Daily Genesis

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Thirteen years go by since Ishmael's birth; enough time to easily forget God's covenant promises. Abram was prospering financially, Ishmael was growing into young manhood, the land was at peace, and quite possibly Abram and Sarai had by now given up all hope of ever having any children of their own because Sarai, at 89, is past the age of bearing children. Abram had no way of knowing, but God was just insuring that Sarai couldn't possibly have children of her own except by a special miracle, rather than via natural reproduction.

Till now, God spoke of a covenant with Abraham only one time (Gen 15:18). In this chapter God will use that word no less than thirteen— nine times it will be called My covenant, three times it will be called an everlasting covenant and once it will be called the covenant between Me and you.

†. Gen 17:1a . .When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: I am El Shaddai.

Shaddai is Shadday (shad-dah'-ee) which means: almighty. The word El is not actually in the original Hebrew text but was inserted by translators. God's declaration could just as well be worded: "I am all mighty." Webster's defines almighty as: having absolute control over everything.

This is the very first occurrence of the word Shadday in the Bible; and from here on in, from Genesis to Malachi, without exception, it will always refer to the Bible's God; and used to identify no other being. Almighty became a name of God and was God's special revelation of Himself to Abram. Although Abram was aware of God's other name Yhvh it was not by that name that Abram became familiar with his divine benefactor. Abram's posterity would get to know God better by the name Yhvh because it's a name of God with special emphasis upon redemption; whereas Shadday has special emphasis upon unlimited control.

†. Gen 17:1b . .Walk in My ways and be blameless.

Being "blameless" is not the same as being sinless. What blameless really means is dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's. A sinless person never commits sins of any kind— neither in thought, word, nor deed. The blameless person commits lots of sins, in fact sin is the story of their life. However; the blameless person is careful to keep those sins absolved.

A healthy, productive walk with God starts off with regular, and timely, cleansing of sins; and gradually progresses towards more and more piety. The blameless person sins, but keeps his record clean; the meanwhile conscientiously improving his thoughts, words, and deeds; e.g. Zachariah, and Elizabeth. (Luke 1:5-6)

Both were innocent; fearing God, and walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of The Lord. However; a large, and very important, portion of The Lord's commandments and ordinances involved the Aaronic qorbanot system; for which Zachariah was a duly consecrated priest. Thus, a Jew is not a perfect Jew unless they not only comply with the civil portions of Moses' covenanted Law, but also its religious portions too.

But why did God admonish Abram to walk before Him and be blameless? So Abram could make it to Heaven? No. Heaven has nothing to do with the "walk" of a man of God. Fellowship is the key issue here, not Heaven. If God's people want God to walk with them, then they have got to reciprocate and walk with God. Redeemed people are supposed to live to please God, not go off and do as they please. A friendly, profitable relationship with God places demands upon those who wish for it.

†. Isa 2:5 . . O House of Jacob! Come, let us walk by the light of the Lord.

†. 1John 1:5-6 . .This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

The pronoun we indicates John included himself in that admonition. Even though he was one of Jesus' hand-picked apostles, John couldn't expect God to walk with him unless he reciprocated and walked with God. The recipe is as follows:

†. 1John 1:7-10 . . But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Again, John's prolific use of the pronouns we, us, and our indicates his own inclusion in the recipe for walking with God; viz: the apostles were sinners, and needed just as much cleansing and self improvement as anybody else.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 17:2 . . I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous.

I think this is the reason why God told Abram that He has absolute power. Sarai was past the age of bearing children. So it would require a special miracle to overcome the laws of nature to make her fertile; and thus make Abram exceedingly numerous.

I'm just amazed at God's patience. Time and again He reminds Abram of His promise to multiply the man's offspring. And time and again Abram loses confidence in God. A graph of his faith would resemble an electrocardiogram. Lots of peaks and valleys.

†. Gen 17:3a . . Abram threw himself on his face;

This is the very first time it's recorded that Abram (or anyone else) did that. He didn't get hurt though. The Hebrew word for threw is from naphal (naw-fal') which means: to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative). One of its meanings is to lie down. But why would Abram do that? In what way did God appear to him that motivated that reaction? The institution of the covenant of circumcision is, in point of fact, the only instance where it's recorded that Abram met with God in the (deliberate) prone.

When Moses met God at the burning bush (Ex 3:2) he only turned away so he wouldn't look at God; but didn't lie down. He stayed on his feet; but was told to remove his sandals. If Moses had lain down like Abram did, would he have been required to remove his footwear? Maybe not. Apparently, if people elect to remain standing in the presence of God, they have to do it in bare feet. But then again, they're not always required to do that. Moses and Joshua are the only two men recorded in the Bible who had to take off their shoes. So apparently the circumstances dictate the protocol.

Abram may have ordinarily met with God via voice only; and this time may have been a special in-person visit. Some have suggested God appeared to Abram as the Shekinah; which, even that, can be quite disturbing for some.

†. 1Ki 8:10-13 . .When the priests came out of the sanctuary— for the cloud had filled the House of the Lord and the priests were not able to remain and perform the service because of the cloud, for the [Splendor] of the Lord filled the House of the Lord— then Solomon declared: The Lord has chosen to abide in a thick cloud: I have now built for You a stately house, a place where You may dwell forever.

I don't think Abram learned the prone posture in Sunday school or synagogue. It was a spontaneous, voluntary reaction on his part. Apparently God was okay with it because He didn't scold Abram nor order him back up on his feet.

People react differently to the Bible's God. Some, like Abram, Daniel, and Jesus sometimes get down prone on their faces. We needn't worry too much about it though. Most of us will never have an encounter of that kind with The Almighty. But if it ever happens, I don't think you'll need someone to tell you what to do. Unfortunately though, there are people inclined to stare at God like a curiosity. That is not wise.

†. Ex 19:18-21 . . Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the Lord had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up. The Lord said to Moses: Go down, warn the people not to break through to the Lord to gaze, lest many of them perish.

