Contributor: Adewale Abiona

INTRODUCTION
In last week’s study we saw the destruction of an abominable nation where the Lord could not find ten good people, Gen.18: 32b. In Chapter 19, justice was served, and the mercy of God was displayed because of Abraham’s relationship with God. In conclusion of last week study, we were charged to take sin seriously and know that God’s justice may be delayed, but certain.
In today’s study of Genesis 20, we will examine God's protection in the case of Sarah the mother of the promised son and how lack of truth from Abraham almost put in jeopardy the promise of God regarding Isaac.

The Lack of Truth (Verses 1-2)
At the brink of the fulfilment of the promise, Abraham, for his own selfish interest and a moment of fear for his own life, was not totally honest about the identity of his wife Sarah.
When he arrived in the city of Gerar, he was afraid of the people there, thinking in his mind they do not appear to be godly, and I may suffer harm because of my wife Sarah and her beauty. For this reason, he told the people that Sarah was his sister.

In today’s world, we hear what is referred to as “white lies”, an act of deceit where people fail to be honest, refusing to shed light on a matter, and leaving it for others to guess what the truth is. Abraham’s action gave Abimelech a false impression about the identity of Sarah.
As believers, Matthew 5:37 tells us “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” and 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says “Abstain from every form of evil”

Abraham’s action was contrary to the word God spoke to him in Genesis 17:15-16. God said to Abraham, “I will give Sarai, your wife, a new name. Her new name will be Sarah. I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”

The lack of truth has caused many issues in marriages today and selfishness is at the root of it. Your marriage is not all about you, God has a purpose for every marriage, and we must consider that when spouses relate with each other. Do not do anything that will destroy your marriage. Bring all your marriage decisions in line with God’s plan and agenda. Always be truthful and let your motives be pure.

A few more verses in Genesis 17 reveal the mind of Abraham
"17 Abraham bowed his face to the ground to show he respected God. But he laughed and said to himself, “I am 100 years old. I cannot have a son, and Sarah is 90 years old. She cannot have a child.” 18 Then Abraham said to God, “I hope Ishmael will live and serve you.” 19 God said, “No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants. (response to vs 17) 20 “You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation. 21 But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year.” (response to vs 19)

Abraham appeared to have been comforted by the birth of Ishmael and no longer sought Sarah’s interest or the fulfilment of God’s promise to him and his wife. It looked like he wanted God to change the promise from soon to be Sarah’s son to already born Hagar’s son
God is not going to break His covenant to please you or change His commandment because of your circumstance. We are the ones to change and align ourselves to His perfect will Romans 12:2 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

God’s Protection of the Promise Verse 3-6
Just as the Lord protected Mary from shame by speaking to Joseph against his decision to put Mary away, in same manner, God had to intervene in the mess Abraham created by not being truthful. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You will die. The woman you took is married.” Vs 3
God had already been ahead in Abraham’s gamble with his marriage to Sarah. God had prevented Abimelech from having carnal knowledge of Abraham’s wife. Vs 6
The reason you did not fall for that sin or trick is not because of your innocence or that you didn’t know it was a sin. It is because of His love, and that He did not want you to be destroyed. John 10:10 made it very clear the assignment of the devil. This is why he tricks people in various ways, to prevent them from fulfilling destiny. In the same verse we saw that God’s plan was to protect that same destiny. Lamentations 3:22 - Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

Verse 8-13 – Abraham tries to justify his untruthfulness
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “Why have you done this to us? What wrong did I do to you? Why did you lie and say that she was your sister? You brought great trouble to my kingdom. You should not have done this to me. 10 What were you afraid of? Why did you do this to me?” 11 Then Abraham said, “I thought no one in this place respected God. I thought someone would kill me to get Sarah. 12 She is my wife, but she is also my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother. 13 God led me away from my father’s house. He led me to wander to many different places. When that happened, I told Sarah, ‘Do something for me. Wherever we go, tell people you are my sister.’”

What is your excuse for not been truthful?
Nothing can be used to justify the wrong before God. The point that she was originally his half-sister is not acceptable ground. He also attempted to blame it on God for sending him to different places. I wonder if he would have said Sarah was his sister if Hagar and Ishmael were not in the picture.
Abimelech also thought he was innocent for coveting another man’s wife or wanting to use his position to take a woman without following the normal process, God closed all the wombs of the women in his house.

David’s case with Bathsheba did not go unpunished. 2 Samuel 11-12
Your lies, deceit and wrong motives will not go undetected and unpunished. Hebrews 4:12 - the Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Proverbs 12:19 - The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Verses 7, 14-16
God commanded Abimelech to restore to Abraham his wife in verse 7
Let’s see some of the Key ingredients in that instruction and how Abimelech obeyed God The Lord told him:
• Abraham is a prophet.
• He will pray for you, and you will live.
• But if you don’t give Sarah back to him, I promise that you will die.
• And all your family will die with you.”

Abimelech’s actions following God’s rebuke
• Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham
• Abimelech also gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves.
• Abimelech said, “Look all around you. This is my land. You may live any place you want.”
• Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham (sarcasm) 1000 pieces of silver
• I did this to show that I am very sorry. I want everyone to see that I did the right thing.”

Verse 17-18
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

CONCLUSION
One of the things that we learn is that if God is the one leading and directing you, He will surely protect you. Just remain faithful and truthful to His instruction. Don’t try to figure it out or think some areas of that journey are for you to handle. He knows it all and He’s all over it, including those tiny little details. Jeremiah 32:27 - “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
What God is set to do, He will do and if that includes Him stepping in, He will, not because of you but for His own name and glorification.
Do not entertain fear. Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Your action or inaction will only cost you, not Him. Failure to wait on God’s time for the promise, brought Abraham emotional pain when he had to let go of Ishmael. Genesis 21:10-11.
What issue(s) have you created in your life and in your marriage?
Ask the Lord to help, ask in to step in and deliver you now.
Promise that you will always be truthful to Him, yourself and in all circumstances.
Ask Him to divinely intervene and protect your marriage, your children and household from the plan of the enemy.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In last week’s study we saw Abraham interceding on behalf of the righteous in Sodom. The way chapter 18 ended, God promised that He would not destroy Sodom and if there were up to 10 righteous people. In today’s study of Genesis 19 we, open with the arrival of God’s angels in Sodom to destroy the city. Conclusively, there were not up to 10 righteous people in the land. We will examine how God's justice and mercy are both fully displayed in the destruction of Sodom, and learn lessons from this account that affect us as individuals, and as a community of believers. Genesis 19 is a powerful chapter that reveals the righteous judgment of God against sin and how He can show mercy toward the righteous.

