COMMENT: Is this the same beginning mentioned in John chapter 1, or is this the beginning of the six days of creation? Either way, God did it. This beginning is relative as far as we are concerned. If we look at John 1:1 we are told of a time so far back it is beyond our imagination. The beginning has less to with time as we think of time and more to do with Who and what. God is the originator of all things, even you and me.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] He made everything. Apart from Him nothing came into being.

2 The earth had no shape. Darkness was everywhere. And the Spirit of God moved over the waters that covered the earth.

COMMENT: In other words, there were no mountains or hills. It says that water covered the earth and there was only darkness. The Spirit of God, the third Person of the Godhead is mention here as being present at creation. Creation of this earth was a joint effort on the part of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They planned it and made it happen.

Day 1
3 God said, "Let there be light." And there was light.

COMMENT: What we are reading may well be what Moses saw more than a scientific explanation. Since the sun is not mentioned until the fourth day of creation, we may assume that it was not yet providing light for the earth. Whether or not the earth was orbiting the sun on that first day, we will have to wait for heaven for an explanation. Besides, where God is, there is light.

4 God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness.

COMMENT: Light is separated from darkness on this earth by the rotation of the earth. One can imagine that setting the rotation of this earth may be more involved than it may seem at first glance. And God may have caused other things to happen beneath the surface of the earth.

5 God called the light day and He called the darkness night. This was the first evening and morning, one day.

COMMENT: The light was God's presence and would have caused night and day on the spinning globe. Can't you see God setting the earth to spinning, just the right speed on just the right axis. According to the Genesis creation account, the sun was not visible until the fourth day. Whether the sun was merely hidden, not turned on, or not yet created, we are not told. If we want scientific answers, because of our understanding of the earth orbiting the sun, or any other questions we may pose because of our limited understanding of God's laws, we may have to wait for heaven to have an explanation. In the mean time, God says it. I believe it. That's good enough for me. I know from the accounts in the book of Joshua and Isaiah that things can take place outside of the laws of nature as we understand them. After all, God is light.

Joshua 10:12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day that the LORD delivered the Amorites to Israel, and he said in the hearing of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, remain in the valley of Aijalon."

Isaiah 38:8 "Behold, I will cause the sun's shadow on the stairway to go back ten steps." So the sun's shadows moved back ten steps on the stairway.

Isaiah 60:19 "The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you at night. For the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

Day 2
6 Next God said, "Let there be air to separate the waters below from the waters above." 7 So God made the sky between the waters on the earth and waters above the earth. 8 God called the air between the waters above and the waters below heaven. This took place in an evening and a morning, the second day.

COMMENT: A barrier above the atmosphere would have shielded the earth's inhabitants from the sun's harmful radiation. And it would have filtered the sun's light making it less harsh.

Day 3
9 Then God gathered the waters under the heavens together into one place making dry land appear. 10 He called the dry land Earth and the waters He called Seas. He saw that what He had done was good. 11 Then He made vegetation. There were plants bearing seed and capable of reproducing. And there were fruit trees bearing fruit capable of reproducing from its seed. 12 So the earth brought forth grass and herbs, each with its own seed, and trees with fruit containing its own seed after its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 He did this during the evening and the morning of the third day.

COMMENT: The account of creation shows that God made these things before the sun is mentioned. This refutes the idea that each day is a long period of time. Where God is, there is no need of light, for God is light.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Him and declare to you. God is light and there is no darkness in Him.

Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun, or the moon, because the glory of God was its light, as was the glory of the Lamb.

Day 4
14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the heavens to divide the day from the night. They are to determine the seasons, the days and the years." 15 "Let their light shine upon the earth." Here is what He did. 16 He made two great lights, the greater light was to rule the day and the lesser light was to rule the night. He also made stars. 17 God set these in the sky to give light to the earth. 18 They were to rule over the day and the night, dividing the light from the darkness. God saw that what He had done was good. 19 And this evening and morning were the fourth day.

COMMENT: While it is true that our limited understanding of the laws of God's universe make it hard to understand how the sun is not mentioned until the fourth day, we know that God inspired Moses to write this, and therefore it is a true statement. We will probably have to wait until we get to heaven for an explanation.

1 Corinthians 2:7 We speak of the mystery of hidden wisdom which God ordained to our glory before the world was.

Day 5
20 Then God said, "Let the waters bring forth moving creatures in abundance and birds to fly in the air above the earth." 21 He created great sea creatures and other creatures that live in the water. These were abundant, and each was capable of reproducing after its own kind. God was please with all of this. 22 He blessed these creatures, saying, "Be fruitful and fill the waters in the sea, and let the birds multiply on the earth." 23 And that evening and morning was the fifth day.

Day 6
24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures, each after its own kind: cattle as well as creeping things and other kinds of beasts on the dry land." And it was so. 25 God made them all, beasts, cattle and creeping things, each one after its own kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 And then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish and the birds, the cattle, as well as the other beasts and everything that moves on the ground." 27 So God created man in His own image. He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 And God said to them, "I have given you every herb bearing seed and every tree bearing fruit with seed to be your food." 30 "And to the beasts of the earth, the birds of the air and every creeping thing I have given every green herb." And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made and it was very good. And this evening and morning was the sixth day.

COMMENT: Thus we see an account of creation week, when this earth was fitted for mankind's habitation and enjoyment. In their perfect state, Adam and Eve needed no entertainment beyond their pleasant work and communion with their Creator. The next chapter talks more about the creation of man and woman.

Genesis 2 - RWB Paraphrase (25 V)
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God Finished Creation in Six Days and Rested on the Seventh Day
1 The previous chapter told us how the earth with its atmosphere was created along with everything else on the earth.

Day 7
2 And on the seventh day God rested from all His work of creating the earth and its inhabitants. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it aside because it was the day after He had finished creating the earth.

COMMENT: How wonderful to celebrate the earth's birthday every week. This is the time to come away from our regular work and spend time with each other, and most importantly with God. What a wonderful invitation. Does it make sense to remember this birthday whenever we choose? Or should we honor the day God has specifically appointed for this purpose?

4 This is the account of the time when God created the heavens and the earth.

God Made Adam From Dust
5 There was a time just before God had made man when no herb had yet grown, for God had not watered the earth and there was no one to cultivate the ground. 6 Then a mist went up from the earth and watered everything. 7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground.

COMMENT: We were not formed from something otherworldly. God created us from the ground and when we die we return to the ground.

Genesis 3:19 "Eating will require your sweat until you return to the dust of the ground from which you were taken. You are dust and to dust you shall return."

8 The LORD God planted a garden to the east in Eden where He put the man He had made. 9 And out of the ground the LORD made every tree grow that is pleasant to look at and good for food. And He placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden. He also placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there.

COMMENT: In that perfect environment there was to be choice between doing what God asks or doing our own will. When we choose to know evil it is the beginning of sorrows and ends in death.

10 A river flowed out of Eden. After watering the garden it split into four rivers. 11 The first is named Pison. It goes through the entire land of Havilah where there is gold. 12 The gold there is of a fine quality. It also has bdellium and onyx stone. 13 The second river is Gihon. It flows through all of Ethiopia. 14 The third river is the Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. 16 He told the man that he could eat freely of any tree in the garden, 17 except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From this tree he was never to eat. Should he eat from this tree he would surely die.

COMMENT: What a seemingly simple test of obedience.