If God appears? Don't look . . . unless invited to.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 17:3b-4 . . and God spoke to him further: As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

That announcement regards "nations" rather than persons. Abraham is well known as the father of the Jews, but he is also father to more than just that nation. The majority of his posterity is Gentile and a vary large number of them are Arabs.

Besides Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham also engendered Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Over the years millions of people have descended from those eight men who are all Abram's blood kin; both Jew and Gentile.

†. Gen 17:5 . . And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations.

Abraham's original name was 'Abram (ab-rawm') which means: high, or exalted father. Abram's new name 'Abraham (ab-raw-hawm') means: father of a multitude. Abraham is almost a hundred years old at this point and he's managed to produce only one child so far. Some multitude!

†. Gen 17:6 . . I will make you exceedingly fertile, and make nations of you; and kings shall come forth from you.

The only king who really matters is Messiah.

†. 1Cor 8:5-6 . . For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords") yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

†. Gen 17:7a . . I will maintain My covenant between me and you, and your offspring to come,

The word for maintain is quwm (koom) which means: to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative). The very first instance of that word is Gen 4:8.

†. Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

That's kind of negative. Here's a passage that really says what God meant.

†. Ex 2:16-19 . . Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock; but shepherds came and drove them off. Moses rose to their defense, and he watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said: How is it that you have come back so soon today? They answered: An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.

God was saying to him: Abraham, I want you to know that when you die, this covenant does not die with you. I am going to stand behind it throughout all of your posterity even after you are gone.

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

That covenant has never been annulled, deleted, made obsolete, set aside, given to another people, nor replaced by another covenant. God promised Abraham he would guard the safety of his covenant Himself personally.

†. Gen 17:7c . . to be a god to you and to your offspring to come.

So then, part of the covenant that God made with Abraham is the promise that He would always be the god of Abraham and of Abraham's posterity and it doesn't matter if they want Him to be or not.

Genetic Hebrews, those who are Isaac's blood descendants, are stuck with El Shaddai. It doesn't matter where they stand (more than half of all modern Israelis describe themselves as hiloni (secular) viz: they are committed to no religion at all; let alone the faith of Abraham and/or the beliefs and practices of modern Judaism) whether religious, Atheist, Pagan, Muslim, or Catholic— El Shaddai is the god of all of them whether they like it or not. Therefore they are all accountable to Him for their faithfulness; or their lack of it, whichever.

Genetic Hebrews have no choice in this because God imposed Himself upon them many years ago in this covenant with Abraham that's still in force even today. The only choice they have in the matter is whether or not they will individually, and personally, submit to El Shaddai's authority.

†. 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 posterity 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.

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

†. Mtt 8:11 . . 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.

†. Heb 11:8-10 . . 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.

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

Abraham's 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 god.

Repetition is a proven learning aid. The more we hear something, the easier it is to remember it. For the second time now, El Shaddai promises Abraham that He will be the god of each and every genetic Hebrew. There is no escape.

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 god. Later on it will become clear that only the line through Isaac is effected. Not only that, but neither Ishmael nor any of the other brothers are granted rights to the land.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 17:9a . . God further said to Abraham: As for you,

God first presented all the things that He had in store for Abraham and for Abraham's posterity. Every single thing He laid out was free of charge. Abraham didn't have to earn any of it, deserve any of it, nor pay for any of it. None. It was all totally a gratuity; unasked for, and graciously offered with no strings attached and nothing asked in return.

Abraham could have picked up his toys and gone home at this point and not suffered the slightest loss of any single item of the covenant. But God had more on His agenda: another covenant. This one contains a stipulation for Abraham. In fact, it contains a stipulation for all the males in Abraham's whole community, and all the males in his future community. God is going to lay upon them the responsibility of preserving the memory of Abraham's covenant throughout all of Abraham's posterity. Ironically this covenant effects Ishmael and his descendants too: the Arabs.

This next covenant is totally a guy thing. The ladies are not a part of this one because Abraham's posterity isn't engendered by the ladies; it's engendered by the guys. The ladies are just baby mills. In the Bible, children inherit the family names of the fathers rather than the mothers.

This creates an interesting legality in Jesus' case since there was no immediate male involved in his conception. So then, the closest genetic male in his biological family tree was Eli, his mother's father; which is how Jesus obtained his genetic position in the line of David and the tribe of Judah. (Jesus' connection to the line of Solomon was via adoption rather than genetics)

Jesus' genetics of course create a dilemma for the Roman Catholic Church's in-house teaching that Mary was a special creation; a concept which isn't found in The Holy Bible. There is absolutely nothing in the sacred record indicating that she was anything but an ordinary Jewish child produced by two ordinary Jewish parents descended from Abraham and from Adam.

If perchance Mary had been a special creation, then Jesus himself would have been the offspring of a special creation, and in no way genetically related to either David, Abraham, nor Adam; and thus totally disqualified from inheriting David's throne and/or redeeming the sins of his fellow man. However, the Bible clearly, and without ambiguity, testifies that David was Jesus' genetic kin (Lk 1:32, Acts 13:22-23, Rom 1:3) therefore Mary couldn't possibly have been a special creation.

All other considerations aside, the men of Abraham's line don't even have to mate with women who are genetically related to Abraham because the ladies don't perpetuate Abraham's line; the guys do. A Hebrew woman who bears the children of a Gentile perpetuates Gentiles. Those are not Abraham's offspring. Those are a Gentile man's offspring.

That when an idolater or a slave cohabits with an Israelitish woman their child is a bastard. (Yevamoth 99a, v36)

In other words, the child of a foreign man is not Abraham's posterity. That fact alone should be very sobering for any Hebrew woman intent upon marrying a Gentile. Her children won't be identified with Abraham. They will be non Hebrews with no Divine connection to either Abraham, or to Abraham's covenant. Her grandchildren will be Gentiles too; and on and on. Every Hebrew woman who willingly, and willfully, bears the children of a Gentile is nothing in the world but a traitor to Abraham's community, and spits upon the sacred covenant that God made with her ancestor. She is no better than Esau who valued his birth-right on a par with a lousy bowl of soup.

