OT Study: Genesis Pt. 5

Review

Main Point and Structure

The main point of this section is that God begins His chosen Nation in order that this Nation would make an impact to all the other nations. This is seen in the following structure: 

Background ()

God calls Abram ()

God Tests Abram: Land Part 1 ()

God Tests Abram: Land Part 2 ()

Abram and the Battle of the Kings ()

God Seals His Covenant with Abram ()

God Tests Abram: Seed Part 1 ()

God Codifies His Covenant with Abraham ()

The Covenant Relationship Between God and Abraham ()

A Replay of the Past ()

Birth of Isaac  ()

Conflict and Covenant with Abimelech ()

God Tests Abraham: Seed Part 2 ()

Death of Sarah: Securing the Land ()

Finding Rebekah: Securing the Seed ()

Abraham’s Death: God’s Plan Continues ()

7. God Tests Abram: Seed Part 1 ()

”1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.”9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Just as Abram was tested about the land promise, Abram is here in this section tested about the seed promise. Will Abram trust God to bring about the promise of the seed or will he take things into his own hands? Let us see, “1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” Just as Abram failed by moving to Egypt during the famine in Canaan, Abram fails by marrying and impregnating Sarai’s Egyptian servant Hagar. This was a common practice of the day for a barren wife to give her servant to her husband in order to bear an offspring for the family line. Just like it was a common practice to flee a famine stricken land for one that is more prosperous. You might think, well this is Sarai’s fault - it was her dumb plan. But who’s fault was it really? How did Hagar come to be in the household of Abram in the first place? If Abram had not left Canaan for Egypt in the first place, Hagar would have never entered his family. Hagar becomes pregnant and eventually bears a son named Ishmael and because he is a son of Abram, God promises Hagar that her son’s offspring will be multiplied like the sand. However this son and his offspring will be in constant conflict, look at verse 12, “2 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” What is seen throughout Israel’s history up until this very day is that the offspring of Abram’s son will be a perpetual enemy even to this day.

Hagar becomes pregnant and eventually bears a son named Ishmael and because he is a son of Abram, God promises Hagar that her son’s offspring will be multiplied like the sand. However this son and his offspring will be in constant conflict. He will be against everyone and everyone will be against him.  What is seen throughout Israel’s history up until this very day is that the offspring of Abram’s son will be a perpetual enemy. 

8. God Codifies His Covenant with Abraham ()

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

In the last section we saw that Abram was 86 years old but here in the beginning of this chapter we see that Abram is 99 years old. Think about that, as a consequence for Abram’s failure of faith God is silent for 13 years. How many of you are 23 and under? Think to when you were 10 years old and how long the time has been until now. That’s how long it had been since Abram last heard from God.

When God breaks the silence His first words are “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” God rebukes Abram’s lack of faith and calls him to return to a relationship of walking with God, just like Adam and Enoch walked faithfully with God. God then reiterates His covenant with Abram, “4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” Notice that even though Abram sinned, and even though Abram experienced judgement, God did not revoke His covenant. In fact He confirms His covenant to Abram in three separate ways. First God changes Abram’s name to Abraham which means “father of a multitude of nations”. God promises Abram that not only will he be a father of many nations but kings shall come from him. He will have a royal offspring. God then instructs Abraham to perform the sign of circumcision to signify that he has covenanted with God. This act of circumcision was not a work that earned God’s covenant relationship. It was an outward sign that demonstrated that Abraham was in a relationship with God. God then turns Sarai’s name to Sarah starting in verse 15, “15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Sarah means princess because she will have a son and kings shall come from her.

