Abraham's strong finish  

Today I reached the end of Abram's story, and likewise the end of Part 7 of Genesis. I read Abram's story in three days and it's a great way to read it in my opinion. I really got a sense of growing intimacy in God and Abram/Abraham's relationship. Overall I think the story is very beautiful.

Synopsis

Sarah finally bears Abraham a son, Isaac, which is amazing and is an important part of God's promise to Abraham. Eventually Sarah wants to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael, and God tells Abraham that's ok, because he'll make Ishmael a great nation as well, but the important promises will come through Isaac. (God subsequently does take care of Hagar and Ishmael).

After a short story about the owner of the land Abraham is living on, God "tests" Abraham and asks him to sacrifice his son, whom he loves. Oddly enough, Abraham doesn't seem to hesitate too much and is ready to slay his son when God provides a ram instead and reinforces his promises to Abraham more strongly than ever because Abraham would hold nothing back from God.

Abraham hears about some extended family, including a great niece named Rebekah. After that, Sarah dies, and Abraham weeps over her. As he buys a burial place, the people he is living among in Canaan show great respect for him.

Once Abraham is near death, he sends a servant to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's family. The servant prays a lot for success in this quest and praises God when he does find Rebekah, who is willing to go with him to marry Isaac. As they leave her family wishes her the same blessings that have been promised to Abraham's family. They get married and Isaac loves her.

Abraham has some more kids but sends them away from Canaan since it is through Isaac that God's promises will arrive. Abraham dies at 175 (a "good old age") and is buried by Ishmael and Isaac with Sarah. Abraham's story is over.

Part 8 of Genesis is very short: It's a list of Ishmael's descendants, showing that Ishmael's family becomes a great nation just as God told Hagar and Abraham.

A Response to Abraham's Story

What, overall, should I be coming away with as I finish the story about Abraham? There are lots and lots of details, lots of little action points to get caught up in. But throughout them all, there is a sense of important flow and feel, and some things that seep out as the clear message of Abraham's life:

The very beginning of Abraham's story starts with God initiating a relationship with Abram by promising him the land of Canaan, a great nation (despite his wife being barren), a great reputation, and blessings. God gives Abraham these promises over and over throughout the story, so they're apparently important.

There are a ton of stories in Abraham's life but I think that most of them are just stories about what a sweet deal Abraham gets by being God's friend. The more important thing is the evolution of God and Abraham's relationship, and the corresponding scenes. There are, then, outside of the firepot and name-changing scene, three critical plot points I see: Having a child by Hagar, having Isaac by Sarah, and willingness to sacrifice Isaac.

Why are these the three most important events? They map out Abraham's growing trust and faith in what God promises him. Despite what God says, because Sarah is barren and old, he ends up trying to fulfill God's promises through another woman. God doesn't punish anyone for this but tells Abraham it WILL be through Sarah. So then, having Isaac is the ultimate proof that what God told Abraham is true. Finally, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac shows insane trust that God will still fulfill his promises no matter what the circumstances look like.

It's easy to see what kind of interest this peaks in me: What promises does this trustworthy God have for me? If Abraham's God is real, this story would compel me to worship him, as he cares for Abraham and acts because he himself is good, not because of how great Abraham has been. Not only that, but he makes good on his promises.

Abraham in context with Genesis?

Before Abraham's entrance, Genesis' flow was pretty simple: God makes earth and man good, man ruins everything by several means, God starts over and tells man to populate earth again, man does but still has lots of problems.

So then this long narrative pops up all the sudden. What the heck does it mean? Does Abraham's story fit into what preceded it? God promises Abraham that all nations will be blessed through him, and that promise has no been fulfilled yet. What exactly did the author of Genesis have in mind?