Genesis Ch.1-33
Ch.3
4. Compare to Proverb 9:10; the desire to be wise outside of the Lord is a desire for self, which - like all desires outside of the Lord - leads to death
7-9
Proverbs 1:7
There is no knowledge that ever came without their first being fear of the Lord; the question remaining: What will humanity do with that fear? Compare Adam and Eve’s unwise actions here to the instructions of John in 1John 1:5-10
15
Referring to the crushing defeat that Jesus Christ (the Lord become flesh) will inflict upon the serpent, on our behalf)
“Her offspring”? At that moment the Lord stakes his claim upon his creation. (This is verified through the name Adam gives her in verse 20) Her offspring: John 3:3-8, 16; 1Thessalonians 5:5-8
16
She desired to acquire “wisdom” for herself, rather than acquiring of the Lord, and lusted after her own pleasure, rather than being content in the Lord’s pleasure: Therefore, instead of her desire being for the Lord, she will now lust for her husband, and he will “lord it over her”.
17-18
Because Adam “ate” that which he was specifically commanded not to, he will now eat in pain, by the sweat of his brow: The Lord, who is the author of Life, will no longer sustain him - but now, he will have to eat in order to live!
19
Adam has broken a direct commandment of the Lord: The punishment for this is death. Romans 6:24; and because we are all descended from Adam, we all inherit this curse (Roman 3:23) and are all, without exception, in need of the Lord’s intervention and mercy. We are born into sin - but: John 3:3-7
21
The first time blood was shed, a sacrifice was made and a substitute died for the sins of humanity : Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22
This will find its fulfillment in Jesus’s one complete and perfect sacrifice on the cross.
22
“Knowledge” - but NO wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
Ch.4
1. In her fallen state, Eve is now living up to her name, and has not forgotten the author of Life: the Lord
4. The second recorded sacrifice for sin:
This fear of the Lord has very apparently been passed down to Abel, who not only brings the Sacrifice of his first and very best, but also brings it with understanding of his own fallen state : Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22
Not only this; but here is a powerful foreshadowing of the Sacrifice that the Lord Himself will one day make; that will put an end to all others - and bring forgiveness and salvation to all of us (John 3:16)
5. Abel followed exactly as the LORD had previously done, showing a heart of obedience, and also understanding.
Cain apparently does not understand: It is not the “offering” that the Lord wants: It is Cain: His heart! Abel, by his offering, showed that his heart...his life...was not his own, but had been placed in the hands of the Lord. 1Corinthians 6:19-20
7. This shows clearly that Cain knew what was the right thing to do; but simply chose not to do it; and the warning given by the Lord directly after this, shows clearly how quickly and dangerously sin is spreading; like a cancer, through the human soul - Culminating tragically in murder and death.
How can this be overcome? See Revelation 12.11
Abel understood this: He made his sacrifice to atone for his sin (although it would cost him his life in this world) that he might receive eternal life and forgiveness in the next.
10. See Revelation 6:9-11
Abel’s righteous sacrifice will not be in vain
10-12. This is the reason for famine, plague and all kinds of natural disasters that we endure today: The earth itself is rebelling against the fountains of blood it has been forced to swallow; over 6000 years of sin and murder
15. This is the Lord’s way of putting a temporary plug in what world have become a disastrous vortex of death and destruction, through sin being allowed to run absolutely wild with no restraint. We will see the Lord do this throughout the Old Testament , lest he has to destroy the planet entirely.
24-24. Here we see the first case of someone actually boasting about sin. Where there is no fear of the Lord, there is no wisdom on how to live or act; where there is no repentance, the conscience is seared, there is no remorse and sin will grow and flourish, to end in destruction.
By all accounts, Lamech is the first man to “take for himself” two wives, instead of the prescribed one; showing that he is literally a law unto himself.
25. Again, we see that Eve, true to her name, now fears and honors the Lord: She will continue, to pass this on to Seth (as she doubtless did for Abel) : This will be enforced in vs 26. Here begins the first steps, on the long journey, to the promise of Ch.3:15 - the Promise of Salvation.
Ch.5
18. Over these last few verses we begin to see the effects of sin; life is gradually decreasing, from generation to generation, as the curse of the earth takes root and begins to establish itself. It will remain this way until the End: But in Christ Jesus, the Sacrifice, there is Salvation from this curse and redemption back to the Lord!
24. This is new: Enoch didn’t just call on the Name of the Lord: He walked with the Lord! And then the Lord took him! Does this mean that he did not taste death? This is a mystery; but to walk with God means one must not only be repentant of their sin, but must have been cleansed of it. Could it have been, that Enoch walked so closely to God that he actually saw the Cross...the Sacrifice of Messiah? That he was able to reach out and RECEIVE it?! In Hebrews 4:3 we read that the work (referring to the Sacrifice of Christ) was finished before the foundation of the world) which is why God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. According to Hebrews 4:9-11, he (Jesus) is our Sabbath Rest. So if the work was already done, it is not unreasonable to believe that Enoch walked so closely with God, that He literally saw - through time and space - the cross of Christ! - and received it! (See also Jude: 14-15) Incredible, but not unreasonable.
29. Again, we see how the word of the Lord is traveling, from generation to generation down the line of Seth, in preparation for what is about to occur, that a remnant may be saved.
31. 777
The Lord is about to come and clean house. What is about to occur will be a foreshadowing of the final judgment and cleansing, as prophesied by Enoch (see Jude 14-15)
Ch.6
2. “Sons of God”: See Job 38:6-7
If this is as it appears (these are angles “knowing” women) this is incredibly serious, going utterly against the Lord’s established order. The fruit of this - “giants” on the Earth - is utterly devastating to the plans of the Lord, which explains why the gavel of his judgment is about to come down hard: No one outside of the “Ark” will survive!
3. 120 years: The exact number of years it will take for Noah to complete the ark of refuge and for all who will, to repent and enter in. The countdown has begun, and once the Lord shuts the door, it will be too late.
9. Noah walked with God - but unlike Enoch, he will not be taken by the Lord; the Lord will preserve him in the midst of judgment, so that he will not have to wipe humanity from existence entirely. From Noah’s family line will eventually come the Savior of humanity: Jesus Christ!
We wait patiently to be taken, just like Enoch, by the Lord; but until that time, we must endure on the Earth, in the midst of evil, in the ark of refuge that the Lord has provided for us.
