Genesis 21a – Isaac and Ishmael

Isaac and Ishmael

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 21:1-21

Genesis 21:1 And Yehovah visited Princess just as He said. And Yehovah did to Princess just as He spoke. ²And she conceived. And Princess childed a son to Avraham to his elderlinesses to the appointment that Elohim spoke him.

³And Avraham called the name of his son childed to him, whom Princess childed to him, Isaac.

⁴And Avraham circumcised Isaac his son, a son of eight days just as Elohim commanded him. ⁵And Avraham is a son of 100 year(s) via Isaac his son being childed to him.

⁶And Princess said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me!” ⁷And she said, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’? For I childed a son to his elderlinesses!”

⁸And the child got-big. And he was weaned. And Avraham made a big drinking-party in the day of the weaning with Isaac. ⁹And Princess saw the son of HaGar the Egyptian, who childed to Avraham, laughing. ¹⁰And she said to Avraham, “Expel this slave-woman and her son! For the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son—with Isaac!” ¹¹And the saying was-very-bad in the eyes of Avraham concerning fire-brands of his son.

¹²And Elohim said unto Avraham, “He will not be bad in thine eyes concerning the youth and concerning thy slavewoman. All that Princess will say unto thee, hearken into her voice. For He will call seed to thee via Isaac. ¹³And I will also put him with the son of the slavewoman to a race. For he is thy seed.”

¹⁴And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he took bread and heat of water [hot-water-bottle]. And he gave unto HaGar. He put upon her shoulder and with the child. And he sent her.

And she walked. And she wandered in the desert Well-Of-Oath. ¹⁵And the waters finished from the hot [-water-bottle]. And she cast the child under one of their meditation. ¹⁶And she walked. And she sat to her from straight-in-front of the distance as from shots of a bow. For she said, “I will not see during dying of the child.” And she sat straight-in-front. And she lifted her voice. And she wept.

¹⁷And Elohim hearkened-to the voice of the youth. And Messenger Elohim called unto HaGar from the heavens. And He said to her, “What is to thee, HaGar? Fear-thou not, for Elohim hearkened unto the voice of the youth via where he is there! ¹⁸Arise-thou! Lift-thou the youth! And grasp-thou thine hand into him! For I will put him to a big race!”

¹⁹And Elohim perspicated her eyes. And she saw a well of water. And she walked. And she filled the hot of water. And she watered the youth.

²⁰And Elohim was with the youth. And he got-big. And he dwelt in the desert. And he was a great-one of bow. ²¹And he dwelt in the Paran desert. And his mother took a woman for him from the land of Egypt.

I. The Birth and Circumcision of Isaac (verses 1-7)

Yehovah kept His word. Everything happened just as He said. Princess (Sarah) became pregnant. This was impossible.

She childed a son to Avraham and to all the various forms of elderlinesses that he now had. This occurred exactly when Elohim had spoken.

The son was named He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) as Yehovah had commanded.

Avraham did what Yehovah commanded, and circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. Avraham is 100 years old!

Sarah rejoiced and laughed. She said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me!” It was humorous to all who heard. She also said, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’? For I childed a son to his elderlinesses!” This aged lady is breastfeeding a child! And Avraham has a son in his old age.

Questions

1. Why was Sarah’s pregnancy impossible?

2. What does “Princess childed a son to Avraham to his elderlinesses” mean?

3. What does Isaac mean?

4. What was this appointment?

5. What does circumcise mean?

6. What does circumcision picture?

7. Does circumcision hurt?

8. When Sarah said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me,” was she concerned that God had done a joke on her and that others would laugh at her?

9. Explain what Sarah is saying by, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’?”

II. The Last Straw (verses 8-13)

Avraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac. The child could now eat without requiring breast milk. It was a time of great joy.

The other child (Ishmael, not named in this text), made fun of young Isaac. Sarah saw this. Her joy was gone. She responded, “Expel this slave-woman and her son! For the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son—with Isaac!”

Avraham was upset.

Elohim corrected Avraham’s perspective: “He will not be bad in thine eyes concerning the youth and concerning thy slavewoman. All that Princess will say unto thee, hearken into her voice. For He will call seed to thee via Isaac.”

Then Elohim told Avraham what he needed to hear in order for him to be at some peace: “And I will also put him with the son of the slavewoman to a race. For he is thy seed.”

Questions

1. What does HaGar mean, and who is she?

2. What was wrong with HaGar’s son Ishmael laughing?

3. How old was Ishmael, HaGar’s son at this time?

4. What does Ishmael’s behaviour (verse 9) show about HaGar’s rearing of the youth?

5. Was Sarah right to insist that the slavewoman, HaGar and her son be thrown out? Is it right that both suffer for the silly behaviour of the child?

6. Does God show favoritism?

7. Why was the expelling of Ishmael so bad in the eyes of Avraham, and what does that mean?

8. Explain “The saying was-very-bad in the eyes of Avraham concerning fire-brands of his son”:

III. The Departure (verse 14)

Hagar could not carry much provision. Avraham took bread and a bottle skin, and he gave them to HaGar and Ishmael to carry. He then sent her.

Questions

1. Avraham fathered Ishmael. Did Avraham do right by sending this teenager away with his mother, leaving him to be reared in a broken home without a father, and abdicating (giving up his rightful place) his (Avraham’s) responsibility as a father, and abandoning his sons’ mother—all over a nasty comment of an immature youth?

2. Why didn’t Avraham send them both on a pack animal so that they could go where they needed to go with transportation?

3. Was HaGar a weak woman?

IV. The Wandering and the Hopelessness (verses 14-16)

The wilderness of Beersheba is no friendly place. Water is rare, and the wells often must be very deep. Their water ran out, and soon their energy was drained. The teenager became faint, and she put him under a meditation (which I take to be a shade tree).

She walked on for a distance, about the distance of a bow shot. That way, the teenager was in sight, but not close enough to see the details of his dying. She sat straight in front of him. (A bowshot is probably in the range of 400 feet, or one city block.)

Her own death was not what brought her sorrow, but watching her son die was too much. She began to weep.

Questions

1. Why did the teenager’s strength fail before his mother’s strength?

2. If meditation refers to a shade tree, why would it be called that?

3. Why did she cast Ishmael there?

4. Why did she sit at a distance, but straight in front of him?

5. Why did she weep only after she went from the child?

V. Yehovah’s Rescue and Promise (verses 17-19)

Elohim hearkened to the voice of Ishmael. Messenger Elohim called unto HaGar from the heavens. He asked, “What is to thee, HaGar?”

He told her to not fear, telling her that Elohim hearkened unto the voice of Ishmael by means of his own location.

He then commanded her to do three things: “Arise!” “Lift the youth!” “Grasp- thine hand into him!” He made her a promise: “I will put him to a big race!”

At this point, Yehovah perspicated her eyes so that she saw the well. (This very rare word means to cause eyes to see what would otherwise be hidden.)

She walked over to it and filled the skin bottle. She ‘watered’ Ishmael.

