BEMA Episode Link: 10: Walking the Blood Path
Episode Length: 49:49
Published Date: Thu, 01 Dec 2016 01:00:00 -0800
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings work through Genesis 15–17, continuing to look at the evolving partnership between God and Abram.

Walking the Blood Path Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 10

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Transcript for BEMA 10

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • Review
    • Preface: Genesis 1-11
      • Retelling of folklore that they were used to
      • This god is not who you believe that he is; He is good.
      • He’s a god that knows when to say enough.
        • When to stop creating and when to stop detroying
        • When we don’t stop when we should, we begin to destroy relationships
      • We bear his image.
      • When the story begins to feel hopeless, we are introduces to Avram who says, my name is not more important than another person’s dignity.
    • Genesis 12
      • G-d gives Avram land and the expectation we have is that Avram will settle and build a tower.
        • However, Avram builds a different tower, a tower to G-d, an alter, and he pitches tents instead of settling.
      • Avram struggles from time to time though.
        • Temporarily loses Sarai to Pharoah.
  • Genesis 15:1-6
    • Avram is frustrated with G-d because he’s still childless and he asks G-d where his decendants will come from.
      • “But Avram said … And Avram said…” < G-d doesn’t respond and Avram demands an answer.
        • In the Hebrew, this repetition implies a lack a response to the first question and a period of time between the two. We cannot assume how long between questions but G-d certainly doesn’t answer the first question.
      • G-d gives Avram a little insight but Avram still misunderstands and Avram and Sarai bring Hagar into the story and mess the story up.
        • Marty: “Sometimes I think I want answers but G-d knows I don’t need them.”
  • Genesis 15:7-12
    • How does Avram know what to do when G-d asks him to bring the animals?
      • This is a common covenant typically used during engagements between the father of the bride and the groom.
        • The lesser of the two parties, wearing a white robe and stomping, walks through the blood path between the animal halves splashing blood on his robe. This signifies, “If I don’t take care of the bride, or my half of the covenant, you made do in my blood, what I am doing in the blood of these animals.”
        • The greater of the two parties, does the same. This signifies, “If I don’t give you a worthy bride, you may do this in my blood.”
        • It’s a covenental agreement that if I don’t keep my end of the bargin, I will put my life on it.
      • Avram being the lesser of the two parties should go first.
        • We know that Avram does NOT because birds of prey came down and he drove them away implying the carcasses have been there a while and Avram has done nothing so far.
          • When reading this story with a cultural eye, he gets stuck in a corner of his own making. He realizes who he’s dealing with and that he cannot deliver on his own end of the bargin and he’s going to screw the covenant up if he makes one.
          • G-d forces Avram into a deep, terrifying sleep.
            • Then G-d passes between animals as both a torch (fire) and a smoking firepot (smoke).
              • We see the precense of G-d represented as fire and smoke many times through out the scriptures.
              • When the Israelites are lead through the wilderness.
              • In the tabernacle, a cloud over the holy of holies and fire by night.
            • G-d walks through on his behalf AND on behalf of Avram.
              • G-d essentially tells Abvram, “I know you’re unable to hold up your end of the bargin. I know you’re going to make a mistake. So, when that happens, I’ll be the one to pay the price.”
              • This is an incredible lesson for Avram to learn. He’s being crabby and groucy.
              • G-d shows him grace.
            • Why does G-d foretell the slavery in Egypt?
              • We learned in Gen 12 that Avram messes up and stops trusting the story.
              • When he goes to Egypt, he brings Egypt with him figureatively AND literally.
              • He leaves with goods, wealth, slaves, etc.
              • He also ends up sleeping with Hagar who is Sarai’s Egyption slave.
              • The consequences of his mistake will shape Avram in the stories to come.
              • From RVL: The biggest challenge will not be getting Avram and his people out of Egypt, it will be getting Egypt out of his people.
              • Avram has left Egypt with all of this wealth and riches and he’s put his trust in that Egyptian wealth instead of in G-d and G-d’s story.
              • G-d now tells Avram in the middle of this struggle that he will take care of Avram and his decendants but the problem is that his decendants are going to carry that seed of Egypt in them and they’re going to have to struggle to get that seed out of them.
  • Genesis 16
    • The “and he said” device shows up again in the Hagar story when the Angel of the Lord speaks to Hagar and she doesn’t respond a handful of times.
  • Genesis 17:1-21
    • Chiasm
      • A [3] Avram fell facedown
        • B [5] No longer will you be call Avram; your name will be Avraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. [6] I will make you fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
          • C [7] everlasting covenant
            • D [8] foreigner
              • E [9] for the generations to come
                • Center: [10] Every male among you shall be circumcised
              • E’ [12] For the generations to come
            • D’ [12] foreigner
          • C’ [13] everlasting covenant
        • B’ [15] “… you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. [16] I will belss her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; king of peoples will come from her.”
      • A’ [17] Avraham fell facedown
    • This repetition is similar to Noah’s covenant
      • Noah’s covenant was made with Noah, and the earth, and everything on the earth (even us???).
      • Avram’s covenant is made with Avram, his decenands, and all those that come after him (Hebrews and Jews).
    • The center of this chiasms is “Every male among you shall be circumcised.
    • Avraham finally realizes that his decendants will come from Sarah.
    • This story is deliberately connected to G-d’s covenant with Noah.
      • In a Suzerain-Vassel covenant, the Vassel is responsible for keeping the sign.
      • In Noah’s covenant, G-d doesn’t want Noah or his decenands to forget the covenant to G-d puts the Bow in the sky where it cannot be lost.
      • We now see an evolution between G-d and his people. He gives the sign to his people to keep with circumcision.
        • Brent: Would Avraham even know what circumcision was?
        • The idea of circumcision is that it was such a defining mark and nobody else would do that.
      • This sign will require a step of obedience and by this we see G-d extending his expectations and responsibility of his people.
        • Marty: This causes me to pause and realize we are 4000 this side of Avraham’s covenant and 2000 years this side of Jesus Christ, how much more (kal v’chomer treat for his listeners) does G-d expect out of us today understanding our of the resurrected Christ, about grace, about love, and about self control. He meets us where we are at but expects us to continue to be better and calls us forward to take our next step of faith.

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