Abraham – Friend of God, Old Testament Study
Willyne Ann Taylor
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)
“Thus saith the
Lord, I have sworn by myself, that because thou hast done this thing, and hast
not withheld thy son, thine only Isaac from me; That in blessing I will bless
thee; and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and
as the sand which is upon the seashore.
And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my
voice.” (Genesis 22:20-22)
“And when I saw
him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto
me, Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of
death.” (Revelations 1:17-18)
“For the wages of
sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
“Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; By
whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
We have different ways to look at the seed spoken of in Genesis 22:20-22, “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed...” The singular “seed” of Abraham is Jesus. The plural – the seed of Abraham – are his children by birth and by adoption. We know that through lineage the people of Judaism and Islam have claim to some of the promises of God, but by adoption through covenant, anyone who is willing can become partakers in the promises and blessing of Abraham.
The children of lineage come from Abraham’s “loins” - his literal descendants. Both Ishmael and Isaac received blessings and promises but it was through Isaac that God chose to bring about “The Blessing” to all nations. The Arabic people are precious to God, but the Islamic religion is a counterfeit of the gospel. It denies any possibility of Jesus being the Son of God, for the Koran teaches that God was never begotten and can never beget. It is taught that Jesus was a great prophet but that He could not be God’s Son. Islam also teaches that the Koran is the final and perfect word of God and that Mohammad was His last prophet. And so, God cannot reveal anything more than what is in the Koran. Much like the children of Laman and Lemuel, the members of Islam need our diligent prayers on their behalf and willing servants like the sons of Mosiah to minister to them. The covenant promises of God to Abraham came through Isaac’s lineage. But just being of the “seed of Abraham” by lineage does not assure that someone has the covenant promises (John 8:39).
In Genesis,
there is a detailed account of four generations beginning with Abraham. These four men entered into covenant with
God. Four generations is
significant. The number four is
symbolically linked to universality or totality. Examples of this are the four seasons that
make up a complete year, the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and
west. God promises of vengeance are unto
the third and fourth generations (Exodus 20:5).
We know that the covenant that God made with Christ on our behalf is eternal
and everlasting and has no end. But in
Genesis, a detailed record of four generations is given to assure us of the
faithfulness of God. God did not and
will not forget His promises to the seed of Abraham.
ABRAHAM In Genesis 12:1-7, God promised that Abraham would inherit the land He had shown him and become a great nation. He promised that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s seed. Abraham received the testimony of “the son of man,” and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Gen. 15). He entered into the covenant that Jesus, “the son of man” made with God on our behalf. It was Jesus that completed the covenant with God as stated in Genesis chapter 15. Jesus is the one like a smoking furnace (Rev. 1:13-15) and burning lamp (Matt. 17:1) that Abraham saw Him take his place in the covenant ritual. As part of the covenant, God gave an H from his name (YHWH - YAHWEH) to Abram and Sarai, which made their names Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:1-25). He instituted circumcision at that time as a sign of the covenant. God stated clearly that He was establishing His covenant with Abraham because “My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept my ordinances, which I gave their fathers.” (Gen. 17:1-8).
ISAAC Isaac’s name means laughter. He was truly a miracle birth. Both Abraham and Sarah were physically past the time of having children. God wanted them to know He was able to fulfill His promises no matter what the situation looked like. This makes God’s directive to sacrifice Isaac even more amazing. Isaac was truly a type for Christ. Josephus (a first century A.D. historian) confirms the tradition that Isaac was a young man at the time the offering was to take place. He was the one to carry the fire for the burnt offering up the mountainside. There is no mention of any resistance to his father’s will in this matter. This commandment to sacrifice Isaac was clearly a type and shadow of God’s ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son in the meridian of time when God provided Himself a lamb” (Gen. 22:10, John 1:29).
ESAU Esau, the eldest twin son of Isaac and Rebekah, was a man’s man. He was a hunter and leader and perhaps because of this he was his father’s favorite. He easily gave up his birthright for a bowl of red beans. The birthright entitled the son to have a double portion of the father’s inheritance. Esau may have believed that he could build his own inheritance and was not concerned with what his father could past on to him. But there is more to an inheritance than material wealth. As oldest, Esau should have received the greatest blessing from his father. This blessing was more than his father’s good wishes. It was a blessing from God and would effect not only the one blessed but generations of people who would be of his lineage. When Jacob stole this blessing from Esau by deceit, Esau was angry enough to destroy Jacob and said he would do so after Isaac’s death. However as time passed, Esau acquired wealth and power and gave up his “right’ to vengeance. It may be that Esau never really understood what he lost. He seemed quite content to make his own way in the world without the direction, leadership, and covenant blessings of God. He did, however, pass on to his descendants the story of Jacob’s behavior and there was animosity between their nations for generations.