God then turns Sarai’s name to Sarah starting in verse 15, “15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Sarah means princess because she will have a son and kings shall come from her. This confirms what God promised in 17:6 and 17:16, that kings will come from her. Even after this Abram’s faith is not finished as he laughed at the prospect of Sarah becoming pregnant at 99 years old. He pleads that God would instead chose Ishmael but God says no! God does not reject Ishmael outright, and for the sake of Abram He blesses Ishmael. However, God declares that Abram and Sarah will have a son together and that this son will be the one whom He will have a covenant relationship with. God then names this unborn son with the name of Isaac, which means “to laugh”

Even after this wondrous declaration of God, we see that Abram’s faith is still not perfect, “17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” at the prospect of Sarah becoming pregnant at 99 years old. Abram then proposes his back up plan - that God would instead chose Ishmael. But God responds, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him” God does not reject Ishmael outright, and for the sake of Abram He blesses Ishmael. However, God declares that Abram and Sarah will have a son together and that this son will be the one whom He will have a covenant relationship with. God then names this unborn son with the name of Isaac, which means “to laugh”.

10. God’s Covenant relationship with Abraham ()

A. An Amazing Visit (18:1-15)

“And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord,  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

In this section we begin to see God’s amazing covenant relationship with Abraham. What is interesting here is that the Lord seeks out Sarah, Abraham’s wife - verse 9, “ 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.” God doesn’t just care about the faith of Abraham, He wants to highlight Sarah’s faith as well. Like Abraham, Sarah too laughs in unbelief at this promise of God. God rebukes her unbelief and makes it very clear that He will accomplish His promises saying in verse 14, “14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” What is beautiful about this situation is that God is patient with Sarah and that He takes time to instruct Sarah about Himself and reveal His plan personally to her.

B. An Amazing Dialogue (18:16-33)

 “16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” 22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.”

After establishing His covenant with Abraham and confirming His promises to Abraham and Sarah, the Lord initiates a dialogue with Abraham, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” God has a plan for Sodom and Gomorrah and He knows that is where Abraham’s nephew Lot lives. He knows that Abraham has desires to protect his nephew Lot.

God sovereignly reveals to Abraham that the sins of the people at Sodom and Gomorrah are so terrible that He plans to judge those two cities. What is on display here is that this covenant doesn’t just establish promises between God and Abraham, it establishes an intimate relationship between God and Abraham. Abraham is called a “friend of God” () and what is seen here is that God cares for Abraham. And Abraham makes this requests from the Lord, “23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” The problem is that there aren’t even 10 righteous people in these cities. 

Abraham’s primary reason for wanting to spare the city is to protect Lot. Remember how Abraham rushed into the battle of the kings with an army of just over 300 men in order to save his nephew. Lot is very important to Abraham for not only is he Abraham’s nephew, he is his an eligible heir. As we saw previously with Abraham’s desire for God to choose Ishmael, Abraham isn’t fully convinced that Sarah will bear a son. Abraham thinks that he needs to preserve backup plans in order to preserve God’s promise. 

B. An Amazing Deliverance (19:1-29)

 “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 bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. 12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. 15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

The scene then shifts to the city of Sodom where the angels, who came with the Lord, encounter Lot, ““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 bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Lot quickly invites the angels to stay in his house out of both hospitality and worry for their wellbeing. He insists that the angels stay in his home because he knows the wicked desires of the people of Sodom. What we see when night comes is that, “the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” The men of the city come to Lot’s house so that they can know the Angels like Adam knew his wife. Lot then goes out to the mob outside his house, “ 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” Lot, in his own display of perversion, offers the crowd the opportunity to know his two daughters instead. The angels then strike the men outside with blindness and command Lot to take his family and leave the city. With great hesitancy  Lot tries to convince his loved ones to escape the judgement of God. However, both Lot’s future sons-in-law and his wife are so enthralled by the sinful delights of the city that they do not leave and instead perish. 

Although the exact location of Sodom and Gomorrah is not listed in the Bible a strong argument can be made that the present day location is the valley around the Dead Sea (see and ). This region in Canaan is now a sulfuric wasteland where barely any plants or wildlife exist. The only living thing that is able to survive in the sea itself is a microscopic bacteria. Remember that  this land was known to be as lush and prosperous as the Garden on Eden. If the Dead Sea is in fact the location of Sodom and Gomorrah it has served as an example of God’s holiness and His awful wrath for thousands of years. Now, what is amazing is that there are multiple prophecies about the restoration of this dead sea. Isaiah prophecies that when the Messiah returns “1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; ()” - go home and read the rest of - it will blow your mind. Also Zechariah an Ezekiel both prophecy that this desert will be made lush by a river flowing out of Jerusalem, Here is the prophet Ezekiel in Ez 47:8-9, “8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” What a glorious time that will be when the Messiah returns. Not only will He raise His people from the dead, but He will also restore the dead sea to life as well.

The scene back in Genesis ends with Abraham looking out at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s prayer was not directly answered but his desire to preserve his nephew was answered because God remembered Abraham. Recollect that this term remember does not mean that God forgot about Abraham for a few hours. Its a term used of Noah during the flood. It shows how God acts in a way that displays His covenant faithfulness and love towards Abraham. 

C. An Astonishing Demise (19:30-38)

“30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 35 So 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 became pregnant 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 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

What was clear from Lot’s family who remained in Sodom is that they loved the perversions of the city more than their own life. What is displayed here is that Sodom’s perversions lived on in the hearts of Lot’s daughters, “30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” You can take the people out of Sodom but you can’t take Sodom out of the people. This gross sin creates a detestable situation with Lot’s family. Furthermore it ends Abraham’s back-up plan with Lot. Lot’s descendents will forever be attached to this scandal. His son, who is at the same time also his nephew and grandson is named Moab. His name fits the situation for it means “who is my father”. His brother’s name Ben-ammi is also fitting to this tragic situation for his name means “son of my people”.  These two sons become the fathers of the nations of Moab and Ammon. It is very important to remember this scandalous story when we get to the book of Numbers and eventually the book of Ruth.

11. A replay of the Past: Abraham and Abimelech ()

A. Similar Situation (20:1-2)

“1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”

After God’s judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah we see Abraham move to a region in Canaan called the Negeb. It is here that Moses tells of a situation that is very similar to one that Abraham and Sarah experienced 25 years earlier. When Abraham and Sarah journeyed to Egypt, Abraham convinced Sarah to claim that she was his sister so that Pharaoh wouldn’t kill him and take his wife. Now fast forward 25 years and what do we see in verse 2? “2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”

The question is, why is this happening? Why does a young king think that Sarah, the 99-year old woman, is childbearing material? The text doesn’t explicitly say how Sarah became so appealing in the eyes of Abimelech. Perhaps God preserved her in a youthful state which explains why, at 75, Pharaoh brought her into his haram. What is clear is that Abraham knew that the kings in the region would covet his wife and possibly kill him in order to be with her. In the end the main point is that God has miraculously made Sarah appear youthful and fertile indicating that she is now able to bear Abraham a son. 

What we also see here is that Abraham still thinks he has to take matters into his own hands. He does not trust God fully to be his shield. He doesn not trust God fully that Sarah will be the mother of the promised offspring. His faith fails again.

B. Similar Intervention (20:3-7)

 “3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

Instead of rejecting Abraham after his continued failure God miraculously intervenes to ensure His covenant promises are fulfilled and His redemptive plan continues.God cannot be thwarted. “3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.” Not only does God acknowledge Abimelech’s innocence in the situation he reveals that He has kept Abimelech from committing sin against God. God commands Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham and warns him of the consequences of death if he does not. What is so evidently clear from this narrative is that God will not allow Sarah to be with any other man. He has decreed that she would bear a son for Abraham and He will accomplish all that He decrees. 

