In the generations that followed, Noah’s family did indeed multiply and begin to replenish the earth as God commanded. But the weed of evil that had nearly choked the goodness out of the world before the flood was still alive in each generation as they slowly spread and formed the ancient tribes and kingdoms of the world. They retold and adapted the story of the great flood until it became nothing but a legend in the minds of many. And as it has always been, when left to their own devices there were some who turned away from the knowledge of God entirely. But God would not allow them to be lost again. Knowing that humans, in the weakness of their flesh, would forever struggle to worship a spirit, God chose to sow the seed of humanity’s redemption through a man.
This calling went to Abram, a wealthy descendant of Shem, born in the land of Ur, and now living in Haran. God spoke to Abram, saying, “Leave this country and travel to a new land that I will give to your descendants. To fulfill my divine purpose, I will make you into a great nation. Out of my love for all people, I will bless you so that through you they all may be blessed.” So Abram, at age 75, along with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their servants packed everything they had and traveled west out of Haran to live as foreigners in the land of the Canaanites, descendants of a son of Ham.
Abram’s nomadic life then took him south through Shechem, Bethel, and the Negev, but in the time of his wandering the land experienced a severe famine. Relying on his own counsel, Abram left the land that God had promised him and went west to the land of Egypt, also called Mizraim, named after a son of Ham. As he traveled a fear grew in his mind that one of the Egyptians, upon witnessing the beauty of Sarai, would kill him and take her for himself. So to everyone that asked, he deceived them by saying that they were brother and sister, not husband and wife, hoping they would show him kindness as a way to find favor with her.
When the ruler of Egypt, who is called a pharaoh, learned of her beauty, he invited her to live with him in his palace. The pharaoh gave Abram many gifts and also gave Sarai a personal servant named Hagar. But God knew the truth, and so sent a sickness into the pharaoh's house as a warning against the evil of pursuing the spouse of another.
The pharaoh suspected that the foreigners he had invited into his house were to blame, but he did not know why. He confronted Abram, demanding to know, “What have you done?” When Abram revealed the truth, the pharaoh continued, “Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow this punishment to be brought against my house? Here is your wife, take her and leave!” Then the suffering of the pharaoh's household was over, though the full weight of their actions was yet unknown to Abram and Sarai.
Upon returning to Canaan, God again spoke to Abram, saying, “Lift up your eyes, and look north, south, east, and west. All the land that you see, I will give to your descendants forever. I will multiply them until they are like the dust of the earth. Now, arise and walk through the land, the length and the breadth of it, for I will give it all to you.”
As he undertook the journey that God had commanded, he became concerned about the Canaanites who seemed to constantly be at war with each other. Abram feared for his family’s safety in this violent land, but God said to him, “fear no sword or spear, Abram, and do not rely on your own strength or cunning alone, for I am your unbreakable shield and the promises I make will never fail.”
Abram replied, “God, how is it even possible for a man of my age to be a father? I fear that everything I have will be given to my chief servant, Eliezer, and my name will be lost forever.”
But God assured him, “your servant will not be your heir, but he that is your own flesh and blood. Look now to the sky. See if you are able to number the stars. So it will be with your descendants. I brought you out of Haran to give you this land as your inheritance. But know that before this comes to pass your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved for four hundred years, but I will judge that nation for its cruelty and afterward they will come here in great number and with great wealth.” Then Abram was left alone and in that moment he came to trust in the promises of God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
In that time, by God’s blessing, Abram and Lot’s herds eventually grew so large that the land couldn’t support them both and their servants began fighting with each other over where they could graze their animals. Rather than fight with his nephew, Abram suggested that they move away from each other so there would be enough food and water for all their animals. Abram stayed in Canaan while Lot settled near the Jordan River, which had good land but was close to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Though Lot knew of their reputation for wickedness, in order to protect himself and his family from the dangers of that region, he soon chose to live among them.
In those cities, Satan had established a stronghold of wickedness. They were bastions of iniquity not seen since before the flood, a spiritual threat to the entire region. So God became arrayed in flesh and came to Abram while he was sitting in the shade of his tent on a hot day. Abram, seeing that he had a visitor, but being unaware of who it was, hurried down and said, “Would you do me the kindness of staying here with us for a time? I’ll get you some water to wash with and some food to eat and you can rest in the shade.”
“Very well” God replied, and Abram quickly tasked Sarai with baking some bread. He had a servant prepare his best calf to be eaten and brought some milk and curds as well. While they rested and ate God said to Abram, “Because the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah is so grievous, they must be destroyed.”
In that moment Abram understood who this visitor truly was. Fearing for the safety of his nephew Lot, he replied, “Would you destroy the good with the evil? What if there are fifty righteous people who live there? Wouldn’t you spare the city for them? You wouldn’t punish the innocent with the guilty. I know that the judge of all humanity will do what’s right.”
God answered, “If I find fifty, I will spare the whole city.”
Abram continued, “I know it’s bold of me to speak like this, for I am nothing but dust compared to almighty God, but what if it’s less than fifty? What if it’s 40 or 30. Would you spare the city then?
God answered, “If I find 30, I will spare the whole city.”
Abram persisted, “Please don’t be angry because of my pestering, but what if there are only 20 or 10 who are righteous? Would you spare the city then?”
God answered, “If I find even 10, I will spare the city.” Then God left Abram’s camp.
But there was only one family who had any hope of redemption. So on that very eve, God sent two angels in the guise of humans to Sodom. Lot saw them as they entered the city and insisted they come to his home to eat, wash up, and spend the night as his honored guests. But when the people of Sodom learned of Lot’s visitors they surrounded his house and demanded he turn them over to the mob who desired them with wicked intent.
But they only got angrier and replied, “Get out of our way. This foreigner thinks he can judge us? We’ll do even worse to you.” As they lunged forward, intent on breaking through, the angels grabbed Lot and pulled him inside, then struck the mob with blindness and shut the door.
The angels said to Lot, “Anyone else who is living here with you, your wife, daughters, and sons-in-law, go and get them, for we are going destroy this city because their evil is great in the eyes of God.” Lot was able to convince his wife and daughters to leave, but his daughters’ fiancés, who were men from Sodom, did not take his warning seriously and refused.
As dawn approached the angels said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and flee or you risk being consumed in the destruction of this city.” When Lot hesitated, the angels took them by the hand and led them out of the city themselves. Again they warned him, “Run! Do not look back at this wicked city or it will mean your death!”
So Lot and his family ran and when they had reached the safety of the town of Zoar, God rained fire down on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But Lot’s wife, ignoring the angels warning, looked back at the city, longing for what she had left behind, and instantly becoming a pillar of salt, destroyed along with everything in the evil city that she still desired. Though they had escaped with their lives, living in that place had corrupted Lot’s daughters and so its legacy would live on in the tribes which came from their sons Moab and Ben-Ammi. And though Lot would live the rest of his life outside of the tales of that age, the time of the Moabites and the Ammonites had not yet come.
Ten years had passed since Abram had left Haran to pursue the promises of God. After remaining childless all that time, Sarai had come to think that God’s promise of a child would be for Abram alone, thinking that she was far too old to have a child of her own. She said to Abram, “Fulfill God’s promise. Marry my servant Hagar and have your child with her.” Abram greatly desired the child that God had promised him, and the words of his wife made him believe that this might be the only way, so he did as Sarai asked.
Compelled to marry Abram and then learning that she was pregnant, Hagar became very angry at Sarai. So Sarai complained to Abram, “You are responsible for my misery. I gave my servant to you and now she hates me.”
But Abram replied, “She’s your servant. Do whatever you think is best with her.” So Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly that she ran away. While resting at a well in the desert, an angel appeared to her and said, “Return to your mistress, for God will multiply your descendants until they are beyond measure. You will have a son who will grow into a powerful man, but who will live in conflict with all those around him.”
Overcome by this prophecy, Hagar replied, “God has seen me in my troubles.” This is why the well where she rested is called Beer Lahai Roi, the well of the living God who sees me. Hoping in the promises of God in the midst of her hardship, she returned to Abram and Sarai to try to live in peace. When she gave birth to her son she named him Ishmael, God hears you.
Many years passed. Ishmael was 13 and Abram was nearly 100. With each passing year, it became harder to believe that he would ever have another son besides Ishmael. Sensing his doubt, God appeared to him again and said, “I am God; trust in me and obey. I proclaim that your name will now be Abraham, for you will be the father of many. Your wife will now be called Sarah, for among her descendants will be kings.” They will be my tribe, chosen to reveal me to the world once more. This land where you now live as a foreigner will one day belong to them. Remember always my faithful love for you and know that you were meant to give me your faith and worship in return. “The symbol of this covenant will be made in your flesh and the flesh of all of your male descendants, for all time, to distinguish you from other tribes. This mark is to be put upon any man who wishes to live as one of you. If any of your people are reject this mark they are rejecting me and cannot remain as one of my people.”
Even though Abraham was lying face down, awestruck by the presence of God, the idea that he and Sarah could have a child at their age seemed impossible. Abraham laughed to himself and replied, “Why can’t Ishmael, my son born of Hagar, receive this blessing?”
But God replied, “No, my covenant is with the son that will be born to you by Sarah, and he will be named Isaac because you laughed at this possibility. Within one year he will be born. And you will know that it is not by your own merits that this will come to pass, but because you were chosen by God, who can do what is deemed impossible.” Then God departed and Abraham immediately took Ishmael and all of his male servants and marked their bodies, as well as his own, with the symbol of God’s covenant.
Then, as God had promised, Sarah soon learned that she was going to have a child. Upon Isaac’s birth, she said, “Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me because of this miracle God has done beyond anything I could have imagined or deserve. Who would have thought that at my age I would ever have a child of my own?” In obedience to God, when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham put the mark of God’s covenant on his body.
Isaac’s infancy passed by like an unexpected gust of wind and when he had been weaned, Abraham held a great feast. Growing jealous of the lavish attention being given to his half-brother, Ishmael began to mock the boy. When Sarah witnessed this, she angrily went to Abraham and said, “Get rid of that woman and her son. They will not share in Isaac’s inheritance, promised to him by God.”
Abraham looked towards his eldest son as he stood by his mother. The seeds that he’d sown in decades past in Egypt, which had sprouted from fear, and were watered by lies, had now grown into the fruit of his grief. In that moment, God entered his thoughts and said, “Do not fear for Ishmael and Hagar. Do what Sarah has asked of you. It is true that from Isaac my promise to rescue humanity will be fulfilled, but I have not forgotten Hagar and your son Ishmael. They are under my protection for I will make also him into a great nation.”
