Genesis 19 & 20

There is a good bit going on here. So let’s get to it.

Lot is sitting at the entrance to the city of Sodom. The two angels that were with God who moved on while he talked to Abraham has come to the city. Lot convinces them to come in, wash their feet and eat a little bit.

Before they all lay down to sleep the men of Sodom come beating on Lot’s door. They are demanding that he send out the visitors. They don’t want to greet them kindly though. Remember the men of Sodom are wicked little men! They want to have sex with the visitors. In my opinion it sounds a lot like gang rape. No wonder God destroyed the place!

Lot goes out to talk to the men and tells them that they do not want to do such evil things. He even offers his two daughters so that they leave the angels alone. The men of Sodom will not hear it. They want the visitors and they grow angry. They crowd the door to Lot’s home and try to push the door down.

The angels quickly grab Lot and pull him back into his home. They then ask if their daughter’s boyfriends are outside. (Side note, they don’t actually say boyfriends. They are the men promised to the daughters, which in our time is pretty much a boyfriend.) Lot is then instructed to go out and tell them to leave Sodom because it is going to be destroyed.

He tries. He tells the boys to leave Sodom, but they don’t believe him. When Lot returns back into his home the angels tell him that he must take his family and leave. They even tell him that they will not destroy Sodom until they are far from it. They tell him to take off to the mountains and not to look back.

Lot tells them that sending him to the mountains will be killing him so he asks to go to Zoar instead. They agree to let him go. Lot and his family go on their way towards Zoar. Remember, the angels told them not to look back! Lot’s wife didn’t listen, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

I actually feel sorry for Lot. In one night he lost his home and his wife.

God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with a rain of burning sulfer. I can imagine that was a painful death for the men living there, but really, they kind of asked for it.

Lot doesn’t stay in Zoar for long because he is afraid. He takes his daughters up into the mountains and they live in a cave.

Later on the daughters realize that their family line will die when their father dies because they have no husbands. This part for anyone in today’s time may snarl their nose up at what the girls do.

They decide to get their father drunk and sleep with him so that they become pregnant. He didn’t know what was going on because he was drunk. I would like to take this moment to point out the dangers of drinking! I don’t understand why the girls did not travel into a town and find a good mate for themselves.

They each have a son. The oldest daughter has Moab who becomes the father of the Moabites. The youngest daughter has Ben-Ammi and he is the father of the Ammonites.

Genesis 19 is actually pretty messed up.

Genesis 20 goes back to follow Abraham a little more. Abraham moves around some more and comes to the land called Gerar.

Remember when Abraham went to Egypt and told them that Sarah was his sister and the Pharaoh took Sarah as his own? Then God cursed the Pharaoh for taking her. Well, Abraham does it again. In Gerar he tells them that Sarah is his sister.

The king of Gerar takes Sarah as his wife, but he does not sleep with her. He has a dream one night where God comes to him. God tells him that he is as good as dead for taking a married woman. The king pleads his case though. He tells God that he took her innocently because Abraham said she was his sister.

God tells the king that he understands that he did not know and that is why He kept the king from sleeping with Sarah. All the king has to do is to return Sarah to her husband, if he doesn’t he will die.

The king returns Sarah the next day and asks Abraham why he lied. Abraham tells him that he did not lie because Sarah is his sister. Technically she is his half sister, a child with the same father but different mother. Abraham also says that he did it because there was no fear of God in Gerar and that they would have killed him for his wife.

These bible times were scary. Could you imagine living like that now days? We are so comfortable in our lives and we really should appreciate the simpleness of it.

The king of Gerar, Abimelech (I didn’t want to type his name a bunch cause it’s so weird.) gives Abraham sheep, cattle and slaves and tells Abraham he can live anywhere he likes in Gerar. Chances are Abraham won’t be there long anyways really. Abimelech also gives Abraham a thousand shekels (I assume that is a lot of money) for his offense of taking his wife.

With all this God is pleased. So He lifts the curse that he placed on Abimelech. The curse was so that none of his wives would give him more children. Thank goodness he listened to God and gave Sarah back to her husband.

Lesson learned from this; listen to God! He is one serious dude when you cross him. But He is a great and kind God when you do as He asks of you.

And that is it folks. Continue to read. It’s pretty awesome all the stuff that has gone on in only 20 chapters and only 28 pages according to my bible.

