Untitled Sermon

13:8–9. So Abraham proposes a solution for the problem over grazing. Lot is as much an heir to Yahweh’s promise about the land as Abraham is. He can go north to the Shiloh, Shechem, or Samaria region, in which case Abraham will go south down the mountain ridge to Mamre or Beer Sheba, or it can be the other way around. Lot can choose. Twice Abraham says “please,” as he did to Sarah. Does it indicate that Abraham is a wimp who doesn’t like conflict (Gen. 16 will support that idea), or is he just being polite? Is he being generous, or does he simply need to solve a problem? Is his offer an expression of his trust in God’s promise? There is no more indication of that possibility than there is of his having a failure of trust in 12:10. In this story, Yahweh’s affirmation of his promise follows on his suggestion to Lot rather than being the basis of it.

John Goldingay, Genesis, ed. Bill T. Arnold, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020), 225.

13:14–17. As is often the case, the narrative does not make the link with this next paragraph explicit. It leaves the listeners to think about possible links. Is Yahweh responding with generosity to Abraham’s generosity? Is he responding to Abraham’s risk-taking? Is he responding to Lot’s taking what looks like superb land? Is he simply reaffirming the promise in a way that relates to his own purpose? Or is he implying that Lot has just forfeited any share in the land promised to Abraham? His formulation of the promise is markedly different from that in 12:1–3, where Yahweh makes no commitment regarding land (that comes only in 12:7). Here his words follow on what proceeds. Lot has lifted his eyes and looked; now Yahweh invites Abraham to lift his eyes and look (this expression comes only here in Gen. 1–17). Yahweh speaks politely (“please”) as Abraham did to Sarah and to Lot (only four times does God say “please,” each time when asking someone to believe or do something outrageous—cf. 15:5; 22:2; Exod. 11:2). Yahweh refers to the “site” where Abraham is; that word comes in Gen. 1–17 only in connection with the places where Abraham worships, at Shechem and at Beth El. As Abraham had pointed out that the entire country was before Lot (there is no better place to look in all four directions than the mountain ridge near Beth El), so

John Goldingay, Genesis, ed. Bill T. Arnold, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020), 227.

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? zIt was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly aportrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: bDid you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by chearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? dHaving begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by1 the flesh? 4 eDid you suffer2 so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and fworks miracles among you do so gby works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as hAbraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

7 Know then that it is ithose of faith who are jthe sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that kGod would justify3 the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, l“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Yahweh asks Abram to look as far as possible in all four directions. Many translators ignore the small Hebrew particle nāʾ in the divine speech, but it is reflected in our translation as please, which is its normal English equivalent. It occurs many times in the OT, some sixty times in Genesis alone. But only four times in the entire OT does God use the word in addressing a human being: here; 15:5; 22:2; Exod. 11:2. In each of these four passages God asks somebody to do something that transcends human comprehension: have faith that a son will be born to one of advanced age (15:5); sacrifice an only son (22:2); ask former Egyptian masters for parting gifts (Exod. 11:2). In this passage Yahweh asks Abram to exercise faith that the land, as far as Abram’s eye can see in any direction, will one day be his.

Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 394.

Yahweh asks Abram to look as far as possible in all four directions. Many translators ignore the small Hebrew particle nāʾ in the divine speech, but it is reflected in our translation as please, which is its normal English equivalent. It occurs many times in the OT, some sixty times in Genesis alone. But only four times in the entire OT does God use the word in addressing a human being: here; 15:5; 22:2; Exod. 11:2. In each of these four passages God asks somebody to do something that transcends human comprehension: have faith that a son will be born to one of advanced age (15:5); sacrifice an only son (22:2); ask former Egyptian masters for parting gifts (Exod. 11:2). In this passage Yahweh asks Abram to exercise faith that the land, as far as Abram’s eye can see in any direction, will one day be his.

Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 394.

3–4 The relationship of the five vassal kings toElam is described through the successive use of the verbs ʿāḇaḏ and māraḏ. Both verbs are used frequently in the OT to describe political relationships between nations. The first one means “to be subject to” a sovereign. The second one means to “refuse allegiance to, rise up against” a sovereign. By natural extension both verbs were also used to describe Israel’s relationship to God (ʿāḇāḏ: Exod. 3:12; 4:23; 7:16; 8:1, etc.; māraḏ: Num. 14:9; Josh. 22:16, 18, 29, etc.).

Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 402.