The Life And Rhymes Of Abraham

If your family tree is like mine, your family tree has knots.  Sometimes our family history has a history of horrible sins - abuse, alcoholism, crime, conflicts.  Genesis is a PG documentary of the first family of many nations who trace their origins to Abraham.  Moses did not airbrush the portraits of Abraham and his progeny in biography that would make Kitty Kelly blush.

Imagine, the family tree of the Messiah was full of faithful and flaky folks - often times one and the same.  Even Abraham, the great hero of faith, was as flaky as a Head & Shoulders test patient.  Here is a rhyming survey of Abraham in Genesis:

12:1-9 The Abrahamic Covenant - Abe was called to leave his station, God would make him a special nation. 

12:10-20 Sarai Taken To Pharaoh - A man of faith, the plot a twister, while in Egypt, his wife was his sister.

13 Abraham & Lot Split - The stock must split, the herd had grown. Lot took the best from Abe as his own.
14 Lot Gets Captured - Lot gets captured in the heat of battle, Abe gets him back with all his cattle.

 15 Covenant With Abraham - God’s faithfulness is shown prominent when He gave Abe a covenant.

 16 Hagar & Ishmael - Worried about timing, God’s promise seemed vaguer, Sarai suggested that Abe mate with Hagar.

 17 Sign of the Covenant - Every covenant has a sign, this one would make every man whine

18:1-5 Sarah’s Belly Blessed, Sarah Belly Laughts - Three OB/GYNs delivered the news about a boy for Sarah who was amused

18:16-33  Bargaining For Sodom - God would bring judgment, so Abe sought Him, Asking for less was more to save Sodom

19 Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah -S & G’s sin aroused God’s ire, So God took them down with brimstone & fire

20  Abe Lies About Sarah To Abimelech - Sarah carried well, she was so fine, Abe told Abimilech “She ain’t mine”

21  Isaac & Ishmael - Isaac is born, Ishmael forlorn, Sarah would scorn, Hagar would mourn

 22  Abraham & Isaac - Abe offered his son in God’s exam, by His grace God provided a lamb

23  Sarah Dies - At 120 Sarah would yield, Abraham would bury her in a field

24  Isaac & Rebekah - In order for Abe’s nation to grow wide, Isaac would have to get a bride

25:1-11  Abraham & Keturah - Abraham had one last hurrah, Marriage and family with Keturah

Abraham was a man of faith with moments of failure - just like us.  God uses people like Abraham, Isaac & Jacob not because they were perfect, but because God Himself is faithful.   We can get through our awkward family situations because God is faithful.

You may think your family’s the most embarrassing in the human race

But in the Messiah’s line, it was commonplace

So instead of hiding your red face

Know that there’s hope with God’s grace!