palestine or Egypt.

The result of Abraham's failure to tell the whole truth about Sarah's relationship to him was a situation filled with irony. God intervened in the matter but not to His own servant first. To Abimelech (3) God revealed himself in a dream and set the true facts of the case before him, pointing out his personal danger for committing this sin.

Abimelech protested ignorance and claimed that both he and his people were righteous (4) in the matter. He had trusted the truth of statements made by both Abraham and Sarah, so he claimed integrity (tam, basically the same word translated “perfect” in 17:1) and innocency of … hands (5). The former deals with inner motivation, the latter with actual deed.

In v. 6, God was willing to accept Abimelech's ignorance as witnessing to his integrity of … heart, but He also added that His own providential activity had prevented Abimelech from the actual deed of sinning. A command was then issued by God. Abimelech was to return Sarah to Abraham and seek his prophetic gift of intercession that Abimelech's life might be saved (7). The alternative was severe punishment.

Abimelech's immediate obedience is to his credit. He called all his servants (8) and, having told them of the dream, ordered Abraham to report for a personal conference. The pagan ruler bitterly upbraided the patriarch for what he had done and demanded an explanation. Abraham admitted that he had acted on the presumption that the fear of God is not in this place (11) and that they would kill him. He went on to explain the unusual marital customs of his homeland. A woman could both be a man's sister (12), in this case a stepsister, and a wife. He had left home obedient to God but fearful of the pagan world into which he was traveling, so he had agreed with his wife that everywhere they went she was to say, He is my brother (13).

Abimelech did not argue with Abraham, but returned his wife along with a gift of cattle and servants and told him to roam where he pleased. He then reproved (16) the woman, indicating that she should never be ashamed of claiming Abraham as her husband: He is to thee a covering of the eyes (16).10

The final verses take note of the fact that God had already partially punished Abimelech and his people by afflicting the women with barrenness. Abraham's function as a prophet here is that of intercession, a spokesman for Abimelech (17) before God. This was the way he was to be a blessing to these pagan neighbors. His influence for good could have been far greater. Nevertheless God mercifully responded to the prayer and removed the affliction.

E. OLD LOYALTIES TESTED, 21:1—22:19

The center of discussion shifts back to the fulfillment of the promise of a child, with Sarah as the mother. The arrival of Isaac created a series of crises in the household of Abraham involving Hagar and her son. Even the ultimate role of Isaac himself seemed imperilled in the complex of personal attachments which made up the patriarch's life. In 21:22-34 there is a story of covenant making with Abimelech, the first clear-cut, friendly relationship which Abraham had established with his pagan neighbors.

1. A Painful Act of Separation (21:1-21)

The story has several parts: the fulfillment of promise (1-8), the problem of jealousy (9-11), divine instruction (12-13), the separation (14-16), the divine promise (17-18), and the fulfillment of promise (19-21).

The word that Sarah (1) would have a son (2; cf. 17:15-17; 18:9-15) was fulfilled on schedule. In every respect it was understood as an unusual act of divine creative power, for both parents were beyond the age of childbearing. The child was born and was named Isaac according to the Lord's command (17: 19) in recognition that both parents had laughed at what was apparently impossible. Their first laughter had sprung from the incredulity of doubt, but Sarah (6) was caused to laugh now because of the joy of a realized impossibility. God had kept His word. He had the power to bring forth life whenever He chose, regardless of natural circumstances.

No time data is given in regard to the weaning of Isaac, but this event was sometimes postponed until the child was three years old. The event was often celebrated by a feast, a custom which is still commonly observed in the Near East. The occasion brought to the surface an old tension which had existed since the conception of Ishmael (16:4-6). But this time it was Ishmael who was mocking (9) the baby Isaac. It was more than Sarah could take. She approached Abraham (10) in a stormy rage, demanding the expulsion of this bondwoman and her son.

