“Now after these things” is referring to God’s testing of Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac to Him earlier in this chapter. However, at the last moment, God intervened and provided a ram instead and saved his son, Isaac, from becoming the sacrifice. After that, God used His angel to reiterate His promise to Abraham for he passed the test of not withholding his son from Him.

Then the author, Moses, included the sons of his brother, Nahor. Terah the father of Abraham had two other sons, Nahor and Haran. Nahor had eight sons his wife, Milcah, bore for him. His concubine, Reumah, bore him another four sons who were also listed in the passage. So, Nahor had a total of twelve sons. Bethuel was the father of Rebekah, and she would become the wife of Isaac.

Terah had three sons: Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. Haran died before Terah, his father died. Haran left behind his son, Lot. Terah took Abraham and Lot to settle in Haran. God then called Abraham to leave his father’s country (Haran) to go to the land He would show him. Abraham took Lot along with him. Like his father, he took care of his relatives. Nahor, Abraham’s brother settled in Haran where his father took them and died in this place. Nahor travelled to Aram Naharaim where he founded a town that he named after his name.

Moses the author included this account as a prelude to the relation of Nahor to Abraham and to his son, Isaac, who would find his wife, Rebekah, in the future. It is God who is the One who orchestrated everything to happen according to His plan and will in one’s life. From Abraham will come his son, Isaac, the father of Jacob. The nation of Israel would eventually come from Jacob and where the son of God, Jesus Christ the Messiah would come later.

The covenant promise God made to Abraham that he will become the father of all nations will be fulfilled. Abraham’s relation was not only to Nahor and his descendants but to Abraham’s relations and include the followers of Jesus Christ as well. In the Abrahamic covenant, it is the called and chosen who are related to God. In the New Covenant, it includes those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus who will become children of God. Thus, this is what it meant when Jesus said He came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets. The children of God today are related to Abraham through Jesus Christ as the partakers of the promises of God.

As God is faithful to Abraham, God is faithful to us as we are related to Him through Jesus Christ, the son of David and the son of Abraham. Thus, we are related to one another in the kingdom of God not by race, but by Christ’s work on the cross. Praise be to His name! Let us live truly like children of God as we are partakers of His covenantal promises! Do not live like the children of the world! What do you need to do to live like the children of God?

As disciples, we must live holy lives and be faithful witnesses; and as a church, we need to work together to fulfil the mission to make disciples of all nations, and not just build our own congregation where you may worship!