Women of the Word,December 2, 2010
Today's lecture concentrated on a Summary given by Barbara of the general overview of the Book of Genesis followed by specific study notes of chapter 20:
Our series study can be summerized by this: "Studying the Bible and specifically Genesis "is the means by which God makes Himself known, declares his will, and brings about His purposes."
Genesis is a collection of very ancient memories. It was put into writing about 580 B.C. during the Babylonian era. Much is like poetry. Anytime you see poetry in the Bible, it is very ancient.
God chose a core center of people. Abraham was chosen by God. He was blessed because he was chosen. (Later, the Apostles would be chosen in the New Testament.) God would call and the answer would be, "Here I am."
Chapter 20 in Genesis takes place in what today is modern day Iraq, the Tigres and Euphrates River valley. We are moving through the fertile crescent of ancient Mesopotamia. These stories will show us how all others at that time related to the Jews.
We learn that Abraham and Sarah were actually half-brother and half-sister to one another. It was always important to keep the tribe together. Marrying outside one's tribe was not done.
In Chapter 21, we learn that when Sarah bore a son (Isaac), this was a fulfillment of God's Promise. It would have not occurred naturally. Later, in Advent, we learn that Christ's birth was far from normal.
The Jews know that they are somehow (through Ishmael) related to the Arab nation.
We will continue studying Chapter 21-22 next week.
Submitted by Vicky Steinwender
Women of the Word - November 11, 2010
Review-Religion teaches us to live on a higher level.
The Book of Genesis was written during the time of blood vengeance and these stories are about people learning of a higher level of living. Ten righteous people would save Sodom and Gomorrah which fortells the Crucifixion. One God Man is the expiation to save the whole world.
Ch. 19-Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah (the non-priestly writer)
Lot offers the hospitality of his home to two visitors (angels). All the men of Sodom surround the house and demand Lot to bring the visitors out so they may have sex with them. Lot asks them to not be so wicked and offers his virgin daughters to the men. Lot’s visitors pull him back into the house and the three of them strike the men blind so they cannot find the door to the house. They tell Lot to warn his future sons-in-law to flee the city which will be destroyed, but they take the warning in jest.
In the morning Abraham goes to the place where he had stood before the Lord and saw the smoke coming from the fires. The visitors tell Lot to leave with his wife and two daughters but Lot balks more than once. He asks to be allowed to escape to a small city nearby to be known as Zoar and the visitors agree. The Lord then rained sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and overthrew the cities and their inhabitants. Lot’s wife looked back at the destruction although warned not to, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
v.29-Priestly writer takes over
When God destroyed the cities, he remembered Abraham and saved Lot. Lot took his daughters into the hills above Zoar and settled in a cave. The daughters knew they would find no men there and conspired to get their father drunk on consecutive nights and then each would lie with him so there would be continuance of the lineage of Lot. The first daughter bore a son and named him Moab who is the ancestor of the Moabites; and the second daughter bore a son and named him Benammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites.
Ch. 20-Abraham claims Sarah to be his Sister
Abraham journeys to the region of the Negeb and while living in Gerar as an outsider he claims that his wife Sarah is his sister. (Sarah actually is his half sister; they share the same father.) King Abimelech takes Sarah into his harem and that night he has a dream in which God comes to him warning that he was about to die because he has taken a married woman. The King claims innocence of knowledge and action to God. God says it was He who kept him from touching Sarah and that he he should return Sarah to Abraham who is a prophet who will pray for him and he will therefore live. (Abraham is a patriarch to us, not a prophet.)
So the king returned Sarah chastising Abraham for calling her sister and asking, “What were you thinking?” Abraham replies he was protecting his life because he knew they would kill him because of his wife. Then he explained his relationship to Sarah and asked her to agree to always travel as his sister. Then the King bestowed silver, stock (not the Wall Street kind!) and land on Abraham. Abraham prayed to God and God healed the King and unsealed the wombs of his wives and slaves so that they all bore children. The Lord had sealed their wombs because of the King’s abduction of Sarah.
How Big God Is!
Submitted by Rene Clark
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