6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now that Sarah is fertile it is very dangerous that she is in Abimelech’s haram. See again how Satan is working through the stupidity of Abraham to attempt to thwart God’s plan for the Seed. But as Moses points out, God has been sovereignly working in this situation to accomplish His plan. He cannot be thwarted. He cAbimelech confesses that it was an honest mistake, that he was lied to by Abraham who claimed that she was his sister. Not only does God acknowledge Abimelech’s innocence in the situation he reveals that He has kept Abimelech from committing sin against God. God commands Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham and warns him of the consequences of death if he does not. What is so evidently clear from this narrative is that God will not allow Sarah to be with any other man. He has decreed that she would bear a son for Abraham and He accomplishes all that He decrees. 

C. Similar Confrontation (20:8-13) 

“8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’

The story continues the next morning “8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.” Notice that Abimelech and his servants are filled with the fear of God’s judgment. It is no doubt that they saw the evidence of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah which was a clear display of God’s judgement. They knew the consequences that could befall them if they did not obey the command of God and so Abimelech calls Abraham to interrogate him. Abraham then responds in verse 11 saying, “ 11... ‘I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’” Abraham excuses his deception by claiming that he was afraid of Abimelech and his men for he thought they had no fear of God. This fear was not without merit. He was aware of the wickedness and unhindered sin of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He assumed that all Canaanites were like them so he felt like he had to take his protection in his own hands. But this proved to be a poor assumption for not only did Abimelech and his men fear God, God worked in the heart of the Canaanite king so that Sarah would not be harmed. The lesson to Abraham: you have nothing to fear when you are in a covenant relationship with the Almighty God.

D. Resolution (20:14-18)

“14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.”

Moses concludes this narrative with Abimelech resolving the situation by returning Sarah to Abraham and then giving Abraham gifts of sheep, oxen and servants. Abimelech also declares to Abraham that he can settle peacefully in the land. It is made very clear by Abimelech that he dealt innocently with Sarah and that her purity was declared to be intact before everyone in his kingdom. Then in verse 17 we see Abraham then acts as a mediator between Abimelech and God, “17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.” Through this interesting narrative God is making it very clear that He has the power to close and to open wombs. He closed the wombs of the women in Abimelech’s house and then he opened them. Moreover, God preserved the youth of Sarah and then prevented her from becoming impregnated by Abimelech. If you haven’t gotten the message yet, Sarah is about to conceive.

12. Birth of Isaac  () 

A. Isaac’s Birth (21:1-8) 

This is exactly what we see in verse 1 “The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.” God t gives Sarah a son, just as He said He would, just as He had promised, at the exact time which God spoke to Abraham. Moses uses these phrases in a repetitive way to emphasize the God is faithful to accomplish what He says He will do. YHWH is a promise keeping God.

After it has become very clear that God has opened Sarah’s womb, God t gives Sarah a son, just as He said He would, just as He had promised, at the exact time which God spoke to Abraham. Moses uses these phrases in a repetitive way to emphasize the God is faithful to accomplish what He says He will do. 

B. Ishmael’s Rejection (21:9-21) 

“9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes.16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into 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 boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”

In verse 9 we see Sarah become a protective mother and perceive the rivalry that would arise between Ishmael and Isaac, “9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” This breaks Abraham’s heart for he loves his son. However, God tells Abraham to listen to his wife, saying “Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” Hagar and Ishmael are officially cast out of Abraham’s family and the covenant family of God. They settle in the wilderness near Egypt and Ishmael marries an Egyptian women thus further mixing his line with the line of Ham.

13. Covenant and Conflict with Abimelech ()

“22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today. “27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistine.”

The story then shifts to an interesting moment with Abimelech and the commander of his army, “22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.” Notice how Abimelech and his commander approach Abraham. Normally a superior wouldn’t approach a common citizen. Normally kings would only approach kings. In the eyes of Abimelech, Abraham is an equal. Furthermore he recognizes that God is with him, that he has a relationship with the very Elohim who created the world. He knows that God will protect Abraham, that He will provide for Abraham and that He will dispose of all of Abraham’s enemies. Having this knowledge, Abimelech forms a covenant with Abraham. 