God Made a Helper for Adam
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make someone suitable as his helper."

COMMENT: She was created to help Adam. Adam did not have to train her to help him. She was made that way, just the way we are made to serve the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:3 I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man. The head of the woman is man and God is the head of Christ.

19 So the LORD God brought every sort of beast and bird to Adam to see what he would call it, and that became its name. 20 Adam gave names to all the cattle, to every bird and to every beast of the field. But he did not find even one who could be his helper.

COMMENT: The LORD God wanted Adam to recognize his need before it was supplied. As wonderful as the companionship of some animals can be, nothing compares to that of another person, one who is an equal.

21 Then the LORD God caused Adam to sleep. While he slept God took out one of his ribs and closed up the opening.

COMMENT: Don't you imagine that Adam carried that scare for at least awhile. Whenever Eve saw it she would be reminded of where she came from. Yes she came from God's hand, but He brought her forth from Adam.

22 And from Adam's rib He made the woman and brought her to the man.

COMMENT: Adam and Eve had the same DNA.

23 When Adam saw her he recognized that she was like him. He called her Woman because she was taken out of Man. 24 This is the reason a man leaves his father and mother, to be joined to his wife, so that they become one flesh.

COMMENT: God in His all seeing plan has made it so that a husband wife may even share DNA.

25 They were both naked and were not ashamed.

COMMENT: As a rule, we want to be covered. God made us to be modest. The question is sometimes asked, "What makes for immodesty?"

Genesis 3 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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The Serpent Tempts Eve
1 At that time the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. The serpent spoke to the woman, saying, "Is there any tree in the garden that God has told you that you must not eat from?" 2 The woman answered, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of this garden."

COMMENT: She did not recognize that she was being tempted. One of the first rules for dealing with temptation is not to dialogue with it. Do not let one's thoughts continue to dwell on it. But she was beguiled. She was tricked. She had been told to stay close to her husband. Together they had a better possibility of recognizing the tempter and staying clear of his temptations. Today you and I need to stay close to Jesus in order to deal with temptation. As we face life without a connection with Jesus, we will always be beguiled.

3 But God told us we may not eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, or touch it. If we do this we will die.

COMMENT: When dealing with temptation speaking truth is not enough. We must run from temptation.

4 The serpent said to the woman, "You will not die." 5 "God knows that on the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

COMMENT: The idea that there is something more which must be had in order to be truly happy is the basis for so much sorrow in today's world. It results in debts that rob us of present and future happiness as we find ourselves slaves without resources because we wanted what we did not have. Sin is a debt that is paid in death.

Eve Gives the Forbidden Fruit to Adam and He Eats It Too
6 When the woman saw the tree as good for food, she liked what she saw, and believed it would make her wise. So she picked some of its fruit and ate it. Then she took some to her husband, and he ate it with her, and disobeyed with her. 7 Both of them now had their eyes opened. They saw that they were naked. Feeling the need to be covered, they made aprons from fig leaves to cover themselves.

God Comes Looking for Adam and Eve
8 In the cool of the evening they heard the LORD God walking in the garden and they hid themselves among the trees, for they didn't want Him to see them. 9 The LORD God called to Adam, saying, "Where are you?" 10 Adam answered, "I heard your voice in the garden and was afraid, because I was naked and hid myself."

COMMENT: How pathetic they must have appeared, covered with fig leaves and guilt.

11 God said, "Who told you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree I told you not to eat from?"

COMMENT: It is always interesting to observe God asking a question He knows the answer to.

12 And the man answered, "The woman you gave me brought some of its fruit to me and I ate it."

COMMENT: Adam may have been thinking, "I have done a terrible thing. There must be a way I do not have to be totally responsible. Must I die?"

13 Then The LORD God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman replied, "The serpent deceived me and I ate from the tree."

COMMENT: Like Adam, Eve hoped there was some way she would not have to die. Must she bear the responsibility for her actions?

14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this you are cursed above all cattle and beasts of the field. You will move about on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life."

COMMENT: Why did God hold the serpent responsible for what Satan had done? Was it a way of always reminding Adam and Eve of the choice they had made whenever they saw a snake? And when God said the serpent must eat dust, was He saying that the serpent would get dust in his mouth because he was always so close to the ground, or was God saying his diet would be the creatures God had made from the dust? What a horrible thing it must have been for Adam and Eve to watch the snake take life as it ate.

15 "I will put animosity between your offspring and her offspring. One from her seed will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel."

COMMENT: Here the Lord placed the snake as the symbol of the Devil. He would eventually be destroyed by Someone born into the human family.

16 And He said to the woman, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth and your conception. Nevertheless, your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

COMMENT: Eve would no longer enjoy perfect harmony with her husband. Her endeavor to reach a higher plane resulted in less than perfect happiness in her home life. And the joy of having children would be preceded by extreme pain.

17 To Adam He said, "Because you have listened to your wife and eaten from the tree which I commanded you not to eat from, lest you die, the ground is now cursed. Making a living and getting what you need from it will be a struggle all the days of your life." 18 "Thorns and thistles will vie for space with the plants you grow in the field." 19 "Eating will require your sweat until you return to the dust of the ground from which you were taken. You are dust and to dust you shall return."

COMMENT: Before his sin Adam could look forward to life without death. Death was a foreign concept. Now he must die. He would have no existence once he died. Only God lives eternally. And those who choose to live within His law may have life as long as they respect the limits of His law. God's law provides for man's greatest happiness. It is not limiting, but instead, enlivening. Life within God's law is ever expanding and more meaningful. He has only our best interest in mind.

20 Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and Eve so that they would not be naked.

COMMENT: It seems likely that these garments were made from a lamb, the first one sacrificed in their behalf. How it must have hurt God, and Adam and Eve, to see this lamb die because of their sin. God was looking forward to the death of His Son, our only remedy for our sin. And Adam and Eve were just beginning to understand what this would cost God.

22 And the LORD God said, "See, the man has become like Us, knowing good and evil. If he continues to eat from the tree he will live forever." 23 So the LORD God sent Adam out of the garden to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 Then He stationed cherubim with flaming swords at the garden's edge to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 4 - RWB Paraphrase (26 V)
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Adam and Eve Have Cain and Abel
1 Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, "The LORD has given me a manchild." 2 She had another son whom she named Abel. He was a shepherd of flocks while Cain cultivated the ground.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of his produce as an offering to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought an offering from the best of his flock. The LORD showed regard for Abel and his offering. 5 God showed no regard for Cain and his offering. This made Cain despondent and then angry.

COMMENT: Cain wasn't just bringing and offering. He was bringing and offering that was meant to take the place of the lamb God had ordained as a sin offering. Cain made the mistake of using logic to make a substitute for what God had clearly specified. Cain may have figured that since Abel was bringing an offering from his avocation, why shouldn't he, Cain, bring an offering from his line of work? Cain's mistake came from reasoning that doing exactly what God had said was not actually necessary. Eve made this same mistake. God said do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She questioned if there might be a way other that what God had said? Logic can get in the way of obedience when it sets aside God's explicit direction. People before the flood used logic to determine that a flood was impossible. Logic was their undoing.

6 The LORD spoke to Cain, asking him, "Why are you angry?" 7 "If you do well will it not make you happy? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door trying to control you. You must master it."

