from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan “Gen. 12:1-5). The land of Canaan was filled with the descendents of Ham and the line from his son Canaan (Gen. 12:6). This land would later become the land of Israel, the Promised Land (Gen. 12:7).
Abram sojourned in Egypt because of a famine in the land of Canaan, with his wife Sarai later called Sarah. Abraham claimed that Sarah was his sister, which, under Hurrian law at the time, afforded her special privileges including unwanted sexual advances against her. The Hurrians (Horites) were a civilization which existed in Canaan during this time. Thus contrary to popular thought, Abram’s portrayal of Sarah as a sister was lawful and customary in Canaan. By claiming this privilege Abram was saving his own life as the Egyptians would likely seize the beautiful Sarah and kill Abram. However, Egypt did not follow this law and the Pharaoh seized Sarah for himself. However, the Lord saved both Sarah and Abram in that He brought plagues to the house of Pharaoh causing him to release Sarah, and allow them to leave Egypt. So instead of Abram being seen as deceptive, he may just have been following the customs of his land in claiming Sarah to be his sister.
Abram and Lot settled in Negev but after a time it became apparent that the land would not support both families and their herds so they decided to separate. Lot chose to settle in the fertile Jordon valley near the city of Sodom. Abram chose to stay in Canaan. And the Lord spoke to Abram there: “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord” (Gen. 13:14-18). Of course the Lord was showing Abram the land that the nation of Israel would possess years later under Joshua.
The part of Canaan where Lot settled was a land of great wickedness. “Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord (Gen. 13:13). Lot’s decision to settle there showed his predisposition towards that type of life style, as even when God set to destroy the cities Lot was reluctant to flee the destruction.
A unique event occurred which shows Abram’s strength and character. Various Canaanite Kings attempted to defeat Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot was captured by them. Abram, with just a few hundred men, conquered the Canaanite Kings and freed his nephew Lot (Gen. 14:1-16). Although he had helped the wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah, probably on behalf of his nephew, Abram refused to take any of the spoils of victory he would have otherwise been entitled to. So Abram shows his family character by rescuing Lot and his faithfulness to trust God for his goods and not accept any tribute by the wicked men he had saved from destruction. “Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, [El Elyon] possessor [creator] of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ “I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share” (Gen. 14:22-24).
Then Abram met a mysterious stranger to which he tithed a tenth of what he had. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High [El Elyon]. He [Melchizedek] blessed him [Abram] and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High [again El Elyon], Possessor [Creator] of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High [El Elyon], Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He [Abram] gave him a tenth of all (Ge. 14:18-20). Who was this high priest Melchizedek who recognized Abram as a man of God and apparently served the same God as Abram (the Creator of Heaven and Earth)?
Melchizedek was identified as both a priest of God, (El Elyon), and a King of Salem. In a literal interpretation of Genesis 14:19, Melchizedek blesses Abraham “in the name of God Most High” which is translated El Elyon. Melchizedek also calls the “God Most High” (El Elyon) the possessor or “creator” of heaven and earth. Abraham, worshipped a God called “Yahweh” but apparently made no distinction between his God and that of Melchizedek because Abraham gave tithe to Melchizedek thereby conceding him a priesthood greater than his own patriarchal priesthood. Also Melchizedek worshiped only one God, unlike Abraham’s Canaanite neighbors, eliminating the theory that he hailed from a polytheistic society.
Salem, wherein Melchizedek was identified as being King, is closely associated with Jerusalem which eventually became the center for worship by the Jews in King David’s time. Prior to the Jewish occupation of the city it was named “Uru-salem or Uru-salimmu” (see the Tell el-Amarna letters, 14th century B.C.). It is believed that Melchizedek heralded from that city and Salem is also translated “peace” (see Psalm 76:2). Melchizedek’s validity as a priest of the Most High God (also El Elyon) is emphasized by Abraham, as he rejects any spoils offered him by the defeated Canaanite Kings, in the name of the same God he mentioned in Genesis 14:19.
Melchizedek is later identified in the scriptures as holding an eternal priesthood as a type of Christ who was to come. The Book of Hebrews goes into the most detail as to hat this mysterious figure, Melchizedek, represented. Hebrews explains that Old Testament Priests, from the tribe of Levi, officiated over the various sacrifices given to God by the people to atone for sin. However, this priesthood was temporary, not permanent, in that the sacrifices had to be offered over and over again. Further, the Priests died and their priesthood was ended. Christ, on the other hand, was not from the physical tribe of Levi (He was of the natural lineage of Judah). Therefore Christ (Jesus) had no part in the Old Testament temporary priesthood. His priesthood was permanent in that His one sacrifice forever accomplished salvation and reconciliation to God (Hebrews 7:1-3). His priesthood is therefore described in Hebrews as that of Melchizedek, both stated as being eternal.
In Genesis Chapter 15 God offers Abram a son. “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”Abram said, “O Lord God [YHWH], what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.”Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir” (Ge. 15:1-4).
Abram asked for a sign that this would be true and the Lord told him to sacrifice a calf, which Abram cut in pieces to make ready the sacrifice. “It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces” (Ge. 15:17). Besides being a miraculous appearing of the Lord by passing between the sacrifice in such a manner, the “smoking oven” and the “flaming sword” are symbols of light which indicates the presence of the Lord. The flaming sword is also symbolic of the Word of God and Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:11-16).
Now we see the human side of Abram, the man God called a man of faith. God had promised him a son yet Sarah was approaching old age and it began to look like it was not going to happen. Thus Abram took the promise from God’s hands and took it on himself to produce an heir. “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.
