How did Jacob get two wives and twelve kids?
Well, it wasn’t easy. He worked for seven years for a woman he fell in love with—Rachel. But Rachel’s father, Laben, tricked Jacob and gave him his other daughter instead, Leah. So Jacob married both women and worked fourteen years altogether for his wives. The two wives were deeply jealous of each other and so Leah had many children to earn Jacob’s love, and Rachel tried to have kids, but couldn’t so she gave him her slave to have children with, so Leah gave Jacob her slave to have children with… well, it was a mess. But Jacob got a lot of kids out of it.
Why did Jacob call Esau “lord”?
Esau was showing his power, by meeting his brother with an army, and Jacob was scared to death. The prophecy said that Esau would serve Jacob. But Jacob is using his words to turn the tables, so that Esau would feel that Jacob was serving him. Jacob was being very humble, so that Esau would not be angry with him for stealing the blessing of their father. It seemed to work, but Jacob wasn’t so sure. By the way, the word Jacob used for “lord” wasn’t calling Esau “god”. He was calling him “master”, as a slave would speak to his master.
Why did Jacob wrestle with an angel?
This is a much disputed passage, and there are many difficulties in interpreting it. Most scholars, however, think that Jacob was really wrestling the angel over Esau, and over Esau’s nation, Edom. He is a powerful spirit, one that would be called a “god” in other parts of the Bible. So when Jacob was wrestling, he was actually fighting for his survival in his meeting with Esau. If he won the angel’s blessing, then he would be successful in his meeting with Esau. Some passages say that Jacob wrestled with “God”—but it was really a god—Esau’s spiritual power— he was wrestling with.
Why did Jacob have his name changed?
“Jacob” means deceiver or trickster. This wasn’t a great name for the father of a great and powerful nation. The angel Jacob wrestled with gave him the name “Israel” which means “God strives” or “Striving with god”. This is talking about two things—on the one hand it means that God would work hard for this people. Secondly, it means that the people Israel will be fighting against gods, doing spiritual warfare. A much more honorable name than “Jacob.” Yahweh confirmed this name when Jacob finally met him at Bethel. Interestingly, though, throughout the rest of Genesis, Jacob is called by his original name, not Israel. Israel is sometimes, but not all the time, used in reference to the nation, not the person.
How did Esau treat Jacob? Why did Jacob run away from him?
Actually, Esau treated Jacob pretty well. He hugged and kissed him, giving him the idea that he was forgiven. And he tried to refuse the gifts. However, this may have been all a show. If he truly forgave him, Jacob surely thought, he would have insisted on giving the gifts back. And Esau accepted Jacob calling him “lord” and didn’t place Jacob on an equal level. So this could mean that Esau was planning on making Jacob a true servant of his. Jacob didn’t want to have anything to do with that, so he ran away in the opposite direction.
Why did Levi and Simeon kill the whole town?
Levi and Simeon were concerned about their own honor. They felt that unless they got full, complete revenge against the town they would have to live with their shame. If they only killed the prince, others of the town would come after them. So it was kill everyone or live with their shame. Jacob thought this was ridiculous, and he gave Levi and Simeon less honor than their brothers because of their unrighteous anger.
Did Jacob’s family worship other gods?
Yes they did. We don’t know which gods, but we know that Rachel and Leah worshipped other gods from their land. Other slaves had their own gods as well. But when Jacob went to Bethel, he kept his promise and insisted that everyone in his household worship Yahweh alone. This is the turning point in Jacob’s life, where he focuses on God’s plan, and not his own.
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jacob and Esau-- Genesis 32-33, 35
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15
Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, taking with him the blessing of Yahweh. And Yahweh blessed Jacob greatly while he was away. Through the trickery of his mother’s brother, Laben, Jacob married two of Laben’s daughters and through them had 11 children. And through his dealings with his uncle over twenty years, Jacob gained large flocks of sheep and goats and servants and became wealthy in his own right. Finally, Jacob decided that it was time to go home, so he collected his family and flocks and servants and they traveled back to Canaan.
On the way back, Jacob’s fear of his brother, Esau, grew in his mind. When he left, Esau was threatening to kill Jacob—and now, who did Jacob have to protect him and his family. Even as Jacob left, Esau was gathering servants to him—servants that could fight and kill. What did Jacob have? Women, children and a few shepherds. They were completely defenseless and a battle would destroy them all. So Jacob sent some of his servants ahead to Esau’s land with a message: “Your slave Jacob comes to you, lord Esau, with all the wealth he gained.” The servants came back to Jacob and said, “Esau is coming to meet you with 400 men.” Jacob was very nervous now—400 men was the size of an army!
Jacob prayed to Yahweh, reminding Yahweh of the promises he had given and to ask for deliverance. Then Jacob sent hundreds of sheep and goats to Esau as a present to him, hoping to placate him. Then he divided his caravan into two camps so that if Esau attacks one camp, he might not attack the other.
The night before he was to meet Esau, Jacob spent moving things about from one side of a river to another, trying to figure out how best to escape an attack. Finally, he left the camps alone and wandered off by himself to think. There, a power of heaven met him and they wrestled for superiority. The power could not defeat Jacob, and so he touched Jacob’s leg and caused him to limp. Jacob would not let go of the power, however. The power pleaded, “Let go of me—it is almost morning.” Jacob replied, “I will not release you until you give me a blessing.” The power asked, “So, what is your name?” “Jacob. And what is your name?” “Why should you need my name? But you will no longer be called Jacob but Israel because you fought both men and gods and have won.” And the power blessed him. Jacob later realized that he fought with the power of Edom, the angel over Esau.
Jacob went back to camp, limping, and he saw Esau coming toward him, with his 400 men. Jacob lined his family up before Esau, with all of his flocks and servants on the other side of the river. Then Jacob bowed before Esau seven times until Esau came up to him. Esau stopped before Jacob and embraced him and kissed him on the cheeks. All of Jacob’s family bowed before Esau. Esau said, “Who are all these?” Jacob said, “These are the wives and children Yahweh has given your slave.” Esau said, “And what of all of the flocks you sent ahead?” Jacob replied, “I seek your favor, lord.” Esau said, “I don’t need this, here, you keep it.” Jacob replied, “No, you keep them please.” So Esau kept them after Jacob’s urging. In this way, Jacob knew that Esau did not intend to forgive Jacob and his life was still threatened. Esau said, “My land is not far from here. Come with us and you can stay with us.” Jacob replied, “We are so slow, we don’t want to keep you. You ride on ahead and we will catch up with you.” Jacob insisted, so Esau rode ahead.
However, Jacob did not follow Esau west, but traveled far south to Shekham. In his fear of Esau, Jacob forgot the promise he had made to Yahweh that he would return to Bethel and worship God.
As Jacob and his family were living near Shekham, Dinah, Jacob’s daughter was walking outside of her father’s camp. A prince of a local kingdom there lusted after her and raped her there in the wilderness. Afterwards, though, he regreted his actions and offered to marry her. His father, the king, explained the situation to Jacob, and asked permission to arrange the wedding.
Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob’s sons, spoke for their father and began to make arrangements. “Of course you can have our sister,” they said, “but we cannot allow her to marry just anybody. Your son, your family and your whole town would have to be circumcised. Only then can we be one family.” The king hesitated, the son pleaded for agreement. The king convinced his community to do this by saying that they could be very rich if they agreed to this “little” thing. So the whole community was circumcised. Three days after the circumcision, when all the men were in terrible pain, Levi and Simeon killed everyone in the town with their swords. Jacob confronted them on this evil deed, but they replied, “But they treated our sister like a whore!”
Jacob was furious and knew they had to move again. Yahweh spoke to Jacob and said, “Go to Bethel and keep the promise you made me.” So Jacob took his family and wealth and went north to Bethel. There he made all of his company get rid of any idols and false gods they had and they all dedicated themselves to Yahweh. Jacob offered sacrifices there at the rock he had placed there so many years ago. And from that time, Jacob was called Israel and he dedicated himself to Yahweh alone—no longer deceiving or tricking. And God blessed Israel there and gave him the blessing of Abraham.
Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, taking with him the blessing of Yahweh. And Yahweh blessed Jacob greatly while he was away. Through the trickery of his mother’s brother, Laben, Jacob married two of Laben’s daughters and through them had 11 children. And through his dealings with his uncle over twenty years, Jacob gained large flocks of sheep and goats and servants and became wealthy in his own right. Finally, Jacob decided that it was time to go home, so he collected his family and flocks and servants and they traveled back to Canaan.
On the way back, Jacob’s fear of his brother, Esau, grew in his mind. When he left, Esau was threatening to kill Jacob—and now, who did Jacob have to protect him and his family. Even as Jacob left, Esau was gathering servants to him—servants that could fight and kill. What did Jacob have? Women, children and a few shepherds. They were completely defenseless and a battle would destroy them all. So Jacob sent some of his servants ahead to Esau’s land with a message: “Your slave Jacob comes to you, lord Esau, with all the wealth he gained.” The servants came back to Jacob and said, “Esau is coming to meet you with 400 men.” Jacob was very nervous now—400 men was the size of an army!
Jacob prayed to Yahweh, reminding Yahweh of the promises he had given and to ask for deliverance. Then Jacob sent hundreds of sheep and goats to Esau as a present to him, hoping to placate him. Then he divided his caravan into two camps so that if Esau attacks one camp, he might not attack the other.
The night before he was to meet Esau, Jacob spent moving things about from one side of a river to another, trying to figure out how best to escape an attack. Finally, he left the camps alone and wandered off by himself to think. There, a power of heaven met him and they wrestled for superiority. The power could not defeat Jacob, and so he touched Jacob’s leg and caused him to limp. Jacob would not let go of the power, however. The power pleaded, “Let go of me—it is almost morning.” Jacob replied, “I will not release you until you give me a blessing.” The power asked, “So, what is your name?” “Jacob. And what is your name?” “Why should you need my name? But you will no longer be called Jacob but Israel because you fought both men and gods and have won.” And the power blessed him. Jacob later realized that he fought with the power of Edom, the angel over Esau.
Jacob went back to camp, limping, and he saw Esau coming toward him, with his 400 men. Jacob lined his family up before Esau, with all of his flocks and servants on the other side of the river. Then Jacob bowed before Esau seven times until Esau came up to him. Esau stopped before Jacob and embraced him and kissed him on the cheeks. All of Jacob’s family bowed before Esau. Esau said, “Who are all these?” Jacob said, “These are the wives and children Yahweh has given your slave.” Esau said, “And what of all of the flocks you sent ahead?” Jacob replied, “I seek your favor, lord.” Esau said, “I don’t need this, here, you keep it.” Jacob replied, “No, you keep them please.” So Esau kept them after Jacob’s urging. In this way, Jacob knew that Esau did not intend to forgive Jacob and his life was still threatened. Esau said, “My land is not far from here. Come with us and you can stay with us.” Jacob replied, “We are so slow, we don’t want to keep you. You ride on ahead and we will catch up with you.” Jacob insisted, so Esau rode ahead.
However, Jacob did not follow Esau west, but traveled far south to Shekham. In his fear of Esau, Jacob forgot the promise he had made to Yahweh that he would return to Bethel and worship God.
As Jacob and his family were living near Shekham, Dinah, Jacob’s daughter was walking outside of her father’s camp. A prince of a local kingdom there lusted after her and raped her there in the wilderness. Afterwards, though, he regreted his actions and offered to marry her. His father, the king, explained the situation to Jacob, and asked permission to arrange the wedding.
Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob’s sons, spoke for their father and began to make arrangements. “Of course you can have our sister,” they said, “but we cannot allow her to marry just anybody. Your son, your family and your whole town would have to be circumcised. Only then can we be one family.” The king hesitated, the son pleaded for agreement. The king convinced his community to do this by saying that they could be very rich if they agreed to this “little” thing. So the whole community was circumcised. Three days after the circumcision, when all the men were in terrible pain, Levi and Simeon killed everyone in the town with their swords. Jacob confronted them on this evil deed, but they replied, “But they treated our sister like a whore!”
Jacob was furious and knew they had to move again. Yahweh spoke to Jacob and said, “Go to Bethel and keep the promise you made me.” So Jacob took his family and wealth and went north to Bethel. There he made all of his company get rid of any idols and false gods they had and they all dedicated themselves to Yahweh. Jacob offered sacrifices there at the rock he had placed there so many years ago. And from that time, Jacob was called Israel and he dedicated himself to Yahweh alone—no longer deceiving or tricking. And God blessed Israel there and gave him the blessing of Abraham.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Questions about Genesis 25-28
Why was there conflict between Esau and Jacob?
There were three conflicts between the two of them. First of all, they had distinct personalities. Jacob hung around the tents and often assisted the women. Esau was a “man’s man” hunting and leaving for many days at a time. But they also had a conflict as to who would have the best inheritance from their father. And this is complicated by the prophecy that their mother received—that the older—Esau— would serve the younger—Jacob. These conflicts all came to a head when their mother convinced Jacob to sneak off with the blessing their father wanted to give Esau.
How can twins be first or second born?
It all depends which one comes out of the womb first. Being a first born is such a big deal in the ancient world, it had to be determined, even if it’s only a minute apart.
What is the blessing?
The blessing the two boys were both clamoring to get is the blessing of Abraham, passed on from generation to generation. Isaac figured that since Abraham could only give the blessing to one of his sons, and not the others, then Isaac himself could only give the blessing to one of his two sons.
What is the birth right?
The birth right is different from the blessing. It is the extra inheritance that the first born son only receives. In many ancient societies, the first born son would receive twice as much inheritance as his brothers. So, for instance, if a man had three sons, his property and possessions would be split into four parts, and the first son would receive half of his property, the other sons only receiving a quarter. Esau traded half of his inheritance for a bowl of soup.
Why is Esau the bad guy?
This is a good question, because Jacob seems like the heel, here. He’s the one lying and tricking. But Scripture makes it clear that Esau wasn’t as honorable as Jacob, in that he didn’t have as much faith. Jacob would do anything to receive God’s fullness for his future. He would trick and deceive for it, true—and that was not good—but it was his desire for it that was honorable. Esau didn’t care that much. It didn’t matter to him if he received a part of God’s blessing or the whole thing. It didn’t matter if he got part of his inheritance or the whole thing. Jacob wanted all that God could give him, even if he had to suffer to get it.