Questions

1. Why did Elohim hearken to the voice of the youth (Ishmael) instead of the weeping of his mother?

2. Who is Messenger Elohim?

3. Why did Messenger Elohim call unto HaGar instead of the youth to whom He hearkened?

4. Why did Messenger Elohim ask, “What is to thee, HaGar,” when He already knew?

5. What do “Arise-thou! Lift-thou the youth! And grasp-thou thine hand into him!” imply?

6. Why did Messenger Elohim tell her, “I will put him to a big race,” at this time?

7. Had that well been there all the time?

8. What is a “hot of water”?

9. Why is the text worded, “she watered the youth”?

VI. The Rest of the Story (verses 20-21)

Elohim was with Ishmael. He grew. He lived in the very environment that nearly killed his mother and him.

He became a great archer, and therefore was very good at obtaining animals for food.

He lived in the Paran desert.

His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt, HaGar’s native land.

Questions

1. What occurs if Elohim is with someone?

2. Why would anyone want to live in a desert?

3. What advantage could there be for a mother to obtain a wife for her son?

December 23, 2009March 21, 2017

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths QA Supplied

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 25:1-18

Genesis 25:1 And Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) gathered. And he took a woman. And her name is Incensed (Keturah). ²And she childed to him Their-Ballad (Zimran) and He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) and Their-Measure (Medan) and From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) and He-Will-Leave-Alone (Ishbak) and He-Sank (Shuah). ³And He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) childed Who-Came (Sheba) and Move-Deliberately (Dedan). And sons of Move-Deliberately (Dedan) were Their-Happiness (Asshurim) and Their-Sharpener (Letushim) and Folks (Leummim). ⁴And the sons of From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) are Her-Tired-One (Ephah) and Dust (Epher) and Dedicated (Hanoch) and Father-Knew (Abida) and Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge (Eldaah). All these are sons of Incensed (Keturah).

⁵And Avraham gave all that is to him to Isaac. ⁶And Avraham gave gifts to the children of the concubines who are to Avraham. And he sent them from upon Isaac his son while he yet lives, eastward unto East Land.

⁷And these are the days of years of the lives of Avraham that he lived, 100 year and 70 year and five years. ⁸And he expired. And Avraham died in good hoariness, old and full. And he was gathered unto his peoples. ⁹And Isaac and Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) his sons entombed him unto cave of the Smiter-Distinguished (Machpelah) unto a field of Their-Dust (Ephron) son of He-Dazzled (Zohar) the Hot-One-ite (Hittite) who is upon the faces of Bitter-Causer (Mamre), ¹⁰the field that Avraham purchased from with the sons of Hot (Heth). He entombed Avraham there, and Princess his woman.

¹¹And he was after Avraham died. And Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt with Well To-The-Lives Of-My-Seer.

¹²And these are the birthings of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) son of Avraham whom The-Sojourner (HaGar) the Egyptian, slave-woman of Princess, birthed to Avraham. ¹³And these are the names of the sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) in their names to their birthings. Firstborn of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) is Fruitfulnesses (Nebajoth) and Dark (Kedar) and Mighty-One-Grieved (Adbeel) and From-Spice (Mibsam) ¹⁴and Proclaimer (Mishma) and Her-Silence (Dumah) and Burden (Massa), ¹⁵He-Sharpened (Hadar) and Desert (Tema), He-Will-Tour (Jetur), Re-Beinged (Naphish) and Eastward (Kedemah). ¹⁶These are the they: sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael). And these are their names in their courtyards and in their tiers, twelve Carriers to their folk. ¹⁷And these are years of the lives of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael): 100 year and 30 year and 7 years. And he expired. And he died. And he gathered unto his peoples. ¹⁸And they abode from Whirling (Havilah) unto Wall (Shur) that is upon the faces of Double-Adversity (Egypt), thy coming Wallward. He fell upon faces of all his brothers.

I. Avraham’s New Wife (verses 1-4)

Avraham desired a new wife. His choice was Keturah. She bore him six sons (daughters are not mentioned).

The Bible names many names. Those names are important.

One of the sons was named Midian. He is the father of the Midianites who later are a real problem to Israel.

Another son, Jokshan, will have two sons, Sheba and Dedan. This Sheba will become an important race and a location named after the race. The citizens of Sheba will have a queen who will be famous.

Dedan will also play a role in events later in history.

Questions

1. Why aren’t daughters always mentioned in the Bible when sons are being listed? Lineages come through the male line. If a woman is important in the plan of Yehovah, she will be mentioned. Though many men are named, few of them are important beyond their names and their lineages. All women who are mentioned in the Bible are very important.

2. Why are names important in the Bible?

They show experiences and faiths of those who named the children.
If they are listed in order, they give information about the plan of God. Those strings of names are prophetic.

3. What information appears if the names from verse 1 through verse 4 are listed in order?

Father-Of-A-Crowd
Incensed
Their-Ballad
He-Will-Lure-Them
Their-Measure
From-Their-Sufficiency
He-Will-Leave-Alone
He-Sank
He-Will-Lure-Them
Who-Came
Move-Deliberately
Their-Happiness
Their-Sharpener
Folks
Her-Tired-One
Dust
Dedicated
Father-Knew
Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge

Those joined become:

Father-Of-A-Crowd Incensed Their-Ballad He-Will-Lure-Them Their-Measure From-Their-Sufficiency He-Will-Leave-Alone He-Sank He-Will-Lure-Them Who-Came Move-Deliberately Their-Happiness Their-Sharpener Folks Her-Tired-One Dust Dedicated Father-Knew Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge.

Next, add any forms of the verb to be (in other words, add is or am or are where needed to make sentences). Separate this paragraph that results into sentences using punctuation marks (like ‘.’ or ‘,’ or ‘!’ or ‘?’, etc.).

Father-Of-A-Crowd Incensed Their-Ballad. He-Will-Lure-Them. Their-Measure is From-Their-Sufficiency. He-Will-Leave-Alone. He-Sank. He-Will-Lure-Them. Who-Came, Moving-Deliberately? Their-Happiness! Their-Sharpener—Folks! Her-Tired-One is Dust, Dedicated. Father-Knew, Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge!

Now, remove the dashes that were part of the individual names, and change the capitalization:

Father of a crowd incensed [that is, to make something into incense, usually referring to prayer] their Ballad. He will lure them. Their measure is from their sufficiency. He will leave alone. He sank. He will lure them. Who came, moving deliberately? Their happiness! Their sharpener—folks! Her tired one is dust, dedicated. Father knew, Mighty One of knowledge!

This describes events that will occur in the End Times!

II. Avraham’s Favoritism (verses 5-6)

Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac (with the exception of gifts that he gave to children of the concubines).

Abraham also had concubines. (They are women to whom he is married, but who, by agreement, will not receive the highest status of a wife, and whose sons will not receive an inheritance with the wife’s or wives’ sons.) Avraham gave the concubines’ sons gifts, but that is all that they received from Avraham (besides training, love and rearing). When they were old enough, Avraham sent them away from Isaac. They journeyed eastward to East Land.