Much Love

Heather 

Genesis 17 & 18

I have noticed that in some places in the bible things can be a little repetitive. Some things will be said several times in the same paragraph only worded a little different. I am guessing that it is done so that you remember what is said, but the things that are like that seem to be not so important. Or maybe they are.

Let us continue on with our chapters. I am going to cover two chapters again tonight. 17 & 18. Let’s dive in.

Genesis 17 starts with Abram talking to God. God is speaking to Abram about a covenant they will have with one another. A covenant is just an agreement, and an agreement with God is something you do not want to go against.

God tells Abram that from now on he will be named Abraham. Now does he sound familiar? God tells Abraham that he will be the father of many nations and that kings will come from him. Abraham is to keep them faithful in God and God will give them the land of Canaan. Abrahams side of this agreement is him and every male with him has to be circumcised. So Abraham has to circumcise every male, including his servants and his son, Ishmael who is 13 at the time. God then tells Abraham that all males should be circumcised when they are 8 days old and anyone that is not will be cut off from his people.

God then comes to Sarai, Abrahams wife. She is also given a new name; she is now to be called Sarah. God tells Abraham that she will have a son and they are to name their son Isaac. Of course with Abraham and Sarah being as old as they are, Abraham finds that idea or Sarah having children a little quixotic (unrealistic) but his faith in the Lord is strong.

Abraham asks why Ishmael cannot be his heir, but God has other plans for Ishmael. Ishmael is going to be the father of twelve rulers and he will come into a great nation. Looks to me like Ishmael is getting the star treatment! He is going to have some rich sons, what man doesn’t want rich kids that will take care of him in his old age?

After God leaves Abraham returns to his home to fill his part of the agreement and circumcise all the men.

Genesis 18 goes even more into the deal with Sarah having a child. God comes to visit Abraham at his tent. God also shows up with two other men. I am guessing all three men are God, I was told something about a trinity, which is God, the Spirit, and the Son. I am assuming that is what the three men before Abraham are.

Abraham quickly gets food and drink together for the men and water to wash their feet. He pretty much treats them like royalty, which they are! God tells Abraham that in a year Sarah will have a child. Sarah is eavesdropping and laughs when she hears this. She thinks its an absurd idea that she will have a child after her childbearing years.

Of course God hears her laugh, He kind of hears everything. He asks Abraham why she laughs and then asks Abraham “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is obviously no! God can do anything. Then Sarah tries to cover up that she was laughing by lying to God. Bad move lady! God only corrects her and tells her “Yes, you did laugh.” Isn’t that a sign that our God is awesome?

As God is leaving he tells Abraham that he plans to destroy Sodom because of the great sins they have done. Abraham tries to talk God out of it by asking what happens if there are 50 people that are actually still faithful and true to God. God says that he will spare Sodom if he finds 50 good men. Abraham keeps asking until he gets to 10 men. God tells Abraham if there are 10 good men in Sodom he will not destroy it. Then God leaves.

I am guessing that 10 is the magic number. And since most of us know (spoiler alert) Sodom is destroyed, I am also assuming that God didn’t find even 10 righteous men.

That is all I have for tonight. I promise to be back tomorrow with more. I’m excited to see where this goes! Are you? Keep reading your bible and you  know, you can venture more into the bible and read other things. A lot of people love to read Psalms! But if you want to keep reading it like you read a regular book, from chapter to chapter with no skipping, then do what is best for you, just read the bible!

Much Love

Heather

Genesis 15 & 16

Another two chapter night! A lot is going on right now with Abram and it just makes sense to do two chapters because not much goes on in each chapter. Let’s dive in!

Genesis 15 is right after Abram saves his nephew. Abram is talking to God about how a servant of his home will inherit all his possessions. If you remember Sarai cannot have children. God, being the awesome God that He is tells Abram that a servant will not gain possession of Abram’s stuff, but a child of his own will. God even takes Abram outside and tells him to look at the stars and if he can count the stars, that is how many children he will have.

God has actually used something similar in the past. He told Abram before that if he can count the dust, his children can be counted. I know that most people will understand this but let me explain it, simply. What God is saying to Abram is that he will have so many offspring that no one will be able to count them. Meaning, Abram has a bunch of kids to look forward to.

