Review and Introduction to the Book of Genesis

My usual practice has been to write an introduction at the beginning of each book studied; however Genesis is very important as the foundation upon which the rest of God’s word rests; it is a long dissertation and has been divided into two three month studies. We have studied the first twenty-seven chapters this winter and will complete the study during the next three months. There are several new families on the mailing list that did not study the first half of Genesis; hopefully they will gain from a review, and then it surely will not hurt any of us to firm up our foundation. The introduction to the second half will hopefully help us to better understand what is ahead for our study this spring.

There should be no surprise to parents when their children start asking questions, to find that one of their most perplexing questions is “Mom, where did I come from?” Genesis is an exciting book because the first information we get is the answer to their question. “In the beginning” Gen. 1:1 starts the answer to our most intriguing questions of life. There is no conflict between the Holy Bible and the Hebrew Bible at this point; the title of the book in their Bible is simply…b’re’shith, meaning “In beginning.” And the true meaning of b’re’shith as they interpreted it actually meant “Head.” Moses wrote this book, and he may have been thinking more about who was the “head,” that is who was in charge,…God!... than he was thinking of time…the start or beginning of everything.

There is no doubt in the mind of Christian people today, God is the source of all things that are; he is the mind and spirit behind all things. God was, is and will always be the power or force who designed our complex universe, He is the glue that holds it together, He is the engineer that designed it and his power and spirit orders the complexities to abide and function in every minute circumstance and carry out his orders regarding the universe and human life. Our earth is still in orbit, with light and dark, land and sea, and has not disintegrated simply because of the Pilot’s superior knowledge.

Genesis is our book of beginnings. To the Jew it is a part of the Law and is named Torah. The first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch, but contain much more than a listing of God’s laws. Genesis begins with God’s creation of everything that is; from the microbe or gene to the largest of all animals; from the grain of sand to Mount Everest; and from the two gases hydrogen and oxygen mixed as H2O, water, to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Some scientist claim that the universe exists as a result of a giant explosion. One thing is for sure…if they are correct…we can be assured that God lit the fuse.

Following the creation of human beings, very soon thereafter comes the account of human rebellion against God. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, which means that they also had the freedom of choice to do right or wrong. They chose to listen to the earth’s deceiver, Satan, instead of to God, and through their wrong choice evil [sin] entered a perfect world. It immediately contaminated the human race and made it necessary for God to plan to overcome the rebellion. His plan begins with the man in the Bible known as Abram, later known as Abraham.

God knew Abraham to be a man of faith, not perfect, but a man he could depend upon to remain true to his God. God made a covenant with Abraham and it was that if Abraham would remain true and faithful to God, he would be rewarded by being the father of many nations that would be blessed through him. Later on the land of Canaan [now known as Israel] was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendents—and I truly believe that it will ultimately be their land and will not be Islamic.

There are two incidents in the first part of Genesis that stand alone in history as proof that Abraham was a man of great faith. The first incident occurred when God visited with him and told him to take his family and go into a land unknown to him…one that God would show him. People do not like change especially during old age…but Abraham obeyed God and by faith arrived in the land that we know as Mesopotamia, somewhere near the convergence of the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. I believe this to be the land of Milk and Honey that God speaks of as the place where His people would reign.

The second event occurred because God had promised that he would be known as the father of many nations. His wife Sarah, was old and without child, and it seemed this promise was impossible, but God sent three angels to assure him that she would bear a son in her old age and she did have Isaac when they were near one hundred years old.

While the Israelites inhabited the land of Milk and Honey, the nations grew, and divisions arose among them. One group built the tower of Babel in rebellion against God, and as a result the people who all spoke one language, and could understand each other, had their language scrambled until there was no dominance…they could no longer understand each other…and this brought about all of the different nations in this area that are still at war with each other this day 2008.

