Genesis 29 & 30 "Jacob meets Rachel"

In this chapter, Jacob has journeyed from Canaan back to the area of Syria where Abraham left from, after his father died. It is the house of his brother Haran. Laban is now the head of the family. He is the brother of Jacob's mother. By our figuring, Rachel would be his cousin. I hope I said all that right.

Genesis 29:9 "And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them."

This verse is preceded by a conversation between Jacob and some men (for he called them brethren) with their flocks gathered around a well. He asked if they knew Laban. It was them who pointed out Rachel as she came with her father's flock.

Jacob questioned them about why they were gathered around the well when it was already time to be out letting the sheep feed. They said we must wait for all the flocks then the stone is rolled away for them to water. I suppose someone made a rule about that. When Rachel arrived Jacob rolled the stone away and watered the sheep she was caring for.

Genesis 29 v11 "And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept."

I believe it was love at first sight. Also, I think Jacob was overwhelmed by the guidance of the Lord because he had come to the right family and a maiden of his house had come out just as when the servant meet Rebekkah, his mother. He had, no doubt, heard that story many times and of how the servant had prayed for a sign and received it.

v18 "And Jacob loved Rachel; and said I will serve thee (Laban) seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter."

Laban agreed to the deal and Jacob tended the flocks of Laban for seven years. It was not an easy task to do, for he was out in the weather as indicated in Chapter 31 verses 38-42. I will type one verse here because we will cover it later. v40"Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes." This burst from Jacob came after he had tried to leave Laban peacefully but Laban pursued him.

Back to our chapter. We see here that Laban is a bit of a rascal even with his cousin. Laban, instead of Rachel, gives Jacob Leah to wife. Leah is the older sister of Rachel. Jacob was unaware of the exchange until the next morning after they had slept together. Laban speaks.
v26 "And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn." NOW, he tells him, after working seven years for Rachel, Jacob finds out there is a rule 'in our country' about that.

Jacob must have been a man of patience, for he worked seven more years for Rachel as required for Laban. The craftiness of Laban does not end there, however, for he has seen how God blessed him while Jacob was around. So, he cooks up an excuse for Jacob to work another seven years before he will let Jacob leave with what he has acquired for his wages. Well, after 14 years Jacob has lost his patience with Laban and shows his own craftiness.

I have jumped to the next chapter but that is okay. It is part of the same story. Jacob presented a plan to Laban that his wages would be all the speckled, ringstreaked and spotted goats and brown sheep, leaving the perfect colored ones for Laban. Jacob was smart enough to seperate his flocks by 3 days from Laban's. He obviously suspected deceit on the part of Laban.
v43 of chapter 30 "And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants and menservants and camels and asses(donkeys)."

During this time Jacob's family has increased to a large number. Both Leah and Rachel have born children, although it was late for Rachel. I will let you read that part of the story. I simply do not understand the part about two wives and the handmaidens. I do think that sometimes people take one part of the Bible where special circumstances exist and use it to the extreme. I believe Rachel was the intended wife of Jacob but he was deceived by Laban. Rather than cast Leah aside, Jacob loved them both. I believe if you add them up, you will get 12 sons and 1 daughter Dinah. We should note that Joseph is the son of Rachel and will play a large role in future studies.

Proverbs 30:3 "I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy."

Jacob "Ladder"

Genesis 28:11-13 "And he (Jacob) lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it, and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Issac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it and to thy see."

We are leaving Genesis 28 for now but I did want to mention this story. It is an amazing event in the life of Jacob. He has been told to leave his home and threatened by his brother. It seems he is a lonely man. He knows himself pretty good and knows he is a crafty fellow. But with him, the promise lies. So he sleeps on a pillow of rocks. While he sleeps, he sees an incredible sight. A ladder to heaven with angels going up and down with the Lord standing at the top. Jacob then awakes and makes the statement v16 ...surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not." I suppose we sometimes feel that we are alone on the journey and that God is a million miles away but then there He is watching over us.

Jacob was inclined to make a promise to God there. Just give me something to eat and some clothes to wear and peace when I return home and v21 "...then shall the Lord be my God." He also says that the stone he has set up will be the Lord's house and that he will give a tenth of what he receives to the Lord.