Questions

1. Was Avraham’s favoritism toward Isaac right? Was it fair? His favoritism was right! He had the right to favor his original son. He didn’t owe the children born later; they owed him! (Your parents don’t owe you; you are in a great debt to them!) Was it fair? It was not fair, and most things in life are not fair. Fairness would be terrible. If Yehovah did all things fairly, no person could be saved from damnation! He made all persons individually. That isn’t fair; it is excellent!

Do not look for fairness in life. Look for things that are far greater than fair. A person who looks for fairness is looking for the very least, and often something that is very bad. You have opportunities that the children in your neighborhood do not have! You can learn the Bible in a way they will never be able to learn it. That isn’t fair; it is far to your benefit!

2. Why would a woman desire to become a concubine? If she thought that she might not obtain a husband, or if she thought that a husband she would obtain would be cruel or would work her in a cruel manner, and she could become a concubine to a gracious man who would treat her and her children well, that would be far better. All had to work (if they could), and a woman who is a concubine can earn her own living and do very well for herself. Her husband (if he is kind) would be very willing to help her in her business, since he would also prosper from her success. If she became sick or incapacitated (unable to work), he would take care of her. His only requirement is that she and her children would not inherit from him.

3. Were those gifts that Avraham gave to the children of the concubines before he sent them away supposed to replace his love and affection? Avraham was a kind and gracious man. The gifts would give them what they needed to become independent in life. (The same is true of all gifts that Yehovah gives: they are designed to benefit those who receive them in such a way that they can then benefit others. If Yehovah gives a gift to anyone, and that person only keeps the gift for himself or herself, never benefiting others, that gift has been terribly misused, and Yehovah will remember that. If the person instead uses that gift to benefit others, that will be considered very good in the judgments.

Avraham loved his children. That is why he sent the new set away from Isaac. He knew that jealousy and hatred could easily result if they stayed, seeing what Isaac obtained. He sent them away to make good in life. They could later return to their father after they had done well, if he was still alive. Avraham knew that Isaac was the son of the promise, and Isaac didn’t need enemies within his own family.

4. What was in East Land? It was a land that was very populated. There would be many opportunities to earn livings and to do well.

5. Wasn’t Avraham concerned that they might become pagans, like so many in other locations, and forget the God of Avraham? Avraham knew the truth regarding them. They were not fearers of His Gods (Yehovah). If they would later become fearers, they would do that wherever they were. Avraham himself had come from the east, and Yehovah had commanded him to come to the land of Canaan. Yehovah easily could do the same for any of them who would respond and would believe Yehovah.

Most folks are pagans (even if they are very religious). A pagan is a person who believes in idols, trusts in idols, and lives rituals that are connected with idols. Most who claim to believe in Jesus believe in a ‘Jesus’ that the Bible doesn’t describe. Thus, they believe in an idol that they have called ‘Jesus’. They will live their lives thinking that they believed in the right ‘Jesus’ when they never took the time or trouble to see what the Bible describes as ‘Jesus’.

III. Avraham’s Age and Death (verses 7-10)

Avraham lived to be 175 years old. (That was not very old, considering how long Noah lived.) Yet it was a good old age for those times.

He expired (he breathed out his last breath). He had much gray hair, he was old, and full (of years).

After his death, he was gathered unto his peoples (those awaiting him in Sheol).

Both Isaac and Ishmael worked together to bury him in the same cave (Machpelah) where Princess (Sarah) was already placed. (Yehovah made sure that the text again explained that Avraham was the legitimate holder of that land by purchase.)

Questions

1. What does hoariness mean? It means that he had much grayness or whiteness of hair. (Do you know anyone whose hair is all gray or white?)

2. The text says that Avraham died “old and full.” Does that mean that he died after eating a good meal? No; full refers to his years. He was full of years.

3. What does “gathered unto his peoples” mean? This means that he joined relatives who had already died and were in Sheol.

4. Where is Sheol? It is in the very heart (core) of planet earth! That means that it is about 3,500 miles down!

5. What is Sheol? Sheol is a very large chamber where folks who died went to await judgment. (That judgment is many centuries away from now.) Sheol is also an angel who is responsible for taking care of all humans who are in Sheol.

6. Is being in Sheol boring? There were two chambers in Sheol, and those chambers were separated by a huge gulf—an open area where there is no bottom, in this case, so that no person could go from one chamber to the other.

One chamber was Paradise where Saints came after death. Paradise is a beautiful garden with the waters of life flowing in a beautiful river. The Garden of Eden was Paradise, and that garden was transferred to Sheol after humans were blocked from entering it. All in Paradise are free from pain, suffering, boredom, and all other bad things like this. Yet, they will be judged for what they did (their works); many will rightly have fear regarding this judgment.

The other chamber is described as torments. It is a place where there is no water, and there is a flame that causes great torment of thirst for everyone in this chamber. The great majority of humans who die go to this chamber. They will await their judgments, and they will then be cast into outer darkness, the Lake of Fire and Sulfur. (Yes, it is very scary. No horror movie could correctly describe it.)

Folks in both of these chambers could speak with each other. No one has rank or power over anyone else. Murderers and those they murdered went to Sheol—most to the Torments side. (Just because a person is murdered doesn’t mean that the person has everlasting life.)

No one was bored in Sheol; they were all waiting for others to come join them.

When Yeshua died and rose from the dead, He took Paradise out of Sheol and transferred it to the heavens where it is now located. Thus, all Saints are now in the heavens waiting their judgments. Those who are not born of God and who died are still in the Torments of Sheol, waiting their judgments while they thirst continuously in the heat of the flame. They are not bored. They are suffering.

7. When Avraham was gathered unto his peoples, was he gathered on the Paradise side of Sheol or on the Torments side? He was gathered on the Paradise side. He could see and hear his relatives on the Torments side, and they could speak to each other. He also could interact with his relatives on the Paradise side. Now that Paradise has been moved into the heavens, Avraham can no longer communicate with his relatives on the Torments side. All of Sheol is now Torments.

8. Why does the text use the word peoples instead of people? This is because Avraham was related to a number of peoples just as you are. A people is a group of individuals with a common culture. You are related to others with a common culture, and you are related to others who have cultures that are not like yours, but they are still your relatives.

9. Do all Black people have the same culture, and are they from one race? Skin tones have little or nothing to do with a race. There are many different races that have folks with very dark skin tones and folks with light skin tones. No race can be distinguished by skin color. The same is true of cultures. There are very great differences between cultures among folks who happen to have very dark skin.

Adam was red in color, like the red found in soils in some places. He had offspring who had various skin colors. The same is true of Noah, since all humans on earth today came from Noah, Noah’s wife, and Noah’s three daughters-in-law. His three sons and their wives had various skin tones and colors, and all races came from them. Yehovah built all the skin colors into the genetic material of humans (the part of humans that grows into eye colors, hair colors and types of hair, skin tones, height, male or female, etc.) All folks of every skin tone came from both Adam and Eve and from Noah and Noah’s wife and one of Noah’s three daughters in law.

10. Which two sons put Avraham in a tomb? Isaac and Ishmael worked together to take care of their father’s body. Thus, they were not strangers to each other.

IV. Isaac (verse 11)

The next event was after Avraham died. Yehovah specially wrote that Elohim blessed Isaac. The well that Hagar named was his place of residence.

Questions

1. 1. What happens when Elohim blesses someone? That person is benefited even more than what would occur naturally. The blessing can be in the form of becoming quite wealthy, but wealth is not a blessing to some. There are some folks who do much better in life when they have very little, and who would become very cruel and mean if they were to become wealthy. Others become owned by their wealth, and thus become slaves of their money. They are not blessed by wealth; it is a curse to them. There are some, however, who can become wealthy and who do very well in life, being kind and gracious. Others who are very poor can also be blessed in other ways besides wealth.

In this case, Elohim’s blessing included wealth in his herds and flocks.

2. Why did Isaac choose to live by the well that HaGar named? Cattlemen and shepherds chose where they would live by the availability of grass for their herds and flocks. If Isaac chose a location, it would be for the benefit of the herds and flocks. Where there is water, the herds and flocks can be watered.

V. Ishmael’s Greatness (verses 12-18)

Yehovah now switches over to a description of Ishmael and his greatness. His firstborn is Nebajoth (the “j” is always pronounced like a “y” in the King James Bible). He then has eleven other sons, forming twelve tribes (like Jacob will later do).

At that time, a man moving into a new area would build a house. He might have slaves and cattle. Then, if he prospered, others would come to live around him, working for him, and a town would be born. If he greatly prospered, large buildings would be built. The town would be named after this man. This happened to Ishmael’s sons. Thus, Ishmael had no monetary disadvantage by living away from his father. Yehovah blessed him.

Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. He also breathed his last and died. He was gathered unto his peoples in Sheol.

Ishmael’s sons lived in locations from Havilah (the place of the gold in the Garden of Eden) to a city (called Shur, or Wall) facing Egypt.

When Ishmael died, he fell upon faces of all his brothers (meaning that his entire family was present). He apparently dropped dead.

Questions

1. Why does the Bible give all this information about Ishmael, since he is not in the main line that the Bible will continue to describe? I know of two reasons. This shows that Yehovah really did bless this man who was close to death in the desert. He did become a race. It also lists the names of his offspring so that Bible readers can identify them later if they are mentioned in texts. A third reason is so that readers of Hebrew can put the names together to see what they mean.

2. Was Ishmael a Believer at his death? The Bible never indicates that he was. It also doesn’t say that he wasn’t. The Bible will usually tell readers if a person feared Yehovah.

3. Why did Yehovah bless Ishmael if he wasn’t a believer in Yehovah? Yehovah did it for Avraham’s sake; He promised that He would. Also, Yehovah does bless some folks who are not believers in Him and who will never become believers in Him. Yehovah has His reasons. I can think of one reason. Perhaps a distant offspring of that unbelieving and blessed person will be a believer in Yehovah, and Yehovah determined that good would come into that person’s line (lineage). Also, Yehovah will bless some folks so that their judgment will be much worse because they refused to confess Him. (A cattleman will fatten a cow with the best feed before he takes the cow to be slaughtered. The cow will feel very blessed!)

4. Why would a city be named Wall? That was a very reasonable name for a city in those days. The great difficulty with having cities at that time was in gathering and storing food for the cities. Raiders loved to attack and take stored foods that others worked so hard to grow and reap. The raiders could live lives of leisure while others worked hard, then they could attack and take the produce. Humans began to build walled and fortified cities in order to bring their produce into them and protect them from the raiders. This worked very well in many cases. Jericho was a famous walled city. It had homes built into the wall and a wide area on top where even horses and carriages could go.

5. What is so important about this city facing Egypt? The Egyptians were good at trade, and they also produced raiders! This city had to be fortified.

6. What does “he fell upon faces of all his brothers” mean? To fall means to drop as in to drop dead. This expression is used in wars that the Bible describes. The expression, “upon faces of” means that it occurred directly in the sight of and in front of the ones describes (his brothers). All his brothers were present when this occurred.

December 23, 2009March 21, 2017

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 25:1-18

¹¹And he was after Avraham died. And Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt with Well To-The-Lives Of-My-Seer.

I. Avraham’s New Wife (verses 1-4)

Avraham desired a new wife. His choice was Keturah. She bore him six sons (daughters are not mentioned).

The Bible names many names. Those names are important.

One of the sons was named Midian. He is the father of the Midianites who later are a real problem to Israel.

Another son, Jokshan, will have two sons, Sheba and Dedan. This Sheba will become an important race and a location named after the race. The citizens of Sheba will have a queen who will be famous.

Dedan will also play a role in events later in history.

Questions

1. Why aren’t daughters always mentioned in the Bible when sons are being listed?

2. Why are names important in the Bible?

3. What information appears if the names from verse 1 through verse 4 are listed in order?

II. Avraham’s Favoritism (verses 5-6)

Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac (with the exception of gifts that he gave to children of the concubines).

Questions

1. Was Avraham’s favoritism toward Isaac right? Was it fair?

2. Why would a woman desire to become a concubine?

3. Were those gifts that Avraham gave to the children of the concubines before he sent them away supposed to replace his love and affection?

4. What was in East Land?

5. Wasn’t Avraham concerned that they might become pagans, like so many in other locations, and forget the God of Avraham?

III. Avraham’s Age and Death (verses 7-10)

Avraham lived to be 175 years old. (That was not very old, considering how long Noah lived.) Yet it was a good old age for those times.

He expired (he breathed out his last breath). He had much gray hair, he was old, and full (of years).

After his death, he was gathered unto his peoples (those awaiting him in Sheol).

Questions

1. What does hoariness mean?

2. The text says that Avraham died “old and full.” Does that mean that he died after eating a good meal?

3. What does “gathered unto his peoples” mean?

4. Where is Sheol?

5. What is Sheol?

6. Is being in Sheol boring?

7. When Avraham was gathered unto his peoples, was he gathered on the Paradise side of Sheol or on the Torments side?

8. Why does the text use the word peoples instead of people?

9. Do all Black people have the same culture, and are they from one race?

10. Which two sons put Avraham in a tomb?

IV. Isaac (verse 11)

The next event was after Avraham died. Yehovah specially wrote that Elohim blessed Isaac. The well that Hagar named was his place of residence.

Questions

1. 1. What happens when Elohim blesses someone?

2. Why did Isaac choose to live by the well that HaGar named?

V. Ishmael’s Greatness (verses 12-18)

Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. He also breathed his last and died. He was gathered unto his peoples in Sheol.

Ishmael’s sons lived in locations from Havilah (the place of the gold in the Garden of Eden) to a city (called Shur, or Wall) facing Egypt.

When Ishmael died, he fell upon faces of all his brothers (meaning that his entire family was present). He apparently dropped dead.

Questions

1. Why does the Bible give all this information about Ishmael, since he is not in the main line that the Bible will continue to describe?