Verses 1-3 - Ritual Without Relationship
When two angels (in human form) arrive in Sodom, Lot recognized they were angels and offered them hospitality, a culturally sacred duty. Although he had strayed at this stage, he still could follow the motions. He referred to them as “lords”, invited them in, washed their feet and prepared ceremonially acceptable food for them. Isaiah 29:13

Verses 4-5 - The Depth of Sodom's Depravity
All the men of the city, from young to old, surrounded Lot’s house and demanded to have sex with the two angels. This is what will be referred to today as “gang rape”, a very clear indication of widespread sexual immorality. No wonder God could not find up to 10 righteous people. Jude 1:7

Verses 6-8 - Right Cannot Be Done Without Faith
Lot offers his daughters instead, revealing both the depth of the city's depravity and Lot’s compromised morality. He was attempting to “fix a problem” by compromise. It also confirms that he didn’t have faith in God, that He could intervene and did not need his help. Confirming that he was only following the motions when he welcomed the angels. Another failed attempt to help God. Trying to help God always has regrettable consequences.

Verse 9 – The Cost of Compromise: Loss of Moral Authority
The MSG version of this verse reads: “They said, “Get lost! You drop in from nowhere and now you’re going to tell us how to run our lives. We’ll treat you worse than them!” And they charged past Lot to break down the door.”
The response of the men of Sodom to Lot’s attempt implies the possibility that Lot's lack of moral authority and respect among the men of Sodom was due to compromises in his faith and lifestyle. Living near or within moral corruption without influencing it for good can erode personal holiness. If you recall from verse 1, he was sitting in the gate of Sodom. In Bible days, to sit at the gate meant being part of the leadership or elders, a person of influence or decision-making power. This suggests Lot had some civic role, yet he had no moral influence over the city's behaviour, failing to confront their evil. Probably didn’t want to be labelled homophobic. So when he spoke, it was hypocritical, and the men discarded his attempt to act righteously (in the presence of the visitors), probably because he had never stood up for righteousness before.

Verses 10-11 – Vengeance is the Lord’s
The angels intervened, pulled him into the house and struck the men with blindness. You do not defend a cage full of lions, you open the cage and step back and watch the lions defend themselves. 2 Kings 6:18, Romains 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35.

Verses 12-14 – Consequences of Compromise
The hollowness of Lot’s character was pitiful. In verse 14, he went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law wouldn’t take him seriously. The Bible says they though he was joking. Romans 12:2

Verses 15–22 - The Warning and Escape
The angels warn Lot to flee with his family. Despite Lot's hesitation, God shows him mercy by the angels having to drag them out of the city (v. 16). They were told to flee and not look back.

Verses 23–29 - Judgment Falls but Mercy Stands
God rains down fire and sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah. God does not ignore sin; Sodom’s destruction was a divine response to deep, persistent wickedness (Genesis 18:20-21). Lot’s wife disobeys the warning and looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt. God does not compromise on consequences. The judgement He meted on Sodom was total and final. Yet in the midst of this judgement, God was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before He blasted those cities off the face of the Earth (Verse 29, MSG).

• Can we relate our world today with Sodom? Give examples
• In what ways are our societies today rejecting God?

Verses 30–38 - The Tragedy in the Cave
What Lot’s daughters did in the cave, was tragic and immoral. It really makes one wonder what virtues Lot taught them? There is no indication that they had any morality. They may have been heavily influenced by the culture and moral decadence of Sodom.

CONCLUSION
Genesis 19 is not just a historical account—it is a mirror for us today. Lot’s story is a call to examine where we have grown complacent with sin around us. In a world marked by moral confusion and spiritual apathy, this chapter calls us to live holy lives, remember God’s justice, and cling to His mercy. We must take sin seriously and know that God’s justice may be delayed, but it is certain. Genesis 19 demonstrates both God’s justice on the one hand towards Sodom and Gomorrah, while on the other, mercy for Lot by virtue of the intercession of Abraham. Finally, we must know that “mercy is not always neat”. Although Lot was saved, the consequences of his actions while in Sodom still carried ongoing consequences as we see with his daughters.

Contributor: Ayomide Oladipo

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we had an overview of the first 17 chapters of the book of Genesis, our teacher gave an expository of the “profound and multifaceted text that lays the foundation for biblical theology” in Genesis 1. The overview captured the dynamics of creation by God and His purpose for creating Man, it also gave us an overview of different occurrences on earth and with mankind that are the bases for some of the happenings around our world today.

Today we will continue on the life and destiny of Abraham, we would examine his call and walk of faith with the Lord, the promise God had for him and his descendants as well as the fulfilment of the promise. We trust God to give us an understanding of how Abraham was able to work with Him using the gift of discernment, faith, and reverence to God to see the fulfilment of his destiny.

What is the Promise?
Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee 2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. 3. And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Two points to highlight in the calling and promise of God for Abram,

• God called him out of the seen into the unseen,
• God as well called him to be blessed and be a blessing.

The calling of Abram from the known into the unknown is purposed to build his trust and relationship with the Lord. God also destined him not just to be blessed but also to be a blessing. We can see something similar in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, Philippians 2:5-8, Jesus had a mindset of reverence to God by exalting Him above personal comfort and reputation, a mindset of service and humility, this provoked the fulfilment of God’s blessing upon Jesus as well as Abraham. As children of God, we are admonished to have this mindset in us, the mindset of willingness to obey God’s directive, and not only to be blessed but to be a blessing as well.

