Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 6

Chapter 26 of Numbers had to be separated into many short posts because Blogger limits the number of labels per post.  An important census was being taken at this time and I want to acknowledge all the names mentioned.  Here are the previous posts:

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 1

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 2

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 3

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 4

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 5

Now continuing with part 6:

(Numbers 26:44) The children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

The census continued with the children of the tribe of Asher, his sons, Jimna, Jesui, and Beriah, and their families.

(45) Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

Additionally, the Beriites from Asher's son Beriah were divided into two families after Beriah's sons, Heber and Malchiel.

(46) And the name of the daughter of Asher, Sarah.

Asher's daughter, Sarah, is mentioned here, even though she obviously was not counted in the census.  She was either a remarkable woman in her own right, or as the medieval Jewish philosopher, Maimonides, claimed, "...she was an heiress; for though Asher had many sons, this was his wife's daughter by another man, who had no sons, and the inheritance was his daughter's, and therefore is so particularly mentioned..." (John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible).

(47) These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.

Asher's tribe numbered 53,400 able-bodied men of war twenty years of age and older.  This was a large increase of 11,900 over the census taken 38 years earlier.

(48) The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; (49) Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem, and all their families were counted.

(50) These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

The tribe of Naphtali numbered 45,400, a decrease of 8000 able-bodied men of war twenty years and older since the first census 38 years prior.

(51) These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

The total numbered in the census were 601,730 able-bodied men of war twenty years and older.  This was a decrease of only 1820 men since the census 38 years prior to this one.  That is notable when you consider how many times the people were struck with plagues because of their disobedience and idolatry.  God continued to bless them with increased numbers while in the wilderness so that even after His severe rebukes, His people were still a formidable presence.

(52) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (53) “To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. (54) To many you shall give more inheritance, and to few you shall give less inheritance; to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those who were numbered of him."

After the census was taken, the Lord told Moses that their promised land was to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance.  The tribes with the larger numbers were to be given a larger inheritance, and those with smaller numbers were to be given a smaller inheritance.  The size of their inheritance was to be directly related to their numbers.

(55) "Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. (56) According to the lot shall their possession be divided between many and few."

The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him that even though He had instructed that the larger tribes be given larger inheritances and smaller tribes smaller ones, their actual possessions would be determined by lots.  By the casting of lots, God Himself would determine exactly which possession each tribe would receive, but they would be as He had previously said, larger possessions to larger tribes, and smaller to smaller.

As Blogger limits the number of labels per post, and I would like to keep all the names of each tribe together, I will stop here and continue with yet another post to end the chapter with the tribe of Levi:

Census of Israel in the Plains of Moab, Part 7 

Genesis 25: Priorities and Choices and How You Can Overcome Your Lot in Life (or Reject It!)

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 25:1) Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. (2) And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (3) And Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. (4) And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

"THEN" Abraham took a wife, obviously after the death of Sarah and probably after the marriage of Isaac, as well.  Keturah gave Abraham six more sons in his very old age, it would seem at first glance.  Obviously, she could have been much younger than Abraham, but we were told earlier in scripture that Abraham's body was dead when Sarah conceived Isaac, and that he was very old and well stricken with age when his servant went to find a wife for Isaac.  I have to believe as some of the old Bible scholars suggest that Keturah was a concubine and bore children much earlier in life, while Sarah was alive, and she became Abraham's wife after the death of Sarah.  Later in scripture, in 1 Chronicles 1:32, Keturah is called his concubine.  She was a concubine who probably gave him these children earlier, and became his wife at this time after the death of Sarah.

(5) And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

Isaac was Abraham's only begotten son of his wife, Sarah, and the heir to the promise, and Abraham had given him all he had, especially his right to the land of Canaan, and his "flocks, herds, silver, gold, menservants, maidservants, camels, and donkeys", as had been reported by his servant to Rebekah's family.  However, Abraham must have reserved some for himself, as he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines:

(6) But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he yet lived, sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward to the east country.

Abraham remembered his other sons, these sons of Keturah above mentioned, as well as Hagar's son Ishmael.  While he was still living, to avoid disputes after his death, he gave his sons their inherited gifts and sent all his other sons eastward away from his son, Isaac.  The land of promise was to be only Isaac's.

(7) And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. (8) Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

Abraham gave up the ghost, or breathed his last breath and died at 175 years of age, "in a good old age".  While that seems quite old in our day and age, Adam Clarke in his "Commentary on the Bible", points out that Abraham died at the youngest age of all the patriarchs.  That word "good" is not to be interpreted to mean that Abraham lived to an extremely old age, but that it was a good and full age.  His life had been full and satisfying and he was ready to depart this world.  He died at a good age, not having to endure a total decrepitness of mind and body.  Being gathered to one's people was probably a way of saying that he joined those ancestors who went before him in death.  There was much discussion in the old commentaries about the exact meaning of the phrase because surely Abraham wasn't literally gathered to his ancestors who were buried in Chaldea and not in Canaan, nor did it mean he was gathered to Sarah who was alone in a cave.  Some said it meant he was "gathered to the spirits of just men made perfect".  More recent scholars really make a big deal of the wording "was gathered" as opposed to other places where a person "shall be gathered" as if to say this proves whether we go to heaven when we die or wait to be resurrected at the end.  I have to believe this was just a saying and it meant Abraham went the way of death as all his people before him went.

(9) And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, (10) The field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

Even though Ishmael and his mother had been sent away from Abraham's family, the brothers came together at this time to bury their father in the cave in the field Abraham had previously purchased when he needed a place to bury Sarah.

(11) And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai Roi. 

God blessed Abraham's son Isaac, the heir to the promise of God.  Isaac lived by the well Lahai Roi, which was the same as Beer Lahai Roi, the place where the angel of the Lord came to Hagar and told her about the son she was carrying.  

(12) Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham: (13) And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, (14) And Mishma, Dumah, and Massa, (15) Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. (16) These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their castles, twelve princes according to their nations.

