Genesis 19-21
God always keeps His promises.
Throughout today’s passages we are reminded that the Lord moves in righteousness and judgment. Sodom was a sinful place. Lot, who knew better, did everything he could to keep the evil men away from the angelic visitors. In 19:7 he called them “brethren” and was obviously a leader in the community. The angels had to blind the men to keep Lot and his family safe. He had to be dragged out of the city. Lot’s wife turned back and turned into a pillar of salt. Alcoholism and incest. The two children who were born from these sinful relationships became the Moabites and the Ammonites, the sworn enemies of Israel.
His story is a reminder that God’s grace is not based on our failures, or our faithfulness. We are all subject to the wrath of God for our sin. but if we trust in Jesus we can be declared righteous by His blood.
Abraham attempts to deceive someone else about Sarah being his sister. For Abimelech, this marriage would’ve been a great political alliance. Abraham was rich and powerful. God came to Abimelech in a dream and stopped him from committing sin. It is possible, at this point, Sarah was already pregnant. God was protecting her and leaving no doubt who the father of Isaac was.
Isaac, the promised son, was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. A great reminder that there’s no circumstance too hard and no heart too hard for God to work. Is anything too hard for Him? Sarah laughed, but not in disbelief. It was laughter of joy. That joy was soon turned to anger as the 17 year old Ishmael was laughing, mocking, and poking fun at three year old Isaac. Sarah was so upset that she wouldn’t even say Hagar‘s name. She called Ishmael the “son of the bondwoman“ and demanded that Abraham make this “Plan B” child and his mother go away. Abraham was reluctant, but God told him that he would make a great nation of Ishmael because he was Abraham son.
Ishmael and Hagar were sent away with supplies, but soon ran out of food and water. Not wanting to see her son die, she made him comfortable and walked away. At this point, an angel told her that she should fear not because God had heard them. He showed her a well, and she was reminded of the promise God made to her so many years ago. (Genesis 16)
Chapter 21 ends with Abraham making a political alliance with Abimelech. He made a covenant of peace and Abraham, wanting to remember what God had done, planted a grove, praying and referring to the everlasting God (El-Olam).
The Story of Redemption, Volume 1 | Genesis - 2 Samuel by The Daily Grace Co.
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