Day 14

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.
B. Abram ~ cont.

4. God's covenant with Abram given in detail - Genesis 15:1-21

5. Relationship to Ishmael

a. Sarah gives Hagar to Abram - Genesis 16:1-14

b. Birth of Ishmael - Genesis 16:15-16

c. Death of Arphaxad (438 years) - Genesis 11:13

d. Covenant renewed, name changed to Abraham - Genesis 17:1-8

e. Circumcision a sign - Genesis 17:9-14

f. Name changed to Sarah; Isaac promised - Genesis 17:15-19

g. Ishmael's destiny foretold - Genesis 17:20-22

h. Circumcision inaugurated - Genesis 17:23-27

6. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

a. Heavenly visitors - Genesis 18:1-22

And he (Abram) said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?  (Genesis 15:8)

Questioning God.  Gill's commentary:

And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? Not as questioning or doubting whether he should or not; but this he asked for the further confirmation of his faith in the promise, and for the sake of his posterity, that they might more easily and strongly believe that they should inherit the land given and promised to them; nor is it culpable to ask a sign of God with such a view; good men have done it, as Gideon, Jdg_6:36, and Hezekiah, 2Ki_20:8, without being blamed for it; yea, Ahaz is blamed for not asking one, Isa_7:10.

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.  (Genesis 17:8)

Is this physical, spiritual, both?  What does everlasting mean?

H5769 - From H5956; properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; frequentative adverbially (especially with prepositional prefix) always.

Henry's commentary:  "God had before promised this land to Abraham and his seed, Gen_15:18. But here, where it is promised for an everlasting possession, surely it must be looked upon as a type of heaven's happiness, that everlasting rest which remains for the people of God, Heb_4:9. This is that better country to which Abraham had an eye, and the grant of which was that which answered to the vast extent and compass of that promise, that God would be to them a God; so that, if God had not prepared and designed this, he would have been ashamed to be called their God, Heb_11:16. As the land of Canaan was secured to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, so heaven is secured to all his spiritual seed, by a covenant, and for a possession, truly everlasting. The offer of this eternal life is made in the word, and confirmed by the sacraments, to all that are under the external administration of the covenant; and the earnest of it is given to all believers, Eph_1:14. Canaan is here said to be the land wherein Abraham was a stranger; and the heavenly Canaan is a land to which we are strangers, for it does not yet appear what we shall be."

Difference in the meaning of the names:

Abram - H87 - Contracted from H48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham.

• H48 - From H1 and H7311; father of height (that is, lofty); Abiram, the name of two Israelites.

Abraham - H85 - Contracted from H1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram.

I liked that father of height.  :-)  Height versus width?  When I think of a multitude I do not necessarily think of depth (height) rather of something spread abroad.  Interesting ponderables.

Sarai - H8297 - From H8269; dominative; Sarai, the wife of Abraham.

• H8269 - From H8323; a head person (of any rank or class).
• H8323 - A primitive root; to have (transitively exercise; reflexively get) dominion.

Sarah - H8283 - The same as H8282; Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

• H8282 - Feminine of H8269; a mistress, that is, female noble.

dominative ~ –adjective - dominating; controlling.

Hmm...was Sarai controlling?  With her insistence of Abram (at that time) taking Hagar and using her as a surrogate mom, it could be inferred that Sarai (at that time) was domineering.  Then elevated to a position of nobility.  I thought it interesting that both names come back to the same root word.

Day 13

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.
A. Job ~ cont.
5. Job's later prosperity - Job 42:7-15
B. Abram
1. His family
a. Birth of Milcah (daughter of Haran)
b. Birth of Sarai (daughter of Terah)
c. Death of Reu (239 years) - Genesis 11:21
d. Marriage to Sarai - Genesis 11:29-30
e. Birth of Nahor's children (not read at this juncture, but is in Genesis 22:21-22, 24)
f. Death of Serug (230 years) - Genesis 11:23
g. Death of Haran (apx 102 years) - Genesis 11:28
h. Travels from Ur to Haran - Genesis 12:1-3; 11:31
2. Call and promise of God
a. Chedorlaomer in - Genesis 14:1-4
b. Death of Terah (205 years) - Genesis 11:32
(Fourth Dispensation - Promise)
c. On to Canaan - Genesis 12:4-9
d. 430 years of Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17*
e. Trip to Egypt
(1) Journeys - Genesis 12:10
(2) Lies about wife - Genesis 12:11-20
(3) Leaves wealthy - Genesis 13:1-2
f. Arrives back in Bethel - Genesis 13:3-4
3. His relationship with Lot
a. Separation from Lot - Genesis 13:5-13
b. Covenant renewed - Genesis 13:14-17
c. Abram to Hebron - Genesis 13:18
d. Lot taken captive - Genesis 14:5-13
e. Abram deliveres Lot - Genesis 14:14-16
f. Abram in royal company
(1) With King of Sodom - Genesis 14:17, 21-24
(2) With Melchizedek (Shem) - Genesis 14:18-20