18. The Covenant: remember Ch.3:15.
For not only Noah, but his entire family. This is a pattern that we see over and over again:
Ch.19:12-13; Exodus 12; Joshua 2:18
19. The preservation of life begins and ends either the preservation of family
Ch.7
11. See Ch.1:6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
16. Compare this, with Exodus Ch.12: the Lord’s instructions to Moses for the families and livestock of Israel - also to protect and preserve from his judgment :-
vs.13 And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Ch.8
1. Isaiah 49:15
“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
And
John 14: 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
8. The raven would eat carrion; possibly whatever could be found floating on the water. Noah, however, wasn’t looking for death (he’d likely had enough of that) He was looking for some sign of Life: and so he sends out a dove...
11. Unlike a raven, a dove will look for signs of life, and if there is none, it will return to its place of origin. This makes it a perfect “probe” for Noah; one that will test the waters for signs of God’s mercy.
For reference here, see Matthew Ch.3: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The dove (The Holy Spirit) also appears here, as a sign of God’s mercy and new Life; given through Jesus’s Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
The dove, in both instances, is the Lord’s sign; first to Noah, then through Jesus the Christ, to all of us; that our sin has been atoned for; that judgment is no more; and mercy and new Life have come!
Although the Lord had not yet commanded Noah to leave the ark, here is a sign - a foreshadowing, if you will - of our future salvation from sin.
18. Because family is extremely important to the Lord: It is his established order, and has been from the beginning:
Ch.5: 5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”
Acts 16:30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Remember Ch.4:10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
And:
Ch.9:5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.
Leviticus 17: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
So this animal sacrifice - as horrific as it may seem to us today - is a form of appeasement, of God’s wrath and further judgment because of murder; until Jesus Christ...Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14 &Matthew 1;23)...offers up his own blood, once and for all, in our place. (Romans 6:10)
This is why the Lord also says:
Exodus 12:13
And
Hebrews 9:22
21-22. This is the Lord’s Promise to himself and to his creation; because he has already made provision - for sin and its consequences:
Ch.3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
The ultimate Sacrifice - the ultimate act of Love - is coming:
John 3:16; 15:10-13
Ch.9
6. It will remain this way, until Exodus Ch.20: the Commandments of the Lord are set in place; and with them, an organized sacrificial system; so that justice can be dealt, without total destruction, and sin can be atoned for: He will do this for an entire nation...until, from out of that nation, will come the perfect sacrifice that will end all others and make atonement for our sins forever!
11-17. The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be all sufficient to hold back all global judgment - until the time of the End: the Day of Judgment:
2Peter 3: 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
16. The bow and its seven colors of the spectrum also point toward Jesus Christ, his finished work of atonement on the cross and his one perfect sacrifice: Because on the seventh day, it was finished:
Genesis 2:2-3; Hebrews Ch.4 & john 19: 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
20. Things are now vastly different from before the flood: The firmament is broken; the oxygen levels depleted; and fruit and vegetation is withering and dying much more rapidly than it did before: It is reasonable to surmise that the idea of fermentation - and of becoming intoxicated from it - was utterly unknown to Noah!
23. 1Peter 4: Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Genesis 3:21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
Theirs was a righteous act; Ham’s was not! A trade which he will pass on to his son Canaan!
26. From Shem will come Abraham; will come Israel; will come Judah; will come King David; will come Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
27. Japheth here is possibly a representation of the Gentile Church, who will come to faith through the fruit of Shem!
Ch.10:2-5 show us places (the westernized nations) where Christianity will not only be spread, but will be established.
Ch.10
6. Egypt: read Exodus Ch.1-14
8. One who sets himself up to be like God; Nimrod, from the line of Ham, will be the first after the flood, in a long line of would-be deities; accumulating with this:
2Thessalonians 2: Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
10. See Ch.11
11. See: 2Kings 19:35-37 and the Books of Nahum & of Jonah
14. The Philistines: Genesis 26:18; Exodus 13:17; Judges 13:1; 1Samuel 7:12-14; 13:19-21; 2Samuel 5:22-25; Jeremiah 47:4
16. See Exodus 13:5
19. See Genesis 18:16-33 & 19
20. And yet, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Salvation will be made available for everyone: for the descendants of Sham, Japheth and Ham!
Ch.11
6. This is how the Lord created us to be: When we work as one, with all the different parts meshing together, the possibilities are almost without limits; but we were not made to work for ourselves...to glorify ourselves: our glory was supposed to be in and of the Lord:
Through his finished work on the cross, Jesus Christ will rectify this unholy union, with the pure and perfect unity that he shares with his Father:
John 17:11 Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
John 17: 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
7-9. Pentecost vs Babel
United in Christ vs united under Anti-christ
In this hour more than ever before, we can see two opposing forces at work:
Satan’s desire is for mankind to become one under him (his servant Anti-christ) leading to the destruction of the nations (Rev 14:9-11; 12:12; 18:1-24)
Directly opposing this, Jesus’s desire is for His Church to become one under Him, leading to salvation and the healing of the nations. (2Peter 3:7-9; Rev. 22:1-2)
In Genesis 11:1-9 God confuses the people because they strove for earthly wisdom, worldly unity and to glory in the works of themselves (man)....(See Matthew 24:1-2)
In Acts 2:1-12, God unravels this confusion in a very miraculous and beautiful way, that the people might understand and glory only in Him....(See John 2:19-21). Through humanity’s weakness and confusion we see God bringing His strength and unity. At Babel, through tongues He Scattered; At Pentecost, through tongues He re-gathered.
So in Acts 2 we see the Lord perform a type of reversal of Genesis 11. Why?
To show us that:
He - and he alone - is the One who scatters (Gen.11:8)…and regathers (Matt 24:31);
and that:
the only way we are ever meant to function as one, is under His only begotten Son. Everything else He opposes, and so must we.
Ch.12
1. The first call of God is always to leave behind everything of this world and follow him. See Matthew 10:37-39; Luke 9:57-62
This may not for us, always be in the literal sense, but it MUST be the attitude of our hearts.
2-3. This is pointing ahead, to the Salvation that will come through Abraham’s descendant Jesus Christ, through Abraham’s simple faith and obedience to the Lord: first to the Jew; then to everyone! This is the first of many promises like this, that the Lord will give to Abraham, over the course of his sojourning.
vs.3 “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse,”
...for if we do not believe in this promise of God, through Abraham (which we now know to be Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ) we remain under God’s curse (the punishment for sin that has neither been atoned for or repented of)
Read Romans 4 and
Galatians 3: 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written,“Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. This is what vs.3 is referring to.
See also Hebrews 11:8-12
vs.2 “I will make of you a great nation.”What is this “great nation”?