COMMENT: Here is the secret to true happiness. To do well is to do what God asks of us. To do our own thing is a sure recipe for unhappiness. We mistakenly think our perverted desire will satisfy us, if even for a little while. If only we could always remember that obedience is the only way to happiness. When faced with temptation, like Joseph we need to say, "How can I do this great sin against God?"

Cain Kills Abel
8 Cain found a time to talk with his brother Abel while they were in the field. Here he attacked Abel and killed him. 9 The LORD came to Cain and asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?" He replied, "I do not know. Is it my responsibility to keep track of him?"

COMMENT: Here again we see an example of God asking a question He already knows the answer to. Some questions are for our benefit. We never provide God with knowledge. But as we are open minded and consider God's question we may find an answer we need to consider.

10 Then God said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground."

COMMENT: He who gives life takes note when life ceases.

Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you to be used to make atonement for your souls."

11 "Now you are cursed from the ground which received your brother's blood when you killed him." 12 "From now on when you cultivate the ground it will not yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a vagrant on the earth." 13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great for me!" 14 "You have driven me from the use of the ground and from Your presence. As a fugitive and a vagrant I will be killed by whoever finds me."

COMMENT: Somehow Cain was prevented from being able to grow things. Was Cain incapable of repentance? His punishment seems to have hardened him.

15 The LORD said to Cain, "Whoever kills you will have vengeance taken on him sevenfold." For this reason the LORD set a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him.

16 Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settle in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 He had relations with his wife and she conceived and bore a son named Enoch. Cain built a city and named it after his son.

COMMENT: People sometimes ask were Cain's wife came from? She was his sister. Genesis does not make note of every birth. It does say that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters.

18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad had a son named Mehujael. Mehujael had a son named Methusael and Methusael had a son named Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women. One was named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. His descendants lived in tents and had livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal whose descendants played the lyre, the harp and the pipe. 22 Zillah gave birth to TubalCain. He forged things of bronze and iron. His sister was Naamaah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to what I say. I killed a young man for striking and wounding me." 24 "If Cain is to be avenged sevenfold, then I should be avenged seventy-sevenfold."

25 Adam had relations with his wife again and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, "For," she said, "God has appointed another son to replace Abel whom Cain killed." 26 And Seth had a son whose name was Enos. It was at this time that men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 5 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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A List of Men From Adam to Noah and How Long They Lived
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

COMMENT: As children we are created in the likeness of our parents. Adam was created in the likeness of God, so each of us are also in the likeness of God.

2 He created them male and female. He blessed them and named them Man when He created them.

COMMENT: Men and women were both created in God's image. God Himself referred to them both as Man, or Mankind. There is now a decided effort to always say, men and women, or women and men, as though women would otherwise be overlooked. But God called them Man.

Adam - Formed By God From The Red Soil
3 Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, according to his own image, and named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam live eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 All the days of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died.

Seth - Anointed, Compensation
6 Seth lived one hundred and five years before he became the father of Enosh. 7 Then he lived another eight hundred and seven years after Enosh was born. And he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all of his days were nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died.

Enosh - Denotes Man As Frail And Mortal
9 Enosh lived ninety years and then became the father of Cainan. 10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after Cainan was born, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

Cainan - Uncertain Meaning
12 Cainan lived seventy years before he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years after Mahalalel was born and he had other sons and daughters. 14 So all of Cainan's days were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

Mahalalel - Praise Of God
15 Mahalalel lived sixty five years before becoming the Father of Jared. 16 Then he lived another eight hundred and thirty years and had other sons and daughters. 17 And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety five years, and he died.

Jared - Rose (Flower)
18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty two years and he became the father of Enoch. 19 Then he lived another eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 20 And all of the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty two years, and he died.

Enoch - Dedicated, Trained
21 Enoch lived sixty five years and then became the father of Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after Methuselah was born. He also had other sons and daughters. 23 All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty five years. 24 Enoch walked with God. And he was not found, for God took him. Methuselah - Man Of The Javelin
25 And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived another seven hundred and eighty two years and had other sons and daughters. 27 So all of Methuselah's days were nine hundred and sixty nine years, and he died.

Lamech - Possibly To Make Low
28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty two years, and became the father of a son. 29 He called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands from working the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 Then Lamech lived another five hundred and ninety five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy seven years, and he died.

Noah - Comfort, Long-Lived, Repose
32 Noah was five hundred years old when he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

COMMENT: We aren't told when each of his sons were born. According to Genesis 10:21, Shem was the oldest. So the others were born later.

Genesis 10:21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born.

Genesis 6 - RWB Paraphrase (22 V)
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The Earth Becomes Corrupt
1 It came about that when ungodly men began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the godly young men saw the daughters of the ungodly as very desirable. They took these young women as wives without considering their spiritual condition. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man. He is flesh and is prone to sin. His days shall be shortened to one hundred and twenty years."

COMMENT: In the previous chapter we note that many of the men listed lived over nine hundred years. Shortening their lives to one hundred and twenty years is a dramatic change. Of course, those living before the flood seemed to have some environmental advantage. Perhaps the water God placed above the air had been removed.

Genesis 1:6 Next God said, "Let there be air to separate the waters below from the waters above."

4 There were giants on the earth in those days. As the godly men married the ungodly women, their children became the renowned mighty men of old. 5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the heart was evil continually. 6 He was deeply grieved that He had made man on the earth. 7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created. I will destroy man and animal, creeping things and the birds, for I am sorry that I made them."

COMMENT: In blotting out man and beast, God was doing at least two things. He was getting rid of those animals that He had not originally created and He was stemming the tide of evil that had such a hold on mankind. With the flood He was altering the way the earth worked. The lush topsoil would be gone and it would become more difficult to raise crops. The environment would be so changed that men's lives would be shortened.

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time and he walked with the LORD. 10 He became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and filled with violence. 12 As God looked over the earth, He saw that all flesh had corrupted their ways. 13 God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all flesh, for the earth is filled with their violence."

COMMENT: There will come a time when the earth will once again be so filled with violence that God will be compelled to destroy all but those He will take to heaven.

Psalms 68:21 Surely God will destroy those who continue their guilty deeds.

Psalms 94:23 He has brought their wickedness upon themselves. The LORD God will destroy them.

14 "Make an ark of gopher wood with rooms in it and cover it with pitch inside and out." 15 "Here is the plan you shall use. The length of the ark will be three hundred cubits (450 feet). Its breadth will be fifty cubits (75 feet) and its height thirty cubits (45 feet)."

COMMENT: It has been observed by some boat builders that this is a perfect ratio of length to width and height.

16 "Make a window for the ark one cubit (18 inches) from the top. Set a door on the side, and make the ark with a lower, second and third deck."

COMMENT: This window may have been for much of the length of the boat to provide adequate ventilation. It was probably the window from which Noah would release the dove and the raven to determine if the water was receding from the earth.

God Establishes His Covenant with Noah
17 "Behold, I am bringing a flood upon the earth to destroy all flesh, everything with the breath of life. Everything on the earth shall perish."

COMMENT: Although Noah had never seen a flood, his relationship with God was such that he believed Him.

18 "But I will establish My covenant with you. You shall enter the ark with your wife, your sons, and your son's wives." 19 "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring a male and a female into the ark, so that they will be kept alive with you through the flood." 20 "This will include each kind of bird and each kind of animal, as well as every creeping thing. There will be two of everything in order to keep them alive through the flood." 21 "And you are to take food for yourself and all the animals with you." 22 Noah did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.