God then tells Abram that the land they are in is Abrams. Abram of course ask God how he knows he will actually get the land. God pretty much says, “Okay bring me some offerings and I will tell you” Abram goes and gathers the offereings that God ask for which happens to be very specific. A heifer, a goat and a ram but they have to be three years old. Also, a dove and a young pigeon.

Abram sets out the offerings and swats away the birds that try to come get it and wait. When the sun goes down Abram falls into a deep sleep where God speaks to him again. This time God tells him that his descendents will be mistreated and become slaves for 400 years. That is a seriously long time. I am sure that Abram felt bad for his descendents. The good news though is God is going to punish those people and Abram’s descendents will come out rich and will return to the land that Abram currently resides in.

God also tells Abram that he will live to an old age and be buried where his father was. That would be nice to know, wouldn’t it?

Genesis 16 is the one that I have a bit of a problem with. Sarai, as I have already reminded you, cannot have children. Because she cannot give her husband a son she does something a little…rash. She gives Abram her maidservant to sleep with. Now, to me this is adultery even if the wife told him he could do it. Though, we also have to remember that this was a different time and a woman’s purpose was pretty much to give her husband children.

Abram sleeps with Sarai’s maidservant and the servant becomes pregnant. The servant, Hagar pretty much gets a big head because she can give Abram what Sarai can’t. Hagar starts treating Sarai like trash.

Sarai goes to Abram and actually blames him for Hagar’s attitude problem. Let me just say, Sarai, you are the one that told him to go to Hagar! To make his wife happy Abram tells Sarai that Hagar is her servant and can do with her what she wishes. So, Sarai starts treating Hagar like trash. Can you say drama?

Hagar doesn’t take it for long though. She takes off. Yeah, she is still pregnant. Sounds to me like a bit of kidnapping since the child she was pregnant with belonged to Abram. An angel comes to Hagar and ask her why she is running. Once she tells the angel, the angel tells Hagar that for her suffering she will have many children, but the one she is pregnant with will be wild and angry. At least that is how I read it. The angel also tells Hagar that her son shall be named Ishmael.

After the chat with the angel Hagar returns back to Abram and Sarai and had her son who they named Ishmael as the angel instructed her to. At the time, Abram was 86 years old. The funny thing is, when the bible first begins 86 years old would still be young. Now though, for Abram, he is becoming an old man.

That’s all folks. Just a side note, there are a ton of names in the bible. Half the time when you are reading you skim over the names just to acknowledge their existence, but because you can’t pronounce them you forget about them. I suggest getting the bible on CD or even going to youversion website and listen to it there. It really helps. They also have a phone app for all you people with smartphones. I just know it has helped me, since I am not skipping over names I can’t pronounce I actually grasp the words better.

Tomorrow is chapter 17. We are moving along quickly and my bible is all highlighted up! J Be ready for tomorrow. Things are going to get awesome!

Much Love

Heather

Genesis 13 & 14

Tonight I am going to cover two chapters, simply because not much happens in Genesis 13. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you read it for yourself still and read it with an open mind and heart.

Genesis 13 is easy enough. It’s simply Abram’s return to a place he had been before. It was between Bethel and Ai where he had built an alter for the lord. This happened in Genesis 12, I just didn’t say anything about it because, well, you need to read it!

Abram at this time has collected a lot of things, herds, silver and gold as well as more men to help tend to all his possessions. Lot had also collected a good bit of stuff. There was fighting between the herdsmen so Abram decides that they need to part ways. Abram even lets Lot choose which way he wants to go. Of course Lot chooses the land that looks the most green and alive. The go their separate ways.

God then tells Abram to all sides and the land that he can see God gives to Abram and his offspring. Abram sets up his tents near great trees of Mamre at Hebron and he builds an alter to God.

Lot, who had taken to the land that looked best to him has gotten himself into some trouble. He sets up his tents near Sodom. Sodom was not a friendly place. The men of Sodom were wicked and sinned against God.

Genesis 14

A lot is actually going on in Genesis 14. First, a bunch of kings get together. I will call them team 1 and team 2

Team 1: Amraphel, Arioch, Kedorlaomer, and Tidal

Team 2: Bera(King of Sodom) Birsha (King of Gomorrah), Shinab, Shember, and Zoar.

Team 2 has been under Kedorlaomer’s rule for 12 years. The thirteenth year they got tired of it and rebelled. In the fourteenth year Team 1 goes out and defeats a bunch of places. They are some bad dudes. Then Team 2 decides to take a try at them. Remember in Genesis 13 it says that the men of Sodom are wicked men, so of course Team 1 is going to win.  Once Team 2 retreated Team 1 took all the processions of the Kings that fled. This included Abram’s nephew, Lot.

Lot has gotten himself into trouble! Luckily a guy that had escaped the battle found Abram and told him what had happened. Abram is also a bad (as in awesome) dude. He quickly gathers up an army of 318 trained men and goes after Lot. They win the battle and take everything that was taken after the war between Team 1 and Team 2.

The King of Salem, Melchizedek brings out wine and bread to celebrate Abram’s victory. Later Abram meets up with the king of Sodom to give him his goods back. Then the king tells Abram he can keep all the goods that he recovered. Abram refuses because he knows that the king of Sodom is just as wicked as his men are. You don’t want to take gifts from a man who has so openly sinned against God. It’s only asking for trouble. Also, seeing as the king of Sodom is just as bad as his men, Abram knows that if he takes the goods the King will only use it against him one day by telling people he, the king of Sodom, gave the great Abram all the things that made him rich.

Way to go Abram! He saved his nephew and still stayed faithful to the Lord.

That’s all for tonight folks. Read up on the next chapter and be ready for tomorrow. Don’t forget to thank God for all that he has given you and ask Him to help you be as faithful as the great men of the bible.

Much Love

Heather

Genesis 12

To be honest, I am a little lost when it comes to Genesis 12. If you haven’t read it yet, go do it. It will take less than 10 minutes, is that so much for God to ask for?

Genesis 12 starts with God telling Abram to leave his country and everything he knows. God doesn’t even tell Abram where he is going, God says He will show Abram the land.  Abram sets out to do as God asks of him. He takes with him his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.

Read Genesis 12:2-3. God tells Abram that he will be blessed. Those that bless Abram will also be blessed and those that curse Abram shall be cursed. I actually think this is pretty awesome and something to learn. God will bless us all and give us great things, all we have to do is obey him. Just watch, He does exactly as he tells Abram He will do.

Because of the famine in the lands Abram goes to live in Egypt for a while. I imagine the famine was not as bad there and that is why Abram took his family there. Right outside of Egypt Abram stops and tells his wife that she has to pretend that she is his sister. Sarai is a beautiful woman and Abram fears that the men of Egypt will kill him to take his wife. So to save his life they go in to Egypt as siblings, not spouses.

The Pharaoh of Egypt fancies Sarai and takes her as his own wife. He also gives sheep, cattle, donkeys, servants, maids and camels to Abram as a way to take care of Sarai’s family. It doesn’t last long though. God bring disease to the Pharaoh and his household for taking Abrams wife.

This is where I get a little confused. Abram and Sarai were the ones that lied. Lying, in case you didn’t know, is a sin. Yet, the Pharaoh is the one who was punished for taking another mans wife…that he didn’t know was Abrams wife. It kind of doesn’t make sense.

The Pharaoh, of course, gets mad and asks Abram why he lied. Though, no answer ever comes. The Pharaoh tells Abram to take his wife and all that he had given him and leave. Abram basically was booted out of Egypt. He did as he was told.

I fail to understand why Abram did not get some kind of punishment for lying. Yes, it was to save his life, but does that justify the lie? It seems that he was rewarded for his lie in this event. He came to Egypt with nothing but his wife, but he left with as a rich man.

I guess I have to admit though, if it was a small lie or death, I would choose the lie. We all have our faults. It also goes to show that even though we make mistakes, God still loves us and gives us the things he promises.

That is all that happens in Genesis 12. Go read 13 and be prepared for tomorrow! Just 10 minutes is enough to read the chapter and meditate on it.

Much Love

Heather

Genesis 11

So far Genesis 11 is my favorite story of the bible.

When I was younger I remember watching a short cartoon about this story. The men and women decided to build city and within this city they began to build a tower to reach the heavens. God came down to see the tower that they had built. He actually says that with all men speaking the same language nothing is impossible.

I always take a moment to think about this. Alone, we cannot do much, but together we can do great things. Divided we fall, united we stand. I am sure some famous person said that, I just don’t feel like looking up who said it first.

