Category Archives: Abraham

Appeared and Went Up

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As I read Genesis 17 and 18 the words “appeared” and “went up” (NIV) were used of God visiting Abram/Abraham. They reminded me just how important Abraham was in God’s plan for mankind.

First a little background: In Chapter 15 Abraham God brought Abram into Covenant. Chapter 16 Sarai “helped” God out by encouraging Abram to have a child with Hagar. Thirteen years later in Chapter 17 God added circumcision as a sign to confirm the covenant in Chapter 15, plus the promise of the land of Canaan, and a son born of Sarai. This is also the chapter where God changed the couple’s names to Abraham and Sarah. The narrative in Chapter 18 tells of God’s second visit to Abraham, which included a meal, Sarah laughing at the thought of being a mother, and the dickering Abraham did with God over Sodom.

APPEARED

God had spoken to Abram, given him visions, and had a smoking firepot and a blazing torch be visible to represent Him. (The firepot and torch became a pillar of fire and cloud with Moses and the Children in the desert.) But in Chapter 17:1 and 18:1 God came and showed Himself to Abraham. The Hebrew word is way·yê·rā and was first used in Genesis 12:7; the root word is raah. Hebrew Concordance: way·yê·rā — 20 Occurrences

Strong’s Hebrew: 7200. רָאָה (raah) — To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider

If you look at the twenty times way·yê·rā is used, it is clear that God showed Himself to Abraham. This is a great Bible study by itself, so use the Bible Hub link and explore this thought. Yes, all of those appearance have a term we have given them and a lot of ink has been used in explaining them. Don’t miss the fact that God showed Himself to this man, the father of faith.

He Left  

What grabbed my attention was that He appeared and then the text also adds that He left. In 17:22 the word is wayyaal and it comes from the root word alah.

Hebrew Concordance: way·ya·‘al — 110 Occurrences

Strong’s Hebrew: 5927. עָלָה (alah) — To go up, ascend, climb, bring up, offer

In 18:33 the word used when God left is wayyelek. Hebrew Concordance: way·yê·leḵ — 212 Occurrences 

God accomplished many things in His appearing and leaving, but I think the message to Abram in 17:1 “to walk with Him” was the most important part. That word is hithallek. Hebrew Concordance: hiṯ·hal·leḵ- — 4 Occurrences. Noah and David are the others that this word is associated with. The root word is Strong’s Hebrew: 1980. הָלַך (halak) — To go, walk, come, proceed, move. If I read Genesis correctly, Adam and Eve and Enoch also experienced walking with God. I think God wants us to walk with Him and fellowship with Him in righteousness.

Righteousness # 3

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In this edition of Righteousness, I want to point out three separate text that deal with the condition of Jerusalem, its people, and the interesting thought in Isaiah 4:4. These same thoughts are started in Psalm 103 by David more than 250+ years before Isaiah.

In Repeats and Upgrades, I laid a foundation about the period that Isaiah prophesied in; I will add to these thoughts. His time of ministry is more than 250 years after the Temple was finished. The Northern Tribes were being attacked by Assyria, so Amos, Micah, Hosea, and others were helping the children of Jacob. Jerusalem has had good and bad periods, but he worked with Hezekiah and was probably killed, as an old man, by Manasseh. Manasseh was just bad news and did not follow the Lord at all.

The Land the Lord promised to Abraham is important to Him. Melchizedek is associated with Jerusalem and the sacrifice of Issac was on Mount Zion or Moriah. It is referenced/understood in the three passages below that there was a problem and that it would be corrected and “the city of Jerusalem” would be changed. Righteousness, justice, and salvation are in these references; it has the “legal” side of righteousness covered, but there is also the personal relationship part that needs to be recognized. Are all of these texts referring to the New Jerusalem in Revelations? There are many verses with a wide range of emotions talking about the earthly city of Jerusalem. (That is a great study for you to do.) So, are they talking about the people in Jerusalem at those times or the houses inside the four walls?  

These references are from the New American Standard Bible from Bible Gateway.

1:26 Then I will restore your judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

4:2 – On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel. 3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

62: 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.”

The spirit of burning

Isaiah 4:4 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

Strong’s Hebrew: 1197. בָּעַר (ba’ar) — brutish (biblehub.com)

This phrase caught my attention. “The spirit of burning” that cleans Jerusalem. In the NASB (Bible Gateway) this is used only once, the second reference is Revelations 4:5 with the focus of that verse talking about the Seven Spirits of God. The word for burning (H1197) will show you the verses of Moses talking to God in the burning bush. Great connection for Isaiah 4:4. (I will say again, God bless translators.) Put this phrase in with the prophecy that there will be no more global floods, just a consuming fire.

