God is our protector, our Lord and our Father. Blessing, Sharing Your Faith. No. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YKVK appeared to Abram, and said to him: I am El Shedai, walk before me and be perfect. In His covenant with Noah, Elokim promises that He will never again destroy the earth by a flood. The sign of that covenant was a rainbow that appropriately links heaven and earth. Nevertheless, there is a loose end to this. Following the flood, God admits that, (Genesis 8:21). What then has changed and what guarantee is there that another flood will never again be necessary? We rejoice because God has made our names great because of Jesus. Tithing pre-dates the giving of the Law. The result is protection, blessing (physical and material), fame and recognition, etc.Those who twist Scripture and decree and declare the blessing of Abraham over themselves believe that 1) God will make me and my family into some type of great nation; 2) God will bless me and my family; 3) God will make my name great; 4) My family and I will be a blessing; 5) God will bless those who bless me; 6) whoever curses me God will curse; and 7) everyone on earth will be blessed through me and my family.The problem with claiming the blessing of Abraham for ourselves, expecting physical, earthly blessings, is that the blessing was given to Abraham, a specific individual in history, for a specific reason. What were the seven miracles Jesus performed on the SABBATH? A firstborn son received a double-blessing. The seventh blessing is the peak of the crescendo and represents the aim to which this new partnership between God and man is to lead. The spiritual insights that Abraham has discovered, either on his own or with Gods help, will bring in their wake beneficence to the entire world. The seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by YKVK and Elokim are clearly prophetic in nature. There is discussion among Jewish commentators as to the symbolic meaning of circumcision. Most agree that it is a means of distinguishing the Jewish people from the rest of humanity. The major Bible texts of the three promises. 0000010001 00000 n Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. . Have there been circumcised Jews in the world for most of the almost 4,000 years since Abraham came to Canaan? This is undoubtedly the case. Did Abraham did become the spiritual father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:5) in effect of a good proportion of the world? It is difficult to argue otherwise. Do the former tribes of Israel currently have jurisdiction over much of the former land of Canaan? This is also incontrovertible. VI. , The land of Canaan was given to Abraham and yet was occupied by other people. Today also Israel has sovereignty over much of Judea and Samaria, but another people occupy the land., The Zionist venture has always required a considerable amount of trust. To think that a people could arise from near annihilation and establish a vibrant state was never an entirely logical proposition. Even today more missiles are aimed at Israel from its borders than anywhere else in the world. Its external problems seem formidable and even insoluble. Yet the message of the Abraham stories is that God, working through history, will resolve these problems provided the Jewish people maintain their trust in Him.. To understand the principles discovered by Abraham, all of which will form the underpinnings of Judaism, a good starting point is an analysis of the seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by God. And the last case of the sevenfold blessings being made available by Christ to the Church, being bought fully be the shedding of his blood on the cross of Calvary is fully discussed in Revelation 5:12. When Lot was captured, 318 men trained soldiers fought the 4 kings Shechem is in the northerly section of the spine of the north-south mountain range that passes through the land of Canaan. Its location is a critical one since it is at the crossroads between the junction of the main north-south road that goes through Canaans mountain spine and an east-west road. The western branch of this road crosses the Jabbok and Jordan rivers and was an important entry point into Canaan from Syria and Mesopotamia. For a people wishing to take over the central mountain range this would be a critical city to control. Not everything pleasurable is beneficial and not everything beneficial is pleasurable. Your journey will be both. Comment of the Amar Nkei quoted by Artscroll Series.The Sapirstein Edition. B. We signed our name Circumcision is to be not only a sign of a covenant between Me and you, but an aspect of the covenant itself. A Jew who is not circumcised denies that he is part of the mission of the Jewish people - .. that soul shall be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant.(Genesis 17:14). There is discussion among Jewish commentators as to the symbolic meaning of circumcision. Most agree that it is a means of distinguishing the Jewish people from the rest of humanity.46 Clearly, it is not an overt symbol, but every Jew knows that he has the circumcision engraved in his flesh and that his connection to God has been signed in a blood ceremony. He is now marked for the mission statement of the Jewish people to stand before God as His representative to the world to promote justice and righteousness. The seventh blessing of Abraham Genesis 12:3 and in thee shall all Copyright 2010 Bible-pedia. Because of his firm believe in what God has disclosed. Vol 1 Bereishis/ Genesis. You are a gifted and brilliant young man. Look at what He told Abraham in Genesis 12:1-:. 