1. His Story His Contributions to Judaism

2. The Land God Torah The People The Land Canaan – “To your offspring I will give this land” – Genesis 12:7 This comes later – with Moses, when he receives the 10 commandments All of the descendents of Abraham (through the line of Isaac)

3. Covenant Marks the beginning of a special relationship Changes Abram to Abraham to indicate this shift in the relationship Abraham means “ancestor of a multitude” There are privileges, but also responsibilities with the covenant Upside and downside of being chosen…

4. The Egypt Episode Foreshadows the Exodus (plagues) Pharoah Why does Abram lie about his relationship to Sarai?

5. Abraham’s Covenant “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land (Canaan) that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.”

6. Circumcision The Hebrew word for “making” a covenant is literally to “cut” a covenant. “Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old.” – Genesis 17:10 “So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.” – Genesis 17:13

9. Sarai “The LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go into my slave-girl (Hagar); it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” (Genesis 16:2) Hagar “looked with contempt upon her mistress” and so “Sarai dealt harshly with her” after Abram refused to get involved.

10. Hagar Ran away to a spring of water God’s angel tells her, “I will so greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude….you shall call him Ishmael…He shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin” (Genesis 16: 10-12). “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous…but my covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:20-21).

11. Landscape with Hagar and the Angel, 1646 Claude Lorrain, 1604/05-1682 Canvas, 52 x 42 cm The National Gallery, London

12. Names Abraham = ancestor of many Sarah = princess Ishmael = God hears Isaac = he laughs

13. Abraham and the Three Angels, 1646 Rembrandt, 1606-1669 Panel, 16.5 x 21.5 cm Private collection, United States of America

14. Abraham Banishing Hagar and Ishmael, 1658 Guercino, 1591-1666 Canvas, 115 x 154 cm Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan

15. The Banishment of Hagar, 1666 Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, 1621-1674 Canvas, 54.5 x 68.5 cm North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

16. Zamzam Well – Mecca Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam. The miraculously generated source of water from God, which began when Ishmael was thirsty and kept crying for water.

17. The Sacrifice of Abraham, 1603 Caravaggio, 1573-1610 Canvas, 104 x 135 cm Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

18. Abraham and Lot Lets Lot choose which land to herd Canaan is the land of the chosen people Hospitality 18:2-5 Obedience “Sacrifice” of child to God when asked Lot chooses the “well watered, garden” area Sodom is “wicked” Lesser hospitality 19:3 Willful sacrifice of daughters to people, unsolicited 19:8

19. Lot’s Wife

20. Lot and his Daughters, first half 16 th century Anonymous (Antwerp?) Panel 48 x 34 cm Musee du Louvre, Paris

22. Genesis 25: 19-34, 27 Isaac married Rebekah (baren) Continuation of the theme that a barren woman will have a child who becomes important (Sarah->Isaac) God - two nations (twins) wrestling in the womb One stronger, elder will serve the younger Esau & Jacob = supplant; to supersede by trickery

23. Isaac Blessing Jacob, 1638 Govert Flinck, 1615-1660 Canvas, 117 x 141 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

24. Jacob’s Dream, 1639 Jusepe de Ribera, 1591-1652 Canvas, 179 x 233 cm Museo National del Prado, Madrid

25. Genesis 28 Transfer of blessing from Isaac to Jacob Similar promise to Abraham after split with Lot Stairway to heaven = distance from the Jacob he IS to the Jacob he will BECOME Bethel = House of God

26. The Meeting of Jacob, Rachel and Leah, 1514- 1517 Raphael, 1483-1520 Fresco Loggia, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican, Rome

27. Genesis 30:25 – Genesis 31 Return to trickery (both Jacob and Rachel) What’s up with that cattle?

28. Genesis 32-33 Jacob’s wrestle with God Finally getting to the top of the ladder Changes name from Jacob to Israel = He who wrestles with God We’ll come back to this.

29. Genesis 34 Rape of Dinah Violation of sexual honor Similar to Ham/Noah; Abram/Sarai Trickery Similar to the blessings of both Isaac and Abraham Avenging family name