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Genesis Chapter 23

June 9th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 23

1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Sarah’s 127 years allowed her to see her son Isaac reach adulthood.

2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Kirjath Arba means the “Village of Arba” or the “Village of Four.” Abraham had lived for a while near Hebron at the location of some ancient terebinth trees. At this point the name Canaan would be particularly bitter to Abraham. None of the land was his. He had negotiated for water rights and herding privileges, but the land was not his; it still belonged to the Canaanites.

3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

The Hittites had their principal center in Anatolia (modern Turkey). But there were some enclaves of Hittites (sons of Heth) in Canaan, and the region of Hebron was apparently one of them. It was with Hittites that Abraham negotiated to buy a burial spot for his beloved wife Sarah.

4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

I am a foreigner and a visitor: Abraham was a “resident alien” in the land. His words were self-deprecating, to help him establish a bargaining position.
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

The sons of Heth (Hittites) responded with complimentary words. The adjective mighty is the term for deity. As an act of kindness, the Hittites let Abraham use one of their places for the burial of his dead family members.

7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”
10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

Abraham stood up and bowed: Abraham’s posture followed the customs of the time. Abraham was not willing to bury Sarah in a borrowed tomb; he wanted to have a place that would belong to his family long after his death. His words meet with Ephron indicated that he wanted to purchase some property, the cave of Machpelah. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham’s request by generously offering to give him what he sought, plus the nearby field as well.
12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

I will give you money: He was not interested in the field, and he offered again to buy the cave. (Perhaps he believed a gift so easily given might as easily be withdrawn at a later time.) In any case, by money Abraham did not mean coins as we might think today. Coins were not invented until at least 650 b.c. Abraham was offering a generous weight of silver.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.”

The dialogue of the chapter is wonderful; it presents a step-by-step description of the bargaining process. Ephron gave the purchase price, then seemed to dismiss it (What is that between you and me?).

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

Abraham weighed out the silver: He could have received the property without cost, but since he paid the agreed upon amount there could be no question at a later date.
17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded

Abraham had to purchase not only the field and the cave, but also the trees. This meant that he was responsible for the maintenance of these trees as well. All was done in the formal, legal manner of the time. The record is fascinating to read, but also noteworthy for this: the only land Abraham ever really possessed was a burial spot for his wife.

18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Abraham buried Sarah. Years later, Abraham would be buried in the same cave.

20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 22

May 31st, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 22

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”

after these things: A new story is about to begin. The term God includes the definite article. This is a way of indicating that the “Genuine Deity” or the “True God” is making these demands, not a false god or a demon. Note that the same use of the definite article occurs in 41:32 twice. This is the seventh time that God revealed Himself to Abraham since Abraham came to the land of Canaan. God tested Abraham in order to give Abraham an opportunity to show his true character.

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

only son: Abraham had one son by Hagar, and as we learn later he had six sons by Keturah. But only Isaac was uniquely born (the same idea is in the description of Jesus as the “only begotten,”. Indeed, the Greek term for “only begotten” is used to describe Isaac. The point is not that Abraham had no other children, but that this was the unique child in whom all the promises of God resided. But that wasn’t the only reason God’s command would test Abraham’s faith—this was Isaac, the son who had brought God’s “laughter” to Abraham and Sarah. Moriah: “Where the Lord Provides” or “Where the Lord Appears.” burnt offering: Abraham was not simply to strike his son and wound him, and then nurse him back to health. He was commanded to go through the steps of offering a sacrifice that burned an animal or person entirely. The toll of this command on Abraham and Sarah must have been enormous. What a poignant picture of what our God did to His unique Son for us!

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Nothing is said of Abraham’s thoughts, or the thoughts of the boy’s mother. All we read is the account of the father’s complete obedience to God. Noah’s complete obedience. Difficult, heavy tasks were usually done in the early morning because of the heat of the midday in this part of the world.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

If the servants had accompanied Abraham and his son to the sacrificial site, they might have tried to restrain him from his awful deed. He told them to stay with the donkey, he and his son were on their way to worship the Lord. we will come back: In the Hebrew text, these words are even more arresting than in a translation. The three verbs all show a strong determination on the part of the speaker: “We are determined to go, we are determined to worship, we are determined to return.” There are three possibilities for Abraham’s speech: (1) he was lying to the servants to buy time; (2) he was suffering from delusion, and no longer speaking rationally; or (3) he believed that he and the boy would return. He had heard, many times, God’s promise to create a nation through Isaac. He still believed it. He had concluded that even if he had to destroy his son, God would bring him back from death. Only in this way could Abraham have gone ahead with the task before him.

