Genesis 28

Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him away for a wife

Isaac gives Jacob a proper blessing before he dies. He tells Jacob that he does not want him to take a wife from the people nearby but to go and get a wife from the children of his uncle, Rebekah's brother. This is still part of the same people that were a part of Abraham's family. As we know from the book of Judges, mingling with those that have other God's has a heavy price to pay. 

Upon hearing the news that his brother Jacob has been sent away for a wife, Esau decides to make his lot with the descendants of Ishmael.He takes a wife from those people and seems to delight in the doing what is contrary to his parents will and sound advice. Sin will make people do seemingly senseless things. 

As Jacob heads off on his journey, let us not forget that he has to leave anyway because his brother Esau vows to kill him after their father's death.He knows he may never see his parents or brother again. He is lonely, but just as we are without hope, that is when God shows up. Jacob dreams of a ladder ascending up to Heaven and God reaffirms his covenant with him and his forefather Abraham. We have the same promise that if we serve God faithfully, he will never leave us nor forsake us and will give us eternal rest. 

After Jacob wakes up, we takes his stone pillow and makes an alter to God for his covenant. The place is name Bethel, meaning God is in this place, or house of God. From this we have the phrase that Jacob will use later in Genesis saying 'let us go back to Bethel'. We use it now to mean let us return to where we got our first blessing and promise of God. 

Genesis 25

Abraham remarries and Ishmael's descendants

Abraham marries again after Sarah dies. There is no commandment against marriage in old age or once the first spouse has passed on. We see here that the promise of many children is partly kept with 6 more sons from Keturah. I don't know if this is wise considering some of their descendants became enemies of the Hebrews, but then again, the Hebrews fought against each other from time to time. 

Abraham gives the inheritance to Isaac as was part of the God's plan and part of the promise already made to Isaac and even Rebekah when she was found and brought to Isaac. Abraham did provide for Ishmael and his other sons, but not part of the larger inheritance. 

Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham with Sarah in the land purchased previously. It appears that Isaac and Ishmael did get along at least to some degree. We learn about the descendants of Ishmael and then his death. God blessed him to live many years (130), at least by our standards. 

We see as Isaac goes on with his life that like his mother, Rebekah has trouble conceiving. We will encounter many of the same problems in our life that our parents and their parents before them. Like the example set by Abraham, we need to take our petitions to the Lord and pray that his will is done. Rebekah conceives and while she is baring the child she finds out there are two babies to be born. They seem to fight in her womb and God tells her that there are two in her womb and they and their seed will fight one another. Great is God's vision of the future because it already is laid out before him. 

Esau is born, then Jacob soon after holding onto the heal of Esau. This was a special moment that had deep significance to them both. The elder is usually the ruler in the family, but we see here that was not going to be the case. As often happens, parents take sides or have favorites and Isaac's favorite was Esau and Rebekah's was Jacob. We will come to more of that in future chapters, but at the end of this one, Esau comes in faint from the fields and sells his birthright to Jacob. What God gives us, lets all hold it dear to our hearts and never sell it or give it away because he might be faint of heart. 

Genesis 21

Isaac is Born

Sarah conceives a son just as the Lord had promised. It truly is a miracle for Sarah is well past child bearing age. This goes along with our faith in Jesus Christ. We were dead in sin with no hope of new life until Jesus made a sacrifice on the cross that gave us life where none before existed. It says that the Lord visited her, just as he visits us to draw us out of sin and into his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him). 

They called him Isaac which means laughter. Abraham and Sarah both laughed when it came to believing God and his promise, but now they laugh with a joy and unbelief of God's mercy. So there is this time of joy and reaping that we will all enjoy from time to time. The season, as all of life is, is just passing though. It is not long before strife comes to the tents of Abraham. Ishmael mocks Isaac and Sarah sees it. It seems that Ishmael is not old enough to come to this understanding on his own, and he had some encouragement from Hagar; we don't know this for certain, but it seems likely. 

Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael gone from there presence. God tells Abraham to go ahead and send Ishmael out of the camp, but make no mistake, they are still paying for past sins. After Hagar and the child are cast out, God remembers his covenant with Abraham about his seed, even though Ishmael was not the one God had originally meant when he created the covenant with Abraham. God looks after Hagar and promises that Ishmael will become a great nation. 

Some time passes and we encounter Abimelech again. He wants what we would now call an alliance or peace treaty with Abraham. Abimelech knows that God had blessed Abraham and that Abraham is growing in God's blessings. It doesn't hurt that Abimelech been warned of God in the past about Abraham when Abimelech took Sarah. After Abraham corrects Abimelech about a fight at a well, they enter into their alliance. We would do well to make friends and bonds with all of God's faithful servants. 

Genesis 17

Genesis chapter 17

As Abram gets into his nineties, God has not forgotten him and he renews his covenant with him. Notice that God tells him to be perfect. We know that Abram has sinned, and is not perfect, but God instructs him, and I believe us also, to be perfect. We are not to be perfect by our own might, but by his. We will most likely never be perfect down here, but whatever sin we may have in our past, we are to seek forgiveness, then seek to be without sin through Jesus Christ.

Now with the renewing of this covenant, God gives Abram the new name of Abraham which means Father of many or a multitude. God reminds Abraham that this covenant is forever and it will be everything that God has promised it would be. With this covenant that was up until this point by faith, God will also have his covenant with Abraham be a physical one as well. Not outwardly, but real and permanent. Isn't this the covenant we have in our hearts with Salvation? Our continence might change, but our outward physical appearance doesn't alter; just the heart.

God is going to change Sarai's name to Sarah. She will bear children and Abraham laughs in his heart at this idea. He knows that Sarah is just as old as him and he doesn't see it happening. Let us all remember that just as God reminds Abraham the inheritance will INDEED come from Sarah's womb, that God's ways are not our ways and he will bring what he promises to pass whether we think it possible or not. God goes so far as to tell Abraham when this child will come and what his name will be. God is specific with our purpose in life.

So Abraham goes and does as God commands and circumcises his entire household, servants and all. Let us all try and be thorough with what God would have us do with and in our lives.

Genesis 16

Genesis chapter 16

The bible is full of characters great and small, wise and foolish, God fearing and sinful. No one, and I mean no one in the Bible is perfect save God and his son Jesus Christ. Even Enoch was born with sin though God took him. I believe we are not to take the sins of great people in the Bible as excuses to sin, but as examples to turn back to God as quickly, humbly, and sincerely as possible.

In this chapter Sarai and Abram both make mistakes by not waiting on God. I myself cannot imagine what it would be like to patiently wait as long as this couple did. Make no mistake though, God is always right on time, every time. Man may not be there when God is ready with the answered prayer, but God is there on time.

Sarai is tired of waiting and she instructs Abram to try and bare a child from Hagar her handmaiden. Abram it says 'hearkened unto the voice of Sarai'. I don't know how many time the Bible records 'hearkened unto the voice of the Lord' but unfortunately, this isn't one of those times.

Abram does as requested of Sarai and Sarai regrets it almost immediately. We will most likely regret the times we do our own thing and not obey God. Abram, who no doubt also feels guilt tells Sarai to do as she wishes with Hagar. Now two people feel miserable about themselves and each other, and another is about to be an outcast for doing what she was told.

God is sympathetic to those that are done wrong and Hagar is no exception. God makes a covenant with Hagar that her son will be a great nation. Unfortunately for the Hebrews, her son will be a thorn in their side for the rest of time.