“Prince of God”—pretty sweet designation. I think “prince” is so apt in Abraham’s story, because if there’s anything reinforced it’s that Abraham’s righteousness and status with God are given, not earned.
While he seems to often to lack in some of the more basic tenets of morality, he’s always had a savvy head on his shoulders. I appreciate his pragmatic bent in ensuring the purchase of the grave takes place in front of the whole Hittite council, and that he paid in full. I think he ensured the land would stay his by appealing to their system of commerce and law.

I’ve heard this story so many times, but I’ve never considered that when Isaac asked Abraham where the sacrifice was, Abraham was actually right. He said God would provide a sheep and God did. I don’t know if he was expecting God to stay his hand the whole time, or misleading Isaac only to see God prove Abraham correct. But to Isaac that must have been enormous. Tied on the wood, his father wielding a knife with the apparent intent to kill and suddenly that sheep Abraham mentioned earlier appeared.

Other thoughts on Genesis 22?

Abraham is nearly the thickest man in history. Or the weakest. After prostituting his wife, then Sarai, to the pharaoh of Egypt he profited his purse greatly though you could reasonably argue that Lot’s misfortune was a direct result of Abraham’s sin. But here he is again willing to sell his wife for some security.
I was angry just reading that. Abimelech was apparently angry about this as well.
This exchange is so telling:

Abimelech went on to Abraham, “Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?”

Abraham said, “I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they’d kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she’s my father’s daughter but not my mother’s. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father’s home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I’m your brother.’”

Abraham answers the question very simply, but I’m not sure he really answered Abimelech at all. In fact, I wonder if this is really a rhetorical question, because there’s really no satisfactory answer.

Abimelech’s servants were shocked, and I continue to be confounded by Abraham.

Surely Abraham didn’t always respond to visitors as he did to God’s visit, with 2 others. So was this an instance where God’s manifest presence was so obviously extra-human, like in The Man Who Was Thursday, that Abraham knew something was up? Did he know he was God or just someone worth respect?
Any questions of their guest’s divinity must have been settled when Sarah’s internal laughter was called out. It’s interesting that she was rebuked for her doubt, given it was internal. The sin that lives in my mind often gets a free pass, but here Sarah’s nailed for the attitude that she doesn’t even give word to.
Where’s Sarah’s doubt was so silent that only God could have known, Abraham’s opposition to Sodom’s planned destruction could not have been more clear. He physically blocked God from leaving, challenged his reasoning then had the tenacity (or audacity?) to bargain with him for the fate of a city. Given his previously displayed affection for Lot, chasing after his rescue at the expense of foreign armies, I’m not surprised. But then again, he must recognize how fully dependant on God he is for everything he has and open resistance had to have been uncomfortable for the pragmatic wanderer.
He must have walked away sure he’d saved the city when God agreed to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake on only ten faithful. Sadly, even our lowest expectations are often too high.

I can’t quite peg Abraham’s laughter. Disbelief or wonder? In either case, the fact that he “recovered” (the message) to check to make sure Ishmael would live tips to Abraham’s general state of piety.

This is the third time God’s spelled out that Abraham would father a nation. Each time the proclamation has come at greater cost though—I imagine Hagar was mortified that Ishmael was Abraham’s promised descendant. I imagine Abraham and Sarah felt a sting of shame that they tried forcing God’s hand earlier. I think recognizes Abraham’s steady struggle with doubt when he tells Abraham when Isaac will be born. My guess is that without that, a few weeks without sign of pregnancy and Abraham wouldn’t been scouring the countryside for other women named Sarah that God must’ve really been talking about.

Thoughts of your own on chapter 17? Comment away.

When my wife and I talked about this chapter, Jenn was amazed that Abram followed up the verse “and he believed!” with immediate doubt. I have the same feeling about Abram, but at the same time he’s literally facing something as fact defying as a virgin birth. He and his barren wife are supposed to populate a nation and he just can’t see how it’ll happen.
I keep waiting to see a gracious Abram, but maybe I’m demanding too much. I do confess a bit of frustration that he seems spared the punishment that I’m associating with his sometimes-failed faith God promised to Abram’s descendants. Perhaps thought it’s not a punishment; perhaps it’s just the reality of the situation and God’s letting him know in advance.

Thoughts of your own on chapter 15? Comment away.

In chapter 11 the Bible said Sarai was barren. In chapter 12, God tells a 75-year-old Abram that he’ll be made a great nation. I wonder if Abram thought kids were still part of his future, or if he interpreted God’s words differently. I wonder how old Sarai was - normally I’d assume she was Abram’s age, but I’m not sure that makes sense. For one, the Abram’s brother married his other brother’s daughter. So there was already an age gap. There’s also the matter of just how attractive everyone thought Sarai was. That inclines me to think she’s at least a bit younger, though whether she was of child-bearing age I don’t know.
As crazy as, “Do me a favor: tell them you’re my sister” reads, what’s even nuttier is the implication Noah was fine to profit from Pharaoh living with Sarai. This seems an awful lot like Abram was pimping out his wife… for at least a little while… for the sake of security and increased material wealth.
I have no idea what to make of that, but I completely understand Pharaoh’s apparent righteous indignation. What kind of a man does that? I just cannot imagine what Abram was thinking, or Sarai for that matter. Perhaps they both anguished over this, and perhaps there’s an unwritten power Pharaoh was wielding that made it impossible to correct this in a more normal sense. But from the text alone I have little choice but to this Abram is a pretty lousy husband and man.