Gen 14:20b - Giving it all away (The marvelous, mysterious Melchizedek part 3)

Gen 14:20b Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (ESV)

We gave our parents a gift recently to say thank you for their kindness in looking after us for a few days. We thought a lot about it but came to the conclusion that they had everything they wanted. We still wanted to give them a gift though. It dawned on us that the key thing was not meeting some material need of theirs for a missing kitchen utensil but to communicate something through the giving of a gift. Though over the years they have given us more than we could every repay and the gift in itself would be of little practical help, the giving of it would bless both them and us.

I have been looking at how Abram sees Melchizedek as God's representative and so gives him some of his loot. It's so sad when giving to God is seen as 'helping him out', as if he needs "change for a cup of tea"  when it's really about God sharing with us his joy in giving.

Twice in this passage God is referred to as "God most high, Possessor of heaven and earth" (v19 and 22). He owns everything. If we are in any doubt about God's recourses we can take a look at Psalm 50 and read that "the cattle on a thousand hills" v10 are his. "If I were hungry" God says "I would not tell you for the world is mine, and all that is in it" v12. So we do not give to God because he needs it.

When you love someone, or are grateful to them, it's natural to give them a gift. Of course God has no need for money so even what we give to him he gives to others to use or steward.  Just like we gave a small token present to our parents it's a wonderful privilege to give back to God. He has everything but wants us to enjoy the joy of giving. Giving to God  is a way of acknowledging him as the source of our recourses and thanking him for all he has given us.

The next question is why 10% rather than 100% or 7% or 12% or 0%? Is there anything significant about 10%? Was it easier to work out perhaps? Not sure if they had decimal counting system then. Interestingly when Moses wins a battle he does things a bit differently giving a 1 in 500 share from the Israelites that fought to the high priest (Num 31:28) and a 1 in 50 share from the Israelites who stayed at home to the Levites.

In any case, like 3 and 7, 10 is an important biblical number. There were 10 generations recorded before the flood. God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians and gave Moses 10 commandments. This figure of 10% crops up again in the laws God give to his people on regular giving (Num 18, Lev 27:30-33).

Commentators say that 10 signifies completion in some way. Maybe because we have 10 fingers we have 10 mental slots to put things in. Think of the top 10 music charts or a magazine that advertises "10 tips to healthy eating". If there were 11 we might wonder what the 12th was but having 10 seems to imply there are no more worth knowing about. The list is complete. Maybe in giving 10% away we are in a sense giving all, except that 10% in the law is really only a minimum starting point for giving.  

Jesus loved it when the widow gave everything to God and actually, Abram did give everything away. In a rather terse statement the King of Sodom says "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself" v22. Abram, however, while making sure that all who are with him have their fair share, refuses to take anything for himself. Having said that God wants us to have what he gives to us, it seems Abram is happy to use God's provision to bless everyone around him while he goes without. His reason is so that the King of Sodom cannot say he has made Abram rich. Perhaps the unfriendly nature of the Kings address (command?) as caused Abram to be wary of being obligated to him. Previously Abram was happy to leave Egypt with armfuls of the Pharaoh's treasure so either he had grown in moral maturity, or he saw difficulty ahead in being associated with this King. Who we accept money and resources from remains a modern day moral dilemma. Would it give the giver the impression that God needed their help? Does the help come with strings attached or some unspoken moral obligation to use the money in a particular way?

So ends this significant little encounter between Abram and Melchizedek. For some reason it took me ages and I expect I have still missed tones. I am not even half way through the first book of the 66 that are in the bible. I must not rush though. I wonder what's around the next corner?

Gen 14:20 - Sharing out the winnings (The marvellous, mysterious Melchizedek part 2)

Gen 14:20 "blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (ESV)

Abram has just rescued his nephew Lot and got rich in the process. When a priest/king called Melchizedek comes out to meet him with bread and wine. This is said to take place in "The valley of Shaveh (that is the king's valley)" v17. It is probably close to Jerusalem (2 Sam 18:18). It could have been the flattish area north of Jerusalem but most people say it's the valley west of the city of David in Jerusalem (Genesis Bruce K Waltke page 233).

Melchizedek blesses Abram and then Abram gives him a tenth of all the spoils. Actually the Hebrew text does not specify whether Abram gave to Mel or Mel to Abram but most take it to be the former, especially in light of Heb 7:6  "But this man (Mel) who does not have his descent from them (the Levi's) received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises (Abram)". (ESV). So then  why did Abram give Melchizedek some of his hard earned treasure?

