How long had Abram been waiting for the promise of Genesis 12 by Genesis 16?
By Genesis 16, Abram had been waiting 36 years for the promise of Genesis 12 to be fulfilled. The promise was that he would have a son, and from that son would come a special race or nation of people. This period is described as a long time, with no child.
Les explains that Genesis 16 comes within a chapter or two of the Abrahamic Covenant, but chronologically years have been rolling by. Abram, still known as Abram, has already been waiting 36 years for the promise of Genesis 12 to be fulfilled—that he would have a son and out of that son would come a special race or nation of people. Les notes that 36 years is a long time in any period of human history, and Sarai had no signs whatsoever of ever being able to have a child. He cautions against getting too impatient with the old fellow, suggesting many would have felt God had forgotten the promise.
How close is Genesis 16 to the Abrahamic Covenant?
Genesis 16 is located within a chapter or two of the Abrahamic Covenant in the biblical text, yet chronologically decades have passed. Abram had already been waiting 36 years for the promise of Genesis 12 to be fulfilled—that he would have a son and from him a special nation.
How long had Abram been waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled?
Abram had already been waiting 36 years for the promise of Genesis 12 to be fulfilled. That promise was that he would have a son, and out of that son would come a special race or nation of people. This waiting occurred as years rolled by chronologically, with no child yet born.
More Questions
How close is Genesis 16 to the Abrahamic Covenant in the text versus in time?
The events of Genesis 16 come within a chapter or two of the Abrahamic Covenant, yet many years have rolled by chronologically.
What did God promise through Abraham in Genesis 12?
God promised through Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed.