Continuing a Bible study of Abraham:
(Genesis 18:1) And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (2) And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself toward the ground,
The Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of three men, probably three angels in human form to be able to be seen by and communicated with Abraham. It is unclear if Abraham immediately recognized them as messengers of God, and that is why he ran to meet them, or as some scholars have suggested, he just invited whom he thought to be travelers in need of rest and refreshment in the heat of the day, and that he bowed, not out of adoration, but merely out of respect to the men.
(3) And said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass on by your servant. (4) Please let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. (5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort your hearts; after that you shall pass on, for therefore you have come to your servant." And they said, "Do as you have said."
Perhaps Abraham did not recognize these three as from the Lord initially as he sat in his doorway, but it seems as if he is getting a clue now. The word Lord here is "adonay", rather than just "adon", and is usually used as a proper name for God. Scholars much greater than I am have suggested that Abraham still didn't know at this point that these three were sent by God, and that it was customary for travelers to expect such refreshment from the first tent they came to on their journey, and that Abraham saw every opportunity to do good as designed by the providence of God. "Adonay" leads me to believe a little differently, but I have not yet studied all Biblical occurrences of the word to know with certainty that it always meant God, but so far, that is the only way I have seen it.
(6) And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes on the hearth." (7) And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. (8) And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree and they ate.
Abraham and Sarah and all others who helped him hurried to prepare a meal for these visitors, as evident by all the verbs and adverbs, "hastened", "quickly", and "ran". This must have taken some time, but they did it as quickly as possible while the men rested, and finally they did eat.
(9) And they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "Behold, in the tent." (10) And he said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
"They", the men, asked about Sarah, but "He", one man, obviously prophesying as speaking from the Lord Himself, said that He, the Lord or angel of the Lord, would return to give Sarah a son. Obviously only God Himself could accomplish such a thing in Sarah's advanced age, so some scholars have speculated that this was God Himself or Jesus Christ in the flesh who spoke to Abraham. I see no reason to jump to this conclusion as often God spoke through "angels of the Lord" or other messengers. I believe "the time of life" probably meant in the time it normally took to bear a child, i.e. 9 months, although God would certainly not have needed that time.
(11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; and the manner of women had ceased to be with Sarah.
I was tickled to see that one scholar of old had put it that Sarah's "monthly visitors had left her", so she could not possibly conceive a child in the natural way.
(12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" (13) And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I which am old surely bear a child?' (14) Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah will have a son." (15) Then Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"
Whereas Abraham laughed with joy, Sarah obviously laughed in scorn and disbelief; this is evident by the fact that she lied about it. But certainly nothing is too hard for the Lord and He reiterated His promise that she would indeed bear a son.
(16) And the men rose up from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on their way. (17) And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing I am doing, (18) Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (19) For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him."
As the men left on their way, and Abraham walked them out on their way, they looked toward Sodom. The Lord makes known that He has a plan underway. Obviously it is not necessary that the Lord explain His thought processes to anyone, but I believe this is for our learning and for Abraham's benefit, because Abraham is part of His great plan to bring salvation to the world through his descendant, Jesus Christ, and because God knows Abraham. We are told elsewhere in scripture that Abraham was a "friend of God" (James 2:23). God loves Abraham, but more than that, He knows that Abraham will teach his children and all those in his household the way of the Lord. He would teach them to do "justice", which is also translated as "rightness". I believe God wants to include Abraham in His decision here because He knows Abraham will use this as a teaching experience, and it gives us an example, as well. Later in scripture we are told that Sodom and Gomorrah were set forth as examples (Jude 1:7) and (2 Peter 2:6) to us.
(20) And the LORD said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, (21) I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to Me; and if not, I will know."
The first word translated as "cry" is more like a shriek or outcry. Once again, it is not necessary for God to go and investigate the matter. Of course, He knows the complete circumstances, but again, I believe this was to include His friend Abraham and to show the process of His justice and judgment in a way that we can understand. Perhaps this is to show us that God does not act in a rash manner or punish merely upon the report of others, but only after His complete investigation and knowledge of the matter. Again, it's not that He need investigate, because He simply knows. We can rest assured He does know the entire situation, and indeed He knows it better than we can ever know, as He knows what will come in the future as a result of it, and He knows the hearts of men involved in it. So while we can never know entirely the processes of God, although we often try to conform Him to our little human boxes, I believe this was to be an illustration to us of how God does indeed act justly and without rash anger.
