Second son – Abraham

Abraham was the first instance of the first-son/second-son theme that Matthew saw. The theme says that he first son loses an inheritance and/or is fruitless and is also portrayed as being earthly. The second son is the heavenly son who gains the inheritance and is fruitful.

There are two ways that this theme is played out concerning Abraham. He is literally a second son and he is figuratively a second son.

Abram the literal second son

Genesis appears to give Abraham pre-eminence as the first born in the listing of the sons of Terah. This itself is a riddle, since he is the second son, as the numbers will prove out.

Ge 11:26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah was 70 years of age when Abram was born

Ge 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

Terah died when he was 205.

Ge 12:4 ¶ So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Upon Terah’s death Abram leaves Ur; he was 75, 205-75=130. Terah was 130 years old when Abraham was born, and 70 years when Haran was born.

Many Greek interpreters suggest that Abraham was generous in giving Lot the first pick of land when they separated. [1] Abraham may or may not have been a generous man, but we do not know it from these verses. It was Lot’s birthright, as successor to the firstborn to act on behalf of the firstborn. Lot was the house of Haran. It was was customary and proper for Abraham to defer to him.

Since Lot represents the first son, the expected pattern for the first-son/second-son theme is that he will be earthly rather than spiritual. There are two hints to this: the literal, and a riddle.

Literally, Lot chose the land that was green and pleasing to the eye [2] Lot exhibits signs of the lust of the eyes.

Consider the riddle which uses other symbols. Abraham introduces the left and right hand imagery, though we don’t have any reason to believe that he understood it. He suggests that one go left and one go right. [3] Recall how Jesus uses the left and the right with the goats and the sheep. [4]

Did Lot go right or left? Is there sufficient information for us to know? It tells us that Abram had been traveling South [5] and then Lot went East. [6] He made a left turn. He chose the path of the goat/flesh.

Abraham the riddle second son

Abraham is also a second son by way of riddle. He was born as Abram. [7] He was “born again” as Abraham. [8]

Abram “died” desolate. He did not receive the promised child (Isaac). The child of promise came to Abraham. When Ishamel was born, he was born to Abram not to Abraham. [9] Just so there is no misunderstanding about the desolation of Abram, Paul, in writing to the Hebrews confirms our method of interpretation. He calls Isaac, Abraham’s only-begotten son. Though Abraham had many more sons, the only one that counts as a son of Abraham is Isaac because he is the child of promise. [10]

References

  1. Ge 13:9 [Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
  2. Ge 13:10 ¶ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
  3. Ge 13:9 [Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
  4. Mt 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
  5. Ge 13:3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
  6. Ge 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
  7. Ge 11:26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
  8. Ge 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
  9. Ge 16:15 ¶ And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
  10. Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son],

 

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