And the Lord turned the captivity of job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)

I made a note here 'conditional?' wondering if Job's blessings were contingent upon his prayer and forgiveness.

I liked Gill's commentary on the passage:

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job,.... Not literally, in such sense as Lot's captivity was turned, Gen_14:12; for Job's person was not seized on and carried away, though his cattle were: nor spiritually, being delivered from the captivity of sin; that had been his case many years ago, when first converted: but it is to be understood of his restoration from afflictions and calamities to a happy state; as of the return of his substance, his health and friends, and especially of his deliverance from Satan, in whose hands he had been some time, and by him distressed both in body and mind. But now his captivity was turned, and he was freed from all his distresses; and even from those which arose from the dealings of God with him, which he was now fully satisfied about; and this was done,

when he prayed for his friends; as he was directed to do. A good man will not only pray for himself, as Job doubtless did, but for others also; for his natural and spiritual friends, yea, for unkind friends, and even for enemies likewise: and the prayer of an upright man is very acceptable to the Lord; and many mercies and blessings come by it; and even prayer for others is profitable to a man's self; and sometimes he soon reaps the benefit of it, as Job now did. For when and while he was praying, or quickly upon it, there was a turn in his affairs: he presently found himself in better health; his friends came about him, and his substance began to increase; Satan had no more power over him, and the presence of God was with him. All which was of the Lord; and he enjoyed it in the way of prayer, and as the fruit of that;

also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before: or added to him double. Which chiefly respects his substance; his cattle, as appears from Job_42:12, and might be true both with respect to things temporal and spiritual. "Double" may denote an abundance, a large measure of good things; see Zec_9:12.

Which puts me in mind of this verse: 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

Father also encourages us to:

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (Luke 6:28)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*I am not sure why this is listed here in the outline. I went and looked at these verses, which I think means the sojourning of the nation of Israel in Egypt.

Day 4

II From the Flood to the Patriarchs - 2319-1967 B.C.
A. Noah's descendants and related events
1. Son's to overspread the earth - Genesis 9:18-19
2. Descendant listed - Genesis 10:32; 1
a. Sons of Japheth - Genesis 10:2-5; 1 Chronicles 1:5-7
b. Sons of Ham - Genesis 10:6-20; 1 Chronicles 1:8-23; 1 Chronicles 1:17
(1) Birth of Arphaxad (53rd Gen) - 11 Chronicles 1:24; Genesis 11:10
(a) Noah's vineyard and drunkenness - Genesis 9:20-21
(b) Curse of Ham - Genesis 9:22-27
(2) Birth of Salah (52nd Gen) - Genesis 11:12, 10:24; 1 Chronicles 1:18
(3) Birth of Eber (51st Gen) - Genesis 11:14

Begin Parallel Passages

B. Joktan and Peleg (50th Gen) - Genesis 10:25; 1 Chronicles 1:19, 25; Genesis 11:16

                     Lineage of Peleg                                                           Lineage of Joktan  

1. Birth of Reu (49th Gen) - Genesis 11:18                  Genesis 10:26-30; 1 Chronicles 1:20-23

2. Birth of Serug (48th Gen) - Genesis 11:20

 End Parallel Passages

C. Tower of Babel - Genesis 11:1-9
D. Noah's descendants continued and related events
1. Birth of Nahor I (47th Gen) - 1 Chronicles 1:26; Genesis 11:22
2. Birth of Terah (46th Gen) - Genesis 11:24
3. Death of Nimrod the founder of Babylon (apx 172 years) ~ 2032 B.C.
E. Abram's ancestry and related events
1. Birth of Terah's sons - Genesis 11:26
a. Birth of Haran and Job (apx) - 2027 B.C.
b. Birth of Nahor II - 1997 B.C. (R) C 2000 B.C. (K)
2. Early history of Job - Job 1:1-5
3. Death of Peleg (239 years) - Genesis 11:19
4. Death of Nahor I (148 years) - Genesis 11:25
5. Death of Noah (950) years - Genesis 9:28-29
6. Birth of Abram (45th Gen) - 1 Chronicles 1:27
7. Birth of Lot, Haran's son - Genesis 11:27

Nimrod - son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah.