†. Gen 17:9b . . you and your offspring to come throughout the ages shall keep My covenant.

The word keep is shamar (shaw-mar') which means, properly: to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to. The general meaning in this particular instance is: to preserve.

†. Gen 17:10 . . 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.

Circumcision didn't begin with Abraham. It was practiced in Egypt as early as 2400 bc; which preceded Abraham by about 700 years or so.

Circumcision doesn't serve to improve a man's physical appearance. Men were created whole; and after God finished the six days of creation, He inspected everything and graded it all very good. So circumcision doesn't correct any creation errors; but actually mars a man's natural appearance. It renders him somewhat disfigured so that he no longer bears a precise resemblance to his ancestor Adam— nor will he ever again. A circumcised man is still a human being; just different.

The surgery doesn't impair sexual function so we can rule out the possibility that God imposed circumcision on Abraham and his male posterity for the purpose of discouraging romance. After all if sexual stimulus were to be disabled, it would be very difficult for men to procreate— and that would conflict with God's promise to Abraham that he would be fruitful and become very numerous.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 17:11 . .You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.

The word for sign is from 'owth (oth). It's the very same word for the mark upon Cain, and the rainbow of Noah's covenant. An 'owth not only labels things, but also serves as a memory preserver; like the Viet Nam war memorial. Abraham's circumcision, like rainbows and war memorials, is one of those "lest we forget" reminders of important events.

Abraham's covenant is without doubt the most important covenant in the entire Bible, and the Serpent must surely agree because since the days of Esther, 2500 years ago, the world of the God-less has busied itself launching anti-Semitic agendas of insane proportions against Jews in preposterous attempts to completely exterminate Abraham's posterity. It is in the Jews that the promise God made to Eve will be fulfilled— that her offspring would crush the Serpent's head.

†. John 4:22 . .You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about Him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

NOTE: Jesus' statement soundly rules out Islam since Muhammad's religion comes from the Arabs.

No doubt, in the Serpent's criminal mentality, Jewish genocide is justifiable as purely self defense.

†. Gen 17:12a . . And throughout the generations, every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days.

The mandate includes "every male among you" which of course includes both Gentiles and non-Gentiles since Abraham himself wasn't a Jew.

Circumcision permanently removes flesh so that the patient no longer precisely resembles Adam— the father of the human race created during the seven days of the original creation week. The Adamic baby is allowed to remain like his ancestor for only the duration of those seven days. He's then circumcised on the first day of a new week. So, symbolically, the boy becomes another kind of human being in another Genesis. In other words; he becomes a new man— no longer resembling the old man Adam, the man of earth, but resembling the new man Abraham, the man of God. So there are two kinds of Man: the natural man, and the spiritual man.

It's extremely significant that Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week— signifying that those who are identified with his crucifixion and with his resurrection, are a new people and members of another Genesis.

†. 2Cor 5:17 . .Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2Cor 5:17 only applies to people who are "in Christ". It never applies to just anybody and everybody who happens to be in a religion with Christ at its center.

†. Mtt 7:21-23 . . Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Master" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day; "Lord, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many wonderful works?" Then I will tell them plainly; "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

It may seem beyond belief, but yes, according to Jesus, there will be Christians who stood for him, professed to worship him, professed to believe in him, and were highly productive in a Christian service capacity; yet damned to Hell anyway. Why? Because they were never "in" Christ. Subsequently, they left this life in Adam.

Why is it serious to leave this life in Adam? Because in Adam all die. It's only in Christ that all are made alive (1Cor 15:22). What that means is; everyone who leaves this life in Adam is automatically destined for the reservoir of liquefied flame depicted in Rev 20:11-15 which is the second death. And since there is only one resurrection per person (Dan 12:2, John 5:27-30) then nobody is coming back from the second death.

So, the million-dollar question is: How does somebody get in Christ?

Answer: It's accomplished by a supernatural sealing process that takes place the instant a sinner buys into the cross.

†. Eph 1:13-14 . . In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit

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†. Gen 17:12b-13a . . 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.

The implication is obvious. All males in Abraham's community (viz: his kingdom) have to resemble Abraham in order to become bona fide members. Thus signifying that all males who resemble Adam are members of Adam's kingdom; which are, allegorically, the tents of the unrighteous— Abraham's household of course being the tents of the righteous. We can call Adam's people: The Man Of The Earth; viz: the natural Man. We can call Abraham's people: The Man Of Heaven; viz: the spiritual Man.

†. 1Cor 15:45-49 . . So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

Abraham and Christ are very unique men in that they both pioneered communities comprised of 100% people of God. The token of Abraham's kingdom is natural circumcision. The token of Jesus' kingdom is supernatural circumcision. Abraham's circumcision removes flesh, and Jesus' does too; so to speak. It separates a sinner from his natural-born human nature; which in the New Testament is sometimes called the flesh. In order to qualify as a citizen in Abraham's kingdom it is necessary to be physically circumcised. In order to qualify as a citizen in Jesus' kingdom, it is necessary to undergo a second birth (John 3:3-8) and a circumcision (Col 2:11-13). Abraham's circumcision removes physical flesh. Second births remove psychological flesh; viz: man's human nature.

†. Gen 17:13b . .Thus shall My covenant be marked in your flesh as an everlasting pact.

Circumcision can't be undone— neither the physical kind, nor the spiritual kind. Once a man is circumcised unto Abraham, it's permanent— just as spiritual circumcision makes a person Christ's forever.

†. Col 2:11-13 . . In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the non-circumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

†. Gen 17:14 . . 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.

That law almost cost Moses his life. After he was commissioned to represent God in the exodus, He rendezvoused with Moses and came within an inch of taking his life over this very issue.

†. Ex 4:24-26 . . Now it came about at an inn on the way that Yhvh 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.

That should be a sobering warning that anyone representing God is supposed to set the example in all things.

