Bible Study Genesis Verse By Verse

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● Gen 17:7b . . as an everlasting covenant throughout the ages,

Abraham's covenant is permanent; has never been annulled, deleted, made
obsolete, abrogated, set aside, given to another people, nor replaced by another
covenant.

God promised Abraham He would guard the safety of this particular covenant
Himself personally. The covenant God made with Moses' people as per Deut 29:9
15 neither supersedes, amends, nor replaces the covenant God made with Abraham
in this chapter (Gal 3:17). Attempts been made to package all the covenants into a
single security like a Wall Street derivative similar to a collateralized debt obligation
(CDO). But that just creates a bubble and is really asking for trouble.

● Gen 17:7c . . to be a deity to you and to your offspring to come.

This part of the covenant is somewhat particular. It will only include those among
male Hebrews that undergo the circumcision coming up in the next few passages.

● Gen 17:8a . . I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come,

Ownership of the land is realized not only in Abraham's progeny alone. God said He
assigned the land not only to his offspring, but to "you" too. Abraham didn't get to
take possession of his promised holdings while he was here, but in the future, he
will.

"You will keep faith with Jacob, loyalty to Abraham, as You promised on oath to our
fathers in days gone by." (Mic 7:20)

"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 8:11)

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the
same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose
architect and builder is God." (Heb 11:8-10)

● Gen 17:8b . . all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding.

Abraham and his covenanted posterity may not always occupy the land, and they
may not always be in control of it; but it remains deeded to them forever.

● Gen 17:8c . . I will be their deity.

The wording of the covenant thus far hasn't been specific regarding the identity of
Abraham's offspring for whom El Shaddai will be their divine patron. Later on it will
become clear that only the line through Isaac is effected. Neither Ishmael nor any
of the other brothers were granted rights in the land.

The next covenant is totally a guy thing. The ladies are not a part of this one
because Abraham's posterity isn't perpetuated by mothers. Men in the Bible inherit
their tribal affiliation and their family names from the fathers rather than the
mothers even when Jewish men father children by Gentile women, e.g. Asenath,
Zipporah,Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth.

● Gen 17:9 . . God further said to Abraham: As for you; you and your offspring to
come throughout the ages shall keep My covenant.

The Hebrew word "keep" basically means: to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e.
guard, to protect, attend to. The general meaning in this particular instance is: to
preserve.

● Gen 17:10-11 . . Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your
offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be
circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the
sign of the covenant between Me and you.

NOTE: This rather unpleasant sign was later included with the covenant that
Abraham's posterity agreed upon with God per Lev 12:2-3 so that it became a very
serious offense to neglect it.

"Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them
out. Then all the people shall say: Amen." (Deut 27:26)

● Gen 17:12-13a . . And throughout the generations, every male among you shall
be circumcised at the age of eight days. As for the home-born slave and the one
bought from an outsider who is not of your offspring, they must be circumcised,
home-born, and purchased alike.

Home-born slaves were those born while its parents were Abraham's property. The
classification was reckoned Abraham's offspring; viz: his sons; thus indicating that
the Hebrew word zera' is ambiguous and doesn't strictly apply to one's paternal
posterity.
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● Gen 17:13b-14 . .Thus shall My covenant be marked in your flesh as an
everlasting pact. And if any male who is uncircumcised fails to circumcise the flesh
of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his kin; he has broken My
covenant.

Let's say a man's father was a member of the tribe of Issachar who, for one reason
or another, never got around to circumcising his son.

Well; until the son (whom we may assume is old enough to know better) submits to
the ritual, he cannot be counted among Issachar's posterity. In point of fact, he
cannot be counted among Abraham's either, viz: the man is literally a Jew without
a tribal identity.

This may seem a petty issue but in matters of inheritance, it can have very serious
consequences for the non-circumcised man. He's not only cut off from his kin, but
also from Abraham's covenant wherein God promised his posterity ownership of
Palestine in perpetuity, i.e. the man would have no property rights in that land.

Also included in the "covenant between Me and you" is the promise to always be
their deity. Well; until the non-circumcised son undergoes circumcision, The Lord
won't be his divine patron; consequently the man would effectively be reckoned an
outsider, viz: reckoned among the heathen.

To give an idea of just how serious God is about this ritual: After Moses was
commissioned to represent God in the Exodus; the Lord rendezvoused with him and
came within an inch of taking his son's life over this very issue.

"Now it came about at an inn on the way that The Lord met him and sought to put
him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it
at Moses' feet, and she said: You are indeed a bloody bridegroom to me. So He let
him alone." (Ex 4:24-26)

That should be a sobering warning that anyone representing God is supposed to set
the example in all things. It's not do as I say, nor even do as I do, rather; do as I
have done.

NOTE: There exists some disagreement as regards the proper interpretation of Ex
4:24-26. One side suggests it was Moses himself whom God sought to slay,
whereas the other side suggests it was his son. Apparently the Hebrew language
and grammar of that passage are somewhat vague.

● Gen 17:15 . . And God said to Abraham: As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call
her Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.

Sarah's original name in Hebrew basically meant dominative.

Webster's defines "dominative" as: to exert the supreme determining or guiding
influence on-- in other words: bossy. Dominative isn't a desirable female
personality, viz: assertive and controlling isn't something for a truly spiritual
woman to be proud of.

The Hebrew for Sarah basically means a female noble, e.g. a Lady, a Princess, or
a Queen. It's much preferable for a woman to be known as a lady or a princess
than as a dominatrix.

Changing Sarai's name didn't actually change her personality; but it certainly
reflected her new God-given purpose. It was like a promotion to knighthood. The
child she would produce for Abraham became a very important, world-renowned
human being out of whom came kings and statesmen; and ultimately the world's
only hope for a better world, including full-time protection from God's displeasure.

If I were required to pick just one woman in the Bible to venerate, it wouldn't be
Jesus' mom; no, it would be Isaac's mom. Sarah is the supreme matriarch; superior
to every one of the Messianic mothers who came after her.
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● Gen 17:16 . . I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her
so that she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her.

Sarah now had a calling from God just like her slavette Hagar; who herself was
given a calling from God on the road to Shur. Sarah's calling was not much of a
calling. She wasn't called to go off to some foreign country as a missionary, nor to
open and operate hostels and orphanages in impoverished lands, nor head up a
local chapter of the March Of Dimes, nor muster an army like a Joan of Arc. All that
Sarah had to do for God was just be Isaac's mom.

● Gen 17:17 . . Abraham threw himself on his face and laughed, as he said to
himself: Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a
child at ninety?

God had previously promised Abraham an heir but this is the first time He actually
specified who the mother would be. Was Abraham skeptical? Not this time. No; he
just thought it was hilarious for two old sag-bottomed, bloated cod-fish gasbags like
he and Sarah to have children. In other words: You've gotta be kidding!

● Gen 17:18 . . And Abraham said to God: O that Ishmael might live before you.

Ishmael is sometimes thought of as sort of a red-headed step child, but I tend to
think that Abraham really did love the boy. I can see it here when Abraham
requested God's providence for the boy lest he become marginalized and forgotten.

● Gen 17:19a . . God said: Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son,

God had nothing personal against Ishmael (at least not then) but the lad wasn't
quite what The Lord had in mind for the covenant's future. The one to perpetuate it
had to be special; viz: he couldn't be a "wild-burro of a man" nor "his hand against
every man's hand". In other words: God much preferred a peaceable chap.

● Gen 17:19b . . and you shall name him Isaac;

The Hebrew for Isaac's name basically means laughter or mirth; sometimes in a
bad way such as mockery. In other places in the old testament, Isaac goes by the a
name that basically means he will laugh, or, he thinks it's funny. (perhaps as a
memorial to Abraham's mirth.)

● Gen 17:19c . . and I will maintain My covenant with him as an everlasting
covenant for his offspring to come.

