Venom Removal Series – Gospel in Genesis – 6

Abraham called out of Babylon

The Time duration from the ‘Garden of Eden’ to the ‘Tower of Babel’ is about 1600 years. We have covered gospel elements revealed in these 1600 years through the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Now we move to the story of Abraham, which is about 400 years away from the Tower of Babel incident. There is a gap of 400 years between chapter 11 and 12. But we do not see anything mentioned in scriptures about what happened in this 400 years between Genesis 11 and 12, between people who build the tower of Babel and people during the days of Abraham. The reason for ‘no record’ of any event, in this 400 years time frame, is probably idolatry brought about by the false church of Babylon. The reason for such a conclusion is because of the reason mentioned below.

We read in the book of Joshua, that God called Abraham from an idolatrous background (Joshua 24:2). Abraham’s forefathers knew not God. In Romans, we read, that God had left mankind to its lust of worshipping four-footed beasts, because they gave not the due glory to God, even in spite of knowing him (Romans 1:20-25). We know that the people who knew God were children of Noah in Genesis 10, who made the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It appears that this group gradually turned into an idolatrous group in the time frame of 400 years, between Genesis 11 and 12. Therefore Apostle Paul must be referring to this backslidden group in Genesis 11, who knew God, gave him not the due glory, and so God left mankind for 400 years to worship beasts. This seems the reason why we don’t see any event mentioned in between Genesis 11 and 12. The false church of Babylonian tower builders, who claimed to make people worthy of reaching heaven, by building a tower/church/building, whose top may reach heaven (Gen 11:4), must probably be the reason for corruption of humanity, into worshippers of beasts. This false church grew into a large organization in a period of 400 years. Then “God of Glory” appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2) and called him out, probably echoing similar words as to what angel says to them who will be caught up in entanglement of Babylonian whore “Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins (Rev 18:4, see also Nehemiah 9:7, Dan 1:4).”

I hope you noticed interesting interconnections mentioned above. If not, then find them below.

• People who rebelled against God, under “nimrod antichrist” built tower of “Babel” (Gen 11:9).
• God called Abraham out of the land of Chaldees which is also Babylon – (Nehemiah 9:7, Dan 1:1). In Revelation, we read angel calls people out of the city of Babylon (Rev 18:4, Acts 7:2, Nehemiah 9:7).
• When God’s glory departed from Solomon’s temple (Ezekiel 10:18), then Israelites (descendants of Abraham), went into the slavery of Chaldees (Babel, Babylon) (Dan 1:4). And these Israelites who were forsaken by God then worshipped the image of King of Babel (image of Antichrist) (Dan 3). This is similar to God forsaking builders of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11, for 400 years, to let them worship four-footed beasts as mentioned in Romans 1:20-25.
• When God Stops interacting, we can see a pattern that it is usually seen as gaps of 400 years like that of Babel to Abraham’s time, Slavery in Egypt, Malachi to John the Baptist’s time.

Abraham and Sarah in Egypt

We read that Abraham the chosen vessel of God and his spouse Sarah went into Egypt. Abraham said to his wife, say unto men of Pharaoh thou art my sister. So the men of Pharaoh took her to Pharaoh. God then punished Pharaoh and his house. The king then sent Abraham and Sarah out of Egypt. This event acts as a prologue to what was yet to come for his descendants. There is striking similarity in what occurs for Abraham in the land of Egypt, and what occurs for Israelites in Egypt. See the table below.

So the slavery and redemption of Abraham’s spouse in Egypt, some 5-6 centuries before the slavery and redemption of Israelites act as a metaphor to slavery of humanity and its redemption from sin and Satan.

Alienation and reconciliation of Lot

We then read the story of Lot. The whole story is given in Genesis 13, where shepherds of Lot’s cattle quarrel with shepherds of Abraham’s cattle, and they both separate. Lot chooses to go through the wide gate (Gen 13:10), fell among the evil company of Sodom (Gen 13:12-13), was robbed and taken into slavery by four kings. Then Abraham makes war with nations (four kings) and rescues Lot. This acts as a type to humanity’s alienation from God (Col 1:21, Eph 2:12-13) and reconciliation to God by Jesus our saviour. Another angle possible here is that the quarrel and separation between Lot and Abraham is a type of Israel refusing Messiah (strife between Jewish leaders and Christian shepherds). Then Messiah will come, make war with antichrist and rescue Israelites from hands of enemies. See in table below how Abraham was a prototype model of Jesus our saviour.

 Abraham meets Melchizedek

After Abraham defeated the four kings and rescued Lot, he met Melchizedek the king of Salem. King of Salem brought some bread and wine to Abraham because he was the priest of God. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and said, Blessed be Abram, by most high God, who is the possessor of heaven and earth: Then Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes. The apostle who wrote Hebrews compares Melchizedek with Jesus (Hebrews 7: 17). See Melchizedek compared to Christ below.

 God’s covenant with Abraham

Then we read that one day God appeared to Abram in a vision and made a promise saying “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” Much is spoken about Abraham’s belief in the promise of God in epistles of Apostle Paul. Paul says, “That they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham (Gal 3:7).” Therefore, I don’t think any more explanation is needed concerning this promise made to Abraham, that gentiles will be included as people of God. Then we also read that God made a covenant. God asked him to sacrifice a cow, a goat, a pigeon and a dove. Abraham did likewise. At sunset, Abraham felt asleep. Then God revealed to him that Israelites would become slaves in Egypt but will eventually come out of the land of affliction with great riches. This God confirmed with a covenant. Abraham saw a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between the pieces of animals sacrificed by him. (Gen 15). This covenant was a One-Sided Covenant and did not require Abraham to do anything in it.

In short, God’s promise to Abraham that his seed will be innumerable like stars of heaven and that they will possess the land of Canaan, is something for us to cherish, and rely on, that we who believe in Jesus, are children of Abraham and will inherit promise of heavenly Canaan, not because we are faithful but because God is faithful in what he has promised to Abraham (Rom 3:3).