Abraham, his family Isaac, Jacob and Esau and their families were directed to leave Mesopotamia and move into Canaan and that general area that we know as Israel and the Holly Land today. According to the covenant made with Abraham, God gave this land to his Chosen People, it later became known as the Northern and Southern Kingdom {Judah} and Jerusalem and the temple has held the dominant position since that day even though they have been conquered more than once and the city and temple has been destroyed and rebuilt. Time will not permit us to go into each of the different problems that arose during the first half of the book of Genesis.

We will not review some of the events that form the turning points of the history of God’s people, the Israelites, as recorded in chapters 28 through 50 in this book. Probably the greatest of all themes found here is the fact that there is only one true and living God…who has no rivals and is omnipotent. This one true God has extended his love to all people including the Gentiles {US} and finally in the NT we find that God’s Chosen People are no longer just the Israelis but include Christians too.

Following the destruction of the tower of Babel, there was an expansion in religious beliefs that resulted in the creation of “many gods.” This rebellion against the true God is at the basis of most of the problems that came upon the early nations. In this summer study the emphasis will be on the fact that there is only one God—this is known as Monotheism—only one God. This covers a period in history when the shepherds wandered the country sides in search of pasture land. Walled cities with defensive gates were scattered through the land as places of safety at night.

In early days of creation, beginning with Adam and Eve they were ordered to be prolific and inhabit the land. After the flood, the population had been reduced to Noah and his family who were ordered to do the same thing. In these cases it was necessary for some intermarriage and some men had more than one wife. You will find that this is not what God wants out of the family unit, and the order comes down that they are to have only one wife, and the family becomes a predominant teaching. This practice started with Abraham and Sarah and continued with Isaac and Rebecca who had two sons Jacob and Esau, but Jacob broke the pattern when he had four wives including two who were slaves, Rachel and Leah and at least thirteen children. There is little doubt that this mixed marriage caused the problem between Joseph and his eleven brothers. Parental preference showed up again when Jacob loved Joseph more, and showed it openly by furnishing him the coat of many colors and allowed the brothers to see that the father preferred Joseph to them. They sold him into Egyptian slavery and took the coat of colors, covered with blood, back to Jacob to prove that he was dead.

Joseph used his lengthy imprisonment in Egypt to move into a place of leadership. God gave him the power of interpreting dreams which he used to gain his good standing with the Egyptian pharaoh. He predicted the terrible famine that was coming, and was placed in charge of making preparations for the country to survive. He was successful and moved to the top ranking officer under the pharaoh. Using this power and position, he was able to become reconciled with his family and was chosen by God to lead His people out of bondage.

During this spring we will cover three main units. The first is the ‘growth of faith’ and it shows Jacob’s spiritual development. The second unit has to do with the ‘practice of faith’ and it demonstrates Joseph’s faithfulness to God in his many severe trials and problems with the pharaoh and then in his success in leading his people out of bondage. The last major step lists a specific ‘task of faith’ which focuses on Joseph’s ability to test his brothers, and eventually reconciling with them even after they had sold him into slavery. His father Jacob and the family eventually moved to Egypt in order to have food, and Joseph’s last promise was kept when he carried his father back to Canaan for burial. This will end our study in Genesis.

You say…”That is OT stuff, how does it pertain to me?” Matthew 1:1 says that Jesus is a descendent of Abraham. Jesus is our Lord and Savior and he will carry out God’s promise made to Abraham regarding God’s continuing action toward his people…US. In Galatians 3: 29 and Romans 4: 9-17, Paul identified the followers of Jesus as spiritual descendants of Abraham and that is US. Therefore, the principles of behavior outlined in these lessons are only the bare minimum of what God expects from YOU AND ME.

START NOW! READ & STUDY GENESIS 28 THROUGH 50. May God bless each and every person that diligently studies this portion of God’s word.

Do you want to keep God’s commandments that pertain to you? Yes? Well then…just remember that he told you to “Study to show thyself approved.”