Actually, the birth of Isaac had been a serious blow to Hagar and Ishmael. Being the only son of Abraham, Ishmael had been the heir apparent to all that his father owned and to the place of leadership over the clan. According to the law of Abraham's homeland this position of heir was negated by the birth of Isaac. Whether Hagar and Ishmael were aware of this fact is not known, but Sarah knew it and stressed the point to her husband.

The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight (11) because the law of his homeland held that, if a son was born of the true wife, the substitute wife and her child were to continue under the care of the father of both children.11 But God (12) was also concerned about the matter and gave special instructions that custom was not to rule in this case. Hagar must go out from the family in order that Isaac's position would be crystal-clear. God would, nevertheless, extend His care to Hagar and her son (13), making of them a nation for Abraham's sake.

Early in the morning (14) a supply of bread, and a bottle of water were given to Hagar, and she left with her boy for the desert. Soon the water (15) was exhausted and strength of body was spent. Leaving the boy under one of the shrubs, Hagar moved away a short distance, expecting death (16) to come soon. While weeping, she heard an angel of God (17) speak to her, calming her fears and promising a great future for the lad. She obediently returned to her boy, and looking around saw a well (19), from which she drew water to quench their thirst. The sequel was a future blessed of God materially and physically. The boy became a great archer (20), roaming the wilderness of Paran (21), and soon married. God had demonstrated His mercies to the unfortunate, and Hagar had learned important lessons of faith. Abraham's loyalties to Sarah and her new son remained unchallenged because God had given him needed guidance in a time of crisis.

2. The Bonding of Friendly Ties (21:22-34)

Despite the unpleasant aspects of Abraham's first contact with Abimelech, this king of Gerar (20:2) had been impressed by the patriarch's manner of life among his people. Now he and his foremost soldier, Phichol (22), approached Abraham and requested a pact of friendship. Abimelech's opening words were complimentary. He recognized the fact that God is with thee; so he desired assurances that Abraham would not deal falsely (23) with him or his son in the future. The incident involving Sarah still stung his memory (20:1-18). He now used his own kindness to Abraham at that time as the basis for a plea that the patriarch would be kind to him. It was offering the golden rule in reverse (be kind to me, as I have been kind to you) as the grounds for lasting friendship.

Abraham proceeded to set up a covenant ceremony according to the customs of his forefathers. It is the first such covenant between equals recorded in the Scriptures. Abraham first laid out a grievance which had strained relationships between his own shepherds and Abimelech's men. A well which had watered the flocks had been violently taken away (25). Abimelech expressed surprise and claimed ignorance of the incident (26). Evidently he promised to correct the wrong, for Abraham presented a gift of cattle to the visitor.

The patriarch's next move puzzled Abimelech, for seven ewe lambs (28) were separated from the flock. Why? The answer was that they were to be a witness (30) that the well by which the men sat belonged to Abraham. Contrary to the pagan customs of his ancestors, Abraham did not call on a series of gods and goddesses to witness the agreement. Instead he substituted a gift which would serve as a seal of their covenant (32). Solemnly the two men swore an oath of commitment and the ceremony was completed. The well took its name from the occasion. Actually the name Beer-sheba (33, still the name of a city in Israel) can mean either “well of swearing” or “well of seven.” The word in Hebrew for sware and for seven (in this case the seven ewe lambs ) is spelled the same.

Abraham (33) made the place one of the centers of his extensive grazing activity. He planted a grove and worshiped his Lord, the everlasting God. For the first time Abraham had gained the respect of a nearby pagan ruler and established a formal relationship which was mutually beneficial. It was the first stage in fulfilling the promise that he would be a blessing to the people among whom he moved (see 12:2-3).

3. A Convincing Demonstration of Love for God (22:1-19)

The structural elements of this story are the setting (1), the divine command (2), the act of obedience (3-10), and the ensuing blessing (11-19).

Portrayed here is one of the more profound experiences which is recorded in Genesis. It touches at the very foundations of the believer's assurance that the God who gives promises is faithful, even though He gives a command to destroy the evidence that His promises are being fulfilled. Would Abraham still cling to God though his dearest earthly treasure be blotted out?

