Scofield Reference Notes After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? [1] "Lord" (Heb. Adon, Adonai)
(1) The primary meaning of Adon, Adonai, is Master, and it is applied in the Old Testament Scriptures both to Deity and to man. The latter instances are distinguished in the English version by the omission of the capital. As applied to man, the word is used of two relationships; master and husband Gen 24:9,10,12 "master" may illustrate the former; Gen 18:12 "lord," the latter). Both these relationships exist between Christ and the believer Jn 13:13 "master"; 2Cor 11:2,3 "husband"). (2) Two principles inhere in the relation of master and servant: (a) the Master's right to implicit obedience Jn 13:13 Mt 23:10 Lk 6:46 (b) the servant's right to direction in service Isa 6:8-11 Clear distinction in the use of the divine names is illustrated in Ex 4:10-12. Moses feels his weakness and incompetency, and "Moses said unto the Lord [Jehovah], O my Lord [Adonai], I Amos not eloquent," etc. Since service is in question, Moses appropriately addresses Jehovah as Lord. But now power is in question, and it not the Lord (Adonai) but Jehovah (Lord) who answers (referring to creation power)--"and Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? . . Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth." The same distinction in Josh 7:8-11. See, for other names of Deity: See Scofield Note: "Gen 1:1" See Scofield Note: "Gen 2:4" See Scofield Note: "Gen 2:7" See Scofield Note: "Gen 14:18" See Scofield Note: "Gen 15:2" See Scofield Note: "Gen 17:1" See Scofield Note: "Gen 21:33" See Scofield Note: "1Sam 1:3" [2] "Lord God" (Heb. Adonai Jehovah). When used distinctively, this compound name, while gathering into one the special meanings of each See Scofield Note: "Gen 2:4" See Scofield Note: "Gen 15:2" will be found to emphasize the Adonai rather than the Jehovah character of Deity. (The following passages may suffice to illustrate this:) Gen 15:2,8 Dt 3:24 9:26 Josh 7:7 Jud 6:22 16:28 2Sam 7:18-20, 2Sam 7:28,29 1Ki 2:26 Ps 69:6 71:5 Isa 7:7 See, for other names of Deity: See Scofield Note: "Gen 1:1" See Scofield Note: "Gen 2:4" See Scofield Note: "Gen 2:7" And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, 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.
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: [3] covenant
The Abrahamic Covenant as formed Gen 12:1-4 and confirmed Gen 13:14-17 15:1-7 17:1-8 is in seven distinct parts: (1) "I will make of thee a great nation." Fulfilled in a threefold way: (a) In a natural posterity--"as the dust of the earth Gen 13:16 Jn 8:37, viz. the Hebrew people. (b) In a spiritual posterity--"look now toward heaven . . . Song shall thy seed be" Jn 8:39 Rom 4:16,17 9:7,8 Gal 3:6,7,29 viz. all men of faith, whether Jew or Gentile. (c) fulfilled also through Ishmael Gen 17:18-20 (2) "I will bless thee." Fulfilled in two ways: (a) temporally Gen 13:14,15,17 15:18 24:34,35 (b) spiritually Gen 15:6 Jn 8:56 (3) "And make thy name great." Abraham's is one of the universal names. (4) "And thou shalt be a blessing" Gal 3:13,14 (5) "I will bless them that bless thee." In fulfilment closely related to the next clause. (6) "And curse him that curseth thee." Wonderfully fulfilled in the history of the dispersion. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew--well with those who have protected him. The future will still more remarkably prove this principle Dt 30:7 Isa 14:1, Joel 3:1-8 Mic 5:7-9 Hag 2:22 Zech 14:1-3 Mt 25:40,45. (7) "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This is the great evangelic promise fulfilled in Abraham's Seed, Christ Gal 3:16 Jn 8:56-58. It brings into greater definiteness the promise of the Adamic Covenant concerning the Seed of the woman Gen 3:15 NOTE.--The gift of the land is modified by prophecies of three dispossessions and restorations Gen 15:13,14,16 Jer 25:11,12 Dt 28:62-65 30:1-3. Two dispossessions and restorations have been accomplished. Israel is now in the third dispersion, from which she will be restored at the return of the Lord as King under the Davidic Covenant Dt 30:3 Jer 23:5-8 Ezek 37:21-25 Lk 1:30-33 Acts 15:14-17 See, for the other seven covenants: EDENIC See Scofield Note: "Gen 1:28" ADAMIC See Scofield Note: "Gen 3:15" The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Scofield Reference Notes by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield [1917] Bible Hub |
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