Genesis 19-22: Second ‘She Is My Sister’ Episode; Abimelech Restored Sarah; God Healed Abimelech And Household To Bear Children; Sarah Conceived; Hagar Cast Out; Ishmael To Be A Great Nation; Parity Covenant Between Abimelech And Abraham; God Tests Abraham To Offer Isaac; Abraham Believed God Will Provide; Milcah’s Children; Reumah’s Children

Pentateuch by Ralph Levy

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review of Gen. 19:30-38

Gen. 20:1 Abraham journeyed and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar

:2 second ’she is my sister’ episode (first one in chapter 12)

:3 Abimelech (seems to be a dynastic name) took Sarah but God came to him in a dream.

(God does deal with other nations)

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death

God reveals this problem to Abimelech who is a man of principle.

:5 Abimelech defends himself that Abraham claimed Sarah to be his sister and she claimed Abraham to be her brother

:6 God kept Abimelech from sinning (adultery)

:7 restore the man’s wife for he (Abraham) is a prophet

- one of the prophet’s functions is to intercede for the people and not just tell the future (just like what Abraham did for Sodom and Gomorrah)

:8 he told all his servants

:9-10 Abimelech upset with Abraham

:11 Abraham reasoned that he thought the fear of the God is not in that place so he was afraid they will kill him to get Sarah if she is his wife instead of sister.

:12 but she is his half sister, actually, so they had an arranged idea to tell everyone else they are siblings.

:14 Abimelech restored Sarah (interestingly, he gave clean animals)

:15 generous gesture from Abimelech

:16 Abimelech chided Sarah by paying 1000 pieces of silver

:17 Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children.

:18 for the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah

Gen. 21:1-2 Finally, Sarah conceived on God’s set time.

:3 named him Isaac which means laughter because Abraham and Sarah laughed at the promise in Gen. 17:17 and 18:12 by Sarah

:4 circumcised at 8 days old as God commanded him

:5 Abraham was 100

:6 Sarah gone from cynicism to happiness

:8 child grew and weaned

In ancient times, nursing takes much, much longer time.

:9 Sarah mocked Hagar

:10 asked Abraham to cast out Hagar

Gal. 4:30-31 Paul takes Hagar and Sarah as the 2 covenants; Hagar as the Old, Sarah as the New; no promise of life in the old covenant; the new covenant is much, much better

Gen. 21:11Abraham upset

:12 God told Abraham to let Sarah get what she wants

:13 Ishmael (progenitor of the Arab nation)

:14 prophetic scene; Hagar and Ishmael sent away with a bottle of water, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba

:15 water was spent

:16 Hagar was very sad, abandoned

:17 God heard the voice of the lad (Ishmael=God hears)

:18 God promised that he will be a great nation

:19 miraculous well of water

:20 God was with the lad and became an archer

:21 he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran and Hagar took him a wife out of the land of Egypt

:22-30 covenant between two people (Abimelech and Abraham), parity covenant

Abimelech is asking for covenant loyalty (kindness=chesed)

7 ewe lambs as witness

:32 they made a covenant at Beer-sheba and Abimelech rose up with Phicol the chief captain of his host and returned to the land of the Philistines.

:33 Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba and called there the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

:34 and sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

22:1 God tests Abraham

James 1:13 God does not tempt

Judges 2:22 That through them I may prove (Greek nasah: test) Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

Gen. 22:2 God instructs Abraham to offer isaac in the land of Moriah

:3 Abraham simply followed without question, even rose up early, bringing with him 2 young men and Isaac.

:4 On the third day he saw the place

:5 He left the men and only him and Isaac will go up with the positive assurance that they will come back.

:6 Abraham took the wood, fire and knife

:7 Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb is

:8 Abraham assured Isaac that God will provide Himself a lamb for burn offering

:9 They came to the place, built an altar, laid the wood, bound Isaac and laid him on the wood

:10 Abraham stretched his hand and took the knife to

Heb. 11:17-19 By faith Abraham offered up Isaac believing that God is able to bring him back to life, believing in the promise.

:11 the Angel of the LORD called unto him

:12 and told him to lay not his hand upon the lad neither do anything unto him “for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me.”

:13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

:14 he called the place Jehovah-jireh (Jehoval will provide) as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

:15 the Angel of the LORD called a second time

:16 and said, By Myself have I sworn, says the LORD, for because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son:

:17 That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (obviously a reference to a much broader group of people very numerous)

:18 And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed My voice.

:19 Abraham returned to his young men and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

:20 Milcah born children to Abraham’s brother, Nahor

:21 Huz, Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram

:22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. (8 total)

:23 Bethuel begot Rebekah (the bride of Isaac)

:24 and his (Nahor’s) concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bore also Tebah, Gaham, Thahash and Maachah (4).