Peace of Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool - WELS

Genesis 24:61 – 25:34

Genesis 24

⁶¹ Rebekah set out with her female attendants. They rode on the camels and followed the man. Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and set out on his journey.

⁶² Isaac had come from the direction of Be’er Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. ⁶³ In the evening Isaac had gone out into the field to meditate. ^[1] He looked up and saw that there were camels coming. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she jumped down from the camel. ⁶⁵ She said to the servant, “Who is that man who is walking through the field to meet us?”

The servant said, “It is my master.”

She took her veil and covered herself. ⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac everything that he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took her as his wife. He loved her, and Isaac stopped mourning his mother’s death.

Abraham’s Death

Genesis 25

¹ Abraham had taken another wife. Her name was Keturah. ² She bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah for him. ³ Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Elda’ah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham left all that he had to Isaac. ⁶ To the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and during his lifetime he sent them away from Isaac his son to the territory that lay to the east.

⁷ The total days and years of Abraham’s life were one hundred seventy-five years. ⁸ Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who lived a full life, and he was gathered to his people. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre. ¹⁰ This was the field that Abraham had purchased from the descendants of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. ¹¹ After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived near Be’er Lahai Roi.

The Descendants of Ishmael

¹² Now this is the account about the development of the family line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, had borne to Abraham.

¹³ The following are the names of the sons of Ishmael and the tribes that came from them, arranged in the order of their birth:

The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth. Then came Kedar, Adbe’el, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, arranged by their settlements and by their camps. They were twelve chiefs, each with his own tribe.

¹⁷ The total years of the life of Ishmael were one hundred thirty-seven years. When he breathed his last and died, he was gathered to his people. ¹⁸ His people lived between Havilah and Shur, east of Egypt, as you go toward Ashshur. He lived in hostility toward ^[2] all his relatives.

The Family of Isaac

¹⁹ This is the account about the development of the family of Isaac, Abraham’s son.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel, an Aramean from Paddan Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. ²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² The children fought with each other inside her. She said, “What is this? Why is this happening to me?” She went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ The Lord said to her:

²⁴ When it was time for her to give birth, it was true: There were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. ^{[3] 26} After that, his brother came out, with his hand grabbing Esau’s heel. So he was named Jacob. ^[4] Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up. Esau was a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed home among the tents. ²⁸ Now Isaac loved Esau more, because he ate Esau’s wild game. Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹ Once Jacob was cooking stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was starving. ³⁰ Esau said to Jacob, “Come on, let me eat some of that red stew, that red stew there, because I am starving.” (That is why Esau was also called Edom. ^[5])

³¹ Jacob said, “First, sell me your right as the firstborn.”

³² Esau said, “Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”

So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew made of lentils. Esau ate and drank, got up, and went on his way. So Esau treated his birthright as if it was worthless.

Genesis 24:1-60

Genesis 24

A Wife for Isaac

¹ Abraham was very old, well into old age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ² Abraham said to his servant, the senior supervisor of his house, who was in charge of everything that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh. ³ You must swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. ⁴ Instead, you shall go to my country and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ The servant said to him, “What if the woman is not willing to follow me to this land? In that case, should I take your son back to the land that you came from?”

⁶ Abraham said to him, “Let me make it very clear to you that you are not to take my son back there again. ⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father’s house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ ^[1] The Lord will send his angel ahead of you, so you shall find a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is not willing to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But under no circumstances shall you take my son back there.”

⁹ The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. ¹⁰ The servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out. He took a variety of goods from his master with him. He set out and went to Mesopotamia ^[2] to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. ¹² He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ Let this be the test: The young lady to whom I say, ‘Please let down your water jar, so that I may drink,’ will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ She will be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had even finished speaking, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ¹⁶ The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, who had never been intimate with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came up. ¹⁷ The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your water jar.”

¹⁸ She said, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly let down her water jar into her hands and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ When she was done giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ She hurried and emptied her water jar into the trough, ran to the well again to draw more water, and drew water for all his camels.

²¹ The man remained silent and watched her carefully to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. ²² Then, when the camels were finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring that weighed half a shekel and two gold bracelets that weighed ten shekels ^[3] for her wrists. ²³ Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room for us to stay in your father’s house?”