It is a very good story and marks the passing of the promise to Jacob.

Proverbs 10:30 "The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth."

Proverbs 30:12 "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness."

Genesis 28 "Jacob sleeps on a rock"

Genesis 28:16 "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not."

Issac has called Jacob to him and charged him that he not marry a woman of the local population but go back to his people, the house of Laban, to find a bride. So Jacob leaves for his journey. Esau is upset over the whole thing, it seems. He notices that his parents do not like his wives so he took others apparently to spite them. Even though Jacob has received the blessing through deceit, he does have one redeeming quality and it is found in this verse.

Genesis 18 v 7 "And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and was gone to Padanaram;" Children first learn to respect and obey their parents. If taught correctly and they do not rebel, children learn a healthy respect for authority through their parents. Then when they are taught about God and obeying his commands, they make the transition in their life more easily. Children who are not taught respect for authority have trouble when it comes to obeying God. Jacob with all his flaws still obeyed his parents.

On this journey, Jacob is confronted by the Lord as he sleep on a pillow of stones. It is here that Jacob promises God 10% of all that he acquires. He also sets up a stone to commemorate the meeting and the promise made.

In verse 13 God carries on his promise "And behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Issac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed;"

We might point out here that sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.

Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour rather than silver and gold."

"Jacob's Dilemma"

Genesis 27:41 "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob."

Esau must have been thinking outload for Rebekah got word of the threat and told Jacob to flee to Laban's house to escape Esau's fury. At this point Jacob did not leave until Rebekah told Issac that she could not stand it if Jacob married one of the Heth women. Remember Esau did marry two of them and they were grief of mind to Issac and to Rebekah. She went so far as to ask "what good shall my life do me?" v46 . So, we see Jacob with little choice but to leave and go for protection at Laban's house. Esau is planning to kill him. Rebekah does not want him to marry locally and Issac will, in the next chapter, tell him to go find a wife in "Thy mothers brother..."'s house.

We can see a lot of Jacob's character in this chapter. He is not a shining example of integrity.

*He seems to have cheated a little when he was born by grabbing hold of Esau's foot. Well, can't really blame a baby for that.
*He charged Esau his birthright for a bowl of pottage - Of course, Esau should have treasured his birthright instead of despising it (chapter 25). Jacob did through in some bread.
*Jacob pretended to be his brother and deceived his father Issac to get a blessing
*Jacob told a few outright lies
1) When asked in v18-19 who he was Jacob replied "I am Esau thy firstborn"
2) v24 Issac again asked if he was Esau after feeling the disguise prepared by Rebekah and Jacob replied "I am."
3) v20 Issac asked him how he got the venison (which was goat meat) so fast and Jacob replied (very dangerously) that "Because the Lord thy God brought it to me." In actuality, Jacob had gotten the kids and Rebekah prepared them.

Well, to this point, there is not a lot to like about Jacob. Esau described him well when he said in v36 "Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times and behold now he hath taken away my blessing..."

Jacob's life is an example, as we will learn from his life later, that God can work with a bad person and bring forth good. There is not much to like about Jacob but don't give up on him yet. The Lord has a plan for him.

Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."

Genesis 27 "Esau and Jacob" Part 1

Genesis 27:1-4 "And it came to pass that when Issac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him Behold, here am I. And he said Behold now I am old. I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take I pray thee thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison, And make me savory meat, such as I love and bring it to me that I may eat, that my sould may bless thee before I die."



In this chapter we learn about Issac blessing one of his sons with the blessing passed down from his father Abraham. It centers around Issac's request of his eldest son to get him some venison to eat so he might bless him.

The story is a difficult one for me. I have looked for some goodness in Jacob but he has not shown much to this point. The name Jacob means supplanter. Supplant means to take the place of usually by stratagem. Stratagem is a wile. Wile means to entice. So to be nice, we can say that Jacob was a crafty person. Esau simply means hairy.

In this story, Rebekah overhead the conversation between Esau and Issac. She went into action for as we learned before she loved Jacob and Issac loved Esau. Honestly, I cannot see how they could seperate twins like that but that is how the story goes. Rebekah sets a plan in motion to get Jacob in to see Issac before Esau can get back from hunting. She has him get two goats and dresses him up like Essau (Issac is blind). Esau is a hairy man and Jacob is smooth so Rebekah fixed him up quiet a costume. Issac idenfified Jacob as Esau by the smell of his clothes which were actually Esau's. Issac is fooled and gave Jacob the blessing.

Genesis 27 v28-29 (Issac to Jacob) "Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee: be lord over thy brethren and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be everyone that curseth thee and blessed be he that blesseth thee."

Jacob now leaves the tent and soon Esau came back with the real venison from his hunting trip. Issac is very disturbed when he finds out he has blessed the wrong son but the blessing still stands as he has spoken. Esau is very upset at this and begs for a blessing if only one. Issac does give him a blessing.

v39 "And Issac his father answered and said unto him Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above v40 And by thy sword shalt thou live and shalt serve thy brother and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck."

Remember that in the last chapter Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage.

Proverbs 20:24 "Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?"

Genesis 26 "Issac and Abimelech"

v32 "And it came to pass the same day that Issac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged and said unto him, We have found water."

v33 "And he called it Shebah therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day."



V1 "And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Issac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar."

Issac went on the move now, I suppose to find food and water for his people and cattle. God warned him not to go to Egypt as Abraham had done. God also tells Issac that He will carry on the promise with him as with his father. v5 "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws."

So Issac camped near Abimelech and told him that Rebekah was his sister. We've heard that trick before and it did not do well the other time. God protects Rebekah and the truth comes out. Issac made a crop there and reaped a hundred fold. Abimelech sees that Issac is becoming very strong and prosperous and so asks him to leave, most likely out of fear. So, Issac goes up to Beersheba.

During this time he is again digging the wells that Abraham hd originally dug. For some reason, the Philistines had filled them in with dirt. It seems every time they dug a well the herdsmen of Gerar would strive for it. Letting Issac's people do the work then wanting the water for themselves. Finally they dug a well and noone else claimed it. Then, he went to Beersheba where the Lord renewed the promise and there Issac built an altar and prayed.

Abimelech then comes to find Issac to make peace with him and to get a promise that Issac would do him no hurt and so they made the agreement.

There is a note at the end that Esau married two women and that they were a 'grief of mind' unto Issac and to Rebekah. Perhaps we will understand what the significance of that verse is later on in our study. Or perhaps it is a clash of culture coming into the family since the women were of the Hittites of the Cannanites. If you remember chapter 24 Abraham told his servant "...thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the canaanites, among whom I dwell." It appears Esau had broken tradition(at least) by marrying the Hittite women.

Proverbs 23:22 "Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. v26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."

Genesis 25 "Abraham Dies""Twins Born"

v8"Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years and was gathered to his people."

The highlights of this chapter are: 1)Abraham remarries and has several children with his new wife but it is clear that the promise and leadership of the budding nation goes to Issac. 2) the burial 3) generations of Ishmael and Issac 4) birth of Esau and Jacob 5) Esau sells his birthright .

We have taken a long journey from the creation through the flood and on to the calling out of Abraham. Issac is born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Abraham has received the promise from the Lord and it has been confirmed on several occasions. Abraham has been severely tested. Through all this journey we can note that sin has been present since the sin in the garden. We have also seen the grace of God in preserving Noah and blessing Abraham. We have not found perfect people but we have found people of faith and as the book of Romans says it was counted to them for righteousness. Romans 4:4-5 "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The whole book of Romans is a good read on the comparison of works verses faith and the law verses grace. I believe that man is incapable of righteousness by his own merits and I believe God knows this. However, by faith we can become righteous, not through our own merits but through faith in the finished work of the Lord. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So by doing this study we are gaining more faith.

So, we have seen Abraham, who was not perfect in the sense that we think of perfect, but he was a man of faith and God honored that faith.

v24 "And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her womb." They were named Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first and was a hairy man of the fields. A hunter. Jacob was a farmer and had smooth skin. Issac seemed to like Esau best because of the meat he brought. Rebekah seemed to like Jacob better.

In verses 29-34 the boys are grown. Esau has been out in the fields and came home very hunger and faint. Jacob had some pottage on, which Esau desired. Here we see the nature of Jacob at this time. He would only give Esau food as the price of Esau's birthright. I suppose we wonder how a deed such as this could have anything but symbolic meaning. But that deal, however crafty it was, did have long lasting effects on the future of the boys.

