III. Wandering of the Patriarchs(Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph - Genesis 12-50)
Abram/Abraham (ca. 2165-1990 B.C.)
Genesis 12:1-3/ To Abraham God promised (1) personal blessings and protection, (2) that his descendants would become a nation in Canaan, and (3) that, ultimately, an international blessing would come through his descendants – the Messiah. Thus, God's messianic program would be worked out in two phases: Israel a nation in Canaan under the Mosaic Covenant, followed by international Messianic blessing under the New Covenant (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:14-16; Ephesians 2:11-3:11). He left Ur for Canaan (Genesis 12).
Genesis 15/ God and Abram's Covenant oath-swearing; the future exodus and conquest of Canaan are foretold
Genesis 17/ Abram's name is changed (v. 5) and the "covenant sign" of circumcision is commanded (vv. 9-14)
Genesis 17:15-22 & 18:10-14/ The Messianic Covenant blessing will come through the "child of promise" (Isaac), rather than the "child of the flesh" - Ishmael (Romans 4; 9:1-8,23,24; Galatians 3:7-29). "Isaac" is a type of Jesus/Christians (Galatians 4:21-31).
Genesis 22/ The offering of Isaac (vv. 1-18) demonstrated Abraham's faith and foreshadowed Christ's death/resurrection (Hebrews 11:17-19). An intriguing typological portrayal of the eventual focal point of the Biblical story - where another "only son" would be dead 3 days in the mind of His Father, carry the wood upon which He would be offered, die on a certain hill in the Jerusalem area, then return alive again after a substitutionary sacrificial death has occurred.
Isaac, the "Son of Promise" (ca. 2065-1885 B.C.)
Genesis 21:9-12/ Isaac, the child of "promise" was the covenant/Messianic line (Galatians 4:21-31; Romans 9:6-8) and the one "by the flesh," Ishmael, was excluded.
Genesis 24/ The bride for the "child of promise" was carefully selected (Ephesians 5:21-32; Revelation 19:7-9), as the bride of Christ - the Church.
Genesis 25:20-34/ Two sons were born to Isaac/Rebekah - Jacob & Esau and the Messianic lineage is identified as continuing through Jacob (Malachi 1:2,3; Romans 9:6-13; Hebrews 11:20).
Genesis 26/ The Messianic lineage will continue through Isaac (vv. 1-4). Isaac's travels and covenants with his neighbors are recounted.
Jacob (ca. 2005-1858 B.C.)
Genesis 27:41 – 28:17/ Jacob, by deception, received the patriarchal blessing from his father. Having angered his brother Esau, Jacob was sent away from home. At Bethel, he dreamed of the "ladder to heaven" (foreshadowing Jesus -John 1:51) and received God's promise of protection along with the declaration that the messianic lineage would continue through him (28:10-17).
Genesis 29-31/ Jacob, the deceiver, met his match in his uncle Laban
Genesis 32-33/ Jacob wrestles with a man/angel/God and is left with a limp – we all walk differently after an encounter with God (32:24-32). Then, Jacob and Esau were reconciled (33).
Genesis 32:28; 35:10/ Jacob's name was changed to "Israel." *Note this - the fleshly nation of Israel arose from one man and his 12 physical sons (Genesis 29:31-30:24; 35:18,22-26). Later, a new covenant "Israel" (Hosea 11-1 & Matthew 2:14,15) would "come out of Egypt" in the Messiah and a "new nation" (Matthew 21:43; 1Peter 2:5,9,10) would arise from His 12 spiritual sons, the apostles (Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 1:15-2:47). The church is the "true circumcision" (Romans 2:28,29; Philippians 3:3), "Abraham's seed" (Galatians 3:26-29), and the completion of "all Israel" (Romans 9:6-8,23,24).
Joseph (ca. 1914-1804 B.C.)
Genesis 39-48/ Joseph, aided by God, endured several years in prison, but was eventually called to Pharaoh's court to interpret a dream and then became a savior to Egypt and his patriarchal family (see Genesis 45:5-9 & 50:20)
Genesis 49/ In his final prophetic blessing upon his sons, Jacob foretold the general future of 12 sons/tribes of Israel and identified Judah as tribe through which the Messianic line would continue (v. 10)
Genesis 50:24-25/ Joseph, a man of faith, looked ahead to God's future work with Israel - the Exodus - and, by faith, wanted to participate, which he did (Exodus 13:19).
The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) were all promised a "land" (Canaan) that none of them saw as their family possession in their lifetimes. They "saw it" only by faith in what God would do in the future and, thus, are our examples as we also await the true heavenly "Promised land" and "New Jerusalem" (Hebrews 11:8-22; 13:14).
The Messianic lineage so far: After Eve, Seth, Noah, & Shem, the line goes through Terah's son, Abraham (Gen. 12:3), then Isaac (Gen. 25:19; 26:4), Jacob (Gen. 28:10,14), and Judah (Gen. 49:8-10)
Unless otherwise noted, all material produced by Charles E. McCoy All Scripture citations/quotations from the New American Standard Bible To send a question to Chuck: chuck@severnchristian.org
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Genesis 14:17-20/ Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek (right), a type of
Christ (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:5-10; 7) and a picture of the superiority of the
Melchizedek priesthood over the Levitical/Aaronic (see: Hebrews 4-10)
Genesis 37/ Joseph, favored by his father (coat) & blessed by God
(dreams), was nevertheless hated by his brothers (in various degrees) and was sold into Egyptian slavery (right).
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