Genesis 17

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner – those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless you so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

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Genesis 16

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, "See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her."

Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived.

When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you." But Abam said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wildernes, by the fountain in the way to Shur. He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai." The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands."

The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. He will be like a wild donkey among me. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."

She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?" Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

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Abram got Hagar as wife after Sarai... Hagar despise Sarai after she conceived... Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar and cause her to runaway and met with angel of Yahweh... then later on the angel told Hagar not to leave... but go back to her mistress... and saying that she will give birth to a son that will cause big trouble to the next generations...

Although Sarai give Hagar to her husband as wife, but when Hagar despite her, she ask God to judge between them... but when looks back... Sarai bag her husband to go in to her handmaid by using the word "Please"...

Hagar should understand that she is just a handmaid... that whatever is given should be receive quietly and thankful... but not as for more or what... some people won't show their real personality in usual days... but when comes to certain day, they will... Hagar is a good example of it... she looks down of her mistress when conceived...

Although God let Hagar's name call as Ishmael that means God heard; God agree; God promise... but Ishmael will be against of all the men...

God's plan should be done by Himself... if we try to help to complete, it may / will cause big trouble... Sarai has a good motive... but the way they do it is not prefered by God... The game rule is: God plan it, and He do it... once it disturb by flesh it will not perfect any more...

Another thing is, we do things by what?... It is very important to know that either we are doing by ourselves or by and through Him...

Genesis 15

After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram said, "Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir."

Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir." Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."

He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it." He said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?"

He said to him, "Take me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon." He took him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds. The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve.

Afterward they will come out with great substance. But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age. In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."

It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoing furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

In that day Yahweh made a convenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

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Protection of God... Promise @ gift from God... Convenant between God and us...

People used to take something that is the best on their own to replace the one from God... We shall be patient and wait for Him... for His plan is the best ever... and of course gift given...

The torch that passed between those pieces means God will hold His promise... it is based on the culture last time... when 2 people want to have a convenant, they will pass between pieces... for only God passed the pieces is because of human beings may have the will to keep the promise or convenant but they are unable to do so...

Genesis 14

It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, that they made was with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela.

All these joined together in the valley of Siddim. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth yaer, they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzuim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, to Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

They returned, and came to En-mishpat, and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazazon Tamar. They went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim; against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.

Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and those who remained fled to the mountain. They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. They took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and depart.

One who had escaped came to told Abram, the Hebrew. Now he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he fed forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.

He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

The king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh. Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.

He blessed him, and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave him a tenth of all.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself." Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' Except only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre: let them take their portion."

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When those kings are having war among them, showing that they not only disobey God but also within themselves for lower down themselves... tar pits were to protect themselves but failed... just because it is not from God...

Although Lot did bad to Abram, but when Abram heard of Lot was taken captive, he still willing to save him... beside, it is God's will too... other wise He won't send a people to escape and inform Abram...

By giving offering is also a way to shows appreciation of gifts from God... besides that, something that shouldn't be taken keep a distance with it... anything that is not from God shouldn't be accepted...

Genesis 13

Abram went up out to Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

He went on his journey from the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Yahweh. Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together. There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived then in the land.

Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives. Isn't the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me.

If you go to the left hand, then I wil go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left. Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh. Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that is a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you."

Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.

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Those who wants to bully God's man, will never win... as God will always help them...

Abram is a good example... Lot took the land that he think is better, but later on God gives more lands to Abram... and promised the land will be forever belongs to Abram and his offspring...

Abram didn't forget to thanks God after received the gift... an altar is the thing he always did for God...

Genesis 12

Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation.

I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."

So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoke to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the sould who they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land. Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.

He left there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh.

Abram traveled, going on still toward the South. There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was sore in the land.

It happened, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look on. It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken ito Pharaoh's house.

He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, and oxen, and male donkeys, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and female donkeys, and camels. Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

Pharaoh called Abram, and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way."

Pharoah gave men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that he had.

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God asked Abram to leave his hometown... Abram followed what He said... Hometown is always the one that majority hard to let go... yet Abram is so obey to God... although God didn't tell him where to go... faith on God is strongly needed... however, once He had talked to you, He will definitely pick up the responsibility on you from now onward...

God then promised to give him a great nation and also his name... and he will be a source of blessing but also curses if someone cursed him due to God's protection to Abram... God is really take good care of Abram... even Abram's enemy will become His...