These are two very different boys. I have not found why Jacob was chosen as the receiver of the promise. Perhaps it is not for me to know. To bring it forward to today, I do not know why God decided to love me either. I know myself pretty good, I guess, I can tell you that I am in the family of God only because of grace and not on merit.

Let's jump back to v9 "And his sons Issac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelab..." The boys buried their father. I guess we had about forgotten about Ishmael. Remember he was an archer and dwelt in the wilderness but he was around and apparently kept up with things for he was at the funeral of his father Abraham. I'm pointing this out because I can imagine the day Ishmael rode in to attend the funeral. He was no doubt a rugged looking fellow and must have traveled with his fighting men. His appearance was perhaps a good memory for the budding nation since they too would someday be fierce fighting men.

Proverbs 22:2 "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all."

Rebekah arrives.

"And Issac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming." Genesis 24:63

"And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Issac, she lighted off the camel." Genesis 24:64

The whole story below.

Genesis 24 "Issac's Wife Rebekah"

Genesis 24 is about when Abraham sent his servant back to his kindred to get a wife for Issac.

In the first part of the chapter Abraham calls in his servant and tells him a couple of things. First, that he would not take a wife for Issac from the people where he was living. Second, that he would not take Issac back to Abraham's original home. Third, that he would go back to his kindred and find a wife. The servant was concerned that Issac's future wife would not come with him and so mentioned taking Issac there to get his own wife but Abraham was adament that Issac was not to go back to the homeland because God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. I think Abraham might have been afraid Issac would get distracted back there and decide to stay or something but the Bible does not say why Abraham was so firm on Issac not going with the servant.

V1 "And Abraham was old and well stricken in age and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. v4 But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Issac.

The next section of the chapter is the servant praying for a sign so he would know which was the right woman for Issac. He told the Lord God (of Abraham) to have the woman willingly give him a drink after he asked and then to voluntarily offer to water his camels. As soon as he had finished praying, here came Rebekah and did just that. The servant gave her gifts and she went back to her family to tell the story. Big brother came out to talk with the stranger and invited him to stay and bed down. There the servant tells the narrative of why he was there. They did not have TV so I guess it was a good story to them.

v28 "And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things."

The family agreed that the matter was of the Lord and that Rebekah would go with the servant so the men had a little party. The Bible does not say what the women were doing now but it is easy to imagine that there was some whispering going on somewhere in the house and a young lady gathering up some personal things for the journey. Perhaps someone said, "I wonder if he is handsome?" Or what ever things ladies wonder about. The next morning the family got a little apprehensive about Rebekah leaving and bargained for letting her stay 10 more days but the servant wanted to leave without delay. So they decided to ask Rebekah if she would go.

v58 "And they called Rebekah and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go."

Then we have the journey back to where Issac was. I expect there was some conversation on the way but I do not know what it was. I can imagine that Rebekah may have ventured a question about Issac. "What's he like?" I can imagine the servant saying, "Oh, he is a lot like his father. His mother was very fair." At last, they arrive.

V64 "And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Issac, she lighted off the camel."

It is a beautiful story with a spiritual application as well. Issac is a type of Christ in this story with Rebekah being the church and the servant representing the Holy Spirit and, of course, Abraham, the aged one, representing the Father.

The servant had only good things to say about his master. He never demanded of Rebekah to go with him but woed her for his master's sake. He gave her gifts and told his story. Then upon her arrival and when she saw Issac, she sounds excited.

v65 partial ..."What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?" Then the servant answers. v65 "It is my master:" As if to say, "That is who I've been telling you about."

Note of interest: The servant had been referring to Issac as his "master's son' to this point. Now, when Rebekah asked who the man is the servant replies Oh that's "my master". That was a wise servant to elevate Issac in the presents of his bride. It was prophetic too for in the next chapter Abraham gives Issac all that he has.

Now Issac was not out there exactly on purpose to meet them. He was meditating in the field and saw them coming. He kept his mouth shut about that part as I would have. I expect the whole thing was arranged by the Lord.

v63 "And Issac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming."

