Genesis 24

We had a foreshadowing of what was to come from Genesis 22:20-24.

Notice Abraham’s trust here. Although we can’t rule out that God actually revealed His plan to Abraham, it seems that Abraham acted on his own initiative based on what he believed God wanted.

Genesis 24:7 (WEB) “The LORD, the God of heaven—who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’ —he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.”

Is it fair to think that all woman from the Canaanites would be unsuitable? With their cultures refusal to recognize the true God and their propensity to engage in activities like human sacrifice, isn’t it better to be safe than sorry? God was never concerned about people intermarrying because of race, but he has always been concerned about marriage outside of faith.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (WEB) “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever?”

Even if not specifically a believer, Laban at least recognized God’s leadership in the situation. His response also shows us something about family relationships at that time.

Genesis 24:50-51 (WEB) “Then Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘The thing proceeds from the LORD. We can’t speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.’ ”

There are many reasons why Rebekah may have been willing to leave right away, ranging from faith to escape. Let’s just assume she’s excited to start her new life!

Should we do what we see here? Should we try to ask God for signs? Should we set up tests? While God is very gracious to Abraham’s servant here, we are most likely to understand how God works in retrospect. Even Jesus didn’t presume to test God.

Matthew 5:4-7 (WEB) “Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and, “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.” ‘ Jesus said to him, ‘Again, it is written, “You shall not test the Lord, your God.” ’ ”

Thought for the day: What do you think of Isaac being comforted as a result of being married?

Ephesians 5:31, 33 (WEB) ” “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.” … Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Genesis 23

This type of back and forth seems to be a Near Eastern bargaining ritual. It was important for Abraham to pay for the land because then he would have full legal rights to it. In effect, he is anchoring his descendants in the promised land.

Thought for today: Where is your home?

Philippians 3:20-21 (WEB) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.”

Genesis 22

God, in His sovereignty, provided a ram for the sacrifice, and Abraham didn’t have to go through with it. What was Abraham thinking? His doubt about Isaac’s birth was completely turned around because God kept His promise. He even tells Isaac on the way that God will provide a lamb for the sacrifice (22:8). The New Testament gives us some additional insight into Abraham’s faith at this point: “concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.” (Hebrews 11:19, WEB).

If we consider this a test, then it’s a test to show Abraham the kind of faith that he’s capable of. It’s also a lesson for all of us. Here Jesus is like the ram who is sacrificed in Isaac’s place. However, there is an additional truth here. The true God is not like the other false gods being worshiped in the land. Human sacrifice is not what is required and will never be required. What God did not allow Abraham to do He does for us. Do you really think that it’s a coincidence that the second person of the divine Godhead is called the Son? God the Father allowed His Son to die, so that we could be saved!

John 3:16 (WEB) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Thought for the day: God’s love!

Romans 8:37-39 (WEB) “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Genesis 21

Sarah conceives, and Isaac’s name takes on special meaning for her. As Michael Card says in his song: “They called Him laughter, for he came after, the Father had made an impossible promise come true. The birth of a baby, to a hopeless old lady, so they called Him laughter ’cause no other name would do.” God keeps his promises!

Sarah now wants Isaac’s competition thrown out of the house. Abraham is displeased, but sends Hagar and Ishmael away. When it seems that all is lost, the angel of the Lord comes and reminds her of the promise God made. They will be saved and Ishmael will also become a great nation like his half-brother. God keeps his promises!

Abimelech is apparently still smarting from his close call with Sarah. He asks Abraham for assurances that they will be at peace. Abraham makes a covenant with him, and makes sure that Abimelech acknowledges Abraham’s territory, i.e. a well that he has dug. The well becomes the “well of the oath,” and Abimelech goes on his way.

Thought for the day: What does it mean to you that God is the everlasting God?

1 Timothy 1:17 (WEB) “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Genesis 20

Again? Really?!?!? Does the fact that God intervenes for Abraham mean that he’ll always intervene for us when we do something stupid? No! God intervenes here because of His promise. He is protecting His name, not just keeping Abraham from a huge mistake. But in His graciousness He is still willing to use Abraham in His plans (“he will pray for you”), and Abimelech’s fear of the Lord brings Abraham wealth.

Some think that it’s impossible that Abraham would do this twice. But there are two statements that help us to understand the time and the culture: “they will kill me for my wife’s sake,” and “Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.” Abraham and Sarah had apparently worked all of this out ahead of time because of Abraham’s fear. But if He really trusted God and His promises, why would He fear? Sarah hadn’t conceived yet!

