As is often the case with this slow-paced exposition of the books of the Bible, we jump into the text this week and likely discover that we have no idea what Paul is talking about. We need to go back in the text and be reminded of the context.

Paul is talking about knowing Christ (v. 8), having a righteousness that does not come from human effort but from God through faith in Christ (v.9), and knowing the power of his resurrection (v. 10). Everything about his past and his credentials as a Jewish leader had value to him at one time. Recall that Paul (Saul) affirmed and held the coats for those who stoned Stephen to death. (Acts 7:54-8:3) He was on a zealous mission to stop the spread of the gospel. That is, until the Lord appeared to him. (Acts 9:1-9) After his conversion and the Lord changed his name from Saul to Paul, Paul considered himself the worst of sinners. (1 Tim. 1:15) Paul turned the zeal he had in persecuting the church toward his mission to be a servant of Christ in spreading the gospel and knowing Christ. Now, all those credentials meant nothing to him

What Paul is doing in our text for today is explaining that even though he has abandoned everything for Christ and is willing to even die for the cause of the gospel, he has not yet reached sinless perfection. That is yet to come in the resurrection. Throughout the history of the church, there have been people who believed that one could achieve sinless perfection in this life. In Romans, Paul says that all have sinned and fall short (present tense) of God’s glory. Why is this important for Paul to communicate to these Christians at Philippi? Simply put, there is no room in the Christian life for arrogance or laziness.

Paul writes to the Philippians that he is a work in progress. While Paul denies that he has achieved the end goal, he doesn’t use it as an excuse to be lazy and live however he wants until Christ returns. Rather, he says, I press on . . . because Christ has made me his own. He adds, “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).

He drives home his point for application to his readers by saying, “If you want to be mature in your faith, you will have this kind of mindset.” What is that? I believe Paul is saying, “Don’t let your credentials and spiritual accomplishments go to your head and make you think you’ve achieved Jesus-like righteousness on your own. Spiritual maturity is characterized by a humble pursuit of serving Christ.

Paul is warning the Philippian believers about false teachers who might come to them and deceive them into thinking that faith in Christ alone is not sufficient, attempting to convince them that they needed to follow the Mosaic Law. Paul has just told them that if people think they have some special credentials in their Jewishness and attempt to control them through some sense of spiritual authority, they need to understand that he has even more credentials. He explained his own heritage and credentials.

But in verses 7-11 he explains that those credentials are now worthless. In fact, he calls them “rubbish.” (v. 8) Why is this? In verse 7, he explained that in all those things he “counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” All those credentials had served him well prior to his conversion to faith in Jesus. He had the authority to teach others. People recognized his credentials and accepted what he said and did. We see that evident early in the book of Acts, which reveals Paul’s zealous persecution of the early Christians. He believed they were blasphemers. So, he sought to stop it, and people understood his credentials. But when Jesus appeared to him and revealed that he was the Christ (Messiah), Paul realized that he had to switch teams, so to speak. He understood that he would have to forfeit everything he had gained in order to serve Jesus and the gospel.

In verse 8, he continues by explaining that he counted “everything as loss.” Imagine working your whole life in pursuit of gaining something and achieving it, only to lose it all in a moment. It would be hard enough if you had no control over it. But Paul made the choice because he understood there was something to gain that far exceeded the value of what he had gained in the flesh. He said that it was, “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (v. 8) What a thought. It makes me wonder if I see “knowing Christ Jesus [as] my Lord” as more valuable than anything and everything else in life.

Paul continues by explaining what that looks like. He says that knowing Christ means receiving a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ and not from his own efforts to do good. (vv. 8-9) His position with God is not about his credentials or his efforts to obey the law, but simply about being “in Christ” and therefore accepted before God based on the righteousness of Jesus, not his own.

Verses 10-11 sound a bit like Paul is not certain about the ultimate outcome of trusting in Christ versus his own fleshly credentials. Verse 10, “that I may know him . . . “ and verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection,” make it sound like he is ambiguous about how it will work out. But the fact that he has already become absolutely convinced that Jesus is the Christ and has been willing to forfeit everything else to follow Christ, even in his sufferings and death, reveals confidence, not uncertainty. Paul makes a strong argument for a literal resurrection from the dead in his first letter to the Corinthians (See 1 Corinthians 15:12-49). So, why the apparent uncertainty? One possibility is that Paul is expressing his uncertainty about the path and about the experiences the Lord will lead him through to his death and resurrection. Another possibility is that Paul is speaking in these terms to downplay his own effort and credentials, and to emphasize that everything about him and his future is in the hands of the Lord.

The big idea here is that we need to follow Paul’s example of not trusting in our own efforts of doing good to be accepted by God, but by faith, trusting in Jesus, so that we can know him and stand before God in his righteousness and not our own.

Phil. 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

How can you not appreciate someone who says, “Finally . . .” and then proceeds to write or say as much as they already have up to this point? Then, what comes from his pen? He tells the Philippians the same thing he’s told them multiple times already: “Rejoice in the Lord.” I think Paul means it, right? Paul’s point is that when you truly stop to consider who Jesus is and what he’s done to serve us, it puts everything else in perspective, and we should rejoice in our gratitude and awe. For Paul, Jesus diminishes the reality of his own incarceration and even the potential that he could be executed. This is why he states, “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” (Philip. 3:1)

He follows that with a dose of reality by warning them about a group of troublemakers. He refers to them in three ways. He calls them “dogs, evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh.” These aren’t three different groups. They are the same. What does he mean by this? Who are these people?

These are people who would come in among the Christians, posing as people with authority and attempting to control them by requiring them to be circumcised. Why would Paul, a Jew who had Timothy circumcised, speak of these people as evildoers and those who would mutilate the flesh if he had Timothy circumcised? The answer is that those people are not trusting in the gospel of Jesus. Their motives are not about Christ and his Church but are entirely self-serving. They would attempt to use a requirement of circumcision to create confusion and conflict among the believers in an attempt to gain control over them. These are people whose motives and mindset are not consistent with Jesus’ motives that Paul described back in chapter 2.

Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant and was required of Jewish males. But physical circumcision does not make one righteous. It never did. It was intended to be an outward act of inner faith in God’s promises to Abraham and his seed.

Even though Paul was physically circumcised himself, as a Jewish man, he identifies those, “who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (v.3) as the circumcised. While circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, the Holy Spirit is the sign of the New Covenant. Notice how Paul explains circumcision and the work of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the church at Rome:

Rom. 2:25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

While we likely don’t have the problem today of people coming into our churches and demanding that all males be circumcised, there are “evildoers” whose only motives are to control and manipulate people and will ultimately divide the church. We need to keep a watchful eye on who might become leaders in the church. Do they exhibit the humility that Jesus did, or do they start imposing rules and acting as though they have authority over everyone?

Paul follows the warning with an “Oh! By the way . . . “ comment. He tells these Christians that if someone presents themselves as having great credentials to validate their authority, Paul has more credentials than they do. Don’t trust the outward signs. Evaluate their attitudes and actions.

Let us rejoice in Christ according to the leading of the Holy Spirit that God has given to us as a sign of his New Covenant established through the death of Jesus on the cross.

Phil. 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

In the middle of this letter, Paul writes about two individuals, Timothy and Epaphroditus, and their relationship to him and to the Philippian believers. While there aren’t commands within this section from which we can draw for our own lives and guidance for our church, I believe we can make some observations that may provide some valuable wisdom for our churches today.

He speaks about hoping to send Timothy to them soon. Who is Timothy? In Acts 16, we read that Timothy is a disciple, that his mother is a Jewish believer, and that his father was a Greek. He also lived in modern-day Turkey. (Acts 16:1) Some scholars believe that Paul may have led Timothy and his mother to faith in Jesus during his first missionary journey. On this occasion of their encounter, Paul is on his second missionary journey and wants Timothy to accompany him. Because Paul knew they would be interacting with many Jews on the journey, Paul had Timothy circumcised. This was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant that Jewish males were to follow to be a part of the covenant community. What’s interesting is that elsewhere in Acts we read about Jewish people wanting Gentile believers in Christ to follow everything in the Law they had been taught. But the Church leaders, who were also Jewish, understood that doing such things had no bearing upon their faith in Christ and instructed the leaders to simply have the Gentile believers abandon idolatry and live morally. So, why was Paul requiring this for Timothy? It would appear that Paul knew it would be an obstacle for him to speak in the synagogues if Timothy were not circumcised. Paul was wisely anticipating what he might encounter and did what he could to create opportunities to share the gospel. Timothy seems to have been fully cooperative.

We have two letters in the New Testament that are titled 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. These are letters Paul wrote to Timothy, offering pastoral advice. Collectively, we see that Timothy is a model disciple who is both learning and leading others at the same time.

Timothy is obviously with Paul while Paul is under house arrest. Paul wanted to send Timothy to the Philippians for the purpose of pastoral care and encouragement. The only thing holding Paul back from sending Timothy to them is waiting to see how things will work out for him.

Epaphroditus was sent by the Christians at Philippi to Paul to deliver messages and financial support to him. (Philippians 2:25) In the process of fulfilling that mission, he became gravely ill and almost died in order to reach Paul with their gifts and communication. Paul wants the believers to show their appreciation and encouragement to Epaphroditus upon his return because of his dedication and his love for these people.

What can we learn from these men? For me, I see humility, a deep love and compassion for others, and a willingness to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we pick up where we left off last week, Paul tells the Philippians not to grumble or be disputing. The idea from the Greek text is that one should neither hold on to a negative attitude nor display it more publicly by arguing with others. It seems to me that’s pretty clear (not to mention convicting.) There are two basic questions I think we should ask of ourselves. First, on what basis should we not do this, that is, not grumbling and disputing? Bad stuff happens. At the time Paul wrote this letter, he was unjustly incarcerated. If that were me, I’d be grumbling AND disputing.

The question that follows is “How might we follow Paul’s command to the Philippians, when we’re inclined to grumble and dispute?” Does Paul give us some help?

The answer to the first question is to examine the context and notice what Paul has already laid out in this short letter. One is that the Father sent the Son (Jesus) into the world to die an unjust death on our behalf in order to justify us and make us right with God based upon our faith in and relationship with Christ. The second point of why we shouldn’t grumble or dispute is that the Son willingly submitted himself and humbled himself to die on a cross for the sake of his rebellious creatures. He didn’t grumble or dispute. In light of what God has done for us without grumbling, we have no right to think that our troubles are greater than what Jesus took on himself.

Before I address the second question, notice that Paul explains the purpose of not grumbling. Verse 15 says, “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (v.15) This sounds like followers of Jesus have a very specific purpose in the world. If we refuse to grumble and complain, we will stand out in a positive way in the world in which we live. Does this sound familiar? This theme arises time and again in the Old Testament. God chose Abraham and blessed him with a purpose of being a blessing to the nations. That theme continues with Abraham’s descendants, whom God wanted to be a “Kingdom of Priests.” God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the Israelites being disciplined for their failure to be faithful to the LORD said, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isa. 49:6) God’s desire for those he redeems to himself is to be agents of his truth and grace to the world. In short, Paul is telling the Philippian believers, “Don’t be like the Israelites who grumbled and disputed and failed to be a light to the world.”

Now, in verse 16, Paul begins to answer our second question. What steps can we take to help us avoid grumbling, arguing, or complaining? The first thing is to “hold fast to the word of life.” (v. 16) Jesus is the word of life. Out of all the things that Christians believe or do concerning their faith, there is nothing more important than to understand and value who Jesus is and what he did for us on the cross. This is what should keep us humble and grateful. The second part of verse 16 and verse 17 is Paul saying that their tenacity in holding onto the good news of Jesus is what will validate any sacrifice or suffering he might endure, even to the point of losing his own life for that cause.

Paul returns to the theme of rejoicing, suggesting that he is glad and rejoices if his own life is the sacrifice for their participation in the gospel of Jesus. Paul himself is modeling the same attitude toward his own suffering for the sake of others that Christ demonstrated. He invites them to be glad and rejoice with Paul as well.

Is it possible to grumble and complain when we are glad and rejoicing? Thinking and dwelling upon Christ’s love for us should make us glad and rejoicing followers of Jesus who are not grumbling and complaining. Let us hold fast to the word of life.

Yes . . . I know it’s only two verses. But there are some intriguing things in these two verses. The first thing we want to consider is the word “Therefore.” It’s one of those big points that is made in a Bible Study Methods class, and the saying goes, “Whenever you see a 'therefore,' you want to go back in the text to find out what it’s 'there for.’” In other words, what follows the “therefore” must be interpreted in light of what was said before.

It’s important to apply it here; otherwise, we can’t really understand what Paul is telling the Philippian believers when he says, “as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (v. 12) What are they to obey, and what does that have to do with fear and trembling?

In the beginning of the letter, Paul recalls their “participation in the gospel from the first day until now” and then assures them that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:5-6) Shortly after, he explained that he prays that their “love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment” (v. 9). He continues by exhorting them to be unified and to stand firm in the gospel, because he knows they will face persecution. (vv. 27-29) The means by which they can do this is to adopt the same kind of mindset or attitude demonstrated by Christ in humbling himself to leave the glory of heaven, entering into his own creation, becoming a servant to his human creatures, and being “obedient” to death on a cross.

Ah! There’s something. Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will that he die for the sins of the world. We could say that Jesus was obedient to the gospel. So then, if the same God who sent his Son into the world to bring us the gospel and the hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life, also began a good work in Jesus’ followers, it’s reasonable to interpret this call to obedience of the Philippian believers as a call to obedience to the gospel that God would direct in their lives.

So, our next question then should likely be, “So what does that have to do with 'work out your salvation with fear and trembling?’” Furthermore, one might argue, “I thought salvation was by faith and not by works.” Given that our immediate context informs us that it was God who began the good work in them suggests that Paul is not telling them that their salvation is based on their works. Further reading of Paul’s letters reinforces the idea that God’s salvation for us is based on His work through Christ. God gets the credit for our salvation. Therefore, what Paul is saying in “work out your salvation” is to be obedient to the gospel and continue doing the good things God has been doing in their lives. Is there any way we can verify that meaning? Look at verse 13. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Clearly, what Paul means is for them to cooperate, or rather, be obedient, to what God wants them to do in standing firm in their faith and demonstrating love and being unified.

So, why should they do this with “fear and trembling?” The explanatory clause of verse 13, indicated by the word “for,” suggests a reverential kind of fear. We should not take the idea of doing good works of serving others lightly, because we diminish what Christ has done for us on the cross by not showing the same concern and love for others.

That’s pretty heavy for two verses, isn’t it? May the Lord instill the remembrance of his love toward us so that we will show love to others as the Lord works His works through us.

[4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

If I knew I was going to be stranded on a desert island with only a small selection of Scripture to read and meditate upon, this would be one of my top picks for what I’d want to have. Why? The first reason is that it is so encouraging to reflect upon Christ’s selfless act toward humanity. The second is that it offers a clear directive and application toward followers of Jesus. Let’s break this down.

Paul encouraged the Christians at Philippi to be unified in mind and spirit. This requires mutual humility and a consensus of priorities. Now, in verse 4, he tells them not to look only for their own needs but also for the needs of others. It makes me wonder if Paul was reflecting upon the time prior to his conversion when he was persecuting Christians. In Acts, Luke informed his reader that the early Christians were selling possessions and taking care of those in need. (Acts 2:44-47) Perhaps that made an impact on Paul, especially after the LORD appeared to him and he was cared for by the very people he had been persecuting. (Acts 9:10-25)

Paul instructed the Philippians to think like Christ. Jesus’ actions revealed his humility and love for humanity. Notice in verse 6 he writes, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philip. 2:6-7) There are two common errors that people make when interpreting this passage. Some people have used this to suggest that Jesus removed or left his deity in heaven when he took on flesh. This is NOT what the text is saying. What Paul is saying by writing that Christ “emptied himself” is that he emptied himself from his position in heaven with the Father. He did not abandon his deity when he took on human flesh. The apostle John tells us in John 1:14 that “the Word became flesh and dwelt (lit. tabernacled) among us.” If Jesus left his deity in heaven when he “became flesh,” then there was no glory of God in this tabernacle of human flesh. When Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding ceremony recorded in John 2, John writes this is when Jesus first “manifested his glory.” (John 2:11) Clearly, Jesus retained all of his deity when he entered into our world.

The second common error is made with the phrase “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” This does NOT suggest that at some point he was less than God. Again, Paul is speaking of his position with the Father in his eternal past. Jesus chose to leave that position and enter into his own creation for our good. He was and is always God and cannot forfeit that. It really speaks of his complete willingness to leave the glory of Heaven with the Father, where he deserved to be, to humble himself and enter into his own creation for our benefit.

Christ didn’t need to humble himself like that. We needed Christ to become flesh and later have that flesh crucified so that in his death, he took the sin of the world upon himself and then to conquer death to show that he can and will conquer our death and give us immortal bodies in the resurrection.

What amazing humility to leave his position in heaven and take on the flesh that he created! But he didn’t stop with that. He became a servant to his own creatures. Even though he was God, he took on human form. The most scandalous part of his selfless act of humbling himself, however, was that he “became obedient to death.” (v. 8). What? The One who created life took on human flesh and then submitted to death?

Notice that as Paul continues, his description of Jesus’ act of humbling himself intensifies. The giver of life became obedient to death, even death on a cross. The cross was a shameful and often slow agonizing method of causing the subject to suffocate to death.

What Paul is telling his readers is that they, and by extension we, need to have that same kind of mindset toward the needs of others. We need to act with love and compassion toward others without great concern for our own needs and desires.

Wow! That is a challenge.

In chapter one, we have read about the apostle Paul’s source of joy and rejoicing. The support that the believers in Philippi have given him from the beginning of his ministry to the present has been a source of joy. Knowing that the gospel was spreading on account of his imprisonment caused him to rejoice. He rejoiced in the hope of release from his imprisonment in order that he might bring the Philippians joy as he helps them progress in their faith.

Now he asks them to “complete my joy” (Philippians 2:2). The way they are to do that is by being of “one mind.” That can be a difficult thing to accomplish. There are plenty of stories out there about churches that have split over a wide range of disagreements and dissensions. Why is that? Simply put, we are still in the flesh and struggle with pride.

The good news is that Paul doesn’t just tell them to get along. He tells them how to do that. Paul understands the challenge. He and Barnabus disagreed over whether to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, after he had earlier abandoned them. (Acts 15:36-41) They weren’t of the same mind at the time. Paul tells them to first think of Christ (Philip. 2:1). Find encouragement in the person and work of Jesus. Consider his love and how the Holy Spirit is what establishes our fellowship. In the opening verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he directs his readers to thank God for the many ways he has blessed them, including the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13-14) The idea here is that if they are thinking about Christ and mutually letting the Spirit lead them, their thoughts and concerns should be toward others, and showing love and compassion to each other.

In contrast to that kind of mindset is “selfish ambition or conceit” (Philippians 1:3). Paul instructs them to lay aside their pride, be humble before others, and actively consider how each of them can serve their brothers and sisters in the faith. I believe what Paul is saying here is that if they each think and act in a way that demonstrates their concern for others, even over their own needs and desires, they will be unified.

What sound advice! Perhaps we can reflect upon that advice and apply that. How about if we begin by praying, “Lord, help me think about your love for me and help me set aside my own interests in order to concern myself with the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I suspect one reason Paul’s letters are so popular among Christians today is that the principles he gave his original audience resonate with us today. We understand many of them and recognize their merit today. For example, take this instruction in verse 27, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” I suspect that if we took a random poll among many Christians today in various churches, most people would say “Yes! Amen!”

But what does that look like? Well, Paul explains it. A life lived in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ is one in which believers are collectively “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” He continues, saying that this applies especially when opponents attempt to frighten them. (v. 27-28) If we stop and think about this, it’s pretty easy to recognize this instruction as good in a theoretical sense. But Paul knows that these believers are facing or will face persecution for their faith. That persecution is intended to instill fear and ultimately, to inhibit or stop the spread of the gospel.

Personally, I can’t help but think about the cultural climate in our country today, where there is conflict and fear among people over issues like immigration and other political matters. These issues are leading to conflict and division between our own citizens and even fracturing the unity in our churches. Why is this? I would suggest it is because we are not prioritizing the gospel of Jesus Christ in our churches. Instead, we are prioritizing the espoused ideologies of political parties, believing that our favorite party and candidates will somehow make society better. But that mindset is contrary to what God has revealed about his plan. As believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must truly seek the presence of God’s kingdom with Jesus on the throne. Regardless of our differing opinions about other matters, we must humbly encourage and support our brothers and sisters in the faith for the sake of the gospel. Doing so, Paul says, we send a message to those opponents of the gospel that their opposition to God’s work will be brought to an end and that the believers will be delivered by God.

Let us pray that we will be unified with other believers in standing firm for the gospel in spite of persecution and opposition. Jesus prayed to the Father that his disciples would be one (John 17:11) and we need to follow that example and obey that charge.

We stopped the last blog in the middle of verse 18 where Paul states that he rejoices that the gospel is preached by some out of love and good intentions and by others out of selfish ambition. The latter thinks they can cause affliction to Paul. Paul knows that the LORD will use the preaching of the gospel for his glory, regardless of the motivations of the people preaching it.

Paul then repeats that he rejoices. He brings the source of that joy back to his relationship with these believers at Philippi. Earlier, he said that he has joy when he remembers them in his prayers. Now, he rejoices because they are praying for him. His joy is that their prayers and the “help (lit. supply) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” will “turn out for my deliverance.” (v.19) What is Paul saying here? Is he saying that he believes he will be released from his incarceration? The word “deliverance” is most often translated as “salvation.” If that’s the case, does Paul believe that his future eternal state with the LORD is in question or jeopardy?

Recall that Paul said he was imprisoned “for the defense of the gospel.” (v. 16) Now, in verse 20, he says, “it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Paul does not know whether he will be released from his imprisonment or be executed. So, he has not received some kind of vision assuring him that he won’t be incarcerated. Furthermore, the context doesn’t support the idea that Paul's spiritual state is in jeopardy either. It looks to me like Paul understands that the intercessory prayer of the Philippians and the presence of the Spirit of Jesus is encouraging him and helping him feel confident that whether he is released from his bonds or executed, he will be successful in the mission the LORD has given him. The LORD is not going to let him fail in this mission, even though the trial that may come will be more difficult. This explanation gets more support from his own explanation. In short, he argues there is a benefit to either his release or his death. If he’s released, he'll be able to share the gospel more. If he’s executed, he gets to be in the presence of Jesus. The latter, he says, is preferable. But he reasons that the LORD still wants to use him to minister to the Philippians. This may be why the translators chose to use “deliverance” instead of “salvation.” Maybe it was this line of reasoning of Paul to lead him to think that he wouldn’t be executed. But, the bottom line for Paul is that he is joyful for their prayers and for the provision of the Spirit who will sustain him and enable him to accomplish the mission the LORD has given to him.

What an example of faith! Concerning an application for us from this text, we might pray the LORD would grant us a similar confidence through our faith and by His Spirit to minister the gospel to others. Perhaps we could also have the sensitivity of the Philippians who were interceding in prayer for Paul. My guess is that we likely know many people who could use our intercessory prayer for whatever challenges they are facing right now. Let us rejoice in the privilege to do that.

In light of the circumstances of his incarceration, the apostle Paul’s attitude seems odd. Why? Because he is joyful. Multiple times throughout this letter, words like joy and rejoice will be used to express Paul’s emotional state as he writes under house arrest.

He is joyful in his prayers concerning the believers at Philippi because they have supported him from the very beginning of his ministry. While he doesn’t repeat the word joy or rejoice again in verses 12-14, his emotion is clearly present as he explains to his audience that his imprisonment has led to an even greater spread of the gospel because the imperial guard is hearing it and understands why Paul is imprisoned. In other words, while Paul was the one who was “captive,” it was the imperial guard who was Paul’s captive audience. They had to be him and keep an eye on him, and Paul took advantage of the opportunity.

In verses 15-18, Paul writes that others are taking advantage of the opportunity of Paul’s imprisonment. He explains that there are two groups of people. There are those who are preaching out of a heart of envy or jealousy of the attention given to Paul and perhaps even gloating a bit at Paul’s situation. He explains that they are doing it from “selfish ambition” (v. 17). The other group does it selflessly out of love.

This would be an opportunity for Paul to encourage the Philippians to identify those in the first group and discipline them. But what does he say? “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” (v. 18) Wow! Paul didn’t excuse the motivations of the envious group. But his perspective is that “Christ is proclaimed,” and then he states, “and in that I rejoice.” (v.18)

There are two things from this that strike me as important to own and learn to act upon. The first thing is to have a kingdom perspective on every circumstance in life. Trust that while people are doing things from evil motivations, God is in control, and his ultimate will is not hampered by people’s attitudes and motivations. The second is closely related: the power of the gospel's message does not lie in the motivations of its speakers. Paul believes that people may have the absolute worst motivations in sharing the gospel, but God can and will still make an impact on the hearts of those who hear it. This reveals an important truth about the gospel. We are not the ones responsible for convincing people of the truth of the gospel. We are simply responsible for sharing the message that Jesus died on the cross to take the judgment for our sin upon himself. He was buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead. He is presently with the Father in heaven and will someday return to raise us who’ve trusted in Jesus to be with him eternally. Jesus’ death creates a peaceful relationship between God and us. Secondly, it gives us hope of eternal life.

Let us rejoice in this tremendous privilege and gain courage to do this, knowing that God is the one who does the hard work in people’s hearts and minds.

Before I begin discussing this section, I realized there was something in our text last week that I failed to comment on, and I think it's important. In verses 9-10, Paul writes to these believers that he desires their love to abound. Why? He explains beginning in verse 10, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

To be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” What is that about? It’s about the return to earth of Jesus Christ. The second physical return of Jesus to earth is a core doctrine of the Christian faith. What did Jesus command his disciples to do before he gave them the Great Commission? He said, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Paul has taken this command and encouraged the believers at Philippi to increase that abundantly for when Jesus returns, it will be “to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11) and not to their shame.

It makes me think how people would feel if Christ returned today to find many believers who identify with Jesus but have decided to hate or be at odds with their fellow believers over politics or other matters of this age. We need to abound in love towards others. That doesn’t mean we lay aside convictions and opinions. It means we don’t despise them or withhold compassion and care.

OK. Now, onto today's text. Once again, let me remind you that Paul is incarcerated. So, it’s interesting what he says in verse 12. He wants the Philippians to understand that his incarceration has not hindered the spread of the gospel. In fact, it’s done quite the opposite. Because of his incarceration, he’s getting opportunities to speak with imperial guards of the Roman Empire. I think Paul is saying that some of these people with power are hearing the gospel and some are even believing it. Paul understands the implications of that. Those people will, in turn, have more opportunities to spread the gospel themselves.

The significance is not missed by other believers who have interacted with Paul because he adds that some of them have become “more confident in the Lord” and are “much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (v. 14)

It almost sounds like the Lord knows what he is doing. Of course, that last statement was made tongue-in-cheek. The Lord does know what he is doing. He is in control. Paul’s imprisonment was neither an accident nor outside of God’s control. Paul sees the positive things that are happening through these circumstances and desires to see how they work in the spread of the gospel.

There are a few good things for us to meditate on this week. Let our love abound more and more, and let us pray and praise God for all the circumstances in our lives that lead to the spread of the gospel and the glory of God, regardless of how undesirable the circumstances may be.

After his greeting, Paul begins to share what is on his heart to the believers at Philippi. Paul thanks God for these believers through prayer as he remembers them. This “remembrance” is not simply a recollection of this group of people. These believers have made an impact on Paul. If someone asked you if there was someone who made a positive impact on your life, it likely would not be difficult to remember who that person or people were. They would immediately cause you to smile, and you could quickly describe why they were important to you. Why is that? It’s because you don’t forget them. They come to your mind often. This was the case for Paul concerning these believers.

Recall that Paul is currently incarcerated. His situation is not a happy one. Yet, Paul is filled with joy (a common theme in this letter) as he remembers the impact the Philippians have had and continue to have in his life and ministry.

He explains that their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” is a particular source of his joy and gratitude. What does that mean? Well, it would seem that it began when he first shared the gospel with them. They received it and, in turn, have helped him continue the ministry of sharing that gospel in the known world. This partnership, which we’ll learn about later in the letter, was financial or material support.

It would be easy to just say that he is thankful for the money they’ve given him for his support. But the letter seems to convey that Paul is aware and joyful that their gifts are more than just money. Notice in verse 9 that he recognizes their gift came from a heart of love.

Throughout his ministry, Paul experienced a wide spectrum of responses. Some wanted to and attempted to kill him. But these believers welcomed it and wanted to help the continuing spread of the gospel. This was not a one-time gift. They actively provided for him as he traveled to share the gospel and sent gifts to sustain him in his imprisonment. It seems fair to say that these believers had the same attitude about Paul as he had about them. Paul had made an impact on them by explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and their reception of it effected the love of Christ to Paul in response. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Paul writes that his prayer is that what God has done in their lives will continue to grow, and then affirms his confidence that as they continue to respond according to the love of Christ, they will be brought to the spiritual maturity the LORD has intended for them.

So, what can we learn from this? I believe the message is this. When we receive the love of God found in Jesus, it should effect in us a thankful and joyful heart such that we want to respond by acting in a loving way to others. That is the “fruit of righteousness” Paul speaks of, which leads us to mature in our faith and prepares us for Christ’s return.

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Phil. 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the early 60s AD. It is one of four letters (Ephesians, Philemon, and Colossians) that he wrote while under house arrest. His incarceration was due to charges brought against him that stirred up people, and spoke contrary to the Jewish Law and against the temple. (Read Acts for Paul’s story of his conversion and ministry leading to his arrest.)

Some of Paul’s letters convey a clear message that his intended recipients have gone astray in their faith and worship and need correction. This letter to the church in Philippi (a city in Greece), is primarily a letter of encouragement.

He opens this letter by stating that this message is coming from himself and his disciple Timothy. Even though Timothy is younger and a disciple of Paul, Paul identifies them both as “servants of Christ Jesus.” This identifier is something we should not overlook. The Apostle Paul is often considered one of the most important and influential people in the Christian faith. Yet, he considers himself essentially a slave of Jesus Christ. In our society today, it is not uncommon for people to identify themselves with specific terms they believe elevate them as superior to others, rather than demeaning them. These identifiers might come in the form of denominational affiliation (Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.), systematic theological convictions (Calvinist, Arminian, other) or other terms that may reflect cultural tendencies such as “Christ follower” or Christian. Think about what would happen in our society if those of us who claim to believe in and follow Jesus thought of ourselves and acted as though our primary identity was to do whatever Jesus might want us to do, and not concern ourselves with being “better than” or “more right” than others around us.

Paul then addressed his intended audience. They are all the saints, including those who serve in a specific capacity to the church. What Paul is about to share in this letter applies to every single believer at Philippi. Given that the Church has identified this letter as inspired by God and to be treated as holy Scripture, it would seem reasonable to suggest that, whether Paul understood it or not, the LORD wants us to receive the message of this letter as well. As with any other Scripture written to a specific audience, we ought to use discretion and discernment in how we do that.

After addressing all the saints in Philippi, Paul gives us a summary of what is on his heart for these believers. He wants them all to receive and experience grace and peace “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a concise, but amazing expression of encouragement from Paul.

I write this blog post on January 1, 2026. Often, at the close of one year and the beginning of another, we reflect on the past as we anticipate what may come. We are aware of the challenges and trials of recent years and understand that the new year will bring its own set of trials. Yet, we seek and desire hope. What better encouragement than to anticipate God’s favor and peace that He offers through Christ Jesus.

May God’s favor and peace be upon you this coming year.

Gen. 50:22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

There are certain stories throughout the Scriptures that move me every time I read them. The stories of Ruth, Mary, and the unnamed Samaritan woman at the well are such examples. These are each people of faith and courage. In this passage, we witness the compassion, humility, mercy, faithfulness, and love of Joseph toward his brothers.

Keep in mind that many years have passed since his brothers committed their treachery against him and sold him as a slave. It has been 18 years since the family was reunited and he demonstrated compassion and forgiveness toward them and showed great wisdom in his understanding of God’s sovereign work.

Nevertheless, when their father died, the thought and fear was that Joseph had only shown them compassion out of respect to his father. Now that Jacob was dead, they surmised that he might finally exact revenge for their actions against him. So, they first send a message to him begging for forgiveness, and then approach him offering to be his slaves. Joseph’s immediate response was to weep. Why?

I believe that the grief shown by Joseph is a reflection of God’s compassion, mercy, and love toward people. What this story reveals is that, even though Joseph had forgiven his brothers long ago and explained that their actions were motivated by evil, God used them to preserve all of them. Joseph had not pretended as though they were guiltless. He acknowledged that their actions were evil. Yet, he was not going to hold it against them and told them “not to be angry or distressed with yourselves” (Gen 45:5). In other words, Joseph had forgiven them. What has become evident after Jacob’s death is that his brothers have never really accepted that forgiveness. How tragic!

This is the kind of challenge many believers face today. Perhaps someone comes to the understanding that they are “sinners” and need forgiveness from the LORD. Perhaps they hear the gospel, come to faith in Christ, and understand that their sins are forgiven. Others may have come to that decision earlier in their life. But past struggles still tempt us, and we are faced with memories of our thoughts, words, or actions, living with the shame of them and confessing them again. This may even be a repetitive cycle. Is it not possible that our refusal to truly accept God’s forgiveness for our sins might grieve our loving and compassionate God?

I think the LORD understands our weaknesses. He also will not diminish the reality and seriousness of our sin. God’s grace is not to deceive us into thinking that our actions were really not all that bad. No. We must call evil what it is. Yet, in the awareness of that reality, we should not continue living in fear that God is just waiting for the opportune moment to smack us down. He is truly gracious and compassionate.

So, with that understanding, how should we respond to such compassion, mercy, and love? The answer is with gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise. God wants us to enjoy the fullness of the peaceful and encouraging relationship he wants with us. We cannot do that if we’re always living in the shadow of fear that retribution is about to come.

This first book concludes with Joseph’s death at age 110. The end of Joseph’s life is marked in the same way that characterized most of his life. He spoke God’s promises to his family. He reassured them that the LORD would someday deliver them from Egypt, according to the promise he had made to Abraham. Like Jacob before him, his family was made to swear not to leave his bones in Egypt, but to take them back to Canaan. Joseph not only provided evident examples of God’s compassion and mercy to his brothers, but he also testified to the certain, future fulfillment of God’s promise to deliver them out of Egypt.

These Israelites, whose parents had been delivered out of Egypt, were about to enter the land promised to them. Unlike their parents, however, they needed to trust that the LORD was good and able to do everything he had promised. Our need to learn the same lesson is no less true.

Well, this brings us to the end of Genesis, but not the end of the story of Israel and his descendants' presence in Egypt. The next book, entitled Exodus, reveals what happens after Joseph died. For that matter, the four books that follow Genesis tell us more about the LORD’s dealings with the Israelites leading up to their re-entry into the Promised Land. I am not going to blog on any of these books just yet. But I would encourage you to read Exodus at least and see how the relationship between a later Pharaoh and the Israelites changes. Does the promised Seed appear? Who might it appear to be? Why or why not would that person be the Seed?

Gen. 50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Gen. 50:4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

At first glance, one may wonder what significance this story has for the Israelites who were entering into the land of Canaan 400 years later. Perhaps even, we would ask what significance it has for us. There are a few things in this story that strike me as interesting.

