Page 28 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

17:1 – “I am God Almighty.” At ninety-nine years old, Abraham learns by firsthand experience the power
of God, El Shaddai. He will have a son. His name is changed from Abram to Abraham. His wife’s name is
changed from Sarai to Sarah.

18:25 – “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” In a lengthy discussion about the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah followed by a description of that event, Abraham is led to a deeper
understanding of God as judge in all his righteousness and mercy (cf. 19:16).

20:4 – “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation.” Passing off his wife as his sister in an attempt to
protect his own life, Abraham learns something about his God who has made a difference between
Abraham and others. A foreign ruler knows God, Elohim (20:3), as Lord, Adonai (20:4), but not as LORD.

21:33 – “There he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God, El Olam. Isaac is born, and Hagar
and her son Ishmael are evicted with different promises from God. Abraham tries to iron out some
conflicts with a local ruler and learns something of this God whose plans are very long term.

22:14 – “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will
Provide.” God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and ha,r>yI hw"hy – Yahweh
provides a lamb as an alternate at the last minute. The

future tense of this name, YHWH Yireh, shows us how Abraham understands the event. God asked him
to sacrifice his beloved son. At some time in the future God will sacrifice His beloved Son. God will
provide.

23:1-20 – Sarah dies. Abraham negotiates for a burial site and buries her. No new names for God are
revealed in this event.

24:3 – “I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth.” Abraham needs to
find a wife for his son. Not wanting a daughter-in-law from the Canaanite nations around him, he sends
a servant to his relatives back in Nahor. The servant finds Rebekah and brings her back for Isaac.
Throughout the chapter, the servant refers to the God of Heaven or the God of my master Abraham. The
chapter is long and somewhat complicated by repetition. Here is God providing for Abraham, Isaac,
Rebekah, Rebekah’s parents, and this servant.

25:1-11 records the death and burial of Abraham.

The Genesis chapters on Abraham are skillfully written. They interweave lessons on the core of salvation
through the Messiah with a growing knowledge of God. Event after event deepens Abraham’s
understanding of the nature of God and of how he works in this world. Event after event deepens his
understanding of the salvation of God. The God who gives a son in miraculous birth and supplies a
sacrificial ram in the place of that son also leads Abraham to a wife for his son. Our faith journey is well
served by meditating on the life of Abraham. We are allowed and encouraged to do some speculating.
The text leads us to imagine what it would be like to bind one’s son for sacrifice. As we follow Abraham
in meditation our own faith is deepened, and we look with fresh eyes on the events of our lives as well.

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