For modern readers the KJV translation tempt (1) is confusing. It implies too much, raising the questions, Was God enticing this man to commit sin? and, Did God really want to humiliate and wound His most devoted worshiper? Actually, the Hebrew (nissah) means “to test” or “to put on trial,” and most recent English translations preserve this meaning. In this instance God was testing Abraham's ultimate spiritual loyalties by touching the physical life of Isaac, whom thou lovest (2).

There were aspects of the command that were rationally inexplicable. A pagan community might justify human sacrifice on the grounds that the life of the sacrificed served to strengthen the community's gods in time of severe crisis. But no such crisis was facing Abraham or his clan. Killing Isaac could serve no clear purpose in the boy's life, in Abraham's life, or in the clan's corporate life. Even worse, it contradicted the promises of God.

The rationale of the act could not be easily understood by others, and the command did not reflect well on the moral nature of Abraham's God. The execution of the act could not possibly enhance the moral character of Abraham. Telling Sarah of what God had commanded could not conceivably contribute to her mental or emotional well-being, nor could telling the servants or Isaac of the true purpose of the trip inspire them to full cooperation.

Consequently, the reader is caught up in the extreme agony of the obedient father who, in silence, leaves the camp without telling the mother of the fate of her son. One senses the strain as the wood for the burnt offering (3) was cut and strapped to the beasts, as the father walked mile after interminable mile carrying a vessel in which coals of fire were being preserved. The father's stab of inner pain seems almost unbearable as he saw Mount Moriah (2) and could only say to his servants, I and the lad will go yonder and worship (5). And then the inevitable question, Where is the lamb for a burnt offering? (7) What a supreme effort of faith to reply, God will provide himself a lamb (8). There is infinite agony in the sentence, So they went both of them together. Did Isaac already suspect the outcome?

Every detail of preparing for the sacrifice was deliberate and meticulous. It was as though every stone of the altar (9) was mortared with the blood of the father, and every stick of the pyre soaked with his unwept tears. What must have been Abraham's agony as the cords were tied on wrists and ankles, and the boy's body was laid in place? What were the startled thoughts of the lad? And now the final act, the grasping of the sacrificial knife (10). When would God provide a lamb? The letter to the Hebrews says that Abraham was “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (11:19). But the text before us does not unveil this inner conviction. Rather, it leaves one in searing suspense as the knife moves from its resting place.

But a voice did cry out and the knife ceased moving. AU Abraham's heart-rending suffering dissolved into wonder as he heard the word, For now I know that thou fearest God (12). He had not withheld Isaac, whom he dearly loved. So now God provided a sacrifice in substitution for the lad. A ram caught in a thicket by his horns (13) was nearby. Here was God's intended sacrifice.

Abraham's love for God had been threatened by a deep-rooted, fatherly love for Isaac. This son was both the evidence that God fulfilled His promises and the physical means by which a posterity could be assured. That Abraham really did love God above all else had to be tested in some such concrete situation so that there would be no confusion of loyalties. His reward for passing the test was a return of his son from the very edge of the grave. In this experience God renewed the promises concerning the multiplication of Abraham's seed (17), its power over its enemies, and its role as a channel of blessing to all the nations of the earth (18).

To Abraham, Mount Moriah was a new place. In honor of the revelation of God's grace in his hour of crisis he gave it a new name, Jehovah-jireh (14, “the Lord seeth” and will provide). One can be sure that the return home was far different from the journey to Moriah. Abraham had faced the devastating threat of death and had overcome its power by complete reliance on the integrity of God. On the other hand, God had clearly demonstrated that the sacrifice which He desires is one of the heart, of surrender to His command.12

In 22:1-14 we see “The Test of Faith.” (1) The real test, 1-2; (2) The response of trust, 3-10; (3) The reward of obedience, 11-14 (A. F. Harper).