What is so powerful about the Bethel?
Jacob made a deal with God that would be significant for the rest of his life. He wanted Yahweh to protect him in his journey, and if God did, then Jacob would return and have Yahweh as his only God. However, we will see what happens when Jacob decides to reject this agreement.
There were three conflicts between the two of them. First of all, they had distinct personalities. Jacob hung around the tents and often assisted the women. Esau was a “man’s man” hunting and leaving for many days at a time. But they also had a conflict as to who would have the best inheritance from their father. And this is complicated by the prophecy that their mother received—that the older—Esau— would serve the younger—Jacob. These conflicts all came to a head when their mother convinced Jacob to sneak off with the blessing their father wanted to give Esau.
How can twins be first or second born?
It all depends which one comes out of the womb first. Being a first born is such a big deal in the ancient world, it had to be determined, even if it’s only a minute apart.
What is the blessing?
The blessing the two boys were both clamoring to get is the blessing of Abraham, passed on from generation to generation. Isaac figured that since Abraham could only give the blessing to one of his sons, and not the others, then Isaac himself could only give the blessing to one of his two sons.
What is the birth right?
The birth right is different from the blessing. It is the extra inheritance that the first born son only receives. In many ancient societies, the first born son would receive twice as much inheritance as his brothers. So, for instance, if a man had three sons, his property and possessions would be split into four parts, and the first son would receive half of his property, the other sons only receiving a quarter. Esau traded half of his inheritance for a bowl of soup.
Why is Esau the bad guy?
This is a good question, because Jacob seems like the heel, here. He’s the one lying and tricking. But Scripture makes it clear that Esau wasn’t as honorable as Jacob, in that he didn’t have as much faith. Jacob would do anything to receive God’s fullness for his future. He would trick and deceive for it, true—and that was not good—but it was his desire for it that was honorable. Esau didn’t care that much. It didn’t matter to him if he received a part of God’s blessing or the whole thing. It didn’t matter if he got part of his inheritance or the whole thing. Jacob wanted all that God could give him, even if he had to suffer to get it.
What is so powerful about the Bethel?
Jacob made a deal with God that would be significant for the rest of his life. He wanted Yahweh to protect him in his journey, and if God did, then Jacob would return and have Yahweh as his only God. However, we will see what happens when Jacob decides to reject this agreement.
Isaac, Jacob and Esau-- Genesis 25-28
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:25
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Hebrews 12:15-16
Yahweh promised Isaac the same promise he gave to Abraham—that he would have many descendants and would be a blessing to many nations. Abraham had many children, but the promise was only given to Isaac. When Isaac was forty, he married a woman named Rebecca who was from Abraham’s old country. In time, Abraham and Sarah died and Isaac mourned them and buried them properly. Isaac and Rebecca were married for many years, but still did not have children. Isaac prayed for his wife to Yahweh, and then she became pregnant. But the pregnancy was very difficult, and Rebecca was in agony. She cried out to Yahweh, “How can I live this way?” Yahweh replied to her, “The agony you have is because there are two children inside you and these two children are two nations. They are both powerful, but one is stronger than the other—the older will serve the younger.”
Over time, Rebecca was ready to give birth. The first child came out and he was red in color and was hairy, and so he was named Esau, which means “red”. The second came out right after the first, but his hand was holding onto the heel of the first and so he was called Jacob which means “grasper.” Esau, when he was grown, was a great hunter of wild beasts. Jacob, when he was grown was a quiet man, tending the flocks and staying by the tents. Isaac loved the wildness of Esau and his skill at hunting, and he felt that the promise of God should fall upon Esau, his oldest. Rebecca, though, remembered the word of God to her and paid close attention to Jacob, desiring to see him receive the blessing of God.
At one point, Esau went out to hunt, but had no luck. He returned home, without having eaten all day. Jacob was sitting at home, having made a pot of red lentil soup. Esau saw this and said, “Please, I am starving to death, give me some of your soup!” Jacob got a scheme in his mind and said, “Will you sell me your birth position for that soup? Let me be the firstborn, and I will give you some.” Esau replied, “What good is it that I am the firstborn if I die? Just give me something to eat!” So Esau sold part of his inheritance.
Over time, Isaac became blind due to age and felt that he was ready to die. So he called Esau to him and said, “Son, I am preparing to die. Go out, capture a wild animal and fix me my favorite meal. Then I will place upon you God’s blessing.” Esau immediately went out to obey his father. Rebecca heard Isaac and called Jacob to her. “Jacob, your father is about ready to give Esau the blessing. We must hurry!” Jacob said, “Why? If Esau is about to receive God’s blessing, there is nothing I can do about it.” Rebecca said, “Stop chattering and listen to me! I can fix your father’s favorite meal and you can serve it to him and so receive the blessing.” Jacob doubted her and said, “He will know who I am, of course! Esau has so much hair and I have little. How could I possibly fool him? And when he figures it out, he will not bless me, but curse me. ” Rebecca said, “We will put animal skins on your arms—don’t worry about it! It will all work out, I know. Now, go get me two goats.”
So Jacob slaughtered the goats and Rebecca made the food. Then they placed animal skins and Esau’s clothes on Jacob and he went in to his father. Jacob said, “My father, here I am.” Isaac couldn’t see, but he could hear the slight difference in his son’s voices, “Who are you, my son?” Jacob said, “I am Esau, your firstborn. Take your meal and bless me.” Isaac was confused and said, “Come close to me.” Isaac felt his arms and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob’s, but your arms feel like Esau. Are you really Esau?” Jacob replied, “Yes, I am.”
Isaac ate the food and said, “Come and kiss me, my son.” Jacob kissed his father and Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes. Then Isaac said, “My son smells like the outer land which the Lord has blessed. May God bless you and grant you all the wealth of the land. May your brothers bow down to you and honor you as lord. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed. And may peoples and nations honor you.” Then Jacob quickly left.
Esau then came in his father’s tent and said, “Eat the food, father, and bless me.” Isaac was very confused now. “Who are you?” Esau said, “I am Esau, your son.” Isaac said, “Then who gave me food just now? I have blessed him, whoever it was and he shall surely be blessed.” Esau cried, “What are you saying father? Don’t you have a blessing for me, your firstborn?” Isaac replied, “Your brother took your blessing. There is no blessing left for you, my son. But listen, for you shall have the growth of the land and shall have many children. But your brother will rule over you.”
Esau left the tent in anger and hated his brother from that day on. He began to tell people, “As soon as my father dies, I will kill Jacob.” Rebecca heard him and went to Isaac. “Isaac,” she said, “It is time for Jacob to marry. But I don’t want him to marry one of the women around here. Send him to my home to find a girl there.” Isaac agreed and sent Jacob away, repeating to him the blessing of Abraham.