(22) And the men turned their faces from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
Three men first came to Abraham, and we may assume that two men now went toward Sodom, as Abraham still stands before "the Lord". It might be otherwise assumed that all three men went to Sodom and Abraham figuratively stood before the Lord in prayer, except that later in verse 19:1, we are told that two angels came to Sodom in the evening. It's a pretty safe assumption that this is at the same time, so it appears two angels appearing as men went toward Sodom and one angel of the Lord stood with Abraham now.
(23) And Abraham drew near and said, "Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24) Suppose there be fifty righteous within the city; will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it?"
Dr. John Gill writes that the area of which they are speaking is actually the Pentapolis which consisted of five cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. Therefore Abraham is estimating ten righteous people in each city. Gill cites the Targum of Jonathan on the Prophets, used in the third century of the Christian era.
(25) "Far be it from You to do so in this manner, to slay the righteous
with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; that is
far from You. Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
I believe Abraham is stating a fact that it is not the way of the Lord to slay the righteous with the wicked. I don't think he means to challenge Him, but rather seeks mercy for the few righteous in the city, perhaps namely his nephew Lot and his family. It is certainly in God's power and He would be justified to destroy wicked cities, even if a few righteous died with the wicked. That certainly happens today. Bad things happen as a result of men's wickedness and rejection of God. Because good people live among the wicked, bad things often happen to good people. I have come to realize that just because God takes the life of a person doesn't mean He destroys that person. Isaiah 57:1 talks about God taking righteous men away to save them from the evil to come. After all, to leave this world as a true Christian, is to live forever with the Lord in paradise.
(26) And the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes."
The Lord indeed showed Abraham that His judgments were made with great mercy as He told him that He indeed would not destroy Sodom (the general area surrounding the city) even if there were found only fifty righteous people living there. The word translated as "city" does not always mean just a city as we know it, but in a wider sense, means a place being watched or guarded.
(27) And Abraham answered and said, "Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, when I am but dust and ashes; (28) Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous; will You destroy all the city for lack of five?" And He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it."
Abraham recognizes it is very bold of himself to dare to approach Almighty God with his petition, but he humbly asks Him if He would spare the city if there were a few less righteous there. God states He indeed would not destroy the place if even only 45 righteous were found there.
(29) And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?" And He said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." (30) And he said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak; suppose there shall be thirty found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Abraham proceeds gradually in his requests. Perhaps he does not want to ask too much at once, or more likely, this is for his and our learning that we understand that our Lord is truly a just, merciful, and patient God.
(31) And he said, "Behold now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord; suppose there shall be twenty found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for twenty's sake." (32) And he said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more; suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for ten's sake." (33) And the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
Knowing that his nephew Lot and his family practiced the true religion
of God, Abraham probably could not imagine that there were less than ten
righteous people to be found in the area of Sodom, and the Lord assured
him He would not destroy the place if He found at least ten righteous
there. Therefore, Abraham stops his petitions and goes back to his tent to await the events that would be.
Showing posts with label Sodom and Gomorrah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sodom and Gomorrah. Show all posts
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The First War Recorded in the Bible
Continuing a Bible study of Abraham:
(Genesis 14:1) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, (2) That they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
As best as I can understand from reading historical accounts of this, the "kings" of Sodom and Gomorrah and other adjoining cities had been tributaries to the king of Elam and had combined to throw off his yoke. The king of Elam, with the help of three allies, invaded the territories of the rebellious princes. The king "of nations" ("goy" or "goyim") may refer to the leader of various other clans, or it might actually be the name of a place called Goim, so named because there were gathered together many out of various nations and places, and they set Tidal to reign over them.
(3) All these were joined together in the valley of Siddim, which is the salt sea. (4) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (5) And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, (6) And the Horites in their mount Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. (7) And they returned, and came to En Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities served under the king of Elam for twelve years and then rebelled. A year later, Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked. We can only assume that the tribes attacked along the way were seen as allies of the five kings listed in verse 2.
(8) And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the valley of Siddim, (9) Against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.
The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities, five kings in all, responded to the attack of Chedorlaomer and his three allies, in the valley of Siddim.
(10) And the valley of Siddim was full of slime pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. (11) And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. (12) And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
The victors in this battle, Chedorlaomer and his allies, pillaged the cities of the kings they had defeated and took everything of value, including Lot and his goods.
(13) And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they were confederate with Abram.
Someone who had escaped from the battle or the pillaging, came and told Abram what had happened. Mamre and his brothers joined together with Abram.
(14) And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and pursued them as far as Dan. (15) And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
Abram, his trained servants, and his allies, pursued Chedorlaomer and his allies. It appears they divided their forces and attacked by night.
(16) And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, and also the women and the people. (17) And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
Abram and his allies were victorious and brought back all the goods that had been taken from Sodom and Gomorrah, including Lot and his goods, and also brought back the other women and people who had been taken. The king of Sodom came to meet and obviously congratulate Abram on his victory. This is probably not the same king who was defeated in the valley of Siddim. Verse 10 said that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell there, so this was probably a successor.
(18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. (19) And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; (20) And blessed be the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him tithes of all.
So much has been written and speculated about Melchizedek and just who he is, but at this point in a chronological Bible study, I choose to accept only what has been written here. Melchizedek is said to be the king of Salem, which may be Jerusalem, because David supposedly referred to Jerusalem as Salem. However, I have also read that there was a town called Salem about this time near Scythopolis, a town that may be the same called Shalem elsewhere in the Bible. There is also a Salim referenced in the New Testament. So who really knows for certain? We do know he was king of a city, and evidently a very pious and religious man of God. He brought Abram bread and wine for refreshment after his battle, and then he blessed him. Abram is the one who gave tithes to Melchizedek, not the other way around, and we know this for certain, as this account is retold in Hebrews. Abram gave a tenth of the spoils, again knowing this as certain from the retelling in Hebrews. It can only be assumed from this account that Abram gave a tenth of the spoils in gratitude to God for the victory, and Melchizedek accepted it as he was a priest of God. Period. Like I said, there has been much to-do about Melchizedek, some even claiming he was Christ Himself, with which I do not agree, and there is nothing in this account of Melchizedek to suggest any more than what I have written. If there is more later, I'll explore it then.
(21) And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to yourself." (22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (23) That I will not take even a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'; (24) Except only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
The king of Sodom, who had come to meet Abram and congratulate and thank him for the victory, told him he could take all the goods, as long as all the people were restored. However, Abram said he would not take the smallest thing from the king of Sodom, for if he did, the king could later claim that he had made Abram rich. Lifting his hand to the Lord indicates he had vowed to the Lord he would not take anything, and he didn't, except what had already been eaten by the young men who went with him to battle. However, Abram did not go so far as to deny Mamre and his brothers their portion of the goods recovered.
(Genesis 14:1) And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, (2) That they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
As best as I can understand from reading historical accounts of this, the "kings" of Sodom and Gomorrah and other adjoining cities had been tributaries to the king of Elam and had combined to throw off his yoke. The king of Elam, with the help of three allies, invaded the territories of the rebellious princes. The king "of nations" ("goy" or "goyim") may refer to the leader of various other clans, or it might actually be the name of a place called Goim, so named because there were gathered together many out of various nations and places, and they set Tidal to reign over them.
(3) All these were joined together in the valley of Siddim, which is the salt sea. (4) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (5) And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, (6) And the Horites in their mount Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. (7) And they returned, and came to En Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities served under the king of Elam for twelve years and then rebelled. A year later, Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked. We can only assume that the tribes attacked along the way were seen as allies of the five kings listed in verse 2.
(8) And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the valley of Siddim, (9) Against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.
The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities, five kings in all, responded to the attack of Chedorlaomer and his three allies, in the valley of Siddim.
(10) And the valley of Siddim was full of slime pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. (11) And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. (12) And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
The victors in this battle, Chedorlaomer and his allies, pillaged the cities of the kings they had defeated and took everything of value, including Lot and his goods.
(13) And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they were confederate with Abram.
Someone who had escaped from the battle or the pillaging, came and told Abram what had happened. Mamre and his brothers joined together with Abram.
(14) And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and pursued them as far as Dan. (15) And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
Abram, his trained servants, and his allies, pursued Chedorlaomer and his allies. It appears they divided their forces and attacked by night.
