"When
YHVH made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, 'I will
surely bless you and give you many descendants.'" Hebrews
6:13-14
How many times must YHVH repeat the same promise to Abraham? YHVH tells
Abraham four times that his offspring ('seed') will become a nation in a special
land. Would not have one divine promise been sufficient?
After the events
of Tower of Babel, YHVH came to Abraham and initiated
a special relationship with him in order that he become the forefather of His special (model) nation that would direct mankind
toward a more spiritual existence.
"I will
make you a great nation... and through you all nations of the world will be blessed..." (Gen 12:1-3)
YHVH's next appearance to Abraham was upon his fulfilling his first instructions,
his arrival in that land:
"To
your 'seed' (offspring) I shall give this Land" (Gen 12:7)
To become that nation,
Abraham's family will need to multiply, and hence the blessing of 'seed'; and
there must be a certain territory wherein his offspring can establish this nation.
This concept of "seed" & "land" will be mentioned together in almost every other appearance as well!
Theoretically speaking,
these two promises could have been enough. Now that Abraham has arrived in the land, he should be able to start a family,
have many children, and settle the land, thus establishing this special nation. But as we know, becoming YHVH's nations is not a simple thing, rather it unfolds as a long
and complicated process. To appreciate that process, we must understand the
reason for each additional appearance and revelation to Abraham.
The First Split
YHVH's next appearance to Abraham took place after his quarrel with Lot. (Gen 13:1-14) Here we find yet another divine
promise of "seed and land"
"And
YHVH spoke to Abram after Lot had left him: Lift up your eyes from this place
and see... for this entire land which you see I am giving to you and your seed
forever..." (Gen 13:14-18)
This promise, although
a bit more 'poetic' than the first, appears to be more or less a repeat of YHVH's original promise. Why then was it necessary
for YHVH to repeat it?
To understand why,
consider the fact that this promise followed three different events in Abraham's life which took place in the interim:
1)Avraham's descent and return from Egypt (Gen 12:10 - 13:4) 2)The quarrel between Lot and Abraham
(Gen 13:5-13)
3)YHVH's promise to Abraham of "seed and land" (Gen 13:14-18) The simple reason for the
quarrel between Lot and Abraham was due to their wealth (13:5-6). However, it was because of their journey to Egypt that Abraham
& Lot became wealthy. (12:16,20, & 13:1,2,5) Therefore, upon their return, the land was not 'big enough' for all of
their new possessions, (13:6) thus leading to the quarrel. (13:7) YHVH's promise came to 'encourage' Abraham after this
tragic separation from his nephew Lot. (13:14)
There may be another
explanation as well. Abraham had no children and his nephew Lot has no father. Therefore, Abraham treated Lot like his own
son. In fact, from the moment we meet Abraham, Lot faithfully follows him everywhere. (Gen 11:27-31;12:4-5 & 13:1,2,5)
Abraham may have thought
that through Lot, YHVH's promise of "seed" would be fulfilled! And even if YHVH
would bless him with his own son, Abraham could still include Lot as an integral
member of his 'chosen' family. Therefore, Lot's decision to leave could be considered a personal tragedy for Abraham but a
'necessity' in the election/rejection process!
Leaving Abraham or Leaving YHVH?
This background allows
us to view the story of Lot and Abraham as the first example of apparent "elimination",
when a member of Abraham's family is 'kicked out'. In fact, many of the stories in the book of Genesis explain how this process
of "elimination" unfolds, and why! This incident with Lot is a classic example.
Let's also remember
that Lot's choice of the Jordan Valley was not the compromise that Abraham had
suggested. Abraham offered Lot to go either north (left) or south (right) - Gen 13:9 - a choice between the hills of Judah or
Samaria; not a complete separation,
only a far enough distance to avoid quarrels.
Instead, Lot chose to leave the mountain range altogether, preferring the Jordan Valley instead, going eastward! (13:10-11)
The 'technical reason', because the Jordan Valley had a river, a constant supply of water - in contrast to the mountain range
whose water supply was dependent on the rainfall.
However, Lot's choice
carried spiritual ramifications as well. "For the land
which you are coming to inherit is not like the land of Egypt (which has the Nile River as a constant water supply), instead it is a land of hills
and valleys - which needs rain for water. Therefore it is a land which YHVH looks
after..." (Deut 11:10-12)
Lot's choice reflected his preference for a different
life-style. Abraham accepted the challenge of The Land - a life dependent on rain and hence - dependent on YHVH. (Deut
11:13-16) Lot however, prefered the 'easy-life' in Sodom. By making this choice Lot removed himself further away from YHVH, as if saying, I can no longer remain with Abraham - nor with his ELOHIM.
