Vayera/and He Appeared (part 3,4&5)

Genesis 20:1-22:24

The Way of Life  

Mark Fallstead

2/17/2024

Genesis 20:1-4 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?

Genesis 20:17-18 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. For Yah had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

God is an aggressive defender of his covenant partners.  

Abraham moved from the Hebron area after the destruction of Sodom. Was it for grief and mourning that he moved, fearing Lot died with the city because Lot did not return to Abraham? Or could he have gone looking for him?  

Genesis 21:1-5 Yah visited Sarah as he had said, and Yah did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Often it is remarked, how it wasn’t till Abraham prayed for another to conceive that God opened Sarah’s womb. But it was already determined to be at the appointed time.  

Genesis 21:8-13 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (5-years old) 2Chronicals 31:16 implies weaning at 3 years old.                          

1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Yah the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of Yah and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may Yah establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. (then Samual was taken)

2:11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to Yah in the presence of Eli the priest.

How old was Samuel if he was able to minister to Yah? 3? No, 5.  

Leviticus 27:1-6 Yah spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to Yah involving the valuation of persons, then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old - If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, - If the person is from a month old up to five years old.

At 5 years old a boy would begin to be more with his father to learn what he needed to know to be a man. According to Jewish rabbinical traditions, weaning could take place anywhere between 18 months and 5 years of age. Weaning can refer to more than nursing, it could refer to coming of age.                      

If Isaac was 5 years old, and Ishmael was 13 when he was circumcised a year before Isaac was born, Ishmael would be 19 years old at this time when Isaac was weaned.  

But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing (mocking/teasing). So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”

 Genesis 22:1-5 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”(how long after? How old is Isaac?)  

Sarah died at or soon after at age 127, making Isaac up to 37 years old at the time. This is speculative but likely close, but not older than 37.

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

Genesis 22:15-19 And the angel of Yah called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares Yah, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Jasher 22:41-55.  And when Isaac was thirty-seven years old, Ishmael his brother was going about with him in the tent. And Ishmael boasted of himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to my father, and I gave my soul unto the Lord, and I did not transgress his word which he commanded my father. And Isaac answered Ishmael, saying, Why dost thou boast to me about this, about a little bit of thy flesh which thou didst take from thy body, concerning which the Lord commanded thee? As the Lord liveth, the God of my father Abraham, if the Lord should say unto my father, Take now thy son Isaac and bring him up an offering before me, I would not refrain but I would joyfully accede to it. And the Lord heard the word that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of the Lord, and he thought to try Abraham in this matter. And the day arrived when the sons of God came and placed themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with the sons of God before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said to Satan, What is thy word to me concerning all the children of the earth? And Satan answered the Lord and said, I have seen all the children of the earth who serve thee and remember thee when they require anything from thee. And when thou givest them the thing which they require from thee, they sit at their ease, and forsake thee and they remember thee no more. And the Lord said to Satan, Hast thou thus considered my servant Abraham? for there is none like him upon earth, a perfect and an upright man before me, one that feareth God and avoideth evil; as I live, were I to say unto him, Bring up Isaac thy son before me, he would not withhold him from me, much more if I told him to bring up a burnt offering before me from his flock or herds. And Satan answered the Lord and said, Speak then now unto Abraham as thou hast said, and thou wilt see whether he will not this day transgress and cast aside thy words.  

Jasher Chapter 23:1-2. At that time the word of the Lord came to Abraham, and he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, here I am. And he said to him, Take now thy son, thine only son whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which shall be shown to thee, for there wilt thou see a cloud and the glory of the Lord.