For all few of the readers of this blog, you might have noticed I missed January 14. I apologize, I started to write last night, got a major headache and shut-it-down for the night.
Rather than going back. I’m just picking-up with the next day.
In this chapter the big idea that caught my attention, was one of politics . . . please don’t tune out just yet 🙂
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 15:18–21). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
This verse would indicate to me that a two-state solution in the Middle East would be a viable position.
For those who may not know what the two-state position is, here is an oversimplified explanation of the two-state concept from the New York Times,
The two-state solution would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel — two states for two peoples. In theory, this would win Israel security and allow it to retain a Jewish demographic majority (letting the country remain Jewish and democratic) while granting the Palestinians a state.
Fisher, Max. (2016, December 29). The Two-State Solution: What It Is and Why It Hasn’t Happened. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/world/middleeast/israel-palestinians-two-state-solution.html
The Bible states that the land would be to Abram offspring, as we will see in future chapters that includes Ishmael. Ishmael is seen as the ancestor from Abram over many Arab people. And God states,
Now there is definitely a Biblical point of view that sees the promise being transferred exclusively to Isaac’s line . . .
And I am probably wading into waters I don’t fully understand. But this blog is representative of my thoughts . . . and I see a Bible passage that leads me to perceive that a two-state position would be copasetic.
Even the end of the passage I quoted above, speaks of those being removed from the land as nations that predate the children of Abraham, not the nations from Ishmael.
My thoughts on Genesis 15 . . .
What say you?
In Genesis 13 Abram returns to the place we first saw him worship in Genesis 12,
And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 13:3–4). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
And just as in chapter 12 immediately after worshiping Abram is confronted with a dilemma. The confrontation in chapter 12 led to failure.
In chapter 13 Abram now faces conflict with his nephew and his nephew’s supporters.
But could it be that Abram remembers the last time he worshiped between Bethel and Ai how quickly he lost faith?
In this confrontation, Abram resembles the generosity and humble spirit of God.
What do we see?
Abram learning and growing from his past mistakes.
Isn’t that all that we are called to do–to learn from our past–to come again to worship God and to grow . . . to be better next time?
“Consistency” was the word that came to my mind when I read Genesis 12 this morning.
God’s consistency.
Humanity’s lack of consistency.
The chapter begins with God making a promise to Abram (this is before God renamed him Abraham),
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 12:2). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.great . . .
And the chapter ends with God being faithful to that promise. I won’t add the entire story here, but read it for yourself and Abram while he was in Egypt received,
"sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels." (v. 16b)
Also, The Lord protected Abram from the Pharaoh in Egypt (vv. 17-20)
God was consistent!
The only reason, however, that Abram had to be protected from Pharaoh is due to Abram’s inconsistency towards God!
God made a promise to Abram, Abram trusted God and followed God’s leading and worshiped God,
From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 12:8–9). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Until things got tough.
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 Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 12:10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
And since Abram was in a place God had not called him to go, he had to start operating under his own logic, which was to lie and betray his marital commitment (vv. 11-13).
Abram was inconsistent!
Let me point out the obvious.
God’s faithfulness is consistent.
Our faithfulness is not.
Who do you want to follow?
A consistent God . . . or your inconsistent self?
I’m going with God!
If a person believes in the authority of scripture, they cannot read Genesis 11 and not recognize that sometimes God allows or even does things that will make us unhappy in order to protect us.
The first 9 verses of Genesis 11 tell the story of the tower of Babel and what jumps out at me is God was willing to upset a lot of folk and give them a level of unhappiness and frustration in order to save humanity.
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord
Genesis 11:5-9confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Lesson to me, to us? Don’t assume every situation in our lives that is frustrating is a.) from the devil. b.) something to be upset about. c.) something that is working against us.
The Lord confused the languages of humanity and saved us from ourselves.
Lord frustrate me I pray if it will save me!
What is the purpose and value of genealogies in the Bible (Because that is all Genesis 10 is)?
So let’s not look down on genealogies. Let us mine them and see what blessing there may be for us.