Abraham

The LORD promises Abram a seed (Genesis 13:16)

OVERVIEW. A commentary on how Genesis 13:16 displays the physical seed and the spiritual seed of Abraham. Circumcision and baptism.

“I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.” Genesis 13:16

In this verse, the LORD is speaking to Abram and is repeating and confirming the promise which He made to Abram in Gen. 12:2-3. Also note that, in the original Hebrew, “descendants” is literally “seed.”

EXEGESIS / COMMENTARY

The LORD promises Abram that his descendants (literally “seed”) will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. This is a repetition of the promise the LORD made in Gen. 12:2 when He promised Abram that He would make him a “great nation.”

PHYSICAL SEED. Certainly this refers to a promise of many physical descendants. (As a side note, consider that at this time, Abram had exactly zero descendants and his wife was barren. The LORD likes to act  in the face of impossible odds! This is also a testimony to Abram’s faith, for he believed that the LORD’s promise would be fulfilled even when there was no human possibility. Romans 4:18-22; etc.) The LORD was promising Abram a multitude of physical descendants, and the Scriptures attest that the LORD fulfilled that promise in the Old Testament nation of Israel. But we also see that promise fulfilled today, for the modern nation of Israel lives in the land of Canaan and is a testimony to the LORD’s fulfillment of His promise given to Abraham of a physical seed which would dwell in the land “forever” (Genesis 13:15).

SPIRITUAL SEED. But the LORD’s promise here is not only of a physical seed, but this promise to Abram is also of a spiritual seed. As we examine the New Testament, we read that “it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7) and “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise” (3:29). Thus we see that all believers are Abraham’s spiritual seed by faith in Jesus. Paul’s argument in Romans 4:11-16 is that Abraham is the spiritual father of circumcised believers and uncircumcised believers because of their shared faith in Jesus. Thus in Genesis 13 the LORD is promising Abraham that he will be the father “of a great multitude which no one could count” (Rev. 7:9) of spiritual seed.

SIGNS. To prove that the LORD kept His promise of a physical seed, He gave Abraham the covenant sign of circumcision and commanded that all male descendants of Abraham receive the sign of circumcision (Gen. 17). Circumcision marks the physical seed of Abraham.

And to prove that He kept His promise to Abraham of a spiritual seed, the Lord Jesus commanded that all disciples must be baptized (Matt. 28:19). Baptism marks the spiritual seed.

Since, regarding the physical seed, Hebrew males who did not receive circumcision “shall be cut off from His people” (Gen. 17:14), it follows regarding the spiritual seed that those who do not receive biblical baptism shall likewise be cut off from Abraham’s spiritual people.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/20/2025                   #716

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 6

POST OVERVIEW. The sixth in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023; Post #653, 5/25/2023; Post #654, 5/30/2023; Post #655, 6/5/2023; Post #658, 6/9/2023.) This article will compare the teaching about Abraham and Rahab in Hebrews 11 with parallel teaching in James 2:21-25.

We are in the midst of a deep dive into James 2:14-26. The reason we are going into considerable detail in studying this passage is that James 2 contains teaching about being “justified by works” that appears to be in direct conflict with the teaching of Paul on justification by faith alone. False teachers and the Catholic church have capitalized on this apparent conflict and have insisted that our human “works” merit for us our salvation. Our goal in this series is to demonstrate from a variety of different angles that there is nothing in this passage in James 2 to suggest that our “works” contribute anything to our salvation. In other words, James is in complete agreement with the rest of the New Testament in declaring that justification (being declared righteous) is by faith alone, apart from works (of the Law).

REFERRING TO THE HALL OF FAME OF FAITH IN HEBREWS 11

This next study will refer to Hebrews 11, the “hall of fame of faith,” and compare what is said there about Abraham and Rahab with what James also says about Abraham and Rahab in James 2:21-25. From this investigation, we will discover, once again, that James is not teaching a new doctrine of salvation by works that conflicts with Paul’s gospel. But before we begin our investigation of these texts, we need to make some comments about Hebrews 11.

COMMENTS ON HEBREWS 11. Hebrews 11 is a chapter devoted to the “works” that selected Old Testament believers did which manifested their genuine faith. “By faith” is the English phrase that is repeated eighteen (18) times in the chapter. This phrase indicates that these Old Testament characters already possessed saving faith, because you cannot act “by faith” if you do not already possess faith. This means that all the characters in this chapter had already been “justified” (i.e., declared righteous) by faith before they performed their works of faith. Then, already possessing saving faith, these men and women took dramatic action (“works”) that both required saving faith and manifested saving faith. Thus we see that each one of the characters in Hebrews 11 was “justified by works” in the same sense that Abraham and Rahab were “justified by works” in James 2. Their radical obedience to the Lord provided visible evidence that they were already believers.