1Peter 2: 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter is speaking here, not to the literal nation of Israel - many of whom were persecuting the Church at this point - but to those Jews who have come out from the nations of the world to follow Jesus the Messiah!
See Galatians 3:26-28
He speaks not of a literal kingdom, but a spiritual one! See Hebrews 11:9 “By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”
vs.3(b)“and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
What will this look like in the end? Read Revelation 7
And then Revelation 21-22
This is the power of the cross:
1Corinthians 1: 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
7. Because the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers Psalm 24:1-2
8. The Altar: the place of surrender and trust: the place where we come out of hiding (Genesis 3:8) and into the Light (1Peter 2:9 & 1John 1:5-10), and allow ourselves to be known by God, so that we can in turn, know him.
10-13. Although the Lord has promised him Canaan, he does not yet know or trust the Lord enough to recognize: If the Lord has given it to him, the Lord can and will surely provide for him in it.
This lack of trust in, and knowledge of the Lord, will begin bear fruit in these next verses.
Ch.13
2. How?
Because if the favor of the Lord.
Haggai 2: 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.
The Lord will always provide for his own
(See also Exodus 12:35-36)
4. That he may not forget..!
12. Abraham did not consider any of these very legitimate factors that Lot considered when choosing his direction: Because Abraham already had his sights - his direction- set in the invisible things of Heaven. Hebrews 11:8-12
14-15. Who is this offspring? See Psalm 2:7-9
What is this dust of the Earth? See Genesis 2:7; Revelation 7:9-17!
All who will be redeemed through the initial faith of Abraham! (Hebrews 11:11-12)
Such are the thoughts of the Lord towards us: Psalm 40:5; Psalm 139:17-18
Ch.14
17-18. The Lord, through his mysterious priest Melchizedek, will re-affirm his covenant with Abraham, lest any temptation for any unholy alliance should form between Abraham and the (then grateful) King if Sodom. Unlike Lot, Abraham has separated himself away from earthly allegiances - his only allegiance now being to the Lord most high; it must remain this way: This is what this meeting with the Priest of the Lord, is all about. Abraham’s heart MUST remain humble and reliant - not on himself, but on the Lord!
19-20. Melchizedek is reminding and reaffirming to Abraham that he is the Lord’s possession; and that it is the Lord, and he alone, who has brought about this great victory on Abraham’s behalf.
(Lest Abraham should forget about the Lord, in the midst of this great triumph, and succumb to the deadly sin of pride.)
20-24. Continued from notes on vs.17-19: Abraham’s actions here (giving an offering to the Priest, and refusing any of the spoils from the King of Sodom) shows that he truly understood: That this victory was not of himself; but through the Lord and because of him. Read Hebrews 7:1-10 This was a test for Abraham; and through it we can see: In the aftermath of great triumph, Abraham has not become prideful; his heart is still following the Lord.
vs.22-23 I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’
He does not fear the kings of the Earth: He fears the Lord!
“I am your shield.” I will continue to fight for and protect you.(Ch.14:14-16)
“Your very great reward.” You do not need to seek the spoil of claim the reward of any futile king or conquered on this planet - I myself will reward you. (Ch.14:21-24)
2-4. See Psalm 127:3-5
Things are not important: People...children...family are. There is evidence to show that this way of thinking stems all the way back to Adam and Eve.
5-6. Vs.5 And so, every night, every time Abraham looked up at the night sky, ablaze with stars, he would be reminded in the most profound and beautiful way, of the promise of the Lord, and he would be encouraged.
Vs.6 See note on Genesis 12:2-3; 13:13-14
Read Hebrews 11:11-12 Abraham’s descendants are all those who will believe on the redemption given through Abraham’s Seed, Jesus Christ.
To believe (have faith) in the Lord is to be counted as righteous. (Romans 4:1-3)
Think for one moment about the fall in the Garden of Eden. We cannot in any way help ourselves; we were so helpless that that Lord had to remove us (humanity) away from the tree of life, lest we would live forever in our sinful state.
So, as we will see in the next few verses, he will make this covenant, and fulfill it himself: All he requires of us is that we believe and trust him, when he says he will do it - just as Abraham did!
9-21. Only through sacrifice (the shedding of blood for sin) can any connection - and consequently any covenant - exist between the Lord God and humanity. Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 9:22
This marks the beginning of the Lord’s sacrificial covenant with the nation of Israel - leading to the ultimate sacrifice: His Only Begotten Son.
Vs. 10 It was customary in those times, when a serious covenant was cut, for both parties to walk through the center of the carcass halves together. However, as we will shortly see, the Lord God Himself will walk through the sacrifices alone, showing that the fulfillment of this Covenant will not be down to Abram - nor to any man: The Lord Himself will fulfill this Covenant: all that he requires of Abram - and of us - is to simply believe. As soon as Abram “believed God” his side of the covenant was complete. (Romans 4:4-5)
The LORD will put Abram into a deep sleep while He seals this Covenant because:
“you cannot see my face,
for man shall not see me and live.” Exodus 33:20
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.
13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. (see Exodus ch. 1-14)
15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
During this time the Amorites will have opportunity to repent: Just as with the Earth during the time when Noah was building the Ark, the Lord will give transgressors time to repent. Once the cup of iniquity has become too full for the Lord to ignore (because he is righteous and just) he will bring down his judgment. (See Joshua ch.10&11) It will also be this way at the end.(Revelation 16)
vs.17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
Here we see the Lord literally providing the fire and the altar for this sacred offering. This is such a mysterious scene and always brings to my mind the fire and the wood for the sacrifice of Genesis 22…the fire that burned perpetually on the great Altar of Sacrifice in the Tabernacle of Moses…and even the fire that came down and consumed Elijah’s offering (1Kings18) After all, every sacrifice…every blood offering under the Old Covenant points forward to the One final and all-encompassing Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. See also Isaiah 62:1.
vs.18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
What is this Land?
The Land where the Lord will provide the Sacrifice that will end all others - forever; for those who will receive him (John 1:11-12)
is also the very same Land to which He will return to rule and reign in righteousness:See Jeremiah 30:8-12, Revelation 20:1-6
So the Sacrifice was made - and the LORD cut a covenant with Abram on behalf of all of us who would believe as he did - right there in the Land where 3000 years later, it would see its fulfillment. This is the most serious covenant ever cut in history: And the Lord himself will make it and keep it. (Genesis 3:15)
But, as always happens after a move of God, there is trouble ahead…See Genesis 16
15. Here is one of the first references to the resurrection- “life after death”; because you cannot have peace in death, if there is no hope of life afterwards.
Ch.16
2. Compare this to Adam’s actions in Ch.3:6 - and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Just like Adam Abraham has spoken with God face to face; just like Adam, his wife has not; and by all accounts, he has told her nothing. Abraham must learn to cover and protect his wife: She is not merely a means for producing an air; she, according to Genesis 1 & 2 is his help-meet and companion. According to Ch.12:11-14 this view of women had become common place. This is also enforced in vs.4 when Hagar, having conceived, looked with contempt at Sarah, who had not.
And again, vs.6 shows Abraham’s detachment to Sarah’s affairs: This is not how the Lord, in Genesis 2:18 intended for it to be.
This passage of scripture tells us how in Abraham’s time, the order of marriage (one man to one woman) had been warped and defiled.
Compare this to Ephesians 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
And
Hebrews 11: 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
1Peter 3: 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
This shows how the Lord vindicated Sarah, even in the eyes of her husband.
15. Ishmael: The Lord hears: A subtle warning to Abraham; and one which is about to be reinforced in the beginning of this next chapter:
Ch17
1-7. The Lord re-establishes his covenant with Abraham with sobering instructions, after what has previously happened: “walk before me and be blameless.” He wants no more mistakes!
Vs. 5: He will now rename him: from Abram to Abra-h-am: Genesis 2: 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
And
John 20: 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
In this new name, we see the breath of God: the Lord has set his seal on Abraham, and made him his possession. This is enforced through what the Lord says next:
5. I HAVE made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6. I WILL make you exceedingly fruitful, and I WILL make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7. And I WILL establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you...etc...etc:
In other words: This is ALL of the Lord: This is entirely His doing; for HIS purposes and HIS glory. Abraham must trust and absolute OBEY.
6. Again, referring to the redeemed of the Lord: see Revelation 7:1-8 (Jew) & Revelation 7:9-17 (Gentile)
Reference to King David, the kings of Judah and ultimately the Messiah: the King of kings and Lord of Lords.
This covenant is the covenant of the cross: The one sacrifice made for the remission of sins, once and for all... for whosoever would believe, as Abraham did (John 3:16-17)
8. See Revelation 20: 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
1Peter 2: 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
11. This circumcision, like everything Abraham and his descendants will do in the physical, is a foreshadowing of something else yet to come...the circumcising of the heart - which only God can do.
Romans2:25-29
28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.
Also Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4
13. Because Salvation will be available to all the nations
Isaiah 49: I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 56: 3
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4
For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5
I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6
“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
And
Acts 10
15-16. The same promise given to Abraham is now given to Sarah; elevating here in a sense, as Abraham’s help meet and partner: He will initiate the sane name change with Sarah as with Abraham, again symbolizing the same breath and newness of life, upon that which in the natural, is absolutely dead.
17. 1Peter3:1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Both Abraham and Sarah will live this out, as an example to all of us.
Ch.18
1-2. First appearance of the Lord in human form (I.e. Jesus Christ), as we shall see further along in this chapter. (vs.17)
vs.3: Abraham seems to recognize him instantly - because he already knows him!
9-10.
Now the Lord will turn his attention to Sarah, renewing his covenant with her.
14. See Luke 1:11-25; 1:26-38
vs.37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
17-21. This is the unveiling: Where we realize: The Lord was among that number of “men” who Abraham entertained! (Hebrews 13:1-2)
And here is the beginning of the unveiling of Abraham’s true character: Salvation to the nations will come through Abraham; so it surely makes sense that Abraham’s desire would be for as many as possible to be saved. “Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked?”
Will Abraham’s character and actions match up with the Lord’s?:-
The LORD who is:-
...merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As we shall shortly see, the Lord will reveal his plans to Abraham; that the true character of Abraham will also be revealed; a character and traite which we, Abraham’s descendants through the Promise, must also grow to produce: Mercy, forgiveness and love.
Amos 3:6-7
Why? So that they can warn the people, and also intercede for them: vs.22-23
23. {From note on Ch.17
Amos 3:6-7. Why? So that they can warn the people, and also intercede for them: vs.22-23}
Here is, among other things, a test of Abraham’s character: Is he truly “a man after God’s heart? - “would you really destroy the righteous with the wicked?” This question alone, shows how much Abraham already knows the heart and character of the Lord: that he is patient and merciful: Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8-14; 2Peter 3:7-9;
vs.25: Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” -Abraham already knows the answer to this; and the Lord knows that he knows!
This whole conversation is revealing what has become, a loving, trusting relationship: Through Abraham’s words, we are exposed to the true nature of God, not only in his desire for mercy and forgiveness; but also his desire that we all - like Abraham - should be able to know him like this: with confidence and assurance of his great love: for us and for others around us - even our enemies.
Abraham not only thinks of Lot; for, if he did, why would he begin by asking the Lord for fifty?
27-33. Abraham stands in the gap; at times, it appears, risking the wrath of Hod himself. To what can we compare this? Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 16:1-22
Numbers 16:20-24; 16:41-50
And: ultimately & permanently Hebrews 9
Ch.19
1-3. Amazingly, Lot, whom the Bible describes as a righteous man, sits in the gate - the most respected place - in the heart of this very epicenter of sin and iniquity.
This appears to be a contradiction, until we understand that this is pretty much how we, the descendants of Abraham, also live: see: John 17:9 I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
So although we are required to live among them, as lights in a dark place, we must be always separate and sanctified in our hearts, and be ready to leave when the Lord tells us it is time. Exodus 12:11-12; Matthew 25:1-13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Vs.2 Like his uncle Abraham, Lot too, possesses a heart of hospitality Hebrews 13:1-2
5. “Know them”?
Romans 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
It also tragically, reveals again, the value placed upon women - and even wives at this time: purely for producing offspring, either no real value until this begins: “I have two daughters who have not known any man...”
12-13. Salvation for the family:
Exodus 12:1-13; Joshua 2:8-21; Acts 16:25-34
16. Lot will learn the hard way that you can’t have one foot in with the Lord, while having the other in with the devil.
This hesitation within the heart, will have devastating consequences at the judgment. (vs.26)
vs.31-32: Again, showing us the purpose and value placed on the life of a woman in these times.
We know through the account of Genesis 1&2 and Paul’s and other’s instructions to the Church 4000 years later, that the Lord never intended it to be that way.
