GENESIS 12

As you may already know, there are 12 sections in Genesis, After the introduction in Chapter 1, each of them begins with toledoth (geneseos). Toledoth can be translated as genealogy, descendants, generations, story, origin, source, line, history, or account. Genesis 1-11 contains primeval history; from this point on, it is patriarchal history. And there is a regular alternation between narratives and genealogies. For chapters 12-50, the narratives concern the chosen line while the genealogies follow the divergent lines.

                                                   Figure 1: Divisions in the Book of Genesis

I. Creation (1:1-2:3)

II. Eden and Beyond (2:4-4:26)

III. Genealogy (Salvation) (5:1-6:8)

IV. Destruction (6:9-9:28)

                                                V. Genealogy (Salvation) (10:1-31)

VI. Babel and Beyond (10:32-11:9)

VII. Genealogy (Salvation) (11:10-26)

VIII. Narrative–Abraham (11:27-25:11)

IX. Genealogy (Divergent) (25:12-18)

X. Narrative–Isaac/Jacob (25:19-35:29)

                                                XI. Genealogy (Divergent) (36:1-43)

                        XII. Narrative–Joseph (37:1-50:29)

If you look for some sort of further order within each narrative section, there are hints of it in Sections II, IV or VI. But by Section VIII, we begin to see a definite symmetrical pattern emerging

Anyone who has read the story of Abraham will be struck with the apparent duplication of certain events. For example, twice he attempts to deceive a monarch by misstating his relationship with Sarah (12:10-20 and 20:1-18), twice he refuses a gift (14:17-24 and 23:1-15), and there are two misguided attempts to continue a line (16:1-4 and 19:30-38), etc. Figure 2 demonstrates that these and other similar passages form a very roughly symmetrical pattern. These doublets certainly appear to be purposeful and not just the product of an incredibly obtuse editor. “The cumulative effect of such stories is the sense that the whole of the real world has a shape and order that is reflected in the shape and order of the biblical narratives,” as one commentator has said.

Figure 2: Abraham Cycle

Abram born, takes a wife (11:27-30)

    Journey to Haran (11:31-32)

        Abram's Test of Faith (12:1-9)

            To Egypt–pharaoh deceived (12:10-20)

                Lot rescued (14:1-16)

                    Covenant–promise (ch. 15)

                        Circumcision (17:9-14)

                        Circumcision (17:22-27)

                    Covenant—promise (18:1-10)

                Lot rescued (18:16-19:29)

            To Gerar–Abimelech deceived (20:1-18)

        Abraham's Test of Faith (22:1-24)

    Servant’s journey to Haran (Ch. 24)

Abraham takes another wife; he dies (25:1-11)

The pattern is by no means perfect as you can see by the verses and whole chapters that I had to leave out to get it to work. There is a reason for this, but you'll have to turn to my lectures on “The Bible as Literature” to find out what it is. The important thing to note at this point is the key central passage that this pattern points to. “But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year” (Genesis 17:21) This prepares us for the emphasis in the next narrative section: on Isaac.

Our lesson today is on the calling of Abraham to leave his home. And I admit I learned several new things in preparing for the lesson. You can see in Figure 2 that I have placed this event parallel to Chapter 22 where Abraham's is asked by God to sacrifice his son. These were the two major tests of faith that Abraham faced in his life. Victor Hamilton notes that the Hebrew word translated “go from” only appears two times in Genesis: in 12:1 where it cuts Abraham off from his past and 22:2 where it threatens to cut him off from his future.

Question – How many of you have at one time or another in your life ended up living in a new city or state or even country? What was the hardest part of it? Leaving friends. What helped the process most? Finding a church home.

The lesson really begins back in Chapter 11 where we are introduced to Abraham's father Terah.

Genesis 11:27-30 Note the appearance of toledoth in verse 27, translated generations or descendants.

Genesis 11:31-32 These verses should raise some red flags immediately. The first question is why was Terah heading toward Canaan in the first place, and if that was his destination why did he stop at Haran?

Haran, by the way, is where Abraham will later send his servant to find a wife for Isaac. This indicates that Abraham took some but not of all his relatives with him. Laban for example still lived in Haran. And there is a third question that arises if you look at a map of the region. Haran is not on the road from Ur to Canaan. The traditional site of Ur in Southern Mesopotamia is quite a bit in question and scholars now think it was in northern Mesopotamia instead, partially because that would place it on the trade route to Canaan.

Read the NIV translation of Genesis 12:1; compare translations: “God had spoken...” (NIV). This would bring it in line with Genesis 15:7 and Nehemiah 9:7, which say that God brought Abraham out from Ur of the Chaldeans. We have to go to the NT to get some clarification. In Stephen's speech in Acts 7:2-4, he says: “The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living.”

So the new scenario that I hadn't appreciated before now is that God appeared to Abraham while he was still in Ur living with his father. And apparently he told his father about the vision, which is why Terah headed off to Canaan. But he stopped at Haran instead, and Abraham stayed with him until his father died. So what do we think about Abraham's actions? Was he disobeying God's word or just honoring his father by his actions? Have any of you experienced similar spiritual quandaries between honoring your parents and going where you feel God wants you to go?

Is your family holding you back spiritually in any way? Christ talked about this issue. There was a regular attender in our church who felt that God wanted her to get baptized as a believer since she had only been christened as an infant, but she did not want to offend her mother. Donald Barnhouse: “The world has many a halfway house on the road to God's will.”

Genesis 12:2-3 And then Abraham is given a promised blessing. The actual nature of the blessing from the Jews is spelled out by Peter in Acts 3:17-26 when he quotes from the Abrahamic promise and argues that “offspring” in the Genesis passages is singular, not plural, and refers to Christ. Thus, Peter can later state that all believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, constitute “a chosen race” (I Peter 2:9).

Genesis 12:4-9 So Abraham obeyed God. But should we commend him for his faith or for his actions? Some would say that it depends on who you listen to, Paul or James.

CONTRADICTION Saved by Faith (Galatians 2:16) or Saved by Works (James 2:24)?

Both cite Abraham as an example.

Let the author define his words by the context in which they are used.

Faith vs. Works

“Faith”

James-- mere intellectual assent to a fact (2:19) without any change in behavior (2:17)

Paul (Gal.)-- in Christ, which justifies us (2:16), enables us to live (2:20), and demonstrates itself in 

love (5:6)

“Works”

James-- showing compassion to the needy (2:14-17); totally trusting in God for salvation (2:21, 25)

Paul (Gal.)-- of the law (2:16) that men try to rely on for salvation (5:4)

“Law”

James-- a general principle of liberty (1:25) and love (2:8)

Paul (Gal.)-- Old Testament commandments (3:10) and ceremonial customs (4:10)

Here is a question from someone in our Sunday school class that is related to this issue. How would you

answer this question?

The last couple of days I have noticed several passages that seem to proclaim salvation by works:

“for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who 

have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned,” 

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the 

law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven,” and“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, 

Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

These are all spoken by Jesus. I know that Paul teaches a salvation by grace. Does Jesus also teach 

salvation by grace? How do we reconcile these passages?