The eight days of Chanukah (Festival of Dedication, John 10:22–39), historically parallel the eight days of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles). But there is a startling parallel to eight women in the Bible for whom having children would have been miraculous — including the mother of Yeshua (Jesus) — yet these women dedicated themselves to God’s mission to restore the Earth.
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.
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.
This chapter is about justice and judgment, just as the book of Revelation is about justice and judgment. God could have taught this lesson to Abraham privately, yet God wants us to know He knew Abraham well. The LORD knew Abraham would keep God’s ways and would also make sure that his family and household would also keep and follow God’s ways. God knew that those who follow Abraham would follow his example.
What do the following six important women in the Bible have in common? How did their experiences shape the future of the people of God?
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.
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?