COMMENT: Without question this took tremendous faith on the part of Noah. He took God at His word and this is why God chose him. This preparation took years. He built the boat just as God directed and outfitted it for his family and all the animals.

Genesis 7 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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Noah And His Family Enter The Ark With The Animals
1 The LORD said to Noah, "I want you to enter the ark with your household, because you alone are righteous before Me at this time." 2 You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, both male his female. Of the unclean animals take only one pair, a male and his female."

COMMENT: When God instructed Noah to take seven of each of the clean animals, a male and his female, was He specifying seven pairs, or seven animals. This does not seem clear. In the case of the clean animals, such as sheep and cattle, one male would suffice for six females. However, when Noah came out of the ark, he sacrificed one of every clean animal. For this reason, seven pairs would seen prudent. After the flood God intended that the clean animals be more plentiful since man would rely more on these.

3 "Of the birds take seven, male and female, to keep them alive on the earth." 4 "Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will blot out every living thing on the earth." 5 Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. 6 When the flood of water came on the earth Noah was six hundred years old.

7 So Noah and his wife, and their sons with their wives, entered the ark to escape the flood waters. 8 And there came into the ark clean and unclean animals, birds and other creatures that creep on the ground. 9 They came into the ark by twos, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. 10 And so it was that after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day, the fountains of the deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.

COMMENT: On the second day of creation God devised an underground watering system. It had not rain on the earth before the flood. At the flood God caused this water system to burst forth, bringing torrents of water to the surface. We are also told that water rained down from the sky. This was the water mentioned as being placed above the air. Whatever form this water above took, it served several purposes while it remained suspended above the sky. It filtered harmful radiation from the sun, and had a higher level of oxygen in the atmosphere. This would account for the evidence in coal deposits of much larger plant life and many larger animals. It also must have helped to make the temperature of the atmosphere more even over the entire earth, including the poles. Some of these reasons may have contributed to men living so much longer before the flood.

Genesis 1:6-8 Next God said, "Let there be air to separate the waters below from the waters above." [7] So God made the sky between the waters on the earth and waters above the earth. [8] God called the air between the waters above and the waters below heaven. This took place in an evening and a morning, the second day.

12 And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

COMMENT: Is forty days significant?

13 Noah and his family, along the animals, entered the ark on the same day,

COMMENT: They did not enter on the same day it rained, but they did enter the ark together on the same day.

14 they and every beast after its kind, all the cattle after their kind, everything that creeps on the earth after its kind, and all sorts of birds, each after its kind. 15 So they all went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life.

COMMENT: Noah and his family did not have to go out and find the animals. God, or His angels, brought them to the ark.

16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded Noah. After everything was inside, the LORD closed the door.

COMMENT: How the watching people must have wondered to see animals entering the ark, seemingly unguided and pretty much at the same time. Talk about a sign. Any one of them could have gone into the ark, too, and been saved. Like many of us, they waited just a little longer to watch developments. Then the door of the ark was shut. It took faith to enter the ark. And it took even more faith to ride out the storm. It also would take faith as they waited for the floodwaters to recede. This was a case for patience of the saints.

The Flood Came After God Closed the Door of the Ark
17 And the flood came upon the earth for forty days. As the water increased it lifted the ark up from the earth.

COMMENT: The number forty is found quite often in the Bible. Some examples are given � here.
It rained forty days during the flood
The Children of � Israel were in the wilderness for forty years
Moses twice remained in � the mountain with God for forty days, the second time without bread or � water
Elijah went forty days on the strength of the food the angel � gave him
Moses was about forty when he fled from Egypt
Moses � herded sheep for forty years for his father-in-law
Moses was forty � years in the wilderness with the Children of Israel
Jonah's message � was that in forty days Nineveh would be overthrown
Jesus was tempted � by Satan for forty days
Jesus was with the disciples for forty days � after His resurrection
Saul, David and Solomon each reigned for forty � years.

Does the number forty in some way represent completion?

18 The floodwaters prevailed, covering more and more of the earth with the ark floating on its surface. 19 The waters prevailed, rising higher and higher, until every mountain was covered, 20 until it was fifteen cubits (nearly 25 feet) higher than the highest mountain. 21 All flesh that moved on the earth perished: birds, cattle, beasts and every creeping thing. And all mankind perished, too, 22 for everything on dry land that had the breath of life died. 23 In this way God blotted out every living thing on the face of the earth: men, animals and birds. All were destroyed by the flood. Only Noah was left with those in the ark with him. 24 The water prevailed upon the earth for one hundred and fifty days (about five months).

COMMENT: Noah and his family had regular daily work as they cared for the animals and kept the ark clean.

Genesis 8 - RWB Paraphrase (22 V)
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God Remembered Noah and Everything in the Ark
1 God remembered Noah and everything in the ark. And He caused a wind to pass over the earth to make the water subside. 2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed and the rain stopped. 3 The waters receded steadily and at the end of one hundred and fifty days (five months) the waters were much lower. 4 In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest within the mountains of Ararat.

COMMENT: Imagine their excitement as they felt and heard the ark rubbing up against the ground after all those months of floating freely. The ark may have bumped against large trees during the storm and even after the storm when the winds blew so hard. But this must have seemed different, finally a moment of hope.

5 The waters continued to decrease until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month the tops of mountains were visible.

COMMENT: It must have been depressing to look out the window at the top of the ark and see naked mountains, no longer covered with the verdure that had been everywhere before the flood.

Noah Sends Out a Dove
6 After another forty days Noah opened the window of the ark, 7 and sent out a raven. It flew back and forth over the earth until the water was dried up. 8 So he sent out a dove, to see if the waters were down enough to leave dry ground. 9 The dove found no place to rest and returned to the ark. 10 Noah waited seven more days before sending the dove out once more. 11 Toward evening the dove returned with a freshly picked olive leaf. Then Noah knew that the flood waters had gone down. 12 Seven days later he sent the dove out once more. This time she did not return to the ark.

13 In the six hundred and first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw that the ground was dry. 14 It was the second month and the twenty seventh day the earth was dry.

God Told Noah That Everyone Could Leave The Ark
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "go out from the ark with your wife and your sons and your son's wives." 17 "Bring every living thing out of the ark, birds, animals and every creeping thing, that they may breed and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah and his family went out of the ark. 19 And all of the beasts, birds and creeping things went out from the ark. 20 Noah built an alter to the LORD and took one of every clean animal and clean bird, and offered each as a burnt offering to the LORD. 21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma and said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man whose thoughts are always evil. And I will never again destroy every living thing as I did in the flood."

COMMENT: God was pleased that Noah was willing to sacrifice animals which would have brought him personal gain. But Noah was trusting God to increase everything as He had before the flood. That was what the sweet smell was all about. God does not delight in the death of animals, but He does delight in man being less interested in himself.

22 "While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease."

Genesis 9 - RWB Paraphrase (29 V)
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God Blessed Noah And His Sons
1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful. Multiply and fill the earth." 2 "Every beast of the earth and all the birds will fear you. Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority." 3 "I have given you every thing that is alive as food along with the green plants." 4 "But you must not to eat flesh with its blood." 5 "If you eat the blood of animals I will require your blood."