2. Was Ishmael a Believer at his death?

3. Why did Yehovah bless Ishmael if he wasn’t a believer in Yehovah?

4. Why would a city be named Wall?

5. What is so important about this city facing Egypt?

6. What does “he fell upon faces of all his brothers” mean?

December 23, 2009June 14, 2017

Genesis 21a – Isaac and Ishmael QA Supplied

Isaac and Ishmael

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 21:1-21

³And Avraham called the name of his son childed to him, whom Princess childed to him, Isaac.

⁴And Avraham circumcised Isaac his son, a son of eight days just as Elohim commanded him. ⁵And Avraham is a son of 100 year(s) via Isaac his son being childed to him.

¹⁴And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he took bread and heat of water [hot-water-bottle]. And he gave unto HaGar. He put upon her shoulder and with the child. And he sent her.

¹⁹And Elohim perspicated her eyes. And she saw a well of water. And she walked. And she filled the hot of water. And she watered the youth.

I. The Birth and Circumcision of Isaac (verses 1-7)

Yehovah kept His word. Everything happened just as He said. Princess (Sarah) became pregnant. This was impossible.

She childed a son to Avraham and to all the various forms of elderlinesses that he now had. This occurred exactly when Elohim had spoken.

The son was named He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) as Yehovah had commanded.

Avraham did what Yehovah commanded, and circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. Avraham is 100 years old!

Questions

1. Why was Sarah’s pregnancy impossible?

The miracle of the birth of Isaac is as great as the miracle of the virgin birth of Yeshua. The virgin birth required fertilization from God, but at least Mariam, Yeshua’s mother, was fertile. She later had other children.
The birth of Isaac required equipment that had deteriorated in Sarah. Her womb was no longer able to house a child, and her eggs were dried.
Sarah had been sterile when she could have carried children.
Avraham was now very old, and producing semen would not have been so easy.
Pregnancy is never guaranteed, and old age pregnancy is not as common as youth pregnancy.
There is a 50% chance that a pregnancy will produce a son.

Every impossibility or unlikelihood was easily overcome by Yehovah.

2. What does “Princess childed a son to Avraham to his elderlinesses” mean? Avraham had many forms of elderliness. He was physically old; he was old in years; he was not as strong as he used to be; he was not as fast as he used to be; he would tire more quickly, etc. She still childed (brought to birth) a child to him.

3. What does Isaac mean? It means He Will Laugh. This is a prophetic name that describes what will occur far into the future. Avraham will laugh, Isaac will laugh, and Jacob/Israel will laugh for the good things that Yehovah will do.

4. What was this appointment? See Genesis 18:14, especially from a literal rendering!

5. What does circumcise mean? It means to cut off the foreskin of the male’s penis. This was done on the eighth day after birth among sons of Avraham because Yehovah commanded it.

6. What does circumcision picture? It is a type—an event, person, place or thing that is important in itself, but pictures something far more important. Circumcision typifies cutting away the lust of the flesh, referring to any very, very strong desire that is wrong and sinful. (It doesn’t picture removing lusts that are beneficial and good; lust in the Bible can be good.) Since the male’s penis is associated with lust far more than any male or female body part, Yehovah determined to use the removal of the foreskin, which is not needed for functioning, as a picture of the cutting away of the lust of the flesh.

7. Does circumcision hurt? It definitely hurts an adult. I personally watched the circumcision of my own son. The gynecologist who birthed our son did the circumcision on the eighth day. She set the baby into a device to hold his hands and feet. That got him crying. She then set a clamp on his foreskin. That didn’t seem to bother him more than the device for holding him. She then applied a little antiseptic solution. She took a very sharp small scalpel and quickly cut off the foreskin that was beyond the clamp. That didn’t bother the child more than the device to hold him. She then opened the clamp. I was waiting for the blood. It never came. She bandaged him, and he quit crying when he was removed from the holding device. In other words, it didn’t seem to bother the child at all, in this case.

8. When Sarah said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me,” was she concerned that God had done a joke on her and that others would laugh at her? No. That is not what the Hebrew wording indicates. God had not done a joke on her, but had used her to cause others to laugh with joy. That is very different.

9. Explain what Sarah is saying by, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’?” She is expressing her delight and surprise by all who will be expressing to Avraham about her breastfeeding. Yet, she used the word sons (plural!). Therefore, she will have a continuing lineage, for she is breastfeeding not only Isaac, but all of Isaac’s offspring!

II. The Last Straw (verses 8-13)

Avraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac. The child could now eat without requiring breast milk. It was a time of great joy.

Avraham was upset.

Then Elohim told Avraham what he needed to hear in order for him to be at some peace: “And I will also put him with the son of the slavewoman to a race. For he is thy seed.”

Questions

1. What does HaGar mean, and who is she? HaGar means The Sojourner, referring to a person who is on a journey, usually a long journey, and who is therefore not at home. A sojourner usually has a destination.

HaGar was the slavewoman of Sarah. Avraham fathered a son with her, thinking that her son would be heir of the promise, but Yehovah explained to Avraham and Sarah that Sarah’s son would be the heir of the promise.

2. What was wrong with HaGar’s son Ishmael laughing? Her son was becoming uppity! Instead of participating in the joy, he was poking fun (in a bad way) at his half-brother Isaac.

3. How old was Ishmael, HaGar’s son at this time? According to Genesis 16:16, Avram (before his name change) was 86 when Ishmael was born. Avraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:5) when Isaac was born. Thus, Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born. Mothers breastfed for a much longer time in those days than they do today. Assuming that they breastfed for about five years, Ishmael would have been about 19 years old.

4. What does Ishmael’s behaviour (verse 9) show about HaGar’s rearing of the youth? HaGar had not taught him respect of his half-brother, and she had not reminded him that she (HaGar) was a slavewoman, and not a wife of Avraham. This was Isaac’s party; such behavior was wrong. Even if Isaac and Ishmael had been full brothers and HaGar had been another wife of Avraham, that behavior would have been very wrong and would have caused great problems. Respect for each other is vital in societies where folks depend on each other for survival.

5. Was Sarah right to insist that the slavewoman, HaGar and her son be thrown out? Is it right that both suffer for the silly behaviour of the child? Elohim agreed with Sarah! It was right! Ishmael, the son of a slavewoman will not inherit with Sarah’s son, Isaac! Yehovah confirmed this. Sometimes, things that appear wrong are right, and many times, things that appear right are wrong!

6. Does God show favoritism? Yes! He always has, and He always will! If you desire to experience His favoritism, fear Him and live righteously according to the Bible!

The Bible has many texts that show that Yehovah favored some folks over other folks. Anyone who does not like this about Yehovah will grow to hate Him. He favors for very good reasons. Folks around you will favor for very bad reasons in most cases. Yehovah favors those who will obey Him and who will believe His sayings. He does not favor according to how good-looking a person is or how wealthy or famous a person is. He is the one who set each person in rank, position and looks in this life. He favors on the basis of what is right. If you will be like Him, you must do the same.

