Day 7: Genesis 19-21

(The previous post covered the new everlasting Covenant God made with Abraham and his seed. God also told Abraham His plans for judging Sodom and Gomorrah. God would spare the city for ten people.)

Genesis 19
¹ And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth;
² and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

(This chapter began with "the two angels." It looks like the three men from Genesis 18 were God and the two angels.)

³ And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

(After much urging, the two angels agreed to go into Lot's home and partake in a feast.)

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;
⁵ and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

(The men of Sodom surrounded Lot's house. They asked Lot where the angels were so they "may know them." The men of Sodom believed the angels were men. What did the men of Sodom want with the angels?)

⁶ And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after him.
⁷ And he said, I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly.
⁸ Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing, forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof.

(Lot offered his two virgin daughters in the place of the angels. The men wanted to have sex with the angels. 2 Peter 2:6 referenced these events.)

⁹ And they said, Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door.

(The men of Sodom wanted to have sex with the angels. However, this was not homosexuality, this was rape.)

¹⁰ But the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
¹¹ And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

(The angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness.)

¹² And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the place:
¹³ for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah: and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy it.
¹⁴ And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy the city. But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked.

(The angels told Lot that they were sent to check out the reports that had reached God. The angels told Lot God would destroy the city. Lot warned his sons-in-law to leave Sodom but they ignored him.)

¹⁵ And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
¹⁶ But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

(The angels physically took Lot and his family out of the city. Noah chose to get into the ark before the Flood. Also, four people were in Lot's family, half as many as were in the ark. God was being merciful in doing this. Mercy is "the postponement of judgment.")

¹⁷ And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

(They were told to not look behind them. They were supposed to keep focused on where they would be delivered to...from the destruction. Notice, they were not only told what not to do but also what to do.)

¹⁸ And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord:
¹⁹ behold now, thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy lovingkindness, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die:

(Lot said he could not escape to the mountain.)

²⁰ behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.
²¹ And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken.
²² Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
²³ The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came unto Zoar.

(Zoar meant "insignificance; smallness." Zoar was a city at the southeast end of the Dead Sea grouped with Sodom and Gomorrah as being one of the five cities slated for destruction by God. Zoar was spared at Lot's plea as his place of refuge. Lot changed God's Mind.)

²⁴ Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven;
²⁵ and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

(All living things were overthrown, even the vegetation in the well watered land. There were two stories in the Bible concerning angels and sex. Both ended in the greatest two destructions documented in the Bible and were referenced by Jesus in the New Testament (Luke 17:26-30). The Flood occurred after women willfully had sex with angels. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed after men tried to have sex with angels against the will of the angels, which was rape.)

²⁶ But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

(Lot's wife looked behind after being told to focus on what was in front of her.)

²⁷ And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah:
²⁸ and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.
²⁹ And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.
³⁰ And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

(God saved Lot because of Abraham. Notice, Lot ended up leaving Zoar and dwelling in the mountain, even though in verse 19 he stated he could not.)

³¹ And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
³² come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
³³ And they made their father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
³⁴ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
³⁵ And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

(Lot was so drunk that he did not even know when his daughters laid down or got up. People attempt to use Lot's daughters' sexual sin with their unknowing father and the men attempting to rape the angels to prove the causes for Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction was because of sexual perversion. Actually, Ezekiel 16:49 gave the causes of Sodom's destruction: "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Throughout the Bible, these same four causes for judgment were seen with others, for example: Jonah and Solomon. One of the effects of these four causes was sexual immorality.)

³⁶ Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

(Not surprising Lot had his sons from his daughters considering where they came from and how they treated each other.)

³⁷ And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
³⁸ And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

(Remember Moab and Ammon throughout the Bible and where they came from. They were a consistent source of affliction to the Israelites.)




Genesis 20
¹ And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.
² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

(Abraham referred to Sarah as his sister, again.)