* The Hebrew word translated "everlasting" doesn't always indicate back in time
indefinite, but always indicates forward in time indefinite. In other words: the "My
covenant" with Isaac would be in perpetuity, i.e. permanent; generation to
generation.

Much of the covenant is of little interest to the average Gentile; but one portion of it
is very significant. It's this:

"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen 22:18)

● Gen 17:20 . . As for Ishmael, I have heeded you. I hereby bless him. I will make
him fertile and exceedingly numerous. He shall be the father of twelve chieftains,
and I will make of him a great nation.

That quite literally came true. Ishmael really did engender twelve chieftains. (Gen
25:12-16) So modern Arabs do have a legitimate claim to Abraham as their patriarch;
but of course they have no such claim upon Isaac, or upon Isaac's blessings.

● Gen 17:21-22 . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall
bear to you at this season next year. And when He was done speaking with him,
God was gone from Abraham.

Don't you just hate it when a supervisor lays down the law and then turns on their
heel and leaves the room? It immediately tells everyone that their boss' agenda
isn't open to discussion.

● Gen 17:23 . .Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all his home-born slaves
and all those he had bought, every male in Abraham's household, and he
circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that very day, as God had spoken to him.

That was well over 300 grown men; not counting boys. (Gen 14:14)

● Gen 17:24-27 . . Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the
flesh of his foreskin, and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were
circumcised on that very day; and all his household, his home-born slaves and
those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him.

Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised. It would be another year
before Isaac was born, and possibly three after that before Isaac was weaned;
making Ishmael at least seventeen or eighteen when Abraham emancipated his
mom in chapter 21.
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● Gen 18:1a . .The Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre;

The Hebrew word for "appeared" doesn't necessarily indicate a visible apparition.
The word is very ambiguous. It has several meanings; one of which simply
indicates a meeting. It's certain that The Lord was present during this meeting but
uncertain whether more than His voice was present; though not impossible. (cf. Ex
24:9-11)

The three men upon whom we are about to eavesdrop are said by some to be
angels; but the Hebrew word for angel is nowhere in the entire narrative.

This visit occurred very shortly after the last one because Isaac wasn't born yet and
his birth had been predicted in 17:21 to be little more than a year away.

Mamre's terebinths were a grove of oak trees situated near modern day Hebron
about 20 miles south of Jerusalem at an elevation of 3,050 feet above sea level.

● Gen 18:1b-2a . . he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.
Looking up, he saw three men standing near him.

It wouldn't be accurate to think of Abraham's tent as something akin to a
hiker/camper's basic portable shelter. Bedouin sheiks lived in pavilions, since they
served as the family's home.

The entrance of the tent likely had a large canopy over it like a roofed porch so that
Abraham wasn't sitting out in the sun, but rather in the shade. Poor guy's heart
must have stopped when he looked up at these three guys just standing there
saying nothing. I'm not sure if Abraham was aware at this point that one of those
men was The Lord (a.k.a. Jehovah). So his next reactions are interesting and reveal
just how hospitable this rich and famous sheik was to total strangers.

● Gen 18:2b-3a . . As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to
greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said: My lords,

Abraham was 99 so I don't think he actually sprinted. The Hebrew word can mean
either to run or just simply to hurry.

The Hebrew word for "lords" is based upon 'adown (aw-done') which means
sovereign (human or divine). 'Adown is a versatile word often used as a courteous
title of respect for elders and or superiors; for example Sarah spoke the very same
word of her husband at Gen 18:12, Rachel addressed her dad by it at Gen 31:5,
and Jacob addressed his brother Esau by 'adown at Gen 33:8.

● Gen 18:3b-5a . . if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water
be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel
of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on-- seeing that you have come
your servant's way.

There was a custom in the Olde American West that when travelers came by your
spread, it was considered neighborly to offer them a meal and some tobacco, along
with water and provender for their horses. This sometimes was the only means of
support for off-season, unemployed cowboys known as drifters and saddle tramps;
but what the hey, you took the good with the bad; no questions asked.

Traveling was neither a tourist's vacation nor a Sunday drive in Abraham's day. No
cushy motels, no gas stations or convenience stores. It was very far in between
communities and few people along the way so a camp like Abraham's was a
welcome sight in that day.

You can imagine how refreshing it would be on a hot day to soak your feet in a tub
of cool water and recline in the shade of a big oak tree. In an era without
refrigeration, electric fans, and/or air conditioning, that was just about the best
there was to offer. Anyway it all just goes to show that Abraham was a very
hospitable man, and really knew how to make people feel at home.

● Gen 18:5b . .They replied: Do as you have said.

There is something here important to note. Although the text says "they" replied, it
doesn't mean all three men spoke at once, nor spoke in turn. If only one in a group
speaks, and the others are silent, it's understood to mean the others are
consensual; and that the one speaks for all if no one objects or has anything to
add.
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● Gen 18:6-8a . . Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said: Quickly,
three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes! Then Abraham hurried to the
herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to
prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set
these before them;

The Hebrew word translated "calf" basically means beef cattle, or an animal of the
ox family; of either gender.

The word for "curds" basically means curdled milk, or cheese. Later to come Kosher
laws would forbid serving dairy and meat together; but in Abraham's day it didn't
matter.

The only ingredient listed for the cakes (which probably resembled English muffins,
or possibly Navajo fry bread) is choice flour, viz: no leavening was added. That was
of course an expedient to get the bread prepared as quickly as possible.

With a little imagination, one could concoct a pretty decent deli sandwich from what
Abraham put on their plates. Anyway, all this must've taken an appreciable amount
of time; like preparing a thanksgiving dinner from scratch; including butchering the
turkey. Plus, they cooked in those days by means of open flame and/or wood-fired
ovens so it's not like Abraham served the men packaged meals warmed up in a
microwave.

NOTE: Abraham employed quite a few servants. It's likely that Sarah's role in the
cooking was supervision rather than the actual labor.

● Gen 18:8b . . and he waited on them under the tree as they ate.

Targum authors-- convinced the men were celestial beings --couldn't believe they
would actually partake of food. According to them, the foods were before them, but
they didn't actually eat it.

T. and [Abraham] served before them, and they sat under the tree; and he quieted
himself to see whether they would eat. (Targum Jonathan)

In major English versions of the Hebrew Bible-- e.g. The JPS and the Stone --Gen
18:8 is translated "they ate". It isn't translated that Abraham stood by to see if
they would eat, nor is it translated they pretended to eat, nor that they appeared to
eat. Genesis says the men actually dined on the food that Abraham set before
them. (cf. Chabad.org)

* I'm thinking that two of the three guys there that day were normal men, but the
third was a theophany which, if so, goes to show just how real the supreme being is
able to present Himself in a human form.

● Gen 18:9a . .They said to him: Where is your wife Sarah?

So far, Sarah has been hearing about her impending child only from Abraham. But
now, the speaker is intent that she should hear the news from somebody a little
higher up the food chain.

● Gen 18:9b . . And he replied: There, in the tent.

At this point the speaker no doubt intentionally raised his voice a bit to ensure little
Miss Eavesdropper would hear what he had to say.

● Gen 18:10-11 . .Then one said: I will return to you next year, and your wife
Sarah shall have a son. Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was
behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah had
stopped having the periods of women.

"To everything there is a season: a time for every purpose under heaven" (Ecc 3:1)

Sarah was barren to begin with-- add that to her age and the door was really
slammed on her chances of ever bearing a child of her own.
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● Gen 18:12a . . And Sarah laughed to herself, saying: Now that I am withered, am
I to have enjoyment

Sarah was no doubt thinking to herself that if this stranger knew how old she was;
he wouldn't be making such a ridiculous prediction.

● Gen 18:12b . . with my lord so old?