7. Why was the expelling of Ishmael so bad in the eyes of Avraham, and what does that mean? If something is bad in the eyes of someone, that means that the person has a very bad view of what is occurring. Avraham saw this expulsion as very harmful to Ishmael.

8. Explain “The saying was-very-bad in the eyes of Avraham concerning fire-brands of his son”: The expression, firebrands describes a situation where embers of a fire are in danger of going out. A firebrand is a larger stick (like four to six inches in diamater) or a wrapped stick (with some substance that can burn for hours without going out) that has embers (like coals that are red, but have no obvious flame) on the end so that a fire can quickly be started from it. It was a convenient way to transport fire when traveling for long distances. Embers burn slowly, while a direct flame burns very quickly. A firebrand, then, is burning very slowly, but it also can go out if it isn’t tended.

A person who is described like a firebrand can easily die, whereas a person who is described like a flame is strong and hot.

Avraham saw Ishmael, his 19-year-old son as being like firebrands; he could easily be extinguished in life at this point by being thrust out, his hopes and dreams being ruined, and his life in danger in the very hot and dry climate where they were. He also had no social standing, and would potentially become someone else’s slave.

III. The Departure (verse 14)

Hagar could not carry much provision. Avraham took bread and a bottle skin, and he gave them to HaGar and Ishmael to carry. He then sent her.

Questions

2. Why didn’t Avraham send them both on a pack animal so that they could go where they needed to go with transportation? Avraham had his reasons for not sending her by animal. The times were violent. Ishmael’s behaviour, and thus Hagar’s behaviour, were inappropriate and did not need to be rewarded. The slave woman belonged to Sarah, and it was up to her to determine what would go with her and what would not. Besides this, Hagar and her son could have controlled Ishmael’s mouth. A slave woman’s son is also a slave. There was no need to outrage their mistress. Hagar and her son could have left at any time if they felt mistreated. They had left once before. Even so, Avraham showed some affection for both of them, and sent them away personally. It must have been a difficult time for Avraham.

3. Was HaGar a weak woman? No. She was very strong.

IV. The Wandering and the Hopelessness (verses 14-16)

Her own death was not what brought her sorrow, but watching her son die was too much. She began to weep.

Questions

1. Why did the teenager’s strength fail before his mother’s strength? HaGar was a very strong woman! She was the slave! Slaves often far excelled their slavemasters in strength (and often in other abilities). Ishmael, on the other hand, was Avraham’s son. I suspect that he didn’t have the slave tasks to do because of this relationship.

2. If meditation refers to a shade tree, why would it be called that? It would be a good place for a local person or a traveler to meditate, to think about various topics, without having the full intensity of the sun.

3. Why did she cast Ishmael there? She had given up hope. She thought they were both about to die.

4. Why did she sit at a distance, but straight in front of him? While she didn’t want to see him go through the last stages of death, she also didn’t want to abandon him.

5. Why did she weep only after she went from the child? She was being strong until she was finally relieved of this terrible responsibility. She then broke.

V. Yehovah’s Rescue and Promise (verses 17-19)

Elohim hearkened to the voice of Ishmael. Messenger Elohim called unto HaGar from the heavens. He asked, “What is to thee, HaGar?”

He told her to not fear, telling her that Elohim hearkened unto the voice of Ishmael by means of his own location.

He then commanded her to do three things: “Arise!” “Lift the youth!” “Grasp- thine hand into him!” He made her a promise: “I will put him to a big race!”

At this point, Yehovah perspicated her eyes so that she saw the well. (This very rare word means to cause eyes to see what would otherwise be hidden.)

She walked over to it and filled the skin bottle. She ‘watered’ Ishmael.

Questions

1. Why did Elohim hearken to the voice of the youth (Ishmael) instead of the weeping of his mother? Had Yehovah only hearkened to HaGar, readers of the Bible would have thought that Yehovah was still angry at Ishmael for poking fun at Isaac. Yehovah turned this view around by hearkening specifically to him. This also shows the reader that Ishmael called out to Yehovah.

2. Who is Messenger Elohim? This will usually be translated as the angel of God, but that doesn’t explain who he is. The words messenger and angel are exactly the same in Hebrew, and they are exactly the same in Greek. There is no distinction between an angel and a messenger (human or otherwise) in the words used.

A reader might not know who this Messenger Elohim is, but a careful reader will be able to tell from verse 18: “For I will put him to a big race!” Therefore this Messenger must be God Himself. (A careful reader will later identify Him as Yeshua.)

3. Why did Messenger Elohim call unto HaGar instead of the youth to whom He hearkened? She needed to obtain the water for Ishmael, since Ishmael no longer had the strength to obtain it on his own.

4. Why did Messenger Elohim ask, “What is to thee, HaGar,” when He already knew? Elohim often asks such questions so that those being asked can learn, and those reading the Bible can also learn. HaGar thought her and her son’s ends had come, but what was to her? What did she have? Yehovah hearkened to Ishmael’s voice!

5. What do “Arise-thou! Lift-thou the youth! And grasp-thou thine hand into him!” imply? They imply that HaGar has the strength, not Ishmael.

6. Why did Messenger Elohim tell her, “I will put him to a big race,” at this time? That told her that he would live!

7. Had that well been there all the time? Yes!

8. What is a “hot of water”? It is a skin bottle that is also used for hot water. That type of bottle is made of animal skins preserved in such a way that water doesn’t break down the skins.

9. Why is the text worded, “she watered the youth”? This is the way the Hebrew states it. One person can water another person. Show how this works in a play.

VI. The Rest of the Story (verses 20-21)

Elohim was with Ishmael. He grew. He lived in the very environment that nearly killed his mother and him.

He became a great archer, and therefore was very good at obtaining animals for food.

He lived in the Paran desert.

His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt, HaGar’s native land.

Questions

1. What occurs if Elohim is with someone? That person prospers in everything that person does, as long as those things are good. That person will be protected during that time. That person will grow in rank in the person’s surroundings. That person will also be favored by those around that person. Some others will desire to participate with that person, since that person will succeed.

2. Why would anyone want to live in a desert? Deserts are beautiful areas. They are usually hot, though some are cold. Deserts offer open spaces and great freedom of movement for those who learn to use them wisely. When water is available, crops can grow very well in deserts. Ishmael wanted to learn the bow (and arrow). That isn’t so easily done in cities.

3. What advantage could there be for a mother to obtain a wife for her son? She would be able to judge character in a woman far better than he would, and she would know if the two will work well together. Marriage is about work and the combining of two cultures. A mother is far more likely to tell a match than a son who sees a good-looking woman, and goes for her.

December 23, 2009June 14, 2017

Genesis 21b – The Vow

The Vow

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 21:22-34

Genesis 21:22 And he was in that time. And Abimelech (My-Father-The-King) said, and Phicol (Mouth-Of-All) prince of his host, unto Avraham (Father-Of-A-Crowd) to say, “Elohim is with thee in all that thou art doing. ²³And now, swear to me via Elohim here if thou wilt lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson as grace that I did with thee thou wilt do with me and with the land that thou sojourned in her!” ²⁴And Avraham said, “I, I will swear.”