†. 2Tim 2:19 . . Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Anyway, non-circumcised males aren't counted among Abraham's community. In New Testament principle, one-birth-only Christians are fake sheep. They may look like Jesus' sheep, and they may act like Jesus' sheep, and they may talk like Jesus' sheep: but they are not really and truly one of his. Since circumcision is done in a secret place, it's difficult for those around them to know for sure whether or not the fakes are actually circumcised. But God knows them all; and will surely filter out every one of them when the time comes.

†. 2Tim 2:19 . . But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: The Lord knows those who are His

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†. 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 was Saray (saw-rah'-ee) which means: dominative.

Webster's defines dominative as: To exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on. Dominative isn't a desirable female personality. Being assertive and confrontational is nothing to be proud of.

Sarah (saw-raw') means: a female noble; such as a Lady, a Princess, or a Queen. It's much preferable for a woman to be known as a Lady than as a dominatrix.

Changing Sarai's name didn't actually change her personality; but it certainly reflected her new God-given destiny. 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 savior of the world. 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. Sarah is the supreme matriarch over every one of the Messianic mothers who came after her.

†. 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 Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata) nor head up a local chapter of the March Of Dimes, nor muster an army like a Joan of Arc. All in the world Sarah had to do for God was just be Isaac's mom.

I once heard a story about a lady who summarily announced to her pastor that God called her to preach. The pastor thought for a second and then asked her: Do you have any children? She answered: Yes. So he said: My; isn't that wonderful? God called you to preach and already gave you a congregation.

Motherhood is not a lowly calling. It is a very high, noble calling with a tremendous responsibility, because the hands that rock the cradles quite literally do rule the world. A mother can either ruin a child's potential or enhance it; she can raise a decent human being, or raise a sociopathic monster. The media typically focuses on physical child abuse while usually overlooking the kind caused by mental cruelty. There are children out there whose self esteem and sense of worth are in the toilet just by being in the home of a thoughtless mother.

One child can enrich the lives of millions of people, and it's the moms who bring them into the world, pick their boogers, change their dydees, teach them how to brush their teeth and say their prayers, stay up late with their fevers, get them in for their shots, pack them off to school, take them to the park, drive them to ToysRus a thousand times, and cry at their weddings. The dads have it easy. It's the moms who really pay the price for a child's future. But a mom can just as easily destroy her child's future by abuse and neglect. There are moms who have about as much love for their children as a dirty sock or a broken dish; and regard them just as expendable.

But Sarah won't be like that. When she gets done with Isaac, he will be a well adjusted grown-up having a genuine bond of love and trust with his mom and zero gender issues with women. Isaac will see in Sarah the very kind of girl he would like to marry; and when that one does come along, he won't let her get away.

†. 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 biological 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!

†. Rom 4:19-21 . .Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead— since he was about a hundred years old —and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

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†. Gen 17:18 . . And Abraham said to God: O that Ishmael might live by Your favor!

Even though Ishmael wasn't the heaven-sent son, he was still Abraham's flesh and bone nonetheless and the old boy must have become concerned for the lad's future, so he intercedes for Ishmael; that perhaps God would be sort of a guardian angel for the lad.

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

God had nothing personal against Ishmael; but he was a natural-born son; and not quite what The Lord had in mind for Abraham's future. The people of Israel had to be a special creation. It's true they were not actually a genuine creation, but they are at least a miracle, and that's close enough for practical purposes.

Figuratively, Abraham was another Adam; and Sarah an Eve. Their children would not be registered among the children of the world, but of Heaven. That's only in a figurative sense of course, because many, many Jews are hiloni (secular) and even a good percentage of the religious ones are already in Hell even as we speak.

†. Ezek 20:37-38 . . I will count you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. I will purge you of all those who rebel and sin against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. And when that happens, you will know that I am Yhvh.

†. Mtt 8:11-12 . . 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. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

†. Mtt 22:14 . . For many are invited, but few are chosen.

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

Isaac's name is Yitschaq (yits-khawk') which means: laughter or mirth; sometimes in a bad way such as: mockery. In other places in the Tanakh, Isaac's name is Yischaq (yis-khawk') which means: he will laugh (perhaps as a memorial to Abraham's mirth at hearing the news of Sarah's imminent pregnancy.)

There are forces in this world, Arabs in particular, who desire to have complete control over Palestine. Well, too bad. That region will be liberated from the Arabs some day. and set up the way God wants it.

†. Ps 2:7-9 . . Let me tell of the decree: The Lord said to me: You are My son, I have fathered you this day. Ask it of Me, and I will make the nations your domain; your estate, the limits of the earth. You can smash them with an iron mace, shatter them like potter’s ware.

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

That promise guarantees the covenant is "everlasting" therefore, no one will ever be able to wipe out Abraham's community; and to date, nobody has succeeded. Lots of ancient peoples— just as the Passenger Pigeon —have vanished off the earth. But Abraham's community is still here in spite of all the attempts to exterminate it.

The covenant is therefore a perpetual covenant, passing from one generation to the next in an unbroken pipeline to Isaac's offspring Messiah. And Gen 17:19 guarantees he'll get it.

†. Gal 3:16 . .The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

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†. 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)

I don't know why so many people seem to think that Ishmael was only so much trash to throw out and discard, like as if he were second-hand dish water or something. No one should ever forget that he was Abraham's flesh and blood; his firstborn son and Abraham really loved that boy. God blessed him too; and took care of him. He was circumcised in Abraham's home, which made him a permanent member of Abraham's community.

†. Gen 17:21a . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac,

I don't think that set very well with Ishmael. He must have felt a very burning resentment. He and his mom were given the dirty end of the stick, and it was through no fault of their own. It was Sarah. She did it to them. You know, it really isn't very difficult to understand why Ishmael hated Sarah, and later his own little half brother Isaac. That woman wrecked his life. And she's not done yet; the worst is still to come.

†. Gen 17:21b . . whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.

Looks like the Abrahams will be going shopping for a crib, a stroller, and a car seat. Nothing like news of a baby to make the daddies start looking at their budgets.

†. Gen 17:22 . . And when He was done speaking with him, God was gone from Abraham.

Don't you just hate it when a superior lays down the law and then turns on their heel and leaves the room? It immediately tells everyone that their boss's agenda is not open to discussion. You'll either help out; or get out. This matter regarding Ishmael and Isaac was just like that. God was not interested in any more of Abraham's objections. Case closed.

†. 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). Suppose some of the guys became indignant, or balked, and refused— even some of those who had been members of Abraham's household for years? Well . . sad to say, all their years of faithful service would be counted for nothing— down the drain —and they would be summarily banished, just like God mandated in verse 14.

†. Mtt 7:21-23 . . Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them bluntly: I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!

To think that Christians who actually preach the gospel, perform miracles, and exorcise evil spirits in Jesus' name, will themselves be cast into Hell. That is truly amazing. What Jesus is saying there is quite obvious: in spite of appearances to the contrary, "many" Christians are outsiders because they somehow failed to get spiritually circumcised. (Phil 3:3, Col 2:11)

All the circumcised men are citizens in Abraham's kingdom. All the slaves too, and all of their children. In the past, citizenship in Abraham's kingdom was defined either by birth, or by purchase, or by marriage. But no more. In point of fact, citizenship in Abraham's kingdom, at least for the men anyway, is now defined by circumcision. That has not changed. Even genetic Jewish males, who are linked to Abraham by blood, are considered outsiders until they're circumcised. That's just the way it is.

†. 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.

Abraham was typically very prompt and did things in a timely manner. Trouble is; every male in camp was disabled all at once. Thank goodness nobody attacked right then or the PowerPuff Girls would have been forced to man the guns.

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†. Gen 18:1a . .The Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre;

The word for Lord is Yhvh and/or Yhwh; the Jews' most sacred name for God. This appearance is extremely interesting because in it Yhvh visits Abraham as a human being. 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 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 Yhvh. So his next reactions are very interesting. They 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 word ruwts (roots) can mean either to run or just simply to hurry.

The word for lords is from `adown (aw-done') and/or (shortened) `adon (aw-done') which mean: sovereign, i.e. a master; (human or divine). `Adown is a versatile word that commonly refers to anyone in charge and is often used as a courteous title of respect for elders; and also in a manner like we today use the words sir, monsieur, and señor. Sarah used the very same word of her husband in Gen 18:12 and Rachel addressed her dad as `adown in Gen 31:5.

†. 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 bums; 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 community 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 electric air conditioning, that was just about the best there was to offer. 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 word for calf is from baqar (baw-kawr') which means: beef cattle or an animal of the ox family; of either gender.

It's interesting that Abraham served beef. In the early days of olde California; the Spanish Franciscans raised cows primarily for their hides and tallow; and found a ready market for them in the east. Tallow of course was used for candles, soap, and lubricants; and the hides for leather goods like shoes, gloves, saddles, reins, and hats. In those days, pork and fowl were the preferred table meats. It was actually the change-over from pork to relatively cheap Texas longhorn beef that fueled the cattle baron era of the 1800's.

The word for curds is from chem'ah (khem-aw') which means: curdled milk, or cheese.

Later to come Kosher laws would forbid serving dairy and meat together; but in Abraham's day it was okay.

The only ingredient listed for the cakes— which, considering the time constraints, were probably more like pancakes and tortillas rather than muffins and biscuits —is choice flour. There's no mention of a leavening agent so the dough could have been matzo; which takes less time to prepare than regular bread so it’s a good choice when you're in a hurry.

With a little imagination, one could confect some pretty decent steak sandwiches from what Abraham put on their plates; and wash it all down with glasses of milk. That's a pretty high-in-cholesterol meal, but in those days; who knew?

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

Targum authors— believing the men to be angels —couldn't believe spirit beings 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 is quite clear: the men, of whom one was Yhvh, actually dined on the food that Abraham set before them.

The Targums don't admit to one of the men being Yhvh, but that all three were angels.

T. And the glory of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of Mamre; and he, being ill from the pain of circumcision, sat at the door of the tabernacle in the fervour (or strength) of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three angels in the resemblance of men were standing before him; (Targum Jonathan)

But if this event is examined without interference from either the Talmud or the Targums, it soon becomes very apparent that these three visitors are actually male human beings (Hebrew: 'iysh). The Hebrew word for angels is mal'ak (mal-awk'); and is used nowhere in this entire chapter. And not only are the men human beings, but one of them is Yhvh. Abraham never called one of them that, but he did eventually switch from the informal lord ('adown) to the formal Lord ('Adonay) which is always used of Yhvh only.

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

So far, Sarah has been hearing about her impending child only from her husband. But now, the speaker is intent that she should hear the news straight from the horse's mouth.

†. 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.

Some things can't be postponed indefinitely. There is a time in life for children and if it's missed, there's no going back and making up for lost time. Many an independent woman has been painfully awakened by her biological clock— putting off children to get ahead in her career, and then one day; it's either too late or too difficult.

Let's say that a girl puts off getting pregnant until she's, say; 32. Think about that. By the time her first child is ready for kindergarten, she'll be pushing forty. Mothers that old could actually be classified as late bloomers because the average age of first-time mothers, depending upon where they live, is around 20-24; and let me tell you something that should go without saying: it's much easier to be a young mother than an old one.

And age makes a difference for the children too. As women age, their minds mature bringing them ever close to that dreaded generation gap; viz: it is much easier for a young mother to relate to her children than an older woman.

Some things wait for no man. Sunset is one of those things. Relentlessly, hour upon hour, the sun moves across the sky towards its inevitable rendezvous with the western horizon. Our lives are just like that. Sunrise - Sunset. Game over

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†. Gen 18:12a . . And Sarah laughed to herself, saying: Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment

I don't think that Sarah's remark was about her looks because she was still an attractive lady even at 89+. When she said "withered" she meant dried up; viz: past the age of fertility (Heb 11:11). And when she said "enjoyment" she didn't mean sexual pleasure; but rather, the contentment of motherhood.