Abraham was well past his prime. (Rom 4:19, Heb 11:12)

"my lord" is a level of respect not often seen in today's world of feminism and
misandry.

● Gen 18:13-14 . .Then The Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah mock, saying;
Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am? Is anything too wondrous for The Lord? I
will return to you at the time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.

The Lord didn't quote Sarah verbatim-- He actually paraphrased her words to say
what she meant; rather than what she spoke. That's important to note; and tells
me that it really isn't all that important to quote Scripture precisely so long as you
don't lose, or change, its meanings. There's a lot of that in the new testament; and
certainly in the Targums too.

It isn't said exactly from whence the voice of The Lord came: whether it was one of
the men speaking or a voice in the air. However, The Lord did show up and do "as
He had spoken." (Gen 21:1)

● Gen 18:15a . . Sarah lied, saying; "I didn't laugh" for she was frightened.

Sarah hadn't actually laughed out loud, but "to herself". When she realized that one
of the men could read her thoughts, she became nervous: and who wouldn't?

● Gen 18:15b . . But He replied: You did laugh.

Most men would have jumped right to their wife's defense. Abraham had at least
300 armed men in his camp who would do anything he asked; but knowing by now
exactly who these men really were, Abraham remained composed.

The word used to describe Abraham's visitors is 'iysh (eesh) which is a gender
specific word that means: a man as an individual or a male person. It is also the
word used to specify the male gender among the animals taken aboard the Ark.
(Gen 7:2)

This chapter strongly suggests that Abraham and Sarah saw The Lord as a fully
functioning man. As to whether the person they saw was an actual human being or
a human avatar I don't know and I'm afraid to even hazard a guess. But when He
said "Is anything to wondrous for The Lord" it's my guess that taking a fully
functioning human form would be on His list of the unbelievable feats The Lord is
able to perform. (cf. Gen 32:24-30 & Ex 24:9-11)

● Gen 18:16 . .The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom,
Abraham walking with them to see them off.

Looking down towards Sodom is probably just another way to say aiming for
Sodom.

Many of us just see our visitors out the front door. But, you know, it wouldn't hurt
to see them out to their cars too. Maybe even carry a few things for them.

The site of Sodom has never been found. Some believe it was at the south end of
the Dead Sea; but that's really only a guess. The destruction was so severe and so
complete that it's just impossible now to tell where it was.

● Gen 18:17 . . Now the Lord had said: Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about
to do,

Now there's a pretty good yardstick of your standing with God. Do you know what
is on His agenda for tomorrow? Me neither. God doesn't confide in me for the
slightest thing. I don't even know what brand of toothpaste He uses in the morning
let alone His daily schedule.

● Gen 18:18 . . since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the
nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him?

Divine purposes for Abraham elevated him to a very high degree of importance
above ordinary human beings; and God regarded the old boy not as a servant, but
as a member of God's inner circle of confidants. In point of fact; one of His buddies
(Isa 41:8). That is amazing.
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● Gen 18:19 . . For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his
progeny to keep the way of The Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that
The Lord may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.

In order for The Lord's statement to be meaningful it has to imply that Abraham
possessed a knowledge of what is just and right in harmony with what God feels is
just and right rather than a humanistic knowledge. The US Supreme Court's
justices obviously don't have a knowledge of what is just and right in harmony with
God because they seldom agree on anything and their rulings are opinions rather
than absolutes.

Getting all of Abraham's posterity to do what is just and right has been a bit of a
challenge for God down through the centuries. Some have; but typically not all.

NOTE: The Lord's prediction no doubt included Ishmael, so I wouldn't be surprised
if by the time Abraham emancipated his mom, the boy had more of "the way of the
Lord" under his belt than quite a few modern pew warmers.

● Gen 18:20 . .Then the Lord said: The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so
great, and their sin so grave!

It's true that the people of Sodom indulged in sexual impurity; but that's not the
only thing about their manner of life that chafed God.

They weren't just your every-day, average garden variety of sinners. According to
Gen 13:13, they were not only very wicked sinners; but very wicked sinners
"against The Lord" in other words: they were insolent; which Webster's defines as:
exhibiting boldness or effrontery; viz: impudence.

People like that are defiant to the bone-- they make a point of standing up to
others and asserting their independence and they don't care whose feelings get
hurt by it.

Some of The Lord's statements, spoken to shame His people, shed additional light
on the nature of Sodom's wickedness.

"For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their
actions are against The Lord, to rebel against His glorious presence. The expression
of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom;
they do not even conceal it." (Isa 3:8-9)

"What I see in the prophets of Jerusalem is something horrifying: adultery and false
dealing. They encourage evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness."
(Jer 23:14)

"Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had
plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the
needy. In their haughtiness, they committed abomination before Me; and so I
removed them, as you saw." (Ezek 16:49-50)

Sodom is widely reputed for its carnal depravity. but as you can see from those
passages above, they were a whole lot more unrighteous than that. One of the
most interesting of their sins was that they did nothing to discourage wickedness.
They actually applauded evildoers and encouraged them to keep it up. Added to
that was arrogance, and a lack of charity-- indifference to the plight of the poor -
and haughtiness, dishonesty, partiality, insulting the glory and dignity of God, and
bragging about all of it.

Since God had not yet codified any laws specifically prohibiting the Sodomites'
conduct, then He really couldn't prosecute them in that respect. However, mankind
isn't amoral.

"And the Lord God said: Now that Man has become as one of us discerning good
and evil" (Gen 3:22a)

Although mankind's conscience became humanistic due to the forbidden fruit
incident, it is still a functioning conscience and intuitively knows that certain kinds
of conduct are unacceptable.

"Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by
the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since
they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even
defending them." (Rom 2:14-15)
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● Gen 18:21 . . I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according
to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.

The Bible says that Abraham's nephew Lot was distressed by the community's way
of life in Sodom (2Pet 2:7-8) so it's very likely that he was the source of the outcry.

But why would The Lord bother to go down? Doesn't He see all and know all? Isn't
God omniscient and isn't His spirit omnipresent? Can't He observe everything from
right where He is?

Well yes; He could see and hear from Heaven everything he needed to know about
the city, but He wasn't satisfied. He had to investigate, and establish the truth of
every fact for Himself in person as on-site eye witness, before moving against
Sodom.

In future, should someone challenge The Lord by saying: How do you know Sodom
was bad? Were you there; did you actually see it yourself? Well; yes, as a matter of
fact: He was there and did actually see their bad for Himself.

● Gen 18:22 . .The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained
standing before The Lord.

A plausible scenario is that all three men began walking towards Sodom, and then
the one stayed behind to conduct a private meeting with Abraham.

The Targums say Abraham interceded for his nephew, but it would appear from the
Scripture that he interceded not just for Lot, but also for the citizens of Sodom too.
And that's to be expected. After all, Abraham was their savior; the one who rescued
them all from that awful Chedorlaomer back in chapter fourteen. He couldn't just sit
on his hands now and let them all die without making any effort to save them from
the wrath of God.

This is somewhat ironic. It's as if Abraham saved the people from El Ched only to
be barbecued in Sodom; viz: sort of like the cops shooting a felon during his arrest,
taking him to the hospital to save his life, then hauling him into court after he's well
enough to stand trial so he can be given the gas chamber.

● Gen 18:23a . . Abraham came forward

Abraham "came forward" in that he became somewhat assertive in this next scene.
He was sort of like a godfather to the Sodomites, in spite of their decadence. That
is amazing; yet, is so typical of the really holy men in the Bible to intercede for
people who certainly didn't deserve it. (e.g. Ex 32:30-35)

There's nothing intrinsically wrong in taking the initiative to speak with God. After
all, if people always waited for God to speak first before they ever said a word in
prayer, hardly anybody would talk to God at all. Not that God is shy, it's just that
He rarely ever says anything out loud, so a normal person would tend to think The
Almighty was indifferent to His creations. But that just isn't true. We know from the
Bible that God desires a rapport with everyone.

