Scripture: And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Genesis 22:15-24 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Yahweh commands Abraham to go to the “land of Moriah” and offer his son, the heir to the covenant. So, without delay or discussion with Sarah, Abraham sets off with Isaac, two servants, and the necessary accouterments. Drawing near their destination, Abraham leaves his servants behind and continues with his son. Along the way, Isaac innocently inquires where the lamb is for the sacrifice. Abraham replies that “God will provide for himself the lamb” (v.8). Reaching the designated site, this man of faith builds an altar, straps Isaac to it, and draws his knife to sacrifice his son, but God provides a substitute ram caught in the thickets (v.13).
Today’s reading continues the story with the angel of the Lord speaking again from heaven to reassure Abraham of the Lord’s commitment to the covenant promise to make a great nation from Abraham’s seed. The impetus for this renewed covenant is Abraham’s obedience, offering his only heir to the promise: Isaac. Thus, the Lord adds an element to the original promise: Abraham’s “offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” (v.17). Upon ratification of this expanded covenant, Abraham returns to Beersheba with his servants and Isaac.
Moses concludes this segment of Abraham’s later life with an epilogue, saying that Abraham later learned that his brother Nahor has eight children from his wife, Milcah, and four from his concubine, Reumah.
Contextual note: Only here do we see Yahweh reinforce the covenant by taking an oath in his holy name. Thus, all other citations (e.g., Genesis 26:3; Exodus 6:8; Numbers 32:11); Deuteronomy 1:8) in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) regarding God reminding Israel that Yahweh swore the Promised Land to Abraham refer to his passage.
Takeaway: God’s covenant renewal is more than a reiteration. It explicitly promises that Abraham’s offspring (singular noun) will take possession of the cities of his enemies. We can understand this promise on two levels. As the collective singular form of the noun “offspring,” Israel will take possession of the land God swore to Abraham—an essential reminder that Moses will repeatedly make to the nation as they struggle to overcome their fears, doubts, and discomfort amid the tension of warring nations and wilderness hardships en route to the Promised Land. And it points to fulfillment in Christ (more said below).
The second innovation pertains to Abraham’s obedience. While Yahweh’s grace and Abraham’s faith are the basis for the original covenant, Abraham exhibits faith here by obeying God’s command. However, this is not a conditional revision based on obedience but a reminder that faith manifests in obedience. Still, Abraham and his heirs’ will only sometimes express their faith in obedience. Hence, per Moses, God introduces the cultic practice of the Levitical law with its substitutionary sacrifices to bring forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God. But after nine hundred years of regression, Jeremiah prophesied of a day when God would write the law on his chosen people’s hearts under a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Our takeaway? Approximately five hundred eighty years later, Abraham’s divine incarnate heir fulfilled the covenant stipulations (faithfully obeyed the Father without exception) and offered his life as a final sacrifice for the world’s sins. Resultingly, Christ “possessed the gate of his enemy” at Calvary, defeating the powers of darkness as he bore our sins in his body to reconcile us to God. Lastly and essentially, the Father and Son sent us the Holy Spirit to guide, convict, encourage, and strengthen us to stay on course in faithful obedience—not perfectly but sufficiently.
Our part? It’s a two-step process. First, trust in God’s goodness while maturing in our love and hope in him by spending time in his Word, prayer, and the community of believers. Second, deepen our understanding of his grace, which teaches us that we cannot fix ourselves but can and must forgive ourselves and others. It is a grace-filled journey of faithful obedience founded on our love for our Lord and Savior, who obeyed our Father unto death so that we might have life in him. Indeed, inaugurated with Abraham’s ram in the thornbush and fulfilled by our Lamb of God crowned in thorns, our faithful, loving God provides a priceless substitutionary sacrifice to fulfill his covenant commitment to us. So, we express our gratitude in faithful obedience.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who bore a crown of thorns and our sins in his body to take our place in paying the price for our disobedience. We confess that we cannot repay you for this incredible debt that your Son paid in full to set us free from the tyranny and penalty of sin. And while we would love to follow his perfect example of faithful obedience, we acknowledge that we are utter failures and need your Holy Spirit to help us stay on course. So, please help us follow the lead of your Holy Spirit to mature in our love for and hope in the two of you while we deepen our understanding of your grace. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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