It's because Melchizedek is acting as in intermediary between Abram and God. This priestly function is seen when he blesses Abram with the words "Blessed be Abram by God most High". Melchizedek is blessing Abram on behalf of God. He also blesses God as the one who has given Abram victory over his enemies. Abram wants to express his thanks and devotion to God for his success so naturally he gives to Melchizedek, seeing him as God's representative.

Of course all this points towards Jesus, who was a priest in the order of Melchizedek. He supremely bridged the gap between God and man, being in nature himself both God and man. Through Jesus a blessing is pronounced on us. In surely one of the best opening lines of any letter ever written Paul's says to the  Ephesian church:  

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (ESV) " Ephesians 1:3

Something about that reminds me of of Mel's blessing in Gen 14:19-20.

Was Melchizedek actually a pre-incarnate Jesus? Some think so. The letter to the Hebrews gives some strong links: "to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. (ESV) Heb 7:2. "King of righteousness" sounds like a good name for Jesus and if Shalom is Jerusalem (see Ps 76:2) then "King of Jerusalem" also sounds a like a fitting title for him as does "King of peace". These thing's aren't really deal breakers though. Moving on to the next verse, Mel is said to be "without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever" (ESV) Heb 7:3 which does add the mystery somewhat. However it could be that this just means his presthood is not by virtue of his parents, nor limited to a certain period of his life (Num 4:3ff, Num 8:24-25). Also, in this verse, Mel is said to resemble the son of God rather than actually be the son of God so it's hard to make a strong case that the two people are one and the same. Anyway, I'm not sure what would be gained by that discovery anyway so I want to move onto something more certain.   

Not only is Jesus a priest but I am too! Not the sort with special robes and incense, but a mediator between God and man. In fact all Christians are, Peter says so:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV) 1 Peter 2:9 

Peter is  applying an OT promise from  Ex 19:6 to the new covenant people of God. The book of Revelation revels in this truth too! (Rev 5:10, Rev 1:6, Rev 20:6). The church has a mediatory role holding out the gospel to the world. We do that by proclaiming the praises of him who saved us. The gospel is a proclamation that praises God! It brings such glory to him when we tell of his shear grace and kindness in giving up his son, so that we, you, they, could be forgiven and accepted. Praise God!  

Gen 14:18 - Food for thought (The marvellous, mysterious Melchizedek part 1)

Melchizedek is a great name. I wonder if anybody is called that today. Easily shortened to an informal Mel, but majestic in its entity and surely ranking among the grandest, most significant names in the bible. An added bonus for a young Mel K would be the difficulty of telling someone off with such a name. Your parents wrath might instinctively be held back by a sense of deference to such a grand and messianically significant title. "Melchizedek, go to your room!" just doesn't sound right. Rather than scold you they might even give you 10% of their income as pocket money!

But enough frivolity, this is an awesome place in the bible to stop and look around. Let me describe where I am. Abram has just returned from rescuing Lot from the clutches of four King's who kidnapped him along with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The King of Sodom comes out to meet him in the Valley of Shavah. Melchizedek, the king of Salem (NIV says that refers to Jerusalem) and "priest of God most high" brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram. Abram then gives him ten percent of all the booty he got form the four kings.

When we came back from hols Steph Liston had just preached on Melchizedek at Newday (http://www.newdaygeneration.org/). I've just download it and had a quick listen. During the week he had been working his way through the book of Hebrews and in the last session  had got to chapter 7 which has tones of stuff on Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4 also mentions Melchizedek but for now I'll resist the urge to refer to either of these places and just concentrate on the Genesis passage. 

The first thing to note here is that Melchizedek was both a King and a priest. This is odd as in Israel, priests were descended from Abram's great grandson (Jacob's son) Levi and Kings from his great grandson Judah. There was only one other person in the whole of the bible who was both a King and priest and that was, (drum role) Jesus so right off the bat I know something significant is going on here.  

