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This piece formed part of a larger and only partially fulfilled endeavour, "The Bibliophobe's Guide to The Old Testament". As such it was designed to last for one session.
The first book of the Bible (and the OT), Genesis, is very much a book of beginnings. Not just the beginnings of the created order, but the beginning of God's interaction with humanity. The Patriarchs represent the fathers of the Judaeo-Christian beliefs, founded in the revelation of God to, and the responses of, Abram (later Abraham), Isaac, Jacob (or Israel) and Joseph. They came before Moses, who lead the Israelites out of Egypt: indeed the stories of the Patriarchs explain just how Israel got there in the first place! Traditionally Moses is credited as the author of Genesis, along with the other four books of the Law (the Torah, or Pentateuch), although there is no explicit acknowledgement of that authorship. Given the different themes and styles within them it is possible to interpret them as being compiled from ancient oral sources at a much later date; some scholars suggest a compilation of up to four sources being edited together in the period of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (approx. 900 B.C). After the accounts of creation the stories of tell of the lives of these great ancestors, replete with faith, cunning, trickery, deceit, and the whole run of human experience. These stories are old; very old. In archaeological terms they probably occurred in the Middle Bronze Age, or somewhere between 2200 to 1500 B.C. Thus the tales we read here are in excess of three and a half thousand years old, and have been in written form for about two thousand years!
Gen. 12: 1 - 20.
(i) Faith to Follow.
Genesis gives us no record of how Abram and his people worshipped or how God spoke to him, but speak he did. The request for obedience was extraordinary in its presumptions, (v.1), to leave all the familiar things; the comforts of home, the family, even his country. (Haran, where Abram had settled with his father was probably in north-eastern Syria, near the borders of modern day Iran). Notice that not only is there no immediate identification of who is doing the calling (at least it's not recorded), but also Abram does actually know where he is to go! He is to be shown that at some other time, and all of it on a promise of fame, and the promise that he would be the root of a great nation (v.2). That sounds great, except for the fact of having no idea of a destination and a barren wife (Gen. 11:30).
v.3 God promises blessings on those that bless his faithful servant, and curses for those who curse. The literal meaning of the phrase 'and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.' (NIV) is that the clans will say to one another 'May you be blessed as Abraham was.' The current reading is taken from the Greek translation, the Septuagint.
v.4 - 5. The easiest way to think of Abram on the journey is to picture a wealthy Arabian nomad, travelling with all immediate family group, trusted servants (and quite probably a large number of slaves) and all his goods. These could well have included flocks and herds. His journey would have taken him via Damascus through much of what is now Lebanon and north Israel, through the region of the Sea of Galilee and probably over the Jordan. Here the wandering Abram is told that this is the land that his nation will inherit, although he did not receive it himself.
v.7 - 9. Abram is still very much a nomad, possibly travelling around to allow his flocks and herds to graze properly. He certainly seems to have had no intention of settling, or of building houses. The only things he does build are altars, as do the other Patriarchs at important times and places. These were probably used to sacrifice animals (cf. Gen. 4:4) or for the burning of incense, and made of heaped up stones (like a cairn) or earth. There is no priest, since at this stage God is still very much the God of individual (since Abram has no offspring) and for later Patriarchs the head of the family would be his own priest.
(ii) Abram and Sarai in Egypt. A failure or a cunning plan?
The movement of the nomadic Israelites into Egypt becomes a familiar theme in Genesis (and has been used as an allegory of the transition from faith to worldliness). v.11 shows Abram as a man with the same worries and fears as everyone else. He might have the promise that he will be the father to a nation, but that promise wouldn't be much good if he were to be killed for his wife! Thus his faith is by no means complete yet. There are, however, several explanations for this behaviour other than fear.
Not only does the story serve to show the beauty of the mother of a race (v.14) , but Abram's actions can be applauded as an example of astuteness in a time when certain untruths were lawful, and regarded as acceptable behaviour. The moral codes of the ancient near-East did not conform to our understanding of rights and wrongs. Abram's priorities are consistent with the time; his life is worth more than his wife's honour (v.15). He definitely profited from this deception too (v.16), becoming even more wealthy even though Pharaoh and his household didn't have so much luck! (v.17) At this time any action is directly attributed to God's intervention, and so the punishment for adultery falls upon the heads of Abram's hosts. Maybe this itself is part of God's slow teaching of correct ways and attitudes before the development of moral (and religious) law: and to restore Sarai's honour. Whatever the reasoning, Abram and his sizeable retinue are politely, but firmly, seen on their way.
Another interpretation rests upon a custom known in Upper Mesopotamia (Iraq) at the time, which was Abram's homeland. Apparently among the aristocracy it was possible for a man to legally adopt his wife as his sister, who gained status and privilege through the process. Thus another interpretation of the story, especially if it were transcribed later from oral tradition, is that Abram told the truth and was misunderstood. Incidentally at a later juncture in a parallel story (Gen. 20:1- 18) we are told that Sarai was Abram's half-sister. This is a violation of the Levitical Laws; but they weren't in operation at the time.
Gen. 28: 10 -22.
Jacob was the third of the Patriarchs and probably the most cunning and scheming of the lot. All through his younger years he was at odds with his elder twin, Esau. He managed to obtain the elder's birthright by clever opportunism (25: 29 - 34), and his blessing by deception, with the aid of his mother (27 : 1 - 29). Naturally Esau was none too pleased, and Jacob had to leave for his own safety (27: 30 - 45).
Now, the time had come for the God of Jacob's 'fathers' to reveal himself to the next in line (v.13) with the same promises; of land, descendants and blessings. Notice how God introduces Himself. Until Jacob made his own decision to follow Yahweh was not his God, but someone else's. Jacob had to make the decision, just as we have to sooner or later, as to whether this God will be our God.
v.17 - 20 Here we have another case of the setting up of an altar as a memorial to an important event. Jacob gives homage in the anointing, as well as the change of naming (Bethel meaning 'abode of God') to mark what Jacob has seen as a gate to Heaven. The concept of setting up altars in this way (in the form of standing stones, usually associated with a pagan male god) was condemned in later laws (Ex. 23:24), but perfectly acceptable practice for the Patriarchs, as well as a being a familiar canaanite custom.
In response to the revelation Jacob makes a conditional declaration of faith and intentions towards God (v.20 - 22), as well as possibly the first mention of giving a tithe back to God as an act of worship and honour. It might even be reasonable to call his a covenant.
Hebrews 11: 8 -22
This can be used as a framework, or set of pointers, for further study of the lives and actions. They are commended for the
following actions:
Abraham's faith to follow the call (see above).
Sarah, through belief in the God that promised her a child (Genesis chaps.: 17 & 18)
Abraham was willing to offer Isaac in sacrifice (Gen. 22)
Isaac blessed his sons in faith that God was true (Gen. 50:24)
This page last updated November 2001. The Bibliophobe's Guide to the Patriarchs is ©:1996 Dr. S.N.Mousir-Harrison.
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