First, the repetition of the specific location where Jacob insists on being buried. It’s in the same cave or cave system where his parents and grandparents are buried and where he had previously prepared an area for his own body. What’s the big deal? He’d lived the last 18 years of his life in Egypt. Why go through the trouble of taking his body all the way back into Canaan? The simple answer is that Jacob’s identity was strongly tied to what the LORD had done for him and promised him. One of those promises included the land. This was not land acquired through military conquest but rather purchased through a favorable agreement. As someone raised on land that had been in my father’s family since the 1850s, I understand the sense of connection to that land. When my dad died, I knew my mom wouldn’t be able to manage all of that land on her own, and none of us four children were in a place to take it over. We had to sell it. It was very difficult, and we all still have a longing for it today.

Perhaps more importantly, the relationship that is evident between Jacob and Egypt. The LORD ordained a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship between Egypt and Israel. Joseph was used by the LORD to sustain Egypt through the terrible famine and was able to provide for his own family as well. Jacob and his entire household moved to Egypt and were provided for during that time. They continued to abound in Egypt long after the famine was over. I don’t think Pharaoh misunderstood the value that Israel’s presence meant to Egypt and himself. When Joseph sought his approval to take his father’s body to Canaan for burial, he told Pharaoh that he would return. In fact, the whole family returned. It might have been tempting when they got back “home” to just stay. But they had left their children in Egypt. Things were going well, and there was no risk of offending Pharaoh by failing to return. So far, God’s promise of blessing to those who blessed the covenant line of Abraham has worked out exactly as the LORD had promised.

What the LORD had told Abraham a few generations earlier is bearing itself out to be true. Yet, for those who are not aware of what is yet to come, there is an ominous foreboding that the mutual benefit is not going to last. The Israelites are in a foreign land, and things seem to be going well. But the generation to whom Moses wrote these things knew all too well that their parents' time in Egypt was not all good. This story serves to remind them that the LORD knew well in advance what would transpire, yet he was and is in control with their good in mind. They can trust him.

There are few principles throughout the Scriptures that I need to be reminded of often. That the God of the Bible is trustworthy is one of them. Otherwise, I quickly decline into worry and try to manage it all on my own.

Gen. 49:1 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

Gen. 49:2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,

listen to Israel your father.

Gen. 49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,

preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,

because you went up to your father’s bed;

then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

Gen. 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6 Let my soul come not into their council;

O my glory, be not joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel.

Gen. 49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;

your father’s sons shall bow down before you.

9 Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

11 Binding his foal to the vine

and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,

he has washed his garments in wine

and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes are darker than wine,

and his teeth whiter than milk.

Gen. 49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;

he shall become a haven for ships,

and his border shall be at Sidon.

Gen. 49:14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,

crouching between the sheepfolds.

15 He saw that a resting place was good,

and that the land was pleasant,

so he bowed his shoulder to bear,

and became a servant at forced labor.

Gen. 49:16 “Dan shall judge his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

a viper by the path,

that bites the horse’s heels

so that his rider falls backward.

18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.

Gen. 49:19 “Raiders shall raid Gad,

but he shall raid at their heels.

Gen. 49:20 “Asher’s food shall be rich,

and he shall yield royal delicacies.

Gen. 49:21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose

that bears beautiful fawns.

Gen. 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,

a fruitful bough by a spring;

his branches run over the wall.

23 The archers bitterly attacked him,

shot at him, and harassed him severely,

24 yet his bow remained unmoved;

his arms were made agile

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob

(from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

25 by the God of your father who will help you,

by the Almighty who will bless you

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,

blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of your father

are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents,

up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.

May they be on the head of Joseph,

and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

Gen. 49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,

in the morning devouring the prey

and at evening dividing the spoil.”

Gen. 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.

As a reminder, the context of this section is that Jacob knows that he does not have long to live. He has already spoken with Joseph to make him promise not to leave his body in Egypt, but to bury him with his ancestors in Canaan. Furthermore, he blessed Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Even though Manasseh was the oldest, Jacob gave the blessing to Ephraim. We are not told why. Perhaps in the way that the LORD had told Rebekah that the older of her twins (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob), Jacob chose to follow that pattern foretold by the LORD, although that is just speculation. Finally, Jacob will treat Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons. Their descendants will each inherit a portion of the promised land of the covenant.

In this section, Jacob calls his sons to him to bless them. Scholars are quick to point out that there is nothing in the text that suggests Jacob’s words are divine prophecy. Yet, I’m not sure how Jacob could have made such specific statements about things like the border of Zebullan’s portion of land without having received such prophetic information from the LORD.

I have mentioned multiple times throughout this study how some of the actions of Jacob’s sons were evil and out of line with what the LORD intended. These actions are brought to light again as Jacob addresses each of his sons. Reuben gets called out for having sexual relations with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi are dressed down for their use of the sign of the Abrahamic covenant to deceive and murder the Canaanites who had agreed to be circumcised to have peace with Jacob’s family, and for their leader to marry Dinah, whom he had raped. Jacob tells these sons that they will be divided and scattered in Israel. We learn later on, as their descendants enter and divide the land, that Levi has no section of land. Yet, the LORD provides them with cities in each of the tribal lands where they are to serve as priests to that tribe. It’s fascinating how the LORD would use discipline not to punish, but as a means of leading people into service.

Next, Jacob blessed Judah. Wait a minute! We saw how Judah was the brother who suggested that they sell Joseph to make money and get rid of him. He was a self-serving, defiant, and deceiving individual. Why would Jacob not bring that up and disqualify Judah, as he had the three older brothers? As I’ve pointed out in the past, it’s obvious that Judah had repented of his ways and became a leader, willing to sacrifice himself for the liberty of his younger brother Benjamin and to honor his father. I suspect that Jacob saw a lot of himself in Judah. As the LORD was patient with Jacob, by bringing him to faith over time, Jacob saw the same kind of transformation in Judah.

As I read this section, I suspect there is much to be learned by studying Jacob’s words and examining how they work out with each of these tribes. What we’ll see is that Jacob’s “blessing” or pronouncement on each son is ultimately to their future descendants. Jacob’s sons will all ultimately die in Egypt. Yet, their actions have an impact on those who will come after them.

We come down to the question of why Moses included this. Is there something about what Jacob says that has significance for Moses' readers? If we remember that Moses is writing to the descendants of Jacob’s children who were about to enter the land the LORD had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, 400 years after Jacob’s time, they will better understand the legacy of their ancestors. Hopefully, they will observe how trusting the LORD’s covenant promises is vital for their lives as they enter into this fertile land to dwell with liberty to enjoy God’s provision. Perhaps they may even see the hope of the seed to come in the tribe of Judah since Jacob had said of Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:10)

It’s easy for Christians to read the Christian Scriptures and observe how the LORD has faithfully brought to fulfillment that which has been foretold in the past. The God we worship is able and faithful to bring about everything he has revealed. We can trust him.

Gen. 48:1 After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

Gen. 48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15 And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;

and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Gen. 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,

‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Do you recall what Jacob said when he saw Joseph for the first time in Egypt, after believing Joseph had died long ago? He said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive” (Gen 46:30). I argued that Jacob didn’t have a death wish. His statement was just an expression that he could rest in peace knowing that his beloved son was ok.

What we find out in our text for this week is that Jacob lived another 17 years in the land of Egypt after he arrived. The famine has been over for quite some time, and Jacob and his family have continued to enjoy the blessings God provided for them in Egypt. Now, it is clear that Jacob’s time is short. It’s not uncommon for people, who’ve lived a long life and know that they do not have much time left, to express what is important to them.

Jacob makes Joseph promise not to leave him buried in Egypt, but to take his body back to the land of Canaan to be buried with his ancestors, Abraham and Isaac. Why? Of what value is that to Jacob or anyone else? The text doesn’t clearly reveal the purpose for this. But when we consider the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and remember that the promise included land, I think it’s safe to say that Jacob values God’s promise more than he ever has. Even though neither he nor Abraham nor Isaac received the full promise, they still trusted that God would fulfill that promise entirely. The New Testament book of Hebrews offers us some insight into this. In Hebrews 11:1-16, the author writes about the faith of Abraham and Sarah and suggests that they understood that God would provide them with an eternal home, a heavenly one. I think Jacob understood this as well, and he is effectively passing down that hope to Joseph. Even though Joseph has spent much of his life in Egypt, married an Egyptian, and had children in Egypt, they were descendants and recipients of the promise.

As Jacob continues to speak with Joseph, he tells him that Manasseh and Ephraim would be as his own sons, and each would receive a portion of the land when God would lead them back into it.

What I find interesting is that Joseph has been the one to receive and interpret dreams. The LORD has been with him. But now it’s Jacob’s turn to give God’s revelation to Joseph, and it is all based upon the covenant promises and Jacob’s testimony of how faithful the LORD has been to him throughout his life. Jacob’s early life was characterized by a scheming and self-serving approach to life. At the end of his life, he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh in the name of “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (Gen 48:15).

What an example for us! Regardless of our past, may we recognize the goodness of God and point others to trust in the LORD.

Gen. 47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

Gen. 47:23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

Gen. 47:27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

We could summarize this section rather quickly, couldn’t we? We could boil it down to something like, “The famine became so severe that virtually all of Egypt became Pharaoh’s slaves.” That would be accurate according to the text. Unfortunately, if that were all there were to it, it wouldn’t make sense in terms of its significance within the greater story of Joseph and the even greater narrative of the Bible. Why does Moses include this?

The first thing we need to do is set aside our twenty-first-century values and sensibilities, and not jump to conclusions that Joseph or the LORD himself is unjust in how the events unfold. The LORD gave Pharaoh a dream of the seven years of bountiful harvest followed by the seven years of famine. Then he revealed the meaning of that dream to Pharaoh through Joseph. Could not the LORD have prevented the famine? Certainly! Yet, later on, the only explanation we get about how Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery is that the LORD sent him to Egypt to save their lives from the famine. The LORD is strictly described as being merciful by fulfilling his covenant promises and, through Joseph, blessing Egypt as well as Jacob’s family. So, what is the point of telling the reader that things got so bad that the people sold themselves as slaves to Pharaoh?

First, it was their idea. Survival for themselves and their families was more important than anything else. Neither Pharaoh nor Joseph brought this arrangement about through government or military conquest and oppression. Second, the arrangement was that their payment to Pharaoh was twenty percent of their income. It was an arrangement that was just for the people whose crops didn’t produce as much as someone else’s. Some scholars point out that a 20% tax was lower than what was common in the ancient world.

All things considered, this story reveals that God is faithful to his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s descendants, blessing Jacob’s family (See Gen 47:27) and blessing Egypt because of Joseph’s management of this crisis. People were able to live and not die.

This life has its trials, and sometimes the solution may not fit our expectations of what is ideal. But that doesn’t mean that the LORD has abandoned people or the cause of mercy and justice. Perhaps the trials are a means of getting us to recognize God’s love and compassion for us, and to trust that he is good and faithful. The Israelites who were entering the land God had promised them would need to remember this, and Moses recorded this to instruct or remind them of God’s provision for life.

Gen. 47:1 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Gen. 47:7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

A few years ago, a friend of mine who was 100 years old buried one of his sons who had died of cancer. The son was in his early to mid-seventies. He had lived a full life. My friend’s wife had died not too long before I had met him and when we met, he would talk about his wife and how much he missed her. But sometime after his son had died, he told me, “It’s hard to lose your spouse. But it’s even harder to lose a child.” I knew others who had lost adult children, and they all said the same thing. From everything we can tell, Jacob never got over the grief of losing Joseph. So, it’s not surprising that when he finds out Joseph is alive and is reunited with him, he said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive” (Gen 46:30). I don’t think Jacob definitely wanted to die right then. I don’t think he had a death wish. How I interpret that statement is that Jacob had an unending grief in the belief that Joseph had been killed. He had lived a long time with that pain, and at long last, there was a resolution and healing for that pain. If you recall, Jacob initially refused to let Benjamin go to Egypt because he feared that if he lost him as well, he would die in extreme grief.

Interestingly, we find a similar sentiment many years later in a man named Simeon, who was a righteous man. The Scriptures tell us that it had been revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Jesus was brought to the temple for dedication, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the child, and he said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32) Simeon had an anxious hope to witness the coming of the Messiah. His advanced age must have worn on him. But when that hope was realized and the LORD had fulfilled his promise, he was ready to depart this life at any time. He was comforted by witnessing the LORD fulfilling his promise and bringing hope to his people and to the nations.

I find encouragement in this because we do not know the challenges and the grief we will experience in this life. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll all have our moments and events that bring grief. But the Scriptures consistently reveal that the LORD is faithful to his word and his goodness endures forever. The LORD was faithful, protecting Joseph to use him to spare his father and family. Jacob is not just being reunited with his son. He witnesses what the LORD has done and is doing to provide for himself, his descendants, and even Egypt. He knows that when he does die, he will depart in peace.

We have also seen in past episodes how the LORD has brought Judah, in particular, to repentance for his treachery against Joseph and how the LORD has made him a leader. This is manifested again when Jacob sends Judah ahead to lead the way to Goshen, a fertile area in Egypt near the Nile River.

I must say that I’m confused and amused by the instructions Joseph gives his brothers on how they should respond when Pharaoh asks them their occupation. It appears that Joseph does not want them to state that they are shepherds because, he says, Egyptians consider shepherds an abomination. However, when the brothers are in the company of Pharaoh and he asks them their occupation, they report that they are shepherds. Was Joseph serious about that instruction, or was it a test to see if they would speak truthfully? Regardless, it does not appear to be a problem for Pharaoh, and he allows them to tend their livestock in the good land.

This section continues with Jacob’s interaction with Pharaoh. What is important to notice is that Jacob twice blesses Pharaoh. Pharaoh has blessed him, and now Jacob is blessing Pharaoh. This is another example of God’s covenant promise to Abraham, which has been passed down. Jacob is blessing “the families of the earth.”

Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The story of Jacob and his sons has one conflict after another, caused mainly by their own doing and lack of trust and obedience to the LORD. Yet, the LORD is patient and, above all, He is faithful to his word. Let us take encouragement in that.

Gen. 46:5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

Gen. 46:8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

Gen. 46:16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

Gen. 46:19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

Gen. 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

Gen. 46:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

This story of God’s sovereign work in moving Jacob and his family to Egypt continues with Jacob’s agreement to go with his sons down to Egypt, where he anticipates being reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph. You may recall that Pharaoh is insisting they come down and reside so they can all be provided for. Pharaoh even instructed them not to worry about bringing their possessions, as they would be provided for (Gen 45:20). I suggested that in Pharaoh’s response, we see a manifestation of God’s promise to Abraham about blessing those who bless Abraham and his family.

So, Jacob and his family set out for Egypt. Verses 8-27 list the names of Joseph’s sons, grandsons, and other family members. I didn’t consider it essential to read all the names. If you’re interested, you can either read them in this blog post or in your translation of the Bible. However, I will discuss its significance to the greater narrative.

The first thing to notice is that Jacob “took all that he had.” It’s unclear why he took his belongings when Pharaoh said that the best of Egypt was at his disposal and he didn’t need to worry about them. Perhaps he didn’t want to leave it behind for the Canaanites to take. Maybe he felt that leaving it behind was disregarding the LORD’s blessing him with it, and took it anyway.

His first stop en route to Egypt was Beersheba. This was the southernmost city in Israel and a place where his grandfather dug a well and resided for a while. He offered sacrifices to “the God of his father Isaac” (Gen 46:1). I suspect that Jacob did this to give thanks to God that Joseph was still alive and seeking his protection on this trip. Whatever the reason, Jacob was a man who’d learned to trust God.

God appeared to him in a dream and clearly identified himself as the God of his father. This expresses that when Jacob acts to worship the God of his father, who had protected him and blessed him, recognized and heard Jacob, and responded to let him know that he was accessible. He told Jacob not to be afraid to go to Egypt. God would take care of him. Then, God told him that He would make Jacob into a great nation in Egypt. This echoes the promise that God had first made to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, and has passed down through Isaac and now to Jacob. In verse four, God promises to go with him and will bring him up again to the land God had given him. The final part of his revelation was that Joseph would close Jacob’s eyes. This is a promise that his beloved son would be with him until his death.

Genesis 46:5-7 provides a summary of how Jacob took all his goods and his entire family to Egypt. This is then followed by a detailed list of the family members who went with him to Egypt. The strange thing is that Moses even listed the two sons of Judah who had died in Canaan before these events. I don’t think this means that Jacob exhumed their bodies and took them along. I believe the point is to suggest that every single member of Jacob’s family went to Egypt with him, and no one stayed behind. They, as a whole family, were obedient to this leading of the LORD.

The primary thing that becomes evident through this text is that the chosen family, who were descendants of Abraham, end up in a foreign land. (See Gen 15:13-14) This text makes it pointedly clear that the whole group of the covenant family is on its way to Egypt. Why is this important? Because it shows evidence that what God said would happen was really happening. Remember, the primary audience of this story was the descendants of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt. When they return to the promised land 400 years later, they need not wonder if the people in the land are cousins, and they can trust the God who led them there.

Today, we can gain confidence that the God we worship in the Bible is the same God, and we can trust him in all things.

Gen. 45:21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

Gen. 45:25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Joseph had finally revealed his identity to his brothers, and in the process, he told them that it was God who had sent him to Egypt to preserve their lives so that they would not starve during the famine. In other words, God was in control all along and acting for the good of even those who were acting evil. What grace! However, while the focus is on the preservation of God’s chosen people through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and now his descendants, let us not overlook that God was also preserving the lives of many Egyptians and others who came to Egypt to acquire grain. They were only able to do so because God gave the dreams to Pharaoh, gave the interpretation of the dreams to Joseph, and caused Pharaoh to accept the interpretation. Subsequently, he put Joseph in charge of managing the storage of grain during the bountiful years and distributing it during the famine. Why would God care about Egypt? Wasn’t God aware of what Egypt would later do to the Israelites? I believe the answer lies in God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God is choosing to bless Egypt because when God revealed a dream to Pharaoh, Pharaoh accepted the interpretation and blessed Joseph. In turn, they are surviving because of how they are treating Joseph.

So, what we see in our text for this week is that Pharaoh is informed that Joseph has been reunited with his brothers, and he insists that all of Jacob’s family come to reside in Egypt in order to be saved from the famine. Furthermore, Pharaoh is not going to just let them survive; he will give them “the fat of the land” (v. 18) and the “best of the land” (v. 20). God’s grace and blessing upon Egypt, I believe, is due to how Pharaoh and the Egyptians are treating Joseph and now his family. What about that part of God foretelling Abraham that his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land for 400 years? Well, we’ll get to that eventually.

For now, Joseph sent his brothers with plenty of provisions to sustain them on their trip, as well as a return trip that will make his father’s travel as easy as possible. In fact, it appears that Joseph sent along enough to make it clear to his father that the message his brothers were bringing that Joseph was still alive was legitimate. The abundance they returned to their father was significantly more than what the money they took would have purchased.

I’m slightly amused by Joseph’s parting words to his brothers as he sends them away. He said, “Do not quarrel on the way!” Why does he say this? I think he knows that his father still doesn’t know what they did to him. They had led Jacob to believe that a wild animal had killed Joseph. What would happen when Jacob arrived and Joseph showed no signs that he had been mauled? At some point, Jacob is going to figure it out. But that never comes out in the text. Why? I would suggest that the important point is that everyone is learning or being reminded that the LORD is sovereign. He’s in control. Secondly, the LORD is good. In fact, it’s not uncommon for him to show his kindness even when his people are not kind. The bottom line is that the LORD is preserving the promised “seed” that is yet to come.

The last paragraph in this chapter is succinct but rich. Joseph’s brothers return to Jacob, their father, and tell him that Joseph is alive and ruling all of Egypt. Jacob doesn’t believe them at first. Who would? To have grieved for years in the absolute belief that your child is dead, and then to be told in a moment years later that he or she is alive is not something that can be so quickly accepted. But the items Joseph had sent for their provision supported that revelation, and Jacob began to believe it was true, so that the text says that his spirit was revived. Jacob has a purpose for living. He is going to see his son Joseph.

This story is not over. But there are so many things we can learn from it. Redemption, God’s sovereignty, forgiveness, . . . We could go on. What is impressed upon me in this section is God’s faithfulness to fulfill what he has promised. What the LORD revealed to Abraham is coming true. The dreams he gave to Joseph are being fulfilled as this story unfolds. We can trust the LORD!

Gen. 45:4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that, his brothers talked with him.

There are few stories in the Bible that match the raw emotion of this account when Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. Judah’s changed heart has become evident to Joseph, and he can no longer contain himself. We can readily appreciate the emotion of Joseph as he hears Judah’s confession. The joy of this reconciliation and reunion with his brothers, especially with his younger brother Benjamin, is palpable. We can also sense the shock and speechless response his older brothers have upon this revelation. We can even feel the curiosity and concern among the Egyptians overhearing what transpires. It’s moving to say the least.

It would seem that the terror that might set in on the older brothers once the reality and potential implications of this situation are anticipated by Joseph, and he quickly acts to mitigate that fear. Notice that he tells them in verse 5, “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Joseph is already aware that they’ve acknowledged the wrong they did by selling him into slavery. What we see here in Joseph’s words to them is a message for us today. It is not uncommon for people, even believers, to hold onto the shame of past regrets. They’ve confessed, repented, and begged the LORD for forgiveness. But, they can’t forgive themselves. This will be a struggle for Joseph’s brothers. They will need to learn to accept the mercy of Joseph and God himself. So do we.

The second thing Joseph does is explain that, despite the sin of their actions, God was in control and using their actions to send Joseph to Egypt so that the Lord could use him to spare all their lives from the famine. What underlies this statement is that while God does not cause people to sin, he is still in control and may accomplish his works and plans through our human actions.

Joseph does not rub it in with an “I told you so.” He gives all the glory to God, tells them there will be another five years of famine, and instructs them to get their father and the whole family and bring them to Egypt, where Joseph can provide for their needs. Joseph is the tangible expression or conduit of God’s grace to these men who were characterized by their evil actions. But God is pouring out his grace upon them.

There is one question from this text that has bothered me. Why didn’t God prevent the famine in the first place? The text doesn’t tell us explicitly. However, the greater narrative does help us understand that all of this is part of the divine plan. Remember God’s promise to Abraham, that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land for 400 years? Well, this story explains the divine means by which Abraham’s descendants leave Canaan and enter into a foreign land.

Secondly, we’ve already witnessed how Abraham’s descendants have been stubborn and disobedient. Can we expect their descendants to act any better? Not likely. They are going to need to learn to trust the LORD and follow him as God works out his plan through Israel, and ultimately, brings them back to the land God has given them. This process will be a testimony not just to Abraham’s descendants, but to the world as well.

Do we believe that God is in control of all things? Are we willing to confess our wrong attitudes and actions and seek forgiveness? If so, are we willing to forgive ourselves? Let us commit ourselves to a deep conviction that God is good. God is in control. God pours out his grace upon us each day. Praise the Lord for that today.

Gen. 44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

Gen. 44:6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” 10 He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Gen. 44:14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Gen. 44:18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

Gen. 44:24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

Gen. 44:30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

We left off this story with Joseph’s brothers returning to Egypt to buy more grain. Only when Judah told Jacob that he would take full responsibility for Benjamin and bear the blame for the rest of his life if he did not ensure Benjamin got home safely, did Jacob agree to let them return to Egypt with Benjamin.

Recall that Joseph had fed them all in his home, but he made sure Benjamin got more than the brothers. Besides the fact that Benjamin was Joseph’s full brother, I suspect Joseph did this in part to see if the older brothers would be jealous of him as they were of Joseph.

In the process, the brothers acknowledge the sin they committed against Joseph and believe that the money they found in their sacks of grain was the LORD’s way of punishing them. Yet, when they told Joseph’s steward their story and that they’d come back with that money, he told them not to worry. He insisted that their God and the God of their father had given them a treasure. The theological point in this is that, in contrast to people’s perception that God is always ready to discipline them, the opposite is true. The apostle Paul asserts this in Romans 2:4 when he tells his readers that God prefers to use kindness to lead people to repentance. That’s precisely what he’s doing with Joseph’s brothers.

Joseph has one more test for his brothers. Once again, he has the steward put their money in their loaded sacks of grain. Yet, this time, he has his own silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s sack. A short time after sending them away, he has his steward pursue them and accuse them of stealing his silver cup. They are certain this isn’t true, and they suggest that the one with whom it is found may be put to death, and the rest of them will be Joseph’s servants. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, they tore their clothes in grief and returned to Joseph’s house.

When they got there, Judah took over as he had when Jacob had told them to return to Egypt to buy grain. It was Judah who put his own life on the line before Jacob, promising that he would make sure Benjamin returned home safely. Now that Joseph is telling them that Benjamin will remain as his servant and the rest of them can return home, what will these men do? Judah is not going to make that mistake again. He had suggested selling Joseph. He wanted to get rid of Joseph and make a buck in the process. Judah had been all about himself. Now, Judah speaks to Joseph, and though it does not appear that he gives all the details of what they did, he tells Joseph that God has “found out” their guilt. But this isn’t just a confession. Judah begs Joseph to let him bear the full punishment for the crime they are accused of. Judah has a family. Yet, Judah will not put his father Jacob through the pain he’d helped cause with Joseph’s disappearance. In short, Judah is a different person than the one who was eager to sell Joseph so many years earlier.

Joseph’s test of his brothers is working, revealing that the LORD is changing their hearts, who had dealt with him so treacherously. Like Paul, we can see in this story that God’s kindness and patience can truly lead people to repentance.

It leaves us with the question of how we think about God. Do we think of God as some great, angry, superpower that is always ready to smack us down? Or do we trust that the LORD is kind and gracious to lead us away from our pride and self-centeredness?

Gen. 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

Gen. 43:15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Gen. 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. 21 And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25 they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

Gen. 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

To recap from the last episode, the famine that the LORD had revealed to Pharaoh through Joseph was happening and was extensive, even beyond Egypt into the land of Canaan, where Jacob (Israel) and his sons were living. Jacob sent the ten older sons to Egypt to buy grain, but kept Benjamin home. Recall that Benjamin was Rachel’s younger son after Joseph. When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Even though he could easily have exacted revenge on them, I argued that the LORD used Joseph to bring them to repentance and to humble them. We see how he operates with respect to his brothers by first accusing them of being spies, but then sending all but Simeon home with sacks of grain, provisions for the trip, and, unbeknownst to them, the money they had brought to pay for the grain. They found it in their sacks of grain and thought that God put it there as a form of judgment. Meanwhile, Simeon was kept in bondage in Egypt while the brothers were commanded by Joseph to bring their youngest brother to Egypt. Jacob refused to allow that, afraid that he’d also lose Benjamin.

As we pick up the story in chapter 43, Moses reminds us that the famine was severe. This is to set up what happens next. The grain brought from Egypt has almost run out, so Jacob tells his sons to buy more in Egypt. Once again, Judah has something to say. If you recall in Genesis 37, it was Judah who spoke up and suggested they sell Joseph rather than kill him or leave him in the pit to die. In Genesis 38, the story takes a detour to tell us how Judah took for himself a Canaanite wife and then got a wife for his firstborn son, Er. His wife’s name was Tamar. The LORD killed Er because he was evil, and he killed Judah’s second son, Onan, because he would not fulfill the Levirate duty to produce an heir for Er with Tamar. When Judah failed to give his third son to Tamar, Tamar dressed as a prostitute and seduced Judah himself, and she conceived twins. Judah would have had her put to death for immorality until she produced his personal items to reveal that he was the father. He confessed that she was more righteous than he. That was the first recorded instance of Judah confessing his own sin.

Now, Judah is going to man up and do something in the best interest of his whole family. When Jacob tells them to go back to Egypt, Judah reminds him that the man told them not to come back without the youngest son. Then Judah takes full responsibility for Benjamin’s safety. Judah is finally doing something totally selfless, apart from just wanting him and their family to survive the famine. Jacob relented and sent them with gifts, double the money to pay for what they’d received before, and more grain.

When Joseph saw them coming with Benjamin, he instructed a servant to prepare a meal that they, along with Simeon, would enjoy in his house. When they heard this, they were concerned that this meant certain trouble for them and that it was related to the money they’d brought the first time. The irony here is that they had sold Joseph into slavery, but now they were afraid that Joseph was going to make them slaves. They certainly deserve that, and they believe that. But to mitigate that, they approached Joseph’s household manager, told him their story, and explained that they had brought the money back again. The man’s response was not what they deserved or expected. He told them that he had received their money and that their God and the God of their father had put the money in their sacks. What we are witnessing in this story is the grace and mercy of God.

The rest of the chapter describes what happens at that meal and the tender compassion Joseph had upon beholding his brother Benjamin. How difficult it must have been for him, and leaves us to wonder what will happen. How much longer will he keep his identity hidden, and what will happen when he reveals himself to them? Will Joseph get revenge, or does the LORD still have more that he wants to accomplish through Joseph with these sons?

I think the big lesson from this is the LORD’s grace and patience. The LORD had patience with Jacob when he was young. Now, he is patiently humbling these men and bringing them to repentance for the treachery against their brother. He doesn’t just avoid condemning them. He blesses them in the process to show them that he is a merciful God.

Let us trust and give him thanks for his patient mercy to us.

Gen. 42:6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

Gen. 42:12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Gen. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

Gen. 42:26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this, their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Gen. 42:29 When they came to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

Gen. 42:35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

This is an amazing story. A story has a conflict or a problem that needs to be resolved. But this story introduces all kinds of problems. At the very highest level, we ask, “How is the promised seed going to come and crush the head of the serpent. This family line ordained by God through whom the seed is supposed to come is a mess. Jacob’s sons have committed multiple offenses. Joseph has mostly been in a prison in Egypt, where he has not only interpreted other people’s dreams, but he’s also seen them come true as he interpreted. Yet, his dreams have not come true. Despite all his troubles, Moses has consistently reminded us that God was with Joseph, an important reminder that just because followers of the LORD may experience terrible and even unjust circumstances, it doesn’t mean the LORD has abandoned them.

We read last week that Joseph’s circumstances were significantly reversed. He went from being a prisoner to second in command of Egypt because the LORD had used him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh then put him in charge of managing the supply of food, knowing that a famine would be coming. Will he ever get to see his father again? Will there be any redemption of his relationship with his brothers? What about the ominous prophecy the LORD gave to Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign country for 400 years before the LORD would lead them back to the land he promised Abraham and his descendants?

We are at a point where plot movement leads to answers to these questions and problems, but it does so by creating more tension. The famine is severe beyond Egypt. Jacob sent Joseph’s ten older brothers down to Egypt to buy grain so they could survive. Jacob did not trust them to take Rachel’s son Benjamin along. He believes Joseph has died, and he was not going to take any chances by sending Benjamin along.

When the brothers arrived in Egypt, Moses made it clear that they did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. What a great opportunity for Joseph to even the score. If we’d never read or heard this story before, surely we’d be wondering how he might torture them or have them all executed. What unfolds is that first Joseph accuses them of being spies and treats them as such for a little while. At the same time, he has extracted information from them about their father and his younger brother.

There is a sense in which Joseph’s treatment of them appears to be a clever, but harsh treatment of them that, on the surface, looks like a cat playing with a mouse before it kills the less powerful creature. But as the story unfolds, we see grace and mercy shown to them. What is happening? I think Joseph is simply an instrument of God who is exacting confession of their wrongdoing against Joseph. Joseph hears their admission to each other about how they treated him. Now, they interpret Joseph’s demand that they bring their younger brother to Egypt while he keeps Simeon in custody as divine reckoning for their sin against Joseph. We have their confession of guilt in verse 21. Their confession to each other, unaware that Joseph understands, leads Joseph to weep. He sends them back to their father with grain and secretly puts their money back in their sacks of grain. When they discover it, they are convinced that God has caused this as punishment. Later, they will be told that God caused it for their blessing. This is an essential and central truth to the whole story of Jacob’s family and Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt.

When they arrive back home without Simeon and the demand that they take Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob refuses. Who can blame him? He cannot bear the thought of losing Benjamin as well. This leaves us with another problem, doesn’t it? What will become of Simeon? Will he die in an Egyptian prison? Will Jacob and his sons survive the famine? They were not allowed to go back to Egypt without Benjamin. We’ll see what happens in the next chapter.

One last thought from this part of the story. Joseph had those dreams so many years ago, and they’d never come true. Furthermore, for most of that time, it appeared that it would be impossible for the dreams to come true. In the meantime, Joseph had interpreted dreams for a baker, cupbearer, and Pharaoh himself, and they had all come true. Finally, Joseph remembers the dreams when his brothers bow before him. Joseph has trusted in the LORD, and now the LORD is affirming that he is faithful to his word. What a great encouragement for us to remember.

Gen. 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

Gen. 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

Gen. 41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

Gen. 41:37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Gen. 41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

Gen. 41:50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Gen. 41:53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

Gen. 41:56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

In our last episode, we read about how Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker had both been thrown into prison, where Joseph was, because they had offended Pharaoh. They both had dreams, which Joseph interpreted with the wisdom and understanding God had given him. After providing the cupbearer with a favorable interpretation, Joseph told him to remember him and put in a good word for him, so that maybe Joseph could be released from prison himself. But the cupbearer forgot, and according to our first verse in chapter forty-one, he spent two more years in prison.

After that time, it was Pharaoh’s turn to have dreams. If you recall, when the two employees of Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph told them that it was God who provided the interpretation of dreams. Now, when Pharaoh wants his dreams interpreted, none of the wise men or magicians were able to interpret the dreams. Not only does this make a statement about the wise men and magicians in Pharaoh at the time, but it also prepares the readers for the limitations of the people under Pharaoh later on in Exodus. Even though the LORD is going to reveal His power and presence to Joseph, the people will forget and abandon any knowledge of what the LORD has done. This is a problem that has been found with people throughout history.

When none of the hired servants of Pharaoh could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, the chief cupbearer suddenly remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh about Joseph’s ability, and Joseph was summoned to Pharaoh. Once again, Joseph gave the LORD credit for interpreting dreams. He not only explained that these dreams meant that there would be seven years of bountiful harvest, followed by seven years of famine, but he also informed Pharaoh that the two dreams had the same meaning and that the duplication meant the interpretation was certain, and there would be no avoiding what was to come.

Joseph was not finished by interpreting the dreams. He continued by giving Pharaoh advice on how to manage the harvest during the bountiful years in order to provide for his people during the lean years. One might suspect that Joseph was an opportunist, making the recommendation to hire someone who would execute the necessary tasks he suggested to secure a cushy job and avoid being sent back to prison. I would probably think that myself, except that we already know about Joseph’s dreams and their interpretation, and the ongoing emphasis that, through all this time, the LORD was with Joseph. What Joseph told Pharaoh was directed or revealed by the LORD.

I believe a key moment in this story is what Pharaoh says about Joseph in verse 37, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” God has made it clear to Pharaoh that he is speaking through Joseph. Pharaoh doesn’t need to wait to see if this is actually going to come true. He’s already convinced the interpretation is absolutely correct. He wisely chooses Joseph to be the authority to manage the food acquisition, storage, and distribution before any of it begins to happen. Once again, we will witness how God’s promise in the Abrahamic covenant, “I will bless those who bless you,” will bear itself out again as the LORD uses Joseph to spare many lives in Egypt and beyond.