Sarah, like her husband, thought the idea was totally ridiculous; but not impossible. Human beings are prone to think some things are ridiculous; but when God is the planner, He doesn't think His own works are ridiculous at all. God means business, and never does anything stupid or foolish.

†. Gen 18:12b . . with my husband so old?

Actually, at this time in his life; Abraham himself had some problems (Rom 4:19, Heb 11:12) and probably could benefit from a little Viagra; if you know what I mean.

There's another problem associated with the aging process that doesn't get a lot of press these days in an era of older parents. Men aren't born with all their sperm cells at once the way women are born with all their eggs at once. The men's little guys are manufactured fresh on a daily basis, so as men age, their sperm cells are progressively of a lower quality than when they were younger simply because the men's bodies are deteriorating with age; subsequently there's a higher risk of birth defects in children fathered by aging men.

There's also the reality of a progressively decreasing sperm count in aging men so that even if their little guys are viable, it's increasingly difficult to put enough soldiers on the front lines to win the battle. The people in Sarah's day probably knew all this by practical life-experience rather than by scientific study and discovery.

†. Gen 18:13 . .Then the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh, saying: "Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?"

Yhvh 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; so 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.

†. Gen 18:14 . . Is anything too wondrous for the Lord? I will return to you at the time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.

Genesis clearly identifies one of the three men as Yhvh; who is seen here repeating the very same promise that was made by one of the men in verse 10; which was: "Then one said; I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!

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

I really don't think that Sarah knew at first who was talking to her husband outside because it is just ridiculous to lie to God. However, I'm sure there are some who are capable of such a thing. But not Sarah. I think up to this point she thought they were just three men passing by who stopped in to chat with her husband. Sarah hadn't actually laughed out loud, but to "herself". When she realized that one of the men could read her thoughts, I think she became worried that Abraham would be hurt by her sarcasm about their age.

It may not seem so in Genesis, but Sarah really did have a great deal of respect for her husband; and became the New Testament's prime Jewish role model for Christian wives. (1Pet 3:1-6)

†. 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 kept his cool.

The Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of a human being; and consumed a meal suitable for ordinary people. That says very clearly that the human body Yhvh wore, during His visit with Abraham, was fully functional and just as human as anybody else's human body. He who has the ability to create human bodies should certainly have no trouble appropriating one as a vehicle for Himself.

The word used in chapter 18 to describe Abraham's visitors is 'iysh (eesh); a gender-specific word which 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 . . Of every clean animal you shall take seven pairs, males ('iysh) and their mates, and of every animal that is not clean, two, a male ('iysh) and its mate;

Abraham and Sarah clearly saw Yhvh as a male human being with their own eyes and that's the way the author of Genesis wrote it down.

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

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. Maybe at 7:00 am He has an appointment with Congress, and at 8:00 He will visit an Australian hospital to mend a broken leg, and then after lunch He will guide rescuers to a lost child in Uganda. He tells me nothing.

†. 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 Yhvh's inner circle of confidants. That is amazing.

†. Gen 18:19 . . For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity 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.

Some kids measure the value of their inheritance in dollars and property. God measured Abraham's value by the quality of the religion he would impart to his offspring.

Abraham's usefulness to his posterity extended only until Moses came along and introduced the covenanted law. Prior to that, there really wasn't all that much to pass down. There was no doubt the knowledge that the universe is the result of intelligent design, the knowledge of the garden of Eden, the knowledge of the Flood, the knowledge of Noah's covenant, the knowledge of the Tower of Babel, the knowledge of Abraham's covenant, the knowledge of the covenant of circumcision; and whatever else Abraham may have recorded in his own personal journals, if perchance he had any. It became Abraham's duty, as it was the duty of patriarchs before him, to keep the knowledge of God alive in the world; either by word of mouth, or by written record.

If mankind were left to itself, it wouldn't be long before the knowledge of God would soon disappear from the earth. The new nation, that God would make of Abraham and Sarah, was a necessary expedient to prevent mankind from plunging itself into total darkness, and into utter world wide rebellion against its Creator again, like as at Babel.

†. Rom 3:1-2 . .What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

The world owes a huge debt of gratitude to Abraham's posterity for collecting, compiling, and distributing, revelations of the One True God.

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

The people of Sodom weren't just your every-day, average garden variety of sinners. According to Gen 13:13, they were very wicked sinners; and not only were they very wicked sinners, but very wicked sinners against the Lord.

They were not what you might call ignorant sinners, nor average sinners. No, they were downright willful, outrageous sinners. They knew that their conduct wasn't pleasing to The Almighty, but weren't concerned at all how He might feel about it. They were insolent; flaunting their lawlessness to a hateful degree. Like an impudent adolescent; they could look God right in the eye, lift their haughty little chins, and proclaim with a defiant attitude: You don't like it? Well . . . ain't that just toooo bad.

Some passages, written to shame the people of Israel, shed additional light on the degree of Sodom's wickedness.

†. Isa 3:8-9 . . Ah, Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because by word and deed they insult the Lord, defying His majestic glance. Their partiality in judgment accuses them; they avow their sins like Sodom, they do not conceal them.

†. Jer 23:14 . . But 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. To Me they are all like Sodom, and [all] its inhabitants like Gomorrah.

†. Ezek 16:49-50 . . 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.

Sodom is widely reputed for its sexual sins. But as you can see from those passages above, they practiced a whole lot more sins 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, adultery, dishonesty, favoritism in judgment, insulting the glory and dignity of God, bragging about their sins, and idolatry. The New Testament has somewhat to say of such people.

†. Rom 1:28-32 . . Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

. . .They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

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†. Gen 18:21a . . I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me;

The word for outcry is from tsa`aqah (tsah-ak-aw') which means: a shriek. The same word was in chapter 4 to describe the cry of Abel's blood from the ground and also in Exodus to describe the cry of Moses' people under the heel of Egyptian slavery.

