Abraham—Lot—The Passovers and Throughs
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| Josefa de Ayala |
The Passover Foundation
For I will pass through (עבר) the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
— Exodus 12:12-13
Israel's faith in the shed blood of the Lamb on their behalf saved the children of Israel from the final judgment in Egypt and pointed forward to the future Passover Lamb, who would deliver the souls of men from their bondage to sin and final judgment.
For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us ...
— 1 Corinthians 5:7
I'll take the longer, more scenic route to reach the main point of this article, but the lessons along the way make the detours worthwhile. They are too impressive to "pass up."
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| Giovanni Battista Langetti |
Abraham's Faith
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
— Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.— Hebrews 11:17
Abraham's Obedience Exhibits Faith
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him ... they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.— Genesis 12:1-4
We see that Abram's faith was demonstrated in his departure and his entry into the land. God spoke, and Abraham obeyed. Abraham's next act warrants a closer look at the text.
Abram passed through עבר the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh, and the Canaanites were then in the land.
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel (house of God), and pitched his (her) tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai (heap of ruins) on the east: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
— Genesis 12:6-9
At first glance, obedience might not be so obvious in English. In Hebrew, words are either masculine or feminine. The word "tent" in the verse above is in the feminine form. This suggests that when Abraham was told that his "seed" would inherit the land, he "pitched her tent," following the nomadic custom of the time. Either the woman had her own tent or a designated section of the tent for intimacy. This custom is shown in a scene involving Isaac and Rebekah.
Isaac brought her (Rebekah) into his mother Sarah's tent (tent is in female form in this verse too), and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her.
— Genesis 24:67
Therefore, we can conclude that Abraham's act of faith, as it related to seed, was to "pitch a tent." This pattern appears throughout the narratives in the book of Genesis. When the feminine form of "tent" is used, it usually indicates a sexual encounter or its results.
In this second encounter with the Lord, his act of faith was to remove himself from Shechem, the place he had traveled through to reach from Haran, because Canaanites were in the land. He sought to protect his promise.
God's dealings with Abraham are interrupted by a famine in the land and driven more by fear than faith, to contrast the outcomes that follow each.
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| James Tissot |
A Detour in the Story
And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai, his wife, “Indeed, I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore, it will happen when the Egyptians see you that they will say, ‘This is his wife, and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”— Genesis 12:11-13
This seemingly harmless lie became significant when Pharaoh wanted to make Sarah part of his harem, and his household suffered as a result. Pharaoh eventually sent them away with some parting gifts, including Hagar, Sarah's maidservant, who would later become the mother of Ishmael through Abraham.
A pattern emerges among God's people: when famine strikes the land and His people leave the Promised Land to find food elsewhere, it usually doesn't end well. Just ask Naomi, as recorded in the book of Ruth, who went to Moab and lost her entire immediate family.
God always sovereignly weaves these events into the salvation story, but the challenge He must navigate remains on the human side. It is a valuable lesson for us that when there is famine or dryness in our spiritual journey, we should stay with the Lord and in the land of His promises. Sometimes, tests of faith occur for this purpose.
God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart.
— Deuteronomy 8:2
God desires loyalty — unwavering, fearless faithfulness to Him regardless of the circumstances!
After this incident, Abraham returned to the place between Bethel and Ai, where the original promise was made. This story vividly illustrates repentance and God's great mercy.
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| Abraham and Lot separate |
... And Then There Was Lot
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The Grass Is Not Always Greener
Lot and Abraham's livestock became so productive that conflicts arose between their herders. As a result, Abraham suggested they part ways and offered Lot first choice of territory. Lot chose the greener pasture on the other side.
Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord ... Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan.
— Genesis 13:10
This scene evokes a past event and hints at Lot's motivation and future direction.
... when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof.
— Genesis 3:6
Lot is a picture of our flesh, and Abraham, our spirit.
... the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
— Matthew 26:41
After the fall of man, God consistently uses the pattern of two men, often brothers, to illustrate the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. There are Cain/flesh and Abel/spirit; Ishmael/flesh and Isaac/spirit; Esau/flesh and Jacob/spirit; Saul/flesh and David/spirit. In this case, it is Lot/flesh and Abraham/spirit. Lot shows the dangers of our flesh, which always desires what it believes is best, advantageous, and pleasurable for itself.
Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward (up until) Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
— Genesis 13:12-13
The word "toward" in the verse above would be better rendered as "up until" in terms of its Hebrew meaning. "Up until" shows that Lot was sitting as close to Sodom as possible without actually being in it. Do you recognize this game? It's a well-known strategy of the flesh to sit as close to sin as possible, hoping you won't get burned. It genuinely is playing with fire, as we shall see.
This same pattern is revealed in Genesis 38, when, just after his sale of Joseph, Joseph's brother Judah leaves his brothers for a time.
Judah went down from his brethren, and turned into (pitched up until) a certain Adullamite.
— Genesis 38:1
An Adullamite was a Canaanite, just as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were. The text highlights that he lives as close as possible to the pagan people without actually being part of them. This "shacking up next to" incident led Judah to marry a pagan Canaanite woman and have three sons, two of whom were so wicked that the Lord killed them.
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| Renewal of the Promise James Tissot Brooklyn Museum |
A Separation of Flesh and Spirit
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.— Genesis 13:14-15
At this moment, God invites Abraham to look over the land and walk upon it, symbolically claiming it after he separates from Lot. This scene contrasts with Lot raising his eyes and satisfying his flesh by choosing what he thought was best for himself.
When it comes to God's promises to us, there is a stage of fulfillment when the flesh must go, because there is no longer room for it in what God wants to give us and lead us to. This concept is later illustrated in Genesis chapter 36, with Jacob/spirit and Esau/flesh.
And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and he went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.
— Genesis 36:6-7
Paul gives us the New Testament application.
... put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
— Romans 13:14
We must cut away and eliminate the fleshly things that cause us to fumble and stumble in our walk with the Lord.
... circumcision is that of the heart.
— Romans 2:29
In partnership with the Lord, that does the work in us.
And Jehovah thy God hath circumcised thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, for the sake of thy life ...
— Deuteronomy 30:6 YLT98
The idea of circumcision began when God asked Abraham to demonstrate his faith in the promise God made to him regarding his future descendants. The writer of Hebrews mentions this separation of spirit and flesh.
For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
— Hebrews 4:12
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| Oak of Mamre |
Faith and Hesitation
Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours.— Deuteronomy 11:24
So, what does Abraham do? Does he sit back and hope the magic happens? No, he immediately acts in faith once again.
Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
— Genesis 13:18
He gets up and begins to move. However, we might also notice that he hesitates and lingers in the plain of Mamre when he is commanded to walk throughout the breadth and length of the land. As he camps at this spot, trouble is brewing in the plain below.
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| The Battle of the Kings |
A Rebellious Interruption
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they (the five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Amah, Zeboiim, and Zoar) rebelled.— Genesis 14:4
Thirteen is the number associated with rebellion in the Bible. The connection between the number thirteen and rebellion is also evident in Esther's story, with 52 (13x4) mentions of the wicked Haman's name, and in the incident involving David's son Amnon, who raped his sister Tamar. Tamar's name is mentioned 13 times, signaling that a rebellion is about to occur, as it does with Absalom, who plots to overthrow their father, King David, over the incident. This account is notably recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 13.
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Passing Through the Chaotic Waters
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.— Genesis 1:2
The thirteenth letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet is a "mem," pictographically represented by water. It is often associated with chaos and closely linked to rebellion.
Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
— Psalm 69:1-2
Waters are divided.
Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
— Genesis 1:7
Here, we see the waters above separated from the waters below. A vertical line would appear if we drew a straight line from one to the other.
The Book of Revelation notes the slain lamb and connects Him to the creation account.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
— Revelation 13:8
In the book of Exodus, we see this pattern of waters divided repeated in a horizontal depiction. The children of Israel are released from Egyptian slavery after the night of the "Passover." They camp by the Sea of Reeds, otherwise known as the Dead Sea. Pharaoh and his army are in hot pursuit. After three days, they fail to return, and they have nowhere to go, giving us a backdrop of chaos.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea (water); and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind (same word as spirit in Hebrew) all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
— Exodus 15:21
As in the creation account, we see waters associated with chaos and a spirit/wind that hovers over or blows through them. This time, the waters parted horizontally. Again, if I were to draw a straight line from one water to another, we would have a horizontal line. If we overlay the two events, we get a cross. The way, the door, to pass through the waters of chaos in the natural realm to eternal life is through the cross.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world ... that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity
— Ephesians 2:1-2,16 (Horizontal view)
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.
— Hebrews 4:14 (vertical view)
The second water-separating event reveals a slain lamb that spared their firstborn and led to their release from slavery.
Another part of Scripture that follows this pattern appears in the Book of John. The scene occurs during Jesus' Baptism.
He (John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
— John 1:29
As in the creation account, the Holy Spirit is present.
I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
— John 1:32-33
Mark's account of this event describes a division of the heavens. The Hebrew word for heaven also contains the word for water.
And immediately as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being split apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. (LEB)
— Mark 1:10
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| Abraham and Melchizedek by Thomas Christian Wink (1738-1797) |
The Number Fourteen and Deliverance
On the fourteenth day of the first month, at even, is the Lord's Passover.
— Leviticus 23:5
Lot and everything he owned were taken captive in this hostile takeover, along with Sodom and Gomorrah, whose two kings fell into the tar pits. That greener grass came with a few unforeseen problems, as most fleshly decisions usually do. Lot is in desperate need of deliverance.
The saga continues.
... there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew (ivri עברי).
— Genesis 14:13
"Abram the Hebrew"? Why is he, all of a sudden, identified as "the Hebrew"? A brief word study will help clarify this.
The Hebrew word "ivri" (עברי) describes someone who has crossed over from the other side. Its root is "eber" (עבר), which traces back to Eber, listed in Genesis chapter 10 as a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah.
And Shem is the father of the sons of Eber (the ones who crossed over from the other side—the Hebrews— Abraham).
— Geneis 10:21
Abraham is known among the people of the land as the one who has "passed through" from the other side. The root of this word is the same as the word we began with (avur עבור). This similarity will become more significant as we go along.
Abraham gathers his armed and trained servants from his household and a few covenant partners to pursue them. They recover all the stolen goods from Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, along with the goods, women, and everyone else, is also returned.
The King of Sodom is so grateful that he comes out to meet Abraham. At that moment, Melchizedek (King of righteousness), King of Salem (peace), and priest of God Most High appears with bread and wine.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
— Genesis 14:19
Then Abraham gives a tenth of the spoil to Melchizedek. Notice that the blessing recognizes that God owns everything. The tenth Abraham offers is a sign of that acknowledgment. We will talk about bread and wine soon, but I need to point out that the King of Sodom offered to return everything except the people. Abraham responded as follows.
Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich.
— Genesis 14:22
Abraham acknowledges that God possesses all and that he doesn't need the worldly goods the worldly King offers.
I couldn't help but think of the lottery in this context. It's tempting to believe that if we were given the world's riches, all our problems would be solved, but isn't this essentially what Eve's reasoning led to: self-satisfaction without needing God? Ultimately, it overlooks our greatest need, which is to be cleansed of our sin that has made us unfit for any promises of eternity and the blessing of God.
As for the bread and wine, Melchizedek foreshadows the coming King of righteousness and peace.
... having been perfected, He (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek ..."
— Hebrews 5;9-10
... the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
— Hebrews 6:20
... the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
— 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
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The Covenant
After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.— Genesis 15:1
This is a fitting and timely statement, given the recent events. Still, this time Abraham has questions about the fulfillment of the promises he's been hearing about, especially regarding land and descendants. He confronts God, saying that God hasn't given him any children and questioning whether his servant should inherit the promises.
"This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
— Genesis 15:4-5
At this event, the Lord recounts Abraham's righteousness because of his faith.
Another important point is that when Lot and Abraham part ways, God tells Abraham to look in every direction, reaffirming the promise He made to him. In that moment, as Abraham struggles to hold onto his faith and looks at his surroundings, God asks him to look up. God repeats the second part of His promise.
Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
— Genesis 15:7
Abraham questions God a second time about how this will happen. At this point, God responds to his question by walking between the split animals, a covenant act. This type of ceremony was a common Ancient Near Eastern practice in which two parties came together to solidify a promise. A blood covenant, in particular, meant that either party making the promise or agreement would die if it was not fulfilled.
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| James Tissot Brooklyn Museum |
Passing Through the Pieces
God instructs Abraham to bring Him five things.
... a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
— Genesis 15:9
Five is the number of God's grace. Abraham does not walk through these pieces, but God does.
... behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
— Genesis 15:17
This numerical connection confirms that God would fulfill this covenant by meeting the necessary terms, including the consequence of its fulfillment, which is achieved by grace alone.
... every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household ... Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
— Exodus 12:3,8
Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
— 1 Corinthians 5:8
Remember that Abraham, the "ivri עברי," crossed over from the other side. We observe the Lord of the covenant moving from the "other side" to fulfill the promise.
Later in Deuteronomy, God instructs His people just before they enter the Promised Land, using the same covenant language of passing over and through.
Therefore, keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. “All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— that you may enter (avar—cross over) into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
— Deuteronomy 29:9-13
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| James Tissot Brooklyn Museum |
Three Visitors
Then the Lord (YHVH) appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing over him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. Then he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.— Genesis 18:1-3
The Lord and his two companions are passing through from the other side on their way to judge Sodom and Gomorrah.
... the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
— Genesis 18:20
Abraham prepares a meal for these unexpected guests. Ancient Near Eastern hospitality laws dictated that strangers be welcomed, cared for, and protected at all costs. The meal Abraham is arranging seems to be covenant-like, as we will see.
The first thing Abraham does is run to Sarah's tent and ask her to "hurry" to prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and bake bread. The text does not explicitly state that this was unleavened bread, but we can infer this because it was prepared quickly, as was the bread for the Passover.
And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
— Exodus 12:39
The Covenant Meal and Bread
A) O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.
B) Let little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,
Center) while I bring a morsel of bread,
B) that you may refresh yourselves,
A) and after that, you may pass on.— Exodus 18:3-4
The A's parallel the theme of "Pass by—Pass on." The B's parallel the theme of "rest yourselves—refresh yourselves." "C," at the center of all of them, shows that this part of the text focuses on the bread.
The next thing Abraham does is linked to a covenant meal protocol.
Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender, good calf, and gave it to a young man, who quickly prepared it.
— Exodus 18:7
We see a sacrificial animal prepared here. The prepared animal hints at a covenant-style meal.
The Lord called Moses and spoke to him, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.
— Leviticus 1:1-2
Ancient Near Easterners were familiar with covenant rituals long before Moses recorded them in Genesis. These patterns and practices likely began immediately after the fall, as evidenced by the animal skins God provided to Adam and Eve. Abel seems to understand how this process works when he offers the firstborn of the flock to the altar. At this moment, the promise becomes more specific.
The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.
— Genesis 18:10
We again observe a type of Passover, possibly with unleavened bread prepared quickly and a sacrificial animal prepared for a meal. It is also worth noting that this event takes place in Hebron, also known as Kiriath Arba—the city of four. The number four signifies development. From a chiastic perspective, this location is significant to our theme of passing over or crossing through, as it was a crossroads for two caravan routes.
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| The Victory of Gideon against the Midianites by Nicolas Poussin |
Gideon's Example
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.— Judges 6:1
The pattern is that their enemies oppress them, and they cry out to the Lord in their distress. The Lord then raises up a Judge in Israel to save them. In this case, the Judge will be Gideon. The Lord responds to their cry as follows.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
— Judges 6:8-10
He reminded them of the Passover that enabled them to pass through the sea, and he recalled how they had gotten into this conflict in the first place. Interestingly, God told them not to "fear" the gods of the land. Judges chapter five reveals that fear is essentially worship.
They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates.
— Judges 5:8
Who or what we choose to worship is what or whom we fear.
And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah ... And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Gideon), and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor
— Judges 6:11
Where have we seen this before? Recall that "The angel of the Lord" appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. After a discussion and questioning with this "angel of the Lord" about his ability to fulfill it, Gideon is reassured that he has indeed been chosen for this mission, with the understanding that he will not do it in his own strength.
And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
— Judges 6:16
Gideon wants a sign, and like Abraham, he must understand whom he is talking to.
Gideon went in and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour.
— Judges 6:19
"The other side" and "passing over" relate to the battle and the tiny tribe's pursuit of the enemies who fled there. (7:25, 8:4)
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| Sodom and Gomorrah |
Sodom, Gomorrah, and Lot Again
... the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.— Genesis 18:16
At this time, Abraham, aware of the impending judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, begins to intercede for Lot, who lives there, by making a series of pleas to spare the city for the sake of a few righteous people. The destruction is unavoidable, but Lot is spared only because of Abraham's intercession on his behalf. When the angels arrive to carry out the destruction, they cannot destroy the city until they remove Lot from it. Lot is spared at Abraham's request.
Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you!
— Genesis 18:25
They arrive at Lot's house in the city. Remember, Lot (a picture of the flesh) camped just outside Sodom without actually going in, and now he's "in" the city. That's how it works. If you settle close to sin, you'll likely get involved in it, and as Lot found out, it can lead to a lot of trouble.
Lot persuades the guests to stay with him rather than in the public square because he is concerned about the wickedness they may encounter. They initially refuse, but Lot strongly urges them to stay with him, and they agree. Then Lot prepares a meal for his guests, just as Abraham did. The meal also carries covenant overtones in its description.
... he made them a feast (mishteh משתה—drink could be wine) and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
— Genesis 19:3
Immediately after the Passover, as exhibited by Abraham and the Exodus, came the Feast of Unleavened (sin-free) bread. There is also wine at this table. Within these narratives are the elements we find in Jesus Himself and in all He has done for us—rescuing, delivering, and saving us from a well-deserved judgment.
Next, it is recorded that Lot is dramatically rescued and delivered from this judgment, foreshadowing the dramatic deliverance in the Exodus narrative. These narratives also, importantly, foreshadow our Exodus and deliverance from "this world" and from sin, wrought by God's mighty outstretched arm through His One and Only Son, who was sacrificed for us. "Our Passover"
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
— Romans 4:16
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| James Tissot Brooklyn Museum |
Joshua's Confirmation
The 'other side" refers to the place where we served other gods and did not worship the one and only true God. Yet, it was the one and only true God who delivered, saved, and brought us to the land of promise despite all the enemies and resistance. God Himself crossed through to the "other side" to be with us in doing that.A) And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood (river) in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
B) And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood (river), and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
C) And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
Center) I sent Moses also, and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
Center) And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
C) a) And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side of the Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
central axis) Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
central axis) But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore, he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
a) And you went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
B) And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
A) Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
— Joshua 24:2-15
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The Threshold Covenant
I will conclude with a brief Hebrew word study of the word avar, meaning "to pass through." This word has three letters: ayin ע, bet ב, and resh ר. The first two letters, ayin and bet, together spell one Hebrew word meaning "threshold" עב. The last two letters, bet ב and resh ר, spell the word meaning "chosen Son" בר. The middle letter, bet ב, shared by both words, symbolizes a house in pictographic terms. From this, we see that the only way into the Father's house is by crossing the threshold of the shed blood of His One and Only Chosen Son.
We might be surprised to learn that the concepts of passing through blood and a threshold or door are still practiced today in some Middle Eastern countries. The 1980s movie Not Without My Daughter depicted the real-life experience of a woman who married an Iranian man. When visiting her husband's family in Iran, the film shows the ritual of killing a sheep and passing over the blood to accept a new member into the family.
Ancient ruins reveal that basins were historically built right into the thresholds of temples or homes for this very purpose.
Concluding Thoughts
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
— Psalm 12:6
© 2016 Tamarajo
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