JACOB One of the meanings of the name Jacob is deceiver or grabber. From the beginning, Jacob struggled with who he was in the family structure (Gen. 25:22-27). He was his mother’s favorite child. He was called a plain man who stayed around the tents. But Jacob wanted more. Jacob chose to be in covenant with the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. When God reached out to him, he responded. And because of this, God continued His promise to Abraham through Jacob. Through him, the twelve nations of Israel (the covenant name God gave Jacob in Genesis 35:9-12) arose.
JOSEPH Joseph is perhaps the most beautiful type and shadow for Jesus in the Old Testament. His life parallels Jesus’ life in many ways. (See PARALLELLS BETWEEN JOSEPH AND JESUS on the last page.) Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. This may have been because his mother was Rachel whom Jacob loved. Joseph was kept near to Jacob and given many special privileges and gifts and probably additional religious training. Jealousy developed because of this preferential treatment and so his brothers decided to get rid of him. They sold him into bondage and tried to trick their father into believing he had been killed by an animal. While in bondage, he trusted and relied on God. Through God’s provision, he was able to save Jacob’s family during a famine. Seventy persons in the household of Jacob moved into the land of Egypt. These people grew to be a nation of over two million people in a period of about four hundred years.
“As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated” (Roman 9:13)
Jacob and Esau are good examples of the difference between spiritual man (friend of God) and natural man (enemy of God). Esau (means hairy) was the first born of Isaac and Rebekah and twin to Jacob. Jacob (means grabber) received his name because at birth he reached out from the womb and grabbed Esau’s heel. From the beginning, there was a striving between the two brothers. Before they were born they fought in the womb so violently that Rebekah inquired of the Lord as why it was thus with her (Genesis 25:21-23). She was told that there were two manner of people in her womb, “and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). As time passed, they exhibited very different personalities. “And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; but Rebekah loved Jacob” (Genesis 25:27-28). Although this is hardly enough information to define what these two young men were like, it does point out that Esau was much more independent of the family. He spent much time alone and learned to rely on his own strength and cunning. Jacob on the other hand, sought the company of the camp and learned to live in a close family structure. It was Jacob who was interested in receiving the inheritance of his father.
In the Hebrew culture when the father divided up his goods between his children, each son received an equal portion except for the oldest (the daughters received a dowry). This first-born son received a double portion as his birthright. Esau, as oldest, was to receive this double portion. However, he “despised his birthright” and exchanged it for a pot of lentils (Genesis 25:29-34). When Esau came in from hunting, he was faint with hunger. To hunt in those days and in the location of their travels, could have required many days far from home. Esau had killed no game. There is no question that Jacob’s response to his brother was unkind and calculating, but this does not excuse Esau’s decision. His immediate need was deemed more important than future promise of the second portion of his father’s inheritance. We can see in Esau a self-reliance that devalues the things of his father and a reliance on self to provide for his own needs and desires. Jacob, although carnal and deceitful in his actions, was seeking to posses the promises given to his father from God.
Later when he was sent from his home because of Esau’s anger, he was humbled by the results of his actions. He was at a crossroad in his life that would not only change him for life but also determine the direction of the nation that would come from his seed. He could have chosen Esau’s way and endeavored to become self-reliant. But when God spoke to him at Beth-el, he chose to trust in the God of his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac. He responded by entering into covenant (Genesis 28:10-22). God began a work in Jacob that carried him through his life. God humbled Jacob and forever changed his walk - physically before man and spiritually before God. God showed Jacob that he was nothing compared to His glory and strength, and a humbled Jacob refused to let God go (Genesis 32:24-30). The blessing Jacob desired and received from God was not just for Jacob, but also for all of his descendants.
Both brothers were patriarchs of great nations, Israel and Edom. The name Edom means “red” and was applied to Esau and his descendants because he traded his birthright for a bowl of “red” beans. Esau’s people held an animosity towards Jacob’s lineage that was passed down for hundreds of years. At the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Israel, Edom sided with the Babylonians against Jacob’s descendants.
It was Israel who was and is a chosen people before God. The Edomities, although related to the family of God by blood, were far distant from her in spirit. Jacob did not “earn” the right to be chosen of God. His deception of his father did not trick God into bestowing the greater blessing upon Jacob. From before their birth, God was calling to these two men and God knew it would be Jacob that would respond to His call. Sinful people everywhere are being called into repentance and communion with God. “The Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world...” What makes the difference in the lives of men is their response to this call “…and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit; and everyone that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit, cometh unto God, even the Father;” (D&C 83:7c-d). For when there is a response to God even in the slightest, He is there to bless and draw His child closer. It is because of His mercy and long-suffering to the children of men that we have this priceless opportunity to become a friend of God (Alma 14:97-102). We cannot take this wonderful gift lightly.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Hebrews 12:14-17
“Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” Isaiah 55:1-3
Because of Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience, God was able to raise up a nation through whom Jesus could come into the world and be the blessing spoken of in Genesis 22:20-22. The seed (singular) of Abraham was Jesus. Through faith in Jesus, His death and resurrection, we can become fruit for God’s kingdom.
