eyg02

ELOHIYM and YAHOVAH in GENESIS
continued
Part 2 of 5
CHAPTER 8
Gods Covenant with Mankind

According to the time given in Gen. 7:11, and 8:13-14, and figuring a 360 day year, which was in effect under God's solar calendar, Noah was on the ark 313 days. He came out on the first day of the first month. He then offered a burnt offering of every clean beast and fowl. Which of course, then left three breeding pair to multiply in the earth. (Ref. Gen. 7:2.) We know from later references in the Bible that the first month was called by God, Abib. And that under the solar calendar the first day of Abib is the first day of spring, meaning, of course, a new beginning. (See Ex. 12:2-3 and Deut. 16:1.)
The Lord (Yahovah) smelled the sweet savor of the burnt offering and said,
I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake�
Thus fulfilling the prophecy of Lamech. (Ref. 5:28.)
�for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Gen. 8:21-22
Notice here what the Lord said, and what the didn't say:
�for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth;
In other words, Adamites aren't born with an evil imagination, but they do acquire it in their youth. Knowing this, we can explain why the children of Israel, under twenty years of age, that came out of Egypt, were spared death in the wilderness. (Ref. Numbers 14:27-29.) Throughout the books of the law we see that God doesn't impute responsibility until the age of twenty. (Ref. Ex. 30:14 & Num. 1:2-3.) It therefore is a great comfort to know that little children are accounted as blameless before the Lord. This is also why Jesus admonished his disciples that unless they became as little children they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Ref. Matt. 18:1-6.)

CHAPTER 9
Noah's Charge to His Sons
God (Elohiym) then blessed Noah and his sons, telling them to be fruitful, and multiply and replenish (fill) the earth. Every beast, fowl, fish, and creeping thing was to be subject to (or fear) them. In other words, the Noah line of Adam now received the same command as the pre-Adamites - but with a few stipulations. One was that they were no longer subject to being vegetarians. But there was a statute given also: they were not to partake of the blood of the creatures they ate. If they did, they were to forfeit their own lives. Apparently, there is something in the blood of animals detrimental to the life of man. This no doubt prompted God to issue this commandment to the children of Israel also, later on. (Ref. Lev. 17:12-16.)
God also imposed the death penalty for the murder of another man.
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

v:6
So any of you who are eating blood sausage (or the like) and complaining of the cruelty of the death penalty, should take heed.

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

v:7
After this command, I wonder what authorization and justification people have for birth control and abortion?
God then established an unconditional covenant with Noah and the creatures: that he will never again destroy them all with a flood. His token of this covenant was the rainbow. Some have speculated that the sky prior to the flood was somewhat like a fog canopy, which protected man from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. (Ref. Gen. 2:6.) This "canopy" effect might explain the long lives of the antediluvian man, and the "curse" of the ground. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that plants would have a difficult time growing under a misty canopy. Photosynthesis, as we know, is highly dependent on direct sunlight. Verse 13, of chapter 9, is also the first time a cloud is mentioned in the Bible. Another strong argument for this canopy theory is the promise of the seasons of the year back in Gen. 8:22. With a "fog canopy" enveloping the earth it would be rather difficult to have seasons. It is highly plausible that the Lord, at this point in history, changed the turning axis of the earth to bring about the seasons. Here I should interject that if the dinosaurs were on the earth at this point, they would perish wherever winter prevailed. Most of them were cold-blooded. If any of them were warm-blooded, (recent archeological discoveries seem to confirm this), they would not survive, because they would lack the green foliage that would also die of the frost.
In my humble opinion, this theory has a lot of credibility. It certainly doesn't do any violence to God's Word. In fact, when we understand God's Word, this theory enhances it. Even in reading the description of the New Heavens and the New Earth, we get the impression that the New Jerusalem will be just like the time of the Garden of Eden prior to Adam and Eve's expulsion. (Ref. Is. 65:17 & Rev. 21 & 22.)
After this we find that Noah became a husbandman and had a vineyard. He got drunk one day and his youngest son Ham saw him uncovered within his tent. Ham told his two brothers Shem and Japheth. These two then walked in backwards and covered their father. When Noah awoke he knew what had happened.
And he said, Cursed be Canaan [Ham's son]; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
And he said, Blessed be the Lord [Yahovah] God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant.
God [Elohiym] shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant

v:25-27
We see here that Shem got the blessing of Yahovah God, which would entitle him to be the progenitor of the chosen seed line that would bring forth Abraham. Japheth was to be an expanding people. And Ham's sons, through Canaan, were cursed to be servants of Shem and Japheth's children
After this, Noah died at the age of 950 years.

CHAPTER 10
Genealogy of Noah's Sons
Like most listing of genealogy, this chapter can be very boring if we don't see the reason for it. The reason, of course, is to provide you with the names of those that become important throughout the rest of the Bible; the Patriarchs of the entire age of Adamite man.
In verses 1-5 are listed the sons of Japheth. Most noteworthy of these are Gomer, Magog, Tubal, and Meschech, who, according to Ezekiel 38 and 39, will come up to destroy the mountains (nations) of the sons of Israel, in the end of the millennial age. (Ref. Rev. 20:8-9.)
Verses 6-20, list the four sons of Ham. Cush, Ham's oldest son, was to father Nimrod, who, as we've noted before, became the "hero" of mythology and "god" of many false religions. Babel, or Babylon, is as we'll soon learn, the Bible term for confusion. It applies to religions, economics, and governments opposed to God's order.
Mizraim founded Egypt. This isn't recorded here, but we get the information from king David in Psalms 105:23-27. Also, Strong's Concordance says this about the word "Mizraim:" from Mizrayim (Heb.) meaning Upper and Lower Egypt - Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
It is commonly believed - although not recorded in the Bible - that the first Pharaohs were of the Mizraim line. All of Noah's sons, except Canaan, were to be "mighty" men, if you'll recall Gen. 6:4. Casluhim and Pathrusim combined to become the Philistines (1 Chr. 1:12.) The most noteworthy sons of Canaan (the cursed) were Sidon, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgasite, and Hivite. These all fathered the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before the children of Israel came in to conquer the land and the inhabitants.
Unto Shem also, the father of the children of Eber

