These next verses may be some of those where you ask yourself why they really matter to us. Because the writer is preparing you for the events that make the next step in God’s redemptive plan possible. After Abraham’s test on Mount Moriah, the story shifts to a list of Nahor’s…

This was a hard commentary for me to write. That is for a few reasons. I will share two. First, I think that this will be a new realization for many, and you might at first say, “No way! That can’t be right!” If that is your response, I invite you to reread the verses. What do the verses actually say? Second, it brings up pain from my own past. God spoke to Abraham…

Abraham stood ready to offer Isaac, but God intervened. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. This moment reveals the heart of substitutionary atonement. The ram took Isaac’s place. God provided a substitute so that Isaac could live. Abraham named the place Yahweh-yireh, meaning…

Abraham built the altar. He arranged the wood. He bound Isaac and laid him on the altar. As Abraham raised the knife, the angel of the Lord called out, stopping him. Child sacrifice was common in Abraham’s world. Pagan religions demanded the blood of children to appease their gods. These acts were celebrated among Israel’s neighbors and…

Abraham and Isaac walked toward the place of sacrifice with a quiet faith. Abraham told his servants, “We will worship and then come back to you.” He trusted that God would provide, even as he faced the unthinkable. Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders. Isaac carried the very wood that would be used for his own…

We are now going to start reading some of what I believe are the most powerful verses in Genesis as they relate to the Good News about our Lord, Christ. God called Abraham to a test that would resonate through the ages. He instructed Abraham to take Isaac, his beloved son, and go to the land of Moriah. There, Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt…

Wells play a vital role in the culture of the Ancient Near East. Primarily, they serve as a source of life. Without wells, your family and flocks would perish. They were of such importance that wars would be fought over who owns a well. Wells also function as common gathering places for people (think of the term “watering hole”). At wells, communication…

Abimelech, king of Gerar, approached Abraham with a request for a formal oath. He brought his military chief, Phicol, and acknowledged that God was with Abraham in everything he did. Abimelech asked Abraham to swear that he would not deal falsely with him or his descendants but instead act with the same kindness that Abimelech had…

Hagar and Ishmael faced death in the desert. Their water was gone. Hagar could not bear to watch her son die, so she set him under a bush and wept at a distance. At that moment, the angel of God called to Hagar. God heard Ishmael’s cries and assured Hagar that He would make Ishmael a great nation. God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of…

God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and Ishmael away. This moment brings the theme of election back to the forefront, a thread that has run through Genesis since the days of Cain and Abel.  Araham had his own ideas about who would carry on his mission. He thought Lot might be the one, but God did not choose Lot…

Sarah’s story warns us how quickly fear can replace faith, even after God’s greatest blessings. Her actions remind us that forgetting God’s faithfulness leads to injustice and broken relationships. But God’s justice and mercy remain, even when we fail. Sarah had waited a lifetime for Isaac. God had promised, and God delivered. Yet, almost…

God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah. After twenty-five years of waiting, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Lord acted exactly as He said He would. The timing was perfect. Isaac arrived at the appointed time, showing that God controls every detail. Human limitations did not stop Him. Sarah was far beyond childbearing years, but God’s…

Abimelech acted swiftly to set things right. He gave Abraham sheep, oxen, and servants, and he returned Sarah to Abraham. He also offered him land to settle wherever he wanted. Additionally, Abimelech gave Sarah a large amount of silver, which served as a public proof of her innocence. This silver protected her honor and cleared her name of…

King Abimelech woke early and gathered his officials. He told them about the dream from God. Fear swept through the court. Abimelech summoned Abraham and demanded an explanation. The king’s questions were sharp. “What have you done to us? What was your reason?” Abimelech’s …

Abraham left his long-held camp and traveled south. He entered Gerar and again told a foreign king, Abimelech, that Sarah was his sister. This was a half-truth. A half-truth is a lie. Lies harm other people, even if we believe our intentions are right. When we do not stand in truth, we open the door to harm. Abraham’s lie did not just…

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah did not erase their influence on Lot and his family. Genesis 19:30-38 shows how deeply the corruption of those cities shaped their thinking and choices. Lot and his daughters, now isolated in a cave, believed they were alone in the world. Fear and desperation drove…

As the sun rose, Lot reached Zoar. Then God sent sulfur and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities fell in a moment. Their wickedness had reached its limit. God’s judgment was complete and final. Lot escaped, but not because of his own faith or actions. The text says God remembered Abraham. God saved Lot for…

Lot faced a moment of crisis as judgment approached Sodom. The angels urged him to flee to the hills for safety. Lot again hesitated. He feared the unknown and pleaded to escape instead to the small town of Zoar. Lot’s request revealed his attachment to comfort and the familiar, even as destruction loomed. His reluctance…

As dawn broke over Sodom, the angels urged Lot to take his family and flee. The warning was clear. Destruction was coming. Yet Lot hesitated. He could not let go of his possessions or his life in Sodom despite the wickedness and harm to the innocent that were occurring in that city. The text shows a man paralyzed by fear…

The angels delivered a clear and urgent warning to Lot. They told him to gather his family and leave Sodom because destruction was certain. The message was not a suggestion. It was a command from God. The angels even showed concern for Lot’s extended family, including his sons-in-law. God’s mercy reached beyond Lot’s immediate…