(16) And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, and also the women and the people. (17) And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
Abram and his allies were victorious and brought back all the goods that had been taken from Sodom and Gomorrah, including Lot and his goods, and also brought back the other women and people who had been taken. The king of Sodom came to meet and obviously congratulate Abram on his victory. This is probably not the same king who was defeated in the valley of Siddim. Verse 10 said that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell there, so this was probably a successor.
(18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. (19) And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; (20) And blessed be the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him tithes of all.
So much has been written and speculated about Melchizedek and just who he is, but at this point in a chronological Bible study, I choose to accept only what has been written here. Melchizedek is said to be the king of Salem, which may be Jerusalem, because David supposedly referred to Jerusalem as Salem. However, I have also read that there was a town called Salem about this time near Scythopolis, a town that may be the same called Shalem elsewhere in the Bible. There is also a Salim referenced in the New Testament. So who really knows for certain? We do know he was king of a city, and evidently a very pious and religious man of God. He brought Abram bread and wine for refreshment after his battle, and then he blessed him. Abram is the one who gave tithes to Melchizedek, not the other way around, and we know this for certain, as this account is retold in Hebrews. Abram gave a tenth of the spoils, again knowing this as certain from the retelling in Hebrews. It can only be assumed from this account that Abram gave a tenth of the spoils in gratitude to God for the victory, and Melchizedek accepted it as he was a priest of God. Period. Like I said, there has been much to-do about Melchizedek, some even claiming he was Christ Himself, with which I do not agree, and there is nothing in this account of Melchizedek to suggest any more than what I have written. If there is more later, I'll explore it then.
(21) And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to yourself." (22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (23) That I will not take even a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'; (24) Except only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
The king of Sodom, who had come to meet Abram and congratulate and thank him for the victory, told him he could take all the goods, as long as all the people were restored. However, Abram said he would not take the smallest thing from the king of Sodom, for if he did, the king could later claim that he had made Abram rich. Lifting his hand to the Lord indicates he had vowed to the Lord he would not take anything, and he didn't, except what had already been eaten by the young men who went with him to battle. However, Abram did not go so far as to deny Mamre and his brothers their portion of the goods recovered.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Abram Comes to the Promised Land
Continuing a chronological Bible study, we now begin a study of Abraham:
(Genesis 12:1) Now the LORD had said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."
Stephen told us in Acts 7:2, in the preface of the story of Abraham in the last post, that the God of glory appeared to Abram to give him this call. It may also be of importance to note that the scripture says "the LORD had said...", indicating the appearance and call may have happened some time before this present time. I say this because in verse 4 it says Abram left Haran, but Stephen made it a point to say that the Lord had appeared to Abram when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was in Haran. (Aha, maybe there was wisdom in the choice to put Stephen's speech before the call of Abraham in a chronological study, after all!)
(2) "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Here we have God's promise to Abram, which he had to accept on faith. Of him would be made a great nation even though he had no child. Note that all the families of the earth will be blessed in Abraham. It has been God's plan since the beginning to save all the world. Abraham became the patriarch of God's people, and Jesus Christ, being a descendant of Abraham, would be the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in that all may come to God through the Messiah.
(4) So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (5) And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to the land of Canaan.
Abram, his wife, his nephew, and all their families and households, moved from Haran. Again I will note that Stephen in the New Testament made it a point to tell us that Abram had received his vision from God when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was in Haran.
(6) And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (7) And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
This is obviously another time that the Lord appeared to Abram. The first time He did not tell Abram where he should go, but that He would bring him to a land, and this is it.
(8) And he moved from there to a mountain east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (9) And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. (10) And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was grievous in the land.
Abram journeyed throughout the land of Canaan, but there was a severe famine in the land, so Abram went to Egypt for awhile. Imagine the great faith it would have taken to leave his homeland where he had plenty of food and come to this land of severe famine. He could have been tempted to go back toward home because of the famine, but he actually went further from his home to Egypt to spell there.
(11) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon. (12) Therefore it will come to pass, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (13) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul will live because of you."
It's very interesting to note that according to other scriptures that date Abram and Sarai at different times in their lives, Sarai would have been 65 at this time, and still considered a beautiful and desirable woman. Sarai really was a half-sister to Abram, according to Biblical scholars, but he was obviously being deceitful in desiring to hide the whole truth that he was married to Sarai because he feared for his life.
