Category Archives: Friday Bible Study Notes

Friday Bible Study Notes

Abram & Lot – Genesis 13

Genesis 13:1-5

This is a transitional text, moving the story from one location to another. But it is also transitional in Abram’s relationship with God, if he appeared to lose faith in God’s ability to care for him whilst in Egypt, now he re-discovering his spiritual relationship and returns to former places of worship to reconnect with God.

But for Sarai, there is very little transition. She is again referred to as wife and then disappears from the text whilst Abram and Lot determine the future.

13:5-7

The problems of wealth!

Growing tensions over land and water supply

13:8-13

Claiming the land – what of Canaanites and Perizzites?

Dividing the land. There is some wisdom and courage in Abram solution, the family is stripping the land bare and they need to divide their wealth if they are still to prosper. In doing so he trusts the promise and he trusts God’s abundance.

To trust God’s abundance is to stand in contrast to the ideology of scarcity that is dominant in our times – whether from a Capitalist or Marxist perspective. It is the language of those who fear foreigners, it is the language of those who create scarcity to profit from demand, it is the language of fearfulness – it is not the language of God. cf Luke 12:13-21

Abram’s generosity/Lot’s selfishness

“Lot chose the plains without hesitation and apparently without asking Abram’s advice. In using the beauty and fertility of the plain rather than his relationship with the Lord as his criterion for choosing the location of home. Lot left the land of Canaan and moved to live among the wicked in Sodom. Lot chose the plain because of its potential to multiply his wealth with our regard to the morality of the people he would live among. His choice would prove disastrous in the long term.

Lot’s attitude is common one on our continent. Many believers close their eyes to ethical considerations when they make business deals, seek promotion, or take other actions to advance their prosperity. It is important to take issues of right and wrong into account even as we strive for wealth. A little with the Lord is better than plenty he has not blessed (Prov 15:16; 16:8).”

Assohoto & Ngewa, Genesis, African Bible Commentary

14:14-17

Contrast with lack of faith in Chapter 12

“The two together (and neither alone) present faith the way it really is. Like Abraham, we are strange mixtures of prudence and trust. But in both, the gospel is at work. In both narratives the promise-making, blessing-giving God is at work. The trust of Abraham matters in these narratives. But it does not matter finally. What matters finally is the faithfulness of Yahweh to this family. “

Brueggemann, Genesis

Friday Bible Study Notes

Abram & Sarai- Genesis 12

History, Story or Theology?

History – We can not date Abram & Sarai. Various attempts have tripped over too many inconsistencies. The date of text is anywhere from c750 (Josiah) to c500 (Exile) 

The sources at least 3 different texts that have been combined – each text has own style & emphasis. The text we have is aweaving of earlier text, with editorial control/comment.

Story – uses a storytelling form to create an ancestral history – distinct from the primeval history of Genesis 1-11. These are family stories, to answer the question of “Where do we come from?” But don’t be concerned with use of the word story – these are narratives packed with truth – for people are people.

Theology storytellers and editors want to say something about God’s relationship with humanity through the eyes of a specific people. Commentators reflect their own context and experiences and how these ancient tales impact on their understanding of God

We come at it as 21st Century, western people who have found our way into this church community. What do we learn about God from these texts? What do we learn about ourselves, our relationships with one another and our relationship with God? What do these texts have to say to our context?

Barrenness & Promise

We are immediately told that Sarai is barren, the family line is coming to an end. But hopelessness is the arena for God’s life-giving action

Time for adventure – 12:1-2  – God calls the hopeless ones into a community of promise … calls the fixed ones into pilgrimage 

“with closed eyes … until having renounced thy country, thou shalt have given thyself wholly to me.” (Calvin)

12:4 So Abram went …  setting out in faith –  how does that feel?

Residing as Alien

12:10 residing as an alien – fearful, uncertain, 

Confronting Empire

In Egypt Abram lies about his relationship with Sarai and passes her off as his sister. When God intervenes, Pharaoh is furious and throws them out. At the same time Sarai loses her name, she becomes an object subject to the intrigues of the men and is referred to as “wife”. Yet, “Everything hinges on Sarai, Her condition threatens to negate the future, the continuation of genealogy, even while Yhwh calls Abram to relinquish his past and present. Let there be no misunderstanding Sarai the barren wife is the human pivot in this patriarchal narrative. She counts. (Phyllis Trible in Hagar, Sarah and their Children)