The journey of Abram from when he heard the promise to when it was fulfilled, was not a straight path, it was a walk of building relationship with God, and as we have learned in the life of Abraham, the more he walked with God, the more he built capacity to trust God and obey him. Behind every action, thought, or attitude a person exhibits is a mindset. We call Abraham the Father of Faith, but we should not forget he was once a ‘child in faith’.
According to God’s standard, his works were not as important as his relationship with Him which translated into Abraham’s trust in God- Romans 4: 1-4 KJV. We could see that on the journey to receiving God’s promise, the journey was more to prepare Abraham for the promise than was it is to take him to the promise.

How was Abraham able to wait on the Promise?

1. He Understood His Waiting as a Process (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18)

It is important for us to know that there was nothing that happened in Abraham’s life and journey towards receiving the promise that was a surprise to God. God “Calls forth Light out of Darkness”, so in every situation, God considered it a learning opportunity for Abraham, and in his life, we could deduce that after every shortcoming, Abraham became wiser, his walk with God scaled new heights. By man’s standard, Abraham made mistakes on his way to the fulfilment of his destiny, but by God’s standard, Abraham went through a process that tested his trust in the Lord and revealed his vulnerabilities to him in preparation for the promise.

2. Abraham Discerned prophetic Season for Promise Fulfilment
Genesis 18: 1-10. Abraham’s walk with God and spiritual maturity enabled him to discern the angels in human form and the time of his prophetic visitation - 2 Timothy 1:6-7. From the text we could see that those men were not on their way to Abraham’s house, and even when God had promised Abraham it took discernment to be able to entertain them, which provoked the prophetic declaration that led to Abraham receiving the promise of God - 1 Chronicles 12:32.

Through Abraham’s Walk with God, his nature and way of life changed, Abraham exhibited one of God’s virtues “Kindness” – (Galatians 5:22-23). Abraham did not only walk with God, but we also see God working in him through his character and ways. (Galatians 6:9) The scripture admonishes us not to relent in doing good, Abraham had a culture of kindness, we could see it in the relationship he had with his wife Sarai and Lot his brother’s son, and in due season he reaped what he sowed. As children of God, we must always look for opportunity to do good to people and be kind, we may not reap where we sowed, so we should avoid doing good for the sole purpose of been able to receive praise or accolades from the recipient necessarily. But according to the Word of God we will surely reap what we sow. As much as we pray as children of God, we must also be spiritually sensitive, because most of the answers will come in ‘packages’ we are not familiar with, but the Holy Spirit can help us to discern them - Isaiah 30:21.

3. He Knew His God
(Genesis 18: 10 – 33) Abraham’s walk with God, while paying attention to His ways gave him a good understanding of God’s character, which led to great works. In this text we could see Abraham reverence of God in the way he discussed with Him, and his discussion with God was based on his knowledge of God, and we could see he was able to intercede for the people of God in Sodom and Gomorrah – (Daniel 11:32). He reverenced God even when God had attested to his loyalty, he never spoke to God as a friend, he maintained the posture of a child of God (Humility).

CONCLUSION
God answers prayers, He brings to fulfilment His promises to His children. For every promise of God, there is an appointed season for its fulfilment, the Bible says in Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”We can wait for the fulfilment of our promises like Abraham did; trusting God to help us understand times and seasons, continue in building our relationship with God by learning His ways and knowing Him more intimately.

Rather than focusing on the end of every situation, we should focus on the process, what the process is making in us, the Bible says all things work together for our good, therefore in every season of our lives we should look for the good in the season, good knowledge, good wisdom, good understanding, good relationship and many more. When God gives us a promise, He prepares us for the promise not prepare the promise for us.

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION

Genesis Chapter 15 highlighted the unwavering faith demonstrated by Abram as confirmed in Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” This was after God made an everlasting covenant with Abram and his seeds. Chapters 16 introduces us to the emotional/impatient choice of Hagar as a surrogate mother for the promised seed, and in Chapter 17 God sealed His covenant with Abraham through the circumcision of the promised seed to be born through the womb of Sarah.

CHAPTER 16

Recall the covenant made by God to Abram that his descendants will inherit the land. Up until this time Abram and Sarah were yet to have an offspring. In Genesis 16:1-4, we see Sarai’s expectation of God’s promise of her having a child becoming belated. She actually gave up on having children in V2 and said to the husband, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children”. She therefore proposed an unconventional method for the fulfilment of God’s covenant through Abram’s seed. This simply showcases one of the greatest weaknesses of men: Impatience! She proposed that Abram try having a child through Hagar, her maidservant from Egypt which Abram consented.

It is unbelievable how the same Abram that believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness, turns around to agree to an alternative option presented to him by his wife. Note that it was Sarai that gave Hagar to Abram as a wife which was not part of God’s original plan for him as we will see towards the end of the chapter. And when Sarai saw that Hagar had conceived, she became despised. One would ask, what was on Sarai’s mind when she made the proposal?

What happened in Gen 16:5 was such a hypocritical situation where Sarai was blaming the husband for a decision that was clearly her idea. The maid having been elevated to the position of 2nd wife Yoruba adage that says “Bami na Omo mi, Ko de inu olomo” - interpreted to mean, “help discipline my child is not a passport for you to do as instructed”, particularly from the child’s mother. This is a classical case where people try to fix things our own way which often go wrong and then turn around pass blames, instead of taking responsibility. In V6, Abram was not asking Sarai to caution Hagar for treating her mistress with contempt, just because she had become pregnant. Abram’s request is that Hagar be demoted from the position of a wife they collectively gave to her on a platter of gold. Hagar in return considered her mistress’ decision as unkind and cruel. She’s quite justified, because she never displayed any disloyalty towards them to the point the she humbly acceped to marry her mattress’ hubby at her instruction. For her, the only way out of the quagmire/predicament is to take her leave of absence from the house.