So Rebekah must have a really good impression of her husband. She has been sought from a far country and showered with gifts. Her future husband has apparently come out to meet her and she finds out that Issac is the master. No wonder she jumped off the camel like that. I expect Issac was having a good day too!

The Holy Spirit is woeing people to come be part of the bride of Christ, the church.

Proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord."

Genesis 23 "Sarah dies"

Genesis 23:1 "And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty (127) years old, these were the years of the life of Sarah."

She was very fair, a beautiful woman and the wife of Abraham. Parents of a great nation. In chapter 23 she has died and Abraham mourns and weeps for her.

Much of this chapter is about Abraham bargaining for a burial place for Sarah and his kin. He does the baraining at the gate of the city in the audience of the sons of Heth (V16) for 400 shekels of silver.

V17 "And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about were made sure."

That sounds very much like the language of a legal contract. This was the way business was done then. They made the deal in front of many witnesses so everyone knew and noone could back out later. Twice the Bible says it was made sure. And so, Abraham buried his wife of many years. The name of the cave was Machpelah. Machpelah means double cave. It is the oldest burial site in the world. It is now covered by a Mohammedian mosque. It is also where Issac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are buried and possibly Joseph.

Proverbs: 18:14 "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?"

Afterthought "Zoar" City of refuge hint

Genesis 19 flashback or afterthought. I was thinking about when Lot was escaping and he asked to go to Zoar. v19-22 "Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou has magnified thy mercy which thou has showed unto me in saving my life and I cannot escape to the mountain lest some evil take me and I die Behold now this city is near to flee unto and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live And he said unto him See I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for the which thou has spoken. Haste thee escape thither, for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar." Zoar means smallness.

Later on in the Bible, it will become law to have 6 cities that a person could flee to while the authorities had time to judge the matter whether he was guilty or not. Numbers 35:6 and Joshua 15:59 talk about these cities. They were part of 48 cities given to the priestly tribe of Levi. These were called cities of refuge. I think Zoar is a sort of hint as to what is to come later on.

Jesus Christ is our city of refuge in a spiritual sense. Even though we are guilty, we can flee to him for safety.

I wanted only to mention this here and give the scripture references so you can study it at your leisure. It is a wonderful thought that even when we know we are guilty, there is a place we can flee to for safety. Psalms 46:1, 142:5 Isaiah 4:6, Exodus 21:13, Deuteronomy 18:2-9, Romans 8:1, 33, 34; Philipians 3:9, Hebrews 6:18,19 . All are great scriptures on the subject and comparison between the cities of refuge in the old testament and Christ in the new.

Proverbs 19:19 "A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again."

Genesis Chapter 22 "Jehovah-jireh" Part 3

In part 3 of Genesis 22 we will look at the chapter in a different light.

As I said this is a picture, a forethought, of the coming sacrifice of Jesus. It reveals the willingness of a father to sacrifice his only son as an offering for sin. God, ultimately, did not require Abraham to sacrifice his son. God the Father did make this sacrifice with his son for the sake of the world.

Notice verse 8 again "And Abraham said My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." I cannot help but notice how this reads: 'provide himself' . God in the person of Jesus Christ gave 'himself' as the lamb without spot or blemish.

I heard a story about a judge who had a son who did something wrong. The son came before the judge (his father) for his sentence. The judge told the defendant the penalty for his wrong. "The penalty must be paid." The judge said. "But I do not have any money." The son said to the judge. The judge stepped off the bench and removed his robe. He walks to the clerk and hands over the exact amount needed to pay the penalty. He then puts back on his robe and sits in the judges seat. "I see the penalty has been paid." The judge says to the defendant. "You are free to go."

Who but our heavenly Father was able to pay the awesome cost of sin. In the person of Jesus, he stepped from the throne, took off his royal robe and laid down his life as a ransom for many. He was the lamb that God provided.

Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

Proverbs 21:3 "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

Genesis Chapter 22 "Jehovah-jireh" Part 2

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Issac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Genesis 22:1

Jehovah-jireh means the Lord will see or provide. Most people say 'the lord will provide'. Remember we are noticing the names of the Lord as we study to see how he reveals himself through his names.