Jacob, out of fear of Esau, left immediately. His first night out, Jacob slept in front of a rock. That night he had a dream of the spirit world and dreamed that angels were walking up and down, to and from heaven at that place. From heaven, Jacob saw a vision of Yahweh in heaven saying, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham and Isaac. The land you sleep on shall be your children’s. You shall go from this land, but I will go with you and bless you. And I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have given you what I promised.”
Jacob woke up immediately and said, “This place is a powerful place and I didn’t know it.” Jacob set the rock he was sleeping near upright and established it as an altar for Yahweh. Then Jacob made a deal with Yahweh, “Yahweh, if you keep me safe and bless me during my journey and bring me back safely, then I will make you my God and I will return here and worship you at this place.” So Jacob named this place “Bethel”, or “house of God,” and left on his journey.
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Hebrews 12:15-16
Yahweh promised Isaac the same promise he gave to Abraham—that he would have many descendants and would be a blessing to many nations. Abraham had many children, but the promise was only given to Isaac. When Isaac was forty, he married a woman named Rebecca who was from Abraham’s old country. In time, Abraham and Sarah died and Isaac mourned them and buried them properly. Isaac and Rebecca were married for many years, but still did not have children. Isaac prayed for his wife to Yahweh, and then she became pregnant. But the pregnancy was very difficult, and Rebecca was in agony. She cried out to Yahweh, “How can I live this way?” Yahweh replied to her, “The agony you have is because there are two children inside you and these two children are two nations. They are both powerful, but one is stronger than the other—the older will serve the younger.”
Over time, Rebecca was ready to give birth. The first child came out and he was red in color and was hairy, and so he was named Esau, which means “red”. The second came out right after the first, but his hand was holding onto the heel of the first and so he was called Jacob which means “grasper.” Esau, when he was grown, was a great hunter of wild beasts. Jacob, when he was grown was a quiet man, tending the flocks and staying by the tents. Isaac loved the wildness of Esau and his skill at hunting, and he felt that the promise of God should fall upon Esau, his oldest. Rebecca, though, remembered the word of God to her and paid close attention to Jacob, desiring to see him receive the blessing of God.
At one point, Esau went out to hunt, but had no luck. He returned home, without having eaten all day. Jacob was sitting at home, having made a pot of red lentil soup. Esau saw this and said, “Please, I am starving to death, give me some of your soup!” Jacob got a scheme in his mind and said, “Will you sell me your birth position for that soup? Let me be the firstborn, and I will give you some.” Esau replied, “What good is it that I am the firstborn if I die? Just give me something to eat!” So Esau sold part of his inheritance.
Over time, Isaac became blind due to age and felt that he was ready to die. So he called Esau to him and said, “Son, I am preparing to die. Go out, capture a wild animal and fix me my favorite meal. Then I will place upon you God’s blessing.” Esau immediately went out to obey his father. Rebecca heard Isaac and called Jacob to her. “Jacob, your father is about ready to give Esau the blessing. We must hurry!” Jacob said, “Why? If Esau is about to receive God’s blessing, there is nothing I can do about it.” Rebecca said, “Stop chattering and listen to me! I can fix your father’s favorite meal and you can serve it to him and so receive the blessing.” Jacob doubted her and said, “He will know who I am, of course! Esau has so much hair and I have little. How could I possibly fool him? And when he figures it out, he will not bless me, but curse me. ” Rebecca said, “We will put animal skins on your arms—don’t worry about it! It will all work out, I know. Now, go get me two goats.”
So Jacob slaughtered the goats and Rebecca made the food. Then they placed animal skins and Esau’s clothes on Jacob and he went in to his father. Jacob said, “My father, here I am.” Isaac couldn’t see, but he could hear the slight difference in his son’s voices, “Who are you, my son?” Jacob said, “I am Esau, your firstborn. Take your meal and bless me.” Isaac was confused and said, “Come close to me.” Isaac felt his arms and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob’s, but your arms feel like Esau. Are you really Esau?” Jacob replied, “Yes, I am.”
Isaac ate the food and said, “Come and kiss me, my son.” Jacob kissed his father and Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes. Then Isaac said, “My son smells like the outer land which the Lord has blessed. May God bless you and grant you all the wealth of the land. May your brothers bow down to you and honor you as lord. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed. And may peoples and nations honor you.” Then Jacob quickly left.
Esau then came in his father’s tent and said, “Eat the food, father, and bless me.” Isaac was very confused now. “Who are you?” Esau said, “I am Esau, your son.” Isaac said, “Then who gave me food just now? I have blessed him, whoever it was and he shall surely be blessed.” Esau cried, “What are you saying father? Don’t you have a blessing for me, your firstborn?” Isaac replied, “Your brother took your blessing. There is no blessing left for you, my son. But listen, for you shall have the growth of the land and shall have many children. But your brother will rule over you.”
Esau left the tent in anger and hated his brother from that day on. He began to tell people, “As soon as my father dies, I will kill Jacob.” Rebecca heard him and went to Isaac. “Isaac,” she said, “It is time for Jacob to marry. But I don’t want him to marry one of the women around here. Send him to my home to find a girl there.” Isaac agreed and sent Jacob away, repeating to him the blessing of Abraham.
Jacob, out of fear of Esau, left immediately. His first night out, Jacob slept in front of a rock. That night he had a dream of the spirit world and dreamed that angels were walking up and down, to and from heaven at that place. From heaven, Jacob saw a vision of Yahweh in heaven saying, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham and Isaac. The land you sleep on shall be your children’s. You shall go from this land, but I will go with you and bless you. And I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have given you what I promised.”
Jacob woke up immediately and said, “This place is a powerful place and I didn’t know it.” Jacob set the rock he was sleeping near upright and established it as an altar for Yahweh. Then Jacob made a deal with Yahweh, “Yahweh, if you keep me safe and bless me during my journey and bring me back safely, then I will make you my God and I will return here and worship you at this place.” So Jacob named this place “Bethel”, or “house of God,” and left on his journey.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Questions about Abraham and Isaac
Why was Isaac called “laughter”?
Isaac’s birth was something of a cosmic joke. Humor is often seeing something one might expect in one context in a context that you wouldn’t expect it. So the birth of a baby is wonderful and expected, but a birth to a ninety year old is unexpected and, frankly, funny. So everyone, when they heard of it, laughed at the absurdity of it. So they named him “laughter”—which is what Isaac means—so everyone could enjoy God’s cosmic joke.
Why did God tell Abraham to be rid of Hagar and Ishmael?
To send his slave and son into the desert with only a little food and water was against everything that Abraham stood for. But he did so because God himself said that He would protect them. If it weren’t for that promise, Abraham wouldn’t have done it. God told Abraham to do this, because He didn’t want there to be any question as to who would be in the inheritor of Abraham’s promise—it was only Isaac, no one else. Because only Isaac was the one whom God provided, so he could be the only real choice.
Why did God tell Abraham to kill his own son?
It says in the text that God was testing Abraham—he was seeing if Abraham truly loved God as much as he used to. God already knew the answer, but he was proving it to others, even as God proved to Satan that Job was truly righteous (see Job 1 and 2). It was important, for God was placing the entire salvation of the human race into Abraham’s hands. So God was occasionally testing his people to see where they stood with Him.
Why did God repeat Isaac’s name so often?
