archangels-bible-annotations

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 26

26:1 There is a new famine and Isaac pays a visit to Abimelech, the King of the Philistines.

26:2-6 Lord appears to Isaac and tells him to stay in Gerar (where Abimelech is) and said that He would complete Isaac's covenant on behalf of the good works of his father, Abraham. Isaac is specifically told not to go down to Egypt.

26:7 Isaac uses the same strategy that Abraham does, he calls Rebekah his sister. This brings up the question again, is it okay to lie in this scenario?

26:8-9 Abimelech caught Isaac and Rebekah being intimate and called out Isaac's lie.

26:10-11 Abimelech verbally admonishes Isaac and gives a new decree that if anyone touches Isaac or Rebekah then they are to be put to death. Would this still occur if Isaac had told the truth in the first place?

26:12 Lord blesses Isaac after he does agriculture, why now? Maybe because farming requires settlement and the fact that Isaac is staying in the city God ordained shows his willingness to follow God's command.

26:13-14 Isaac's fields prospered.

26:15-17 Philistines who saw this became jealous and filled wells with dirt. He was then cast away by Abimelech. Though he was cast out, he did not leave Gerar, staying true to God's commands.

26:18 Isaac redug his father's wells. He calls the wells the names he remembered his father call them.

26:19-20 Well of water was dug in the Valley of Gerar (the place where Isaac moved to) and property was disputed with the herdsman of Gerar. For that reason, the well was named "Injustice."

26:21-22 Same thing happened again, the new well was called "Enmity." The next well was safe and was called "Room" because "the Lord has made room for us, and has increased us in the land."

26:23-24 Isaac goes to the Well of Oath and the Lord appears before him. The Lord restates His oath to Isaac and says He would do it for Abraham's sake.

26:25 Isaac built an altar where God appeared before him and dug a well. Why does he dig a well next to another well?

26:26-29 Abimelech makes another appearance, this time with Ahuzzath (commander-in-chief of his armies). They "have seen the Lord with [Isaac]" and they want to ensure peace between them and Isaac. Isaac is initially confused as they approach but they ensure him that they sent him away in peace only.

26:30 Isaac greats their proposal with a feast.

26:31-33 Abimelech and his friend are sent away in the morning. The servants return to Isaac and say they found water in the well they dug. That well became known as "Oath" and the city surrounding it was named "Well of Oath."

26:34-35 Esau turns forty and has two wives, Judith and Basemath, both of whom are Hittites. It also states that they were "contentious with Isaac and Rebekah."

Other Remarks:

Because of God saying that He would fulfill the oath on behalf of Abraham, it seems this is an instance of indirect intercession (v.5).

Abimelech gives out a decree that protects Isaac and Rebekah. I wonder if Abimelech would have protected them as such if Isaac was honest in the first place. If so, then Isaac would have no need to lie (v.10-11).

This idea that our lives can make appeals to God on behalf of someone else is the idea of intercession. It seems that even though many churches believe in the idea of intercession of the dead, there also seems to be intercession of the living. If we lead lives that are pleasing to God, then God will even bless those who are close to us (v.23-24).

Isaac probably builds another well for one of two reasons: First might be that it is a popular spot therefore there is a need for another well. Another theory is that when it says that Isaac went to the Well of Oath, it describes a general location, thus necetating a well in the surrounding area, not next to the original well itself. (v.25)

There seems to be a common theme in Genesis of building an altar wherever God appears to you (v.25).

Abimelech seems to be quite the cautious king. He also serves to protect his kingdom. It is interesting to see that Abimelech indeed confesses the existence and superiority of the God of Abraham when he approaches Isaac. (v.26-29)

This is the third oath we see at the Well of Oath (v.26-30)

These verses give hint to the Bible being written retrospectively. Not even just recently after the event but well after. This is seen because of the phrase "therefore, the name of the city is the Well of Oath to this day." (v.31-33)

Esau gets married to two women from the tribe of Hittites. Because it states that they were contentious "with" Isaac and Rebekah rather than "toward" it can be assumed that both parties were angry at each other rather a one-way anger. we can presume that Isaac and Rebekah did not agree with Esau marrying from the Hittite people because that is the only information about the wives that is given to us. It could also be the fact that Esau has taken for himself two wives. But from the story of Abraham we already know that "sexual sin" does not yet exist. Maybe it is okay to have concubines but not to have another wife during this time? (v.34-35)

Questions:

When is it appropriate to lie? (v.7)

Why does Isaac get blessings right after trying to farm? (v.12)

Why did the wives of Esau and Esau's parents butt heads? (v.35)

Things to Add to Prayer:

By our good deeds, have mercy on those who sin against you.

May our enemies see the Spirit of God in us and seek us in peace.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Isaac #Rebekah #Esau #Well of Oath #Abimelech #Ahuzzath #God #Lord #marriage #bible reading #bible study #Gerar #Philistines #Judith #Basemath #Oath

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 25

25:1 Abraham marries again. What is Keturah's background?

25:2 Abraham's new children are Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

25:3 List of Dedan's sons; the ones preceded by the word "the" most likely pertain to a tribe.

25:4-5 Abraham's preference for Isaac is seen as all of his possessions were given to Isaac.

25:6 Explicit statement that Abraham had concubines and even sons with them. Why did Abraham send them away from Isaac? This might be because he believed that they would be bad influences for Isaac/his progeny.

25:7-8 Abraham lived to 175 then "added to his people"; Isaac was roughly 75 years old.

25:9-10 Abraham was buried in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah

25:11 God blesses Isaac here. This means that it is probably time to begin fulfilling the covenant to Abraham through Isaac. How does "blessing" work?

25:12-16 Ishmael has 12 kids. Referred to as "twelve princes according to their nations." This is the fulfillment of God's covenant with Ishmael back in Chapter 17:20.

25:17 Ishmael lived to 137.

25:18 This verse is in parenthesis and gives pointers to location. This is another instance where we see that the Bible is written by man not by God.

25:19-21 Review of Isaac; Isaac pleads to God for a child. God had established a covenant through Isaac so there shouldn't be any worry about having a child, or many children.

25:22 Rebekah finally conceived after she was thought to be barren. The Bible states that the "children struggled together within her." This means that when Rebekah was pregnant, she carried at least twins if not more. This verse also shows her worry and questioning her situation, she then seeks the Lord for answers. Note that it doesn't appear that even in these difficult times that she question's God rather asks for help/seeks clarity.

25:23 God replies that she has twins with unequal strength and that the older will serve the younger. This is not a typically seen power dynamic; usually, we see great importance placed on seniority but that idea gets trampled here. Now it will be interesting to see which one of the siblings are stronger than the other. If the older is stronger, that means the strong serve the weaker younger sibling; indicating the younger sibling has greater capacity for leadership. If the younger is stronger, that means the ruling force of the younger sibling is derived from power.

25:25 The firstborn, Esau, was born hairy and red.

25:26 Jacob was born and held Esau's heel. This verse also states that Isaac was 60 when they were born; that would mean that Abraham is still alive at this time.

25:27-28 Each parent had a favorite. Isaac loved Esau, who was a hunter; Rebekah loved Jacob, who stayed in the tents.

25:29-30 Jacob cooked a stew. This shows a symbiotic relationship between the brothers; one hunts while the other prepares. It says that Esau was weary coming from the field. Being tired from fieldwork is expected but since it was deliberately pointed out we can assume that Esau was especially tired. Because of Esau's state, he was given a nickname (?) Edom.

25:31 Jacob takes advantage of Esau's state and states that he would provide Esau with stew if Esau were to sell his birthright.

25:32-33 Esau agrees, stating quite logically his birthright would do no good if he were dead.

Other Remarks:

Abraham marries again and is stated to have many concubines. This view is rejected in modern Christianity. One can only marry again if a spouse has passed away (which is what occurred to Abraham) but having outside sexual relations is considered adultery. Giving credit to Abraham, him having many partners was never against a commandment of God because the concept of adultery as God's command did not come until the 10 commandments. (v.1)

Abraham still invests everything into Isaac especially because of God's covenant. Abraham even sent out his other sons so that Isaac would have possession over the land that God had sworn. Also this shows Abraham's foresight as to not let the other sons of Abraham fight for possession. (v.6)

Abraham had 8 sons that were mentioned by name, and then more from his concubines. (v.6)

After Abraham passes, God blesses Isaac; means that the covenant to Isaac shall begin to be fulfilled. (v.11)

Verse 18 is written as to give specific location. This points to a human writer behind this portion of Genesis. (v.18)

Isaac pleads for children because Rebekah is seen to be barren. Since God said He would make great nations from Isaac, there should be no worry about children. It seems that every time that God has promised children, they are delivered relatively late. Such examples include Seth, Isaac, and Jacob/Esau. This could reflect on the nature of God's will is done through Him rather than relying solely on mankind. If birth of the righteous was done solely by mankind, then man would give birth in times of fertility. However this is not the case as these individuals conceive at times when it was believed they were barren, insisting that the birth's were of God's doing, not by man. (v.19-21)

We see Rebekah pray. Does Rebekah question God or simply seek clarity? It is not explicitly stated as to what she said in her prayer but instead we are given the basis of why she turns to prayer. (v.22-23)

God states that strength is uneven between the two children and the older will serve the younger. This power dynamic is rarely seen, especially in the times where seniority was a big contributing factor. Later in this chapter, Jacob gains the advantage over Esau as Jacob gains the birthright. But what type of "strength" does God refer to? If it is toward physical strength, then we would default to Esau because he is a skilled hunter while Jacob stayed in the tent. A notion against this claim is that Esau returned from hunting very tired. I would still say Esau is physically stronger than Jacob because a tired hunter has more capacity for strength compared to a rested tent-dweller. If God's statement was toward intellectual acuity, then strength would be in Jacob's favor as he took advantage of his brother's lowly state (which in my opinion is a low blow). (v.23)

As Esau was born, he was red and hairy. Some articles claim this resembles that of an animal, which would in turn foreshadow Esau's job as a hunter. And since he was born red, that would be an indication that Esau was born "weak" (?). Esau's name translates to "Doer"; this matches his role in the family (v.25).

As Jacob was born, he held Esau's "heel." Some articles claim the "heel" is a euphemism for a man's scrotum. Thus this would foreshadow the manipulative nature of Jacob (v. 26).

Not sure why each parent had a favorite child. Isaac probably loved Esau because Esau resembled a man's work and they spent a lot of time together in the field. Rebekah probably loved Jacob because they spent a lot of time together in the fields. (v.27-28)

A clear relationship is seen between the brothers as they both contribute to each other's well-being. This relationship is turned upside-down when Jacob requires payment for the "red stew." I interpret this interaction to parallel what was seen between Cain and Abel (v.29-30)

The nickname of "Edom" means red; this references Esau's state at birth and his tired nature when he came from the fields. (v.30)

OSB emphasizes that Abraham died "in a good old age, old and full of days"; signifying that he died full of faith and blessings from God. (v.7-8)

OSB states that when Esau feared death, he showed that he rejected the faith of Abraham; death would not need fear if one were to believe they would unite with God. I think this view disregards Jacob's manipulative nature. OSB supports Jacob's actions as acceptance of the faith of Abraham, as the birthright is being taught and led in the faith.

Questions:

Where does Keturah come from and what is her background? (v.1)

What explicitly comprises a "blessing?" (v.11)

Does God's statement of strength relate to Esau or Jacob (physical or intellectual strength)? (v.23)

What parallels can be drawn from the barrenness of Sarah and the barrenness of Rebekah?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to always seek peace and humility.

Grant us faith so that we learn to not question Your works.

Lead us to live lives pleasing to you so that we may rest with good old age, full of days.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #abraham #Keturah #Ishmael #Isaac #Rebekah #Jacob #Esau #Birthright #Twins #concubines #re-marriage

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 24

24:1-4 Abraham makes his oldest servant swear that they are to get a wife for Isaac from Abraham's people, not the people of Canaan. Why did Abraham request the servant to place his hand under Abraham's thigh to make this vow? This might indicate that Abraham was too weak to do traditional vowmaking (swearing via a handshake, etc). The oldest servant is said to rule over the land; this is fitting for the oldest servant to hold the most responsibility. Abraham swears by "the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth." Why does he mention God twice rather than just saying 'God of heaven and earth?' This introduces the possibility of confusion.

24:5 The servant asks if Isaac should stay in the land Abraham is from.

24:6-7 Abraham does not want Isaac to return to the old land. Abraham is trying to strictly follow the commands of God because God took Abraham out of his old land and said that this current land was granted to him and his seed. Abraham also mentions that an Angel will guide the servant to choose a wife. It is cool to see that Abraham was so close to God that he could just say that "[God] will send His Angel before you" without God saying He would do that.

24:8 Abraham continues saying that only if the woman is not willing to follow you back here then the servant may break this oath. What exactly is Abraham referring to when he says "this oath?" It might be concerned with the woman the Angel picks.

24:9 Servant swore under Abraham's thigh

24:10-14 The servant reaches Mesopotamia and starts an interesting prayer. He asks God to guide him to the woman who will serve him water along with his camels. Interesting that in the previous paragraph, I was expecting an explicit appearance of an angel to guide the servant to a woman. This sign that he asks for is a very passive one.

24:15-16 Rebekah approaches right after he finishes praying. Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor. Essentially, Rebekah is Abraham's great-niece (if that makes sense?).

24:17-20 Rebekah gave the servant water and offered water for the camels as well; she passed the test.

24:21 The servant looks at Rebekah and starts wondering. Why does he question if the "Lord had made his journey prosperous or not?" The servant asked for a sign and it was received exactly as he intended. He might be thinking that he should have asked for a more specific sign (?). This is similar to some of the issues we face with belief today.

24:22-25 The servant brings out jewelry and gold and then asks her whose daughter she is and if they have room for lodging. Rebekah replies and says they have plenty for the servants and camels to stay and feed.

24:26 NOW the servant praises God.

24:27-28 The servant says to Rebekah the story. The beginning part of the servant's speech would be perfect for prayer. Rebekah goes to tell her household.

24:29-30 Laban, brother of Rebekah, ran to see the servant after hearing good news.

24:31 Laban invites the servant inside and asks a rhetorical question. This question conveys that the servant, and in extension those of Abraham's house and the people of God, are welcomed in the house.

24:32 It states the "man" unloaded the camels and other chores. This is referencing Laban. This shows the great hospitality of Rebekah's house, even to the servants.

24:33 Another instance of bread is mentioned in the Bible. The servant says that he will not eat until he has conveyed what he is there to tell.

24:34-47 The servant tells Laban and party about his mission and story

24:48-49 The servant asks for Laban and Bethuel's response. The servant says that if they are not willing then let him know "that [he] may turn to the right hand or to the left." I assume this statement is supposed to imply that the servant will look elsewhere for a woman if they disagree.

24:50-51 Laban and Bethuel agree to hand over Rebekah. Why do they say, "we cannot speak to you either good or bad."?

24:52 Servant praises God again

24:53-54 The servant gave gifts to the family and joined them in a feast.

24:55 Laban and the mother request to keep Rebekah for 10 days before sending her off. This might be to say final farewells (?)

24:56 The servant rejects their request saying that the Lord "has prospered my way." This shows that matters that deal with God are never to be delayed.

24:57-59 They officially ask Rebekah if she would go, and she says yes. Also, a minor detail mentioned in passing that Abraham's servant was not alone.

24:60-61 The family blesses Rebekah and she leaves with some of her maids with the servants of Abraham. The blessing used is interesting, "May you become the mother of thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gates of their enemies." What entirely does that mean?

24:62 Isaac comes to the Well of the Vision. I don't think we know this well as of yet; this tells us that there is a story about to unfold.

24:63 Isaac meditated in the field. I wonder how they practiced meditation. This is taught through various forms in Eastern theologies.

24:64-65 Rebekah saw a man in the field and asked the servant who it was. The servant said it was Isaac and then Rebekah went immediately to cover herself. Why does she want to veil herself now at a time of revelation? This might turn into her trying to test out Isaac before the wedding is official.

24:66-67 My assumption was wrong. Rebekah joined in Sarah's tent and was married to Isaac. At this time, Sarah had departed, so what was Sarah's tent? Was it the tent she used while she was alive? Or did they get married in front of her burial ground? I don't think it was the one she used while she was alive because then it would be titled "Abraham's tent." This verse also mentions Rebekah had consoled Isaac in regards to his mother, this gives some ground for Sarah's tent being near her burial place.

Other Remarks:

Abraham was probably compelled to try to find a wife for Isaac because Abraham was getting weaker with his old age. This is evident by having the servant swear under his thigh. (v.1-4)

The oldest servant is the old charged with the most responsibility. This not only alludes to seniority but also that the oldest servant is also the one that has served with Abraham the longest. (v.1-4)

Abraham swears on the name of the "God of heaven and the God of earth." He separates the titles not to highlight two different entities but to rather set forth the magnitude of each title.

Abraham always follows the commands of God almost to a fault. God promised prosperity for his future generations and thus Abraham was insistent that Isaac stay with the new land of Abraham (v.6-7).

Abraham's relationship with God is something to be fathomed. In previous chapters, when we see foretelling of the actions of God being told by man it is because God had told man what He was planning to do. This is the first instance where we see Abraham almost 'command' God. This interaction comes from a place of understanding that most likely follows this logic: "God wants the prosperity of my future generations; For this to happen, Isaac must find a suitable wife. God will not let Isaac go astray with a bad wife; thus God will guide him in picking a woman for Isaac." This is why Abraham states that God will "send His Angel before you." One note is that no indication reveals whether or not this angel is a regular angel or God in the form of an Angel, even though the OSB capitalizes this 'Angel.' (v.6-7)

Abraham lists only one condition for the oath with the servant, which is that if the woman decides to not leave her home then the oath is to be broken. I assume this means that if God has led the servant to a woman but the woman is not willing to fulfill the command of God, then it is God's way of saying that it is not time for Isaac to find someone. (v.8)

The servant asks for an explicit sign from God to see if the woman is right for Isaac. This is similar to how sometimes today we ask God for a sign. The test that the servant uses allows him to pick someone selfless and of good nature. This is very different from having an angel of God appear and guide the servant to a woman. When Rebekah passed the test, the servant was doubtful if she answered correctly or if it was by coincidence. He then tries to confirm by asking a follow-up question. When she passed again, the servant was 100% certain and gave praise to God. (v.21)

When Laban welcomes the servant, his statement elevates the position of those of the house of Abraham and all those who worship God. This is just the first of many examples of hospitality in the house of Rebekah. (v.31)

The nature of Abraham is reflected in his servant. Just as Abraham refused to take handouts from anyone, the servant refused to take any food (bread) until he stated the reason for his coming. The servant might have felt that it would be improper to take and enjoy from a house if they had not decided to let their daughter marry Isaac. This is another example of humility. (v.33)

The servant asks if the house of Rebekah will follow the ways of Abraham and the Lord God. If not then the servant shall "turn to the right hand or to the left." This is stating that the servant shall be on his way. The "right hand" symbolizes taking a hand of marriage, while the "left hand" is probably to leave to search for another woman. (v.49)

When Laban and Bethuel say, "The command comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either good or bad." There are different interpretations of what this could mean. One instance is that the family did not 'know' God therefore they could not speak of the Lord being entirely good or entirely bad but they knew that the Lord was greater than everyone so they followed along. Another interpretation could be that they did not know of Abraham to speak good or bad about him. This logic could also be applied to the servant being good or bad. (v.50)

The servant worshipped the Lord, again. This shows his commitment to the Lord God and how often we should reflect and be thankful. (v.52)

In celebration, it explicitly mentions that they "ate and drank." One might relate this to how oftentimes Christians are portrayed to be prohibited from the use of alcohol. I believe this instance of drinking in the Bible shows us that it is not drinking itself that is wicked but rather the wickedness of being in a state of "drunkenness." Thus a celebratory toast or something of the like that fits an occasion is permissible. BUT this is to be taken with extreme caution as to make sure that no one goes overboard. (v.54)

We see celebration here, explicitly it says they "ate and drank." How does this relate to the prohibition of alcohol?

The family requested 10 days with Rebekah, this request is marked by rejection from the servant as the servant demands that they must leave. There might be some significance as to why this is mentioned and why explicitly it states that they refer to Rebekah as "the virgin." One interpretation is that the 10 days were to look for other potential suitors to compare; another interpretation was that this delay was to send final farewells. The servant's response tells us an important message. This message is that whatever comes from the dealings of the Lord should not be delayed. This calls us to be immediate in our actions with God, and not to leave only 'when ready' for God. This calling encourages us to approach God 'as we are' rather than perfect people. (v.56)

Meditation is mentioned in the Bible. This brings to mind how they would have meditated back then. I assume that since Isaac was in charge of the field animals, he meditated by trying to empty his mind or address the issues and thoughts that arose in his mind. These issues might or might not have been related to his current duties, there is no way to be sure. It would not be a bad guess to assume that Isaac was still meditating on the death of his mother (because of his grief at the wedding). The aforementioned form of meditation is popularly seen in Eastern Theologies, specifically in Buddhism and Daoism. (v.63)

There is good grounds to assume that when Isaac and Rebekah married in "Sarah's tent," they had gotten married in front of Sarah's burial site. The first hint is that all property belonged to the male in the family, thus a regular tent would be titled "Abraham's tent." The second hint is that once Isaac and Rebekah were married, Isaac got emotional concerning his mother. (v.66)

The last verse shares a glimpse into what a proper marriage looks like, "[Isaac] loved [Rebekah], and was comforted concerning Sarah his mother." Isaac is known to be mature because of the level of responsibility he held. But the fact that he broke down conveys the message that even the toughest are called to experience the inner turmoil they have and to not bottle it unnecessarily. Sarah on the other hand shows the responsibility of the wife to be a foundation on which the husband can build himself. Isaac would never break down if he could not trust Rebekah to be that foundation; otherwise, Isaac would have spiraled into a perpetual sadness. (v.66)

Questions:

Why does Laban and Bethuel state that they cannot "speak to you either good or bad."? (v.50)

Why does Rebekah's family request to keep her for an additional 10 days? (v.55)

What does the following blessing mean, "Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gates of their enemies."? (v.60-61)

What is the Well of the Vision? (v.62)

Why does Rebekah veil herself before meeting Isaac? (v.65)

OSB highlights that the woman chosen for Isaac should not be forced but rather should have free will to follow (v.8).

OSB states that the "Well of the Vision" is the same well related to Hagar in chapter 16 (v.62-63)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to put our faith in you and to not rely on ourselves.

Help us to always remember you in our times of prosperity and times of pain

Help us to always remember you in times of height and hell.

Let us exemplify You not only by the words that progress from our mouths but through the actions that proceed from ourselves to portray humility, ...

(Taken and adapted from the servant v.27) "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has not allowed His righteousness and His truth to forsake us."

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #abraham #sarah #Wedding #Isaac #Rebekah #Well of Vision #Relationship #Prayer #marriage

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 23

23:1-2 Sarah died at 127 in the land of Cannan, Abraham mourned

23:3 Who is Heth?

23:4 Abraham states that he is a sojourner, so he cannot bury Sarah at a 'home' because there is no place that is a perpetual 'home.' When Abraham and Lot parted ways, Abraham chose Cannan as his home, so in a sense, Sarah is buried in their homeland.

23:5-6 The sons of Heth state that they worship the same God and Abraham is considered a king, so he should bury his wife anywhere he would like. This is the first time Abraham is referred to as a king. Abraham could technically be called the 'Sojourner King from God'

23:7-9 Abraham asks the sons of Heth to talk to Ephron the son of Zohar to bury Sarah at the cave of Machpelah. Why is this cave so significant? Abraham also states that he would buy the cave at full price, which is another testament to his humility.

23:10-11 Ephron calls Abraham 'Lord' and decides to just give Abraham the land and the cave. Why is Abraham addressed as 'Lord?'

23:12 Abraham bows before the people of the land a second time (the first was when they said he can bury Sarah wherever). This shows the actions of a true king, one that can acknowledge his people.

23:13-16 Ephron insists that Abraham not pay because the amount is trivial considering both of their positions. Abraham pays anyway.

23:17-20 Abraham has the land deeded to him and he buries Sarah.

Other Remarks:

The sons of Heth are mentioned to be the people of the land, so it can be assumed that the sons of Heth are the people of Canaan. Heth was the son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham, who was the son of Noah. The name Heth is believed to mean something along the lines of 'depleter of strength' or similar. (v.3)

In this chapter, we see Abraham is addressed as a Lord and a king. These are all new titles for him but they make sense. Lord refers to someone who is greater, which comes from being more favored in the eyes of God. King is from his riches that were bestowed to him by God and his demeanor. Abraham expresses humility throughout this chapter by giving respect toward those that revere him (and beyond that). (v.5-6, 10-11)

Abraham never accepts handouts from anyone. This was first seen when he helped out Sodom with their war and now again for the site of burial. During the time of Sodom, Abraham claimed that it was because the people would have a claim to fame, thus he did not want to owe anyone. He might possess a similar reasoning for this burial ground. (v.13-16)

OSB states that Abraham labels himself as a sojourner because he considers himself temporarily 'visiting' this world while his true home is in the life after death. (v.4)

Questions:

Why is the cave of Machpelah so significant? (v.7)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to trend with humility throughout our daily lives as Abraham portrayed.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #abraham #Sarah #Burial #Cave of Machpelah #Hath #Humility #Ephron #Canaan #Death

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 22

22:1-2 States that God is going to test Isaac. God instructs Abraham to offer Isaac as a whole burnt offering. I wonder what was going through Abraham's mind. Also, why would God want to test Abraham? It goes to show that even those who find favor with God are tested, and you might even say those people are especially tested. What is Sarah's reaction to all of this?

22:3 Here it describes some of the preparations that Abraham does for the offering. His commitment to God is unwavering; at the time of God's message and even during preparation, Abraham never questions God's orders. I guess this goes to show that we are never to question God, for what will we try to gain by asking questions? The only appropriate question is simply 'how' to get it done.

22:4 It was a three-day trek and the mountains were visible.

22:5 Isaac is referred to as lad. Abraham tells his 2 servants to stay back with the donkey. Since the servants are from the house of Abraham, they should belong to the same faith; thus believing in the same God. They should be allowed to stay with Abraham for worship.

22:6 Abraham and Isaac go toward the site. Abraham carries the fire and the knife, while Isaac carries the firewood. Abraham is carrying the dangerous items while Isaac is carrying the heavier items. Shows a power dynamic between the two.

22:7 Isaac asks where the sheep is for the burnt offering.

22:8 Abraham states that God will provide the sheep for the offering. This could be a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ based on how this is worded.

22:9 Abraham set up an altar. Why does Abraham set up an altar everywhere he go rather than just using preexisting ones? He binds Isaac, I wonder how much suspicion Isaac feels.

22:10-12 Right as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, an Angel called out from heaven commanding him to stop. Angel states "for My sake you have not spared your beloved son." This tells us that this Angel must be God taking on the form of an Angel. Abraham only reveres God, not a lower angel. Angel also states "now I know you fear God." This tells us that this was all a test.

22:13-14 There was a ram who was stuck, this was used in place of his son as a burnt offering. Is it acceptable to sacrifice rams instead of pure lambs? This place is called "The-Lord-Has-Appeared," today this is called Mount Moriah.

22:15-16 Angel calls to Abraham a second time. Essentially renews the vow that God had made previously. Verse 16 can be a little confusing because it can be interpreted in two different ways: First is that the Angel is Lord and is referring to Himself, or the second which is that the Angel is a messenger who speaks on behalf of the Lord.

22:17-19 Angel states that God will fulfill His side and Abraham returned to the Well of Oath.

22:20-24 Lists off the children of Abraham's brother, Nahor. Nahor had Huz, Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel by Milcah (8). Nahor had Tebh, Gaham, Thahash, and Machah by his concubine Reumah (4).

Other Remarks:

Even those who follow God are to be tested. Shows that following God is never the "easy path." (v.1)

It is never our role to question God. When God commands something, who are we to question the validity of His authority? God knows and understands all circumstances of everything. With His great knowledge, He has chosen this specific path. So what then would we gain by trying to adjust His path which is always pointed in the best direction for us. This makes the only valid question "How would you like this done?" (v.3)

This blameless sacrifice is referred to a parallel of Christ sacrifice in the New Testament. The three day trek can be compared to the similar 3 days of suffering faced by Christ (ash Wednesday to good Friday). (v.4)

Servants are from the same house fo Abraham, thus they believe in the same God. They should be allowed to worship and thus might have gained some suspicion when Abraham asked them to stay back. If Abraham wanted to save his son without directly defying God, he could have not had his servants stay behind. The fact that Abraham did leave his servants behind tells us that he was 100% committed to the task (v.5).

In this verse the grammatical structure and the way that Abraham states that God will provide the offering also tells us that God Himself will be the offering. This could be a foreshadowing of the coming and sacrifice of Christ (v.8).

Angel of the Lord is actually God in the form of an Angel. This conclusion is based off of the wordage used by the Angel, insisting that the Angel has Divine power and a connection already established with Abraham. OSB also has Angel capitalized. (v.11)

It is important that the Bible states that the angel was from heaven. This story could have easily been interpreted differently if a fallen angel had commanded Abraham to stop (v.15).

When the Angel calls out a second time, it is a little confusing about the Angel's status; if we use the previous calling of the Angel as a reference, then it is clearly the first interpretation that is correct (v.16).

OSB states that God swore by Himself because there is nothing greater to swear by; this clears up confusion in v.16.

Questions:

Why does God want to test Abraham, especially if he has been faithful his entire life? (v.1)

How many altars has Abraham built? Are there no pre-existing altars? (v.9)

What is the difference and/or symbolism that a ram was used instead of a blameless sheep for the offering? (v.13)

Why was it important to list out Abraham's nephews and nieces? (v.20)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to abide faithfully to your commands without wavering

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #abraham #Isaac #sacrifice #Ram #lamb #Angel #Nahor #Mount Moriah

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 21

21:1-5 Says that God visited Sarah and fulfilled His promise of a son. Isaac was born then circumcised on the 8th day. Abraham was 100 years old.

21:6-7 Sarah states that God made her laugh. This is a reference to when the 3 men came to visit them.

21:8 States that Isaac was "weaned." The first definition of weaned comes up as making a child accustomed to food other than it's mother's milk. Why is the weaning of a child indicative of a feast for Abraham?

21:9-10 Sarah demands that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out because Sarah did not want Ishmael to be Abraham's heir with Isaac. What difference would it make to raise them separately versus have them grow together? If they grew together there might be an air of competition to see who might be the 'better heir' (?). Maybe Sarah was trying to avoid this, or avoid any potential spotlight from her son Isaac.

21:11-12 Abraham was displeased with Sarah's decision. But God suggested Abraham to listen to her. God stated that it is through Isaac that Abraham's seed will be "called." This probably means that through Isaac, their descendants will be great.

21:13 God adds that He will also make the people of Ishmael great because Ishmael is also from your seed.

21:14 Abraham gave Hagar her son, bread, and a "skin of water." The "skin of water" is a waterskin (skin of an animal that was used to create a container for water). We see the reoccurrence of bread; it has played a significant role in almost every encounter we have seen. Hagar wandered near the "Well of Oath," what happened at that well?

21:15-16 As Hagar wandered, they ran out of water. She placed Ishmael under some shrubs and sat a distance away because she did not want to see the death of her child.

21:17-18 God heard the weeping of Ishmael (referred to as "lad") and the Angel that initially met with Hagar, meets with her again. He says to get Ishmael for "I will make him a great nation." It was God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation, so when the Angel says He would do it, the Angel professes Himself as God. Thus again we see that this Angel is actually God in the form of an Angel.

21:19 Hagar took back Ishmael and they found a well. This well might be the "Well of Oath" that was mentioned previously. We are still not sure what the oath is; could it refer to God's promise to Ishmael to make him great? This place wasn't the first place where God had made that announcement, so it might not be that.

21:20-21 Ishmael grew, became an archer, and found an Egyptian wife. Interestingly when Ishmael was going to be abandoned Hagar moved a "bowshot" away and now he is an archer.

21:22-23 Abimelech makes a reappearance. He states that God is with Abraham in all aspects and asks that Abraham not turn against Abimelech for any reason on account of the goodness Abimelech has done for Abraham. This shows fear in Abimelech's position. As king, and worshipper of other gods, when he asks these things of Abraham, Abimelech claims that the God of Abraham is the greatest.

21:24 Abraham agrees

21:25-26 Abraham is mad at Abimelech because a servant has seized a well. Abimelech claims that he has never heard of this happening.

21:27 Abraham and Abimelech set a covenant. What are the terms of this covenant?

21:28 Abraham set aside 7 young female sheep. What is the purpose of this? Also, we see the number 7 yet again, what is the significance of this number?

21:29-30 Abraham states that Abimelech must take the seven ewes as recognition that Abraham dug the well.

21:31-32 This well was known as the "Well of Oath." Abimelech and his friends returned to the land of the Philistines. Does this mean that Gerar is part of the Philistines?

21:33-34 Abraham planted a field at the well and prayed. This is the first time we see God referred to as "the eternal God."

Other Remarks:

During the time of Abraham and Sarah, there was no one who could give birth during old age. Old age during that time is similar to the old age we would consider nowadays. This contrasts greatly with those individuals around the time of Noah. It is a big deal that Sarah was able to give birth in her old age. If it was prophesized that her son would be great and she bore a son during normal fertility age, then it is possible to think of 'God's intervention' as either a hoax or part of some great random change. The fact that she conceived well after she lost the ability to have children shows that God's intervention was purposeful and unquestionable. (v.1)

When a child matures from a younger infant, they are weaned from their mother's milk to solid food. This is a time of celebration in different cultures known as the "Weaning Ceremony." Different cultures celebrate this event differently, and we see Abraham holding a feast for the weaning of Isaac (v.8).

When Isaac was born, Ishmael should be 13-14 years old.

God stated before that Ishmael shall bear 12 nations and be great, while Isaac will be the father of many nations and be great. This difference in scale is probably what God meant by Isaac being "called." (v.11-12)

We see the reoccurrence of bread here in the Bible. (v.14)

Hagar wandered near the "Well of Oath" but at the time the well was not established. So this tells us that the story is written not in chronological order but rather as a 'flashback' (?). (v.14)

When Hagar placed Ishmael under a shrub, Ishmael was a well-developed young man. Hagar must have had some strength to carry the teenager and the shrub must have been bigger than just a bush (v.15-16)

The Angel that appears to Hagar is again God as an angel. (v.17-18)

The Bible incorporates interesting wordplay here. When Hagar abandoned her son, she was a "bowshot" away from him. Later we see Ishmael become an archer/bowman. (v.20)

This is the second instance we see Abimelech as king fearing the God of Abraham. This shows that he believes his god is lesser. These chapters do not detail if Abimelech had converted his belief system. (v. 22)

Abraham and Abimelech form a covenant. The terms of this covenant are for Abraham to keep peace with Abimelech's prosperity on account of Abimelech's actions in returning Sarah with many gifts. (v.27)

After Abimelech accepted the seven ewes, the well became known as the Well of Oath. This scene simply describes a name change. This would fall in line with the story chronologically as it would mean that Hagar drank from this well before its name changed. (v.28)

Abimelech and the people of Gerar are of the Philistine people. (v.31)

OSB states that Hagar and Ishmael were cast out because God's children are not those from 'fleshly' procreation but rather from the child of promise, Isaac. (v.10)

Questions:

Why does Sarah insist that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out of the house? Did she feel as though Ishmael's age would have been a reason he would have been honored more than Isaac? (v.9-10)

Was the well that Hagar drank from the "Well of Oath?" What does this tell us about the timeline of events in this chapter? (v.19)

There is a servant who acted without the king's knowledge. Does this mean that Abimelech does not have full control over his servants? or does it tell us that the one who seized the well might have been someone posing as Abimelech's servant? (v.25)

We see the number 7 yet again in the Bible. What does this number signify and why is it so important? (v.28)

Does Hagar being cast out from the house of Abraham and then incidentally finding Abraham's well when she was in danger in the desert symbolize anything? She continually finds support purposefully or not from Abraham.

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to embrace the faith in fullness, so we can find prosperity in You.

You alone are the eternal God of All.

Help us turn our minds to you in all events good and bad.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #abraham #Sarah #Hagar #Ishmael #abimelech #Isaac #Well of Oath #Gerar #Gerarites #7 #bread #Angel #weaning ceremony

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 20

20:1 Abraham moves. First mention of Gerarites (?).

20:2 Abraham repeats the lie he says in Egypt because he thinks Sarah is too beautiful. But Abimelech, the king of Gerar took Sarah.

20:3 God appears to Abimelech and says he is dead because Sarah is a wife. Is this really Abimelech's fault? Another way to look at this is that Abraham would never have been afraid and Abimelech would never have taken Sarah if the Gerarites were good people.

20:4-5 Abimelech prays to God from his standpoint, saying that his intentions were pure. Abimelech also claims that his nation is "just."

20:6 God states He knows that Abimelech was ignorant and that is why He never allowed Abimelech to touch Sarah. So if God knew this entire time, why did He threaten to kill Abimelech? Is this because He wanted Abimelech to respond in prayer? That is what differentiates this story and the time Abram went to Egypt.

20:7 God says to return Sarah, that Abraham is a prophet, and when Abraham prays for you, Abimelech shall live. This is the first explicit statement that Abraham is a prophet. Also, this is a prime example of intercession, for it is through Abraham's prayers that Abimelech will be saved. Why would Abimelech need the prayers of Abraham instead of praying by himself? If Abraham prayed for Abimelech, it would mean that they both reconciled and that Abimelech had turned to God. Remember that Abimelech is a king; kings never bow down authority to anyone, for it is their nature.

20:8-10 Abimelech conveys the message to all his servants, then confronts Abraham asking why he has done this.

20:11-13 Abraham replied that he had not sensed the worship of God in the city and feared for his life. He also said that Sarah really is his sister, but only a half-sister (from his father's side). He also asked Sarah to call him 'brother' in every place they enter.

20:14-15 Abimelech gives Sarah back to Abraham as well as many riches and tells him that he can settle anywhere in Abimelech's land. This contrasts the Egypt story, as the Egyptians commanded him to leave when they returned Sarah. This is reflective of a repentant king.

20:16 Abimelech tells Sarah that he has fairly reimbursed Abraham and that she should tell the truth moving forward.

20:17 Abraham prays for Abimelech. He is healed along with his wife and his female servants. In God's message, he never says anything about cursing or killing anyone besides Abimelech. Because the next sentence is "then they bore children" we can assume that "death" of Abimelech included his physical death as well as death of his future lineage.

20:18 The Statement above is confirmed in v.18.

Other Notes:

This story shares a parallel with the story of Egypt. When Abram went to Egypt the same situation occurred; the response of the Egyptians was to banish Abram and Sarai, they never addressed God. In this story, the difference is that Abimelech turned to God to address this issue. This means that if they worshiped a different god before, they had to now claim that the God of Abraham was Almighty. The Egyptians did not do so but rather rejected God.

God wanted to turn Abimelech's heart towards prayer, that is why this entire situation arose. (v.6)

This story shows a prime example of intercession. Abraham must pray for Abimelech for Abimelech's healing to happen. This sign shows reconciliation between the two and exemplifies the humility in Abimelech. (v.7)

This is the first explicit instance where Abraham is titled a prophet. The role of a prophet is to be the messenger of God. (v.7)

God's curse of death to Abimelech stated that Abimelech would die. This extends from just Abimelech's physical life to his lineage as well. (v.17-18)

OSB mentions that the Gerarites worshiped Dagon and Ashtaroth. Abimelech's obedience to God shows the inferiority of these false gods.

Questions:

Is it okay to lie for the sake of self-preservation? (v.2)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to become repentant and turn towards you like Abimelech.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #Abraham #Gerar #Gerarites #Sarah #Egypt #Abimelech #Old Testament

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 19

19:1 There are two angels who arrive at Sodom. What happened to the three men? Where did the angels come from? Lot bowed before them so that means that the angels are from God.

19:2-3 Lot offers them hospitality; they initially refuse but give in eventually. This verse also mentions that a feast was held and specifically that unleavened bread was baked. Why was this explicitly mentioned? Could this tie into what was offered by Melchizedek? Abraham also offered bread with his hospitality.

When Lot addresses the angels, he refers to them as "lord" in lowercase, which tells us that this is not the same angel who was 'Lord' that appeared to Hagar.

19:4-6 The people of Sodom surround Lot's house and ask to see the visitors.

19:7-8 Lot tells them to not act wickedly. He says he will bring out his two daughters and to do with them as you please. Now I am not sure if Lot is saying that these are his two daughters or two girls who are sheltering in his house. Then he says to do nothing to the men (two angels), who 'came for' the virgin daughters. Why is the narrative being twisted?

19:9 The people got angry with Lot. They called him a sojourner and thus he should have no power over the people.

19:10-11 The angels helped Lot inside and cast blindness on those who were at the doorway. Here the angels are referred to as "men" so it might be a correlation to those men who visited Abraham.

19:12-13 Angels tell Lot to gather his relatives and to leave Sodom for it will be destroyed. Usually, when we see angels, we picture them as emotionally unchanged from situation to situation; however, these lines from the angels show an emotional charge, insinuating that angels can experience emotion.

19:14 Lot tried to warn his sons-in-law but they did not believe him. It is key that it is the outsiders of the family that do not believe.

19:15-16 Angels told Lot to leave with his wife and two daughters, they excluded the sons-in-law who were already married to his daughters. Lot and party was in confusion (which probably means they panicked) but the Lord showed mercy by having the angels take them out of the city.

19:17 Angels tell party to run towards the mountains and to not turn back.

19:18-20 Lot prayed that he should escape towards the next small city rather than the mountains because the mountains will have evil that will overtake Lot.

19:21-22 God allowed Lot to escape to the nearby city and decided to keep that city safe. The city is named "Zoar" which translates to refuge or sanctuary. God listened to the request of man and changed His plan accordingly.

19:23-24 God rained brimstone and fire "from the Lord out of heaven." Brimstone is known to be like a burning sulfur. Apparently the smell of burning sulfur is evident during lightning strikes. It could be possible to draw an assumption that God used lightning to strike down Sodom and Gomorrah. What does "from the Lord out of heaven" mean? It seems to be repetitive: 'The Lord sent this from the Lord.'

19:25 Everything in the cities and plains were overthrown, this explains why God wanted Lot to go towards the mountains. This devastation extended from the people to everything that they invested in, including crops.

