Thoughts from the end of Job (chapters 40-42)
Best verse ever - 42:1 - especially in the darkness of today!
Both Job and his friends were rebuked for error by God - what is the difference between him and them? 42:6 - Job repented! v. 9 - the friends did obey - I wonder what happened to them then?
Back to Genesis - 12-23
Chapter 12 - Abram - that was his original name - later we see God change it -chapter 17 - by adding part of His own name - “ah” (from Yahweh) added to become AbrAHam and SarAH - as part of the covenant - that is the basis of bride taking on last name of husband! Covenant!
12:3 - the reason for blessing :)
12:5 - they had acquired slaves???????
12:15-20 - OH MY GOODNESS! If we read this literally….Abraham let Pharaoh sleep with his wife because he was afraid for his own skin!! Your thoughts???
13:16 - descendants as dust and later as stars(22:17) Why both descriptions?
chapter 14 - Lot rescued from captivity - we begin seeing his character, which eventually led to many problems
Melchizedek - King and Priest - Abraham recognizes his position of authority by paying tithes - Melchizedek foreshadows Christ
15:13,14 - slavery and exodus prophesied - fulfilled
16:2 - Abram listening to his wife got him into trouble (reminiscent of Adam and Eve??) the word “listened” is “shama” - to hear with obedience - this seems to be the critical part - Adam and Abraham were being passive in their role as head. They abdicated their authority to their wives. Not wrong to listen to wife - wrong to NOT listen to God and instead placate wife
This story makes me feel sad for Hagar. She was used. I wonder if her fate would have been different if she had not despised her mistress (v. 4)
Chapters 18,19- Sounds like these three men appeared out of nowhere - did this signal to Abraham that they were divine and thus explained his response?
vs. 2,3 - Pre-incarnate Christ??? vs. 9,10 - “they” to “he” V. 13 - “The Lord” v. 22 - the men left - Abraham still with the Lord ….19:1 - the TWO angels came to Sodom
19:8 - GULP - Lot has some issues,to say the least
19:14 - looks like Lot has a lack of credibility with his sons in law
19:18-21 - Lot was always negotiating, trying to compromise v. 26 - not a quick glance - Lot’s wife looked back longingly - she didn’t want to leave -Lot was not a great influence!
Ch. 20 - here we go again! 7-13 - the rationalizing of Abraham
Ch. 21 - Sarah’s treatment of Hagar - harsh - hard story
Ch. 22 - the testing of Abraham was not for God to see what was in Abraham’s heart - He already knew! This was to prove to Abraham that he passed the test :)
22:9 - how must little Issac have felt???????
22:18 - blessings flow from obedience
22:21 - I got a chuckle out of the brothers’ names - Uz and Buz!!
Ch. 23 - what are your thoughts on why God included the story of burying Sarah?