Day 6 - Common Lineage

Family of Abraham
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2024 Read the Bible in a Year

January 6, 2024

Readings for Today: Genesis 15:1 - 17:27

Day 6 - Common Lineage

Prayer:

Creator God,

We pray for our families no matter their situations, friends, neighbors, and those who are alone.

For faith communities here and abroad, this nation and the world.

For all who work and live for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation.

For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all of these and all the more you see that we need.

In the holy name of Jesus,

Amen

Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, from closing worship of the Episcopal Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, Portland, OR, December 2023

Background & Reflections:

Contacts or covenants have become a means by which two parties come together and make a series of agreements to bind themselves to make something happen.

In Genesis 15, God uses the standard format of a contract of the day so Abe understands that God will fulfill his promises of building a dynasty through Abram’s family line.

God instructs Abram to bring some animals and cut them in half, and in a dream, God walks through the halves. God is saying to Abram that God will be cut in half like these animals if God does not keep God’s word. The patriarchs of the three major faiths (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) draw their lineage from Abraham and Sarah. Judaism and Christianity via Abraham, Isacc, and Jacob. Islam via Abraham and Ismael.

In Genesis 16 Sarai becomes impatient but wants to please Abe in having some descendants.  Sarai gives her slave, Hagar, to bear children. After the birth, things go bad and Hagar sees no way out but to run away. On the road, she encounters God and promises her descendants to be vast in number. Hagar comes back to Abe.

In Chapter 17 God creates an everlasting covenant with Abram. God changes Abe’s name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah and both of them will become the ancestors of a multitude of nations. God establishes circumcision as the sign of this covenant. The promise is that Sarah will bear Isaac to create this dynasty. 

Question of the Day:

What has God fulfilled in your life as God has promised?

Tomorrow's Readings: Genesis 18:1 - 20:18

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2024 Read the Bible in a Year is a featured Bible Study to inspire spirituality. This plan has been used on The Bible in Time blog site in the past and now includes new material and reflections.

By Dave Eitland. Free for faith community use. Thanks, Katheryn for the editorial help. This was published on January 18, 2024, in Oregon, USA.