Do You Help or Exploit? - Genesis 25 to 28

We are the only generation that can either brag or complain about living in the Electronic Age; I can remember well when the only phone in the community was made to ring by using a manual crank that was attached to the side of the wall-hung black metal phone. There are many of us that went through the very beginning of the computer age, [in Arkansas it was from about 1950 to 1970] when IBM required a huge room just to hold the mechanical devices that had to be maintained and operated in air-conditioned rooms because of the heat that was generated. Schools, colleges and businesses did not own the equipment—instead they bought the services. It was several years before the smaller computers became available that could be operated on site in schools and businesses, and then soon thereafter the home computers became available. “So, what does this have to do with this lesson?” you ask.

The age of the computer has introduced the greatest gangster like exploitation of the American public that has ever existed. Identity theft is a horror; and theft by computer from individuals, businesses, and even from banks causes constant worries. These are new to mankind, but not exploitation, it has always been here, even in the days of Abraham. Older people especially need to be aware that fraud is always a matter that they must guard against.

Be aware of the roofer that drives up, examines your roof without your permission and assures you that it must be replaced immediately. Be aware of the fly-by-night asphalt truck that drives by uninvited and offers to black-top your drive today—no waiting—and cheap. You can be assured that it will be a cheap job…never worth what you will pay. Don’t ever, I mean no never, pay anyone before the work is done and inspected. If there were shysters at work in Abraham’s day, just think how much practice they have had in learning new and better ways to exploit individuals and the public.

As we studied chapter twenty-four, the implications were that God’s covenant was transferred from Abraham to his son Isaac. The lesson today begins with some information about Abraham’s final days followed by the record of his death. He was 137 when Sarah died, and then he lived another thirty-eight years; was married to a second wife and they had children. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the whole truth about a Godly man without making it look like you are casting shadows on his character. This is true with Abraham. He was a man of faith! There is no doubt. His faith was counted as righteousness. There is no doubt. But he was a man that made some mistakes, one of which was his venture down into the land of Egypt when God had directed him to go into Canaan and claim the land as his which God gave him. His next major mistake was his lying to the King in Egypt in order to protect himself. He told the king that Sarah was his sister and it got both of them in trouble with God. His son Isaac was also a Godly man, but he had inherited some of his father’s sinful traits.

As a teacher of God’s word, please allow me to make an interjection at this point. God created man in his own image and even gave him the privilege of having a free will. To our chagrin, even a very personal embarrassment in some cases, Adam and Eve took advantage of the free will privilege and sinned against God. Every since that day, there has been absolutely no person that has lived a perfect life…all have sinned and come short…and that means that when we study some of the greatest characters that are held up to be Godly men and women, and men after God’s own heart, such as Moses, Abraham, David, Peter and the apostle Paul, somewhere in their lives…they have disappointed God. Therefore, when you and I sin, we must remember that God is a loving and forgiving Savior that will accept our true repentance and make us as though we had never sinned. Oh what a savior! It is so important that we remember that He is the only God worshipped by men that is alive today, interceding night and day on our behalf. Trust Him. Worship Him, and no other!

Chapter 25 is not easy reading, but it contains so many truths regarding the dynasty of Abraham that you must read it slowly and remember some of the pivotal points made there in. After Sarah died Abraham married Keturah and they had six children. Their family tree is listed in the first four verses. Although the sons and grandsons of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah received many gifts from their father, all of his property and God given authority went to his son Isaac who was his principal heir.

Beginning in verse 13, you will find the story regarding the family of Ishmael, his son born to his maid Hagar. Theirs is a history of hostility toward their half brother, Isaac. People, listen carefully, because this hostility represents the beginning of the divisions we are seeing today in the Islamic lands where there is so much hostility…not only against the Christian world, but in the turmoil that exists among the Islamic nations. They separately hate and destroy each other—and when the opportune time is right they join together and contrive to destroy the Jews and Christians.