F. BEARING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OTHERS, 22:20—25:11

Following a transitional genealogy, the stories in this group depict Abraham in relationship to his own family as the needs prompted by death and marriage demanded his attention.

1. Nahor's Descendants (22:20-24)

This family tree is of interest due to the appearance of Rebekah (23), who in c. 24 becomes a central figure as Isaac's wife. Also Nahor (20) had a wife and a concubine (24), as did Abraham. Both of these bore 12 sons, comparable to Ishmael's (25: 13-16) and Jacob's 12 sons later on (35:23-26).

Two of Nahor's sons, Huz and Buz (21), have their counterparts in the “land of Uz” (Job 1:1) and “Elihu … the Buzite” (Job 32:6). Whether these sons were progenitors of tribes is not clear, though some speculation has centered on this possibility.13

2. Sarah's Death and Burial (23:1-20)

A record of the death and burial of a woman is unusual in the OT. But Sarah (1) was the mother of the long awaited son and she had gained a ripe old age of one hundred and seven and twenty years. She is prominent in the story because she was the first of Abraham's family to die. Respect and common decency demanded that the body be placed somewhere. But the real significance of this story is that, at long last, a portion of the Promised Land actually became a possession of the patriarch. Came to mourn (2) is better understood as by Moffatt, “going indoors.”

In Abraham's day it was the custom to bury the dead in caves and Abraham knew that a cave near Kirjath-arba, later known as Hebron (see map 2), was adequate for his needs. He was anxious to have a clear title to the property, so that it would be known as his beyond any possible dispute.

The proper way to negotiate such a purchase was to bargain for the property in the presence of an assembly of leaders in the community. In this case they were the sons of Heth (3), who could have been colonists from the land of the Hittites or longtime residents in the locality. Abraham was at a disadvantage and he knew it. He publicly admitted that he was but a stranger and a sojourner (4), i.e., something comparable to a resident alien. So he made a strong plea to the children of Heth (5) that he be allowed to buy land for a burial place.

Abraham quickly gained the approval of the influential family of Heth, who called him a mighty prince (6; marg., “a prince of God”). The next step was to gain their services as intermediaries between him and Ephron the son of Zohar (8), who owned the cave of Machpelah (9). Abraham assured everyone that he was willing to pay for the property as much money as it is worth.

Ephron (10) now spoke. He offered to make a gift of the field (11) along with the cave to Abraham. This was really a roundabout way of beginning the bargaining. But Abraham did not want a gift. He wanted a legally attested title to the property, and only an outright purchase could accomplish this purpose. In typical Near Eastern fashion, Ephron (13) casually mentioned an exorbitant price of four hundred shekels of silver (15). Probably to the surprise of everyone Abraham did not haggle for a lower price. He brought out his supply of currency and promptly weighed out the four hundred shekels of silver (16). The phrase current money with the merchant means that the silver was valued at the rate then agreed upon by the merchants of the locality. There is no way to know the value of the silver in present-day terms, but compared with the 17 shekels of silver which Jeremiah paid for land at Anathoth (Jer. 32:9), the price seems excessive.

The content of v. 17 impresses one as the wording of a deed to a piece of land. The location and the various aspects of the property, including the field (17), the cave, and the trees, were attested in the presence of everyone in the assembly. At long last a portion of the land, small though it was, belonged to Abraham (19) and his descendents. In the cave Sarah was promptly buried.14

3. In Quest for the Right Girl (24:1-67)

As the patriarch of the clan, Abraham had the responsibility to provide a bride for Isaac. The story which relates how this quest was fulfilled is one of the best written and most attractive narratives concerning Abraham. The setting comprises vv. 1-9. Next comes the search and its fulfillment (10-27), then the negotiation scene (28-61), and finally the marriage (62-67).

According to the customs of his time, and still true in the less westernized families of the Near East, the old father had an important duty to perform for his son.15 Abraham had never been impressed with the moral character of the people about him in Canaan, so his thoughts turned back to the homeland, where his relatives still lived. He wanted a girl with a religious background similar to that of Isaac.

