Genesis Chapter Twenty-One

(Outline continues from yesterday)

2. Sarah’s Mental Attitude Sin of jealousy prompted her continued hatred for Hagar & Ishmael (Gen. 21:9-11).
3. Abraham was grieved over Sarah’s hatred, because he had developed a love for Ishmael (Gen. 21:11-14; 17:18).
4. The Lord provides for Hagar as a single-mother (Gen. 21:15-21).
5. Abraham will bestow gifts upon Ishmael after Sarah’s death, and Ishmael will join with Isaac in burying Abraham at his death (Gen. 25:6,9).

Genesis Chapter Twenty-Two

1. God tested Abraham (Gen. 22:1).  נָסָה nāsāh ^#5254: to test, try (Ex. 16:4; Deut. 8:2; Jdg. 2:22; 2nd Chr. 32:31; Ps. 26:1-3).
2. The test was a test of Abraham’s faith and fear of God (Gen. 22:12).
3. Abraham was instructed to take his “only begotten son,” the son that he loved, and sacrifice him (Gen. 22:2).
   1. This is the first use of “love” in Scripture.
   2. The “only son” does not disavow Ishmael’s existence, but affirms Isaac’s prominence.
   3. Abraham becomes a type (picture) of God the Father, Who sacrifices His only begotten son (Jn. 3:16), Whom He loves (Jn. 3:35).
4. Human sacrifice, and specifically child sacrifice was a feature of pagan, Satanic religions (Lev. 18:21; 20:2; Jer. 19:5; 32:35; 2 Kgs. 3:27; 16:3; 17:17; 21:6; Ps. 106:37,38; Ezek. 16:21).
5. Mt. Moriah will later be the site for Solomon’s temple (2nd Chr. 3:1).
6. “On the third day” after pronouncing death for Isaac, God provided for Isaac’s life (Gen. 22:4), picturing an even greater resurrection life that will occur on the third day (Matt. 16:21; 1st Cor. 15:4).
7. Abraham confidently told his servants that both he and Isaac would worship and return (Gen. 22:5; Heb. 11:17-19).

Genesis Chapter Twenty-Three

1. Sarah’s lifespan is the only recorded lifespan in Scripture given for a woman (Gen. 23:1).  Her life was relatively short, as her father Terah lived 205 years (Gen. 11:32); her ½ brother & husband Abraham lived 175 years (Gen. 25:7); her son Isaac lived 180 years (Gen. 35:28); her grandson Jacob lived 147 years (Gen. 47:28); and her great-grandson Joseph lived 110 years (Gen. 50:22).
2. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (Hebron) (Gen. 23:2).
3. Abraham considered himself as a stranger and sojourner within the land that God had promised him (Gen. 23:4).
4. Abraham will purchase the burial place for Sarah within the land that God had promised him (Gen. 23:4-20).
   1. Some of the Hittite inhabitants of Canaan have an orientation to Elohim, and understand that Abraham is God’s mighty prince (v.6).
   2. The cave of Machpelah becomes the burial place for Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, & Leah (Gen. 49:31).
   3. 400 shekels of silver is a vast sum of money in that day.  A common laborer would only earn 1/30^th of a shekel in a day, or 8-12 shekels each year (Code of Hammurabi, #273-277).
   4. In the next generation, these Hittites will become grievous to Isaac & Rebekah (Gen. 26:34,35; 27:46; 28:8).

Genesis Chapter Twenty-Four

1. Abraham observes the snare that the pagan Canaanite women would be for his son, and so he arranges for Isaac’s wife from his own kinsmen (Gen. 24:1-4).
2. Abraham also insists that Isaac must remain within the land of promise (Gen. 24:5-8).
3. Abraham’s servant travelled to the city of Abraham’s brother Nahor, and allows God to bring the right woman to him (Gen. 24:10-14).
   1. He prays to the Father on the basis of God’s חֶ֫סֶד chesed ^#2617 lovingkindness (v.12).
   2. He looks for a grace-oriented woman, and allows God to send the right one (v.14).
4. The servants prayers are answered beyond what he could ask or think, when God directs Rebekah to the right place at the right time (Gen. 24:15-27; Eph. 3:20).
   1. God provides a beautiful, pure woman.
   2. This woman is grace-oriented, in her watering of the camels, and her offer of hospitality.
   3. She is of Abraham’s family, the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, Nahor.
5. Rebekah’s brother, Laban, takes a prominent role in the marriage contract (Gen. 24:29-60).
   1. Laban takes action based upon the display of wealth that Abraham’s servant adorned Rebekah with (v.30).
   2. Laban refers to Abraham’s servant as the “blessed of YHWH” (v.31).  He and his father seem to be respectful of YHWH, and yet not worshipful (vv.50-52).
   3. Laban focuses on temporal-life details, but the servant goes immediately to the spiritual-life assignment at hand (vv.32,33).
   4. Abraham and his servant each understood that this activity would involve both the Sovereignty of God, and the freewill of man (vv.7,8,40,41,49).
   5. The servant understood that God sovereignly appoints one woman for one man (v.44).
   6. With the marriage arranged, the servant bestowed Abraham’s gifts upon Rebekah’s family (v.53).
   7. Rebekah’s family attempts to delay her departure, but Rebekah is ready to fulfill the Lord’s will for her life (vv.54-58).
6. The servant returns to Isaac with his new bride, and their marriage is blessed by the Lord (Gen. 24:59-67).