Category: Old Testament

Loved ones, in Genesis 18, we stood on a hillside with Abraham as he pleaded with the Judge of all the earth to spare the wicked city of Sodom for the sake of ten righteous people. He returned to his tent confident in God’s perfect justice. Now, in Genesis 19, the camera descends into the… Continue reading “Look Not Back”: Righteous Judgment on the Cities of the Plain (Gen. 19:1–29)

Loved ones, in the first half of Genesis 18, we saw the Lord visit Abraham’s tent to bring a message of life: Sarah would have a son. It was a scene of intimate fellowship and miraculous grace. But as the afternoon wanes and the visitors turn their faces toward the valley below, the tone shifts… Continue reading “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?”: Abraham’s Plea for Sodom (Gen. 18:16–33)

Loved ones, in our last study, God broke a thirteen-year silence, reaffirming His covenant with Abraham and instituting the bloody sign of circumcision. Abraham, at ninety-nine years old, responded with immediate obedience. Now, in Genesis 18, the narrative shifts from a formal covenant ceremony to an intimate, personal visitation. God has promised a son, but… Continue reading “Is Anything Too Hard for the LORD?”: Laughter, Doubt, and the Promised Son (Gen. 18:1–15)

Loved ones, as we turn to Genesis 17, we must first notice what is absent: the voice of God. Between the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17, thirteen long years of total silence have passed. Abram is now ninety-nine years old. Ishmael, the son of his fleshly compromise, is a teenager.… Continue reading “A Multitude of Nations”: The Sign and Seal of Circumcision (Gen. 17:1–27)

Loved ones, in our last study, we witnessed the pinnacle of Abram’s faith. We saw God walk through the pieces of the sacrifice alone, taking the full weight of the covenant onto His own shoulders. Abram believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness. It was a moment of profound spiritual certainty. But faith… Continue reading “According to the Flesh”: The Folly of Hagar and Sarai (Gen. 16:1–16)

Loved ones, we have reached what many theologians consider the “Holy of Holies” of the Old Testament. In the previous chapter, Abram was a warrior-king, defeating eastern empires and receiving a blessing from Melchizedek. He had rejected the riches of Sodom, choosing to rely solely on the “Possessor of heaven and earth.” But as the… Continue reading A Smoking Fire Pot and a Flaming Torch: The Weight of a Divine Oath (Gen. 15:1–21)

Loved ones, in our last study, we watched the father of the faithful stumble. Driven by famine and fear, Abram went down to Egypt, deceived Pharaoh, and endangered the promised line. It was a low point. But God, in His severe mercy, plagued Pharaoh and brought Abram out—not empty-handed, but wealthy. Genesis 13 is the… Continue reading “Let There Be No Strife”: Land, Legacy, and Letting Go (Gen. 13:1–18)