Avram receives another DM from The Lord

(If you like the picture, you can buy the real one from here)

Lot chose that land for himself--the Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram.

< = = = Wow, sounds like he didn’t even say goodbye, that's not what happened right?

Well Master Cohen, it is dangerous to speak when the good book is silent, but in their culture, just like in ours, it was important to defer to your elders. I am sure you have heard the proverb, "Your elder brother should be respected like your father." The Bible itself says, "You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old." Avram was the elder, the one that adopted Lot and didn't leave him when the LORD said leave your family. Lot chose what he thought was the better land over his elder.

<= = = Was it actually better?

Perhaps for the moment, perhaps for the moment. So while Avram stayed in the land of Canaan, Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain. The people of the area around Sodom were unusually wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD.

After Lot was gone, the LORD said to Avram, "Look as far as you can see in every direction."

Bible commentator Chuck Smith says, "God's promise to Abraham; from the area there at between Bethel and Hai, this mountain peak, looking towards the north you see the area of Samaria. You can look clear on up and see Mount Hermon on a clear day. And he wasn't bothered with smog in those days. Looking towards the east, you see the mountains of Moab. Looking towards the south, you see the area of Jerusalem, the southern ranges of Jerusalem, mountains clear on down to the area of Beersheba. Looking towards the west you see the Sharon plains and the Mediterranean. And so God said just look to the north, the south, the east, the west. Just as far as you can see, Abraham, I'm going to give you this land to you and to your seed. And God was going to give it to him forever." The contrast between the land Avram is choosing and Lot chose could not be more stark. Hebron is about 3,000 feet above sea level and lot will be several thousand feet below. The ridge road, later named the Patriarch's Highway, went to Shechem in the north.

The LORD continues and says, "I am going to give all this land to you and your offspring or seed as a permanent possession. And I am going to give you so many descendants that, like dust, they cannot be counted! Take a walk in every direction and explore the new possessions I am giving you." Then Avram moved his camp to the oak grove owned by Mamre, an ancient cultic shrine, it appears Avram is a slow learner, which is at Hebron, formerly called Kiriath-arba. There Avram built an altar to the LORD.

< = = = Why do you say Avram all of a sudden instead of Abram and what does it mean.

I just felt like it, I know you know it either way. We will switch back. It means "high father" or "exalted father". But, of course, God is going to change his name.

Abram and Lot Split Up

They left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev--Abram with his wife and Lot and all that they owned, for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Then they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had camped before.

Lot, who had been orphaned when his father Haran was killed, was traveling with Abram and he was also very wealthy with sheep, cattle, and many tents.
In fact, the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together, such a nice problem to have. There were too many animals for the available pastureland. So an argument broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land. Then Abram talked it over with Lot. "This arguing between our herdsmen has got to stop," he said. "After all, we are close relatives! And it would not be a good idea for the locals to think there was division between the two, they had accumulated much wealth and much wealth makes you a target.

I'll tell you what we'll do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that area over there, then I'll stay here. If you want to stay in this area, then I'll move on to another place."

Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt. Lot chose that land for himself--the Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram.

< = = = I thought it was a desert?

Much of the land is. This is eleven generations after the great flood, so there was probably more water then than today. And the Dead Sea probably wasn't dead yet, it would have been full of fresh water with the flood, and will be hundreds of years till the salt can build up due to evaporation.

So while Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom, among the cities of the plain.

Melchizedek, King Priest of Salem

As Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

We don't know who Melchizedek was. I have heard everything from he was Jesus Christ incarnate to a lame theory he was the first Mason. Let's not speculate. Instead, let's give him credit where it is due, he clearly served as a representative of God Most High in Abram's eyes. And make note of their relationship, the greater blesses the lesser, so Melchizedek is the greater. And Abram, whose seed would one day bring forth the Levites, gave his tithe to Melchizedek.

And note the irony of Abram's company, King Bera representing Sodom which as we have said was exceedingly wicked and King Melchizedek a representative of God Most High.

The king of Sodom told Abram, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered." Abram replied, "I have solemnly promised the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from you. Otherwise you might say, `I am the one who made Abram rich!'

All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre."

<= = = Woah! Abram is going to have to watch his back around King Bera from now own, Abram really dissed him.

Well Master Cohen, I have been very impressed with the way you have been digging into the story, but Abram is not going to have to worry about King Bera, he is about to suffer a pretty bad case of burnout.

Pretend You're My Sister

( If you like the stylized picture, you should check out the real one here.)

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. Sarai may have been 65, but she looked like Kim Basinger in brunette and olive skin.

When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

< = = = First place, that is a lie, second place I thought Abram was blessed by God to inherit all that real estate he had been touring.

