The allusion to Abraham
The first obvious reference in the novel is to Abraham, because the story is shaped like Abraham's pilgrimage out of Ur toward Israel. This allusion means that the book is going to be about the various life events that unfold for the family through time, as they move toward a better life together, like Abraham waiting on the promises. In other words, this book is like an origin story for a powerful family in Florida.
The allusion to Jacob
The allusion to Jacob is clear from the split between Sol and Toby. Their half-brother conflict mirrors the half-brothers of Jacob and Esau, fighting for Isaac's blessing. In the end, the conflict (in both places) separates the brothers for a long time, until finally they make peace. In the book, the scene comes at the end of Solomon's life, after he has already learned his lessons in life. He tried to insulate himself from suffering with money, but when his wife dies, he cannot ignore that this is misguided. Perhaps this helps Toby to make peace with him more easily, feeling like he learned a lesson somehow.
The allusion to Solomon
The allusion to Solomon is pretty undeniable, seeing as this story literally features a character named Solomon who uses his intelligence to get filthy rich. In the Biblical folklore, Solomon allegedly received his blessings by praying for wisdom instead of money. For this, he is greatly rewarded by God who gives him wisdom and also lots and lots of money. Now, in this book, we see a similar Solomon, but Toby, his half-brother, thinks that he is exploiting nature to make his money. The question on the table is about wisdom, specifically whether it is wise to hurt the future to make money now.
The persistence of social roles
This isn't about social constructs, it's about something else entirely. Notice that in the three generations, there are basically similar characters. Zecheriah hires someone to help with the farm, just like his father did for Skillit. They also each associate with a couple Native Americans and black people (hopefully meaning they're not full blown racists or something). In other words, the structure and shape of the farm as a business doesn't really change between generations. This suggests that life is orderly, and it suggests that although the men's lives seem different circumstantially, they all feel the same way about life. The men in this family share a common ethical goal to provide.
The gender roles
It's important to notice for a moment that Tobias is forbidden to provide for his family because of his conscription into the Confederate army. Since this novel is about sacrifice and provision, what is the purpose for this detour? It shows that Tobias's wife, Emma, is also willing and able to sacrifice for the family, and she and Zecheriah sacrifice for each other. In other words, this book is not about men providing for their families, it's about the communal support of the family.