Review of V7-14:

In V7 our compassionate God as He has always been found Hagar in her pain and solitude, pregnant with a child in by a well in the wilderness. The Angel sent by God addressed Hagar as Sarai’s maid, and not Abram’s wife, because the unconventional union was not recognized by God. As if God does not know what led Hagar into the wilderness, he asked to know where she is coming from and where she is going and she narrated her side of the story. The Angel of the Lord instructed Hagar to return to her mistress, and submit herself under her hand. Considering the world, we live in today, not many will heed the Angels call. Many will play the victim, reeling out how they have been mistreated and disdained, without any mention of their own attitude. Most often when we go to the Lord in prayer to change our circumstances, the focus of God is always in changing us first. The moment we change our attitude to do God’s bidding, our prayers become automatically answered based on His will for us. Prov 16:7 says “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”. Not only will his prayers be answered, even his enemies hindering his prayers will begin to cooperate with him.

In V10, we see a similarity with the covenant God made with Abram, declared by the Angel of God to Hagar “Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” The Angel went further to declare to her that the outcome of her pregnancy will be a male child that will be name Ishmael - meaning ‘God hears’. Similarly, when we go through unpleasant circumstances and distresses, God sees our secret tears and hears our cry.

In V12 NLT, the Angel described Ishmael, the unborn child as “a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey!.” He was further described as follows “He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives” - meaning his life will be marked by hostility and conflict. I believe we can see that play out in the middle East of today. Hagar responded to the Angel with appreciation God’s compassion towards her by naming the place “God sees” her affliction. Meanwhile, the name of Ishmael means “God hears”

In Genesis 16:15-16

Ishmael turned out to be Abram’s first son, but not based on God’s original plan. Brethren, we see Sarai counsel her hubby to help God fulfil His covenant to Abram. Majority today, trying to help God, have created their Ishmaels. This is what is called “the permissible will of God”. The concept of God's permissive will can be understood as the allowance of God for human choices and actions, even when they may not align with His perfect will. Apostle Paul in Gal 4:22-23 described this scenario “For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,” s help at all times.’Brethren, God does not need our help, but instead we need God It’s my prayer that those who have been enduring and waiting on God, the Lord will show up for them at the appointed time.

Chapter 17

The covenant of circumcision: In Gen 17:1-3, we see a remarkable turning point in the life of Abram. God appeared Abram at the stricken age of 99 years old. In Chapter 12, God asked him to leave his father’s house to a land He will show him and promised to bless Abram there. Abram left Haram at the age of 75 in Gen 12:4. He had Ishmael at the age of 86 years in Gen 16:15-16 we had just studied. God did not send an angel. The details of how God appeared was not clear, but recall when Moses request to see God in person in Ex 33:20, God responded saying “But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” In the same passage we read that God spoke to the hearing of Abram asking him to walk before Him and be blameless. Here we see God revealing Himself as God Almighty (the All-sufficient God - El Shaddai) and afterwards God presented His expectation of Abram.

God had promised having a covenant with Abram 25 years earlier in Gen 12:1-3. By this He simply affirmed His covenant as earlier promised to Abram. In V3 Abram fell on his face showing submission and total reverence to God Almighty.In order reaffirm His commitment to His covenant, God changed God is the God that ‘Father of many nations’. -‘Father of many’ to Abraham -from Abram his name deliver. In Gen 12:2 He promised Abram to make him a great nation, but in Gen -promises and over17:6 Gid promised to make nations of Abraham.

In V7-8 God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham to his yet-to-born seed - an everlasting covenant (trans-generational). In V8, God’s covenant to give the of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession holds till date. No amount of opposition have been able to make Israel relinquish the land God gave them as a covenant. God in V10-11 instituted the covenant of the cutting off the foreskin of every male child born into Abraham’s lineage and also by association into Abraham's lineage. The circumcision will mark them as descendants operating within the covenant.

Since circumcision deals with the male organ aprocreation, it was a reminder of the special seed of Abraham that will bring the Messiah, promised to Abraham to bless every nation on earth. Spiritually, the significance of cutting off the foreskin signifies the efficacy of the covenant of cutting off fleshly desires. God also stated that a male child must be circumcised when 8 days old. Scientists have proven that the 8th day in the life of an infant is when the body is at its optimal level of immunity/blood clotting antibodies. In V14, God put a penalty clause in place for any male child born into the Abrahamic covenant without circumcision as prescribed by God. Rejection of the circumcision was regarded as a rejection of the covenant. God again changed the name of Sarai to Sarah connected to the array blessings reeled out by God in V16 and that the blessings will be trans generational through Sarah’s own son and not through a surrogate. Abraham laughed, but spoke to himself in the heart wondering how God would make a 100 and 90 year of have a child. He was not in any way doubting God’s ability to do the impossible/unthinkable.

Apostle Paul reiterated this in Rom 4:17-21 “(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”

Ironically in V18 Abraham presented Ishmael as the son of the covenant.

In V19-21 Abraham as a good father beckoned on God to fulfil the covenant through Ishmael, but God said no emphasizing that the covenant will be through Isaac, Sarah’s son. The name Isaac meant laughter, a name that will remind Abraham that he laughed in amazement of God’s promise. The covenant and the promises were to be passed only through Isaac, though He has pronounced blessings upon Ishmael. V23-27 Abraham just obeyed God without hesitation by offering himself for circumcision together with .; all born in his houseservantsand blood relations, all his household male

CONCLUSION

The two chapters clearly demonstrated God’s unwavering commitments to His covenant, even when men fail on their part. He also gives us the permissible will to do our bidding without changing the course of His original plans for our lives. As a faithful God delights in giving us a new/better name that will enable the fulfilment of His covenant. All He demands of us is our faith in Him and total obedience to His commands.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
As we continue in the study of the book of Genesis, we encounter chapter 15. A chapter that marks a crucial moment in the history of God’s redemption plan. In this chapter, God formally established a covenant with Abram (who later became Abraham), and sealed His promises with a divine oath. In today’s study we will learn about the reassurance of His presence, not just to Abraham but to every one of us, the prophetic revelation of the Israelites in Egypt, and the ritual of circumcision that emphasizes the certainty of God’s promises.

