Day 6 Reading Schedule: Genesis 15-19

Genesis 15: Abram and God's Covenant of the Torch 

[Summary]

God, who called Abram in Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him a blessing, repeatedly reaffirmed the covenant and promised blessings. This was not because of God himself, but to prevent Abram, who was weak, from still believing in God and giving up the covenant. In this chapter, God promises blessings once again. However, what is unique is that God promised Abraham, who was trying to inherit the covenant through his adopted son Eliezer, that He would fulfill the blessing through his own son (verses 1-6). And through the covenant of the torch with Abram, God firmly established the covenant to give him the land of Canaan as an inheritance. However, since the sins of the Canaanites had not yet been fully realized, He told them that they would possess the land four hundred years later (verses 7-21). This shows God's justice in treating foreign nations fairly. Finally, He told them the specific boundaries of the land of Canaan that Israel would acquire in the future. This is to guarantee that the blessing of the land will definitely be realized.

The content covered in Chapter 15 of Genesis is the official signing of the covenant for the possession of the land of Canaan and numerous descendants, which was already mentioned in Chapter 12. When Abram believed in God’s covenant, God considered it as his righteousness and confirmed it. God came to Abram in a vision and made the covenant of the torch.

Genesis 16: The Discord in Abram's Family 

[Summary]

God's providence of redemption is also revealed in ways that humans cannot understand. However, if we try to accomplish things with human thinking because we cannot understand God's methods, we will only end up with wrong results. This chapter records the incident of Abraham, who doubted God's promise and tried to have descendants through human methods. When his wife Sarai could not conceive, Abram tried to have children through his concubine Hagar. Hagar, who conceived a child at this time, acted arrogantly toward her mistress Sarai and ran away because of Sarai's abuse (verses 1-6). However, Hagar met God's angel at a spring in the wilderness and heard the promise that He would bless her children to become a nation, so she returned to Abram (verses 7-14). After that, Hagar gave birth to a son named Ishmael. However, Ishmael later became the ancestor of the Arab people and continues to be the greatest threat to the Israelites to this day. This chapter shows how foolish human plans can lead to serious misfortune.

This chapter introduces the conflict that Abram experienced while waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Since Abram’s family had no children, Sarah knew that she was too old to have children, so she suggested to her husband Abram to have a son through Hagar, the maidservant she had brought from Egypt. Abram’s response to Sarah’s suggestion was due to his disbelief that he could not completely believe in God’s covenant.

Genesis 17: Abram's Renaming and Circumcision 

[Summary]

Circumcision is considered the most important ritual by the Israelites to distinguish themselves from foreigners. This chapter records the origin of this circumcision. God appeared to Abram, blessed him again, and changed his name to Abraham. As a sign of the covenant, God commanded that all of Abram's male descendants, as well as those in his household, whether foreigners or slaves, be circumcised (verses 1-14). God also promised that Abraham would have a son through his wife Sarah. However, Abraham did not believe this because he and Sarah were old. Therefore, God guaranteed that the covenant would be fulfilled by giving him the name Isaac (verses 15-19). Meanwhile, God also blessed Ishmael to become a great nation, and Abraham's entire family was circumcised (verses 20-27).

Thirteen years after Abram had Ishmael with Hagar, God appeared to Abram and renewed the covenant and told him to be circumcised. God confirmed his promise by changing Abram and Sarai’s names. He also established the circumcision ceremony as a sign of the covenant. Through Genesis 17, we learn that the institution of circumcision began in the Old Testament era.

Genesis 18: Abraham's Intercessory Prayer 

[Summary]

This chapter records the story of three angels visiting Abraham and the incident in which Abraham offered intercessory prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah, which were facing God's judgment. Abraham sat at the door of his tent and welcomed and entertained travelers who were passing by (vv. 1-7). However, they were actually Jehovah, and Jehovah blessed Abraham for welcoming him, saying that he would have a son through Sarah (vv. 8-15). Afterwards, God told Abraham that He would judge Sodom and Gomorrah, which were full of sin (vv. 16-21). Abraham offered up a fervent intercessory prayer for them six times (vv. 22-33). This appearance of Abraham foreshadows the ministry of Jesus, who intercedes for sinners.

After confirming His promise through the institution of circumcision, God, who took on human form, appeared to Abraham with two angels. At this time, God once again confirmed the covenant of salvation through Isaac, and notified Abraham of the judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham then boldly offered up a prayer of intercession for the sinners living there.

Genesis 19: The Destruction of Sodom and the Salvation of Lot 

[Overview]

This chapter shows the severity of God’s judgment on humans who turned away from God and fell into sin along with the Great Flood of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, it shows the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah, who turned away from God and pursued only pleasure (verses 1-14), and it shows God’s love and grace that saved Lot and his family even in the midst of severe judgment (verses 15-23). ​​It introduces Lot’s wife, who became a pillar of salt because she could not give up her attachment to worldly wealth and pleasure (verses 24-29). Finally, it shows the miserable consequences of Lot’s worldly choice (reference, Genesis 13:11) through the incest between Lot and his two daughters (verses 30-38).

After conversing with Abraham, the father of faith, the two angels visited Sodom at dusk to inspect the city’s sins. At that time, Lot, who was sitting at the gate, found the angels and invited them into his house and treated them warmly. However, while the angels were staying in Lot’s house, the people of Sodom committed wicked acts. Then God destroyed the city of Sodom and saved Lot’s family.