v:21

The genealogy of the Eber (Hebrew) line, which led to Abraham, is given in Chapter 11, so we will not comment on it here. We will comment on Shem's youngest son Aram's first born son, Uz. The land of Uz is where Job, of the Bible book of Job, lived. We will discover later on in this study who Job was.
Also in verse 25,
And unto Eber [Hebrew] were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;�
Some have speculated that the earth actually was one mass continent that broke into "floating" continents at this point. Be that as it may, I think the meaning of this is found in Deut. 32:7-9 & Acts 17:26. It should be pointed out that the word blood (KJV) in Acts 17:26, was not in the original Greek version of the Book of Acts. It was added by a "cunning" translator for reasons that can only be described as promoting the "brotherhood" of man doctrine. (Multiculturalism) For more light on the lesser sons of Shem and their exploits - look up their names in your Concordance and cross reference them in the Bible.

CHAPTER 11
The "Tower" of Babel
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

v:1

Here again we have the idiom "whole earth" meaning, as we have shown before, only the area inhabited by the sons of Noah. The next verse makes this even clearer.
And it came to pass, as they [Noahites] journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar (plain in Babylon) and they dwelt there.
In the next verses we read that these descendants of Noah decided to build a tower and a city. They would make "themselves a name," to the end that they wouldn't be scattered abroad.
Of course, this was in violation of what God had commanded Noah and his sons in Chapter 9:1. They were told to replenish (fill) the earth. God (Elohiym), knew their mischief and intent, went down and confounded their language so that they couldn't understand each other. Thus they abandoned their "tower" and began to scatter as they were commanded.
Therefore is the name of it called Babel [meaning Babylon or confusion]; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth:�

Gen. 11:9

As we know, from the rest of the Bible, Babel, or Babylon, from this point on is synonymous with confusion, control of the masses, and all evil intent of ungodly men.
The rest of chapter 11, lists the generations of Shem that led to Terah, who begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begat Lot and died in Ur of the Chaldees (plain in Babylon.) Abram married Sarai his half-sister, and with Lot left Ur of the Chaldees with Terah his father, and moved to the land of Canaan. And Terah died in Canaan.

CHAPTER 12
Call to Abram
Following the pattern of Noah, God waited eight generations to make this "call" to Abram. Panin, in his study of Bible numerology, has shown that the number eight is very significant in the chronology of the Bible. It's not within the scope of this study to expand on this phenomenon, but God does seem to honor this number throughout his Word. See No. 4 in Book Index
As we will see, the Lord saw in Abram a quality of obedience that he could use to bring about His will on the earth. The Lord tested Abram first by commanding him to:
�Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from they father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Abram was then told if he obeyed:
�I [Yahovah] will make of thee a great nation, and will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee [his seed] shall all families of the earth be blessed.

vs: 2-3
These verses speak volumes! So, because Abram departed and obeyed the Lord's command, that promise by Yahovah, became a sealed, irreversible covenant. The next verse is very instructive in Bible terms, so I will cite it and explain the Bible term: soul(s):
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the Land of Canaan;
Most "modern day" religions teach that a soul is some kind of "spirit" that dwells in man. And this "soul" is what goes to "heaven" when the body dies. Of course, this is not what the Bible teaches at all. The English word "soul" comes from the Hebrew word nephesh meaning: breathing creature. The creature can be man or beast. These souls mentioned here are, without doubt, the sheep, oxen, asses, menservants, maidservants, and camels mentioned in verse 16 of this same chapter. When we know this truth, we can easily discredit those who promote the myth that the Bible says man has a soul that "goes to heaven."
As we continue in this chapter, we find Abram comes into Canaan finding the Canaanites (Ham's descendants) in the land. The Lord appeared unto Abram and promised him the land of Canaan. Abram built an altar, and called on the name of the Lord.
Famine forced Abram to leave the land of Canaan and sojourn in Egypt. Fearing the Egyptians would slay him because of the beauty of Sarai, Abram told the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister. The princes of Pharaoh saw Sarai's beauty, and she was taken to Pharaoh's house. Abram was treated well for her sake. The Lord protected Sarai, and plagued the Egyptians. Apparently Pharaoh sensed that the plagues were because of Sarai, and that she was Abram's wife.
Pharaoh called Abram and rebuked him for lying to him. (Pharaoh didn't know that Sarai was also Abram's half-sister.) He then commanded Abram and all his house to leave Egypt. Of course this was a type. It would portend a much larger and longer sojourn and bondage in Egypt unto Abram's descendants, both in Israel's day, and the symbolic bondage here in the end of the age. (Ref. Is. 10:24-26, & Hosea 8:13)

CHAPTER 13
Separation of Abram from Lot
Abram and Lot his nephew left Egypt and came again to Canaan. Abram came out with much cattle, silver, and gold. He called on the name of the Lord when he had returned to the altar he had built between Bethel and Hai.
Abram and Lot's substance of flocks and herds was so large that they couldn't dwell together. To prevent strife between their herdsmen, they agreed to part company. Abram gave Lot his choice of which land he wanted. Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan containing the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram remained in Canaan.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceeding.

vs: 13
After Lot and Abram were separated, the Lord told Abram to look toward the compass points of the land of Canaan:

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

vs: 15-16
This was an unconditional promise by the Lord.
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

vs: 18

CHAPTER 14
Abram and Melchisedek
The first eleven verses of this chapter list a group of kings from that area who came to do battle. The upshot of the whole affair was that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated and their cities were sacked. Lot was dwelling in Sodom at the time and he was carried away, with all his goods by the conquering kings.
Someone came and told Abram what had happened and that Lot had been captured. Abram armed his trained servants, three hundred and eighteen strong, and pursued them. He overtook them at night, smote them and chased them unto Hobah.
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

vs: 16
The king of Sodom went out to meet Abram. Also the King of Salem (early name for Jerusalem.) This King of Salem was named Melchizedek, and he brought forth bread and wine and was the priest of the most high God.
And he blessed him [Abram], and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek] tithes of all.
vs: 19-20