1. God’s Tri-Fold Reassurance to Abram (Verses 1–6)
Verse 1: "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."
In this verse of scripture, we identify 3 key elements of God’s reassurance.

• "Do not be afraid": This phrase is repeated throughout Scripture to comfort God's people as we see in Isaiah 41:10, Luke 1:30. It is also believed that “Do Not Be afraid”, “Fear Not”, or other variations of the phrase appear in the Bible 365 times, one for each day. More than it being deliberate or a supposed coincidence, we should rest assured that even if it appeared only once, it is more than enough to assure us of God’s promises.

• "I am your shield": God assures Abram of His divine protection (Psalm 3:3; Ephesians 6:16). The Psalmist in Psalm 119:114 says: “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”

• "Your reward": The AMP Bible connects Abram’s reward to his obedience. And it is true that there is great reward for obeying God. Isaiah 1:19 tells us that if we are willing and obedient we will eat the good of the land. There is also a school of thought that ties this reward of Abram back to his refusal to take a reward from the King of Sodom (Genesis 14:22–24). And thus, God says to Abram that He will be his inheritance, his reward.

Verses 2–3: “2 Abram said, “Lord God, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?” 3 And Abram continued, “Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir.”
Abram’s response is what anyone of us would have asked today. How can God's promise be fulfilled, since he has no heir. For instance, “I cannot pay my bills, but I am supposed to lend to Nations?” And consequentially, he sees Eliezer as a potential heir”. This tells us that Abram was human, and although he had obeyed God by leaving his home, he still had his struggles and limited in understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Question: How do we relate with this today?

Verses 4–5: “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.”
God reaffirms the promise: “but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” "Your own son shall be your heir" and then to help his faith, God shows Abram the stars as a sign of the coming descendants. (Genesis 12:2).

Verse 6: "Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man)." (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23).

From this verse we see that God accepts faith as a path to righteousness. So, faith, in the finished work of the cross, not works, is the basis for justification or being declared righteous in God's sight.

2. God's Promise of Land (Verses 7–8)
Verse 7: “And He said to him, “I am the [same] Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance.”
God reminds Abram of the One he was dealing with. The One who brought him out from Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 12:1). It was almost as if it was a third layer of re-assurance for Abram, but it still wasn’t quite enough for Abram

Verse 8: “8 But Abram said, “Lord God, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?”
Abram asks, “How can I know? What is the proof that I will inherit the land?”

Abram was not ashamed to ask God for assurance. Even though in verse 6 we are told that he believed.
Question: How do we relate with this today?

Prophecy of the Egyptian bondage (Verses 9–16)
“9 So God said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram brought all these to Him and cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. 14 But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 Then in the fourth generation your descendants shall
return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished).”

Abram asked and the Lord showed him the future. Interestingly, it was first that his descendants would be in Egyptian bondage for 400 years Exodus 1–12. But they will be delivered. (fulfilled in Exodus 12:35–36). God told him clearly, you are not the one who will inherit the land but your descendants. As for you, you will enjoy a good life and die at a good ripe old age. (Verse 15)

3.The Covenant Sealed by God Alone (Verses 17–21)
17 When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals]. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates 19 [the land of] the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites 20 and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

The conflict in the middle east today with respect to who has the right to land areas, etc. and the uninformed are taking to the streets blindly can be traced back to Abraham and his two sons. Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was a descendant of Abraham, but he was not the heir of the covenant promise God made in Genesis 15:18. We see this in the following verses of scripture

•Genesis 17:18–21 (when Abraham asks God to bless Ishmael):
“And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’ Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him... But my covenant I will establish with Isaac.”

•Genesis 21:12 (after Sarah asks Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away):
“Do not be distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
The land and covenantal promises of Genesis 15:18 were specifically for Isaac and his descendants.

CONCLUSION
From today’s study we identified various keys that are applicable to us today.
Firstly, like Abram, we must continue to trust in God’s Promises even when fulfillment is delayed or unclear. Secondly, God recognizes the faith of His people and He counts it as righteousness. Thirdly, God’s covenants are reliable because He alone ensures their fulfillment. Next, we should not hide our difficulties from our Father. Just like Abram, we must ask God for assurance when in doubt and expect His response through His Word or by His Spirit. Finally, God sees the long view, the only One that can see the end from the beginning and although His plans unfold over generations, yet He remains faithful.

Contributor: Tola Odutola

INTRODUCTION:
In our last lesson, we discussed about how God called Abram (who later was called Abraham), His instruction to him to leave his homeland Ur, for a land God would show him. In return, God promised Abram that he would make him into a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed. Abram obediently departs with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and their possessions, journeying to Canaan (under God’s direction and guidance) and he built altars to the Lord. We also discussed how the famine in Canaan compelled Abram to go to Egypt, where, because of his wife’s beauty he feared for his life and deceitfully presented Sarai as his sister. This led to Sarai being taken into Pharaoh's household, but God intervened with plagues, prompting Pharaoh to discover the truth, rebuke Abram, and send them away. This week, we will continue the journey of Abram in chapters 13 and 14.

Chapter 13: Abram’s Return to Faith and His Separation from Lot
Abram returned to Bethel where he was before he fled to Egypt because of the famine there, he already built an alter there for God initially and there he called on the name of the Lord (Vs 1-4). What is significant about Abram returning to this specific place and calling on the Lord's name again? (We must take a cue from this and always reconnect back with God, Abram reaffirmed his faith in God after his journey to Egypt). The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe Proverb 18:10.

The Beginning of Conflict
In Bethel, both Abram and his nephew Lot were blessed and flourishing, they became so wealthy that the land could not support both of them, their possessions were too great, then strive sets in (Vs 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together). The strive was not between Abram and Lot his nephew, but from their respective herdsmen. Note also that there were others in the land using that available resources, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, so resources were becoming depleted, not enough for the communities. Abram, with his ability to maintain relationship, took the initiative to “let there be no stive between you and me…” and proposed a generous offer, if you go to the left, I will go to the right. (Vs 5 – 9). Abram prioritize relationships and peace over personal gain. Blessings require wise management and can test relationships.
How do we handle God's provisions? How can we apply the principles demonstrated by Abram in our families, community, workplace, or school?