Ishmael had twelve sons, heads of twelve tribes of the Arab nation.  God had promised Hagar that He would bless Ishmael and make him fruitful, and that he would beget twelve princes and become a great nation (Genesis 17:20), and so it was.  Many of these sons, or princes, will be mentioned later in the Bible.  Nebajoth and Kedar are mentioned in Isaiah.  I have read that in old Jewish writings, the Arabic language is most frequently called the language of Kedar.  Dumah is a place mentioned in Isaiah and was probably named after Ishmael's son.  Interestingly, Tema and Temanites were mentioned in Job, meaning that, chronologically, I should have been studying Abraham before Job!  Jetur and Naphish are mentioned in 1 Chronicles as part of the Hagarites who warred against the Israelites.  The descendants of Kedemah may have lived at Kedemoth, a place mentioned in Deuteronomy.

(17) And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered to his people. (18) And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt as you go toward Assyria; and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Ishmael lived to 137 years of age, and also gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people, as was Abraham.  I believe these have to be merely expressions that were used in the day and were not meant to have a significant meaning as to the kind of life each man lived.  I am picturing "giving up the ghost" as giving up the spirit of life or breath, breathing one's last breath.  As was discussed above, I believe that being gathered to one's people must just mean to go the way of death as his ancestors before him.  "They" in verse 18 would have to be the descendants of Ishmael and not his people before him.  The Ishmaelites lived in the country that extended from east to west from Havilah to Shur.  From what I have read and viewed on a map, this looks to be the northern region between Havilah arcing northward (as you go toward Assyria) to Shur next to Egypt.  I found an excellent map at http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-wilderness-of-shur-ishmaelites-midianites-amalekites.htm with references to other scriptures which shows where this region must have been:

Ishmael died in the presence of all his brethren.  This is a fulfillment of prophecy from Genesis 16:12 when the angel of the Lord told Hagar that Ishmael would "be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."  Among "all" his brethren probably means that he lived his wild and turbulent life and held his own in an area among Abraham's other children.  He died as he lived, in the presence of or amongst all his brethren.  Many of the old commentaries suggest that the pronoun "he" from verse 18 should have been read "it" and it meant that his lot fell among all his brethren.  They believe this because although verse 17 speaks of Ishmael, verse 18 speaks of the place where the Ishmaelites dwelt.  Additionally, the same word "naphal" that is translated as "died" here also means to divide by lot, and was used that way in another verse in the Bible; Joshua 23:4 states, "Behold, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea westward."  So perhaps the true meaning of verse 18b is that his lot or inheritance was assigned him by God to be in the midst of all Abraham's other children.  It is true that even though Ishmael was not the promised seed, God blessed him and made of him a great nation that lives today.  Indeed Ishmael is the father of the Arab nation!

(19) And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac; (20) And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

We had a genealogy of Abraham's son Ishmael, and now begins one of Isaac.  We have a brief genealogical synopsis of what we have read of Isaac to this point.

(21) And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD was entreated for him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Now we pick up the story of Isaac's family after he and Rebekah were married.  Apparently they lived 20 years together as man and wife before having a child.  We were told that Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah, and later in scripture we are told that he was 60 when his sons were born (verse 26).  Isaac earnestly prayed to the Lord for Rebekah to have a child and the Lord granted his request and she conceived.

(22) And the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it be well, why am I this way?" And she went to inquire of the LORD. (23) And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the older shall serve the younger." 

Apparently Rebekah felt a commotion inside her that did not feel normal, so she asked the Lord if everything was okay.  The Lord told her there were two babies in her womb, two different babies, not identical twins.  They would be different in appearance and in manner of life.  More than just twins, God was prophesying that from the babies would spring two different nations.  Two babies struggling in the womb would become two nations struggling with each other, one stronger than the other in physical strength, but the older would come to serve the younger.

24) And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. (25) And the first came out red, like a hairy garment all over; and they called his name Esau.

Sure enough, Rebekah delivered twins.  The first baby was red and hairy all over, and they called him "Esau", which literally means "rough" or "hairy".

(26) And after that his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel, and his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

The second baby came out with his hand grabbing hold of the first baby's heel, the perfect picture of Jacob trying to pull back his older brother so that he might be the first, which was of course, a prophetic picture of what was to happen.  Even Jacob's name was prophetic; it literally means "supplanter".  To supplant is to overthrow by tripping up or to take the place of another by scheming or strategy.  His parents may have named him Jacob only because of the way he grabbed his brother's heel and it just looked like he was trying to pull his brother back to be first, sort of like parents today might say, "Oh, isn't that cute; he wants to supplant his brother".  However, God had told Rebekah that two nations struggled within her womb and that the older would serve the younger, so she may have seen the action of baby Jacob as prophecy fulfillment in the making and named him accordingly.

(27) And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

I was tempted to use "better" adjectives for my study, but since the original words can mean a variety of things, I decided to leave them as the KJV translators translated them and I would explore all the meanings of the original words.  Esau was a cunning hunter.  The original word for "cunning" is "yada", which has a huge variety of meanings, but they all stem from the root word "to know".  So he really knew about hunting; he was a skillful and experienced hunter.  He was a man of the field, an outdoorsman.  Jacob was a "plain" man.  It is very interesting that the KJV translators used the word "plain" to define the original "tam", as it doesn't seem to begin to define the word completely.  They were probably striving for the sense of  "gentle" or "mild", which would be considered in contrast to the skillful hunter and outdoorsman, but they are considered secondary meanings of the word.  "Tam" is most often used in other scriptures as "perfect and complete". 

(28) And Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

This scripture always bothered me.  How could a parent love one child over another?  But when you consider what we have already learned about the boys, it may make sense that each parent was more attached to one son more than the other.  Esau was Isaac's firstborn and he brought him good venison to eat.  Isaac evidently really enjoyed that and Esau probably sought to please his father in this way.  On the other hand, Jacob was probably more at home with his mother and of a milder and gentler disposition.  It may have been natural for the parents to be a little more attached to one child over the other, but there may have been more to this, and there are different ways to look at it.  Rebekah had received the prophetic word from God that the older son would eventually serve the younger son.  Perhaps she saw Jacob as blessed by God and she loved and sought to nurture the son chosen by God.  However, Adam Clarke wrote an interesting spin on this:  "This is an early proof of unwarrantable parental attachment to one child in preference to another. Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob; and in consequence of this the interests of the family were divided, and the house set in opposition to itself. The fruits of this unreasonable and foolish attachment were afterwards seen in a long catalogue of both natural and moral evils among the descendants of both families."  Perhaps the moral lesson in this is that the parents should not have loved one over the other, but as God gives prophecy as events will happen and not necessarily as they should happen, and also because He makes things work to the good for those who love and follow Him, the blessings will follow Jacob, but there will be much strife.

