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The Borders Of Israel Promised To Abraham
Thank you for your perceptive observation. In fact, in Genesis God promised Abraham the land which was then inhabited by ten nations, spanning from the Euphrates River to the “River of Egypt,” which most commentators understand to be Wadi el-Arish, a wadi in the north-eastern Sinai Peninsula. Yet to the Children of Israel God many times mentions the land of the seven nations of Canaan (e.G. Deut. 7:1), not ten. Is this a smaller promise then the one originally made to Abraham?
The Midrash explains that lands of the first three of the original ten nations were given to other members of Abraham’s family. Specifically, the land of the Keinites was given to Esau’s descendants (the nation of Edom), the Kenizzites to Lot’s son Moab, and the Kadmonites to his son Ammon. (Those two nations were granted some of Abraham’s land in the merit that their father Lot did not betray Abraham to the king of Egypt when Abraham claimed Sarah was his sister (Genesis 12).) (Source: Bereishit Rabbah 44:23, 51:6. See Rashi to Genesis 15:19 and Deuteronomy 2:5.)
The Land of Edom roughly corresponds to the southern parts of modern Israel and Jordan, south of the Dead Sea. The lands of Ammon and Moab were to the east of the Jordan River, spanning across much of western Jordan, across from the Dead Sea (Moab) and further north.
As a result, the land promised to Israel later was smaller, corresponding to the borders described in Numbers 34. In fact, God specifically warned the Children of Israel not to touch the lands of those nations which were promised to them (Deut. 2:5,9,19).
This gift to the other nations, however, was temporary. In the Messianic Era Israel will be granted the entire ten lands. This is as Isaiah 11:14 states, “Edom and Moab will be the reach of their hands, and the Children of Ammon shall obey them.” See also Deut. 12:20, which refers to a much larger Land of Israel in the future, which the Midrash explains will occur when Israel will inherit the lands of the three nations (Sifri there).
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Who Is Abraham In The Bible And Why Is He Important?
Abraham plays an important role in the Christian faith. He is one of the most important figures in the Bible apart from Jesus. It is through his lineage that the Savior of the world comes (Matthew 1; Luke 3). No one can understand the Old Testament without understanding Abraham, for in many ways the story of redemption begins with God’s call to this patriarch. Abraham was the first man chosen by God for a role in the plan of redemption. The story of Abraham
contains the first mention in the Bible of God’s righteousness assigned to man as the sole means of salvation (Genesis 15:6). It was Abraham whom God chose to be the father of many nations, simply because it was His will. God knew that Abraham would struggle with the call set before him, but He also knew that his struggle would produce great growth and faith.
Abraham’s name was originally ‘Abram’, which means ‘the father is exalted’. His name was changed to ‘Abraham,’ which means ‘father of a multitude’, when God initiated His covenant with him (Genesis 17). God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many people. However, he and his wife Sarah were apparently past the normal age of having children; therefore, it would clearly be a miracle of God were they to have any. Nevertheless, Abraham trusted God and believed God could accomplish what He had promised.
God promised Abraham children (Genesis 15:5; 22:17). But when this didn’t take place as quickly as Abraham thought it should, he became impatient with God and took matters into his own control. His wife, Sarah was still childless, so she told Abraham to sleep with her handmaid, so that they might get a child from the union. A son was born from this union; his name was Ishmael. However, this was not God’s plan. God’s promise was for the offspring of Abraham and Sarah’s union (Genesis 15:3-4). Isaac was the name of the son that came from the union of Abraham and Sarah; it would be through Isaac that the nations would be blessed.
When God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child in their old age, they both laughed. Their laughter at God’s plan showed their disbelief that He could do what He said He would do. The Bible tells us, “Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, not that I am old?’ Is there anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’”(Genesis 18: 13-15). We would like to think Abraham believed God at once without any doubt, but this is not the case. He finds God’s word nearly impossible to believe. After all, Sarah is well past the age of childbearing. However, his response to the Lord does not display total disbelief in the covenant promise. He falls on his face, symbolic of submission, trust and worship. Abraham shows us that real confidence in God doesn’t rule out times when His incredible promises are hard for us to see.
After Abraham was called by God to leave Haran, he obediently did so. In Genesis 12, we read of Abraham (then called Abram) leaving Haran, where his father Terah had settled, and setting out to find the promised land. This account gives Abraham’s age at this time as 75, but Genesis 11 and Acts 3 suggest that Abraham was much older than this when he left Haran. Scripture also tells us that he was 86 when his first son Ishmael was born through Hagar, 99 when he was circumcised and 100 when his son Isaac was born through Sarah.