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

The fire would be live coals in a clay pot of some kind. A special knife was used in sacrificial worship.

7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

My father … where is the lamb: Isaac still did not know what Abraham planned to do.

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

for Himself: The wording is stronger in this order: “God Himself will provide.” went together:

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

the place: The site of Moriah is significant. bound Isaac: Jewish scholars call this text “the binding of Isaac.” At this point, Isaac knew that he was the sacrificial victim. Surely he could have run away from his aged father! Yet, like the Savior on an even darker day, he was willing to do his father’s will.

11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

the Angel of the Lord: An appearance of God. At the last moment, God spoke to Abraham from heaven; twice He called out his name. Do not lay your hand: The words used demanded an instant response. Abraham was just about to strike his son, then God stopped his hand. now I know: Certainly God knew ahead of time how this event would end. But in these words, God stood beside his servant Abraham, experiencing each moment with him and applauding his complete trust. The term for fear means to hold God in awe; this is the central idea of piety in the Bible.

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

With his attention solely on the awful task at hand, Abraham had not seen the ram until he looked for it. In an amazing manner, his earlier words of God’s provision came to pass.

14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

The wonderful name The-Lord-Will-Provide is developed from the faith statement of Abraham to Isaac in v. 8. Compare the name of faith that Hagar gave to the Lord, “The-God-Who-Sees”. As God provided a ram instead of Abraham’s son, so one day He would provide His own Son! Moriah is where Jerusalem and later the temple were built. And it was at Jerusalem that the Savior would die.

15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

This is one of the texts that contain the Abrahamic covenant – God’s unbreakable promise to create a nation through Isaac.

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

As he had said, Abraham returned with his son, and they all went together  back to Beersheba.

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

 

Milcah: The family of Nahor had first been noted at 11:29. It is touching to observe that there was correspondence between the families; but this genealogical notice also leads to the birth of Rebekah, who would figure significantly in the story to follow. This little piece is one of the family histories that help tie the Bible together.
I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 21

May 31st, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

 

Genesis Chapter 21

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.

And the Lord visited Sarah: The Bible stresses that the Lord causes conception; that children are a gift of the Lord.  The verb visit is an extraordinary choice here, because it means that the Lord entered directly into the affairs of His people. This was what He did for Sarah as He had said … as He had spoken: These two phrases speak of the exact fulfillment of His promise to Abraham and Sarah.

2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

It appears that Sarah conceived while she and Abraham were living in Gerar. The contrast is wonderful—God had closed the wombs of the family of Abimelech, and now He opened Sarah’s womb. bore Abraham a son: A great fact that the Bible elsewhere celebrates. in his old age: The writer of Hebrews says Abraham was “as good as dead”. What a miracle this was! To both Abraham and Sarah, God had emphasized the concept of His set time.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.

Isaac means “He (God) Is Laughing (Now).” At one time Abraham had laughed at the improbability of having a son in his old age; Sarah had laughed too. But now, with the birth of the child, laughter took on its happier meaning. Sarah got the joke!

4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

circumcised his son: Abraham’s pattern of obedience to the Lord continued unchanged. The sign of the covenant was most important for the son of promise.

5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

one hundred years old: Compare. Amusingly, Abraham was precisely the age that caused him to laugh aloud.

6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”

Among the many name jokes in the Bible, few are as wonderful as this one; the words for laugh in this verse are related to the name Isaac.

7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

nurse children: Wondrously, this woman of 90 now had breasts filled with milk and her arms full with a child!

8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

weaned: In biblical times children were nursed through the toddler period. The life of Isaac was to be marked by celebration, a great feast. As glad parents, Abraham and Sarah rejoiced in each major step of his life. This makes the story of Isaac’s near death all the more suspenseful.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.

The Hebrew verb for scoffing is related to the name for Isaac. Here is a bad turn on a wonderful joke. Young Ishmael, now perhaps 17, was mocking the joy of Sarah and Abraham in their young son.

10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.”

Sarah’s greatest moment came at the birth of her child; this moment was one of her worst. It is understandable, of course, that she would find Ishmael’s derision hurtful even as she had Hagar’s. But even in that culture it was reprehensible to send Ishmael away. When a surrogate wife had borne a son to one’s husband, that mother and child could not be dismissed even if the first wife subsequently gave birth to a son. This partly explains Abraham’s reluctance to do what Sarah demanded. What is more, he still loved his son Ishmael.