Thought for the day: Do you have a “pet” sin that you keep returning to?

Proverbs 26:11 (WEB) “As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.”

Romans 6:1-2 (WEB) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?”

Ephesians 4:22-24 (WEB) “if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

Genesis 19

There is so much sexual immorality in this chapter. Homosexuality. Rape. Incest. It mirrors modern society. Every day we pick up the news and read of teachers sleeping with students, of married couples cheating on one another, of children being molested, of people pushing ungodly sexual agendas, of rapes, and maybe even worse. It shouldn’t surprise us. It’s been around forever because it’s a part of human nature. However, we as Christians are called to be better!

1 Corinthians 5:1 (WEB) “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (WEB) “Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.”

Colossians 3:5 (WEB) “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Notice that it’s not just Lot’s wife who doesn’t want to leave her old life behind. Lot hesitates (19:16) and then requests to be taken to civilization (19:20). It’s once again like we’re looking in a mirror. How often would we rather stay in the world than do what God wants us to do?

Thought for the day: What can help us keep from sexual sin and encourage us to follow God?

Psalm 119:11 (WEB) “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Genesis 18

Three men? A foreshadowing of the trinity? “The Lord appeared to him.” However you understand it, at least Abraham recognizes what’s happening and makes the appropriate response!

The name Isaac means “laughter” in Hebrew. God revealed that name after Abraham laughed (17:17), and here we have Sarah doing the same thing. The name probably becomes a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it would remind them of their doubt. But it would also remind them of their joy and the faithfulness of God!

Abraham expresses care, compassion, and trust in God when he pleads for Sodom and Gomorrah. Although some make a big issue out of the fact that Abraham didn’t go lower than 10, I’m guessing that this wasn’t just some sort of test. God knew what would happen and knew what Abraham would do. It also seems that Abraham was concerned because he understood the sinfulness of the cities of the plain, and he didn’t want to risk offending God.

Thought for the day: the humility Abraham displays both in serving/worshiping God and questioning God is something we should emulate.

James 4:10 (WEB) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Genesis 17

God gives circumcision to the Jewish people as a mark that they are His. He also changes Abram’s and Sarai’s names as a reminder of His promise. Has God done anything to mark us and remind us of His promise?

Colossians 2:11-12 (WEB) “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Abraham still finds it incredible that Sarah could get pregnant, but God assures him it is through her and in Isaac that the covenant will be fulfilled. And, to Abraham’s credit, he does exactly what God told him to do!

Thought for the day: God desires obedience!

Matthew 21:28-31 ” ‘But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, “Son, go work today in my vineyard.” He answered, “I will not,” but afterward he changed his mind, and went. He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, “I’m going, sir,” but he didn’t go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said to him, ‘The first.’ “

Genesis 16

Trusting can be difficult at times. Abram and Sarai attempt to take matters into their own hands here. To be fair, we don’t have proof that God told Abram that Sarai would be the natural mother of his children. However, the tenor of the passage suggests that they understood the promise and wanted to “help” God make His promise come true. After all, Abram is getting older, his wife seems barren, so something had to be done! The absolutely wrong thing, as it turns out, that causes generations of heartache. We should take a warning from this. Sometimes we want to forge ahead with what seem like a good idea to us. Perhaps waiting, praying, and observing would be good first steps before we rush into anything!

The “angel of the Lord” in the OT is often thought to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, and Hagar seems to indicate that this angel is more than simply a messenger: “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him” (WEB)? God shows that He understands the fact that Hagar was put in a terrible predicament by Sarai and Abram. He also shows that He cares for her and her offspring by promising them a future, albeit a difficult one.

Genesis 16:12 “He will be like a wild donkey amongst men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers” (WEB).

Thought for the day: what does it mean to you that God sees you?

Hebrews 4:13 “There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.”

Genesis 15

Abram is worried because he doesn’t have an heir. God reassures him that one will come from his own body, and that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. However, Abram wants assurances! Normally, when a covenant is ratified, both parties participate. Here only God passes between the carcasses. He promises to be faithful, even though Abram will occasionally lose his way. That’s why we can trust God!

Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” (WEB)

Thought for the day: what does it mean to you that God is your shield, and exceeding great reward?

Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him.”

Psalm 142:5 “I cried to you, LORD. I said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ “