Bible Reading Made Different

God tested Abraham. He said, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “Here I am.”  Notice that this scripture does not say that God tempted Abraham, but that He tested Abraham. James 1:13 says that God does not tempt anyone. Has God ever tested you? Did you pass the test? Do you answer God as quickly as Abraham did?  God told Abraham to take his only son Isaac, whom he loved, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain that He chose.  Why is Isaac referred to as Abraham’s only son, when we know Ishmael is the older son? Well, Isaac is the Son of Promise (Sarah’s son) and Ishmael is the son of “helping God out” (Genesis 16) (Hagar’s son). Abraham gets up early the next morning, saddles his donkey and takes Isaac and two young male servants with him. He also split the wood for the burnt offering.  What? No questions asked! Just complete obedience! Are you willing to make the sacrifice like Abraham did?  On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw...

  God visited Sarah just as He promised and He held true to His word. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time God said it would happen.   (They obviously experienced that time of pleasure as Sarah remembered it in Genesis 18.)  Abraham named his son, Isaac. He circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as the Lord commanded   (Genesis 17.)  When Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old. Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”   Has God ever made you laugh?  She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” Isaac grew up and was weaned. On the day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham had a great feast. Sarah saw Ishmael ridiculing Isaac.  Of course, Sarah would have an issue with this.   What good mom wouldn’t?  She told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. She said that Ishmael will not be an heir with Isa...

  Abraham journeys to the South. He dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Abraham said that Sarah was his sister  (just like he did in Genesis 12) . Abimelech, king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.  Even in her older age, Sarah still must have been “drop dead gorgeous.” Just my opinion, but it seems as if Abraham is more concerned with “saving” his own life (again) than Sarah’s well-being.   God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and told him that he was a dead man because the woman he took is a man’s wife. However, Abimelech had not gone near Sarah. Abimelech asked the Lord if He would slay a righteous nation also. He claimed his innocence because Abraham said, “She is my sister” and Sarah said, “He is my brother.” Abimelech said, “In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart…”...

  The two angels   (that left Abraham in Genesis 18)   came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When he saw them, he went to meet them and bowed himself with his face toward the ground   (similar to Abraham’s actions).   Lot offered to let the “men” spend the night at his house and to have the chance to wash their feet. They could rise early the next morning and be on their way. At first, the men rejected Lot’s offer saying that they would spend the night in the open square. However, Lot insisted and they finally agreed to stay at his house. Lot made them a feast and baked unleavened bread.   Showing generous hospitality must run in the family. Lot’s actions are similar to his Uncle Abraham’s actions in Genesis 18. Before they laid down for the night, the men of Sodom, young and old, and all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. They asked Lot about the men who came to his house because they wanted to have sex with ...

 In the heat of the day while Abraham was sitting in his tent door by the terebinth trees of Mamre (one of Abram's allies in Warring Nations - Genesis 14) , the Lord appeared to him. Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw three men nearby. He left his tent door and ran to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. My Study Bibles suggest that these three visitors are the Lord and two angels appearing as "men". Abraham shows great hospitality by offering water for the washing of their feet and grants them rest under the trees. He also offered to feed them as well. The visitors agreed to accept Abraham's hospitality. So he hurried to the tent and told Sarah to quickly make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes. Abraham ran to the herd and took a tender and good calf and gave it to a young man to prepare quickly. Abraham took butter, milk and the calf which was prepared and set it before them. He stood nearby as they ate under the tree. Keep in mind that...

When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him and said, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless….”   My NKJV Study Bible says that “Be blameless means to have integrity.” How blameless are you before the Lord?  God also told him that He will make a covenant between Him and Abram and multiply him exceedingly.  God is reiterating the promise He made in previous chapters.  Abram fell face down  (in reverence and in humble submission to God) . God tells Abram that he will be the father of many nations. Then God changed his name from Abram  (Exalted father)  to Abraham  (Father of a multitude) . God says that He will make Abraham exceedingly fruitful and nations and kings will come from him. God will establish His everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants promising to be their God.  I’ve noticed that God has repeated this promise of many descendants several times over to Abraham. Could ...

  As stated in Genesis 15, Abram and Sarai did not have any children. If you recall, in Genesis 13, God told Abram that if the dust of the earth could be numbered, then his descendants can be numbered. In Genesis 15, God told Abram that if he could number the stars, so shall his descendants be. So, God is promising that Abram will have numerous descendants. Remember in Genesis 12, he is already 75 years old.  Presuming that Abram and Sarai were a couple with great communication skills, I am guessing that he told her about God’s promise of numerous descendants.   Sarai had an Egyptian maidservant by the name of Hagar. Sarai said to Abram that the Lord kept her from bearing children so she told Abram to go be intimate with her maid, Hagar and perhaps she would obtain children by Hagar. Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.   At this point, did God ask Sarai for her help to manifest His promise? Was Abram a little “henpecked” since he ...

  After the events of Genesis 14, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Abram was told not to be afraid. God said that He was Abram’s shield and exceedingly great reward. Abram asked God, “what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said to God, “Look, You have given me no offspring, indeed one born in my house is my heir!”   Remember back in Genesis 12, Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. So, he is obviously thinking at this point that his head servant (born in his house) ,   Eliezer, will have to be his heir. Abram must have forgotten that God told him in Genesis 13 that his descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Also, keep in mind that Sarai was up in age somewhat herself.  God told Abram that Eliezer will not be his heir, but his heir will be one that comes from his own body. Then God had Abram go outside and told him to look towards heaven and count the stars if he...

  There are many warring nations – four kings against five kings. King Amraphel of Shinar King Arioch of Ellasar King Chedorlaomer of Elam King Tidal of nations (Goiim in The Message Bible) against King Bera of Sodom King Birsha of Gomorrah King Shinab of Admah King Shemeber of Zeboiim The king of Bela (Zoar) –  I wondered why this king’s name isn’t given, but another name for the region is stated instead. So, I googled. I found that Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states that Bela was a small city and the king was a person of no great note and importance (Source – Biblehub.com). *John Gill (November 1697 – October 1771) was an English Baptist Pastor, Bible scholar and theologian. (Source – Wikipedia) The second group of kings joined together in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). They had served (paid tribute to) King Chedorlaomer for 12 years and in the 13th year, they rebelled. It must have taken about a year for King Chedorlaomer to get his allies together because t...