B. Founding of Beersheba

When they made the covenant, Abraham made it very clear that he had dug a well that was seized by Abimelech's men and that he wanted the rights to this well. Abimelech granted Abraham the water rights to that well in their covenant and Abraham named the place Beersheba. This name means “well of oath” and it is still present in Israel today. The significance of this is that Abraham is officially recognized as someone who possess a right to live in the land. Having water rights is not the same as being a landowner however it does show that Abraham has dominion over the land because he controls the water in that area. Abraham demonstrates that the well is his by planting a tree near the well. He then calls upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God, which, as we saw before, was an act of worship to God. God has given the son that He promised and now He has established Abraham in the Land in an official way. Everything's coming together perfectly, just as God has promised. 

14. God’s Final Test: Seed Part 2 ()

A. An Astonishing Command (22:1-2)

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Just as Abraham has started to experience the promises of God coming true, God tests Abraham’s faith one more time, “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” First what I want you to see is the verb go. God commanded Abraham in to go to the land that God would show him. This was the first time Abraham heard from God and it was the first test of Abraham’s faith. Now, here in we have the final test and it begins with God saying go to the land of Moriah. Second, I want you to notice how God is extremely clear who must be sacrificed. Imagine the scene:

Notice how God is extremely clear who must be sacrificed. He calls Abraham to take his son. Abraham has two sons. God says take the only son. Well, each of Abraham’s wives only gave him one son. God says to take the one whom Abraham loves. Abraham loves both his sons. God says take Isaac. Ok, Isaac it is. 

God says: Abraham!

Abraham: yeah God here I Am

God: Take now your son:

Abraham: Okay...I have two sons

God: your only son:

Abraham: well I guess they are each their mother’s only son so...

God: Whom you love

Abraham: I love them both

God: Isaac

Abraham: …ok, what do you want with Isaac?

God: offer Him as a burnt offering on one of the maintains of which I will tell you.

How does Abraham respond? Will he scheme or attempt to use a back up plan instead? Someone read verse 3.

B. Abraham’s Faithful Obedience to Begin the Journey (22:3)

“3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” In , God said go and Abraham went. Here God said go and Abraham went to the place of which God had told him. No schemes. No back up plans. No lies. Abraham displays an obedient faith.

In , God comes to Abraham and told him to go to Canaan to experience the promised land, seed and blessing . The text then says that Abraham went. This was Abraham’s first test of faith and he was faithful to obey God. In 22:2 God calls Abraham to go to Moriah to sacrifice the promised seed. Then in verse 3 the text says that he went to the place of which God had told him. As we have seen before, this is an inclusio. Chapter 22 is the closing bookend on the life of Abraham. It is the final test of his faith. 

C. Abraham’s Faithful Proclamation (22:4-6)

“4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and we will worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.”

When they reach the point of no return, where a younger Abraham who was weaker in faith might turned around, Abraham instead turns to his servants and says, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and we will worship and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.” Notice how Abraham says that he and his son will go, they will worship and then come back again. The verb “come again” is in the plural. Abraham believes that Isaac will return down the mountain with him. He has seen how God has worked to protect His promised seed. He has seen how God has been perfectly faithful to carry out His promises. Abraham is done doing what conventional wisdom dictates. He trusts God. One more thing, and store this up for later, notice how Abraham makes his son carry the wood up the mountain.

Notice how Abraham says that he and his son will go, they will worship and then come back again. The verb “come again” is in the plural. Abraham believes that Isaac will return down the mountain with him. He has seen how God has worked to protect His promised seed. He has seen how God has been perfectly faithful to carry out His promises. Abraham is done doing what conventional wisdom dictates. He trusts God. 

D. Abraham’s Faithful Perseverance (22:7-8)

“7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”

When they get to the Mountain and build the altar, Isaac begins to understand the situation. In verse 7 he calls out to His father, ““My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” He wonders where the sacrificial lamb is and Abraham tells him, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Imagine the pain that this question would have brought to Abraham. The reality of what God has called Abraham to do is becoming more and more clear and Abraham is placing all his trust and confidence in God to provide a solution. 