Some people wait until they're desperate and out of options before turning to God.
But it is so insulting to treat God like a spare tire or a First Aid kit. It's better to
begin a rapport with Him early, now, before a crisis occurs. (cf. Prov 1:24-33)

● Gen 18:23b . . and said: Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?

The answer to that of course is that sometimes the innocent are collateral damage.
The Flood is a useful example. No doubt quite a few underage children died in that
one; and 120,000 more would've perished in Nineveh had not the adults responded
to Jonah's message. (Jonah 4:11).

Although Lot was living in a very bad environment, and among very bad people
who caused him much mental and emotional stress (2Pet 2:4-9) it didn't eo ipso
make Lot himself a bad man. In the final analysis, when it was time to make an end
of Sodom, God made a difference between Lot and Sodom and got him out before it
was too late.

● Gen 18:24-25 . . What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You
then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are
in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well
as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the
Judge of all the earth deal justly?

I think Abraham's question was more rhetorical than anything else. Of course the
Judge of all the earth deals justly; no true man of faith would ever seriously
question his maker's integrity.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 18:26-33 . . And The Lord answered: If I find within the city of Sodom fifty
innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake. Abraham spoke up,
saying: Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: what if
the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the
five? And He answered: I will not destroy if I find forty-five there. But he spoke to
Him again, and said: What if forty should be found there? And He answered: I will
not do it, for the sake of the forty.

. . And he said: Let not my Lord be angry if I go on; what if thirty should be found
there? And He answered: I will not do it if I find thirty there. And he said: I venture
again to speak to my Lord; what if twenty should be found there? And He
answered: I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty. And he said: Let not my
Lord be angry if I speak but this last time; what if ten should be found there? And
He answered: I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten. When The Lord had
finished speaking to Abraham, He departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

I'm guessing Abraham stopped at ten because he assumed there had to be at least
that many righteous in Sodom who didn't deserve to die; but according to Peter; he
was wrong. There was only one: and that's all there was in Noah's day too. (Gen 7:1)

● Gen 19:1a . . And there came two angels to Sodom

The Hebrew word for "angels" basically means to dispatch as a deputy; viz: a
messenger; specifically of God, i.e. an angel and/or a prophet, priest or teacher--
viz: someone who speaks for and/or represents another.

The word doesn't necessarily indicate celestial beings; because it's focused more on
an office or a function rather than persons. According to verse 3, these angels were
capable of consuming food the same as were Abraham's human guests up in
Hebron. According to verse 10, they were gender specific; viz: males. So from all
outward appearances, these particular messengers were normal, fully functioning
human beings.

● Gen 19:1b . . in the evening,

The word for "evening" technically means dusk; defined by Webster's as: the
darker part of twilight after sundown. It's the same word as the evenings of Gen
1:5-31.

The word is a bit ambiguous. In spite of its technical meaning; it doesn't always
indicate sundown and/or twilight. It can also indicate the latter part of a day, i.e.
any daytime hour between high noon and sunset e.g. Sam 17:16 where Goliath
taunted Israel twice a Day-- once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.

On the surface, the two men appear to be ordinary travelers pulling into town for
the night after a day's journey. That's a sensible choice. Sodom was walled, and
much safer than camping out in the field where they would be vulnerable to
brigands and/or wild animals. In those days, the Jordan valley had lions in it and
Canaan was still pretty much out on the lawless frontier.

● Gen 19:1c . . as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom.

It's believed by some that "sitting in the gate" indicates Lot was a member of the
town's council. Whether that's true is debatable; but for sure his primary
occupation was ranching.

In those days the gate vicinity was an important civic location-- i.e. a sort of town
square --where people could pick up the latest news and conduct public business
like elections, marriages, notary public, municipal court, rallies, and soap-box
speeches. It was in the gate of Bethlehem where Ruth's husband Boaz defended
her cause and claimed the woman of Moab for his wife. (Ruth 4)

Lot probably wrapped up every one of his days at the gate before going on home;
kind of like an ancient Miller time. Even today, either a newspaper or a television
news program caps the day for many men in America.

● Gen 19:1d . .When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them

Don't miss this man's courteous manners. Even living amongst the wickedest
people in the whole region, Lot still practiced his uncle's brand of hospitality. No
doubt a result of the years he spent under Abraham's wing. Actually Lot was a very
good man in spite of his town's reputation. He stood out like a carnation blooming
in a landfill.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:1e-2a . . bowing low with his face to the ground, he said: Please, my
lords, turn aside to your servant's house to spend the night, and bathe your feet;
then you may be on your way early.

Bowing low is an act of worship, courtesy, and/or deference to one's superiors. The
word is the same used at Gen 22:5 for Abraham's worship during the course of
sacrificing his son Isaac; and during Abraham's bargaining with Heth's kin at Gen 23:7.

The word for "lords" is a nondescript title of respect and can apply to ordinary
human beings like as in Rachel's respect for her father Laban in Gen 32:35.

Coupled with hospitality, was no doubt Lot's fear for these stranger's safety. Lot
knew Sodom, and knew what might happen to those men if they stayed anywhere
else but in his home and behind his walls.

Exactly why Lot took an interest in these men's safety isn't stated. It could be that
they were gentle and unarmed; thus, by all appearances, easy prey for the town's
rather undignified forms of entertainment.

● Gen 19:2b . . But they said: No, we will spend the night in the square.

Their response was most likely a customary refusal, with the intention of accepting
Lot's hospitality only after some polite resistance to test the sincerity of his offer.
Their response to Lot is somewhat different than the response of the men who
visited Abraham. Those accepted Abraham's offer immediately, and without
resistance.

● Gen 19:3 . . But he insisted, so they turned his way and entered his house. He
prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Unleavened bread essentially refers to bread made with sweet dough rather than
sour.

In this day and age of cultured yeast it's not easy to explain what the Bible means
by leavened and unleavened. Well; the primary difference between the two terms
isn't ingredients; rather, the primary difference is age. Given time, dough will sour
on its own without the addition of yeast because all flour, no matter how carefully
it's milled and packaged, contains a percentage of naturally-occurring fungi.

Anyway, point being: unleavened bread is not only fresher than leavened, but also
quicker because there's no time lost waiting for dough to rise.

● Gen 19:4 . .They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople, the men of
Sodom, young and old-- all the people to the last man --gathered about the house.

The Hebrew word for "men" isn't gender-specific. The whole town attended this
event, and nobody wanted to miss it.

● Gen 19:5a . . And they shouted to Lot and said to him: Where are the men who
came to you tonight?

Everyone was bellowing and clamoring; like impatient fans at wrestling matches,
cage fights, and Roman coliseums; demanding their pound of flesh and pools of
blood.

● Gen 19:5b . . Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.

Since all the people of Sodom were in on this-- men, women, children, old and
young alike --it becomes frightfully obvious the townsfolk desired far more than
just stimulating gratification. They were looking for entertainment of the vilest sort
imaginable. Jude 1:7 states that the people were accustomed to "strange flesh"
which suggests longings contrary to normal longings, i.e. unnatural.

Other than Jude's information, the Bible is silent on this matter. It's as if the author
drew a curtain over Sodom and said: This is just too shocking. I'm not going to
spell out what the people of Sodom wanted to do with the two men under Lot's
roof. You will just have to use your imagination.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:6-7 . . So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind
him, and said: I beg you, my friends, do not commit such a wrong.

Lot's use of the word "wrong" was certain to provoke a hostile response in the
typically indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act when
somebody criticizes their conduct.

● Gen 19:8-9a . . Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me
bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do
anything to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof. But
they said: Step aside! This fellow; they said; came here as an alien, and already he
acts the judge!