The second thing that that jumps out at me is that he brings out bread and wine. Again, that seems odd and obviously reminds me of the other person to take out bread and wine: Jesus.  We know Jesus broke bread and poured out wine to symbolise God's new covenant (or arrangement) with mankind. Abram however has no idea about that, nor does anybody else at this point yet Melchizedek's actions are not remarked upon as odd. Abram doesn't say "what are you doing that for?". Maybe it was a bit like turning up to a dinner party with a bottle and chocolates? A kind of social mechanism speaking of friendship, acceptance, enjoyment, and being together? In that part of the world particularly there was a strong tradition of showing hospitality and eating together and bread and wine are staples of a good meal. It has been suggested that he may have had enough to refresh Abam's whole army after the battle. 

So this King/priest is inviting Abram into friendship with him. Not quite "let's grab a pint together" but not far off. Jesus "came eating and drinking" (Mat 11:19) and got a lot of flak for it. He went to peoples' houses and enjoyed meals with them. He reclined at the dinner table with his disciples then taking the bread and wine in his hands, said some very powerful and graphic statements about himself: "this is my body, given for you" (Luke 22:19), "this is my blood poured out for many " (Matt 26:28). No one who hears those things could ever look at bread and wine in the same way again.     

Genesis 13 and 14 - Thinking a little about a Lot

Over my summer holidays I have been thinking a little about Lot. Up to this point in the story of Abram he has been in the background, traveling with Abram - one might even say tagging along. Reading the account for the first time I would wonder why Lot is mentioned at all.

It occurred to me that Lot was the nearest thing Abram had to a son. Maybe Abram loved him very much. That might explain some of the events that now take place and point to the real meaning of the story.

Abram and Lot leave Egypt loaded down with treasure. They go back to the Negev and then back to where Abram first pitched his tents between Ai and Bethel. He had built an alter at Shechem when God first promised him the land, and another here in between Bethel and Ai where he called on the Lord. It seems Abram calls on the name of the Lord again on his return.

Abram's journey in to Cannan, to Egypt and back again

Abram and Lot have so many possessions and people with them that their Sheppard's are beginning to argue about who gets the best grazing land. To solve this Aram decides that tha time has come for them to separate and gives Lot the first choice of where to go. Lot chooses the well watered plans of Jordon so Abram takes the land of Cannan.  God restates to Abram his promise of land (all you can see) and offspring (more than the dust of the earth), and then Abram settles down near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron where he builds his third alter.  

How different this story is to the events that are currently playing out in the same patch of ground today. Abram is prepared, it seems, to give away the best of the land. God's promises to him cause him to be generous rather than possessive. Subsequent biblical events will of course transpire under God's direction that are not quite so jolly and that I think is a hint as to why we should not jump to a moralising conclusion too quickly. More on that in a moment but I want to explore Abram motives a little first. Perhaps Abram sees Lot as the nearest thing he has to a son and so is willing to give him the best shot at filling the land with his descendents. Perhaps Abram thinks it's time Lot stood on his own two feet. In any case Abram's determination to rescue lot a bit later on shows that he cared very deeply for him and so perhaps his generosity is not so strange.  

As we talked about all this my brother in law pointed out that this is not a straightforward family at all. Heres a taster:

1) Abram's Dad had had daughter Sara by a woman other than Abram's mum

2) Abram ended up marrying sara, his half sister.  

3) Abram had two brothers Haran and Nahor. Haran married Milcah, the daughter of 

Nahor

4)  Abrams Brother Harran died in Ur leaving his son Lot fatherless.

5)  Lot fathers two sons (the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites) by his two daughter    

6) Abram fathers a son, Ishmael by his wifes servant Hagar.

The most immediately relevant thing here is that Lot's own father had died and so I would have thought he would see Abram as the nearest thing he had to a father. He had come a long way with him but now seems happy to separate and make his own way in the world. Lucky for him Abram is still keeping an eye on him and when he gets caught up in a local war and carried off as spoils, Abram comes to the rescue.

But what is the point of this story. Just because it happened doesn't mean it should take up space in God's word. Everything God has caused to be recorded and written down is for our benefit to do me good and point me to Jesus.

Here's how a children's bible activity interprets these events:

"Abram deserved the nicer land and could have just taken it. Instead he chose to give it to his nephew. We can all make choices like that. Here's a way! Find a treat. Find a friend. Cut the treat into two pieces, one a little bigger than the other. Take the smaller piece for yourself and give the bigger piece to your friend. Don't tell your friend that you chose the smaller piece - just keep it between you and God."  

