October 23, 2001 – Torah Portion #4

Posted on October 23, 2021 | Comments Off on October 23, 2001 – Torah Portion #4

Today’s Torah Portion:

Vayera – And He Appeared

Genesis 18:1-22:24

Haftarah:

2 Kings 4:1–37

New Testament:

Luke 17:28–37

Next Week’s Torah Portion:

Chayei Sarah – Life of Sarah

Genesis 23:1–25:18

Haftarah:

1 Kings 1:1–31

New Testament:

John 4:3–14

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Genesis – TP #4.5 – The Birth of Isaac

Posted on October 20, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.5 – The Birth of Isaac

When God visited Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, He said that he would return in one year when Sarah had a son. Did you ever think of this as a physical manifestation of God like the year prior?

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Genesis – TP #4.4 – Abraham and Abimelech

Posted on October 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.4 – Abraham and Abimelech

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham left Mamre and moved south to Gerar. Abraham told Sarah to tell the people that she was his sister, just like he did in Egypt. Had he not learned his lesson the last time he tried this?

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Genesis – TP #4.3 – Lot’s Daughters

Posted on October 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.3 – Lot’s Daughters

Lot had fled north of Sodom to Zoar for safety. Lot’s two daughters were the only ones with him. Things didn’t work out so well with this situation.

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Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 3

Posted on October 18, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 3

The Rescue of Lot

When morning came, the angels were still urging Lot to leave the city. Why was Lot still hesitant? Was he hoping that his two future sons-in-law would change their minds and come with them out of the city? But the angels wouldn’t wait any longer. They said, “Get up and take your wife and your two daughters that you have, and get out, so you are not destroyed by the lawless acts of the city.” (19:15). But not all arrived in safety.

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Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 2

Posted on October 18, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 2

What Was the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?

Sodomy is a homosexual act. We get the word from the story of Sodom, where the typical understanding is that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. But that’s just one sin, and God said the sins were great in number. Did God remove Sodom and Gomorrah because of the repeated acts of one transgression or because many different sins were happening?

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Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 1

Posted on October 18, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.2 – The Destruction of Sodom, part 1

The Angels Arrive in Sodom

Everyone has heard of Sodom and Gomorrah. Was it an actual event or just a metaphor? Was it about the sin of homosexuality or the absence of hospitality? Everyone has an opinion about what it is all about. You can read the story without interruption in Genesis. But here, we’ll break down the elements of what is happening and throw in some archeological evidence.

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Genesis – TP #4.1 – God Visits Abraham, part 2

Posted on October 17, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.1 – God Visits Abraham, part 2

After telling Abraham and Sarah that they would be parents in one year, God turns to leave and contemplates whether to tell Abraham what He is about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah. Other than the fact that Lot lives in Sodom, why should God inform Abraham about the judgment to come? It may have more to do than just with Abraham’s nephew Lot.

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Genesis – TP #4.1 – God Visits Abraham, part 1

Posted on October 17, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4.1 – God Visits Abraham, part 1

Three men visit Abraham in the middle of the day. Abraham immediately recognizes one of them as Lord. Does Abraham believe that God is standing before him? Either way, Abraham ran to bow down to the one he called Lord and called himself a servant.

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Genesis – TP #4 – Vayera Summary

Posted on October 17, 2021 | Comments Off on Genesis – TP #4 – Vayera Summary

This Torah Portion is filled with some well-known stories. It begins with Abraham negotiating with God to spare Sodom for the sake of the righteous. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed anyway, and Lot and his daughters escape to the mountains. This portion also contains the story of the second time Abraham tells Sarah to say she is his sister and the birth of Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away from Abraham’s house and the portion ends with the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. That’s a lot crammed in five chapters.

Most of these stories are so recognizable that there is no need to summarize them here. Let’s just jump into each section.

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