Outline:
*Abraham is tempted to offer Issac v1
*He giveth proof of his faith and obedience v3
*The angel stayeth him v11
*Issac is exchanged with a ram v13
*The place is called Jehovah-jireh v14
*Abraham is blessed again v15
*The generation of Nahor unto Rebekah

A terrible test for a man of awesome faith. Abraham did not falter anyplace along the way. The way we flinch at this story may show our level of faith as compared to Abraham. Let's look at some key phrases.

v5 "And Abraham said unto his young men Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you."

Notice the confidence that 'I and the lad will go...and come again...' Abraham knew that what ever the intervening events were, he and the lad would return because of the promise the Lord had made that Issac would carry out the promise of a strong nation.

Notice also Abraham's answer to Issac after Issac took inventory of what he carried and realized there was no sacrifice. v8 ...My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." Abraham was very specific here that God would provide a lamb for the offering.

What happened? An angel stayed Abraham's hand and behind him there was ...a ram caught in a thicket by his horns...v13.

So we see that Abraham passed the test and we learn a valuable lesson about the lamb being a substitute for Issac in this chapter and about the Lamb being a sacrifice for us in Luke.

I mentioned in previous lessons that we would see how God was teaching his people about a subsitute for sin. The lesson started when the innocent animals were sacrificed to make coats for Adam and Eve. It is being engrained into the people for we see that Issac knew there needed to be a sacrifice in order to have a burnt offering. It seems a given to us now looking back but then it was a new teaching, that of mankind being helplessly sinful but that a substitute to pay the penalty for sin could be offered and would be accepted in the place of mankind paying the penalty.

Proverbs 17:6 "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

Genesis Chapter 22 Part 1 "Jehovah-jireh"

Proverbs 17:3 "The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts."

Genesis 22 is a much talked about chapter. It is where God told Abraham to offer Issac in a burnt offering. To understand this chapter we must do a lot of considering. We know now that it was a test of Abraham but for Abraham it must have been a long walk to Moriah.

So, I will spend some time here to try to push aside the anger some people fill toward God for doing this to Abraham.

First, this chapter is a picture or type of the sacrifice Jesus made for the sins of the world. Some important reading is Psalm 22 and Luke 22, 23 and 24. It will take some time to read these but it will give a better understanding of Genesis 22.

We must also remember the man Abraham. He is a man of faith. He has already left his homeland and kindred to sojourn in a strange land. He has received a son of a barren woman. He has stood under a tree and talked to the Lord and his angels. Abraham has complete trust in the Lord. The Lord has already called Abraham friend. So this test is as much for our benefit as it was for Abraham. I expect Issac learned a thing or two as well.

God speaks in Genesis 17 verse 19 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Issac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Luke 1:30-33 "And the angel said unto her Fear not Mary for thou hast found favor with God And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the hosue of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

I guess Abraham may have wondered about the details but I do not believe he doubted that the overall plan would work out for God said.

Genesis 21 "Issac" The lone heir

"And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken For sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him Issac." Genesis 21:1-3

The chapter outline:
*Issac is born v3
*He is circumcised v4
*Sarah's joy v6
*Hagar and Ishmael are cast forth v9
*Hagar in distress v15
*The angel comforteth her v17
*Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beersheba v22

The events of this chapter have a long reaching effect on the neighborhood. As promised, Issac is born and becomes the sole heir of Abraham and the instrument for fulfillment of the promise of many nations. Issac grows up very fast in this chapter and is weaned. At the feast to celebrate his maturing Sarah sees Ishmael making fun of Issac and goes to Abraham to have them cast out. We must remember it was Sarah who set up the whole thing with Hagar and Abraham in the first place but now she has a son of her own and may be a little too jealous to share the family with Hagar and her son. It is nevertheless God's plan that Issac be the heir and so God tells Abraham to go ahead and do what Sarah says. It is an example of God fixing what we mess up. We will find God taking care of Hagar and Ishmael in the desert in verse 17 and on. As we discussed earlier Ishmael goes on to become an archer and the father of a great people who roam the deserts.

A covenant is made between Abraham and Abimelech in the last part of the chapter. There had been some disputes over wells which were undoubtedly the most important property where they lived. After all, neither the people nor the flocks could survive without water.

Abraham planted a grove at Beersheba and "called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God". v33 Notice the name of God 'the everlasting God' which refers to the eternal duration of God.