That may be true and certainly the world would be a better place is we all followed Abrams example here, but I don't think that is at all the point of the story. It not even that as we give away we get more back. If I stop there I sense I will miss most of the point. I want to peer through the mists of moralizing to the heart of the story. (Interestingly enough someone I spoke to on holiday was finding some very helpful prophetic direction based on this exact story, but that God would use it in this way is of course quite secondary). Where is Jesus? Where is the gospel? That is what has been occupying my mind for the past few days. I am convinced there is a lot more here than a moral example (if it is one at all).  

What's the gist of the story? Abram gives Lot the chance to make a go of it. Lot makes a mess of things, or at least gets taken captive. Abram rescues him. That feels a bit closer to the gospel. I set off to do what I thought was best, to live in the way and the place that I chose. I didn't realize the battle that was being played out around me and the peril I would get into, and like Lot I ended up in need of rescue.

4 Kings come to quash rebellion.
They capture Lot. Abram comes after them,
rescues him a and chases the kings away.

I was fatherless and God became to me a father. Jesus defeated the principalities and powers that carried me off and held me captive. He put me back on my feet again. It wouldn't be the last time that Abram lived out a type of God. In a few years time he would prepare to sacrifice his own son. I am so glad that even now, God's eye is on me to look after me. That I have an even more special relationship with God than Lot had with Abram and which, though not spelled out seems to waft like some wonderful perfume form this short account.

In the grand events of history I am just tagging along. The story is not about me but God. I can image people in the future reading the history books and wondering "why does it mention Marcus?". What's the point of him being in the story. Sure those things happened in his life but why bother mentioning them. And then they would realize that the little bit written about me was not really about me but my heavenly father. And as that penny drops I expect they'll say "Wow, God must have loved him very much".  Which would be true. He does.

Gen 12:13 Are Abram's pants are on fire?

Gen 12:13   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."


Abraham is clearly trying to save his own skin. He has to go into Egypt in order to survive the famine but he fears that the Egyptians will want to take his beautiful wife, which turns out to be true. Abram reasons that they will want him out of the way if he is known as her husband but they might tolerate or even bless him if they think he is Sara's brother. Again, he turns out to be right, and when Pharaoh takes Sara he gives Abram loads of animals and servants.

So was it a lie? Well, when he plays the same card again we learn that Sara is, in fact, his half sister (Gen 20:12) so while it's not an outright lie, it’s certainly a bit deception. As we get to know more of Abram and his family it becomes clear that we should not necessarily make them role models in every aspect of their lives. It is very instructive though to keep our eyes on God and see how he deals with these very human characters.

Amazingly heaven is silent about Abrams little distortion of the truth and God continues to work out his plans thorough the good and bad in his life. The same is not true for Pharaoh however. Although he has been deceived and has unwittingly taken another man's wife, God gives him and his family some serious diseases.

Before looking at the judgment of Pharaoh, I want to think about how God treats Abram. The favor of God is on him such that God does not punish him for every little thing he does wrong. Even when he bends the truth God's favor remains on him. He doesn't get "told off" or punished, or "taught a lesson" or even disciplined. I'm so glad God treats me like that. Of course he disciplines me and corrects me at times, but not all the time for everything I do wrong. He loves me and changes me over time. That is good because I am not expecting to be perfect this side of eternity and if God majored on what I did wrong my life would be pretty miserable. You see it sometimes in parents who continuality pick their kids up on every little thing they do wrong. Instead, my life is filled with God's grace and kindness. A lot of the time God must choose to silently cover my sin and bless me despite my failings. I have done much worse than Abram in my life and yet it is overflowing with God's blessing.  

            Good sense makes one slow to anger,

            and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

            Prov 19:11 

           

But what about Pharaoh? First it seems that God does in fact give sickness under some circumstances. It’s not therefore quite right to say that "sickness is always from the devil". Here, at least, it is described as being from God. The second thing is that while Abram did something dubious and got rich, Pharaoh unwittingly did something wrong and got hammered. Why?

Simply put, not everyone is a recipient of God's grace. In the bible, knowing you are doing something wrong does indeed increase your guilt, but not knowing you are doing something wrong does not absolve you of all responsibility. Pleading ignorance will get you some leniency but not totally let off. The law distinguished between sins done unwittingly and sins done intentionally "with a high hand" (Numbers 15:22-41). A sacrifice could be made for the former but for the later a person was to be cut off from his people.