14. Prelude to Successful Action in A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by Umberto Moshe David Cassuto, p78. I will be a God to them (Genesis 17:8). Yet there is also another far-reaching message this passage wishes to convey and which could only result from Abraham and Sarah being called on at an old age. #2 Land. He also shared God's promise: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall . Beth El would also continue to have considerable religious significance to Abrahams family. Jacob slept in Beth El on his way to Padam Aram and had a vision there of angels on a ladder ascending and descending between heaven and earth. He also made a conditional oath to God that he would tithe his possessions and return to offer sacrifices there if God allowed him to successfully return to Canaan. When he did return to Canaan, this was to be his second stop and he built an altar there and God appeared to him again (Genesis 35:6-15). The Israelites sanctuary was first erected in Shiloh (Joshua 18:1-3), but shortly thereafter Beth El became one of the places in Canaan were the ark was set up and the priests offered sacrifices there (Judges 20:18, 2628; 21:2). Ur of the Chaldeas a rocky and an unfruitful place. It was Abrahams discovery of YKVK, and not only Elokim, that led to his election. Abraham appreciated that God is not only Sovereign Ruler of the universe, but He is also a God of relationships and wishes to develop a relationship with each and every one of His human creations. This is why Abraham was the first person in the world to call God , Knowledge of YKVK was known to Noah and his son Shem (, (Genesis 9:26), but never to the extent that Abraham achieved. Moreover, with the passing of generations, knowledge of YKVK was lost among the Semites and they like Terah, Abrahams father, were staunch idol worshippers.. . 0000000976 00000 n , which occurs four times, and this keyword highlights the theme of this passage. Five of these seven benefits reflect Gods involvement alone, as they begin with the words . . The following is a list of the seven promises made by Elokim in the order in which they appear in the text: #1 - you shall be the father of a multitude of nations, #2 - your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Lead us to our church.C. Giving releases God's power and abundance. Jesus is our High Priest under the order ofMelchizedeksits on the blood sprinkled mercy seat. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. Thanks a lot for reading. People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? (Deuteronomy 18:13). Just as you are to avoid magical practices and retain your trust in Me, so also are you to walk before Me and maintain your belief in Me. is a keyword in this passage and this fourth blessing is built around the issue of inheritance. She is passionate about Walking by Faith, as commanded by the scriptures and uses her blog, Walking By Faith Blog, to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Go to Premillenialism refuted: Israel got all the promised land under Joshua. Through Abraham the whole world was blessed because Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. The Book of Genesis. A Commentary by Shadal (S.D. At first glance these two sentences seem similar to each other, but they do in fact express very different ideas. In the last but one sentence, Elokim promises to be a God to Abraham and his seed forever and this would include periods of exile. In the last sentence, He also promises to be their eternal God but in the land of Canaan. Bible Studies Articles/Stories New/Special Jesus Maturity Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The full implications of the Abraham story are now coming together. Why were Abraham and Sarah told to leave Haran in their old age? Clearly, no age is too late to confront spiritual challenges. Prior to God communicating with him at age 75, Abraham may well have concluded that he had led a meaningful life and little remained for him to accomplish. If he had thought this he was mistaken. The most consequential aspects of his life were yet to come. . But this so-called duplication can be readily explained. In the first instance, the communication was to Abraham alone and was via Elokim. This is because Isaacs birth has universal implications. Now husband and wife are informed as a couple by the angels of YKVK about this future pregnancy. This communication has personal and tribal implications, but not a universal one, and is part of the two YKVK and Elokim stories winding their way through the book of Genesis. As far as using Romans 13:1-7 to defend 501C3 and your building - I address below. Bereishis, OU Press). in the book of the law to do them. So we see that Abraham call had a purpose and his obedience to this call will bring great blessings. At least two other important concepts are introduced in this section. One is that the ten nations currently living in Canaan will deserve to be expelled - although not now but at the time of the fourth generation, since. Blessing number six of Abraham Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that The seven blessings are adapted from ancient rabbinic teachings, beginning with the blessing over the wine and