(29) And Jacob made a stew, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. (30) And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am faint." Therefore his name was called Edom.

Jacob, perhaps being the homebody that he was or maybe for some other reason, but certainly by Godly design, had made a stew.  Esau came in from the field, having toiled but obviously having nothing to eat, and he was faint, we can assume from hunger.  We are told that he was called "Edom" which literally means "red" because of this red stew.  We were previously told that he was born red and hairy.  Esau was the name for "hairy", and Edom was the name for "red".

(31) And Jacob said, "Sell me this day your birthright." (32) And Esau said, "Look, I am at the point of dying, so what profit will this birthright do to me?" (33) And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day." And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob. (34) Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose up, and went his way; thus Esau despised his birthright.

Jacob obviously took advantage of the fact that Esau was starving to death, as he had put it, and it can be argued that he did not act righteously.  However, it must be noted that Esau had the choice to accept or decline Jacob's proposal.  Could he have not said, "Are you crazy, giving up my birthright for a meal?" and grabbed some bread or a fruit from the field to alleviate his hunger?  Jacob didn't force Esau to sell his birthright, but perhaps pressured him to decide just how important it really was.  Maybe as Isaac's favorite, Esau didn't consider the "birthright" as necessary, but it was very important to Jacob.  The birthright generally meant a double portion of inheritance, authority over the rest of the family, and his father's blessing.  If that was all there was to it, perhaps Esau was right from a worldly and temporal point of view.  What worldly things in this life really are that important, especially if Esau really thought he was starving to death?  But there were also spiritual blessings.  Exodus 13:2 and 22:29 show that the firstborn children were consecrated to God.  When you really think about how God determined where and when we would be born, and that He determined who would be the firstborn in each family, how could we just throw that away?  The parental blessing in this birthright was especially important with the promises of the Messiah and the inheritance of the land of Canaan.  Rebekah knew that these things were designed for Jacob; she knew that the older son would serve the younger, and she had probably told Jacob of it, as well.  Jacob seized this opportunity to get the birthright, and it was obviously not as important to Esau, who "despised" his birthright.  Furthermore, he is called a profane person in Hebrews 12:16 because he sold his birthright "for one morsel of meat".  Other meanings of the original word translated as "profane" here are "heathenish", "wicked", and "ungodly".  Esau totally dismissed the spiritual things of God, as would a heathen. 

Although God decides our birth order, it is obvious that He still gives us the choice to do with it what we will.  Esau saw no value in it, and Jacob sought it and fought for it all his life, as we will see in coming scriptures.  It must also be pointed out that God Himself may choose whomever He pleases to do His will as in the case of David, the youngest of several brothers.  As a matter of fact, God often uses the weakest things to confound the mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).  So while we should never look upon the position God gave us in this world lightly, we must never consider it a hopeless lot in life.  Acts 17:26 states, "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation."  Therefore, as I always like to say, "You were born for such a time as this!"  That, of course, is from the story of Esther, but how true that is for each and every one of us.  God chose this time for us, so when you think of all that is going on in the world today, remember that God purposed that each one of us would be here now at this particular time in all of history, and in our particular place in the world.  How awesome is that to contemplate His purpose for us at this time?

The more I have studied and thought about this, the more instances I have found where the younger sibling seemed to rise above the firstborn.  You could go all the way back to Cain and Abel!  Then there's Ishmael and Isaac, and Esau and Jacob, and still to come in scripture, you might consider Leah and Rachel in this category.  It was interesting to read some of the different takes on this, especially from some sites that were more sympathetic toward Islam.  It was insinuated that the entire book of Genesis was about the reversal of the birth order law through some devious sort of predestination and that the poor firstborn were losers through no fault of their own.  I believe the lesson in all these cases is that while some are born with special blessings of God, as in being the firstborn, or being one of God's chosen people, it is still our choice whether we desire the things of God or worldly things.  Just because one might be firstborn and a blessed child of God's chosen people does not automatically guarantee him a place of honor with God.  In the New Testament the Pharisees argued that they were children of Abraham and they didn't see the need for Jesus to make them free.  Jesus in John 8:37 agreed that they were indeed the seed of Abraham, yet He told them their father was the devil!  When John the Baptist preached about the coming of Christ (Matthew 3 and Luke 3), he told them they could not rely on the fact that Abraham was their father, but that they must repent of their sins.  Additionally, even if one is born without certain apparent blessings of God, he may still come to God through salvation in Christ; that is the Good News that fills the New Testament!  It is always amazing to me to see God's love and His plan from the beginning, that is, Jesus and salvation in Christ, in the Old Testament!  Indeed God has never changed!

A Beautiful Example of How God Can Find the Perfect Wife

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 24:1) And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Abraham was 140 years old at this time, so three years have passed since the death of Sarah.  We know this because we were told previously that he was ten years older than Sarah, and because of a scripture still to come that will tell us Isaac is 40 about this time--Genesis 25:20.

(2) And Abraham said to his oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, (3) And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; (4) But you will go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

Putting one's hand under another's thigh appears to have been a method of swearing an oath; it was a way of binding by oath the two parties.  The person binding himself put his hand under the thigh of the person to whom he was to be bound.  The reason the thigh area was chosen likely may have been because that is the part of the body that bore the mark of circumcision, the sign of God’s covenant.  The person, in essence, is swearing by God, or in the presence of God, much like one today might put his hand on the Bible. Abraham told his servant what he planned to have him swear, that he would not take a wife for his son Isaac from the Canaanites, his neighbors.  The original word for "take" doesn't always mean to actively take, but also means "receive" or "accept".  At 40 years of age by this time, Isaac would have been well able to choose his own wife, so whether it was a custom for it to be prearranged or because Isaac would have had great respect for the opinion of the oldest servant of his father's house, either way, Abraham wanted his servant to be pro-active in steering Isaac away from the idolatrous and wicked Canaanites and finding him a wife from his own people.

(5) And the servant said to him, "Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I take your son back to the land from which you came?"

It certainly appears that the servant is taking this oath seriously as he seems to be carefully considering all angles before he swears.  Suppose he finds the right woman, but she will not leave her homeland.  Should the servant bring Isaac to her?

(6) And Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there. (7) The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants will I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. (8) And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be clear from this oath; only do not take my son back there."

Abraham made it clear that the servant was not to take Isaac away from this land.  God took Abraham from his homeland to this land, and told him He would give this new land to his descendants.  Abraham is very certain that this is where Isaac must stay.  He is so certain that he has faith that God Himself will guide the servant in finding the wife.  However, for the servant's benefit, so that he may feel comfortable in swearing this oath, he told the servant that if he could not convince the woman to come back to this land, then the servant would be released from the oath.

(9) And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

Once the servant had asked his questions and had a complete understanding of what he was being asked to swear to and do, he put his hand under Abraham's thigh and swore to him concerning the matter of finding a wife for Isaac.

(10) And the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. (11) And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time that women go out to draw water.

I believe the sense of verse 10 is that as steward of Abraham's house, the servant had access to all of Abraham's goods, and therefore he was free to take ten camels, and it was his own decision to take them, and he then departed for the city of Nahor, Abraham's brother.  When he reached his destination, he made his camels lie down beside a well outside the city.  Whether at this point it was by design or not, it was in the evening at the time that women came to draw water.

(12) And he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please send me good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham."

The servant prayed to God for favor in his endeavor, and was asking this for his master Abraham's benefit.  The words translated as "good speed" are not translated that way anywhere else in the Bible, so I had difficulty determining their exact meaning, but obviously he asked for success in his mission, or asked that it happen quickly and decisively.  Perhaps "Godspeed" is the better translation; he asked that God prosper or bring him good fortune that day, but again, it was Abraham's good fortune for which he prayed.

(13) "Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. (14) And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she shall say, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also', let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that You have shown kindness to my master."

I have to wonder if this prayer and request for a sign from God was totally the servant's, or if Abraham had had any part of it, recalling that it was Abraham who first assured the servant that God would send His angel before the servant to find a wife for Isaac. Regardless the servant does appear to be a God-fearing man who is looking for assurance from God that he has found the right wife for his master's son.

(15) And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. (16) And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, no man had known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

How awesome that God began to answer the servant's prayer before he had even completed it!  There is a scripture in Isaiah, specifically, Isaiah 65:24, which says, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."  How wonderful is that?  We are given a brief genealogy of Rebekah to show that she was indeed of Abraham's brother's family, and she was a fair unattached maiden.  Rebekah came to the well and filled her pitcher, and was apparently coming back from the well.

(17) And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher." (18) And she said, "Drink, my lord", and she hurried and let down her pitcher to her hand, and gave him a drink. (19) And when she had done giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have done drinking."

The servant apparently watched Rebekah fill her pitcher and as she was leaving the well, then ran to meet her.  The sign for which he had prayed could not have been fulfilled until she had water in her pitcher.  Rebekah was beautiful to look upon and turned out to be most gracious and considerate, and began to fulfill the requested sign perfectly.

(20) And she hurried and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. (21) And the man, wondering at her, held his peace so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

Rebekah indeed did what she said, and also drew water for the camels.  My first thought as I read this scripture was that of course, God had made his journey prosperous!  Wouldn't he have known that when the maiden first opened her mouth and said she would water the camels?  However, I believe the sense of this scripture is that the servant is in incredulous wonder that things played out exactly as he had asked.  He watched until the entire incident was over, and marvelled at how God had worked in this gracious young woman.  When you think about it, she could have found it very condescending of this man to ask for water when he was perfectly capable of getting water himself, as he was also at the well.  But to be so generous to offer even more than the man had asked was certainly something at which to marvel!

(22) And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; (23) And said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"

Of course, it makes sense to me now that the servant could still be wondering if this was truly God's sign that this was the wife for Isaac.  He did not yet know if she was of Abraham's family (only we knew that, at this point).  The servant took out the gold jewelry, but the scripture doesn't say that he gave it to Rebekah yet.  With what he has witnessed, he was probably pretty sure this maiden was "the one", but he may have wanted to be certain first before he gave her the jewels.  Then again, the jewels may have been a "thank you" for her gracious generosity thus far, even if she wasn't "the one".

(24) And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." (25) Moreover she said to him, "We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in."

Rebekah confirmed that she was indeed of Abraham's family, and she answered the servant's question about whether or not there was room in her father's house for the servant and his entourage to lodge.

(26) And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. (27) And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken my master of His mercy and His truth; I, being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."

The man bowed and prayed and thanked the Lord for His mercy for Abraham and for putting him, the servant, in the right path of the maiden God had chosen for Isaac.

(28) And the damsel ran and told her mother's household these things.

At this point, Rebekah may only be telling her family that she has invited this man to lodge with them.  The fact that she told her mother's household, and not her father's, might be because her father is dead at this time.  While wives often had their own tents, and the fact that Bethuel is mentioned later in scripture, might mean her father is still alive, the fact that her brother appears to be the one making decisions, it may be that the Bethuel mentioned later is another brother, named after his father.

(29) And Rebekah had a brother and his name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man to the well.

Apparently, Rebekah left the servant at the well while she ran home to prepare her family for their guest, as Rebekah's brother, Laban, went back to the well to meet the servant.

(30) And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "Thus the man spoke to me," that he came to the man; and there he stood by the camels at the well.

Rebekah had told her family what the man had said to her, and seeing the gold jewels, her brother Laban went out to meet the man at the well.

(31) And he said, "Come in, you blessed of the LORD; why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

Laban saw the servant as blessed by the Lord.  It could be just because he appeared wealthy because of his gifts to Rebekah, and because of the number of attendants and camels he had, but it may be that Rebekah heard the thankful prayer the servant made to God and she relayed that to her brother and the rest of her family.  Laban asked the question about why he stayed behind outside, probably just as a courteous invitation to delay no further and come on in, for they were prepared for him and his camels to stay.

(32) And the man came into the house; and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

The servant went into the house, but the "he" who gave straw and feed and water to wash the feet of the men must be interpreted to be said of Laban, unless it was "he", the servant, acting on instructions and with provisions given by Laban.

