Bible

The Book of Genesis – (cont’d)

Origins of the Semitic Race:

          Here in Part 2 of Genesis, Chapters 12 – 30, we see the development of Abraham’s family through his sons, Isaac and Jacob.  This is the origin of the Semitic race of people beginning at about 2100 B.C.

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Genesis–Part 2

Chapter 12. Abram

Abram is called by God to move to a ‘Promised Land’:

• Terah, Abram’s father, is to move his family from their home in Ur of the Chaldeans, to a place called Canaan.
• Before they reach Canaan, they settle at Haran for several years where Terah dies.
• At Haran God promises to bless Abram and his family.

At 75 years of age, Abram sets out from Haran, south toward Canaan.

• The Lord tells Abram where to stop: He has arrived.
• Abram builds altars at Shechem and Bethel, worships God.

Later, famine comes to Canaan, Abram moves down to Egypt.

• Fearful for his life, he tells the Egyptians Sarai is his sister.
• The Pharaoh gives Abram many gifts, then sends him away.

Chapter 13. Parting

Eventually, Abram moves his settlement back to Bethel:

• Lot, his nephew, has traveled with Abram since they left Ur.  
• They both have accumulated great wealth.
• Their territory gets crowded, they decide to part company.
• Lot moves his settlement east into the fertile plain.
• Abram decides to settle near Hebron in Canaan.
• God promises all of Canaan, everywhere he can walk, to Abram and his descendants.

Chapter 14. Melchizedek

Lot moves his home to the city of Sodom, in the plain of the Jordan River:

• War comes to the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah are pillaged.
• Lot is kidnapped, his possessions stolen.
• Abram learns of it, gathers a fighting force, pursues Lot’s captors, recovers him and his possessions.

Melchizedek, king of Salem, a priest of the God of Abram, meets Abram on his way home.

• Abram acknowledges him as King and priest, gives him a tenth of everything he has.

The king of Sodom, rescued by Abram, proposes Abram keep the goods, give the people to Sodom.

• Abram responds:  He will accept nothing from one who might later claim to have made Abram rich.

Chapter 15. Promise  

Back home in Hebron, Abram hears the word of the Lord:

• In his old age he will have great rewards, many offspring.
• He is declared righteous for his belief in God.
• The Lord tells him his offspring will be enslaved in a foreign land for 400 years,
• Then they will be set free with great wealth.
• His people will own everything from Egypt to the Euphrates.

Chapter 16. Ishmael

Abram’s wife, Sarai, is barren; Hagar is Sarai’s servant:

• Sarai suggests that Abram get his heir through Hagar.
• Sarai’s jealousy drives Hagar away to the desert.
• In the desert Hagar sees an angel who tells her to go back.
• She will be blessed with many descendants.
• Her son, Ishmael, will be uncontrollable, hated by all.

Chapter 17. Agreement

Thirteen years after Ishmael is born, Abram is 99 years old:

• God confirms his Agreement with Abram: He will have many offspring, many nations, will own the land of Canaan.
• His name is changed to Abraham.
• The Agreement:  Abraham, his family, his entire settlement, all males shall be circumcised in the flesh.
• Sarai’s name changes to Sarah, will have many offspring, her son, Isaac, will be greatly blessed under the Agreement.
• Per Abraham’s request, God agrees to bless Ishmael with many descendants, make of him a great nation.
• (Ishmael becomes an ancestor to Muhammed, the father of Islam.)

Chapter 18. Visitors  

One day three men visit Abraham at Hebron:

• He recognizes them as two angels and the Lord himself.
• The Lord promises a son for Sarah within a year.
• Sarah laughs, then denies it.
• Abraham is reassured: nothing is too hard for God.

As they leave, the visitors look toward Sodom and Gomorrah, cities renowned for homosexual activity.

• Abraham perceives that God is going to destroy Sodom.
• He bargains with God for mercy:  Will Sodom be spared if there are 50 righteous people there?  45?  40?  30?  20?  10?
• If there are just 10 people serving God in Sodom it will be spared;  Abraham’s nephew, Lot, lives in Sodom.

Chapter 19. Destruction

The two angels go to Sodom, Lot takes them into his house:

• Men of the city surround Lot’s house, demand he send the men visitors out to them for sex.
• The angels strike the men blind.
• Lot escapes with his wife and daughters to Zoar; his future sons-in-law refuse to leave Sodom with them.
• When they are gone, burning sulfur rains down, destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire plain burns down to bare earth.
• Fleeing the area, Lot’s wife looks back, turns into a block of salt.

Fearful on the plain, Lot takes his daughters to the hill country:

• Isolated, living in a cave, Lot’s daughters plot to get themselves sons by their own father; get him drunk.
• Their sons are the fathers of Moabites and the Ammonites.

