This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of Dr. Wellum’s exposition of Genesis 12-15 from Sunday March 30, 2008.

This week we continue our study in Genesis by looking at the story of Abraham in Genesis 12-15. Two major themes are found in the narrative about Abraham. They are the themes of land and seed/genealogy. Chapters 16-22 focus on the seed more, and the chapters we are looking at this week focus on land. It is important to note that when we reach Genesis 12, there is a major slowing down in the narrative. After covering a large period of time in Genesis 1-11, Moses now focuses the rest of the book on one man and his descendants. This slow down in the pace points us to the importance of God’s dealings with Abraham.

In chapter 12:1-9 the Abram heeds God’s call to enter the land, and God promises to give Abram’s offspring the land of the Canaanites. Abram pitches his tent between Bethel and Ai as he travels through the land. There he builds an altar and calls on the name of the Lord. This language reminds us of Genesis 4:26, where men begin to call on the name of the Lord. It is a mark of the Godly line of Seth that they call on the name of the Lord. In verses 10-20, Abram flees from a famine to the land of Egypt. While there he deceives Pharaoh about his wife Sarai. There is some question as to whether Abram is acting in faith in this episode. Whatever is decided about that, it is clear that Abram’s actions here are not good. This reminds us that it is by God’s grace that Abram is chosen, and it is not by any merit of his own. When Moses wrote Genesis, the parallels of the plagues on Pharaoh and Abram’s plundering of the Egyptians would have resonated with the Israelites who had recently experienced the Exodus.

In chapter 13, a conflict between the herdsmen of Abram’s nephew Lot and the herdsmen of Abram causes a separating of Abram and Lot. Abram tells Lot to choose where he will go, and he promises to go in the opposite direction. This shows that Abram is trusting God to make good on his promise. Lot makes a poor decision to go toward Sodom and Gomorrah. The language in verse 10, “Lot looked up and saw the whole plain of Jordan…” reminds us of Eve’s fatal look to the fruit in Genesis 3. When they separate, God visits Abram and reaffirms his promise to give his offspring the land. Then Abram moves to Hebron and builds another altar.

In Chapter 14, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah with their allies do battle with King Kedorlaomer and his allies. In the battle, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are defeated and Lot is captured. When word comes to Abram, he goes and rescues Lot and routes the army of Kedorlaomer. He also brings back the goods of the other kings. Abram has different reactions to two different kings. He informs the wicked king of Sodom that he will take nothing from his hand because he trusts the Lord. However, the king of Salem receives a very different response. King Melchizedek is a character surrounded by enigma. We know very little about him. We do know that he was a priest of God Most High, Abram’s God, that he blessed Abram after his victory, and that Abram gave him a tenth of his goods. Though he is obscure in this narrative, his role is crucial. It is in him that we can understand the priestly role of Jesus Christ who is not of the tribe of Levi (cf. Heb. 5-7, Ps. 110). Some have seen Melchizedek as a pre-incarnate Christ, but this is unfounded. It is better to understand him as a ‘type’ of Christ.

In Chapter 15, the Lord comes to Abram again. Now that Abram is in the land and the threat of war seems strong, the Lord comes to bolster his faith in the promise. Verse 15:6 is a very important text that speaks of Abram’s faith. We will be considering it next week in more detail.

As we look at the life of Abram, we can learn some important things. First, he is a unique figure in the Bible, and the promises made to him are also relevant to us in light of Jesus Christ. Second, though he is unique, he is still a sinner in need of a Savior. His actions in chapter 12 and in the chapters to come are not always perfectly righteous. It is Abram’s faith and God’s grace that makes him great, and we must learn from his example of trusting in God. Finally, God’s protection and provision in these chapters is overwhelming. This is more than a story about Abram. It is a story about God’s grace to Abram and his great work to redeem a people for Himself.

Audio from this week’s lesson: Genesis 12-15.

~TWM