His StoryHis Contributions to Judaism

God

Torah

The People

The Land

Canaan – “To your offspring I will give this land” – Genesis 12:7

This comes later – with Moses, when he receives the 10 commandments

All of the descendents of Abraham (through the line of Isaac)

CovenantMarks the beginning of a special relationship

Changes Abram to Abraham to indicate this shift in the relationship Abraham means “ancestor of a multitude”

There are privileges, but also responsibilities with the covenantUpside and downside of being chosen…

The Egypt EpisodeForeshadows the Exodus (plagues)

PharoahWhy does Abram lie about his relationship to

Sarai?

Abraham’s Covenant“Go from your country and your kindred and

your father’s house to the land (Canaan) that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.”

CircumcisionThe Hebrew word for “making” a

covenant is literally to “cut” a covenant.“Every male among you shall be

circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old.” – Genesis 17:10

“So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.” – Genesis 17:13

Sarai“The LORD has prevented me from bearing

children. Go into my slave-girl (Hagar); it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” (Genesis 16:2)

Hagar “looked with contempt upon her mistress” and so “Sarai dealt harshly with her” after Abram refused to get involved.

HagarRan away to a spring of waterGod’s angel tells her, “I will so greatly multiply

your offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude….you shall call him Ishmael…He shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin” (Genesis 16: 10-12).

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous…but my covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:20-21).

Landscape with Hagar and the Angel, 1646Claude Lorrain, 1604/05-1682Canvas, 52 x 42 cmThe National Gallery, London

NamesAbraham = ancestor of manySarah = princessIshmael = God hearsIsaac = he laughs

Abraham and the Three Angels, 1646

Rembrandt, 1606-1669Panel, 16.5 x 21.5 cmPrivate collection, United States of America

Abraham Banishing Hagar and Ishmael, 1658

Guercino, 1591-1666Canvas, 115 x 154 cmPinacoteca di Brera, Milan

The Banishment of Hagar, 1666

Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, 1621-1674Canvas, 54.5 x 68.5 cmNorth Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

Zamzam Well – Mecca

•Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam. •The miraculously generated source of water from God, which began when Ishmael was thirsty and kept crying for water.

The Sacrifice of Abraham, 1603

Caravaggio, 1573-1610Canvas, 104 x 135 cmGalleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Abraham and LotLets Lot choose

which land to herdCanaan is the land

of the chosen peopleHospitality 18:2-5Obedience“Sacrifice” of child

to God when asked

Lot chooses the “well watered, garden” area

Sodom is “wicked”

Lesser hospitality 19:3

Willful sacrifice of daughters to people, unsolicited 19:8

Lot’s Wife

Lot and his Daughters, first half 16th centuryAnonymous (Antwerp?)Panel 48 x 34 cmMusee du Louvre, Paris

Genesis 25: 19-34, 27Isaac married Rebekah (baren)

Continuation of the theme that a barren woman will have a child who becomes important (Sarah->Isaac)

God - two nations (twins) wrestling in the wombOne stronger, elder will serve the younger

Esau & Jacob = supplant; to supersede by trickery

Isaac Blessing Jacob, 1638

Govert Flinck, 1615-1660Canvas, 117 x 141 cmRijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Jacob’s Dream, 1639Jusepe de Ribera, 1591-1652Canvas, 179 x 233 cmMuseo National del Prado, Madrid

Genesis 28Transfer of blessing from Isaac to Jacob

Similar promise to Abraham after split with Lot

Stairway to heaven = distance from the Jacob he IS to the Jacob he will BECOME

Bethel = House of God

The Meeting of Jacob, Rachel and Leah, 1514-1517

Raphael, 1483-1520FrescoLoggia, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican, Rome

Genesis 30:25 – Genesis 31Return to trickery (both Jacob and Rachel)

What’s up with that cattle?

Genesis 32-33Jacob’s wrestle with God

Finally getting to the top of the ladderChanges name from Jacob to Israel = He who

wrestles with God

We’ll come back to this.

Genesis 34Rape of DinahViolation of sexual honor

Similar to Ham/Noah; Abram/SaraiTrickery

Similar to the blessings of both Isaac and Abraham

Avenging family name