“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:23-24)
We become the children of Abraham and therefore under the covenant of God the Father and His Son, when we by faith accept the gift of salvation through Jesus. The covenant is open to all those who will abide under the conditions of the covenant. And what are those conditions? - that we believe and endure to the end.
“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith; but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree; That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that they might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:6-14)
A necessary part of this belief in God, the Father, and Jesus, His Son, are works of faith. Unlike works of the law, which lead to death, works of faith as explained in James chapter 2 are the outward evidences of our inward love of and submission to God. They are not an attempt by man to perfect himself enough to become worthy of salvation – for this can never happen. They are a response to the free gift of salvation. Jesus said that if we loved Him we would obey Him (John 14:15, 21). Lest we become obsessed with keeping the letter of the law as generations have done, we can judge all our actions by the two greatest commandments: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:35-39)
When we base all our actions on the love we bear for God, we are the children of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Our “work” is to accept the love of God expressed in the sacrifice of His Son through repentance and baptism and then live our lives in grateful obedience to those things that please Him. The relationship between the church and Christ has been compared to a bridegroom and his bride. The bridegroom prepares a place for his bride. The bride prepares herself for the bridegroom. This preparation is done with joyful expectation and the desire to be pleasing and acceptable to one another. Jesus is the perfect bridegroom. God has chosen the bride for His Son – the church. What remains is for us to allow Him to perfect us (and therefore the church) through obedience and submission to the will of the Father. Will we be ready to inherit the promises of God to the seed of Abraham? The choice is always ours.
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness, and rejoiceth him that remembereth thee in thy ways; in righteousness there is continuance, and such shall be saved. But we have sinned; we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:4-6)
“I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride
adorneth herself with her jewels. For as
the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are
sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring forth before all the nations.”
(Isaiah 61:10-11)
A beautiful type for our salvation is given to us in the tradition of the wedding garment. There was a certain ancient custom in Israel that Jesus made reference to in Matthew 22:8-13. As part of the preparation made by the father of the bridegroom, a garment was made for every guest invited to the feast. The father would stand at the door and present each person with a garment made just for them to wear. Unlike today, in those days, clothing was very practical and limited in quantity. Most people wore the same clothes day after day. Therefore, their clothes even at a great distance could usually identify a person. From then on, those who had attended this feast could be identified as friends of the bridegroom -- if they chose to wear the wedding garment.
When we enter into covenant with our Lord and Savior, Jesus, there must be an exchange made. We can no longer wear our old garment of sin. We are to exchange our righteousness, which is as filthy rags, for His robe of righteousness, which is a gift from the Father. When Christ hung on the cross, He was wearing our robe of sin. He bore the consequences of our sin so that we would not have to be cast into outer darkness for eternity (Matthew 22:11-14). He reconciled us to God so that we could be His children.
“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” (Romans 9:24-26)
We cannot make our own wedding garment. It is a precious gift from the Father through
the sacrifice of His beloved Son. When
we stand before God at the great and last day, He will look to see if we have
on this priceless garment. If we do not,
we must be cast out. If we have taken
this precious gift lightly, it will show.
Unrepentant sin and willful disobedience will leave stains upon us. God has granted unto us the awesome gift of
repentance. Through this opportunity,
the daily stains of sin can be washed away from our garments just as God said
through Isaiah in chapter 1 verses 18 and 19, “Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat
the good of the land…” The question must be asked, “Do we want to be willing
and obedient.” Nephi in the Book of
Mormon puts it a different way,
“For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water: and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; And ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye enter in by the way, ye should receive. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask, if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far, save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save; Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven, whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.” (II Nephi 13:24-32)
Jesus is the gate.
He is the way, the truth, and the life.
No man can come to the Father except through Jesus. There is no other way. We do not earn this gift. It is free to those who will accept it. Those
of us who have accepted the gift and entered in at the gate by baptism are
wearing the wedding garment. It is
Jesus’ robe of righteousness. When
others look at us, do they see Jesus?
Are we daily walking in repentance and submission to Him? Are we taking upon us the pure love of
Christ, which is charity (Moroni 7:52-53)?
We are bought with a price, ransomed and redeemed by the blood of Jesus
(1 Corinthians 7:22-24; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Mormon 4:72-74). We are His servants and not our own. Our lives no longer belong to us to do with
as the natural man pleases. We can never
earn the gift of salvation. No work or
gift could ever pay the price. But we
can allow the Holy Spirit to create in us a clean heart and renew a right
spirit within us (Psalm 51:5-14). We can
allow God to perfect us as we submit to His will in our daily living. We can reap the benefits of the blessings God
gives to Jesus as we become more and more like Him. For God withholds no good thing from His Son
and those who follow after Him (John 16:15).