Choices and Consequences
Now it was time for Lot to take actions, based on what his eyes could see, fertile land of the Jordan valley, well-watered green field "like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt…", close to the social life and the city (Sodom), he made his choice. Proverb 3:5 says trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. However, Abram remained in Canaan and dwelt there while Lot moved to the city even as far as Sodom. In vs 13, it is recorded that “. . . the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord”.
God’s Reaffirmed Covenant with Abram

As soon as Lot left Abram, God reaffirmed His promise to Abram once again, vs 15 - for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. God’s promise include land, descendants, and lots of blessings. Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord. The alter that Abram built there signifies his continued faith and obedience to God. The book of Isaiah 55: 8-9 says that “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
For our own good, it is always better to walk according to the plan and purpose of God.

Discussion:
 How do we handle conflicts (in school, work, family, friends etc) in our lives?
 How do we ensure that our decisions are influenced by faith in God, and not just our sight and immediate personal gains?

CHAPTER 14
Abram's Courageous Rescue (Vs 1-11)
Now there is a serious conflict around the city where Lot lived. Four kings from Mesopotamia (side A), led by King Chedorlaomer, dominate and oppress five other kings (side B), after 12 years these kings (side B) revolted.

Remember that in vs 13, it is recorded that “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord”, this wickedness resulted in war among the kings of Sodom and others around where Lot was living. Isaiah 48:22 says that there is no peace,” says the Lord, for the wicked,” and in vs 11 & 12 Lot got swept up in the conflict (Then the victorious side plundered Sodom and Gomorrah, taking all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and they departed). Meanwhile where Abram was, based on God’s direction and guidance and him obeying what God has instructed him, there is peace and tranquillity where he was living (You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. - Isaiah 26:3).

Abram’s Response or Reaction
When Abram heard of what had happened to his nephew Lot, that Lot had been captured and now in captivity with his family and belongings, Abram did not say, “that serves him right, let him have his reward”, rather he strategized and moved to action immediately. Remember that Abram was waging war against the side that won the battle, a seemingly strong side, a household militia against a victorious army confederation, this required a lot of courage. With 318 trained men that were born in his household, he divided his forces, pursued the enemy all the way, attacked and achieved victory. Using strategy and faith, Abram attacked the kings led by Chedorlaomer by night, conquered them and rescued Lot, all the goods that was looted, the women and all of the people including the king of Sodom.

How did Abram hear of Lot’s capture?
It was through his neighbours who had become his allies. Vs 13 says that 'Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram”. Even where Abram was living, his neighbours still love, trust and respects him, they were like families.

The encounters with Melchizedek and king of Sodom Vs 18- 24
Melchizedek is the king of Salem (meaning Peace), probably Jerusalem, and he gave gift of bread and wine to Abram (Bread and wine is synonymous to the communion we take now). He was the priest of the Most high God – the same God that Abram had raised alter to, that he worships. This king blessed Abram, calling him “Blessed be Abram of God most High”. This title signifies the connection between Abram and God Almighty, even before the promises of God was yet to be fulfilled, we can see the connection. In return, Abram gave a tithe of everything to Melchizedek.

Let’s take a note of what happened after Abram rescued all the people from the five kings. Vs 17 says that “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.' Vs 21 says “Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” Once again we can see the temptation of riches and spoils again to Abram, thank God for the wisdom from God to the king of Sodom through Abram ("so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’"). Abram refused any material gain from Sodom ("not even a thread or a sandal strap”), why did Abram refused the offer from the king of Sodom?
1. So that there will not be sorrow in his possessions (Proverbs 10:22 – the blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it)
2. So that God’s glory will not be shared with any man. (Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord , that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images), we can confirm that Abram’s riches are clean and only from God.
Vs 24 “except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

Also we should note that Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre were the neighbours that told Abram of the capture of Lot and his household, they also went with Abram to fight the enemy. This demonstrate the type of relationship with those that are not of his household.

CONCLUSION
Genesis chapter 13 illustrates that blessings necessitate prudent management and it can challenge relationships. Abram exemplifies the importance of prioritizing relationships and peace over personal gain. In contrast, Lot made decisions based on immediate, worldly appearances. Abram, however, trusted in God's promise, despite seemingly receiving the lesser portion.
Genesis 14 depicts Abram as a person of resolute and courageous faith, unwavering loyalty, and steadfast integrity. He honours God through the priest Melchizedek and avoids involvement or enrichment from corrupt worldly systems. This passage encourages living with boldness for God, trusting Him entirely for provision, and maintaining integrity.

Contributor: Wilson Imade

INTRODUCTION
In the last week study of Genesis 10 & 11, after God planned to repopulate the earth with the three son of Noah after the flood. We saw how Genesis 10 revealed the genealogy of the sons of Noah, and how God confounded the language of the people that lead to the birth of various nations, and tribes. Among the three sons of Noah, the genealogy of Shem lead to Terah, from Terah to Abram. In today's Bible study we shall be looking at why God called Abraham, and his journey of faith towards achieving God’s plan and purpose for his life.

Why Did God Call Abram?
In Genesis 12:1-3 the Bible says:
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee”. 

Lesson: From the first line in verse 1, you hear the statement: “Now the LORD had said unto Abram.” In other words God was saying to Abram your season, and time to fulfil my purpose is now. First and foremost, we must understand that from the creation of the world, that God has always shown Himself as a God of purpose. Like in Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”

Lesson: Every one of God's plan towards mankind has its season and timing with God in His book of records. The record book of Abram is seen revealed in Genesis 17:1-5 where we are told: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.”