The text does not make clear whether the eldest servant (2) was the Eliezer mentioned in 15:2 but some commentators feel that this was the case.16 The importance which Abraham attached to the project of finding a wife can be measured by the fact that a solemn vow was demanded of the servant. The form described was customary in the East. At Abraham's request, the man placed his hand under his master's thigh and received his instructions.17 Isaac's wife must not be of the Canaanites (3) but from his kindred (4). If a girl refused to come to Canaan, Isaac must not be taken back north, because God had given a promise that Abraham's seed (7) would claim this land. However, Abraham was sure that God would provide Gen. 23:17—24:3 Abraham by sending his angel before his servant. Abraham was depending on God to carry out His promises. Therefore if the girl refused to come the servant was released from the oath (8).

The details of preparing for the trip, and of the trip itself, are passed over with no more mention than that ten camels (10) made up the caravan. By this time there was a city of Nahor, perhaps in honor of Abraham's grandfather (11:22-26). The old servant picked a spot at a well of water (11) where the women were most likely to congregate.

The religious faith of Abraham had had profound influence on his servant, who was also a deeply pious man. Stationed at the well just before the time for the women … to draw water, he lifted up his voice in prayer. His prime desire was that the choice of the wife for Isaac should not be his own decision but that it might be God's choice. Knowing his own handicaps in discerning the will of God, he asked that the Lord God (12) make known His will by a series of events. These events were also to serve a secondary purpose, i.e., to reveal the character of the girl herself. She must be a young woman who possessed a concern for the stranger, one who was willing to do the extra task which denoted generosity. On God's part the series of events would demonstrate fidelity to covenant promises. The word is translated kindness (12, chesed) but carries a broader meaning of loyalty to promises made, and of mercy in times of crisis. Eliezer's prayer was one of deep trust and of high expectancy.

The servant was at the right place at the right time and had submitted his needs to God. Before he had done speaking (15) the answer to his prayer began to unfold before his eyes. Rebekah, Abraham's niece, appeared at the well. She met all physical and legal requirements, but this was not enough; so the servant asked the key question. Without hesitation he was given a drink (18), and then, spontaneously, she began to draw water (20) for his camels. Struck dumb with wonder, Eliezer saw his request fulfilled to the letter.

Recovering, the old man brought forth a heavy golden earring (22) and two bracelets … of gold. Breathlessly he asked about the maiden's family. The news that she belonged to Abraham's lineage unleashed great joy, so that without embarrassment he bowed down his head (26) and uttered a prayer of praise. His master's God had made good on His promises, thus showing mercy (27, chesed; translated kindness in 24:12, 14) and truth (emet). God's actions in the lives of His followers correlated with His promises to them. But there was another reason for this remarkable outcome. The servant had been in the way, promptly obedient and completely open to being led by the Lord. Thus the concern of Abraham for his son, the complete obedience of the servant, and the wholehearted generosity of the girl combined with the guidance of the Lord to bring about a wonder-filled execution of divine promise.

The news about the stranger stirred Rebekah's family into action. Laban (29), a brother, found the man by the well (30), brought him to the house, and gave the camels food (32). Before Abraham's servant sat down to eat (33) he insisted that he must tell why he had come.

He told an impressive story about the wealth of Abraham and all that would be passed on to Isaac. He repeated the content of the oath to which his master had caused him to swear; and then reviewed the details of the incident by the well, including his prayer, and the series of actions which coincided with his request of God. Finally, the matter was placed squarely before the family: Would they let Rebekah return with him to be Isaac's wife? The main difference between the final words of the servant to the family and the words of his prayer by the well (27) is that the words kindly (chesed) and truly (emet) are shifted from God to the family (49). Up to this point God had been faithful to His promises. Would the family now participate in the full realization of the promise given in regard to Isaac? Much depended on their response, for if they should refuse, the fulfillment of the promise could be frustrated.