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
My husband, had a spiritual dream some years back. In it, he was given an insight that he was anxious to share with two of his friends. As he began to tell them in this dream of this insight, it was given to him for the first time. This is what he received.
Man has faith that if he is perfect, it will please God and then he can come unto Him.
But,
God would have man come unto to Him for it pleases God to make man perfect through faith.
We cannot earn salvation by our works but if we come unto God through faith on the Son of God and willingly submit to Him, He will perfect us and prepare us for His Kingdom.
God wants to bless all those who will love and serve Him with the same blessing offered to Abraham:
1) “unto a land that I will show thee;”
He is our portion (Psalm 73:26), our strong tower (Proverbs 18:10), our resting place (Hebrews 4:4-5), our inheritance (Ephesians 1:12-14), He will gather us into His presence if we are obedient (Psalms 50:4-5).
“And righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare; an holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion; a New Jerusalem. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there; and we will receive them into our bosom; and they shall see us, and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth rest.” (Genesis 7:70-72)
2) “I will make of thee a great nation”
Zion, place of kings and priests, witness unto the world of power, glory and provision of our God.
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore who believe, he is precious; but unto them who are disobedient, who stumble at the word, through disobedience, whereunto they were appointed, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. For the stone which the builders disallowed, is become the head of the corner. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:5-10)
3) “I will bless thee, and make thy name great
“I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee
“in thee shall the families of the earth be blessed”
Our name will be in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 21:27).
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you…
He will fight our battles
and deliver us from our enemies (Satan is the enemy of all righteousness Mosiah
2:26)) when we submit our lives to His will.
Although we may die (physically) in battle, He is faithful to deliver us
into the rest and peace of His kingdom where we will sit down at His right
hand.
…Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (I Peter 5:6-11).
“ But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” (2 Kings 17:39)
Through our witness of Christ, we will be a blessing to the families of the earth:
“And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your words, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe on your words, and come down into the depth of humility, and be baptized in my name; for they shall be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.” (Matthew 5:2-4)
“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hooves. The humble shall see this, and be glad; and your heart shall live that seek God. For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah; that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.” (Psalm 69:30-36)
We can become the children of Abraham, Altar Builder - Friend of God - Father of Nations, and Blessing. Through our faith in the One who is Faithful, Jesus Christ, we are heirs of the promises of Abraham.
Bibliography
Canaan-The Promised Land-Ancient Palestine; Crystalinks.com
Canaan and Ancient Israel;
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
In the Land of Ur; Baumann, Hans; Pantheon Books,; NY; 1968
Jesus in the
Feasts of Israel; Booker, Richard; Bridge Publishing, Inc;
New Jersey; 1987
Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible; The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc;
Pleasantville, NY; 1981
Smith Bible Dictionary; Smith, William, L.L.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; 1986
The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread; Booker, Richard; Bridge Publishing, Inc.; New Jersey; 1981
The Word Bible Handbook; Richards, Lawrence O.; Word Inc.; Waco, Texas; 1982
The Wycliff Historical Geography Of Bible Lands
The Layman’s Bible Encyclopedia; Martin, William C.; The Southwestern Company;
Nashville; 1964
The Law, Thru the Bible Commentary Series, Genesis Chapters 1-15; McGee J. Vernon; Thomas
Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN; 1991
Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps; Wilson, Neil S. & Taylor, Linda K; Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc; Wheaton, IL; 2001
PARALLELLS BETWEEN JOSEPH AND JESUS (Genesis 37-50)
(Chart from Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps, page 13- references from Inspired Version)
Joseph Parallels Jesus
37:3 Their fathers loved them dearly Matthew 3:46
37:2 Shepherd of their fathers’ sheep John 10:11, 27-29
37:13-14 Sent by father to brothers Hebrews 2:9-12
37:4 Hated by brothers John 7:7
37:20 Others plotted to harm them John 11:53
37:25,28 Taken to Egypt Matthew 3:14-15
37:23 Robes taken from them John 19:23
37:28 Sold for the price of a slave Matthew 26:11
39:20 Bound Matthew 27:2
39:11-18 Falsely accused Matthew 26:59-60
40:1-23 Placed with two other prisoners, one who was saved
and the other lost Luke 23:33-44
41:46 Both 30 years old at the beginning of public recognition Luke 3:30
41:40-44 Exalted after suffering Philippians 2:9-11
45:1-15 Forgave those who wronged them Luke 23:35
45:7 Saved their nation John 11:50-52
50:20 What people did to hurt them God turned to good Acts 2:36