People like the Sodomites instinctively know that what they're doing is wrong, but
God pity the soul that dares to tell them so because their kind's feelings don't get
hurt by criticism; instead, they get angry.

Lot called them friends, but when push came to shove, they regarded him as an
outsider. And one thing you just don't do as an outsider is impose either your
values or your beliefs upon others. They will deeply resent you for it-- whether you
are right or wrong has nothing to do with it.

● Gen 19:9b . . Now we will deal worse with you than with them. And they pressed
hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward to break the door.

Talk about a thoughtless town! Those people totally forgot that not that long
ago Lot's uncle saved them all from slavery in a foreign land-- and this is how they
reciprocate Abraham's kindness; by assaulting his nephew?

● Gen 19:10-11 . . But the men stretched out their hands and pulled Lot into the
house with them, and shut the door. And the people who were at the entrance of
the house, young and old, they struck with blinding light, so that they were helpless
to find the entrance.

Normally it takes about twenty minutes for visual purple in the human eye to adjust
to darkness after a sudden burst of bright light. The flash didn't actually damage
anyone's eyesight so that they went blind. It just made their surroundings difficult
to see, like when someone pops your photo in dim light with a camera.

The situation now takes on a desperate atmosphere of survival. The crowd has
turned into an ugly mob; and it's fight or flight-- no other options. The Lord's
messengers chose flight because their purpose was not to remain in Sodom, but to
leave it in ashes.

● Gen 19:12-13 . .Then the men said to Lot: Whom else have you here? Sons-in
law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else that you have in the city-- bring them
out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place; because the outcry against
them before The Lord has become so great that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.

Lot's head must have been reeling. Only just a few hours ago he was laid back,
catching up on all the latest news and gossip at the gate on the way home to
eat dinner with his family at the end of another routine day. In a succession of
rapidly developing events beyond his control; within 24 hours, before the next
sunrise, he would lose his home, his way of life, all his friends, his career, and all
the wealth and possessions and property and livestock the Lots had accumulated in
the 24 years they had lived in the land of Canaan.

My gosh! He is so caught off guard and must have been terribly shocked by the tone
of those two men. The awful realization of who they were and why they came to
Sodom slowly began to gel in his befuddled mind.

I feel so sorry for him and his family. Calamity, like a 9.0 earthquake right out of
the blue, pounced on them, and came to ruin their life. They will take nothing with
them but some suit cases, the clothes on their backs, and the breath in their lungs.
Lot was a well-to-do cattle baron; but he is just a few hours away from poverty and
losing his entire life's work in a fiery inferno. (cf. 1Cor 3:11-15)

* Lot's kin were given the same opportunity as Noah's in that no matter whether
they were pious or impious, deserving or undeserving, they had the option of going
out with Lot to safety if they wanted.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:14a . . So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his
daughters,

It's been questioned that in a town famous for its gay men; what's with these
marriages? Well; Genesis doesn't really say that Sodom's men were strictly gay.
It's far more likely their sexual mores were liberal to the Nth degree.

"Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these,
having given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set
forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)

The Greek word for "fornication" in Jude's statement basically means to be utterly
unchaste.

A complete lack of chastity is exemplified by any number of immoral activities
including, but not limited to immodesty, indecency, public exposure, nudity,
adultery, incest, living together, casual sex, swinger sex, wife swapping, sex
between consenting adults, sex between consenting minors, sex between teachers
and consenting students, sex with a sex toy, sex with a mannequin and/or sex with
an inflatable doll, sex with an animal, male and/or female prostitution, LGBT,
suggestive postures, etc.

To be "utterly" unchaste implies not just a preference for those kinds of carnal
gratifications, but an addiction to them.

* I'm guessing the town's interest in Lot's guests probably had less to do with their
gender and mostly to do with their being new in town, i.e. "fresh meat" so to
speak.

Sons-in-law and daughters are plural. So Lot had at least two more daughters living
outside the home with husbands. They will stay behind; and burn to death; and so
will Lot's grandchildren, if any.

Where were the sons-in-law when the flash went off back in verse 11? Didn't it
affect them? The flash actually only effected those who tried to break down the
door. Lot's sons-in-law were out in the streets that night along with everyone else
because Genesis said in verse 4 that everyone in Sodom to the last man was
present. Apparently, after the mob's attempt to lay hands on the angels proved
unsuccessful, Lot's sons-in-law remained nearby to see what, if anything, would
happen next.

● Gen 19:14b . . and said: Up, get out of this place, for The Lord is about to
destroy the city. But he seemed to his sons-in-law as a jester.

In other words: they regarded Lot's alarm as that of a religious crackpot sort of
similar to the ones in our day whose doom's day predictions have yet to prove
worth taking seriously.

Lot's daughters had married Sodom men, with very sorrowful results. His in-laws
didn't share his religious principles, and they had no interest whatsoever in his
deity. The husbands were counted among Sodom's citizens who were "very wicked
sinners against the Lord."

Sodom was not only a bad environment for a man of God to build a life and a
career, but it was also a very bad place to raise a family. Lot gave his daughters in
matrimony to unholy men and now the girls are going to die right along with the
rest of Sodom; and possibly some of Lot's grandchildren burned to death too. The
loss of one's family is a high price to pay to achieve one's personal ambitions.

The fate of Lot's daughters is similar to that of the sons of God who married secular
women in the early portion of Genesis. They perished in Noah's flood right along
with the rest of the world.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:15-16a . . As dawn broke, the angels urged Lot on, saying: Up, take your
wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away because of the
iniquity of the city. Still he delayed.

The Hebrew word for "delayed" basically means: to question or hesitate, i.e. (by
implication) to be reluctant; viz: hang back.

I can best picture this with a scene from John Steinbeck's novel: The Grapes Of
Wrath. When the day came for the Joad clan to move out of their shack from the
impoverished Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California during the economic depression of
the 1930s, Ma Joad spent a few last minutes alone inside going through a box of
mementos.

She had lived in Oklahoma many years, since she was a young bride-- raised her
family there and enjoyed the company of her kin. As she held up an old pair of
earrings, looking at herself in a mirror, it pierced her heart to see etched in her face
the many years that she had lived as a hard-scrabble sharecropper; and that it was
all now coming to naught. Her clapboard home was soon to be flattened by a
bulldozer.

I can imagine that the Lots walked through the rooms in their house, reminiscing all
the things that took place in their home over the years. As the girls grew up,
maturing into young women, they made marks each year on a doorjamb to record
their height. They looked at the beds where each girl slept for so many nights from
their youth; and Mrs. Lot thought back to the days when she gave homebirth to
each one in turn, read bedtime stories, and rocked them all to sleep accompanied
by soft lullabies.

Leaving a home of many years rends the soul; most especially if kids grew up there
too. When I was about eleven, my parents sold the place where I had lived since
toddlerhood. I had a life there out in nature with boyhood pals: fishing and hunting
and exploring. It was so idyllic. Then we moved.

I was never the same after that. My heart was in that first home and never left it.
Subsequently, I became withdrawn, introverted, and disconnected; never really
succeeding in replacing my boyhood pals with new friends who could give me a
sense of belonging.

When ol' Harry Truman perished in the Mount Ste. Helens blast back in 1980, I
totally understood why he chose to remain instead of fleeing to safety. That
mountain, and his lodge, had been an integral part of Harry's life for just too many
years. Mr. Truman felt that if that mountain went, then life wouldn't be worth living
any more. He decided to go with the mountain rather than see it go and leave him
behind to live without it.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:16b . . So the men seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and his two
daughters-- in The Lord's mercy on him-- and brought him out and left him outside
the city.

The word for "mercy" in that verse basically means commiseration; which Webster's
defines as: feeling sympathy for and/or feeling sorrow or compassion for. Unless
one's feelings are in the mix, their commiseration is merely a polite gesture.

