Many have faulted Lot for choosing the good land on the plains near what later became known as the condemned city of Sodom, yet he really was “veiled righteousness” on display in the city. Abram’s choice of places to settle also had lasting consequences.
The LORD predicted this time would come, when His people would tire of His leadership and representative government with occasional leadership via judges and prophets. Sadly, the LORD allows His people to make a huge mistake in putting their trust in a dictator rather than Him, with the aim of finally establishing the ultimate in benevolent strong leadership, the Messiah.
In Genesis 12 we hear God’s great command to Abram “go forth from your country” to establish God’s ambassadorial nation, Israel. We also see the great man of faith, Abram, needed to mature in his faith, as we do.
Question: What is the relationship between law and grace? Some say verse such as the following suggest grace abolishes the Law, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14).
Genesis 11 starts with confusion and ends with the story of the family line which will bring the Messiah into the world and bring God’s order back to earth.
Bible interpreters have come up with all kinds of explanations for the elements of Messiah Yeshua’s Parable of the 10 Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). Some assert the oil represents the Torah or the Spirit of God. Some claim the two groups of virgins represent two types of believers. Others try to work out the time for the Day of the LORD from the details.
In another fulfillment of the prophetess Hannah’s prayer (1st Samuel 2), Israel repents from bringing false gods into the nation, and Philistia is routed in battle.