Isaac inherited everything from his father Abraham, including God’s promise to make his descendents into a great nation. As a boy, Isaac did not resist even when his father was about to offer him as a human sacrifice on the sacred alter that was already ablaze with fire they had built. As a man he did not resist and accepted the wife that his father using his servants chose for him. Isaac may have made mistakes later in life, but in these two examples he showed us that we are to let God guide our life and place his will ahead of our own desires or fears. Isaac’s faith must have even exceeded the faith of his father Abraham. His faith abounded during those few last minutes while Abraham tied his hands and laid him on the alter that was already ablaze.

Isaac married Rebekah who was from the land that Abraham had left behind…she was from a family that had worshipped the Holy God. Just as Sarah, she too could not bear children, and Isaac went to God in prayer regarding this problem. God answered his prayer and she bore twins, two sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was marked as the one with hair on his body as animals have. He became the hunter, the outdoorsman, that brought home the wild game which his father loved to eat—and he became his father’s favorite son. Jacob became the home lover, stayed with and supported his mother and became her favorite son. Esau was born first, probably with some difficulty because Jacob was holding him back by holding on to his heal. This was not written about because it was a weird circumstance, but because it was a symbol or warning that there would be a tug-of-war going on between them in real life. Esau’s offspring became the majority of the Moslem nations that are still tugging at the heals of Christian people that they call infidels.

It was the custom for the elder son to be the one to inherit first place in the family. In this case that inheritance was of monumental concern because it would include all the animals, power, and wealth that Abraham owned—plus the fact that he would become the father of the millions of people yet not born, according to the promise God had made. Esau was the eldest of the two-twin sons and in line to inherit his father’s position in life.

I suppose we can correctly assume that Jacob was the first crooked roofer, the first shyster that ever offered to pave a drive way at an inflated cost, or the first car salesman who forgot to tell the customer that the auto was from the Katrina flood lands of Louisiana. Just give Jacob one mark of excellence; he was a good cook. Before I go further allow me to warn all parents!!
The most important fact in this lesson regarding parenthood is found in verse number 28. It reads, “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Any time parents show partiality toward their children—there will be problems. Even when parents try hard not to show any partiality—if their siblings sense that partiality is present there is a problem.

Jacob was a home boy, and had learned to cook very well, was at home this day rested and at ease because his chore was not as physically exhausting as that of a hunter. His brother Esau had been in the woods and fields walking, stalking animals all day and he returned home exhausted. I have been there, and done that! And I can tell you that when you have been duck, or squirrel hunting from daylight until dark without food, you are exhausted and hungry. On just such an occasion, Esau returned home tired and starving and when he saw a pot of hot “red” stew—he just couldn’t wait because he was so hungry; he said, “I am famished!” And he requested a bowl of the red stew.

Jacob, the shyster, took advantage of his hungry brother and talked Esau into selling Jacob his birthright for a pot of hot stew. It is really hard to know which one was most at fault. Was it Jacob because he took advantage of his brother’s hunger? Or, was it the fault of Esau for failing to realize that the price he would pay over the ages was far too much just to quince his hunger when he could have prepared his own food within an hour or so and saved his birthright? One had greed. One had too little judgment. If you have trouble deciding the answer to this question, go to chapter 27 and study the entire chapter.

The main idea in this chapter is that the influence of parents on young children lasts for as long as they live. In scheming families, someone always gets hurt for life, and only God is able to the family mistakes into anything that works out for their own good. Isaac was blind and must have been very ill because he leaves the impression that he was at death’s door, even though we know that he lived another forty years. Isaac was forty years older than his twin sons; he was 137 years old and Jacob and Esau were seventy-seven, when he called Esau in and asked him to go into the forest and kill a wild animal and prepare it for him to eat. For this he promised to bless his son.