Jesus tells a parable where a servant who knows his master's will but does not do it is beaten with many blows while another servant who does something deserving punishment without knowing it was wrong gets beaten with few blows. Luke 12:48

 

I am so glad I am a child of God with his favor resting upon me every moment of every day.  It doesn't mean I am careless or presumptuous in my thoughts and actions though. Far from it. David prayed "Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;" (Psalm 19:13). We see his soft heart towards God again in Psalm 139:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!" Psalm 139:23-24

Rules can simply harden a heart or break it in pieces while love can melt it and mold it. Knowing God's favor is a powerful motivation to live according to his wonderful ways. One of my favorite verses is Titus 2:12 which says that God's grace teaches us to say no to unrighteousness and I have found that to be true. 

Gen 12:6 Back to the future

Gen 12:6   Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. (ESV)

I feel like I am going backwards at the moment. I was trying to work out where Abram went after God had spoken to him when I realised I didn't know where Abram was when God spoke to him. It was a place called Shechem, also called Shichem (Gen 12:6) and  Sychem (Acts 7:16) and is the first specific Palestinian place mentioned in Genesis. That has got to be worth thinking about for a bit.

Let's time travel back and watch the events that happened in this place over the course of the bible. At first it’s just a small collection of huts standing at the entrance to a narrow East, West valley. On either side of it stand the two tallest mountains in central Palestine (Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim). A large number of people and livestock approach from the North. A man walks away from the main group and stands in the shade of a massive oak tree. As he looks around he becomes aware of another man standing near him. The man speaks “Abram, do you see all this land? I will give all this land to your decedents”. As Abram looks back the man he is gone.

Scroll forward a generation or so. There are more houses now and a fortifying wall has been put up around the settlement. Abram's grandson, Jacob, has just settled back in the land at  Shechem after meeting his brother Easu. He buys some land the and pitches his tents (Gen 33:18-19). A little later we see him burying a load of idols under the great oak (Gen 35:1-4). He also digs a well a short distance from the town (John 4:5-6).

Another generation passes and Joseph comes into sight looking for his brothers (Gen 37:12). He wanders about for a bit, speaks to a man in a field and then heads off North to Dothan. Joseph never comes back alive but years later Moses brings his bones with him out of Egypt and Joshua buries them here at Shechem (Gen 50:24-26, Ex 13:19, Josh 24:32, John 4:5).

After the Israelites took the land Joshua turns up here to underline the covenant a couple of times to the people (Josh 8:30-35, Josh 24). Gideon's son Abilmelech persuades the people of Shechem to accept him as their ruler and then murders his 70 brothers. The people gather at the great tree in Shechem to crown him King. Later the people rebel against him and he totally destroys the city. Israel reject Solomon's brother Rehoboam here (1 Kings 12:1-19) and by the time of the NT it has becomes a main settlement of the Samaritans bustling with life and activity.

A number of women are talking and laughing together as they draw water from the well just outside Shechem. As the sun gets higher in the sky and the day heats up they make their way back to the city. At noon a group of men arrive at the well. They talk and then all but one go into the city. Shortly after they enter a lone woman comes makes her way to the well. Jesus, seemingly unaware of cultural norms, strikes up a conversation with the woman and asks her for a drink.

In that place steeped in history, where God had first promised the land, were Josephs bone's lay, where idols had been buried and alters built: Jesus sits down by Jacob's well and talks with a Samarian women. What a context for a conversation! God had been faithful through the years as his people wobbled and wavered and now,  in the same place that God visibly appeared to Abram in the form of a man, Jesus, God incarnate, the word made flesh, the one to whom all the promises pointed, the Messiah, asks a lonely, broken lady for a drink. "If you only knew" he says. Wow.

I had no idea that this little place in the hill country of Ephraim (Jos 20:7) was going to be so interesting. The New Bible Dictionary tells me that today Tell Balata is on the same site some 30 miles north of Jerusalem. I'm so glad I lingered on this verse a while longer. I now feel ready to move forward and dive into the outworking of God's great plan to bless the nations in his Son Jesus Christ.    

