Obedience
In the epic saga of Abram’s journey, we witness a stirring tale of divine promises and mortal trials. It begins with Abram’s arrival in Canaan, where he faces the aftermath of Noah’s passing and the rebellious uprising of Sodom and Gomorrah against the formidable King Chedorlaomer. As tensions escalate, a colossal clash ensues between Chedorlaomer and the proud Nimrod of Shinar, culminating in a battle that shakes the very foundations of empires.
Amidst these upheavals, Abram receives a profound visitation from the Lord in the fifteenth year of his sojourn, a moment that crystallizes his destiny. He returns briefly to Haran, where he nurtures a following and imparts divine wisdom, preparing them for the journey ahead. Finally, after twenty years of waiting, Abram sets out again for Canaan, accompanied by Sarai, Lot, and his loyal followers.
Their journey through the lush landscapes of Canaan becomes a spiritual odyssey, marked by divine encounters and symbolic altars. From the plains of Moreh to the heights of Bethel, Abram’s faith is tested and reaffirmed as he builds altars and offers sacrifices to honor the God who guides him. Ultimately, his path leads him to Hebron, a burgeoning city where he finds respite for two years, reflecting on the trials and triumphs that have shaped his legendary journey.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
Watch an explainer video for the Obedience chapter:
Genesis
19%
Jasher
49%
Jubilees
32%
Exposition
Jubilee: 41
Year: 2006
Noah Died
Genesis 9:28-29
Jasher 13:9
Jubilees 10:15-17
Abram’s family stays in Canaan
Jasher 13:10
Rising Action
Year: 2009
Rebellion against King Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:11
Climax
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2014
War between Nimrod and Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:12-16
Falling Action
Year: 2019
YHWH asks Abram to leave Canaan and go back to Haran and he builds an altar
Jasher 13:17-21
Year: 2024
YHWH asks Abram to leave Haran and go back to Canaan
Jasher 13:22-25
Abram leaves with his family
Genesis 12:4-6
Jasher 13:26-27
Jubilees 13:1-2
Abram builds an altar
Genesis 12:7
Jasher 13:28
Jubilees 13:3-4
Year: 2025
Month: 1
Day: 1
Abram builds another altar
Genesis 12:8
Jubilees 13:5-9
Resolution
Abram arrives in Hebron
Genesis 12:9
Jubilees 13:10a
Jubilee: 41
Year: 2006
Noah Died i
Genesis 9:28-29
28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.
Jasher 13:9
9 At that time, at the end of three years of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, in that year Noah died, which was the fifty-eighth year of the life of Abram; and all the days that Noah lived were nine hundred and fifty years and he died.
Jubilees 10:16
16 Nine hundred and fifty years he completed in his life, nineteen jubilees and two weeks and five years. [1659 A.M.]
Jubilees 10:15, 17
15 And Noah slept with his fathers, and was buried on Mount Lubar in the land of Ararat.
17 And in his life on earth he excelled the children of men save Enoch because of the righteousness, wherein he was perfect. For Enoch’s office was ordained for a testimony to the generations of the world, so that he should recount all the deeds of generation unto generation, till the day of judgment.
Abram’s family stays in Canaan
Jasher 13:10
10 And Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, he, his wife, and all belonging to him, and all those that accompanied him, together with those that joined him from the people of the land; but Nahor, Abram’s brother, and Terah his father, and Lot the son of Haran and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran.
Year: 2009
Rebellion against King Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:11
11 In the fifth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the cities of the plain revolted from the power of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; for all the kings of the cities of the plain had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and given him a yearly tax, but in those days in the thirteenth year, they rebelled against him.
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2014
War between Nimrod and Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:12-16
12 And in the tenth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan there was war between Nimrod king of Shinar and Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Nimrod came to fight with Chedorlaomer and to subdue him.
13 For Chedorlaomer was at that time one of the princes of the hosts of Nimrod, and when all the people at the tower were dispersed and those that remained were also scattered upon the face of the earth, Chedorlaomer went to the land of Elam and reigned over it and rebelled against his lord.
14 And in those days when Nimrod saw that the cities of the plain had rebelled, he came with pride and anger to war with Chedorlaomer, and Nimrod assembled all his princes and subjects, about seven hundred thousand men, and went against Chedorlaomer, and Chedorlaomer went out to meet him with five thousand men, and they prepared for battle in the valley of Babel which is between Elam and Shinar.
15 And all those kings fought there, and Nimrod and his people were smitten before the people of Chedorlaomer, and there fell from Nimrod’s men about six hundred thousand, and Mardon the king’s son fell amongst them.
16 And Nimrod fled and returned in shame and disgrace to his land, and he was under subjection to Chedorlaomer for a long time, and Chedorlaomer returned to his land and sent princes of his host to the kings that dwelt around him, to Arioch king of Elasar, and to Tidal king of Goyim, and made a covenant with them, and they were all obedient to his commands.