This family had problems communicating because during this entire episode at no time does the family get together and discuss the matter of the blessing that would have come to both of the boys. Rebecca overheard the conversation that Isaac had with Esau and told Jacob what was said. She told Esau to go quickly and kill two goats which she would prepare for Isaac, and that he was to take the food to his father, pretending that he was Esau, so that Jacob would receive his father’s blessing. In order to deceive Isaac, Jacob covered his face and hands with the skins from the goats and wore some of Esau’s hunting clothes—so he would feel and smell like his brother. The scheme worked—Isaac ate the food prepared by his wife, and gave the blessing to Jacob. When Esau returned from the open fields with the game he went to kill, his father told him that he had already eaten and blessed Jacob, thinking it was Esau.

Esau was very angry, and recalled that this was the second time Jacob had cheated him, first out of his birthright and now out of the blessing of his father. He let it be known that he intended to kill Jacob, and Rebecca sent him away—separating the men to prevent loosing both the same day. We live in a horrible time when shysters take advantage of the elderly and cheat them out of their savings. Could it be that at least some of them had parents that taught them the art of cheating and stealing?

Do You Seek the Lord's Guidance - Genesis 24

My guess is that your answer to this question is YES. My hunch is that you do not seek His guidance as often as you should and may be not as often as you think you have. It is sad, but most of us make up our mind regarding where we will go and what we will do when we get there and then MAY BE we realize that we should at least ask God to sanction our decision—some even forget to do that much. You must realize up front that we should ALWAYS seek the Lord’s will for every decision we are called on to make. You may feel like the following examples is some what like reading a family tree; Grandfather begat dad; Dad begat me; I begat my son; My son begat my grandson; and my grandson begat my great grandson; or you could put names in like…Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob and etc. Seeking God’s guidance starts with step one and goes on without skipping a single decision. For example:

Did you seek the Lord’s guidance when you chose your parents? No.
Did you seek the Lord’s guidance when your name was being chosen? No.
Your parents should have sought guidance, but you were not responsible. You became responsible on the day that you first realized that you had reached the age of accountability and that you no longer could afford to be wrong because of the consequences. It started the day you were saved.
Did you seek the Lord’s guidance when you accepted Christ as your savior?
Did you seek his guidance regarding the church where you would worship?
Did you seek help in choosing your close friends in school?
Did you ask Christ to help you decide where you would go to college? Or
Did you seek help in choosing your profession?
Did you seek guidance in selecting your wife? In deciding where you would live? When a move seemed necessary, did you ask God about it?
Did you seek help in deciding whether to buy or rent a home? If it was to buy…did you ask him whether it should be a new home or a used one?
Did you seek the Lord’s guidance regarding the birth of your first child? Or how many children you should birth?
Every time the grass seemed greener on the other side of the fence; did you ask God whether you should cross the fence or stay where you were? In every situation where you and your family were concerned year after year, did you always, and every time, pray to Jesus Christ for his guidance? Yes...
Well, you may be able to answer yes, but I surely can not say that I did. Now that I am older and wiser, it happens much more often than it once did, but even now, I find myself helping God to decide what I should do. What a waste! What a shame!

It is a proven fact; couples who pray together are much more likely to stay together. Since this is a true statement, the hard evidence of an increased divorce rate proves that fewer people are seeking the Lord’s guidance. There is always a decision to make regarding every aspect of our lives. The list above contains only a few specifics—and a more comprehensive way to look at this problem is give below.

Believers need God’s guidance in choosing their piers, when deciding on education or profession, whether to marry or not, when and to whom. All major decisions especially those that have lasting results such as becoming obligated for payments, or extended commitments. Then there are the almost daily happenings that crop up unexpected, we should pray for help in choosing a doctor or dentist before they are needed. How will you deal with elderly parents? In fact the Bible simply says that we should pray without ceasing. That does not mean twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, but it does mean that we should pray for God’s help 24/7.

When Abram was seventy-five he lived in the city of Haran in Mesopotamia when the lord appeared to him and commanded him to go to an unknown land that God would show him. God said his reward would be in his becoming the father of a great nation—with numbers too great to count. His wife, Sarah was already sixty-five and they had no children. By faith, Abraham obeyed and when she was ninety she gave birth to Isaac, making the promise now possible.

Abraham was about 137 years old at the time of our lesson and the events recorded in chapter 24. Sarah died at the age of 127 as studied in the last chapter, and was buried in the land that God had promised. Abraham bought the burial plot…and it was the first land that the family had ever owned in Canaan and is further proof that God kept his promise to Abraham. Isaac was bout 37 years old when his mother died and had never married, so now it had become very important for him to marry and sire children if the promise is to be fulfilled. Abraham had a bad experience with Hagar and his oldest son, and it convinced him that he must find the right wife for his son Isaac in order for God to bless the marriage. He had the bad experience down in Egypt and knew that God wanted him to be in Canaan and he also knew that God would not sanction his son’s marriage to one of the heathen Canaanite women. He was too old to make a trip back to his homeland, so he sent one of his trusted servants to locate a wife that God would help him find and bring her back to be the wife of Isaac.

In this 24th chapter of Genesis, you will find all of the elements and events of a great movie. As I do so often, I will do again and ask you to read the chapter carefully and observe all of the detailed events that took place in the plot. The only part of the story that is different from the thing that would happen today is that in the OT days, it was a custom for the parents to find the right bride for their son—or the right bridegroom for their daughter. Abraham was old and not able to travel long distances as was necessary here and it became necessary for him to depend on a trusted servant to search and find the woman that God would have Isaac marry.

Abraham chose his most trusted servant and gave him directions that he was to follow without error. Abraham was sure that God would lead his servant and the servant would be successful…so much so that he advised him to return without a wife if God did not show him who she should be. There are several incidences and remarks that prove that the servant trusted his master and felt that he was knowledgeable about how this search should be conducted. But…But even so, there are at least two occasions where the servant went to God in prayer, asking God to help him be successful in finding the right person…that is the wife that God would approve. NOTE: The servant fully trusted Abraham—but that did not prevent him from seeking the Lord’s guidance in a very personal way.

This was no small event…there were several men and animals involved in the trip, including camels that drink a lot of water. Tired, hungry and thirsty they arrived at the family well in Abraham’s homeland and even though very thirsty they did not draw and drink immediately, but they prayed and waited until Rebecca came to the well to draw water. The first test was resulted in a positive answer…Rebecca was a beautiful woman.

When she had drawn water that filled her vessel, she started to return home. The servant requested a drink and she responded immediately by giving him her water pot…test number two was a positive gesture from her with no indication that she was hesitant to help him. Test number three convinced the servant that she a gracious and willing person because she volunteered [without being ask] to water the camels…which was no small task. She then welcomed these strangers to go with her to her home where her family also showed concern and extended a welcome to spend the night and share food with the family. The evidence was so plain that the servant knew that God was answering his prayer, and that he had found God’s choice to be Isaac’s bride.

The servant told Rebecca’s family that his mission was to locate God’s chosen wife for his master. He explained what had happened and told them that he felt very sure that God had spoken. When he requested their permission to take Rebecca back with him, there was no opposition. In fact, there was a vast showing of approval, in that she was able to take her own maids, camels, and other valuables with her.

There is no information regarding the distance, time or problems that arose on their return to Canaan, therefore God must have guided them all the way home. Isaac was out among their flock, caring for his father’s herd when the company arrived. Rebecca saw Isaac from a distance and must have been guided to recognize him, because she ask the servant who he was to be sure, and when she was told, she proceeded to cover herself in a vale and went to meet her future husband.

Almost as we think of a fairytale ending…they were married and lived happily ever after. So ends this chapter. However, for those who have read ahead you know that human nature entered into the extended marriage, and as is true in all of our marriages, the old devil did not leave them alone.

Abraham has waxed old, and just lost his wife and could have felt like he was on the down side of life. However, he must have allowed his memory go back to the mountain when Isaac was a boy, laying on a burning alter, about to be sacrificed by his own father. He must have been able to hear that voice demanding that he not hurt his son, and the bleating of a lamb from the bush nearby. God furnished that lamb! His mind must have ventured back those few days when he sent Eliezer, his servant, to secure a wife for his son.
The process was so fruitful, guided by God…it must have been equal to the finding of the sacrificial lamb in the bush…God was his provider, and it all came because of his strong faith his Heavenly Father.

DO YOU SEEK THE LORD’S GUIDANCE? WE SHOULD! IN FACT, WE MUST!
[ March 2nd we will start our spring study as we finish the book of Genesis
which will help us understand the foundations for our faith in God. ]
[[Winter is not over! There will be a few more cold, rainy [may be] snowy days so you cannot play golf or go swimming, so WHY DON’T YOU DO YOURSELF A FAVOR? Take advantage of the situation and read slowly and carefully the rest of Genesis, Chapter 28 to the end. STUDY GOD’S WORD TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED.]]

Do You Obey in Faith or Out of Fear? - Genesis 20 & 21

You will note that I have changed the subject of this lesson and it is for a very personal reason. When I pose this question to the writer, he has a very hard decision to make. I have studied the Bible all my life and I believe it is the word of God; undefiled and permanently established and I believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever without change and beyond error. It is I that I do not know! My ways, and especially my thoughts at times bother me. In the study of the Word, I have found that there is a heaven to gain and a Hell to be shunned, and I truly believe that I have found the way to do just that. But, I have the same problems that Paul said bothered him continuously. I greatly desire to do only that which is right, but I know that I am wrong at times. I ask myself, do I obey God because I believe and trust Him—or is it because I fear the consequences if I allow my human desires to trap me?

When Abraham left his home where he felt secure and set out on his journey to a place where God would lead him…show him…there is no doubt that he made that journey because of his faith. He had so much faith that God counted it as righteousness. He moved into the region of Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur in a place called Gerar. Abimelech was king of Gerar. When faith fades, fear takes its place, and this must have happened to Abraham because he told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister, and the king sent for her to come live in his palace. Before he knew her, God warned him that she was married, and Abimelech approached Abraham wondering why he had lied to him, almost getting him into serious trouble. He returned Sarah to her husband unmolested. When asked why he had lied to the king…he admitted that he feared the king. Here again, we find that Abraham is taking things into his own hands instead of completely depending on God to take care of him.

The 21st chapter tells the story of the birth of Isaac in their old age at 100 years. It reflects the problems that arose in the family because of the jealousy between Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham was distressed because both of these boys were his sons and he did not wish to drive Ishmael away. It was while Hagar and Ishmael were in the desert alone, and without food and water that God appeared and provided water and promised Hagar that her son too would be a part of the promise made to Abraham regarding his being the father of nations. He and his mother continued to live in Beersheba, which is located about one hundred miles south of Jerusalem, and she found a wife for him there.

When you study the Treaty of Beersheba made between Abimelech and Abraham, it is easy to see that Abimelech really did not trust Abraham because of who he was; but only because God had placed his approval on Abraham. I do not intend to cast any shadow on Abraham, but his untruthfulness regarding his wife being his sister had not made him any brownie points with Abimelech. In fact, this act alone is one example of why I changed the title of this lesson. It appears to me that Abraham was more in fear of Abimelech than he was in faith toward God.

In the treaty, Abimelech requested that Abraham show him the same kindness as an alien living in his country as Abimelech had shown him when Abraham lied to him. Abraham agreed to the treaty. Then immediately he complained about the ownership of a well which he claimed to have dug. He found that Abimelech did not know before that morning that there was a problem, and immediately returned the use of the well to Abraham. Give credit to Abraham, he gave the king seven ewe lambs as a token of appreciation. The agreement was settled and they named the place Beersheba because of the oath sworn there. Both the king and Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines, in peace for a long time. {No years given}

Chapter 22 relates the story about Abraham and his son Isaac that finally proves that Abraham had more faith in God than he had fear of failing God. You know this story by heart. If you have not heard it twenty or more times and you are in the senior Bible study class, then you should be ashamed, or very proud that you are a young Christian.

