The Covenant, the Land, the Seed

Chapter Twelve

12:1-5

“NOW the Lord HAD said unto Abram”—here we have a reference to instructions which previously had been given to Abram, and to a promise made to him, which are not recorded. It was this communication from God that caused Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldees and to start the journey toward Canaan, as recorded in the closing verses of the preceding chapter. Haran was on the border of Canaan, and Abram remained there until the death of his father, Terah. This was necessary, for the Lord’s instructions were that he was to leave his own people and his father’s house. While he did take some of his relatives to Canaan with him, he waited at Haran until his father died, thus to comply with the Lord’s instructions.

“And I will bless thee, … and thou shalt be a blessing.”—here are stated in brief the two main features of the covenant God made with Abram. Abram himself was to be blessed—richly blessed. He was to become the father of a great nation. And besides this, he was to become a blessing to others—his seed was to bless “all the families of the earth.” Later we shall see that the principal application of this latter promise is to his spiritual seed, even to Christ and to those who become Christ’s body members.—Gal. 3:8,16,27-29

God’s statement, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee,” has throughout the ages often worked out in a very literal way with respect to the natural descendants of Abram. And probably this principle will be still further manifested during the thousand-year reign of Christ, when there will be a general time of reckoning for both Jews and Gentiles. It is only as we take into consideration the entire plan of God that we can understand the manner in which many of his promises will be completely fulfilled.

12:6-9

The “Sichem” here referred to is Shechem, the place later referred to so many times in the Old Testament. The present name of the city is Nablus, and it is situated about thirty-four miles north of Jerusalem. The “plain of Moreh,” is more properly rendered the “oak” or “oaks” of Moreh. This location was close to the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim.—Deut. 11:30

When Abram entered Canaan the Lord identified it as being the land which he had previously promised, saying to him, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” (Verse 7) There is an accuracy about this promise which is striking. The account states that the Canaanites were already in the land when Abram entered, and in the patriarch’s lifetime he never did become the real owner of the land. He found it necessary to purchase a small parcel of it in order to have a place in which to bury his wife, Sarah. (Acts 7:5) Perhaps this was the reason that the Lord did not include Abram in this particular statement of the promise.

It is true that later the land was also promised to Abraham and to his seed as an everlasting possession, but the fulfillment of this promise will come only by virtue of the resurrection. During the time God was dealing with him and making promises to him, he was not the owner of the Promised Land, but merely a sojourner in it.

From his first stopping place, Abram journeyed south, which brought him nearer to the present site of Jerusalem. He built an altar in a mountain situated between Bethel and Hai—or Ai, as it was later called. It would appear that the town of Bethel was in existence when Abram first entered Canaan. Its original name was Luz. (Judges 1:22,23) Ai was the second city to be captured and destroyed by the Israelites when they entered the land under the leadership of Joshua. Both Bethel and Ai have long since been laid waste; although the ruins of Bethel still exist, being located on the right-hand side of the road between Jerusalem and Nablus, or ancient Shechem.

The name Bethel means “the house of God,” and it was appropriate that Abram should build an altar near the town, and there “call upon the name of the Lord.” This is a very brief statement of Abram’s worship, but we may safely assume, that, having entered the Promised Land, and the promise having been confirmed to him, the patriarch would naturally desire to show his appreciation by presenting a thank-offering to his God.

12:10-20

As we learned in the case of Noah, so now again with Abram, the Scriptures do not conceal the misdeeds of its heroes. There seems to have been little excuse for Abram to misrepresent Sarah’s relationship to him. It was simply a misguided effort, borne of fear to save his own life. The fact that it might lead to the mistreatment of his wife did not seem to concern him. It must have been very humiliating for him to realize that the heathen Pharaoh displayed more nobility of character than did he, the servant of God.

There is, of course, another viewpoint to be considered in connection with this episode. While the account does not say so, it may be that the Lord caused it to be recorded as one of the illustrations of how time after time attempts were made to interfere with God’s program to develop a “seed.” Without realizing it, Abram might well have been induced by Satan to conceal the fact that she was his wife, the Adversary’s motive being to thwart God’s purpose concerning the promised seed. He probably knew that the seed was in some way to come through Sarah, and if he could defile or destroy her, it would be a master stroke of cunning in his determination to oppose the outworking of the plan of God.

Chapter Thirteen

13:1-4

When we read that Abram went up out of Egypt and “into the south,” the evident meaning is that he went into the south of Palestine. He did not remain there, however, but continued his journey until he got back to Bethel, where he had previously called upon the name of the Lord. Arriving at this sacred landmark, the place of the altar, again he “called on the name of the Lord.” By now he would have still more for which to be thankful, for the Lord had overruled his great mistake, and he was safely back from Egypt and “was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.”

13:5-13

In this narrative is revealed a noble side of Abram’s character. Two points are emphasized, one his unselfishness, and the other that his chief interest in entering Canaan was not the land, but the promise God had made concerning the seed of blessing. Abram undoubtedly thought a great deal of his Nephew Lot, and it was not an easy decision to separate from him; but when he considered all the circumstances involved, he realized it was the best thing to do. He was willing to make a real sacrifice in the interests of peace—not a sacrifice of principle, but of material wealth.

Having told his nephew that he could have first choice of the land. Abram did not hesitate to carry through with his offer, even though Lot did choose the best of the land from the standpoint of productivity.

Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” and “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” Lot, as the world would say, “got the best of the bargain” from the standpoint of rich agricultural land, but he placed himself in an environment which proved to be very detrimental to his moral well-being and led to a grievous tragedy in his home life.

13:14-18

Here the Lord renews his promise to Abram, and goes into greater detail than on previous occasions. The account emphasizes that this affirmation of the covenant was made after Lot and Abram had separated. This seems to indicate that Lot’s association with Abram was to some extent standing in the way of his receiving God’s full blessing in connection with the promise.

The call to the patriarch was to leave his own people, and his father’s house. Lot and his family were at least a part of Abram’s people, and not until he was willing to make a great sacrifice of material advantage in order to be separated from them, did the Lord assure him in such great detail what the fulfillment of the promise would mean.

Abram was told to look in all directions, and was assured that all the land he saw was to be his, and his descendants’ forever. It is true of the Lord’s people today that frequently the willingness to sacrifice earthly advantages leads to the richest of spiritual blessings. If we find ourselves spiritually poverty stricken it may be that we are holding on too firmly to the material things of life.

Chapter Fourteen

14:1-12

Critics have scoffed repeatedly at this account, which tells how Abram and his servants rescued Lot and his family from the combined armies of four powerful allied kings. Historians had said that the story was fiction, that no such kings as these mentioned in the Bible were reigning in the days of Abram.

But now archeological research has thrown entirely new light upon this ancient period of human history, and this record now emerges, as we should expect, absolutely authentic. The kings mentioned in this passage are now identified as true historical characters, and contemporary tablets show that they were reigning at the very time when, according to Bible chronology, Abram was living in Canaan.

Furthermore, archeologists have discovered that these four kings were actually confederated, and at this time were dominating most of Palestine, just as this account indicates. Kudor, or Chedor-laomer, as expressed in the Hebrew language, was apparently the chieftan in this alliance of kings. His three allies were Hammur-abi (or Ammur-aphel) of Babylon, which was “the land of Shinar”; Eriaku (or Arioch) of El-lasar, or larsa, which was a district in southern Mesopotamia between Babylon and Elam; and that his third ally was the ruler of the Hittite empire, whose capital was at Boghazkeui, in Asia Minor.

This ancient Hittite empire was really a confederacy of several tribal nations, and the excavations show that the Hittite kings always called themselves “king of the nations,” or “king of countries.” Clearly, therefore, “Tidal, king of nations,” mentioned in this account was one of the Hittite confederated kings of Abram’s day.

