Back to Basics
A Survey of Genesis Genesis ch. 12-36
Derrick Harrison 18/11/2020
An Outline of Genesis (ch.12-36) a) Abraham (ch.12-23) 1. God’s call and promise to Abram, his response by lapse of faith, Gen 12 2. Abram returns to land from Egypt, he separates from Lot. God then appears the third time to Abram, Gen 13 3. First war - Abram delivers Lot; first priest - Abram blessed by Melchizedek, Gen 14 4. God reveals Himself more completely to Abram - reaffirms His promises, Gen 15 5. Unbelief of Sarai and Abram, the birth of Ishmael, Gen 16 6. God makes covenant with Abraham (Abram becomes Abraham), God confirms the promise to Abraham about a son, Gen 17 7. God reveals the coming destruction of Sodom to Abraham who intercedes on behalf of inhabitants, Gen 18 8. Angels warn Lot to leave Sodom, God destroys the cities of the plain, Gen 19 9. Abraham repeats the sin at Gerar about his relationship of Sarah, Gen 20 10. Birth of Isaac - Hagar and Ishmael cast out. Abraham at BeerSheba, Gen 21 11. God commands Abraham to offer Isaac, the angel stops him, God reconfirms his covenant with Abraham, Gen 22 12. Death of Sarah - Abraham purchases Machpelah cave for burial place, Gen 23 b) Isaac (ch.24-26) 1. Abraham sends servant to find a bride for Isaac. Rebekah returns with him and becomes Isaac’s bride, Gen 24
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2. Death of Abraham, the birth of Esau and Jacob (twins) to Isaac and Rebekah - Esau sells birth-right to Jacob, Gen 25 3. God’s covenant with Isaac, He lies about Rebekah - Isaac digs well in Gerar, Gen 26 c) Jacob (ch.27-36) 1. Jacob and Rebekah deceive & lie to get blessing intended for Esau, Gen 27 2. Jacob leaves home, at Bethel, God appears to him, confirms Abrahamic covenant, Gen 28 3. Jacob arrives in Haran and meets Rachel and Uncle Laban, he serves for Rachel but is deceived into marrying Leah, Gen 29 4. Birth of the sons of Jacob - Jacob prepares to leave Laban; his bargain pays off, Gen 30 5. Jacob flees Haran; he is overtaken by Laban, Jacob and Laban Mizpah covenant, Gen 31 6. Crisis in life of Jacob: at Peniel a Man wrestles with him, name changed to Israel, Gen 32 7. Jacob meets Esau — Jacob journeys to Shalem, Gen 33 8. Jacob’s family scandal: Dinah defiled, brothers avenge by slaying men of Hamor, Gen 34 9. Jacob returns to Bethel, Rachel dies at Bethlehem and Isaac dies at Hebron, Gen 35 10. Family of Esau becomes nation of Edom, Gen 36 Genesis is divided into two distinct parts: Gen.ch.1-11 and Gen.ch.1250, I want to emphasise the importance of this new beginning of the LORD to redeem humankind. Keep to the fore the primary work of God which is the salvation of man and women which is His ultimate goal, when the new creation will be taken up into Christ and God will be all in all (the prayer of Jesus in Jn.17; see also 1Cor.15:28; Rom.8:21-23; Rev.21:1-5). We will never know why God worked the way He did – His New Life Radio – Talk No 6
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working, so often seems to have no connection with His ultimate goal of salvation. The second part of Genesis records the beginning of Israel’s history; it begins with one man, Abram (just as the first part began with one man, Adam). Abram was followed by Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons which includes Joseph (Gen.37-50), these men are known as the Patriarchs and their narratives cover 38 chapters and they fit in to the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550 BC). The patriarchs were truly the fathers of the Jews who looked to Abram as their spiritual and biological father, just as we view Adam as the biological father of the human race for whom Christ died (note how Paul uses Adam to contrast with Christ (Rom.5:12-21), obviously Paul believed that Adam was an actual person who lived on the earth! – it follows that he would have believed in the creation narrative just like Jesus. This period of time is known as the Patriarchal Period which is helpful in that it identifies a specific period of time but also God’s unique dealings with these families in preparation for His future plans for Israel. One cannot emphasise sufficiently the importance of this entirely new beginning of God’s dealings with humanity – these chapters are unique and distinctive and have a character all of their own. Spend time here and you will be richly rewarded. Genesis ch.1-11 has established the wide vision of God who works in the context of His large world. God’s heart cry, His seeking question: “Where are you Adam?” – began a programme of rescue to redeem His lost and sinful children. We must always keep this to the fore as the overriding purpose of God throughout history. Genesis will give us a multiplicity of leads, symbols and metaphors pointing to God’s great purpose of salvation. God’s plan of salvation embraced all humankind New Life Radio – Talk No 6
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when Jesus died, He died for all, - “For, for all My Saviour died” (Charles Wesley). God is LORD of all “living persons” (Gen.2:7). Firstly, by the fact that He is the creator and secondly, by the fact that He is the Redeemer and Saviour of the world. Abram is the first Jew, “Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram” (Gen.14:13). Of course, Jesus was also a Hebrew as was Paul. I am, according to Paul a true Jew (Rom.2:29) and part of the “one new man” which includes all people groups in the world – including ethnic Jews. Ch.11:23-30; Abram was introduced by means of a genealogy, by naming his place of birth – Ur of the Chaldeans, and by his marriage to Sarai who was barren and therefore they had no children. Abram’s father, Terah took his entire family from Ur and settled in Haran on their way to Canaan (vv32-32). Ch.12:1 Abram was called by the LORD to obey Him by faith (note Moses’ naming of God as LORD) who speaks orally to Abram, The Content of Genesis (ch.12-37) 1. The Patriarch Abraham (ch.11:27 - ch.23) The call of God came to Abram who was as an urban dweller in the pagan city of Ur of the Chaldeans. The LORD defined clearly His agenda for reaching all the families of the earth and included in this plan of salvation was God’s plan and purpose for Abram, his son and grandson. Through Jacob’s son Joseph the entire family moved from Canaan to Egypt and hundreds of years later the exodus of the
