Abraham and All the Families of the Earth: A Commentary on the Genesis 12-50

Top Highlights

“It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The biblical story of redemption, as it begins in Abraham, is a journey in blessing from a single person to all the families of the earth. This journey is set in motion by a call from God. For all its brevity, this call is of immeasurable importance, for it both anchors the journey and guides our interpretation of each step along the way—Abraham’s, his descendants’, and our own steps as we join the journey.” (Page 15)

“The theological question is, When does faith act according to common sense and when according to uncommon sense?” (Page 24)

“On the one hand, the relation between God and all the families of the earth depends on the attitudes and the actions of these others toward Abram and his descendants. On the other hand, Abram and his descendants are called to serve the well-being of all human communities, by becoming the kind of community they all would like to become (cf. Deut. 4:5–8). To bless oneself ‘by’ Abram is to use Abram’s name when asking a blessing from God, as in saying ‘O God, make us like Abram and his descendants.’” (Page 17)

“These shifts suggest that blessing is God’s primary universal intention, while curse is a secondary specific provision for dealing with an evil which even then is presented as less prominent (as though God were taking a generous view of humankind).” (Page 18)

“But third parties are hinted at, for a name is meaningful only where there are others who are familiar with it, know what it stands for, and can and do use it.” (Page 16)