|
An Introduction to Abraham's Life and Times |
11 |
|
|
Career |
11 |
|
|
Abraham's Names |
12 |
|
|
Moon Worship in Ur and Haran |
12 |
|
|
Abraham's Religion |
13 |
|
|
Authorship of Genesis and the Pentateuch |
13 |
|
|
Dating of Abraham |
14 |
|
|
Chronology |
15 |
|
|
Chief Places Abraham Lived |
17 |
|
|
References and Abbreviations |
19 |
|
|
Commentaries |
20 |
|
|
#1. The Call of Abraham (11:27-12:9) |
22 |
|
|
Abraham's Family (11:27-30) |
23 |
|
|
From Ur to Haran (11:31-32) |
24 |
|
|
The Call of Abraham (12:1-3) |
25 |
|
|
A Promise of Blessing (12:2-3) |
26 |
|
|
Abraham's Journey to Canaan (12:4-5) |
27 |
|
|
Camping at the Tree of Moreh at Shechem (12:6) |
28 |
|
|
The Lord's Promise of Land (12:7) |
28 |
|
|
At Bethel and the Negev (12:8-9) |
29 |
|
|
Calling Upon the Name of the Lord (12:9) |
30 |
|
|
#2. Sarah's Abduction (12:10-20 and 20:1-18) |
33 |
|
|
Famine in the Land (12:10) |
35 |
|
|
Vulnerabilities of a Sojourner |
35 |
|
|
Abraham's Fear of Death (12:11-12) |
36 |
|
|
Sarah Becomes Pharaoh's Concubine (12:14-16) |
37 |
|
|
God's Judgment on Pharaoh (12:17-20) |
38 |
|
|
Abraham's Deception in Gerar (20:1-18) |
38 |
|
|
Are the Wife-Sister Stories "Doublets"? |
39 |
|
|
The Seriousness of Adultery (20:3-6) |
40 |
|
|
Abraham the Prophet and Healer (20:7, 17) |
41 |
|
|
Abraham's Excuses (20:11-13) |
41 |
|
|
Was Abraham's and Sarah's Ruse Ethically Wrong? |
42 |
|
|
Is This a Lapse of Abraham's Faith? |
43 |
|
|
#3. Abraham Rescues His Nephew Lot (chs.13-14) |
46 |
|
|
Abraham Moves Back to Bethel (13:1-4) |
48 |
|
|
Is Material Wealth a Sign of God's Blessing? (13:2) |
48 |
|
|
Quarrelling over Pasture Land (13:5-9) |
49 |
|
|
Lot Chooses the Plain of Jordan and Sodom (13:10-12) |
50 |
|
|
Sinful Sodom (13:13) |
50 |
|
|
God Promises Canaan to Abraham (13:14-17) |
51 |
|
|
Abraham Moves to Hebron (13:18) |
51 |
|
|
Four Mesopotamian Kings Punish Rebellious Vassal Cities (14:1-12) |
51 |
|
|
Abraham's Allies (14:13-14) |
53 |
|
|
Abraham Attacks at Night (14:15-16) |
53 |
|
|
Abraham Meets Two Kings near Jerusalem (14:17-18) |
54 |
|
|
Abraham Is Blessed by Melchizedek (14:18-20a) |
55 |
|
|
God Most High -- El Elyon |
55 |
|
|
Abraham Tithes to Melchizedek (14:20b) |
56 |
|
|
Who Is Melchizedek? |
56 |
|
|
Abraham Refuses to Take from the King of Sodom (14:21-24) |
57 |
|
|
Lessons from Abraham's Foray into International Politics |
58 |
|
|
#4. God's Covenant with Abraham (ch 15) |
61 |
|
|
Yahweh -- a Shield and Reward (15:1) |
62 |
|
|
Abraham's Longing for an Heir (15:2-6) |
63 |
|
|
Abraham's Faith Is Accounted as Righteousness (15:6) |
64 |
|
|
Taking Possession of the Land (15:7-8) |
66 |
|
|
Cutting the Covenant (15:9-11) |
66 |
|
|
A Thick and Dreadful Darkness (15:12) |
67 |
|
|
400 Years in Slavery (15:13-16) |
67 |
|
|
The Sin of the Amorites (15:16) |
67 |
|
|
A Blazing Torch Passes between the Pieces (15:17-18a) |
68 |
|
|
A Covenant Promise of the Land (15:18-21) |
69 |
|
|
The Bottom Line for Disciples |
70 |
|
|
#5. God Speaks to Hagar, Abraham's Other Wife (Genesis 16) |
