“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed…” (11:4). I note the contrast between man’s way (shown here) and God’s way. Man builds up hoping to reach God to make a name for us, not God, and to stay together. God calls us to be fruitful and multiply and spread, needing Him to come to us and with us, all to make a great name for Him (see God’s way: Matt 28:18-20).
Gen 12
12:3 – “all the families of the earth will be blessed”: only true in Christ
12:17 – I found it very challenging that God brought punishment in a situation where the king was ignorant. Though maybe it was her being brought into Pharaoh in the first place that provoked it. And/or it was the necessity of the messianic line that God was preserving in this way.
Genesis 14
14:14: I’m amazed that Abraham had 318 men trained for battle all born in his house. That is a small city right there!
14:18: Melchizedek is King of Salem (which means “Peace”). It is striking that the king of peace is untouched by this mega-war in the area.
Genesis 15
15:13 says there will be 400 years of affliction, while 15:16 says Amorites will stay to the 4th generation. Is he equating the 2? 100 years per generation? Intriguingly, I was reading recently in Exodus 6 about Moses’ and Aaron’s genealogy and was amazed that they were the 4th generation of people in Egypt (Levi being the 1st)
Genesis 17
This is amazing to me that 99 year old Abe and 13 year old Ishmael were circumcised (along with everyone else)—in a time with no painkillers I’m aware of no less!
Genesis 18
I’m struck by the parallels with Abraham tending these strangers and the prodigal father welcoming his son. Both say “Quick!” And brought in a fattened calf.
I know there is speculation on why Abraham stops his negotiating at 10 righteous people being a sort of safety for a city. I find that amazing in itself, that God so regards a handful of righteous people. But I also wonder how much God was the one who ended the conversation there versus Abraham stopping the negotiation: “And the Lord went his way.” Gen 18:33. Perhaps this relates to Ken Ham’s speculation that it was known God didn’t spare the whole world for 8 people in the flood, so He won’t go any lower than 10 here.
Genesis 19
“But he [Lot] lingered. So the men [angels] seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out…” Gen 19:16. This verse touches me so deeply. May God do likewise and snatch me out of judgment if I sinfully linger in the ways of the world. I know my heart is prone to this, so am clinging to this verse in hope.
Gen 19:30 says Lot was afraid to live in Zoar. I wonder if fear paralyzed him after what he witnessed at Sodom and Gomorrah. I also wonder how much him giving into fear led to isolation and desperation in his daughters that created the incestual Moab and Ammon (2 future enemies of God’s people).
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