Jacob Israel

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Isaiah 48:1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. (KJV)

The “waters” are also translated as lineage. Think about it.

My post, Jacob/Israel What Was His Name, is a reference for this one. Like the above verse I have been running into this thought lately, so I wanted to revisit this name change. All of these verses are in Genesis.

  • 25:22 Rebekah has twins wrestling in her womb.
  • 27:35 +36 Jacob took Esau’s blessing as the first son. Okay, Esau had sold Jacob his birthright but that is downplayed at the moment. Jacob is called a deceiver which is what his name could be translated into.
  • 32:24 Jacob wrestles again; this time with “a man”.
  • 32:26 He demands a blessing.
  • 32:28 What he gets is a name change. One who has struggled with God and man.
  • 35:10 The name change is stated again.

Wrestling, blessing, and name-changing are all in just ten chapters. Jacob wrestling and being born and then “born-again” was what I wanted to point out. Another way to say it is Jacob wrestled in the womb to get his first name, he wrestled with God and got a new name. That limp was a sign for him to think about and remember the God he chose to serve and his life.

Jacob and Esau were not teenagers by the time Jacob went to Laban. (See the links below). The information is approximate at best, and I had to work backward to get to the start.

Tribes of Israel – A timeline | Mark’s Bible Study (ificouldteachthebible.com)

The Tribes of Israel – How Old Were These Guys | Mark’s Bible Study (ificouldteachthebible.com)

Jacob and Israel are the seed of Abraham by promise and faith. I tend to read/think of Jacob as the natural-born children and Israel as the supernatural children when the names are together in the same verse.

Abraham – Genesis 15

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Genesis 15 represents “two days” in the life of Abram (who became Abraham). I believe, the journey for “the father of the faithful” should be viewed in context. This story sits between a great moment in Abram’s life and one that may have seemed good but had many sorrows come from it. Abram was blessed by Melchizedek, got a promise and a covenant with God, and then had Sarah help God out. Genesis 15 holds much prophetic material in it, but today, I want to focus on the firepot and torch.    

Making a Covenant

Genesis 15:9 – 21 describes the “cutting” of the covenant, it lists the animals and who walked between them and the conditions that were to be observed. In the devotional book Destined to Reign, Joseph Prince has the thought on 1/10 and 2/24 that the covenant was between the Father and the Son with Abram and his descendants benefiting from this covenant. In the passage, Abram does not walk through the pieces of the animals, but a smoking firepot and a burning torch (vs 17) make the trip. It is these two things that represent the Father and the Son.

Smoking Firepot and a Burning Torch

I do see the Trinity in this scene and not just the Father and the Son. If I may, the Holy Spirit is carrying the firepot and the torch; just like the Poles of the Ark allowed the Mercy Seat and the Chest/Ark to be carried among men.

The cloud/smoke-producing fire or cooking pot represents the Father. Why I link these two together comes from the New Testament and the times that the Father spoke to or about Jesus from a cloud: Matthew 17 (the Transfiguration), and at Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus is the burning torch that is the Light of the World, even in our darkest night. “The Glory” is used in some passages instead of a flame or fire. Another thing is lightening; at this point some of these associations are thin. Ah, such is the life of metaphors, at times we may be forcing things to meet our paradigms.

The cloud and light metaphor is seen again when Israel passes through the Red Sea. Take a few moments and compare the similarities of Genesis 15 and Exodus 14. Most of the references to clouds and fire relate to the pillar that led Israel for forty years as they passed through the wilderness. They also appear when God is on Mount Sinai giving Moses and Israel the Law or terms of the first covenant.

Genesis 15:17 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

Here are some verses.

  • Exodus 13:21, 14:20, 19:9 and 16-18, 20:18, 40:38
  • Numbers 9:15
  • Deuteronomy 1:33, 4:11, 5:22
  • Psalm 78:14, 105:39, 18:8/2 Samuel 22:9
  • Psalm 91:1 I feel is special because Moses is commending those who choose to dwell under the Cloud.
  • 1 Kings 8:11 The dedication of the Temple.
  • Isaiah 4:5, 30:27
  • Joel 2:30 and Acts 2:19 This resembles the conditions on Mount Sinai.
  • Matthew 17:5 – a bright cloud

Why Two Days?

Please note that in Genesis 1 a day was identified as the evening and the morning. Hebrews started the 24 hours as the sunset. Several ideas come from this: we start from rest and things start in the dark and go to light.