Have you ever been so annoyed by someone's speaking that you wanted to cover your ears, close your eyes, grit your teeth and just yell out: SHUT. . . UP!

Sodom was so bad that even the Earth itself couldn't tolerate them any longer; it just wanted to cover its ears, close its eyes, grit its teeth and shout ENOUGH ALREADY! Sadly, there are some people of whom it can be honestly said that the world is a much better place when they're dead.

But isn't Yhvh supposed to be omniscient? Then why does He have to go investigate for Himself to see if the reports coming across His desk regarding Sodom are true? And isn't He supposed to be omnipresent? Then why is Yhvh talking as if He hasn't been down to visit Sodom lately? Because . . Abraham wasn't talking to The True God in person. He was talking to someone who has authority to act on God's behalf, and to use God's name for itself.

The Old Testament's Yhvh is a most surprising, enigmatic being.

†. Ex 20:1-3 . . God spoke all these words, saying: I Yhvh am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me.

Israel has to worship Yhvh as their God, and they must obey Him as their God. But the divine being who spoke to them in the past as Yhvh, and for Yhvh, was not the actual True God himself in person. No, it was a divine messenger of God. The being named Yhvh whom they dealt with was a reflection of the actual True God; a Supreme Ambassador who mediates between God and Man— authorized to use God's name for itself —and merits all the worship and prayer, and respect and veneration and fear due to The True God.

The actual person of The True God is remote, and removed; concealed within a forbidden city where sinful flesh can neither see Him, approach Him, nor relate to Him, nor even so much as listen to His actual voice. The Old Testament's Yhvh fills Man's need for someone who relates well to Man, and also relates well to the hidden God, so that Man and the hidden God can maintain a viable diplomatic relationship with each other.

Targum authors, at a loss to explain the existence of what they perceived as two persons named Yhvh, labeled the second one "The Word of the Lord God" which is a pretty good expedient since words are used to communicate, and to convey thoughts and ideas. Talmudic writers identified the second Yhvh as the angel Metatron— a being whose name is his Master's. The New Testament follows the thinking of the Targums in identifying one of the Yhvhs as God's word.

†. John 1:1-3 . . In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

†. Gen 18:21b . . if not, I will take note.

Doesn't everyone have a right to face their accuser and defend themselves? Yes. That is one of America's basic civil rights; and also a Divine law (Num 35:30, Deut 17:6-7, Deut 19:15). Yhvh can't just act upon rumors and hearsay like some sort of heavenly kangaroo court. No, He has to investigate, and establish the truth of every fact for Himself before moving against Sodom. Their judgment will be fair, and the case against them so air-tight, that even Sodom will have to agree they have whatever's coming to them.

People aren't going to Hell without a fair trial. They'll be given ample opportunity to defend themselves; and to know exactly why God feels they deserve retribution.

†. Mtt 12:36-37 . . But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every thoughtless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

†. Jude 1:14-15 . . Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the irreverent of all the irreverent acts they have done in an irreverent way, and of all the harsh words irreverent sinners have spoken against him.

The Greek word for convict is from elegcho (el-eng'-kho) and means: to confute, to admonish. So nobody will be sent to Hell arbitrarily. The case against them will be made in a summary and professional manner; and witnesses will be called for testimony. Yhvh was given reports that the Sodomites were doing bad things; and now He will go and see for Himself if those reports are, in fact, true or not. The Bible's God is, after all, a rational, objective jurist rather than an emotional, subjective jurist.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. 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 one (earlier identified as Yhvh) 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 14. He couldn't just sit on his hands now and let them die without making any effort at all to save them from the wrath of God.

This is quite 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 electric chair.

†. Gen 18:23a . . Abraham came forward

Abraham didn't actually close the distance between himself and The Lord's position. He "came forward" in that he became somewhat assertive in this next scene. Abraham was sort of like a guardian 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 iintrinsically 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.

†. Ps 50:14-15 . . Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in time of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor Me.

†. Ps 145:17-20 . .The Lord is beneficent in all His ways and faithful in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity. He fulfills the wishes of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and delivers them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Some people wait until they're desperate and out of options before turning to God. But that is so insulting. Don't treat God like a spare tire. Begin a rapport with Him early, now, before a crisis occurs. (cf. Prv 1:24-33)

Living at home with Lot were his wife and two daughters. That's four. But he had sons-in-law too. So at least two more of his daughters were married women living in other men's homes. That comes to eight if we count the husbands too. But since the number of his married daughters isn't really specified, there may have been a third one. That would total a minimum of ten people in all; which will prove to be the smallest number that Abraham is willing to settle upon in the next scene.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 18:23b . . and said: Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?

That possibility always exists in a climate of evil. The Flood itself surely drowned a very large number of innocent little underage children; not to mention a huge percentage of the animal kingdom too. When God proposed to destroy Ninevah, He expressed a concern for the children and the animals.

†. Jon 4:11 . . And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not yet know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well!

All the little pre-schoolers, and all the livestock, and pets too, would have died for sure if the sinful adults hadn't repented at Jonah's preaching. Some years later, in the book of Nahum, the wrath of God finally caught up with them— the little kids from the first time were all grown up by then and it was their turn to face God as adults.

Lot picked a very bad place to live. He was never really happy there.

†. 2Pet 2:4-9 . . For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

. . . if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

Although Lot was living in a very bad environment, and among very bad people who caused him much mental and emotional stress, it didn't automatically 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. The rapture will work just like that. Just before the awful events of the Tribulation break upon the world, all the righteous, no matter where they live, nor who their friends are, will be taken out to safety.

†. 1Thes 5:1-9 . . Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.... For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

†. 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?

To Abraham's way of thinking, it would be unfair to destroy the innocent along with the wicked. But Abraham's sense of right and wrong was of course clouded by reason of the forbidden fruit back in the garden of Eden. When Man ate the fruit, his conscience became its own God. So now Man's conscience is unreliable. It doesn't have an intuitively accurate sense of absolutes of right and wrong. Oftentimes Man sees God in the wrong for the things that He does because Man's mortal mind is handicapped with a humanistic sense of propriety.

