The statement “The god of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy and Joshua is best understood as the family god of Abraham and his lineal descendants.” is better understood to be a factual statement than the alternative. This is due to the relationship God has with the Abrahamic family in these books and what the definition of “family god” makes the most sense of being. With family god meaning a god that caters to a specific family it is plain to see that the God of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua at least does this. Even though he affections more than Abraham’s lineal descendants, he caters the world to them. In order to prove this statement to be better understood to be factual, we first have to decide what the definition of a family god
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In these books, starting with the Lord’s dedication and covenant with Abraham in Genesis, we get an idea of what this may look like. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3).” This was said by God to Abraham, and I think it is a good basis for us to formulate our opinions around because it encompasses all the ideas that come to mind when defining what a family god is. A family god would be a powerful supernatural entity that serves the descendants of one family line, and the lineal descendants of Abraham are being promise God’s services. Their prosperity is guaranteed in the first portion of the verse in Genesis 12, and they are promised blessings tailored to them. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great […] (Genesis 12: 2).” In the second portion, while it mentions that all others on earth will subsequently be better off due to their prosperity, they are the ones who will prosper, and in this process, some who curse them will have to be destroyed. “I will bless those who bless you, and the
In these books, starting with the Lord’s dedication and covenant with Abraham in Genesis, we get an idea of what this may look like. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3).” This was said by God to Abraham, and I think it is a good basis for us to formulate our opinions around because it encompasses all the ideas that come to mind when defining what a family god is. A family god would be a powerful supernatural entity that serves the descendants of one family line, and the lineal descendants of Abraham are being promise God’s services. Their prosperity is guaranteed in the first portion of the verse in Genesis 12, and they are promised blessings tailored to them. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great […] (Genesis 12: 2).” In the second portion, while it mentions that all others on earth will subsequently be better off due to their prosperity, they are the ones who will prosper, and in this process, some who curse them will have to be destroyed. “I will bless those who bless you, and the