The rest of the story explains that what Joseph had said would happen did happen. But Moses includes another detail that I believe is important to the greater story in Genesis and the rest of the Bible. Moses wrote that Pharaoh gave Joseph the daughter of an Egyptian priest to be his wife. Wait a minute. Won’t that get Joseph in trouble with the LORD because he’s married to the daughter of a priest who was, in all likelihood, worshipping the Sun god? I believe what we see here is that the LORD is using Pharaoh to bless Joseph with a wife with whom he can have descendants. Joseph isn’t rebelling against his parents and the LORD like Esau or Judah had done. I believe we are supposed to understand that the LORD is not prejudiced against other people. The occasions in the Scripture where it seems the LORD has a bias are due to the people’s wickedness and not their ethnicity or race. I think the LORD was even superintending this relationship as well.

This story reveals that the LORD is indeed fulfilling everything he has revealed and promised in times past, regardless of how much time expires. He is faithful to his word.

Gen. 40:5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Gen. 40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

Gen. 40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

Gen. 40:20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

It would seem that there is very little mystery to this story. Two of Pharaoh’s employees upset their boss and were both thrown in prison along with Joseph. They each have a dream and are concerned about the meaning of the dreams. At Joseph’s request, they tell their dreams to Joseph, who interprets them. When Joseph gives the cupbearer a favorable interpretation, telling him that he will be released from prison and restored to his former position, Joseph instructs him to give Pharaoh a good word for him. The baker, hoping to receive a favorable interpretation as well, tells Joseph his dream, but is informed that he will be executed. Joseph correctly interprets both dreams. However, the cupbearer failed to put in a good word for Joseph as Joseph had requested.

So, what do we do with this? Is there something we can learn? Let me suggest that we consider this story in the context of the broader narrative. The first thing that catches my attention is another occurrence of dreams related to Joseph. Joseph had two dreams that both he and his family had agreed upon the interpretation. The only thing was that his brothers outright refused to accept the meaning of the dream and sold him into slavery to get rid of him. Even Jacob had a problem with the second dream, but did not entirely dismiss it. Jacob had had his own crazy dream in which the LORD made him promises and had fulfilled them. In this prison, Joseph is sensitive to what the LORD is doing. So, when these two men reveal they’ve both had a dream on the same night, Joseph responds, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” Joseph can invite them to tell him their dreams because he knows the LORD is with him. This is important to remember because Joseph is about to experience another injustice when the cupbearer fails to inform Pharaoh about Joseph, and Joseph remains in prison.

One might wonder why Pharaoh freed one offender and executed the other. The text doesn’t tell us. However, I suspect it was a means to communicate to others that he can be merciful or harsh, and there is no telling which treatment they will receive if they commit an offense. In other words, I think it was to instill fear in his subjects. Therefore, we should not read too much into the dreams or try to guess the nature of their respective offenses.

I’ve known many people who’ve had dreams and tell me what they think those dreams mean. I would never say, “God doesn’t do that today.” However, in the opening verses of the New Testament book Hebrews, the author writes that in former times God spoke to the prophets in many ways. However, he continues, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2). What this means is that if we believe a dream has some particular meaning intended by the LORD, we must consider it in the light of what Jesus teaches. Does our interpretation of the dream contradict Scripture at all? Joseph pointed out to these men that God makes the interpretation known, just as he had made the interpretation of Joseph’s dreams known to his father and brothers. They just chose not to accept it. All we need to do now is wait to see if those dreams come true. The dreams of the cupbearer and the chief baker both worked out exactly as Joseph had interpreted. This story should give us a hint that, somehow, Joseph is going to get out of prison and have a position of power sometime in the future because God is with Joseph and will see to it that what he has said would happen, will happen. God is faithful to his word.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

Gen. 39:11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

Gen. 39:19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

Ok. So after that interlude about Judah having sexual relations with his daughter-in-law (although he was not aware of it), our story returns to Joseph, who has been sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Before we do, however, I’d like to review the key thing about what happened with Judah and Tamar.

Judah has been far from righteous. He married a pagan Canaanite woman, contrary to what Abraham and Isaac modeled. The LORD struck down the first two of his three sons because they did evil. Then, rather than trust the LORD to see if his third son would fulfill the Levirate marriage to produce a son for his deceased brother, Judah sought to protect him from the LORD and did not give his son to Tamar. When Tamar realized what Judah was doing, she disguised herself as a prostitute and made herself available to Judah, who fell for her trick, and she conceived twins. We might think that Tamar’s actions were evil. But when Tamar revealed that Judah was the father of her twins, he declared, “She is more righteous than I.” How can that be? The answer to that question may be that Tamar either knew or sensed that she would bear offspring through whom the promised seed would come. Knowingly or unknowingly, she was fulfilling the LORD’s plan. The Messiah would someday carry her DNA.

Now, back to Joseph. Moses tells us that the LORD was with Joseph and caused him to be successful in serving Potiphar. Because Potiphar saw how the LORD blessed Joseph, he gave him more responsibility and privilege. This is the Abrahamic covenant being worked out, isn’t it? God is blessing Joseph as well as those who bless Abraham’s descendants.

It would be so easy to look at the circumstances of what Joseph’s brothers did to him and think, “Where was the LORD in all this?” Moses seems to be indicating that the LORD was with Joseph all the time. But Joseph’s troubles weren’t over.

Apparently, Joseph was an attractive man and caught the eye and interest of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph resisted her advances. But when she grabbed onto him, he ran, leaving his outer garment behind. Now, how will Potiphar’s wife explain this? Simple. She turned the story around to her husband and accused Joseph of attacking her, and fled when she screamed. We’re told that Potiphar became angry and had Joseph thrown in prison. One might wonder why such a powerful person did not have him executed. Is it possible that Potiphar did not trust his wife? Perhaps he was not as angry at Joseph as he was at the situation he was in. He may not have believed her story, but he could not ignore it in fear that other people would get the idea that Potiphar would not punish such an offense. But that’s speculation. What we do know is that the LORD was with Joseph, and nothing was going to happen that the LORD didn’t allow. In fact, Moses reiterates that while in prison, the LORD was with Joseph and, as he had with Potiphar, the LORD caused Joseph to find favor with the keeper of the prison.

I love that emphatic message in this story that, despite all the challenges and terrible things that happened to Joseph, the LORD was with him the whole time. I can’t help but think that same principle holds true for all who trust in the LORD.

Gen. 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

Gen. 38:12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

Gen. 38:20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

Gen. 38:24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

Gen. 38:27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore, his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

Here we have another sub-story that has relevance to the greater narrative of Genesis and, in fact, to the continuing story of the LORD’s work through Israel. Given the previous account of what Jacob’s sons did to their brother Joseph, this story seems out of place. But let’s consider the promised seed (Gen 3:15) and the covenant that is passed down from Abraham. I think it’s fair to say that Jacob’s sons have not been acting according to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 38:1-5 tells the reader that Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, married a Canaanite woman and had three sons. The reader should sense that this would not work out well. Abraham had commanded his employee not to take a wife for his son, Isaac, from among the Canaanites. The specific purpose was that they worshipped other gods. Likewise, Rebekkah told Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland to find a wife because Esau had married Canaanite women who gave Isaac and Rebekkah much grief.

In Genesis 38:6-11, Moses jumps from the detail of Judah’s decision to marry a Canaanite to a time when Judah takes a wife for his oldest son, Er. Her name was Tamar. Moses simply tells us that Er was wicked. So, the LORD killed him. Due to what is called a Levirate marriage, Judah told his second son, Onan, to essentially take Tamar as a wife to give her a son on behalf of his deceased brother. The idea is that the family’s inheritance continues through that descendant. Onan wanted the sex but did not want that prospective son to inherit his brother’s land. His actions, performed strictly for his own sexual gratification, led the LORD to strike him down as well. This left one more son to fulfill this responsibility. But Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, to live with her father as a widow until his youngest son was older. Moses indicates that this was a stall tactic of Judah because he was afraid that his third son would also die.

In Genesis 38:12-19, two things have happened. First, Judah’s wife died. Second, enough time has passed for Judah to have his third son given to Tamar, by whom she can hopefully bear a son. But Tamar realizes that is not going to happen. So, she takes matters into her own hands. She passes herself off as a prostitute and goes to a place she knows her widowed father-in-law will pass. As a pledge for payment of “services rendered,” she requests items of his that are unmistakably Judah’s. She conceived.

Later on, Judah sent his friend Hirah with the goat he’d promised Tamar (not knowing he’d slept with his daughter-in-law) to exchange the goat for Judah’s personal items. Hirah returned with the goat, saying that he could not find her and that the men of the area were not familiar with any local cult prostitute.

The conflict reached its climax when, a few months later, Judah received a report that his daughter-in-law had been immoral and had conceived a child. His response was to demand her execution by burning. It was at this time that she brought out his personal items and revealed that the one by whom she was pregnant was the owner of these items. For once, Judah does something right. He confessed truth. He said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” (v. 26)

The story closes with the birth of twins and a sign of another potential future conflict between these twins concerning birthright and inheritance.

Where will all this lead? Jacob’s sons are a mess. Can the LORD bring something good out of all this? Can there be a redemption in all this? Stay tuned, and we’ll see the LORD do something amazing.

Gen. 37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Gen. 37:25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Gen. 37:29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Well, after what we read last week about Joseph, the events that unfold here are not too surprising, are they? Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph had given a bad report to Jacob about his brother’s activities, which upset them. But then he shared with them dreams he had that everyone interpreted to mean that Joseph would someday rule over all of them. It appears to be this last matter that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Their plot to kill Joseph appears to stem from their resentment over these dreams. They said, “We will see what will become of his dreams” (v. 20)

This part of the story begins with Joseph leaving home under the auspices of his dad wanting to find out if everything is well with his other sons who were shepherding the flock. It’s interesting that Joseph wasn’t with them. Did they exclude him? Perhaps either Jacob or Joseph did not want Joseph along with his brothers, knowing the animosity they had toward him. Whatever the reason, Jacob believes that they were shepherding near Shechem, about 50 miles north of his home. This seems a reasonable fact because these animals can destroy the grasses in an area if they are left in one place too long. They had to keep moving. In fact, when Joseph got to Shechem, he was informed that they had moved an additional 15 miles further north. I suspect this great distance between Jacob and his sons lends itself to Jacob’s belief that a wild beast had killed Joseph. He had to have been gone at least a few days, covering so much ground.

Two things this story reveals to the readers are, first, character development of some of Joseph’s brothers, and second, the beginning of an explanation of how Israel ends up in a foreign land, an element of what the LORD had revealed to Abraham about the descendants he was going to give Abraham.

When the brothers see Joseph approaching, their hatred is provoked and they conspired to kill him. But Reuben interceded and suggested they only throw Joseph into a cistern and not kill him. The narrator tells the reader that he planned to later rescue Joseph. What motivated Reuben to have this measure of compassion? Was he hoping to earn back favor from his father after having slept with his dad’s concubine? Reuben was the oldest. Perhaps he felt the weight of the responsibility for Joseph’s well-being. He must have gone away after having convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph, because we learn that he is surprised and dismayed when he finds out Joseph is no longer in the pit.

While Reuben was away and Joseph was still in the pit (cistern), the fourth-oldest son, Judah, had the idea of selling Joseph. While he appears to have a little bit of compassion or conscience in suggesting they not kill one of their own family members, his priority is making money by getting rid of this “dreamer.” In Judah’s mind, this was a win-win proposition. The brothers who were there agreed, and Joseph was sold as a slave to Ishmaelite traders who, in turn, sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of the guard to Pharaoh in Egypt. All that was left was for the brothers to cover their actions to their father, which they accomplished by taking the coat Jacob had given Joseph and making it look as though a wild animal had attacked Joseph. It worked.

So, what do we make of this story? How does it fit with what we already know? Well, first of all, we have the advantage of knowing that Moses is credited with authoring the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. We’ve read that the LORD promised Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land, but that He would deliver them out of that bondage and bring them back to the land the LORD was giving to Abraham and his descendants. We know from the book of Exodus, which follows Genesis, that Moses is God’s prophet who leads the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Ah! This provides an introduction to how they arrived in Egypt in the first place. Joseph was not killed. So, we’re expecting something to happen to him that will be significant to the story. We also know that Jacob’s brothers have demonstrated themselves to be unworthy to be “the seed” who would crush the serpent's heads. The oldest four, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, have all been scoundrels so far. It seems to me that, despite the evil intentions and actions of these sons of Jacob, the LORD is in control.

Perhaps I’m reading into the text too much on this next point. But doesn’t it seem odd in this story that as Joseph journeyed to find his brothers, “a man found him” and “asked him, ‘What are you seeking?’” (v. 15) When Joseph informs him that he’s looking for his brothers, the man seems to know exactly who he’s looking for. Were Joseph’s brothers the only ones shepherding in that area? I doubt it. Perhaps the conversation was much more extensive, leading to that deduction. However, it seems to me that Moses included this detail to suggest that the LORD was watching over Joseph the whole time, and the reader is to anticipate that the LORD is watching over him in Egypt as well.

Gen. 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Gen. 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Gen. 37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

This is another one of those “toledot” markers in the narrative that gets translated as “These are the generations.” (v. 2) The attention turns immediately to Joseph, who was the first son of Rachel, the wife that Jacob loved. We already know that Rachel had another son whom Jacob named Benjamin. Rachel died giving birth to him. But that son is likely not old enough to be shepherding with his older brothers. In fact, this event may have happened before Benjamin was born, since the context later seems to indicate that Rachel may still have been alive. At this time, Joseph is seventeen years old and is working with his brothers shepherding their father’s flock. Moses writes that “he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives” (v. 2). Moses doesn’t include Leah’s sons. So, it’s possible they were not present at this moment. But at least Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher are with Joseph while they are pasturing the flock.

The conflict of this next story develops quickly. The reader is told that Joseph was Dad’s favorite. The three oldest sons certainly haven’t endeared themselves to Jacob, given their actions previously mentioned. But given that Joseph is the first of Rachel’s sons, it’s not too surprising. No one would recognize the favoritism more than the children themselves. However, the conflict is exacerbated by the fact that Jacob makes it painfully obvious that Joseph is his favorite by giving him a multicolored coat. Moses writes that his brothers hated him and could not speak to him peacefully. Could it get any worse? Oh yeah. On this occasion, Joseph gave a “bad report” to his father about the brothers he was with. Perhaps they were being lazy or doing something that would have upset his father. Joseph clearly didn’t attempt to assuage his brothers’ hatred of him by keeping his mouth shut. He narc’d. Either Joseph is a naive, patronizing son, or perhaps he enjoyed rubbing his privilege in his brothers’ faces. We’re not told. We just understand that Joseph is not making anything better between himself and his brothers.

Then, Joseph had two dreams. The first was that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheave. Even though most people today wouldn’t ever have bound or even seen a sheaf of grain, we understand the imagery, and so did his brothers. You can hardly blame them for disliking him.

The second dream was that the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph, and he told it to his brothers as well as his father. You would think that he should’ve gotten a clue to keep his mouth shut after telling his brothers the first dream. Even Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph does not allow him to encourage or accept the idea that he and Rachel would bow down to their own son. He rebukes him.

I’m sure that if Leah’s sons weren’t present to hear these dreams from Joseph’s mouth, the word got to them rather quickly because it’s evident that everyone understands that Joseph is suggesting that these dreams are revealing that he will have authority over all of them.

The situation is ripe for a significant conflict between Joseph and his family. While Moses notes that his brothers were jealous of him, “his father kept these sayings in mind” (v. 11). Why do you think that might be? I think it’s because Jacob has had some pretty vivid dreams himself in which the LORD revealed himself and his plans to Jacob, and Jacob knows by now that the LORD fulfills what he reveals will happen. I suspect that, as ridiculous as this may have sounded to Jacob, these dreams of his son had a familiar vibe to them.

Gen. 36:6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)

Gen. 36:9 These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

Gen. 36:15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

Gen. 36:20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Seir.

Gen. 36:31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites. 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 33 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. 38 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.

Gen. 36:40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

This entire chapter is dedicated to Esau’s life and lineage. I’ve chosen not to read this chapter in its entirety because I don’t see the purpose in reading all the names. Rather, let’s focus on some key points of why Moses has likely provided this detail.

First, Moses’ readers are reminded that Esau took wives from the Canaanites and another wife from Ishmael’s line. We should remember that Abraham specifically wanted a wife for his son Isaac, from his own family and not the Canaanites because the Canaanites were under a curse and worshipped foreign gods. Likewise, Rebekah told Isaac to send Jacob back to her family so that he would not marry wives from the Canaanites, like Esau had done. The bottom line is that Esau made unwise choices that were contrary to the wise and righteous decisions made by Abraham and Isaac.

The next thing Moses tells his readers in verses 6-9 is that Esau moved his family away from Canaan to the hill country of Seir (south of the Dead Sea) because “their possessions were too great for them (Esau and Jacob) to dwell together (v. 7). Does that sound familiar? This is similar to the situation between Abraham and Lot. Lot made a decision that did not work out well for him. I strongly suspect this detail is to suggest that this move is not going to end well for Esau’s family.

Moses provides great detail about Esau’s sons and greater family. If you have any feelings of empathy toward Esau, thinking that he got a raw deal, take note that Esau has done very well. He has so many possessions, he needed to move. We see here that, like Jacob, Esau had twelve sons. It looks to me like Esau has been quite blessed by the LORD despite his actions and bad choices. The LORD has been gracious to him.

But in verse 16, we read that Amalek is one of Esau’s family. We don’t see it here. But in Exodus 17, Moses records an event where Amalek’s people attack the Israelites unprovoked. It seems to me this is an outworking of Esau’s poor choices. In Deuteronomy 25, Moses reminds the children of Israel, as they are about to enter the promised land of what Amalek did to them, and that after they obey the LORD by taking possession of the land, they are to blot out the memory of Amalek. This is the LORD fulfilling what he promised to Abraham to bless those who bless him and to curse those who curse Abraham and the inheritors of the covenant.

The whole point of this chapter is to explain to the Israelites who are taking the promised land the history of their ancestors and distant relatives through Esau who are called the Edomites. It reveals that even though the LORD had originally blessed Esau, the actions in later generations in making themselves enemies of Israel, became enemies of God. In turn, this should be a lesson the Israelites should learn. They should be faithful to the LORD. Unfortunately, they too would have seasons of rebellion against the LORD.

Gen. 35:22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Gen. 35:27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The latter half of Genesis 35 is a transition in the greater narrative of Isaac and Jacob to a greater focus on Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons. We read in the last episode about the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse. In this section, Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to one last son for Jacob. We’ll come back to that shortly. The chapter concludes with the death of Isaac. The focus is now on Jacob and his twelve sons.

The brief narrative of Rachel’s death has an intriguing element when the midwife says to Rachel, “Do not fear, for you have another son” (v. 17). What is that all about? I believe Rachel’s fear is that she will die without giving Jacob another son. Looking back to Genesis 30:1, Rachel is distraught that her sister Leah has had multiple sons by Jacob, and she has not had any. Perhaps she feels inadequate even though she knows that Jacob loves her more than Leah. She tells Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die” (Gen 30:1). After a while, the LORD hears her prayers and gives her a son, Joseph. When Joseph is named, she says, “May the LORD add to me another son” (Gen 30:24)! Her nurse is comforting her as she is dying by essentially telling her that the LORD had answered her prayer. Rachel named him Ben-oni, meaning “Son of my sorrow.” But Jacob gave him the name Benjamin, meaning “Son of my right hand.” That is to indicate a position of favor with Jacob.

The text now gives us another interesting little detail. Moses tells the reader that Jacob’s oldest son (the one to whom the greatest honor would typically be given) Reuben had sex with his father’s concubine (Rachel’s servant) Bilhah, and Jacob (Israel) found out about it. Hmm . . .someone just got written out of the will. The three oldest have all gotten in trouble with dad. We can see how these problems Jacob has with his sons help the reader anticipate conflict that is yet to come.

The chapter then closes with a summarized list of Jacob’s sons and by whom he had them. Finally, we have the death and burial of Isaac. The greater story now is about Jacob and his sons.

I’m not sure if there is a great spiritual principle that needs to be gleaned from this text. However, by applying the interpretive principle of reading and understanding the greater context, we see how details that seem either out of place or insignificant at first glance are actually important. God’s word is rich and what is preserved for us is valuable.

Gen. 35:9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Let’s review. Jacob has returned home, back to the land of Canaan, after spending two decades working for his uncle Laban. No longer is the LORD simply his father Isaac’s God; the LORD is now Jacob’s God. After the LORD has fulfilled his promises to bring Jacob safely back home, he instructs Jacob to fulfill his vow to worship the LORD. Jacob follows his instruction to return to the place where the LORD had appeared to him when he was on the run from his brother Esau.

We pick up this story at the time Jacob and his whole household are traveling to Bethel to worship the LORD. If we aren’t thinking about the greater context of what’s been happening, some details given to us by Moses seem extraneous. What’s the point of mentioning that “a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them?” (Vs. 5) The answer lies in what happened seemingly a short time after Jacob and his household returned to Canaan, and Shechem the Hittite raped Jacob’s daughter Dinah and wanted to marry her. Jacob’s sons used circumcision, the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, to trick the Hittite men and slaughter them. Jacob was concerned that the various people groups might join forces and seek retribution. Ah! Now it makes sense, right? Moses is simply telling the reader, “This is why the various groups in that area did not pursue Jacob’s family to kill them. The LORD was protecting them while they were traveling to do what God had told them to do.” Jacob arrived at Bethel and built an altar at the place where the LORD first appeared to him.

Moses wrote that Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried. What does this have to do with anything? Is this another “insignificant” detail? I don’t think so. Soon, we’re going to read about the death of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, who would die giving birth to one more son. Then, Moses records the death of Isaac. What I believe is happening is that Moses is giving the reader this detail to realize that time and life is moving on. Whereas the LORD had spoken to Abraham and made the covenant with him, Abraham died without receiving all the promises of that covenant. But the covenant was passed on to his seed, Isaac. Then, between Esau and Jacob, the covenant goes to Jacob. We’re seeing the passing of the former generation, and the focus should lead us to wonder, through whom, of all these descendants of Jacob, will the promised seed come? Already, a few of the older brothers have committed genocide through an abuse of the sign of the Abrahamic covenant and have likely disqualified themselves.

Genesis 35:3-15 has many parallels to Jacob’s encounter with the LORD recorded in Genesis 28:10-22. In both instances, the LORD reveals himself to Jacob, and Jacob responds by setting up a stone as a monument to the LORD and anoints it with oil. It’s not just an inclusio in the story of Jacob revealing his journey of faith, but a testament to the faithfulness of God to fulfill his promises.

This is an important lesson to Jacob and his descendants, who’ve had their own journey of faith coming out of Egypt, about to enter the land that God has promised them. We who worship the same God can also trust that our God is able and faithful to do all things he has promised.

Do you recall when Jacob fled the land of Canaan to escape his brother Esau? He had lain down, fallen asleep, and had a dream of angels of God who were ascending and descending a stairway to heaven, with the LORD at the top of the stairs making promises to Jacob. Jacob’s response the next day was to make a vow concerning three things: first, “then the LORD shall be my God” (Gen 28:20-21), second, he would set up a stone as a pillar and it shall be God’s house (Gen 28:22), and third, he would give a tenth of his worth to the LORD (Gen 28:22). That’s important to remember because after twenty years, the LORD has fulfilled all of his promises, and effectively directs Jacob to fulfill his vows.

When Jacob told his family to get rid of all their gods, Jacob is demonstrating that he is serious about his dedication to the LORD alone. At this point, the one person we know who had a household god in their possession is Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife. She stole the household gods from her father. I think this suggests something about Jacob’s faith, as I suspect that he strongly suspects or knows that Rachel had those gods. Jacob wants to demonstrate that he will not tolerate other gods in his household.

Furthermore, when he instructs his household to give up their gods, he explains that he will build an altar “to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone” (Gen 35:3). He is testifying about what he has witnessed in the LORD’s actions. It seems to me that this protracted story of Jacob provides a lesson of what faith looks like. First of all, faith isn’t some feeling that one works up inside themselves. Jacob did not appear to trust the LORD when he pulled the deception with his father to get the blessing. The LORD revealed himself to Jacob, and Jacob responded by listening and giving that revelation consideration. Over time, Jacob recognized that the LORD was following through on his promises to be with him wherever he went and to protect him and, ultimately, to bring him home. This confession of his in Genesis 35 is the culmination of God leading and strengthening Jacob’s trust and commitment to the LORD. Some people appear to have a dramatic moment of decision and awareness, where there’s an apparent radical change in them. That may be valid. But in cases like that, it’s difficult to discern what the LORD has done to bring them to that point. In the story of Jacob, the story is really about God’s loving patience in forming Jacob’s faith and guiding him, letting him mess up, worry, and fail. But he doesn’t give up on Jacob. He stays with him and delivers him back home to a peaceful reunion with his brother and finally, to an opportunity to hear himself confess what he has learned about the LORD and to share that with others.

Jacob tells the people in his household to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves, and to change their garments. What is this about? Jacob is now taking what he’s learned about the LORD and leading his household toward an awe of the LORD. He’s saying, “We can’t worship other gods! The LORD is our God.” By example, he is teaching them to have a reverent worship of the LORD because he is trustworthy and holy.

What was their response? We don’t know if any of them had a dramatic conversion experience. But it seems evident that they gave attention to the revelation they were given by Jacob. They obeyed his command to give up their gods and, the text says, “the rings in their ears” (Gen 35:4). I’m not sure about the significance of their giving their earrings. At the very least, it’s symbolic of them forfeiting their possessions of value or identity. They are taking a step toward the LORD without fully understanding everything.

This has tremendous significance for people today. None of us should think we ever have God figured out. Yet, the LORD has chosen to give us revelation about himself through the Scriptures and, most of all, through the life of Jesus. May each one of us be like Jacob and pay attention to it. May we not dismiss it and disregard its value like Esau did with his birthright. Let the LORD lead us to a deeper trust in him each day. We will fail at times and insist on doing things our own way. But the LORD is faithful and will not abandon us. As we understand his patience, compassion, mercy, and grace to us, may we not only confess what we’ve learned to others, but lead others to his self-revelation as well.

Gen. 34:5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

Gen. 34:8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. 9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” 11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

Gen. 34:13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”

Gen. 34:18 Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

Gen. 34:25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

Gen. 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” 31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

This story pretty much speaks for itself concerning what happened. Jacob purchased some land in the land of Canaan in faith that the LORD was going to fulfill his promise to make that land the nation for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Jacob’s daughter was raped by Shechem, a Canaanite, who then wanted to marry her and sent his father to convince Jacob and his sons to give Dinah to his son in marriage. Jacob’s sons act amenable to the proposition on one condition: that all their men become circumcised. Take notice that Moses wrote that Jacob’s sons answered Hamor and Shechem deceitfully (Gen 34:13). They didn’t initiate this agreement on good faith that this would be a desirable arrangement, and then later decided to take vengeance. This was calculated. Furthermore, the context reveals that Jacob was not part of this scheme. It was all the plan of the sons.

Hamor and Shechem then convince their men that this will be a good deal for everyone. Specifically, they believe this marriage will bring a cooperative relationship with Jacob’s family and will prosper them financially. But on the third day after having been circumcised, the men are immobilized by their pain from the circumcision. Two of the older brothers, Simeon and Levi, carried out their true plan, and they massacred all the men and plundered their homes. We might say that they brought some “frontier justice.”

Jacob's assessment of this action is recorded immediately afterwards. He recognized that his sons’ actions could get him in a lot of trouble with other inhabitants of the land. Simeon and Levi defend their actions in a rhetorical question. “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute” (v. 31)? The obvious answer is “no.” But the answer to whether or not this justifies their actions in killing all these men is not so obvious from the immediate context. If we fast forward a number of years in Jacob’s life, after he goes down to Egypt with his sons to survive the famine and be reunited with Joseph, we arrive at Genesis 49 and Jacob calls his sons together to what? He’s going to reveal who will carry the “seed” forward. Is it the firstborn Reuben? Nope. We’ll find out why soon. How about the next in line, Simeon and Levi? Here’s what Moses records of his message about those two.

“Gen. 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6 Let my soul come not into their council;

O my glory, be not joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel.”

This is the indictment concerning their former actions. But not only did they commit a violent action in slaughtering those men, they used (abused) the sign (circumcision) of the Abrahamic Covenant as a means to that end. As evil as Shechem’s actions were against Dinah, Simeon and Levi disregarded the holy purpose of the sign of the covenant and used it to commit violence. Jacob will not let it slide. I think this is one of Jacob’s last actions that reveal his trust and respect for the LORD and his word.

This story should remind us not to take for granted the LORD’s blessings to us and use it in ways that would dishonor the LORD.

Gen. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Gen. 33:12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

Gen. 33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Gen. 33:18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

I don’t know about you. But up to this point, my assessment of Esau is that he is what we might call a “loose cannon.” Not only did he quickly and easily disregard his birthright by trading it for a bowl of stew, he also intentionally married three wives in disregard, and to spite his parents.

The question at hand in our story is whether or not he is going to attempt to fulfill his vow to kill his brother Jacob. It could be said that there’s not much to like about Esau as far as we know from the greater narrative. For that matter, Jacob is portrayed as an opportunist and a cheat. So, we wouldn’t necessarily vote for him as “man of the year” either. So, it’s confusing when we read passages like Malachi 1:2-3 and Paul’s quotation of it in Romans 9:13 where the LORD says, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” We ask ourselves first, “Is that true?” and secondly, “Is that fair of God?” Why would God hate Esau any more than Jacob?

God’s warning through Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 2 can help us understand this. Beginning with Jacob and Rachel’s son Joseph, the Israelites would spend 400 years in Egypt before God led them out back toward the Promised Land. Due to the faithless and rebellious actions of the Israelites, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. That area is near the land that God gave to Esau. When they were about to enter the land, God told them to use caution as they passed through Seir (Edom) because the LORD had given that land to Esau. They were not to create any trouble with them, but to buy things from them instead and be peaceable. Esau had been dead for a long time. Yet, the LORD was telling the Israelites to honor their brothers, the descendants of Esau. That sounds like a far cry from God “hating” Esau, doesn’t it? What’s going on? The statement in Malachi is made many years after the Israelites returned to the land. Over time, the Edomites, Esau’s descendants, became enemies of Israel and looted Jerusalem after Babylon destroyed it. Therefore, the statement in Malachi is the LORD expressing his judgment upon Esau’s descendants who chose to become enemies of Israel and, therefore, of God. It’s not some arbitrary bias directed at Esau personally.

The apostle Paul’s use of quoting this passage is simply to express God’s right to do as he wishes. So, we have essential truths revealed that remind us that God is God and we’re not. God is the one who decides what is good and right, and we will do well to remember that and trust that the LORD makes good and right decisions. More relevant to the immediate story we are in, just because Esau did things that were stupid, irresponsible, and to spite his parents and God, it didn’t mean that God disowned him. God gave him a land and wanted Jacob’s descendants not to disregard them because they were also descendants of Abraham and Isaac. What might seem unfair at a cursory glance is actually grace to Esau. The fact that later generations of Esau violated that desired relationship brought righteous discipline upon them.

And what do we see in this story when Jacob and Esau finally meet after 20 years of separation? Esau runs to meet and welcome Jacob back. There is redemption and blessing for both of them. This is what the LORD intended for them and, I believe, for us. The LORD blessed Jacob, leading him into faith and wanting to bless his brother and to establish a peaceful relationship. The LORD loved Jacob and Esau and blessed each of them according to his omniscient and gracious will.

Through the cross of Christ, God has done the same with us. He doesn’t hold our past offenses against us. He leads us to faith, blesses us, and brings us into a relationship of peace with God.

Gen. 32:22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Jacob knows that one of his greatest questions or challenges in returning home is making peace, if possible, with his brother Esau. Therefore, Jacob is pulling out all the stops in his plan to appease Esau. It would be easy to suggest that Jacob is not trusting the LORD to protect him. But, I think Jacob is just being wise here. He sends a succession of gifts ahead of him to meet Esau. Whereas Esau’s desire for retribution might be rekindled, knowing that Jacob was returning home after all these years, he might have been angered even more with the first wave of gifts. Yet, the succession of these gifts surely sent a message that Jacob wanted peace and would spare no expense to secure that peace. Jacob is certainly expecting this strategy to effectively subdue Esau’s wrath (v. 20).

Genesis 32:22-23 appears to suggest that Jacob wasn’t 100 percent confident his plan would work and therefore, separated his family from where he would sleep in an effort to protect them from harm by Esau’s men.

In the place where Jacob camped alone, the text simply states that a man wrestled with Jacob (v.24). Most scholars believe this was an angel who appeared as a man. If that’s the case, shouldn’t an angel have tremendous power and easily defeat Jacob? Why were they wrestling in the first place? These kinds of questions have puzzled me as long as I can remember. This is where our principle of reading the context can help lead us to a reasonable and often a “safe” understanding of what’s happening in the text.

Notice how the “man” appears to dislocate Jacob’s hip, and yet Jacob will not let him go. Jacob tells him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (v. 26). The man’s response is to ask Jacob his name. Wouldn’t an angel know his name? Perhaps. But again, the context then reveals that this man has the authority to give Jacob the new name of Israel because Jacob “has struggled with God and men and has prevailed” (v. 28). There’s an understatement of a lifetime. Clearly, this man is some kind of agent from the LORD because he has knowledge and authority from God.

Jacob then asks him his name, and the man’s response is “Why is it that you ask my name” (v. 29)? I’m not sure if this is rhetorical, meaning “You should know who I am,” or possibly “Does it matter that you know my name because you know who sent me?”

The man then blessed Jacob and Jacob named the place Peniel because, he explained, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (v. 30). It would seem from this context that the “man” was actually a theophany or Christophany. (An appearance of God, or Jesus prior to his incarnation.)

The bottom line is that this experience was to affirm God’s presence with Jacob and make his faith more sure. Whatever insecurities Jacob has with the LORD, the LORD is patiently addressing. What a gracious God. This is one more example, contrary to the views of some, the God of the Old Testament is not evil and sadistic.

Gen. 32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Gen. 32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

Gen. 32:9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Let’s do a quick review of what’s happened in our study in recent weeks. Jacob had finally had enough of Laban cheating him, and the LORD told him to return to his homeland. Jacob, with his wives’ support, decided to leave without telling his father-in-law Laban. When Laban found out that Jacob had fled with his wives, Laban’s daughters, and everything else he had, Laban went after him with a militia. When Laban caught up with him, he leveled his complaints at Jacob, and it culminated with the accusation that Jacob had stolen Laban’s household gods. Rachel had stolen them, but Jacob was unaware of it and invited Laban to search for them. Rachel cleverly hid them. Then, Jacob had words for Laban, and, for whatever reason, it seemed to have a humbling effect on Laban. The two made a covenant of peace, and Laban returned home.

Now Jacob is continuing his journey back to his homeland. Genesis 32:1-2 records that “angels of God met him.” Do you remember when Jacob encountered angels before? It was when Jacob had left home on the run from the vengeance of his brother Esau. Jacob had lain down and fallen asleep and had a dream of a stairway extending from heaven down to earth, and angels were descending and ascending on this stairway (Gen 28). The LORD spoke to him and promised to protect him, provide for him, and ultimately return him to the promised land. When Jacob awoke, he recognized the LORD had spoken to him and called the place Bethel (House of God). So, if that was God’s house, Jacob says, “This is God’s camp” (Gen 32:2) and calls this place Mahanaim (Two camps).

These first two verses seem out of place in relation to what follows, which reveals that Jacob, having resolved his conflict with Laban, now has to interact with Esau, who had vowed to kill him after their father Isaac's death. Why is it important that Jacob sees these angels? I believe there can only be one reason, and that is that God is reminding Jacob of the promises he made to him twenty years earlier when he was on the run from Esau. This had to be an encouragement to Jacob.