Year: 2019
YHWH asks Abram to leave Canaan and go back to Haran and he builds an altar
Jasher 13:17-21
17 And it was in the fifteenth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year of the life of Abram, and the Lord appeared to Abram in that year and he said to him, I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur Casdim to give thee this land for an inheritance.
18 Now therefore walk before me and be perfect and keep my commands, for to thee and to thy seed I will give this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river Euphrates.
19 And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace and in good age, and the fourth generation shall return here in this land and shall inherit it forever; and Abram built an altar, and he called upon the name of the Lord who appeared to him, and he brought up sacrifices upon the altar to the Lord.
20 At that time Abram returned and went to Haran to see his father and mother, and his father’s household, and Abram and his wife and all belonging to him returned to Haran, and Abram dwelt in Haran five years.
21 And many of the people of Haran, about seventy-two men, followed Abram and Abram taught them the instruction of the Lord and his ways, and he taught them to know the Lord.
Year: 2024
YHWH asks Abram to leave Haran and go back to Canaan
Jasher 13:22-25
22 In those days the Lord appeared to Abram in Haran, and he said to him, Behold, I spoke unto thee these twenty years back saying,
23 Go forth from thy land, from thy birth-place and from thy father’s house, to the land which I have shown thee to give it to thee and to thy children, for there in that land will I bless thee, and make thee a great nation, and make thy name great, and in thee shall the families of the earth be blessed.
24 Now therefore arise, go forth from this place, thou, thy wife, and all belonging to thee, also every one born in thy house and all the souls thou hast made in Haran, and bring them out with thee from here, and rise to return to the land of Canaan.
25 And Abram arose and took his wife Sarai and all belonging to him and all that were born to him in his house and the souls which they had made in Haran, and they came out to go to the land of Canaan.
Abram leaves with his family
Genesis 12:4-6
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
Jasher 13:26-27
26 And Abram went and returned to the land of Canaan, according to the word of the Lord. And Lot the son of his brother Haran went with him, and Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran to return to the land of Canaan.
27 And he came to the land of Canaan according to the word of the Lord to Abram, and he pitched his tent and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, and with him was Lot his brother’s son, and all belonging to him.
Jubilees 13:1-2
1 And Abram journeyed from Haran, and he took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother Haran’s son, to the land of Canaan, and he came into Asshur, and proceeded to Shechem, and dwelt near a lofty oak.
2 And he saw, and, behold, the land was very pleasant from the entering of Hamath to the lofty oak.
Abram builds an altar
Genesis 12:7
7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
Jasher 13:28
28 And the Lord again appeared to Abram and said, To thy seed will I give this land; and he there built an altar to the Lord who appeared to him, which is still to this day in the plains of Mamre.
Jubilees 13:3-4
3 And the Lord said to him: ‘To thee and to thy seed will I give this land.’
4 And he built an altar there, and he offered thereon a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Year: 2025
Month: 1
Day: 1
Abram builds another altar ii
Genesis 12:8a
8a And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east:
Jubilees 13:5
5 And he removed from thence unto the mountain . . . Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and pitched his tent there.
Jubilees 13:6-7
6 And he saw and behold, the land was very wide and good, and everything grew thereon -vines and figs and pomegranates, oaks and ilexes, and terebinths and oil trees, and cedars and cypresses and date trees, and all trees of the field, and there was water on the mountains.
7 And he blessed the Lord who had led him out of Ur of the Chaldees, and had brought him to this land.
Genesis 12:8b
8b and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Jubilees 13:8-9
8 And it came to pass in the first year, in the seventh week, on the new moon of the first month, 1954 A.M.] that he built an altar on this mountain, and called on the name of the Lord: ‘Thou, the eternal God, art my God.’
9 And he offered on the altar a burnt sacrifice unto the Lord that He should be with him and not forsake him all the days of his life.
Abram arrives in Hebron
Genesis 12:9
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Jubilees 13:10a
10a And he removed from thence and went towards the south, and he came to Hebron and Hebron was built at that time, and he dwelt there two years,
Notes
i
Jasher 13:9 says Abram was 58 when Noah died but he was probably 57. Also, Jubilees 10:16 states that Noah died in 1659, (which would actually be 1801) when Noah was 745 yet this text states he was 950.
ii
Jubilees 13:8 says Abram built an altar in 1954, but it was more than likely in 1952.
Exposition
Jubilee: 41
Year: 2006
Noah Died
Genesis 9:28-29
Jasher 13:9
Jubilees 10:15-17
At the end of the 3rd year of Abram living in the land of Canaan, in the 58th year of Abram’s life, Noah died. He had lived 350 years after the flood, and all the days of his life totaled 950 years. He passed away and was buried on Mount Lubar in the land of Ararat.
During his life on earth, Noah was more righteous than any other person, except Enoch. Enoch’s role had been appointed as a witness to all future generations, to recount the deeds of every generation until the day of judgment.
Abram’s family stays in Canaan
Jasher 13:1
Abram lived in the land of Canaan with his wife, everyone belonging to him, those who had accompanied him, and those who had joined him from among the people of the land. Meanwhile, Nahor (Abram’s brother), Terah (his father), and Lot (the son of Haran), along with all their possessions, stayed in Haran.
Rising Action
Year: 2009
Rebellion against King Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:11
In the 5th year of Abram’s time in the land of Canaan, the people of Sodom, Gomorrah, and all the cities of the plain rebelled against Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. These cities had served him for 12 years and paid him a yearly tax, but in the 13th year, they revolted.
Climax
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2014
War between Nimrod and Chedorlaomer
Jasher 13:12-16
In the 10th year of Abram’s stay in Canaan, a war broke out between Nimrod, king of Shinar, and Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. Nimrod went to battle to bring Chedorlaomer back under his rule, as Chedorlaomer had once been a prince in Nimrod’s army. When the people were scattered at the Tower of Babel, Chedorlaomer left, went to Elam, took control, and rebelled against Nimrod.
When Nimrod saw that the cities of the plain had also rebelled, he reacted with pride and anger and prepared for war against Chedorlaomer. He gathered around 700,000 men, including his princes and subjects, and marched to confront Chedorlaomer, who came out to meet him with 5,000 men. They faced off for battle in the Valley of Babel, between Elam and Shinar.
The kings fought, but Chedorlaomer’s forces defeated Nimrod’s. Around 600,000 of Nimrod’s men were killed, including Mardon, the king’s son. Nimrod fled in shame and returned to his land, where he remained under Chedorlaomer’s rule for a long time. Chedorlaomer went back to his own land and sent leaders of his army to the nearby kings—Arioch, king of Elasar, and Tidal, king of Goyim. He made a covenant with them, and they submitted to his authority.
Falling Action
Year: 2019
YHWH asks Abram to leave Canaan and go back to Haran and he builds an altar
Jasher 13:17-21
In the 15th year of Abram’s time in Canaan, which was his 70th year, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur Casdim to give you this land as an inheritance. Now walk before me and be perfect, and keep my commands, for I will give this land to you and your descendants—from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. You will join your fathers in peace at a good old age, and in the 4th generation your descendants will return here to inherit it forever.”
Abram built an altar, called on the name of the Lord who had appeared to him, and offered sacrifices there.
After that, Abram returned to Haran to visit his father, mother, and the rest of his father’s household. He, his wife, and all that belonged to him stayed in Haran for 5 years. During that time, about 72 men from Haran followed Abram, and he taught them the instruction and ways of the Lord, helping them to know Him.
Year: 2024
YHWH asks Abram to leave Haran and go back to Canaan
Jasher 13:22-25
In those days, the Lord appeared to Abram in Haran and said, “Look, I told you 20 years ago, ‘Leave your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, and go to the land I showed you. I will bless you there, make you into a great nation, and make your name great. Through you, the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So now, get up, leave this place—you, your wife, and everyone who belongs to you, including everyone born in your house and all the souls you’ve gathered in Haran—and go back to the land of Canaan.”
So Abram got up and took his wife Sarai, everything he owned, and everyone who had been born in his house, along with all the people they had gathered in Haran. They set out together to return to the land of Canaan.
Abram leaves with his family
Genesis 12:4-6
Jasher 13:26-27
Jubilees 13:1-2
Abram left, just as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. He took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions, and all the people they had gathered in Haran. They headed for the land of Canaan—and arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land to the place of Shechem, to the plain of Moreh, and pitched his tent near a tall oak tree. He looked around and saw that the land was beautiful, stretching from the entrance of Hamath to the great oak. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time.
Abram builds an altar
Genesis 12:7
Jasher 13:28
Jubilees 13:3-4
The Lord appeared to Abram again and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. That altar still remained in the plains of Mamre, and Abram offered a burnt sacrifice to the Lord on it.
Year: 2025
Month: 1
Day: 1
Abram builds another altar
Genesis 12:8
Jubilees 13:5-9
From there, Abram moved to a mountain east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Hai on the east. He looked around and saw that the land was wide and fertile. Everything grew there—vines, figs, pomegranates, oaks, holm oaks, terebinths, olive trees, cedars, cypresses, date palms, and every kind of field tree. There was also water in the mountains. He blessed the Lord who had led him out of Ur of the Chaldees and brought him to this land.
In the 1st year of the 7th week, on the new moon of the 1st month, Abram built an altar on that mountain and called on the name of the Lord: “You, the eternal God, are my God.”
He offered a burnt sacrifice on the altar to the Lord, asking that He would be with him and never leave him for the rest of his life.
Resolution
Abram arrives in Hebron
Genesis 12:9
Jubilees 13:10a
Abram then moved further south and came to Hebron, which had already been built by that time. He lived there for 2 years.