(33) And there was set food before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told about my errand." And he said, "Speak on."

Food was set before the servant, but he wanted to first make clear his purpose in being there.  Laban told him to go ahead and tell them.

(34) And he said, "I am Abraham's servant. (35) And the LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. (36) And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has."

The servant began by telling who he was, and of the great blessings the Lord had given his master, Abraham, and of the son that was born to Abraham, who now owned all that his father had been given of God.

(37) "And my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; (38) But you shall go to my father's house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.' (39) And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' (40) And he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house. (41) Then you shall be clear from this oath when you come to my kindred, and if they will not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'"

The servant told Rebekah's family of Abraham's desire for a wife for Isaac from his family, and retold in detail the oath.

(42) "And I came this day to the well and said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now You do prosper my way in which I go, (43) Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes forth to draw water, and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink," (44) And she says to me, "You both drink, and I will also draw for your camels", let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' (45) And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the well and drew water; and I said to her, 'Let me drink, please.' (46) And she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also."

The servant told Rebekah's family about his prayer for the sign that he had found the right woman for Isaac.  Note that he told them that he had said the prayer silently, or in his heart, so it was not possible that Rebekah heard his prayer and decided to play along.  He told them how she indeed did do what he had asked in his prayer.

(47) "And I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him', and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands."

The earring that the servant gave Rebekah might not have been the same kind of earring that we think of today.  For one thing, there was only one.  While it might have been only one for one ear, since the servant said he put it on her face, it might have been the type of ornament that hung from a lace tied around the head above the ears and centered down the forehead between the eyes and down the ridge of the nose.  It could have also been a nosering.

(48) "And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. (49) And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

The servant told Rebekah's family how he had thanked the Lord for fulfilling the sign and finding the woman for Isaac, and asked whether or not they would do this kindness for his master (in giving Rebekah in marriage to Isaac) or if he would have to look elsewhere.

(50) Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. (51) Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken."

Here is the first time we actually hear from Bethuel in this whole episode.  Dr. John Gill points out in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, that the order of the words in the original text is "then answered Laban and Bethuel", and that the word for "answered" is in the singular form, so it may be concluded that Laban gave the answer in the name of Bethuel, who might be an old man who left the management of his family affairs to his son.  I would think he might also be dead by this time, and Laban could still be answering in the name of his father, as he was now head of his father's household.  As mentioned before, this Bethuel might also be a younger brother named after his father.  A few verses later these men seem to be mentioned again as sending "their sister" away, indicating they are her brothers, or if this Bethuel is not a brother and Laban was speaking in his father's name, it does seem that Bethuel the father is gone, and that only sons (brothers to Rebekah) remain in the household. 

Regardless of who the men were, brother and father, or both brothers, they realize this thing was entirely the Lord's doing.  They couldn't comment for or against, because they saw it as entirely the work of God, so they just told the servant Rebekah was before him (as God had planned) and that he should take her to be Isaac's wife.

(52) And it came to pass, that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. (53) And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

When the servant realized that his mission was to be accomplished, he bowed himself to the ground and thanked and worshiped the Lord.  He then gave Rebekah more jewels and clothing, and he also gave precious things, or presents, as the word is also translated, to Rebekah's brother and mother.  Once again, we read no mention of Rebekah's father, so I have to finally conclude that her father is dead, and the gifts are being given to Laban, as head of the household. 

(54) And they did eat and drink, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master." (55) And her brother and her mother said, "Let the damsel stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go." (56) And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master."

The servant and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night with Rebekah's family.  The next morning the servant was ready to depart with Rebekah and return to Abraham and Isaac.  Rebekah's brother and mother wanted to spend a few more days with Rebekah before she left, but the servant asked to be hindered no longer as they were all in agreement that this was the work of the Lord.

(57) And they said, "We will call the damsel, and ask her." (58) And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."

I'm sure the family would have liked to spend a little more time with Rebekah as this marriage arrangement came about suddenly, but their delay may have been partly to be able to talk to Rebekah and be sure that she also wanted this marriage.  Although marriages were often arranged by the parents in these times, it seems that the parties to be married had a say, as well.  If they couldn't spend time with Rebekah to find out how she felt about all this, then they would ask her directly now.  She said that she would go with the servant to be married to Isaac. 

(59) And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. (60) And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "You are our sister, you be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them."

Rebekah's family then sent her on her way with their blessing.  I suppose it is a blessing that any family would want for their own, that they have many children and grandchildren, and that those descendants be successful and powerful and victorious, which was what they were, in essence, saying.  Possessing the gate of those who hate them is to have power over them.  This may have been a common blessing, but it certainly sounds prophetic.  Perhaps they knew of God's promise to Abraham; maybe the servant had told them.  Whether it was their unknowing prophetic wish and blessing for Rebekeh, or whether they knew God's full plan and in agreement sent Rebekah with their blessing, the end result was the same.  Rebekah left her home to go with the servant back to Abraham and Isaac, to be Isaac's wife.

(61) And Rebekah arose, and her maidens, and they rode on the camels and followed the man; and the servant took Rebekah and went his way. (62) And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the south country. (63) And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening, and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.

Lahai Roi is the same place as Beer Lahai Roi, which was where the well was at which the angel met with Hagar when she fled from Sarah.  As the camel caravan bringing Rebekah came back home, Isaac had gone out in a field to meditate or perhaps to pray, and saw the camels coming.

(64) And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel; (65) For she had said to the servant, "Who is this man who walks in the field to meet us?" And the servant had said, "It is my master." Therefore she took a veil and covered herself.

Apparently when Isaac saw the camels, he started toward them.  When Rebekah saw Isaac coming toward them, she asked the servant who he was and the servant replied that it was his master, Isaac.  It was after she knew who he was that Rebekah got off her camel, and she covered herself with a veil out of modesty and respect and subjection, as was the custom in those days when a woman met a man. 

