Check This Out! Shechem & the Oak of Mamre

Shechem & the Oak of Mamre

Ok, so I have become somewhat of a typology addict.  Actually it is more of a Jesus addict, but I can't really help it.  Everywhere I go, I see Him.  I have been searching through Genesis and noting all of the references to the gospel as I can possibly see.  I have been doing this for over a year now and only recently made it to Genesis 12 because there is just so much to study and so much to find.  i am certain that I have only found a tiny fraction of what is actually being said.

At any rate, every once in a while something jumps off the page at me where I did not expect to see it.  There are simple ones such as  Noah bringing a new world and his name means Peace and Rest or the animal that covered Adam & Eve's nakedness pointing to Christ's substitutionary atonement.  This is even seen in Noah being covered by a garment by his two eldest sons after he went a little crazy with the wine.  But this one has captivated my heart for the last few days.  Let me share with you the tip o' the iceberg. 
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So Abram Travels to Shechem (sent by God right into the land of the cursed nation of Canaan which means "brought low") and sets up camps at the Oak of Mamre.

Jacob buries a bunch of idols (put away the false gods) under the Oak at Shechem. (Gen 35:4)

Joseph is sent by his father to go find his brothers in Shechem.  Interestingly enough, he did not find them there.  A man told him that he heard them say, "let us go to Dothan" in order to pasture the flock.  (Gen. 37)

Joshua (Ya-Shua) calls the people together at Shechem to make a covenant with them; that they would put away their gods, turn their hearts to God and obey His voice.  He then put a large stone under the Oak at Shechem next to the Tabernacle. (Josh.24)

Joseph's bones were buried at Shechem also. (Josh. 24)

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Shechem means "Shouldered" or to carry the weight of something on your shoulder as a responsible person.  (citation)

The name Shechem comes from the root (shkm) that yields the verb (shakam) meaning rise early, and the noun (shekem) meaning shoulder, back.

Mamre     means "bitterness" and "animal for offering or sacrifice".

Mamre is an oak-owning Amorite and a region associated with him (Genesis 14:13). This region is close to Hebron and Abram lived there for a while (Genesis 13:18).

1) (memer) meaning bitterness, from the root (marar) meaning to be bitter or, peculiar enough (as suggested by HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament ), being strong. Possibly, a bitter taste was referred to as a strong taste. A consequence is that an event or situation that was considered "bitter" was known as a "strong" event.

2) (mr'), the root of the word (meri), meaning fatling (fattened calf or other animal, specifically for offering).  (citation)

Dothan (dotan) means "law" or "edict" (citation)

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So Jesus (Abram, Jacob, Joshua, Joseph) is sent by his Father to find the broken (Canaan), the lost, the cursed. The spiritual leaders of Israel (Joseph's older brothers) turned to the Law (Dothan) to find righteousness and led others (The flock of Jacob/Israel) to do the same.

He comes to shoulder (Shechem) our burdens on the cross (Oak) as a sacrificial offering (Mamre1) and He drinks the bitter (Mamre2)cup on our behalf.

We are beckoned to come to the cross and lay down our burdens and to put way our own false gods and find forgiveness and redemption in Christ.

Also interesting to note that the parcel of land at Shechem where the Oak stood was purchased for silver.

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"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness,"^{[1 Pet. 2:24]}

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God."^{[1 Pet. 3:18]}

Jesus is everywhere for a reason.  He is our only hope.  Does it not stand to reason that God would shape all of history and even the universe to point us to this Man, Jesus, who alone can save us and bring us back home to Him.

David Warren
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"You should see the way He looks at you." -Rev. Jerry Daniels