Through these misguided concepts and apparently no knowledge of the Lord whatsoever, the girl’s destitution and desperation will lead to the committing of another atrocity in the sight of God.
vs.37-38: The Moabites and the Ammonites will be a thorn in the flesh for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, throughout their sojourning.
Ch.20
11-13. All of this shows us that in spite of Abraham’s perpetual (and legitimate) fears of what they may do to him because of his wife, the Lord is fully able to, not only take care of him and his house, but also instill the fear of the Lord into every tribe and people where Abraham sojourns.
Whether he realizes it or not, Abraham has become a vessel of the knowledge of God!
15-18. Again and again, the Lord shows such patience and undeserving mercy towards Abraham - because:
Psalm 103: 8
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
He has a much higher plan and purpose in mind:
“Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” Read Hebrews 11:8-12
And:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
All of this will end here: Salvation for all of us!
Psalm 103:
13
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
“Isaac” “He laughs/will laugh: This naming is deliberate; lest he and Sarah ever forget the faithfulness of the Lord, even in the midst of their unbelief. (See vs. 6-7)
The changing of their own names, also serves this same purpose.
4. Circumcision: a sign if one who is set apart from the corruption of this world, to God - see note on Genesis 17:11.
Although we know now, that nothing we do to our outer bodies can save us; only by allowing the Lord, through the sacrifice of Jesus to circumcise our hearts, these physical acts, serve to remind Abraham’s physical descendants of their selection by God and their need to remain holy and set apart for him, so that from them, eventually can come the Messiah - the Salvation of the whole world.
4. Note: If the Lord commands circumcision on the eighth day, and - according to Hebrews 4:3 the work (meaning the sacrifice for sin) was completed on the seventh day; this means that everything Abraham is doing - every act of faith and obedience his descendants will do, up until the time if Christ, is being done from the foundation already laid by Christ. The Lord has already finished the work! Now, through the faith and obedience of Abraham and the Old Testament remnant, he will take humanity by the hand and lead us also, to that place where he has finished the work; so that we can receive one and for all, his gift of Salvation for all:
John 3:16-17
7. Psalm 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
The laughter within the name of her son, serves to remind Sarah always, not only of the Lord’s faithfulness to do the impossible, but of his faithfulness and love towards her: The reproach of barrenness is gone!
Isaiah, prophesying about Abraham Seed the Messiah, over 1000 years later, expresses it this way:
Isaiah 54
1“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
13. Circulating around the Lord’s overarching and sovereign plan of Salvation, are the pitfalls and mistakes made by the wavering of Abraham and Sarah. Yet the Lord shows by his mercy towards Hagar and Ishmael, that he is sovereign even over these.
In the midst of God’s sovereign plan, we will continually mess up: But rest assured, we will not mess up the Great and Sovereign plan of God. We know this, because he continually works out his plans through us and in the midst of us! Because he knows us and it is his delight to use us!
Psalm 103:14
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
He has already finished the work of Salvation for us, and until that time when we reach the end, to see him face to face and be instantly transformed, his grace is absolutely sufficient for us; his strength is made perfect in all our abundance of weakness!
1Corinthians 15:50-58; 1John 3:1-3
2Corinthians 12:9
(As far as Ishmael’s descendants are concerned, we should be unwavering in our belief in and desire for their salvation. We are not required to think and behave like those who belong to this world, but rather, we must endeavor to pluck as many as possible out from the fire.)
Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
17. When a mother weeps for here child: Hagar’s tears are not for herself: They are for her child; so it is not the voice of Hagar’s tears that the Lord is hearing (although of course he did heard them) - but, because of the mother’s tears for her son, the Lord causes the son to cry out - and hears him!
Here is a principal for every praying, weeping mother today!
Through our crying out, may the Lord stir the hearts of our children - that they would cry out!
18. There are so many questions to be asked here:
What was the cry of Ishmael’s heart, from the depths of despair? Maybe it was that the Lord would spare them and not let them die...maybe that the Lord would reveal himself there in the wilderness, that they would have hope!
Whichever it was , the Lord heard Ishmael and answered.
And yet, maybe this prayer is yet to be fulfilled among Ishmael’s descendants.
Is this “great nation” to be great in the eyes of God or men?
Whichever it is, a great nation will require a great Salvation...à revelation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness - just as possibly Ishmael cried out for:
I do not have an answer; only, like Hagar - my cries and my tears - for the descendants of Ishmael - that they would be saved!
19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20And God was with the boy, and he grew up.
{Ishmael’s actions in Genesis 25:9and the description of his death in Genesis 25:17, also imply that in spite of everything, he never lost his understanding of the God of Abraham.}
Compare this to the note on Matthew 5:13-16
Abraham’s physical descendants, through their sojourning, were required to be the representatives of God: the light of the world and the salt of the Earth; and this did not stop when they finally settled in the Land the Lord promised.
28-32. To give one ewe lamb would have been sacrifice enough (see Genesis 4:4) Abraham gives, in effect, the perfect sacrifice: demonstrating, before a foreigner, his trust in and devotion to the Lord - that the Lord alone, not he, or Abimelech, will enable this covenant to be kept! (See note on Genesis 15:8-21)
Just like Abel’s perfect sacrifice, this sacrifice is also pointing ahead, to the one true and perfect sacrifice that will end all others; and in Abraham’s faith in God, that God will perform it.
Because apart from him, we are nothing
Seven ewe lambs: the value is immense, as is the sacrifice. We can liken this again, to Abel’s perfect sacrifice, coming also from a heart devoted to the Lord, and pointing ultimately to the one true and final sacrifice on a cross!
It is also a demonstration of dependence: Abraham will make no more covenants with men, unless and except that the Lord God be the center! In this way, he is truly a witness on behalf of the Lord God to the world! He truly is beginning to blaze the trail for his descendants, as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
33-34.
Here is the understanding - and the assurance - that the Lord will take care of us and give us supernatural favor in the places where he sends us - wherever they may be: Even to the land of the Philistines:
Because, through Jesus Christ, we have now become the light of the world and the salt of the earth, as, like Abraham, we direct the unbeliever - not to ourselves, but the the Lord whom we follow and who brought us to this place.
1Peter 1:17-23; 2:11-12
Ch.22
2. Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us a clear picture of where Abraham’s faith is at this point:
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
8. And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22:41-42
12. See John 3.16
15. Excerpt from Bible study#1 #WhereIsJesus?
Genesis 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,”he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac(John 3:16)—-and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
~~Moriah will one day become King David’s Jerusalem, where on this same mountain, GOD’S only begotten Son will ultimately be sacrificed. (We will refer to this, later on in the study)~~
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day (Luke 13:32; John2:19) Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
~~All the servants of G-d before the Cross, saw the Place of Sacrifice - of Salvation- only from a distance (Hebrews 11:13). This is true Faith.~~
5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” (John16:16)
~~~
Yeshua: Read Luke 19:28-47:
Seeing “the Place in the distance” (vs.4), and surrounded by “servants”, Jesus too, will “set His face like flint” and enter Jerusalem.
However, he will approach the Place of Sacrifice accompanied only by His Father. (vs.5)
**A servant is not required to go all the Way with his master Because “a servant does not know his master’s business.” (John 15:15) But a friend - a Son - will go all the Way with His Father (John16:32). Jesus did not stop after He rode the donkey into Jerusalem (vs3). Long before those same crowds had turned against Him and most of His disciples had abandoned Him, He had “set His face like flint and kept straight on” - to Death and through Death - that He would conquer Death and sin for all of us who couldn’t. (Romans5:6-8; Hebrews 12:2)**
Consider Abraham’s incredible statement in vs. 5: “We will worship and then we will come back to you” - this can be likened to Jesus’s own words in Matthew 26:39 “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (Is not to humbly submit our lives into the hands of God the greatest act of worship?) And just like Jesus, Abraham’s faith is not without substance: “…we will come back to you” (vs5). His hope was in the resurrection - the Lord’s ability to overcome Death (see Hebrews 11:19). So he was not afraid to offer his “only begotten son” up to the Lord.
~~~
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac (Isaiah 53:4-6; John19:17; Galatians 3:13); and he himself carried the fire and the knife (Isaiah53:10). As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (John1:29)
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Matt26:39; John 3:16; Rev.5:6). And the two of them went on together. (John16:32)
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it (Luke 23:33). He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood (Mark 15:1; Psalm118:27).
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son (Zechariah 13:7 - Matthew 26:31).
11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven,
“Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said...”
~~~
We will halt here for a moment, and look forward: to a time approximately 1000 years later - when this same region of Moriah has now become King David’s Jerusalem:
See 1Chronicles 21 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2021&version=ESV
“…I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (vs. 24)
So one millennia later, in this Same Place, and as the sword of judgement is being raised again - this time not over Isaac, but over his descendants - G-d will once again say “Stop!” (vs.15).
And it is at This Place where another altar: the Altar of Sin, will then be built (1Chronicles22:1); Purchased by David; built by Solomon, this is the Place that foretells of the Cross - the Place where “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10); the Place where G-d has poured out His judgement - and also His everlasting MERCY; And where mercy has triumphed over judgement✝️ James2:13. G-d sees the Altar yet to be built; He sees the Cross; He sees HIS Son - and He says “Stop!”.
~~~
Which brings us back to Genesis 22: 12: “Stop! vs12: Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Romans8:32)...
**(“And I will not withhold from you Mine”)**
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. (The Lamb is reserved for GOD’S only Son, which G-d will offer up in our place. John 10:17-18) 14 So Abraham called that place (YHWH Yireh) The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
*And it surely was❣️*
17. See Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Because the offspring - the Seed - of Abraham is Jesus Christ the Messiah (Genesis 3:15), who will not only possess those gates, but storm them, crushing the head of the one enthroned there.
And through his death and resurrection, we now have eternal life and are numbered among the offspring of Abraham, also believing in the promise of Salvation by faith, and therefore counted righteous as Abraham was.
Galatians 3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—
6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
19. See Genesis 21:27-33
Beersheba: “well of seven” or “well of the oath”
The very same place where he offered the perfect sacrifice, declaring his dedication to and trust in God, is the place where he returns to dwell, having walked through a “rehearsal” - a foreshadowing of that perfect sacrifice. He is now dwelling as one who has overcome.
It almost looks like this:-
“and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23:6
Ch.23
5. See notes on Genesis 21:22; 21:33
The Lord gives his own possession favor wherever they go; that his name may be glorified and he may be known and feared among the nations.
20. Because people change for generation to generation (see Exodus 1:6-10) but contracts like this, are hopefully binding throughout generations
Ch.24
4. Genesis 17:8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
This is why it is imperative that Isaac, the first fruit of these descendants, now he is in the Promised Land, does not leave it. He must put his stake in the ground on behalf of this nation of descendants; and this he will shortly do.
21. Surely such a swift and selfless act should have been all the sign needed: Without even being asked, she takes on the monumental task of watering his camels, who not only are numerous, but consume and store considerable amounts of water. This was no mean feat and speaks volumes of her character.
40. Abraham’s faith and assurance in the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord are now speaking for themselves.
45. Sometimes the Lord moves swiftly like this, as a clear sign that he has heard and answered; and that our faith and conviction will not waver.
57-59.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. Here we see both:
Rebekah: Obedience
Her family: Sacrifice
And then, in vs. 56, we see the fear of the Lord
60. How did they know that this blessing was almost identical to the one in Genesis 22:17.
This could only have been the Lord.
Ch.25
8. Expressions like this:“gathered to his fathers”or “slept with his fathers” - are used throughout the Old Testament to describe the holding place...the place of waiting...where people such as Abraham, who during their lives had feared the Lord, were kept by the Lord after their deaths. The Bible is very careful and also very clear about this: Death is not mentioned, because for such as these, Jesus Christ will come in the flesh, and conquer death, through conquering sin on their behalf. So although, according to the curse of Genesis 3:19, all must return to the ground from which they came, it is NOT the end!
“The child is not dead - only sleeping.” Jesus Christ raises Jairus’s daughter: Matthew 9:24; Mark 5:39 & Luke 8:52
And “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” Jesus Christ raises Lazarus: John 11:11
King David also understood this when he wrote in Psalm 16:9-11
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see one thing clearly: Hope of a resurrection.
26. Jacob: meaning “he takes by the heal - cheats” And as it is here, so will it be for a large part of Jacob’s life: until he wrestles with God himself.
Why would the older (Esau) serve the younger (Jacob)?
Romans 9:10-11
And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—
So we can be certain of one thing: Just like Jacob, whatever the Lord gives us, it is never because we have deserved it!
Psalm 103:10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
32. The flippancy of Esau: first of all, he’s not “about to die”; secondly, he appears to care nothing for his birthright: the right to assume his father’s authority and responsibility. This shows a disregard and dishonor to his father
The first born would also receive more (double the amount) received by any other sons. So, it could be that Esau said this flippantly, without any intention of following through with his agreement with Jacob: assuming that he would still get the birth right from his father, and his words to Jacob would amount to nothing.
He does not appear to have any knowledge or fear of God, of understand the hand of the Lord on his family.
To despise the birthright from the father, is to ultimately despise God himself.
Ch.26
2-3. The temptation seems to always go down to the Nile Delta in times of famine, due doubtless to its fertility. But, for this particular family, from who all the nations will be blessed, their trust and reliance must be entirely and absolutely dependent on the Lord: He has brought them, not to Egypt, but to THIS Land - and he will take care of them and their descendants within it.
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
Even fertile Egypt will eventually fall. But those who belong to the Lord will be kept by him.
vs.3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.
4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
3-5. The Lord renews the covenant with Isaac: Isaac must obey the Lord and stand firm in the Land promised him, in spite of the famine, trusting entirely in the Lord’s ability to provide and sustain (a vital and fundamental lesson) rather than following the natural path with the masses, down to Egypt.
Both Isaac and his father Abraham came to understand that not trusting their all to the Lord will bring great harm, not only to them, but to the nations with whom they dwell.
Just as, according to the promise, through their faith and obedience to the Lord, the nations of the Earth would be blessed through them.
6-7. See Genesis 12:13-19
Here we go again: When we fear men more than God:
Isaac gives his wife, to preserve his own life. And although, this was doubtless the culture and possibly would have happened, Isaac’s trust should at this point, have been in the Lord. For everything that Abraham passed on to him, he does not appear to have impressed upon him, the Lord’s ability to protect, and the value of marriage, and his wife, that she should not be passed off to the pleasures of other men, to save the life of the husband.
11. As it turns out, the people of Gerar seem to fear God more than Isaac does
22. Again, do not content for earthly things: The Lord has promised; he will provide in his good time. Be patient and trust in his words, which will come to pass at their appointed time.
Psalm 37:3-7
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psalm 84:6
23-25. See Genesis 21:22-34
The Lord renews the covenant with Isaac, in the very place where his father Abraham offered the “perfect sacrifice”
25. See note on Genesis 24:4
Here is where Isaac will put his stake in the ground on behalf of the plan of the Lord.
Genesis 26:35-35, should give us some idea why.
...the idea of reckless Esau and his two pagan wives, who have made life so bitter for Isaac and Rebekah...
The idea of them inheriting Isaac’s blessing must only have heaped further bitterness upon Rebekah.
12 “Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son...”
There is no evidence of any such curse taking effect on Rebekah:
So maybe she wasn’t acting deceitfully; maybe, in her eyes, Esau was the one mocking her husband; maybe therefore, her actions were a righteous indignation, from a genuine fear of the Lord and desire to honor the birthright. To despise it as Esau did, is to despise the Lord.
20. These words imply that Jacob, like Esau, knows of the Lord, but does not yet KNOW him!
28-29. Genesis 25:23; Romans 9:10-13
The Lord knew from the beginning that Esau would despise, not only the birthright, but ultimately the blessing - desiring it, not through a desire to walk before the Lord and be holy, like his parents and grandparents before him, but only for himself.
Jacob lies and deceives, at times, as we shall see, treacherously.
And yet, woven into this, is a deep seeded hunger to know the God of his fathers, which will come to a head in Genesis 32:24-32: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
36. It could be said that in a literal sense, this is what Jacob did:
But it could also be argued that in his heart, Esau had already rejected both the birthright (Genesis 25:31-34) and the blessing (Compare Genesis 26:34-35 with Genesis 24:2-4).
Matthew 21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.
The same principle applies here: Esau in his heart, has rejected the knowledge of God. As for Jacob the deceiver receiving the inheritance, this should not be shocking: Is he not an example of the fallen depravity of humanity...the very people that his descendant the Messiah will bring save, justify and then sanctify? As we shall read; Jacob’s life: a slow journey of humbling, breaking and repentance, will be a foreshadowing of ours!
37. This is a direct fulfillment of Genesis 25:23; and of Esau’s decision to treat his birth right and his parents wishes with contempt.
39 “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and away from the dew of heaven on high.
40 By your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother;
but when you grow restless
you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
41. Compare this with Genesis 4:4-16: unrepentant sin will always end the same way: hatred->murder.
Were it not for the Lord’s intervention, through Rebekah, this is exactly what would have happened;
But now, through a strange turn of events; and in spite of Jacob’s continual running, hiding and deceiving, the Lord will introduce himself to this deceiver, satisfying the inward desire of his heart, so that he deceives no more.
He has seen finally that his Hittite wives upset them, but he has not in any way connected this to the will of God, or thought “maybe this is also not pleasing to the Lord”
13-15. So now, it is not only Beersheba: Here is a new stake in the ground, where the Covenant is renewed - to now, the third generation! (The Lord is faithful and he will surely do it.)
13. The Lord refers to Abraham as his father, not Isaac: see Galatians 3:5-9; Romans 4.
14. All promises - to Abraham, Isaac and now, Jacob - are pointing towards...leading towards...One Place: The Cross of Jesus Christ.
14. See Isaiah 54:3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
16-17. The Lord can appear to anyone...anywhere...at any time: Because ALL things/places come from God: He owns it all. Psalm 24:1-2.
17. See John 10:7-10
11-19. Because on this land, and through this people, a perfect sacrifice (Messiah the Lamb of God) will be made, that will open up the way to God for all mankind. This ladder from Heaven is pointing towards Heaven, because of the One who will bring down the barrier of Genesis 3:23-24, and open up the Way for all to come: John 14:1-6.
18-19. Lying on a stone - an uncomfortable place, expresses well, Jacob’s restlessness and discomfort at this time. How fitting that the Lord would not only visit him in this place of fear, discomfort and uncertainty, but that he would also open up Heaven and make Jacob feel “at home” here. We have gone from a place of restlessness to “the House of God”...the place of Rest.
In our places of fear and darkness, is exactly where the Lord likes to come down and dwell with us.
20-22. Notice how Jacob has already been greatly humbled: Asking God, not for riches or power (as, to a carnal mind, this promise may have implied), but only for daily bread, the clothes on his back and a way back home.
An immature response, obviously, because Jacob has just begun this journey of Faith - following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. This is his first encounter with the Lord, and God is patient.
22. He is adopting the practice of his “father” Abraham (Genesis 14:17-20)
Ch.29
31. Isaiah 54
“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3
For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
From Leah will come Judah, from whose line will come Jesus Christ the Messiah.
32. The Lord sees and he also hears:
32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.
