Genesis 12:1 – 17:27
Haftarah:
Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16
New Testament:
John 8:51-58
Genesis 18:1-22:24
Haftarah:
2 Kings 4:1–37
New Testament:
Luke 17:28–37
Genesis 17:1,2 “Abram became ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am your God. Be pleasing in My presence and be blameless, 2and I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will increase you very much.”
Continue readingComments Off on Genesis – TP #3.5 – Circumcision and The Promise
Posted in Torah Portion
Tagged Abraham, Abram, circumcision, conditional, covenant, Isaac, promise, Sarai
The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God promised that the heir of Abram would be Abram’s son and that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Genesis 15:6 then records, “And Abram trusted God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Continue readingComments Off on Genesis – TP #3.3 – The Covenant
Posted in Torah Portion
Tagged Abram, blood covenant, circumcision, covenant, faith, flame, inherit, offspring, promise, righteousness, torch, trust
Abram again settled in the region of Bethel. His livestock had increased since last he was there. Lot also saw an increase in his livestock. The land was no longer able to sustain them both. Abram told Lot to choose a region to settle, and he would choose the opposite direction. Lot desired the land on the other side of the Jordan near Sodom and established himself there. Abram stayed in the land of Canaan.
Continue readingComments Off on Genesis – TP #3.2 – Abram and Lot Separate
Posted in Torah Portion
Tagged Bethel, blessing, bread and wine, Lot, Mamre, Melchizedek, Mesopotamia, Sodom, spoils, war
We ended the last Torah Portion with the birth of Abram and the death of his father, Terah. Terah was 70 years old when he became a father, and he lived for 205 years. Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abram was 75 when he left Haran after his father died. That would mean that Terah was 130 years old when he fathered Abram. (205-75=130). Abram was not the firstborn of Terah. And, there would have been 60 years between the firstborn and Abram. Since Nahor took one of Haran’s daughters as his wife, we may be safe in saying that Haran was the oldest, Nahor was the middle child, and Abram was the youngest. But, it’s not possible to pinpoint the age of Terah at the birth of Nahor.
Continue readingSix chapters encompass this portion. It begins with Abram leaving Haran after his father dies and going to the land of Canaan. From there, he goes to Egypt during a famine and returns to the same place he left in Canaan. Abram and Lot separate ways and Lot settles around Sodom. Abram goes to battle against some kings that attacked Sodom, and afterward, we meet Melchizedek. God promises Abram a son but after many years, Sarai gives her handmaid Hagar to Abram to father a son through her. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and makes a covenant with Abraham. Then circumcision is given as a sign of the covenant. Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah and she is promised that she will be the one to have the promised son.
As you can see, a lot happens in these six chapters. Rather than giving a snippet of each section, we’ll save that for the posts to come.
Genesis 6:9 – 11:32
Haftarah:
Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5
Isaiah 66:1-24
New Testament:
Luke 17:20-27
Genesis 12:1 – 17:27
Haftarah:
Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16
New Testament:
John 8:51-58
We’ve finally made it to the second genealogy of Genesis. But first, there is chapter 10 that tells us about the descendants of the sons of Noah. Chapter nine ends with the death of Noah, having lived nine hundred and fifty years. Life goes on, and the earth is populated through Noah’s sons.
Continue readingGenesis 9:18 “Now the sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth: Ham was father of Canaan.”
Noah had three sons come out of the ark. Why mention at this point that Ham fathered Canaan? Chapter 10 gives a list of Noah’s descendants. That list shows that Ham had four sons. Why is it necessary to mention one of Ham’s sons in verse 18 when talking about Noah’s sons?
Let’s investigate and let Scripture interpret this Scripture for us.
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