Genesis

29
Nov
2021

Fake Family Trees? How An American President’s Family Sheds Light On A Biblical Puzzle

family tree

Does Genesis present us with a fake family tree for Moses? Not everyone accepts that only four generations elapsed between the Patriarchs arriving in Egypt and their descendants leaving with Moses. Those who do not accept a short stay in Egypt contend that Moses’s genealogy is telescoped.

What is a “telescoped genealogy?” A genealogy is telescoped when the author intentionally leaves out some names so as to highlight certain important people in a family tree. For example, Matthew does this with Jesus’s genealogy. This allows him to group Jesus’s ancestors into blocks of fourteen generations (Mt 1:1-17). We know Matthew left out some names because we can compare his genealogy of Jesus with Old Testament genealogies of Jesus’s ancestors.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genealogy, Genesis
22
Nov
2021

How Long Were The Israelites Really In Egypt?

Israelites In Egypt

How long were the Israelites in Egypt? Conventional wisdom says they were there for 400 years. The problem with conventional wisdom is that it’s not always correct. Does the Bible say the Israelites were in Egypt that long? No it doesn’t, except in that one place where it does. 

When God “cut a covenant” with Abraham in Genesis 15, God gave Abraham a glimpse into his offspring’s future. 

13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen. 15:13–16 ESV)

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis, Misconceptions
15
Nov
2021

The Bizarre Story Of Abraham Cutting Animals In Half

In Genesis 15 we find Abram (later renamed Abraham) performing a really strange ritual involving cutting animals in half. This incident was in response to God reiterating His promise that Abram would become the father of offspring as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:5). God had made this promise years earlier, but so far had not made good on it. Abram is beginning to despair and is resigning himself to the possibility that his heir might end up being his servant Eliezer (Gen 15:2).

After being reassured, Abram took God at His word and believed the promise (Gen 15:6). This promise was not only about offspring, but also about a place where Abram’s descendants could call  home. God said that place would be the land where he now dwelt; the land of Canaan. Abram wanted to formalize this promise. He wanted it to be “official.” Therefore, God told Abram:

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Ancient Customs, Covenants, Genesis
08
Nov
2021

Who Was Melchizedek?

Melchizedek

Melchizedek is a very mysterious person in the Bible with a name that is equally mysterious to pronounce (mel-KIZ-uh-dek). He appears in Gen 14:18 with no introduction and he is mentioned only one other time in the Old Testament (Psa 110:4). The mystery surrounding him has led to a good deal of speculation. Some say he was the pre-incarnate Jesus due to passages in the book of Hebrews. Among the Jews there is a tradition that Melchizedek was Noah’s son, Shem.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis
16
Aug
2021

Abraham The Mercenary?

Mercenary
Melchizedek blessing Abraham (1897 illustration by Charles Foster)

Abraham was likely a Habiru and possibly a mercenary. Some Habiru hired themselves out as mercenaries to provide protection for cities. It may surprise you to learn there is biblical evidence suggesting that Abraham may have been a Habiru mercenary.

Genesis 14 records the rebellion of five vassal kings from their distant overlords. One of the city-states that rebelled was Sodom where Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had taken up residence. The coalition of four kings who came to put down the rebellion took Lot, and others, captive.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis