Digging In His Word

The book of Genesis now returns us to Sarah and Abraham. In verse one, we see them moving into the Negev region and settling in a place called Gerar.  The people of this place were once nomadic shepherds but were now beginning to become a more settled people and a warlike nation.  Gerar was their capital.  These people later came to be known as the Philistines and were enemies of the Israelites.  The name Philistines also later brought to this region the name Palestine.

As we begin our story today, God has just rescued Lot and his daughters from the destruction in Sodom and Gomorrah.  If you recall from last time, the angel warned Lot to flee to the mountains, but what did Lot do?  He begged to be allowed to flee to a small town call Zoar, which was right in the midst of the plains being destroyed by God.  In their patience, the angels allowed this.  The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened when he arrived in Zoar, but, in the very first verse of today’s passage, verse 30, we see that Lot is afraid to stay there and flees to the mountains like he was told.  He and his daughters then live in the mountains in a cave.

Today we will be looking at some rather graphic material.  I want you to read completely through the passage we will be studying and make a list in your journal of all the things which you find to be shocking, amazing, or just extreme in nature.  This is quite a story. 

Have you ever prayed for something earnestly and felt like God had not answered?  We may find it difficult to recognize that God has answered us when His answer is no or when He answers in a way that is different than what we ask.  Today we see Abraham praying for Sodom, where his nephew Lot resides, and God’s response.

Today we look again at God’s promises to Abram in light of his age.  Compare Gen 17:1 with Gen 16:16.  How much time has now passed since the last time we saw Abram?  His son Ishmael has just reached the teen years.  Here, in the first verse, God declares to Abram yet another name for Himself, “God Almighty”.  And with this new name, we are introduced to the Hebrew name “El Shaddai”.  God reveals to Abram another facet of Himself.  Record this new name for God in your journal. 

Have you ever had to wait on God?  You trust His good provision yet it seems like forever goes by and nothing happens.  It is difficult to keep our faith during these times.  Often, we may see the wicked prosper or it may even seem like God has forgotten us or is far away.  We can see from the first verse of Gen 16 that Abram and Sarai were in one of these times. 

Have you ever had a great victory or a great accomplishment and then felt like you were waiting for the other shoe to fall?  Perhaps you had a victory over an enemy and then, in the midst of your elation, you began to fear what consequences might arise as a result?  This is where we find Abram in the opening verse of chapter 15.  With God’s assistance, he has just defeated 5 mighty kings in battle.  And we know that Abram is not a warrior. 

Genesis 14 is a story of alliances.  And of war.  In verse 1, we see what we will call alliance A.  How many kingdoms were there in alliance A?  As we look at the places from which these kings hail, we may not know all the locations but we should recognize one.  Do you remember what happened in Shinar (Gen 11)?  The kings in this alliance are from the north of Canaan up near Babylon.  

How many of us, having stepped out in faith to obey God, have found ourselves face to face with trials?  Satan likes to oppose those who are following God and put temptations into their path.  Even Jesus, after having been baptized, was taken into the desert to be tempted by Satan (Matt 4:1-11).  Today we will see Abram, having obeyed God and come to Canaan, being faced with adversity and temptation.

We know that the Bible is the story of God’s plan to deliver salvation to sinful mankind through the sacrificial work of His Son, Jesus Christ.  In order to accomplish this, He has chosen a people, the nation of Israel, through which to deliver His Son into the world.  God begins with one man, Abram, to establish a family line which will grow into His chosen nation.  The early founding fathers of this line are known as the patriarchs.  They are descendants of Noah's son Shem.