Lot's total 'divorce'
from Abraham was indeed sad, for Abraham had lost not only a 'son' but also a 'disciple'. Therefore, YHVH must now not only
console him, but also reassure him that despite Lot's departure, His promise of "seed and land" remained. Indeed, Abraham
will yet have a child - a son who will follow in his father's footsteps as well.
It may have been
Lot's own experience in Egypt, seeing the 'good-life', that led him to reject Abraham's offer, and chose the Jordan Valley
instead:
"And
Lot lifted his eyes and saw the entire Jordan valley, for it had a plentiful supply
of water... like the land of Egypt..." (Gen 13:10)
In contrast to Lot,
Abraham who remained 'chosen' reacted to his experience in Egypt in a totally different manner. Abraham, after his incident
with Pharaoh and Sarah, saw corruption in Egypt. He returned to The Land determined
to have nothing to do with the sort of corruption. Upon his return, Abraham traveled immediately to Beth-El, and once again
called out in YHVH's Name.
The First Covenant - 'Between The Pieces'
To better appreciate
this promise, we must remember the war of the five kings against the four kings in chapter 14. In this battle, we saw Abraham
for the first time as a man of war, a conqueror. It was this military victory that led Abraham to the realization of how important
it was that he have a successor. "After these events, YHVH spoke to Abram in a vision saying: Do not be fearful... I
will shield you, your reward is very great..." (Gen 15:1-2) There is one point that Abraham raised over and over
again in his ensuing conversation that definitely related to his military conquest, as well as his lack of a son:
"...Since
you have given me no offspring, behold my house servant, Eliezer, he will be my heir..." (15:3)
Abraham realized
that without a son, everything that he has acquired will be taken over by his servant Eliezer. "And
YHVH answered: That one Eliezer, will not be your heir. Rather your very own son (yet to be born) - he will be your heir... Then He said to him: I am YHVH who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land
to inherit it... then Abraham asked
- whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it..."
(Gen 15:4-8)
There can be no doubt
that "inheritance" is the key word in this conversation, but what does it mean?
Throughout Torah,
"inheritance" almost always implies military
conquest, usually by a sovereign nation (or to become one). Here too, after his
military victory, Abraham wanted to know how his offspring will one day gain sovereignty over this land!
In the Covenant 'Between
the Pieces, we find the answer to Abraham's question: YHVH informed him that indeed his offspring will one day conquer the land. However, this conquest will take place only after
several generations of bondage in a foreign land, after which they will gain their independence and their oppressors shall
be punished. (Gen 15:13-16)
Therefore, in the
aftermath of the war of the kings, an additional promise of "seed and land" must be made, one which explains how Abraham's seed will become a nation.
Land for Purpose
The order of events which unfolded in this Covenant 'Between
the Pieces' was quite significant, for it highlighted the nature of our relationship to the land of Israel. Most nations first begin
by a group of people living in a common land. (First, we find a common land, and hence common needs, and then a common nation)
Israel, however,will become a nation in a very different manner. The Nation
of Israel did not begin with a common land, but rather with a common goal
(or destiny), to become YHVH's model nation. As the Torah emphasized, Israel will become
a nation in a "land that is not theirs" (Gen 15:13) Technically speaking, their initial bonding was caused by a common
plight and suffering in a foreign land. Only after
they became a nation, and only after they received the Torah at Mount Sinai (the laws that teach how to achieve this goal), only then did they conquer the Land that YHVH had designated for them.
In other words, Israel did
not become a nation because they had common land, rather they became a nation because they shared a common goal, and to achieve that goal YHVH promised a special land.
The Birth of Ishmael - - Gen 16:1-6
YHVH promised that Ishmael too will become a mighty nation, but a
rather wild one. (Gen 16:12) For some divine reason, YHVH's intention was that Abraham's only
chosen will be born to Sarah, but only after her lifelong struggle with barrenness.
However, before Abram
and Sarai could give birth to this special child, YHVH had to change their names to Abraham
and Sarah and enter into yet another covenant ---Circumcision.
The Covenant Of Circumcision
The covenant of circumcision
(Gen 17:1-11) contained the fourth and final promise of "seed and land" to Abraham. It
included the very first mitzva (commandment) that Abraham had to keep and pass on to his children - its details were very important, even to this day.