The next morning, Abraham gave Hagar food and water and sent them away. Having nowhere to go, they wandered the desert of Beersheba. When the provisions Abraham had given them ran out, Ishmael began to cry from hunger and thirst. So Hagar laid him down under the shade of a bush and thought to herself, “I cannot watch him die.” So she walked a small distance from him and began to sob.
In her anguish, an angel appeared to her and said, “Do not be afraid, Hagar. God has heard your cries. Now get up, take Ishmael by the hand, and find the future God has promised you.” Then the angel led them to a spring of water and they were rescued. Ishmael henceforth lived his life as a hunter in the desert, until at last, he became the father of his own people. They lived near the Eastern border of Egypt but were always in conflict with the tribes around them.
But while Ishmael forged a life for himself in the harshness of the desert, Isaac was spending his days in the relative comfort of his father’s wealth. In those days, God once again spoke to Abraham, saying, “Take your son Isaac and travel to the mountains of Moriah where you will sacrifice him as a burnt offering to me.”
That night was surely a troubling one for Abraham. Though other tribes did, at times, offer their children as a sacrifice to the false gods they had created for themselves, Abraham struggled to fathom how God could ask him to sacrifice the son he was promised. But whether in spite of his struggles to trust God in the past, or because he had learned from the mistakes he had made when he relied on his own counsel, Abraham trusted in God’s promise. It would be through Isaac that his descendants would become a great nation and come to possess this land.
So the next day, Abraham loaded firewood onto a donkey and set off with Isaac. When they reached the base of the mountain that God had shown him, they set off on foot with Isaac carrying a load of wood on his back while Abraham carried a knife and a torch. As they walked Isaac asked, “Father, I see we have the fire, wood, and the knife needed to make a sacrifice to God, but where is the lamb?”
“God himself will provide the lamb, my son,” Abraham answered without looking back.
When they reached the mountaintop, Abraham took some rocks, made an altar, and stacked the wood on it. He then tied Isaac up and laid him atop the wood.
As he raised his knife he heard an angel call out, “Abraham! Do not lay a hand on him. You have proven your faith in the promises of God, for you were willing to place your son’s life into God’s hands.” This exceptional spark of faith, present in Abraham since his creation, kindled by years of relying on God’s provision in Canaan, had now burst into a bright flame. At that moment, Abraham heard a noise and before him, he saw a goat caught in a thicket. He unbound his son and sacrificed the animal in his place before returning with to their camp.
Many more years passed and Sarah was blessed to watch her only son reach adulthood before she finally died in her old age. Abraham mourned her deeply, but because he did not own his own land, he went to some of the Canaanites and said, “I am a stranger among you, so I request that you sell me some land so that I may bury my wife there.”
This calling went to Abram, a wealthy descendant of Shem, born in the land of Ur, and now living in Haran. God spoke to Abram, saying, “Leave this country and travel to a new land that I will give to your descendants. To fulfill my divine purpose, I will make you into a great nation. Out of my love for all people, I will bless you so that through you they all may be blessed.” So Abram, at age 75, along with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their servants packed everything they had and traveled west out of Haran to live as foreigners in the land of the Canaanites, descendants of a son of Ham.
Abram’s nomadic life then took him south through Shechem, Bethel, and the Negev, but in the time of his wandering the land experienced a severe famine. Relying on his own counsel, Abram left the land that God had promised him and went west to the land of Egypt, also called Mizraim, named after a son of Ham. As he traveled a fear grew in his mind that one of the Egyptians, upon witnessing the beauty of Sarai, would kill him and take her for himself. So to everyone that asked, he deceived them by saying that they were brother and sister, not husband and wife, hoping they would show him kindness as a way to find favor with her.
When the ruler of Egypt, who is called a pharaoh, learned of her beauty, he invited her to live with him in his palace. The pharaoh gave Abram many gifts and also gave Sarai a personal servant named Hagar. But God knew the truth, and so sent a sickness into the pharaoh's house as a warning against the evil of pursuing the spouse of another.
The pharaoh suspected that the foreigners he had invited into his house were to blame, but he did not know why. He confronted Abram, demanding to know, “What have you done?” When Abram revealed the truth, the pharaoh continued, “Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow this punishment to be brought against my house? Here is your wife, take her and leave!” Then the suffering of the pharaoh's household was over, though the full weight of their actions was yet unknown to Abram and Sarai.
Upon returning to Canaan, God again spoke to Abram, saying, “Lift up your eyes, and look north, south, east, and west. All the land that you see, I will give to your descendants forever. I will multiply them until they are like the dust of the earth. Now, arise and walk through the land, the length and the breadth of it, for I will give it all to you.”
As he undertook the journey that God had commanded, he became concerned about the Canaanites who seemed to constantly be at war with each other. Abram feared for his family’s safety in this violent land, but God said to him, “fear no sword or spear, Abram, and do not rely on your own strength or cunning alone, for I am your unbreakable shield and the promises I make will never fail.”
Abram replied, “God, how is it even possible for a man of my age to be a father? I fear that everything I have will be given to my chief servant, Eliezer, and my name will be lost forever.”