(66) And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. (67) And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

I'm sure the servant told Isaac the entire story explaining how he knew this was the wife for Isaac.  Isaac brought Rebekah to Sarah's tent, which would now be hers, as wives often had separate tents from their husbands.  Rebekah became Isaac's wife, and the scripture points out that he really loved her.  As a single man, he apparently still suffered from the loss of his mother, but Rebekah was a real comfort to him, just as God intended a marriage partner to be.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. - Ephesians 5:28

And the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him." - Genesis 2:18

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh. - Genesis 2:24

The Death and Burial of Sarah

Back to Genesis in my chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 23:1) And Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah. (2) And Sarah died in Kirjath Arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Abraham not only came to mourn for Sarah by performing the usual mourning customs of the time, but he also wept for Sarah, indicating he was sincerely saddened by the loss of his wife.  Kirjath Arba means "city of Arba", or "city of the four giants".  Some of the oldest commentaries speculate that it was so named for a Canaanite, one of the Anakim (a mixed race of giant people), called Arba.  He was probably the chief of four brothers who dwelt there.  This appears to have been deduced because of later scriptures:

And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath Arba (Arba was a great man among the Anakim).  And the land had rest from war. - Joshua 14:15

Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath Arba), and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. - Judges 1:10

Normally, I would not have made such a big study out of the name of the place, but I rather liked one speculation by early commentaries that the place had been named for the four greats, Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were buried there, or for the four great couples, as their wives, Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah were also buried there.  But as it would have been named long after the time in which Sarah died, and with the scripture references above, I am now after that study, more inclined to believe the former explanation of the name.

(3) And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, (4) "I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me possession of a burial place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

After he finished the customs of mourning, Abraham went about to provide for a burial place for his wife.  He, not a native of the place, spoke to the sons or descendants of Heth, whom we learned was the son of Canaan in Genesis 10:15, who were at this time the inhabitants of that part of the land where Abraham now was.  Wanting Sarah buried out of his sight would have been simply because death will make even the most lovely, most unpleasant.

(5) And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, (6) "Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choice of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, that you may bury your dead."

Although Abraham called himself a stranger and a sojourner, the inhabitants had a high opinion of him, and gave him his choice of burial places.  There was not a man among them who would deny him the use of his sepulchre in which to bury Sarah.

(7) And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth. (8) And he communed with them, saying, "If it be your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, (9) That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is at the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth, let him give it to me for a possession of a burial place among you."

Abraham bowed himself out of respect and as was the custom, as he was grateful for their kind offer.  He continued communication on the subject, saying if it was their wish to allow him to bury his wife anywhere he chose, then he chose the cave of Machpelah, and asked that they intercede for him with the cave's owner, Ephron.  Abraham was not looking for a free gift, but was willing to pay what it was worth. 

(10) And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, of all who entered the gate of his city, saying, (11) "No, my lord, hear me, I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you; in the presence of the sons of my people, I give it to you; bury your dead."

Ephron answered for himself in the presence of the descendants of Heth, with whom Abraham had spoken.  "All who entered the gate" probably means all of the citizens of the city.  Ephron offered to give the cave and the field in which it lay to Abraham. 

(12) And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. (13) And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me, I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there."

Again Abraham bowed out of respect and probably gratitude, but he told Ephron that if he would allow Abraham to take the cave and the field, then he would pay for it.

(14) And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, (15) "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between you and me? Therefore bury your dead."

Ephron told Abraham the worth of the land, but asked the rhetorical question about what that trifling amount really mattered, and so to therefore bury his dead.

(16) And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver to Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

Abraham listened and immediately paid Ephron the amount he mentioned, all of this done with the inhabitants, descendants of Heth, as witnesses.  Abraham paid in shekels of silver, which were particular weights of silver that he weighed out, and it appears this was a common currency used by merchants of the time.

(17) And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were within all the surrounding borders, were made sure (18) To Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

We read a description of the land "made sure" or deeded to Abraham, once again mentioning it was in the presence of the citizens, the descendants of Heth.

(19) And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. (20) And the field and the cave that is in it were made sure to Abraham as a possession of a burial place by the sons of Heth.

Abraham buried Sarah in the cave in the field which he had just purchased from Ephron.  As is the way with God and Biblical truths written for our benefit, the words are spoken or written twice to establish them as fact.

...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. - 2 Corinthians 13:1b

And that Biblical truth is established by at least two more mentions in the Bible, one time by God in His laws in Deuteronomy, specifically Deut. 19:15, and another by Jesus in Matthew 18:16.  That surely makes it solidly established! 

No Man Is an Island

Continuing a Bible study of Abraham:

(Genesis 21:1) And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as He had spoken. (2) For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Sarah bore a son as God had promised.  Note the Lord Himself did this; after all, Sarah was 90 years old by this time!  Dr. John Gill, in his Biblical commentary, brought to my attention something of which I had never given much thought.  Notice how the scripture tells us twice that the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and that the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken (actually three times if you count that Sarah bore a son at the time God had told Abraham).  Dr. Gill says the repetition is made to cause attention to God's fulfillment of His promise, but that reminded me of something more I have come to learn in scripture.  God always states something at least twice, for "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (Deut. 19:15, Matt. 18:16, 2 Cor. 13:1).  When I was looking up references to that truth in scripture, I found that even that principle of God's is found three times in the Bible!  I marvel at how God is always so steady and so true!

In Bible study, I have found the above fact to be a great aid in determining what is really meant in scripture.  In the past, I have stumbled over obscure passages or ones that seem to state something contrary to what I thought I knew about God and the Bible.  I now know that if it is something God wants to be an established fact, then it will be repeated.  If it is only stated in one place and it seems to be an odd, obscure, or contradictory statement, then I know that we have probably interpreted it wrong.  How exciting it is that God makes it so plain and easy for us!

(3) And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

Isaac is the name God had directed Abraham to name his son (Gen. 17:19).  The original word for our Anglicized "Isaac" is "yitschaq", and it means "laughter" or "he laughs".  We remember that Abraham laughed for joy at the promise of having a son in his old age. Additionally, Sarah laughed in mockery and disbelief.  Again it is Dr. John Gill who writes an interesting observation on the fact that the name "might presignify the joy and laughter that would be expressed by others at his birth; and perhaps also that he would be the object of the laughter and derision of his brother; such a number of events agreeing with his name."  Isn't that often the way with God?  He is so much more complex than we are, and most times there are multiple meanings and lessons derived from each part of His Word.  That is how you can read the Bible again and again and always find new pearls of wisdom each time.