Proverbs 27:2 "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips."

Genesis 20 "Abimelech"

"And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar." v1

Abimelech was the king of Gerar. Abraham again introduces Sarah as his sister out of fear. He later said that he thought there was no fear of God in Gerar. But the Lord intervened to prevent Abimelech from sinning with Sarah. Abimelech did fear God and called Abraham and asked him what he had done to make Abraham do such a thing to him. We now find out that Sarah was Abraham's half sister v12 and he had asked her to tell that part of their relationship instead of the part about them being married. Abimelech's household had become barren because of Sarah being in the house but Abraham prayed that they be restored and so were.

v14"And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen and menservants and womenservants and gave them unto Abraham and restored him Sarah his wife.

I wish we had space here to deal with the idea of being a servant. Suffice it to say that it would be better to be a servant in the house of one protected by the Lord than another house. Perhaps, it is better to be a servant than the master of the house. There would be lots less worries to deal with and still the protection and benefits of the house. We should not equate a servant in this sense with a slave in that sad part of our history. It was different.

I believe we will see Abimelech again and so this short study of chapter 20 can serve as an introduction.

Genesis 19 "Chapter of Sadness"

In the study of the Bible, what the Bible says is right and wrong, does not always line up with the laws and court decisions of the countries of earth. Governments have been wrong many times but the Bible stays the same. This is a study of what the Bible says and is not at all about the laws of the land. I appreciate the standard our country (US) sets but like nations in the past, standards slip sometimes. It is not just my belief but it is the opinion of historians that a country is often lost, not from enemies without, but from a decline from within. America needs a revival of the old respect for God and the words He spoke. Many of this generation do not remember what it was like when sin was a thing to be ashamed of and was hidden, when committed, in dark places. In our society, sin is the fodder for television shows and the marketing draw of whole cities. Shame for wrong is apparently considered a weakness and God has become like a wrecker service that is called upon only when there is some great tragedy. Men have changed the Bible into different translations to try to make it fit our deeds but the truth has not changed and that is what we will be judged by either in this life or in the end.

Genesis 19:1 "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;"

In the previous chapter we find 'three' eating with Abraham but only two actually went into the city. Their mission was to rescue Lot from the city. v15 "...Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."

As we read the previous chapter we saw a statement made to Abraham by the Lord to explain the mission he was on. He had heard the cry concerning the two cities and now v20 of chapter 18 "And the Lord said Beause the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous; v21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

So the angels arrive at the gate and I expect the Lord is somewhere outside the city watching. Lot apparently had some status in the city, perhaps because of his money, so he was at the gate greeting people who entered. He invited the angels into his house for the night but a mob of all the men from the city gathered around his house demanding that the two men be given to them. Lot tried to reason with the mob but he had lost his influence with them so that even his two virgin daughters were not a sufficient exchange for the two men. The story goes on with the angels encouraging Lot to hurry and leave the city but he lingered so that they had to take those in the household by the hand and remove them from the city. Even then Lot argues for one of the cities instead of immediately running to the mountains as instructed. Lot was saved for Abraham's sake but I think he thought he still had some influence of his own. The angels spared the city of Zoar but Lot left even this city and dwelt in a cave. v24 "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven v25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

The story continues with Lot getting drunk and lying with his daughters. The result were the people of Moab and Ammon.

It is truly a sad chapter. Perhaps some will see a cruel act from heaven. I see a people who had totally disregarded the precepts of God. I see a people that would take even the angels of God to do wrong with. Indeed, they were rescued by Abraham because Lot was with them in the previous chapter and Lot had to be rescued before judgment came for their deeds but judgment did come and will come when the time is right. Has the cry of our nation become so great that the Lord is come down to see for himself?

How I Study "Genesis 18" Abraham talks to the Lord'

We are in Chapter 18 of Genesis in this study, so already, I know the background for the chapter. Now, I would read the entire chapter to see what it has to say while noticing the various sections if it covers more than one subject. Then, out of curiousity I'd probably read part or all of the next chapter.