But God assured him, “your servant will not be your heir, but he that is your own flesh and blood. Look now to the sky. See if you are able to number the stars. So it will be with your descendants. I brought you out of Haran to give you this land as your inheritance. But know that before this comes to pass your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved for four hundred years, but I will judge that nation for its cruelty and afterward they will come here in great number and with great wealth.” Then Abram was left alone and in that moment he came to trust in the promises of God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
In that time, by God’s blessing, Abram and Lot’s herds eventually grew so large that the land couldn’t support them both and their servants began fighting with each other over where they could graze their animals. Rather than fight with his nephew, Abram suggested that they move away from each other so there would be enough food and water for all their animals. Abram stayed in Canaan while Lot settled near the Jordan River, which had good land but was close to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Though Lot knew of their reputation for wickedness, in order to protect himself and his family from the dangers of that region, he soon chose to live among them.
In those cities, Satan had established a stronghold of wickedness. They were bastions of iniquity not seen since before the flood, a spiritual threat to the entire region. So God became arrayed in flesh and came to Abram while he was sitting in the shade of his tent on a hot day. Abram, seeing that he had a visitor, but being unaware of who it was, hurried down and said, “Would you do me the kindness of staying here with us for a time? I’ll get you some water to wash with and some food to eat and you can rest in the shade.”
“Very well” God replied, and Abram quickly tasked Sarai with baking some bread. He had a servant prepare his best calf to be eaten and brought some milk and curds as well. While they rested and ate God said to Abram, “Because the evil of Sodom and Gomorrah is so grievous, they must be destroyed.”
In that moment Abram understood who this visitor truly was. Fearing for the safety of his nephew Lot, he replied, “Would you destroy the good with the evil? What if there are fifty righteous people who live there? Wouldn’t you spare the city for them? You wouldn’t punish the innocent with the guilty. I know that the judge of all humanity will do what’s right.”
God answered, “If I find fifty, I will spare the whole city.”
Abram continued, “I know it’s bold of me to speak like this, for I am nothing but dust compared to almighty God, but what if it’s less than fifty? What if it’s 40 or 30. Would you spare the city then?
God answered, “If I find 30, I will spare the whole city.”
Abram persisted, “Please don’t be angry because of my pestering, but what if there are only 20 or 10 who are righteous? Would you spare the city then?”
God answered, “If I find even 10, I will spare the city.” Then God left Abram’s camp.
But there was only one family who had any hope of redemption. So on that very eve, God sent two angels in the guise of humans to Sodom. Lot saw them as they entered the city and insisted they come to his home to eat, wash up, and spend the night as his honored guests. But when the people of Sodom learned of Lot’s visitors they surrounded his house and demanded he turn them over to the mob who desired them with wicked intent.
Lot opened came out from his house and tried to reason with them. “My friends, don’t do this. These men are under my protection.”
But they only got angrier and replied, “Get out of our way. This foreigner thinks he can judge us? We’ll do even worse to you.” As they lunged forward, intent on breaking through, the angels grabbed Lot and pulled him inside, then struck the mob with blindness and shut the door.
The angels said to Lot, “Anyone else who is living here with you, your wife, daughters, and sons-in-law, go and get them, for we are going destroy this city because their evil is great in the eyes of God.” Lot was able to convince his wife and daughters to leave, but his daughters’ fiancés, who were men from Sodom, did not take his warning seriously and refused.
As dawn approached the angels said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and flee or you risk being consumed in the destruction of this city.” When Lot hesitated, the angels took them by the hand and led them out of the city themselves. Again they warned him, “Run! Do not look back at this wicked city or it will mean your death!”
So Lot and his family ran and when they had reached the safety of the town of Zoar, God rained fire down on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But Lot’s wife, ignoring the angels warning, looked back at the city, longing for what she had left behind, and instantly becoming a pillar of salt, destroyed along with everything in the evil city that she still desired. Though they had escaped with their lives, living in that place had corrupted Lot’s daughters and so its legacy would live on in the tribes which came from their sons Moab and Ben-Ammi. And though Lot would live the rest of his life outside of the tales of that age, the time of the Moabites and the Ammonites had not yet come.
Ten years had passed since Abram had left Haran to pursue the promises of God. After remaining childless all that time, Sarai had come to think that God’s promise of a child would be for Abram alone, thinking that she was far too old to have a child of her own. She said to Abram, “Fulfill God’s promise. Marry my servant Hagar and have your child with her.” Abram greatly desired the child that God had promised him, and the words of his wife made him believe that this might be the only way, so he did as Sarai asked.
Compelled to marry Abram and then learning that she was pregnant, Hagar became very angry at Sarai. So Sarai complained to Abram, “You are responsible for my misery. I gave my servant to you and now she hates me.”
But Abram replied, “She’s your servant. Do whatever you think is best with her.” So Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly that she ran away. While resting at a well in the desert, an angel appeared to her and said, “Return to your mistress, for God will multiply your descendants until they are beyond measure. You will have a son who will grow into a powerful man, but who will live in conflict with all those around him.”
Overcome by this prophecy, Hagar replied, “God has seen me in my troubles.” This is why the well where she rested is called Beer Lahai Roi, the well of the living God who sees me. Hoping in the promises of God in the midst of her hardship, she returned to Abram and Sarai to try to live in peace. When she gave birth to her son she named him Ishmael, God hears you.
Many years passed. Ishmael was 13 and Abram was nearly 100. With each passing year, it became harder to believe that he would ever have another son besides Ishmael. Sensing his doubt, God appeared to him again and said, “I am God; trust in me and obey. I proclaim that your name will now be Abraham, for you will be the father of many. Your wife will now be called Sarah, for among her descendants will be kings.” They will be my tribe, chosen to reveal me to the world once more. This land where you now live as a foreigner will one day belong to them. Remember always my faithful love for you and know that you were meant to give me your faith and worship in return. “The symbol of this covenant will be made in your flesh and the flesh of all of your male descendants, for all time, to distinguish you from other tribes. This mark is to be put upon any man who wishes to live as one of you. If any of your people are reject this mark they are rejecting me and cannot remain as one of my people.”
Even though Abraham was lying face down, awestruck by the presence of God, the idea that he and Sarah could have a child at their age seemed impossible. Abraham laughed to himself and replied, “Why can’t Ishmael, my son born of Hagar, receive this blessing?”
But God replied, “No, my covenant is with the son that will be born to you by Sarah, and he will be named Isaac because you laughed at this possibility. Within one year he will be born. And you will know that it is not by your own merits that this will come to pass, but because you were chosen by God, who can do what is deemed impossible.” Then God departed and Abraham immediately took Ishmael and all of his male servants and marked their bodies, as well as his own, with the symbol of God’s covenant.
Then, as God had promised, Sarah soon learned that she was going to have a child. Upon Isaac’s birth, she said, “Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me because of this miracle God has done beyond anything I could have imagined or deserve. Who would have thought that at my age I would ever have a child of my own?” In obedience to God, when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham put the mark of God’s covenant on his body.
Isaac’s infancy passed by like an unexpected gust of wind and when he had been weaned, Abraham held a great feast. Growing jealous of the lavish attention being given to his half-brother, Ishmael began to mock the boy. When Sarah witnessed this, she angrily went to Abraham and said, “Get rid of that woman and her son. They will not share in Isaac’s inheritance, promised to him by God.”
Abraham looked towards his eldest son as he stood by his mother. The seeds that he’d sown in decades past in Egypt, which had sprouted from fear, and were watered by lies, had now grown into the fruit of his grief. In that moment, God entered his thoughts and said, “Do not fear for Ishmael and Hagar. Do what Sarah has asked of you. It is true that from Isaac my promise to rescue humanity will be fulfilled, but I have not forgotten Hagar and your son Ishmael. They are under my protection for I will make also him into a great nation.”
The next morning, Abraham gave Hagar food and water and sent them away. Having nowhere to go, they wandered the desert of Beersheba. When the provisions Abraham had given them ran out, Ishmael began to cry from hunger and thirst. So Hagar laid him down under the shade of a bush and thought to herself, “I cannot watch him die.” So she walked a small distance from him and began to sob.
In her anguish, an angel appeared to her and said, “Do not be afraid, Hagar. God has heard your cries. Now get up, take Ishmael by the hand, and find the future God has promised you.” Then the angel led them to a spring of water and they were rescued. Ishmael henceforth lived his life as a hunter in the desert, until at last, he became the father of his own people. They lived near the Eastern border of Egypt but were always in conflict with the tribes around them.
But while Ishmael forged a life for himself in the harshness of the desert, Isaac was spending his days in the relative comfort of his father’s wealth. In those days, God once again spoke to Abraham, saying, “Take your son Isaac and travel to the mountains of Moriah where you will sacrifice him as a burnt offering to me.”
That night was surely a troubling one for Abraham. Though other tribes did, at times, offer their children as a sacrifice to the false gods they had created for themselves, Abraham struggled to fathom how God could ask him to sacrifice the son he was promised. But whether in spite of his struggles to trust God in the past, or because he had learned from the mistakes he had made when he relied on his own counsel, Abraham trusted in God’s promise. It would be through Isaac that his descendants would become a great nation and come to possess this land.
So the next day, Abraham loaded firewood onto a donkey and set off with Isaac. When they reached the base of the mountain that God had shown him, they set off on foot with Isaac carrying a load of wood on his back while Abraham carried a knife and a torch. As they walked Isaac asked, “Father, I see we have the fire, wood, and the knife needed to make a sacrifice to God, but where is the lamb?”
“God himself will provide the lamb, my son,” Abraham answered without looking back.
When they reached the mountaintop, Abraham took some rocks, made an altar, and stacked the wood on it. He then tied Isaac up and laid him atop the wood.
As he raised his knife he heard an angel call out, “Abraham! Do not lay a hand on him. You have proven your faith in the promises of God, for you were willing to place your son’s life into God’s hands.” This exceptional spark of faith, present in Abraham since his creation, kindled by years of relying on God’s provision in Canaan, had now burst into a bright flame. At that moment, Abraham heard a noise and before him, he saw a goat caught in a thicket. He unbound his son and sacrificed the animal in his place before returning with to their camp.
Many more years passed and Sarah was blessed to watch her only son reach adulthood before she finally died in her old age. Abraham mourned her deeply, but because he did not own his own land, he went to some of the Canaanites and said, “I am a stranger among you, so I request that you sell me some land so that I may bury my wife there.”
They replied, “Sir, we consider you a prince among us. You can have your choice of our finest tombs, no one would ever refuse you.”
Abraham bowed before them and said, “then I wish to purchase the cave of Machpelah from Ephron, which lies at the end of his field near Hebron.”
But Ephron replied, “No my lord. I will gladly give you the cave and the field as well so that you can bury your wife.”
Abraham bowed again, but insisted, “I will buy the cave from you and the field as well. I ask that you accept my offer.” And so they agreed on a price and Abraham was able to bury Sarah.
Sometime later, Abraham married a woman named Keturah who gave him several sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. But they would not share in Isaac’s inheritance, so when they were old enough he sent them away as he had done with Ishmael.
When Isaac reached the age of marriage, Abraham feared he might become engaged to a Canaanite, as Lot’s daughters had, so he instructed Eliezer to return to Haran to find a wife for Isaac there.
Eliezer asked, “what if none of the women there will return with me, should I bring Isaac to them?”
Abraham was also concerned that if Isaac returned to the land of his family, he might never return to Canaan. So he said to Eliezer, “God brought us out of that land to this one and promised to give it to my descendants. God will help you with this task. If you do not find him a wife, you may return, but do not travel there with Isaac.”
So Eliezer prepared for his journey, loading ten camels with gifts, and set off for Abraham’s homeland. When his long journey had neared its end, he stopped at a well to get water for himself and his camels. Not knowing how to proceed, he asked God, “Please help me find a wife for Isaac. While I wait here at this well some women will probably come soon to draw water. If one of them offers water, not just to me, but for all of my camels as well, I will know that this is the woman you have chosen.”
Before he had even finished asking, a beautiful woman named Rebekah came to the well. Eliezer asked her for a drink. She gave him all the water she had just drawn and then offered to get enough for all of his camels as well. But he was not fully convinced and tested her further by giving her a gift of jewelry and asking, “Where do you live? Could my camels and I stay in your home for the night?”
She replied, “You are welcome to stay with my family. We have plenty of space and food for you and your camels.”
Right then, Eliezer bowed to the ground and said, “Praise be to the God of my master Abraham, who continues to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, and who has given me success on my journey.”
Then Rebekah ran home and told her brother Laban about what had happened. When he saw the expensive jewelry she had been given, he went out to meet Eliezer and invited him in. They took care of his camels and then sat down for dinner. Eliezer would not eat until he finished telling them, “I am Abraham’s servant. God has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has sheep and cattle, silver and gold, and servants. My master’s wife Sarah bore him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. My master made me swear an oath to find a wife for his son from the land of his family.” Then Eliezer told them the story of how he asked God to show him who Isaac should marry and the subsequent appearance of Rebekah.
When he finished, Rebekah’s family said, “this is clearly something that God has designed so we will not stand in the way. If Rebekah wishes it, she may return with you to marry Isaac.” Eliezer then unloaded the gifts that were on his camels and gave many treasures to Rebekah and her family as a way of showing thanks for their kindness. The next day, Rebekah agreed to return with Eliezer. Upon their return, Isaac and Rebekah were married and he loved her deeply and she was a great comfort to him after his mother’s death.
But after twenty years of marriage, Isaac and Rebekah had not been able to have any children. So Isaac reached out to God in his time of need. God heard his prayers, and Rebekah soon became pregnant. But midway through her pregnancy, she started experiencing strange pains, and asked God, “Why is this happening to me?”
God told her, “Two nations are in your womb. One nation will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger.” Soon after this, Rebekah gave birth to her twin sons. The first, Esau, was born covered in hair. Jacob followed after, grasping Esau’s foot.
With their births, Abraham became a grandfather and was able to see the promises of God continue to be fulfilled. For more than a decade, he was able to watch the boys grow into young men. Esau became a skilled hunter, and Isaac loved him the most, while Jacob preferred to stay at home, and was loved the most by Rebekah. But then the time came when Abraham died in his old age. The news was brought to Ishmael, who came and joined Isaac in burying his father next to Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
According to the tradition of that land, the covenant that God had made with Abraham, and was passed on through Isaac, would now be passed on through Esau because he was born slightly before Jacob. This was his birthright. Along with this, he would also receive the largest share of his father’s inheritance. But one day, as he was returning from a long day of hunting, he saw Jacob cooking some red lentils and said, “Quick, give me some of that red stew, I’m starving.” This is why his people are called the Edomites.
Now Jacob had been taught by his mother that he was destined to lead, according to the word she had received from God when she was pregnant. So he saw this as an opportunity to achieve this destiny by his own cunning. “I will give you some in exchange for your birthright.”
“I’m so hungry I could die, what good is my birthright to me now?” he replied.
But Jacob pressed him further. “Swear to me that if I give this to you that you will give me your birthright.” And so with his spoken oath, Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew and revealed the apathy in his heart for the promises of God.
The passing years did nothing to make Jacob forget the promise Esau had made. Isaac had grown so old that he had lost his sight. He called for Esau and said, “I am going to die soon. Go out hunting, then cook me some of my favorite food, and I will give you my blessing.”
Rebekah overheard Isaac and knew that whoever he blessed would receive the covenant that God had made to Abraham. She planned to ensure that God’s prophecy would come true by her own means, so she said to Jacob, “Your father has sent Esau out to hunt so he can make him a meal and give him his blessing. I want you to quickly go and bring me two goats so I can cook Isaac his favorite meal. You will bring it to him and he will think that you are Esau.”
“But Esau is hairy and I’m not. If my father touches me he will know I am trying to deceive him and I will bring a curse upon myself instead of a blessing,” Jacob replied
“Let the curse fall on me, just do as I say and get me those goats.”
After Jacob got the goats, Rebekah cooked them. She then dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands with the hairy goatskin. Jacob took the food to Isaac and said, “My father.”
“Yes, who is it?” Isaac asked.
“It is Esau. I went hunting like you asked and have cooked you a meal. I am ready to receive your blessing.”
“How did you find game so quickly?”
“It was God who brought me success.” Jacob lied.