11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”

but God said: This is the sixth time Abraham received a direct word from the Lord since coming to the land of Canaan. listen to her voice: Abraham needed to hear God give him permission to send Hagar and Ishmael from his home. In Isaac alone would the principal covenant be fulfilled. Ishmael had his own promise, but nothing God promised to Ishmael would replace His promise to Isaac.

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

This scene must have been exceedingly difficult for Abraham. He had no idea that another morning in his life would be even worse. Bread and a skin of water are meager provisions. The skin refers to a water bag made of animal skin. sent her away: Years before, Hagar had had to leave the same household while pregnant with Ishmael. Wilderness of Beersheba: Later there would be a city built in this place; in this early period it was merely a region for herding sheep and goats. Isaac was later to rediscover water in this region.

15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.

water … used up: It would not take long for the two refugees to use up their meager provisions.

16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

Let me not see: Despite her sometimes mean spirit against Sarah, Hagar loved her son. The thought that she was about to lose her son to the desert heat was unbearable for her.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

God heard: What wonderful words these are! There is no pain of His people that He does not see or hear about. God was near to deliver; the child would not die.

18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

God renewed his promise to Hagar and Ishmael; Ishmael would become a great nation.

19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

Hagar was so overcome with grief that she was unaware of the provision of water right before her. God showed a well of water. How fitting that the promise of God would again be beside a provision of water. Often in the pages of the OT, a spring or well of water is a symbol of spiritual salvation as well as physical deliverance.

20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

God’s promise was realized in Ishmael’s life. He became an archer; that is, he learned to hunt.

21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

wife: Hagar made sure that Ishmael married an Egyptian, one of her own people, much as Abraham’s servant searched for a wife for Isaac from among his parents’ people.

22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.

Abimelech: It appears from this verse that Abraham and Sarah were still living in the region of Gerar. Phichol: This commander of the army is also mentioned in the later encounter with Isaac, unless the name is a hereditary term, as perhaps was that of Abimelech. God is with you: With these words, Abimelech and Phichol introduced their desire to form a treaty with Abraham.

23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

swear to me by God: This kind of oath was a complete, binding obligation. God would be witness to the act and a witness against anyone who might break it. kindness: This exceedingly important term sometimes translated loyal love is often used in the Psalms to describe God’s character. Here we see its proper context in a binding relationship. The term basically describes covenant loyalty.

25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized.

It turned out that there was a dispute between the two concerning a well. For those who tended sheep and goats, water rights and wells mattered a great deal. Abimelech agreed to settle the issue promptly.

26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

This is the first use of the word covenant for a parity treaty. A parity treaty is a binding agreement between two equals, similar to today’s business contract. There is a parity treaty between Abimelech and Isaac, and at there is a covenant between Jacob and Laban.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

Abraham made the occasion all the more memorable by his presentation of seven ewe lambs to Abimelech. The Hebrew number seven is similar in sound to the verb meaning “to swear”. Thus Beersheba would be the well where they swore and the well of the seven ewe lambs. In the next generation the ritual would be repeated with a similar meaning given to the site.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

The hope was that the tamarisk tree would long mark the spot of this major treaty. called on the name: As in 12:8, Abraham did more than just pray to the Lord; he made proclamation in the Lord’s name, telling everyone about the Lord, the Everlasting God, the Master of eternity. Not only does He live forever, but He meets the needs of His people for all eternity.

34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Although Abraham had been promised the whole of the land for his posterity, in his own life he lived under agreements with others in their land. The name Palestine comes from the word for Philistine.
I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 20

May 30th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

 

Genesis Chapter 20

1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.

Abraham’s deception about Sarah in the city of Gerar was later to be repeated by his son Isaac. This is an example of a son taking after his father. The present story is also a replay of Abraham’s earlier mistakes in Egypt.

2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Sarah was the half sister of Abraham. Abimelech … took Sarah: This action put Sarah in the king’s harem, but not in his bed. Because of her advanced age, it is probable that Sarah was more desirable to Abimelech for her wealth than for her physical appearance.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

Presumably, Abimelech was a pagan king. Yet God warned him of the wrong that he was about to commit. This is another instance of the protective care that the Lord gives His people.  A man’s wife: The Hebrew words speak of Sarah and Abraham on a level of equality and dignity. Both are spoken of as lords or nobles, literally “a noble wife of a noble man.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also: Abimelech had not even touched Sarah; he did not want to die for a sin he had not committed. He argued that his actions so far were innocent. They were based on what Abraham and Sarah had told him.