God repeated Isaac’s name for clarity, and also because what he was saying was so difficult. It is almost as if God was having a hard time making this request. God was expressing his own love for Isaac, even as he was talking about Abraham’s love for his son.
Does God approve of human sacrifice?
Absolutely not. God rejects human sacrifice again and again in the Scriptures, and condemns those who do it (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35; Exodus 13:13-15). Never has God approved of murder, and he has destroyed many civilizations who approve of it.
Isn’t it wrong for God to tempt Abraham to do evil?
This is kind of complicated. Even though it is wrong before God, there are occasions that God commands his people to do what is wrong before Him. And there are times that people do what is evil before God, but they are approved of despite it (See Judges 11). This is because people are so confused about what is right and wrong—even Abraham—that God often has to focus on people’s motivations rather than their actions. In other words, Abraham was willing to kill Isaac, because of his love of God. Others were willing to do other evil things, because of their care. In the same way, people today are willing to kill others in war, even though it is evil, but their motivations are pure. Does this make the action right? Not exactly. It means their motives are pure. But Jesus leads us not only to right motives, but right actions. He tells us exactly what God wants of us, while the rest of the Bible or humanity might be fuzzy or difficult to understand.
Did God tempt Abraham to evil? Not according to Abraham. And God didn’t allow him to do it anyway—he couldn’t allow his servant to do such evil. God knew that if Abraham loved him enough to obey him in this difficult thing, then he would obey in not doing the difficult thing. Morally, this is difficult to understand. But we must accept that God is pure and holy in all his ways, even if we don’t understand.
Why did Abraham agree to give up on what he was promised?
The book of Hebrews said that Abraham was willing because he believed that God would raise Isaac up from the dead (Heb. 11:19, above). Whatever the case, Abraham had waited 25 years for a son and he knew that God wouldn’t forsake his promise, no matter how difficult the circumstance looked. Abraham’s sacrifice is true, ultimate faith in God.
Isaac’s birth was something of a cosmic joke. Humor is often seeing something one might expect in one context in a context that you wouldn’t expect it. So the birth of a baby is wonderful and expected, but a birth to a ninety year old is unexpected and, frankly, funny. So everyone, when they heard of it, laughed at the absurdity of it. So they named him “laughter”—which is what Isaac means—so everyone could enjoy God’s cosmic joke.
Why did God tell Abraham to be rid of Hagar and Ishmael?
To send his slave and son into the desert with only a little food and water was against everything that Abraham stood for. But he did so because God himself said that He would protect them. If it weren’t for that promise, Abraham wouldn’t have done it. God told Abraham to do this, because He didn’t want there to be any question as to who would be in the inheritor of Abraham’s promise—it was only Isaac, no one else. Because only Isaac was the one whom God provided, so he could be the only real choice.
Why did God tell Abraham to kill his own son?
It says in the text that God was testing Abraham—he was seeing if Abraham truly loved God as much as he used to. God already knew the answer, but he was proving it to others, even as God proved to Satan that Job was truly righteous (see Job 1 and 2). It was important, for God was placing the entire salvation of the human race into Abraham’s hands. So God was occasionally testing his people to see where they stood with Him.
Why did God repeat Isaac’s name so often?
God repeated Isaac’s name for clarity, and also because what he was saying was so difficult. It is almost as if God was having a hard time making this request. God was expressing his own love for Isaac, even as he was talking about Abraham’s love for his son.
Does God approve of human sacrifice?
Absolutely not. God rejects human sacrifice again and again in the Scriptures, and condemns those who do it (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35; Exodus 13:13-15). Never has God approved of murder, and he has destroyed many civilizations who approve of it.
Isn’t it wrong for God to tempt Abraham to do evil?
This is kind of complicated. Even though it is wrong before God, there are occasions that God commands his people to do what is wrong before Him. And there are times that people do what is evil before God, but they are approved of despite it (See Judges 11). This is because people are so confused about what is right and wrong—even Abraham—that God often has to focus on people’s motivations rather than their actions. In other words, Abraham was willing to kill Isaac, because of his love of God. Others were willing to do other evil things, because of their care. In the same way, people today are willing to kill others in war, even though it is evil, but their motivations are pure. Does this make the action right? Not exactly. It means their motives are pure. But Jesus leads us not only to right motives, but right actions. He tells us exactly what God wants of us, while the rest of the Bible or humanity might be fuzzy or difficult to understand.
Did God tempt Abraham to evil? Not according to Abraham. And God didn’t allow him to do it anyway—he couldn’t allow his servant to do such evil. God knew that if Abraham loved him enough to obey him in this difficult thing, then he would obey in not doing the difficult thing. Morally, this is difficult to understand. But we must accept that God is pure and holy in all his ways, even if we don’t understand.
Why did Abraham agree to give up on what he was promised?
The book of Hebrews said that Abraham was willing because he believed that God would raise Isaac up from the dead (Heb. 11:19, above). Whatever the case, Abraham had waited 25 years for a son and he knew that God wouldn’t forsake his promise, no matter how difficult the circumstance looked. Abraham’s sacrifice is true, ultimate faith in God.
Abraham and Isaac
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back. Hebrews 11:17-19
I tell you that many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. Galatians 4:22-23
Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 91. Twenty-five years ago, Yahweh promised them that Sarah would be pregnant and she would have a baby boy. They had both laughed when they heard it—they thought it was foolish for them to have a child. But Yahweh reminded them: “Is anything too hard for God?” And now the impossible had happened—Sarah gave birth to a baby boy. When it finally happened, she laughed with joy, saying, “Who could have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children. Yet now, at ninety years old, I have given him a son. God has made laughter for me. Now everyone who hears my news will laugh with me.” And so they called the child “laughter”—Isaac.
Isaac grew and was cared for by his parents. They protected him and watched carefully as he grew in love and understanding. He watched Abraham’s flocks and learned about the care of animals. He was a good child and Abraham loved him with all of his heart.
Soon the day came that Isaac was weaned—he was about three at the time. A party was held for all of Abraham’s household, and Ishmael, Abraham’s thirteen year old son by a slave woman, Hagar, was also attending. In the midst of the party, Ishmael mocked Isaac, knowing that he was the oldest and so legally he had the right to inherit all of Abraham’s household. While Isaac didn’t understand, Sarah did. “I will not have that slave woman and her brat in my household anymore,” Sarah yelled at Abraham. She proclaimed that she wanted Hagar and Ishmael thrown out to the wilderness.
Abraham hesitated, for he did not want to put Hagar in a life-threatening situation. But God told Abraham, “I will care for them. Go ahead and tell them to go.” So Abraham gave them water and food and sent them on their way. It wasn’t long until the water ran out and Hagar was faced with their death in the desert. “Please, don’t let me see my son die!” Hagar cried. Then God spoke to her, “I will not allow either of you to die. Your son will be the father of many nations and they will rule over great and wild lands.” Water was provided for them, they settled into a community of the wilderness, and Ishmael became a great man among the wandering tribes.