In Genesis 32:3-5 Jacob sends servants ahead of their caravan to meet Esau with the purpose of finding out whether he’s cooled off or to possibly appease Esau. But, beginning in verse 6, the messengers return with the message that Esau is on his way with four hundred men. That is not encouraging, and Jacob plans his strategy to ideally protect some of his camp by dividing them into two camps. Therefore, if Esau’s army were to slaughter one camp, the other might escape. But Jacob is not trusting only in his plans. Jacob has come a long way in his faith through God’s work in his life over the past 20 years. Jacob prayed to the LORD and repeated the LORD’s promise to him 20 years earlier, and called upon him to deliver. He even revealed his own fear, his vulnerability, and entreated the LORD to deliver him from Esau’s wrath.

I love this! I love this picture of faith, which, first and foremost, appeals to God’s word. Faith has no pride within it. It’s humility that confesses we are weak and acknowledges our need for God’s help. Faith is never blind. It is always based upon God’s self-revelation. I cannot say, “If you have enough faith, God will give you a new car. God hasn’t promised to give anyone a new car. That’s called wishful thinking, not faith. God does not promise to keep us from any or every form of suffering and death. But God does promise to give you eternal life by faith in Jesus, the author of life. We will die. But according to God’s promise, Jesus will return and raise us to eternal life with the LORD. We may experience fears. Confess that to the LORD. He can take it.

Gen. 31:51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

Gen. 31:55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

Before I reflect upon what I see as meaningful in this section, I’d like to address a few details. According to what I can discern from scholars, the name of the “heap of stones” given by Laban and its corresponding one given by Jacob are not different meanings; just different languages. They both mean “heaps of stones.” Mizpah means something like “watch place.” The point is that Laban and Jacob come to an agreement that they will be peaceful toward each other, and that this monument is a reminder of that agreement.

What I love about this ending to the Laban-Jacob story is not just that there is a peaceful resolution, but that for the first time in the Biblical accounts of Laban, Laban is not so obsessed with getting his way. The LORD had clearly revealed Himself to Laban in the past, and yet Laban had retained household gods. Laban has always sought to manipulate circumstances for his own selfish interest. But now, in the wake of Jacob confronting this history of Laban’s unjust treatment, Laban’s pride appears to dissipate like the air in a weak balloon.

In desiring to do what is good and right for his daughters and grandchildren, Laban, who had come after Jacob with what appears to be a militia and uttering words about his right to do Jacob harm, now suggests a covenant of peace, and Jacob readily concurs. They set up a heap of stones and a marker as a reminder of the agreed-upon terms of the relationship. What a wise concept. The setting up of a physical and visible reminder of the peace agreement is not simply for accountability. Such reminders can serve to turn one’s thoughts away from past offenses and remind us of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and all that is good.

What I love most about this story is that Jacob’s confrontation appears to have a “faith-effect” on Laban. Laban invoked the name of the “LORD,” the God of Abraham, as the judge of obedience to this covenant agreement. He did not invoke his household gods in any way, and the story concludes with Laban kissing his daughters and grandchildren and blessing them before he returned home in peace.

This is one more example of the LORD being with Jacob as promised. I can’t help but see how this is another example of God’s promise to Abraham that the LORD would bless those who blessed him. While Laban had repeatedly cheated Jacob, the LORD used the strained relationship between Laban and Jacob to patiently develop faith in each of them. What an awesome God!

Gen. 31:22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Gen. 31:25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Gen. 31:33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

Gen. 31:36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

With his wives on board with his plans to leave and return to his homeland, Jacob made a secretive exit with all his family and possessions. He would have to know that Laban would ultimately find out and catch up with them. Laban found out after three days. The reader should expect this to create a conflict, and that Laban is not going to let them go without some kind of interaction.

To heighten the conflict even more, the reader is informed that Rachael stole her father’s “household gods” (Gen 31:19), but Jacob did not know that (v. 32). This is problematic on multiple levels. First, it actually is something that belongs to Laban, and Jacob has neither the desire nor the right to have them. In fact, as we’ll read later in Genesis, idols have no business among God’s people.

Sure enough, Laban took off in pursuit, taking kinsmen with him. I’m suspecting that Laban feared that an armed conflict might occur. He pursued after them for seven days, and as he got close to Jacob’s caravan, the LORD spoke to Laban and told him not to say anything good or bad to him (v. 24).

When Laban finally caught up to Jacob, his words were almost laughable. “Why did you trick me?” “Why have you driven away my daughters like captives of the sword?” “I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre.” (vv. 26-27) What a great guy and father, Laban is! (As his daughters roll their eyes.) The fact is, Laban would never have willingly let them go.

Laban finally turns to some truth-speaking when he confesses that “the God of your father” gave me a message last night that I should not “say anything to Jacob, either good or bad” (v. 29). He then asks the question, “Why did you steal my gods” (v.30)? Jacob certainly has no clue that Rachael stole and has the gods because he responds that the one who has them “will not live” (v. 31). He would not say that about the wife that he loves.

Jacob tells Laban to search his group and take whatever belongs to him. But Rachael had hidden them in the camel’s saddle on which she sat, and told her father that it was her time of the month, and to excuse her for not getting off the camel.

When Laban could not find them, it was Jacob’s turn to rail against Laban. He recounts how he had served Laban all these years and how Laban has benefited from his service. He reminds Laban that he’d served him for fourteen years in exchange for the right to marry his daughters. He reminds Laban that in spite of all that he’s done for Laban, Laban had changed his wages ten times. Finally, Jacob’s confession comes down to verse 42: “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

The important thing about this history between Laban and Jacob is not Laban or Jacob. It is about the God of Abraham and Isaac, who has graciously blessed and protected Jacob and has chosen to reveal himself to Laban. Laban needs to forget about his household gods and trust in the God of Abraham and Isaac. He is becoming the God of Jacob as well.

I think there’s an important truth revealed in this story that God doesn’t wait for us to come to him to bestow blessing upon people. God is a patient God who reveals himself in various ways and show his kindness in order to get our attention so that we will turn to him. This story is a picture of God’s grace to both Laban and Jacob.

Gen. 31:4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

In our last episode, we saw how the seed of a new conflict had been sown with Laban removing the spotted, striped, and other sheep and goats that would belong to Jacob according to the agreement between Laban and Jacob. Laban was trying to cheat Jacob out of his portion of the livestock in the hope that it would force Jacob to continue working for him. Leaving Jacob with only the majority of solid-colored sheep and goats, Jacob put peeled sticks near water troughs where the animals would breed in the belief that the visual element of the striped or speckled sticks would affect the coats of the offspring. I’m highly suspicious of the efficacy of such an approach. But I think ultimately, Jacob was trusting the LORD to give him sheep and goats. This section affirms that the LORD did give him bountiful livestock and wealth and that Jacob acknowledges that it all came from the LORD.

This story continues with a rise in the conflict. Jacob hears Laban’s sons complaining that Jacob has essentially stolen all their livestock and family wealth and that his favor with Laban is on the decline. How ironic! Laban had already confessed that his success had been due to the LORD’s presence with Jacob. He then stole from Jacob the animals that they’d agreed would be Jacob’s. Now, he and his sons are blaming Jacob for what they were guilty of themselves.

Jacob now receives a message from the LORD to go home and an affirmation that the LORD will be with him. In other words, the LORD is showing Jacob that he is in control, will fulfill all the promises he’s made to him, and will protect him.

What I love about the Scriptures is that they don’t portray the main characters as people with superpowers. Instead, they often display their humanity. When we read about their thoughts, words, and actions, we realize they are not so different from us. Jacob understands that he has to get his wives on board with his exit plan. He’s asking that they leave their home, and he’s not sure how that’s going to sit with them. Given their own conflict between themselves over Jacob’s attention, this could be another opportunity for one or both of them to create a problem.

He gave an account of the history between him and Laban and how Laban had cheated him multiple times. More importantly, Jacob tells them what God has done. God has been with him (v. 5), God has protected him (v. 7), and God (not Jacob) has taken away Laban’s flocks and given them to Jacob (v.9). He continues to explain what God has done and is directing him to leave.

What is their response? “Whatever God has said to you, do” (v. 16). Wow! Talk about a miracle. They are in full agreement. It’s clear from the text that they have their own well-being in mind because of how the LORD has dealt with Laban and Jacob both. They have the sense that it’s better for them to go with the man to whom God has shown favor. I can’t help but believe that God has used their own need of self-preservation to confess truth, that Jacob should obey the LORD.

What we witness in this story is how the promise God made to Abraham is continuing to be fulfilled exactly as the LORD had promised. God’s promise to bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you (Gen 12:3) is bearing itself out again in Jacob’s life. God’s promises to Jacob as he left home are being fulfilled exactly as the LORD had promised. God is faithful to his word.

Gen. 30:37 Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38 He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, 42 but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

The first thing I notice in this story is that Jacob is ready to go home. Clearly, he’s had “success” while working for his uncle Laban. He had eleven sons and a daughter by his two wives and their servants. By what transpires with Laban attempting to do whatever he can to keep Jacob and his family from leaving, we know that he has been successful in shepherding Laban’s sheep and goats. Furthermore, it seems clear to everyone in the story that this success is from the LORD. It would be so easy to just keep on keeping on.

But it appears to me that Jacob, having completed his commitment of service to Laban in return for his two wives, understands that he belongs back in the land of Canaan, which will be his inheritance by virtue of the covenant that God made with his grandfather Abraham and has recommitted to Isaac and to Jacob as he fled from his home in fear of his brother Esau. Yet, at this point, Jacob seems to have no concern about Esau. He simply wants to go back home and take his family and earnings with him. I believe this inclination to return home is not Jacob wanting a change of scenery. It’s the LORD’s sovereign work in Jacob’s life that is leading him to the fulfillment of the blessings that the LORD has promised Jacob.

Now we learn something about Laban. First, Laban learned from “divination” that the LORD had blessed him because of Jacob (v. 27). From “divination?” Why did Laban not understand this from revelation and from observation? Laban had some understanding of the LORD’s blessing upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when Abraham sent his servant to his family to find a wife for Isaac. Laban’s family was blessed by Abraham through that interaction, and now, for these past fourteen years, Laban has had plenty of opportunity to see the LORD’s blessing upon him by having Jacob marry his daughters and work for him. He doesn’t need divination to understand that. This suggests that while Laban knows who the LORD is, it is not evident that he trusts the LORD.

The next thing that we learn about Laban, which has already appeared before, is that Laban is concerned about nothing but Laban. When Jacob agrees to work longer for him, Laban agrees in word, but promptly attempts to cheat the arrangement.

Let’s talk about this arrangement for a minute. If I understand the scholars correctly, sheep in that part of the world are normally white, and goats are normally black. If this is the case, Jacob, through his proposed arrangement, tells Laban that he will keep the unusual sheep and goats. While Laban agrees to this, Laban promptly removes all the unusual sheep and goats from the herd with the assumption that the all white sheep and the all black goats will continue to breed and bring forth offspring that are solid in their respective colors. In other words, he does everything in his power to minimize the number of sheep and goats Jacob would keep, thereby making it necessary for Jacob to continue working for him.

But Jacob does two things. First, as he was shepherding Laban’s flocks, he put peeled sticks (that would appear striped) in front of the flocks in the anticipation that the breeding animals would see them and that, in turn, would cause their offspring to not have a solid color wool according to their breed. Now, I grew up in an area with sheep, goats, and other livestock. I have never heard of anyone doing this, and I have no evidence that this would work for anyone. But the point is that Jacob did believe this would work because he believed the LORD would bless him. The second thing that Jacob did was he only put the sticks in front of the breeding animals who were the strongest and healthiest. That makes sense.

Verse 43 informs the reader that his flocks became great and he was very successful.

This story is really about the contrast between a man (Laban) who recognizes who the LORD is but does not trust him and only works to serve himself, and a man (Jacob) whom the LORD is leading to a life of faith and blessing as he demonstrates his trust in the LORD.

I am not a “prosperity gospel” person. I don’t read the Scriptures in such a way that the interpretation means that God will provide me with wealth in this life. In fact, Jesus told the disciples that the poor would still be among them and that they themselves would suffer for his name’s sake. But the Scriptures do tell us that God cares for the flowers and the birds, and cares for us even more so. The Scriptures also affirm an eternal life of abundance in all our needs. In this life and this time, the followers of Jesus must not focus on ourselves. We must trust the LORD and be instruments of God’s blessing to others.

We concluded the episode after reading that the LORD opened Leah’s womb and she had four sons with Jacob, but Rachel was barren. Understand the significance of that. The unloved wife had four sons, and the one Jacob loved had none. You can only imagine the tension that would develop between the sisters. So, as we pick up the story this week where we left off, we no longer have to imagine. The conflicts come to a head.

Let’s read the Scripture. Note: As sons are born, Leah and Rachel appear to give a reason why they gave their sons the names we see. Each of those reasons contains a word which, in the Hebrew language, the name of the son sounds like that word.

Gen. 30:1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. 7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

Gen. 30:9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad. 12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

Gen. 30:14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.

Gen. 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

Gen. 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”

We’d finished the last episode after Leah had given Jacob his fourth son, and Rachel was still barren. What is already evident is that Leah is distraught over the fact that Jacob doesn’t love her like he loves Rachel, and she thinks that her success in bearing him sons will draw his affections to her. Rachel is distraught over the fact that she has not had any children, and she essentially blames it on Jacob. Jacob, who has not had a history of strong faith in God, responds, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Gen 30:2). I must admit that Jacob’s response reminded me of how easy it is for us to put ourselves in the place of God when it’s convenient, but we quickly absolve ourselves of that when things aren’t working out as we would like. The fact of the matter is that Jacob’s response is spot on. He is not in the place of God, and neither is Rachel. I think there’s a truth there that Jacob and Rachel need to learn to seek the LORD and trust in him.

The drama builds when Rachel gives her servant Bilhah to Jacob to have children by her. We saw how Sarah’s plan to do this to provide offspring for Abraham backfired, and the reader should probably be thinking, “Oh . . not again.” Bilhad gives Jacob two sons. But now Leah, who had stopped conceiving, was not going to be outmaneuvered by her sister; she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and two more sons were born.

Just when you thought the drama couldn’t get any hotter, Rachel agreed to let Jacob sleep with Leah one night in exchange for some mandrakes that Leah’s son Reuben had gathered. Apparently, these are roots and may have been believed to help with fertility, which would explain why Rachel was so eager to get some. We’re not sure why Reuben would have gathered them. Anyway, how pathetic that Jacob’s attention was the object of a barter. Moses wrote that God heard Leah and opened her womb, and she conceived a fifth and sixth son. Leah then had a daughter named Dinah. She will be the center of another story soon to come.

Finally, in verse 22, we read that God remembered Rachel, heard her prayers, and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Joseph. She gave thanks to the LORD and asked for another one.

The count of the sons between Leah, Rachel, and their servants is eleven. The story of Jacob’s children pauses there. But we’ll soon read about the next family drama.

As always, I believe the important question we should answer is, “Why is this here?” Since Moses is writing this specifically to the descendants of these children born to Jacob and his wives, and he’s writing it at a time when they are about to enter the Promised Land, Moses is writing this story to remind them that the LORD is in control. They can make decisions and go about their lives. But reflecting back to Jacob’s words to Rachel that he was not in the place of God to control things. Yet, God was present and he heard Rachel and was compassionate to her inability to have children. He did what no human could do and made it possible for her to have a son. The LORD was also empathetic to Leah’s grief that Jacob did not love her like he loved Rachel. These truths are essential for all of us to learn. The LORD is compassionate, and he is in control. May we learn to trust him in all things.

Gen. 29:4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

Gen. 29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

Gen. 29:13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

Gen. 29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Gen. 29:21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Gen. 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

“Little” details in biblical stories are often significant. Otherwise, why would the author write the details? As this story of Jacob’s approach to his destination unfolds, we’re told about the well and the large stone that covered the mouth of the well. Some people interpret this to suggest that all the shepherds at the well were, collectively, unable to move the stone. Yet, Jacob’s ability to move it himself was evidence that God was with Jacob and gave him the strength to move the stone himself. I would concede that’s a possibility. But let’s look at the story as a whole and see if there’s another possibility.

After Moses provided the seemingly pointless details about the shepherds, the well, and the stone that covers it, he records that Jacob inquired about Laban. The shepherds state that they know him, that he is well, and (drum roll) here comes his daughter. Jacob’s response to this in verse 7 is essentially, “Hey guys! Why don’t you water your sheep and get lost?” It seems to me that Jacob wants them to leave so he can “move in on” Laban’s daughter. But the shepherds respond to Jacob that the custom is to wait until all the flocks are present and they all get watered together. We aren’t told why this is. Perhaps it’s an accounting to make sure that everyone is ok. If a shepherd or shepherdess doesn’t show up within a reasonable amount of time, someone will know to go looking for them.

What happens after that is that Jacob is not concerned about the custom. When Rachel arrived, he rolled the stone away, watered her sheep, and revealed his identity to her. He is then united with Laban and the family and stays with them a month. After that month, Laban proposed a working arrangement with Jacob and asked him what Jacob would want in return for working for his uncle. Jacob asked to serve Laban for seven years, and in exchange he would marry Rachel, Laban’s younger of the two daughters. Moses tells the reader in verse 17, “Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.” This detail sets the tone for the rest of the story. It shows the contrast of the two daughters that draws Jacob’s attention to Rachel, and it leads the reader’s imagination to a possible or potential rivalry. Laban agreed to this deal.

After seven years of service, there was a wedding. But Laban put Leah in the bride chamber instead of Rachel, and Jacob unknowingly consummated the marriage with Leah. He was unaware of this switch until the next day, when it was light. Jacob had been “out-Jacobed.” Laban gave the excuse that it was not customary to marry off the younger daughter before the older one. Then, Laban told Jacob that after the wedding ceremony was over, Jacob could marry Rachel in return for another seven years of service. Jacob got married twice within just over a week. Laban was truly more of the master manipulator between the two. Yet, Jacob agreed.

After this, we see how Jacob’s love and attention to Rachel created a rivalry between the sisters. Moses wrote that the LORD opened Leah’s womb because he saw that she was “hated.” Therefore, the LORD gave her four consecutive sons while Rachel was barren.

This is a story about the LORD fulfilling his promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. Yet there are things this story reveals about the LORD that we can learn that may help guide and feed our faith. For one, the LORD doesn’t always intervene in the actions of fallen and self-serving people to stop them from doing stupid and sinful things. Yet, he may intervene at times to remind people that he loves them, even if they are not receiving affection from those of whom they would expect it. This story also manifests that the LORD will accomplish his will and fulfill his promises in spite of ourselves. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 “For we know that God works all things together for good to those who love the LORD and are called according to his promise.” Laban, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah all have things to learn about the LORD. The LORD patiently and sovereignly works to reveal to them and, indirectly, to each reader of this story, that he is both a good and great God.

Gen. 28:18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

We pick this story up as Jacob left home in a north-northeastern direction. He is leaving his home before his father Isaac dies, and Esau carries out his threat to kill Jacob for stealing his blessing from Isaac. The plan is to go where his extended family lives to find a wife. At some point, he lay down to sleep for the night and had a dream. The dream was of a ladder between heaven and earth on which angels were going up and down between heaven and earth. At the top stood the LORD, who spoke to Jacob. The first thing he said was, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.” (v. 13) This is important because, first of all, when Isaac had asked Jacob (thinking he was Esau) how he got the meat so quickly, Jacob replied, “The LORD your God granted me success” (Gen. 27:20). Notice that this response speaks more about Jacob’s lack of faith rather than an expression of faith. Secondly, despite Jacob’s apparent reluctance to trust in Isaac’s God, Isaac prays for him upon his departure that God will bless him and give him the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. So, God ensured that Jacob understood who was speaking to him in this dream.

This introduction is followed by a promise to confer upon Jacob the promises of the covenant the LORD made with his grandfather Abraham and to Isaac, his father.

Why would God appear to someone he knew did not trust him? Furthermore, why would he promise to bless and protect that person? It must be that God knew something that Jacob did not yet understand. God had a plan and assured Jacob that he would fulfill that promise. This dream is so amazing that Jacob woke up. But Jacob didn’t do what we might expect. He didn’t dismiss it as a wild dream irrelevant to reality.

This dream got Jacob’s attention. Jacob’s response to this revelation is one of beginning faith. He believes the LORD was present and that he has just had a very special encounter with the God of his father and grandfather.

In the morning, Jacob had not rationalized away the experience. Instead, Jacob memorialized this place and named it Bethel, meaning “house of El (God).” He then vowed that if the LORD did everything he said he would, “Then the LORD will be my God” (Gen. 28:21). The LORD’s revelation through this dream had ignited in Jacob a fire of faith in the LORD.

What is it about this story that impresses me? This story reveals that Jacob is human. We can identify with someone who is capable of making all kinds of schemes to get what we want. We can empathize with him when the LORD was simply Isaac’s God, but Jacob had his doubts. I’m also impressed that the LORD understood all of that and was so patient with Jacob, and then revealed himself and made him promises before Jacob had turned the corner. Finally, I love Jacob’s positive move toward the LORD after the LORD revealed himself in the dream. I want to be as excited as Jacob when I have those moments of understanding how God has revealed himself and graciously draws me to him.

Gen. 28:6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

I don’t know about you. But Isaac seemed pretty upset when he realized that Jacob had deceived him, causing him to give Jacob the blessing he intended to give Esau. Yet, in this segment, Jacob appears to have a “What’s done is done” attitude. There’s no apparent conflict between Isaac and Rebekah for her part in the scheme. Of course, I’m assuming that Isaac knew Rebekah had a part in the deception. More importantly, it appears to me that Moses is showing us how Isaac is acting according to the pattern of his father Abraham, and concurs with Rebekah that Jacob should go to the land of their family, where Abraham had come from, and where Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. He sent Jacob there with another blessing. In this blessing, he instructs or reminds Jacob from where his blessings will come. We have no indication yet that Jacob trusts his father’s God. Yet he does obey his parents.

This sets up the contrast to what Moses reveals next concerning Esau. Esau had already taken multiple wives who were Hittites, which echoes back to Cain's descendant Lamech, who married two wives and was very defiant to the LORD (Gen 4:17-19). Now, Esau decided he would spite his parents even more by taking another wife, and this time it was a daughter of Ishmael. This is a slap in the face to Isaac. Esau was quite willing to do what his dad wanted, anticipating what he would get in return. But when Jacob deceived Isaac and stole the blessing, Esau revealed that he was never worthy himself to receive the blessing. Later, when Jacob’s descendants left Egypt after 400 years in bondage, the LORD gave them the Law, primarily summed up in the Ten Commandments. One of the commandments was to “Honor your father and mother.” (Ex. 20:12)

I was tempted to continue further into the text again this week. But I found this section to make me think about how things don’t always go as I would like. Sometimes, I may feel cheated in some capacity, that some injustice has been done, and my inclination might be to desire retribution on everyone I believe to have had a part in it. But that’s not right. I think Isaac shows us the right way. Our priority is to act in a right way and pray that the LORD will bless those he wants to bless through the situation. He’s the one in control, and the LORD can turn the circumstances into something very special.

Next week, we’ll look into Jacob’s experience on his flight to his uncle Laban’s home.

Gen. 27:5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”

Gen. 27:14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Gen. 27:18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

Gen. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son

is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed!

28 May God give you of the dew of heaven

and of the fatness of the earth

and plenty of grain and wine.

29 Let peoples serve you,

and nations bow down to you.

Be lord over your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you,

and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

Gen. 27:30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

Gen. 27:39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,

and away from the dew of heaven on high.

40 By your sword you shall live,

and you shall serve your brother;

but when you grow restless

you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Gen. 27:41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”

Gen. 27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

There is so much tension and drama in this short story that it almost seems wrong to say anything about it because it just speaks for itself. However, there are some valuable insights we can glean from observing how this story relates to the broader narrative of Genesis and the Bible.

First, do you remember when Rebekah was expecting twins and they fought within her womb, and the LORD revealed to her that the older would serve the younger? Secondly, do you recall that Jacob received that name because he was grabbing Esau’s heel when they were born? The significance of those details becomes more apparent here.

The scene begins when Isaac, who had become very old and had lost his sight, called Esau to go out and get him the meat that he liked and prepare it so that he would bless him, bequeathing to him the leadership of the family and the majority of the inheritance. Rebekah heard of Isaac’s plan and quickly took action to have Jacob receive the blessing instead of Esau. Why would she do this? For one, we’ve already been informed that Esau was Isaac’s favorite son because Esau was a hunter and Isaac enjoyed the food he brought home. On the other hand, Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite. More importantly, I think Rebekah did this because of what the LORD had revealed to her. She knew before they were born that Jacob would be the leader and the one who would carry the seed. I think she’s acting upon that revelation from God. While Rebekah’s actions were deceptive, we could argue that she was acting out of faith.

Rebekah laid out the plan to Jacob and addressed his concerns, and he agreed to go along with it. This detail bothered me for years. Why should he receive the blessing when he is gaining it through deception? That doesn’t seem fair. Then, a few years ago, I saw something in the dialogue between Isaac and Jacob after Jacob gave him the meat Rebekah had prepared. Isaac, thinking that Esau is standing near him, asks how he got the meat so quickly. Jacob’s response was, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Do you see that? The LORD is not Jacob’s God. The LORD is his father’s God. The blessing will only be beneficial if the LORD is Jacob’s God, and this moment in the story creates a new conflict that will prompt the reader to wonder, “How will the LORD become Jacob’s God?” The LORD revealed to Rebekah what would happen with Jacob and Esau. So, in light of Jacob's statement, we must wonder how the Lord will work this all out.

No sooner had Jacob pulled off the deception and received the blessing than Esau came home with the meat from his hunt, and Isaac and Esau realized what had happened. The significance of Jacob grabbing Esau’s heel is revealed through Esau’s comment about Jacob’s name and his actions. The picture here is that one who grabs a heel is a cheater. I think it’s amusing that Esau uses the sale of his birthright as an accusation against Jacob, since it was Esau who had no regard whatsoever for his birthright. Jacob didn’t deceive him. He was just opportunistic, and Esau now regretted it, blaming Jacob for his poor decision. The bottom line is that Esau was so angry and planned to kill Jacob once Isaac died.

Rebekah learned of Esau’s plan and found a good reason to have Isaac send Jacob away to her brother Laban’s place. The misery caused by their Hittite daughters-in-law, whom Esau had married, was the justification she used to convince Isaac that she didn’t want Jacob to take a wife like them. That was good enough for Isaac.

What I draw from this story is that God doesn’t wait for people to get all their stuff right before he will work in their lives. What will follow this story is the journey of Jacob to his uncle Laban’s place, the LORD’s self-revelation to Jacob, and the promises he makes to him, and Jacob’s resolution.

This is a picture of God’s grace and patience with people.

Gen. 26:23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Gen. 26:26 When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32 That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Gen. 26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

This is the second half of a two-part story. In our last episode, a famine had driven Isaac to find a better place to shepherd his flocks and herds. The LORD instructed him not to go to Egypt. So, he stayed in the area where the Philistines were, and he tried the same strategy his father, Abraham, had used to protect himself: he told the Philistines that his wife, Rebekah, was his sister. King Abimelech quickly discovered the truth and instructed his citizens to leave Isaac and Rebekah alone.

Isaac continued to dwell there, and the LORD blessed him and caused him to become very wealthy. This evoked jealousy among the Philistines, and so Abimelech told him to leave the area.

As we pick up the story in verse 17, we see that the Philistines were doing everything in their power to force him to move farther away. They kept filling up the wells where Isaac was keeping his flocks and herds, so that they had no water. Finally, Isaac’s workers dug a well, and the Philistines left it alone. Isaac credited the LORD for “making room for him” in the land (Gen 26:22). He went up to Beersheba, where the LORD appeared to him and reaffirmed his covenant promise that he had made with his father Abraham. Isaac built an altar and worshipped the LORD.

The next thing that happened was that Abimelech, along with his military commander and an advisor, went to visit Isaac. I’m sure Isaac was thinking, “What now?” It’s pretty evident in his words in verse 27. To paraphrase, “What are you doing here? You hate me and kicked me out of your region.”

Abimelech strikes me as a quick learner. It seems to me that he had Isaac leave to ease the political situation with his citizens, who were jealous of Isaac’s success. But his response to Isaac’s question acknowledges that the LORD was with Isaac. Abimelech and his top leaders want to ensure that, although they had Isaac leave their area, they do not want to be at odds with Isaac and his God. So, they made a covenant of peace with Isaac. This peaceful relationship between the Philistines and the people of the Abrahamic covenant would not last forever. But for now, the LORD was establishing Abraham’s descendants in the land of Canaan in a peaceful existence.

The story quickly turns to his son Esau. If you recall, Esau was the older son who readily sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of soup. Here, Moses writes that Esau took two wives, and both of them were daughters of Hittites. The whole purpose of this little detail is to show how Esau stands in contrast to Abraham and Isaac. Abraham made sure that Isaac’s wife was not a local girl who worshipped the various gods of the people in the land. Esau takes his wives with no consideration for their values. Moses writes that these daughters-in-law made life “bitter for Isaac and Rebekah” (v. 35).

What stands out to me most in this story is how the LORD makes himself known, and when people recognize that, they have choices to make. Do I want to be in harmony with this God and his people (such as Abimelech did with Isaac), or do I just want to do whatever I want with no consideration of the consequences (as Esau)?

Gen. 26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Gen. 26:12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

It would seem most appropriate to title this study, “Like Father, Like Son.” So this particular story about Isaac parallels his father Abraham's, right? There was a famine in the land, and Abraham had gone down to Egypt. (Gen 12:10) Do you remember what happened? Abraham was worried the Egyptians would kill him to take Sarah, his wife, and give her to Pharaoh. So, he had Sarah tell people she was Abraham’s sister. Later, Abraham tried the same trick with Abimelech, King of the Philistines. God protected Sarah both times in order to protect the seed. Now, in Genesis 26, after Abraham has died, there’s another famine in the land. God told Isaac, Don’t go to Egypt! But stay here in this land (where the Philistines are) because God is going to give this land to his progeny. (Gen 26:1-5) In fact, the LORD fully affirmed the covenant promises he’d made to Abraham with Isaac. God was demonstrating that he intended to fulfill the promises he made to Abraham and his descendants.

So what happens next? Isaac told the Philistines that Rebekah was his sister. He tried the same trick his dad had used twice to save his own skin. But this time the LORD did not need to strike Abimelech with some condition or warn him in a dream not to touch Rebekah. Instead, Abimelech witnessed Isaac “laughing” with Rebekah. Scholars suggest that this laughter was not common humor, but more of a playful interaction characteristic of a husband and wife. The bottom line is that the LORD protected Rebekah in the same way he’d prevented sexual encounters in the two situations with Abraham and Sarah. Once again, a pagan king appears to act more righteously and have a sincere fear of the LORD than Isaac does.

As promised, the LORD blessed Isaac in the land, and he was very successful. He became wealthy to the extent that the Philistines envied him. So, they started to fill in wells dug by Abraham’s servants so that his flocks and herds would not have access to water. So, Abimelech, apparently playing the role of the politician, told Isaac to leave.

I’ve chosen to make this story a two-part episode due to its length. If you haven’t read the rest of the story yet, I assume that you can envision the Philistines being envious of Isaac’s success, and you are not surprised at the actions of the Philistines. But from what we know about the Abrahamic covenant and what God had already done for Abraham and Isaac, how do you think it will work out for the Philistines by sending Isaac away from them? Will they be more successful now that Isaac has left? Why or why not? We’ll see how this works out next week.

Some scholars have suggested that these stories cannot be historically accurate because of the similarities between what Isaac did in telling the Philistines that his wife Rebekah was his sister to what his father Abraham did. In my opinion, the similarities with variances in some of the details lend credence to these accounts being very accurate to the historical events. It seems unbelievable to me that the author or later people who had the opportunity to edit or make changes for stylistic purposes would have overlooked the similarities. They would certainly have changed it if they thought it was too coincidental to be true. Instead, these stories have been preserved because people have been convinced they reflect actual events.

Most importantly, in these stories, we see the humanity of people like Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah. They seem like real people with the same fears, doubts, and inclinations as normal people. They are not superheroes. But God chose to use them for a special purpose, and he did it despite their human limitations and frailties. It’s an encouragement to think that God may use us for his purposes and will protect us and use us for those purposes.

Gen. 25:7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

Gen. 25:12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

Gen. 25:19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you shall be divided;

the one shall be stronger than the other,

the older shall serve the younger.”

Gen. 25:24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Gen. 25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Gen. 25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

I am not one inclined to believe that the Bible has filler, information that has no purpose. Genesis 25 has plenty of information that, on the surface, may seem irrelevant filler. Let me see if I can remind us of a few facts that might help us understand the purpose of some of this information.

First of all, we need to remember God’s promise to Abraham to give him a vast land and innumerable descendants. The LORD told Abraham that he would use him and his descendants to be a blessing to all nations. The problem for some time was that Abraham and his wife Sarah had no children and were getting old. They tried to help God by Abraham having sexual relations with Sarah’s servant Hagar. She conceived and had a son named Ishmael. But this wasn’t God’s plan. Ultimately, the LORD gave Abraham and Sarah Isaac. Isaac was the son of promise and the one through whom a descendant (the seed of the woman) would ultimately come to defeat the serpent (devil) and restore life and remove the curse upon the ground.

At this point in the story Sarah has died and Isaac has a wife through whom the reader should expect more descendants. But Moses tells us that Abraham took another wife and had multiple sons by her. The point of Genesis 25:1-6 is to explain that the LORD is fulfilling his promise by giving Abraham multiple descendants. However, they are not the children of the promise. So, they will not share the inheritance with Isaac. Therefore, Abraham sends them away from Isaac as he had done to Ishmael.

Genesis 25:7-11 clarifies that Abraham died and the LORD blessed Isaac. God’s plan of redemption and hope will come through Isaac.

Genesis 25:12-18 shows how even though Ishmael was not the son of the promise, the LORD still blessed him because of his relationship with Abraham.

Genesis 25:19-23 is interesting because now the focus is on Isaac. There is a brief mention that Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, was barren. But this detail is not dragged out and repeated as it was for Sarah. The resolution was simply that Isaac prayed for her and she conceived. It emphasizes Isaac’s relationship with the LORD and that the LORD answered his prayer. In verse 22, a conflict in this story develops when we learn that Rebekah has conceived twins and they are struggling within her. She inquired of the LORD why this was, and she received the answer that there are two nations within her, they will be divided, and the older will serve the younger. This is an important detail to remember for later. When they were born, the older was named Esau and the younger Jacob. Jacob was grabbing Esau’s heel. Bible interpreters have often suggested this as a foreshadowing of Jacob “tripping” his brother.

We know nothing about their childhood because the next thing we read about is what they are like as young men. Esau became a hunter, and Jacob was a “quiet man, dwelling in tents” (Gen 25:27). Esau was Isaac’s favorite because of the meat he brought home, but Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite. Already, we sense another conflict coming, right?

Genesis 25:25-34 is the core part of the story in this chapter. Esau had been out hunting and came home very hungry. Remember that he was the older son and therefore possessed the birthright, which would have entitled him to a greater inheritance and authority from his father. Jacob had made some stew, and Esau wanted some. Jacob would only give some to him in exchange for the birthright. Esau seemed to have no problem with that and, as Moses puts it, “Esau despised his birthright” (Gen 25:34). This is the first incident in which we see how the older would serve the younger.

Even in the less exciting details of chapter 25, there is evidence that the LORD fulfills his promises and that his word is true. I like to be reminded of that. It encourages me to be thankful and trust in him.

Gen. 24:29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”

Gen. 24:34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

Gen. 24:42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’

Gen. 24:45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

Gen. 24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Gen. 24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands,

and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”

Gen. 24:61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

Gen. 24:62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Even though this is a bit longer than I normally take, I felt it best to follow this story through to its close. It’s simply a beautiful story of God’s faithfulness to Abraham and Abraham’s servant's faith. Up to this point in the story, Abraham’s servant has sought to honor his task to the best of his ability and with complete trust in the LORD. He’d asked the LORD for a specific sign that would confirm his right selection of a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. The LORD brought Rebekah to the well where the servant was, and her interaction with the servant was in accordance with the sign requested by the servant.

This section begins with Rebekah revealing that she indeed is a relative of Abraham. This was one of Abraham's requirements for his servant that the wife taken for Isaac should be from his kin. This was all the servant needed to confirm the LORD had answered his prayer. The servant had sought the LORD’s provision in accordance with the covenant relationship between the LORD and Abraham. Now the servant gives thanks and worships the LORD for answering that prayer. What an appropriate response.

What follows is that the servant is welcomed at the home of Rebekah’s family, where his chief priority is to inform them of who he is and his mission. He recounts all the details of what has transpired and how the LORD has blessed his mission by leading him to Rebekah. It’s a testimony to others of what the LORD has done.

After Laban and Bethuel agree that this is from the LORD, the servant’s priority is to complete his assignment and return to Abraham with Rebekah. This leads us to the final element of the servant’s assignment: Will Rebekah agree to go with him and become Isaac’s wife? She does, and the story is closed when they are brought together and Isaac took her into his tent, and he loved her, and he was comforted after his mother had died.

What I think is most important in this story is how the servant responds at every significant moment. He’s perfectly obedient to the assigned task. He seeks the LORD’s work in the success of his task. He blesses the LORD when the LORD answers his request. He testifies to others about the LORD’s amazing work in bringing it all about.

Gen. 24:15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.

In our last episode, we began with the story of Abraham, who was getting very old and wanted to find a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham insisted that Isaac not marry a Canaanite woman who would likely lead Isaac away from the LORD. He sent his most trusted servant to his homeland and relatives to search for a wife for Isaac there. The primary point is the strong commitment Abraham had to the LORD and trust in his promises to Abraham and his descendants.

This next section focuses on the servant who goes out to fulfill Abraham’s wishes. When he reached his destination, the first thing Moses recorded that he did was to pray and ask the LORD for success on behalf of Abraham. In his prayer, I see a man who has been as impacted and formed by God’s faithfulness to Abraham as Abraham himself. There is nothing about this prayer that is self-seeking. Abraham has already absolved the man of responsibility of the results, providing that he simply acts per his directions to go to Abraham’s homeland, among his relatives, and look for a wife for Isaac there. Abraham’s servant is not responsible for the results. He is only responsible for being obedient to the instructions he was given. There are any number of ways in which he might have sought to fill the basic requirements of this assignment. But his priority was to seek favor and success from the LORD based upon Abraham’s covenant relationship with the LORD. The whole thing here is his humility in seeking first, the LORD’s will in this matter, and secondly, that the LORD’s answer shows his “steadfast love” to Abraham. What a model of humility and servanthood.

In his request to the LORD, he considered a means by which he might recognize that the LORD was truly granting his request. He prayed, “Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” This is quite specific. But it’s not an attempt to trick the LORD as if he will establish the rules by which the LORD would be obligated to fulfill this request. Rather, the request suggests that the servant is desiring the LORD to provide a wife for Isaac who is also humble and servant-minded. It’s beautiful!

Moses wrote that before he finished the request, Rebekah, Abraham’s niece came to the well. The servant didn’t waste any time approaching her and asked her for a drink. She responded exactly in the manner the servant had requested of the LORD.

I love the way Moses records the servant’s reaction. “The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.” (Gen 24:21) Are you imagining this as I am? I’m envisioning this old guy sitting near the well with a mix of shock and amusement on his mind. Maybe even the thought, “Well, that was easy” went through his mind, followed by “Was that just a fluke?”

I think there are prayers that the LORD is just waiting for people to ask and he starts to answer them before they are finished being asked. It’s God’s way of saying, “I’m with you. I want to give you what is best for you. But I want you to want what I have in store for you.”

What can we learn from this? In all things seek what is good and right from the LORD and for the benefit of all instead of seeking our own interests. Humility and servant-mindedness are valued by the LORD.

Isaac is the promised, miracle son of Abraham and Sarah and is the one through whom the LORD will ultimately bring numerous descendants. But that can only happen if he marries and has children. So, this next story tells us how Isaac gains a wife. It’s a long story. So, I’m going to break it down in smaller chunks to point out some things we can learn along the way.

The story opens with Abraham being old. He was 100 when Isaac was born, and now Isaac is of an age to marry. So, he’s really old. He called an elderly servant of his who was, clearly, a very trusted individual. He made the servant swear an oath to not find a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites where he was dwelling, but that he would go to Abraham’s home country and relatives and find a wife among them for Isaac. The first point that I want to make here is that this is not an issue of racism or ethnocentrism. What is at stake here is purity in faith. Abraham knew that the Canaanites worshipped other gods. If his son Isaac married a Canaanite woman, there would be a temptation to accommodate her faith, lead Isaac and any children they might have away from the LORD, and bring an abrupt end to the covenant the LORD made with Abraham. The harmony of a common faith within a household is an essential theme throughout the Scriptures. The LORD warned King Solomon not to take foreign wives for this exact reason: they would lead him away from faithfulness to the LORD. Solomon failed to heed that warning, and the result was exactly as the LORD had warned. This led to a division of the kingdom after Solomon died.

Abraham’s servant was diligent to ask questions to make sure he had the expectations correct and worked through the “what if” possibilities with Abraham. He didn’t want to make such a strong promise and be unable to fulfill it. His first question was, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” (Gen 24:5) Abraham’s response was an emphatic negative. Why? That seems like a reasonable alternative. Abraham explained to his servant that the LORD had led him from that land to the land of Canann and promised to give him the land they were on. If Isaac were to go back to his father’s homeland and wanted to marry someone, there would be pressure to stay there. Therefore, Abraham told his servant that in such a case, he would be free from the oath.

What we see here in the big picture of this story is a strong trust of Abraham in the LORD’s covenant promises. Abraham had some missteps earlier in his life. But the LORD had led him to grow in his faith of the LORD and his promises. He believed that the LORD would provide those descendants, that they would come through Isaac, and that the LORD would provide the wife who would most likely live and act in concert with Isaac’s faith.

May the LORD grant us such confidence in him that we would not trust our human reasoning over God’s word.

Gen. 23:1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”

Gen. 23:10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

Gen. 23:17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

Having just finished the remarkable story of Abraham demonstrating he was willing to trust the LORD in offering Isaac up as a sacrifice, the story has to move on. Moses writes a little detail of how his brother, back in his homeland, is having children. Notice the little sidenote that one of the sons, Bethuel, was the father of Rebekah. This is a detail to tip us off that the reader will hear more about Rebekah later on.

The next story is about Sarah's death and burial. She lived to the age of 127 years and died in the land of Canaan. To be clear, the Hittites with whom Abraham barters for the cave were descendants of Heth, who was a son of Canaan. This story is the back-and-forth conversation between Abraham and the residents of the land about Abraham having a place to bury Sarah. They insisted that he just bury his wife. Then Abraham responded that he would like to entreat the owner, Ephron, of a specific cave and pay him full price for the property. Like the men, Ephron suggests that Abraham can just take the cave for nothing. But, he also casually threw out the value of the property as 400 shekels of silver, which Abraham counted out to purchase the cave.

I don’t know that there’s any profound spiritual truth in this story that we need to glean and apply to our lives. I think this story is intended to communicate to the Israelites that Abraham was not a thieving bully. Rather, Abraham acted honorably around the residents in the land when he was living there. I believe it’s possible that Abraham has reason to believe that by him taking a cave to bury Sarah and not purchasing it outright would result in a perceived obligation to later concede to their demands and expectations. Abraham was wise enough to manage the exchange without putting him or Isaac in jeopardy of compromising themselves with these pagans.

Likely, the most important thing is that Sarah has died without receiving the promises made by the LORD to them. Yet, Abraham buries her in the land that he has purchased in faith that the LORD will ultimately fulfill all the promises he has made to them. The author of Hebrews says this of Abraham and Sarah,

“Heb. 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

The point is that the author of Hebrews understood that Abraham and Sarah didn’t expect their death to be the end of the line. God had proved himself faithful to his word and powerful to accomplish anything. That’s a good lesson for us.

Gen. 22:9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Gen. 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

As strange as it may sound, this is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Why? Well, I’ll get to that. For now, I want to invite you to set aside tendencies to think, “How can a loving God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?” or something like that. The reason is that I don’t think that was the intended response this story was supposed to evoke from the original audience.

If we examine this story in light of the greater story that’s happening, we recall that the primary problem that needs to be solved is the problem of sin, the curse, and death. God wanted his creatures to have life in fellowship with him. In light of Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey God and bring the curse into the world and death, the LORD provided hope for a restoration to the way the LORD intended it. That hope was to be found in the “seed of the woman” who would crush the head of the serpent (Satan). There have been a series of characters revealed throughout Genesis that appear to be qualifiers, but none of them completely fit the bill. The story leads us forward to Abraham and a promised son through whom he would have innumerable descendants. As Abraham and his wife Sarah advanced into old age with no biological son, they came up with ideas on how to help the LORD fulfill that promise. What we notice is that the LORD let them make these choices to show them his power and to build their faith.

Finally, when Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90, the LORD gives them a miracle son, Isaac. Clearly, Isaac is either the seed, or the seed will come through him since through him, Abraham’s descendants will be innumerable “like the stars.” This context brings us to the shock component of this story. Our response, as I think what was likely for the original audience would have had, should be, “What is God doing? How can there be multiple descendants through Isaac, if he has not yet married and had children and is dead?”

Our next question might be, “How is Abraham going to worm out of this or will he really do it?” That question is answered rather quickly. Notice that Moses didn’t record Abraham questioning or arguing with God. Instead, he set out for the destination God gave him for this sacrifice. As many times as I’ve read this or thought about it, I get uncomfortable at this point. I can’t believe he’s going through with this.

Perhaps the most important thing about this story is revealed when Isaac, making a logical observation, asks Abraham, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Gen. 22:7) Abraham responded, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Stop there. Did Abraham just lie to Isaac, or is it possible that Abraham heard something come out of his mouth and thought to himself, “Where did that come from?” The fact of the matter is that God did provide Isaac as a miracle son. So, technically, Abraham’s answer is correct while not revealing the details to Isaac. This answer, though, will be fulfilled by what appears to be a prophetic utterance by Abraham. It will also have a more significant fulfillment in the future.

The plot of this story moves quickly. They arrived, Abraham bound Isaac and was about to slay him on the altar. Then the LORD stopped him at the last second. What happened next was that Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Many Bible teachers have observed that this was an important detail to the Jewish audience because a sacrificial animal could not have any deformities or blemishes. This detail suggests that the animal was perfectly fine and acceptable. So, God provided a sacrifice for himself, and Isaac lived. This is a picture of what God actually did with his own Son Jesus many years later. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). Paul infers the comparison in Romans 8:31-32: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” When we look at this story in hindsight, we see a patient God who needed to develop Abraham’s complete trust in him, and this was the final test that he passed with flying colors. We see a loving God who provided a substitute so that Isaac could live, and later, he provided a substitute so that the world might live.

The last part of this story in Genesis 22:15-19 is the message from the angel of the LORD affirming how he is undoubtedly going to bless Abraham. “And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” This is an affirmation that the promised seed is yet to come and will bless the nations of the earth. That’s Jesus. That is the good news.

Gen. 21:25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

Does the name Abimelech sound familiar? (Scholars suggest that Abimelech is not a name but a title like Pharaoh or Caeser.) Go back to Episode 277 and review that. He was the king of Gerar (the people were Philistines), to whom Abraham had told Sarah to say that she was his sister because he was afraid the Philistines would kill him to take her. That was the second time Abraham pulled that stunt.

Furthermore, he did this soon after the LORD had revealed to Sarah that she would soon conceive and have a son by Abraham. One of the purposes of the story is to heighten the tension through the threat to the promised “seed.” The conflict is resolved by the LORD appearing to Abimelech in a dream and telling him that he’s a dead man because he has another man’s wife. Abimelech feared the LORD and did what the LORD told him to do by giving Sarah back to Abraham and having Abraham pray for him to heal him and all in his household. The irony in the story was that Abraham’s excuse was that he didn’t think anyone in the land feared God. Yet, Abimelech demonstrated fear of the LORD when Abraham’s actions revealed a greater fear of Abimelech than of the LORD. The bottom line is that the LORD preserved the promise of the son in Abraham and Sarah.

In this story, Abimelech approaches Abraham and desires to make a covenant with him. Abraham has been allowed to stay in that region, and it seems that he doesn’t want to run crossways with God again, so he wants to have a peaceful relationship with this one who is favored by the LORD. The second part of this story is about a conflict that arises between Abimelech’s people and Abraham over a well. The conflict is quickly and peaceably resolved. The purpose here is to show that not only has the LORD preserved the promised son to Abraham and Sarah, but he has also given them peace in the land that he was promised to Abraham and his descendants. This is an essential story at this point of the greater narrative of Genesis because Moses is writing this primarily for the Israelites who were about to enter this promised land 400 years later. This story would testify to them that the LORD would be with them to fulfill his covenant promises to them by blessing them with all they needed and giving them peace with their neighbors. But they needed to trust the LORD.

The story closes with Abraham planting a tamarisk tree there and calling upon the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. I believe these two things go hand in hand. Abraham would have no purpose in planting a tree if he didn’t think he would be around for a while to enjoy it. Furthermore, he trusted the LORD to sustain its life with water. His confession that the LORD is Everlasting God expresses his faith the LORD will not go away or let him down concerning his promises. Abraham is learning.

What I love about Abraham is that he is so human. It is not difficult to empathize with him in his failures and celebrate his successes in his walk with the LORD. May we learn and grow in our faith, confessing and holding fast to the conviction that God is our shield. He is good and faithful to fulfill his promises. He is everlasting. He is not going away.

Gen. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

This is one of those stories in the Bible that make us feel uncomfortable. Perhaps we think that Sarah is cruel and unfair for demanding that Abraham send away Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham certainly doesn’t like this proposal, and after all, wasn’t this all Sarah’s idea in the first place? She made her bed. Now, lie in it. Once again, I suggest that we press the pause button on our 21st-century western lens of interpretation and judgment. Let’s examine what is going on in the scope of God’s plan that has been revealed so far.

The scene is that of the celebration for Isaac, who has been weaned. He’s a young child. It seems to be such an insignificant thing that sets Sarah off that she demands Abraham send away Hagar and Ishmael. What happens is that Sarah sees Ishmael laughing at Isaac. Why it is such a significant thing to Sarah is not clearly defined. Perhaps she’s insecure. Maybe she’s never come to terms with the consequences of her suggestion that Abraham have relations with Hagar and conceive a son. But I find it interesting that the Hebrew word that is translated, “laughing,” is the exact same verb and form as the response of Lot’s sons-in-law when Lot told them to get out of Sodom because the LORD was going to destroy it. They laughed at him. The laughter was not simple amusement. There was a sense of derision in the laughter. Sarah had laughed herself at the LORD’s prophetic announcement that she would have a son within the following year. One thing we can be sure of is that Sarah knows that nothing is impossible with God, and he will fulfill his promises.

Furthermore, Sarah understands that her biological son Isaac is the son promised by the LORD. Perhaps in her newfound wisdom, she recognizes Ishmael’s laughter as a potential threat to what the LORD has promised to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah’s demand upon Abraham to send them away may seem rooted in jealousy and insecurity, but it may also be the LORD’s wisdom to her to manifest or guard what the LORD will reveal through Isaac.

Abraham, like us, is upset by this demand. But notice that the LORD spoke to Abraham to affirm that he should do what Sarah has told him. What is essential to notice through the rest of this story is that even though Ishmael is not the son of the promise and was the result of Abraham and Sarah trying to bring about the promise in their own way, the LORD does not despise Hagar or Ishmael—quite the contrary. God promised to “make a nation of the son of the slave woman also.” (Gen. 21:13).. Then verses 15-21 are all about the LORD providing for Hagar and Ishmael. Verse 20 records, “And God was with the boy, and he grew up.” God did not abandon Hagar and Ishmael. God permitted the separation of Ishmael from Isaac because, as he told Abraham, “through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” (Gen. 21:20). This means that the LORD has a special purpose for the son of the promise. This sounds a lot like a fulfillment of the promised seed of the woman back in Genesis 3 that will crush the head of the serpent.

Many years later, the apostle Paul, in writing to the Romans about the Gentiles being saved through faith in Jesus Christ, cites Genesis 21:20 and explains, “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:8) Paul understands that what the LORD was doing with Ishmael and Isaac was to foreshadow how we as Gentiles could attain the same hope of eternal life. We don’t gain it by being a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or observing the Law of Moses. We gain it by faith in the promised seed, the promised Son, Jesus Christ.

I would encourage you to read Romans 9-11 this week. Paul writes about God’s work through the Jews and his work among the Gentiles and how it reveals the grand mercy of God to all. He concludes Chapter 11 with the following:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

I hate to treat these first seven verses of Genesis 21 by themselves because what we have here is just part of the story. Yet this section reveals important theological truth for us to understand today, and I don’t want to gloss over it.

Notice verse one, “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. What is this revealing? Who was the original audience, and why would they need to know this? The answer to this latter question is the Israelites whose parents came out of Egypt and who themselves were about to be led into the land God had promised Abraham and his descendants. Their parents had witnessed God do amazing things but quickly and repeatedly fell into disobedience. They wouldn’t consistently obey what the LORD told them to do. They did not trust him. It was important for this generation who was entering into the Promised Land to trust and obey the LORD.

This first verse strongly affirms that the LORD is faithful to do what he says he will do and fulfill his promises. Is that important for people who identify with the LORD today? Absolutely! Verse 2 continues to affirm that the LORD’s fulfillment of his promise matches the timing of the fulfillment as well. The LORD left no ambiguity as to what he would do, and he acted in exact accordance with that promise.

Verses 3-4 also reveal something very important in the story, for the understanding of the Israelites entering the land and for us today. Abraham responded to the LORD’s fulfilling his promise by obeying the LORD’s command to circumcise his son Isaac. That was the sign of the covenant the LORD made with Abraham. The right heart or attitude of obedience to the LORD should be one of desire and willingness. It should not be obeying as though out of duress. It seems to me that the spirit of both Abraham and Sarah is one of gratitude and amazement at what the LORD has done for them by giving them this miracle son. The way Moses tells this story makes it feel like Abraham didn’t waste any time responding in obedience to the LORD because of what the LORD did for them. Moses reminds his audience of the miracle quality of Isaac’s birth by stating that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. (v. 5)

Do you remember what happened when the LORD visited Abraham and Sarah at their tent and revealed that Sarah would have a son by Abraham about the same time the next year? Sarah laughed. The context of that scene suggests that skepticism was coincidental with her laughter.

But now I hear a sense of amazement and joy. She laughs because it’s so unlikely for a 90-year-old woman to have a child, much less if the man is 100. It’s funny. I laugh, too, when thinking about it. Just as long as it doesn’t happen to my wife and me. We would not find that too funny.

We have some good thoughts for this week. The LORD is faithful to his word and promises. In light of who the LORD is and what he does, we should obey him with joy and amazement.

Gen. 20:8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

Gen. 20:14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

As I read this, I decided that this blog and podcast should be called, “No! He didn’t! What? Really? Wow!” You would think Abraham would have learned his lesson from his time in Egypt since he pulled the same thing on Pharaoh.

This story takes an entire chapter. So, we’re not going to do a deep dive into it. But that’s ok because I think it’s most important to see how this story fits in the greater narrative. Let’s recall what has just happened, according to Genesis. First, Abraham got a visit from the LORD. The LORD told Abraham and Sarah that Sarah would have a son sometime in the next year at the age of 90. Then, the LORD revealed that a cry had gone up against the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham, knowing that his nephew Lot and his family lived there, reminded the LORD that surely he wouldn’t destroy the righteous along with the wicked. Lot and his daughters were saved from that judgment by obeying the command of the angels to leave and not look back.

So, in Genesis 20:1, Abraham moved again. Why? We’re not told. But it might be a reasonable speculation that, as one with many livestock to feed, he’s moving his animals to a different area. Whatever the reason, its location is in the direction of Egypt, although not that far. It’s southwest of the Dead Sea. He’s stayed in Gerar, where a man named Abimelech was the king. He was a Philistine. These are the same people with whom Israel will have much conflict later in time. They did not worship the LORD. The giant Goliath, whom David would kill many years later, was a Philistine. For the Israelites who had come out of Egypt and were entering the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants, this story would help them understand the long history their ancestors had with the Philistines.

The real problem in this story is revealed in verse 2. Abraham did the exact same thing that he did in Egypt: he told the Philistines that Sarah was his sister and had Sarah go along with it. He did this to protect himself. As was the case with Pharoah, Abimelech took Sarah into his harem. Now, I don’t know why a king wanted another wife and one that was 90 years old as well. He’s probably not thinking about having more children by her. But maybe he didn’t know she was 90. Maybe she’s aged exceptionally well. We’ll just take this at face value. We’ve already been made aware that Sarah will have a son. So, would that son be from Abimelech or Abraham? Abraham has put the certainty of his and Sarah's bringing about the promised “seed” at risk.

Here’s where the real irony sets in. The pagan Philistine king is visited by the LORD in a dream who tells him that he’s going to die because he has another man’s wife. The LORD had spoken directly to Abraham and told him that he and his wife Sarah would have a son together. However, Abraham’s actions don’t evidence a strong conviction that that he’s buying it. Conversely, the pagan Abimelech believed every word the LORD revealed to him in a dream.

Then, Abimelech appealed to the LORD, “LORD, will you kill innocent people?” (v. 4) Who does that sound like? That was Abraham’s argument to the LORD when he knew what the LORD would do to Sodom and Gomorrah. For a pagan, Abimelech has some pretty good theology happening at the moment. The great irony happening is humorous. But don’t miss the extent of God’s grace to Abimelech. God didn’t have to reveal anything to Abimelech. But he spoke a clear message to him and actually prevented him from sinning with Sarah. (v. 6) Then, he gave Abimelech a chance to do what was right. That’s what the LORD did with Cain, remember? But Cain chose to ignore the LORD’s warning and did what he wanted. Abimelech obeys the LORD’s instruction and blesses Abraham.

The story closes with Abraham praying to God to heal Abimelech, his wife, and female servants so that they would have children. (v. 17)

I think we often look to the Bible for instruction on what we should do. We open its pages to find tips for a happy marriage and so forth. But I really think the Scriptures are more about revealing who God is and what he is like. In this story, we are reminded again that Abraham, whom God chose, is human with weaknesses like everyone else. Yet, God will not abandon the plan that he has for Abraham and Sarah. God steps into the story to ensure that what he has promised will come about. It reveals that the LORD is able and willing to reveal himself to anyone or everyone. Furthermore, as he did with Abimelech, he protected him from ignorantly sinning and, with the new knowledge, gave him the choice to obey or disobey. God showed grace and mercy to a pagan king.

This is what our God is like. May this lead us to trust the LORD and know that his ways are good.

34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

Sometimes, the Scriptures tell stories that may not have some profound theological truth or application that we need to take to heart for ourselves. Sometimes, its purpose is to give us information that helps us better understand the greater story that is happening. I think that’s the case in this story of what happens with Lot after he and his daughters escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah shortly before the LORD destroyed those cities.

The scene is that Lot and his daughters are living in a cave, and the daughters conspire together to have children by their father. Their reasoning is basically, “There aren’t any men left ‘in all the earth’ (v.31) to give us descendants. Is that true? As we read further into Genesis, we’ll find that Abraham sends one of his servants to his family back in his homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac. It appears to me that these daughters of Lot who were engaged to men who refused to listen to Lot’s warning about the LORD destroying Sodom and Gomorrah were not accustomed to trusting or seeking the LORD’s provision for them. There is no indication whatsoever in this text that their plan is from the LORD.

They know their plan would not be accepted by their father because they immediately plan on getting him drunk and removing such inhibitions that he would have if he were sober. The reader should not overlook the parallel to Noah. Just like Noah’s drunkenness led to Ham’s sin, this plan of Lot’s daughters will not go well either. Both of them get pregnant by their incestuous intercourse with their father.

While Moses doesn’t specifically call this out as evil, the reader is left to interpret this as the story transitions from the wicked culture of Sodom and Gomorrah and God’s judgment upon them to Lot’s hesitancy even to leave before the destruction and bartering with the angels as to where he would go. Then, his daughters get him drunk and sleep with him on two consecutive nights. Moses concludes this by giving us the names of the sons born through incest. Moab would be the father of the Moabites, and Ben-ammi, the father of the Ammonites. Remember, this story is written to the Israelites who’ve come out of Egypt and are being led back to the land the LORD promised to Abraham. Do you think the Moabites and Ammonites will reappear in future stories? You can bet it. They will not throw a welcome party for the Israelites.

This story would help the Israelites understand the history of these people groups. Even though there will be conflict between Israel and each of these people who worship other gods, we’ll also see the LORD reveal his grace and sovereign will in future stories. For instance, Ruth is a Moabitess who trusts in the LORD and will become an ancestor to David and, ultimately, Jesus.

Gen. 19:15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Gen. 19:23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Gen. 19:27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

Gen. 19:29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

I can’t help but notice the presence of God’s mercy and imminent wrath in verses 12-14. The angels allowed Lot to intercede for others, to give them a chance to obey the warning and escape. Otherwise, they would experience the divine wrath of God. Tragically, his future sons-in-law took Lot’s warning and exhortation as a joke and did not heed his word.

As I write this blog post in January of 2025, we have a little more understanding of the sense of urgency to heed warnings regarding rapidly moving catastrophic fires. Terrible fires are destroying vast neighborhoods around Los Angeles, California. Winds at speeds of 100mph are giving people little time to prepare for evacuation. At least a few dozen people have died, and it’s yet to be determined what the loss in property will ultimately be. As fast as the fires have spread, many people have heeded the warnings and have escaped to safety. Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be utterly destroyed within a very brief span of time with no time for people to escape. The reason for it stated again was, “because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD.” (Gen. 19:13) Yet, as Abraham had interceded for Lot, Lot was allowed to intercede for others. But they did not respond positively to that warning.

Surprisingly, at the eleventh hour, when the angels were about to destroy the city. Lot lingered. (Gen 19:16) The angels had to take them out of the city. Why did they bother? The answer is given to us: because the LORD was “merciful to him.” (Gen 19:16) When we think of this story of Sodom and Gomorrah, we don’t often think of grace and mercy, do we? We think of God’s wrath and judgment. But this story demonstrates plenty of God’s grace to Lot, his family, and others. Unfortunately, no one outside of Lot’s family will receive it, and Lot is not demonstrating the ideal response to God’s grace to him. He was slow to leave and then petitioned the angels to let him go where he wanted rather than where they directed him. After the angels told him to take his family, escape to the hills, and “Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley” (v. 17), Lot convinced the angels to let him go to the small city of Zoar. They conceded. But after they arrived, Lot’s wife looked back. She directly disobeyed their command from the LORD. We’ve seen that before in Genesis, haven’t we? It always leads to problems. Lot’s wife was judged for it.

Moses made an important statement about this judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah in verse 29. Speaking of this judgment, he writes, “God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.” (Genesis 19:29) This is not saying that God had forgotten Abraham. It informs the reader that God is acknowledging his covenant promise to Abraham, and Lot, as part of Abraham’s family, is receiving the benefit of God’s protection from this judgment. It seems to me that this is what happens with us who’ve placed our faith in Christ. We may be like Lot and we don’t always act the way we should. But because of our relationship to Christ, we receive the benefits that offers. God demonstrates amazing grace and mercy to us each day.

Gen. 19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

Does anything strike you as unusual about this segment? Genesis 19:1 says, “The two angels came to Sodom in the evening.” Where did these angels come from? This is another opportunity for us to exercise one of the most important principles of interpretation: examining the context. If we back up to Genesis 18:22, we read that the “men” that had visited Abraham (Gen. 18:2) “turned from there (where Abraham was residing) and went toward Sodom. Could these angels be those men?

But wait a minute! There were three men who visited Abraham. (Gen. 18:2) If they are angels, what happened to the third angel? Remember that the story of Abraham’s visitors began with “And the LORD appeared to him.” (Gen. 18:1) I speculated that one of the three “men” might be a Christophany (a pre-incarnation appearance of Christ). This theory has support in Genesis 18:22 when, as the men turned toward Sodom, Abraham “still stood before the LORD.” It would seem that the other two continued on toward Sodom in order for them to carry out their mission to bring judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah while Abraham petitioned the LORD to spare the righteous.

What happens when the two men approach the town is intriguing to me as well. The fact that Lot is at the gate of the city and that he offers hospitality does not seem all that strange. What intrigues me are Lot’s words to the angels and his sense of urgency for them to stay with him and to leave the next morning. Is Lot saying indirectly, “You don’t want to stay here long”? I could be reading that into this text. This may simply be a customary means of showing hospitality to strangers. But it sure seems that the narrative is heightening the tension of imminent conflict.

That conflict develops very quickly in the story. Apparently, others were at the gate or near the city and saw Lot take the angels into his home. Before long, the word got out, and the men of the town, “young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house” (Gen. 19:4). This was not a welcoming committee. They had a collective evil spirit that was common among every male in town. A scene like this, where all the men of the town are surrounding the house, trying to break in and have their way with Lot’s guests, helps us understand Lot’s insistence and urgency for the visitors to stay with him and leave first thing in the morning. Lot knows the culture in which he resides. In verses 6-8, Lot steps outside his home to dissuade them from their intent.

Personally, I find Lot’s speech disturbing. First, he addresses them as “brothers.” He is not. He’s related to Abraham. They are, in all likelihood, Canaanites. The second disturbing thing is that he offers them his virgin daughters for them to gang rape instead of his guests. At the very least, he tells them that their intent is wicked. (v. 7) They respond to this by becoming more violent. They do not recognize him as a brother. They call him a “fellow” who “came to sojourn” and “has become the judge.” (v.9). These people have no regard for Lot, his visitors, or anyone else.

What happened next was the men of the town tried to break into Lot’s house. The visitors pulled Lot back into the house and caused blindness upon the men at the door.

I’m going to pause in the story at this point to call our attention to a few things. First, I want to think back to Genesis 18 when the LORD asked, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Gen. 18:17). The explanation and revealing of his plans are in verse 20. “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave.” My question is, “From who is this outcry coming?” I doubt that it’s coming from the men of Sodom. Perhaps it’s their wives. Maybe it’s from others who witnessed or experienced similar treatment while in the town. I don’t have an answer. But my observation that corresponds to this is that it doesn’t escape the LORD’s notice. God sees injustice. God may not react or address injustice right away. I don’t think this pervasive evil attitude developed overnight. But the LORD does notice, and the LORD cares, and the LORD will act accordingly. Lastly, as the story reminds us, the LORD will not sweep away the righteous with the wicked. Those who the LORD sees as righteous, he will deliver from the judgment that he brings upon the wicked. We often don’t think about God’s grace in the Old Testament. We tend to think of it as a New Testament concept. But we are going to witness God’s grace in this story.

Gen. 18:22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Gen. 18:27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

In our last episode, three “men” appeared to Abraham. Somehow, the LORD is represented in the presence of these men. Abraham showed them great hospitality, and the LORD revealed that he would visit about the same time the following year and that Sarah would have a son.

We are picking up where we left off. The men are still with Abraham. But they are about to leave and go to Sodom, where Lot and his family reside. As they departed, the LORD spoke again. In my opinion, his speech is not unlike his question to Abraham, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” I argued that the LORD knew where Sarah was, but asked the question to direct attention to Sarah. These apparent strangers knew Sarah’s name and her relationship to Abraham. Certainly, they knew where she was. Asking this question suggests that part of their mission concerns Sarah. The progress of the narrative works because Sarah is listening to the conversation as the LORD continues and says that Sarah will have a son.

In verse 17, the LORD asked the question, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” Am I mistaken, or does this question not direct our attention (and Abraham’s) to the plan the LORD has to do something significant? The LORD is not taking a poll. To the question, he adds an explanation of his great plans for Abraham, but that he is going to Sodom and Gomorrah “because their sin is very grave.” (v. 20) Without saying explicitly, “I am going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah,” Abraham gets the message.

In verses 22-33, it is Abraham’s turn to communicate a message by asking questions. There are two related questions that we need to notice to understand and appreciate the LORD’s plans and actions. The answers to these questions are relevant to people throughout time. The first is, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (v.23) The second is, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (v. 25) People today question whether God, if a god exists, is fair? Abraham asserts that the LORD must be fair and just and certainly would not treat those the LORD has deemed righteous as he does the wicked.

The means to make this point is by a series of hypothetical questions asked by Abraham. What if there were fifty righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah? Would the LORD destroy them along with the wicked? The LORD replied that he would not destroy the whole place if there were fifty righteous. (v. 26) What does that suggest? As wicked as they were, God would be patient and merciful to the whole city if there were fifty righteous. Abraham’s continued line of questioning reduces the number with each question, and the LORD’s response is the same until finally, Abraham asks if the LORD would destroy it if only there were ten righteous people within the city. The LORD again affirms, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” (v.32)

What does this tell us? It answers those key questions, doesn’t it? The LORD is just. He will not treat those he deems righteous as he does the wicked. In fact, I would suggest the LORD is probably a lot more patient than we would be.

There are terrible things that happen in this life. We hear about a child who dies from a terminal disease or a mass shooting that kills innocent people, and we naturally ask, “Where was God?” or “If there were a loving and just God, why would he let this happen?” I think the most appropriate answer is, “We cannot understand many things about God, and why he allows or does not prevent such things.” But I personally believe that the effects of disease and the hateful violence of some people are not the work of God judging people as he would do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead, like Cain’s violence against and murder of his brother Abel, Cain acted out of his own broken free will. Everything that is wrong in our world comes from humanity’s sin. When these terrible things happen, we should not blame God or think of him as unjust, but trust that he is just and merciful and that the LORD alone can fix the problem. That is what the Good News of Jesus is all about.

Gen. 18:9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

In my opinion, this is a fascinating story in this section of Scripture. Notice that verse 18 begins with “the LORD appeared to him.” The “him” is Abraham, as is evident from the context of chapter 17. Our English translations spell “LORD” with all capital letters it represents the divine name God gave to Moses later in Exodus. In verse 1, Moses tells the Israelites whom God has led out of Egypt that the God who delivered them had appeared to their ancestor Abraham. We do not have evidence that Abraham knew that name. So, when we read “Lord” with lower-case letters, as in Abraham addressing the three men as Lord in verse 3, the Hebrew word is different, and Abraham is simply addressing them with a term of respect. The text does not help us much concerning whom Abraham thinks he is addressing. Abraham simply did what was culturally normal and sought to offer hospitality to these “men.” In fact, he offered to give them a little bread, but actually gave them much more.

Before I move forward, I caution against reading too much into the identity of the three men. One of them could be a “Christophany” (a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus) and two angels or something else. I think the textual insinuation of these three men representing the LORD’s appearance to Abraham serves to inform the reader that these three figures have the authority from the LORD and this helps prepare us to listen to and accept the message and actions that come from them.