Does anybody out there reading this feel the plight of Lot's family? Can you feel any
of their pain? Can you feel their sorrow? Do you feel any sympathy for them at all?
None? Well . . anyway; God did. Yes, He was going to burn their home down and
kill the daughters who stayed behind. But God took no pleasure in it whatsoever.

● Gen 19:17 . .When they had brought them outside, one said: Flee for your life!
Do not look behind you, nor stop anywhere in The Plain; flee to the hills, lest you
be swept away.

The messengers won't be going along. They're to stay behind to supervise the
holocaust.

Up till now, it appeared that God intended to destroy only Sodom. But now His
complete plan is unveiled. The whole plain was doomed-- all five cities of the
Siddim confederation, and all of their agriculture to boot --including the livestock
and all the wildlife and all the pets; plus the children, and all the adults. A total
civil, cultural, environmental, and economic melt-down.

Compare that to Rev 18:2-24 where it appears that the global economy is left a
complete collapse just as rapidly as the twin towers of the World Trade Center were
brought down.

● Gen 19:18 . . But Lot said to them: Oh not so, my Lord!

The word Lot used for "Lord" is 'Adonay (ad-o-noy') which is a proper name of God
only in comparison to the word 'adown (aw-done'); which is a lesser-ranking lord.
When the men first arrived in Sodom, Lot addressed them as 'adown because he
wasn't aware as yet that they were of divine origin.

It's significant that the men didn't scold Lot for calling them 'Adonay. So then,
speaking with those messengers was all the same as speaking with God, and that,
it seems, is exactly how Lot now perceived them.

Lot was a righteous man (2Pet 2:8) but lacked commitment. He never really grew
in grace and the knowledge of God. Abraham's nephew was no more spiritually
mature at this point than when he left his mentor and relocated to the Jordan
Valley.

God instructed Abraham to walk before Him and to be perfect (Gen 17:1). But
when Lot moved out, he apparently never really took up a walk with God; but
instead found a home for his family among impious pagans; who would certainly
discourage Lot from getting too serious about his religion.

"Do not be misled; bad company corrupts good character." (1Cor 15:33)

"good character" in this instance is related to Lot's association with God. Watch now
as he resists God's leading.

● Gen 19:19 . .You have been so gracious to your servant, and have already shown
me so much kindness in order to save my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the
disaster overtake me and I die.

Listen to this man! He calls himself "your servant" yet opposes his master's
instructions. Next, he expresses gratitude for the successful rescue, yet implies his
rescuer doesn't know what He's doing by sending him into the hills. Why on earth
would God send Lot to the hills if the disaster was headed that way too? Lot isn't
being rational and objective; no, he's being emotional and reactive; which people
under stress usually are.

● Gen 19:20 . . Look, that town there is near enough to flee to; it is such a little
place! Let me flee there-- it is such a little place --and let my life be spared.

Lot surely must have known that town was just as wicked as Sodom but he still
wanted to live there anyway as if his future was any more secure in that town than
the one he was just leaving. And why he thought a "little place" was a good place to
live is a mystery. But then such is the human mind. Little country towns seem more
cozy and wholesome than the big city to some of us. But all towns are populated
with human beings; and human beings are human everywhere.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:21-22 . . He replied: Very well, I will grant you this favor too, and I will
not annihilate the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, flee there, for I cannot do
anything until you arrive there. Hence the town came to be called Zoar.

The Hebrew for Zoar means little. So maybe we could nick-name it Smallville?

● Gen 19:23-25 . . As the sun rose upon the earth and Lot entered Zoar, the Lord
rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous fire from the Lord out of heaven. He
annihilated those cities and the entire Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and
the vegetation of the ground.

What a sight that must have been. The people in Smallville probably thought the
world was coming to an end! Fiery hail fell out of nowhere. Everything all around
them ignited and went up in flame and heat with a suffocating, smelly pall filling the
whole valley like a nuclear winter. Talk about scorched earth!

Jude 1:7 says the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was an "eternal"
variety of fire. The Greek word basically means unending; viz: perpetual.

Opponents contend that if the fire really was unending then it would still be out
there. But it's far more likely that "eternal" refers not to the fire's characteristics;
but to its source-- the smoldering impoundment depicted at Isa 66:22-24 and Rev
20:10-11 --which suggests the fire was taken back up after it ran out of things to
destroy.

● Gen 19:26 . . Lot's wife looked back, and she thereupon turned into a pillar of
salt.

If the chronology of the text is strict, then Lot's wife was turned into salt after their
arrival in Zoar rather than along the way. I can only imagine how the sudden death
of his wife-- so soon after the destruction of their home --must have effected Lot's
will to go on.

Her "looking back" was obviously more than just a curious gaze. Lot's wife was no
doubt thinking of returning; and hoping against hope that enough of Sodom would
survive the incendiary attack so they could search the ruins for their daughters'
remains; and perhaps even rebuild their previous life there.

It's tragic, but Mrs. Lot had to die; it was likely a preventative measure. Were she
allowed to go back to Sodom, no doubt Lot would have followed her back there like
a puppy dog just like when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit when his wife offered
him some while knowing he wasn't supposed to.

● Gen 19:27-28 . . Next morning, Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood
before the Lord, and, looking down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of
the Plain, he saw the smoke of the land rising like the smoke of a kiln.

Poor guy. Now he began the very same vigil that so many relatives of airline
crashes suffer, waiting for some news, hoping against hope, that their loved ones
somehow survived. And if they didn't, were their bodies recovered? Abraham really
did love his nephew. I think it saddened the olde boy's heart when Lot went off on
his own down into the valley. If only he had stayed in the place of blessing, up in
the highlands, this wouldn't have happened. And you know what goes through your
mind at a time like that? "Would of - Should of - Could of". Sort of like closing the
gate after the horses are already out.

● Gen 19:29 . .Thus it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain and
annihilated the cities where Lot dwelt, God was mindful of Abraham and removed
Lot from the midst of the upheaval.

Lot was very fortunate to have an uncle like Abraham. Funny though, I don't
remember Abraham praying specifically for Lot. In fact Abraham's intercession was
nondescript, targeting only the citizens of Sodom in general, rather than Lot in
particular.

Lady GaGa once sang that a boy she liked couldn't read her poker face. Well, God
looks on the heart instead of one's face. He saw through Abraham's silence,
detected the old man's real concerns, and commiserated with him. That's why
believers should always be candid with God in their prayers. He will find out what's
really on our minds no matter; so we might just as well get down to business and
spell it out to begin with. (cf. Heb 4:16)
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:30a . . Lot went up from Zoar and settled in the hill country with his two
daughters

Apparently Zoar didn't turn out to be the Pleasantville that Lot hoped it might be.

Why Lot didn't move back on up to his uncle's ranch is uncertain. You know, that
kind of makes me wonder why Lot stayed in Sodom after his uncle rescued him
from the clutches of El Ched. Surely they must have talked about Lot returning to
the highlands with Abraham where he and his family would be safer.

Genesis doesn't specify just exactly which direction Lot went. Both the east and the
west from the Jordan valley are hilly. But it was most likely the eastern side, that
is: if a later mention of Lot's domain is an indication.

"When all the warriors among the people had died off, the Lord spoke to me,
saying: You are now passing through the territory of Moab, through Ar. You will
then be close to the Ammonites; do not harass them or start a fight with them. For
I will not give any part of the land of the Ammonites to you as a possession; I have
assigned it as a possession to the descendants of Lot." (Deut 2:16-19)

Moab was a district east of the Dead Sea, extending from a point some distance
north of it and down to its southern end and is today part of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan. Its eastern boundary was indefinite, being the border of the
desert; which is irregular. The length of the territory was about 50 miles and the
average width about 30. It's a high tableland, averaging some 3,000 ft. above the
level of the Mediterranean and 4,300 ft. above that of the Dead Sea.