Years after this, Yahweh spoke to Abraham, “Abraham!” Abraham replied, “Yes, here I am.” Yahweh said, “I will say this carefully. Take your son—your only son—take your son whom you love so dearly and go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain there.” Abraham’s face turned dark, but he said nothing. He thought within himself, “How can God do this to me? He promised me Isaac, and he gave me this son at the end of my life. Now is Yahweh going to take him away from me? Why is he forcing me to give Isaac to him as a gift? The boy is Yahweh’s gift to me! Ah, I know—I will offer Isaac up to Yahweh, and Yahweh will return him to me! I will sacrifice him and Yahweh will resurrect him. Of course, it is all clear to me!”
The next morning, before anyone else was up, Abraham prepared for the trip. He got his son Isaac up and left before anyone could ask him what he was doing. After three days, they had reached the mountain. Abraham took the wood and placed it on Isaac’s back and they left the donkeys behind. The two walked up together. Isaac noticed that they were preparing to offer a sacrifice, but was curious. “Father?” “Yes, here I am.” Abraham answered. “I see that we have wood for a fire. But if we are going to offer a sacrifice, where is the lamb?” Abraham replied, “God will provide the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.”
At the top of the mountain, Abraham built an altar and took the wood off of his son’s back and arranged it there. At that point, Abraham turned to his son with rope and tied the boy up tightly, so he couldn’t move. Isaac looked at Abraham with wide eyes as Abraham laid him on top of the wood. Then Abraham pulled out the knife he had hidden and raised it above his son, ready to strike.
“Abraham, stop!” Abraham replied, “Yes, here I am.” An angel revealed himself to Abraham and said, “Do not kill your son. Do nothing to him. You have proven yourself well. You truly fear God and will not hold anything back from Yahweh—not even your son whom you love more than anything else in the world. Now look, and Yahweh will provide a sacrifice for you.” Abraham looked over at some bushes and noticed a ram there, caught in the thicket. Abraham’s shaking hands untied his son, caught the ram and placed it on the altar. And Abraham called that place Yahweh Yaireh—Yahweh will provide.
Yahweh spoke to Abraham again and said, “Your son, your only son you did not keep from me. Because you have demonstrated your love for me, I will bless you greater than any man in the world. Your children will be counted as more than the stars in the sky—like the sand on the seashore. No enemy will overcome them. And in your child all the nations of the earth will be blessed—because you have obeyed my voice. And everyone who loves me as you have, Abraham, will be called a child of Abraham and will inherit the kingdom which I will give to you.”
I tell you that many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. Galatians 4:22-23
Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 91. Twenty-five years ago, Yahweh promised them that Sarah would be pregnant and she would have a baby boy. They had both laughed when they heard it—they thought it was foolish for them to have a child. But Yahweh reminded them: “Is anything too hard for God?” And now the impossible had happened—Sarah gave birth to a baby boy. When it finally happened, she laughed with joy, saying, “Who could have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children. Yet now, at ninety years old, I have given him a son. God has made laughter for me. Now everyone who hears my news will laugh with me.” And so they called the child “laughter”—Isaac.
Isaac grew and was cared for by his parents. They protected him and watched carefully as he grew in love and understanding. He watched Abraham’s flocks and learned about the care of animals. He was a good child and Abraham loved him with all of his heart.
Soon the day came that Isaac was weaned—he was about three at the time. A party was held for all of Abraham’s household, and Ishmael, Abraham’s thirteen year old son by a slave woman, Hagar, was also attending. In the midst of the party, Ishmael mocked Isaac, knowing that he was the oldest and so legally he had the right to inherit all of Abraham’s household. While Isaac didn’t understand, Sarah did. “I will not have that slave woman and her brat in my household anymore,” Sarah yelled at Abraham. She proclaimed that she wanted Hagar and Ishmael thrown out to the wilderness.
Abraham hesitated, for he did not want to put Hagar in a life-threatening situation. But God told Abraham, “I will care for them. Go ahead and tell them to go.” So Abraham gave them water and food and sent them on their way. It wasn’t long until the water ran out and Hagar was faced with their death in the desert. “Please, don’t let me see my son die!” Hagar cried. Then God spoke to her, “I will not allow either of you to die. Your son will be the father of many nations and they will rule over great and wild lands.” Water was provided for them, they settled into a community of the wilderness, and Ishmael became a great man among the wandering tribes.
Years after this, Yahweh spoke to Abraham, “Abraham!” Abraham replied, “Yes, here I am.” Yahweh said, “I will say this carefully. Take your son—your only son—take your son whom you love so dearly and go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain there.” Abraham’s face turned dark, but he said nothing. He thought within himself, “How can God do this to me? He promised me Isaac, and he gave me this son at the end of my life. Now is Yahweh going to take him away from me? Why is he forcing me to give Isaac to him as a gift? The boy is Yahweh’s gift to me! Ah, I know—I will offer Isaac up to Yahweh, and Yahweh will return him to me! I will sacrifice him and Yahweh will resurrect him. Of course, it is all clear to me!”
The next morning, before anyone else was up, Abraham prepared for the trip. He got his son Isaac up and left before anyone could ask him what he was doing. After three days, they had reached the mountain. Abraham took the wood and placed it on Isaac’s back and they left the donkeys behind. The two walked up together. Isaac noticed that they were preparing to offer a sacrifice, but was curious. “Father?” “Yes, here I am.” Abraham answered. “I see that we have wood for a fire. But if we are going to offer a sacrifice, where is the lamb?” Abraham replied, “God will provide the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.”
At the top of the mountain, Abraham built an altar and took the wood off of his son’s back and arranged it there. At that point, Abraham turned to his son with rope and tied the boy up tightly, so he couldn’t move. Isaac looked at Abraham with wide eyes as Abraham laid him on top of the wood. Then Abraham pulled out the knife he had hidden and raised it above his son, ready to strike.
“Abraham, stop!” Abraham replied, “Yes, here I am.” An angel revealed himself to Abraham and said, “Do not kill your son. Do nothing to him. You have proven yourself well. You truly fear God and will not hold anything back from Yahweh—not even your son whom you love more than anything else in the world. Now look, and Yahweh will provide a sacrifice for you.” Abraham looked over at some bushes and noticed a ram there, caught in the thicket. Abraham’s shaking hands untied his son, caught the ram and placed it on the altar. And Abraham called that place Yahweh Yaireh—Yahweh will provide.
Yahweh spoke to Abraham again and said, “Your son, your only son you did not keep from me. Because you have demonstrated your love for me, I will bless you greater than any man in the world. Your children will be counted as more than the stars in the sky—like the sand on the seashore. No enemy will overcome them. And in your child all the nations of the earth will be blessed—because you have obeyed my voice. And everyone who loves me as you have, Abraham, will be called a child of Abraham and will inherit the kingdom which I will give to you.”
Questions on Abraham and Sodom
Is it Abram or Abraham?
Abram means “father of many”, while Abraham means “father of a multitude.” It’s not much of a change, but it is significant when you only have one kid. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham when he promised him that he would be the father of many nations. Abram always was called Abraham from that time on. And God also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah—from “princess” to “queen”.
How did Abraham treat God?