COMMENT: The time would come when animals carried disease and if the blood were removed from the animal before eating its flesh, it would be safer for them to then eat the animal. God was not giving permission to eat every animal, for it says that seven clean animals came onto the ark and only two of the unclean. There was a difference and Noah and his family understood the difference.

6 "And whoever sheds man's blood, then his blood shall be shed, for man is made in the image of God." 7 "But you are to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth with your descendants."

8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons, saying, 9 "I am establishing a covenant with you and your descendants," 10 "and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the cattle and every beast of the earth, with everything that came out of the ark." 11 "I am establishing My covenant with you when I promise that I will never again send a flood of water to destroy all life on the earth."

COMMENT: This must have been very good news for Noah and his family.

12 And God said, "Here is the sign of this covenant I am making with you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations."

COMMENT: In other words, from this point forward.

The Sign of God's Covenant with the Earth
13 "I am setting My bow in the clouds as a sign of My covenant with the earth."

COMMENT: Evidently before the flood there hadn't been moisture in the air above to create a rainbow.

14 "And whenever I bring a cloud over the earth, the bow will be seen in the cloud."

COMMENT: A cloud rolling up from the horizon could bring memories of the preliminaries to the flood. Not to worry. God was promising no more world wide flood, ever.

15 "I will remember My covenant with you and every living creature. Never again shall a flood of water destroy all flesh."

COMMENT: How it must have grieved God to witness man and beast perishing in the flood waters.

16 "When the bow is in the cloud, I will look upon it and remember My everlasting covenant with every living creature on the earth."

COMMENT: God loves the animals too.

17 And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all flesh on the earth."

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 From Noah's three sons the whole earth was populated.

20 Noah began farming and he planted a vineyard. 21 In time he drank the wine of it. He became drunk and lay in his tent uncovered. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside. 23 So Shem and Japheth took a garment and laying it on their shoulders, walked backwards to cover their father, being careful not to see his nakedness.

COMMENT: It was different in those days. A person's nakedness was not to be seen. Our culture takes a very perverted view of what is acceptable.

24 When Noah awoke from the affects of the wine, he learned what his youngest son had done. 25 He said, "Canaan is cursed. He shall be a servant of servants to his brothers."

COMMENT: Evidently we are entirely too casual about nakedness. This must have taken place some time after the flood. Noah had started a vineyard. Canaan was listed as Ham's fourth son. Families often had more children then were listed, but we understand that Canaan was not Ham's oldest son.

Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan.

26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant."

COMMENT: What a curse. It was not pronounced on all Ham's children, but on Canaan, his firstborn.

27 May God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem. And let Canaan be his servant.

COMMENT: The question arises, will Canaan be a servant of Japheth or Shem, or both?

28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. 29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.

COMMENT: Noah lived down to Abraham's time. That is ten generations after the flood. If each generation averaged five children that would have been almost 25,000 people. Increase the average number of children per family to eight and you get over 3,000,000 people on the earth at the time of Abraham. It is interesting that there were ten generations from Adam to Noah and ten more generations from Shem to Abraham. Of course, people lived so much longer before the flood resulting in many more people at the time of the flood after ten generations. .

Genesis 10 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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A List of the Generations of Noah's Sons
1 Here is a list of the generations of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and the sons born to them after the flood.

Japheth - May He Expand
2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. 5 By these the coastlands of the nations were organized, according to each language, with families forming nations.

Ham - Hot, Heat, Brown
6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabtechah. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush became the father of Nimrod who became mighty on the earth. 9 He was known for being a mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth to Assyria to build Nineveh, Rehoboth and Calah, 12 and Resen which was between Nineveh and Calah. This city became great. 13 Mizraim became father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim and Casluhim from which the Philistines and Caphtorim came. 15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. 19 The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza, then over toward Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, languages and lands by nations.

Shem - Renown
21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born.

COMMENT: Here we see that Shem was older than Japheth. And earlier we saw that Ham was the youngest. So the order of their births was Shem, Japheth and Ham. However different translations of the Bible do not agree on this point. Being the oldest son is not a requirement for God's special blessing. Consider Joseph, next to the youngest of twelve, and David who was the youngest of eight.

22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram.

COMMENT: Arpachshad is listed here as the third son of Shem, yet he was born two years after the flood. So the order of birth may not be correctly listed unless other sons were born before the flood. The Biblical account plainly states that only eight people were on the ark.

Genesis 11:10 Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

23 And the sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether and Mash.

Arpachshad - Healer, Releaser
24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.

Peleg - Brook, A Little River
25 Two sons were born to Eber. One was Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.

COMMENT: The phrase of the earth being divided has caused some speculation. Some suggest that this is pointing to a time when the continents move away from each other. A careful look at a world map might suggest that North and South America can be shown to fit up against Europe and Africa. Another explanation is that the phrase refers to the time when God confused the language of the people who were building the Tower of Babal.

Genesis 11:1 After the flood all the people used one language.

Genesis 11:6-8 He said, "See how the people are one people with one language. This is just the beginning. They will be able to do whatever they propose to do." [7] "Let Us confuse their language. Then they will not understand one another." [8] So the LORD scattered them over the whole earth and they stopped building the city.

26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jarah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All of these were the sons of Joktan. 30 They settled the land from Mesha on towards Sephar, on the way to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, languages, lands and nations.

32 These are families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies by their nations as they were separated on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 11 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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The LORD Confounded the Language of All the Earth
1 After the flood all the people used one language. 2 As they journeyed east, they settled on a plain in the land of Shinar. 3 They decided to make bricks, burning them thoroughly. They used the bricks in place of stones and for mortar they used tar.

COMMENT: This may have been a new concept in building. Not as aesthetically pleasing to look at, bricks were nevertheless easier to come by and easier to lay up than stone, which may have had to come from some distance. Brick making material no doubt came from near by.

4 Their plan was to build a city with a tower that would reach into heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the whole earth.

COMMENT: Some sources say that the tower was built about seven hundred years after the flood. If you can keep a great number of people in one place, you make them dependent on government and then you have a ready work force. It says that they hoped to reach heaven, which probably referred to the air above the earth. At any rate, they wanted to be above any future flood. They did not believe what God said about never sending another flood.

Genesis 9:11 "I am establishing My covenant with you when I promise that I will never again send a flood of water to destroy all life on the earth."

5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 He said, "See how the people are one people with one language. This is just the beginning. They will be able to do whatever they propose to do." 7 "Let Us confuse their language. Then they will not understand one another." 8 So the LORD scattered them over the whole earth and they stopped building the city. 9 The city's name was called Babel because the LORD confounded the language of all the earth. The LORD did this as a way to scattered the people over the whole earth.

A Listing Of The Generations From Shem To Abraham
Shem - Renowned
10 Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad. He had other sons and daughters.

Arpachshad - Healer, Releaser
12 Arpachshad lived thirty five years and became the father of Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.

Shelah - That Breaks, Unties, Undresses
14 Shelah lived thirty years and became the father of Eber. 15 And Shelah lived four hundred and three years after becoming the father of Eber and he had other sons and daughters.

Eber - One That Passes, Anger
16 Eber lived thirty four years before becoming the father of Peleg. 17 And Eber lived four hundred and thirty more years having other sons and daughters.

Peleg - Brook, A Little River
18 Peleg lived thirty years and became the father of Reu. 19 Then he lived another two hundred and nine years having more sons and daughters.

Reu - His Friend, His Shepherd
20 Reu lived thirty two years before becoming the father of Serug. 21 Then Reu lived two hundred and seven more years having other sons and daughters.