²⁴ She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” ²⁵ She also said to him, “We have both straw and enough feed and enough room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ The man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. ²⁷ He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and faithfulness toward my master. Indeed, the Lord has guided me to the house of my master’s relatives.”

²⁸ The young lady ran and told her mother’s household about these things. ²⁹ Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out to the spring to meet the man. ³⁰ When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and after he heard the words from Rebekah his sister, who said, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to find the man. And there he was, standing next to the camels by the spring. ³¹ Laban said, “Come with me, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?”

³² The man came to the house and unloaded the camels. Laban gave him straw and feed for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have delivered my message.”

Laban said, “Tell us.”

³⁴ He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. The Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. ³⁶ Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son for my master when she was old. My master has given him everything that he owns. ³⁷ My master made me take an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am living. ³⁸ Instead, you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son.’ ³⁹ I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ ⁴⁰ He said to me, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you and give your journey success, and you will acquire a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house. ⁴¹ But you will be released from my oath, if, when you have come to my relatives, they do not give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’ ⁴² Today I came to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if you now will bless my journey with success, ⁴³ (here I am, standing by this spring of water) let this be the test: If the virgin who comes out to draw water (the one to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your water jar”) ⁴⁴ tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,” she will be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ ⁴⁵ Before I had finished saying this to myself, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ ⁴⁶ She hurried and lowered her water jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. ⁴⁷ I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore for him.’ I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. ⁴⁸ I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to find the daughter of my master’s brother as a wife for his son. ⁴⁹ Now if you will show mercy and faithfulness to my master here, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may know whether to turn to the right or to the left.”

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “This matter has been determined by the Lord. We cannot say anything to you either bad or good. ⁵¹ Look, Rebekah is right here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

⁵² So, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. ⁵³ The servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother. ⁵⁴ He and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. They got up in the morning, and he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”

⁵⁵ Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she can go.”

⁵⁶ He said to them, “Do not hold me back, since the Lord has granted my journey success. Send me on my way so that I can go to my master.”

⁵⁷ They said, “We will call the young lady and ask her.” ⁵⁸ They called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man?”

She said, “I do.”

⁵⁹ So they sent all of them on their way—their sister Rebekah with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. ⁶⁰ They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring take possession of the gates of those who hate them.”

Genesis 23

The Death of Sarah

¹ Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. That was the length of Sarah’s life. ² Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³ Then Abraham got up from beside his deceased wife. He went and spoke to the descendants of Heth. ^[1] He said, ⁴ “I am an alien who has settled among you. Let me have a piece of property for a burial place among you where I may bury my dead in their final resting place.” ^{[2] 5} The descendants of Heth answered Abraham, ⁶ “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb from you. Bury your dead.”

⁷ Abraham stood up and bowed down to the people of the land, that is, to the descendants of Heth. ⁸ He said to them, “If you have agreed that I may bury my dead in their final resting place, then listen to me, and speak to Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf, ⁹ so that he gives me the Cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of the field that he owns. Let him give it to me for the full price so that I may own a burial site among you.”

¹⁰ Now Ephron was sitting among the descendants of Heth. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who were gathered at the city gate. He said, ¹¹ “No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”

¹² Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. ¹³ He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land. He said, “No, but if you are willing, please listen to me. I will give the money ^[3] for the field. Accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron responded to Abraham, ¹⁵ “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Go ahead, bury your dead.”

¹⁶ Abraham accepted Ephron’s offer, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price that Ephron had quoted to him in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels ^[4] of silver, according to the current standard of the merchants at that time.

¹⁷ So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of the field were deeded ¹⁸ to Abraham as his property. This was done in the presence of all the Hittites, who were assembled at the gate of the city. ¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the descendants of Heth as his property to be used as a burial site.

Genesis 21:22 – 22:24

Genesis 21

Abraham and Abimelek

²² At that time Abimelek and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham. He said, “God is with you in everything that you do. ²³ Now swear to me here by God that you will not deal treacherously with me, or with my son, or with my grandson. But just as I have been kind to you, you shall do the same for me and for the land in which you have lived as an alien.”

²⁴ Abraham said, “I will swear it.”