²⁵And Avraham corrected Abimelech concerning firebrands of a well of the waters that slaves of Abimelech stole. ²⁶And Abimelech said, “I didn’t know who did this thing.” And also, “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me.” And also, “I, I didn’t hear without today!”

²⁷And Avraham took flock and herd. And he gave to Abimelech. And they, both of them, cut a covenant.

²⁸And Avraham positioned seven ewe-lambs of the flock alone-themselves. ²⁹And Abimelech said unto Avraham, “What is here, these seven ewe-lambs that thou positioned alone-themselves?” ³⁰And he said, “For thou wilt take seven ewe-lambs from my hand in order that she will be to me for a witness that I dug this well.” ³¹Therefore he called to that place ‘Well of an oath’, because there they were sworn, both of them! ³²And they cut a covenant in Well-Of-An-Oath. And Abimelech arose, and Phicol, prince of his host. And they returned unto the land of Palestinians.

³³And he planted a tamarisk in Well-Of-An-Oath. And he called there via Name Yehovah Mighty-One of Hider.

³⁴And Avraham sojourned in the land of Palestinians many days.

I. The Fear of the Gods (verses 22-24)

Some time passed since Abimelech had seen Avraham.

Abimelech went to Avraham with his army commander. He spoke starting with this: “Elohim is with thee in all that thou art doing.”

Abimelech continued, “And now, swear to me via Elohim here if thou wilt lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson as grace that I did with thee thou wilt do with me and with the land that thou sojourned in her!” Avraham vowed.

Questions

1. Why did Abimelech take Phichol along with him to visit Avraham?

2. Why did Abimelech start speaking with “Elohim is with thee in all that thou art doing”?

3. What was Abimelech’s view of Elohim?

4. What does “swear to me via Elohim here if thou wilt lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson” mean?

5. Explain “as grace that I did with thee thou wilt do with me and with the land that thou sojourned in her”:

6. Why was Avraham willing to vow to this violent ruler who ruled over a violent people?

II. The Vow in Action (verses 25-26)

After Avraham made this vow, he corrected Abimelech for what some of Abimelech’s slaves had stolen. Abimelech stated that he didn’t know who had done this. He also stated, “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me” and “I, I didn’t hear without today!”

Questions

1. What had the slaves of Abimelech done?

2. Why wasn’t Avraham afraid to correct this king (and the head of his army)?

3. What does firebrands of a well of the waters mean?

4. Why did Abimelech respond by the three statements, “I didn’t know who did this thing,” and “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me,” and “I, I didn’t hear without (outside of) today”?

5. Was “I didn’t know who did this thing” true?

6. Was “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me.” true?

7. Why didn’t Avraham tell him before this time?

8. Was “I, I didn’t hear without (outside of) today” true?

III. Avraham’s Second Vow (verses 27-32)

Avraham did not reply to Abimelech’s defense. He did not forgive him, and he did not excoriate him (strongly tell him off). Rather, he took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech. They both made a covenant with these.

Then Avraham placed seven female lambs apart from the rest of the flock. Abimelech was curious. He asked Avraham about this. Avraham explained, “For thou wilt take seven ewe-lambs from my hand in order that she will be to me for a witness that I dug this well.”

Avraham named that place ‘Well of an oath’ because they both vowed.

Abimelech and Phicol arise and returned home.

Questions

1. Why did Avraham give sheep and oxen to Abimelech, since it was Abimelech who desired to make the covenant?

2. What does cut a covenant mean?

3. Avraham and Abimelech cut the throats of how many animals?

4. Is it wrong to vow today?

5. Who is she in “For thou wilt take seven ewe-lambs from my hand in order that she will be to me for a witness that I dug this well”?

6. What was Abimelech doing when he agreed to take the seven ewe-lambs, and what is a ewe-lamb?

7. Why did he name the place?

8. What is the normal English name (and the name in Hebrew) for the place called Well-Of-An-Oath?

9. Does this place exist today?

10. Was Abimelech satisfied with the results of his trip to see Avraham and get him to vow?

IV. The Postscript (verses 33-34)

Avraham stayed in Beersheba for a while. Now that he had the well without contention, he could plant trees there, water them, and give them a good start. He planted a tamarisk tree.

Avraham called via Name Yehovah Mighty One of Hider.

That land will later be Avraham’s land. He peacefully sojourned there for a little while.

Questions

1. Why did he plant a tamarisk (of all the various types of trees)?

2. Why did Avraham call via (by means of) Name Yehovah Mighty One of Hider, and what does this name mean?

3. Why did Avraham remain in the land of the Palestinians many days?

December 23, 2009June 14, 2017

Genesis 21b – The Vow QA Supplied

The Vow

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 21:22-34

²⁷And Avraham took flock and herd. And he gave to Abimelech. And they, both of them, cut a covenant.

³³And he planted a tamarisk in Well-Of-An-Oath. And he called there via Name Yehovah Mighty-One of Hider.

³⁴And Avraham sojourned in the land of Palestinians many days.

I. The Fear of the Gods (verses 22-24)

Some time passed since Abimelech had seen Avraham.

Abimelech went to Avraham with his army commander. He spoke starting with this: “Elohim is with thee in all that thou art doing.”

Questions

1. Why did Abimelech take Phichol along with him to visit Avraham? From the time that Abimelech and his people had been threatened by Elohim in a dream until now, the fear of Avraham and his Gods only increased. Abimelech and his people lived in fear. They needed Avraham to vow to them so that they could live in peace. They didn’t know if Avraham and his Gods might not put a hex or a curse on them, and again cause their women to be unable to bear children.

Phicol was the head of Abimelech’s army. If Avraham had refused to vow, I suspect that Abimelech would have ordered Phicol to kill him.

2. Why did Abimelech start speaking with “Elohim is with thee in all that thou art doing”? That was the truth, it was obvious, and it was a statement made in peace. It was also the topic on Abimelech’s mind, since that Elohim could be very threatening.

3. What was Abimelech’s view of Elohim? Elohim terrified Abimelech. He didn’t know who Avraham’s Elohim was or were, but He was a very strong God. (The word Elohim means either Gods or gods, depending on the usage, and is plural, but is also used as if it were singular). Abimelech knew that Avraham’s Elohim would be at peace with him if Avraham was. If Avraham was not at peace with him and prayed to this Elohim, Abimelech knew that his race might be wiped out! He needed a guarantee!

4. What does “swear to me via Elohim here if thou wilt lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson” mean? Hebrew uses if in a different way than English except in expressions like, “See if I care!” If in that case means, “I don’t!” The same is true in Hebrew. “Swear to me via Elohim here if thou wilt lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson” means, “Swear to me via Elohim here that thou wilt not lie to me and to my posterity and to my grandson!” Abimelech wanted a vow that Avraham would not lie to him, to his offspring, and to future generations. He obviously was used to folks lying.