6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

This passage emphasizes the dream state Abimelech was in. The Lord’s response to him was one of grace; God had kept the king from touching Sarah.

7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

This is the first use of the term prophet in the Bible. The term indicates more a relationship to God than an ability to speak for Him. Abraham’s relationship to God was the basis for God’s command that Sarah be restored to her husband.

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

The gravity of the situation must have touched the king so strongly that his fear quickly spread to his family and servants. Abimelech’s questions of Abraham are especially touching: What have you done to us? is followed by the reverse How have I offended you?

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

Abraham gave two reasons for his actions. The first was based on his assumption that he was in hostile territory. That is, with no fear of God, there would be no justice among the people. A king set on doing whatever he wanted might seize Sarah as a first step toward subjugating Abraham and taking over his property. Second, Sarah was truly my sister. The marriages of the family of Terah were very close. In this patrician society, the marriages of close relatives was regarded as a sign of rank. Abraham and Sarah apparently agreed that she would invoke the plea that she was his sister wherever they might happen to be. Later, the Law would prohibit the marriage of people so closely related.

14 Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.

Abimelech made a significant payment to Abraham in silver in order to compensate Sarah’s hardship. His words your brother may have been sarcastic. The Hebrew verb translated as rebuked can merely mean “vindicated.” This verb is used in legal terminology to describe the settlement of a dispute.

17 So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children;

So Abraham prayed to God: However the situation began, it ended in mercy with Abraham acting as a priest for Abimelech before the true and living God. In this way, the people of Gerar learned about the Lord, as had happened in Egypt years earlier.

18 for the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Lord had closed up all the wombs: Three things are indicated by these words. First, the stay of Abraham and Sarah had been prolonged in Gerar before Sarah’s identity became known. Some months would have had to pass before the people realized that they were no longer conceiving at normal rates.
This means that Sarah had lived in the harem of the king for several months. Second, the Lord reached out to these people in a way they would find difficult to resist; the wish to procreate was relentless in the ancient world, as these accounts consistently emphasize. Third, God graciously protected Sarah—and Abraham. The chapter ends with irony. Because of God’s desire to protect Sarah, He had closed the wombs of the women of Abimelech’s house. Soon the Lord would open Sarah’s womb to give her a child, long after she was too old to conceive naturally.
I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 19

May 17th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis. Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section. Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.

Lot’s fortunes had gone very well. The gate of a city was the place where the town elders met  Ruth 4:1. Lot had become so enmeshed in the life of the city that he had become a ruling elder. bowed himself: A term commonly used for the worship of God Genesis 22:5 Genesis 24:26; here it describes Lot’s act of reverence to special guests. The angels appeared as men, and Lot greeted them as such.

2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”

My lords is a greeting of respect for special visitors. your servant’s house: Lot’s generous offer of hospitality may have been motivated out of kindness toward them as well as his sense of the dangers his city might hold for them.

3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.

The men of Sodom were aggressive homosexuals, bent on raping innocent travelers. Under the circumstances, Lot showed great courage by inviting his guests to stay at his house under his protection.

5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

The Hebrew verb for know is ordinarily used of normal sexual relations between a male and female (4:1). Here it is used to describe the perversion of homosexual sex between men. See Romans 1:18–32. The term sodomite comes from this passage.

6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

Lot’s plight was severe; he had invited guests into his home for protection and was now in danger of seeing them abused by an unruly mob. Lot’s desperation led him to risk the lives of his own two daughters to protect the lives of strangers from the mob. We can see why an outcry from the city had gone up to the Lord Genesis 18:20-21.

9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.

Stand back: The crazed crowd was now about to attack Lot, whom they resented as an outsider even though he had risen to a position of prominence in the city.

10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

Those who were morally blind were now stricken with physical blindness by the angelic guests (see a similar angelic blight in 2 Kings 6:18. Only the confusion and panic of these wicked men spared Lot and his family from vicious assault.

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!

The angelic guests had completed their search and were about to bring down the judgment of God on the city. In mercy, they offered an escape to Lot’s immediate family. There simply were not sufficient righteous persons in the city for it to be spared.

13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”

Arise can mean “make haste.”

