Jo’s Place

​ Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech …Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham.  “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.  “Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants.  I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”  Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!”  Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.  “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered.  “I have no idea who is responsible.  You have never complained about this before.”  Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.  But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves.  Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart ...

​ The Birth of Isaac The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.  She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age.  This happened at just the time God had said it would.  And Abraham named their son Isaac.  Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.  Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.  And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.  All who hear about this will laugh with me.  Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby?  Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”  Then… Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion.  But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.  So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son.  He is not ...

Abraham Deceives Abimelech Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar.  While living there as a foreigner, Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.”  So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.  But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”  But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?  Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’  I acted in complete innocence!  My hands are clean.”  In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent.  That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.  Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet.  Then you ...

​ Lot’s Daughters Sin Afterward (after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed), Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.  One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else.  And our father will soon be too old to have children.  Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him.  That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”  So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father.  He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.  The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night.  Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him.  That way we will preserve our family line through our fathe...

​ God saves Lot and his daughters   At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent.  “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”  When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.  When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”  “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged.  “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness.  But I cannot go to the mountains.  Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.  See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? …Then my life will be sa...

God Destroys Sodom and Gomorrah That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom.  Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them.  Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.  “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night.  You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”  “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”  But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him.  Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.  But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.  They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you?  Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”  So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door...

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom The men (who were visiting Abraham) got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom.  As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.  “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked.  “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.  …I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just…  Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”  So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant…. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard…. …If not, I want to know.”  The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.  Abraham approached Him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?  Suppose you fi...