Day 2 – Genesis 17:1-28:19
In today’s section, we read about:
God’s covenant with Abraham (and his new name)
The promise of a boy and the promise kept
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Trials for Abraham – Abimelech and sacrificing Isaac
Finding a suitable wife for Isaac
Rivalry and deceit between Esau and Jacob
Some things that struck me today:
God’s covenant with Abraham is an everlasting covenant. That covenant still holds true today, irrespective of everything that has happened subsequently
The repetition of the blessing and the covenant promises – God will bless Abraham and his descendants and make them a blessing to others (12:2, 18:17, 22:18, 26:4) and this is because Abraham obeyed God (22:18, 26:5).
God’s love for Abraham shines through – he takes him into his confidence (destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and spared Lot 20:29), he answers his prayer for Ishmael (18:20) and you feel God’s pleasure at Abraham’s obedience in chapter 22.
God is concerned for everyone, not just the people of the covenant promise – Ishmael, Hagar, Esau. I am reminded of John 10:16 – “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Are there one or two Beershebas, and one or two treaties with Abimelech? (21:22-31, 26:26-33)
1 comment:
In answer to my last question, I think there are probably 2 treaties with Abimelech, since the background of the two is different. The first involves Abraham (and Sarah), but Sarah was dead before Isaac was married. (Sarah was 91 (17:17)when Isaac was born and died at 127 (23:1), while Isaac was 40 when he got married (25:20)).
As yesterday, I was struck by the pattern in the way God deals with his chosen people and how this is repeated in Jesus. The two examples which stand out today are:
"God himself will provide the lamb for the offering" (22:8)
The vision Jacob sees at Bethel (28:10ff) with angels ascending and descending. Compare with the call of Nathanael in John 1:45-51. Jesus calls Nathanael "a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit", which is in stark contrast to the deceitful Jacob. Jacon sees God beside the ladder, with the promises of blessing to come. Jesus himself is the ladder through which we can enter into thos covenant blessings.
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