Abraham saw three strangers on the road—he didn’t know they were angels. But he treated them like kings, just because they were travelling by and they were clearly in need—they were in the middle of nowhere with no water or food on them. And so Abraham treated them with great honor and a lot of food, even though they didn’t look any more divine than you or I. And this is one of the reasons for Abraham’s reward—because he treated the poor with honor. For this reason, the book of Hebrews in the New Testament says, “Treat strangers with hospitality, for some have welcomed angels without them knowing.”
How could God look like a person?
The text says that God was walking down the road. Some say that it was Jesus, before he was born. But sometimes powerful angels can look like people and represent God. These three were angels, but they were also called “men” here.
How could Sarah have a baby?
Sarah was past menopause—and so it was physically impossible for her to have a baby. Modern skeptics scoff at this. But notice that Sarah (and, in a earlier chapter, Abraham) also scoffed at this idea. It is simply ridiculous to think that a post-menopause woman could have a child. But nothing is so ridiculous that God couldn’t do it.
Why did God destroy Sodom?
Sodom was evil, of that there was no doubt. Part of that evil was homosexuality, as the book of Jude in the New Testament speaks to. But most of the Bible says that the sin of Sodom was oppression of the poor. They would take strangers, who are helpless, and they would rape them and kill them. In this way, they wouldn’t have immigrants coming to their city. This was evil, and many of those oppressed prayed to God and asked for justice. Thus, God was sending two angels to see if this outcry was true, and if so, Sodom would be destroyed.
Why did Abraham defend Sodom?
Abraham defended Sodom partly because Lot lived there. Abraham assumed that Lot wasn’t taken up in Sodom’s sin, and he hated to see Lot destroyed with all these evil people. Then Abraham also thought that there might be more than just one righteous person. In a city the size of Sodom’s (perhaps a thousand), couldn’t there be many good people? So Abraham wanted to see if God would destroy the righteous with the wicked. Of course, God wouldn’t. But God was still determined to destroy Sodom for it’s wickedness, so he pulled the righteous people out.
Why did Sodom do these evil deeds?
Because Sodom was afraid of immigrants, even as Egypt would be in later years. Immigrants brought in new ideas and new languages. They were sometimes thieves and they presented danger. So Sodom was just protecting itself by raping and killing the stranger. Fear often causes people to do the most evil deeds.
Abram means “father of many”, while Abraham means “father of a multitude.” It’s not much of a change, but it is significant when you only have one kid. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham when he promised him that he would be the father of many nations. Abram always was called Abraham from that time on. And God also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah—from “princess” to “queen”.
How did Abraham treat God?
Abraham saw three strangers on the road—he didn’t know they were angels. But he treated them like kings, just because they were travelling by and they were clearly in need—they were in the middle of nowhere with no water or food on them. And so Abraham treated them with great honor and a lot of food, even though they didn’t look any more divine than you or I. And this is one of the reasons for Abraham’s reward—because he treated the poor with honor. For this reason, the book of Hebrews in the New Testament says, “Treat strangers with hospitality, for some have welcomed angels without them knowing.”
How could God look like a person?
The text says that God was walking down the road. Some say that it was Jesus, before he was born. But sometimes powerful angels can look like people and represent God. These three were angels, but they were also called “men” here.
How could Sarah have a baby?
Sarah was past menopause—and so it was physically impossible for her to have a baby. Modern skeptics scoff at this. But notice that Sarah (and, in a earlier chapter, Abraham) also scoffed at this idea. It is simply ridiculous to think that a post-menopause woman could have a child. But nothing is so ridiculous that God couldn’t do it.
Why did God destroy Sodom?
Sodom was evil, of that there was no doubt. Part of that evil was homosexuality, as the book of Jude in the New Testament speaks to. But most of the Bible says that the sin of Sodom was oppression of the poor. They would take strangers, who are helpless, and they would rape them and kill them. In this way, they wouldn’t have immigrants coming to their city. This was evil, and many of those oppressed prayed to God and asked for justice. Thus, God was sending two angels to see if this outcry was true, and if so, Sodom would be destroyed.
Why did Abraham defend Sodom?
Abraham defended Sodom partly because Lot lived there. Abraham assumed that Lot wasn’t taken up in Sodom’s sin, and he hated to see Lot destroyed with all these evil people. Then Abraham also thought that there might be more than just one righteous person. In a city the size of Sodom’s (perhaps a thousand), couldn’t there be many good people? So Abraham wanted to see if God would destroy the righteous with the wicked. Of course, God wouldn’t. But God was still determined to destroy Sodom for it’s wickedness, so he pulled the righteous people out.
Why did Sodom do these evil deeds?
Because Sodom was afraid of immigrants, even as Egypt would be in later years. Immigrants brought in new ideas and new languages. They were sometimes thieves and they presented danger. So Sodom was just protecting itself by raping and killing the stranger. Fear often causes people to do the most evil deeds.
Abraham, Lot and Sodom
Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. Ezekiel 36:49-50
It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:28-33
Abram and his wife Sarai had waited 24 years to have a son, which is what God promised them. Now Abram was 99 and Sarah was 90. It was not possible for them to have children. But God promised, and so Abram believed, year after year. But sometimes he doubted in his heart that he would truly have a son.
One day Abram sat in front of his tent, as he often did, in order to solve problems that came up, as they often did. Far off, in the distance, Abram saw strangers travelling down the road. They had few provisions, Abram could see—almost no food and water. They must be hungry and tired from their travels, Abram thought. They need some help. So Abram ran to the three strangers and bowed to the ground in front of them. “Sirs” Abram said, his face almost touching the ground, “please would you come to my little place over here and could I offer you some bread and water.” The travelers were impressed by this humble display of hospitality, so they accepted. Abram got up, walked with them to his tent and then told Sarai, “Sarai, please make up a steak dinner for these gentlemen—as much as they please, holding nothing back!”
When this feast was presented, the men were very impressed with Abram’s gracious hospitality, and determined to reward him. The center man looked at Abram and said, “This time next year your wife will give birth to a son.” At this Sarai laughed within herself, thinking, “How can a ninety year old woman give birth to a child?” Abram, though looked at the man and said, “Who are you?” The man replied, “I am Yahweh, your God. So, why did Sarai laugh? Is anything too hard for God?” Sarah replied, “I did not laugh.” And Yahweh said back to Sarai, “Yes, you did. But know this: Sarai will have a child next year, according to my word. And you, Abram, are not to be called ‘father’, but Abraham, ‘father of multitudes.’ And Sarai shall not be called ‘little princess’, but Sarah, ‘princess’ for she shall be the mother of kings.”
Then Yahweh sent the two angels who had traveled with him away to Sodom, to destroy it. Yahweh spoke before Abraham, “Shall I tell Abraham what I am about to do? He is the teacher of my people, to lead them into doing right—should I tell him?” Abraham waited patiently until Yahweh spoke again, “Abraham, I have heard the cry of the poor against Sodom. It is prayed to me that Sodom is wicked and oppresses the poor and the stranger. I have sent my servants to Sodom. If it is true, I will destroy that city and no one will survive.”
