Posts Tagged ‘Land Of Canaan’

Genesis Chapter 23

June 9th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 23

1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Sarah’s 127 years allowed her to see her son Isaac reach adulthood.

2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Kirjath Arba means the “Village of Arba” or the “Village of Four.” Abraham had lived for a while near Hebron at the location of some ancient terebinth trees. At this point the name Canaan would be particularly bitter to Abraham. None of the land was his. He had negotiated for water rights and herding privileges, but the land was not his; it still belonged to the Canaanites.

3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

The Hittites had their principal center in Anatolia (modern Turkey). But there were some enclaves of Hittites (sons of Heth) in Canaan, and the region of Hebron was apparently one of them. It was with Hittites that Abraham negotiated to buy a burial spot for his beloved wife Sarah.

4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

I am a foreigner and a visitor: Abraham was a “resident alien” in the land. His words were self-deprecating, to help him establish a bargaining position.
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

The sons of Heth (Hittites) responded with complimentary words. The adjective mighty is the term for deity. As an act of kindness, the Hittites let Abraham use one of their places for the burial of his dead family members.

7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”
10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

Abraham stood up and bowed: Abraham’s posture followed the customs of the time. Abraham was not willing to bury Sarah in a borrowed tomb; he wanted to have a place that would belong to his family long after his death. His words meet with Ephron indicated that he wanted to purchase some property, the cave of Machpelah. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham’s request by generously offering to give him what he sought, plus the nearby field as well.
12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

I will give you money: He was not interested in the field, and he offered again to buy the cave. (Perhaps he believed a gift so easily given might as easily be withdrawn at a later time.) In any case, by money Abraham did not mean coins as we might think today. Coins were not invented until at least 650 b.c. Abraham was offering a generous weight of silver.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.”

The dialogue of the chapter is wonderful; it presents a step-by-step description of the bargaining process. Ephron gave the purchase price, then seemed to dismiss it (What is that between you and me?).

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

Abraham weighed out the silver: He could have received the property without cost, but since he paid the agreed upon amount there could be no question at a later date.
17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded

Abraham had to purchase not only the field and the cave, but also the trees. This meant that he was responsible for the maintenance of these trees as well. All was done in the formal, legal manner of the time. The record is fascinating to read, but also noteworthy for this: the only land Abraham ever really possessed was a burial spot for his wife.

18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Abraham buried Sarah. Years later, Abraham would be buried in the same cave.

20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 22

May 31st, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 22

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”

after these things: A new story is about to begin. The term God includes the definite article. This is a way of indicating that the “Genuine Deity” or the “True God” is making these demands, not a false god or a demon. Note that the same use of the definite article occurs in 41:32 twice. This is the seventh time that God revealed Himself to Abraham since Abraham came to the land of Canaan. God tested Abraham in order to give Abraham an opportunity to show his true character.

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

only son: Abraham had one son by Hagar, and as we learn later he had six sons by Keturah. But only Isaac was uniquely born (the same idea is in the description of Jesus as the “only begotten,”. Indeed, the Greek term for “only begotten” is used to describe Isaac. The point is not that Abraham had no other children, but that this was the unique child in whom all the promises of God resided. But that wasn’t the only reason God’s command would test Abraham’s faith—this was Isaac, the son who had brought God’s “laughter” to Abraham and Sarah. Moriah: “Where the Lord Provides” or “Where the Lord Appears.” burnt offering: Abraham was not simply to strike his son and wound him, and then nurse him back to health. He was commanded to go through the steps of offering a sacrifice that burned an animal or person entirely. The toll of this command on Abraham and Sarah must have been enormous. What a poignant picture of what our God did to His unique Son for us!

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Nothing is said of Abraham’s thoughts, or the thoughts of the boy’s mother. All we read is the account of the father’s complete obedience to God. Noah’s complete obedience. Difficult, heavy tasks were usually done in the early morning because of the heat of the midday in this part of the world.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

If the servants had accompanied Abraham and his son to the sacrificial site, they might have tried to restrain him from his awful deed. He told them to stay with the donkey, he and his son were on their way to worship the Lord. we will come back: In the Hebrew text, these words are even more arresting than in a translation. The three verbs all show a strong determination on the part of the speaker: “We are determined to go, we are determined to worship, we are determined to return.” There are three possibilities for Abraham’s speech: (1) he was lying to the servants to buy time; (2) he was suffering from delusion, and no longer speaking rationally; or (3) he believed that he and the boy would return. He had heard, many times, God’s promise to create a nation through Isaac. He still believed it. He had concluded that even if he had to destroy his son, God would bring him back from death. Only in this way could Abraham have gone ahead with the task before him.

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

The fire would be live coals in a clay pot of some kind. A special knife was used in sacrificial worship.

7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

My father … where is the lamb: Isaac still did not know what Abraham planned to do.

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

for Himself: The wording is stronger in this order: “God Himself will provide.” went together:

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

the place: The site of Moriah is significant. bound Isaac: Jewish scholars call this text “the binding of Isaac.” At this point, Isaac knew that he was the sacrificial victim. Surely he could have run away from his aged father! Yet, like the Savior on an even darker day, he was willing to do his father’s will.

11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

the Angel of the Lord: An appearance of God. At the last moment, God spoke to Abraham from heaven; twice He called out his name. Do not lay your hand: The words used demanded an instant response. Abraham was just about to strike his son, then God stopped his hand. now I know: Certainly God knew ahead of time how this event would end. But in these words, God stood beside his servant Abraham, experiencing each moment with him and applauding his complete trust. The term for fear means to hold God in awe; this is the central idea of piety in the Bible.

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

With his attention solely on the awful task at hand, Abraham had not seen the ram until he looked for it. In an amazing manner, his earlier words of God’s provision came to pass.

14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

The wonderful name The-Lord-Will-Provide is developed from the faith statement of Abraham to Isaac in v. 8. Compare the name of faith that Hagar gave to the Lord, “The-God-Who-Sees”. As God provided a ram instead of Abraham’s son, so one day He would provide His own Son! Moriah is where Jerusalem and later the temple were built. And it was at Jerusalem that the Savior would die.

15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

This is one of the texts that contain the Abrahamic covenant – God’s unbreakable promise to create a nation through Isaac.

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

As he had said, Abraham returned with his son, and they all went together  back to Beersheba.

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

 

Milcah: The family of Nahor had first been noted at 11:29. It is touching to observe that there was correspondence between the families; but this genealogical notice also leads to the birth of Rebekah, who would figure significantly in the story to follow. This little piece is one of the family histories that help tie the Bible together.
I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 18

May 8th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis. Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section. Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Chapter 18

Genesis 18:1-5 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. He said, “Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path.” They said, “Certainly. Go ahead.”

God reaffirmed his covenant with Abraham, reconfirming his promise to Sarah. This was the fifth time God appeared to Abraham, since he had come into the land of Canaan. (1) the first time was the appearance at the alter built in Shechem when Abraham first entered the land. (2) The second appearence was after Lot had separated from Abraham, when they came back to Canaan from Egypt. (3) The third followed Abram’s heroic rescue of Lot from the league of invading Kings and the subsequent encounter with Malchizedek. (4) The fourth came 13 years after Ishmael was born, when the Lord renewed his covenant with Abraham and instituted the rite of circumcision.

Verse one states that it was the Lord who appeared to Abraham; Verse two speaks of three men. Verse 13 suggest that one of these three men was the Lord. Who were the other two? Probably, attending Angles, each of the three appeared as men. But one of these three appeared to be greater than angles. The writer of Hebrews used this account to encourage hospitality to strangers, “for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angles. Abraham’s words My Lord suggest that he at least suspected the identity of the three men, but perhaps he was not sure until later of the full significance of the event.

Genesis 18:6-9 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread.”  Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.  The men said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said, “In the tent.”

Where is Sarah: Although the focus of God’s promise in CH.17 was on Abraham, but the focus here was on Sarah.

Genesis 18:10-16 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man. Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”

God told Abraham that Sarah his wife and he were to have a child. The wording was important because the couple had tried in the past to achieve the fulfillment of God’s promise. You can get the idea that Sarah was an older woman, past the years for bearing a child. Sarah just laughed when the Lord told her she was going to bear a child at her age, she knew the facts of life about her being old and not able to give birth to a child. But she was about to see a miracle, as she was going to bear a child.

God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.” Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid. But he said, “Yes you did; you laughed.” When the men got up to leave, they set off for Sodom. Abraham walked with them to say good-bye.

This just proves that there is no wonder that God can’t do. Sarah tried to hide the fact that she had laughed at what God had told her, but you can’t hide anything from God – he sees and knows all that happens. But, God did not punish her for laughing as Abraham had laughed too, and God didn’t punish him either. Here we find out that the other two men were in fact angles the same ones that destroyed Sodom.

Genesis 18:17-22 Then God said, “Shall I keep back from Abraham what I’m about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I’ve settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God’s way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him.” God continued, “The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I’m going down to see for myself, see if what they’re doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I’ll know.” The men set out for Sodom, but Abraham stood in God’s path, blocking his way.