Serug - Branch
22 Serug lived thirty years before becoming the father of Nahor. 23 Then he lived an additional two hundred years and had other sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty nine years and then became the father of Terah. 25 After this Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years and fathered other sons and daughters.

Terah - One Banished
26 Terah lived seventy years and became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

COMMENT: .

27 Here is the record of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died while his father Terah was living in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Abram - Exalted Father
29 Abram and Nahor took wives. Abram's wife was Sarai and Nahor's wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran. Her sister was Iscah.

Sarai - Quarrelsome
30 Sarai was unable to have children.

31 Terah took his son Abram and Abram's wife Sarai, who was his daughter-in-law, and his grandson Lot, who was Haran's son, and left Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran, and settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years and he died in Haran.

Genesis 12 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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The Lord Told Abram to Leave His Country
1 The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country and the relatives in your father's house. I want you to go to a land I will show you." 2 "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing." 3 "I will bless those who bless you and if anyone curses you I will curse him. Through you all the people of the world will be blessed."

COMMENT: This will be most completely fulfilled when Jesus is born of his line.

4 So Abram followed the LORD's command. He left Haran for Canaan taking Lot went with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all of their possessions and the people they had acquired in Haran and they traveled to Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land as far as the oak of Moreh at Shechem. The inhabitants of the land were Canaanites.

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am giving this land to your descendants." So Abram built and alter to the LORD who had appeared to him there.

COMMENT: God didn't say that He was giving the land to Abram, but to his descendants.

8 Then he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel. There he pitched his tent between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an alter to the LORD and called upon His name. 9 After that Abram journeyed toward the Negev.

10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt where he stayed for a while because the famine was severe.

COMMENT: Wasn't this the land of promise that God planned to give to Abram? These famines came somewhat regularly. Were they a judgment against the inhabitants?

11 Before reaching Egypt Abram said to his wife Sarai, "You are a beautiful woman." 12 "The Egyptians will say, 'She is his wife,' and they will kill me but keep you alive." 13 "Please say that you are my sister so that they will not kill me in order to have you."

COMMENT: It would appear that Abram did not wish to protect his wife at all cost. Did he consider her to be an equal? There was no international law. People took what they wanted. But at the same time, leaders of other nations seemed to have respect for God, for some of them made reference to Him when they made decisions.

Genesis 20:9-11 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, "How have I sinned against you that you should cause me to sin? You should not have treated me this way." [10] "Why did you do this?" [11] Abraham said, "I did not think that anyone would fear God in this place. I thought that I would be killed because of my wife."

14 So it was that when Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh's officials told him of her great beauty and they brought her into Pharaoh's house. 16 And because of her, Pharaoh treated Abram well. He giving him sheep, oxen, donkeys and camels, and male and female servants. 17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with a great plague on account of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?"

COMMENT: How did Pharaoh discover that Sarai was Abram's wife? He seems to have respected the laws of marriage, although Abram would not have predicted this. Perhaps the sickness on Pharaoh and his household came very soon after Sarai was brought in. And didn't Sarai have any feelings about being separated from her husband?

19 "Why did you say she was your sister? Because of that I took her as my wife. Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go."

COMMENT: Though Pharaoh said he took Sarai as his wife, it does not appear that the relationship was consummated.

20 And Pharaoh commanded his men to escort Abram away with his wife and all of his belongings.

Genesis 13 - RWB Paraphrase (18 V)
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Abram and Lot Separate Their Camps and Livestock
1 Abram left Egypt with his wife and all that he had. Lot went with him into the Negev. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold. 3 He went from the Negev up near Bethel where he had first pitched his tent between Ai and Bethel. 4 This was where he had formerly made an alter and called on the name of the LORD.

5 Lot had followed Abram with his own flocks and herds. 6 There was not enough pasture for both of their herds in that place because their possessions were so great. 7 Strife arose between their herdsmen. And they were sharing the pasture land with the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 8 Abram said to Lot, "There shouldn't be any strife between us or our herdsmen, for we are kinsmen." 9 "The whole land is before you. Choose wherever you wish to dwell and I will go to a different place." 10 Lot looked toward the valley of the Jordan and saw that it was well watered. This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was like the garden of the LORD. The land of Egypt as you travel towards Zoar was also like this.

11 So Lot chose the valley of the Jordan and journeyed east. Thus they were separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan and Lot settled in the cities of the valley not far from Sodom. 13 The men of Sodom were very wicked. They were sinning greatly against the LORD.

14 After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram, "Look in every direction from where you are standing." 15 "Everywhere you look I will give to you and your descendants forever." 16 "I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, more than anyone can count." 17 "Arise, walk anywhere in the land. Wherever you go, what you see is what I will give to you."

18 Abram moved his tent to the plain of Mamre in Hebron and there he built an alter to the LORD.

Genesis 14 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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Lot Is Taken Captive and Abram Comes to the Rescue
1 In the days of Amraphel the king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim, which is now the Salt Sea. 4 For twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer. But in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karmaim, the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in Mount Seir, as far as Elparan by the wilderness. 7 Then they came back to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and conquered all the country of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in HazazonTamar. 8 The king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela, that is Zoar, came out to battle against them in the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer, Elam, Tidal, Amraphel, and Bela, four kings against five.

10 The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. As the kings and their men from Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell in these pits. And some survived by fleeing to the hill country. 11 The invaders took all of the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supply. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's nephew, along with his possessions, because he was now living in Sodom. 13 Someone escaped and came and told Abram, who was living by the oaks of Mamre which belonged to the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. These were allies with Abram.

14 When Abram heard that Lot had been taken captive, he led three hundred and eighteen of his trained men and pursued the invaders as far as Dan. 15 Dividing his forces, he attacked them at night and defeated them. He then pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

16 Abram brought back Lot and his possessions, and the people with him. 17 As he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him at the valley of Shavah known as the King's Valley.

Abram Pays Tithe to Melchizedek King of Salem
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought out bread and wine. 19 He blessed Abram saying, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." 20 "And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Just give me back my people and keep the goods." 22 But Abram said, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth," 23 "that I will not take anything that belongs to you, not even a thread or sandal thong, lest you should ever say that you made Abram rich." 24 "I ask for nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share belonging to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

Genesis 15 - RWB Paraphrase (21 V)
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God Promises Abram a Child of His Own
1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not Abram. I am your protection. Your reward shall be very great." 2 Abram said, "O LORD God, what will You give me? I am childless and the heir of everything I own is Eliezer of Damascus." 3 "For You have not given me a child to be my heir."

4 The LORD said, "Your servant shall not be your heir. Your heir shall be a child from your own body." 5 Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, "Look to the heavens. Can you count the stars? That is how many descendants you shall have."

COMMENT: You can imagine that clean air and Abram's good eyes which saw well the many stars in the heavens. And there far too many to count.

6 Abram believed the LORD and He counted it to him for righteousness,

COMMENT: Here it is not Abram's works that are counted as righteous, but rather, his belief in what God says.

7 and He said to Abram, "I am the LORD Who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to possess this land." 8 Then Abram said, "O LORD God, how may I know that I will possess it?"

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon."

COMMENT: Why must some of the animals be three years old? Why these five animals?