Abraham was nervous, but spoke before Yahweh. “Lord, but what of the righteous that live there in Sodom? Should they be destroyed with the wicked? You are just, surely you will not do such a thing. What if fifty righteous people lived in Sodom—would you destroy it then?” Yahweh replied, “No, I will not destroy it then.” Abraham spoke again, “Forgive me Lord, but I must speak. What if there were only ten righteous people in Sodom? Would you destroy it then?” Yahweh replied, “No, I will not destroy it then.” And Yahweh left Abraham.
The messengers of Yahweh walked into Sodom later that evening. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was waiting by the gate of the city and saw the angels. Thinking they were men, Lot hurriedly invited them to his house. “No,” said the messengers of Yahweh, “we will sleep in the middle of the town. That should be fine, shouldn’t it?” Lot implored them, “Please, sirs. Please stay at my house. It is safer, much safer. Who knows who will attack you at night?” The messengers allowed themselves to be persuaded by Lot. Lot brought them home and offered them dinner.
Just as they were beginning to eat, a knock came on the door. Lot opened the door and saw all of the men of Sodom outside the door with weapons. “Lot,” they said, “we know that you have those two strangers in your house. Be a good man, Lot and let us have them.” Lot replied, “What would you do with them?” The men smiled. “Nothing much. We will just have sex with them all night. They might die, they might not. But they’ll never come back, that’s for sure.” Lot said, “These men are under my protection—I will not allow you to have them.” “All right” said the men, “then we’ll come in and get them. And you will feel yourself, Lot, how we treat strangers here.”
At this time, one of the angels held his hand out the door and a great flash of light blinded all the men. The angels turned to Lot at this time and said, “You need to get out of this town right now. Yahweh has marked this place for destruction. Get out and take all of your family.” Lot went to his family—two daughters, two sons-in-law, and his wife—and told them that they needed to leave immediately. His sons-in-law thought he was joking and went back to sleep. Lot hesitated, saying “Aren’t there others I should take? Shouldn’t I pack? I’m not ready…” The angels grabbed Lot with his wife and daughters and forced them out of the city. “Get out!” they cried. “Don’t stop! And whatever you do, don’t go back, don’t even look back—Sodom will be destroyed in a moment!”
So Lot left Sodom and didn’t look back. Lot’s wife, however, did look back, for she didn’t want to leave her friends and the good life in Sodom. As she turned back, she was turned to a pillar of salt. Lot, however, lived in the wilderness with his daughters for many years. Immediately after the disaster, Lot and his daughters thought the whole world was destroyed. So Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him. They each had children who became nations—Ammon and Moab— in later years.
It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:28-33
Abram and his wife Sarai had waited 24 years to have a son, which is what God promised them. Now Abram was 99 and Sarah was 90. It was not possible for them to have children. But God promised, and so Abram believed, year after year. But sometimes he doubted in his heart that he would truly have a son.
One day Abram sat in front of his tent, as he often did, in order to solve problems that came up, as they often did. Far off, in the distance, Abram saw strangers travelling down the road. They had few provisions, Abram could see—almost no food and water. They must be hungry and tired from their travels, Abram thought. They need some help. So Abram ran to the three strangers and bowed to the ground in front of them. “Sirs” Abram said, his face almost touching the ground, “please would you come to my little place over here and could I offer you some bread and water.” The travelers were impressed by this humble display of hospitality, so they accepted. Abram got up, walked with them to his tent and then told Sarai, “Sarai, please make up a steak dinner for these gentlemen—as much as they please, holding nothing back!”
When this feast was presented, the men were very impressed with Abram’s gracious hospitality, and determined to reward him. The center man looked at Abram and said, “This time next year your wife will give birth to a son.” At this Sarai laughed within herself, thinking, “How can a ninety year old woman give birth to a child?” Abram, though looked at the man and said, “Who are you?” The man replied, “I am Yahweh, your God. So, why did Sarai laugh? Is anything too hard for God?” Sarah replied, “I did not laugh.” And Yahweh said back to Sarai, “Yes, you did. But know this: Sarai will have a child next year, according to my word. And you, Abram, are not to be called ‘father’, but Abraham, ‘father of multitudes.’ And Sarai shall not be called ‘little princess’, but Sarah, ‘princess’ for she shall be the mother of kings.”
Then Yahweh sent the two angels who had traveled with him away to Sodom, to destroy it. Yahweh spoke before Abraham, “Shall I tell Abraham what I am about to do? He is the teacher of my people, to lead them into doing right—should I tell him?” Abraham waited patiently until Yahweh spoke again, “Abraham, I have heard the cry of the poor against Sodom. It is prayed to me that Sodom is wicked and oppresses the poor and the stranger. I have sent my servants to Sodom. If it is true, I will destroy that city and no one will survive.”
Abraham was nervous, but spoke before Yahweh. “Lord, but what of the righteous that live there in Sodom? Should they be destroyed with the wicked? You are just, surely you will not do such a thing. What if fifty righteous people lived in Sodom—would you destroy it then?” Yahweh replied, “No, I will not destroy it then.” Abraham spoke again, “Forgive me Lord, but I must speak. What if there were only ten righteous people in Sodom? Would you destroy it then?” Yahweh replied, “No, I will not destroy it then.” And Yahweh left Abraham.
The messengers of Yahweh walked into Sodom later that evening. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was waiting by the gate of the city and saw the angels. Thinking they were men, Lot hurriedly invited them to his house. “No,” said the messengers of Yahweh, “we will sleep in the middle of the town. That should be fine, shouldn’t it?” Lot implored them, “Please, sirs. Please stay at my house. It is safer, much safer. Who knows who will attack you at night?” The messengers allowed themselves to be persuaded by Lot. Lot brought them home and offered them dinner.
Just as they were beginning to eat, a knock came on the door. Lot opened the door and saw all of the men of Sodom outside the door with weapons. “Lot,” they said, “we know that you have those two strangers in your house. Be a good man, Lot and let us have them.” Lot replied, “What would you do with them?” The men smiled. “Nothing much. We will just have sex with them all night. They might die, they might not. But they’ll never come back, that’s for sure.” Lot said, “These men are under my protection—I will not allow you to have them.” “All right” said the men, “then we’ll come in and get them. And you will feel yourself, Lot, how we treat strangers here.”
At this time, one of the angels held his hand out the door and a great flash of light blinded all the men. The angels turned to Lot at this time and said, “You need to get out of this town right now. Yahweh has marked this place for destruction. Get out and take all of your family.” Lot went to his family—two daughters, two sons-in-law, and his wife—and told them that they needed to leave immediately. His sons-in-law thought he was joking and went back to sleep. Lot hesitated, saying “Aren’t there others I should take? Shouldn’t I pack? I’m not ready…” The angels grabbed Lot with his wife and daughters and forced them out of the city. “Get out!” they cried. “Don’t stop! And whatever you do, don’t go back, don’t even look back—Sodom will be destroyed in a moment!”
So Lot left Sodom and didn’t look back. Lot’s wife, however, did look back, for she didn’t want to leave her friends and the good life in Sodom. As she turned back, she was turned to a pillar of salt. Lot, however, lived in the wilderness with his daughters for many years. Immediately after the disaster, Lot and his daughters thought the whole world was destroyed. So Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him. They each had children who became nations—Ammon and Moab— in later years.
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