Chapter 20. Lie

Abraham moves his settlement south into the Negev area:

• At Gerar, in fear for his life, Abraham lies that Sarah is his sister; King Abimelech takes Sarah, but does not touch her.
• Sarah and Abraham receive silver, large amounts of goods, given free range by the king, can live wherever they want.

Chapter 21. Miracle   

Isaac is born as promised:

• Sarah is 90 years old; Abraham 100.
• Isaac receives God’s promise to Abraham.
• Hagar and Ishmael are sent away from the clan to wander.
• God saves them, promises Ishmael will be a great nation.

Abraham and Abimelech argue over water rights.

• God blesses Abraham greatly while in Abimelech’s land.
• Abimelech’s servants seize a water well that Abraham dug.
• The two men settle the dispute with a treaty at Beersheba.

Chapter 22. Sacrifice

God calls Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice:

• Abraham takes Isaac to a mountain, proves he is willing to offer his son to God, a ram appears for the sacrifice.
• For his obedience Abraham is again promised he will be a great nation of innumerable descendants and riches.

Chapter 23. Death     

At the age of 127 Sarah dies at Hebron in Canaan.

• Abraham is offered the gift of a burial place for Sarah.
• Insists that he pay for the property, Sarah is buried in a cave, in a field, in Canaan.

Chapter 24. Wife

Abraham wants to find a wife for his son Isaac:

• Tells his servant to go get a woman from his father’s people.
• The servant obeys, is directed to the right woman.
• Rebekah moves to Canaan, marries Isaac.

Chapter 25. Birthright

Abraham remarries:

• Has many children by wives and servants.
• Abraham dies at age 175, burie d in the cave with Sarah.
• Leaves entire estate to Isaac.

Ishmael also leaves a legacy:

• Has 12 sons, 12 tribes, settlements near Egypt.
• Marked by perpetual hostility, fighting.
• Dies at 139 years of age.

Rebekah has twin boys forty years after marrying Isaac:

• Esau is born first, right to inheritance, close to his father.
• Jacob, closer to his mother, buys Esau’s birthright with a bowl of soup.

Chapter 26. Prosperity

Famine returns throughout the land of Canaan:

• Isaac plans to take his family down to Egypt to escape the famine, but God tells him to stop at Gerar, land of the Philistines whose ruler is Abimelech.
• Fearful that the Philistines will kill him and take Rebekah, Isaac tells Abimelech she is his sister.
• Abimelech decrees that none of his people are to touch her.
• God assures Isaac he will be blessed with great prosperity; Isaac is to inherit all the land promised to Abraham.
• In the famine, Isaac plants his crops in barren land and reaps a hundred-fold harvest; he uncovers all the wells his father had dug previously which the Philistines had filled with earth.
• God blesses Isaac greatly with crops, herds, flocks, servants, and all manner of possessions.
• In their poverty, the Philistines become envious, claim some of the wells belong to them, quarrels ensue.
• Fearing a possible confrontation, and seeing the blessing and power of God upon all that Isaac does, Abimelech proposes a treaty with Isaac; they agree to separate peacefully.
• Again, God renews with Isaac all the promises he had made with Abraham.

 Chapter 27. Blessing

Isaac, old and blind, calls for Esau to receive his blessing:

• Wants Esau to go hunting, cook him some wild game.
• Rebekah tells Jacob to get two goats from the flock.
• She dresses him in Esau’s clothes, takes him to Jacob.
• The deception works, Esau loses his blessing to Jacob, will forever be subservient to his younger brother.
• Esau plots against Jacob’s life.
• Rebekah tells Jacob to get away from Esau, go to Haran.

Chapter 28. Dream

At Beersheba, Isaac gives his blessing to Jacob, not Esau:

• Isaac tells Jacob to go find a wife at Haran, not Canaan.
• On the road to Haran, in a dream, Jacob sees a ladder from Heaven to Earth, receives God’s blessing like Abraham.
• Jacob commits to giving God a tenth of everything.

Chapter 29. Deal

Jacob gets to the outskirts of Haran, stops at a well:

• He meets Rachael, agrees to work seven years for her father.
• Her father, Laban, tricks Jacob, gives him Leah instead.
• The deal:  Jacob will work seven more years for Rachel also.
• Jacob’s sons with Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah.

Chapter 30. Prosperity

Jacob has other children with Leah, Rachel, and servants:

• Children with servants:  Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher,
• More children with Leah:  Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah.
• Rachel bears a son:  Joseph.
• Jacob wants to get back to Canaan, Laban objects.
• Jacob agrees to stay, tricks Laban, becomes very wealthy.

END OF GENESIS – Part 2