²⁵ Abraham complained to Abimelek because of a well which Abimelek’s servants had seized violently. ²⁶ Abimelek said, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I did not hear about it until today.”

²⁷ Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek. The two of them made a treaty. ^{[1] 28} Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs from the flock.

²⁹ Abimelek said to Abraham, “Why have you set these seven ewe lambs by themselves?”

³⁰ He said, “You shall accept these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal testimony that I have dug this well.” ³¹ Therefore, he called that place Beersheba, ^[2] because they both took an oath there. ³² So they made a treaty at Beersheba. Then Abimelek got up with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. ³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he proclaimed ^[3] the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. ³⁴ Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for a long time. ^[4]

Abraham Offers Isaac

Genesis 22

¹ Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!”

Abraham answered, “I am here.”

² God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.”

³ Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

⁵ Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together.

⁷ Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?”

He said, “I am here, my son.”

He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. ⁹ They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

¹¹ The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

Abraham said, “I am here.”

¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

¹³ Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord Will Provide.” ^[5] So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

¹⁵ The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven ¹⁶ and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. ¹⁸ In your seed ^[6] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his young men, and they set out and traveled together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.

²⁰ Some time after these things Abraham was told, “Listen. Milcah also has borne children for your brother Nahor. ²¹ They are Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, ²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight sons Milcah bore for Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴ Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Ma’akah.

Genesis 20:1 – 21:21

Abraham and Abimelek

Genesis 20

¹ Abraham traveled from there toward the Negev, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a resident alien in Gerar. ² About his wife Sarah Abraham said, “She is my sister.” Abimelek king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³ But God came to Abimelek in a dream during the night and said to him, “Listen to me! You are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, because she has a husband.”

⁴ Now Abimelek had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? ⁵ Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? Even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a sincere heart and innocent hands.”

⁶ God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a sincere heart, so I also prevented you from sinning against me. That is why I did not allow you to touch her. ⁷ Now therefore, return the man’s wife. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you do not return her, know for sure that you will die, you along with all who are yours.”

⁸ Abimelek rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told them all these things. The men were terrified. ⁹ Then Abimelek summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought this great sin on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!” ¹⁰ Abimelek said to Abraham, “What did you see in us that made you do this?”

¹¹ Abraham said, “I did it because I said to myself, ‘Surely they do not fear God in this place. They will kill me to get my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ When God had me migrate from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness that you shall show to me: Everywhere that we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Abimelek took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and he gave them to Abraham. He also returned Sarah, his wife, to him. ¹⁵ Abimelek said, “Look, my land is in front of you. Dwell wherever it pleases you.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces ^[1] of silver. You see, it covers any offense in the eyes of everyone who is with you. In front of all of them you are vindicated.”

¹⁷ Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelek and his wife and his female servants, so that they were able to bear children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had closed up tight all the wombs of the household of Abimelek over the matter of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

Genesis 21

¹ The Lord visited ^[2] Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. ² Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the set time which God had announced to him. ³ Abraham named the son who was born to him—the son whom Sarah had borne to him— ^[3] Isaac. ^{[4] 4} Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.” ⁷ She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.”

⁸ The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹ Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham, laughing at Isaac. ¹⁰ Therefore, she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave girl ^[5] and her son! For the son of this slave will not be heir with my son Isaac.”

¹¹ Abraham was very distressed because of his son. ¹² God said to Abraham, “Do not be so distressed because of the boy and because of your maid. ^[6] Listen to everything that Sarah says to you, because the family line of your descendants ^[7] will be traced through Isaac. ¹³ I will also make the son of the maid into a nation because he too is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Abraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a waterskin, which he gave to Hagar, putting it over her shoulder. He sent her away with her child. She set out and wandered in the wilderness near Beersheba. ¹⁵ The water in the skin was used up, and she dragged the child under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ She went and sat down by herself, across from him, at a distance, about a bow shot away, because she said, “Do not let me see the death of the child.” She sat across from him and wept loudly.

¹⁷ God heard the boy’s voice, and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s voice right where he is. ¹⁸ Get up. Help the boy up, and take him by the hand, because I will make him into a great nation.”

¹⁹ God opened her eyes, and she saw a well with water in it. She went, filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ God was with the boy, and as he grew up, he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. ²¹ He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.