Genesis Lesson 11 Genesis 13:1-14:24

Transcription

1 Genesis Lesson 11 Genesis 13:1-14:24 In the last lesson, we studied the building the Tower Babel. We saw how that episode and the name Babel (Babylon) stands as a symbol in the rest the Bible for man's attempt to usurp the role God. Then we studied the line Shem, down to Abram's father, Terah. We looked at the role the descendants the three sons Terah, Abram, Nahor, and Haran played in the rest the Bible. Then we looked at how Abram and his family (including the family Nahor) moved from Ur the Chaldes in the southern Tigris Euphrates valley, to Haran in northern Syria. At that time the LORD called Abram out from his father's house to go to Canaan. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and his possessions, and left lands that were in the possession his family, to go to a land that was in the possession another people. This was based on the LORD's promise: Genesis 12:1-3 "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." At that time, Abram was more than just a brand new believer. This initial step out the land reveals a pretty substantial faith. We need to remember that in the ensuing chapters when we see Abram's journey toward a more mature faith and we see him take a number detours and suffer a number setbacks. We also need to understand that most Christians that reach a level maturity recognize that Abram's journey is pretty typical their journey. 1 / 16

2 Genesis 12:8 From there he went on toward the hills east Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name the LORD. The location where Abram pitched his tent is symbolic how he lived much the next twenty five years his life. It was located between Bethel (i n Hebrew the word -!Q;*" {bayth-ale' } which means "house God" ) and Ai ( In Hebrew the word *3 {ah'ä } which means "heap ruins"). Abram bounced from great faith in God's provision (Bethel - "house God") to trying to work out his own deliverance (Ai - "heap ruins"). Genesis 12:9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. Instead staying near Bethel, in the more densely populated portion the land Canaan, Abram headed south toward the more sparsely populated lands in the desert, toward the lands settled by the Philistines. [a] Genesis 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live 2 / 16

3 there for a while because the famine was severe. Having already rationalized going to the southern border Canaanite territory, when famine came, it was easy to rationalize going to Egypt. Notice that the LORD did not tell him to leave. Genesis 12:11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. We know that Abram was just past 75 (Genesis 12:4) and Sarai was ten years younger (Genesis 17:17). Of course as aging in those days was slower, Sarai probably had the looks a woman less than half her age in modern terms (early thirties). She also had another kind beauty. In 1 Peter 3:5-6 the Bible uses Sarai as the example a woman who had great humility spirit and was therefore "beautiful." The combination spiritual beauty and physical beauty must have been overwhelming. Genesis 12:12-13 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because you." 3 / 16

4 Of course, having gone out the LORD's will by leaving Canaan, it was easy for Abram to keep rationalizing. Since he hadn't trusted in the LORD to provide for him in the land, he obviously wouldn't trust him to protect him in Egypt. Abram decided to trust in his own deceit. He could even tell himself that he wasn't really lying. After all, Sarai was his sister (his half sister). However, the fact that he left out the important detail that she was also his wife made it a lie. To make matters worse, he decided he could take advantage the situation to dangle the desirable Sarai as a prize to gain the favor the Egyptians. Genesis 12:14-15 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh's ficials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. Although Abram probably thought he could manipulate the Egyptians without actually giving up Sarai, things seemed to have gotten out hand, and the Egyptians simply took Sarai for Pharaoh. Genesis 12:16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 4 / 16

5 Afterward, in the event, the grateful Pharaoh seems to have sent a marriage price for Sarai. Abram's dependence on his plan had blown up in his face. He had never expected to give up Sarai, but now she was gone. He must have rationalized that all he did was make the best a bad situation. However, then the LORD graciously stepped in and cleaned up Abram's mess. Genesis 12:17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because Abram's wife Sarai. There is no record that there was no sexual consummation as in the later incident with the King the Gerar (Genesis 20). Sometimes, in God's plan, bad things happen to good people. However, soon serious diseases began to afflict Pharaoh's household and Pharaoh himself. Genesis 12:18-19 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" We are not told for sure how Pharaoh found out that Sarai was Abram's sister, or that his marriage to her was the cause his disease. Perhaps he got it out a deeply unhappy Sarai. Abram was fortunate that Pharaoh did not have him killed for bringing a serious disease on Pharaoh's person. 5 / 16

6 Genesis 12:20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. The LORD wound up using this affair to make sure that Abram would never go to Egypt again. He was now persona non grata in that country. Among the "menservants and maidservants" Abram was given at this time was probably Sarai's Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. Genesis 13:1-2 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become became [b] very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. So the LORD drove Abram back to the land the Canaanites, the place God's will. There, even in a time famine, the LORD was able to bless him and make him wealthy. We know from other passages that wherever Abram dug a well he seemed to find water. 6 / 16

