Amoral Abraham

Ten generations after Noah, one of Shem's descendants was named Abram (no, this isn't a typo, later his name was lengthened to Abraham) who was destined to become the founder of the Hebrew nation. Prior to Abram, the terms "Hebrew" and "Jew" had no meaning. The Bible tells us nothing about the 75 years of his life before he was chosen by God to father a great nation, nor does God offer any reason for his selection. Perhaps if we observe how he acts as he wanders about the land, Abram's special qualities will be revealed to us.

At God's urging, Abram takes his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, and all of their possessions, households, and servants, and begins a long trip. First to Canaan, and then, because there was a famine, down into Egypt.

Abram is afraid that the Egyptians will kill him and take his wife because she is so beautiful, so he lies and gets his wife to lie and say she is his sister. [Gen 12:12 13] The Pharaoh does indeed lust after Sarai and takes her as a wife. Abram then lives very comfortably in Egypt off the largess of the royal family. God, however, doesn't much like an Egyptian copulating with Abram's wife. Does He punish Abram for his cowardice, his lies, his pimping for his wife? Does He inflict Sarai with a venereal disease or make her pregnant? Of course not. God, in what becomes a typical Jehovian fashion, sends great plagues upon the house of Pharaoh.

When Pharaoh discovers that he has been duped, he kicks Abram out of Egypt, but lets him take his wife and all his possessions. Thus, Abram, who was well off when he entered Egypt, is a very rich man when he exits.

Sarai seems unable to conceive, so she suggests that Abram (age 86) take another wife, namely Sarai's Egyptian handmaid, name of Hagar. This Abram does, and Hagar bears him a son, Ishmael. [Gen 16]

Thirteen years later, God again visits Abram, changes his name to Abraham (and Sarai to Sarah), and reiterates his prediction that Abraham will be the father of multitudes who will get to live in the land of Canaan. In exchange, all God asks is that Abraham and all the males in his family and among his servants and slaves become circumcised. Even though no reason is given for what must have seemed an extremely odd request, Abraham immediately complies and spends the rest of the day mutilating the penises of every man within his household. [Gen 17]

Once again, Abraham goes on the road, this time ending up in the kingdom of Gerar. Once again, he sought favor from the king by passing off Sarah as his sister. And once again, the king takes Sarah to be his wife. Only this time, God is kind enough to inform the king about Abraham's deception before the marriage is consummated. The king, in apparent appreciation for not being killed as well as deceived, gives Abraham his wife back, along with sheep, oxen, male and female slaves, and a thousand pieces of silver. And thus, Abraham becomes an exceedingly wealthy man, mostly by pimping for his wife and deceiving heads of state.