73 |
|
|
Sarah Gives Hagar to Abraham (16:1-4a) |
74 |
|
|
Hagar Despises Sarah and is Driven Away (16:4b-6) |
75 |
|
|
Hagar Is Met by an Angel (16:7-10) |
76 |
|
|
The Angel's Promises to Hagar Regarding Ishmael (16:10-12) |
77 |
|
|
The God Who Sees Me -- El-Roi (16:13-14) |
78 |
|
|
Ishmael is Born to Abraham and Hagar (16:15-16) |
79 |
|
|
Lessons for Disciples |
79 |
|
|
#6. The Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham (ch 17) |
82 |
|
|
El Shaddai |
83 |
|
|
Walk Before Me and Be Blameless (17:1-2) |
83 |
|
|
God's Side of the Covenant: Promises (17:3-8) |
84 |
|
|
A New Name to Recall the New Promise (17:5, 15) |
85 |
|
|
Abraham's Side of the Covenant: Circumcision (17:9-14) |
86 |
|
|
Circumcision in the Ancient Near East |
86 |
|
|
The Meaning of Circumcision |
87 |
|
|
The Sign of the Covenant (17:11) |
87 |
|
|
Sarah, the Mother of Nations (17:15-16) |
87 |
|
|
Why Not Bless Ishmael? (17:18-22) |
88 |
|
|
Abraham Circumcises the Males in His Household (17:23-27) |
88 |
|
|
Circumcision of the Heart |
89 |
|
|
The Circumcision Controversy in the Primitive Church |
90 |
|
|
Circumcision and Baptism |
91 |
|
|
Does Baptism Function Identically to Circumcision? |
92 |
|
|
Should Christians Be Circumcised? |
92 |
|
|
What Do We Learn from Chapter 17? |
93 |
|
|
#7. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (ch 18) |
95 |
|
|
Abraham at Mamre (18:1) |
97 |
|
|
Abraham Shows Hospitality to the Three "Men" (18:2-8) |
97 |
|
|
A Promise that Sarah Will Bear a Son (18:9-10a) |
98 |
|
|
Sarah Laughs (18:10a-15) |
98 |
|
|
Is Anything Too Hard for the LORD? (18:14) |
99 |
|
|
Refusing to Believe a Miracle |
99 |
|
|
Faith in the God of the Impossible |
100 |
|
|
God's Choice of Abraham (18:16-19) |
101 |
|
|
Keeping the Way of the Lord (18:19) |
101 |
|
|
The Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (18:20-21) |
102 |
|
|
Will Not the Judge of All the Earth Do Right? (18:22-25) |
103 |
|
|
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (18:26-33) |
104 |
|
|
The Purpose of Prayer |
104 |
|
|
#8. The Destruction of Sodom (ch 19) |
107 |
|
|
The Angels Arrive in Sodom (19:1) |
109 |
|
|
Lot's Hospitality (19:2-3) |
109 |
|
|
Homosexuality in the Ancient Near East |
110 |
|
|
Aggressive Homosexuality (19:4-11) |
111 |
|
|
Summoning Lot's Family (19:12-14) |
113 |
|
|
Hesitating in the Face of Imminent Destruction (19:15-16) |
113 |
|
|
Lot Flees to Zoar (19:17-23) |
114 |
|
|
The Geology of the Dead Sea |
114 |
|
|
Fire and Brimstone (19:24-25) |
115 |
|
|
Remember Lot's Wife (19:26) |
115 |
|
|
Abraham Sees the Destruction (19:27-29) |
116 |
|
|
Lot's Daughters Get Pregnant by their Father (19:30-38) |
117 |
|
|
#9. Isaac Born, Ishmael Banished (ch 21) |
120 |
|
|
The Birth of Isaac to Sarah (21:1-7) |
121 |
|
|
Ishmael Mocks Isaac (21:8-10) |
122 |
|
|
God Consoles Abraham regarding Ishmael (21:11-13) |
124 |
|
|
Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael Away (21:14-16) |
126 |
|
|
An Angel Helps Hagar and Ishmael (21:17-21) |
126 |
|
|