7 Genesis 13:3-4 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on proclaimed the name the LORD. [c] This passage covers the course several years. Finally, Abram had returned back to Bethel, the place the LORD had first led him to in Canaan. At that time he recognized all that the LORD had done for him and gave thanks for who He was. Genesis 13:5-6 Now But [d] Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. We know that Lot was also a believer. [e] While Lot had been with Abram, the LORD had also blessed Lot. We know this sequence happened before ten years had passed. [f] I expect it was about seven years after Abram had left Haran, when Abram was 82. Genesis 13:7 And quarreling disputes arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. [g] 7 / 16

8 The Hebrew word here which I have translated "disputes" is byri {rä v} which, particularly in the Pentateuch, refers to legal disputes. In this case Lot's men seem to have been disputing over who got first access to the wells, and the grazing land. Genesis 13:8-9 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." [h] Both sections were in the land the Canaanites, so Abram knew that whichever one Lot picked would not move Abram out the LORD's will. Abram had learned over the last seven years that wherever he was, as long as he was where the LORD had led him, he would be blessed. Genesis 13:10-11 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain the Jordan was well watered, like the garden the LORD, like the land Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) [i] So Lot chose for himself the whole plain the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 8 / 16

9 At that time, the Jordan River emptied into that plain, and it was not covered by a salt sea. It was the garden spot the area, and populated with prosperous cities. We can't say what Lot's motivation was. He must have thought there were no competing herders already in the valley. Evidently, the people in the valley were farmers and townspeople. Perhaps he was tired living in tents and was attracted by the prospect living in a city. We do know that he led his men and his family into a disaster. Thirteen years later, only he and two others survived his decision. One has to ask, what Lot should have done. Perhaps he should have recognized that he needed to do whatever it took to share in Abram's destiny and subjected himself to Abram's authority. Genesis 13:12-13 Abram lived in the land Canaan, [j] while Lot lived among the cities the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. Notice, that in the beginning, Lot lived near Sodom in his tents. Later (by Genesis 19), he had moved into Sodom. Although these cities were prosperous, they were very wicked. Unfortunately, prosperity ten brings out the worst decadence in human nature as we are seeing increasingly in this country. Genesis 13:14-16 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your 9 / 16

10 eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your fspring seed forever. I will make your fspring seed like the dust the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your fspring seed could be counted. This is a further amplification the Abrahamic Covenant. The word that the NIV translates "fspring" is the masculine singular [r"z < {zeh' rah} which means "seed" as in "one seed." The importance this translation is underlined in Galatians: Galatians 3:16 "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say and to seeds,' meaning many people, but and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ." In other words, the inheritance is to Jesus Christ, and to all who are in Him. Although He is "one seed," He cannot be counted because in Him are many. 10 / 16

11 Translations like the NIV translation this verse in Genesis make me realize that while the translators may be Hebrew scholars, they ten are not Bible scholars. How else can you explain the choice to change the translation here from the literal "seed" to "fspring." It doesn't lead to clarification, but to confusion. Genesis 13:17-18 Go, walk through the length and breadth the land, for I am giving it to you." So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD. Abram moved to the highest spot in the southern plateau country. From there, he could see miles in every direction, reminding him every day the LORD's promise. Genesis 14:1-2 At this time Amraphel king Shinar, [k] Arioch king Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king Elam [l] and Tidal king Goiim went to war against Bera king Sodom, Birsha king Gomorrah, Shinab king Admah, Shemeber king Zeboiim, and the king Bela (that is, Zoar). No sooner had Lot moved into the valley that disaster struck and war broke out. Kings from the east (the areas Babylon and Persia) had been subjecting the prosperous cities the plain to tribute. Those cities finally got tired it, and refused to send it. The next year, the kings the east sent an army to punish them under the command one the kings, Kedorlaomer. 11 / 16

12 Genesis 14:3-4 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley Siddim (the Salt Sea). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, [m] but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. All the kings the cities in the valley joined forces. Probably, because their newly combined strength and the distance from their old overlords, they thought they would be safe. Genesis 14:5-7 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites [n] in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites [o] in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites [p] in the hill country Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory the Amalekites, [q] as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. [r] Kederlaomer evidently decided to deal with any unforeseen dangers from the east and south when he attacked the armies the plain. First he swung to the east the valley to deal with the Horites, and then he looped around to the south. After taking care the Amalekites, he approached from an expected direction, the south. This also gave him the advantage being 12 / 16

13 able to season his troops in battle. Genesis 14:8-9 Then the king Sodom, the king Gomorrah, the king Admah, the king Zeboiim and the king Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley Siddim against Kedorlaomer king Elam, Tidal king Goiim, Amraphel king Shinar and Arioch king Ellasar--four kings against five. The Long March Kedorlaomer 13 / 16

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15 15 / 16

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