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In Search of a City All references NASB 1995 unless otherwise stated "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:8,10) The Call "Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing;’" (Gen.12:1‑2) In the twelfth chapter of Genesis the Bible shifts from a commentary on the history of the human race to a man called Abram. He lived in the city of Ur of the Chaldees and was the first person to be called a Hebrew in scripture. The word "Hebrew" is interesting meaning "one from beyond", no doubt referring to the fact that he had come from beyond the river Euphrates. Ur once was a bustling port on the Euphrates River laced with canals with merchant ships and warehouses. It was the centre of a wealthy empire that drew traders from as far away as the Mediterranean Sea.750 miles to the west. Why call Abram? What made him special? It seems that Abram’s family worshipped pagan gods like everyone else in the land of Ur, who were known for worshipping Nanna, the moon god. This is supported by Joshua saying to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.’" (Josh.24:2‑3) However, it appears that Abram, like Noah before him, was a faithful follower of the Almighty God. No particular reason seems to be given for God to call him. In his journey he shows his human short comings, he lies about his wife twice, does not wait for God to provide the promised seed having a child with Hagar, Sarah’s handmaiden and later drives Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. (Gen.21:8‑21) What makes Abraham so special is God’s election, God choosing on whom to bestow a special grace. Grace that would not just bless Abraham but would at the right time blesses the whole world through his seed. It is very difficult to understand the foreknowledge of our Heavenly Father and how He uses this to fulfil his purposes. The Apostle Paul gives the following example "And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, the older will serve the younger’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated (loved less).’" (Rom.9:10‑13) God knew that Jacob would be far more interested in his father’s inheritance, the spiritual blessing, than Esau. Esau should not be considered as evil, but he was far more interested in worldly possessions shown by his first two marriages to Hittite women, giving him access to trade with their families. Abraham did not know his destination Another aspect of Abraham’s call was that it required faith and his reliance on God to provide what He had promised. God told him to "Go forth from your country" from a city that was secure, with good prospects to make a living for Abram’s family, in order to follow God’s instructions into the unknown. He was just told "Go to the land I will show you." We can imagine those who knew Abram in Ur questioning his mind to uproot his family, father, servants, and his livestock to head out into the unknown. He was leaving for a land that God would show him, and this required his faith in the God, a life of depending upon God. A Parallel lesson for Christians Our life of faith begins when we accept Christ, to solely trust in Christ’s finished work. Through the acceptance of Christ, we are saved. The Jews saw their salvation as coming from obedience to the law, that is through works of the flesh. The problem was they could not keep the law as James states "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." (James 2:10) We still do good works as a result of our salvation—not for salvation. Also, as Christians following God’s call, the Lord continually teaches us of our insufficiency and his sufficiency. Essentially, he teaches us how to depend on him and live the life of faith. James brings out the point "that faith without works is useless." (v.20) Earlier in the chapter James gives us an example of faith without works. "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (James 2:15‑16) Abraham’s Journey What was the need for Abraham to start this journey from his birthplace to a land chosen by God? There are clues in the history of the human race.
Ur of the Chaldees This was the birth place of Abraham and it was from here that his father Terah took the family north to Haran "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 out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran." (Gen.11:31‑32) Terah and his family followed the River Euphrates upstream for about 600 kilometres [in a straight line] to the city of Haran. Haran in Mesopotamia Haran was a large city and possibly Terah had moved there for business reasons. Some claim that he renamed the city Haran after his brother. It appears that they may have been in the city for about 5 years before Terah died; that God waited till this time as Abraham would have had to leave his father behind, and this was no longer the case. "Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy‑five years old when he departed from Haran." (Gen.12:1‑4) Haran to Shechem The journey to reach Shechem was approximately 500 miles, travelling through Damascus, the city which Eliezer had come from. (Gen.15:2) "Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen.12:5‑6) The last part of the verse concerning the land is interesting when considering the promise from God. "The LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him." (Gen.12:7) God did not tell Abram how he would possess the land and yet Abram built an altar to the Lord. By this solemn act of devotion Abram made an open profession of his religion, established the worship of the true God, and declared his faith in the promise. Shechem to Bethel Abram’s journeys continue about 30 miles south towards Bethel. "Then he proceeded from there to the mountain 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." (Gen.12:8) Bethel was the first place that we are told that Abram pitched his tent indicating his intent to settle there. This is the second record of him building an altar to the LORD. The name Bethel means "house of God" and it is quite possible that it was Abram that named the place. Bethel to Egypt Abram continued south from Bethel towards Negeb (aka Negev), that is the southern part of Judah near to the area known today in part as Gaza. No doubt in search for pasture and water for his stock. He had to continue further south as we are told "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." (Gen.12:10) It was here that Abram’s faith was tested. Sarai was very beautiful and thus desirable and Pharoah’s officials mentioned this to Pharaoh. Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s house. Abram was concerned that if they knew she was his wife they may have killed him and so he tried to pass her off as his sister. God struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues for taking Sarai. "Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, ‘What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?’" (Gen.12:18) Abram was free to leave. Return to Bethel "So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." (Gen.13:1‑4) It was at Bethel that a dispute arose between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen over pasture rights. This resulted in Abram settling in the land of Cannan and Lot settling in the cities of the valley as far as Sodom. Lot’s choice would have consequences. "Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD." (Gen.13:13) Bethel to Hebron This was about 7 miles to the northeast of Bethel. Before departing Bethel for the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, Abram was given more details of God’s plan. "The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.’" (Gen.13:14‑17) Dan and Hobah The events that took place at these locations are recorded in Genesis 14. "This chapter presents Abram in the unexpected character of a warrior. The occasion was this: the king of Sodom and the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been tributaries for twelve years to the king of Elam, combined to throw off his yoke. To chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer, with the aid of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory princes, defeated them in a pitched battle where the nature of the ground favoured his army (‘Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country’ Gen.14:10), and hastened in triumph on his homeward march, with a large number of captives and booty." (JFB) "They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom." (Gen.14:12) It is at this time that Abram became aware of the situation as "a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan." (Gen.14:13‑14) Shaveh "the King’s Valley" This appears to be close to Salem. It was there that Abram met Melchizedek. "Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ He gave him a tenth of all." (Gen.14:18‑20) Abram had won the war and was thus able to take the spoils of war from the King of Sodom who offered Abram the spoils of war. Abram’s answer shows his character. "Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have sworn to the LORD God Most High…that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, "I have made Abram rich." (Gen.14:22‑23) Hebron Upon Abram’s return to Hebron the Lord God makes many promises, reaffirming his promise of an heir, and speaks of the fact that his descendants will be strangers and would be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. (Gen.15:1‑21) Sarai still being childless offers Hagar to bear a child. Hagar bares a son which causes troubles between the women. Hagar is driven from the camp, but the angel of the Lord tells her to return. She bore a son and called him Ishmael. (Gen.16:1‑16) This was 11 years after Abram had departed Haran. The next event was when Abram was ninety‑nine years old. His name was changed from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude). "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." (Gen.17:5‑7) It was now that the circumcision of the flesh of the foreskin was commanded. (Gen.17:10‑14) During Abraham’s sojourn in Hebron "God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’" (Gen.17:15‑16) Abraham’s and Sarah’s age meant that this promise seemed impossible. God stated "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." (Gen.18:14) Gerar Gerar was in the land of the Philistines and Abimelech was the king. The king took Sarah because again Abraham had declared that she was his sister. (Actually, she was a half‑sister. (Gen.20:12)) God intervened in a dream to the king, stating that Sarah was married, and he would die. Abimelech answered "Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy me and my people? Abraham himself said that she was his sister, and she said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience, and I have done no wrong." (Gen.20:4‑5 GNT) Sarah was returned to Abraham with Abimelech giving Sarah gifts either as an atoning gift or a testimony of her innocence in the sight of all. Beersheba Abraham settled in Beersheba and Sarah conceived and gave birth here, to Isaac, who was circumcised on the eighth day. It was during this time that Ishmael was driven out. Sarah stated "Send this slave and her son away. The son of this woman must not get any part of your wealth, which my son Isaac should inherit." (Gen.21:10 GNT) God made promises to Hagar "I will make a great nation out of his descendants." (Gen.17:20 GNT) It was here that Abraham and Abimelech made an agreement over the well and Abraham remained here for many days. Mount Moriah "Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’" (Gen.22:1‑2) This was the most extraordinary test of Abraham’s faith and obedience in offering his long‑awaited son to the Heavenly Father. He arose early in the morning and took the three‑day journey to the mountain chosen by God. Isaac asked "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (v.7) and Abraham replied, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." (v.8) The willingness of Isaac to follow the instructions cannot be overlooked; a lad of sixteen could easily overpower his ageing father. Just as Abraham was about to kill Isaac the angel of the Lord intervened "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Abraham’s faithfulness was rewarded. "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Gen.22:16‑18) Hebron—The end of the Journey It was here that Abraham bought land so that he could bury Sarah who dies at one hundred and twenty‑seven years. Although all the land he had travelled through was promised to him by God he insisted on paying for the cave of Machpelah to provide a sepulchre for his family. (Gen.23)Abraham died at one hundred and seventy‑five after one‑hundred‑years sojourning in the promised land and yet never receiving the promised inheritance. He was buried with Sarah. RC |