10 Abram brought each of these animals to the LORD and cut them in two, laying each half opposite the other half. However, he did not cut the birds. 11 When birds of prey tried to eat the carcasses Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down Abram fell into a deep sleep and felt a great terror of darkness coming over him. 13 God said to Abram, "Know and understand that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own. They will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years."

COMMENT: It says here that they will be slaves for four hundred years. In Acts, Luke says the same thing. Paul, however, counts the four hundred years from this encounter with the Lord.

Acts 7:6 "God said that his seed would sojourn in a foreign land and become slaves. They would be mistreated for four hundred years."

Galatians 3:17 The Law came four hundred and thirty years after the promise concerning Abraham's seed. And this law did not invalidate the covenant God previously ratified.

14 "After I have judged the nation they are serving, they will come out of that place with many possessions."

COMMENT: The Israelites were slaves for many years and when they left Egypt they would receive payment for their services.

Exodus 3:22 "Every woman shall ask her neighbor woman for jewels of gold and silver and for clothing. You shall put these on your sons and daughters and in this way you shall spoil the Egyptians."

15 "But you, Abram, shall go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a ripe old age." 16 "It will be the fourth generation of your descendants that return home. As it now stands, the Amorite's iniquity is not yet complete."

COMMENT: The fourth generation from Abram cannot be what is meant here. There were two generations before they went to Egypt. But it could be referring to the fourth generation while in Egypt.

Exodus 12:41 At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, to the day, all the hosts of the LORD went out of the land of Egypt.

God Promises Specific Land For Abram's Descendants
17 When the sun had set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking furnace and a burning torch which passed between the animal pieces. 18 And on that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the River of Egypt all the way to the River Euphrates."

COMMENT: This reached its fulfillment during the time of David and Solomon.

2 Samuel 8:3 He defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, moving his border to the river Euphrates.

1 Kings 4:21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, and down to the boarder of Egypt. They all brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

19 "I will give them the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites," 20 "the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim," 21 "the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girashite and the Jebusite."

Genesis 16 - RWB Paraphrase (16 V)
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Sarai Gives Her Handmaid Hagar to Abram As His Wife
1 Sarai had never given any children to Abram, and she had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. 2 So she proposed to Abram that since the LORD had prevented her from bearing children, perhaps she could obtain children through Hagar. And Abram listened to Sarai.

COMMENT: How often do we feel the need to help things along when God has promised something and we are still waiting for its fulfillment?

3 It had been ten years since Abram had come to Canaan and now Sarai decided to give Hagar the Egyptian to her husband as his wife. 4 When Hagar became pregnant by Abram she no longer had any respect for Sarai. 5 Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong you have done to me come back upon you. May the LORD judge between you and me."

COMMENT: Sarai held Abram responsible for agreeing with her solution to his not having a son. Perhaps she felt he was responsible for Hagar's attitude toward her. This had not turned out as she had planned.

6 So Abram said, "She is your maid and it is within your power to do to her as you think best." So Sarai treated Hagar harshly and she fled from Sarai's presence.

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring in the wilderness on the way to Shur. 8 He said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's maid. Where have you come from and where are you going?" She answered, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."

The Lord Promises Hagar Many Descendants
9 Then the angel of the LORD said to Hagar, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority," 10 "and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that there will be too many to count." 11 The angel of the LORD then added, "See, you are now with child and it will be a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your troubles."

COMMENT: Ishmael means, "God listens."

12 "He will be wild and untamable, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live to the east of his brothers."

COMMENT: Ishmael was the father of the Arabs.

13 Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God Who sees, for I have looked at Him and I am still alive."

14 The name of that well was BeerLahaiRoi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore a son to Abram and he named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty six years old when Ishmael was born.

COMMENT: As far as we can tell from this record, it would be another thirteen years before God would speak openly again with Abram. When dealing with God on His terms, things take time. There would be yet another test of Abram's faith in what God said.

Genesis 17 - RWB Paraphrase (27 V)
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God Changes Abram's Name to Abraham and Sarai's Name to Sarah
1 When Abram was ninty-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless."

COMMENT: God wants everyone, like Abram, to be blameless. Abram had waited a long time for the fulfillment of God's promise of a son by Sarai.

2 "I will establish My covenant with you, and multiply you exceedingly."

COMMENT: Does this suggest that since God establishes His covenant with us, He will take responsibility for our thoughts and actions? Didn't Abram have a part to play in this covenant? What was that part? Since we are to be God's representatives we must not misrepresent Him.

3 Abram fell on his face while God continued speaking. He said, 4 "As for Me, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations." 5 You will no longer be known as Abram. Your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations.

COMMENT: It has been suggested that when you say Abraham the 'Ham' part of his name requires you to expel air as you say his name. Perhaps this signified that Abraham would have an anointing of God's Holy Spirit represented by wind as He was at Pentecost.

Acts 2:2 Suddenly there came from heaven the sound of a rushing wind that filled the house where they were sitting.

6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful. Nations will come from you and kings will come out of you." 7 "I will establish My everlasting covenant with you and your descendants throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants." 8 "I will give the land where you are sojourning to you and your descendants. All the land of Canaan will be your everlasting possession. I will be the God of your descendants." 9 And God continued, saying to Abraham, "You and your descendants are to keep My covenant throughout their generations."

COMMENT: So this was Abraham's part of the covenant. He was to keep it? What did this involve? Whatever was promised to Abraham's children can also become ours along with its responsibility, for we may become part of Abraham's family.

Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

10 "Here is the covenant which you and your descendants shall keep: every male shall be circumcised." 11 "You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between you and Me."

COMMENT: This a private and not a public sign of belonging to God.

12 "When a male is eight days old he shall be circumcised. This is to be done throughout all your generations. This includes the servants born in your house or those bought with money from any foreigner."

COMMENT: At eight days is when the body is best able to deal with this operation. See Genesis 21:4.

13 "Those born in your house or purchased are to be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant."

COMMENT: The covenant is everlasting. This is represented by the fact that once one was circumcised, it cannot be reversed.

14 "Any male whose foreskin is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people because he has broken My covenant."

COMMENT: This covenant with God may be broken by noncompliance. Cooperation is how the covenant is ratified by God's people. But Paul says that this part of the covenant was only for the Jews. And this seems very applicable in our day because boys are circumcised at birth for health reasons. Circumcision no longer is a sign of belief. It appears that Paul had the approval of God when he said circumcision was not a prerequisite to becoming a Christian. Becoming a Christian was not becoming a Jew.

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 As for circumcision, if a man was already circumcised when he was called, let him remain that way. And if he was uncircumcised, let him remain that way. [19] Neither circumcision or uncircumcision counts for anything. What matters is that God's commandments are kept.

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has value, but faith working through love.

Philippians 3:3 for we are the true circumcision when we worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Jesus Christ, placing no confidence in the flesh.

15 Then God said to Abraham, "Your wife's name shall no longer be Sarai. Her name shall be Sarah."

COMMENT: Sarai means "Quarrelsome." Sarah means "My princess."

16 "I will bless her and through her give you a son. Through him she shall be the mother of many nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

COMMENT: It seems that God's purpose in giving Abraham a son through Sarah meant that He wanted Isaac to have every genetic advantage of coming from a certain people group. Jacob would also have this advantage with Judah born of Leah and Joseph born of Rachel. Is it important to remember that Reuben, Simeon and Levi, were also born of Leah. These did not have as good a blessing from their father at his death. They were no doubt products of the unhappy relationship exhibited by Leah and Rachel. While Jacob had the disadvantage of disputing and competing mothers, Isaac and Rebekah were not in harmony in their attitude toward their two sons.