19:26 Lot's wife was turned to a pillar of salt because she looked back. How does one 'look back' after they have reached another city? Before reading this directly from the Bible, I thought that Lot's wife had looked back right after she was told not to and while they were still running to escape. This version of the story puts a lot more emphasis on adhereing to God's command until God says otherwise.

19:27-28 Abraham goes toward where he stood before the Lord and sees destruction and a pillar of fire rising up to heaven.

19:29 After the decimation of the cities, God 'remembered' Abraham. Like we have visited before, God does not 'forget' his people but rather a remembrance of God is actually a recognition of God which will soon be followed by some act of God.

19:30 Lot moved from the city of Zoar to the mountains because he was afraid. Initially, he asked if he could move to the city because he was afraid of the mountains, but now he moves to the mountains because he is afraid of God's wrath on the city. This shows that Lot is now more scared of God's power rather than the power of evil in the wilderness.

19:31-32 The oldest daughter of Lot suggests that they should sleep with their father because there is "no man on the earth to come in to us." Why couldn't they have found a husband with Abraham's people? They probably are trying to uphold Lot's lineage and came to this conclusion because Lot's wife had passed away (meaning Lot could not have a natural heir). If they were to go to Abraham's seed, they would turn over the lineage to Abraham's people and lose their father's name and possessions.

19:33-36 Both daughters slept with their father and conceived a child. This was done while Lot was drunk and he could not fend for himself. This set of verses shows us that drunkenness makes us more likely to sin, as Lot engaged in his lust.

19:37 The older daughter birthed Moab who formed the Moabites. Moab translates to "Who is your father?" or "Water of a father."

19:38 The younger daughter birthed Ammon who formed the Ammonites. The name Ammon translates roughly to "A people."

Other Remarks:

It can be thought that the two angels were part of the "3 men" who approached Abraham. That would mean there were always 2 angels and the last person was God. This view would take away from the stance that the individuals who visited Abraham represent the Three persons of the Trinity. (v.1)

Lot functionally offers his own daughters as sacrifices to the people in order to protect the angels. The angels prevent this by blinding those who attacked the house. (v.7)

When addressing the angels, the terms angel and men are used interchangeably. This tells us that the angels took on the form of man. Does this reflect their physical appearance in heaven? (v.10)

Angels are shown to have dialogue that is emotionally charged instead of calm and collected. This tells us that angels can experience emotion. (v.13)

Those that were of Lot's blood were saved but those from Sodom held on to their stubbornness and decided to stay for the destruction. This includes those supposed to inherit Lot's house (his son-in-laws). (v.14)

We see another example of a merciful God who commanded His angels to save Lot and his family who were in panic (v.15).

Lot tries to incorporate his own will by asking God to let him go to a nearby small city. God says okay. In the end we see that God's will ultimately prevails and His instruction has meaning to it. Lot was initially afraid of the evil in the mountains, but when he experienced the greatness of God who turned his wife to salt and destroyed Sodom and Gamorrah, Lot was no longer afraid of the evil in the mountains but instead the wrath of God. This aspect turns Zoar into a pseudo-Zoar, a pseudo sanctuary.

"The Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven." This means the materials used to decimate Sodom and Gomorrah were those that proceeded from heaven and not from earth. Just as the flood used 'waters from the firmament.' (v.24)

Brimstone is burning sulfur, which can be indicated during a lightning strike. So it might be possible that 'brimstone and fire' would mean that God used lightning to decimate S and G. Although the people could not witness the events of the lightning firsthand, the clap of thunder would be enough to strike feat into Lot; causing him to retreat to the mountains. But if it was lightning, why did he not fear going to higher elevation? (v.24)

The angels commanded that Lot and party leave and not turn back. After they had reached Zoar, Lot's wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt. Is this because they asked to go to Zoar instead of the mountains or is it because it was a direct violation from what the angels had instructed? I assume it is partially both. This example shows us how great of a punishment falls upon us for leaving the commands of God, no matter how much time passes away; yet we choose to leave the commands of God on a daily basis. This kind of puts things into perspective of how great we have everything even though we often choose to sin. (v.26)

Abraham viewed the destruction and was not harmed. This is because he was never instructed to look away and also he was worthy to look towards God through his many encounters. He sees the work of God as a rising pillar of fire. Also, note that Abraham was 'remembered' after the destruction. (v.27.)

Lot's daughters plan to sleep with their father and bear children. This might be to continue the heredity of Lot because they had no male heirs for their father. (v.31)

Lot was taken advantage of because he was drunk. This tells us we are not to lend ourselves to drunkenness as our guard drops and evil can easily overcome us, just as a sense of lust came over Lot. (v.33)

Flashback to the previous chapter, God said that He would spare the city if it had just 10 righteous people. There was no official counting done by Abraham or God, so God already knew that there were not even 10 people in the city who were righteous.

OSB points out that Lot did not worship the angels but rather gave them respect. Such is seen as Lot simply bowed before them while Abraham prostrated on the ground before God.

OSB points out that "Lord" is used twice in one sentence (v.24) to denote two persons of the Trinity. The brimstones and fire were rained by the Son, and the brimstone and fire were from God the Father.

Questions:

Why is bread a common theme for feasts mentioned in the Bible? (v.2)

Do angels appear like humans in heaven?

Does God consider the actions of Lot's daughters justified? (v.33)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to understand that your will is the best way for us.

Help us to follow your will for us

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #Abraham #Lot #Moab #Moabites #Ammon #Ammonites #Sodom #Gomorrah

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 18

18:1-2 God appeared to Abraham again. How did Abraham know immediately that the three men who stood before him were God?

18:3-5 Before the men speak Abraham bows down, calls them Lord, and offers them hospitality. It is also interesting that the three are referred to in the singular tense. Abraham uses "Your" and "You" rather than 'you all.' It is thought that this is a physical appearance of the Trinity. Each of the men is God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

18:6-8 Abraham hurries to prepare everything with Sarah and his servant.

18:9 One of the men asks for the whereabouts of Sarah; this shows the omnipotence of the guests as till now they were 'random' and had not even met Sarah yet.

18:10-11 One of the men says that He would "return to you according to the time of life." What does this mean? I assume this means that God will return to Abraham and Sarah when it comes time for Isaac's conception or birth.

18:12 Sarah is at the tent just listening and then laughs at the prophecy of the men.

18:13 The Lord asks why Sarah is laughing. Another show of omnipresence. If this is God, then He should already know the answer. Why is He asking? This is another example of God allowing man to come forward with repentance and humility. This was seen other times in the Bible as well, namely with Adam and Eve after eating from the tree. God is giving Sarah an opportunity to address her lack of faith in God, or even recognize that this is God if she did not know.

18:14 "Is anything impossible with God?" That is a great quote. Through this quote, the person explicitly defines His nature as God if it isn't clear.

18:15 Sarah denies laughing but gets called out. Resembles the fall of man.

18:16 The men left and went to Sodom and Gomorrah, escorted by Abraham.

18:17-19 The Lord asks if He should hide what He is about to do from Abraham? Without ending the quotation, the question is addressed non-directly. This could mean that one of the other 2 men was answering the question of the initial man; since they are One God, they have no need to be separated by quotations. Why should the Lord hide what He is about to do? And how does Abraham's righteous behavior answer such a question?

18:20-21 Change of subject as now the focus is on Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with exceedingly great sins. What does "the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah as been completed"? This is followed by the Lord going to see if "they are carrying out the outcry coming to Me concerning them." So I assume what is going on is that the initial "outcry" against S and G is from the Lord telling them to change their ways. Then the Lord tries to see how the people of S and G have responded, either with their own outcry or with correction.

18:22 The men left for Sodom but Abraham decided to stay with his Lord.

18:23-24 Abraham asks if God will punish those who are righteous with all those who are sinners. He also asks if the city can be saved if there are 50 righteous.

18:25 Abraham calls out God and he does so as if he is intimately close with God. Abraham essentially says that it is not of the character of the God he worships to punish those who are righteous with the ones who are wicked.

18:26-32 The Lord agrees to Abraham's plea and decides to spare the city for the sake of the few. Abraham continues to bargain with the Lord for 45, 40, 30, 20, and finally 10 people. This shows God's willingness to listen to those who are righteous by Him. What is interesting is that God should already know how many righteous there are in the city for they should have established a relationship with God. So God should have already known that there were actually not any people in Sodom. If there were righteous people in Sodom, then they should have influenced more people to be believers in the Most High God.

18:33 The Lord continues with His journey and Abraham "returned to his place."

Other Remarks:

Abraham was able to immediately identify the three people as God because of his intimate relationship with the Lord. (v.1-2)

The three men are believed to be the physical appearance of the Trinity (v.3-5)

God keeps teasing Abraham with the promise of a son who will inherit everything. It was mentioned so many times. Usually, when we see something foreshadowed, it is only mentioned once. This reflects a doubtful nature in Abraham/Sarah; if they were convinced they would have a son, there would be no need to constantly be reminded. (v.10-11)

God asks why Sarah is laughing but due to His omnipotence, He should already know. This is a reflection of God giving an opportunity for man to reflect on themselves to find the nature that God wants them to reflect. In Sarah's case, He wants to build her faith in God. (v.13-15)

When God asks if He should hide what He is about to happen, this is probably to elicit a response of intercession from Abraham. The fact that Abraham tries to intercede for the people of Sodom tells us that God's response in correlation to Abraham's nature was well-placed. God believed that Abraham had the right heart to continue with God's covenant; this might have been a small test to be sure. (v.17-19)

Sodom and Gomorrah have "exceedingly great" sins. This could mean they have many sins, but doesn't the entire world sin? The correct assertion should be that the world has had exceedingly great sins except for those under Abraham. Instead, it could be interpreted that the sins we commit build up some sort of debt to God, which is why the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are being called out as "exceedingly great." (v.20)

This shows us that one of God's traits is that He will never unrightly punish a person. (v.25)

God should already know how many are righteous but decides. to go with Abraham's proposal anyway. My assumption is that Abraham believes that there are righteous there because Abram saved the city of Sodom in the war. Surely if there are a few righteous, then others would follow in their steps and the whole city wouldn't be "exceedingly" wicked. Instead what might have happened is that those that did follow the righteous path were unpopular with the ways of the masses and might have been murdered. This would follow the thought that the city was wicked. (v.26-32)

The intercession of Abraham for others is significant here. This shows that we can pray and ask God to help those who are not ourselves. God's willingness to listen reflects his merciful nature.

Questions:

When does God reappear to Abraham/Sarah? During conception or after birth? (v.10-11)

Why should God hide His planned actions to Sodom/Gomorrah? (v.17-19)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to build a relationship with you and to help find you in the everyday.

Help us build our faith in you to be an unshakable pillar.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #Sarah #Abraham #Lord #Trinity #Sodom #Gomorrah #sodom and gomorrah #Intercession

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 17

17:1 God tells Abram to "be pleasing before Me and blameless." This might mean Abram did not hold to his previous record of satisfying God. Shows that it is difficult to maintain a life pleasing to God, even for the greatest of us.