Note Acts 7:16 seemed to say that Abraham brought the land where Joseph was buried (Gen 33:19, Joshua 24:32) but Jacob brought that land and Abraham purchases a cave in a field Genesis 23:3, 10, 17)

Gen 12:7 God shows up

Gen 12:7   Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said. (ESV)

I was about to finally move on from this verse when something caught my eye. Previously in verse 1 "the LORD said to Abram". Here "the LORD appeared to Abram". I can kind of imagine Abram hearing a voice but what on earth did he see? Theologians call a visible manifestation of God in the OT a theophany (it means literally 'appearance of God') and there are quite a few of them. Abraham got another when he was 99 years old (Gen 17:1), and later encountered God in three visitors (Gen 18:1). Moses saw several visible phenomena connected with God like a burning bush Ex 3:2 and a cloud Ex24:5, Num 12:6-8. Actually the burning bush is interesting as Ex 3:2 says that the angel of the LORD appeared in flames from within the bush but then the LORD, that is God, speaks to Moses when he goes over to take a look. We get the same thing happening in Judges 6:11 when the angle of the LORD sits down and starts chatting with Gideon. Then in verse 14 the LORD (Yahweh) turns to him and speaks. First the angle of the LORD speaks, you blink and suddenly it's God speaking. When the angel speaks again he says something that you would expect God to say Gen 16:10, Judges 2:1. Manoah and his wife see "the angel of the LORD" and cry "we have seen God!"  (Judges 13:21-22). It's all very confusing.

What makes it harder is that 1 Tim 6:16  says God "dwells in unapproachable light" and that "no one has ever seen or can see" him. John agrees that "No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12) yet Hebrews states, without any apparent awkwardness, that Moses "saw him who is invisible". Heb 11:27. There is something in the heart of God that, though he is innately immaterial and invisible, he loves to manifest himself and make himself known. This self revealing nature of God, his desire to display who he is, his tendency to want to show up, is behind the whole of creation. God's invisible excellent qualities made tangible and visible are captured in the bible with the word "glory".

I spoke to a friend recently who saw God's desire to glorify himself in a rather negative light. The truth is it fills life with meaning and purpose. God made the universe in all its starry splendour and placed us on this little blue planet to display his amazing glory. The stars are dazzling but as living breathing examples of God's sacrificial love we were made to outshine the brightest among them. At the deepest level my purpose is to exist! I was a sinner, but now I am forgiven and adopted into God's family. I was a rebel, now I am a son. Simply by existing I shine out God's amazing grace. Look at me! I was an enemy of God, squandering everything he had given me, slandering him and going my own way, as lost as I could be and yet see how in his love he sacrificed everything to save me; He found me, won me, rescued me, and now he's changing me from one degree of glory to another. The meaning of my life is God's glory. Wow.

But I guess that's jumping ahead a bit. At this point in salvation history, things are not that clear. The brightness of the garden of Eden has faded but God keeps showing up and from these and other passages it seems he does so in a very human form. They are perhaps, fleeting, temporary glimpses of the future incarnation of the son of God. The one who perfectly displays the Fathers glory and makes him known. The one, in fact, in whose image and likeness we are being fashioned. We are encountering something in verses like this one that is impossible to comprehend but utterly true none the less; an invisible God making himself visible. We also, at times, get glimpses of both God's oneness and his plurality of personhood. Yahweh and the Angle of the Lord. Unified yet Distinct.    

I am still left with lots of questions though. What did God look like and how did Abram know it was God? Even when Jesus came his disciples didn't think to draw him or describe his physical appearance. I wonder what would have happened if Jesus had chosen a sculptor or artist for one of his disciples! Did he look like Joseph? I guess he must have looked Jewish. As for how Abram knew it was God I guess I have to answer that question every time I think God is speaking to me either through a prophetic word or a thought that pops into my head. In either case I have to discern if it really is God speaking.  

Joseph Smith Jr. said that both Yahweh and Jesus appeared to him near his house, a claim that led to the formation of the Latter day Saint movement also known as the Mormon Church. It's relatively easy to weight these sorts of sightings based on whether they line up with God's word in the bible (although that slightly glosses over the question of how we know the bible is the word of God) but how did Abram do it? Did God say more to him than we read, giving time for Abram to get to know him and build up a relationship? Were there any supernatural signs and wonders associated with God's appearing to distinguish him from other people or fraudsters? These things certainly happened later in the OT and when Jesus came but they are not mentioned here. It all sounds very normal and every day, just as it must have been in the garden with Adam and eve: "the LORD appeared to Abram".     