Genesis 18:23-32 Abraham confronted him, “Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad? What if there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the bad and get rid of the lot? Wouldn’t you spare the city for the sake of those fifty innocents? I can’t believe you’d do that, kill off the good and the bad alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn’t the Judge of all the Earth judge with justice?”

God said, “If I find fifty decent people in the city of Sodom, I’ll spare the place just for them.” Abraham came back, “Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?” He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”

Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find forty?” “Neither will I destroy it if for forty.” He said, “Master, don’t be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?”

“No, I won’t do it if I find thirty.”  He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?” “I won’t destroy it for twenty.” He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?” “For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.” When God finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter Twelve and Thirteen

February 21st, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 12

Genesis 12:1-3 We learn in these first verses the promises that God made to Abram. God tells Abram to leave the place that he was living, to leave his father’s house, and go to a place that God is going to show him to go to. God promises to Abram that he will make him a great nation, and God is going to bless him, and make his name great. God also promises to bless the one’s that bless Abram, and to curse the one’s that curse Abram. God also promised Abram that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, the Jewish people who are descended from Abram.

Genesis 12:4-6 We learn that Abram was motivated by God’s promises to leave, so he took Sarai and his brother’s son Lot went with them. Abram was 75 years old at this time, and it was a fairly young age but it was significant as we will see, this testifies to God’s mighty works in Abram’s life in his advanced age later on. Abram took Sarai and Lot and all their possessions they had gathered in Haran and headed for the land of Canaan – this is the first time in the Bible that Canaan is mentioned – Canaan is a geographical stage for God’s acts of salvation – and was populated with people whom were involved in gross idolatry. But God had promised this land to Abram and Sarai.

We learn that Abram was passing through this land to reach his destination of Shechem, this ancient site was in the center of the land and later we will learn that under Joshua’s leadership the people would commemorate the Lord’s covenant there Joshua 24:1. They went as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. A terebinth or ancient oak tree would serve as a lasting marker for future generations to observe.

Genesis 12:7-9 We learn that God appeared unto Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” Abram then built an alter to God, and moved on to the mountain east of Bethel. He called on the name of the Lord: And this was not a private prayer, but a public proclamation. Abram was evangelizing – telling others about the Lord. God had commanded him to be a blessing to the nations and he was doing it. But still the Canaanites were here too, so Abram continued south until he found room enough for his flocks and herds.

Genesis 12:10-13 We learn that sometime after Abram arrived at Canaan a famine struck and he moved again, this time into Egypt. Before they arrived in Egypt Abram talked with his wife (whom was his half sister) that she should say that he was her brother and he should say that she was his sister. He told her that if they knew that she was his wife that they would kill him and take her, but if they told she was just a sister then they would spare his life and still take her from him.

Genesis 12:14-16 We learn that the Egyptians did take notice to Sarai, and that the princes of Pharaoh commended her to Pharaoh and she was taken from Abram to Pharaoh’s house. He gave Abram sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels for Sarai and Abram accepted this. This made Abram to be about as much a low-life as one could be.

Genesis 12:17-20 We learn that God made good on one of the promises to Abram, here is the first example of the cursing and blessing element of God’s promise to Abram. God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. John our minister suggest here that Pharaoh found out that Sarai was really Abram’s wife from one of Abram’s servants. Because Pharaoh called out to Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?” Why did you tell me she was your sister? I might have taken her for a wife. Pharaoh told Abram to take his wife and all of their possessions and leave his land.

Genesis Chapter 13

Genesis 13:1-4 We learn that Abram left Egypt with his wife and all that he had and Lot and all that he had also, and traveled south. They ended up back at the same place as before, where Abram had built an alter and called upon the God.

Genesis 13:5-11 Lot shared in his uncle Abram’s prosperity to some degree. He too had flocks and herds and tents. Now there was not room for all of them together. The crowding of range lands led to disputes and strife between their herdsmen. The Canaanites and the Perizzites both dwelt here as well – there was not enough food and water for all the herds and flocks, someone would have to move on. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

So Lot looked around and he decided to head for the plains of Jordan as it was well watered and had a lot of food sources. This of course was all before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot headed east, and they left each other.

Genesis 13:12-18 We learn that Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot settled in the city of Sodom. This place that Lot called home – Sodom – was exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. The Lord reaffirmed the promise to Abram after his lack of faith in Egypt and his separation from Lot. None of the land was outside the promise. Abram’s descendants or seed (s) of Abram. At times this term refers to many descendants and at other times to a unique individual, the Coming One.

Abram’s walk in the land is a symbolic act of taking possession. Abram himself would not take possession of the land however his descendants would later on. So Abram moved and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which was in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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