This reveals to us that when God was saying “now” to Abram, it was actually announcing to Abram that his season and timing to fulfil a divine purpose was now. From the old Testament to the New Testament, the scripture has revealed different examples of God's way of communicating His divine purpose to man.
1. Exodus 3:7-10 where God called for Moses, 2. Judges 6: 12-16 where God called Gideon. 3. Judges 13: 2-5 where God revealed His purpose to Manoah's wife regarding Samson. The same with Mary and Zacharias in Luke 1: 11-17, and in verse 26-33. In Abram’s case the LORD told him to get thee out of his country, and from his kindred, and from is his father house.

Lesson: From God’s instructions to Abram, there are the three core principles that God put in place that will qualify Abram. These three principles speak of salvation. The country speaks of the world, the kindred speak of the nativity of Abram’s family custom or idolatry, and his father's house speak of coming out from his father’s custom or idolatry. As architects have laws and principles to achieve a solid and successful outstanding building, the same way God has placed salvation to achieve His plan and purpose towards everyone. In Titus 2:11-13 the Bible says: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”

Lesson: We see verse 11 speaks of salvation, verse 12 speaks of the principles, and verse 13 speaks of the purpose and the glorious end.

Genesis 12 : 2 – 3
God speaks of His promises and blessing that He will make Abram a great nation and He will bless him, and make his name great, and he shall be a blessing. In verse 3, God said He will bless anyone who blesses Abram, and curse anyone that curses him, and in him shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Lesson: If you take a look at the nation of Israel today, you will see that they are a great nation that stands out, they are blessed with technology and are at the forefront. The advanced technology industry in Isreal is the most important economic sector in the country among others. The divine blessing backing Isreal till today makes them outstanding from all neighbouring countries.

Abraham’s Journey of Faith
Genesis 12: 4 - 6 Abram departed as the LORD had spoken unto him. The Bible says that Abram was 75 years old when he departed out of the country Haran, in verse 5 the Bible tells us that Abram gathered all that he had and took his wife Sarai, and Lot his brother's son and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came.

Lesson: Abram departed with his household from Haran, and from his native land. Abram believed and moved out even though he hadn’t seen the land. Hebrews 11:8-10 says: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
The practicality of the faith of Abram was based on the promised Word of God. Hebrews 11:1 The Bible says, “now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen”. Not only that Abram believed, he was also persuaded. Which means his belief fostered his actions.

Genesis 12:7- 9 “The LORD appeared unto Abram and said, unto the seed will I give this land,” And the Bible says “Abram “builded an altar unto the LORD who appeared unto him.” Verse 8 The Bible says “Abram removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east, and there he builded an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. Verse 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.”

Lesson:We see when Abram departed in obedience to God, that God then appeared to him in verse 7, promising his seed the land, that Abram in response built an altar and started to called upon the name of the LORD, thereby initiating a relationship with Him. From this lesson we see that when God calls anyone to fulfil a divine purpose, He calls them to relationships first. Abram knew that the only way he can achieve the plan of God for his life was to build intimacy.

Genesis 12 : 9 - 13 The Bible says in verse 9, “and Abram journeyed going on still toward the south.” In verse 10 we are told that “there was a famine in the land and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land.”

Lesson: In the journey of faith there are going to be trials that will challenge our belief. This is why as Christians we must consciously and constantly build a strong intimacy with God. We must strive to know God, because in the journey of faith there are going to be many things that will challenge our faith. And because of our strong intimacy will God, He will always make a way of escape for us.

Philippians 3:10 says: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”
Paul emphasizes the importance of knowing the Lord.

And although Abram lied saying that Sarai his wife was his sister when they went down to Egypt, because he was afraid that they may kill him because of her. But he did he, did this so that his life will be preserved to fulfil the promise. See verses 14 - 16 “And it came to pass, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair, 15 And the princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh, and the women was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake, and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. Lesson: The bible say and Abram went down to Egypt because that the famine was grievous. The challenges circumstances compel Abram to move down to Egypt, and there he loose his wife to Pharaoh.”

Genesis 12 : 17 - 20 “And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. [18] And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? [19] Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. [20] And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”

Lesson: The Bible says God plagued Pharaoh and his house. Not only that the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house, but Abram also received divine intervention without prayer in Egypt. All because Abram has built a healthy relationship with God. In verse 7 & 8 we see where Abram built two altars unto the LORD, and there he prayed. Abram prayed before the trials came, and Abram prayed before he went down to Egypt. No soldiers prepared in front or in the midst of war will likely survive. When Pharaoh called Abram, he was under pressure to restore Sarai, and all that belonged to Abram. From verse 17 - 20 Abram didn't say any word, yet Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they sent him away, his wife and all that he had. And Abram went up by divine intervention.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the Bible says: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.“
We can see that God is always faithful to His Word, and will not allow us to be tempted above that we are able to bear, and also with the temptation he will make a way of escape.

CONCLUSION
Building a healthy relationship with God will always lead to trust, which fosters our obedience towards God. We can see from the call of Abram, and his walk of faith in Genesis 12 that God's will demands total salvation to qualify for His plan and purpose. In Acts 9:1-6 After the encounter Saul had on his way to Damascus with Jesus in verse 6, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
While salvation qualifies us for God's plan and purpose, obedience will remain the only key to enter into the Promise Land.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the last study of Genesis chapter 9, we saw how after the destruction of the world, the Lord went into a fresh covenant with Noah and his sons to replenish the earth once again. In verse 1, He specifically said: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” Today, we will be proceeding to Genesis 10 & 11. Chapter 10 is often referred to as the "Table of Nations." It is the foundational chapter in the Bible that traces the descendants of Noah’s three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—after the Flood. It also provides an overview of the ancient world, mapping out the origins of various nations, tribes, and peoples. Similarly, from verses 10 -32 of chapter 11 we see the genealogy from Shem (son of Noah) to Abram (later Abraham). However, the major incident in this chapter was the confusion of the language of the people of the world at the tower of Babel

CHAPTER 10
1. Ethnographic Structure of Genesis 10
Ethnography refers to the scientific description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences. This is what this chapter does. It organizes nations of the world today into three broad family groups as we see in verse 1 “This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.”
Everyone in the world today is descended from these three sons of Noah.
The next 30 verses delves deeper into the lineage of the descendants of these three sons of Noah.