(4) And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. (5) And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Again Abraham strictly observed a command God gave him (Gen. 17:12).  Isaac was the first that we read of in scripture who was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth.  All others were circumcised at the time God gave the command.  God's covenant with Abraham was established with the birth of Isaac in his old age, and he is cheerfully obedient to his Lord.

(6) And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me." (7) And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

Here we have Sarah's interpretation of Isaac's name, either that God made her laugh with the prophecy, or perhaps that she now laughed for joy at the birth of her son.  All who hear the news will rejoice with her.  A year before no one would have thought it possible that Sarah would nurse her own baby of Abraham's, but the miracle had occurred.

(8) And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. (9) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.

Ishmael was 14 years older than Isaac, and we know this because we were told earlier in scripture that he was born when Abraham was 86.  We can assume that Isaac was weaned by 2 or 3 years, so Ishmael was about 16 or 17 years of age when he mocked either little Isaac, or perhaps his old mother; we are not really told the exact object of his mocking or what he said.  Either way, Sarah didn't like it.

(10) Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac." (11) And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

The child of Abraham by Hagar might be considered as having a right at least to a part of Abraham's inheritance, and Sarah wanted there to be no possibility of that.  However, the idea of casting them out greatly grieved Abraham, for after all, Ishmael was his son, too.

(12) And God said to Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said to you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac shall your seed be called. (13) And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is your seed."

It is indicated here that it is God's will for Ishmael and his mother to be turned out, for it is Isaac alone from whom God's promised seed would come.  This is not to say that it was initially God's will to be cruel in allowing Sarah's harsh intentions to come to fruition.  We must remember that it was Abraham and Sarah who brought this dilemma upon themselves.  God will also bless Ishmael; He reiterated His promise that from Ishmael will also come a nation.

(14) And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Abraham rose early the morning after God spoke to him, and did send Hagar on her way, with provisions, and with her son.

(15) And the water was gone in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. (16) And she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not see the death of the child." And she sat across from him, and lifted up her voice and wept.

Scripture states that Hagar wandered in the wilderness.  Surely, Abraham had given Hagar enough water to reach the next well, but she wandered around in the wilderness.  However, regardless of whether or not she had been given enough provisions, when God tells us to do something, we should do it, and rest assured that God will take it from there.  So now we find Hagar at the end of her rope, so to speak.  She expects she and her son will die, and she can't bear to face the death of her child, so she pushed him under a shrub and sat a little distance away from him, crying.

(17) And God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. (18) Arise, lift up the lad and hold him in your hand, for I will make him a great nation." (19) And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad a drink.

God did indeed hear their distress, as the scripture says He heard the lad, who probably cried, also.  God's angel spoke to Hagar to comfort her.  He told her not to fear, because God knew where the child was.  We must remember that nothing ever catches God unaware; He always knows where we are.  He instructed Hagar to get up, raise her son up, and take him by the hand.  It's as if it's sort of an instruction to pick herself up by the boot straps and push onward, and in doing so, she saw the well.  God also repeated His promise that her son would be a great nation, which meant he would not die, so stirring her to action to get up and take care of him.  Often in despair and hopelessness, we cannot see or think clearly.  Usually when we get calm and quiet (and get in prayer), God helps us to see.  There's no indication that Hagar or the child actually prayed to God, but this was the promise He had made to Abraham, and it was His will that the child live and this He helped Hagar to see.

(20) And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (21) And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran, a desert region of Arabia near Mount Sinai, where God was with him, and he grew and prospered in health and in ability as he became an archer.  Hagar found a wife for him of the women of her own country, Egypt.

(22) And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do. (23) Now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son; but according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt." (24) And Abraham said, "I will swear."

Sometime after Abraham and Sarah had left Abimelech and dwelt in the land of their choosing, Abimelech and the chief captain of his army spoke to Abraham.  They could see that God was surely with Abraham and blessed him in all that he did.  Seeing he was a powerful man of God (or with God, he was powerful), they wanted him on their side.  The fact that Abimelech wanted Abraham's word not just now, but for future generations, makes me wonder if Abimelech knew or had heard of God's promise to give the whole land of Canaan to him and his posterity, and therefore wanted to insure that his own posterity would not be driven out.  Abraham, undoubtedly mindful of Abimelech's fair treatment of him, agreed that he would always deal fairly with Abimelech and his future generations.

(25) And Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

It appears to be at the same time that Abraham is swearing to deal as kindly to Abimelech as Abimelech has dealt with him, that Abraham points out that Abimelech's servants have not dealt so kindly concerning a well they had seized.

(26) And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; neither did you tell me, neither had I heard of it until today."

Abimelech claimed to have known nothing about the seizing of the well.  From all we have seen up to this point, I believe we can assume that this man found the fear of God by observing His work in and through Abraham, and truly wished to deal fairly with Abraham, and probably truly did not know his servants were doing things not so fairly.

(27) And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech, and both of them made a covenant.

It appears that Abraham believed Abimelech to be truthful about the well as he agreed to enter into a covenant with him.

(28) And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. (29) And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?" (30) And he said, "For these seven ewe lambs you shall take from my hand, that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well."

Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and oxen, but he made it a point to separate seven ewes from the rest of the flock.  The original word for "seven" is "shibah" or "sheba", and it means "the sacred full and complete thing".  Nothing could be added to it or taken from it. Abimelech asked about the separate ewes and with Abraham's explanation, it is established by both men that these were to be a testimony that the well that had been taken away from Abraham was one that he had dug, and was his property, and Abimelech acknowledged this by his acceptance of these seven ewes.

(31) Therefore he called that place Beersheba because there they swore both of them.

The actual meaning of the name appears to me to be "well of seven", but by the explanation in the verse, it was intentioned to mean "well of the sacred agreed upon complete oath".  Those are my words, but that pretty much sums it up for me.

(32) Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. (33) And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. (34) And Abraham dwelled in the land of the Philistines many days.

Abimelech and the chief of his army left the place of his and Abraham's covenant, but Abraham remained there.  He planted a grove, and I believe that was to mark this place and it gave him a physical place to worship his Lord, and I believe it was, in his heart, a place to honor his Lord, the everlasting God.  Maybe it was to be a public display of the acknowledgement of God while he dwelled in the land of the Philistines, and left as a memorial to Him after he left.