Actually it is Abram's heirs that will inherit the land. Now about the lie, I realize this will open a can of worms, but Sarai is actually his half sister. Might was well get used to this, remember Milcha? As God establishes the line of the patriarchs they are going to marry from a very small gene pool well at least until Jacob goes wild. And Sarai, as you will see, is a quite a woman, she isn't just a looker.

< = = = What a minute, I am still not buying, doesn't this pretend you are my sister stuff indicated Abram doesn't really trust God?

Well, if you want to feel you are correct, you can read any commentator, especially Christian commentators and they all pile on Abram about this. However, he did not have a Torah to study. Abram knows what about God? After the flood God was silent, or so we must assume from reading the scriptures, for ten generations. And please allow me to point out Master Cohen, that if Abram's seed was to become like the stars, as numerous as the dust, Abram might have been trying to help out by not becoming dead. If I may share a simple rule of thumb, if you hear someone talking about religion and judging someone in the Word of God, Rabbi, Pastor, matters not, if they are judging, ask yourself if you would be willing to be judged by their standard. But I digress and we must finish this portion of your lesson. Abram is going to Egypt.

When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. Some histories claim Abram tried to sneak her in to the country in a trunk, others say she rode boldly, shoulders back. In any and every case what is certain is that when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. This was a tumultuous time in the history of Egypt, the Pharaoh was not Egyptian, a coup had occurred and a non-Egyptian Semitic people (descended from Noah's son Shem) known as the Hyksos seized power. The Semitic peoples would one day become the Hebrews, Arabs and Akkadians.

Pharaoh treated Abram well for Sarai's sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. However, Pharaoh's intentions were not entirely altruistic. Sarai was, even at 65, a world class hottie. Pharaoh definitely wanted to go to bed with her. At first there were little things that stopped him, but one characteristic of a Pharaoh had a resolved will, a track record of getting what he wanted despite obstacles. Wimps did not become Pharaoh's and he wanted to mix his gene pool with hers as well and of course he wanted the pleasure of disrobing and bedding the most beautiful woman in the world, who can blame him?

But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. Pharaoh was no dummy and he had a strong sense of the spiritual world. Something was definitely wrong here.

So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Abram stood quietly, intentionally not saying "Because you would have killed me and taken her". Pharaoh then said, "Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!"

Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. Thus with God's help, Abram plundered Egypt. He came in a famine and left even more wealthy than when he entered, more animals, more servants. One servant in particular to introduce is Hagar, she will show up later. She was Pharaoh's own daughter. He saw the mark of destiny on Sarai and Abram and decided, it is better for my daughter to serve as a slave to Sarai, than a Mistress in a lesser house. Pharaoh was a wise and cunning man.

Abram's plunder of Egypt will not be the last time this happens when God's anointed travels down south. When you see Egypt in the Bible it often has two meanings, one is the country that just solved their Swine Flu (which was renamed to H1N1even though it really did come from pigs), problem by ordering all 300 thousand pigs in the country to be put to death. The leaders of Egypt have always been/will always be very focused, very determined men and in the case of Cleopatra, women. The other meaning of Egypt in the Bible is a spiritual and philosophical concept. Egypt is a place of food, of wealth, a great army, a place many Biblical leaders go into, but is sometimes hard to leave, in fact there is a risk of captivity and death. Egypt shows up in the Bible many times so it is probably very important spiritually, though probably not in the positive sense

The LORD Appears to Abram

The relationship between Abram and God is about to get deeper, first the LORD spoke to Abram, now He, The LORD of the Universe shows up in person! The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am going to give this land to your offspring." Not such good news for the Canaanites, but futures trading in the seed of Abram went up like a rocket.

And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the LORD's visit. He piled rocks to contain a fire and prepared to slaughter an animal from his herd. When ever you see the word altar in the old Testament, it is taken from the word slaughter or slaughter place. There was already an existing altar by the oak of Moreh, a giant tree thought to have spiritual power by the Canaanites, but Abram built a new untainted altar for his sacrifice by hand. He chose a fine sheep from his herd and pet it for a few minutes, calming it, Abram had an uncanny gift with animals. Then in a flash, he cut its throat with a flint knife and snapped its neck, a painless and panickless death, instant. Then he placed it on the fire. Abram offered a pouring of wineskin and after the animal was consumed by the fire, Abram tossed in incense of myrrh, a reddish-brown resinous material, dried sap of a Commiphora myrrha, imported from Yemen and worth a hundred days wages. Sometimes incense was added after a sacrifice hoping the aroma would be pleasing to God.