(14) And it came to pass, that, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very beautiful. (15) The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. (16) And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
And so it was as Abram thought; the Egyptians did find Sarai beautiful. Pharaoh desired to have Sarai as his wife and because he did, treated her "brother" well.
(17) But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. (18) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (19) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? so that I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, behold your wife; take her and go your way." (20) And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
There are no details about the plagues, but it is interesting to note that through them Pharaoh seems to have figured out on his own that Sarai was Abram's wife. Pharaoh is rightly upset with Abram who deceived him and allowed him to bring plagues on his household, but obviously knowing the source of the plagues, he sends Abram and his wife away with no harm or injury.
(Genesis 13:1) And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. (2) And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. (3) And he went on his journey from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, (4) To the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
So Abram and Sarai left Egypt, and with his nephew Lot, returned to the place where they had been before going to Egypt because of the severe famine. He returned to the altar he had previously made, and prayed to the Lord.
(5) And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. (6) And the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. (7) And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land.
We were told previously in verse 2 that Abram was very rich in gold and silver, and in cattle. It seems that Lot also possessed a lot, so much that there was not room for both households (not with the others who also dwelt in the land), at least not without a great deal of strife.
(8) And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brethren. (9) Is not the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left."
Because Abram wanted peace with Lot's household, he encouraged Lot to move away to another part of the land. Even though Abram was patriarch of the family, and was the one to whom God was giving the new land, Abram gave Lot his choice of where he wanted to live, and Abram would go the opposite direction.
(10) And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar. (11) Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.
It seems that Lot had no hesitation in taking Abram up on his generous offer to allow him to take his pick of land. "The garden of the Lord" may be the garden of Eden to which the plain of Jordan was being compared, or perhaps the meaning is that the plain of Jordan IS the garden of the Lord as it was a most excellent and well watered place, and it was being compared to Egypt. "As you come to Zoar" refers to the plain of Jordan that is well watered everywhere till you come to Zoar; it does not refer to Egypt, as Zoar was not near Egypt. Dr. John Gill says in his commentary that some think the plain of Jordan was the real garden of Eden, thinking the word "as" was not to be taken as a word comparing one phrase to another, but to be understood as reality. I think that may be reading more into the verse than we can really know for certain. We do know it was a very excellent well watered area that Lot chose for himself.
(12) Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Lot chose the area of the plain near the cities, especially Sodom, and we see that he may have chosen unwisely.
(14) And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward, and westward; (15) For all the land which you see, I will give it to you and your descendants forever. (16) And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also shall be numbered. (17) Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the width of it, for I will give it to you."
After Lot had moved away from Abram, the Lord appeared to Abram again (or at least spoke to him), and had him look in all directions to see fully all the land the Lord was going to give to Abram and all his descendants that would be as numerous as the particles of dust on the earth. The Lord encouraged Abram to walk through all the land that He would be giving him.
(18) Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Abram moved from the "mountain east of Bethel...with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east", to the plain of Mamre. This word translated as "plain" is not the same as the word used for the plain of Jordan. This word, "elon", meaning "an oak or other strong tree, plain", probably referred to an oak grove, undoubtedly, a shady and very pleasant place in which to dwell. Once again Abram built an altar to his Lord, ever mindful of, and no doubt, thankful to, his Lord for all His blessings upon Abram.
(Genesis 12:1) Now the LORD had said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."
Stephen told us in Acts 7:2, in the preface of the story of Abraham in the last post, that the God of glory appeared to Abram to give him this call. It may also be of importance to note that the scripture says "the LORD had said...", indicating the appearance and call may have happened some time before this present time. I say this because in verse 4 it says Abram left Haran, but Stephen made it a point to say that the Lord had appeared to Abram when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was in Haran. (Aha, maybe there was wisdom in the choice to put Stephen's speech before the call of Abraham in a chronological study, after all!)
(2) "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Here we have God's promise to Abram, which he had to accept on faith. Of him would be made a great nation even though he had no child. Note that all the families of the earth will be blessed in Abraham. It has been God's plan since the beginning to save all the world. Abraham became the patriarch of God's people, and Jesus Christ, being a descendant of Abraham, would be the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in that all may come to God through the Messiah.
(4) So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (5) And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to the land of Canaan.
Abram, his wife, his nephew, and all their families and households, moved from Haran. Again I will note that Stephen in the New Testament made it a point to tell us that Abram had received his vision from God when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was in Haran.