The archeological records reveal that King Kudar, Chedor-laomer, the Elamite monarch, was nearly eighty years old when he directed this allied raid against Palestine to put down the rebellion against him. He had conquered El-lasar forty-three years before, and had placed his son Warad-Sin upon its throne. That son died a few years later; but his second son, Eriaku (also called Rim-Sin), was king of Ellasar at the time of this Palestine revolt. Chedor, it is now known, conquered Palestine about twelve years before this revolt occurred, exactly as the Genesis story declares.

14:13-16

These four allied kings probably did not need a force of more than a few hundred men to put down this rebellion of petty tribal chiefs of the valley people around the Dead Sea. They conquered them easily, and proceeded to loot the rebellious towns, notably Sodom and Gomorrah. When they sacked Sodom, and captured Lot and his family and his goods, Abram was aroused.

Abram was very wealthy, employing hundreds of servants; and he quickly mobilized of them and went in hot pursuit. Overtaking the remnant of the satiated and exhausted troops that night, he proved his prowess by making a successful surprise attack from two sides and quickly rescued the prisoners and their goods.

Some have hastily concluded that Abram and his servants actually slew these four powerful monarchs. But manifestly this is not the case, for the archeological records reveal that they lived for many years thereafter. This account of the raid merely mentions that Abram rescued the prisoners and goods, and says nothing about his killing any kings. The seventeenth verse speaks of his returning from the slaughter of Chedor-laomer and the kings which were with him, but the Hebrew word nakah, here translated “slaughter,” means merely to “smite,” and is so translated many times throughout the Old Testament, and indeed is translated “smote” in the fifteenth verse of this narrative. Smiting the armies of these kings would properly be referred to as a smiting of the kings themselves.

14:18-20

When Abram returned from his successful smiting of the four kings he was heralded as a hero by the afflicted survivors around the Dead Sea, whose cities these monarchs had just ravished. The “king” or mayor of Sodom went out to meet him. Melchizedek, who not only was ruler of the city of Salem (Jerusalem) but also its high priest, likewise met Abram, and blessed him, and Abram paid him tithes of all that he had captured.

This Melchizedek is said to have been a “priest of the most high God” and not a director of idol worship. This seems to suggest that he may have been a Semitic kinsman of Abram, rather than a member of some idolatrous Canaanite tribe. Although Abram himself had been in Canaan only twenty-five years when this incident occurred, yet there were probably many hundreds of Semites there at this time—Abram’s household alone contained hundreds of persons—and possibly Melchizedek had become a ruler over a Semitic settlement at a peaceful place west of the Jordan—which later came to be known as Jebusalem, or Jerusalem—and there directed his kinsmen in the worship of the true God.

Melchizedek’s identity has been made mysterious by a statement in Hebrews 7:1-3, which says that he was “without father, without descent.” This has been explained to mean that he was without father or mother in the priesthood, and recently deciphered tablets unearthed at Tel Amarna, in Egypt, substantiate this thought. They indicate that the portion of Palestine in which Jerusalem was located was claimed by Egypt in Abram’s day, and that the pharaohs appointed all the kings, or chieftains of that particular district.

Although no tablet has yet been found that mentions the name of Melchizedek, yet the Tel Amarna records of this period do declare that Palestinian appointees of the pharaohs in those days were obliged to foreswear all hereditary rights before being enthroned, and were made to take the following oath: “It was not my father, and it was not my mother, who established me in this place; but it was the mighty arm of the king [pharaoh] himself who hath made me a ruler.”

This was a very unusual regal arrangement, not only for those days but since then as well. Probably Melchizedek’s priestly office had been given to him by divine appointment, hence the statement in Hebrews would also be true of him as a priest. He is used in the Scriptures as a picture of Christ Jesus in his official role as King and Priest over the whole earth during the Millennium. The Psalmist says of Jesus, “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”—Psalm 110:4

Not only are we glad to see even the historic portions of the Bible substantiated by the researches of modern science, but we are especially glad to learn from its pages that the antitypical Melchizedek, the great King of Peace and Priest of the most high God, is soon, together with his church, to manifest himself to all mankind, and extend blessings of joy and health and life to all the willing and obedient.