“Come here and let me touch you.” Jacob moved towards his father, who touched him and said, “The voice I hear is Jacob’s, but your hands feel like...Are you really Esau?”
“I am,” he lied.
“Bring me what you cooked and I will give you my blessing.” After he ate, Isaac said, “Come here and give me a kiss.” When he leaned in, Isaac smelled that his clothes were Esau’s, so he gave him this blessing, “I name you the head of this family. May God bless you with abundant rain and rich soil for your flocks and crops. May God cause the other tribes of this land to serve you. Whoever curses you will be cursed and whoever blesses you will be blessed. May God bless you with many children so that you can fulfill the promise made to Abraham that he would one day become a great nation. Finally, I charge you to not marry a Canaanite, but instead find your wife among the people of Laban, your uncle.” After this blessing, Jacob quickly got up and left.
Almost immediately after this, Esau came to Isaac with the food that he had cooked after his successful hunt. “Father, please eat some of the food I cooked for you. I am ready to receive your blessing.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m your son, Esau.”
Isaac trembled violently at this and said, “Then who was it that brought me food a moment ago? I have blessed him and the words I have spoken cannot be unsaid. Your brother came here and deceitfully took your blessing.”
When Esau heard this he loudly and bitterly cried out, “Truly is a heel-grabber. For the second time, he has taken advantage of me. Do you truly have no blessing left, father?”
“I made him the head of this family. All his relatives are now his servants. I asked God to bless him with abundant rain and rich soil for his flocks and crops. What is left to give you, Esau?”
But Esau begged, “Bless me too, father!”
“You will live away from the good soil and rain I promised your brother. You will live as a warrior, and one day you will throw off your yoke of servitude.” With these ominous words, Esau stormed out and the anger of Cain burned inside Esau because of what had been taken from him. He said aloud, “after my father is dead, I will kill Jacob.” But one of the servants overheard his threat and told Rebekah.
Rebekah warned Jacob, “You have to run to your uncle Laban’s house or Esau will kill you. Stay with him until Esau calms down. I will let you know when it is safe to return. I am not going to lose you both over this.” So Jacob left his family and traveled to his uncle’s house.
Adam and Eve sought to control their destinies by eating that which was forbidden. Abraham and Sarah also tried to guide the hand of fate in their abuse of Hagar. And this family’s struggle between traditions and the prophetic word of God, amplified by favoritism and machinations, caused a murderous schism between brothers, the damage of which none of them knew how to repair.
Abraham bowed before them and said, “then I wish to purchase the cave of Machpelah from Ephron, which lies at the end of his field near Hebron.”
But Ephron replied, “No my lord. I will gladly give you the cave and the field as well so that you can bury your wife.”
Abraham bowed again, but insisted, “I will buy the cave from you and the field as well. I ask that you accept my offer.” And so they agreed on a price and Abraham was able to bury Sarah.
Sometime later, Abraham married a woman named Keturah who gave him several sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. But they would not share in Isaac’s inheritance, so when they were old enough he sent them away as he had done with Ishmael.
When Isaac reached the age of marriage, Abraham feared he might become engaged to a Canaanite, as Lot’s daughters had, so he instructed Eliezer to return to Haran to find a wife for Isaac there.
Eliezer asked, “what if none of the women there will return with me, should I bring Isaac to them?”
Abraham was also concerned that if Isaac returned to the land of his family, he might never return to Canaan. So he said to Eliezer, “God brought us out of that land to this one and promised to give it to my descendants. God will help you with this task. If you do not find him a wife, you may return, but do not travel there with Isaac.”
So Eliezer prepared for his journey, loading ten camels with gifts, and set off for Abraham’s homeland. When his long journey had neared its end, he stopped at a well to get water for himself and his camels. Not knowing how to proceed, he asked God, “Please help me find a wife for Isaac. While I wait here at this well some women will probably come soon to draw water. If one of them offers water, not just to me, but for all of my camels as well, I will know that this is the woman you have chosen.”
Before he had even finished asking, a beautiful woman named Rebekah came to the well. Eliezer asked her for a drink. She gave him all the water she had just drawn and then offered to get enough for all of his camels as well. But he was not fully convinced and tested her further by giving her a gift of jewelry and asking, “Where do you live? Could my camels and I stay in your home for the night?”
She replied, “You are welcome to stay with my family. We have plenty of space and food for you and your camels.”
Right then, Eliezer bowed to the ground and said, “Praise be to the God of my master Abraham, who continues to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, and who has given me success on my journey.”
Then Rebekah ran home and told her brother Laban about what had happened. When he saw the expensive jewelry she had been given, he went out to meet Eliezer and invited him in. They took care of his camels and then sat down for dinner. Eliezer would not eat until he finished telling them, “I am Abraham’s servant. God has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has sheep and cattle, silver and gold, and servants. My master’s wife Sarah bore him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. My master made me swear an oath to find a wife for his son from the land of his family.” Then Eliezer told them the story of how he asked God to show him who Isaac should marry and the subsequent appearance of Rebekah.
When he finished, Rebekah’s family said, “this is clearly something that God has designed so we will not stand in the way. If Rebekah wishes it, she may return with you to marry Isaac.” Eliezer then unloaded the gifts that were on his camels and gave many treasures to Rebekah and her family as a way of showing thanks for their kindness. The next day, Rebekah agreed to return with Eliezer. Upon their return, Isaac and Rebekah were married and he loved her deeply and she was a great comfort to him after his mother’s death.
But after twenty years of marriage, Isaac and Rebekah had not been able to have any children. So Isaac reached out to God in his time of need. God heard his prayers, and Rebekah soon became pregnant. But midway through her pregnancy, she started experiencing strange pains, and asked God, “Why is this happening to me?”
God told her, “Two nations are in your womb. One nation will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger.” Soon after this, Rebekah gave birth to her twin sons. The first, Esau, was born covered in hair. Jacob followed after, grasping Esau’s foot.
With their births, Abraham became a grandfather and was able to see the promises of God continue to be fulfilled. For more than a decade, he was able to watch the boys grow into young men. Esau became a skilled hunter, and Isaac loved him the most, while Jacob preferred to stay at home, and was loved the most by Rebekah. But then the time came when Abraham died in his old age. The news was brought to Ishmael, who came and joined Isaac in burying his father next to Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
According to the tradition of that land, the covenant that God had made with Abraham, and was passed on through Isaac, would now be passed on through Esau because he was born slightly before Jacob. This was his birthright. Along with this, he would also receive the largest share of his father’s inheritance. But one day, as he was returning from a long day of hunting, he saw Jacob cooking some red lentils and said, “Quick, give me some of that red stew, I’m starving.” This is why his people are called the Edomites.
Now Jacob had been taught by his mother that he was destined to lead, according to the word she had received from God when she was pregnant. So he saw this as an opportunity to achieve this destiny by his own cunning. “I will give you some in exchange for your birthright.”
“I’m so hungry I could die, what good is my birthright to me now?” he replied.
But Jacob pressed him further. “Swear to me that if I give this to you that you will give me your birthright.” And so with his spoken oath, Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew and revealed the apathy in his heart for the promises of God.
The passing years did nothing to make Jacob forget the promise Esau had made. Isaac had grown so old that he had lost his sight. He called for Esau and said, “I am going to die soon. Go out hunting, then cook me some of my favorite food, and I will give you my blessing.”
Rebekah overheard Isaac and knew that whoever he blessed would receive the covenant that God had made to Abraham. She planned to ensure that God’s prophecy would come true by her own means, so she said to Jacob, “Your father has sent Esau out to hunt so he can make him a meal and give him his blessing. I want you to quickly go and bring me two goats so I can cook Isaac his favorite meal. You will bring it to him and he will think that you are Esau.”
“But Esau is hairy and I’m not. If my father touches me he will know I am trying to deceive him and I will bring a curse upon myself instead of a blessing,” Jacob replied
“Let the curse fall on me, just do as I say and get me those goats.”
After Jacob got the goats, Rebekah cooked them. She then dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands with the hairy goatskin. Jacob took the food to Isaac and said, “My father.”
“Yes, who is it?” Isaac asked.
“It is Esau. I went hunting like you asked and have cooked you a meal. I am ready to receive your blessing.”
“How did you find game so quickly?”
“It was God who brought me success.” Jacob lied.
“Come here and let me touch you.” Jacob moved towards his father, who touched him and said, “The voice I hear is Jacob’s, but your hands feel like...Are you really Esau?”
“I am,” he lied.
“Bring me what you cooked and I will give you my blessing.” After he ate, Isaac said, “Come here and give me a kiss.” When he leaned in, Isaac smelled that his clothes were Esau’s, so he gave him this blessing, “I name you the head of this family. May God bless you with abundant rain and rich soil for your flocks and crops. May God cause the other tribes of this land to serve you. Whoever curses you will be cursed and whoever blesses you will be blessed. May God bless you with many children so that you can fulfill the promise made to Abraham that he would one day become a great nation. Finally, I charge you to not marry a Canaanite, but instead find your wife among the people of Laban, your uncle.” After this blessing, Jacob quickly got up and left.
Almost immediately after this, Esau came to Isaac with the food that he had cooked after his successful hunt. “Father, please eat some of the food I cooked for you. I am ready to receive your blessing.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m your son, Esau.”
Isaac trembled violently at this and said, “Then who was it that brought me food a moment ago? I have blessed him and the words I have spoken cannot be unsaid. Your brother came here and deceitfully took your blessing.”
When Esau heard this he loudly and bitterly cried out, “Truly is a heel-grabber. For the second time, he has taken advantage of me. Do you truly have no blessing left, father?”
“I made him the head of this family. All his relatives are now his servants. I asked God to bless him with abundant rain and rich soil for his flocks and crops. What is left to give you, Esau?”
But Esau begged, “Bless me too, father!”
“You will live away from the good soil and rain I promised your brother. You will live as a warrior, and one day you will throw off your yoke of servitude.” With these ominous words, Esau stormed out and the anger of Cain burned inside Esau because of what had been taken from him. He said aloud, “after my father is dead, I will kill Jacob.” But one of the servants overheard his threat and told Rebekah.
Rebekah warned Jacob, “You have to run to your uncle Laban’s house or Esau will kill you. Stay with him until Esau calms down. I will let you know when it is safe to return. I am not going to lose you both over this.” So Jacob left his family and traveled to his uncle’s house.
Adam and Eve sought to control their destinies by eating that which was forbidden. Abraham and Sarah also tried to guide the hand of fate in their abuse of Hagar. And this family’s struggle between traditions and the prophetic word of God, amplified by favoritism and machinations, caused a murderous schism between brothers, the damage of which none of them knew how to repair.
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