5. Explain “as grace that I did with thee thou wilt do with me and with the land that thou sojourned in her”: Abimelech felt he had done grace with Avraham. That means that he felt he had shown a very strong, burning zeal (a very strong stand on some issue) for the sake of Avraham—that he had done Avraham a great service. After all, he had given him flock, herd and slaves! He now desired that grace to be shown toward him and his offspring by giving him and his land in which Avraham had sojourned a vow of peace.

6. Why was Avraham willing to vow to this violent ruler who ruled over a violent people? Avraham was glad to have peace with this man and his people. He also knew that not vowing would bring death and slaughter. When folks become afraid of other folks, they eventually attack them to kill them. Avraham did not desire war. The vow was a simple one: that he will not lie to Abimelech or to his offspring, and he will show good zeal for the people and the land.

II. The Vow in Action (verses 25-26)

Questions

1. What had the slaves of Abimelech done? They had violently taken a well of Avraham.

2. Why wasn’t Avraham afraid to correct this king (and the head of his army)? Avraham understood the vow and Abimelech’s fear of him and of Elohim. He also knew that a good relationship required being candid (being open with thoughts and views).

3. What does firebrands of a well of the waters mean? The term firebrands was explained in the previous section. It refers to a means of transporting fire using hot coals, often on a thick stick. Those coals are not in the form of a flame, but are glowing embers. They therefore could go out if they are not maintained. A flame would burn up the coals too fast, while embers can burn for hours. Anything that is compared to a firebrand, then, can go out or be extinguished. Firebrands of a well of the waters means that the well could easily be lost and no longer usable. Wells usually required great effort to dig. Burying a well destroyed that well if its location became lost. Water is needed for life in a dry area, and they were in a very dry area.

4. Why did Abimelech respond by the three statements, “I didn’t know who did this thing,” and “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me,” and “I, I didn’t hear without (outside of) today”? Abimelech knew that he was in trouble. The grace he had shown to Avraham was flawed, and Avraham and his Elohim might again attack him and his people! He was nervous and bothered that Avraham had not told him until this day.

5. Was “I didn’t know who did this thing” true? The reader has little reason to think that he was lying about this. What he didn’t say is interesting, for he didn’t say, “I didn’t know this occurred.”

6. Was “Thou, thou didn’t tell to me.” true? Yes.

7. Why didn’t Avraham tell him before this time? He had no peaceful relations with this man, and he knew this could start a war, accusations and more hard feelings. Avraham was willing to take the loss of the well rather than risk violence. Now that Abimelech came desiring peace, Avraham was free to speak to him about these things.

8. Was “I, I didn’t hear without (outside of) today” true? It could be true, and probably was. Abimelech was afraid. He knew Avraham was a prophet. He probably wouldn’t lie.

III. Avraham’s Second Vow (verses 27-32)

Avraham named that place ‘Well of an oath’ because they both vowed.

Abimelech and Phicol arise and returned home.

Questions

1. Why did Avraham give sheep and oxen to Abimelech, since it was Abimelech who desired to make the covenant? Avraham determined to not be in debt to Abimelech. He also determined to show that he was more than just willing to make the vow; he would contribute to it. Besides this, the text doesn’t state that Abimelech and Phicol came with a herd or a flock; it seems that they may have come unaccompanied.

2. What does cut a covenant mean? The Bible frequently uses this expression. The cutting refers to the animal’s throat, the means to get the blood out of the animal before separating it into the various pieces for placement on the altar (which is a means of cooking the meat). A covenant is more than a vow, and certainly more than a promise. It is a vow in which gods or the Gods participate. In this way, if the covenant is violated, the gods or Gods will seek out the covenant breaker for lying to the gods or Gods.

Covenants made calling upon Yehovah/Yeshua are therefore upheld by Yehovah/Yeshua. Anyone violating the terms of a covenant therefore brings the wrath of Yehovah/Yeshua on that person. (There is one exception: If someone has vowed to a demon, that person must turn from that vow and covenant to Yehovah in order to be and do right.)

Thus, the expression, cut a covenant puts the sacrificial animal into the position of being the covenant! But instead, the animal is a type, a real and important picture of something else that is real and far more important: of the God whose sacrifice is made!

(Marriage is a covenant.)

3. Avraham and Abimelech cut the throats of how many animals? The text mentions flock and herd. It sounds like a number of animals were slaughtered, cooked and eaten.

4. Is it wrong to vow today? No!

5. Who is she in “For thou wilt take seven ewe-lambs from my hand in order that she will be to me for a witness that I dug this well”? She is the action, the deed of taking the seven ewe-lambs from Avraham’s hand. She will be the witness that Avraham dug that particular well.

6. What was Abimelech doing when he agreed to take the seven ewe-lambs, and what is a ewe-lamb? A ewe-lamb is a girl lamb. Abimelech was agreeing that that particular well belonged to Avraham. This way, none of Abimelech’s citizens would bother that well.

7. Why did he name the place? Places in the Bible were usually named according to important events that took place there.

8. What is the normal English name (and the name in Hebrew) for the place called Well-Of-An-Oath? It is called Beersheba, where beer (pronounced like Bayer) means well, and sheba (pronounced sheva) means oath.

9. Does this place exist today? Yes! I was there. It is a nice city with a modern mall for shopping. It is located in the desert, and it has some very pretty palm trees and other plants.

10. Was Abimelech satisfied with the results of his trip to see Avraham and get him to vow? Yes!

IV. The Postscript (verses 33-34)

Avraham stayed in Beersheba for a while. Now that he had the well without contention, he could plant trees there, water them, and give them a good start. He planted a tamarisk tree.

Avraham called via Name Yehovah Mighty One of Hider.

That land will later be Avraham’s land. He peacefully sojourned there for a little while.

Questions

1. Why did he plant a tamarisk (of all the various types of trees)? It is a water-loving tree, and therefore a very good air conditioner! It greatly cools off the air under and around its leaves!

2. Why did Avraham call via (by means of) Name Yehovah Mighty One of Hider, and what does this name mean? He called there because Yehovah had saved him from much trouble. He desired to sacrifice to Yehovah and to express himself to Him.

Name Yehovah is a person. (This will not usually be obvious to readers of the Bible, and it takes much thought. (I found this out when I read Isaiah 30:27-28, and thought about it along with many Psalms where praise, glory, power and other good things are given to the Name of Yehovah even when they are not also given to Yehovah Himself!) The person is Yeshua.

The Mighty One is, more fully, The Mighty One of Israel. This is also a title for Yeshua.

Hider seems to refer to Yehovah. You see that He doesn’t make Himself visible very often. It is as if He is hiding. That way (and only that way), a person can live by faith. (Whatever one sees is excluded from faith. Faith is only possible when something is both expected and not yet seen.) Hider also refers to a time before the Bible’s descriptions begin and after the Bible’s descriptions end.

Put all these together, and they describe Avraham calling to Yehovah via Yeshua!

3. Why did Avraham remain in the land of the Palestinians many days? He now had peace with them, and the grazing for the animals was good.