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Children of Israel took place under Moses’ leadership who led them to the border of Canaan. One might ask why this long journey from the Fertile Crescent (Eden) the seat of civilization – the place where our first parents lived, to Ur of the Chaldeans where Abram lived, to Canaan where he emigrated and to Egypt where Joseph ruled and where the Patriarchal families grew into large tribes with shared ethnicity and a common belief in one God. a) Abram called by God: ch.12 begins with the LORD speaking forth His commanding words (orally/audibly) to Abram: commanding him to depart from Ur, stating His purposes and making promises to him, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen.ch.12:1-3). The command to go forth required faith in the LORD’s words to Abram and is encapsulated in the words of the writer to the Hebrews who determines the paradigm of faith, by which we must view the lives of Abram and Sarai, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:8-10).
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These words the LORD spoke to Abram, anticipate the covenant promises, which will be repeated and established with him later. When God speaks in covenant terms, He commits Himself to fulfil each covenant promise and the recipients of His promises also engage with LORD by faith and obedience. The phenomenon of covenant is central to this era of the patriarchs (Gen.ch.15: 17:1-22; 22:15-19). The 3 names of the patriarchs are linked together by Jesus, “Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex.3:6; 1Ki.18:36; Mat.22:32). As God promised to bless the families of the world, so He would work through the patriarchal families (the oral details passed on to Moses includes wives and children. Sarah has equal content to Abraham and we read in Hebrews of her faith being of equal importance as Abraham, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (vv11-12). b) The LORD enters into covenant with Abram: ch.15 states the covenant, the context of God’s speaking and Abram’s response by faith. You will have to explore the context – why God spoke at this point and the environment in which He spoke. One word can be written over Abram’s life – failure, he is a humbled and broken man. It was the tone (sound) of God’s voice and not only the tangible promises of the covenant which stirred faith in the heart of Abram. He also saw visually the vast firmament of the heavens and the innumerable New Life Radio – Talk No 6
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shining stars of the night sky. It is clearly stated that, “Abram believed in the LORD” (v6). He believed in God who is named LORD, the name revealed to Moses (Ex.6:2-3). What was next spoken by God is of primary importance for us all and for the rest of Scripture. We read, “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (15:6). Paul focused on this scripture, using Abraham as an example of faith which results in God justifying him (see the whole of Rom.ch.4). He then applies the truth of justification to us who likewise have been justified by faith in Christ (Rom.4:23-25; 5:1). Paul linking together the passage in Genesis with his own exposition demonstrates the inspiration of Scripture. Paul affirms OT Scripture and at the same time shows that he believes he is also writing Scripture! This is the first time we read in the Bible that a person has been justified by God (by faith). These actual words take us to the heart of Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith (Rom. 4-5) and remind us of similar statements of Jesus (Lk.7:48, 50). Before Abram, Noah had been justified by God (Gen.6:9), alongside men/women like Enoch. The content of the Abrahamic covenant (the covenants with Isaac and Jacob are simply a re-statement/re-affirmation of this covenant). a) Sonship promised (covenant promises founded on sonship as with David and Christ) b) Land (Canaan) promised as inheritance c) People, innumerable host (cf. ch.12: where the promise is for all families outside of Israel)
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The events which followed are an integral part of this event, - the sacrificial killing and the birds of prey and the unfolding details of Israel’s future history in specific details which was exactly fulfilled, showing that the Israelites were embraced into the covenant and that God will work in the future in and through Israel. Undoubtedly, this information would have been safeguarded and preserved in the oral traditions of the patriarchal family and later in the sons of Jacob. The chapter concludes with the LORD making a covenant with Abram – repeating His promise that his seed would inherit the land. c) A second call to Abram: ch.17 Abram sought to fulfil God’s promise of a son by taking Sarah’s maid Hagar as a kind of surrogate mother. Despite his utter failure the LORD came to him and declared that He required righteousness in his life, this was the focal point of his life. His name was changed to Abraham, “Father of a multitude” and Sarai to Sarah, “Princess” and the Lord promised them a child within a year. The key word in the passage is bĕrit, covenant (used 13 times in 22 verses). Isaac would be heir of the covenant, it is therefore surprising when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his son and again, he proved true in his obedience. This is the focal point in Abram’s life when the LORD appeared to him after 13 years of silence, he has an illegitimate son of 13 years old and he is living apart from his wife Sarai. At the age of 99 the LORD appeared to him revealing His name, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly” (17:1-2).