Gen 12:7 The land resettled

Gen 12:7   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. (ESV)

I think what I will do here is set out a historical time line for some of the key events in "the land" leading up to the present time. Hopefully it will help be refresh my memory on the history.  Again, much of it comes from "Who's promised land?" by Colin Chapman p23-36. There is a bit of difference in the accounts I have read of what has happened over the last century or so, at least in the selection and spin given to the events, so I'm not sure I'm going to get a perfect picture but you have to start somewhere so here goes.

....

I had a go at it but it was far too long to post. About 5 pages. I will try and summarise:

For many centuries Jews trickled aback to the land due to persecution. Some also went to the USA and gain some influence there. In late 1800's the movement Zionism is born which with the aim of securing a homeland for the Jews.

By the early 1900's the Arabs in the land start getting nervous of the increasing Jewish population and their ownership of land. During WWI Britain made conflicting promises to both the Arabs living in the land and the Jews who had been slowly returning to the land.

After the War Britain gets the mandate to set up a homeland for the Jews in the land while not disadvantaging the Arab population. Not an easy task given that the majority of the population is Arab. An Arabs protest is quickly suppressed. The terrible persecution experienced by the Jews in WWII increases their commitment to having their own state. It also makes a morally persuasive case to others of their need of one. After the war Britain hands over the mandate the UN who try to implement a partition plan. Most of the good land is given to the Jews and when in 1948 the state of Israel is declared the surrounding Arab nations attack Israel.

Israel win and end up with 77% of the land. Over half of the Arab population flee and live in refugee camps. Jerusalem is divided with the old walled city given to the Arabs and the West being held by the Jews. Jordon have the West bank and Egypt controls the Gaza strip. Jewish resolve for the land is strengthened and their guard remains up. so when in 1966 Egypt close the Gulf of Aquaba to Israeli shipping and deploy their forces towards the Israeli boarder Israel launch a pre-emptive strike and destroy the Egyptian air force on the ground. In 1973 Egypt launch surprise attach to regain Sinai but loose again. 

In 1982 Israel invade southern Lebanon to remove the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). The PLO leadership and soldiers leave the area. Israel withdraws but keeps control over a buffer zone in the country. In 1988 the state of Palestine comes into existence lead by Yasser Arafat.

In 1990-1991 Iraq invades Kuwait. When UN deadline expires on 15 Jan 1990 USA drives out Iraq former Kuwait in operation Desert Strom. In 1993 Palestine and Israel recognise each others right to exist. Some land is given over to Palestine but Israel still has most of Gaza strip and West bank. There is an increase of terrorism and both sides accused each other of failing on their promises.

Around 1996-1999 the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, opposes the idea of an independent Palestinian state.  More peace talks are held but fail to find a solution.

In 2006 The Palestine's elected Hamas (who doesn't recognise the state of Israel) and are aggressive towards them. Today more than a third of Jews live in the land (most, over 6 million, live in the USA) and it is the source of great international tensions.

There is lots still going on and its rarely out of the news. Most recently its been about Israel blockading the Gaze strip. I can't really see a solution in sight. Both sides seem to have a legitimate claim on the land and more than enough reason to be suspicious of the other. The waters are now so muddied that its hard even to work out what a fair distribution of the land would look like. I know what I have done is probably not even up to GCSE standard history but at least I've increased my knowledge and have a base to build from. At last I can get back to the bible!

Gen 12:7 The land lost

Gen 12:7   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. (ESV)

At the end of Solomon's reign things went downhill and Israel gradually lost the land as it turned away from God. It was then ruled over by a long list of Empires. Here's a summary table plus some key points:

Empire	From	to
Assyrian	721	597
Babylonians	597	538
Persian	539	330
Macedonian(Hellenisitc/Greek)	330	63
Roman	63	330
Byzantine	330	634
Arabs	634	1199
Crusaders	1099	1291
Saladin and other Mamluks	1291	1516
the Ottoman Empire	1516	1918
British / European Colonialism	1917	1948

The following key points come mainly from (Who's promised land? Colin Chapman page 19-21).

The 10 northern tribes revolted against Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and set up their own capital in Samaria. Samaria was captured by the Assyrian empire in 722BC; large numbers of people were deported and many immigrants brought in. The region generally adopted the region of the Israelites but the Samarians, as they were called, were despised by the Southern kingdom which considered them no longer pure, both in ancestry and religion.