As I read over these scriptures and my notes, I saw that this chapter contained two different "stories", one about the turning out of Hagar and Ishmael, and the other about the covenant between Abimelech and Abraham, but I was struck by a similarity and connection of the two.  Abraham, as a blessed friend of God, brought blessings to the people who were associated with him!  He was a blessing to others!  Some blessings were due to his direct actions, but others were due to God's blessing of Abraham that brought blessing to those close to Abraham.  What a beautiful thought that not only can we be (or bring) a physical blessing to others, but that they might be blessed because we are blessed by God!  I am always in awe about how God moves in such intricate ways.  No man is an island, for sure!  The fact that our little individual portions of the earth can bless others is an awesome truth of our sweet everlasting Lord!

Encouragement for Backsliders

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 20:1) And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. (2) And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

It's hard to believe that Abraham did this a second time, but he once again stretched the truth to say that Sarah was his sister.  Technically, Sarah was indeed Abraham's half-sister as he will explain later in verse 12, but as he did before, Abraham said this because he thought it might bode better for himself if he was not beautiful Sarah's husband.  Not only should Abraham have learned from the first time he did this, think of how he endangered Sarah's honor and chastity, and she was probably pregnant with Isaac by this time!  Actually, this incident should serve as encouragement to us backsliders who constantly find ourselves falling into the same sin.  Good righteous men, even friends of God (James 2:23), can relapse into the same sins over and over again.

(3) But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Behold you are but a dead man for the woman you have taken, for she is a man's wife." (4) But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay also a righteous nation? (5) Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands have I done this."

God came to Abimelech in a dream with the message that he was a dead man for he had taken another man's wife.  Whether in his dream or as a result of it, Abimelech's plea is in answer to God.  He, in fact, had not come near Sarah (in that way), and asked the Lord would He punish his kingdom for something he had not done.  He proceeded to explain his innocence in recounting that Abraham and Sarah had both said Sarah was Abraham's sister, and he in his heart never knew she was Abraham's wife.

(6) And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, for I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her."

God protected Sarah, even though Abraham had put her honor in danger, and thus protected Abimelech's life, knowing his intentions were not sinful.

(7) "Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live; and if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."

God gave Abimelech a choice.  Some may think it wasn't much of a choice, but is it not always this choice with God?  Choose life or choose death.  God's way is life more abundant and life everlasting and the other choice is death.  As I read and write this, it is election day in our country.  When my step-son was much younger, he was stating his opinion about whom he would vote for if he could, and he responded that the Democrat wanted abortion, so he had to be for the other guy.  I remember thinking then that it really is that simple...always "CHOOSE LIFE".

(8) Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very afraid.

Abimelech rose early in the morning after his dream and it appears he certainly took the dream very seriously, as he related it to all his servants, and he must have been very convincing, as his servants are very afraid.

(9) Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done." (10) And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you seen, that you have done this thing?"

Abimelech took his complaint to Abraham whose lie was the cause of his almost sinning against God and losing his life.  He asked what he had done to deserve such treatment, or what Abraham had seen that gave him reason to think what he had done had to be done.

(11) And Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me for my wife's sake. (12) And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. (13) And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you will show to me; at every place where we shall come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

This is where Abraham justifies his deception as truth.  Don't we often want to justify our apparent misdeeds?  Notice that Abraham thought.  Maybe it was true that the fear of God appeared not to be in that place, but then again, was Abraham judging the outward appearance and making snap assumptions?  However, even if he knew for a fact that these people did not fear God, was His God not mighty enough to protect him, or as in this case with Abimelech's dream, cause the people to fear Him?

(14) And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored to him Sarah his wife.

Abimelech restored Abraham's wife untouched by him as God had directed him in a dream.  Also understanding from his dream that this man was a prophet of God and apparently respecting that fact, he also gave Abraham sheep and oxen and servants.

(15) And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you."

It is interesting to contrast Abimelech's behavior with the king of Egypt who merely sent Abraham and his wife on their way.  I can't help but think that Abimelech did indeed find the fear of God as he not only heeded God's warning, but went a step further in sending Abraham away with gifts and offering him any dwelling place he wanted.  Perhaps he only did it for the promise of prayer by the prophet as God had told him in the dream, but in any event he appears to have believed every word God said to him in his dream.

(16) And to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed he is to you a covering of the eyes to all who are with you and with all others." Thus she was reproved.

It's interesting that most of the newer translations translate the very last word, "yakach" as "vindicated" or "justified", making it sound as if Sarah was justified and found to be right in all this.  But I don't think that is the case at all.  The word is "reproved" and is almost always used as "reproved", "rebuked", or "corrected" in other places in the Bible.  The king probably had a bit of sarcasm going as he called Abraham "her brother".  As her husband, Abraham would be as a veil, a protective covering to her, so that no one would look upon her, desire her, and take her to be his wife.  Some Bible scholars took this a bit further than I think it actually states in the words, but I suppose it is a possibility, since he reproved Sarah.  They say that Abimelech may have been sarcastically suggesting that Sarah buy a veil with the thousand pieces of silver he had given "her brother".  They say this because later in scripture it is seen that married women wore veils, and if Sarah had been wearing one, it certainly would have prevented much trouble.  That may be reading more into the words than are actually written, but it is apparent that he was a bit irritated by her deception in concealing her identity.

(17) So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they bore children; (18) For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

So as God told Abimelech in his dream, Abraham did pray for Abimelech, undoubtedly thanking God for making him restore Sarah to him unharmed and untouched, but probably also asking for healing for Abimelech and his household, as well, as we read that God had closed up all the wombs of the women in Abimelech's household.  Note the scripture said God healed Abimelech, as well, so Biblical scholars have speculated that there may have been some disease that prevented Abimelech from being able or even wanting to bring Sarah into his bedroom, and that disease may have made child-bearing impossible, as well.

I do believe the moral of this historical account is that there is great hope for backsliders.  Imagine Abraham, that great man of God, that friend of God, falling into the same sin, and God was merciful and patient to protect him and bring him through again.  That should give us backsliders now much encouragement! 

The Amazing Mercy and Patience of our Lord

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.