PART TWO  - GENESIS KEY CONCEPTS

Genesis 12 – Yahweh Promises to Bless Abram - 12.2 – “I will make of thee a great nation.” There are seven promises to Abraham in verses 1 and 2. This was the first time Yahweh spoke to Abraham. Yahweh told Abraham to “get out of the country” so he “crossed over” and became the first Hebrew = “one who has crossed over.”

Genesis 12.8 – This verse reveals the Sacred Name “Yahweh” used by the patriarchs of the OT.

Genesis 13 – Abram and Lot Part Ways - 13.13 –“Men of Sodom were wicked and sinners.” Sodom = to scorch or to be burnt. A sinner is a lawbreaker (1 John 3.4) therefore the idea of the Law was already if effect.

Genesis 13.16 – Yahweh again promises Abraham that his descendants would be innumerable.

Genesis 14 – Abram Rescues Lot - 14.13 – Abram the Hebrew…first time in the Bible used to identify Abram/Abraham.

Genesis 14.18 – Melchizedek = “King of Righteousness” the king of Salem = “Peace” which was the name of primitive Jerusalem at that time. Melchizedek was Yahshua as the priest of the Most High (ref: Hebrews 7).

Genesis 14.20 – Abraham gave Melchizedek tithes of all. Note tithing was already practiced.

Genesis 15 – Yahweh Promises Abram a Son - 15.5 – Yahweh again promises Abraham his descendants will be innumerable as the stars.

Genesis 15.6 – Abraham believed in Yahweh and it counted to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15.16 – Fourth generation refers to time of bondage in Egypt to come. Many ways to calculate a “generation” in the Bible. Here we see evidence of a prophetic generation being 100 years. Other numbers used are 20, 25, 30, 33, 40, 108, and 110.

“The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Amorites were descendants of Ham and dwelt in the land west of the Euphrates which would be Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine; the land the Hebrew’s were to inherit. Due to their idolatrous ways the Amorites were expelled. It is evident that Yahweh will often withhold His judgment until a certain level of sin is achieved.

Genesis 15.18 – “…made a covenant with Abram….” Yahweh promises that Abram’s offspring will inherit the land of Canaan (Ex 33.1-3). This is the land from Egypt to present day Iraq. Israel’s failure to destroy these pagan nations and their idols would lead to Israel’s downfall.

That day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram and his seed. This promise was to be the seed of Abram and Sarai. Abram, however, becomes impatient and does not wait for this promise to be fulfilled.

Genesis 16 – The Birth of Ismael - 16.1 – Hagar = “flight, emigration.” She is the mother of Abram’s son Ishmael as she was a surrogate for Sarai at that time.

Genesis 16.4 – “…and he went in unto Hagar….” This was an acceptable custom of the time but did not follow the example that Yahweh set with Adam and Eve. As a result, Sarah allowed strife to enter her marriage with Abram.

Genesis 16.11-12 – “…shall call his name Ishmael.” Ishmael = “El will hear.” He will be a wild man whose hand is against every man, but blessed by Yahweh. Ishmael is the father of the Arab nations. The Koran looks upon Ismael as the favored son in place of Isaac.

Genesis 17 – Yahweh Renews Covenant with Abram - 17.1-2 – Yahweh tells Abram that He is going to make a covenant between the two of them.

Genesis 17.5, 15 – Yahweh changes Abram’s name = “exalted father” to Abraham = “father of a multitude.” Abraham is a direct descendant from Noah’s son Shem.

Sarai’s name to Sarah = “princess.”

Genesis 17.10 – As part of the covenant Yahweh tells Abraham every man child born from now on will be circumcised as a mark of this covenant. Circumcise = cut off, cut down. Yahweh has a way of cutting us down from our self-will. Vitamin K is produced at 100% on the eighth day of life…this helps the blood coagulate. The wisdom of the Creator at work!

Genesis 17.16 – Yahweh blesses Sarah and tells her she will be the mother of nations…her future son Isaac will become the seed of promise. In Islam, Ishmael is considered the favored son…but the Bible says through Isaac. Islam did not become a religion until around 624 C.E. more than 2,100 years later. The Koran appears to be a mistranslation of both the Bible and the Torah. Which book do you think has it correct? Which book was the one copied and re-written?

Genesis 17.19 – Yahweh establishes His covenant with Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac and his seed after him.

Genesis 17.20 – Yahweh then blesses Ismael and promises that 12 tribes will come from him and his seed. But—the covenant--is being established through Isaac. As stated above, Islam, which was not even a religion until 2,100 years later twists this history in favor of Ismael. The fact is that the Bible was written first and is the true original story. Ref: Psalm 83 for future conflict at the end of this age between Israel and the Arab nations.

Genesis 18 – Isaac’s Birth Promised - 18.1 – “And Yahweh appeared….” The Yahweh that appears is the preexistent Messiah, Yahshua. No man has seen the Father (John5.37; 1 Tim1.17, 6.16). The Messiah is referred to as “the image of the invisible El” (Co 1.15). Note: Out of a misguided reverence for the Sacred Name of Yahweh, ancient Hebrew scribes replaced the name Yahweh a total of 134 times with “Adonai” = “My master”. Until this day this is practiced in the Jewish religion as they never pronounce the Name of Yahweh.

Genesis 18.8 – Butter, milk, and the calf…this is a very interesting verse. These visitors ate milk and meat, contradicting the ancient rabbi’s command to not mix meat and milk which they derive from Ex 23.19. This is an example of the man- made laws the Jews followed in Yahshua’s day.

