January 8, 2022: Day 6 – Genesis 17-20 and John 10-11
January 8, 2022So we find ourselves with Abraham throughout these chapters. In 17 and 18 he is visited by the Lord who promises that he will have a son and that his name will be Isaac because Abraham laughed at God. I had always thought that in 18 was when Isaac received his name because of Sarah laughing, but it was back in 17 with Abraham laughing. We see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of the people being evil because of how they treated the visiting angels who were being hosted by Lot, Abraham’s nephew.
In 20 we see Abraham once again moving and telling the people of the new land that Sarah was his sister. God came close to destroying the king and his people because he took Sarah to be his wife, but had not laid with her. As a result he sends Abraham on his way with even more livestock and valuables. Isn’t it interesting that each time that Abraham tells the rulers of the land that Sarah is his sister he ends up leaving that country with many more riches than when he entered.
In John we see in chapter 10 Jesus self describes as the gate and the shepherd. The Jews of the land gather around him and want to know if he is the Messiah. They look to stone him again but he makes his way out. We then see the story of Lazarus where Jesus proclaims that he is the resurrection and the life and that those who believe in him will never die. This is where our understanding of eternal life emanates. We will never die if we believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead is one that demands that the Jewish leaders gather together and try to figure out what to do with Jesus as he performs there many miracles. We see in 11:53 that it was from that point on they planned to put him to death. Jesus was a threat to the leaders because he was working outside of the prescribed boundaries. God tends to love to work outside of the prescribed boundaries.
Gen 18:17 “And the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do….? Hide what? What is He about to do? Destruction of Sodom? Abraham gets the Lord to agree not to do so if as few as ten righteous people are in the city. However, the Lord must know there are not ten of them. He agrees but doesn’t tell Abraham He knows there are not ten. So, He doesn’t tell Abraham He will destroy Sodom.
You are in line with God about to destroy Sodom, he did not choose to tell Abraham because his nephew was living there and he would have looked to dissuade the Lord from doing it, which he tried to do.
Why is circumcision so important to God?
Why is Lot offering his daughters to these strange men that spent the night at his house. Can’t believe a father would do that to his daughters!
Who turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt because she turned back to look and why do that to someone?
The actual reason for why circumcision is so important could have to do with cleanliness, which was a pretty big deal in later Jewish laws. But it is crucial to understand that circumcision was the sign of the covenant that God established with Abraham. Those who were circumcised were considered as being in God’s family. This then leads in the New Testament to baptism. Circumcision is a clear precursor to baptism, where circumcision was only for the men, baptism was for all people.
Lot offering his daughters is another example of the OT emphasis on the patriarchal perspective to the culture. There was nothing nearly as important to God’s people than how hospitable they were to strangers who might be in their midst. When Abraham hosts the three angels who came to visit him it was of utmost importance that they received all that they wanted. A spurning of guests was considered not just unclassy, but even something that God would punish with death. Hence the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He offered his daughters, not justifying it in any way, in order to provide safety and security to the men who were guests in his house.
God would have been the one who turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt because God commanded Lot not to turn back. Well, she disobeyed and that was her punishment.