God decides He cannot let man reach the heavens so He scatters them and gives them different languages, which is where we are today. Language is such a huge barrier. So many people are learning different languages now too. That’s awesome to learn a new language, but couldn’t it also be dangerous? I mean, God has already struck us down once for having one language. Granted, they were trying to reach heaven, but couldn’t that happen again? And are we not already trying to reach heaven with all the scientist trying to prove or disprove the existence of God?

The city that these men were building became Babel because God “Confused the language of the whole world.” (Genesis 11:9) The tower of Babel always puts me in the mind of humpty dumpty. I wonder if the nursery rhyme was modeled after the tower of Babel. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (the men building the wall), humpty dumpty had a great fall (God confusing the language), all the kings men and all the kings horses couldn’t put humpty together again (our attempt to change the languages now and create one universal language, but everyone wants their language to be the universal one.) I would say that is something to think about.

Genesis 11 then goes on to talk about the line of Shem. Shem was 100 years old two years after the flood and he had his first child. What I find fascinating is now the child bearing years seems to come much sooner. If you look back to the first few chapters of Genesis, men were not having their first child until they were over 100 years old. Now, Shem’s son has his first child when he is only 30. They also start living shorter lives. Let me just give you a list of sons. Because here is where we finally meet Abram and from what I have read, he does a lot of awesome stuff.

Shem’s son is Arphaxad

Arphaxad -> Shelah

Shelah-> Eber

Eber -> Peleg

Peleg ->Reu

Reu -> Serug

Serug -> Nahor

Nahor ->Terah

Terah -> Abram

Tada! Just a side note, my spell check went crazy with red lines with all those names! Interesting fact, that you would notice if you read the chapter yourself, Terah was 70 when he became the father of Abram. God has a special connection with the number 7. If you remember, look back if you don’t, Noah’s father, Lamech lived 777 years. 7’s seem to pop up when someone important is about to come into the picture.

Terah also became the father of Nahor and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. Lot becomes important later on.

Haran dies where he was born. Nahor married Milcah who was a daughter of Haran. She married her uncle? I know today we think of it as odd and wrong, but you have to remember, the time we read of in the bible was so very much different than the life we live now. Abram marries Sarai. It is important that you know that Sarai could not have children. I know now, for a woman to not be able to have a child is horrible but she can always adopt. I can’t imagine how devastating that was for women back then when having children was almost your only purpose.

At the end of Genesis 11 Terah takes Abram, Sarai and Lot and they all head to Canaan. On the way they come to the city Haran and they settle there. There are so many cities named after people of the bible. So who was Terah’s son Haran named after if there is already a city named Haran? I ask the question but I also know that if it was important it would be in the bible, so I think it would be in my best interest to let it go. J

And that’s it folks! I’m sorry that tonight’s post is so long. It’s the longest so far, but there was a lot going on in Genesis 11. I really suggest you go read it because it helps if you read it for yourself. Develop your own opinion of it. Go read it! And Genesis 12 while you are at it. I’m about to go read it myself.

Much Love

Heather

Genesis 10

Genesis 10

I hope you have been reading while I have taken a bit of a break. I wore myself out and took a bit of a break. Don’t worry though, I am determined to get this blog rolling and never missing another day!

Genesis 10 is a lot of names! It’s another one of those boring chapters that you just have to get through. We learn about the sons of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

These sons go on to create the Japhethites (Japheth’s decedents) Hamites (Ham’s descendents) and the Semites (Shems descendents.)

Ham has a son named Cush who goes to have a son named Nimrod. Nimrod was a warrior on earth and a mighty hunter before the lord. Nimrod is now used as an insult. I thought you might enjoy this little fun fact. On a bugs bunny episode, Bugs calls Elmer Fudd a “Poor little nimrod.” Bugs used it correctly, he was just calling Elmer Fudd a poor little hunter. But others took it wrong and started using it as an insult.

Ham also had a son named Canaan as you have heard of before when Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan. Canaan created a clan called the Canaanite that scattered the borders of Canaan.

The sons of Noah and their descedents spread out and repopulated the earth. I suggest you read it for all the names. Eventually I will have a sort of family tree so you can see how the line goes from Adam and Eve and on. I think it’s going to be a fun little project for me, I just don’t know how I am going to do it right now.

That is really all I have for Genesis 10. Not a lot is really going on in this chapter. Just a bunch of names and places. Go read it! And while you are at it, read 11 as well!

Much Love

Heather