After this giving of the tithes to Melchizedek, the king of Sodom offered Abram all the goods he had brought back for the return of the people of Sodom. Abram swore by the Lord that he wouldn't take any of the king of Sodom's goods or people, because in Abram's words:
�lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eschol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
vs: 23-24
Before we go on to the next chapter, I'd like to point out some very important precedents that are contained in this chapter. First, Abram waged a righteous war to free Lot. Second, he was blessed for doing so. Third, he gave tithes to the priest of the most high God. Fourth, Abram refused to partake of the booty of the deliverance. In following chapters, we'll see that Abram's righteous deeds would not be forgotten by God.
It is also important that we know who this Melchizedek was, and what this priesthood represented. There are only three places in the Bible where the Melchizedek priesthood is mentioned. Here in Genesis, in Psalms 110:4, and in the book of Hebrews.
Psalms 110:4, is the prophecy of David concerning Christ taking the priesthood of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7, is a detailed explanation of this priesthood.
For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Heb. 7:1-3
Have you considered who this was? Read the description again! Yes friends, there's only One that fits that description. Here he is called Melchizedek. Later on in the New Testament he would be called "�Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" Lu. 1:21. I'd recommend you read all of Hebrews 7:6-11, to put this "order of Melchizedek" in its proper perspective.

CHAPTER 15
Sealing of the Promises
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

v: 1
Abram had one request of the Lord: that was an heir, for Sarai, his wife, was barren.
And he [the Lord] brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

v: 5 & 6
Before we continue, it should be pointed out that verse 6 is the beginning of the doctrine of Justification by faith. Most people think this doctrine originated in the New Testament when Paul expounded it, but as he exhorted his fellow believers in Galatians 3:3-6, notice Paul even refers back to Abraham:
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Gal. 3:6
Continuing on now in Genesis.
The Lord then confirmed that it was he that had called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees and promised him Canaan. Abram then asked:
Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

v: 8
The Lord commanded Abram to prepare a sacrifice. Abram obeyed.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

v: 12
The Lord then told Abram that his seed would be in captivity for four hundred years in a nation that wasn't theirs. But they would come out, with great substance, when God would judge that nation. Of course, this was the prophecy of the Egyptian bondage of the children of Israel. The Lord then promised Abram a peaceful life, and a long one.
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

v: 16
Here again we have another valuable lesson to those who will hear. The lesson is that the Lord causes wars, and the elimination, or chastisement, of any nation that becomes too wicked. This is a precedent that is followed throughout the rest of the Bible. Even the children of Israel are subject to this judgment. Of course, most of our "blind guides" attribute war to their pet "Satan," and thereby deny the power and sovereignty of Almighty God. There's a verse in 2 Tim. 3:5, that describes these "blind guides" to a T:
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
In other words, turn away from those who profess God, but deny his power. Or, if you like, turn away from those:
who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature [serpent] more than the Creator.

Rom. 1:25
In God's eyes, when men give anyone, or thing, the power to do great things, it is equivalent to worshipping that particular being, or thing; be it "Satan," the "serpent," or man (humanism.)
Now back to our text.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

v: 17
This "smoking furnace" and "burning lamp" sealed the promises the Lord had made to Abram.
In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

V: 18
Then the Lord names the existing nations that Abram's seed would either rule over or dispossess.

CHAPTER 16
Birth of Ishmael
This chapter records the birth Ishmael. The circumstances were that Sarai was barren. She feared that Abram's house would go without an heir. It is obvious from the context that Sarai believed it was Abram's fault that she hadn't conceived. To prove it to herself she sent Abram in to her handmaid Hagar. When Hagar became pregnant Sarai knew that it was she who was infertile (or so she thought.) Sarai became angry and drove out Hagar.
Hagar was alone in the wilderness when the angel of the Lord appeared unto her. The angel told her the seed she was to bear would be a great multitude.
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

v: 11-12
The angel then told Hagar to return to Abram's tent. She returned and bare Ishmael to Abram.
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

v: 16

CHAPTER 17
Abram's Name Changed to Abraham
This chapter is a chapter pivotal to our understanding of the Bible.
We shall discuss it in detail.
�And when Abram was ninety years old and nine [making Ishmael 13], the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him saying,
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall they name any more be called Abram [meaning high father], but thy name shall be Abraham; for father of many nations have I made thee.
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

v: 1-7
As we've just read, Abram had his name changed to Abraham, because he was to be a father of many nations. Most "modern day" seminaries teach our clergy that Abraham was only the father of the "modern day" Jews. This of course, makes God a liar. For the "modern day" Jews - until 1948 - never founded any nation, much less many nations. As a matter of fact, these "modern day" Jews, by their own admission are not even descendants of Abraham. See No.5 in Book Index & Appendix D
From verses 10-14, we read what God required of Abraham to seal this everlasting covenant. All male children, eight days old, including bondservants that dwelt in Abraham's house, shall be circumcised. Any male not circumcised would be cut off from his people. This, of course, was a type. It would later (after Christ) be the substitutionary circumcision of the heart that would reseal this covenant to the Isaac-sons of the lost (divorced) house of Israel. (Ref. Rom. 2:25-29.)
Verses 15-19 tell us of the promise of God to Abraham of the chosen seed of Isaac. God told Abraham that he was to change Sarai's name to Sarah (meaning mother of many nations). In hearing the promise, Abraham laughed in his heart, and doubted that he being 100 years old and Sarah 90 years old, could even conceive a child. Abraham then pleaded that Ishmael should be the seed. But this wasn't God's plan. God said,
Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
v.19
The Christians today who claim to be "spiritual Israel" should take heed to this verse. There is no such thing as spiritual Israel. If you are a born again, spirit filled, heir of the promise, you are not a "spiritual" Israelite, but and actual seed descendant of Isaac, for the Lord said,
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Is. 42:8
If you need a witness from the New Testament, how about this:
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise

Gal. 3:29
Where does this leave those who profess to be "spiritual" Israelites? Blind to their own identity, that's where! But, more on that later on in our study. Now back to our text.
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

v: 20
This promise has been kept, for the "twelve princes" are the twelve Arab nations of today that comprise the nucleus of the United Arab Republic. Which, of course, is the great nation. And if you'll recall the prophecy of the angel back in Gen. 16:12, who can deny that they have become "wild men" and that their hand is against every man! Col. Moammar Khadafy of Libya is a good example of this truth But the inheritance will not be with Ishmael.
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

v: 21
Abraham obeyed God that same day and sealed the covenant by circumcising himself, Ishmael, and all the menservants of his household.

