The Lord’s determination to bless mankind leads to the narrative concerning the Abrahamic Covenant. The foundation of the Abrahamic Covenant is in the promises declared by the Lord to Abraham in Gen 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17. As stated above, Gen 12:1-3 is pivotal because it stated the essential features of the Lord’s promises to Abraham that would be developed in the ensuing narrative. The first clause of the LORD’s speech to Abraham is the command to leave his “land” and go to the “land” that the Lord would show him (Gen 12:1). According to the genealogical record of the sons of Noah, the “nations” (.E*|x, gôyim) were divided according to their “lands” (Gen 10:5, 20, 31, 32). By leaving his “land,” Abraham would in essence be leaving his nation. “From your relatives” and “from your father’s house” in this verse further confirms this understanding. According to Genesis 10, common ancestry was the basis of national identity. Thus, the LORD called Abraham to renounce his identification with the nations who were in rebellion against Him. The promises of God to Abraham (12:2-3) were contingent on Abraham’s obedience to the Lord’s command. In response to his obedience, the LORD promised Abraham three things in three clauses with the cohortative verbs.22 First, He declared, “I will make you a great nation” (12:2a). By Abraham’s renouncing of his national identity, He promised to make him the progenitor of a nation like the men listed in Genesis 10. But this nation would be distinct from all previous nations, because her ancestor is not an immediate descendent of Noah (ten generations separated Noah and Abraham [Gen 11:10-26]). In calling this nation “great,” God referred to a large population, a large territory, and a wise character (cf. Gen 12:7; 13:14-17; Deut 4:7-8).23 Second, the LORD stated, “I will bless you” (12:2b). He promised Abraham personal favor from Himself, which would be manifest in fertility and prosperity. Third, He promised, “I will make great your name” (12:2c). What men had sought by human effort, a “name” (Gen 6:4; 11:4), the LORD will give to Abraham. The OT usually reserves this “great” reputation for God (Josh 7:9; 1 Sam 12:22; Ps 76:2; Mal 1:11), along with kings (2 Sam 7:9; Ps 72:17).24 Abraham would have an exalted status and authority. Once Abraham comes into the land the Lord would show him, these promises of the Lord are certain.25 The next clause (12:2d) states the LORD’s intention in fulfilling these promises for Abraham. “Abraham is to be a great nation, be personally blessed, and receive a great name ‘so that [he] might be a blessing.’ But to whom? And how was Abraham to be a blessing? Those questions appear to be answered in the next three clauses.”26 The verb in the first clause of v. 3 is a cohortative. The LORD will certainly show favor (“bless”) to those who are favorable (“bless”) to Abraham. However, in the second clause of v. 3 the one who slights27 Abraham the LORD will curse.28 The climax of God’s first speech to Abraham comes in the third clause of v. 3. Again the verb is b~rak (“bless”).29 In the future, “all the families of the earth will be blessed in Abraham.” In Gen 18:18, 22:18, and 26:5, the term gôyim is used. But here, the LORD uses the term ;|(I A E / (mišp~h Eôt, “families”). These families are subunits who make up the nations.30 According to Gen 10:32, the genealogy given in that chapter details “the families of the sons of Noah.” The LORD affirms here to Abraham that those listed in Genesis 10 are the very ones who would receive blessing in him. “Not every individual is promised blessing in Abram [i.e., ‘the one who curses you’] but every major group in the world will be blessed.”31 Thus, the promise is that the one in whom some of the earth’s rebellious inhabitants will be blessed from that point on is Abraham. Genesis 12:4-6 clearly depicts the obedience of Abraham to God’s command. The Lord had said “go” (H -% I, h~lak) (12:1), and Abraham “went” (h~lak) as the Lord had told him to (12:4). When Abraham came into the land of Canaan, the Lord gave a further promise to him, “To your seed I will give this land” (12:7). The land then occupied by the Canaanites was to be the land where the nation made up of Abraham’s descendants would live. Later, according to Gen 13:17, the LORD commanded Abraham to walk throughout the land because He would certainly give it to him.32 “The command ‘walk to and fro’ . . . throughout the land probably represents a symbolic appropriation of the land.”33 Abraham’s obedience, not explicitly stated in this text (note Gen 15:6), would demonstrate his faith in God’s promise to give the land to him and his innumerable “seed”34 (Gen 13:15-16).
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 02:16:46 +0000
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