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.  (Genesis 10:8)

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. (Genesis 10:9)

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.  (Genesis 10:10)

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.  (1 Chronicles 1:10)

I went on a hunt for more information about Nimrod, but will start with Gill's commentary on the 10:8 passage  ~ warning ~ it is lengthy:  :-D

And Cush begat Nimrod,.... Besides the other five sons before mentioned; and probably this was his youngest son, being mentioned last; or however he is reserved to this place, because more was to be spoken of him than of any of the rest. Sir Walter Raleigh (i) thinks that Nimrod was begotten by Cush after his other children were become fathers, and of a later time than some of his grandchildren and nephews: and indeed the sons of Raamah, the fourth son of Cush, are taken notice of before him: however, the Arabic writers (k) must be wrong, who make him to be the son of Canaan, whereas it is so clear and express from hence that he was the son of Cush. In the Greek version he is called Nebrod, and by Josephus, Nebrodes, which is a name of Bacchus; and indeed Nimrod is the same with the Bacchus of the Heathens, for Bacchus is no other than Barchus, the son of Cush; and Jacchus, which is another of his names in Jah of Cush, or the god the son of Cush; and it is with respect to his original name Nebrod, or Nebrodes, that Bacchus is represented as clothed with the skin of νεβρις, "nebris", or a young hind, as were also his priests; and so in his name Nimrod there may be an allusion to נמרא, "Nimra", which, in the Chaldee language, signifies a tiger, and which kind of creatures, with others, he might hunt; tigers drew in the chariot of Bacchus, and he was sometimes clothed with the skin of one; though the name of Nimrod is usually derived from מרד, "to rebel", because he was a rebel against God, as is generally said; and because, as Jarchi observes, he caused all the world to rebel against God, by the advice he gave to the generation of the division, or confusion of languages, the builders of Babel: he seems to be the same with Belus, the founder of Babel and of the Babylonian empire, whom Diodorus Siculus (l) confounds with Ninus his son:

he began to be a mighty man in the earth: that is, he was the first that formed a plan of government, and brought men into subjection to it; and so the Jews (m) make him to be the first king after God; for of the ten kings they speak of in the world, God is the first, and Nimrod the second; and so the Arabic writers (n) say, he was the first of the kings that were in the land of Babylon; and that, seeing the figure of a crown in the heaven, he got a golden one made like it, and put it on his head; hence it was commonly reported, that the crown descended to him from heaven; for this refers not to his gigantic stature, as if he was a giant, as the Septuagint render it; or a strong robust man, as Onkelos; nor to his moral character, as the Targum of Jonathan, which is,"he began to be mighty in sin, and to rebel before the Lord in the earth;''but to his civil character, as a ruler and governor: he was the first that reduced bodies of people and various cities into one form of government, and became the head of them; either by force and usurpation, or it may be with the consent of the people, through his persuasion of them, and on account of the mighty and heroic actions done by him.

(i) History of the World, B. 1. ch. 10. sect. 1. p. 109. (k) Elmacinus, p. 29. apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 270. See the Universal History, vol. 1. p. 276. (l) Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 90. (m) Pirke Eliezer, c. 11. (n) Elmacinus, p. 29. Patricides, p. 16. apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 271, 272. Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 18.

~*~*~ A few sites with some additional information (Note - I do not vet websites, this is not an endorsement of the authors and/or websites, I am simply sharing what I unearthed as I started searching).

The Two Babylons

Babylon in the Church - I have only read chapter 5 wherein the author references the above book, plus another one, Babylon Mystery Religion written by Woodrow.  As I searched for the book, I found that the author had recanted his previous position, pulling the book from print.  His refutation can be found in this article, A Case Study in Poor Methodology.

Another author who traces sun worship back to Nimrod is Richard Reeves in his book Too Long in the Sun.

This is most definitely an area in much need of prayer, study and seeking the Lord in understanding what is and is not acceptable to Him.

Peleg - division - some contend that the earth was physically divided during this time, while others state that it was the Tower of Babel and the division into different tribes, cultures, etc.  The Institute for Creation Research had this article, The Ice Age: Causes and Consequences which addresses some of the questions.

Answers in Genesis had this article, In the days of Peleg which I found interesting.