Abraham and Sarah were very happy with their new son Isaac; however, God had a test for Abraham. God told him, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2). This would have been a tremendous shock to any parent; to be blessed by a long awaited child, only to have God tell you to sacrifice that child. The Bible does not say that Abraham hesitated for a moment. In fact, there are certain passages that indicate Abraham’s strong faith that God would not take his son at all (Genesis 22:5, 8). Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac back to life if the sacrifice actually did take place (Hebrews 11:19).
Whether for God’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s or for our sake as an example, Abraham took his son up to a mountain, lay him down and prepared to kill him in obedience to God’s command. However, God intervened by stopping Abraham from killing his son and by providing a sacrifice in the form of a ram caught in the nearby brush. While Abraham’s faith had been tested, he proved his faith by his obedience to God.
Abraham had a long and challenging journey. Throughout this journey, he worked hard and experienced grief and blessings. Most of the time, he wasn’t able to see the path ahead, but he held strong to the promise in his heart. God would continue to fulfill that promise over a thousand years after Abraham’s death, until its completion in His Son Jesus Christ. We know through Abraham that God always keeps His promises. We may not have all the answers but God surely does.
Even When We Fail, God Still Has A Plan For Our Lives If We Are Humble And Willing To Obey
Numbers 12:3
Many years passed between the story of Joseph and Moses. Joseph died at the age of 110 years old. All his brothers, a whole generation, had also passed away. The children living in Egypt since the famine had greatly increased in number and wealth.
The new Pharoah of Egypt was not a friend of God's chosen people, unlike the Pharoah of Joseph's time. He was afraid the large Hebrew/Israelite nation might take away his power. The help Joseph had been during the famine meant nothing to this ruler.
Pharaoh made the decision to destroy the Israelites and they were forced to become slaves. They made bricks and worked hard in the fields, with cruel taskmasters beating the Hebrew people. The frequent beatings were given to destroy their spirits.
Pharoah saw how they continued to grow and ordered soldiers to throw all newborn baby boys into the Nile to drown.
One Israelite mother, Jochebed, refused to do this. She hid her little son Moses for three months. When it became difficult to hide him, she made a waterproof basket and put him among the reeds on the river bank. The baby's older sister, Miriam, stayed on the bank and watched the basket.
As she was watching, the Egyptian princess found the basket and decided to keep him for herself, adopting him as her own. She needed a nurse to care for the baby and Miriam was there to offer to get a Hebrew woman to care for him. Miriam took him to her mother Jochebed, who cared for him for two years.
He was taken to the palace to live as an Egyptian prince. There Moses received the education he would need to help the Israelites later in life. He learned the Egyptians code of law, rituals and standards of morality. Even though Moses was surrounded by the riches of Egypt, he did not forget his own people.
One day when he was older, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Enraged, Moses beat the taskmaster to death and buried his body in the sand. When Pharaoh found out, Moses ran away to a land called Midian in fear for his life.
Story continues
Living there, he got a job as a shepherd, married and had two sons. He learned many things about the desert he would need to know to accomplish God's plan for His life.
Moses felt he could never serve God after killing the Egyptian, but God had a special plan for him. He was preparing him to lead God's great nation through the wilderness to safety and to the land he had promised Abraham.
One day, as Moses cared for the sheep, God got his attention by causing a bush to burst into flame without burning up. When Moses saw the bush, he went to investigate. God spoke to Moses telling him he chose him to lead God's people, the Israelites of Egypt.
But Moses did not think he was strong enough to lead God's people. God asked him who made his mouth. God promised to give him the words to say. Moses was a very humble man and he believed and trusted God to guide him and give him the words that would cause Pharaoh to let God's people go.
God was not finished with Moses yet. Moses was 80 years old when he began his journey to Egypt to set God's people free and lead them to the land God promised hundreds of years before.
God called Moses and prepared him to complete the plan God had for his life. God also has a plan for each of us and will prepare us.
We learn from the story of Moses that God calls us and he will prepare us. We must stay in touch with God and be obedient to him.
Moses was not a perfect man, but he loved God and was willing to give up the riches of Egypt to be faithful to God's people. It was not easy. It is never easy, but God is with us, and He makes a way.
God is faithful my friends, Trust Him as he leads. He has a plan. Take advantage of the opportunities to gain experience and learn. Be prepared for this good plan He has for you. The end of our journey is the Heavenly Home He has promised to His children.
Morgan County Schools of Weekday Religious Education, P.O. Box 1285, Martinsville, IN. 46151.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Even when we fail, God still has a plan for our lives
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