-
†. Gen 13:14-15 . . And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted
from him: Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the
north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you
see to you and your offspring forever.
Oh the irony of it! If Lot went off only to the Jordan Valley to stake a claim
for his own progeny, then he didn't go far enough away because from
Abram's vantage he could see eastward clear across the Jordan valley and
over into Moab (the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan) and far past the five
cities of the Plain. So Abram, and his progeny, were promised eternal
ownership of not only the highlands of Canaan, but in addition, also the
whole Jordan Valley where Lot moved-- and beyond.
†. Gen 13:16 . . I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth,
so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too
can be counted.
I just hope Abram remembers what God said the next time he feels inclined
to fib in order to save his skin. Will he never catch on that he cannot die
until God makes good on the promises regarding his progeny?
Abram's biological progeny descend not only from Isaac, but also from
Ishmael and the other boys too. But his progeny shouldn't be construed to
be exactly equal to the number of bits of dust that make up the earth's soil.
The expression is a common Old Testament colloquialism for very large
quantities (e.g. Gen 41:49, Josh 11:4, Judg 7:12, 1Sam 13:5, 2Sam 17:11,
1Kgs 4:29, Job 29:18, Ps 78:27; et al).
The meaning is that they would simply become too numerous to count. Later
God will liken the number of Abram's offspring to the sand at the beach.
Same thing there too-- not the precise number of grains, but a number so
great that any attempt to count them would be futile; and the stars too.
Abram lived somewhere in the neighborhood of the 20th century BC;
roughly five hundred years after completion of the Pyramid of Khafre at
Giza. So Abram lived about 4,000 years ago. Millions and millions of Abram's
kin have lived and died since then. And it's not over yet, not by a long sea
mile.
NOTE: Not only were civilizations in Egypt great at this time, but elsewhere
too; for example the ancient city of Harappa that was once located in the
Indus River Valley of northwest India: a site now located in Pakistan.
Harappa was a fairly large city of something like 23,500 people; and still in
its heyday during the time of Abram. And the Maya, famous for their
apocalyptic calendar; were blooming in and around what is now the Yucatán
Peninsula. By the time of Abram, people had really spread out from the
tower of Babel; and world development was happening by leaps and bounds.
In Messiah's future millennial kingdom, Abram's people will multiply
exceedingly because they will all enjoy very long life spans and engender
large families. The Bible says that a man of 100 years age in Israel will be
regarded as a mere child in that era. (Isa 65:20)
Abram's offspring truly cannot be tallied; not now or ever. Only The
Almighty could ever get the number right because all the souls belonging to
Abram, among both the dead and the living, have become so numerous.
†. Gen 13:17 . . Up, walk about the land, through its length and its
breadth, for I give it to you.
It's notable that God said: I give it to you. The land was Abram's possession
right then and there and no one can ever take it away from him. Not even
Almighty God can take it away from Abram now because once The Lord
gives His word, He is bound to it like a ball and chain (Rom 11:28-29). That
should be a comfort to Yhvh's people, throughout all the ages, that once God
gives His word on something, He has to make good on it.
"May your steadfast love reach me, O Lord, your deliverance, as you have
promised. I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I have put my
trust in your word." (Ps 119:41-42)
Although Abram lacked sovereign control over his real estate at the time, it
was his possession nevertheless.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 13:14-15 . . And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted
from him: Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the
north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you
see to you and your offspring forever.
Oh the irony of it! If Lot went off only to the Jordan Valley to stake a claim
for his own progeny, then he didn't go far enough away because from
Abram's vantage he could see eastward clear across the Jordan valley and
over into Moab (the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan) and far past the five
cities of the Plain. So Abram, and his progeny, were promised eternal
ownership of not only the highlands of Canaan, but in addition, also the
whole Jordan Valley where Lot moved-- and beyond.
†. Gen 13:16 . . I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth,
so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too
can be counted.
I just hope Abram remembers what God said the next time he feels inclined
to fib in order to save his skin. Will he never catch on that he cannot die
until God makes good on the promises regarding his progeny?
Abram's biological progeny descend not only from Isaac, but also from
Ishmael and the other boys too. But his progeny shouldn't be construed to
be exactly equal to the number of bits of dust that make up the earth's soil.
The expression is a common Old Testament colloquialism for very large
quantities (e.g. Gen 41:49, Josh 11:4, Judg 7:12, 1Sam 13:5, 2Sam 17:11,
1Kgs 4:29, Job 29:18, Ps 78:27; et al).
The meaning is that they would simply become too numerous to count. Later
God will liken the number of Abram's offspring to the sand at the beach.
Same thing there too-- not the precise number of grains, but a number so
great that any attempt to count them would be futile; and the stars too.
Abram lived somewhere in the neighborhood of the 20th century BC;
roughly five hundred years after completion of the Pyramid of Khafre at
Giza. So Abram lived about 4,000 years ago. Millions and millions of Abram's
kin have lived and died since then. And it's not over yet, not by a long sea
mile.
NOTE: Not only were civilizations in Egypt great at this time, but elsewhere
too; for example the ancient city of Harappa that was once located in the
Indus River Valley of northwest India: a site now located in Pakistan.
Harappa was a fairly large city of something like 23,500 people; and still in
its heyday during the time of Abram. And the Maya, famous for their
apocalyptic calendar; were blooming in and around what is now the Yucatán
Peninsula. By the time of Abram, people had really spread out from the
tower of Babel; and world development was happening by leaps and bounds.
In Messiah's future millennial kingdom, Abram's people will multiply
exceedingly because they will all enjoy very long life spans and engender
large families. The Bible says that a man of 100 years age in Israel will be
regarded as a mere child in that era. (Isa 65:20)
Abram's offspring truly cannot be tallied; not now or ever. Only The
Almighty could ever get the number right because all the souls belonging to
Abram, among both the dead and the living, have become so numerous.
†. Gen 13:17 . . Up, walk about the land, through its length and its
breadth, for I give it to you.
It's notable that God said: I give it to you. The land was Abram's possession
right then and there and no one can ever take it away from him. Not even
Almighty God can take it away from Abram now because once The Lord
gives His word, He is bound to it like a ball and chain (Rom 11:28-29). That
should be a comfort to Yhvh's people, throughout all the ages, that once God
gives His word on something, He has to make good on it.
"May your steadfast love reach me, O Lord, your deliverance, as you have
promised. I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I have put my
trust in your word." (Ps 119:41-42)
Although Abram lacked sovereign control over his real estate at the time, it
was his possession nevertheless.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=