17 Abraham fell on his face and laughed to himself, thinking, "Can a child be born to a man who is an hundred years old? Is it possible for Sarah, who is ninety years old to bear a child?"

COMMENT: It would seem that Abraham was looking at the evidence in his own body as well as Sarah's when he said, "Can a child be born to a man an hundred years old?" In his own mind he may have ceased to think he had the ability to father a child. Perhaps after fathering Ishmael God took this ability away and now He was giving it back. After Sarah's death Abraham fathered even more sons with Keturah.

18 Then Abraham said to God, "Couldn't Ishmael be the one to live before you?"

COMMENT: This question Abraham asked God was actually his prayer for his son Ishmael.

19 But God said, "No, Sarah your wife will bear a son and you shall name him Isaac. With him I will establish My everlasting covenant, both for him and his descendants."

COMMENT: The father's influence over his child is not enough. His mother's influence is crucial to the development of his belief and trust in God. Sarah would do this better than Hagar.

20 "I have heard your request for Ishmael, and I will bless him. He will be fruitful. I will multiply him very greatly. He will be the father of twelve princes and I will make him a great nation." 21 "But I will establish My covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will bear to you around this time next year."

22 When God had finished talking with Abraham, He went up from him. 23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all the male servants born in his house and those who had been purchased, every male in his household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on the same day that God had spoken to him.

COMMENT: Crucial to receiving God's promise of a son by Sarah was immediately doing what God had commanded. Even though Ishmael was not the son of promise, he too must be circumsized.

24 Abraham was ninty-nine years of age when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen. 26 Both of them were circumcised on the same day, 27 as were all the men of his household, whether purchased from a foreigner, or born in his house.

COMMENT: Circumcision is a fitting symbol of being marked for God. This is not something worn on the sleeve. It is personal and not obvious to the casual observer. The one circumsized is to be the one most aware of this distinction.

Genesis 18 - RWB Paraphrase (33 V)
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The Lord Appeared to Abram and Ate a Meal with Him
1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. He was sitting at the door of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 Looking up, he noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them he ran to them and bow down before them, 3 and said, "My Lord, if I have found favor with You, please do not pass by Your servant." 4 "Please, let a little water be brought to wash your feet while you rest under the tree." 5 "And I will bring some bread for Your refreshment. After visiting for a while You can be on your way." and they agreed to his offer. 6 So Abraham hurried inside and asked Sarah to quickly prepare enough fine flour to make some loaves of bread. 7 Then he ran to the herd and took a tender young calf and asked his servant to quickly prepare it. 8 Taking butter and milk along with the rest of the food he had prepared, he placed everything before them, and stood by while they ate.

9 Then they said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" He answered, "Inside the tent."

The Lord Told When the Son Would Be Born to Sarah
10 The Stranger said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year, and Sarah, your wife, will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind Him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were both advanced in age. Sarah was past the age when she could bear children. 12 She laughed to herself, saying, "After I am old, shall I then have this pleasure, since my lord is old also?"

COMMENT: It would seem here that Abraham and Sarah had ceased to procreate. Perhaps God had removed this ability after they had showed their lack of trust in God's promise to give them a son when they had a son by Sarah's servant Hagar. Obviously having a child at their advanced age seemed impossible to them.

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say that she is surely too old to bear a child?" 14 "Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you. At this time next year Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid and denied having laughed. And He said to her, "Yes, you laughed."

COMMENT: Sarah must have sensed who had eaten her bread. To deny His words was certainly serious. Who can safely deny the word of God?

16 The men got up and looked toward Sodom. Abraham walked with them to send them on their way. 17 The LORD said, "Shall I keep from Abraham what I am about to do?" 18 "He will surely become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations will be blessed." 19 "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD, doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to pass all that He has spoken concerning Abraham."

COMMENT: The Lord reiterated once more His promise to Abraham.

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great because their great sin." 21 "I am going down and see if they are as bad as I have been told." 22 Then the other two men turned and went toward Sodom while Abraham stood by the LORD. 23 Abraham came near to Him and said, "Will You actually destroy the righteous with the wicked?" 24 "What if there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you sweep away everyone, including the fifty righteous in their midst?"

COMMENT: Abraham must have wondered if Lot, his family and those they had witnesses to might total fifty.

25 "Can it be right to destroy the righteous with the wicked, treating both the same. As the Judge of all the earth you will surely deal justly." 26 So the LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous in the city I will spare the whole place for their sake."

COMMENT: So here is evidence that God bears longer with nations who have righteous people in their midst.

27 Then Abraham replied, "I am but dust and ashes and yet I am speaking to the LORD."

COMMENT: Maybe this is one of the places where we get the phrase "Dust to dust, and ashes to ashes," which we sometimes use at funerals. Job refers to dust and ashes when saying that he might as well be dead.

Job 30:19 "God has cast me into the mire and I am like dust and ashes."

28 "Maybe there aren't fifty righteous in the city, but only forty-five. Will you destroy everyone, because only forty-five are righteous?" And He replied, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous. 29 Abraham spoke once more, saying, "Suppose there are only forty to be found?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the forty." 30 The Abraham said, "O may the LORD not be angry with what I say next. Suppose only thirty are found there?" And He said "I will not destroy it if thirty are found there." 31 Then Abraham said, "I will ask the LORD again, suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty." 32 Then Abraham said, "Please do not be angry with me for speaking only one more time. What if there are ten found there?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."

COMMENT: Perhaps Abraham was thinking all along that Lot and his family might be the only righteous people in Sodom. He must have thought that Lot had at least ten in his family who were righteous. Interesting that Lot is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as righteous. He must have been trusting in God even though what was to follow after they left Sodom could not be thought of as exemplary. This can give all of us hope.

33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 19 - RWB Paraphrase (38 V)
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Lot and His Two Daughters Are Rescued Before Sodom Is Destroyed
1 As evening drew on, two angels came to Sodom. Lot was sitting at the gate of the city. When he saw them he rose to meet them and bowed his face to the ground. 2 He said, "My lords, please come to my house, wash your feet and spend the night. In the morning you may rise early and be on your way." But they replied, "No thank you. We will spend the night here in the square." 3 But Lot continued to urge them until they consented to go with him to his house where he prepared a good meal for them, even baking unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they had lain down, the men of Sodom surrounded the house. There were young and old from every part of the city. 5 They called to Lot saying, "Where are the men you took home with you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may misuse them." 6 Lot went outside shutting the door behind him. 7 He said to the men, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly." 8 "You know that I have two daughters who are virgins. Let me bring them out to you to do with them as you please. But, please, do nothing to my guests who have come under my roof."

COMMENT: The necessity to protect a guest seems to have been stronger than even to protect one's family.

9 But they said, "Stand aside. You are not one of us, so why are you acting like a judge toward us? Take care, or we will treat you worse than them." They pushed so hard against Lot that they nearly broke the door in.

10 The two men inside reached out and brought Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 And they struck everyone of the men outside with blindness, so that they grew weary as they tried to find the door.

COMMENT: Even though they were blinded they kept trying to sin. They were too blind spiritually to recognize their condition.

12 Then the two men asked Lot, "Who else do you have in this city? Get your family and in-laws out of the city."