†. Gen 15:11 . . Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and
Abram drove them away.
The only responsibility that Abram had in this ritual was to set it up. So it
was his job to protect the carcasses from damage and keep the scene clear
of interference from people and critters who had no business there.
†. Gen 15:12 . . As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram, and a great dark dread descended upon him.
At this point, Abram is placed in a condition that is much more powerful than
a trance. It's the sleep of anesthesia-- the very same kind of sleep that God
put Adam into when he amputated organic tissue from his side to make the
woman at Gen 2:21-22.
In this condition, Abram is totally powerless to either participate or to
interfere; nor would he want to anyway. It's God who's putting His name on
the dotted line; not Abram. This entire ritual is for Abram's benefit; and his
alone, because Abram didn't have to reciprocate and promise God one single
thing in return. God is the one who voluntarily obligated Himself, and now
He is going to notarize his word per Abram's request; to set Abram's mind at
ease regarding a biological heir, and the heir's possession of Canaan.
This pact, that God made with Abram, is totally unconditional. No matter
what Abram did from now on, nothing would place himself in breach of
contract because God alone is in obligation. There is nothing in the pact for
Abram to live up to; therefore it was impossible for Abram to endanger
either his own, or his posterity's, permanent possession of the land of
Palestine. They may lose their occupation of it from time to time, but never
their possession. And best of all, The Commandments can't lay a finger on
the security of this covenant.
†. Gal 3:17-18 . . And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and
thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by
God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the
inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to
Abraham as a promise.
†. Gen 15:13 . . And He said to Abram: Know well that your offspring
shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved
and oppressed four hundred years;
God predicted three things concerning Abram's offspring (not Abram
himself) that would occur over a 400 year period:
(1) They would be resident aliens, (2) They would be oppressed, and (3)
They would be slaves.
From the time Jacob moved his family down to Egypt, until the day Yhvh's
people left under Moses' leadership, was only about 210 years. But
according to Ex 12:40-41 the people of Israel were supposed to have
dwelled in Egypt 430 years.
Paul said that Moses' covenanted law, (enacted about a month after the
people of Israel were liberated from Egypt) came 430 years after Abram's
covenant. (Gal 3:16-18)
The data is somewhat sketchy, but from what exists, it appears that an all
inclusive 430-year period began with Abram's covenant scene in Gen 15. But
God didn't say Abraham himself would be effected by the prediction. He said
Abram's progeny would be. Ishmael doesn't count as Abram's progeny in
respect to the land. So the holy progeny began with the birth of Isaac; which
occurred about 30 years after Abram's covenant was ratified. So the 400
year period of Gen 15:13 apparently began with Isaac. Even though he
himself was never a slave in Egypt, Isaac was nevertheless an alien in lands
not belonging to him; and later, his son Jacob would be too.
Abram's progeny were resident aliens in at least three places-- Canaan,
Egypt, and Babylonia. Jacob lived, not only in Canaan and Egypt, but also on
his uncle Laban's ranch in Haran; which is up in Turkey.
Precisely why the entire 430 year period is reckoned in Ex 12:40-41 as "the
length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt" is totally unknown; except
that it reflects the Septuagint's version; which is a Greek derivative of
ancient Hebrew texts no longer available.
†. Gen 15:14a . . but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall
serve,
That of course refers to the famous plagues that occurred in Egypt during
Moses' confrontation with one of its Pharaohs; culminating in the death of
the firstborn of man and beast during the night of Passover.
†. Gen 15:14b . . and in the end they shall go free.
Actually they didn't "go" free like the English text suggests; but rather, were
set free-- viz: liberated --because on their own, they would never have been
able to do it. It was at that time that the people of Israel learned the true
connotation of the name yhvh. It's not just another divine moniker. It
identifies God as a savior; which Webster's defines as a rescuer.
†. Ex 6:2-3 . . God also said to Moses: I am Yhvh. I appeared to Abraham,
to Isaac and to Jacob as 'El Shadday, but by my name Yhvh I did not make
myself known to them.
Those three men knew the moniker; but their association with 'El Shadday
was not on the basis of a savior. Their association was on the basis of a
provider; viz: providence; which can be defined (in their case) as God's
kindly patronage.
†. Gen 15:14c . . with great wealth.
The "great wealth" was in the form of voluntary plunder. (Ex 11:1-3, Ex
12:33-36)
Cont.