ABRAHAM. Now we will look specifically at Hebrews 11:17 about Abraham.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. – Hebrews 11:17

First, it is apparent that this verse is about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah from Genesis 22. Next, we observe that Abraham acted “by faith,” indicating that his sacrifice of Isaac was not done to merit his own salvation or to obtain righteousness from God, because he already possessed saving faith. Third, the Scripture says that Abraham was “tested.” God tested Abraham’s faith to determine its genuineness and its strength. And, because Abraham already had faith, he responded to the test with extreme obedience.

Having examined Hebrews 11:17 about Abraham, we now turn to the identical event described in James 2:21.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? – James 2:21

First, this is obviously about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis 22. Second, we read that Abraham was “justified by works.” From our study of Hebrews 11:17, we know that, at the time of this sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham already possessed saving faith and had already been declared righteous by faith (confirm James 2:23 quoting Genesis 15:6). The obedient offering of Isaac (a “work”) “justified” Abraham in that it gave an astonishing display of the strong faith he possessed. So, in the case of Abraham, we see once again that “justified by works” has nothing to do with meriting salvation by human effort.

RAHAB. Our procedure for studying Rahab the harlot will be the same as for Abraham.

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. – Hebrews 11:31

First, Rahab obviously acted “by faith,” indicating that she already possessed saving faith before the spies arrived. When we investigate the background of this verse from the book of Joshua, we see that, by the time “she had welcomed the spies in peace,” Rahab had already declared her allegiance to the LORD (Joshua 2:9-11) and she had identified with the people of God (Joshua 2:21). Clearly, she was a woman of faith before the spies arrived in Jericho. Finally, we note that Rahab “did not perish with those who were disobedient.” Significant here is that she was obedient and she lived.

Now we turn to James 2:25 and his verse about Rahab.

In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? – James 2:25

“Rahab the harlot was also justified by works.” James is saying that, just as Abraham was justified by works, so also Rahab was justified by works. And how was Abraham justified by his “works?” His radical obedience (offering Isaac at the LORD’s command) “gave an astonishing display of his strong faith.” In the same way, Rahab’s courageous obedience in the face of dangerous consequences “gave an astonishing display of the strong faith that she possessed.” So, in this way, Rahab was “justified by works.”

CONCLUSION. A comparison of James 2:21 and 2:25 with parallel verses in Hebrews 11 has revealed, once again, that James is not teaching an errant doctrine of imputed righteousness by human works but is stating the biblical truth that genuine faith is “justified” by actions which display that faith.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/13/2023                   #659

Genesis 22 – Part 1 – Foreshadowing the cross

INTRODUCTION: In many ways, Genesis 22 is the culmination of the Bible’s story of Abraham, for in this chapter we see the foreshadowing of the cross of Jesus, we again encounter the angel of the LORD, and we see the supreme demonstration of Abraham’s faith as he takes his son, his only son, whom he loves, Isaac, to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him there (22:2). This series of articles will cover these different elements of Genesis 22.

The first article will focus on the way the circumstances and details of this narrative in Genesis 22 paints for us a clear foreshadow of the cross of Jesus Christ.

FORESHADOW (TYPE) OF CHRIST (GENESIS 22:1-10)

No word or detail of the inspired text of the Bible is random. The Bible is God’s word to His people, and God has chosen each word precisely for its intended purpose. As we read the Bible, then, we are alert for details that God has placed in the text to communicate His message to us. It is not surprising, then, that a first reading of Genesis 22:1-10 reveals that this father and son event points toward another Father and Son event out in the future. The details of this passage foreshadow Jesus’ crucifixion.

GENESIS 22:2

Examining the passage, then, we first observe that God tells Abraham to “take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as an offering on one of the mountains” (22:2).

