Abraham:  God’s Friend

Three Cuts

Cutting family ties (Gen 12:2f)

– Why is it that when God calls there is often a “leaving” involved?

– Did only the Jews know God?   Melchizedek king of Salem (Gen 14:17ff)

Cuts the animal (Gen 15:10, 17)  Why?

– Union symbolized:  as animal was one now we are one

– Acting out the curse:  Jer 34:18f  --solemnizing/ratifying the covenant

Cut flesh (Gen 17)     On circumcision;  Unconditional covenant (berit)—ratifying the covenant

– Abrahamic Covenant: 

Land --promised land (Canaan; Palestine)

Seed (stars, sand, dust),

Blessing—all nationsà Jesus

3 Problems:

1) Camels and critics: Gen. 12:16; 

2) Hittites/Philistines and critics Gen. 15:20; 26:1 [2 Abimelek’s of Gerar; cf. Jabin]

3) Gen. 14:14 talks of “Dan” can’t be Dan—anachronism (Josh. 19:47; Judg. 18:29)

Three Kids

1) Eliezer of Damascus:  adopted son (Gen 15:2)

2) Hagar-Surrogate Wife, Gen. 16  --Hammurabi’s code

– Caution on Criticizing patriarchs—telling/teaching or description/prescription or normative/non-normative distinction

– How badly does God get on Abraham’s case

3) Isaac:  son of the promise -- laughter

4 Abraham Questions:  1) Well ah...she’s my sister?

Why do they always want to marry his sister? (Gen. 12, 20, 26 – 3X)

Custom: adopting sister -- protection -- marry her off

Bible and flawed heroes

2) Does God really interact with man?

Gen 18:26ff:   Bartering with God 

Is this real?   Does foreknowledge really solve the problem? 

Is this just anthropomorphic or anthropopathic speaking—so we can understand?

Can a human have impact on God?

3) Are all sins the same?  Gen 18:21

Hospitality issue at Sodom.. the real issue?

– On recontextualizing the messages of Scripture

Is this homosexual rape? Lot’s daughters

Are homosexual acts sin?  Lev. 18:22; Rom 1:26f; 1 Cor 6:9, 1 Tim 1:10

How should Christians react to homosexuals?  --loving the sinner, hating the sin

4) How does God’s role toward Abraham change in Gen 22 (Akedah)?  3 levels of faith

Struggle for a son—Akedah (binding)

Rapid fire ...  why no emotions shown?  on good literature: God blesserà tester

Painful obedience

Levels of faith

– Easy Faith

– Resignation faith

– Unreasonable pure faith—the precious

– God’s friend