Sometime ago God simply dropped this idea into my awareness: “If you look into Abraham Isaac and Jacob you will see me- the Three in One God- The Trinity”-
So then, that’s exactly what I intend to do. Beginning with Abraham…
The Father…
We are not told about the early personal life of Abram (who later has a name change into Abraham), who lived in the city of Ur of the Chaldeans with his family at the beginning of our scriptural narrative.
We do know that he lived during a dark time on this earth, and that the city he lived in and was raised in held admiration as the home of the ‘Moon God’. The name Ur itself signaled the mental image of this God to those worshipers where ever they were.
Abram’s family most likely held these beliefs when the day came that the family decided to and began the long journey into the land of Canaan.
Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter – in – law, his son Abram’s wife and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan- Gen 11: 31
So they set out for the Land of Canaan- I want you to note that it was not Abram’s leadership or ideas that caused this family to decide to make this move. Abram, at this point, is just another ‘passenger’.
Reaching into the city founded by Terah’s grandson Haran, they settle. While there, the Lord speaks to Abram:
Now the LORD said to Abram,
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Here then, we have the first revelation of our Father’s desire.
We might say that this is the beginning of a new stage in God’s plan for mankind. The world had suffered the flood, saving Noah for a total of eight souls. Now, through Abram, The Grace of God for mankind begins-
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said:
“To your offspring I will give this land.”
So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
THEN, (after Abram‘s obedience- he waited until his father Terah died first-) the Lord appears and widens His promise to include Abram’s offspring. Remember, Sarai had not bore Abram any offspring at this point. In fact, she was barren.
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘
This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called 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 say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
I’d like to say a couple of things only, concerning this passage.
Abram does not know the Lord as his protector yet. Like us, he is young in the Lord and walks like it at first. Second, the Lord turns the situation around and it all works out for Abram’s good. Most important: There is no law to break at this time in history. Yet, Pharaoh realized that to take a married woman is so wrong that no law is required! Run from Adultery!
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.
Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD.
And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,
So Abram and Lot separated, and Abram chose Canaan.
The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him,
“Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks2 of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
About this time, five kings (including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah) who were under the control off King Chedorlaomar rebelled against Chedorlaomar who still possessed four other kings faithful to him.
Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.
However, the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram.
When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus.
Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
It is through this battle and deliverance that we are given insight through Melchizedek that victory (as well as defeat) is worked through our Lord God Most High who owns and possess Heaven and Earth.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
And Abram said,
“Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”
And behold, the word of the LORD came to him:
“This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
And he brought him outside and said,
“Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
And he said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
NOTE: I have written regarding the covenant between Abram and God several times- however- It needs to be discussed and understood again-
GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAM
He said to him,
“Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.
Of course God was dong soething Abram could understand. When two kings (for instance) decided to become allies or to make any kind of covenant with each other, they would have these animals splint in two, forming an aisle that the two kings would pass between. Once this occurs the covenant takes effect. This covenant is very strict and often war would be declared on behalf of the offended king. This was never taken lightly. Violation of this covenant could lead to war-
And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. (He was afraid the covenant pieces were in danger} I should remind you that God’s day begins the evening before. See Gen 1. Abram expects to pass through the covenant pieces with God.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, a horror of a great darkness fell upon him.
Then the LORD said to Abram,
“Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
Abraham never passed through the covenant pieces at all! God takes his place. God forms a covenant with himself! This can never be broken...
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
“To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
I leave you with that which is spoken to us in Hebrews-
Melchizedek is of the same order of Priesthood as Christ is! Not of the order such as is described in Leviticus under Levi-
More in following posts-
mcfalger 