Genesis 30:25-31:55 - Jacob departs from Laban

Genesis 30:25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so that I can return to my homeland. 26 Give me my wives and my children that I have worked for, and let me go. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

By this time, Jacob is ready to return to his home.  He had worked more than his seven years.

Genesis 30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 Then Laban said, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”
29 So Jacob said to him, “You know what I have done for you and your herds. 30 For you had very little before I came, but now your wealth has increased. The Lord has blessed you because of me. And now, when will I also do something for my own family?”
31 Laban asked, “What should I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You don’t need to give me anything. If you do this one thing for me, I will continue to shepherd and keep your flock. 32 Let me go through all your sheep today and remove every sheep that is speckled or spotted, every dark-colored sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the female goats. Such will be my wages. 33 In the future when you come to check on my wages, my honesty will testify for me. If I have any female goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not black, they will be considered stolen.”

So, Laban seeing that he is being blessed through Jacob wants him to stay.  He asks Jacob the same question as before, what wages do you want?  The first time it was a wife.  This time it is a flock.  Jacob wants every speckled and spotted goat and every dark colored sheep.  Seems fair, yes?  Laban keeps light colored sheep and solid colored goats.

Genesis 30:34 “Good,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”
35 That day Laban removed the streaked and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored one among the lambs, and he placed his sons in charge of them. 36 He put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob, meanwhile, was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flock.

So Laban's sons took care of Jacob's flock and Jacob took care of Laban's flock.

Genesis 30:37 Jacob then took branches of fresh poplar, almond, and plane wood, and peeled the bark, exposing white stripes on the branches. 38 He set the peeled branches in the troughs in front of the sheep—in the water channels where the sheep came to drink. And the sheep bred when they came to drink. 39 The flocks bred in front of the branches and bore streaked, speckled, and spotted young. 40 Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face the streaked and the completely dark sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and didn’t put them with Laban’s sheep.
41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs, in full view of the flocks, and they would breed in front of the branches. 42 As for the weaklings of the flocks, he did not put out the branches. So it turned out that the weak sheep belonged to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. 43 And the man became very rich. He had many flocks, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.

The trickster is at it again.  He knew how to get more sheep and goats for himself and did it.  He only wanted the strong animals in his own flock, so worked it out so that is what he got.

Genesis 31:1 Now Jacob heard what Laban’s sons were saying: “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s and has built this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same.

Laban felt as though he was being tricked out of his wealth.  Didn't he mention earlier that all his wealth was given to him because he was blessed by Jacob being there?

Genesis 31:3 Then the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
4 Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I can see from your father’s face that his attitude toward me is not the same, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked hard for your father 7 and that he has cheated me and changed my wages 10 times. But God has not let him harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born spotted. If he said, ‘The streaked sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born streaked. 9 God has taken away your father’s herds and given them to me.
10 “When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. 11 In that dream the Angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father’s household? 15 Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? For he has sold us and has certainly spent our money. 16 In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you.”
17 Then Jacob got up and put his children and wives on the camels. 18 He took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of his father Isaac in Canaan. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 He fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Jacob is living up to his name as a deceiver.  He left Laban without him knowing, took all that was his.  The Lord was with him, since it was the Lord who told Jacob to return home.

Genesis 31:22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his brothers also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war! 27 Why did you secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres, 28 but you didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly. 29 I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: ‘Watch yourself. Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father—but why have you stolen my gods?”
31 Jacob answered, “I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two female slaves, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of the camel, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing.
35 She said to her father, “Sir, don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence; I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

Laban was faithful to God and headed him warning towards Jacob.  He was angry, understandably.  Two of his children and 12 of his grandchildren (that is how many were named so far, I do not know if other daughters beside Dinah were born) we suddenly gone and some of his possessions missing.  Rachel, here, deceives her father by lying to him about why she was not standing.  She had stolen what he was looking for, and she did not want him to know.

Genesis 31:36 Then Jacob became incensed and brought charges against Laban. “What is my crime?” he said to Laban. “What is my sin, that you have pursued me? 37 You’ve searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours? Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us. 38 I’ve been with you these 20 years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock. 39 I did not bring you any of the flock torn by wild beasts; I myself bore the loss. You demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or by night. 40 There I was—the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 For 20 years I have worked in your household—14 years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages 10 times! 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict last night.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters; the sons, my sons; and the flocks, my flocks! Everything you see is mine! But what can I do today for these daughters of mine or for the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between the two of us.”
45 So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker. 46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound.47 Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.
48 Then Laban said, “This mound is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore the place was called Galeed 49 and also Mizpah, for he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, though no one is with us, understand that God will be a witness between you and me.” 51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me. 52 This mound is a witness and the marker is a witness that I will not pass beyond this mound to you, and you will not pass beyond this mound and this marker to do me harm. 53 The God of Abraham, and the gods of Nahor—the gods of their father—will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. So they ate a meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55 Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.

Jacob and Laban finally made peace.  They agreed that Jacob was stay on one side of the mound and Laban on the other.  They would not do harm to each other, but live their own lives in their own areas.  Laban was able to bid his daughters and grandchildren goodbye and then he returned to his home.

I am having some difficulty concentrating this morning!  My daughter isn't taking her nap since they were mowing the grass outside our apartment.  I did a lot of reading, but I can't seem to form many new thoughts on this passage.  Hopefully tomorrow I can concentrate better.

Genesis 29:31 - 30:24 -- The sons of Jacob

Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive. 32 Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now.”
33 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.
34 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.
35 And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.

The Lord had mercy on Leah and gave her sons for Jacob because Jacob loved Rachel more.  So by this point, Leah had 4 sons.  Rachel had no children.

Genesis 30:1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld children from you?”

Jacob was right!  He is not God.  He has not withheld children from her.

Genesis 30:3 Then she said, “Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me so that through her I too can build a family.” 4 So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son,” and she named him Dan.
7 Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “In my wrestlings with God, I have wrestled with my sister and won,” and she named him Naphtali.

We see here some sisterly rivalry.  Rachel was jealous that Leah had bore Jacob sons.  She wanted desperately to have a son too.  She gave Jacob her slave to he could have sons through her.  Her slave bore Jacob 2 sons.

Genesis 30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” and she named him Gad.
12 When Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, 13 Leah said, “I am happy that the women call me happy,” so she named him Asher.

Leah, not wanting to be out-done by her sister, gave her slave to Jacob also.  So, Leah's slave also bore 2 sons to Jacob.

Genesis 30:14 Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But Leah replied to her, “Isn’t it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes?”
“Well,” Rachel said, “you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob slept with her that night.
17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband,” and she named him Issachar.
19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 “God has given me a good gift,” Leah said. “This time my husband will honor me because I have borne six sons for him,” and she named him Zebulun. 21 Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah.

It does not tell us how much time passed between Leah's 4th son and 5th son, but it was long enough for two slave girls to bear 2 sons each.  It was probably several years, since the story seems to say that Rachel gave her slave, she bore children and then Leah gave her slave.  So in total, right now, Jacob has 6 sons from Leah, 2 from her slave and 2 from Rachel's slave.  He also has 1 daughter, that we know of.  That is 10.  The last two, we know will come from Rachel.

Leah was under the impression she could win Jacob's affections by giving him many sons, but we know this is not true. Jacob continued to love Rachel more, even though she was childless.  When she did give him a son, that son was loved more than any of the others.

Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 She named him Joseph:“May the Lord add another son to me.”

Rachel has finally given Jacob a son.  There is no telling how many years went by from their marriage until Joseph's birth.  I would guess more than the 7 years Jacob was to work for Laban, since Leah herself had 7 children and several years between the 4th and 5th.   I would venture to guess more than 10 years of marriage before Joseph was born, if not more.

Why should we go to church?

So, this question has been posed twice in the last week and has been nagging at me every day for the last several days.  I am going to try and answer this question in a way that shows we SHOULD be going to church and why some of the reasons and excuses that are given are invalid even when the argument is compelling.

First off, I think many people (Christian and not) have an incorrect definition of what the church is.  The church is not a building.  It is not a place we go.  It is the gathering of believers.  It does not matter if we are in a building that is called a "church" or in a park or wherever.  Wherever the body of believers are gathered in the name of Christ, where they are worshiping and fellowshipping together is the church.  Also, the church can refer to a small gathering of believers or it can refer to the church as a whole (every Christian on the planet).  For this post, I will mostly be referring to a small gathering of believers.

The people who attend church are a bunch of hypocrites.
One of the most common reasons I hear of people not wanting to attend church is that the church if full of hypocrites.  Aren't we all hypocrites one way or another.  Haven't we all said things then turned around and did something completely different?  One BIG example of that is all the people who say murder is wrong, but then say a woman should be given a free choice about having an abortion.  I heard it summed up like this "The church is a hospital for the sinner, not a museum for the saints."  The ONLY place where no one sins and is not a hypocrite is in heaven.  And we only get there by the grace of God!

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.
10 While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Here, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collection (tax collections were hated and were often greedy and money hungry and often took more than they were required to line their own pockets).  When people see Jesus associating with a sinner, they immediately question, and get this response:  For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.  If you do not sin, you do not need a savior.  Jesus did not come for you if you are already perfect.  Jesus came to make you perfect.  (Though we will not see that until heaven!)

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Every man is a sinner.  Every man who has ever lived (except Christ) has sinned.  So, is the church full of hypocrites?  Yes, absolutely.  However, the difference between a true Christian and a true hypocrite is that the Christian is trying to do something about it.  They are trying to live according to the will of God.  A true hypocrite does not.  In a true Christian, you will see changes and improvements over time, in a true hypocrite you will not.

I can have church at my own home, by myself.
Well, no, you can't.  You can worship at home, you are not a church by yourself.  The Bible is clear that you should be gathering with your fellow believers regularly.  The "church" makes this very convenient in that they have specific times where the body of believers gather so you can come together with fellow believers without having to plan it all yourself!

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, 25 not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

The purpose of coming together as a body of believers is to encourage one another, to promote love and good works.  How can you encourage your brothers and sisters while never visiting with them?  How can you promote love and good works if you are never there to help your fellow brothers and sisters in ministry? Christians need accountability.  God does not want us to do this alone.  He gave us brothers and sisters who care for us to help us on our journey and if we fail to meet with then regularly, then how are we to help them or how are they to help us when we have a time of need?