The aspect of the land, looking at it from the western side of the Dead Sea, is that
of a range of mountains whose western side plummets very abruptly down to the
Jordan valley. Deep chasms lead down from the tableland to the Dead Sea shore,
the principal one being the gorge of the river Arnon, right across from the kibbutz
at En Gedi.

Ruth was from Moab, and it was also where Naomi lost her husband. The Moabites
were Abraham's kin because they're the posterity of not only his nephew Lot; but
also of his dad Terah (Gen 11:27). Unfortunately, there has been some bad blood
over the years between Lot's family and Jacob's. The most notable incident being
when King Balak hired that wicked prophet for profit Balaam to curse Israel as they
traveled past his country prior to entering the promised land after their exodus
from Egypt. (Num 22-24)

● Gen 19:30b . . for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar;

Well I can believe that just from media reports about Haiti's earthquake. Large
scale disasters just seem to breed looting, theft, vandalism, and violence. That
entire region around Sodom was in utter chaos and the local farms and ranches
were destroyed so that fresh food was scarce. And if Zoar's morals were anything
like Sodom's then Lot probably figured it would be next on God's hit list.

Imagine the situation if all of a sudden supermarkets had nothing to sell you. No
meat, no produce, no milk, no cereal, no rice, no pasta, no yogurt, no eggs, no
bottled water, no batteries, no bathroom tissue, no soap, no nothing. Whatever
people have, they'll hoard. And the have-nots would then begin to take it away
from those who have. In Lot's day, there was no such thing as FEMA, the National
Guard, the Red Cross, nor any other kinds of relief organizations. When the
ancients were beset by droughts and famines; the poor often had no choice but to
migrate to new diggings, indenture themselves, or turn to robbery and theft.

● Gen 19:30c . . and he and his two daughters lived in a cave.

It's really not too bad to start out in a cave-- kind of like being born in a barn --but
it's sad to end up in one at the end of your days with nothing to show for all of the
years of your life. Lot and the girls became homeless drifters.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 19:31 . . And the older one said to the younger: Our father is old, and there
is not a man on earth to consort with us in the way of all the world.

It's doubtful the girls meant the whole planet was void of men; probably just the
region where their cave was. It was isolated and lonely; and the nearest cities
where they might have met men were either now gone or simply unsuitable for
polite society. The girls became concerned that their dad would pass away with no
heir to carry on his name. I haven't a clue why they'd be concerned about that
because to be honest, there was certainly no advantage to being related to Lot
right then; he was flat broke with no estate to bequeath whatsoever.

Poor things. With no television, or radio, or newspapers, they had no way of
knowing what was going on elsewhere in the world or where to go for help.
Ironically; hardly fifty miles from there, right across the valley, was Abraham's
camp. He had at least four hundred men mature enough to go to war-- and
certainly many more than that who would just love to meet Lot's girls. But for some
reason the lasses didn't think of them.

Some people have assumed that Lots daughters were very young because Lot had
said back in Gen 19:8 that they had not known a man. Duh. Look where they lived.
Sodom. Those girls were at risk of becoming old maids in that city. Other of Lot's
daughters were married, but apparently, there just wasn't enough men to go
around.

It's interesting that the girls seemed to think that oedipal relations weren't a bad
thing, which is no doubt because of their upbringing in a society that apparently
thought nothing of it.

● Gen 19:32 . . Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him,
that we may maintain life through our father.

It's certainly to Lot's credit that he would never approve of their plan while sober.
We might wonder what they were doing with wine. Of all the things to take with
them, why that? Well; it was part of their first-aid kit. In those days, wine was an
essential; and not just for boozing it up. (e.g. Luke 10:34, and 1Tim 5:23)

It's amazing that some people have actually accused recently-widowed Lot of
raping his own daughters. Webster's defines rape as: forceful sexual intercourse
with a woman by a man without her consent. The element of force is missing in this
event; and the girls were certainly consenting since the whole sordid affair was
their own idea. You know whose consent is missing? Lot's. This is clearly a case of
male rape if ever there was one.

Then there are others who attempt to invalidate the truthfulness of the narrative by
claiming a man Lot's age couldn't possibly breed two nights in a row. Maybe in our
own day that might be true for some men, but in Lot's day men were a lot more
virile than they are now. Jacob had to accommodate four women in his home, often
on consecutive nights; and he was well over seventy-five years old at the time.

● Gen 19:33 . .That night they made their father drink wine, and the older one
went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she
rose.

Well now; there's something about the birds and bees that isn't widely taught in
public school Health classes when I was a kid. It's actually possible for women to
rape men because the male reproductive system can be stimulated to function even
when men don't even think about it. Those parts of a man's body pretty much have
a mind of their own, so to speak, and it's not impossible for even men with no
feelings below the neck to father children. Apparently, the male reproductive
system has a back-up control center separate from the brain down low on the spine
somewhere. I recall reading about that in either Discover or Scientific American, but
can't remember the specifics.

● Gen 19:34-38 . .The next day the older one said to the younger: See, I lay with
Father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go and lie with
him, that we may maintain life through our father. That night also they made their
father drink wine, and the younger one went and lay with him; he did not know
when she lay down or when she rose.

. .Thus the two daughters of Lot came to be with child by their father. The older
one bore a son and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. And
the younger also bore a son, and she called him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the
Ammonites of today.

The Ammonites' and the Moabites' land overlapped somewhat. Ammon's land was
more or less between the Arnon and the Jabbok rivers. The center of it would be
just about where the modern cities of Madaba and 'Amman exist today.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
At this point, Lot's adventures disappear from the pages of Bible history. His death
and burial aren't recorded; nor any more of his exploits. The lives of Lot's
daughters disappear from the pages of Scripture too. Just think. They came from a
wealthy, privileged family and ended up foraging and surviving practically like
human wildlife all because their dad and mom just had to live in Sodom; a place
whose morals totally vexed Lot, yet he chose to raise his family there anyway.
(2Pet 2:6-8)

* Christ's grandmother Ruth was a Moabite woman; ergo: Christ was biologically
related to Abraham's nephew just as much as he was related to Abraham. However,
in the Bible, the fathers determine a male child's tribal identity rather than the
mothers so you won't find Lot in Christ's genealogies because the official line to
Jesus is through Abraham's son Isaac rather than his nephew Lot.

● Gen 20:1a . . Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negeb and
settled between Kadesh and Shur.

The very first mention of Kadesh was during El Ched's punitive expedition in
Canaan. (Gen 14:7) In Moses' day, Kadesh was a jumping off point just prior to
crossing over Wadi Araba into the region of Moab. (Num 20:14-16)

No doubt the En-mishpatite people returned to Kadesh and told everyone about the
heroic sheik who defeated the Babylonian contingent and set them free from El
Ched's grasp. So Abraham was a legend in that area and everyone greeting him
would very likely show him much respect.

Abraham didn't actually settle in Kedesh itself, but rather, nearby. He may've been
camped in the exact spot where Ms. Hagar met the angel of the Lord in chapter 16;
and at this point, she's still living at home with Abraham and Sarah.

● Gen 20:1b . .While he was sojourning in Gerar,

Gerar hasn't been fully identified, but the site may be along one of the branches of
Wady Sheri'a, at a place called Um Jerrar, near the coast southwest of Gaza and 9
miles from it. Gerar was apparently a prosperous city situated along a major
caravan route; and Abraham was by this time a wealthy and powerful chieftain who
would quite naturally make periodic trips to Gerar's railhead to auction off some of
his livestock; and in turn, purchase much needed goods and hardware to supply his
ranch. Gerar's location along the Mediterranean seaboard also made it a lucrative
city in trade with foreign merchants.