8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”He wonders where the sacrificial lamb is and Abraham tells him, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”  Imagine the pain that this question would have brought to Abraham. The reality of what God has called Abraham to do is becoming more and more clear and Abraham is placing all his trust and confidence in God to provide a solution. 

E. Abraham’s Faithful Obedience to the Very End (22:9-10)

“9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.”

After building the altar, Abraham binds his son and lays him on it. At this point in the story we begin to see that Abraham is not the only one trusting God in this situation. Contrary to popular Sunday school stories, Isaac is not a little boy. In the chapter 23 we see the age of Sarah at her death and it is indicated in the text that her death happens very soon after this event. If she was 100 at Isaac’s birth and 127 at her death it can be confidently assumed that Isaac is close to 27 years old. At the moment Abraham indicated Isaac was the sacrifice, Isaac could have fought with his father or ran away from the altar. But instead he allows himself to be bound and placed on the altar. He, like his father, is filled with faith. After Isaac has submitted himself to be sacrificed, we see in verse 10 that, Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.” He is willing to obey God to the very end. 

F. Divine Intervention (22:11-14)

“11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

But just then with the perfect timing only an all-present God possess, God cries out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” God commends Abraham’s faith, a faith willing to give up everything for the sake of following God. A faith that, as we see in , believed that God was able to even raise Isaac from the dead so that His plan could continue and His promise would remain unbroken. God then provides a substitute in Isaac’s place, “13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

What is beautiful about this event is that it establishes theology for the future. The mount that Abraham builds an altar will eventually be the site where the Temple of God is built. It is there that the sacrifice of passover is performed. This is where God provides a substitute for the sin of the people of Israel to be sacrificed on the altar of the Temple. Lastly, it is on a mount that is directly parallel to Moriah that Jesus is hung on a cross, a cross that He was initially forced to carry. It was there that God the Father sacrificed His only son to be crucified as the perfect passover lamb and the perfect substitute for the sins of God’s chosen people. Mark tells us that this sacrifice happened at 3 PM (), which is the exact time that the passover lambs would be sacrificed at the Temple. As the blood of the lambs was being spilt in the Temple the blood of the ultimate Lamb, Christ was being spilt for the forgiveness of all who would believe in Him. All of this rich theology finds its root in the story of Abraham and Isaac at Mount Moriah. The Lord provided on that mount for Abraham and Isaac, and the Lord provided for the world at the time of His Son’s crucifixion.  

G. Divine Confirmation (22:15-19)

“15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.”

As we have seen, God fulfills His promises to Abraham because He is faithful and true to His nature and character. Furthermore, God has bound Himself to fulfill HIs promises to Abraham because of the covenant He made with Abraham. In verse 15, we see God reaffirm His promises once more, “15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” Here we see that God swears by Himself that He will surely bless Abraham, that He will surely multiply Abraham’s offspring, Abraham’s seed. God also explicitly connects Abraham’s seed with that of the Seed of . He promises that the Seed will possess the gate of His enemies. This is not speaking of a general offspring, this right here is a promise about the Seed. God has promised, God has covenanted and God has sworn to fully accomplish that which He vowed to Abraham. 

H. Family News - Preservation of the Seed (22:20-24)

“20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.”

The story ends with a hint that God will indeed do as He promised and continue this covenant relationship beyond Abraham. In verse 20 we see that “it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor” God has provided a suitable spouse for Isaac that is within the line of Shem through the offspring of his brother Nahor. We will learn of the beautiful love story that comes after this little cliff hanger next week.

Questions for Application

What do we learn about God’s character and nature from His actions in this section of scripture?  

What do we learn about the nature of faith as we move through Abraham’s story? 

What gospel truths find their origin in the end of the story of Abraham?