God take care of Abram... prepare the best for him, and then lead Abram to Canaan... a land of bless and beuty... every step will be lead by God, the next step will only shown after you did the first... just behold and follow...

Later on, Lot became Abram's problem... this is because Abram didn't listen to God 100%... He had told Abram to get out from his relative but Abram bring Lot along with him...

But Abram lost his confident when there is a famine... a blessed person shouldn't be facing this kind of problem... but that's not the point... the faith of Abram for God had lost!!... Suffering in this world is actually to draw us closer to God... as we seek for His help, totally depend on Him...

No one is fail suddenly... they always forward to failure slowly... just like Abram... he wasn't fail when he reach Egypt but from he traveled southward onward... when physically needs couldn't be fulfill, tests started...

Abram went to Egypt without asking God and just simply leaved the land given by God... although this won't affect the inheritance of the land... Abram ask Sarai tell lie to let him get alive due to people may kill him before have his beautiful wife as their own wife...

:( ... our 'father of faith' - Abram once leave the land given by God, can't even protect himself but need wife for protection... and also his wife's loyalty is not in his mind too... ( T.T so sad to become his wife...) Always remember that, having crime is the "result", leaving God is the "reason"...

Pharoah later on being plagued because of will to get marry with Sarai as it is from God...

Abram didn't fight back to Pharoah because he do knows himself hid part of the truth... Sometimes people may think of telling a lie once in a while to save himself from the circumstance, but they do not that Satan will keep holding this and wave it in front of them in the future...

Beside, he failed to control himself from getting the not 'cleaned' stuffs from Pharoah... and this may block bless from God to Abram...

Faith on God always being tested by either God Himself of Satan... no matter who are they, we should always take care of our own mind and keep a good relationship with God... and make sure whenever anything happen, just stay calm and ask help from God... I am sure He will lend His hand's' out for you on the spot... everything will be in His control... once He had started His "project", He will handle it, until it had done, and end perfectly...

Being blessed is because Jesus Christ keep holding us hardly... keep touching us, and call us...

May God bless each and everyone of us like he blessed Abram last time...

* Christian can be rich... but the point is what kind of mind of you for it?... for those who have wife, have to be like without wife... for those who have something have to be like without something...

* Bethel = God's house
Ai = flesh
Altar = from heaven to earth
Tent = place God meet with people

Abram first had an altar after God appeared to him... to make sure the relationship with God... then he had a tent between Ai and Bethel... for a correct behave in life... next he had another altar again... to lead him "in" the correct path... Abram place the tent in the middle is to face the flesh and keep the connection with God through altar and Bethel in order to enjoy the fullness from God...

Genesis 11

The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they lived there.

They said one to another, "Come, let's make brick, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."

Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from the,, which they intend to do.

Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth.

They stopped building the city. Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered abroad on the surface of all the earth.

This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and become the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. Shem lived after he became the father of Arpachshad five hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah. Arpachshad lived after he became the father of Shelah four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber: and Shelah lived after he became the father of Eber four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. Eber lived after he became the father of Peleg four hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. Peleg lived after he became the father of Reu two hundred nine years, and became the father of sons and daugthers.

Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. Reu lived after he became the father of Serug two hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. Serug lived after he became the father of Nahor two hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. Nahor lived after he became the father of Terah one hundred nineteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Haran became the father of Lot. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.

Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah. Sarai was barren. She had no child. Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife.

They went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran, and lived there. The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

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The most clear message in this chapter is... change of language and decrease of days of human on earth...

God confused their language so that men could not communicate with each another... the problem is not due to God don't want them to built the city and tower but the disobedience of them to the Lord... If they do success to built the tower, they will think that they are better than God... God doing this is just due to helping them to not getting out of God's path...

Beside, Haran is the first death case that the son die before father if despite the Abel one that being murder... and Shelah is the yougest one to get child compared to others recorded in Bible...

2 years after flood...

There are 10 generations after Noah... and when I wonder why God wants to mention all this name by name but didn't mentioned it is their first born... and only mention "son"... then God answered me by letting me sees that...

Marriage between family was allowed last time... as Milcah is Nahor's brother's daughter... and she became Nahor's wife...

* No more analyze on age of getting a son due to it may not the first born and that is not the main point...

* Haran is both people and location's name...