Another reason it is difficult to do church at home by ones self is that coming together with many different Christians can help you grow and mature in your understanding of scriptures.  If you are reading your Bible alone, you only have your thoughts.  By fellowshipping with other believers, you can learn more about different passages and learn of new connections and concepts.

I do not need to go to church to get to heaven.
This is the statement that really prompted all this.  While it is true, going to church does not save you, I feel that if you are a Christian, then you should WANT to go to church.  If you are a true believer, then the Lord should be your main focus in life.  You live for Him.  As Paul says in Philippians:

1:21 For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Where the church is gathered is where you should want to be.  If you have no desire to attend church, then I fear you may not be a Christian.  If you hate to go to church or it is too much of a hassle, then where are your priorities?  You are not focused on Christ, so what are you focused on?

I fear that many people do not know what it really means to be a Christian.  They feel that since they "said a prayer" or  believe they "are a good person" then they will get to heaven.  Well, being a Christian is more than saying a prayer and being a good person.  Having fire insurance does not mean you will not get burned!  Being a Christian is about having a personal relationship with God.  The church is God dwelling with man.  Yes, his spirit dwells with in each of us, but it is when we are all gathered together as one body of Christ that we can really see the love and power of God.  While you do not need church to get to heaven, you do need Christ.

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Now closing this post I want to add that this post is written to Christians.  If you are not a believer, then there is no reason for you to attend church.  Going to church does not save you or get you any brownie points with God.  Many "churches" get this wrong.  They plan services to bring in the sinners and save them, but what they should be doing is making disciples and sending them out to sinners.  God saves people where they are and brings them to the church to grow and change.

Genesis 29:1-30 -- Jacob Gets Married

Genesis 29:1 Jacob resumed his journey and went to the eastern country. 2 He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep. The stone was then placed back on the well’s opening.
4 Jacob asked the men at the well, “My brothers! Where are you from?”
“We’re from Haran,” they answered.
5 “Do you know Laban grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked them.
They answered, “We know him.”
6 “Is he well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes,” they said, “and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with his sheep.”
7 Then Jacob said, “Look, it is still broad daylight. It’s not time for the animals to be gathered. Water the flock, then go out and let them graze.”
8 But they replied, “We can’t until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled from the well’s opening. Then we will water the sheep.”

I wonder if this is some kind of foreshadowing or if I'm reading too much into it?  Jesus is mentioned as having living water. The stone was rolled away from his grave.  Jesus won't return until all his sheep come to him.  I do not know.  Lots of similarities 

Genesis 29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban’s daughter Rachel with his sheep, he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep.11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly. 12 He told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then he took him to his house, and Jacob told him all that had happened.
14 Laban said to him, “Yes, you are my own flesh and blood.”
After Jacob had stayed with him a month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had ordinary eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me.”20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. 23 That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.

I wonder if Jacob did not realize what had happened before he took her?  Perhaps he had too much fun at the feast before and took her without knowing?

Genesis 29:25 When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban answered, “It is not the custom in this place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. 27 Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”

So the deceiver was deceived!  The one who deceived his father to gain his blessing was now deceived by his father-in-law and tricked into marrying his oldest daughter.

Genesis 29:28 And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30 Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

Now, it was kind of Laban to give his younger daughter after the celebration for the first was over instead of making Jacob wait another seven years before getting her.  It is clear the Jacob loved Rachel and not Leah.  How difficult that must be for Leah!

Genesis 28:10-22 -- Jacob's Dream

Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.13 Yahweh was standing there beside him, saying, “I am Yahweh, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it 19 and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to You a tenth of all that You give me.”

So, we know Jacob was leaving his father's home in part to flee Esau, who was angry with him for taking his blessing.  He was also traveling to his uncle's home to take a wife from among his family.

Jacob had a dream.  The Lord told Jacob of the promises he made to Abraham and Isaac that were to be fulfilled through his (Jacob's) offspring.  Jacob marked the spot where he had this dream and noted that if the Lord gave him a good journey and got him home safely, he would follow him.  He designated the place where he had the dream as God's house.

Jacob said, "if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear..."  Well we know that he will!

Matthew 6:25 “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Lord will provide all that we need.  Food.  Clothing.  Shelter. We may not have everything we want.  The Lord does not promise that we will get everything we want, just what we need.  We also should not worry about food, clothing or shelter.  The Lord will provide us with what we need.  

Genesis 26:34 - 28:9 -- Jacob's blessing

Genesis 26:34 When Esau was 40 years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Here we see that Esau took Hittite wives and Rebekah and Isaac did not like them!  When Esau learns his father does not approve of them, he goes and marries a daughter of Ishmael to try and appease his father.

Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.”
And he answered, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Look, I am old and do not know the day of my death. 3 Take your hunting gear, your quiver and bow, and go out in the field to hunt some game for me. 4 Then make me a delicious meal that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac said to his son Esau. So while Esau went to the field to hunt some game to bring in, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau. He said, 7 ‘Bring me the game and make a delicious meal for me to eat so that I can bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ 8 Now obey every order I give you, my son. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, and I will make them into a delicious meal for your father—the kind he loves. 10 Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies.”

Now it is time to bless the heir.  Esau is given instructions from his father to follow before the blessing will occur.  Rebekah was listening in on the conversation and instruction Jacob on how to get the blessing from his father.

11 Jacob answered Rebekah his mother, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a man with smooth skin. 12 Suppose my father touches me. Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver and bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself.”
13 His mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey me and go get them for me.”
14 So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were in the house, and had her younger son Jacob wear them. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.
18 When he came to his father, he said, “My father.”
And he answered, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob replied to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may bless me.”
20 But Isaac said to his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?”
He replied, “Because the Lord your God worked it out for me.”
21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau or not?”
22 So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24 Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”
And he replied, “I am.”
25 Then he said, “Serve me, and let me eat some of my son’s game so that I can bless you.” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank.

Isaac tried hard to make sure that the son he was blessing was Esau, but the deception and tricks of Jacob and Rebekah fooled him into believing Jacob was Esau.

Genesis 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come closer and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said:
Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give to you—
from the dew of the sky
and from the richness of the land—
an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 May peoples serve you
and nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brothers;
may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Those who curse you will be cursed,
and those who bless you will be blessed.
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had left the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau arrived from the hunt. 31 He had also made some delicious food and brought it to his father. Then he said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat some of his son’s game, so that you may bless me.”
32 But his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”
He answered, “I am Esau your firstborn son.”
33 Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. “Who was it then,” he said, “who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!”
34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!”
35 But he replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
36 So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
37 But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?”

Esau was quite shocked that his blessing had been stolen!  He was upset and probably very angry at this point.  This happened so that scripture would be fulfilled.  The Lord told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger, and with Jacob getting the blessing, the scripture was fulfilled.

Genesis 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you only have one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” And Esau wept loudly.
39 Then his father Isaac answered him:
Look, your dwelling place will be
away from the richness of the land,
away from the dew of the sky above.
40 You will live by your sword,
and you will serve your brother.
But when you rebel,
you will break his yoke from your neck.
41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart: “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. 43 So now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, 44 and stay with him for a few days until your brother’s anger subsides— 45 until your brother’s rage turns away from you and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?”
46 So Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of them, what good is my life?”

Esau decided that he would kill Jacob after his father died.  He wanted revenge for his lost blessing.  Rebekah warned Jacob and sent him to her brother's house to be safe.  She also told Isaac that she did not want her son marrying a Hittite woman.  And upon his wife's urging, Isaac replied:

Genesis 28:1 Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him: “Don’t take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father. Marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples. 4 May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

The following verses are the ones I noted above, where Esau tried to gain approval by marrying a daughter of Ishmael.

Genesis 28:6 Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.” 7 And Jacob listened to his father and mother and went to Paddan-aram. 8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, 9 so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth.    

Well, I'm not going to be able to go into more detail on any of this.  The baby has decided that today she does not want to take a morning nap.

Genesis 26:1-32 - Isaac parallels Abraham

Genesis 26:1 There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about;3 stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, 5 because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate, My commands, My statutes, and My instructions.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”

Ok, now, wait a minute... Didn't we just read about Abraham and Sarah in the same situation!  Though here, Jacob actually did deceive and lie to the people, since Rebekah was not his sister, but his cousin.

Genesis 26:8 When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
10 Then Abimelech said, “What is this you’ve done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people with these words: “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly die.”

The king had every right to be upset when Isaac lied to him.  

Genesis 26:12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. 14 He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him. 15 The Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s slaves had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with dirt. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
17 So Isaac left there, camped in the Valley of Gerar, and lived there. 18 Isaac reopened the water wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Then Isaac’s slaves dug in the valley and found a well of spring water there.20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Quarrel because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also, so he named it Hostility. 22 He moved from there and dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Open Spaces and said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Again, another parallel between Isaac and Abraham.  Abraham dug a well and made peace over it with the king, but Isaac left the wells and kept digging more until he found one where there was no fighting over.

Genesis 26:23 From there he went up to Beer-sheba, 24 and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of My servant Abraham.”
25 So he built an altar there, called on the name of Yahweh, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s slaves also dug a well there.
26 Now Abimelech came 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? You hated me and sent me away from you.”
28 They replied, “We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you. We think there should be an oath between two parties—between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you: 29 You will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have only done what was good to you, sending you away in peace. You are now blessed by the Lord.”
30 So he prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank. 31 They got up early in the morning and swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. 32 On that same day Isaac’s slaves came to tell him about the well they had dug, saying to him, “We have found water!” 33 He called it Sheba. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

Here, Isaac made peace with Abimelech, just as Abraham once did.  Though the circumstances were a little different (Abraham was in their land and Isaac driven out) peace was still established where the two parties agree not to harm each other.

Genesis 25:19-34 -- Jacob and Esau

Genesis 25:19 These are the family records of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac. 20 Isaac was 40 years old when he took as his wife Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “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;
two people will come from you and be separated.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.
24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red-looking, covered with hair like a fur coat, and they named him Esau.26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

So, Rebekah and Isaac were married 20 years before the twins were born.  Rebekah probably thought she would never have children.  I'm sure Isaac reassured her of the promise that God had given his father (I'm sure Abraham had shared it with him).  The Lord also told Rebekah about the future of her children.  Two children would be born.  (Jacob and Esau)  Two nations would come from her, Jacob's family as we know, would be Israel.  Esau's family became Edom (Genesis 36).   One will be stronger than the other, Jacob's people will be stronger than Esau's.  The older will serve the younger... Hence when Jacob received their father's blessing as first born instead of Esau.

The twins were definitely not identical!  Esau was hairy.  I imagine him as big and burly with a great beard.  Jacob I imagine as smaller and skinny.

Genesis 25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.” That is why he was also named Edom.
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him.34 Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

So, Esau was a hunter and Jacob stayed at home.  Jacob was a Momma's boy.  She favored him above Esau, while Isaac favored Esau.  So, Jacob was cooking some stew one day when Esau came in from hunting.  He was tired and hungry.  Jacob told him he could have some stew if he sold him his birthright.  Esau responded that he was so hungry he was about to die!  How often do we exaggerate how hungry we are?  We say "I'm starving!" when we do not even know what it means to starve.  We had food just a few hours before, and just because we feel this twinge of hunger, we say we are starving.  Well, this is how I suspect Esau was.  He wasn't literally starving.  Just very hungry and tired as though he FELT like he might die.  I do not think he would have died if he had waited a little longer for food!  Well, Esau agreed to sell his birthright for stew.

Later in Genesis, Esau makes this statement:

Genesis 27:36 So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

Um, no!  You, with full knowledge of what Jacob was asking, sold your birthright for stew!  That was your own fault!

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord. 15 Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many. 16 And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal. 17 For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.

Esau is an example for us.  We should not throw away the blessings of God for earthly comfort or pleasure.  If Esau had taking the birthright and blessing, he would have inherited everything, but because one day he was hungry, he chose the physical comfort over his future blessings.  As a result, bitterness sprang up in his heart towards his brother.  We should not let bitterness come between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  When that happens, the church becomes divided and can no longer function as one body, was is intended by God.  If a leg is broken by bitterness, then the body can no longer walk and it will take it a long time to heal, and one still may limp for a while before there body can be fully restored, if it is possible at all!  Esau regretted selling his blessing.  The scripture says that he did not find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.  Esau wanted badly to be approved, but not for the right reasons.  He wanted to please his earthly father (hence later when he marries a daughter of Ishmael because he learns his father does not like Canaanite women) and not his heavenly father.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

We must do the will of the Father.  We cannot simply call out his name.  We cannot just say a prayer and be saved.  We must do the Father's will!  We are not saved by doing the works, but we do the works because we are saved.  

Genesis 25:1-18 -- Abraham's other children

Genesis 25:1 Now Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah, 2 and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. 6 And Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, but while he was still alive he sent them eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the East.

Now Abraham took another wife and was blesses with many more sons, but Isaac received everything.  Isaac was the chosen one.  He was the one the promise was to be fulfilled through.  I am sure the other sons were well cared and the gifts that Abraham gave them were substantial.

Genesis 25:7 This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years. 8 He took his last breath and died at a ripe old age, old and contented, and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field that Abraham bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.

Abraham was laid to rest next to Sarah, in the land he brought as a burial place from a Hittite man.  It notes that Isaac and Ishmael buried him, so we see the there was still communication between the two brothers, even though Ishmael was sent away when Isaac was very young.

Genesis 25:12 These are the family records of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons; their names according to the family records are: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are Ishmael’s sons, and these are their names by their villages and encampments: 12 leaders of their clans. 17 This is the length of Ishmael’s life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 And they settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you go toward Asshur. He lived in opposition to all his brothers.

Ishmael lived in opposition to all his brothers, as was promised by God.  Here we see that Ishmael had 12 sons, each of whom became their own tribe, just like Jacob (Isaac's son) had 12 sons.

Gensis 24 -- Rebekah chosen for Isaac

Genesis 24:1 Abraham was now old, getting on in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will have you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live, 4 but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Abraham wanted Isaac to have a wife from his own people.  I know the Lord later commands the Israelite not to marry outside their own.  I just can't find it right now!

Genesis 24:5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I have your son go back to the land you came from?”
6 Abraham answered him, “Make sure that you don’t take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’—He will send His angel before you, and you can take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are free from this oath to me, but don’t let my son go back there.” 9 So the servant placed his hand under his master Abraham’s thigh and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

Abraham did not want Isaac to go to his native land.  He wanted Isaac to remain in the promised land.  The servant had to have a lot of faith that a woman would be willing to travel back with him to marry a man she never met, based on the word of a servant of who her husband would be!

Genesis 24:10 The servant took 10 of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of his master’s goods in hand. Then he set out for Nahor’s town Aram-naharaim. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well of water outside the town at evening. This was the time when the women went out to draw water.
12 “Lord, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 I am standing here at the spring where the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels also’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

The servant prayed for a sign.  I do not think he doubted what Abraham had promised, but I think he just wanted to be certain that the woman he brought back was the right one!

Genesis 24:15 Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah—daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah,the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—coming with a jug on her shoulder. 16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a young woman who had not known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jug.”
18 She replied, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll also draw water for your camels until they have had enough to drink.” 20 She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and hurried to the well again to draw water. She drew water for all his camels 21 while the man silently watched her to see whether or not the Lord had made his journey a success.

The Lord answered  the servant's pray immediately!  Rebekah came walking up and boom!  The prayer was answered.  There was no question that his woman was the one he just prayed for!

Genesis 24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and for her wrists two bracelets weighing 10 shekels of gold. 23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She also said to him, “We have plenty of straw and feed and a place to spend the night.”
26 Then the man bowed down, worshiped the Lord, 27 and said, “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master.As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he had heard his sister Rebekah’s words—“The man said this to me!”—he went to the man. He was standing there by the camels at the spring.
31 Laban said, “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were given to the camels, and water was brought to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.

I would probably be in shock if I was out getting water and some person gave me gold jewelry for watering his camels!  The servant went to stay at the home of Rebekah's relatives.  He then proceeds to tell them what his purpose was.

Genesis 24:33 A meal was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.”
So Laban said, “Please speak.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he said. 35 “The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 My master put me under this oath: ‘You will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live 38 but will go to my father’s household and to my family to take a wife for my son.’ 39 But I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman will not come back with me?’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord before whom I have walked will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, and you will take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s household. 41 Then you will be free from my oath if you go to my family and they do not give her to you—you will be free from my oath.’
42 “Today when I came to the spring, I prayed: Lord, God of my master Abraham, if only You will make my journey successful! 43 I am standing here at a spring. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, and I say to her: Please let me drink a little water from your jug,44 and who responds to me, ‘Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels also’—let her be the woman the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.
45 “Before I had finished praying silently, there was Rebekah coming with her jug on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her: Please let me have a drink. 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels also.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her: Whose daughter are you? She responded, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 Then I bowed down, worshiped the Lord, and praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who guided me on the right way to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.49 Now, if you are going to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; if not, tell me, and I will go elsewhere.”
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we have no choice in the matter. 51 Rebekah is here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her be a wife for your master’s son, just as the Lord has spoken.”

Laban and Bethuel understood that if the Lord willed something, then they could not stop it.  They gave their permission for Rebekah to return with him.

Genesis 24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed to the ground before the Lord.53 Then he brought out objects of silver and gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother. 54 Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night.
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Send me to my master.”
55 But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay with us for about 10 days. Then she can go.”
56 But he responded to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey a success. Send me away so that I may go to my master.”
57 So they said, “Let’s call the girl and ask her opinion.”
58 They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”
She replied, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah with the one who had nursed and raised her, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

Now it was Rebekah's turn to have faith.  She was trusting this servant to take her to Isaac.  A man she has never met, nor even knew about prior to this meeting.

Genesis 24:60 They blessed Rebekah, saying to her:
Our sister, may you become
thousands upon ten thousands.
May your offspring possess
the gates of their enemies.
61 Then Rebekah and her female servants got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Now Isaac was returning from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev region.63 In the early evening Isaac went out to walk in the field, and looking up he saw camels coming. 64 Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
The servant answered, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah to be his wife. Isaac loved her, and he was comforted after his mother’s death.

It seems, from the ages given in the Bible, that Sarah had been dead for several years (maybe 3 or 4) by the time Isaac got his wife.

Genesis 22:20 - 23:20 -- Sarah's death and burial

Genesis 22:20 Now after these things Abraham was told, “Milcah also has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel fathered Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Abraham's brother had many sons!  This sets us for showing us how Rebekah was related to Isaac before they were married.

Genesis 23:1 Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: 4 “I am a foreign resident among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, lord. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place. None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead.”
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.”
10 Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. So in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham: 11 “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed down to the people of the land 13 and said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, “Please listen to me. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham and said to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. Land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the presence of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver at the current commercial rate. 17 So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field—became 18 Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.20 The field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham as a burial place.

Abraham outlived his wife.  He was trying to prepare a place to bury her.  The land he wanted was owned by a man who was willing to give the land for free to Abraham, but Abraham insisted on paying for it.  (Why this is I do not know.  Perhaps someone has some insight on why Abraham insisted on paying).  Business was done at the gate of the city, so it was a public exchange of silver for land.  That way neither side could say it was stolen or cheated from him.  My husband told me that business was usually done at the city gate.

These verses also pointed out that the Hittites recognized Abraham as God's chosen.  They knew he was righteous and favored by God.  We should live our lives so those around us also know we are the chosen of God.  

Genesis 22:1-19 -- Isaac to be sacrificed

Genesis 22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.

Can you imagine what Abraham must have been thinking?  God gave him this son, through whom was promised a great nation and now God wants Abraham to sacrifice him?  You know Abraham was wondering how God was going to fulfill the promise if Isaac had died?  Perhaps he believed God would bring Isaac back or that, as Isaac mentioned to Isaac later, that God would provide the lamb.

Genesis 22:7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

If the Lord told you to take your child and sacrifice him or her, would you?  Would you willingly give us your son or daughter for the Lord?  Abraham was.  Abraham was ready to offer his son as a sacrifice.  To honor his God.

Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”

The Lord stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and provided a ram as a substitute.  The Lord has also sacrificed his only son for us.  He sent Jesus to earth to bare the punishment for our sins so that through him we may be saved and not suffer the wrath of God.

Genesis 22:15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.”
19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

You may have noticed that these passages repeatedly state that Isaac was his only son. At this time, even though Ishmael was still alive, Isaac was the only one residing in the home.  Ishmael and his mother had been driven out and Ishmael no longer considered his son.  You may also notice that this says "Because you have done this" I will bless you with numerous offspring, but the Lord had already promised Abraham prior to this that his offspring would be numerous and a great nation.  The Lord already knew Abraham would be faithful, but wanted him to demonstrate his faithfulness through this act.  It is a sign to all other believers of how faithful we should be.  If God tells us to do something we should do it.  No questions.  No hesitation.

Genesis 21:22-34 -- Everlasting God

Genesis 21:22 At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a foreign resident.”
24 And Abraham said, “I swear it.” 25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the water well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”
30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that this act will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. 32 After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Abraham made peace with Abimelech.  Abraham lived in his land and agreed to be loyal to him and his children.  The lambs were used as a symbol of the covenant between the two.

This passage mentions something specific about God.  He is the Everlasting God.  That means he is eternal.  He has been before us and will remain after us.

Isaiah 40:6
“All humanity is grass,
and all its goodness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flowers fade
when the breath of the Lord blows on them;
indeed, the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flowers fade,
but the word of our God remains forever.”

Isaiah 40:28
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.

This passage elaborates on that concept a little more.  God does not grown faint or weary.  He understands everything.

Daniel 6:26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.

God is forever and his kingdom is forever!  What wonderful news for us believes to know God will reign forever and never be defeated.

And this following verse is a fitting ending to this post!  The words of Paul are perfect!

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Genesis 21:1-21 - Isaac is born

Genesis 21:1 The Lord came to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

The Lord kept his promise to Abraham, just as he keeps all his promises.  This helps us to see God will keep his promises to us as well.  Abraham also did everything he was commanded to in regards to Isaac.

Genesis 21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.”

"Everyone who hears will laugh with me."  This laughter is not because the event is funny, but that it is unbelievable or incredible.  If your grandmother, who was 90 years old, came and told you she just gave birth to a baby boy, would you not laugh and ask if she were kidding you!

Genesis 21:8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son mocking—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!”

Sarah did not want Isaac to have competition with Ishmael for his father's inheritance.

Genesis 21:11 Now this was a very difficult thing for Abraham because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be concerned about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 13 But I will also make a nation of the slave’s son because he is your offspring.”

Abraham loved both his sons and did not want Ishmael to leave.  God gave Abraham a promise concerning Ishmael, that he too would be a great nation like his brother.  God told Abraham it would be ok for him to turn out Ishmael, for he too would prosper.

Genesis 21:14 Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” So as she sat nearby, she wept loudly.

Hagar and Ishmael were sent away.  I wonder if Abraham tried to comfort her at all by telling her the promise God had given him concerning Ishmael?  If so, this passage would show she did not believe, but if he did not, then her out crying is very understandable.  Who wants to watch their only child die?

Genesis 21:17 God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from the place where he is. 18 Get up, help the boy up, and support him, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The angel of the Lord told her the promise for Ishmael and led her to a well so they could drink.  God saved them in the wilderness so that his promise could be fulfilled 

Genesis 20 -- He is my brother

Genesis 20:1 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived in Gerar, 2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8 Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10 Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What did you intend when you did this thing?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’”
14 Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, 18 for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

So, Abraham told his wife to again deny he was her husband. First with Pharoah and now with Abimelech. Abraham did this out of fear for his life. The Lord was merciful to the King and warned him of who Sarah was before he took her. The King obeyed the warning and returned Sarah to Abraham. He was understandably upset at Abraham for not telling him that Sarah was his wife. Again though, we see Abraham did not lie. Sarah is his sister. They have the same father. Through this event, Abimelech and his family were blessed by God through Abraham's prayer.

In this passage we see Sarah's  submission to her husband when she willingly tells the king that she is Abraham's sister.  Abraham told her to "Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.'"  She obeyed him and did this.

1 Peter 3:5 For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.

This passage, though referencing a slightly different story, shows that by submitting to our husband's, we become children of Sarah.  Sarah was the mother of the chosen people.  We, as Christians, are also God's chosen people through Christ.

Genesis 19:30-38 -- Moab and Ammon

Genesis 19:30 Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Instead, he and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us as is the custom of all the land. 32 Come, let’s get our father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father’s line.” 33 So they got their father to drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and slept with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
34 The next day the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last night. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight so you can go sleep with him and we can preserve our father’s line.” 35 That night they again got their father to drink wine, and the younger went and slept with him; he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites of today.

So, in order to preserve their father's line, Lot's daughters made him drunk and slept with him.  Lot apparently did not know it, well until his daughters turned up pregnant.

I am not sure what else to say on this passage.  All I can think of is that this passage is just telling us how the Moabites and Ammonites came to be.  I know Ruth was a Moabite and she is an ancestor of David.  That means David descends from broth Abraham and Lot.  I'm not sure if there is any significance in that, but there it is!