17:2 God is establishing a covenant where God will "multiply [Abram] exceedingly." Wasn't this already stated by God? I assume the previous times were all promises and now it is time for actualization.

Usually, in grammatical structure, you would announce the name of the other before yourself; in this verse, we see "Me and you." This shows God's superiority over man. Thought it would be something to point out.

17:3 Interesting it says that God "talked" with Abram. Usually, we observe that God "says" to someone. The instance of "talking" here shows mutual respect and back-and-forth conversation.

17:4-6 Covenant is established, Abram is to be the father of many nations. Abram's name is changed to Abraham. The name Abram means "Exalted Father;" this could be interpreted as Abram himself being a figure that is worthy to be exalted, or that "the Father (God) is Exalted." The name Abraham means "Father of multitude."

17:7 God says that the covenant will be everlasting for Abraham, his seed, and God.

17:8 God promises the land they are on to them "as a sojourner." This could mean that hey have temporary control over the land until they reach God's kingdom? And God states that He will be their God.

17:9-11 Abraham's side of the covenant is that they should be circumcised. This only applies to the male population of Abraham's seed. What about the female population? I guess when it is mentioned that 'your seed shall inherit the land,' ownership can only be bestowed upon the male heads. If looking through that logic, it makes sense as to why the female population is not mentioned.

17:12-13 This covenant extends to every male in Abraham's genealogy, including those "born in your house, or bought with money." God's statement here tells us that Abraham's servants and the servant's male children also are to follow this covenant. This also states that circumcision should happen on the 8th day. After a child is born.

17:14 The children that are uncircumcised are "cut off from his people; for he has broken My covenant." So now we see circumcision serves as a physical sign of one's faith in God. This covenant can be interpreted to extend to all of those who are followers of God; not just Abraham's blood. This is especially true because we see the inclusion of the servants and children.

17:15 Sarai's name has been changed to Sarah. Why does she need her name to be changed?

17:16 Sarai's name is changed to mark her new beginning as she will bear a son. The name Sarai translates to "my princess." Her changed name translates to just "princess." This could signify God's plan to make her the female head of the future nations with Abraham. This changes her aspect from a local "my" princess to a broader scale.

17:17 Abraham is found laughing and has questions in his mind. I think it is important that it states that Abraham questioned in his mind rather than out loud. The mental question reflects Abraham's humanistic logic kicking in; the fact that he kept the question in his mind tells us that he ultimately believes in God's plan and thus sequesters his own thoughts.

17:18-19 Seems as though Abraham got confused by God's words and tried to fit in humanistic logic by saying that God had meant Ishmael to be the successor rather than a new son. God corrects him and states that his new son shall be named Isaac and he shall be the successor.

17:20-22 Ishmael shall be blessed by God and will beget 12 nations; however, Isaac will be the one who receives the covenant with God. Isaac is set to be born in a year; which means that Isaac will be in conception in 1 month by the old 10-month calendar.

17:23-27 Abraham circumcised his entire house, including everyone that was bought with money; this also includes Ishmael. Ishmael was never granted the same covenant as Isaac, but rather this might be for the prosperity of the 12 nations. If Ishmael is being circumcised, then what is the difference between the covenant held with Isaac and the covenant with Ishmael?

Other Remarks:

When God states that Abram is to be "pleasing before Me and blameless," God states why Abram deserves a covenant. "I will be their God," and "to be your God and the God of your seed after you" tell us that the covenant has to have the people believe and follow God. So the covenant God creates states that Abraham will be fruitful and the land of Canaan will be given to his people as long as they keep God with them and continue to be "pleasing and blameless" and be circumcised. This means that this is God's chosen people; God will grant them safety and prosperity. (v.1, v.8, v.10)

I think God states again that His plan for Abram, is to create a difference between his status as a father of Ishmael and the father of the others. It is through his change to Abraham that he is able to produce a multitude, thus Ishmael is not able to fulfill the multitude expectation. (v.2)

Circumcision only applies to the male portion of those under Abraham because the males were the only ones who could inherit in a patriarchal society. (v.9-11)

Since circumcision is given to all those under Abraham (e.g. servants and his children), it might be a physical sign that you are of God's people; especially since Abraham was God's person. (v.14)

God changes the name of those he changes destiny. Abraham's name was changed to fit his new role as a "Father of multitude." Sarah's name was changed to reflect a change from her local position to one that will live forever. (v.15-16)

The promise of God to give a child to Abraham and Sarah while they were old shows that God's plan exceeds our own. This is portrayed by the confusion and laughter of Abraham followed by God's clarification that the child Isaac will be from Abraham and Sarah. (v.17-19)

Isaac is promised God's everlasting covenant but Ishmael is also circumcised. I assume Ishmael's circumcision was because he was of the house of Abraham but he will not have the same authority that Isaac will have. It was mentioned before that God's covenant will produce countless peoples while Ishmael's has 12 nations; this might be the difference between the two peoples. (v.20-27)

The OSB highlights the first verse because of the Lord's appearance to Abram. This happens after many years (13 years after the birth of Ishmael). The OSB states that this is the Son of God. Does this mean that all physical appearances of God refer to the Son rather than the Father? If this is the Son, it would be the third time we see Him. (v.1)

Questions:

Why does it say that God "talked" to Abram? (v.3)

Why does God mention that they are given land as a sojourner? (v.8)

Why should a child be circumcised on the 8th day? (v.12-13)

It can be thought that we are currently living in the '8th day' of creation, where we are promised salvation through the second coming. Is there a correlation (i.e. foreshadowing) of children being given circumcision on the 8th day (i.e. being accepted into God's promise) and our current '8th day' where we wait for the second coming?

Are there any individuals who are not of Abraham's seed nor his servant but still chose to be circumcised?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to be pleasing and blameless in your sight.

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #god #abram #Abraham #Sarai #Sarah #Isaac #Ishmael #Covenant

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 16

16:1-2 Sarai and Abram could not have any children, so Sarai asked Abram to have a child with Sarai's maidservant. Why would they want to have children through the maidservant? Wouldn't that directly go against God's command, especially considering the last chapter? In the last chapter, it mentioned that Abram's offspring would be his heir, so technically this isn't going against what God said. Also important to notice "Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai." It sounds like he is trusting Sarai more than he is trusting in God's will. The last time this happened was with Adam and Eve.

16:3-4 Hagar, the maidservant, had conceived a child. She then believed that Sarai had despised her.

16:5-6 Because Hagar thought she was despised, Sarai knew she had made a mistake. This is exemplified when she says "My wrong be upon you!" Hagar was then "dealt harshly" and she fled. If she flees, then what becomes of Abram's child?

16:7 We see another appearance of an angel in the Bible. Before was during the creation and the guarding of the Garden of Eden.

16:8 The angel asks Hagar where she is going and where she comes from. Why would an angel sent from the Lord not know these details, especially considering that they live in a higher plane than mankind? You would think that if they were sent from the Lord they would have been debriefed about their mission. It is different than when God asks what is going on. When God asks, He is offering an opportunity of repentance; there is no repentance that can be granted by an angel. If anything, the benefit of the angel asking allows Hagar to acknowledge her wrongdoing rather than going as far as repentance. This verse may show that angels are not omniscient like God. Also note that when referring to the angel, a capital "He" is used rather than lowercase, signifying that angels are greater than man.

16:9-10 The Angel encourages Hagar to exemplify humility. This further signifies that the nature of the God the Angel serves is one that smiles upon these characteristics. He reassures her that her seed shall be countless. Why does the Angel state, "I will surely multiply your seed exceedingly"? Shouldn't the correct message be "The Lord will surely multiply..."? What power does this Angel have to prosper humanity? This shows that even the Angels are given authority by God to manage the course of humanity.

16:11 The Angel states that the child shall be called Ishmael due to her humiliation. The name "Ishmael" translates to "God listens," this is a sign of God seeing His children. So should have Hagar be punished in the first place? Was she not wrong for bearing false beliefs about her mistress?

16:12 Ishmael is described to be a "rustic man" who essentially will be enemies against all men. However, he shall "dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Why would be enemies of everyone and stay in their presence? Or is this verse saying that he will dwell with those who respect him?

16:13 Hagar gives the Angel a name "You Are the God Who Sees Me." This translates to "El Roi." Hagar describes her encounter as if it were with God directly rather than through an Angel. If she claims that the Angel was God, the Hagar had seen God "face to face"

16:14 The translation of the name of the well Hagar gave was from "Well of Him I Saw Before Me" translated to "Beer-lahay-roi."

16:15 Hagar bore Ishmael. It is stated that Abram named his son Ishmael, meaning that Hagar did return to Abram.

Other Remarks:

Sarai telling Abram to have a child with her maidservant seems to be out of Sarai's own volition, and not inspired by God. It was interesting to note that it states, "Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai." This is parallel to the story of Adam and Eve. The parallels of both stories show a sign of rebellion, an opportunity for repentance, and potentially a return. (v.1-2)

There might be enough evidence to point to God taking the form of an Angel to appear to Hagar rather than just having a messenger angel talk to Hagar. When an angel was mentioned to guard the Garden of Eden, "cherubim" was not capitalized. Also, the angels that got with the human women were not capitalized either. Lastly, Hagar even states that she saw "the One" face to face. This proof is also furthered by the Angel stating that "I" will multiply her seed; this states a direct action and will of the Angel, rather than of God.

If the Angel that appears to Hagar is not God, then it tells us about certain characteristics of the angels. Angels would have direct authority to change the course of mankind. Angels would have the power to do the will of God. Angels can appear before man. Angels can also direct man toward the characteristics pleasing to God, such as humility. (v.8-10)

God recognizes those who are lost. This is seen when God sees Hagar's humiliation. (v.11)

The OSB remarks the "Angel" to be the Son and the "Lord" to be the Father. This follows along with the reading and the power dynamics seen. The OSB also states as evidence that the Son is the only one that reveals the Father. This would mean that this is the second/third appearance of the Son in the Bible. First being at Creation, second being Melchizedek, and third being an Angel.

Questions:

Is it a sin to believe that someone despises you? What did Hagar do with the idea of being despised that got her kicked out of the house of Abram? (v.5-6)

What is the fate of Ishmael? Shall he be the one who God makes the entire earth prosper?

Why should Ishmael be against every man? (v.12)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Recognize us and pick us up Lord when we are lost and rejected.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Angel #Son #Hagar #Ishmael #Abram #Sarai #bible reading #bible study #God #Humility

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 15

15:1 God came to Abram in a vision. God is Abram's shield, meaning God will protect Abram from anything that is against him. God says that He will be Abram's exceedingly great reward. This most likely means that Abram will be with God in heaven. In this verse, God consoles Abram and tells him that there is nothing to fear. This reminds me of the quote, "If God is with us, who can be against us?"