/
Abram drove them away.
The only responsibility that Abram had in this ritual was to set it up. So it
was his job to protect the carcasses from damage and keep the scene clear
of interference from people and critters who had no business there.
†. Gen 15:12 . . As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram, and a great dark dread descended upon him.
At this point, Abram is placed in a condition that is much more powerful than
a trance. It's the sleep of anesthesia-- the very same kind of sleep that God
put Adam into when he amputated organic tissue from his side to make the
woman at Gen 2:21-22.
In this condition, Abram is totally powerless to either participate or to
interfere; nor would he want to anyway. It's God who's putting His name on
the dotted line; not Abram. This entire ritual is for Abram's benefit; and his
alone, because Abram didn't have to reciprocate and promise God one single
thing in return. God is the one who voluntarily obligated Himself, and now
He is going to notarize his word per Abram's request; to set Abram's mind at
ease regarding a biological heir, and the heir's possession of Canaan.
This pact, that God made with Abram, is totally unconditional. No matter
what Abram did from now on, nothing would place himself in breach of
contract because God alone is in obligation. There is nothing in the pact for
Abram to live up to; therefore it was impossible for Abram to endanger
either his own, or his posterity's, permanent possession of the land of
Palestine. They may lose their occupation of it from time to time, but never
their possession. And best of all, The Commandments can't lay a finger on
the security of this covenant.
†. Gal 3:17-18 . . And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and
thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by
God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the
inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to
Abraham as a promise.
†. Gen 15:13 . . And He said to Abram: Know well that your offspring
shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved
and oppressed four hundred years;
God predicted three things concerning Abram's offspring (not Abram
himself) that would occur over a 400 year period:
(1) They would be resident aliens, (2) They would be oppressed, and (3)
They would be slaves.
From the time Jacob moved his family down to Egypt, until the day Yhvh's
people left under Moses' leadership, was only about 210 years. But
according to Ex 12:40-41 the people of Israel were supposed to have
dwelled in Egypt 430 years.
Paul said that Moses' covenanted law, (enacted about a month after the
people of Israel were liberated from Egypt) came 430 years after Abram's
covenant. (Gal 3:16-18)
The data is somewhat sketchy, but from what exists, it appears that an all
inclusive 430-year period began with Abram's covenant scene in Gen 15. But
God didn't say Abraham himself would be effected by the prediction. He said
Abram's progeny would be. Ishmael doesn't count as Abram's progeny in
respect to the land. So the holy progeny began with the birth of Isaac; which
occurred about 30 years after Abram's covenant was ratified. So the 400
year period of Gen 15:13 apparently began with Isaac. Even though he
himself was never a slave in Egypt, Isaac was nevertheless an alien in lands
not belonging to him; and later, his son Jacob would be too.
Abram's progeny were resident aliens in at least three places-- Canaan,
Egypt, and Babylonia. Jacob lived, not only in Canaan and Egypt, but also on
his uncle Laban's ranch in Haran; which is up in Turkey.
Precisely why the entire 430 year period is reckoned in Ex 12:40-41 as "the
length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt" is totally unknown; except
that it reflects the Septuagint's version; which is a Greek derivative of
ancient Hebrew texts no longer available.
†. Gen 15:14a . . but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall
serve,
That of course refers to the famous plagues that occurred in Egypt during
Moses' confrontation with one of its Pharaohs; culminating in the death of
the firstborn of man and beast during the night of Passover.
†. Gen 15:14b . . and in the end they shall go free.
Actually they didn't "go" free like the English text suggests; but rather, were
set free-- viz: liberated --because on their own, they would never have been
able to do it. It was at that time that the people of Israel learned the true
connotation of the name yhvh. It's not just another divine moniker. It
identifies God as a savior; which Webster's defines as a rescuer.
†. Ex 6:2-3 . . God also said to Moses: I am Yhvh. I appeared to Abraham,
to Isaac and to Jacob as 'El Shadday, but by my name Yhvh I did not make
myself known to them.
Those three men knew the moniker; but their association with 'El Shadday
was not on the basis of a savior. Their association was on the basis of a
provider; viz: providence; which can be defined (in their case) as God's
kindly patronage.
†. Gen 15:14c . . with great wealth.
The "great wealth" was in the form of voluntary plunder. (Ex 11:1-3, Ex
12:33-36)
Cont.
/
