Bryan Barley: Reflections of a Planter

“Abram, like Noah, marks a new beginning as well as a return to God’s original plan of blessing ‘all people on earth’ (cf. 1:28). Notable is the frequent mention of God’s ‘blessing’ throughout the narratives of Abram and his descendents (12:1-3; 13:15-16; 15:5, 18; et al.). He is represented as a new Adam and his seed as a second Adam, a new humanity. Those who ‘bless’ him, God will bless; those who ‘curse’ him, God will curse. The way of life and blessing, which was once marked by the ‘tree of the knowledge fo good and evil’ (2:17) and then by the ark (7:23b), is now marked by identification with Abram and his seed. The identity of the seed of Abraham is one of the chief themes of the following narrtatives. At the close of Genesis (49:8-12), a glimpse of his future seed is briefly allowed. This one seed who is to come, to whom the right of kingship belongs, will be the ‘lion of the tribe of Judah’ (cf. 49:9); and ‘the obedience of the nations is his’ (49:10).”