Abraham and the Patriarchs when the Lord said’ “…and now you are cursed

from the ground…When you till the ground, it shall

Introduction: no longer yield you its produce; you shall be a
fugitive and a wanderer on earth.”(Gen 4, 11-12
In week 1 we had a general overview on how God RSV) Cain was fearful of becoming a fugitive and
journeys with his people. This initiative of God to wanderer and said “My punishment is greater than I
journey with His people is our Salvation History. As can bear… you have driven me … and I shall be a
a manifestation that God loves us so much, He fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever
made his presence felt through many ways. The finds me will slay me.”(Gen 4, 13-14) However, as a
fullness of this presence was when the Word response on the fear of Cain, the Lord answered,
became flesh---God becoming human. Our “Not so! If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be
encounter with Him will find its completeness when taken on him seven-fold. And then the Lord put a
we will fully experience the Kingdom. In relation to mark on Cain, lest anyone who came upon him
our present life, there are traces of God’s really should kill him.” (Genesis 4, 15) Even though the
intervening in human history for us to always Lord cursed him to be a fugitive and wanderer, yet
remember the great destiny which He planned for the blessing came when He promised that Cain will
all people. never be killed.

This Chapter will discuss the Patriarchs, the The pattern is also the same in the Story of Noah in
foundation of God’s people whom God will use as Genesis 6. The wickedness of mankind made God
instruments to start journeying with His people. plan to wipe out all people on earth. As a symbol for
cleansing, the great flood was the punishment.
The Patriarchs However, Noah was presented as the blessing when
For us to understand the importance of the he builds the ark to save them from the flood. After
Patriarchs in the history of the Israelites or in the flood subsided, there was only one nation under
modern term called Jewish people, let us make a the descendants of Noah.
glimpse of the stories before the calling of the first
Patriarch--- Abraham. These stories are called When people grew in number sin comes into the
“reconstructed history” by some Biblical experts. fore again in the story of the tower of Babel. The
building of the tower of Babel was a desire to have
Stories in the Old Testament revolve with the cycle fame so that their names will spread throughout all
of sin-curse-blessing/restoration. When Adam and the earth and the next generation instead of that of
Eve committed the sin of pride and disobedience, God (Genesis 11:4). It was also a sin of disobedience
they became conscious and were ashamed that since they did not spread throughout all the earth
they are naked. In Genesis 3, the curse or as God commanded their forefathers.
punishment was given by God in verse 16 and 17,
such as pain in child bearing, making man till the Their desire to be the ones to be glorified instead of
soil before reaping its fruits, and death as the God was shattered when the Lord differentiated
consequence of the sin they have committed. As a their languages. Thus, they really were scattered on
blessing, towards the end, God did not allow them earth as God planned for people.
to be naked, he made garments of skins and clothed
them. The cycle in the stories before the calling of the
Patriarchs presents the people’s act of always
Same cycle is also applied in the story of the turning away from God despite God’s act of always
children of Adam and Eve--- Cain and Abel. In restoring them. This act of committing sin was
Genesis 4, Cain out of jealousy murdered his continuous from the forefathers to the next
brother Abel, who was a more favored son because generations. This will lead to God’s calling the first
of his best offering to God. Clearly, in this story sin Patriarch Abraham to start journeying with His
was present in the act of killing and the feeling of people.
jealousy by Cain. After which the punishment was
Meanwhile the continuity of sin is what we call So, he built there an altar to the Lord, who had
“original sin”. Why original? Because it is not local appeared to him.
(joke only). Original sin does not mean that we
inherited the sins committed by our forefathers but Let us analyze the words of God to Abram in
what we inherited is the weak human nature which Genesis 12:1-4. What are the three things that God
has the tendency to commit sin. In tagalog, this is promised to Abraham? Among those three
called “kahinaan ng tao”. This is the reason why promises, which one is clearly telling us that God
some of us when we are accused of committing calling Abraham was just the beginning of His plan
mistake would answer by saying “tao lang”. Water to give salvation to humanity? Obviously, the first
or the flood as a sign of cleansing in the story of promise was the land which is Canaan as found in
Noah will come to us in the water of Baptism which Genesis 12:5. For the second promise which Abram
will remove our original sin and so we are also did not immediately believe was the son since he
marked as God’s people. So, with our Baptism, we had no heir with Sarai. How can Abram become a
hope that we overcome that weakness of being great nation if he will not have children or even a
“tao” will live out our nature as the image of God. son? The third promise which may also be very
This means that if God is good, we should also be remote for Abram was God’s plan to save or
good, if God is just, we should also be just, and so journey with His people starting with Abram and his
on and so forth. You can enumerate a lot of God’s descendants who will be the Israelites. This third
traits which we should live being his image such as promise was greatly implied in Genesis 12: 4, when
loving, caring, compassionate, etc. God said, “all the families of the earth will find
blessing in you.”
With the continuity of sin or people always turning
away from God, comes the calling of Abraham in God’s covenant with Abraham
Genesis 12. How will Abraham become a blessing?
Who is Abraham? What is his role in the life of the With the plan of God for all people as greatly
people of God and in God’s plan for all people? implied in the calling of Abraham, there are series
of events that will slowly give signs on how it will be
Genesis 12:1-3: The Call of Abraham. carried out starting with Abraham. With the
promises of land and a son to Abram, the next
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country would be the changing of their names and the
and your kindred and your father’s house to the circumcision (Genesis 17:1-22). Circumcision is a
land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a sign of cleanliness and holiness, which means that
great nation, and I will bless you, and make your one must walk blameless with God. The changing of
name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will names has a deep and greater implication. In
bless those who bless you, and him who curses you Genesis 17:5, 15, God will change the names of
I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth Abram and Sarai into Abraham and Sarah. Change
shall bless themselves.”[a] of names in the Bible greatly implies the change
that the person must undergo, and the name
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot greatly signifies one’s mission that he will carry out.
went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old One good example of this is the name “Jesus” which
when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took means savior (Matthew 1:21). With this, Abraham’s
Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their mission was to become the “father of a multitude of
possessions which they had gathered, and the nations”.
persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set
forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had How will Abraham become the “father of a
come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed multitude of nations”? Biologically, Abraham was
through the land to the place at Shechem, to the the father of the Hebrew nation only or the
oak[b] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were Israelites. How can we call Abraham our father? As
in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, said in Genesis 12:3, how can we gain blessing
and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” through Abraham? With this, we must ask the
question, what was really the covenant between Conclusion
God and Abraham in its fullest sense? In Genesis The Story of Abraham is the actual starting point of
17:7- 8, it is greatly implied that God will slowly God bringing salvation to humanity although this
introduce Himself as the God not only of Abraham has been planned since when the first persons
but even his descendants. So, the covenant was “I committed sin (Gen. 3:15). Abraham became the
will be your/their God. While Abraham and his father of the Israelites whom God will continue to
descendants were the only ones being mention use as instruments in spreading His Love / salvation
here, we need to go back to the wider context of for all. From the Israelites would come the peak of
God’s words to Abraham which was “all the families God’s promise to give blessing to all the families on
of the earth will find blessing in you.” Back to the earth.
question, how will Abraham become the “father of
a multitude of nations” or how can we call Abraham
our father? The people descended from Abraham
would be the trustee, the chosen people, called to
prepare for that day when God will gather all his
children into unity. They would be the root onto
which the gentiles would be grafted, once they
come to believe. So, what would connect us with
Abraham? It is our faith in the God (YHWH) who
called Abraham and the patriarchs. So, Abraham is
not our biological father, but he is our father of
faith. This is why we hear many people singing
“father Abraham has many children, and I am one
of them…” Still, we have to ask the question of how
will God bless all the families of the earth through
Abraham? Who is the person from the lineage of
Abraham who will bless all the families on earth?
Going back to the background of the calling of the
patriarchs, it was because of the people
continuously committing sin. So, it is now very clear
that the person who will bless us all is no other than
the Savior, the Word or the promise of God who
became flesh. It is now clear that Abraham is our
father of faith.

Readers may be troubled by God's choice of Abram.

Is Abram somehow special, or better, or more
religious than other people? Again, God called
people not because they are perfect or holy, but
God would intervene and comes to our rescue
because of our sinfulness. Abraham’s faith was
tested many times when he questioned his being
childless, but again, this is where God’s power and
love would work. The ultimate test of his faith was
when God asked him to offer his only son Isaac
which was just a proof that Abraham now would
fully trust God after all his encounters with Him. So,
with faith in God, His grace will overcome our
human weaknesses.