CHAPTER 18
Abraham the Intercessor
This chapter is an instructional chapter. Verse 1 says:
And the Lord [Yahovah] appeared unto him [Abraham] in the plains of Mamre: and he set in the tent door in the heat of the day.
From the context, we see that Abraham saw and recognized that it was the Lord, and two others with him. Abraham addressed Him:
My Lord [Adonay],
v: 3
We can only guess why Abraham would have known this was the Lord. We have the sure words of John the disciple:
That no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him

John 1:18
Knowing that, we can assume that Abraham recognized him because it was more than likely Melchizedek. Remember the description of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:3?
Abraham washed the "men's" feet and told Sarah (who was in the tent) to make meal cakes. Abraham, in turn, saw to it that a tender calf was dressed, and prepared also butter and milk for his guests. The "men" told Abraham that the time was due for Sarah to have the promised son. Sarah heard the words in the tent and laughed, because she had stopped menstruating long before.
And the Lord said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord?

v: 13
Indeed, if ever a question has rung down through the centuries, it's this one. For those who believe God, and what he has promised, no matter how long it takes, or how bleak the circumstances look, are known as the faithful. This is the bedrock of faith.
And he [Abram] believed in the Lord; and he [the Lord] counted it to him for righteousness.

Gen. 15:6

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

Rom. 1:17
Sarah denied that she had laughed, but she was afraid. The Lord rebuked her. The "men" then arose to go unto the city of Sodom, because they had heard of its great wickedness. Abraham showed them the way.
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

vs: 17-19
These were thoughts of the Lord as to whether he should confide in Abraham about what was to be done in Sodom. Obviously the Lord decided to confide with Abraham, no doubt to show Abraham what the Lord means by executing justice and judgment.
And so the Lord confided in Abraham concerning his plans of checking out the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom. He began to plead the cause.
And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

v: 23
Abraham started out pleading the cause of fifty righteous people. And in condescending order went down to ten. In all of this pleading, the Lord assured him that he would not destroy cities if he found at least ten righteous people.
And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

V: 33

CHAPTER 19
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
This chapter tells of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels (apparently the ones that had accompanied the Lord) entered into Sodom at evening. Lot persuaded them to join him at his house. After they had eaten, the men of Sodom surrounded the house and sought to have the guests of Lot as sexual partners, meaning they were homosexuals. Lot pleaded with them to leave, and even offered his daughters instead. The homosexuals would have none of that, and pressed Lot to turn over the "men." The men (angels) struck the homosexuals with blindness and they pulled Lot into the house. The angels then told Lot to prepare his family to leave, for they would destroy the city. When Lot told his sons-in-law, they thought Lot was crazy, and refused to go.
In the morning Lot, with his wife and two married daughters, left and went to Zoar. The angels had told them to make haste and not to look back. As they walked, the Lord rained down brimstone and fire and destroyed both Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's wife disobeyed the angels' words and looked back. She was turned into a pillar of salt. This is another type, for it portended Jesus statement concerning those that leave wickedness to labor in the Lord's field:
�No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62
It is commonly believed that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah lie this day under the "salt" Dead Sea in eastern Judah.
Lot with his two daughters feared to dwell in the town of Zoar. They went into the mountains and dwelt in a cave.
And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old and there is not a man [iysh] in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth.

v: 31
Here again, without a concordance we wouldn't know what in the world these two women were talking about. For they had just left Zoar, and there were most certainly "men" there! The word "man" in this verse is iysh, meaning of the racial stock of Noah. Apparently there were no other iysh that were not mixed with the pre-Adamites left in that region, except Abraham, of course.
The daughters of Lot then proceeded to get him drunk and each had sexual intercourse with him. Lot, in his stupor, did not know not what his daughters had done.
The firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

vs: 37-38
And thus Lot's descendants became one of the eventual enemies of the descendants of Abraham.

CHAPTER 20
Abraham's Encounter with Abimelech
And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

v: 1
From the account, Abraham must have again feared for his life, because of Sarah. For he again tells Sarah to tell the people of Gerar that she is his sister instead of his wife.
Abimelech, the king of Gerar, then sent for Sarah, intending to take her to wife. The Lord appeared unto Abimelech in a dream and warned him not to touch Sarah, because she was Abraham's wife. And if touched her he would be a dead man along with his house:
Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

v: 7
Abimelech told the dream to his servants and they were sore afraid. Abimelech then called Abraham and questioned him as to why he had done this. Abraham said,
�Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

vs: 11-12
In other words, as stated before, Abraham didn't really lie. For Sarah was his half-sister.
Abimelech then took sheep, oxen, menservants, and womenservants to Abraham along with Sarah. He then gave Abraham 1000 pieces of silver and told him it was for compensation. He also asked him to sojourn in peace in Abimelech's land.
So Abraham prayed unto God: And God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

vs: 17-18
Before going on the next chapter, it should be pointed out that Abraham's act of calling his wife his sister, and Sarah calling Abraham her brother, were, of course, types. Christ would expand on this type, in Matt. 12: 46-50.

CHAPTER 21
The Birth of Isaac
The Lord opened Sarah's womb and she conceived, as the Lord had promised. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

v: 4

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

v:6
This, no doubt, is the origin of the statement, "laugh and the world laughs with you." Isaac, in Hebrew, means: laughter.
And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned:

v: 8
On the day of the feast, Sarah caught Ishmael mocking her. In a rage, Sarah demanded that Ishmael and his mother Hagar be cast out of the house. For Sarah said that Ishmael wouldn't share Isaac's inheritance. In his grief over the situation, Abraham turned to the Lord.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in they sight because of the lad, and because of thy bond-woman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And also to the son of the bondwomen will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

vs: 12-13
Here we see the segregation of the two seeds. Because Hagar was a bondwoman, Ishmael was not qualified to be the heir of promise. Only the child of the free woman would be qualified. Read Rom. 9: 7-9.
Abraham honored God's request and sent Hagar and Ishmael away. The angel of God intervened in Ishmael's behalf as recorded in verses 14-21. Because Ishmael was Abraham's seed, God honored him, as we've seen before, to be the father of the Arab countries. His descendants throughout the rest of the Bible are called Ishmaelites.
Another important fact that's revealed for the first time in the previously quoted verse is that only in Isaac will Abraham's seed be called. Many people have wondered who the called of God are, as recorded in the New Testament books. More examples are found in Rom. 1:7 - 1 Cor. 1:2 - and 1 Thess. 2:12. Well, the truth of the matter is that they are the same sons of Isaac! For Paul reiterated this truth in Rom. 9:7-8:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall they seed be called.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Transferring these verses to modern days, we can see the error. Many missionaries go to heathen countries and try to convince these people that they will be joint heirs with Christ, in his kingdom, if only they will confess him. This is a sham! It has absolutely no foundation in the word of God. With all their "good intentions" these missionaries have completely misunderstood the "Great Commission" of Matt. 28:19-20. This commission was given by Christ to the disciples, because the lost, dispersed, house of Israel was in all nations at that time. That is why Christ called them "fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Fishers, of course, don't know what they will catch in their net. A good example of this is the Kingdom parable of the net, in Matt. 13:47-50. But, Thank God, we are now entering the era of the "Hunters" (Jer. 16:16). Hunters, as you know, seek a known prey. They don't "cast their pearls before swine" or place the children's meat before the "dogs" (Matt. 7:6). They know who and where the "many nations" of Isaac's are. And they concentrate their efforts in those nations. Praise ye the Lord!
More on these nations later on in this study. The balance of this chapter 21, records a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. Apparently, from the context, they were having conflict over water wells for their livestock. It shows that Abraham was not only a just man, but he was also a diplomat.

CHAPTER 22
Abraham's Test of Obedience
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham.

v: 1

The meaning of this word tempt would be more accurate in today's English, by using the word "prove." The Hebrew word is nacah meaning to test, or prove.
The testing, or proving, was that God told Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer Isaac for a burnt offering unto the Lord. Quite a test - wouldn't you say? Abraham, being the great man of faith that he was - obeyed. After a three day journey with Isaac and two servants, they came to the place. Abraham told his servants to wait for him, and he took Isaac and had Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:�

v: 7-8

Is this faith, or is this faith? Of course, it's also the type that would portend God providing Christ as the Lamb offering later on.
After they came to the place, Abraham built an altar, layed the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

v: 10

At this point, the angel of the Lord did intervene, and said,
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou has not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

v: 12

Abraham looked up and discovered a ram with its horns caught in a thicket. He then offered up the ram instead of Isaac. Abraham then called the place Jehovah-jireh, meaning Yehovah will see to it. Abraham's obedience prompted the Lord to say,
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars in heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

v: 17-18

As we read, the promise to Abraham was expanded to include possession of his enemies' gates. Gates in the Bible means: an opening, city, door, port; or world geographic choke points. In the Old Testament, judgment was always pronounced in the "gate." This is where the Judges were seated. If you know recent world history, from this promise you can begin to identify the nations of today who were - until recently - in control of the openings (gates) of the sea lanes of the world. Perhaps you would like to check them out? Try checking out who controlled the following: Suez Canal, Straits of Gibraltar, Panama Canal, and the Straits of S.E. Asia, just to name a few.
Another clue to who these nations are is to check out whoever controlled the governments (gates) of many heathen nations during the period of world colonialism. If God's promise is true, who ever controlled these "gates" will be Abraham's seed. There will be many more clues also, so let's read on.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba

v: 19

Later on, word came to Abraham that his brother Nabor's wife had begotten eight children, chief among was a daughter named Rebekah. She will be a major player in our continuing saga.

CHAPTER 23
Abraham's Burial of Sarah
Sarah dies at the age of 127 years, in Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourns for her. Then he pleads with the sons of Heth (Canaan's grandson by Sidon) for a burying place for his dead.
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of sight.

v: 4

In particular, it should be noted here that Abraham was a nomad. Because he had such large flocks and herds of livestock, he moved frequently to keep his flocks and herds in pasture. Abraham knew that one day his descendants would take possession of Canaan, as the Lord had promised. Believing this, he needed a permanent burying place for his descendants. Of course, the children of Heth knew nothing of this - They told Abraham,
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury they dead.

v: 6

Abraham, of course, had no intention of burying Sarah in a common grave among the heathen people. He wanted his own private burying place. He then asked the children of Heth to intreat Ephron, the son of Zohar, to sell him a cave in Machpelah. Ephron was a Hittite. When Ephron came to Abraham, in the audience of the children of Heth, he offered to give the cave to Abraham. Abraham thanked Ephron for his generosity, but insisted that he buy it. Ephron conceded and took 400 shekels of silver for the cave and the adjoining field. They placed landmarks on the borders of the field to secure the land. This was all done with the children of Heth as witnesses.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.

v: 20

This chapter requires little comment from me, for it provides yet another clue as to just who Abraham's descendants are. Even to this day they seek burial plots, and frown on cremation.