Abraham the father was to take his only son. This son was the answer to all his waiting and all his hope. This was his ONLY son. There would not be another. All God’s promises to Abraham rested on this son, his only son. This only son, Isaac, was the son whom Abraham loved. This detail is not given for information, but for emphasis. Can you feel the agony of this assignment? Imagine the father’s pain in taking his beloved only son to Moriah and offering him there as an offering. Notice, also, the place of the offering. Moriah was the place where, a thousand years later, Solomon would build his temple, there to offer sacrifices. So, Moriah was associated with sacrifice and burnt offering. But another thousand years after Solomon, Moriah was also the place outside of Jerusalem where the Romans would crucify criminals. And Abraham was to take his beloved only son to Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice.

These details are given to us here in Genesis 22:2 so that, when we see the events of Jesus’ journey to the cross, we can see that these events were pictured for us in this narrative so many years before. For we know that Jesus was the Father’s only begotten Son. There will never be another. He is the only Son of the Father. Jesus is the Beloved Son. Jesus said, “For the Father loves the Son” (John 5:20). And in the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus was praying to the Father and said, “You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). So, what we see in Jesus’ crucifixion is the Father giving His beloved only begotten Son as a sacrifice on the hill of Moriah.

GENESIS 22:3

The detail to be noticed in this verse is the wood. Abraham “split the wood for the burnt offering.” The wood was necessary for the burnt offering. The sacrifice was not possible without the wood. For our Lord Jesus, His sacrifice was also not possible without the wood of the cross, So, both for Isaac and for Jesus, the wood is essential to the sacrifice.

GENESIS 22:4

Another detail is inserted here in the inspired Scripture – “On the third day.” It is not important that Abraham and Isaac traveled three days to get to Moriah, but that fact is mentioned to draw attention to the immense importance of this passage. To make the passage stand out, Moses mentions the third day. This time period of three days occurs many times in Scripture, and is associated with significant events, so its occurrence here is another part of this narrative that would cause the reader to pause and take notice.

GENESIS 22:5

Abraham announces to his young men, “I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” At no point does Abraham suggest that he is not going to sacrifice his beloved only son Isaac, so this statement to his young men should be interpreted as meaning that Abraham believed that his son would be given back to him by resurrection (Hebrews 11:17-19).

But now consider that, as outrageous as Abraham’s belief was, Jesus Christ publicly made statements that foretold His own resurrection after His sacrifice. In fact, Jesus declared that He must be killed to accomplish His mission, and He would certainly be raised up on the third day. Again, we see the details of Abraham and Isaac’s experience clearly contained in the events of the cross.

GENESIS 22:6-8

The plot thickens as the father and the son draw near to the place of sacrifice. The details in Genesis 22:6 are so carefully chosen. “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.” The wood of the sacrifice is laid on the son. No doubt, the wood was heavy, and its splinters rubbed into the son’s shoulders, but he carried the wood without complaint. The wood was his to carry, so he carried it willingly. Abraham took the fire and the knife, the instruments of sacrifice, and readied himself for the awful task. The father would sacrifice his beloved only son. “So the two of them walked on together.” The son trusts the father and the father loves the son, so the son does not run away, and the father does not disobey. The father and the son walked on together. Ever since Isaac could walk, father and son have walked together. Now they walk together to the place of sacrifice.

The poignancy of the scene increases still more in Genesis 22:7, as Isaac speaks to Abraham his father. “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Isaac is old enough to know the elements for an offering. There must be a sacrifice, but where is the lamb?

Abraham speaks words of immense faith, or at least of great hope. Abraham knows that Isaac, the son of promise, is to be the sacrifice, but the father tells the son, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (22:8). The father cannot bear to tell the son that the son whom he loves is to be the sacrifice. Isaac accepts the vague answer, and then “the two of them walked on together.” Trust. Love. Father and son going up the hill together to the place of sacrifice. Will God provide the lamb for the sacrifice? Where is the lamb?

Once again, the details so carefully woven into the narrative of Abraham and Isaac clearly give us a foretaste of the events of the cross. The Father figuratively lays the rough wood of the cross on the shoulders of His Son, where the splinters will enter His shoulders and back. Jesus the Son must bear this load alone, the heavy wood of the cross, but more, the terrible weight of the wrath of God. He will groan but not complain, for this is the work, His terrible work. Although the Father is with the Son as He climbs the hill, the Father cannot be seen by the eye of sinful man. Father and Son go on together to the place of sacrifice. The words of Isaac spoken so long ago still hang in the air over Moriah – “Father, where is the lamb?”