Genesis 18.11-14 – Abraham and Sarah question their conception ability at this stage of life. Yahweh asks them if this is anything is too hard for the Eternal to do? He tells them that at the moed = appointed time it will happen.

Genesis 18.20 – Yahweh hears the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their grievous sin.

Genesis 18.23-33 – Abraham questions Yahweh if He would punish the righteous with the wicked. Abraham bargains Yahweh down to 10 righteous…Lot is the only one righteous in the city…we believe, therefore, that God will not destroy one righteous person.

Genesis 18.27 – dust and ashes = clay, earth, mud…man was created out of the dust (2.7) of the earth…ashes here also = dust…man returns to dust in the grave…Ps 103.14-16; 146.4; Eccl 12.7…spirit returns…when we die our spirit or breath returns to God who gave it and we sleep until the resurrection (John 3.13).

Genesis 19 – Lot Delivered from Sodom – The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Note verse 28: The NT says Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the example of eternal fire (Jude 17) which is a shadow of the Lake of Fire in Rev 20. This is an example of Yahweh’s eternal punishment or destruction.

Genesis 20 – Abraham Sojourns in Gerar - 20.2 – Abimelech is told by Abraham that Sarah is his sister…Abimelech desires to marry her…Yahweh appears to him in a dream and warns him.

Genesis 20.9 – Abimelech realizes his actions brought sin upon him and his kingdom…he is angry with Abraham.

Genesis 21 – Sarah conceives Isaac…21.4…Isaac a type of Messiah…only son (with wife Abraham loved).

Genesis 21.9 – Now Sarah is aware of Hagar and her son Ismael and wants to get rid of them.

Genesis 21.11-14 – Abraham is grieved by this but Yahweh tells him to listen to Sarah. Isaac is re-confirmed as the heir and that in his seed shall the covenant be. Yahweh promises Ismael shall be blessed and great—but not the heir. Note: Yahweh is constantly reminding Abraham that Isaac the child of promise is the heir and in his seed will Yahweh establish His Name.

Genesis 22 - Yahweh asks Abraham to offer Isaac. Isaac is a type of the Messiah…carried his own wood (cross), was provided in place of lamb, went willingly to offer himself, had great faith, he was obedient.

Genesis 22.16-18– Yahweh again reminds Abraham of the great blessing on him and his seed through Isaac. Romans 4.3 says Abraham was blessed for his obedience and faith.

Genesis 23 – Sarah’s age and death…23.8 “…should bury my dead….” The patriarchs and believers of the OT were always buried (EX 13.19). Conversely, cremation, in the Bible, is reserved for the wicked (Lev 20.14; 21.9; Josh 7.15; Mal 4.3). The religious Jewish people to this day look down upon cremation—in scripture the wicked are burnt up.

Genesis 24 – Eliezer Seeks a Wife for Isaac – 24.2 – “Your hand under my thigh….” Jewish Torah commentary says this may refer to the procreative organ, possibly symbolizing the covenant or Abraham’s heirs.

Genesis 24.3 – “…shall not take a wife…of the Canaanites.” This prohibition was because of the idolatry of these people. Yahweh does not want mixture…He wants a pure people who keep away from idolatry and pagan practices. How do we practice idolatry and mixture in our churches today? How do we correct this?

Genesis 25 – Abraham’s Sons by Keturah, His Age and Death - 25.1…Abraham takes Keturah = “incense” as wife and has children with her.

Genesis 25.5 – Abraham gives all he has to his son of the covenant, Isaac. To the rest he only gives gifts and sends them away from Isaac. Then Abraham dies.

Genesis 25.7 – “Gathered unto his people.” This is a way of saying death and the grave--a figure of speech.

Genesis 25.23-26 – “Two manner of people/nations in thy womb.” Jacob is Israel, Esau is Edom; the Israelites and Arabs today. The contention between these two is still ongoing today and will continue until Yahshua returns. Esau = “hairy” and he is Jacob’s twin brother. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red porridge. His lineage are the Edomites who are enemies of Israel throughout the OT.

Jacob = “heel grabber or supplanter”. He stole Esau’s birthright. Yahweh would later change Jacob’s name to Israel = “a prince with God.”

Genesis 26 – Isaac Dwells in Gerar; is Blessed by Yahweh – 26.2 – Isaac receives Yahweh’s blessing.

Genesis 26.4-5 – “obeyed my voice.” Abraham was a law-keeper…he understood Yahweh’s law. He kept Yahweh’s commandments and statutes. All of these would be in the Torah given to Moses at Mt. Sinai in Exodus. Isaac’s son Jacob would have to learn this the hard way.

Genesis 27 – Jacob Receives Esau’s Blessing from Isaac – 27.12 “I shall seem to him as a deceiver….” Jacob knew from the beginning that his actions were deceptive. Instead of allowing Yahweh to establish his blessings, he and his mother subverted Yahweh’s plan through deceiving his father Isaac. Later, Jacob would receive this same type of treatment by his future father-in-law, Laban.

Genesis 27.24 – Jacob lies to his father Isaac when Isaac asks, “Are you my son Esau?”

Genesis 27.29 –Isaac unknowingly declares that Esau’s descendants would bow down and serve younger brother Jacob.

Genesis 27.35-36 – Esau is informed that his blessing has been taken away. His error was in not respecting the birthright and telling Jacob he could have it for a bowl of porridge—be careful what you say!

Genesis 27.41 – Esau hates Jacob for stealing the birthright. This feud continues today in the Middle East.