16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

he lingered: Lot had mixed feelings about the destruction that was to come. Lot and his family needed to be propelled from their home by physical force. The verb for took hold means “to seize.” the Lord being merciful: This is the whole point of the story. God could have destroyed the city of Sodom with no word to Lot or Abraham. But because of God’s mercy, His angels grabbed Lot and his family and brought them forcefully to safety.

17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Zoar: “Insignificant in Size.”

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The rain of brimstone and fire may be explained in a couple of ways. It is possible that God used a volcanic eruption or some similar kind of natural disaster. Then, the miracle would be in the Lord’s timing and in the narrow escape of Lot and his family. See Ex. 14 for a similar possibility. It is also possible that the destruction of these cities was an act of judgment outside the normal range of natural occurrences.

The command was clear, not to look back or linger. Lot’s wife disobeyed and looked back. By implication, she was reluctant to leave. pillar of salt: Her destruction was sudden. Nothing was left of her but a mineral heap. Jesus referred to her in His teaching on the sudden destruction that will come in the last days. “Remember Lot’s wife,” Jesus warned (Luke 17:32).

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.

On the very morning that the cities were destroyed, Abraham looked on from a distance and saw the destruction. When he saw the smoke, he must have known the truth: There were not even ten righteous in the city.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

Part of the reason for God’s grace to Lot was that God remembered Abraham. Lot could barely tolerate the wickedness in the city (see 2 Peter 2:7-8), but only he felt that way. If it were not for Abraham, Lot would have died with the other inhabitants.

30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. (Genesis 19, New King James Version)

Lot had begged the angels to give him a safe haven in the little city of Zoar, a request they granted. But following the devastation of the cities of the plain, Lot did not even feel safe in this city. So he lived in a cave.

31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.”
Lot’s daughters now conspired together to make their father drunk so that he would have sexual relations with them. the lineage of our father: We can hardly approve of their action, yet their desperation was real. Their husbands had died and they were not likely to remarry. Their mother was also dead and they judged their father unlikely to remarry and have more children. Should they die childless, there would be no one to carry on their family name. For the peoples of biblical cultures, this was an overwhelming loss.

33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
and he did not know: The narrator inserts this phrase twice to protect Lot. This was not deliberate incest on his part; the daughters alone were responsible for what happened.

34So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
The shameful act of incest led to the births of two sons who would later greatly trouble Israel, Moab and Ben-Ammi.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 18

May 8th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis. Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section. Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Chapter 18

Genesis 18:1-5 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. He said, “Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path.” They said, “Certainly. Go ahead.”

God reaffirmed his covenant with Abraham, reconfirming his promise to Sarah. This was the fifth time God appeared to Abraham, since he had come into the land of Canaan. (1) the first time was the appearance at the alter built in Shechem when Abraham first entered the land. (2) The second appearence was after Lot had separated from Abraham, when they came back to Canaan from Egypt. (3) The third followed Abram’s heroic rescue of Lot from the league of invading Kings and the subsequent encounter with Malchizedek. (4) The fourth came 13 years after Ishmael was born, when the Lord renewed his covenant with Abraham and instituted the rite of circumcision.

Verse one states that it was the Lord who appeared to Abraham; Verse two speaks of three men. Verse 13 suggest that one of these three men was the Lord. Who were the other two? Probably, attending Angles, each of the three appeared as men. But one of these three appeared to be greater than angles. The writer of Hebrews used this account to encourage hospitality to strangers, “for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angles. Abraham’s words My Lord suggest that he at least suspected the identity of the three men, but perhaps he was not sure until later of the full significance of the event.

Genesis 18:6-9 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread.”  Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.  The men said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said, “In the tent.”

Where is Sarah: Although the focus of God’s promise in CH.17 was on Abraham, but the focus here was on Sarah.

Genesis 18:10-16 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man. Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”

God told Abraham that Sarah his wife and he were to have a child. The wording was important because the couple had tried in the past to achieve the fulfillment of God’s promise. You can get the idea that Sarah was an older woman, past the years for bearing a child. Sarah just laughed when the Lord told her she was going to bear a child at her age, she knew the facts of life about her being old and not able to give birth to a child. But she was about to see a miracle, as she was going to bear a child.

God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.” Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid. But he said, “Yes you did; you laughed.” When the men got up to leave, they set off for Sodom. Abraham walked with them to say good-bye.

