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Discussions Torah

Genesis 12:1–17:27: Why God cannot be bribed

When you are called to move, what is your first question? Do I move to the next town, next state, across the country or to a foreign land? We usually want to know our exact destination before we move. 


We also prefer to plan how we will transport ourselves? Will we go by car, train, bus or plane? 


In the Torah section לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (“get going,” Gen. 12:1-17:27), Abram was not given a destination. It’s a strange place to be when you don’t know where you’re going. It takes trust to make the first step. And this is the beginning of his journey to become Abraham, father of faith in God (Rom. 4:16-25).

We also learn through this Bible study why all cultures are not equal and what was truly the unforgivable problem in Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 26: Yitzkhak flees a famine, digs wells in Canaan

Yitzhkak (Isaac) seems to have repeated a number of events from Abraham’s life: a famine and claiming his wife was his sister. Yitzkhak also seems to have been obsessed with digging wells, but what should get our attention are messianic symbols of three days of live and death in the ground.

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Discussions Torah

Abraham: An example of hope and trust in God, part 2

This is a review of 11 examples of Abraham’s faith in God in Genesis 17-23. It culminates in his trusting God to resurrect the son of the promise, Yitskhak (Isaac), and in buying property in the Land to bury those also trusting in God to resurrect them.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 21:22–34: Abraham makes seven-fold covenant with Abimelech at Beersheba

Abraham seals a contract with King Abimelech for a well and seals it with a seven-fold oath in the form of seven ewes.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 20: Was Abraham a liar after Sodom was on fire?

Is the purpose of this story to tell us that Abraham was a coward lacking in faith that he would use his wife to protect him from death? No, God brought Abraham there to teach Abimelech a lesson.

This incident gave Abimelech a good dose of humility as well and that’s a lesson we would do well to learn. It’s more pleasant to learn from other people’s mistakes than our own.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 21 part 3 — Abraham obeys Sarah and confronts Abimelech; Ishmael grows up

In part three of a study on Genesis 21, we read about the confrontation between the ruler Abimelech and Abraham. Meanwhile, Ishmael grows up and becomes a problem in Abraham’s household, so Abraham sends him and his mother away.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 20 — Sarah in the household of Abimelech

Abraham, again, creates a mess by “fibbing” in claiming that his half-sister and wife Sarah is just his sister. Again the royalty that claims Sarah for suffers a judgment for doing so. Why does God call such a seemingly short-sighted man like Abraham a prophet?