15:2-3 Previously God stated that He would give the land to Abram and his seed. But so far Abram and Sarai have been barren. Abram here asks for a child. Right now Abram's only heir is his maidservant, Eliezer of Damascus.

15:4 God assures Abram that his servant will not be his heir but rather the "One" who comes from his own body. Why is "One" capitalized here? Does this signify the coming of God? It does not make sense that a mere human should be elevated to the same status as God.

15:5-6 God says that as many as the stars are are the number of Abram's seed; Abram accepts.

15:7 God reassures Abram of His power and favor to Abram.

15:8 Abram calls God "Master and Lord." This shows that Abram sees himself as a servant, exemplifying his humility.

15:9 God requests for a 3-year-old heifer, a 3-year-old female goat, 3 yr 3-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Why these animals?

15:10-11 Abram offers these as a sacrifice but does not hurt the birds. Abram drove away any vultures.

15:12-14 Abram had a nightmare. God says that Abram's seed will be strangers in an unknown land and will work for 400 years. However, God will inflict judgment upon their captors and give Abram's seed great treasure.

15:15 Abram is to be given a peaceful death in old age.

15:16 The fourth generation shall return to Abram's land because Amorites' sin is not "filled up." What does that mean? The Amorites are descendants of Ham and Canaan, who were cursed by Noah.

15:17 Sun is down and there is an oven seen with lamps. What is this for? Does it symbolize anything?

15:18-21 God makes a covenant with Abram saying the land will be given to his offspring, from river to river. This would mean that Abram's people would be in charge of the land right outside the garden of Eden. Then there is a list of tribes of people, what for? Are these tribes the ones that will be taken over by Abram's offspring?

Other Remarks:

The OSB highlights that it was the "Word of the Lord" that came to Abram. In Christian thought this would mean that Abram is visited by the Son of God, for a second time. This also gives testament that the Son is God because of the statement "I am the God that brought you out..." (v.1-7)

The "One" that is Abram's heir might not directly refer to Abram's son, rather it might be foreshadowing Christ. (v.4)

It is stated that "Abram believed God." This is an important note that shows unquestionable faith. Abram took in God's word and knew God will always follow through with His plan. (v.6)

God says that for 400 years, Abram's people will be workers. However, God will always return to help His people. (v.12-14)

Noah's curse was no joke, the Amorites still suffer even in the time of Abram. I feel like once you are cursed, it begins a positive feedback loop. If you sinned once, the debt you would have to repay is small. But if you sinned and then repented but found out that your sons sinned, then your debt has grown by a whole lot. This cycle probably continued, probably leading to the great debt of the Amorites to not be "filled up." (v.16)

When God promises the land from river to river, it might be seen as an attempt to bring back mankind to its original state, since the land promised borders the Garden of Eden. However, since this is still outside the Garden, it means that man is still missing something to enter its original state. (v.18-21)

Questions:

Why were those specific animals needed as a sacrifice? and Why are the birds not harmed? (v.9-11)

Why does Abram's seed need to go through suffering for 400 years? (v.12-14)

If Abram was so favored by God, why did he not get translated into heaven like Enoch? What did Enoch do that Abram is missing? (v.15)

Why are the Amorites still being put under the curse of Noah? (v.16)

What does the oven, lamps, and fire symbolize? (v.17)

What is the list of tribes at the end of the Chapter for? (v.20-21)

In God's covenant, what is Abram's role? (v.18)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Be our Shield as you were for Abram.

Help us to emulate your humble servants

-Mikhael

#genesis #bible reading #bible study #God #eden #Abram #Word of God #Amorites #Covenant

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 14

14:1-2 First explicit mention of war. We are given the mention of kings but in the previous chapters the names never show up. However, the lands on which they reign are those of Ham, thus it might be presumed that these are the descendants of Ham. As of yet, we are not given the reason for war.

14:3 The fight took place in the Valley of Siddim (Salt Sea).

14:4 Mention of some group serving Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam. Was he the king the other kings bowed to? It doesn't seem likely because in his introduction he was not the first one mentioned. "They" who served and then rebelled were most likely his own subjects.

14:5-6 Chedorlaomer and his fellow kings came together and "cut down the giants" who were from Ashteroth Karnaim and similar nations.

14:7 The kings with Chedorlaomer then cut down the princes of the Amalekites and Amorites. What was their intention for bloodshed?

14:8-9 Other side of kings went to fight. Battle is now 5 v 4.

14:10-12 Sodom and Gomorrah "fled and fell," so those two nations were defeated. Sodom and Gomorrah's resources were taken from them and they also took Lot w/ his possessions.

14:13 An escapee told Abram about Lot's capture because of ally ties.

14:14 Wow, Abram was a very wealthy person. He had 318 trained servants who he took with him .

14:15-16 Abram took advantage of the night and used his servants to fight. They reclaimed Sodom's resources, Lot, and the captured people. This is an awe-inspiring feat. Abram and his army of 300 subdued a 4 nation enemy who had taken down Sodom and Gomorrah.

14:17 The King of Sodom met with Abram to retrieve everything of Sodom's.

14:18 Melchizedek was a king and a priest. I am not sure we see Salem mentioned anywhere before. Interesting that he was a "priest of God Most High" because it seemed before that only Abram was the person favored by God. Why would a king bring out bread and wine, why not bring out more "kingly" foods? In fact, why even specify? It could have just stated that Melchizedek brought a feast.

14:19 If there was any confusion in the last verse, this verse tells us that Melchizedek believed in the same God that Abram believed in. As the Bible is written so far, Abram is the most blessed and favored by God. If that is the case, who has the authority to bless God's favorite? This person must be above Abram to do so. When the Bible mentions "bless" does it refer to praising/thanking or does it refer to conferring divine favor?

14:20 Melchizedek 'blesses' God. This might be referring to praise rather than giving divine favor to God. This is also the first instance of tithing we see.

14:21-23 The King of Sodom asks for his people back but Abram to keep the calvary. Abram says to the king that the king should keep everything because Abram doesn't want rumors to go around saying that the king is what made him rich. This shows Abram's conviction to God, that God will provide Abram with whatever and however much he should need.

14:24 Abram says that the only things that should be taken from the king are the rightful portions for the young men, who are Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.

Other Remarks:

King of Elam most likely had a bad style of ruling for his subjects to revolt against him. (v.4)

Abram really had everything he needed and was given everything by God. Shows that God the Father will provide if one is willing to obey His commands. God even helped Abram in battle. (v.14-16)

Going into battle was an active stance that Abram took, but it was not unprompted. He chose to fight because of Lot's capture. As far as we can see, Abram utilizes a passive, faithful role and does no action unprompted.

Melchizedek is often understood to be a prefiguration of Christ because of several factors. Salem means peace, so he was the 'King of Peace.' He brought forth bread and wine, which parallels the Eucharist. He also blessed Abram, so he must be higher and more favored by God than Abram. If Melchizedek was favored by God more than Abram, then Melchizedek would have been mentioned in the Bible before; this is not the case thus bringing the notion that God came down. If this is the correct interpretation, we officially see the Son in the Trinity. This could not be the Father Himself because Melchizedek blesses God. By this passage, the Trinity has been seen in the Bible. (v.18)

We need to have just as much faith in God that Abram has. Abram's faith in God gave him everything he needed, led him to victory in a war, and showed that he did not need handouts from a king.

Questions:

Why did the kings go to war? (v.1)

What made these individuals considered 'giants'? (v.5-6)

Does 'bless' refer to giving praise, or does it refer to conferring divine favor? (v.19)

Are Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre all sons of Lot? If not, why are they on Abram's side? (v.24)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Let us have so much faith in you and your plan for us, just as Abram did.

Deliver us from our enemies and help us fight for righteousness, just as you have helped Abram.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Abram #bible study #bible reading #God #Lot #Sodom #melchizedek #Trinity #Fatih #War

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 13

13:1 This verse answers the question of where Lot was in the last chapter. Lot was always with Abram and Sarai.

13:2-5 Abram and team traveled South, back to where he built an altar.

13:6-7 Abram and Lot both had many possessions. This includes things of tangible wealth like gold and silver as well as livestock. The land they arrived in could not sustain both people and their possessions. This caused "strife" amongst the people who cared for their livestock. Originally I thought that Abram and Lot watched over their own possessions, but they needed herdsmen. This shows that they had way more than they could handle themselves.

13:8-9 Abram reaches for peace and tells Lot to part ways. In this verse, Abram shows mercy and kindness by telling Lot to pick a side (right or left) and Abram will take the remainder.

13:10 Lot saw land that was well watered. There is a statement in parenthesis: "Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah." This external input shows us that the author is writing in hindsight, not through chronological organization.

13:11 Lot chose Jordan and traveled East.

13:12 Abram stayed in Canaan; interesting that he chose to stay in Canaan because from the beginning he was always destined to go to Canaan. Abram could have just as easily let Lot take Canaan and Abram leave for Jordan, but it was never so. I see this as a fulfilled prophecy or even the embodiment of God's will.

13:13 Lot moved close to Sodom and it was stated that the people were exceedingly wicked. Looking back at Chapter 10, we see that the inhabitants of Sodom are actually the descendants of Ham, who looked upon the nakedness of his father Noah.

13:14-17 God promises basically all the land that Abram could see to him and his seed forever. God continues and says that his seed will be innumerable. Verse 16 is very poetic, "And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth; that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your seed also could be numbered."

13:18 Abram moved and built another altar.

Other Remarks:

From everything we have read so far, it seems that Abram has been leading a fairly passive lifestyle. Every "active" action that Abram takes is because he was commanded by God (except for the lie in Egypt about his relation to Sarai). I think this dependence on God is a model we should look up to. It really shows us that we really shouldn't harbor worry about what will happen in our lives, for God's will shall always conquer and God will deliver us from our plights.

I am still kind of awestruck by how well things turned out with Abram holding onto Canaan. Abram could have told Lot, "God told me that this land shall be mine so you take the other land over there." Instead, he let Lot use his will, and Lot CHOSE to go to Jordan.

Canaan was the promised land from the start. This is interesting because Noah had cursed Canaan. This goes to show that God intends to redeem those who are lost in His own way. This tells us of the nature of God as one who aims for the longterm salvation.

Lot vs Abram settling in their respective areas. Lot was said to pitch his tent around those who were lawless. Abram built an altar where he stayed. This shows that Lot adapted himself to his surroundings while Abram adapted his surroundings toward God. Abram's actions could only be done if he was constantly grateful for God.

Questions:

What did Abram do to gain so much of God's favor?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to find favor in your sight like Abram.

Help us to always seek peace like Abram.