Abraham Swears Faithfulness to Abimelech at Beer-sheba (21:22-24) |
127 |
|
|
Abimelech Acknowledges Abraham's Ownership of a Well (21:25-32) |
128 |
|
|
Abraham Calls on El-Olam in Beer-sheba (21:33-34) |
129 |
|
|
The Eternal God (21:33) |
129 |
|
|
#10. Abraham Offers Isaac on Mt. Moriah (22:1-19) |
133 |
|
|
God Requires Abraham's Only and Beloved Son (22:1-2) |
134 |
|
|
Human Sacrifice in the Ancient Near East |
135 |
|
|
Abraham Heads for Mt. Moriah (22:3-5) |
136 |
|
|
God Will Provide the Lamb (22:6-9) |
137 |
|
|
Abraham Prepares to Sacrifice His Son (22:9-10) |
137 |
|
|
The Angel Restrains Abraham (22:11-12) |
138 |
|
|
God's Testing and Forming of His Servants |
138 |
|
|
The Significance of Abraham's Faith |
140 |
|
|
Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Will Provide (22:13-14) |
140 |
|
|
I Will Surely Bless You (22:15-19) |
141 |
|
|
Analogy to God Giving His Only Begotten Son |
142 |
|
|
Lessons for Disciples |
143 |
|
|
#11. Death of Sarah and Abraham (22:20-25:1-11) |
146 |
|
|
Abraham's Relatives in Haran (22:20-24) |
146 |
|
|
Sarah's Death and Burial (23:1-2) |
147 |
|
|
Purchasing a Burial Spot from the Hittites (23:3-20) |
148 |
|
|
Abraham Seeks a Wife for Isaac (24:1-67) |
150 |
|
|
The Servant's Journey to Aram Naharaim (24:10-11) |
151 |
|
|
The Servant's Prayer (24:12-14) |
151 |
|
|
Rebekah Is the LORD's Answer (24:15-27) |
152 |
|
|
The Servant Is Shown Hospitality (24:28-32) |
153 |
|
|
The Servant Shares His Mission and Its Fulfillment (24:33-49) |
153 |
|
|
This Is from the LORD (24:50-54a) |
154 |
|
|
The Servant Is Eager to Return (24:54b-61) |
155 |
|
|
Isaac Marries Rebekah (24:62-67) |
155 |
|
|
Abraham Marries Keturah (25:1-6) |
156 |
|
|
The Death of Abraham (25:7-8) |
157 |
|
|
Abraham's Burial (25:9-11) |
157 |
|
|
Summary of Abraham's Faith and Achievements |
157 |
|
|
Appendix: Discussion Questions |
160 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #1. The Call of Abraham (11:27-12:9) |
161 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #2. Sarah's Abduction (12:10-20 and 20:1-18) |
162 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #3. Abraham Rescues His Nephew Lot (chs 13-14) |
163 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #4. God's Covenant with Abraham (ch 15) |
164 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #5. God Speaks to Hagar, Abraham's Other Wife (ch 16) |
165 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #6. The Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham (ch 17) |
166 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #7. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (ch 18) |
167 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #8. The Destruction of Sodom (ch 19) |
168 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #9. Isaac Born, Ishmael Banished (ch 21) |
169 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #10. Abraham Offers Isaac on Mt. Moriah (22:1-19) |
170 |
|
|
Discussion Questions: #11. Death of Sarah and Abraham (22:20 - 25:1-11) |
171 |
|
|
About the Author |
172 |
|