ending with a communal expression of joy. 0000010891 00000 n From whence will these offspring come? It will take much drama before this tension is resolved. Rashi/ Commentary on the Torah. "I will make you exceedingly fruitful": This speaks of ABUNDANCE. By contrast, the borders in the previous blessing are geo-political borders. Israel can expand beyond its core territory whenever there is national consensus, and eventually its power and influence will extend from Egypt to Mesopotamia. This is not a directive but permission to do so, and God through His aspect of YKVK will help them achieve this. In fact, the Israelites already began establishing these greater borders early in their history by capturing the east bank of the Jordan at the time of Moses. Considerable expansion of territory was also achieved in the time of King David. When Abraham stood on the mountains of Israel, God promised him in Genesis 12, "I will bless those who bless you.and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.". The First Blessing God promises is that He will "open for you the windows of heaven". We've already studied how this promise has shaped the Jewish people and the promises included in the covenant that guaranteed them countless descendants and the special Holy Land. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. Gen 12:1-7. Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are A. A midrash suggests that the animals cut up for this covenant represent specific forms of animal sin offerings that would be offered later in the wilderness. Cain and Abel: A pivotal story in the Torah, Satire in the Bible - the Ziggurat of Babylon, God's universal message to Abraham and his descendants, God's masterplan for a utopian society - righteousness, justice, and the way of God, "Possessing" the land for the burial of Sarah, Isaac and Ishmael - a story yet incomplete, The moral and religious conflict between Judaism and Islam, THE BINDING OF ISAAC-THE NON-EVENT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, JOSEPH - THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, The redemption from Egypt and God's role in the natural world and world history. We do it when we walk and live in the Word and Spirit.2. Since we are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29), then we can have all that Abraham hador so the teaching goes. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. This may be true, but it is not the primary purpose of this Elokim-directed command. Moreover, it is not coincidence that circumcision of the sex organ is commanded in a passage which gives prominence to the themes of fertility and offspring. Joy Chinonyerem is an ardent follower of Christ who believes in Living the Christian Life according to the tenets set by Christ himself. #7 - and I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land of your sojourns, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; - and I will be a God to them.. Blessing number four. (verse 2) The Psalmist wrote, "You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance" ( Psalm 32:7 ). Have there been circumcised Jews in the world for most of the almost 4,000 years since Abraham came to Canaan? This is undoubtedly the case. Did Abraham did become the spiritual father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:5) in effect of a good proportion of the world? It is difficult to argue otherwise. Do the former tribes of Israel currently have jurisdiction over much of the former land of Canaan? This is also incontrovertible. 0000010222 00000 n I also don't use Twitter. in the Middle Bronze Age II period. In other words, there is a discrepancy of about 1,200 years between the Biblical and historical Ur. How then is it possible for Abraham to have left a Chaldean Ur? Three possibilities have been suggested by scholars. These sources are of interest not necessarily because of their accuracy, but because they all indicate that they were prepared to consider other locations for Ur other than southern Mesopotamia. On the other hand, these commentaries were all written when Ur was no longer inhabited and it is possible that they were unaware of this citys existence. However, there are other good reasons to consider a southern Mesopotamian Ur of the Chaldees as being unlikely. Southern Mesopotamia is the habitation of the descendants of Ham, whereas the descendants of Shem lived in present day Turkey, Iran, and Northern Iraq. According to Genesis 10:22-31, the five sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. Abraham was one of the descendants of Arphaxad (Genesis 11:12-25) Josephus suggests that these five sons gave rise to the nations of Elam, Assyria, Chaldea, Lydia and Levantine. An Ur of the Chaldeans in southern Mesopotamia also leads to a very obvious contradiction in the Biblical text. While in Haran, Abraham is told to leave your birthplace (moladtecho). Also, when requesting his servant Eliezer to take a wife for his son Isaac, he tells him to go to Haran to my land and my birthplace (moladeti) shall you go and take a wife for my son, for Isaac (Genesis 24:4). But earlier his birthplace (moladato) is referred to as Ur of the Chaldeans.43 Also, in the Covenant between the Pieces, God takes responsibility for taking Abraham from Ur Kasdim: And he said: I am YKVK Who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to inherit. (Genesis 15:7).

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