When they accept Abraham’s invitation, Abraham instructs Sarah, who is in the tent, to make the bread. The rest of the paragraph gives us details about the meal and how Abraham stands by while they eat. Perhaps he’s just being a good host. Maybe he suspects these three men have a divine purpose in his life.

In verse 9, they ask, “Where is Sarah your wife?” We could make a few observations about this question. First of all, how did these three unidentified men know the name of Abraham’s wife? Second, if one of them is the pre-incarnate Jesus or even if all three of them were angels, don’t they know where Sarah is? I believe these men not only know the name of Abraham’s wife, but also know where she is. They are not asking this question in order to gain information. They are asking this question to indirectly let Abraham know that they have knowledge any average traveler stopping by would not. This question gets Abraham’s attention that these men are not normal men. Furthermore, asking this question draws the reader's and perhaps even Sarah’s attention, as their visit directly involves her, and it’s not just about Abraham.

When Abraham tells them that she is in the tent, the text reads, “The LORD said” (v.10). Notice the all-capitalized “LORD.” It’s God’s message that he would return in a year, and Sarah would have a son. Moses tells us that Sarah was at the tent door listening to this conversation. This supports the idea that their question of where she was got her attention, and she wanted to know why they were asking.

It was now Sarah’s turn to laugh. We can certainly empathize with such a response from a 90-year-old lady who has never been able to have children and has reached menopause.

Verses 13-14 reveal the key theological point of this text. The LORD questioned Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Then, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (v. 14) There it is. I must confess that there have been some occasions where my limited faith revealed that I thought some things might be too hard for the LORD. Then, the LORD chose to demonstrate that it wasn’t too hard for the LORD, and he exposed my weak faith and impatience.

This message needed to be heard by these Israelites who had witnessed the LORD do amazing things that would normally seem impossible, yet struggled to trust him in all things. They would need to trust the LORD’s promises to give them the land he’d promised in the Abrahamic covenant. For the sake of Abraham and Sarah, he repeated the promise that she would have a son within a year.

Our lesson is that there is nothing too hard for the LORD. The LORD may choose to say “no” to our requests. But we should never avoid making a request believing the LORD can’t accomplish some great miracle that seems otherwise impossible. The LORD has made promises to us that seem impossible, namely, resurrection from the dead and eternal life. But that is not impossible for the LORD because he has already proven he can do it. We can trust in the power of the LORD.

Gen. 17:22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

This part begins with God changing another name. He had just changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and now he has changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. The difference is that the author explains the meaning of Abram and Abraham but does not explain the difference between Sarai and Sarah. Sarai means “Princess.” It’s possible that there is no significant difference in the meaning of the name change. Rather, the LORD changes it to signify her part in the covenant as the one who would bear the promised seed. It would be Sarah’s son who would inherit the covenant given to Abraham and not the son Ishmael born to Hagar. The LORD’s message to Abraham regarding Sarah echoes the promise the LORD had made to Abraham. It emphasizes that Sarah is the one through whom kings and nations would come and, more importantly, the descendants who would inherit the Abrahamic Covenant.

Verse 17 gives us Abraham’s response. He fell on his face and laughed. What a natural and appropriate response to being told that you would be able to beget a child at 100 years old and your wife would bear that child at ninety years of age. His thoughts, best summarized as “Is this really possible?” might make us wonder if he’s doubting the LORD. The LORD does not challenge him. So, I believe this is just a reasonable pondering in his mind of “How could this be?” Then, Abraham responds to God, suggesting that Ishmael fits the bill just fine with him.

It’s at this point that the LORD corrects him and tells him that he will have a son by Sarah, and they will name him Isaac. The meaning of this name is not given directly in the text. However, a word study reveals that this name may be associated with laughter. Since Abraham laughs at the thought of this child in their old age, and Sarah later laughs when she hears that she will have a son in her old age, the name may serve as a reminder of their response to the LORD’s providence in bringing about this miracle in their old age.

In verse 20, the LORD reveals that he will also bless Ishmael and bring nations through him. But Isaac is the son of the promise and will inherit the covenant God made with Abraham. We must see God’s mercy toward Hagar and Ishmael in these Scriptures.

Verses 22-27 can be summarized in one word, “Obedience.” Despite the illogical possibility of Abraham and Sarah having children at such an old age, Abraham responds to the LORD’s revelation by obeying the LORD and having every male in his household circumcised according to the LORD’s requirement for their participation in the covenant.

It seems to me the most evident lesson we can learn is to obey the LORD even when what we are doing may seem contrary to what we want to do or think. Maybe that is giving something to a homeless person. We think, Oh . . .they’ll just sell it to buy drugs or alcohol.” The LORD may not speak audibly to us or communicate through a dream. Yet, there may be a sense that we need to do something good, yet one part of us resists. If we know it’s not in conflict with God’s word, we’re free to step out on faith and act. We may laugh and wonder to ourselves if it’s worth it. But we can trust the LORD can use it however he wants.

Picking up where we left off as God is confirming the covenant promise he made to Abram, now renamed Abraham, the LORD is now giving the sign of the covenant. I’ve already made the point that when the LORD first revealed this covenant to Abram, the LORD took full responsibility for making this covenant viable. The LORD alone passed through the sacrificed animal pieces, making what is understood as an unconditional covenant.

Now, the sign of the covenant is given to Abraham. The sign is male circumcision. The sign is not only for male biological descendants of Abraham. It is for every male who identifies with Abraham and partake of the covenant blessings.

If you're like me, you may be wondering, “Why circumcision?” I cannot say I have found a historical and scholarly answer to that question. So, I will give you an answer that is more of a guess than a rock-solid, authoritative answer. The key to my response is in the word “sign.” It’s a sign of the covenant. Signs are concise messages to those who see them. What better constant reminder/message to every male Hebrew than circumcision? This is a sign that cannot be missed.

Furthermore, it’s a sign that could remind these men about the promised “seed.” We’ve already discussed how “the seed of the woman” has been an ongoing theme since the fall of humanity. Each male descendant should be reminded to walk righteously before the LORD, knowing he may be used to bring about that seed. Finally (and this is a bit of an interpretive stretch), there is a common analogy in the Scriptures that equates the “flesh” with acting according to one’s own desires and not according to the word of God. Is it possible the LORD intended this sign, a removal of flesh, to be a reminder that to receive blessings from the LORD, we need our flesh/fleshly desires removed and trust in God? Whether that has any connection with the sign of circumcision or not, I cannot be sure. I don’t know where that could be defended in Scripture. Yet, the principle is true. Check out Romans 8, where Paul tells Christians they must put to death the deeds of the flesh and walk by means of the Holy Spirit.

The failure of any male to receive this sign is cut off from the people. He is not to receive support or any of the blessings given to the covenant people. This is an important detail that will become important as the greater narrative moves on.

So, how is this important or even relevant to Christians today? We read in Acts 15 that circumcision was not to be imposed upon Gentiles who became Christians. This covenant does not apply to us. Why? The answer lies in that we are under the “New Covenant.” The sacrifice/blood of the New Covenant is that of Christ’s when he died on the cross. We are also given a sign for that covenant. It is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the sign of our covenant is not a visible sign. It’s the third person of the Trinity who provokes us, encourages us to do what is right and good and to convict us when we don’t.

This story of the Abrahamic Covenant should remind us that our God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. His covenants testify to his holiness, righteousness, justice, love, and so much more. We receive blessings when we follow the Holy Spirit's leading.

Since Adam and Eve disobeyed the LORD in Genesis 3, we have been anticipating “the seed of the woman” who would crush the head of the serpent and restore things to the way the LORD intended in the beginning. The narrative has led us to Abram and Sarai. The LORD has promised to make Abram a “great nation.” We even read how the LORD initiated a covenant promise as an unconditional promise. This meant that the LORD was taking full responsibility for bringing about the fulfillment of this promise. We also read about how Abram and Sarai did things that risked disqualifying them from bringing the promised seed.

This passage opens with “When Abram was ninety-nine years old . . .” (Gen. 17:1). Stop there and think about this for a minute. The LORD has made this promise to Abram for many years, and now he is ninety-nine, but he still has not had a single child by Sarai. Too late, right? It would seem an impossible thing for a couple so old to have a child.

It’s at this time the LORD speaks to Abram again and says, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between you and me, and may multiply you greatly.” (Gen 17:1b-2) The LORD is telling Abram, first of all, that there is nothing he cannot do. He is “God Almighty.” In light of that, he instructs Abram to trust him by living according to his instructions. He then reaffirms his promise to give Abram innumerable descendants.

Abram is not jaded. He is in awe of the LORD and worships him. The LORD then revealed to him that the LORD was changing his name from Abram, meaning exalted father, to Abraham. The Hebrew term for Abraham is a word play on a word meaning “Father of nations.” The explanation for this change of identity is explained by the LORD telling him, “for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” (Gen. 17:5) He continues in verse six to unpack that promise even more.

In verse seven, the LORD promised to establish his covenant not just with Abraham but with every generation of his descendants after him as an everlasting covenant. This everlasting covenant promise includes the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession for Abraham’s descendants. One would have to completely ignore history and the news to know that Abraham’s descendants of promise (Israelites) have not yet realized that promise. So, what gives? Has the LORD failed? Has he reneged on his promise?

Let me keep this as simple as I know how. Those within the Christian faith vary in how they interpret the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Personally, I’m going to take this at face value and say that I believe the LORD will ultimately fulfill this promise in a literal way. In other words, I believe the LORD still has a plan for the Jews. Other people who love Jesus as much as I may have a different understanding of how this has been or will be fulfilled. Regardless of where people fall on this spectrum of interpretation, God is Almighty. He is not powerless to fulfill his promises precisely as he intends. He certainly is not constrained or dependent upon any specific human interpretation of his word. He is able and faithful to fulfill his promises, as we will see as we continue this study.

This brings us to the last part of verse eight. The LORD states, “And I will be their God.” (Gen. 17:8c). As one continues through the Old Testament books and time passes, one will witness a recurring pattern of the Israelites abandoning the LORD as their God. When they do so, they lose possession of the land. The lesson we should learn from this ourselves is that if we expect to experience promised blessings from the LORD, he must be our God.

“Behold, you are pregnant

and shall bear a son.

You shall call his name Ishmael,

because the LORD has listened to your affliction.

12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man,

his hand against everyone

and everyone’s hand against him,

and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

Gen. 16:13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

Gen. 16:15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

We pick up where we left off in the story about Abram, Sarai, and Sarai’s Egyptian servant Hagar. If you recall, Sarai and Abram made a mess of a situation when they decided to help God fulfill his promise to give Abram innumerable descendants. Sarai had the idea that since she’d not been able to conceive, Abram should have sexual relations with Hagar and have a child through her. Even though Sarai came up with the idea and told Abram he should do this, Sarai became accusative to the LORD and to Abram when Hagar conceived and “looked with contempt” upon Sarai. Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away.

In verse 7, we pick up the story where Hagar is on the run and “the angel of the LORD found her by a spring.” (v. 7). Many people have suggested this angel of the LORD is actually a Christophany, an appearance by Jesus long before he becomes incarnate in Bethlehem. That may be what is happening. But I suspect that is an overreaching interpretation. There’s no reason this should be a Christophany. Whatever the correct interpretation, this being is a messenger of the LORD who comes with a specific revelation to Hagar along with the LORD’s compassion.

I love it when the LORD, or an agent from the LORD, asks questions. The LORD is omniscient. He knows everything. It stands to reason that the LORD asks questions to people for their benefit and not for his own. The angel asked Hagar where she had come from and where she was going. Notice that her response only answered the first part of the question. Hagar explains that she is running from Sarai, but it would appear that she has no idea where she is to go. As a side note to this story, I wonder how often we are prone to want to run from something but have no clue where we are going.

The angel instructs her where to go. The angel told her to return to Sarai and submit to her. I believe the intent here is for Hagar not to show contempt to Sarai but to cooperate with her. Is this instruction from the LORD cruel or unjust? I don’t think so. I believe the LORD intends for her to receive his blessings through her connection with Abram and Sarai.

The angel revealed to her the LORD’s promise that she would have many descendants and that the child she had recently conceived would be a son whom she would name Ishmael. This name means “God hears.” The angel explains, “the LORD has listened to your affliction.” (v. 11) I believe this is an essential point that we should learn from this story. Even though Hagar has been a victim of sorts and has run away, the LORD has never been away from her or uncaring concerning her problems. Instead, the LORD would bring some benefit to her through these circumstances. We see the Apostle Paul state this outrightly in Romans 8, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Not all things that happen to us are good. It wasn’t God’s desire for Abram and Sarai to devise their own plan. Yet, God can and does use the events that unfold from humanity’s independent efforts to bring about good things.

The angel’s statement that her son Ishmael would be a wild donkey of a man was not an insult. It was just a prophetic statement that Ishmael would be a very independent person who would find conflict. This information would be of interest to the Israelites as they would conquer the land of Canaan after their bondage in Egypt.

Hagar’s response to this revelation about Ishmael is seen in verse 13. She confesses the LORD is “a God of seeing.” (v. 13) Hagar is not a pawn in a cruel cosmic game. The LORD hears her and sees her. She recognizes that God is looking after her. This is the second important truth that is revealed concerning the LORD. How might we look differently upon the events in our lives if we believed the LORD listened to our afflictions and looked after us? What an encouraging thought.

Let’s cover this story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar over the course of a few episodes. We’ll observe how the problem or conflict created by Abram and Sarai’s actions, apart from God’s promise to them, complicate things. While this story is about a specific situation with specific people to a particular audience, we can glean a principle that is valuable to us today.

This story begins with another reminder that Abram and his wife Sarai still have no children despite the LORD's promise that Abram’s descendants would be innumerable. The reader is next told that Sarai had a female Egyptian servant named Hagar. In all likelihood, Hagar was given as a servant to Sarai when Abram and Sarai traveled to Egypt, and the pharaoh took Sarai into his house to marry her. This detail should interest the intended audience of Israelites who had been in servitude to the Egyptians. The Egyptians were descendants of Ham through his son Mizraim. (See Gen. 10:6) Of course, Ham was the one who dishonored his father, Noah. Abram had risked compromising the LORD’s plan for him by telling the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister and allowing the Egyptian Pharaoh to take her into his house. Now, Abram is the one lying with an Egyptian.

As tragic stories unfold, sometimes the details seem a bit humorous. In this case, the humor is in how Sarai asserts fault in everyone in the story except for Sarai, who instigated this train wreck of a plan to give Abram a descendant. First, it is the LORD’s fault for preventing Sarai from having children. She told Abram to have sexual relations with Hagar in order to have children by her. The story seems to echo the Adam and Eve story, where Abram, like Adam, did not appear to question the wisdom of this opportunity. He just did it. When Hagar conceived, we’re told that “she looked with contempt upon her mistress” (v. 4). Sarai, understandably, could not deal with that but blamed Abram and treated Hagar harshly.

While I’m tempted just to shake my head and chuckle at this mess, I find myself more inclined to empathize with the pain each individual must have felt at some point. If we stop and think about it, Sarai must have been pained over her inability to have a child. The LORD’s promise of many descendants to her husband must have added fuel to that fire when it wasn’t happening, and her biological clock was ticking or perhaps had “tocked.” Abram likely shared that pain to some degree and mostly empathized with his wife’s concern. The LORD’s delay or perceived failure in giving them a child as they were getting older led to his pondering how that promise might be fulfilled. So, when Sarai came up with the plan, he just went along with it. Hagar was a servant to Sarai, a second-class citizen. When she was able to have a child by Abram, it seems to have evoked her pride because she finally had one thing over her mistress. But this backfired on her. It wasn’t her fault in the first place because she was at the mercy of Sarai and Abram’s will.

What it comes down to is that Abram and Sarai decided to help the LORD by devising their own plan to bring about God’s promised descendant. They are successful in producing a descendant of Abram. But was this the promised seed to Abram? Is this the “seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent? We’ll see how this plays out in our next episode.

The theological principle coming to light already is that when God makes a promise, our attempts to make it happen through our own devices will likely create a bigger mess for ourselves. As Abram and Sarai will learn, we need to trust the LORD and wait on him. God can and will bring about every single promise he has made.

Gen. 15:12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Gen. 15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 15 describes the “Abrahamic Covenant.” In our last episode, we read about the LORD’s promise to Abram to give him innumerable descendants. Abram was aging and had not yet had one offspring, yet he believed God. God assessed Abram’s trust as righteous. This is an important fact to remember as we read and interpret the rest of chapter 15. A second important thing to remember is that this book is being written for the Israelites who had come out of Egypt.

Genesis 15:7 reads, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” Why is this important? It’s important for the Israelites to understand that the LORD who brought them out of the land of Egypt, had brought their ancestor Abram out of a land of people who did not worship the LORD. If he planned to give the land to Abram and his descendants, then it makes sense that he is now going to give it to them.

These Israelites might wonder, “How can we know for certain that the LORD intends to give it to us?” The response might be something like, “It’s funny you should ask that because Abram had the same question, (See Genesis 15:8) The LORD responded to Abram by establishing a covenant with him, which included some animal sacrifices. Notice the sacrifices were cut in two, and the halves were laid opposite each other. Then, verse 11 offers a strange comment that birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. What is the point of that? Well, these birds are unclean animals because they feast upon the dead. This is perhaps a picture of conflict with the unclean people of the nations dwelling in the land, and as Abram drove away the unclean birds, the Israelites will need to drive away the people that God deems unclean.

After the animals were cut in two and laid out, the LORD caused Abram to fall into a sleep and an ominous state of darkness and dread. The LORD revealed to him more details about his descendants and the land. The LORD told him that his descendants would be oppressed in a foreign land for 400 years, and afterward, the LORD would judge that nation and deliver Abram’s descendants back to the land he was giving them.

Certainly, the Israelites should see God’s providence in bringing all of this about as he had told Abram. It should cause them to trust in the LORD as their ancestor Abram did. They should also notice that God judges sin. He is patient and not looking to bring quick judgment upon the slightest infraction. (See verse 16)

Verses 17-21 reveal the LORD’s enactment of the covenant. Here’s where the story gets interesting. Typically, in a covenant agreement like this, both parties of the covenant walk between the divided parts of the sacrificial animals. The parties mutually agree their part of the agreement will be fulfilled and their failure to do their part should bring a curse upon themselves to be like these animals. Yet in this covenant agreement, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass through alone. The LORD does not require anything of Abram to bring about this covenant. Bible scholars understand that the LORD is making an unconditional covenant with Abram. The LORD accepts full responsibility for providing descendants to Abram and land for them to dwell in.

Scholars like to pose questions about whether God can curse himself. I think the point here is that the LORD is giving Abram and his descendants the strongest possible sign that he can be trusted to fulfill what he says he will do. That’s the lesson I think we can take from this account. While I cannot take this text and read myself into it as a recipient of this specific promise, I can rightly accept that this God has made promises that are to all who trust him. We can be confident that he will fulfill them.

If there are sections of Scripture that are more significant or important than others, Genesis 15, I believe, would have to be included in that list. The reason is that the New Testament authors cite this to support their argument for the nature of faith and imputed righteousness.

In our last episode, the LORD had given Abram victory over the kings that had taken Lot and his possessions. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, blessed Abram, and Abram gave a tithe to him. The LORD was ready to take Abram to the next step in his plan to make Abram a great nation. This is just my personal observation and not necessarily a theological point of the text. But I think the LORD often works like this within our lives. People often want God to “zap” them and fix all their struggles and problems right away. Perhaps the LORD does not do that because he wants us to learn to trust him always. Notice how this section opens.

The LORD spoke to Abram in a vision. He told him not to fear. His promise to Abram that could allay his fear was, “I am your shield” (Gen. 15:1). God is telling Abram that He will protect Abram from harm. God had already demonstrated his protection of Abram when he led Abram out of his home country to the land of Canaan, down into Egypt, where Abram attempted to protect himself at the risk of forfeiting God’s promise to make him a great nation by allowing his wife Sarai to be taken into Pharoah’s household. God demonstrates his patience and care for Abram by reassuring him that he is always with Abram, will protect him, and will reward him greatly.

Abram and Sarai weren’t getting any younger, and in verses 2-3, Abram effectively recalls God’s promise to make his name great and to make him a great nation. Abram is rightly expecting Sarai to have children. But the LORD had not yet given them a child. We don’t know who Eliezer of Damascus is to Abram other than he is not his own child. It seems as though Abram is seeking clarity from God. In other words, he’s saying, “Since you haven’t given us any children, is this one going to be my heir?”

The LORD’s response leaves no question as to his plan. Abram will have a biological child. It will not be someone who is adopted or has some other legal status as a potential heir. But he doesn’t leave it there. The LORD had Abram look into the sky and told him that his descendants would be numerous like the stars in the sky.

We just witnessed the limits of Abram’s understanding and faith in the LORD when he reminded the LORD that He had not given him one child. But in the LORD’s fantastic revelation concerning the number of descendants he would provide Abram, Abram believed and trusted him. The LORD assessed Abram’s trust as righteousness. We saw this same thing with Noah, didn’t we? Noah trusted the LORD. He responded rightly to the LORD’s revelation and was obedient to the LORD’s revelation.

It is inappropriate to read this and think that the LORD is making the same promise to us. We cannot assume that if we just trust the LORD, he will make us wealthy. Yet, it is appropriate and proper to understand that this passage reveals that the LORD is trustworthy. He does make promises to us that seem so impossible. The promise of the resurrection and eternal life, for example, is not something we can prove through scientific observation. Stories like this reveal that God cares for his people. He protects them. He provides for them. He wants what is best for them. He is trustworthy, and we need to respond to God’s revelation by believing him and receiving the righteousness counted toward us in Christ.

Gen. 14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

Gen. 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Gen. 14:17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

20 and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

One of my priorities in this blog and podcast is not to get caught up in some of the arguments between scholars concerning the historicity of events and other nitpicky details. Rather, I want to focus on what I believe is the most important point for the inclusion of a given story and how it contributes to the greater story. Suffice to say that some scholars like to critique this story because they haven’t found archeological data or ancient writings that identify some of these kings and people groups. Therefore, in their minds, it’s fictional. They forget that other like-minded scholars have eaten proverbial humble pie as archeological discoveries have often proved other critics wrong. It is fair enough to say that we don’t know who all these kings and kingdoms were and if they are also known by other names.

That said, we understand this story to tell us about kingdoms uniting to battle other kingdoms. Sodom and Gomorrah were conquered, and Lot’s family and possessions were taken as spoils of war. I think it’s safe to say that if Lot and his family had not been affected, Abram would not have bothered to intercede.

We learned in the previous chapter that the men of Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked and that Lot had settled near there. One might expect Abram to have an attitude of “Lot made his bed, and now he can lie in it.” But he doesn’t. He went out and defeated those who had conquered them and returned the people and possessions to Sodom and Gomorrah. I take this as God working through Abram to show mercy and compassion to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They did nothing to deserve justice in this matter. Yes. God even shows mercy and compassion to the wicked sometimes. Why? I think the only reason is so they may repent and turn to the LORD.

However, the second part of this story reveals two kings who approach Abram. One is the king of Sodom, and the other is called Melchizedek, King of Salem. Notice the contrast between these two. We already know what the men of Sodom are like. But we’ve heard nothing about Melchizedek. Melchizedek brings bread and wine to Abram and blesses him in the name of the God most high. Abram, in return, gives him a tenth of the spoils. Why did he do that? Hadn’t Abram already done enough good by liberating people? The answer is that Abram is acting according to God’s promise to him. Abram recognizes that God gave him the victory and is blessing the one who blessed him.

The king of Sodom makes no such acknowledgment and offers nothing but a deal. He does not recognize God’s grace and mercy to him and his people. Abram is wise in recognizing this king’s motives and wants nothing from him because he doesn’t honor the LORD.

All good things come from the LORD. We need to be sensitive to God’s acts of compassion and mercy to us each day and respond in worship as did Melchizedek and Abram.

Gen. 13:2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

Gen. 13:8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

Gen. 13:14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

We have another sub-story concerning Abram that I think is worth saying a few words about a lot of words. This story brings Lot into focus along with Abram. As we learned earlier in Genesis, Lot’s father died, and his grandfather took responsibility for him until he died. Then, Lot continued with Abram. What we are told first is that Abram “was very rich” (Gen. 13:2) and Lot “had flocks and herds and tents” (Gen. 13:5). While we don’t know how wealthy Abram was when he left his home to follow the LORD, we learned in our last episode that at least some of Abram’s wealth came from the Pharoah of Egypt when Pharoah took Sarai into his house. The most crucial point in the context for the setting of this story is that the LORD blessed them both to the extent that they needed to spread out (Gen. 13:6). When herds and flocks grow in numbers, they need a lot of land to graze. Otherwise, they will destroy the grazing fields by overgrazing them.

Abram noticed the tension among the herdsmen in the competition for grazing land. Perhaps they even had a problem keeping the herds and flocks from mixing, and there were arguments over what livestock belonged to whom. It would seem that Abram had the right to make any decision he wanted to settle the conflict. He could have told Lot where to go and remain. Instead, he gave Lot the privilege of choosing where he would like to live and feed his livestock.

Look at verses 10-13 and notice how Lot responds to Abram’s offer. “Lot lifted up his eyes . . .” and chose what looked best to him. He chose the area that looked greener and better watered. From a human perspective, he chose the best land for himself. This creates some tension of its own at different levels. The author tells us that this is before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God and that the men of Sodom, where Lot would make his home, were “wicked, great sinners against the LORD” (Gen. 13:13). The text also tells us that Abram made his home in Canaan. While we recognize there will likely be conflict between Abram and Ham’s descendants, we also understand that this is the place to where the LORD had led him and has now brought him back to after his time in Egypt seeking relief from the famine.

Now look at verse 14 and the following. The LORD told Abram to lift up his eyes and look in every direction. Lot is pictured as lifting up his eyes to choose what appears desirable to him. Abram, in contrast, obeys the LORD by lifting up his eyes to see what the LORD is giving him. What Lot does is similar to what Eve did in the garden. Instead of listening to the LORD, she judged that she wanted what looked good in her own judgment, regardless of what the LORD had commanded. Abram is trusting the LORD.

The picture of Abram’s faith in the LORD versus Lot’s actions according to his own senses and reason are further cemented when we’re told that Lot made his home among the cities (recall that Cain built a city) and Abram settled where the LORD led him and worshipped the LORD. (Gen. 13:12)

What a tremendous lesson we get from Abram. How I need to consider his approach to resolving conflict. I need to let things go and not hold on to what I think I deserve or defend my self-perceived rights. I need to trust that the LORD will provide what is good, necessary, and right for me. He already has. But will I remember it the next time and trust him?

Gen. 12:17 But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

We’ve come to this point in the Genesis story where the focus is primarily on two characters: God and Abram. I would contend that the Bible as a whole is a story about God, and Genesis just gives us some early but essential information about who the God of the Bible is and what he is like. This is important for the reason that there are many views about things like the age of the earth, the flood story, and so forth. Even among Christians, disagreements exist on how these stories are to be rightly interpreted. I will be the first to assert that my treatment of these stories may not be entirely accurate concerning historical facts of the events. I’ve read other views with compelling evidence supporting interpretations that are different from mine. The critical point is that regardless of nuances and variations of how we understand, the theological message remains the same among these views. The point of the Creation narrative is the eternal nature of God, the power of God, and the goodness of God. The account of the Fall of Man and later the flood narrative is that disobedience to God brings death and judgment. Yet, God is still merciful, and humanity's actions do not limit God. He will accomplish what he wants. The last point seems evident in our text for this week. Let’s break this down.

In verse 10, it is said that there was a famine in the land. This established the cause for Abram’s movement to Egypt. This is purely conjecture. But I find it interesting to consider that the original audience of this writing is the Israelites who came out of bondage in Egypt. The cause of their presence in Egypt was a famine that led to Jacob sending his sons to Egypt to acquire grain. But we’ll get to that later. Does the mention of this famine that leads Abram to Egypt and gets him into trouble evoke the thought in these peoples’ minds: Note to self, stay out of Egypt? I don’t know. It’s just a thought.

The real story is Abram’s fear of the Egyptians, believing they will kill him to acquire his wife, Sarai. Is it just me, or are you wondering, “Why didn’t he have this fear of entering into the land of Canaan?” Perhaps the more obvious question is, “After God had safely delivered him to Canaan and made a promise to Abram that he would make his name great, why is he now afraid?” It would seem that his faith is waning. Before I come down too hard on Abram, I find myself reflecting on how easily and even quickly my faith is suspect within a short time after the Lord has made himself evident in the life of my family. All of a sudden, Abram looks very human, doesn’t he? I would like to think I would not try the scheme he did. Yet, I can identify with the struggle between trusting in the Lord and trusting my own plans.

What happens next is significant on two levels. First, God’s promise to make Abram a great nation is in jeopardy. How can this happen if his wife has been married to the Pharoah of Egypt? If she should conceive, it would not be by Abram.

The second thing that happens is that the Pharoah of Egypt “blesses” Abram by giving him many things in “exchange,” as it were for Sarai. Despite Abram’s poor decision in this faithless effort to spare his own life, God uses it to provide wealth for Abram. Again, I suspect there’s a sense in which this is understood as a foreshadowing of the wealth the Israelites would later receive from the Egyptians as they finally left Egypt after the tenth plague. This is likely pushing the interpretation too far. But I can’t help but notice the parallels.

We are not told how Pharoah came to understand Abram’s true relationship with Sarai. We are just told, “the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” (Another parallel with the Exodus account. The LORD afflicts Pharoah and all Egypt with plagues for improper treatment of a Hebrew(s).)

If Abram responded to Pharoah’s question of why he did this, it’s not recorded for us. Pharoah just sends Sarai back to Abram and instructs his staff to send them away. It concludes that he went away with his wife “and all that he had.” That sounds like Pharaoh didn’t revoke his gifts. He just wanted Abram and whoever was with him to leave Egypt.

What we see in the full story is that God was not going to let Abram, in his moment of weakness in his faith, compromise what God had promised he would do for Abram. He protected Abram and Sarai. God is in control, and neither Abram nor Pharoah would nullify God’s promise and plan. This is a good lesson for us. If we believe the God of the Bible is good and has made promises available to us that are for our good, we can trust that he will fulfill them.

Another lesson is that the LORD often blesses people he loves even when we do not always act in faith. Reflecting on my own life, I believe this has been true for myself. Why would God do this? I believe it’s to teach us his love for us. He will give us what we need to show us that unconditional love he has for us. In turn, when we observe that, the result should be growth in our faith and trust in the LORD.

The first three verses of chapter twelve give us the LORD’s call to Abram to leave his home and extended family and go to a place the LORD would show him. This command of the LORD reveals how the LORD would bless him by making him a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. As you may remember, Abram and his wife Sarai were unable to have any children. So, from a human perspective, this has the appearance of a shallow and impossible promise.

But as we pick up the story in verse four, “Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (Gen. 12:4). Abram was like Noah in this regard. The LORD spoke to them, and they obeyed his word, even though the LORD’s message to each of them seemed crazy or, at least, contrary to human reason.

We are told that Abram took Lot, his nephew, with him and his wife Sarai. Lot’s dad had died, and Noah’s dad, Terah, had taken responsibility for him. Then, Terah died, and Lot became the responsibility of his uncle Abram. The reader is set up to wonder if perhaps Lot will become the child to Abram through whom this “great nation” will come since Sarai was barren. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran, and Sarai was not much younger. As the life expectancy decreased, the child-bearing years decreased as well and Abram and Sarai were getting beyond that point.

It is at the end of verse five when we learn the direction that the LORD is taking Abram and his family. They had been from (modern day) southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf to Haran in the northwest, up into Syria near or just across the border with Turkey and down into “the land of Canann.” That’s where Terah was originally headed when he left Ur in the south and then settled in Haran in northwest modern day Iraq. Scholars discuss and debate when Abram first received this call from the LORD. Was he still in Ur, and his father was on board? If the chronology of these events has been reordered, it’s probably not that important. What is most important is the LORD’s revelation specifically to Abram and that Abram responded in obedience to the LORD. I would suggest that if we learn nothing else from Abram, we must learn to respond positively to the LORD’s commands regardless of whether it seems a bit crazy or not.

What follows is that Abram came into the land of Canaan. Remember that it was Canaan, the son of Ham, who Noah cursed because of Ham’s sin. In fact, Noah would say that Canaan’s descendants would serve Shem’s descendants. Verse six states that the Canaanites were in the land, and the LORD says in verse seven that he is going to give that same land to Abram’s offspring. (v. 7) What offspring? Is the LORD being cruel? As if to strongly affirm this promise, the LORD didn’t just speak to Abram; he appeared to him. Abram responded by building an altar to the LORD in that place. Instead of complaining or doubting, he worshipped the LORD right there. He understood that it was a holy and sacred event. I think this is a beautiful thing we see here. How often do we sense that God has done something special for us? Do we make an intentional effort to identify it and worship in response? What a wonderful lesson for us!

I find it interesting that Abram didn’t remain there. I take this as the LORD had more to show him. Abram moved on and stopped in between two towns near each other, Bethel (means House of El - El was the name by which God was known from Adam down to Abram) and Ai. Abram built another altar and called upon the name of the LORD. What this is saying is that Abram is proclaiming the identity and greatness of the LORD in the land of Canaan. He is essentially beginning to fulfill the LORD’s promise that he will be a blessing to the families of the earth. Abram is worshipping by testifying to the LORD to people who need to know about him.

What a great lesson we can learn from this by first, obeying the LORD’s commands, secondly, responding to the LORD’s work in our life by commemorating it and acknowledging God’s work in thankfulness, and finally, by testifying to others the greatness of the LORD.

May we learn and follow in Abram’s example.

The recent genealogy we’ve covered has led us to Abram, and now the focus is solely on him. This is evidenced by God speaking to Abram and giving him specific instructions. We know that his father, Terah, was originally going toward Canaan but settled in Haran. Then, Terah died. The LORD’s command to Abram begins with the instruction that he is not to stay in Haran. The LORD’s promise to “make you a great nation” must have been hard for Abram since his wife Sarai was barren. How could he be the father of a great nation with no children?

The LORD continued to make some strong claims. Abram needed to decide whether he would risk the security of his family and his land for a promise of something much better. All Abram had to do was leave his extended family and go. The LORD promised:

1. To show Abram where to go

2. To make him a great nation

3. To bless him and make his name great SO THAT you will be a blessing.

4. The LORD will bless others who bless Abram

5. The LORD will curse those who dishonor Abram

6. In Abram, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

How many people throughout time have emigrated with nothing but a vain hope that something will be better when they arrive at their intended destination? It’s the classic “the grass is always greener on the other side” philosophy. Sometimes it works out for people. But often, it’s a bust.

The text has a message for us supported by the greater context in which it’s set. The message is, “But this is different. This is not vain hope. This is the word of the LORD. He is faithful to fulfill his promises.” This story is among my favorites in all of Scripture: it helps us understand the nature of faith. Faith is not based upon wishful thinking. Faith is based upon following what the LORD reveals.

We understand that this promise in Genesis 12:1-3 is to Abram, and we cannot read ourselves into the story and claim that the LORD will make me a great nation. However, I think we can observe what this reveals about the LORD’s desire for those who will obey him. At the very least, we can trust that if we follow the LORD by trusting Jesus, the LORD will bless us. That does not mean he will give us endless wealth. It means he will give us everything we need so that we can emulate his grace by being a blessing to others.