CHAPTER 24
The Selection of Isaac's Wife
When Isaac had reached full age, Abraham called his eldest servant to him, and made him swear an oath.
And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

vs: 3-4

Abraham knew the consequences as to mixing blood with heathen and non-white races. He no doubt was instructed of what prompted the flood of Noah. To see whether this is correct, you should look up the following references: Deut. 7:1-11, Jud. 3:1-8, Ez. 9:1-10.
Due to the length of this chapter, I shall condense it for you. You should read it all.
Abraham's servant left for Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nabor. He took 10 camels and much goods. Upon reaching the outskirts of the city, by a well, he stopped and prayed that the Lord would bring out of the city the one the Lord would choose for Isaac's wife.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

V: 15

Rebekah was very fair, and a virgin. The servant asked for her to fetch him water for him and the camels. Rebekah obeyed. The servant then gave her a golden erring and two bracelets of gold. Then he asked her who she was, and if her household could lodge him and his master's camels?
Rebekah told him her genealogy, and said there was room for him at her father's house. The servant praised the Lord, for he knew then that this was the Lord's doing. Rebekah ran home to tell what had transpired.
And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

V: 29

Keep this name in mind, for Laban will become another key player, as this book of Genesis unfolds.
Laban invited Abraham's servant to come to the house. He provided food for the servants of Abraham and for their camels. Abraham's servant then told Laban and all of the relatives of Abraham's wealth and blessings from God. And that he had been sent by him to secure a wife for Abraham's son, by Sarah, named Isaac. The servant then rehearsed the whole matter at the well, and how God had answered his prayer and sent Rebekah.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: We cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken

vs: 50-51

In hearing this, the servant glorified God, and gave gifts to Rebekah and to her household. The next day, as they prepared to go, Laban and Rebekah's mother requested that they stay on awhile. The servant said he thought he should return immediately to Abraham. The family of Rebekah conceded and gave Rebekah this blessing (No doubt by inspiration of the Lord):
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her. Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

V: 60

This is, of course, reiterates the same promise given Abraham back in 22:17. Now, if you looked up who were the nations, the possessors of the listed "gates," and checked out who were the colonizing nations of the last 500 years, you will know who the Isaac-sons are in this age!
Rebekah returned with the servant of Abraham and became Isaac's wife. And so Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother Sarah.

CHAPTER 25
Abraham's New Wife and the Death of Ishmael
Abraham took a new wife, her name was Keturah. She begat him six more sons. But, as verse 5 says, Isaac was the heir.
The most notable of these sons was Jokshan, who begat Sheba and Dedan. These sons, along with the sons of Midian, would play roles in the further development of the Isaac-sons. Before Abraham died at the age of 175 years, he sent these other sons away with gifts toward the east country.
Abraham dies, and Isaac and Ishmael bury him with Sarah in the cave at Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth.
And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

v: 11

Then are listed the sons of Ishmael. Twelve in all, as God had promised Hagar. And they became:
�twelve princes according to their nations.

v: 16

And Ishmael died at 137 years of age, "�and he gave up the ghost" v: 17. Before we continue, the meaning of verse 17, should be elucidated: Some have said, that this "ghost" is really the "immortal spirit" that dwells in man! Of course, this is not what this word means at all. Strong's Concordance says: Ghost, -- Hebrew word is gava, meaning: breath out, expire, be dead, perish. There is nothing here to imply any "immortal" spirit!
At this point, I know there will be those who will challenge me by the fact that "ghostly aberrations" have appeared in isolated incidents around the world. Of this fact, I've no doubt that they do occur. Many people believe in "ghosts," and God provides them "fuel" to believe this lie. This may seem strange to you, but the Lord explained the situation in 2 Thess. 2: 3-12. I'll not quote all these verses, but you should read them.

They tell of the time, just prior to Christ's second coming, when a great apostasy would engulf the Israel nations. Humanism would be the "religion" of the day (v: 4), and the Lord will destroy this MANifestation of deifying mankind at his coming in verse 8. Now let's read what powers would be extended unto this "Wicked one" so that its iniquity would become full before the destruction.
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Quite an indictment, wouldn't you say? Notice the reason why God will give them the strong delusion. Yes, it's because they believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. In other words, God provides the unrighteous with all kinds of "powers," "signs," and "lying wonders" in funneling them along their channel to destruction. Ghosts, of course, being just one of the aberrations.
We continue now in chapter 25 of Genesis:
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

v: 20

When the Bible says, for instance, Laban the Syrian, it means Laban dwelt in Syria. By the same token, Abraham could have been called a Canaanite, because he dwelt in Canaan. Now we know for a fact that Abraham was a Hebrew, or son of Eber, and Laban was Abraham's nephew. In other words, where a person lives doesn't necessarily mean that person is of the racial stock of that nation.
And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

v: 21

And when Rebekah felt the children struggling within her womb she asked the Lord why?
And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; the elder shall serve the younger.

v: 23

As we shall see by this prophecy, the Chosen seed line will be divided at this point yet again! One will become the father of the anti-Christ, and the other the father of the children of promise. The birth of these twin boys is also the origin of the Doctrine of Election. Paul explains how the elect of God were chosen in the examples of Esau and Jacob in Romans 9: 11-13. The important thing to remember about the doctrine of Election is that the choice, the selection is God's. It cannot be earned by works, as proven by the fact that God made his choice while the twins were still in their mother's womb.
Of course, this truth is contrary to what is taught in most churches today. This doctrine promotes the idea that anyone can come and confess Christ, and presto-chango, they spontaneously become one of the elect. It is not found in the Bible. That idea is a doctrine of men, not of God. As a second witness to the truth of pre-election, I'll offer Ephesians 1: 4-5.
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
A third witness is found in John 15:16 where the Lord is speaking:
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit,�"
So, as you can see, it's God's will that the elect were chosen, not some decision you made, or some emotional altar call put forth by some high-pressure evangelist.

God's elect are the called. And the called are found in the seed of Isaac through Jacob, as God stated back in Gen. 21:12.
Now back to Rebekah's births:
And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

v: 25

Esau means Red. And, as you may have already guessed, his descendants have become the leaders of the RED beast of atheistic One World Communism today.
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

v: 26

This taking hold of Esau's heel by Jacob is explained in Hosea 12:3. It also had a prophetic meaning. That prophecy is given is Ps. 41:9. It was fulfilled when Judas Iscariot (a descendant of Esau) ate bread with Christ, and then went out and betrayed him (Read John 13:18)
The twins grew up. Esau became a hunter, a man of the field. Men of the field, in Bible terms, are men that follow after worldly desires. Cain also was a "man of the field," if you'll recall. In Christ's explanation of the parable of the Tares of the field, in Matt. 13:37-43, he called the "field" the world. In Micah 4:10, the daughter of Zion would go out of the city (God's rule) and would dwell in the field, in other words, become worldly. The terms field and worldly are synonymous in bible symbols.
Jacob was a plain man, and dwelt in tents. Isaac loved Esau because of the venison (deer meat) he brought him. Rebekah loved Jacob. Then one day:
And Jacob sod [cooked] pottage: and Esau came from the field, and was faint.
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

Vs: 29-31

I should interject here that because Esau was the first born of the twins he had legal right to all that Isaac had. This is what is meant by birthright.
And Esau said, Behold I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he [Esau] sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Vs: 32-34

This all took place so that the purpose of God according to election might stand. Paul explains this to us in Rom. 9:10-14.