14.21-24

In these closing verses of the story of Abram’s encounter with the four kings we have another example of his generosity, and his lack of self-seeking in material things. He had risked a great deal to rescue Lot and his family, but he wanted no reward for it. No doubt he felt that the satisfaction of having done something for his relatives was reward enough. Aner, Eshcol, and Mature co-operated with him, and he was quite willing that they share in the spoils of the victorious battle; but, as for himself, he would take nothing. Abram’s purpose in moving into Canaan was a higher one than that of material gain—especially the spoils of battle.

Chapter Fifteen

15:1-7

“After these things”—that is, after the rescue of Lot, the paying of tithes to Melchizedek, and Abram’s refusal to share in the spoils of the battle, the Lord spoke to him and said, “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” One cannot but think that the Lord took particular notice of Abram’s refusal to accept any of the goods offered to him by the king of Sodom and was pleased, and that now he is assuring him of a much better portion—“I am thy shield, and exceeding great reward.” This was God’s promise to protect the patriarch, and to supply all his needs.

Before Abram left Ur of Chaldees, God had made a promise to him involving a “seed,” a child. Sarah, his wife, was barren, and it would seem that Abram was beginning to wonder just how that promise would be fulfilled, so he said to the Lord, “Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.” This appears to be Abram’s way of asking the Lord if this is the arrangement he had in mind when he made the promise of the “seed.”

But the Lord explained to Abram that the one he referred to was not to be his heir, that he would have a child born of his “own bowels.” Abram had great faith, yet it was being tested by his long wait for the birth of the promised heir. But the Lord strengthened his faith by reaffirming the promise. He told Abram to look at the stars, and then assured Abram, “So shall thy seed be.”

“And he believed in the Lord,” the account states, “and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Here was the exercise of a justifying faith, a faith that trusted implicitly in the promises of God. It was upon the basis of this confidence in the Word of the Lord that Abram became a friend of God. All true friendship is based on confidence mutual confidence. Abram believed God, and God had confidence that Abram would do his will.

15:8-21

The remainder of this chapter is chiefly concerned with the Lord’s answer to Abram’s question: “Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?”—that is, the land. The term “whereby,” rather then “when,” makes the question pertain to how the patriarch would know for certain that he would inherit the land, not when he would know. We should expect, then, that the Lord’s answer would be in keeping with this.

The Lord instructed Abram to prepare a sacrifice, which he did, and the pieces were cut and separated to make it possible for one to pass between them. This seemed to be a custom of ancient times in connection with the making of a covenant. See Jeremiah 34:18-20. When the evening came Abram fell into a deep sleep. It was then, and apparently as in a vision, that the Lord said to him, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs—and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them—four hundred years. And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”

After giving Abram this explanation of the experiences through which his seed would pass before they came out of Egypt to enter into Canaan and possess it, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between the pieces of the sacrifice which he had prepared. This furnace might well be symbolic of Israel’s afflictions, particularly in Egypt, while the burning lamp could represent the Lord’s blessing in delivering them. See Deuteronomy 4:20; I Kings 8:5; 11:36; II Samuel 21:17.

In brief, then, God’s answer to Abram’s question as to how he might know that he would surely inherit the Land of Promise, was this combined prophecy and covenant pertaining to the experiences of the “seed,” virtually from Abram’s day to the time they left Egypt en route for Canaan. Instead of passing between the pieces of the sacrifice himself in order to confirm the covenant, the Lord caused the furnace and the lamp—symbolic of the experiences outlined in the prophecy just given—to pass between them.

This would be another way of saying that the fulfillment of the prophecy as here given would substantiate the Lord’s Word, and would thus be a guarantee that both Abram and his seed ultimately would inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.

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