One final note on verse 3, which says, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Really? Is that true? I think the answer to that is found in John 3:16. It is a descendant of Abram, Jesus, who is the Son that God gave to the world so that they could have eternal life. God provides that blessing to the world. It just needs to be received.

Gen. 11:10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gen. 11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants

Gen. 11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Gen. 11:31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

What we have here is a genealogy from Shem. Who was Shem? He was one of Noah’s three sons and the one who Noah specifically blessed for honoring Noah and covering Noah’s nakedness. If you recall, Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his brothers. Noah pronounced a curse upon his descendants through Canaan. If we get nothing else out of this, we should at least think to ourselves, “Ah! Yes! It makes sense that the promised “seed” would come through the son who does the right thing.” We should expect it to be a descendant of Shem. The narrative is leading us in this direction.

An interesting fact about this genealogical record is that it matches the form of the genealogical record between Seth and Noah. As you may recall, Abel brought an acceptable sacrifice to the LORD, but his brother Cain’s sacrifice was rejected. Instead of making it right, Cain murdered his brother Abel. God gave Adam and Eve Seth to be the righteous line through whom the promised seed would come. In each record, there are ten generations listed, with the tenth generation listing three sons. Beginning with Seth, the tenth generation listed is Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Here, in chapter eleven, the record starts with Shem and ends with Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Scholars like to debate whether these genealogical records are historically accurate or if some generations were left out to get this match. I think it’s best to take these at face value. Whether both these records are precise in detail or descendants selectively chosen or excluded to arrive at this parallel form, the vital point that is being communicated is that God is sovereignly working to effect his plan. This is an important truth for us today. Some people might give ascent to the idea of a god or gods. But often, they are deists. The god or gods they believe may be out there certainly don’t care about the events that unfold from day to day. They are simply the force or cause that brought about life. That view and the God of the Bible are incompatible. The God of the Bible, as we are witnessing throughout this book, cares deeply about people and people following his words and will. God is active throughout the Bible and is active today.

Another observation from this record is the ever-decreasing lifespan of each generation. This reveals that God’s prophetic promise in Genesis 6:3 that mankind will only live 120 years is coming true. That was neither a promise that everyone would live as long as 120 years or that some could not live longer. It was a declaration of a new standard at a time when people had been living for hundreds of years. This record helps us see that God’s word is coming to fulfillment with each generation.

In verses 26-27, Terah is the ninth generation from Shem, and he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. We are quickly informed that Haran was the father of Lot. Then, we are told that Haran died “in the presence of his father Terah” in his homeland. This indicates that Haran was relatively young. It should also make the reader wonder, “What happened to Lot?”

Before we find that out, we’re told that Abram took a wife named Sarai, and Nahor took a wife named Milcah. Milcah, the author continues, was Haran's daughter. Wait a minute! Isn’t that Lot’s dad? Nahor married his niece? Yep. Therefore, Lot has two sisters, Milcah and Iscah. But Sarai was barren. This last detail is another crisis. The reader who’s not read or heard this story might write off Abram and Sarai as descendants through whom the promised seed would come in light of this fact.

In verse 31, Terah took Abram, Sarai, and Lot from present-day southern Iraq toward present-day Israel. There are reasons why some argue that Terah took the rest of the family as well. But, as we’ll soon see, the narrative shifts to these three individuals. Why Terah leads them in this direction is not revealed. We only know that he planned to go to the land of Canaan. That should build some suspense for the reader since descendants of Shem were moving toward the land of Canaan’s descendants, where there would surely be conflict. For another unknown reason, they stopped in Haran and settled there, where Terah would later die.

The primary function of this section is to carry the story from Noah and his son Shem down to Abram, Sarai, and Lot. As mentioned earlier, this story lends itself to our seeing that God is active and purposely carries out what he says he will do. I hope you find this truth as encouraging and hope-giving as I do.

Here we are at another familiar story from the Old Testament: the Tower of Babel. The funny thing about Bible stories is that it’s not uncommon for people to give the stories a title that really misrepresents what the story is about. This story is really not about a tower.

So what is it about? Well, remember that at the beginning of time and after the flood, God commanded people to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In short, have babies and spread out. This command helps set the context for what happens in this story. It’s also helpful to remember that we’ve already witnessed that humanity still has a sin problem.

The story begins with Noah’s descendants still sharing a common language, and they migrate to a place where there are natural resources on which to survive. The name Shinar means “between two rivers.” These are likely the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and would mean they settled in the area that is part of modern-day Iraq. Certainly, the rivers would have supported whatever agriculture they were doing and even hunting since animals would have also needed water. But we read that they recognize they have the resources to make bricks and build structures. (v.3)

In verse 4, we learn about the intentions and collective spirit of the people. “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” They have lofty dreams of building a city with a magnificent tower. As a child I was taught that they believed they could reach God by building a tower “with its top in the heavens.” I don’t think that’s the point because first of all, they don’t say that’s their purpose and secondly, they express their purpose immediately afterward, “let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (v4b) What’s wrong with this?

Let’s begin with the expression, “let us make a name for ourselves.” From the opening verses of Genesis names have been important, haven’t they? When God created things, he named them. He gave them their identity. Then, when he created humanity in his image, he gave Adam the responsibility of naming the animals. Adam also named Eve. It seems to me this expression, “let us make a name for ourselves,” reveals a sense of pride that is indirectly saying, “We don’t need God.”

The second part, “lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth,” is a bit more obvious. God had made it clear that he wanted the people to fill the earth. But what appears to be the entire population of the earth seems to join together in saying, “No! We’re not going to do that.” The conflict of this story is not the tower. The conflict is the hubris of the people to defy God collectively.

I love verse 5. “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.” I’m not sure. But I suspect we’re supposed to laugh because the LORD had to come down to see it. They think they’re building something grand. But it’s like God needs a magnifying glass to see it. Then, he qualifies this project as something built by “children of man.” Is there a hint of “Isn’t that cute” embodied in that statement? Perhaps I’m reading too much into that. But if it’s not somewhat sarcastically humorous, it should probably cause a bit of tension in the reader. In this case, we should feel like we’re among the conspirators when someone says, “Uh oh. Here comes the LORD.”

Verse 6 gives us the LORD’s quick and precise assessment of their actions and the implications of it. The bottom line is that if he let this defiance go unchecked, nothing would stop them from that mindset of doing what they wanted to do and not following the LORD.

Verses 7 and following give us the LORD’s solution to stop their current act of defiance and, in turn, lead them to obey the LORD’s command to fill the earth. He confused their language so they could not communicate and cooperate to collectively continue their disobedience.

This story does serve to provide details about how the people listed in the table of nations from the last chapter got to where they are and how they came to develop different languages. However, we should not miss the theological principle that mankind may defy the LORD, but even with a concerted and collective effort, we cannot thwart God’s ultimate plans. He will accomplish it.

Gen. 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

Gen. 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

Gen. 10:15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Gen. 10:21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Gen. 10:32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

I believe this is the first time in the five year history of this blog and podcast that I’ve covered an entire chapter in the Bible. I think it’s also the first time I’ve elected not to provide an audio recording of my reading the section of Scripture. My choice is based largely my desire to draw your attention to the purpose of why this “Table of Nations” or this genealogy is included in this story. That purpose is largely informed by the context and not so much by the text itself. With that said, let’s begin. I would highly encourage those listening to this to read Genesis 10 for themselves.

First of all, this text clearly gives us a genealogical record of Noah’s sons. It is not an exhaustive list. In fact, it looks a bit strange. In this table are names of people, groups of people, and places associated to people. This tells us that the purpose of this record is not simply to give us a record of descendants of Noah but to give a list of people, groups, and geographical regions of people that are important to the audience of this record. Certain information is included, and much information is excluded due to what the author considers crucial for his audience.

Who is this audience? If Moses wrote this, as I accept he did, the original audience is the Israelites who came out of Egypt. Imagine what it must have been like for such a group of people. They knew nothing about the land of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, except what may have been passed down in a story. But the LORD was leading them there. They were to take possession of a land that had been taken over by many people who exemplified immorality, idolatry, and violence. The LORD instructed them to not adapt the ways of the people, but to drive them out. The LORD wanted the Israelites to understand Abraham's identity and faith, embody the same faith as Abraham, and be a “Kingdom of Priests” to the world, pointing them to their God. This genealogy helped them understand that the descendants of righteous Noah did not follow in Noah’s faith and righteousness.

Furthermore, it helped them understand that Ham’s offense against his father, bringing the curse upon Canaan and his descendants, led to the gross sins of the various groups now dwelling in the land where God was leading them. The effect of this understanding should have helped these Israelites stop and think, “We don’t want to bring a curse upon us. We don’t want to worship the gods of the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, and others. We must obey the LORD like Noah and Abraham, whom we will soon learn about.”

This genealogical record also shows that God’s command to be fruitful and multiply is being followed. Next week, we will read about how the increasing descendants from Noah’s sons were not completely obedient and the LORD would need to help them disperse across the earth.

This record helps advance the story from the flood to the LORD’s next step in fulfilling his promise of a coming seed. We find in the genealogy of Shem, who was blessed by his father for honoring his father by covering up his nakedness, that the LORD will choose a man named Abram (Abraham) to follow his instruction as Noah had.

This leaves us with the question, “Is there something in this record of Noah’s descendants that is helpful for us beyond advancement of the story?” I would suggest there are a few theological principles that come forth from this account in its context. It shows us that God is all-knowing. Ham made an unrighteous choice with respect to his father and it had consequences through his son Canaan. This is not all that different from Adam’s sin and what happens with Cain. I don’t think the LORD is at fault for what happens. I think he foresees the ripple effect of Ham’s sin, and the curse upon Canaan is in the understanding of the course that it will take through Ham’s descendants. We need to understand and value that God knows all things, and we need to take serious consideration about our thoughts and actions. They affect other people.

Another principle that arises out of this is God’s providence. God has a plan, and some of that will be accomplished through the rebellious actions of others. That doesn’t mean God causes them to be disobedient. People have already demonstrated they are quite capable on their own for their defiance against God’s ways. But God will not allow people to thwart his ultimate plan. We can trust that God will fulfill his promises.

Gen. 9:20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;

a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

Gen. 9:26 He also said,

“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem;

and let Canaan be his servant.

27 May God enlarge Japheth,

and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,

and let Canaan be his servant.”

Gen. 9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

As a side note to this week's blog and podcast, I’d like to offer the following commentary with regard to science and the Bible. There are people who hold that science is the only, or perhaps most, authoritative process and source of knowledge. Some of these people view the Bible and other documents viewed as sacred by people of other religions as a collection of fantastic stories that have little or no relevance to people today. The flood narrative is one story for which there is all sorts of criticism and debate, even among people who hold the Bible and the Hebrew Scriptures as sacred.

One problem with this approach and perspective of knowing is that it cannot be scientifically proven that the scientific process is the only or most authoritative means of gaining knowledge and understanding. Looking at the history of science and human reason, science has a terrible “batting average.” What I mean is that scientific efforts often produce errant conclusions. Over time, better methods of observation and new developments help improve the process, and we know more, and we know better. But we don’t know perfectly. Science is a good and valuable tool for us when used with humility and objectively.

The Bible is a document of documents. Within the Bible, there are many forms of literature. There is history, narrative (story - fictional and non-fictional), poetry, wisdom literature, and more. Each form of literature has certain rules that help us understand what is important to receive from that literature. The fundamental distinction between the Bible and books one might have on their bookshelf is that the literature within it is ultimately from a supernatural or divine source (God) that communicates a divine message and knowledge to humanity. To suggest that it has a supernatural aspect is beyond the scope of science to make an accurate judgment because it’s outside the scope of science. As with science, however, we must interpret and use the Scriptures with humility. The Bible has many things that have been proven to be historically accurate. Therefore, one should not readily dismiss things in the Bible that appear to us as incredible, and one should not readily accept as undeniable truth something asserted through science. The flood narrative and the related details are a good example of that.

My whole point in saying this is to encourage you not to get distracted by arguments about the flood, the age of the earth, and so forth. This story and the rest of the Bible tell us about God, humanity, and the trajectory of this grand story from Genesis through Revelation. So, how do we apply this to our text for this week?

First, it would appear that we all are descendants of Noah and his sons. If we take verses 18-19 at face value and understand the phrase “from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed,” it literally means the whole earth, and it’s not hyperbole from an ancient perspective. Does it mean we ignore the Bible if our understanding is limited or incorrect in some way? No. The reason is that this text affirms that Noah and his descendants were ultimately fulfilling the LORD’s commands to be fruitful and fill the earth AND that the LORD was faithful to make that possible.

The next section about Noah becoming drunk and naked reminds us of the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they “saw that they were naked” and sought to cover themselves. Sin should bring shame. I would suggest that Ham’s offense against his father is that he brought his father’s nakedness to the attention of his brothers. He wasn’t ashamed by it. Perhaps he was even mocking his father’s condition by looking at him and bringing it to his brothers’ attention. Shem and Japheth honored their father by covering his nakedness.

This story prepares the reader for what happens later with their descendants. Abram (Abraham) is a descendant of “righteous” Shem. He becomes the patriarch of the Israelites. And we’ll see the conflicts with his descendants and descendants of Ham. More generally, we should observe that the problem caused by Adam and Eve’s disobedience is still with Noah and his sons. God didn’t wipe out the sin problem with the flood. Therefore, at this point, we’re still looking for God’s solution to our sin problem.

So, how is this story relevant to us? For one, we could ask ourselves if our perspective about the attitudes and actions of others evokes a sense of shame within us. Do we entertain ourselves by it as did Ham or, as people who desire to follow the LORD’s ways, do we show grace and mercy to others that Shem and Japheth demonstrated to their father? Lessons like this are much more valuable and edifying than arguments over details about a global flood versus a local flood.

Many Bible scholars hold that the first covenant God made was with Adam. In Genesis 2:15-17 the LORD commanded the man to take care of the garden and enjoy it. However, the one prohibitive command to not eat from the one tree was the stipulation to continue receiving these blessings the LORD had provided. Disobedience would lead to certain death. The only problem with understanding this instruction as a covenant is that nowhere is it called a covenant. It has characteristics of a covenant. So, it may be a covenant. However, I cannot imagine why the LORD didn’t call it a covenant or why Moses didn’t explain that it was a covenant. Whether it is or isn’t, the covenant that God makes with Noah and all living creatures is the first time it’s recorded in the Bible that what God is promising is, in fact, a covenant.

A covenant is commonly defined in our language today as a solemn promise that may be conditional or unconditional. Some covenants offer promises to the recipients if they keep their part of the deal. That’s a conditional covenant. On other occasions, God makes an absolute covenant promise regardless of how the people respond. If God’s words to Adam in Genesis 2 constitute a covenant, then the covenant is conditioned upon Adam’s obedience to God’s command. What God promises Noah and his sons in this text, however, is an unconditional covenant. This fact alone is a significant thing to consider in our study today because it provides important truth about the character of the LORD.

First, notice that God included Noah’s sons in his audience. He didn’t just speak to Noah. I don’t recall the LORD including Noah’s sons in his message concerning the flood and the building of the ark. It was upon Noah to share God’s message and for Noah’s sons to follow him by faith. One can only imagine what that must have been like for Noah’s sons. “God’s going to do what?” “Water is going to come down from the heavens?” “You’re going to build a large boat and we are going to live on it with a bunch of animals?” I would think they believed their dad was a bit crazy. However, concerning this covenant promise, they each hear the same message. It seems to me that God is drawing them into a closer relationship, wanting to mitigate any fears that the God who brought about the flood might do it all again each time it started raining. It’s God’s way of helping them understand that he will not get angry and resort to annihilation at the drop of a hat. There are people today who live under this kind of fear that God is just looking for an excuse to smack them down. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

What’s more, is that God explained to Noah and his sons that this covenant promise extends to all living creatures. It reveals that God values animals to the extent that he makes an unconditional covenant promise to the animals and birds as well as to all humanity. What’s the promise? “Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Gen 9:11)

The text continues to explain that God’s sign of this covenant is the rainbow. I love rainbows. Whenever it rains, and the sun comes out, I often run or look outside to see if there’s a rainbow. They’re beautiful! It’s something visible that many people can see from different locations. Think about it. God made a sign for his covenant that he knew would bring joy and pleasure to look at and could be viewed by many at once. What a gift and encouraging message from the LORD. All these generations later, we get to enjoy its beauty and rest in its promise.

But the sign of the covenant is not just for us. Notice in verse 16 that God also sees it and remembers the “everlasting covenant” he has made with all living beings. I like to think about that. God doesn’t forget anything. I don’t think he has to be reminded that he made this covenant. When God “remembers” something, it’s that his promise is before him, and he acts in accordance with that promise. It’s like he’s saying, “When I see the rainbow, I will fulfill the promise I made in accordance with that sign. You can rely on it.” It communicates that God is trustworthy.

The rainbow is just one little sign of the LORD’s care for all living things, of his peace, beauty, and trustworthiness. Reflect on that this week.

Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

Gen. 9:7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

Last week, I focused primarily on the first three verses of chapter 9 and the LORD's curious and perhaps disturbing proclamation regarding the relationship between humanity and animals. What should be obvious to all readers is that through the flood, God has not reset things back to the perfect condition in which he created the earth. He’s already made it clear that the evil tendencies of humanity will continue. Yet, he still blessed Noah and his sons and gave them the same command that he’d given Adam. In other words, life is going to continue for some time, and it will not be easy or perfect. In fact, one of the sources of sustenance for humanity would be meat. There is somewhat of a paradox in that proclamation because God had created the animals and pronounced them “good.” When God made Adam and gave him responsibility for naming the animals, we get a picture of harmony between beast and man. However, after the flood, that relationship significantly changed. As we continue looking at this narrative, perhaps we can better understand what God is doing in light of what else is revealed.

After we read in verse three, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything,” God provided a severe qualification for this provision that required they not eat the flesh with its blood. (v. 4) If I understand this correctly, the idea is that a living being’s life force is in the blood. If someone was going to kill an animal for meat, the blood must be drained from the flesh. It would be hung up, and the blood allowed to drip into the ground. The picture is that of the people respecting the animal's life and God’s provision enough to give the life force back to God.

So, as we are trying to piece together an explanation of why God is allowing this, it would make the most sense to understand this allowance or provision as a gracious act of provision for humanity. Indeed, this is not the ideal from what we know about God’s creation in Genesis 1. But absolutely nothing else is ideal anymore. The sin of people has had a devastating effect upon every aspect of life and has led God to bring this great act of judgment upon a great rebellion, and now this “reboot” of sorts is not a new creation with perfect people. God already knows that. But we haven’t yet encountered the seed of the woman that will crush the head of the serpent. Things are still messed up. Yet, the LORD is not treating Noah and his sons with contempt but mercy. He blessed them. So, he offers this proclamation as a means of mercy, grace, and provision for survival in the still-broken world.

As I suggested last week, I even suspect the LORD understood or intended this act of gaining food by the killing of an animal to remind them that it was man’s sin that brought this about. By requiring the blood to be drained would be a reminder of the cost for that person to eat the meat. It’s an act of acknowledgment that this provision came from the LORD and the life force was being given back to God.

Verses 5-6, then make a subsequent qualification. While animal life is permitted to be taken, one cannot take the life of a person except in the case where that person has taken the life of another person. Later, when the Law was given, there were stipulations that allowed capital punishment. However, the primary point of our text is the distinction between animal and human lives. Humans are made in the image of God. In other words, there is a God-designed value of human beings that distinguishes them from animals.

This section concludes with a repetition of God’s blessing upon Noah and his family to reproduce and fill the earth.

This text is not about the justification for a barbeque. This text reveals that God wants us to understand his value for us. This section begins and ends with God blessing Noah and his sons. There is a strong emphasis on the value of humanity because they are made in God’s image. If we really believed that all humanity was highly valued by God, as explained in this section, how would this world look? I think it would be radically different.

Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. Gen. 9:7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

It’s not uncommon to read something in the Scriptures, especially what Christians call the Old Testament, that confuses us and even gives cause for offense. This latter case happens when either the LORD or people do or say things that are contrary to the values and ideas of our own culture and era. There are examples of people who, since the time of Christ, and the completion of the New Testament Scriptures that people have been offended by what they read in the Old Testament. They have suggested that the God of the Old Testament is evil and, therefore, the Old Testament should be ignored. There are many problems with this notion that the Church has addressed and deemed this idea as heresy. Chiefly, Jesus himself frequently directed people to the Hebrew Scriptures to help people understand that they prophesied about him and that he is the fulfillment of those Scriptures. Likewise, the apostles interpreted the same Old Testament Scriptures to explain that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. In short, all the Scriptures of our Bible are to be highly revered by Christians as special revelation from God to humanity. So, in all likelihood, when we are offended by something in the Scriptures, it is not because what is there is wrong. It’s due to our limited comprehension of what it is about and its significance in God’s plan and for our ultimate good.

I would never want to communicate the notion that my interpretations of the Scriptures are perfect. I read the Scriptures, use the tools I’ve been trained to use in consulting the original languages, consult scholars for their help in understanding difficult passages, and make a decision as to where I either land or lean in interpreting the passage. To quote many who’ve come before me, “Let’s major on the major and minor on the minor.” The most important things in the Scriptures are things that are mostly emphasized and made clear. So, with this in mind, what’s happening with Noah and his family after they come off the ark?

The first thing we notice is something that has been emphasized before. God blessed the people and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (9:1)” This is what God did with Adam and Eve. Here’s an important truth of the Scriptures that is becoming very clear. God wants his people, his image bearers, to receive his blessing and enjoy the life He has given them and to have children who may also enjoy his blessing of life and provision.

Here comes one of those confusing and offensive parts. In verses 2-3, God told Noah and his family, “The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.”

What we are reading here is the first recorded instance of God permitting humanity to eat meat. Certainly, this would be most offensive to vegans who avoid eating animal products out of conscience. What are we to do with this? Why would God appear to be so concerned about animals that he would protect the species on the ark and then, once they were through the flood, permit the people to eat meat?

It seems to me this goes back to the creation account. God made the plants and the animals and then made humanity. Humans alone were specified as being made in the image of God. God even gave them the responsibility to name the animals, which shows the authority God had given Adam over the animals. In other words, according to the first chapters of the Bible, there is a distinction between animals and humanity. This is different from the view that mankind is another species of animal. When the first people disobeyed God’s command and listened to the voice of a serpent, the paradigm was upended. The people’s attempt to cover their own guilt and shame was inadequate to God. Instead, only His provision could suffice to cover their guilt. He did this by providing coverings of animal skin. Death was/is the consequence of sin. The animal sacrifice by God was a type of substitutionary atonement for their sin. This is the principle that bears itself out in God sending His Son to die on the cross. His blood was shed. He was, as John the Baptist declared, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)”

Is it possible that God intended for us to take offense at the idea of animal sacrifice and eating meat? This allowance by God for people to eat meat was certainly not God’s ideal. Otherwise, it would have been allowed and even commanded by God in the beginning. This appears to be an allowance by the LORD in order for people to survive. Noah and his family did not land in the Garden of Eden. There’s no indication or reason to assume there was an abundant supply of vegetables waiting for Noah and his family when they got off the ark. Is it possible that, as offensive as it might be to Noah and his family to eat the flesh of an animal, they were to recognize this offensive thing as a means of God’s mercy to them? The offense then serves to remind them (and us) of the consequences of sin. The effect should be that it causes us to become offended concerning our rebellious ways and not take offense at God.

I will continue this thought and reflection upon this passage in our next episode. My encouragement to you is to pray, “Lord, help me be offended by my own sin and not your word or your grace to mankind.”

Sometimes, the Scriptures can raise as many questions as it answers. One of the reasons this happens is due to the vast historical, geographical, and cultural distance that exists between us and those of the ancient world of the Bible. The very idea of animal sacrifices, for example, is offensive to our 21st-century, western sensibilities. That’s true even for those of us who believe the Bible and trust in the God of the Bible. Another reason is that there were many things that happened that the Bible doesn’t tell us about. We are left to make inferences and speculate how people got from “point A to point B” in terms of their worship and ways of life. I’m certain that both of these factors are in play in this section we’re reading today.

In these few verses, we might ask ourselves, “Why did Noah build an altar and sacrifice animals on it?” “Why did this please God? Didn’t God instruct Noah to take the animals on the ark to preserve them?” “How did Noah know what animals were ‘clean’?” And more.

Let’s examine this. First, unless I’m mistaken, the only specific acts of sacrifice in worship recorded in the Scriptures up to now are those of Cain and Abel. Abel brought an animal sacrifice, and Cain brought a sacrifice of food. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s. It’s not uncommon for people to infer that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because it was an animal sacrifice and rejected Cain’s because it was a food offering. But the text doesn’t tell us that. Instead, it suggests that the reason for God accepting Abel’s sacrifice was because it was the best of what he had. Conversely, Cain brought “some” of his produce, suggesting that it wasn’t the best. In other words, the difference between the sacrifices was not about what was offered as it was how it was offered. Abel’s attitude about the LORD was of gratitude and awe of God, and Cain’s wasn’t. This is confirmed when God approaches Cain to correct him and Cain refuses to listen to the LORD.

It seems that this is what we are witnessing in Noah’s sacrifice. God has fulfilled his promise and delivered them safely through this flood, and Noah is expressing his thankfulness and awe of what God has done.

How did Noah know which animals were ‘clean’? We don’t. What we do know is that this story was written by Moses long after the flood and after God had given the Law to Israel that designates what animals were clean or unclean. What this account does is confirm to Israel that the God who has delivered them out of bondage in Egypt has revealed Himself previously to their ancestors. This God who has just given them the Law has not just come up with a new, arbitrary set of rules. God had revealed this before. It was just not important enough to document exactly when that happened. What is revealed is that God had seven pairs of the clean animals and birds on the ark versus the one pair of all the other animals. Noah didn’t seem to question this. Perhaps Noah understood the “extra” animals were God’s provision for such a sacrifice. Perhaps Noah even recognized this as a sign that God really would get them through this ordeal.

This sacrifice pleased the LORD, and, in response, he made a threefold promise “in his heart.” How would Noah or, later on, Moses know what God had said in his heart? Again, we don’t know. However, if we apply one of our common principles of interpretation, examining the context, we discover in the next chapter that God reveals his resolve to Noah through a covenant promise. (See Genesis 9:11-17) What God promised to Noah and all humanity in this covenant is consistent with what he resolved “in his heart.”

The first part of this threefold resolution of God is interesting. He had just judged the earth by water because of the evil of humanity in the world. God resolves to “never curse the ground again because of man.” The interesting part is the reason he gives for this resolution. He explains, “for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Wow! There’s a statement we should not jump past too quickly. We so often want to assume the best in people. But God doesn’t. What this means is not that God has abandoned his value of humanity. If that were true, he would not have bothered to spare Noah and his sons and their wives. While Noah is declared righteous, God hasn’t overlooked that he is not perfect, and neither are his sons and daughters-in-law. The sin problem will continue and God is acknowledging that. Yet, God had a plan and “the seed” was still to come at that point. God would still execute his plan despite humanity’s tendency to do what is “evil.”

The last question I’ll raise for this section and attempt to address is, “Does the apocalyptic prophecy in Revelation contradict the LORD’s resolution here in Genesis? I believe the answer to that is “no.” Revelation speaks of a final judgment for the very same cause that brought the judgment by flood. Yet, the final judgment is a fiery destruction of the earth and the creation of a new heaven and new earth. Those whom the LORD deems righteous will be delivered eternally to an eternal life on the new earth where sin will be eradicated because “the seed” will have made that possible. The point then of this promise is that Noah and all people who live after him are not to live in fear every time it rains or every time there’s a drought. The LORD will sustain his creation and life within the earth until he has fulfilled all that he’s promised, despite the ongoing problem of humanity’s evil tendencies.

This text affirms God’s right to judge evil. It reveals his desire to offer life and provision revealing his patience, love for his living creatures, and resolve to fulfill every promise he makes. This is a God that is worthy of our thankfulness and awe and to whom we should direct our best worship.

Gen. 8:6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

Gen. 8:13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

While I have selected a larger-than-normal segment of Scripture for this episode, my primary focus is the important principle in verse 1, “But God remembered . . .” Everything that follows the first verse in this section is the result of God’s remembrance of Noah, his family, and all the animals on the ark. They are delivered from God’s judgment upon the earth by the flood.

This may seem obvious to some people, but I think it’s worth noting that God hasn’t forgotten about them. For people who will have lived on this floating zoo for over a year when it’s all said and done, there would certainly be a temptation to think that God has forgotten about them. The form of the Hebrew word that is translated as “remembered” is probably best understood as “calling to mind.” Think of it like this. You have a number of things you have on your to-do list or people that you know and love with whom you haven’t communicated in a while. You haven’t forgotten about them. But there comes a point when addressing a certain need or contacting a certain person becomes your single priority. You focus on and prioritize that action or person. This is what is described in Genesis 8:1. God is prioritizing the deliverance of the people and the animals on the ark for the purpose of them exiting the ark back to dry land where God will bless them and charge them to be fruitful and multiply. If you get nothing else out of this text, I hope you will understand and value that God’s remembering of Noah is associated with God’s good intent, protection, and purpose for Noah. This is a repeated theme or principle throughout the Scriptures that has relevance for us.

What follows is the beginning of God’s action from his good intent for Noah and all living things on the ark. The rain stopped, and God sent a “wind” over the earth to dry it up. Does this sound familiar? Go back and read Genesis 1:2. It is the same Hebrew word that is translated “spirit” in Genesis 1:2 that is translated “wind” here in Genesis 8:1. I believe this is intentional and is likely the Holy Spirit that is working to prepare the earth for the “reboot” that is about to happen. It’s communicating to the reader that God still has the good intent and purpose for creatures that he had in the beginning. What an encouragement!

Noah responded to what God did. God stopped the rain, and the waters started to abate. Noah didn’t cower inside the ark in fear that God wasn’t done. Noah trusted the Lord and sent out the birds, anticipating that dry land would appear and vegetation would begin to grow again. In a sense, what Noah is doing is “remembering” the Lord. Noah has trusted the Lord and knows that God is faithful to his word. Noah is calling to mind God’s character.

It’s in verse 15 that the LORD speaks again. God commanded that every living thing on the ark leave the ark and go out onto the earth, and “be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” (v. 17) The same command God gave when he first created living things at the beginning of time. Already, there is an expectation within this command that they will be able to fulfill it. They will not have to fear that they will need to retreat to the ark the next time it rains. In God’s command is the expected promise that he will make it possible to fulfill that command.

I think there are many people who live life anticipating that God is just waiting for an opportunity to smack them down. This is not only contrary to what the Scriptures reveal about God, it’s also unfortunate because they are missing out on the blessings that come through God’s remembering us. He calls us to mind. He is concerned for us and desires the life and deliverance that comes through his provision and our responseful obedience to his commands.

As one who’s had the privilege of studying under very accomplished scholars in the original languages of the Bible and who specialize in researching the ancient people in the Bible, one learns that even the experts disagree on interpretation and meaning at times. We can learn a lot by listening to these scholars. But we also need to discern where there is a splitting of hairs on issues that, quite frankly, are not helpful in understanding the big picture of what is being revealed. One example, in my mind, is the argument for a “local flood” rather than a global flood. This is the idea that the flood of Genesis did not encompass the world but the region where Noah lived. Scholars who hold this view have their reasons for interpreting this story as such. However, the reason why I believe it’s irrelevant is evident in this text.

In order to show this, let’s return to one of my favorite indicators that help us understand the message of this section of the flood story of Genesis. That indicator is “repetition.” Things that are repeated bring emphasis or focus upon what’s important. The first thing that I see repeated is “the waters prevailed.” This is not to say that there was a lot of water. There was a lot of water. But the point here is not the quantity of water, as it is the collective power and destructive effect that the water had upon the earth. In the beginning, God had separated the waters above from the waters below and caused the dry earth to appear (a separation of the water from the dry land). Now, the picture that is painted is one of the waters coming together to overwhelm the dry land and all life on it. The curse upon the earth was brought on by mankind’s disobedience. Now, mankind’s disobedience is being judged, seemingly, by the natural elements negatively impacted by that disobedience. Perhaps this overwhelming and chaotic scene was God’s way of saying, “I’m going to put the earth back under the chaotic, watery condition it was in before I separated the waters, brought forth dry land and filled these spheres with living things.” Humanity was given the authority to rule over creation, but in this divinely willed act, the waters prevailed and ruled over mankind and all living things on the dry land.

Verse 20 tells us that the waters prevailed fifteen cubits deep over the mountain tops. What’s the point in telling us that? It’s like the author is telling us how big this “monster” is that is prevailing. It’s certainly giving us details that nothing was going to be able to escape this judgment, with the exception of those who were on the ark. That which prevailed over all the dry land and all the living things on the dry land also bore up the ark and did not prevail over its inhabitants.

The next few verses (21-23) give us the next repetition. “All flesh died.” The statements in these few verses make it clear that nothing survived that was not on the ark, except for sea creatures. It emphasizes that what God said he was going to do, he did it exactly as he said he would.

This is where we see the pointlessness of arguing over a global versus local flood theory. Either way, the text does not seem to indicate any hyperbole, but rather a clear and precise fulfillment of God’s prophesied judgment upon the earth and the life therein.

If we need any more help, the second half of verse 23, “Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark,” tells us plainly that nothing else survived. Why? The reason that has already been emphasized to the reader is that God deemed Noah righteous. Noah was the one who did “all that God commanded him.”

The message to the reader then is, first, God perfectly and completely judges disobedience. Nothing will escape God’s notice, and he will not let some things slide. Secondly, God alone perfectly judges who is righteous. God will rescue and protect from his prevailing judgment all those he deems righteous. Romans chapter three explains that Jesus Christ alone is perfectly righteous, and those who place their trust in him have his righteousness imputed to them. Because of that, those who have trusted in Jesus can rest knowing that we will be delivered from the ultimate coming judgment and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God. What a great hope!

Gen. 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

To begin this day’s observations of the flood story of Genesis, I want you to notice Noah’s age. When the flood began, he was six hundred years old. Just a little over a chapter ago, he was only five hundred years old. It was after he turned five hundred that he fathered his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The LORD’s instructions to him to build the ark commanded Noah to take his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law. Apparently, there are no grandchildren in the picture yet. The point I’m getting to is that it may have taken 70-80 years to build the ark according to the instructions given by the LORD. That’s a long time for the word to get out what Noah is doing and for people to come by and ask, “What’s this all about?” We don’t know that they did. But I think it’s safe to say that if anyone undertook this project today, the word would get out pretty quickly. It strikes me that God never told Noah not to allow other people on the boat. The Scriptures only tell us that God was showing grace and mercy to Noah and his family because Noah was obedient to the LORD. God was telling Noah, “This is how I’m going to deliver you and your family from this destruction I’m bringing.” While it’s outside of the context of what the Scriptures tell us explicitly, it seems entirely possible, and likely even, that if someone had heard about God’s coming judgment and repented, I think God would have spared them as well. But that’s an argument from silence. There’s no indication that happened, even though the ark was possibly under construction for 70-80 years.

I make this conjecture because people often interpret a story like this as God being mean. In reality, however, this story shows God’s patience in that he did not bring this judgment until people were so wicked that nothing God did would bring them to repentance. They had plenty of time as Noah constructed this ark to ask questions and consider the implications, yet refused to respond to God’s mercy and revelation. I think they were likely cursing God as the flood waters rose.