CHAPTER 26
Abraham's Obedience Confirmed
And there arose a famine in the land. Isaac went into Gerar, the land of Abimelech, the Philistine, whom Abraham had made peace with back in chapter 21.
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee; and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statues, and my laws.

vs: 2-5

Two things are important here. The promises made to Abraham are passed on to Isaac and his seed. The reason is given in the last verse. Many "modern day" preachers say the Mosaic law was "done away with" in Christ. We won't take the time to elaborate on the error of that false doctrine here, but I do point out that many of the commandments, statutes, and laws were in existence long before the Mosaic law, including the command, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." If you will look up the word "adulterate" in any good Dictionary, you will see it means: to make inferior, impure, not genuine, adding a harmful, less valuable, or prohibited substance. It's used also as an adjective: guilty of adultery; adulterous.
So it's plain to see why Abraham insisted that Isaac marry a woman of his own race. If he didn't, he would be guilty of adultery!
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

v: 6

Isaac feared for his life because of the beauty of Rebekah, so he called her his sister. And it came to pass that Abimelech, king of the Philistines, saw Isaac sporting with Rebekah. He then knew she was indeed Isaac's wife. Abimelech called Isaac to find out why he had not told the truth. Isaac said, because he feared for his life. Abimelech then charged his people:
He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death

v: 11

Some have said that Isaac, like Abraham before him, didn't show much faith here since God would protect him. But as we've mentioned before, these were forerunners of Christ's statement of whom he considers his brothers and sisters. This is recorded in Matt. 12:46-50.
And so Isaac had peace in the land, and sowed crops, and received an hundred fold increase, and the Lord blessed him:
And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herd, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him

vs: 13-14

The envy of the people of Abimelech grew and they filled in the water wells dug by Abraham, thus breaking the covenant between Abimelech and Abraham. Abimelech told Isaac to leave, because "he was mightier than we."
Isaac departed to the valley of Gerar. In this valley he began to dig the wells the Philistines had filled in. The herdsmen of the Philistines claimed all the wells. Finally, they dug a well that the Philistines didn't try to claim. Isaac named it Rehoboth, meaning: made room for us. From there he went up to Beersheba.
And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

v: 24

Isaac built an altar there. He called on the name of the Lord, and also digged another well, and dwelt at Beersheba.
Abimelech came up to Beersheba to ask Isaac not to do him or his people any harm, for he recognized that God was with Isaac. Isaac made a feast, and they made a new covenant not to smite each other.
And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

v: 31

And Isaac named the new well Shebah, and dwelt in Beersheba.
Esau's wives became another stumbling block of Esau:
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

vs: 34-35

By marrying out of his race, Esau was sealing his fate, thus further compounding his previous mistake of despising his birthright.

CHAPTER 27
The Blessings of Jacob and Esau
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son

v: 1

Isaac told his eldest that he would soon die and that Esau should go out and slay a deer so that he could bless him before his death. Esau departed in search of the deer.
Rebekah overheard the conversation. She told Jacob to kill two kid goats from the flocks so that she could prepare a savory meat dish and send Jacob in to Isaac ahead of Esau.
Jacob said it wouldn't work, because his father Isaac would detect that Jacob wasn't Esau. Rebekah then got Esau's raiment and put it on Jacob. When the kids were killed and prepared, she then placed the skins of the kids on Jacob's hands and on the smooth of his neck. Jacob then took the savory meat and bread in to Isaac his father. He then told his father to eat and bless him. Isaac was suspicious.
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very Esau or not.
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father: and he felt him, and said, The voice is of Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

vs: 21-22

Isaac wasn't completely convinced yet, so he asked, Art thou my very son Esau? And he [Jacob] said, I am.

v: 24

Isaac then ate and drank. He then told his son,
Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
And he came near, and kissed him: and he [Isaac] smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

vs: 26-29

In other words, Isaac conferred the Abraham promises and covenants unto Jacob instead of Esau. This, as we shall see, was in God's purpose. But Jacob would be tested and vexed like no one before him to prove his worthiness.
Jacob had no more left the presence of Isaac when Esau came with his prepared venison, announcing himself as Esau. Isaac trembled very exceedingly, knowing a mistake had been made. Isaac then told Esau what had transpired. Esau cried bitterly. Then Esau said,
�Bless me, even me also, O my father.

v: 34

Isaac said that he was sorry, but that Jacob had taken away the blessing through subtlety. And Esau said,
Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee my son?

vs: 36-37

Esau wept and pleaded for a blessing also. And so Isaac blessed Esau with this blessing:
Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.
And by the sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

vs: 39-40

Notice the wording of this blessing. It, in effect, foretells that at some point, Esau's descendants would take dominion, and would no longer be the servants of their brother Jacob's descendants. Many books have been written about how the Edomites of our day have gotten political and financial "control" within the Israelite nations. Most Esau/Edomites, are former Russian Khazars, people geographically sourced from these very same ancient realms of Magog, and, associated with Gog - Probably not an individual as may be thought, but a "system," one designed to achieve world dominion via the ancient, usurious, fiat financial practices of ancient Babylon.
This dominion has led to the Red Communist inspired, world conspiracy being divinely permitted for chastizement and further overthrow of the "yoke" and dominion of the Isaac-sons, which came through Jacob. If the authors of these books only knew their Bible history they would recognize that it was prophesied thousands of years ago; obvious today, by "Esau/Edom's" current, short-term dominion over the lives of Jacob's descendants.
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

V: 41

Rebekah heard of Esau's plan, and sent Jacob to her brother Laban. He was to remain there until Esau's temper had cooled.
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth [Canaanites]: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

V: 46

Quite obviously Rebekah knew the errors of Esau. And if the promises given to Isaac, through Abraham, were to be preserved in Jacob, something would have to be done to preserve the seed line.