Genesis indicates that Gerar belonged to the Philistines, and it leads us to assume
that Abimelech was their king, but experts are quite certain that Philistines didn't
occupy this region until after the time of Abraham; in fact only a short time before
the Exodus. It's likely, however, that the author of Genesis would quite naturally
refer to the region as it was known in his own day. The town certainly existed in the
Philistine period, because it's mentioned in connection with Asa, who defeated the
Ethiopian host under Zerar and pursued them in their flight unto Gerar (2Chrn
14:13). In addition to Um Jerrar, another place in the vicinity known as Jurf el
Jerrar has been thought by some to be the site of Gerar.

According to ERETZ Magazine, issue 64, Abimelech's land is an ample valley with
fertile land and numerous springs of water.

● Gen 20:2 . . Abraham said of Sarah his wife: She is my sister. So King Abimelech
of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

Does this sound familiar? Abraham has lied about his relationship to Sarah more
than once. If he really believed God's promise to make of him a great nation, then
he wouldn't worry about anybody killing him because dead men don't become great
nations without children. Yes, he had Ishmael. But God said he and Sarah would
have a boy together named Isaac. That boy was yet to be born. So Abraham will
stay alive to engender Isaac.

We might ask: what in the world did Abimelech want with a woman Sarah's age
anyway. She was at least 89 years old by this time. But God had given Abraham's
wife renewed vitality to bring a child into the world. So I don't think Sarah looked
her age at all. I think she looked a whole lot younger; and with creamy, glowing
skin too. But it could also be that Abimelech was up in years himself so that a girl of
89 would look pretty good. At my own current age of 81, a woman in her 50's is a
chick to me.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 20:3 . . But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him: You
are to die because of the woman that you have taken, for she is a married woman.

This was an extremely dangerous situation for Sarah now that she was fertile.
Abraham's wife was destined to bear Isaac and there could be no question about
who the father was. It had to be Abraham. So if Abimelech were allowed to sleep
with her, it would never be conclusive that Abraham was the true biological father.

● Gen 20:4a . . Now Abimelech had not approached her.

It wasn't unusual in the ancient world for new additions to a harem to undergo a
period of beautification; like Esther did. But I think something else happened. God
may have tampered with Abimelech's ability to breed. In verse 17 it's revealed that
God fixed it so no one in Abimelech's house could have children, including him. Do I
have to spell it out? Hint: the problem can sometimes be remedied with Viagra;
which wasn't available in that day.

● Gen 20:4b . . He said: O Lord, will You slay people even though innocent?

There is an important principle in play here; and it's this: ignorance is no excuse.
Though Abimlech wasn't aware of that principle; God was and saved the man's life
by stopping him before he inadvertently crossed a line. Compare Num 15:27-29
where Israel's covenanted law stipulates that even when people sin inadvertently
they have to bring a sin offering to the Levites when the offender's conduct is
discovered to be a transgression. (cf. Luke 12:47-48)

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults." (Ps 19:12)

The "secret faults" about which the psalmist prayed weren't skeletons in his closet;
but rather, sins about which he was totally unaware.

● Gen 20:5 . . He himself said to me: She is my sister; and she also said: He is my
brother. When I did this, my heart was blameless and my hands were clean.

I can just about guarantee that Abimelech was developing a very strong dislike for
the Abrahams right about now. He knew of Abraham's prosperity and about his skill
in war. But what he hadn't known till now was that Abraham could be a bit
dishonest at times. You can bet that really ticked Abimelech off. He just never
expected a man like Abraham to pull a stunt like that. And the wife was in on it too!
They were like grifters setting up a mark for a sting. That had to agitate the old boy
just a bit; don't you think?

● Gen 20:6 . . And God said to him in the dream: I knew that you did this with a
blameless heart, and so I kept you from sinning against Me. That was why I did not
let you touch her.

If Abimelech had touched Sarah, God would have taken it very personal. Those
kinds of sins are the very worst because it's one thing to appear in court for
stealing a car, but it's quite another to appear for stealing the judge's car. In other
words: a sin against God is a trespass rather than just an ordinary act of conduct
unbecoming.

● Gen 20:7 . .Therefore, restore the man's wife-- since he is a prophet, he will
intercede for you --to save your life. If you fail to restore her, know that you shall
die, you and all that are yours.

This is the Bible's very first appearance of a prophet; which in Hebrew basically
means an inspired man; viz: a man influenced, moved, and/or guided by a divine
connection. There's no record of Abraham ever foretelling future events like Isaiah
and Habakkuk. So then, just because someone is inspired doesn't necessarily mean
they're some sort of prognosticator.

But I don't think Abimelech was much impressed with Abraham's inspiration. The
man was now a proven liar; and lost whatever credibility he might have once had in
Gerar.

However, do you think Abimelech needed to be told twice? No way! He got on it
lickety split at first light. But not because he feared Abraham. No, because he
feared Abraham's deity. Maybe Abraham's word was no good; but Abimelech knew
from personal experience that the word of Abraham's deity is certainly good and
Abimelech really took it to heart.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 20:8a . . Early next morning, Abimelech called his servants and told them all
that had happened;

Under normal circumstances Abimelech probably wouldn't have bothered to tell
them what was going on. But since they were all in the same boat as he, and all
inflicted with the same reproductive malady, I think he felt they deserved an
explanation. I think he also wanted to set their minds at ease about their condition
so they would know it wasn't permanent if only they sent Sarah back to her
husband; a move which they would certainly question if he didn't give them a
reason why.

● Gen 20:8b . . and the men were greatly frightened.

They had good reason to be frightened. God gave them a token that He meant
business by tampering with their ability to breed. So they knew something serious
was afoot and that their king's nightmares weren't just bad dreams brought on by
cheap Russian vodka tainted with fallout from Chernobyl.

● Gen 20:9a . .Then Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him: What have
you done to us? What wrong have I done that you should bring so great a guilt
upon me and my kingdom?

No doubt Gerar's top dawg was feeling a bit indignant about being taken as a victim
of entrapment.

● Gen 20:9b-10 . .You have done to me things that ought not to be done. What,
then-- Abimelech demanded of Abraham --was your purpose in doing this thing?

If Abimelech was suspecting a coup d'état, he certainly had good reason to.

* The ironic part of this is the scolding that Abimelech laid on the sacred couple.
Abraham was a prophet. Prophets are supposed to be not only inspired; but also
exemplary. But in this case, a pagan, was more righteous than a "holy" man.

● Gen 20:11 . . I thought-- said Abraham --surely there is no fear of God in this
place, and they will kill me because of my wife.

Abimelech didn't dispute that point; so I think it's probably safe to assume
Abraham was correct in his estimation of Gerar's culture.

● Gen 20:12a . . And besides, she is in truth my sister,

His statement was in fact truth but not the whole truth: it was a half truth.
Although Abraham's facts technically weren't misinformation; they were missing
information and a deliberate deception, told with the intent to mislead.

● Gen 20:12b . . my father's daughter though not my mother's;

The covenant that Moses' people later agreed upon with God, forbids intimacy
between half-siblings.

"The nakedness of your sister-- your father's daughter or your mother's, whether
born into the household or outside --do not uncover their nakedness." (Lev 18:9)

That rule mandates excommunication for men who marry their half sister. And
within the terms and conditions of the covenant; there is neither forgiveness nor
atonement for it.

"If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, so that
he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; they shall be
excommunicated in the sight of their kinsfolk. He has uncovered the nakedness of
his sister, he shall bear his guilt." (Lev 20:17)

However, Israel's covenanted law doesn't have ex post facto jurisdiction. Abraham
lived many years before it was enacted; so he was immune to its taboos and
punishments (Deut 5:2-4, Gal 3:15-18). That's an important Bible axiom; viz:
when something isn't illegal; then it doesn't go on one's record as a broken law.
(Rom 4:15, Rom 5:13)
_