(6) And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. (7) And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
This is obviously another time that the Lord appeared to Abram. The first time He did not tell Abram where he should go, but that He would bring him to a land, and this is it.
(8) And he moved from there to a mountain east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (9) And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. (10) And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was grievous in the land.
Abram journeyed throughout the land of Canaan, but there was a severe famine in the land, so Abram went to Egypt for awhile. Imagine the great faith it would have taken to leave his homeland where he had plenty of food and come to this land of severe famine. He could have been tempted to go back toward home because of the famine, but he actually went further from his home to Egypt to spell there.
(11) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon. (12) Therefore it will come to pass, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (13) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul will live because of you."
It's very interesting to note that according to other scriptures that date Abram and Sarai at different times in their lives, Sarai would have been 65 at this time, and still considered a beautiful and desirable woman. Sarai really was a half-sister to Abram, according to Biblical scholars, but he was obviously being deceitful in desiring to hide the whole truth that he was married to Sarai because he feared for his life.
(14) And it came to pass, that, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very beautiful. (15) The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. (16) And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
And so it was as Abram thought; the Egyptians did find Sarai beautiful. Pharaoh desired to have Sarai as his wife and because he did, treated her "brother" well.
(17) But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. (18) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (19) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? so that I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, behold your wife; take her and go your way." (20) And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
There are no details about the plagues, but it is interesting to note that through them Pharaoh seems to have figured out on his own that Sarai was Abram's wife. Pharaoh is rightly upset with Abram who deceived him and allowed him to bring plagues on his household, but obviously knowing the source of the plagues, he sends Abram and his wife away with no harm or injury.
(Genesis 13:1) And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. (2) And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. (3) And he went on his journey from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, (4) To the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
So Abram and Sarai left Egypt, and with his nephew Lot, returned to the place where they had been before going to Egypt because of the severe famine. He returned to the altar he had previously made, and prayed to the Lord.
(5) And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. (6) And the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. (7) And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land.
We were told previously in verse 2 that Abram was very rich in gold and silver, and in cattle. It seems that Lot also possessed a lot, so much that there was not room for both households (not with the others who also dwelt in the land), at least not without a great deal of strife.
(8) And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brethren. (9) Is not the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left."
Because Abram wanted peace with Lot's household, he encouraged Lot to move away to another part of the land. Even though Abram was patriarch of the family, and was the one to whom God was giving the new land, Abram gave Lot his choice of where he wanted to live, and Abram would go the opposite direction.
(10) And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar. (11) Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.
It seems that Lot had no hesitation in taking Abram up on his generous offer to allow him to take his pick of land. "The garden of the Lord" may be the garden of Eden to which the plain of Jordan was being compared, or perhaps the meaning is that the plain of Jordan IS the garden of the Lord as it was a most excellent and well watered place, and it was being compared to Egypt. "As you come to Zoar" refers to the plain of Jordan that is well watered everywhere till you come to Zoar; it does not refer to Egypt, as Zoar was not near Egypt. Dr. John Gill says in his commentary that some think the plain of Jordan was the real garden of Eden, thinking the word "as" was not to be taken as a word comparing one phrase to another, but to be understood as reality. I think that may be reading more into the verse than we can really know for certain. We do know it was a very excellent well watered area that Lot chose for himself.
(12) Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Lot chose the area of the plain near the cities, especially Sodom, and we see that he may have chosen unwisely.
(14) And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward, and westward; (15) For all the land which you see, I will give it to you and your descendants forever. (16) And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also shall be numbered. (17) Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the width of it, for I will give it to you."
After Lot had moved away from Abram, the Lord appeared to Abram again (or at least spoke to him), and had him look in all directions to see fully all the land the Lord was going to give to Abram and all his descendants that would be as numerous as the particles of dust on the earth. The Lord encouraged Abram to walk through all the land that He would be giving him.
(18) Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Abram moved from the "mountain east of Bethel...with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east", to the plain of Mamre. This word translated as "plain" is not the same as the word used for the plain of Jordan. This word, "elon", meaning "an oak or other strong tree, plain", probably referred to an oak grove, undoubtedly, a shady and very pleasant place in which to dwell. Once again Abram built an altar to his Lord, ever mindful of, and no doubt, thankful to, his Lord for all His blessings upon Abram.
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