<= = = That is so barbaric, you are telling me that they worshipped God by killing animals, that is so wrong. And it is unhygienic; lucky Abram didn't start Sheep Flu from blood contact

We all come from very barbaric roots and to those roots most of us are returning. You are passed that age Master Cohen, but the Canaanites even sacrificed babies and young children, I have seen the altar at Megiddo myself. But don't act like you are not in a violent world yourself. You haven't heard of the pirates of Somalia? The drug wars in Mexico and who knows what is going on in the Middle East and Africa, where nine year olds are soldiers with guns. And keep in mind that when this people group wanted meat for dinner, they could not sail into Whole Foods and buy it skinned, blooded, prepared and wrapped in cellophane. They were very used to the whole slaughter to live concept. Bushmeat is not a new buzzphrase.

The point is not the animal ( or whatever you sacrifice, people also did fruit, wheat and so forth ), it was the heart attitude. Abram's gift was that he recognized the voice of God, he handled an appearance of God and he has a pretty good track record of obeying God.

In any case, after the sacrifice was complete, Abram mustered his camp and after that, Abram traveled southward and set up camp in the hill country between Bethel, which means House of God, a strategic town on the north south route of travel through the hill county on the west and Ai, a quaint craft and artist colony that barely qualifies to be called a city on the east. Abram liked the place, it was the highest point, which is good from a military perspective, Abram's tribe was about a thousand fold at this point. It also was and still is a fabulous view, a classic Mauka (mountain) and Makai (sea) double hitter. Abram could look south to Salem, now Jerusalem. You can see into the Jordan valley, and on a clear day, you can make out the Mediterranean.

Abram had a lot to think about. His generation knew for sure God existed, it had only been ten generations since the flood, they had the oral tradition or oral history and everyone was very clear, don't make God angry! However, God had been fairly silent since the flood, in fact the whole Tower of Babel thing had been done with stealth like a team of Navy Seals silently inserting into a remote region of Afghanistan, completing their mission and leaving with no one ever knowing they were there.

However God had both spoken to Abram and He had also appeared. And God had made an unconditional offer, "I am going to give this land to your offspring." Abram liked the land, it was arid to be sure, but there weren't too many people, Ur had always been a bit confining. Abram took a road trip to the area around Bethel and Ai to see some of his future inheritance. This was an auspicious day.

There, near Bethel, Abram built another altar and worshiped the LORD. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Palestine region to Negev.

Obedience to the LORD

<= = = Well hello Mr. Comfort, I didn't expect you to be here today, don't you get New Year's Day off? Anyway, I thought the LORD said leave your relatives.

So did I! Hang on to that thought, failure to follow the LORD's instructions and bringing Lot will come back to haunt Abram more than once.

Traveling through Canaan, Lebanon, Gaza, the Jordan River Valley, as well as modern Israel and the Palestinian Territories, they came to a place near Shechem, one of the oldest settlements in Canaan, located about 50 miles north of Jerusalem in narrow valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. Shechem had incredible importance back in the day because it was near the intersection of the north to south and also east to west trade routes. At this time it was not as built up as it is today and Abram, ever the outdoor guy, set up camp beside the oak at Moreh.
Abram, soon moved his campsite away from the oak at Moreh to a hill the locals called RamAphek. It turns out the pagan Canaanites practiced their fertility rites under the trees and the oak was a favorite. One night they were making so much of a racket, that Abram stuck his head out of his tent. Being from Ur, he thought he had seen it all, but no . . .

<= = = But no what? What did he see Mr. Storyteller?

Well, Master Cohen, it turns out there is such a thing as TMI, ever hear the term? It stands for Too Much Information and you are still too young to know such things.

<= = = Please, my father wants me to know about other cultures

As we say, the Canaanites, are a lusty tribal people that used organized base camp style hunting and gathering with a culture of pre-pottery style farming that practiced animal domestication. I will share a Tweet Abram sent, hopefully 140 characters will not get me into trouble.

AbrahamWanderer LOL, Wild fertility party going on, backwards though, it's the guys not wearing the clothes, what a ripoff

The Canaanites were not the greatest warriors to ever ride across the earth, but they were tribal, an offense against one was an offense against all. They descended from Noah's grandson, Canaan who was cursed by Noah to serve.

<= = = Whatcha mean cursed by Noah to serve?

Not entirely sure myself. You remember Noah, the guy with the Ark when God flooded the earth before the ice age, right? Well, afterwards, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. One night he had too much to drink and passed out on the bed with no clothes on. Ham, one of Noah's sons, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. The other two sons, Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father's naked body, being careful not to look.
When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done and he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham: "A curse on the Canaanites! May they be the lowest of servants to the descendants of Shem and Japheth."

<= = = That doesn't make any sense!

Look, let me make this plain for you, don't stare at naked guys, can we get agreement on that? OK. Now, back to Abram.