CHAPTER 28
Jacob's Journey to Laban
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Vs: 1-4

Jacob left for Padanaram.
Esau learned of Jacob's additional blessing, and that his marrying of Canaanite wives displeased Isaac and Rebekah. In a blinded attempt to reconcile the displeasure, he goes out and marries a daughter of Ishmael to further confound his seed.
Jacob, on his way to Laban's abode in Haran, rests one night along the way. He used stones for pillows.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Vs: 12-14

As we've just read, it is quite obvious that if Jacob's descendants were to be like the dust of the earth, they would need more room than just the tiny land of Canaan (Palestine). Later on in this study you'll see that this spreading abroad of Jacobbrought about many new nations. The initiation of that "spreading" took place during the dispersion of the twelve tribes by the kings of Assyria as recorded in 2 Kings 15:29 and 18:11-13. From that dispersion they migrated north and west - through the Caucasian Mountains into the "wilderness" of Europe. For a complete study of this, read No. 6 in the Book Index. Now back to our study.
The Lord went on to promise Jacob that he would be with him wherever he went and would protect him. Jacob awoke and said,
Surely the Lord is in this place: and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!
This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Vs: 16-17

Jacob then took the stone he had used for a pillow and set it up, and poured oil on it. He named the place Bethel, meaning: House of God.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Vs: 20-22

Although it doesn't say so here, we know from other Bible references that Jacob and his descendants carried this stone with them in their sojourn in Egypt. Reference to it is made in other chapters of Genesis which we'll cover later in this book. It is also believed that this is the stone that Moses struck in the wilderness to obtain water (Ex. 17:6). Another reference to this rock is in Numbers 20:1-11, when Moses and Aaron struck the rock twice to bring forth water for the children of Israel and their flocks. Confirmation of this is in 1 Cor. 10:1-4.
And so the stone-rock-pillar was the same symbol, or type, that was later to be "the stone that the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner:" Ps 118:22 - Matt. 21:42.
Irish history says that the prophet Jeremiah carried this rock with him when he brought Zedekiah's daughter Tea-Tephi to marry Herremon the Irish king in 585 B.C. The same stone, recently returned to Scotland, sat for centuries mounted in the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey in London. EveryEIrish, Scottish and English King or Queen has been crowned sitting above this stone. For more on this fascinating study, read book No.10 in Book Index

CHAPTER 29
Jacob Obtains Two Wives
Jacob traveled eastward and finally came into the land of Haran. He came upon three groups of sheep near a covered well. Jacob asked the shepherds if they knew Laban the son of Nahor. A shepherd said they knew him, in fact, his daughter Rachel was then coming to water her father's sheep at the well. Jacob rolled back the stone cover of the well and watered the sheep for Rachel. Jacob then kissed Rachel and told her who he was. Rachel ran home and told her father Laban.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

Vs: 13-14
Jacob worked during this month for Laban, and Laban inquired as to what wages Jacob would like.
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

Vs: 16-18

Laban gave his consent, and Jacob served the seven years for Rachel's hand. When the seven years had expired, Laban gave a feast.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaiden.

Vs. 23-24

In the morning Jacob discovered, of course, that Laban had tricked him. He then demanded of Laban why he had been treated like this. Laban said,
It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
Fulfill her week [honeymoon], and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he [Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

Vs: 26-29

And so Jacob had two wives now and was obligated to serve another seven years.
And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Vs: 31

Leah then bare four sons by Jacob. The firstborn was Reuben. Then came Simeon, Levi and Judah and she left off bearing.

CHAPTER 30
Rachael's Reproach Reproved
Rachel envied her sister Leah, for Rachel was barren. She complained to Jacob, and Jacob said it was God's doing. Rachel then told Jacob to have children by her maid Bilhah so that she could also raise children. Jacob did as Rachel had wished.
And Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son.

V: 5

And Rachel called him Dan. And Bilhah bare another son by Jacob and Rachel named him Naphtali.
Now when Leah realized that she had stopped bearing, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob to bare him more sons. The first son by Zilpah was named Gad, and the second was called Asher.
Quite obviously the two women had a real rivalry over the affections and seed of Jacob.
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?�

vs: 14-15

Mandrakes were known as an aphrodisiac. They were used for "love potions," and were thought to increase fertility.
And so Rachel said,
�Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

V: 15

And Leah gave Rachel the mandrakes for the hire of Jacob's services. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. He was named Issachar. She again conceived and bare Jacob a sixth son who was named Zebulun.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

V: 21

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

V: 22

It should be pointed out here that God gave Leah two more boys before he "hearkened" unto Rachel. One wonders if Rachel's reliance on the mandrakes, instead of God, had anything to do with it.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.

Vs: 23-24

Rachel's prophecy of another would be fulfilled later with the birth of Benjamin.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

V: 26

Jacob reminded Laban that he had fulfilled his 14 years of servitude for his wives. Now Laban conceded that Jacob had indeed fulfilled his service. Then Laban said,
�for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.

V: 27

Laban then went on to ask Jacob what he would consider as a fair wage for his fourteen years of service.
Jacob said,
�Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
And he [Laban] said, What shall I give thee?

Vs: 29-31

Jacob then said that Laban should not give him anything, save that Laban would allow Jacob to round up all the speckled and spotted cattle and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. These would be Jacob's hire.
Laban - thinking he had made the best of the deal - agreed to the arrangement. And so Laban and Jacob separated their flocks by three day's journey.
We then have the account of how Jacob built corrals by his water holes. And through selective breeding strengthened the blood lines in his flocks. Laban on the other hand, knew nothing of this procedure, and his flocks and herds interbred and became weak.
And the man [Jacob] increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
V: 43

The End of Chapter 32
Continue on to Chapter 31