GENESIS 22:9-10

Having arrived at the place of sacrifice, the father “built the altar and arranged the wood and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood” (22:9). Abraham is old and frail, and Isaac is young and full of the strength of early manhood. It is certain, therefore, that the father could not possibly force the son onto the altar, but the son yields in submission and obedience to the father’s will. The child of promise is now on the altar as Abraham raises the knife to slay his son.

Abraham and Isaac on Moriah give us a biblical “type.” That is, this father and son foreshadow for us the much more significant event of the cross of Christ. In the real event, the ultimate event, God the Father has appointed the crucifixion of God the Son. The Son yields in complete submission to the will of the Father (“not My will, but Thy will be done”) and allows Himself to be scourged and crowned with thorns and led up Moriah’s hill, the hill we know as Calvary. Here is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that Abraham said God Himself would provide. Jesus the Lamb is laid on the wood of the cross and then is lifted up so that He can be despised and forsaken of men. Isaac, the son of promise, is allowed to go free and to live while a ram is sacrificed in his place, but Jesus as the Lamb of God is the substitute. He is the sacrifice found in the thicket (Genesis 22:13) that is sacrificed in the place of the repentant, believing sinner, so that the sinner covered by His blood can be forgiven and go free. God the Father forsakes God the Son (unfathomable mystery!) so that the Son can bear the wrath of the Father’s judgment in the place of His people.

In the next post, we will take a close look at the angel of the LORD who appears in Genesis 22:11 and try to understand who he is. It should be a fascinating study.

SDG                 rmb                 12/15/2021                 #470

Because of the covenant (Genesis 18 and 19) – Part 1

But because there was a covenant . . .

I have been spending time lately in Genesis looking at the life of Abraham, the father of faith, and this week I have been in chapters 15 through 19, which focus on the LORD’s covenant with Abraham. This post will be more like a series of observations than my usual study which presents my observations and then applies them.

THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM IS “MADE” BASED ON HIS FAITH

The covenant with Abraham begins in an unusual way. After Abraham expresses his faith; that is, after he “believes God, and it is credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6), the LORD has Abraham prepare a number of sacrificial animals and then causes him to fall into a deep sleep (15:12). While Abraham slept, the LORD “made” a covenant with him (15:18-21).

Why does the LORD make His covenant with Abraham while Abraham is asleep? The point of this seems to be to emphasize that this covenant between the LORD and Abraham is completely dependent on the LORD’s will and activity. Because Abraham has believed God (faith in 15:6), he is going to be the recipient of the benefits of this covenant, even though he is completely passive in making the covenant. Because of his faith, Abraham has full possession of this covenant with the LORD. By faith, he is now in covenant with the living God.

THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM IS “ESTABLISHED“

Moving forward to Genesis 17, now the LORD “establishes” His covenant with Abraham. While the covenant was “made” (cut) when Abraham was asleep (15:18), in Genesis 17 the LORD appears to him while he is wide awake to “establish” His covenant. In Genesis 17, the word “covenant” appears eleven times. When Genesis 17 has ended, there is no doubt that the covenant has been established. It is public.

It needs to be stressed here that all the benefits of this covenant accrue to the passive participant. Abraham gets all the blessings. He receives all the promises. The sole requirement for Abraham is that he must keep the covenant by circumcising all his male descendants. That’s it. He will be a father of a multitude of nations (17:4, 5), and all he is obligated to do is to make sure that his “seed” are identified by circumcision.

All of this is really an introduction to my main observations.

THE LORD COMES DOWN TO ABRAHAM

In Genesis 18, Abraham has a face-to-face conversation with the LORD that lasts throughout the chapter. Let’s be clear on what occurs here. An ordinary flesh and blood human being has a time of peaceful fellowship with the LORD of the universe. Now ordinarily, when the LORD comes down, He comes in fire and smoke and whirlwind. When He came down on Mount Sinai, the entire top of the mountain was engulfed in flames and black smoke. When the LORD comes down, there is terror and judgment, like when He came down on the first Passover and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians. But because Abraham has a covenant with the LORD, they enjoy a meal together and have pleasant fellowship. Because of the covenant, there is peace and friendship between the holy God and the ordinary saint.

I need to put a bookmark here, but next time we will look at this covenant relationship in greater depth and see how the covenant between the LORD and Abraham determines many of the amazing events in Genesis 19 and the destruction of Sodom.

SDG

The unprompted extravagance of God (Genesis 12:2-3)

“And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3

In these two verses in Genesis 12, the LORD pours out a landslide of seven unconditional promises of blessing on this man, this Abram the son of Terah from Ur of the Chaldeans. Take a moment with me and consider the unprompted extravagance of the LORD.