As an example: the entire human race instantly became sinful beings the very moment Adam ate the fruit— all are now doomed to die because of it; even little babies. Is that fair? From a human's point of view, that is not fair. But from God's point of view, that is reality.

†. Rom 5:12-14 . .Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

So the human race isn't doomed to die for any particular sin each individual commits, but for that one single sin committed by the beginner of the race all those many years ago. True, it's possible for people to meet an untimely death by too much sin; as in the case of Sodom; but basically they would die anyway. All have to die; it's just a matter of time— as infants, as adults, now, later: and in the grand scheme of eternity; what's the difference really?

Incidentally, since all die by reason of Adam's sin, then some are going to have to die yet once more for their own sins because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). The second death is not pretty; its a mode of death akin to a burning at the stake. (Rev 20:11-15, Rev 21:8)

†. 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 can just about guarantee Abraham didn't sleep well that night. His nephew was in mortal danger and there was nothing more he could do about it.

Suppose he had petitioned God to spare Sodom for the sake of just one lone righteous person? Would God have gone that far? Maybe. If He would delay destruction for ten, then why not for one? But I think Abraham figured he had pushed God just about as far as he dared. In reality, not even one single soul of the Sodomites— zero —were righteous; and actually, I think Abraham already knew that. He just wanted to make sure Lot's family were spared. As it turned out, of Lot's possible total of ten souls, only four made it to safety.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 19:1a . .The two angels arrived in Sodom

The word for angels is from mal'ak (mal-awk') from a root meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher).

Mal'ak doesn't always indicate a celestial being; because the word is focused more on an office or a function rather than the person. 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 mal'aks were fully functioning human beings.

†. Gen 19:1b . . in the evening,

The word for evening is `ereb (eh'-reb) which actually means dusk which Webster's defines as: the darker part of twilight after sundown. It's the same word as the evenings of Gen 1:5-31. It's during dusk that the Passover lamb is slaughtered. (Ex 12:6)

On the surface, they 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 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.

In those days the gate vicinity was an important civic location where people could pick up the latest news and conduct public business like elections, marriages, notary public, and municipal court. 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 rose growing in a landfill.

†. 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. The word is shachah (shaw-khaw') the same word used at Gen 22:5 for Abraham's worship during the course of offering his son Isaac as a burnt offering; and during Abraham's bargaining with Heth's kin. (Gen 23:7)

Something about the look of these strangers impressed Lot. He probably didn't take in every stranger who came to Sodom; but must have sensed something unusual in these two and decided right then and there that they must stay at his home that night.

For the word lords, Lot used 'adown (aw-done') which is a nondescript title of respect like Sir and/or Mister, 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 unusually handsome and well-favored, and he very well knew what happens to attractive strangers after dark in the town of Sodom. I suspect that those people enjoyed some very perverted live entertainment.

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. Gen 19:2b . . But they said: No, we will spend the night in the square.

Their response was most likely a temporary, courteous refusal, with the intention of accepting Lot's hospitality only after some customary 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.

This is the very first mention of unleavened bread in the Bible and it won't show up again until Exodus 12:8 in the Passover meal. The word for unleavened is matstsah (mats-tsaw') which means, specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf. Genuine biblical leavened bread is made by blending aged, fermented dough with fresh unfermented dough; so that the end result is a mixture of old and new. Bread made with yeast doesn't really qualify as unleavened. Although yeast will accomplish the same purpose as fermented dough, yeasted dough isn't a mixture of old and new.

Bible matstsah is bread made from all-fresh, totally brand new, unfermented dough. It's a relatively quick bread; though not as puffy as leavened bread; but then there was no waiting around for the dough to rise before baking it. Was Lot in a hurry to get these men fed? I think so. And I would like to think that he baked enough of it to send with them on their way in the morning.

†. 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 word for men is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') is an ambiguous word that means: a mortal; a human being in general (singly or collectively). It can also mean: husband, person, and people.

So it wasn't just the males; it was everybody, young and old, gathered around Lot's door. All of the women, all of the kids, and all of the men. The entire town. Everybody.

I think the angels were just about the prettiest men you ever laid eyes on— perfect pearly white teeth, wavy hair, great complexions, youthful chiseled features, stood six foot two, and the spitting image of JFK Jr. This was probably Sodom's first ever visit by world class male models and nobody wanted to miss the show.

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

Everyone was shouting; like impatient fans at wrestling matches 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— quite possibly a filthy stage show of unspeakable acts; maybe including inappropriate behavior with animals and bondage. Exactly what the people of Sodom intended to do with the messengers is not said. Scripture 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. You will just have to use your imagination."

C.L.I.F.F.
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†. 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.

No doubt those people interpreted Lot's comment that they were "wrong" as judgmental and tactless. It was certain to provoke a hostile response in the typically indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act.

†. Gen 19:8 . . 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.”

Well . . I would kind of like to know exactly how Lot's daughters felt about that idea. And what about their mom? Do you think she was okay with it? I guarantee you she was NOT. You moms and dads; would you throw your little girls to the sharks to protect total strangers— the little girls you brought into the world, fed and clothed, read stories to at night, taught them their prayers, put them through Girl Scouts, sewed outfits for their Barbies, and put away money for college?

There are people who, motivated by religious convictions, will let their children die of treatable conditions rather than take them to a doctor. Was Lot sort of like that? A man who felt so obligated to protect the guests in his home that he would sacrifice his own blood kin to do it?

†. Gen 19:9a . . 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.

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; no matter whether you are right or wrong.

†. Gen 19:9b-11 . . 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. 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.

(chuckle) That'll learn em' to keep one eye shut when somebody trips a flare. The flash was totally unexpected and must have startled Lot right out of his socks. Up to now, he was given no hint that the two men under his roof were anything but ordinary travelers. Giminy! Where did all that light come from? There was no thunder. Was it some sort of stealth lightening? How'd you guys do that anyway? Is it patented?

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 an automatic 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.

C.L.I.F.F.
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