The Southern Kingdom itself managed to remained independent of Assyria but in 597AD Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon Empire took Jerusalem and deported the cream of its population. When the remaining Jews revolted the Babylonian army destroyed much of Jerusalem and exiled many of its people.

When Cyrus king of Persia captured Babylon he repatriated many of the Jews who began coming back in 537 BC under Zerubbabel (to rebuild the temple), with the last arriving 70 or 80 years later under Ezra and Nehemiah (to rebuild the city wall).

Alexander the Great conquered the coastal plains in 330BC but left Jerusalem alone. The Ptolemies took control of Palestine after the death of Alexander the great in 323BC. The Seleucids (of Syria) then took over and after a Jewish revolt an enraged Antiochus Epiphanes came down very hard on the Jewish people.

 

The Romans took over next in 63BC ruling through puppet kings like Herrod the great (37-4BC) and Roman procurators like Pontius Pilot (AD 26-36). The Jews finally revolted against the Romans in AD 66 but Rome re-captured Jerusalem in AD 70 and destroyed the temple. Another revolt in AD 132 was put down in AD 135 and the Jews were slaughtered and Emperor Hadrian turned Jerusalem into a Roman colony.

In AD 395 the Roman Empire was split in two with the eastern half, including Palestine,  known as the Byzantine empire (Emperor Constantinople had made Byzantium the new capital of the empire in AD 330 and modestly changed its name to Constantinople) . In 614 the Persians briefly retook Palestine, but the Byzantines regain control in AD 617.

In AD 634, two years after the death of the prophet Muhammad the Arabs invaded Palestine and took Jerusalem but did not expel or oppress the Jews and Christians there.

The crusades recaptured Jerusalem form the Muslims in 1099 and massacred the entire population, both Jewish and Muslim. Saladin and his armies recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 AD and the whole of Palestine in 1291. Other Mamluks (powerful Muslim salve-soldiers) ruled until 1516.

Under the Turks many Jews returned to Palestine and the Jewish population increased from 5% to 9%. 

I'll look at the more modern history tomorrow but before I finish I can't resist taking a brief look ahead to Daniel's knowledge of and interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Dan 2). The dream is of a statue with a gold head, silver chest and arms, bronze middle and thighs, iron legs and feet of iron and clay. A stone  "cut out by no human hand...struck the image on its feet of iron and clay" and smashed the statue to pieces. The interpretation is that Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom is the head of gold. After him two inferior kingdoms will arise, and then a fourth will be strong but will be divided having strength and weakness in it. It has been suggested that a good fit for this is:

Silver : Medo-Persian Empire which started with Cyrus conquering Babylon in 539

Bronze : Greeko - Macedonian established by Alexander the great in 530

Iron : Roman Empire (some suggest it has a political and religious leg!)

The mixed feet are variously interpreted.  One view is that the clay is the church that grows up in the Roman empire but I'm not sure what the relationship of the church to the rock is in that case. Another view is that it is the breakup of the Roman empire and another that it is the various nations and states in Europe since the Roman Empire. I'm not yet persuaded it's all that clear. Maybe I'll look at it again when I get to Daniel.

Gen 12:7 The land given

Gen 12:7   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. (ESV)

In this blog I want to take a quick look down through history to see what happened to the land that was promised to Abraham and his offspring. Abraham wandered about in the land for a bit, and for a while went to Egypt during a time of famine. The only bit of land he actually owned was a field containing a cave in which he buried his wife. The promise of inhabiting the land was fulfilled in both Joshua and Solomon's time. Joshua fought for and obtained the Land sometime around 1280BC:

Joshua 21:43-45   Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (ESV)

Although these verses say they had all the land

"It is somewhat misleading, however, to speak of ' the conquest of the land', since the Israelites did not conquer anything like the whole land. One tribe after another attempted to occupy the territory allotted to it, but not all the tribes were successful, and large areas remained under the control of the Canaanite others who were living in the land" who's promised land? Colin Chapman page 17.

Then after an up and down time with the Judges, Solomon possessed and ruled the land (around 971BC-931BC):

1 Kings 4:20-24   Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.  Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life...For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. (ESV)

Nehemiah seems to have seen Solomon's reign as a fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham:

Neh 9:7-9, 25   You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

   "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, ....[25] And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. (ESV)