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We read that Abram fell on his face as God continued to speak His covenant to him. Despite Abram’s sin the LORD’S mind was still resolute to bless and to fulfil His original promise to him, that he would be a father to many nations (ch.12:3-6), even kings will come from his seed (Judah’s royal line of kings) and in the light of these facts his name is now changed to Abraham. I believe that the heart of the covenant is in the following verse, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you” (v7). Earlier, (ch.15), when the LORD spoke His covenant to Abram, it was evident that he was deeply involved in what was taking place and here again we observe how intimately personal was this covenant engagement between the LORD and Abraham -this is evident in the personal pronouns employed by God here. “I will be God to you.” I suggest that this is the inner meaning of covenant, which is at the heart of the Davidic covenant also, “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity” (2Sam.7:13-14). Finally, in the Revelation, in the heavenly Jerusalem we hear the enthroned Son of God declare the heart of the covenant, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Rev.21:7).
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d) Abraham offers up his son to the LORD as a sacrificial victim: ch.22:15-18; when Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah and was prevented from killing him by the angel of the LORD who then reaffirmed the LORD’S covenant which Isaac now heard for the first time. He was the promised seed born to Sarah, the one who would possess the gates of his enemies and the seed through whom the nations of the world would be blessed. Faith and obedience are necessary conditions which God required in order to fulfil His promises. He found satisfaction in the Patriarchs but not in the nation of Israel. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac speaks salvation by the cross more than any other event in the OT. Isaiah ch.53 speaks the truth of the cross more than any other OT Scripture. The focus is usually on Abraham, the father who sacrificed his son, but the submission of Isaac should equally engage our attention. 2. The Patriarch Isaac (ch.22:1 - 35:29) The problem with Isaac is that his life recorded in Genesis is viewed in the context of Abraham’s life and then Jacob’s life so that his significance can easily be lost, but consider for a moment that his life spans 13 chapters. Isaac’s great triumph comes to him as a young man on Mount Moriah, but in contrast, Jacob’s triumph comes to him in later life when he struggles with the angel of the LORD (ch.32). Jacob often spoke of Isaac’s God as, “the fear of Isaac” and this refers to his ordeal on the mountain of sacrifice (Gen.ch.22:12; 31:42; Heb.5:7). a) The son promised to Abram: ch.17:19; 21:1; Isaac is the child of promise according to the covenant with Abraham. He is the seed through whom all the families of the earth will be blessed.
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b) The son sacrificed to God: ch.22; Isaac’s submissive obedience/submission to his father required all the resources of Isaac’s soul. Significantly, the LORD reaffirmed His covenant promises after this event and the chapter concludes with the news of Rebekah’s birth (ch.22:23). It is the son who has to die in order for the promised fruit to be realized and he receives a bride as a gift, just as Ruth was a gift from God to Boaz. Isaac’s profound love for his father was proved by his utter yielding to death. Our spirituality is proved in so many different ways, David’s first proving was his rising up in boldness to face Goliath - neither one is greater than the other. c) The son provided with a bride by his father: ch.24; the impression that Isaac is a mild and passive person arises from Abraham’s initiative in planning to procure a bride for Isaac. His behaviour may be explained in the context of cultural procedures regarding arranged marriages rather than weakness. Of course, this chapter is rich in typology; just like ch.22 speaks of the cross and the purchase of a bride (the church) and so in ch.24 the Holy Spirit is seeking a bride for Christ. Significantly, the success of the servant’s quest hinges entirely on the consent of Rebekah. Her family asks, “Will you go with this man? And she said, “I will go” (Gen.ch.24:58). The Anglican Prayer Book marriage ceremony has also made everything in the service to hinge on this same question and the answer of the Bride: “I will.” When Rebekah Isaac he was grieving over his mother’s death (Gen.ch.24:61-67).
