Covenant 3a: Abram

We now begins the journey wherein God starts his family. This session is split into because there is a rich history around this covenant with many significant figures. We begin with when God first calls Abram. In the next session we will consider more of the Covenant aspects as with other

Genesis 12:1-5

Have you ever known you needed to change or let go of something in your life, but you just couldn’t do it?

FOCUS Information:

After Noah, humanity once again falls into rebellion, culminating with the Tower of Babel, and the human family is thrust into further exile. However, the line of Noah’s son Shem remains faithful — and one of his descendants, Abram, is chosen to receive the Lord’s next covenant.

 God calls Abram to leave everything behind, including his extended family, and travel to a new land. Amazingly, Abram responds faithfully to this call—mostly. We read, “So Abram went as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.” But who is Lot? In Genesis 12:5, we learn that Lot is Abram’s nephew (his brother’s son), one of his kin. Lot isn’t supposed to come. God tells Abram to leave everything he knew and without contact with family, forage for himself in a strange land.

 Abram was willing to sacrifice so much by traveling to a new land. Why would he also disobey the Lord’s command by bringing Lot? First, remember that Abram has no descendants: If he remains childless, none of God’s promises will be possible. He will have no one to carry on his name or inheritance, two very important concerns for the people of Abram’s time. So what is Abram doing? As one study suggests, he is trying to be faithful to God and his own plan (Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins, Walking with God 34 – 36). Lot is Abram’s “exit strategy” or “security blanket,” just in case God’s promises don’t work out. Abram is keeping his options open by bringing Lot, a kind of surrogate son. He is being faithful, but he is also covering his bases.

 What promises does God make to Abram? (of these we will want to keep track of this as we read on)

1. "I will make of you a great nation..." - Kingdom

2. "I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing." - Exaltation/Glorification

3. "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. - Safety

We can also put ourselves as the recipients of the generic aspects of the promises, namely, to be loved, to be safe, and to be trusted with responsibility.

 Have you ever lied to ensure something is not known perhaps for someone's good?

 Genesis 12:10-20

Out of fear, Abram lies to the Egyptians. Abram did not protect Sarai with his life but rather gave her up with a high potential of rape at the least if not losing her entirely. Protecting Sarai from harm, God brought plagues to the house of Pharoh. Therefore, Abram's lie endangered his wife, the soul of Pharoh, and even his body. In trying to protect what He loved, He committed a grave evil. There are goods in our own lives that we would like to preserve and sometimes the act of trying to do so actually endangers them worse.

 Genesis 13: 5, 8-13

Lot is a family member, remember Genesis 12:1. Remember, what happened in the last passage. Now, what, on account of His disobedience, is the path Abram put himself on?

Why would Abram want to bring Lot? What would He have to gain?

We see Abram pushing Lot to independence which is good for Lot. Although the land that Lot chose also happens to be near and likely partially used by great sinners (meaning unremorseful). Wherein Lot actually gets captured by Chedorlaomer.

 Genesis 14:17-20 

Now that we have Lot back, we are introduced to the Priest-King of Salem, Melchizedek. We find reference to Melchizedek throughout the Bible so let's explore this a little bit. 

1. Psalm 110

2. Hebrews 5:1-10

3. Hebrews 6:20

4. Hebrews 7:1-28

This is all we have for this session; we have been studying pretty intensely so either you are free to go, or we can hang out and talk.

Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book 16, Chapter 22

Then on the invasion of Sodom, when five kings carried on war against four, and Lot was taken captive with the conquered Sodomites, Abraham delivered him from the enemy, leading with him to battle three hundred and eighteen of his home-born servants, and won the victory for the kings of Sodom, but would take nothing of the spoils when offered by the king for whom he had won them. He was then openly blessed by Melchizedek, who was priest of God Most High, about whom many and great things are written in the epistle which is inscribed to the Hebrews, which most say is by the Apostle Paul, though some deny this. For then first appeared the sacrifice which is now offered to God by Christians in the whole wide world, and that is fulfilled which long after the event was said by the prophet to Christ, who was yet to come in the flesh, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek, — that is to say, not after the order of Aaron, for that order was to be taken away when the things shone forth which were intimated beforehand by these shadows.

Overall Consideration

The Abrahamic covenant, initiated when God called Abram (later Abraham) to leave his homeland with promises of land, innumerable descendants, and blessing for all nations (Gen 12:1-3), unfolds progressively through history as a dynamic, unilateral divine commitment broader salvation history, ratified in stages (Gen 15, 17, 22) and validated by the mysterious priest-king Melchizedek of Salem, who, after Abraham's victory, offers bread and wine, blesses him as "priest of God Most High," and receives his tithe—foreshadowing Christ's eternal priesthood. St. John Chrysostom richly analyzes Melchizedek as "King of righteousness... King of Peace," asking, "Who is King of Righteousness and of Peace? None, save only our Lord Jesus Christ," emphasizing how Abraham's faith and tithing acknowledge this superior type, bridging the covenant to the Eucharist and New Covenant. Thus, the covenant endures as the root grafting Gentiles into God's people, fulfilled in the Church.

If Desired

Listen to this song and consider how much Abram, would not have felt this sort of assurance and would have wanted it.

Consider Acts of the Apostles 5:29-32

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”