Category Archives: Abraham

Resurrection, Changed, Ascension

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In my reading through the year with C. S. Lewis, several days centered on the Resurrection, Jesus’ Changed Body, and the Ascension. These days of reflections came from his book Miracles.

I wrote Analogy to express my long-held thoughts that if it is in the Gospels and/or the rest of the New Testament, it may have been introduced in the First Testament. This study is me putting that idea into print. Is this an exhaustive study on the subject, no. I decided to not include types and shadows of baptism, which could fit in well in this study.

Here are my thoughts on the types and shadows of the Resurrection, Changed Bodies, and the Ascension.

  • Resurrection   
  • Elijah was used to raise a boy from the dead in 1 Kings 17.
  • Elisha was used to raise two people from the dead: A dead boy in 2 Kings 4:8 and a dead man/body that touched his bones in 2 Kings 13:21.

There are legends as to who these two boys became, you get to do the research. I do have to marvel at God’s wisdom to not include the names of these three in Holy Cannon; the focus is Jesus, not them.

These two prophets/servants/witnesses, Elijah and Elisha, have many special notes in the Song that God has sung. I consider the duo a type of John the Baptist and Jesus. They do not have Books with their name on them, yet their parts in the Song are still being sung. They did many outstanding miracles.  

  • Changed Body
  • Abraham and Sarah had their bodies restored and were able to produce Issac after the Lord appeared to them in Genesis 18. Abraham went on to take a third wife and produced children with her; he was old.
  • Moses would spend time in the presence of God and had to wear a veil because he was glowing. He was described as “his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone” at 120 years of age. Deuteronomy 34:7 NIV

A thought, Abraham and Sarah represent the faith-life and Moses represents the Law. No, these do not compare with walking through walls, but it is a start.

  • Ascension
  • Enoch walked with God and God took him away. Genesis 5:24
  • Elijah was taken into heaven alive by a chariot and horses of fire. 2 Kings 2

These two are special: Enoch was pre-flood and Elijah was post-flood. You may take that thought wherever you would like to go with it. There is a fair amount of debate if these men are the Two Witnesses in Revelation because they never died.

Renewal, Regeneration, and Born Again
Born Again, Born Anew, Born from Above
An Analogy

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.