35. This time she will not concern herself about whether Jacob loves her or not; this time she will not use her children as bargaining chips for love; this time she will not look to any man: This time she will turn to God and praise him!
Ch.30
1. Compare this attitude with Genesis 25:30-32; both instances show both a lack of knowledge and a lack of fear of the Lord.
Jacob’s words in verse 2 show that he does both understand and fear the Lord.
vs.3 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.”
Compare this to Sarah’s equally poor faith in Genesis 16:1-2
6. Genesis 49:17
Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.
17. In spite of the rash behavior and the rush to bear children, Leah is still praying to God, Genesis 16:13; 21:17
20. The shame of barrenness - as we also see I. 1Samuel 1 - not even the love of a husband can compensate for. Ultimately, only God can fill that void.
22. Now Rachel finally acknowledges God - and, through this particular child, God will truly answer this prayer.
She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”
37-43. Deception is now occurring in both camps.
Ch.31
1-3. Here is a scenario similar to before. Jacob is once again accused of stealing something (although in a sense, he was only trying to defend himself against the deviousness of his Uncle. It appears that they are not that dissimilar in nature, and this glimpse of his true self in a relative, possibly did Jacob some good)
Nevertheless, in spite of whether Jacob is deserving or not, the Lord is faithful as always to his promises - vs.3
10-13. So why did Jacob perform the ritual with the sticks? Possibly because, just like his father Abraham, even though he believed what the Lord had said to him, Jacob thought that he might help the Lord along a little. And he used this type of familiar divination to do it. Knowing what we know now, this seems to us ridiculous: But what it does show is the faithfulness of God to his promises, and his mercy of the people he has chosen...again and again.
14-16. Compare this to Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.
They know that the Lord is with Jacob
20-21. In spite of all the Lord has already done for him, still the trickery continues. We resort to trickery , ultimately because we are running scared and not trusting in the Lord to help us. Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.”
22-24. We can see the Lord’s hand in this difficult situation from the beginning: He gives Jacob a three day start (Hosea 6:2; Luke 17:33)
Laban travels god six days (Genesis 1:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11) and on the seventh day, the Lord intervenes, in a way that shows such mercy - to both Jacob and Laban.
32. See Genesis 35:16-18
This is the tragedy of dishonesty.
42. The Lord sees; the Lord hears
48-50. Laban has learned to fear and to trust the Lord
54. In making covenants, they sacrifice and they eat: see Exodus 12, 24:9-12; and Matthew 26:26-28
What have Jacob and Laban both learned from this? Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Ch.32
4-5. From the one who stole Esau’s birthright, to now calling him Lord. Is he genuinely humbled or is he using his usual deceptive tactics to appease Esau? There is reason to believe the first: That Jacob has, not only been humbled, but changed - and there is more to come.
6-7. The Lord has also blessed Esau in his mercy; but Jacob doesn’t recognize this yet!
7-12. How ironic that the name Jacob gave to this camp, because of the Lord of hosts meeting with him there, now, through Jacob’s fear, has literally become Mahanaim “two camps”. The original picture behind this name, was the Lord who had come to dwell - to tabernacle - with Jacob; and now, because of Jacob’s fear, it has become a place of division; where Jacob does not even believe the Lord is able to protect “one camp” - ie his entire family! His last memory of Esau, was a man that wanted to kill him; It seems that he already sees himself as dead! (This is likely the guilt speaking, and the closer he gets to home and to Esau, the more this guilt is weighing on him. But then, he remembers to the Promise of God - then he remembers to PRAY!
Jacob needs the Lord’s intervention: He needs to understand the Sovereignty of the LORD, and his desperate need to trust him:
- this encounter is coming.
12. The mystery of Election: see Romans 9:10-16
The Promise made to Abraham and renewed for Isaac, now belongs to Jacob. (Psalm 145:4-6)
Why does Jacob “wrestle with God”? Maybe he struggles to trust the Lord enough, that God will see him through this: Maybe, because of his guilt, he doesn’t feel worthy of the Lord’s protection:
Through this encounter, Jacob will be humbled completely and permanently. He will understand that the Lord is and will protect him - whether he deserves it or not! And it is through this understanding that Jacob finally (in accordance with his name) grabs at the blessing for the right reason. Weak and powerless, he now knows he has no choice but to trust the Lord - and that the Lord truly will take care of him.
Jacob was guilty - and his fear was the fruit of that. He wrestles with the mercy of God because of that (as if, “punish me and get it over with.”)
The Lord completely disables Jacob to show him: “You have my mercy, whether you deserve it or not!”
This is a precursor to the mercy given to us, through the sacrifice of the cross; and the struggle, so common among us, with regard to receiving it. Jacob’s struggle is merely a picture of our own - in humbling ourselves to receive what we know we do not deserve. Romans 5:6-9
Now, with every limping step that Jacob takes, he is reminded of the Lord’s Presence with him and mercy upon him. May it be this way also for us. 2Corinthians 12:7-10
Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
This could be compared to Jeremiah 30:7 (Jacob’s Trouble) And a prophetic foretelling of how his descendants will continue to wrestle with the Lord and his Messiah.
To this day, the nation of Israel will strive with God, (Read Romans 9-11) until the Lord also puts out their socket: At this point, just like Jacob, they will recognize
1. Who the Lord truly is (Peniel - “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
2. Their disparate need of him. “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Israel will hold on to God: And when the day breaks: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Ch.33
3. Now he no longer puts himself behind: Now he places himself in the front: He knows his guilt has been dealt with, and his confidence is in the mercy of God.
(See also Luke 15:11-32)
4. Look what the Lord has done! Not only transforming Jacob’s heart, but Esau’s!
9. This is credit to Esau: Note the difference between the attitude of his heart, compared to that of the older brother in Luke 15:25-32
10. In Esau, Jacob is seeing the mercy and forgiveness...the clean slate that comes only from the Lord!
Grant it that we would all look like this when we forgive! Because, to forgive, is the nature - the heart - of the Lord: see Matthew 18:21-35 - when we too recognize that God has dealt graciously with us: We do not deserve it!
17. Let us hope that Jacob was true to his word and visited Esau later. Because instead of journeying south to Edom, Jacob goes the opposite direction and sets up his tents at Succoth.
Maybe after his encounter with the Lord, he felt justified in not going with Esau. Maybe he is still a bit afraid of Esau. His actions are questionable here, and possibly they are not without consequences.
19. For Jacob to purchase land to actually live on is a departure from his predecessors, who saw themselves as sojourners, and purchased land, not to live, but to bury their dead.
This tells us much about how we also are to view our lives in this world.
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