WHAT ABRAM DESERVED OR MERITED?

We begin by considering Abram and see why he received such an outpouring of blessings from the LORD. As we read of Abram ancestors in Genesis 11:10-31, we search in vain for any indication of anyone in his family tree having a knowledge of the LORD. Where are his forefathers who called on the name of the LORD? They are absent. Instead, we read through nine generations without a single mention of the LORD. Indeed, Terah, Abram’s father, was a pagan who worshiped the moon god. As we study Abram’s lineage, there is no evidence of any acquaintance with the LORD or with any exercise of faith. It is hard to imagine that Abram had any concept of the LORD before He called him.

THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE LORD’S CALL

Then at the time appointed by the LORD, He calls Abram to go forth from his country to an unseen, unknown land that the LORD will show him. There had been no relationship between Abram and the LORD and then suddenly the LORD bursts upon Abram’s consciousness, calls him to trust Him with his entire future, and pours out astonishing, unconditional promises on him. And all of this is completely unprompted and unrequested. There is nothing that motivated or prompted the LORD to choose Abram other than His own divine will. Abram was unaware of the LORD’s existence and could have died that way. Abram could have continued his father’s legacy of bowing down to the moon god and never have known the joy of walking with the living God. Abram could happily have continued in his ignorance, but the LORD chose to speak to this man. Why Abram? We do not know, but the LORD chose him to be the father of a multitude and to walk with Him.

ALL THE GRACIOUS PROMISES

And then, as if that were not amazing enough, the LORD immediately makes seven astonishing promises to Abram. This is the unprompted extravagance of the LORD, to call Abram to Himself and then to make these glorious promises of blessing, and all of this as an act of His grace, just because He chose to do this.

“And I will make you a great nation.” At the time of this promise, Abram had no children and a barren wife, yet the LORD gives him an unconditional promise that he will become a great and populous nation.

“And I will bless you.” Abram gets the LORD’s unconditional promise that He will bless him. This probably refers to material blessings of flocks and herds.

“And I will make your name great.” Abram will be known far and wide as a great man. He will be famous and respected. Another unconditional promise.

“And so you shall be a blessing.” Not only will Abram be blessed, but he will also be a blessing to others. He will be blessed to be a blessing. Another unconditional promise.

“And I will bless those who bless you.” Those who are allies with Abram and those who help and bless Abram will be blessed by the LORD. Another unconditional promise.

“And the one who curses you I will curse.” Likewise, those who oppose or threaten Abram, or who seek to curse him will themselves be cursed, for the LORD will protect him. Another unconditional promise.

“And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” This is, of course, the grandest extravagance of all, as the LORD gives Abram the veiled promise that he will be the forefather of the Messiah. Another unconditional promise.

EXTRAVAGANT GRACE TO ALL WHO CALL ON THE LORD

            God’s extravagance to Abram was clearly displayed as the Lord of the universe called a pagan shepherd from a far country to be a father of a multitude and to become a friend of God. But we also understand that this is not a unique situation, nor is it even an uncommon one. The Lord who sought out and found Abram in Ur of the Chaldeans and called him to a life of faith walking with the living God is also the same Lord who seeks out and finds all His elect wherever they are and calls them to faith in the Lord Jesus.

            My own story is a display of the Lord’s unprompted extravagance, since before I became a Christian, I was far from Him, had little knowledge of Him, and had less interest in knowing Him. I was content in my ignorance, happily careening toward judgment. Then one day on a cliff in California, in an act of unprompted grace, the Lord awakened me to my own mortality and called me to Himself and called me to change. In a short time, He had led me to a good church and made sure that I had a Bible. He brought me to repentance of my many sins and to faith in the crucified and risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He brought me from death to life and promised to never leave me or forsake me. In His Word, he gave me many precious and magnificent promises (2 Peter 1:4) that are all “yes” and “Amen” in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).

            And, although there are as many variations as there are salvation testimonies, this display of His unprompted extravagance is what the Lord does all the time. This is who He is. He is a God who gives and loves extravagantly, and His blessings on His people are unprompted by anything in us and are only the expression of His mercy and glory and generosity and grace.

            Abram and you and I have this in common: we have been the recipient of God’s unprompted extravagance and His promises of blessing.

SDG                 rmb                 1/3/2021