This just proves that there is no wonder that God can’t do. Sarah tried to hide the fact that she had laughed at what God had told her, but you can’t hide anything from God – he sees and knows all that happens. But, God did not punish her for laughing as Abraham had laughed too, and God didn’t punish him either. Here we find out that the other two men were in fact angles the same ones that destroyed Sodom.

Genesis 18:17-22 Then God said, “Shall I keep back from Abraham what I’m about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I’ve settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God’s way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him.” God continued, “The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I’m going down to see for myself, see if what they’re doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I’ll know.” The men set out for Sodom, but Abraham stood in God’s path, blocking his way.

Genesis 18:23-32 Abraham confronted him, “Are you serious? Are you planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad? What if there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the bad and get rid of the lot? Wouldn’t you spare the city for the sake of those fifty innocents? I can’t believe you’d do that, kill off the good and the bad alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn’t the Judge of all the Earth judge with justice?”

God said, “If I find fifty decent people in the city of Sodom, I’ll spare the place just for them.” Abraham came back, “Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?” He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”

Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find forty?” “Neither will I destroy it if for forty.” He said, “Master, don’t be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?”

“No, I won’t do it if I find thirty.”  He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?” “I won’t destroy it for twenty.” He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?” “For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.” When God finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter 16 and 17

March 7th, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis. Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section. Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Chapter 16:

Genesis 16:1-5 tells us that Sarai, Abram’s wife had not born him any children. So, Sarai gave Abram her maidservant who was an Egyptian named Hagar, so that Hagar could get pregnant and then Sarai would just lay claim to the children – as her own. Abram agreed to do as his wife Sarai said. Sarai and Abram only did this because they had waited 10 years for what God had promised, but it had not been fulfilled yet.

Abram was about 85 years old and Sarai was about 75 years old at this time. Hagar, ended up pregnant by Abram.  When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress. This possibly was because Hagar was Egyptian and the practice of baring children for your master was not an Egyptian practice? Or it could have been that Hagar was a young woman and of course Abram was an old man? It does not say how old Hagar was at this time. Hagar was abusive toward Sarai belittling her and hating Sarai for doing what was accepted in those days – using a surrogate mother.

Then Saraia got upset with Abram and said it was his fault for the reason she could not have children. She told Abram it was his fault that she was suffering the abuse from her maidservant, Hagar.

Genesis 16:6-12 says that Sarai and Abram were having a “fight” over using Hagar as a surrogate mother and Abram told Sarai that Hagar was her problem not his. Sarai became abusive toward Hagar, and she ran away, and was sitting by a spring in the dessert on the road to Shur.

An angel of God found her sitting there and said, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?” And Hagar answered, “I’m running away from Sarai my mistress.” The angel of God said, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse.” He continued, “I’m going to give you a big family, children past counting, you’ll get a son: Name him Ishmael;  for God heard you, God answered you. He’ll be a bucking bronco of a man,  a real fighter, fighting and being fought, Always stirring up trouble,  always at odds with his family.”

Genesis 16:13-16 She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me! “Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!” That’s how that desert spring got named “God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring.” That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. Hagar gave Abram a son.  Abram named him Ishmael.  Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave him his son, Ishmael.

Chapter 17:

Genesis 17:1-8 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, “I am The Almighty God,  live entirely before me, live life blameless and to the fullest! I’ll make a covenant between us and I’ll give you a huge family.” Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. Then God said to Abram,

“This is my covenant with you: You’ll be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that ‘I’m making you the father of many nations.’ I’ll make you a father of fathers – I’ll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. I’m establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. And I’m giving you and your descendants this land where you’re just a stranger, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I’ll be their God.”

Genesis 17:9-14 And God continued telling Abraham, “You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation. This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”

God continued on, “Every male baby will be circumcised when he is eight days old, generation after generation – this also includes house-born slaves and slaves bought from outsiders who are not blood kin.  Make sure you circumcise both your own children and anyone brought in from the outside.”

“That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant. An uncircumcised male, will be cut off from his people – he has broken my covenant.”

Genesis 17:15-19 God continued telling Abraham, And Sarai your wife: Don’t call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. I’ll bless her – yes! I’ll give you a son by her! Oh, how I’ll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her.”

Abraham fell to the ground and then he laughed, thinking, “Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, can she have a baby? Abraham said to God, “Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!”

God said, “That’s not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac, I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:20-27 “Now what about Ishmael,” God said?  “Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I’ll also bless him; I’ll make sure he has plenty of children – a huge family. He’ll father twelve princes; I’ll make him a great nation. But I’ll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year.” After this God was done talking and left.

Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his servants, whether house-born or purchased – every male in his household – and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins that very day, just as God had told him. That was really shows a lot of control and power over these people – for Abraham to be able to just go and say come on, every male will be circumcised today – and it happened.

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.  His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.  Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day together – with all the other male members of Abraham’s household.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

 

 

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Genesis Chapter 14 and 15

March 3rd, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Chapter 14:

Genesis 14:1-10 Talks about four kings that go off to battle with five kings in the valley of Siddim. The valley of Siddim is likely now under the waters of the Dead Sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. It continues on here with attack after attack, of all these kings it says it was four kings in battle against five kings.

Genesis 14:11-17 tells us that the valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. It continues on and says they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Then we learn that one had escaped and found Abram the Hebrew which was Lot’s brother. Also, here this is the first time that the word Hebrew is mentioned in the bible. When Abram learned of his brothers capture he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Him and his servants attacked and pursued them as far as Hobah where he defeated them, got back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. After the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, Abram met the King of Sodom in the Valley of Shaveh.

Genesis 14:18-24 talks about Melchizedek king of Salem – he was the priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder, but the King said, “Give me back the people but keep all the plunder for yourself.”

Abram said to the King, “I swear to God, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I’ll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I’m not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.’ Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they’re to get their share of the plunder.”

Chapter 15:

Genesis 15:1-5 tells us that God reassured Abram of the Covenant that was between him and God. The Lord tells Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Abram said, “God, what use are your gifts as long as I’m childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?” Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no child; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

Then God gave Abram another message: “Don’t worry, he won’t be your heir, but a son from your body will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!”

Genesis 15:6-9 tells us that Abram believed God! And God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.” God continued telling Abram, “I’m the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own.” But Abram said, Abram said, “God, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?” So God again had to reassure Abram, God told Abram, “Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.”

Genesis 15:10-16 Abram brought God all these animals, and split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t split the birds. Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and horror and great darkness fell upon him.

And then God said to Abram in a dream, “Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they’ll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I’ll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you’ll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites.”

Genesis 15:17-21 And when the sun had went down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That’s when God made a covenant with Abram: “I’m giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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Genesis Chapter Twelve and Thirteen

February 21st, 2011

Welcome back to bible study, I hope you have enjoyed the previous posts on Genesis.

Remember that you can leave a comment with questions after this post in the comment section.

Or if you feel what I have said is not right or I have left something out, we can discuss it in the comment section.

Genesis Chapter 12

Genesis 12:1-3 We learn in these first verses the promises that God made to Abram. God tells Abram to leave the place that he was living, to leave his father’s house, and go to a place that God is going to show him to go to. God promises to Abram that he will make him a great nation, and God is going to bless him, and make his name great. God also promises to bless the one’s that bless Abram, and to curse the one’s that curse Abram. God also promised Abram that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, the Jewish people who are descended from Abram.

Genesis 12:4-6 We learn that Abram was motivated by God’s promises to leave, so he took Sarai and his brother’s son Lot went with them. Abram was 75 years old at this time, and it was a fairly young age but it was significant as we will see, this testifies to God’s mighty works in Abram’s life in his advanced age later on. Abram took Sarai and Lot and all their possessions they had gathered in Haran and headed for the land of Canaan – this is the first time in the Bible that Canaan is mentioned – Canaan is a geographical stage for God’s acts of salvation – and was populated with people whom were involved in gross idolatry. But God had promised this land to Abram and Sarai.

We learn that Abram was passing through this land to reach his destination of Shechem, this ancient site was in the center of the land and later we will learn that under Joshua’s leadership the people would commemorate the Lord’s covenant there Joshua 24:1. They went as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. A terebinth or ancient oak tree would serve as a lasting marker for future generations to observe.

Genesis 12:7-9 We learn that God appeared unto Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” Abram then built an alter to God, and moved on to the mountain east of Bethel. He called on the name of the Lord: And this was not a private prayer, but a public proclamation. Abram was evangelizing – telling others about the Lord. God had commanded him to be a blessing to the nations and he was doing it. But still the Canaanites were here too, so Abram continued south until he found room enough for his flocks and herds.

Genesis 12:10-13 We learn that sometime after Abram arrived at Canaan a famine struck and he moved again, this time into Egypt. Before they arrived in Egypt Abram talked with his wife (whom was his half sister) that she should say that he was her brother and he should say that she was his sister. He told her that if they knew that she was his wife that they would kill him and take her, but if they told she was just a sister then they would spare his life and still take her from him.