Genesis 15:5 has Abram outside counting stars. He gathered, cut three large animals, and arranged them for the ceremony. Verse 17 has the sun setting and darkness covering the land as the smoking pot and burning torch appear.

The Cross

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This study about the Cross started simply enough, I mean it is a central object in my faith, so of course I knew all about it. Types and shadows and many illustrations from sermons should qualify me as knowledgeable. Well, I was not as good as I thought. I will focus on the wooden implement and not the religious and doctrinal aspects of the cross.

This needs to be said. Jesus was betrayed and condemned by the religious leaders of His day (the Sanhedrin). The political rulers punished Jesus with a beating and allowed Him to be mocked. He was then sentenced to death by hanging on the cross (Rome did this to non-Romains). He had to carry His cross out of the city and be nailed to it and hung on it. He did this for me.

Old Testament Examples

  • Genesis 40:19 – Pharoah was going to kill his servant and hang him on a pole.
  • Joshua 8:29 – The king of Ai was put on a tree and left until the end of the day. He was removed because of Deuteronomy 21:23. A person hung on a tree was under a curse and had to be buried so as not to defile the land.
  • Ezra 6:11 – This is King Darius agreeing with King Cyrus about pulling a beam from the house of anyone that changes the decree to build the Temple of God and have them impaled on it.
  • Esther 5:14 – A hanging tree is a good rendering of gallows. I believe the seventy-five-foot height was more about making a statement than torturing or killing the man.

I have read that these hangings and impaling were for public display of the body after they had been killed and not for the actual killing as the Romains did to Jesus.

A Lot of Words

Atzei, etz, nace, bad, xylon, and stauros are Hebrew and Greek words that deal with wooden things in the Bible.

Genesis 22:6 is the wood (atzei) for the sacrifice being carried by Isaac to Mount Moriah. This word is related to etz, #H6086 in the Strong’s. Etz is a tree or wood and is first used for the trees in the Garden and is the main word for a tree or wood in the Scriptures. The picture of Isaac is a type of Jesus carrying the Cross to the place of sacrifice.

Exodus 15:25 is Hashem showing Moses a “piece of etz” to throw into a pool to make it drinkable. Yes, there are many legends about that etz, none of which can be confirmed in Scripture. I will agree it is a picture of Jesus. I have heard good sermons describing it as a type of the Cross, so I will leave this one up to you. Be a Berean and study this one out.

Exodus 25:14 is part of the instructions for building the Ark and the Tabernacle. The two poles that were part of the Ark and used to carry it are called staves (KJV) or poles. The word here is bad #H905 and it refers to a “branch of a tree”. Since they are part of the Ark, I do not think they represent the Cross, but the Holy Spirit.   

Numbers 21:9 definitely is a picture of Jesus on the Cross. This is the story of the brass serpent on a pole. The word nace #H5251 is frequently used for a military standard or banner, or a flag or sail. The idea of a standard really would be a picture of a crosspiece on the Cross.

In the New Testament, the word for cross is stauros. (Please see the websites listed below.) From historical sources, it is described as a pole with no crosspiece of any kind. Wow, that would mess up a lot of great sermons.

Yes, I started looking for early Christian art that depicted the Passion. There really is not that much early art that shows a cross (1st to 3rd century). The Restless Pilgrim post is graffiti that is mocking someone that worshipped Jesus, but it does show a human figure on a cross with a crosspiece and a footrest. The other picture was a royal seal of Emperor Constantine. He had a traditional Christian cross on it (It was in a movie about Rome) and it was made in the late 300’s before his death. I have also heard that when the early Christians “lifted holy hands” they were making themselves into the shape of the Cross.

Paul in Galatians

Galatians 3:13 restates Deuteronomy 21:23 which says if you are hung on a tree/pole (xylon) you are cursed. But in 6:14 he will only boast in the cross (stauros) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like the Tree in the Garden, it carried a good and a bad message.

My thoughts-I believe the Romains took torture to a whole new level with their use of the cross. So, it does not really matter if Jesus’ hands were straight up or splayed out on a crosspiece, they made sure it was horrible. (I do think there was a crosspiece.)

Could a Greek word (stauros) have been “recycled” for a Romain device? Americans do it all the time. That would have allowed for the upright to stay in the ground and the condemned just to carry the crosspiece.

That Romain cross, like a tree, was planted in the ground and held Jesus between Heaven and Earth. He was nailed to that wood, and it became my Tree of Life. The Cross held the most important piece of fruit to ever hang from a tree; make sure you are found in Him.

What’s the earliest depiction of the crucifixion? – Restless Pilgrim

Stauros – Wikipedia

σταυρός | billmounce.com