In this chapter we know it is about a meeting between Abraham and the Lord by reading verse 1. And the Lord appeared unto him... then we see in the next verses how Abraham is showing hospitality to his very important guest. Then in verse 9 a conversation about Sarah and Abraham having a child comes up and the promise of Issac is made. But we read on and find out that the Lord has stopped by Abrahams tent on the way to someplace else. The Lord decides to tell Abraham of the mission. He is on his way to see for himself the conditions in Sodom and Gomorrah. The balance of the chapter is about Abraham bargainng with the Lord for the cities. As we know, Lot is there. Then the conversation ends and the Lord went his way ...and Abraham returned unto his place.

It is a delightful story in itself without us knowing all the surroundings. So we can make an outline now:
*Abraham sees the Lord coming
*Abraham prepares a meal for the Lord
*They talk about Issac
*They talk about Sodom and Gomorrah
*The Lord continues his mission and Abraham returns to his tent

Next I look for special passages or phrases:
I would noticed that the Lord appeared
that three men stood by him
that Abraham ran
that the Lord said 'I will certainly return unto thee'
the time appointed
verse 17 "And the Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; v19 For I know him..."
v21 I will go down
"Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" Of course, he will.

These are things I would notice. I'd remember the mount of transfiguration where the disciples saw men with the Lord. I have to look it up in Luke 9:28-36 to find out it was two men then Moses and Elias (Elijah) who talked with him then. In Genesis here, we see three men, at least two of which are angels as we will find out in the next chapter. To find out about the two men I had to use my concordance to find the passage because I have forgotten exactly where it was located.

That would take me through the chapter and I'd have a pretty good idea of what was around it as well. I'd think, it is great that there is still at least one man that was righteous enough to carry on a conversation with the Lord. I would also notice that it appears to be a physical conversation as well. It does say 'they did eat' v8. It brings to mind other subjects but I would try to concentrate on this one. For example, that men have entertained angels unaware. You can find that verse to practice with your concordance.

I may add a verse from proverbs everyday if I can remember so here's one:

Proverbs 27:1 "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Abraham

Genesis 17 "Ninety and Nine"

Abram is 99 years old in this chapter and some important changes take place.

Abram's name is changed to Abraham.
Circumcision begans.

v3-4 "And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations."
v5 "Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."
v11 "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you."

Abram: father of height
Abraham: father of a multitude

We have witnessed three beginnings so far in Genesis:

1) Adam and Eve
2) Noah after the flood
3)Abraham the father of the nation Israel

I want to zero in on the verse where Abraham asked God a question and think on the phrase "How soon we forget."

v17 "Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old bear?"

It has not been too long (by chapter measure) that Lamech had a son at the age of 182. Chapter 5 verse 28. And Adam at the age of 132 in Chapter 5 verse 3.

Many times we forget what God has done and therefore we forget what God can do. Abraham is feeling old and it seems normal to think so since we seldom live to a hundred. But in the next chapter v5 we will seeAbraham run to fetch something for his visitors to eat. He ran. So maybe he is not in as bad a shape as he thinks or maybe, even though he is favored, he has forgotten what God can do. Again we jump ahead to verse 14 of the next chapter.
v14 "Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son."

In the balance of Chapter 17, Abraham obeys the Lord and circumcised himself and all the men and boys of his household including Ishmael who was 13 years old.

This was a physical manifestation of the covenant between God and Abraham. Later, in the New Testament, we can see the spiritual circumcision of the heart. Colossians 2:11 "In who also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without ands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: V13 And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses;" It would be good to read the first two chapters of Colossians for the spiritual application.

I just want to note here the change in man's attitude toward God. The Lord appears to Abram and introduces himself as Almighty God and tells Abram to "walk before me". One writer states that another way to translate the Lord's name given here would be "All-sufficient"* which would relate to the "is anything to hard for God" above. He relates the original to a term used as when a mother cradles a child and nourishes it. We have nevertheless come a long way from the garden where the Lord walked in the cool of the day and now Abram "fell on his face". It is appropriate that we should do so for He is an awesome God. I simply believe that He intended that we walk beside him as a friend as did Enoch. The disciples got to do that for a short time, someday we will be restored and be able to do so again in new bodies. We can walk as a friend spiritually now but one day we will do so in our whole person.

As God changed Abram to Abraham, so He reveals more of his character by the different names he gives us.

*CI Scofield reference Bible footnotes.