The response was positive. Laban and Bethuel (50) recognized the dealings of the Lord and set aside their own human authority. This was a decision of such importance that Abraham's servant again worshipped the Lord (52). He then gave each member of the family rich gifts.

In the morning (54) the servant had surprising news for the family. He wished to begin his journey back to Canaan immediately. His task was completed and he wanted to deliver the girl to Isaac as soon as possible. The family protested that they should have a few days more with their loved one, but they were willing to let Rebekah decide for herself. What if she refused the servant's request? But she did not. Instead there was a quick response, I will go (58). Thus a series of crucial personal decisions, which if negative could have hindered the will of God, were made in obedience to the divine purpose, bringing the venture to a happy ending.

With the blessing of her family (60) ringing in her ears, Rebekah headed south with the camel caravan. At the end of the journey the courageous girl caught her first glimpse of the man she had chosen wholly by faith, and she was not disappointed. Modestly, she took a veil, and covered herself (65). A marriage without a previous courtship, but with much guidance of the Lord, was consummated with love.

4. Distributing Gifts (25:1-6)

Abraham took yet another wife and this union proved to be fruitful. Keturah (1) bore six sons (cf. I Chron. 1:32-33) and from these came seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. This completes the genealogical evidence offered in Genesis that God's promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations (17:4) had been fulfilled.

Abraham (5) still had responsibilities to Isaac and to these other descendents. The superior rights of Isaac as the true son must be preserved, but the claims of the other children must be recognized as well. The patriarch's solution was to divide his wealth. All that he had (i.e., the major portion) went to Isaac, and lesser portions designated as gifts (6) to the other children. The latter were sent eastward out of Canaan, so that there would not be disputes in the future about claims to the Promised Land.

5. Abraham's Death and Burial (25:7-11)

The span of Abraham's life was 175 years. Quietly, with a sense of fulfillment, the patriarch was gathered to his people (8). This phrase means more than dying. It includes the practice of placing the body in a grave with the remains of the ancestors (cf. 25:17; 35:29; 49:29, 33; Num. 20:24; 27:13).18 From the phrase itself it is not clear that life after death is a part of its ordinary meaning. However, a comparison of Gen. 15:15 with Heb. 11:13-16, and with Christ's words in Matt. 22:31-33, leaves no doubt that life after death was inherent in the expression. The phrase does not include the concept that the dead leader in death moved from a human status to a divine status—an idea common to pagan notions of the time.

Carefully Abraham's body was laid beside the remains of Sarah his wife (10), and the two sons Isaac and Ishmael (9) returned to their daily tasks. Isaac (11) made his home near the well Lahai-roi, where God had previously appeared to Hagar, Ishmael's mother (see 16:14; 24:62). God's blessings were focused on Isaac.

Several traits set Abraham off as a most unusual man for his day. He obeyed God's clear instructions (12:4; 15:10; 17:23; 21: 14; 22:3), though when the instructions were not wholly clear, he sometimes wavered (16:4; 17:17). He is never depicted as worshiping other than one God (12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 15:10-11; 17:3; 19:27; 20:17; 21:33). He possessed respect for, and sometimes fear of, men of authority in the lands which he visited (12:12-13; 14:17-18; 20:1-13). He was generous of spirit and free from greed (13:8-9; 14:23; 17:18; 18:3-8; 21:14). He knew how to forgive and to intercede for others (18:22-23; 20:17; 21:25-31). He was capable of unswerving love for God (22:16), and knew how to carry responsibility for others (23:1-2, 19; 24:1-9, 67; 25:5-6). Above all, he knew how to believe God when visible evidences were lacking (15:6).

In regard to the covenant, one learns from Abraham's life that God initiates the covenant (12:1; 13:17), protects the covenant partner (12:17; 18:1), binds himself by giving promises (12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17), and places man under obligation (17:1, 9; 18:19).

The categories of faith and obedience in Abraham's life set the thrust of the remainder of the Old and New Testaments.