Abraham’s servant stood at a crossroads of faith and obedience. After a long journey, he met Rebekah at the well. She offered water not only to him but also to his camels, fulfilling the very sign for which he had prayed. The servant responded by giving her a gold ring and two bracelets. These gifts were more than tokens of thanks. They signaled…

Rebekah’s arrival at the well is a clear sign of God’s providence. She appears before Abraham’s servant finishes praying, showing that God is already at work to fulfill His promises. The timing is perfect. The servant’s prayer is answered in real time, reminding us that God often moves before we even finish asking. Rebekah’s actions…

Abraham’s servant stood by the well, facing a task that would shape the future of God’s people. He prayed, not for himself, but for Abraham. “Lord, God of my master Abraham, let me find success today, and show kindness to my master.” This is a powerful example of intercessory prayer. The servant’s heart was set on the good of another. He trusted…

Abraham’s servant set out on a mission to find a wife for Isaac. He arrived in the city of Nahor with ten camels and gifts, a sign of Abraham’s wealth and the seriousness of his task. The servant stopped at a well outside the city, waiting until evening, the time when women came to draw water. This detail is important. The servant chose…

Abraham’s servant faced a difficult question. He wondered what to do if the woman chosen for Isaac refused to leave her homeland. Should Isaac return to Abraham’s old country? Abraham’s answer was clear. Isaac must not go back. Abraham remembered God’s promise to give the land of Canaan to his descendants. He trusted that God would…

Abraham, now old and blessed in every way, called his most trusted servant to a sacred task. He asked him to find a wife for Isaac, but not from the Canaanites. Instead, the servant was to return to Abraham’s own kin. This moment launches the longest chapter in Genesis, a chapter devoted almost entirely to the search for a godly marriage…

Abraham’s negotiation for the cave of Machpelah stands as a turning point in the story of God’s promise. After Sarah’s death, Abraham needed a permanent burial place. He approached the Hittites as a resident alien, someone without the right to own land by ordinary means. The city gate…

Sarah’s death at Hebron marked a turning point for Abraham and his family. The text notes that Abraham “went” to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. The Hebrew word used conveys the idea of going or traveling. Likely, he was not with her when she died. He had to travel to her, which suggests a physical and likely emotional distance…

These next verses may be some of those where you ask yourself why they really matter to us. Because the writer is preparing you for the events that make the next step in God’s redemptive plan possible. After Abraham’s test on Mount Moriah, the story shifts to a list of Nahor’s…

This was a hard commentary for me to write. That is for a few reasons. I will share two. First, I think that this will be a new realization for many, and you might at first say, “No way! That can’t be right!” If that is your response, I invite you to reread the verses. What do the verses actually say? Second, it brings up pain from my own past. God spoke to Abraham…

Abraham stood ready to offer Isaac, but God intervened. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. This moment reveals the heart of substitutionary atonement. The ram took Isaac’s place. God provided a substitute so that Isaac could live. Abraham named the place Yahweh-yireh, meaning…

Abraham built the altar. He arranged the wood. He bound Isaac and laid him on the altar. As Abraham raised the knife, the angel of the Lord called out, stopping him. Child sacrifice was common in Abraham’s world. Pagan religions demanded the blood of children to appease their gods. These acts were celebrated among Israel’s neighbors and…

Abraham and Isaac walked toward the place of sacrifice with a quiet faith. Abraham told his servants, “We will worship and then come back to you.” He trusted that God would provide, even as he faced the unthinkable. Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders. Isaac carried the very wood that would be used for his own…

We are now going to start reading some of what I believe are the most powerful verses in Genesis as they relate to the Good News about our Lord, Christ. God called Abraham to a test that would resonate through the ages. He instructed Abraham to take Isaac, his beloved son, and go to the land of Moriah. There, Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt…

Wells play a vital role in the culture of the Ancient Near East. Primarily, they serve as a source of life. Without wells, your family and flocks would perish. They were of such importance that wars would be fought over who owns a well. Wells also function as common gathering places for people (think of the term “watering hole”). At wells, communication…

Abimelech, king of Gerar, approached Abraham with a request for a formal oath. He brought his military chief, Phicol, and acknowledged that God was with Abraham in everything he did. Abimelech asked Abraham to swear that he would not deal falsely with him or his descendants but instead act with the same kindness that Abimelech had…

Hagar and Ishmael faced death in the desert. Their water was gone. Hagar could not bear to watch her son die, so she set him under a bush and wept at a distance. At that moment, the angel of God called to Hagar. God heard Ishmael’s cries and assured Hagar that He would make Ishmael a great nation. God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of…

God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and Ishmael away. This moment brings the theme of election back to the forefront, a thread that has run through Genesis since the days of Cain and Abel.  Araham had his own ideas about who would carry on his mission. He thought Lot might be the one, but God did not choose Lot…

Sarah’s story warns us how quickly fear can replace faith, even after God’s greatest blessings. Her actions remind us that forgetting God’s faithfulness leads to injustice and broken relationships. But God’s justice and mercy remain, even when we fail. Sarah had waited a lifetime for Isaac. God had promised, and God delivered. Yet, almost…

God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah. After twenty-five years of waiting, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Lord acted exactly as He said He would. The timing was perfect. Isaac arrived at the appointed time, showing that God controls every detail. Human limitations did not stop Him. Sarah was far beyond childbearing years, but God’s…