-Mikhael

#genesis #Abram #Lot #Sodom #bible reading #bible study #God #Canaan #Jordan

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 12

12:1-3 God calls on Abram to leave his people so that God can make Abram great. It seems that from everyone else, God has found favor with Abram, much like He found favor with Noah. Does this imply that Abram was a Godly man relative to the rest of the world? In a sense, this would make Abram the third "Adam."

In verse 3 God states that curse/bless those who curse/bless Abram. This leaves Abram in a passive role rather than an active one. Abram has not been given the ability to bless others; instead, others can be blessed or cursed because of him.

12:4 Abram leaves Haran. I think this is very symbolic in nature. Initially, it was thought that Abram was to come to Haran in order to continue the legacy of his father (Terah) and brother (Haran). By leaving, it is almost as if God wants to start the people over from scratch; this time by separation rather than by extinction. If this was God's intention, then it would seem that God has taken on a more merciful role, focusing on raising the goodness of man rather than wiping out the wickedness.

12:5 Interestingly Abram, Sarai, and Lot took with them "every soul they acquired in Haran." So in the end it was more than just the 3 people. If we reread 11:31, we see that Terah originally wanted them to go to Canaan; however, they stopped at Haran. I had thought that Haran was a land in Canaan, that is what would piece everything together. Instead, it would make more sense if these two places were mutually exclusive. So if that is the case, then God wanted Abram and his party to go to their original destination.

12:6 They arrive at Canaan full of Canaanites.

12:7 Abram built an altar to God. This might imply that there was not an altar already there. The absence of an altar tells us the nature of the people who inhabit the lands. Or Abram building an altar could be to make holy the place where he encountered God.

God promised that land to Abram saying "To your seed I will give this land."

12:8-9 Abram built another altar after some travels and prayed.

12:10 Abram went to Egypt for refuge from a famine. This implies that Abram previously lived in small towns or rural settings.

12:11-13 Abram tells Sarai that since she is beautiful she needs to say that Abram is her brother instead of husband. This just goes to show that God blessed Abram with such a beautiful wife.

12:14-16 Royalty of Egypt took Sarai into their midst and spoiled Abram on behalf of her.

12:17 God had plagued Pharoah and his house for taking advantage of Sarai.

12:18-19 Pharaoh blames this on Abram, saying he should have said that he was her husband rather than her brother.

12:20 Abram, Sarai, and all of their belongings were kicked out of Egypt.

Other Remarks:

Are the Egyptians really in the wrong here? Their actions were all done on the pretense that Sarai was not married. But if we rewind just a bit before, we see that Egyptians had a reputation for their negative actions. Thus if the Egyptians were righteous people, Abram would never have to conceal Sarai's relationship and Pharaoh's house would never have to suffer plagues. This short story also tells us how God views the sanctity of marriage. Thus dabbling in fornication before man and woman become one in matrimony is highly discouraged. This story also tells us the importance of leading good lives. If we lead good lives, we encourage others to follow in our footsteps and the impression we make on others is positive. If we do negative deeds, such as Pharoah's house, our actions influence other's perspectives of us. In other words, Pharoah's house was not plagued directly by their negative deeds but rather by the reputation they built up from their negative deeds.

Questions:

Where is Lot during Abram's trip to Egypt?

Since God had promised the land to Abram and his seed, why did Abram leave?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Watch over us just as you have watched over your servant Abram.

Help us to lead lives and to have wills that find favor with you like Abram and Noah.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Egypt #Pharaoh #Abram #Sarai #bible reading #bible study #God #Altar #calling #Plague

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 11

11:1 This verse contradicts the statements of the previous chapter. In the previous chapter, nations were split by language.

11:2 Who is "they?" It could potentially refer to man in general, as he started off in the east part of the world and slowly migrated westward. A counter to this point is that they found a plain in the land of Shinar. If Shinar was previously an established land, then "they" could not refer to humanity but rather a specific party. But it could also be interpreted as if Shinar was established later and was used in the story for reference purposes.

11:3 Bricks were made. Presented as if they were familiar with the brick process; indicates the level of advancement of humanity.

11:4 The first suggestion was to create a tower that exceeds all, to reach heaven; the purpose was to create a name for themselves and to never be forgotten.

11:5-6 God sees what is going on, knows that humanity is in harmony for this selfish goal, and knows that they are so united in their blindness that they will accomplish what they have set out for.

11:7 God says He will confuse their language as an obstacle for their goals.

This verse is the second time we see God use the plural form of "Us" to describe Himself. "Let Us go down there and confuse their language, so they may not understand one another's speech." If this is an allusion to the Trinity, it does not specify "which" of the parts of God are contributing.

11:8-9 From that moment, all people were scattered through all the earth and the building project was ceased. City to be called Babel.

11:10 Shift to the genealogy of Shem.

11:11 Shem lived 500 years. This is less than the initial 900 of the first humans, but is not quite the 120 years of the command of God. Is this because Shem was blessed by God? Or was the command of 120 years only for those who were killed by the flood?

11:12-13 Arphaxas (Shem's son) lived for roughly 500 years. This could mean the 120-year command was not intended for survivors of the flood. Continuation of genealogy.

11:13-25 Continuation of genealogy. The lifespan of individuals gradually decreases as time continues. The later generations, such as Nahor, lived to roughly 200 years.

11:26 Terah begets Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Terah is the only individual in this list to have 3 sons explicitly named. This might be foreshadowing their importance soon.

11:27-28 Genealogy of Terah. Haran had Lot. Haran dies before his father.

11:29 Nahor took his niece (Haran's daughter) as a wife. I assume they did not have many choices back then?

11:30 Abram was with Sarai, but Sarai was barren.

11:31 Terah had Abram, Sarai, and Lot (son of Haran) go from their homeland to the land of Canaan, a place called Haran. This city of Haran was probably named by Terah or Haran (while he was alive) and Terah probably had Abram, Sarai, and Lot run the land.

Other Remarks:

The building of a tower is not wrong, the intention behind it is. The Tower of Babel informs us that our intentions can have consequences aside from our actions. Thus we must have and display a sense of humility in our actions. This requires us to understand our place in this world and our limited power compared to the greatness of God.

It's interesting to see when and how God intervenes with humanity. It seems He only does so out of necessity when all/most of mankind has gone astray. For example, we have Adam and Eve after the fruit, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, and now the tower of Babel (where all the earth was "one language and one speech"). This makes sense as God makes explicit signs/interventions when there is a potential threat that humanity might forget God forever. In other words, as long as God's commandment lives with at least some people on earth, then there is no need for Him to explicitly intervene. This informs us of our Christian role to be the preserver of the Faith. To be the preserver of the Faith we are capable of being, and must be, mirrors of God. If we did not possess such ability, then God would have to make explicit appearances in modern times. Another reason we do not need constant appearances from God is because we have all of His teachings and examples in front of us in the Bible.

Previously, it was stated that the earth split under Peleg. It would be reasonable to assume that the story of the Tower of Babel occurred during the time of Peleg.

11:7 is another depiction seen with a plural God.

The OSB has an interesting point about when this chapter mentions God coming down or God came to see. The OSB states, "God condescends to our weakness that we might understand something about Him and His works."

Questions:

Were the nations not previously split by language in Chapter 10?

Who is the "they" referred to that decided to make the tower of Babel?

Who was the command of 120 years of life for? Or is it a general statement that man shifts to that value as generations pass on?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to always uphold the right intentions and to execute our works in humility.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Noah #Genealogy #Ham #Shem #Japheth #Tower of Babel #Trinity #Language #Intentionality

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Genesis 10

10:1-2 Introduction to Noah Genealogy. Sons of Japheth.

10:3-4 Lists out the sons of Gomer and Javan (both were sons of Japheth). Why are only these two sons named out of the entire list?

10:5 States that everyone created coastal nations and had their own lands. The context of "these" might be referring to just the sons of Gomer and Javan. That means that Gomer and Javan's sons were the ones who established the nations, thus why they were explicitly named. What happened to the other sons?

Side Note: Stated here that the people divided according to his language, so this tells us that we had different languages during the era of the flood.

10:6 Sons of Ham. Canaan is mentioned but seems to potentially be the youngest of his siblings. Which means that Noah had cursed Ham's youngest son.

10:7 Sons of Cush (son of Ham) and sons of Raamah (son of Cush). Why explicitly Raamah's sons mentioned?

10:8 Cush begot Nimrod. Why is Nimrod not explicitly mentioned in the sentence before? By this order we can assume that Nimrod is the youngest. States that Nimrod began to be a "giant on the earth." In a previous chapter, it was stated that the children from the "sons of God and daughters of man" created the giants. Cush is not a "son of God" in the same context but his son is still given the descriptor of 'giant.' This term could have been used to describe Nimrod's status, power, physical ability, or even physical appearance.

10:9 Nimrod was a hunter "before the Lord God." So he had the attributes and strength of a giant and was evident that he served the Lord.

10:10-12 Nimrod started his kingdom made up of many cities.

10:13-14 Sons of Mizraim (son of Ham). Mizraim also had Casluhim, which bore people known as the Philistines and the Caphtorim.

10:15-18 Canaan had Sidon as his firstborn and then a list of people who all are introduced with "the" and end with "-ite." I am going to assume that Canaan bore many sons who created many tribes. These tribes then dispersed among the land.

10:19-20 Borders of the Canaanites. Also, it was a confirmation that languages were established by then.

10:21 Sons also to Shem. Eber explicitly named. The following line is a little confusing, "brother of Japheth the elder." Does this mean that Japheth was older or does it mean that Shem was older?

10:22-24 Sons of Shem. Out of the sons of Shem, only Aram and Arphaxad were named. Eber was not around until several generations later. What is so important about Eber that he was mentioned ahead of time?

10:25 Eber had Peleg and Joktan. In the time of Peleg, the "earth was divided." What does that mean? Does it refer to social controversy or physical separation of the geography of the Earth?

10:26-31 Sons of Joktan and their place of dwelling. Conclusion of Shem's Sons. Also states that separation is based on languages and nations.

10:32 Final sentence that tells us that the earth was split into many nations from the genealogy of Noah.

Other Remarks:

All these nations had their own languages and all. These differences may be attributed to different fluctuations of tone and such that subtly formed other languages altogether. It also makes sense that during this 'reset' of humanity we see more languages because different people in different areas would see and describe new ideas and objects with words that are foreign to other distant people.

In this chapter, only certain sons were named to continue their written genealogy. This is probably because of the importance of what the later generations probably did.

Canaan's sons were not explicitly mentioned but rather mentioned only the tribes that came directly from him. This could mean that the author of the book might not have appreciated Canaan as much as the other sons.

Questions:

Who is the oldest sibling Shem or Japheth?

What happened during the time of Peleg?

Things to Add to Prayer:

Help us to raise future generations that serve and please Your will.

-Mikhael

#genesis #Noah #Genealogy #Shem #Ham #Japheth #Flood #Languages #Etymology