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Isaac had two sons by Rebekah - Esau and Jacob, (Gen.ch.25:19-28); the younger son Jacob displaced Esau as the heir to the covenant promises. 3. The Patriarch Jacob (ch.27-36) a) Jacob struggles with his twin brother Esau in the womb of Rebekah: (ch.25:19-28). The LORD gives her a prophetic word about 2 nations in her womb and that the elder would serve the younger. b) Jacob cheated his brother out of his birth-right: by exploiting his weakness (ch.25:29-34) and then stole the patriarchal blessing from his elderly father Isaac by lying and deceiving, his mother Rebekah was also complicit in his deception (ch.27). c). Jacob receives from Isaac the covenant blessing of Abraham (ch.28:1-5) “May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples; and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham” (ch.28:3-4). “God Almighty” had been the name given to Abraham at the centre point of his life (ch.17) when the Lord had confirmed to him the covenant after his failure regarding his illegitimate son Ishmael. It would appear that Abraham had communicated this name of Almighty God to Isaac. It would appear that the patriarchal blessing gained by deception was worthless. Jacob travelled to Haran to escape his brother’s anger.
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d) The LORD spoke to him in a dream and confirmed the covenant to him (ch.28:10-22). The covenant promises were accompanied by a vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder from earth to heaven (these verses are quoted by Jesus at the commencement of His ministry (Jn.1:51). What is most significant is that immediately after the angels, the LORD Himself, standing above the angels, He re-affirms the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob, “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also, your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you” (vv13-15). This is as clear a declaration of covenant as was spoken by God to Abraham; it is personal and encouraging and speaks exactly the same promises of fruitfulness in the context of families. It was clear that Jacob up to this point was ignorant of God’s presence because he remarked that the LORD was in the place and he had not known it (ch.28:16). The location of the presence of the LORD is named “BETHEL” which means “house of the LORD” anticipating the presence of God in the church (Mat.ch.18:20). e) Jacob in Haran: he discovers in Laban whose nature as devious as his own, he meets his own mirror-image and so began years of conflict
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and strife. Overall, Jacob was a most unpleasant character. He married two of Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel and set the two wives against each other and 12 sons were born to him – the offspring of these 12 sons became the 12 tribes of “Israel.” The name of “Israel” derived from the patriarch Jacob who was renamed “Israel” by the LORD (ch.32:28). Joseph was Jacob’s son but it was through Judah’s line that the heir to the covenant from whom the Messiah came. Joseph was faithful in persecution and showed how God accomplished his purposes through his servants. Isaac and Rebekah was a divided household, Isaac showing character weakness by his preference for Esau who was the wild hunter who provided meat for him and Rebekah who indulged her son, Jacob, who was the child of prophetic promises. Similarly, Jacob indulged his youngest son Joseph, born to Rachel his chosen and favoured wife over Leah. Jacob carefully planned his clandestine departure from Laban’s house. He had waited for God’s time and everything was in place for his escape. The final break with Laban was sealed with a hostile covenant. Returning to his family home stirred ancient animosities from his past deplorable behaviour towards his twin brother and now he was deeply afraid at the thought of meeting Esau. He was full of guile but his brother was a seasoned fighter and hunter who had threatened to kill him. f) Jacob has to face his evil nature: and his disreputable behaviour – this is the moment of confrontation from which he had been running away from for most of his years. Ch. 32 is one of the most awesome chapters in the Bible; its NT counter-part is Romans ch.7. I stand back in awe as Jacob wrestles with the angel of the LORD. All my despising New Life Radio – Talk No 6
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of Jacob has to be turned on its head to be replaced by wonder at the supernatural strength he exerts in his wrestling with God. I have not yet come to terms with exactly what was taking place this long night of Jacob’s conflict, but this one thing I know is that he prevailed with God! God faced him up with his wicked and sinful nature – when the angel enquired – “what is your name? and Jacob replied – “Jacob, supplanter” (v27). Immediately, the LORD replied, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (v28). The LORD requires those favoured men and women who are the objects of His promises to be compatible in their character to the nature of God Himself and He works to bring that about in their lives and Jacob is an outstanding example of this. These narratives showed the beginning of God’s purpose for the future nation of Israel, that by serving Him they will be His instrument of salvation to the world. God chose them, made covenant promises to them and the fulfilment of these promises awaited later generations. God entered into covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The Mosaic covenant established God’s covenant with Israel. Later, the Davidic covenant made permanent the relationship between God and the line of David. Jesus Christ sealed the covenant between God and man in His own blood. Thus, the covenants are at the heart of biblical redemption. The new covenant has a direct application into the lives of God’s children.
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