In our last Bible Study post, we discussed the opening chapters of Genesis. We reviewed that mankind was created without sin but with an ability to choose. We drew the conclusion that the result of sin in our lives is a separation from God and a death we all face because of our own sin. God alluded to a plan to crush the power of the deceiver when He cursed the serpent "he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15b, NIV).
As we look at this promise, do we see a time frame given? Do we know the identity of the woman's seed? Do we know how the seed will crush the serpent's head? Obviously all these things are left unaddressed. Its an ambiguous prophecy. All we know for sure is that a descendant of the woman will accomplish this work. That could be anyone at any time.
Let's look a few chapters later at one of the woman's descendants in Genesis 12:1-7. "The Lord had said to Abram, "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." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him." (NIV).
Reading this passage, what promises do you see God make to Abram?
It's apparent God promises Abram, who had no children (11:30), will have a bountiful number of children. He also promises to give him a renown name. He also promises to give these descendants the land God showed him. All of these would likely seem strange to most of us at age 75. But there is one more promise, "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (12:3b).
In this last promise, is it revealed how all nations will be blessed through Abram? In fact, there are no clues given at this point. But, what we find is perhaps a possible link between God's word concerning the woman (Eve) of chapter 3 and Abram, who is one of her descendants. All die because of sin and the deception of the serpent but a descendant of Eve will crush his head. And, we see a promise that through Abram, a descendant of Eve, all peoples will be blessed. The crushing of the deceiver would certainly be a blessing. This is perhaps a connection between the two promises, but it is still vague and unclear.
Three chapters later we again see a conversation between God and Abram (Genesis 15:1-6, NIV).
"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." Then the word of the Lord came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
It's obvious that Abram is becoming a little hesitant towards God's promise. Time had gone by, but no natural descendant had arrived. The cultural norm dictated that a ranking servant receive Abram's estate. The Lord restates some of his promises to Abram. The first is reassurance he would have many descendants. Next is that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:7-8):
He also said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"
Notice what happens next which is strikingly bizarre to readers today (Genesis 15:9-17):
What's so bizarre about this passage to you? Doesn't all this animal killing and vision seem really weird? To you and I it does because in modern times when we make an agreement or a contract with someone we do it on paper. Paper was not then accessible. But in the ancient near east it was common for these types of covenants to be made before witnesses with a show of enforcement provisions. That is, a person in authority would make an agreement and plainly state what they would provide to another person. He would butcher animals in the presence of witnesses and the other party as if to say, 'let this be done to me if I fail to complete this covenant.' Now that's a contract with teeth!
In these verses, God is making a solid agreement to reassure Abram in terms he would appreciate. Now notice again the specifics: your descendants will inherit this land, but before they do, they will first wander to and then be oppressed by another nation. God also promises that He himself will bring Abram's descendants out of that nation, He will punish this third nation and Abram's descendants will come out with great possessions. Notice how the chapter concludes (Genesis 15:18-21):
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates — the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
God articulates which nations will be displaced. He tells Abram why he delays in providing the land to Abram "for the sin of the Amorite has not reached its full measure" (verse 16). God would use Abram's descendants to carry out His justice because the Amorite sin would continue to worsen.
While we don't see a specific restatement of all nations being blessed by Abram's descendant or seed, we do begin to see the formation of the idea that his descendants would become an identifiable people who would inherit the land.
As you flip past the next chapter you may see an interesting heading (depending on your Bible's publisher). We read about "Hagar and Ishmael". This chapter tells the story of how Abram tried to take matters into his own hand and is making a mess of his family's life. However, God comes through to bless a slave woman, Hagar, and provide for her son by Abram, Ishmael.
In chapter 17, Abram is still longing for God to fulfill His promises. Abram is now 99; its been 24 years since God first made promises to Abram. Does it ever seem to you a long time when you've called out to God? Many times we miss the big picture in our desire for quick results. Notice how this plays out for Abram (17:1-8):
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God" (NIV).
What do you notice about these promises? Did you notice that God has now promised "nations," "kings," as well as the land of Canaan? God also changes Abram's name to Abraham. He also will change Sarai's(Abraham's wife) name to Sarah (verse 15). Now notice a few verse later when Abraham wants Ishmael to be his heir (Genesis 17:19-22):
"And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him" (NIV).
God makes it clear that it is not Ishmael through whom these promises would be fulfilled, but Abraham's yet unborn son, Isaac. God restates part of the promise to Isaac. He says he will make the covenant with Isaac.
Several chapters and years later God confirms His promises one more time when He tells Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18):
"The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (NIV).
Again we see the promise of many children restated. We also see the promise of land hinted at. But most importantly did you notice the final promise "through your offspring all the nations on earth will be blessed...?" Again, we're not told when, where, or how. But the promise is there. It is a promise of a benefit for all mankind.
As we conclude our study for now. We move beyond the very vague statement to the serpent that a seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head. The promise is still vague, but we know that somewhere out of all the descendants of Eve it would be a descendant of Abraham through whom this great blessing will come.
Next week I hope we will be able to come back to Genesis and continue our study. If you have questions feel free to contact me.
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