Genesis 12:14-16 We learn that the Egyptians did take notice to Sarai, and that the princes of Pharaoh commended her to Pharaoh and she was taken from Abram to Pharaoh’s house. He gave Abram sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels for Sarai and Abram accepted this. This made Abram to be about as much a low-life as one could be.

Genesis 12:17-20 We learn that God made good on one of the promises to Abram, here is the first example of the cursing and blessing element of God’s promise to Abram. God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. John our minister suggest here that Pharaoh found out that Sarai was really Abram’s wife from one of Abram’s servants. Because Pharaoh called out to Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?” Why did you tell me she was your sister? I might have taken her for a wife. Pharaoh told Abram to take his wife and all of their possessions and leave his land.

Genesis Chapter 13

Genesis 13:1-4 We learn that Abram left Egypt with his wife and all that he had and Lot and all that he had also, and traveled south. They ended up back at the same place as before, where Abram had built an alter and called upon the God.

Genesis 13:5-11 Lot shared in his uncle Abram’s prosperity to some degree. He too had flocks and herds and tents. Now there was not room for all of them together. The crowding of range lands led to disputes and strife between their herdsmen. The Canaanites and the Perizzites both dwelt here as well – there was not enough food and water for all the herds and flocks, someone would have to move on. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

So Lot looked around and he decided to head for the plains of Jordan as it was well watered and had a lot of food sources. This of course was all before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot headed east, and they left each other.

Genesis 13:12-18 We learn that Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot settled in the city of Sodom. This place that Lot called home – Sodom – was exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. The Lord reaffirmed the promise to Abram after his lack of faith in Egypt and his separation from Lot. None of the land was outside the promise. Abram’s descendants or seed (s) of Abram. At times this term refers to many descendants and at other times to a unique individual, the Coming One.

Abram’s walk in the land is a symbolic act of taking possession. Abram himself would not take possession of the land however his descendants would later on. So Abram moved and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which was in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

I hope you have enjoyed this bible study, and remember you can always comment on this if you feel I have not explained it well, or if you want to add to it. Stay tuned and God Bless!

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My Top 10 Interesting Facts about the Bible

February 14th, 2011

Sunday nights at our church we don’t hold a normal church service with a sermon, but we use this time for our bible study, which I enjoy immensely.

We have been studying Genesis and were due to go through Genesis 12:1-20 last night.

But due to the fact that a member of Martin Church of Christ (a neighboring church) passed away, and many of our members went to the viewing last night – we did something different.

Our minister – John – brought up some interesting facts about the Bible.

It is amazing at the ‘facts’ that the Bible holds, it is very interesting to read. The Bible (from Greek word Biblia meaning “the books”) is made up of sacred scripture of the various branches of Judaism and Christianity. The Bible, in its many different translations, is the best-selling book in history.

Here is my Top Ten most interesting facts from the Bible:

  1. The Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors, men who wrote the inspired Word of God. It is made up of 66 books, 39 books in the old testament, and 27 books in the new testament.
  2. There are 1189 chapters in the Bible; with 929 chapters making up the Old Testament and 260 chapters included in the New Testament.
  3. The middle & the shortest chapter of the Bible is – Psalm 117:1-2
  4. The longest chapter in the Bible is – Psalm 119:1-176
  5. 773,692 words are in the Bible.
  6. There is a total of 31,173 verses in the Bible.
  7. The middle verse in the Bible is – Psalm 118:8
  8. The shortest verse in the Bible is – John 11:35
  9. The longest verse in the Bible is – Esther 8:9
  10. The longest living person in the Bible – Methuselah lived a total of 969 years – Genesis 5:27

Other interesting “facts”:

  • It is said that the words ‘Be not afraid’ appear in Scripture 366 times–one for each day of the year (leap years included).
  • The Bible is the only book that states how the world came to be, the birth of man, the journey of man’s life to the present time, and even what is going to happen in the future.
  • Grandmother only appears one time in the Bible – 2 Timothy 1:5
  • The longest word in the Bible is – “Mahershalalhashbaz” (18 letters long) – it appears in Isaiah 8:1

Please remember that these are only “some” of the interesting facts about the Bible. Have you read your Bible today? You might learn something new if you do read it, things are still being discovered in a book that is more than two thousand years old. That is interesting in itself. God Bless, and have a Great week!

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