Much of this text emphasizes the obedience to God’s commands to Noah, his family, and the animals. They entered the ark. The other thing that is highlighted is that what God had been telling Noah for nearly 100 years was fulfilled precisely. The text is so detailed that it mentions the day the flood started, with the rain continuing non-stop for forty days. This detail is joined with a description of how violently it began. Water came from every direction. It burst forth from the ground and from the sky above. It’s a frightening scene to imagine and one that I believe should inform our thoughts about God’s wrath. God consistently shows himself to want the best for people. The Scriptures speak of his desire for us to enjoy the life he has given us, his desire to commune with us, and his patience and love for mankind. But he is also a holy God who does not turn a blind eye to rebellion, violence, injustice, and other manners of evil. He justly and righteously judges sin. We should fear that wrath and respond to his loving and patient offer to deliver us from any judgment we might deserve.

My final thought on this section is the concluding remark in verse 16: “And the LORD shut him in.” God instructed Noah to make one door on the side of the ark. Noah had put pitch on the ark's outside and inside to help waterproof it. But what about the door? How did the door get sealed after Noah and his family were inside the ark? Verse 16 tells us, “the LORD shut him in.” I think this is an important image for us as well. In Christ, we are invited to enter into the one door into God’s protection and blessing and God makes that a secure place to be. Whatever we think might be a liability, God has it covered.

I want to point out that whenever you see the word LORD in all caps, it represents the divine name. Later, in Exodus, when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush and commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asked him for his name in order that he could tell the Israelites the name of their God who would lead them out of bondage to a promised land of provision and protection. The transliteration of Hebrew to English for God’s response comes out most often as “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” (Exod. 3:15) It’s unknown whether this name had been revealed before and, therefore, sounded familiar to the Hebrews. Accepting Mosaic authorship, it would seem that Moses specified the divine name here in verses one and five of chapter seven to communicate to the Hebrews that their God was with Noah and showed him compassion while also judging violence and wickedness on the earth. In other words, it should have sent them a message that they should do what God told them.

Chapter six had already ended with Noah doing all that God commanded him. Now, chapter seven begins with a repetition and emphasis on how God deemed Noah righteous. Notice that in speaking to Noah, the LORD says, “I have seen that you are righteous before me.” (Gen. 7:1) There is both repetition and contrast in this action of seeing. On one hand, Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good for food and able to make one wise (Gen. 3:6). Through her senses and letting the serpent’s deceit influence her judgment, she ate the fruit and disobeyed the LORD. In Genesis 6:2, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” This was depicted as a perverse thing that brought more wickedness among humanity. The point is that mankind is inclined to see and judge according to their own desires. God alone sees and makes righteous decisions. This is another principle the Israelites needed to understand to follow the LORD into the land he gave them. It’s a principle we need to appropriate ourselves.

Noah had already received the instruction that a male and female pair of every animal and bird that came onto the ark would be preserved. There are people who have devoted their lives to defending how a boat this size could contain representatives of every kind of animal and explain how they could have survived this ordeal. The Ark Encounter in Kentucky was created for this very reason. It’s a full-scale replica of the ark that people can tour and learn about the perspective that this event really occurred according to the description in Genesis. I’ve not been to this place myself. But I’m not in need of being convinced that this flood actually occurred in a divine act of judgment for humanity’s violence and God’s compassion to spare Noah’s family and the creatures upon the ark. Squabbles over various questions are, I think, distractions from the big picture of the meta-narrative. But now God specifies “seven” of each clean animal. Is it seven individuals of each or seven pairs of each as represented in this translation? The Hebrew doesn’t actually use a word for “pairs” here. However, the context seems to support the idea of pairs. So, I’ll go with that. Why seven of the clean and only one pair of the unclean animals? Well, for one, we’re going to see how Moses will sacrifice clean animals to the LORD once they are safely off the ark after the flood. Furthermore, the Israelites will not be allowed to eat the meat of unclean animals. There is no indication that Noah and his family ate meat on the ark. However, things will change after the flood.

I don’t know if there is anything significant about the rain starting in seven days and continuing for forty days. Some see a connection here between the forty days of rain (judgment) with the forty years of wandering (judgment) for the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness. One thing is sure, and that it denotes specificity. There is no ambiguity in what the LORD says to Noah. I am amazed when people tell me they had a dream or a word from the LORD, and it seems clear to me that the so-called word is not consistent with what the LORD has clearly revealed in his special revelation, the Bible. We need to be careful when ascribing some belief or action we are taking to the LORD. It always needs to be brought to what is apparent in the Scriptures.

This section concludes with another repeated statement, “And Noah did all the LORD commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5) If we learn nothing else from the story of Noah and the flood, it should be that we should seek to do what the LORD has commanded us. What is that? Jesus told his disciples, “Love one another!” (John 13:34) There’s a good starting point.

OK. Sometimes, I pick a few verses and say a lot about them. Now is the occasion to pick a more extensive text and say relatively little. Why? In either case, the purpose is to highlight what’s important. To begin with, let’s begin by exercising one of my favorite interpretive questions. Do you see anything repeated? We ask that because repetition often brings emphasis. Here’s a hint. Read or listen through this text again and listen for what sounds like hyperbole, words that describe extreme quantity or degrees of something.

The setting of this sub-narrative is a repetition and emphasis of what has already been described earlier in chapter six. The point the author is clearly making is how bad people had become in the days of Noah. Verse 13 records, “the earth was filled with violence.” It paints a pretty graphic scene for us, doesn’t it? But the word I’m thinking about in particular is the word “all.” Verse 12 says, “for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth,” and God’s response to that in verse 13, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh.” The extent of the wickedness and violence evident by humanity at that time was evoking a corresponding response of judgment by the LORD.

Why is this important to observe and consider? I believe it’s easy for people to downplay the seriousness or extent of the human condition to not act according to God’s character. We think, “Surely it wasn’t that bad.” The subsequent thought could then easily be, “That seems a bit of a harsh response by God.” My question is, “What are we doing when we entertain those thoughts?” Fundamentally, we make ourselves to be God. We decide that we can adequately judge what is right or wrong, and then we act as though we are God’s judge. Perhaps it’s better to read this and think, “Wow! What would that look like in our world right now if the earth was absolutely ‘filled with violence?’” That would be horrible, wouldn’t it? Clearly, things had come a long way from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s simple act of disobedience had a significant impact far beyond themselves. I think the same thing holds true for us today. Our simple acts of disobedience can have a significant negative impact on others.

The next thing that stands out to me is the specific details of how the ark should be built. Why is this important? Scholars of ancient cultures point out that there are cataclysmic flood stories in various cultures and suggest that this story is borrowed from another culture. They suggest that a flood story is simply a fictional story that is important in those cultures for one reason or another. But one has to ask themselves what the purpose would be of the LORD instructing Noah to make it of gopher wood, have three decks, and construct it according to very specific dimensions. It seems to me that in a world that had moved so far from following the LORD, the fact that God gave very specific commands concerning the construction of this ark and Noah “did all that God commanded him” (notice the all again) reveals that these details are historical and this isn’t early fantasy/adventure literature. It’s a story about humanity’s unfaithfulness to the LORD, the LORD’s sovereign judgment upon their violence, Noah’s faithfulness to obey the LORD, and the LORD’s faithfulness to preserve life and blessing.

This last element of the LORD’s faithfulness is revealed in the covenant he promised to establish with Noah. A covenant is a solemn promise by which the covenant maker accepts a curse upon themselves if they do not fulfill their part of the covenant. In this case, God is taking sole responsibility for the covenant. Notice that this covenant does not just promise that Noah and his family will survive the flood. But in his detailed instructions for this ark, the LORD commands that male and female of every animal come into the ark, suggesting the LORD has long-term plans for reestablishing a continuance of life on the earth as the LORD had planned it.

This story reveals the holiness and righteousness of the LORD. While the LORD is patient, he will not tolerate injustice and violence indefinitely. In his sovereign authority, it is his right to bring judgment upon violations against his righteous standard. Yet the LORD will preserve the righteous as he did with Noah. These principles remain true for us today. As we witness the violence and injustices in our world today, we can be confident that God will someday judge the earth again but will deliver those he deems righteous.

You may already be thinking, “What! That’s it? Two verses?” I was tempted to include the next section. But it is a bit long, and there are some essential elements of this text concerning the greater narrative that I thought deserved our undivided attention.

First, did you notice any repetition in this text of what has already been covered in Genesis up to this point? How about the term “generations?” Go back and check out Genesis 2:4 and Genesis 5:1. The first occurrence of this term speaks of the “generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” (Gen 2:4). The second introduces the genealogy of Adam through Seth’s descendants up to Noah. Now, this third occurrence speaks only of Noah and his three sons. What’s up with this?

The Hebrew term transliterated “toledot” is often represented by the English word “generations.” But it’s more than just a word for descendants or generations. It is a structural marker in the narrative literature. It advances the greater narrative by focusing on a specific group of people because they are going to be important in the continuation of the story, leading the reader toward the solution for the crisis revealed in Genesis chapter 3. The “generations of the heavens and the earth” toledot focus on Adam and Eve and their two sons, Cain and Abel. With the murder of Abel by Cain, neither of them can fulfill the role of “the seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent. So, the next occurrence of “generations” helps us focus on Adam’s descendants through Seth, whom God appointed as a substitute for Abel. But then mankind became very wicked, and God determined to wipe out humanity. Of course this problem makes us wonder how the seed of the woman could appear to fulfill the promise God had made. But the section concludes with “but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8) So, now this “toledot” signals a focus on Noah and his three sons. It seems to me this suggests the LORD was serious about wiping out all living things from the face of the earth (Gen 6:7). But Noah, finding favor in the eyes of the LORD, would be spared this judgment along with his family.

Why would the LORD do this? Was God’s choice arbitrary? Was it fair and just? I believe this section answers that. The text delivers a three-fold description of why Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. First, “Noah was a righteous man.” That means that his thoughts, words, and actions were deemed consistent with the LORD’s character and expectations for mankind. His life stood in stark contrast to others in the world at that time. How righteous was he? The second description tells us that he was “blameless in his generation.” I don’t think this means that he was a sinless person all his life. But according to the LORD’s assessment, he was blameless. In the end, isn’t that the only assessment that really matters? Finally, the text tells us that “Noah walked with God.” Hold the horses! We’ve heard that before, haven’t we? There is some more repetition. Back in Genesis 5:21-24, it is twice mentioned that Enoch walked with God. In verse 24, Enoch is the first person of whom it is said did not die. God just took him. Therefore, walking with God seems to suggest that this is the highest assessment from God that one can receive. Why is that?

Walking with someone suggests that you want to be with that person. In being with that person, you are listening to what they have to say, understanding what they value, sharing the same values and interests. This is why Noah found favor with the LORD. Noah walked with God, and it impacted his life rather than letting the culture around him influence his thinking and his actions.

With verse 10 naming Noah’s three sons, we have an indication that humanity would continue regardless of the destruction that would soon come upon the earth. Is Noah the seed? One thing is certain: his father’s pronouncement that Noah would bring rest from their labors would be fulfilled for a while.

The primary things I wanted to point out is how this story of Noah is a sub-story of the greater one that began in Genesis 1, and we need to keep thinking about the meta-narrative as we progress through Genesis and the Scriptures. Secondly, our desire in our own life of faith is to walk with God.

Gen. 6:5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

I suspect there are few passages in all of Scripture that are more debated and discussed in church Sunday school rooms and parking lots than these first few verses in Genesis 6. What is meant by “sons of God” and “daughters of man”? Furthermore, who were the Nephilim? What is the point of all this? One common question is, “Does the term ‘sons of God’ refer to angels?” In other words, is the author suggesting that angels or demons had sexual relations with human women? I believe the definitive answer is that no one can be absolutely certain of the mysteries in this section. The original audience probably understood these terms and their significance. But it’s been lost over time.

One thing we can be certain of is that what transpired and is described here is an unholy union of marriages and procreation, and it led to problems. The context makes it clear that the actions described lead to more wickedness on the earth. Personally, I’m inclined to interpret “sons of God” as men in the lineage from Seth to Noah that was just given to us in chapter 5 and not supernatural beings. The emphasis appears to be on the contrast between “sons of God” to “daughters of man.” The author adds that these sons of God were attracted to these women based upon their beauty, and they chose any they wanted based on these criteria rather than a shared commitment to the LORD. Perhaps Hebrew scholars can better discern the nuances of the language and the narrative. It just seems that there is a contrast here of some men who are born within this lineage appointed by God who, like Eve, made decisions based upon what they saw and wanted and not God’s revelation. They married women who were from families that rejected God. Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, the Israelites were constantly warned not to marry outside of Israel because the foreign wives worshipped foreign gods.

However one interprets this, these actions exasperated the LORD, and he determined that humans' life spans would be reduced and, generally speaking, not continue past 120 years of age. This is in stark contrast to the people who had lived hundreds of years.

Verse 5 makes it clear that something about the unholy marriages between these two classifications of people leads to increased wickedness throughout the earth. Speaking of humanity in the third person singular terms, he says, “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen 6:5b) That is very significant.

Verses 6-7 emphasize the LORD’s grief concerning the wickedness of humanity and regret that he’d made mankind. Considering that humanity was his crowning achievement by his own will, this is tragic, and humanity as a whole was as far away from the presence of the LORD as possible. God determined that he would wipe out all living things. If we’re tracking with the greater narrative, this should prompt us to ask the obvious question, “What about the promised seed of the woman?” Is the LORD going to renege on his promise? Our fears are partially assuaged in verse 8. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Do you remember what Noah’s dad said when naming his son? He said, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (Gen 5:29) In spite of how everything else has gone on around him and the overall wickedness of people in the world, Noah has lived favorably before the LORD. Is Noah the seed? Stay tuned.

The important thing for us is to identify themes that appear repeatedly and take them to heart. For one, God’s word and purpose for us are to be the guide and standard for our actions in life, not what we desire through our senses. Secondly, by the grace of God, may we find favor in the eyes of the LORD regardless of what the rest of the world is doing.

Gen. 5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Gen. 5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

Gen. 5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

It is so tempting to just jump over genealogies and “get to the good stuff.” But I’m reminded of what the apostle Paul writes to his disciple Timothy, “All Scripture given by inspiration from God is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness in order that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped.” (2 Tim 3:16-17 my paraphrase) Let’s see what we can find in this family tree that may be useful for us.

The first thing that I observe is that this is not an exhaustive genealogy. Cain and Abel aren’t listed. Abel is now dead, and Cain and his descendants are not in consideration for this genealogy. Clearly, the author has a purpose. That purpose is not primarily for future generations of this line to figure out who their third cousins are twice removed. This genealogy traces the lineage from Adam through his son Seth, the son appointed by God to replace Abel, all the way down to Noah. In other words, it’s leading us down a family line of men who, from all evidence we have in the Scriptures, are following the LORD.

I’m sure these men weren’t perfect. However, the extremely long life spans recorded for many of these individuals may indicate God’s blessing of life and his desire to use them to fulfill his will to fill the earth with other people who reflect God’s image. Of course, that logic has its limitations in a way when the narrative informs us that Enoch only got to live 365 years. Why? Because he “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen 5:24) Wow! Enoch’s obedience to and fellowship with the LORD led the LORD to give Enoch a bypass on the death experience. Unless I’m mistaken, Enoch and Elijah are the only two people in Biblical history who don’t die. The LORD simply takes them into his presence.

In verse 28 we read about a man named Lamech. Wait a minute. Haven’t we already read about Lamech? Wasn’t he a descendant of Cain who also committed murder and mocked God? Answer: Different Lamech. This Lamech had a son that he named Noah and we are given a proclamation or prophecy concerning Noah. Lamech says, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” (v. 29) What I get from this is that by the time we get to Lamech after all these generations, God’s promise of a “seed of the woman” who will crush the head of the serpent and bring resolution to the conflict of the curse has not been forgotten. It has been passed down through this line of descendants.

This genealogy of chapter five advances the greater story that hope in deliverance from the curse has not been lost. There is so much more we could ask about this chapter. For instance, “How was it possible that people lived so long?” All I can say is that this genealogy seems to present each of these people as historical individuals who are born, grow up, marry, have sons and daughters, and die. The literature does not suggest in any way that they are mythical creatures. So, I suggest we just take it at face value, and maybe someday we’ll understand these things.

My “take home” from this chapter is that God values a faithful relationship with us and wants us to have life. Furthermore, we must not just accept God’s promises for ourselves but pass them on to other generations. May the LORD help us walk with God as did Enoch, and look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God restoring all Creation to his will and completely removing the curse.

So last week, we read about what happened through rebellious Cain’s descendants. To put it briefly, the narrative describes it as a “like father, like son” outcome. We are left wondering what hope there is for “the seed of the woman” to crush the head of the serpent. Abel, whose worship was accepted by the LORD, was dead, and Cain’s descendant Lamech, also a murderer, demonstrates even a greater defiance and mocking of God than Cain. This heightens the crisis of humanity’s distance from the presence and fellowship with the LORD.

As chapter four closes with these two verses, it sets up a genealogy of Adam in chapter five that advances the greater narrative in the direction of hope. It is sometimes amusingly said that the only command from the LORD that people have faithfully obeyed is “be fruitful and multiply.” So, Adam and Eve have not failed in this command and have another son. They exercise their God-given authority to name this son Seth. Notice that our text offers an explanation for his name, “for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.’” (Gen 4:25b) How does this explanation fit with this name? The name “Seth” in Hebrew sounds almost exactly like the word that means “appointed.” Let’s stop for a minute and reflect upon the importance of this revelation.

From the standpoint of the greater narrative, this recognizes the crisis that I just identified. Righteous Abel is dead, and Cain and his line continue on a path of rebellion against the LORD. The narrator reveals that Eve identified the problem but somehow recognized that this son had been appointed by the LORD to replace the righteous Abel. How did she know that? Did she just assume it, or did the LORD somehow reveal that to them? It’s not clear from the text. I am inclined to think that if the LORD felt the need to specifically explain that to them, it would be in our Scriptures. Therefore, it seems to me that Eve is drawing this conclusion based on God’s previous revelation and promise that she would have a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent. Why is this important to us? Eve has learned a hard lesson in not only listening to what God says but trusting that the LORD will fulfill his promises. This is beautiful in that Eve is learning about grace. Even though she has messed up, and it has had tragic consequences, she recognizes that God has not disowned her and reneged on his promises. His provision of this son is a gift to her, but also a divine provision to ultimately bring fulfillment of his promise, proving that he is faithful to his word. Awesome, isn’t it?

What do you think? Am I reading too much into this? Consider the next verse. Seth has a son Enosh, and the narrator tells us, “At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” (Gen 4:26) Is this not the narrator reinforcing how this appointed line trusts in the LORD? I think so. Our hope in the “seed” is sustained. The crisis is mitigated for now.

Our lesson is to know God’s word and trust that he is good, faithful, and able to fulfill his promise to redeem us to his good plan and life with God.

Gen. 4:23 Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,

then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

The first thing I’d like to address in this episode is the genealogy that proceeds from Cain after he leaves the presence of the LORD. This may sound strange, but there is no small amount of discussion and disagreement about genealogies in the Scriptures. The reason for this is that genealogies don’t necessarily work the same way in the ancient Scriptures and cultures of the Bible as they do in 21st-century Western civilization. In our society, we are solely focused on connecting the dots as far back in our ancestry as possible to try to, as best as possible, find out who we are and where our ancestors were from. If we subscribe to ancestry.com or other genealogical databases, we are not likely to omit one or more generations if possible. Some genealogies in the Scriptures omit people in the genealogy. When people in our day and culture use an ancient and foreign culture’s genealogy to calculate the number of years back to Adam and Eve and then presume from that the age of the earth, you run into potential problems. Another problem we may encounter is figuring out some hidden meaning by learning the meaning of peoples’ names in the genealogies. My objective in this study is not to make some assertion about the age of the earth or discern secret messages from the meanings of people’s names. The reason is that the Scriptures themselves are not concerned about people knowing the age of the earth. Furthermore, the Scriptures are concerned about God’s clear revelation about God, humanity, and their relationship. Therefore, we will focus on that which is more evident in the text.

There are two things about this genealogy that are of concern to us. First, I believe scholars are in agreement that where a genealogy exists, the people who wrote it and read it understand that the people listed were historical people and that we’re dealing with historical narrative rather than fantasy. Cain and these descendants were real people. The second thing is that the list of Cain’s descendants moves the story along and reveals to us that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I’m speaking of Cain’s descendant Lamech in comparison to his rebellious ancestor.

Before we get to Lamech, let’s return to the beginning of this segment of the story. It would seem that the first logical question we might ask ourselves is, “Where did Cain’s wife come from?” To this point, no clear statement in the Scriptures definitely answers this question. The best that we have is found later in Genesis 5:4 which speaks of Adam fathering “other sons and daughters.” A common assumption is that Cain’s wife was also a sister. Personally, I think it’s legitimate to say, “I don’t know. The Scriptures do not tell us” and not worry about it. It’s not that important.

What is important is how the story reveals that the first son of Cain and his wife is Enoch. Cain builds a city and names it after his son. Why is that important? Because God told Cain he would be a wanderer throughout the earth. (Gen 4:12) The story reveals that Cain has not changed his ways. He is going to do what he wants to do regardless of what God has to say about it. The fact that he names it after his son puts an exclamation mark on his act. God named the things he created and gave Adam the authority to name the animals. Now Cain is using that authority granted by God to spite God.

As this sub-story develops, we learn how the attitude is passed on and exacerbated by Lamech. “Lamech took two wives. (v. 19)” Why? Because like his ancestor Cain, he was going to do what he wanted to do. Then, in verses 23-24 he brags to his wives about the murder that he’s committed. Is he not mocking God? He doesn’t attempt to hide anything or disavow responsibility. Instead, he advertises his sin like a flag.

The point is that this story of Cain and Lamech serves to heighten the conflict in the greater narrative that began with Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Things are going to get worse. In terms of what we can learn from this for our own walk of faith is that our disobedience of God’s standards can have a much greater negative impact on other people than we can ever imagine. This reality should cause us to stop and think and ask ourselves if we care about what God says or are we going to do what we want to do?

We are in the middle of a story about two sons of Adam and Eve. They are Cain and Abel, who are, to put it in modern terms, a farmer and a rancher, respectively. They’ve each brought an offering to the LORD. But only Abel’s offering is accepted, which leads to Cain becoming very angry. The LORD confronted Cain about his attitude and encouraged him to do what was “right.” Otherwise, sin would dominate him. The principles we get from this text instruct our attitudes concerning worship and to be careful about letting our emotions get the best of us. Otherwise, we could allow sin to overtake us.

While we are in the middle of this story about these men and the conflict that is developing, we are in the early stages of a greater story. It’s the story about God and his creation of the universe and humanity and the effects of their disobedience to the one prohibitive command given to them by the LORD. I would suggest that the present conflict and what unfolds in the rest of this story is intended to show us how the effects of disobedience against the LORD’s good commands create havoc and have impact on many others.

Verse 8 makes it appear that Cain didn’t even bother considering the LORD’s grace and counsel to him. He decided to express his anger and jealousy against his brother by killing him. From my perspective, the author wants the reader to see the disparate difference between eating a piece of forbidden fruit to murder. We like to assign weight to various acts of morality or immorality, of justice and injustice. Our problem is that we don’t see the seriousness of acting in a way that is contrary to the holiness of the LORD.

Notice what happens after Cain ignores the LORD and murders his brother. The LORD shows up to have a conversation with Cain and acts like he doesn’t know what Cain has done. Does that sound familiar? This is similar to how the LORD approached Adam and Eve after they disobeyed. One would think that Adam and Eve had instructed their children, “Listen! Whatever you do, don’t try to cover it up. The LORD will call you out on it.” But Cain acts like he doesn’t know where Abel is in responding to the LORD’s inquiry. Then, he disavows any responsibility for knowing or caring. He rhetorically asks the LORD, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (v.9) Scholars have pointed out the irony in how Eve sought to know more about good and evil by disobeying the LORD, and here is one of their sons who claims to know nothing about his brother. Tragically, he knows too much about good and evil. He’s made a choice, and now he is trying to hide it from the One who is truly good.

As he did with Adam, he quickly revealed that while Cain claimed not to know where Abel was, the LORD knew exactly where he was. (v.10) It seems that as he did with Adam, he is attempting to elicit a confession from Cain. But he never gets it.

The LORD then proclaimed the judgment upon him for his crime. Whereas tending to the trees of the garden appeared to have been a pleasant and easy job for Adam, the LORD cursed the ground and informed Adam that now he would have to till the ground and his work would be toilsome in order to get the harvest. For Cain, even that effort will not be successful. He will need to wander in order to get whatever is available to him. (vs. 11-12)

Cain responded to the LORD’s pronouncement of judgment that it was too harsh. On a personal note, I feel that it may even be a bit disingenuous. He complained, “from your face I shall be hidden.” This is Cain’s way of saying, I won’t have any access to your blessings. From what has just transpired, it seems like Cain has never seriously valued what the LORD has given him. He didn’t care enough to have the right heart in his offering. He didn’t receive the gracious correction by the LORD. And he has despised both his brother and the LORD by murdering his brother Abel.

Verse 14 offers us an interesting challenge. Cain, in his plaintiff response regarding the LORD’s judgment, says, “Whoever finds me will kill me.” The question is, “Who is around that would kill him?” So far, the only people we know about are Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel and now Abel is not around. Clearly, it seems that Cain’s response indicates they weren’t the only people on the earth at that point in time. Many people believe that Adam and Eve had other children and they aren’t mentioned because it has not been relevant to the greater narrative that is being revealed. Scholars have other theories about this. But the important thing here is for us to follow the greater narrative of what is given to us. So where we are in the greater narrative of Scripture is that there was a promise for a “seed” of the woman who would crush the head of the Serpent. We are informed about Abel who responded rightly to the LORD in worship. Therefore, he appears to be a potential candidate for that role. Cain’s offering is rejected. Yet, he is offered an opportunity to make it right. He rejects that and murders his brother, the righteous seed. From a literary standpoint, there is no viable candidate for this seed who will crush the serpent’s head. Abel is dead, and Cain leaves the presence of the LORD.

To conclude this episode, my desire is that we begin to see the seriousness of sin and that, by God’s grace and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are sensitive to our options and allow God’s Spirit to lead us to the right way.

Gen. 4:3 At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Gen. 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 7 Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” (NET Bible)

I have chosen to use the New English Translation (NET Bible) instead of the ESV for this study due to its translation of Eve’s statement in verse one concerning the birth of her first son. The NET Bible reads, “I have created a man just as the LORD did,” whereas the ESV Bible translates her words as “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” Scholars are divided on exactly how to translate this. Both translations have their proponents.

My choice is based on two things. First of all, I happen to know many of the translators of the NET Bible and trust their knowledge and judgment. Secondly, this translation feels more likely or natural to me than that represented in the ESV. I take it as an exclamation of amazement. Think about it. Unless the Bible is intentionally not mentioning other children already born to Adam and Eve, Cain is the first human born. We have no idea whether they’ve witnessed even the birth of an animal. It seems to me that she is amazed and even joyful that she has accomplished something so significant. Regardless of which translation better represents the original language, I think Eve’s response reflects God’s grace to her. Even though they have messed up, God is still using them to fulfill the roles and responsibilities he gave them. They are being fruitful and are multiplying. I think the LORD is like that with us. Even though we aren’t always obedient, God does not abandon us or cease to have a purpose for us.

After the announcement of Cain’s birth. The author quickly informs us that his brother Abel is born and then we are given the career paths of both brothers. Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a farmer. From these few details, it would seem that both sons are doing something related to what the LORD had assigned to Adam. Abel is responsible over some animals, and Cain is toiling by working the ground for crops. It doesn’t appear there is any indication of wrong-doing by either one.

In verse three, we are told that “in the designated time,” both men brought a sacrifice to the LORD. Each brought a sacrifice from their respective jobs. We are not told what the designated time was or how they came to know that. In fact, we are not told how Adam and Eve or their children knew they should bring an offering to the LORD.

Some, including myself, have assumed a connection between the LORD making garments of animal skin with Abel’s offering of an animal sacrifice. This view could explain why the LORD approved of Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s. However, I would admit today that is quite an interpretive stretch and shouldn’t be considered too seriously. What is safer and a more likely reason for why the LORD accepted Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s offering is found right in the text. Notice that of Cain’s offering, it is recorded that he brought “some fruit.” (v. 3) This is followed by, “But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them.” (v. 4) What this is showing us are the attitudes or motives and offerings that corresponded to their attitude in bringing these offerings. Abel brought the first and best of what he had to offer. Cain brought “some” of what he had. Here is another principle for us. What kind of attitude do we have in bringing our offerings to the LORD?

If Cain’s attitude was not ideal when he brought the offering, it only got worse when the LORD did not receive his offering but accepted his brother’s. The text tells us he got angry. He was angry that the LORD did not accept his worship on his own terms. As I reflect upon this, I’m reminded of Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well. In response to her question about the right location of worship, Jesus informed her, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23) We need to be reminded that it’s not just about a desire or having the right emotion. We need to worship in truth as well.

We find in verse 6 that the LORD approached Cain in a manner similar to how he approached Adam after his sin. He invites Cain to explain his attitude problem. Then, in his patience and mercy, he suggested a solution followed by a warning if he didn’t heed the advice. He used the imagery of a beast or cat that is crouching to attack its unsuspecting prey. The LORD cautioned, “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” Here is probably the most important lesson in this text. Sin has a desire to dominate us, and we must subdue it. The apostle Paul gives us advice on how to do that in Romans 8. To summarize, by means of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us through faith in Christ, we “put to death the deeds of the flesh.” The Holy Spirit is with us to remind us of God’s love for us through Christ, to grant us wisdom, to teach and caution us in our walk of faith and to convict us when we let sin dominate us.

Well . . . we’re not yet done with the story of these two brothers. Who’d have thought there would be so much we could learn from some of the first people in the history of the world?

Gen. 3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Why does the statement, “The man called wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (v.20), matter to us? First of all, scholars debate the meaning of her name, which tells us they don’t really understand how it corresponds to the explanation given. So what do we do? We accept the explanation given by the text. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

This is immediately followed by the statement, “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Wait a minute! Didn’t Adam and Eve already have garments? When their eyes were opened after their disobedience, and they saw that they were naked, the text tells us they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. (Gen. 3:7) This Scripture has raised all kinds of questions and debates. The first issue is that some people see this as God initiating the first sacrifice because the garments were made of animal skins. Many people argue strongly against this by saying that this is reading back into the text something that is established later, and that the author does not intend to communicate the idea of a sacrifice. In response to this argument, I would concede that I cannot recall anywhere in all of Scripture that identifies this incident as a sacrifice. Furthermore, I believe it’s entirely possible that the author, the human author, that is, does not recognize God making garments of animal skin as a sacrifice. But what about the divine author? Is it possible that in God’s inspiration of the Scriptures, there is meaning embedded in what is written, which will not be perceived and understood until the LORD reveals more understanding of his divine plan? I think so. I am inclined to think and suggest that God, through this act, is establishing an example of the shedding of blood and substitutionary atonement for sin. In Christian theology, we understand that we have sinned like Adam and Eve and we are unable to adequately cover our shame through our own effort. The blood of Christ was shed on the cross through the divine will to meet our needs. In our modern society of electronic games, developers of games will often create hidden surprises called “Easter eggs.” I understand the risk of reading my theology back into the Hebrew Scriptures. But Jesus himself told people those Scriptures spoke of him. Essentially, Jesus stated that the Hebrew Scriptures had “Easter eggs” of revelation concerning him.

At the very least, I think it’s appropriate to understand this act of God to reveal that Adam and Eve’s efforts to cover their nakedness and shame were inadequate, and only God could appropriately address it. This leads me back to the question of why the naming of Eve and the garments of skin matter to us. I believe that what we are seeing revealed here is God’s grace. Adam and Eve had just disobeyed the LORD’s one prohibitive command, and the LORD had just revealed the consequences of their sin. Like a loving father disciplining his children for disobedience, he also shows his care for them. He is not disowning them. He still has a purpose for them. Adam acts according to the role God gave him and gives Eve a name to reflect the honor she has in becoming the mother of all living. Finally, God is giving them the covering they need for the broken world they will now live in. We need this reminder at this point in the text because God is about to expel them from the garden. We need to be reminded that when we sin, God’s discipline may be painful, but we are not disowned, and we are still valued and cared for by God.

The conclusion of this segment of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and the consequences pronounced by the LORD is found in verses 22-24. For the first time, it’s clearly revealed that the serpent used some truth in his deception of Eve. In Genesis 3:22, the LORD says, “the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.” So, he resolved to prevent the man from eating the fruit from the tree of life and living forever. In verses 23-24, the LORD expelled the man from the garden and made it impossible for him to reenter. That sounds mean and vindictive, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s quite the contrary. The LORD intended for humanity to enjoy life and all of his creation eternally, but not in a cursed world and a condition that is a far cry from that in which the people were created. How awful it would be to live forever in such a condition. Again, as strange as it may seem, this was an act of grace and not sadism.

The first few chapters of Genesis clearly reveal God’s power, goodness, patience, justice, mercy, value, and purpose for humanity. These are important principles to remember and embrace in our daily lives to encourage us and sustain our faith.

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Once again, let’s quickly review where we’ve been in this story so as to interpret this Scripture in its immediate context. When the serpent tempted Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit, she gave it to Adam, who also ate it. But the LORD confronted Adam first. He reminded him of the command he had given Adam not to eat of one specific fruit in the garden. (Gen. 3:9-11) He then interrogated Eve before addressing the serpent and pronouncing the curse upon it.

As we read last week, the LORD then backtracked to Eve to explain that the blessing of bearing children would be experienced with greater pain because of her disobedience, and the harmony designed by the LORD between her and Adam would suffer. She had been formed from Adam’s flesh and bone and received the LORD’s command through him. Yet, she listened to the lie of the serpent and brought her husband to participate in this act of disobedience. The LORD’s pronouncement to her that “he (Adam) shall rule over you” seems to suggest that she will even experience a measure of forced subjugation to Adam, something that would not have occurred or have been necessary in their pre-fallen condition.

NOTE: My opinion is that these people, made in the image of God, would have conducted themselves toward each other as do the members of the Trinity. In the New Testament, we often read that Jesus only does what the Father wants him to do. As God himself, he submits to the Father. Yet we see other Scriptures in which the Father gives all authority to the Son. In short, there appears to be mutual submission within the divine Godhead. This is important for us because we often think that submission to others makes us less important and is a negative thing. That clearly isn’t true with God. I believe what we see here is that because of sin, there will be resistance to a harmonious mutual submission and conflict within human relationships. There would be a sense of competition instead of perfect cooperation within marriage relationships. The cooperation will not be so natural now that they have acted out of accordance with God’s will and character.

In verse 17, God returns to Adam to explain the consequences of his sin. Adam will also experience pain. His work is going to get more difficult. In Genesis 2:15, Adam’s responsibility was to tend to the garden. What appeared to be easy and pleasant work will now be painful and troublesome.

Notice that this curse on the ground was not because Adam had listened to his wife. It was because he obeyed his wife’s words contrary to the LORD’s command. Adam ought to have recognized that Eve’s invitation to eat was in contrast to what the LORD had commanded, and he should have refused. In fact, he should have even tried to stop her from eating it.

The LORD cursed the ground so that Adam’s survival would be toil. The ground would produce thorns and thistles, and he would experience pain when harvesting food to eat. Finally, he would die, just as the LORD had said would happen if he disobeyed.

The most obvious takeaway from this section seems to be the importance of discerning and obeying the LORD’s words. Sometimes, people close to us may attempt to encourage us to do something that doesn’t seem right. Regardless of the relationship, we need to trust and obey God’s voice first and foremost.