Day 16

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

B. Abram ~ cont.

7. Abraham and his family ~ cont. 

f. Covenant with Abimelech - Genesis 21:22-34

g. 400 years of Gen 15:13 and Acts 7:6*
h. Death of Salah (433 years) - Genesis 11:15
i. Birth of Rebekah (Gen 22:23)
j. Ishmael's children - Genesis 25:12-16; 1 Chronicles 1:29-31
C. Isaac
1. Incidents in Abraham's life
a. Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac - Genesis 22:1-19
b. Abraham learns of his brother Nahor's family - Genesis 22:20-24
c. Death of Sarah (127 years) - Genesis 23:1-20

As I have been reading along - and typing out the outline - I found it interesting how long those who were either on the ark, or born soon after continued to live.  For instance Noah got off the ark, yet lived to see the Tower of Babel and the ensuing disruption due to the lack of obedience.

As a preacher of righteousness this must have been deeply troubling to him.

Using Reese's calculations each of those listed below died on or about the time stated:

2319 B.C. - Ark departure (give or take)
2032 B.C. - Nimrod
1979 B.C. - Peleg
1978 B.C. - Nahor I
1969 B.C. - Noah ~ so he was still around!  He outlived Peleg!  Telling HIS story!
1926 B.C. - Serug
1892 B.C. - Terah
1879 B.C. - Arphaxad
1849 B.C. - Salah
1830 B.C. - Sarah
1827 B.C. - Job - he was still around after Abraham and Isaac were on the scene.
1817 B.C. - Shem - he was on the ark, he was still around telling what happened!
1792 B.C. - Abraham
1788 B.C. - Eber
1744 B.C. - Ishmael

I have gone waaaay past the outline for today with the death chronology. :-D  Thought provoking though about how lives overlap.  An exhortation to all of us.  Our lives are overlapping others, what does Father want us to say and/or do for those that we come in contact?

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

*I don't get this one either

Day 15

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

B. Abram ~ cont.

6. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah ~ cont.

b. Intercession for Sodom - Genesis 18:23-33

c. Angels visit Lot to warn - Genesis 19:23

d. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Dead Sea formed - Genesis 19:24-29

7. Abraham and his family

a. Lies to Abimelech - Genesis 20:-1-18

b. Birth of Isaac (44th Gen) - Genesis 21:1-7; 1 Chronicles 1:34

c. Lot's daughters bare his sons, Moab and Benammi - Genesis 19:30-38

d. Conflict of Isaac and Ishmael - Genesis 21:13

e. Hagar and Ishmael cast out - Genesis 21:21

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took her.  (Genesis 20:2)

I'm always amazed when I come to this portion of scripture...Sarah was not a 'youngster' though she died at the ripe 'old' age of 127 - she is about 90 here, give or take a few months.  I find it amazing that at her age the king would want to add her to his harem.  Father providentially protected and kept Sarah (and the king) from any mischief.

And unto Sarah he (the king) said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.  (Genesis 20:16)

Abraham lies - gets 1000 pieces of silver, Sarah gets rebuked....for obeying.  What is up with that?

rebuke - H3198 - A primitive root; to be right (that is, correct); reciprocally to argue; causatively to decide, justify or convict.

First usage of the word represented by H3198 is in Genesis 20:16, last usage in Habakkuk 1:12 and translated as correction.  Used in Genesis 24:44 as 'appointed out' which is speaking of Rebekah whom Abraham's servant prayed for God to reveal.

In Job 5:17 Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the of the Almighty.

I have spent almost a year wrestling out the issue of headship, submission, covering etc.  Obviously the phrase "he is to thee a covering of the eyes" caught my attention and was in need of a tad more research.

covering - H3682 - From H3680; a cover (garment); figuratively a veiling.

• H3680 - A primitive root; properly to plump, that is, fill up hollows; by implication to cover (for clothing or secrecy).

I checked the commentaries - thought this one from Wesley was interesting:  "Thy brother is to thee a covering of the eyes - Thou must look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other. Yoke - fellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes. The marriage - covenant is a covenant with the eyes, like Job's, Job_31:1."

Women can and do seduce with their eyes...I had not thought about how covering the eyes of a married woman would be beneficial.  The practicality in literally having the eyes veiled is not probable, though I do think women can and should guard their eyes.  I will have to think upon that a bit more.

Poole's commentary:  i.e. a protection to thee from the wanton eyes and attempts of others, whilst they know thee to be the wife of another man, and he such a one whom they reverence and fear; and therefore thou didst take a very wrong course to disown him, whereby thou didst expose thyself to great danger. Or, this is to thee, &c., i.e. this I give to thee to buy thee a veil, wherewith thou mayest cover thy face, as it is fit and usual for married persons to do. Compare Genesis 24:65; 1 Corinthians 11:3, 6, 7, 10.

I saved Gill's for last...I have read it several times...his turn of words in a particular phrase are somewhat vexatious.  I am pasting his commentary on just the phrase:

behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee; a protection of her person and chastity: so an husband, in our language, is said to be a cover to his wife, and she under a cover: thus Abraham being now known to be the husband of Sarah, would for the future be a covering to her, that no one should look upon her, and desire her, and take her to be his wife; and he would also be a protection to her maidens that were with her, the wives of his servants, that these also might not be taken from him: but it seems best to refer this to the gift of the thousand pieces of silver, and read the words, "behold, this is to thee (h) a covering of the eyes"; so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; for the words are a continued biting sarcasm on Sarah; as Abimelech twits her with calling Abraham her brother in the preceding clause, so in this he tells her that he had given him so much money to buy her a veil with, and to supply her with veils from time to time to cover her eyes, that nobody might be tempted to lust after her, and that it might be known she was a married woman; for in these countries married women wore veils for distinction, Gen_24:65; and so not to be had by another, nor would any be deceived by her; and not only was this money given to buy veils for her, but for her female servants also that were married, that they might be knows to be another's property; though this latter phrase "unto", or "with all that are with thee" (i), may be understood, not of persons, but of things, even of all the girls which Abimelech had given her while in his house; these he did not, take back again, but continued them with her, either for the above use, or whatever she pleased; and the following phrase:

That they might be known to be another's property?  In our 'modern' world, with our enlightened and feministic society, the thought of being someone else's property boggles my mind.  Whether it is true or not (in the eyes of God) I have not fully wrestled myself to any particular conclusion.  Praying that Father will guide and direct me in this area and give me understanding and wisdom to see it how HE sees it.

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.