Genesis 18:16 - 19:29 -- The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 18:16 The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off. 17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham? 18 Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.21 I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to Me. If not, I will find out.”
22 The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will You really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in it? 25 You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find 50 righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham answered, “Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord—even though I am dust and ashes— 28 suppose the 50 righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.”
29 Then he spoke to Him again, “Suppose 40 are found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it on account of 40.”
30 Then he said, “Let the Lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose 30 are found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find 30 there.”
31 Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose 20 are found there?”
He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of 20.”
32 Then he said, “Let the Lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose 10 are found there?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of 10.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Abraham pleads with God on behalf of any righteous that still remained in Sodom.  No doubt he was thinking of his own family, who lived outside of Sodom.  It seems that the "men" with Abraham were angels of the Lord who were on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 19:1 The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at Sodom’s gate. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground 2 and said, “My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.”
“No,” they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.” 3 But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.
4 Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. 5 They called out to Lot and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him. 7 He said, “Don’t do this evil, my brothers. 8 Look, I’ve got two daughters who haven’t had sexual relations with a man. I’ll bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want to them. However, don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof.”
9 “Get out of the way!” they said, adding, “This one came here as a foreigner, but he’s acting like a judge! Now we’ll do more harm to you than to them.” They put pressure on Lot and came up to break down the door. 10 But the angels reached out, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with a blinding light so that they were unable to find the entrance.

The men of Sodom wanted to defile Lot's visitors.  They believed they were men... and they say the Bible does not speak as this as sin!  It does.  Right here.  Lot pleaded for the men of the village to not defile his guest.  Lot saw it as wrong and he was counted as one of the righteous left in Sodom.  This passage, showing how men wanted to have sex with other men, shows just how corrupt these people had become.  We know that his is what this passage is referring to because Lot sees it to be more acceptable for the men to take his daughters instead, to protect his guest from the "evil" these men wanted to do.


The English Standard Version gives the verses this way:

Genesis 19:5 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.

While the term sex is not used, it is implied with the next verse in where Lot offers his daughters "who have not known any man."  The Bible is clear, with this one section especially, that men having sex with men is wrong, wicked and evil.

Genesis 19:12 Then the angels said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here: a son-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of this place,13 for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the Lord, that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to marry his daughters. “Get up,” he said. “Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
15 At daybreak the angels urged Lot on: “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. Because of the Lord’s compassion for him, the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters. Then they brought him out and left him outside the city.

 Lot, his wife, and daughters were spared.  His sons-in-law did not believe him and we left to die in the city.  The Angels took them out of the land to keep them safe from the cities' destruction.

Genesis 19:17 As soon as the angels got them outside, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop anywhere on the plain! Run to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords—please. 19 Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there—it’s only a small place, isn’t it?—so that I can survive.”
21 And he said to him, “All right, I’ll grant your request about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned. 22 Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.
23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. 24 Then out of the sky the Lord rained burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord. 25 He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.
27 Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord.28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw that smoke was going up from the land like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when He demolished the cities where Lot had lived.

The Lord did not find 10 righteous in Sodom... just 4. Lot, his wife and daughters. Lot's wife looked back and was punished by becoming a pillar of salt. The Lord rained his judgement down on the cities with "burning sulfur." Thus, the wicked people were destroyed. This passage should be a lesson for us. The wicked will be punished for what they do and the righteous will be spared. (Speaking of the end times, though I would not be surprised if fire and brimstone were to fall from the sky in judgement against us). We should not look back at the old wicked ways, but forward to what we are promised in Christ, our safe haven of the New Jerusalem that is to come.

Genesis 18:1-15 -- God Visits Abraham

Genesis 18:1 Then the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. 3 Then he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”
“Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread.” 7 Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then Abraham took curds and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.

So, did the Lord appear to Abraham twice? I'm not sure.  The Lord repeats his promise to Abraham later, that he was going to have a son by Sarah.  It may be an instants like the beginning of Genesis where a general story is told then a more detailed one is told.  The first time the story was told, the focus was on circumcision and the new covenant with God and Abraham, while the second time focuses on the son Abraham would have.  I could be wrong, but it seems probable that this is what is going on here.

In this passage, three men come and visit Abraham, but we see it is the Lord who visits him.  Abraham, when seeing his visitors, bid them to say, eat and rest.  He had Sarah make bread from the best flour and chose the best calf from his herd to prepare for his guest.  Abraham served his guest and was hospitable.  Likewise, when we receive guests, whether planned or not, we too should be hospitable.  When reading these verses, I was reminded of the following verses:

Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’
40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Jesus commanded us to give food and drink to those who hunger and thirst, just as Abraham gave food and drink to his traveling visitors.  

Genesis 18:9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he answered.
10 The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?”
13 But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”
15 Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.
But He replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Sarah was passed child bearing years, so in her mind, it was impossible for her to get pregnant.  She laughed when she heard what was going to happen.

I love the Lord's response to Sarah's laughter:  Is anything impossible for the Lord?  No, of course not!  He can do anything and everything!

When the Lord asked Sarah why she laughed, she said she did not.  She lied because she was afraid.  She should have known not to lie to the Lord.  She laughed at the impossibility when she should have rejoiced over the promise.  Do we often look at things we think are impossible and laugh only to see later it was not impossible, we just did not know how it was to happen or how to do it?