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken. For she is a man's wife.
⁴ Now Abimelech had not come near her. And he said, Lord, wilt thou slay even a righteous nation?
⁵ Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.
⁶ And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou has done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

(In Genesis 12, when Sarai was taken by Pharaoh, God plagued Egypt and came to Pharaoh in a dream. This time, God did not plague Abimelech. Further, God stated He withheld Abimelech from sinning against God. It also sounded like Abimelech was more excellent than Pharaoh. Abimelech stated he asked both Abraham and Sarah about their relationship. Abimelech also boldly talked to God.)

⁷ Now therefore restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

(God referred to Abraham as "a prophet.")

⁸ And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. And the men were sore afraid.
⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? And wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
¹⁰ And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

(God gave Abimelech the choice. Abimelech confronted Abraham with three questions.)

¹¹ And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place. And they will slay me for my wife's sake.
¹² And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:

(Abraham gave two answers. He was concerned because he did not see the fear of God in that place. Second, he was not lying. Notice, this type of Marriage would be against the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:9). This type of Marriage was not sin during this 4th Dispensation, but would be during the 5th Dispensation. Notice, Sarah was ninety years old and all the leaders wanted her.)

¹³ and it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me. At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
¹⁴ And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

(Abimelech gave Abraham wealth. It looked like Abraham did not want to say the king of Sodom made him rich. He did not have a problem with Pharaoh or Abimelech (two kings who heard from God) helping to make him rich.)

¹⁵ And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee. Dwell where it pleaseth thee.
¹⁶ And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee. And in respect of all thou art righted.
¹⁷ And Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants. And they bare children.
¹⁸ For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

(The gifts from Abimelech were in recompense for what he did. Abraham prayed for Abimelech so that he got a value from Abraham. Again, God can prevent children from being conceived.)




Genesis 21
¹ And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

(The following story was referenced in Hebrews 11:9 as proof that Sarah was an example of faith to us. God visited Sarah "as he had said" He would. This referred to Genesis 18:10 – "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son…")

² And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
³ And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

(Abraham named his son Isaac as God had told him to in Genesis 17:19.)

⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
⁵ And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
⁶ And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me.
⁷ And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.
⁸ And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

(Sarah and Abraham handled everything perfectly, they followed God's commands.)

⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
¹⁰ Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

(Here we see that Ishmael mocked Isaac. Paul referenced this verse in Galatians 4:29-30 where it clearly stated that Ishmael had "persecuted him that was born after the Spirit"...meaning Isaac.)

¹¹ And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son.
¹² And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

(God told Abraham to do what Sarah wanted. Hagar was Egyptian. Ishmael was half Egyptian.)

¹³ And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

(The phrase "sent her away" was the same as "put her away." Remember, Hagar was Abraham's wife. Abraham put Hagar away.)

¹⁵ And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
¹⁶ And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot. For she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not. For God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

(God heard Ishmael's voice and then He spoke to Hagar to comfort her. In fact, He asked her a question.)

¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand. For I will make him a great nation.

(God still made a great nation from Ishmael even though his conception was an effect of Abram and Sarai attempting to fulfill God's Covenant in their own strength.)

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 drink.
²⁰ And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, 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 married an Egyptian woman.)

²² And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.

(Abimelech was the king of Gerar of the Philistines. He and his general ("captain of his host") recognized that God was with Abraham in all that he did. Remember, the purpose of the 4th Dispensation was for God to use Abraham (patriarchs) as an example to reach other nations.)

²³ Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
²⁴ And Abraham said, I will swear.
²⁵ And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
²⁶ And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing. Neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.
²⁷ And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. And they two made a covenant.

(Abraham covenanted with Abimelech, which meant Abimelech had a covenant with God.)

²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
²⁹ And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
³⁰ And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
³¹ Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them.

(Beer-sheba was a city at the south edge of Israel. Beer-sheba meant "well of the sevenfold oath.")

³² So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
³³ And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.

(A "tamarisk tree" was also referred to as a "grove" which could mean an orchard or a group of trees. As the story of God's people through Abraham continued, we see that "groves" were used often in idolatry, in worshipping an image.)

³⁴ And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

(This post documented God's judgment and blessing during the 4th Dispensation. We saw the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. We also saw God blessed another nation (Abimelech) through Abraham.)

Day 8