Genesis 22:1 "...God tested Abraham...said to him, 'Abraham!'...Here I am" Some Bible translations use the term tempted instead of tested. Tested is a better translation. God doesn't temp man to sin. And in this case, God was telling Abraham to do something specific as a test of his faith, not enticing him to do wrong. …
Tag: Genesis
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 21 – 20161104
Genesis 21:2 "...at the set time of which God had spoken..." Several previous time references seemed to point to the end of a normal human gestation. This one suggests that God gave them a more specific time frame. At any rate, God fulfilled His promise just as He said. 3 "And Abraham called the name …
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 20 – 20161102
Genesis 20:2 "...Abraham said of Sarah his wife, 'She is my sister'..." After all that has happened, including the disaster he had when he tried this before, Abraham still does not seem to trust God to take care of him. You would think, even if he didn't trust God, he would have more faith in …
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 19 – 20161030
Genesis 19:1 "...the two angels..." Since this is the continuation of the narrative from the previous chapter, these are most likely the two angels that continued on toward Sodom after speaking with Abraham. In that case, the three that spoke with Abraham may have been these two and a pre-incarnate Christ, or an Archangel through …
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 18 – 20161027
Genesis 18:1-2 "...LORD appeared to him...behold, three men were standing...bowed himself to the ground" We're not told what it was about the three men that made Abraham know they were from God. Commentary suggests his actions of running to meet them and bowing to the ground show he knew they are not just regular travelers. …
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 17 – 20161025
Genesis 17:1 "...Abram was ninety-nine years old..." Thirteen years have passed from the end of the last chapter until now. We're not told about any communication between God and Abram during the elapsed time. Abram's been in the land twenty-three years. Long time to wait for the promise, especially since the promise involved a child, …
Bible Study Notes on Genesis 16 – 20161024
Genesis 16:2 "...the LORD has restrained me from bearing..." Obviously this entire episode shows lack of faith in God, but I wonder about this statement. It could have been just a statement acknowledging God's sovereignty, but it could also be a subtle shot at God for not appearing to fulfill His promise. He made this …
Black & White with Shades of Gray 