God had promised Abraham his son Isaac. God had promised that he would bless all nations through him. Now read verse two. The command is that he should take his only son and sacrifice him in the region of Mt. Moriah—as a burnt offering at a place that I will designate. Read on. There was no argument. There was no appeal. There was complete acceptance. Wood was gathered and coals of fire were prepared to be carried to start the alter fire, the knife to kill his son was in his shield, and he had a rope to bind him so he could not escape the fire. This boy must have been eighteen to twenty years old, his father was over one hundred, and as I see it, Isaac could have probably fought his father and won…he could have escaped. So…let us give Isaac some credit for the faith that he must have had both in his father and in God. Two men…father and son…demonstrated the greatest single act of faith recorded anywhere else in the OT.

God chose the place. Two men built the special alter and lighted the fire. Abraham bound his son Isaac with the rope they had taken with them. There is no indication that there was any resistance. Isaac did have one question—“Father, where is the lamb?” The ‘faith’ answer was—“God will provide the sacrifice.” You had better believe that God will stretch your faith to the last tensile of strength you have. He waited, just to see if Abraham would really use the knife that he had in his shield, to kill his only son…and then when Abraham reached for the knife and pulled it from the scabbard—a voice from heaven said “DO NOT LAY A HAND ON THE BOY!”

Did God change his mind? No. He only made an alternate provision, by causing a lamb to be available, as it was trapped in a bramble bush near by. You may ask—Why did God ask Abraham to perform a human sacrifice, when this has been against God’s teaching—no human sacrifice, only animals, doves etc. In Leviticus 20: 1-5, human sacrifice is condemned as a horrible sin. Well, hear me now! God did not change his mind. God did not approve of human sacrifice. God did not permit it to happen here. What God wanted to do was to test Abraham to the absolute limit of his being, to see if Abraham really loved God more than he did his own son. Fellow students…Ladies and gentlemen…I tremble with fear when I ask this question—Do you love God this much? Do I love God this much? Oh, God I pray—please strengthen my little faith! Oh God, may we truly believe that if we will dwell continuously on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. Read now…verse 14.

Because of Abraham’s faith God promised again that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars in heaven and the sands of the sea. I hope that I am wrong, but I can read between the line in this promise, and in my mind’s eye I see Christians that could begat Christians as numerous as stars in the skies and pebbles of sand by the sea, if they would only exercise their mustard seed faith. God has told us to sacrifice our time and talents and go into the entire world, teaching all nations, and baptizing them in the name of the Lord. Some have. Some have not. Some do a little—is it enough?

After the sacrifice of the lamb was made, Isaac’s life was saved to further serve the Lord; Abraham returned to his family, servants and friends and remained in Beersheba. I know that longs lists of begets are not your favorite reading, but you need to read verses 20 through 24, not because you will remember names, but because it will help you to remember that God keeps his promises. These verses are included to prove that many descendents began to inhabit the earth as promised to Abraham.

23: Sarah lived to be 127 years old, and died in Canaan. Remember that Abraham left his home as directed by God, and he had wandered to many places, never feeling completely at home. He did not own a burial plot. There were no funeral homes to care for the dead, it was handled by neighbors and the hot dry climate caused people to rush the preparation and funeral. Abraham wanted to buy a burial plot, but because of the wide respect that people had for him and Sarah, no one wanted to sell…they wanted to give him a place but his pride entered in and he insisted on buying. He bought the cave and field of Machpelah for four hundred shekels of silver and buried Sarah there. Later Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob were all buried together along side of Sarah.