• Verses 2–5: The Japhethites
The sons of Japheth (Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras). These people are referred to today as the Indo-European and Coastal Peoples. Located in Anatolia, the Aegean, the Black Sea, and possibly Europe. They were not a single unified civilization, but rather a linguistic and cultural group.
Gomer had sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah (Referred to as the Cimmerians (possibly ancestors of Celts or Scythians).
The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites. From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language. (Verses 4-5)

When you read verses 4-5, you start to catch a glimpse that support the fact that the chapters of the book of Genesis are not 100% chronological. This is because when you read Genesis 11:1, you see that the Bible says: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.” So this will imply that The account in verses 4&5 are post tower of Babel. Also confirmed in verse 25. “Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.”

• Verses 6–20: The Hamites
Lay emphasis on the Hamites, mostly linked with the African and Mesopotamian Peoples (the Iraqis – Arabs, Kurds, Yazidis, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Armenians, and Persians) living in the regions of Egypt, Canaan, Mesopotamia, and parts of Africa.
Cush: Nubia (modern Sudan) or possibly Mesopotamia. Mizraim: Egypt. Put: Libya or Somalia. Canaan: Phoenicians, Jebusites, Amorites (later enemies of Israel). Nimrod: Founder of early Mesopotamian empires (Babel, Assyria). Who Jewish and later Christian traditions associate the construction of the tower Babel to. Nimrod was a mighty hunter and the first powerful king on earth. (Verses 8-10). His kingdom included Babel, Erech, and Akkad, all in the land of Shinar. And Genesis 11:1 tells us that the people settled in Shinar.

• Verses 21–31: The Shemites (Semitic Peoples).
Associated regions are Mesopotamia, Arabia, and the Levant. Key Peoples are Elam (Early Persians). Asshur: Assyrians. Arpachshad: Ancestor of Abraham (and thus the Israelites). Lud: Possibly Lydians (Anatolia). Eber: Progenitor of the Hebrews. And Peleg: His name ("division") may refer to the splitting of languages at Babel. Verse 25 says:
“Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.”
Although his birth was mentioned in Chapter 10, the events surrounding his birth, “because in his time the earth was divided” is yet another indication that Moses’ method narrating the accounts that God showed him was first, what happened, and then, how it happened.

LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 10
Genesis 10 is not just a genealogy—it’s an ancient ethnography showing God’s sovereignty over all nations. He is the originator of all peoples, languages, and nations. He orchestrated
human history, geography, and lineage. Nations didn’t just "happen" — they trace back to God’s providence. It combats ideas of superiority or division — all people are one human family, diverse but united by creation. Human migration and dispersion is part of God’s plan post-Flood Verse 32). It lays the groundwork for the world’s cultural and ethnic diversity. God is not against diversity — He designed it.
Finally, Genesis 10 might look like a list, but it’s really about God laying the foundation of history and showing us that He had His hand in the development of civilizations and reminding us that all humanity is rooted in His design.

CHAPTER 11
Verses 1–9: The Tower of Babel
1. Human Pride vs. Divine Authority (Verses 1-4)
The plan and purpose of God was for the people of the world to spread over the entire earth, a covenant He renewed with Noah in Gen.9:1. But we see in verse 2 that the people found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They sought to "make a name" for themselves by building a tower to the heavens. This symbolizes pride, self-sufficiency, and defiance to God. So they set off to build a tower that archaeologists and scientists have identified was a ziggurat. The site of the tower is located in modern day Iraq

2. The Power and Limits of Unity (Verses 5-7)
Humanity was united by one language and one purpose, a very powerful tool in anyone’s arsenal but their unity was misdirected. Unity without humility or righteousness can lead to destructive outcomes. So God came down and observed what the people were doing and He disrupted their plan not because unity is bad, but because it was being used to oppose His greater design. After the language of the people was confounded, what happened next was that they started to migrate away from Babel. And they carried the knowledge of the ziggurat across the world! Today there are ziggurats of different variations in Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, China, Italy, Mexico, Indonesia, Cambodia and Polynesia

3. The Origins of Diversity (Verses 8-9)
The confusion of languages marks a turning point in human history, this is when different languages and cultural diversity were introduced. I have often seen it as a punishment, but not quite. It was actually a necessary dispersion to fulfil God's command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28, 9:1).
When the people could no longer understand themselves, they were grouped naturally by common “language families” possibly grouped by people from common descent such as Javan, Canaan & Joktan. From a modern linguistic standpoint, languages around the world fall into language families from where other languages sprung forth, such as, Indo-European (English, Spanish, Hindi, etc.), Sino-Tibetan (Chinese, Burmese), Afro-Asiatic (Arabic, Hebrew), Niger-Congo (Swahili, Yoruba), Turkic, Uralic, Dravidian, Austroasiatic, and many more.
Verses 4-5 of Chapter 10 says: “From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.”

These are the descendants of Javan, son of Japheth, who would have been people who took up the trade of building ships from the knowledge God had given to Noah and his sons. Javan is generally associated with the Greeks. His sons include Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim — all thought to be linked to Mediterranean coastal regions and islands. So the "maritime peoples" (literally “island or coastland dwellers” in Hebrew) are those early sea-faring cultures of the Mediterranean who migrated to coastal and island regions across the eastern and central Mediterranean — areas like Greece, Cyprus, and possibly as far as Spain.

• Verses 10 – 32: God’s Sovereign Direction of History
Chapter 11 transitions from a scattered, prideful humanity to the calling of Abram, who would become the father of faith and the channel of blessing to all nations. It tells us that God can choose individuals to bring order and purpose into a broken world.
"Babel" represents confusion and division, but it's also the backdrop for God's promise to bless the world through Abram in the very next chapter. The contrast sets the stage for a broader biblical theme: God bringing unity, peace, and blessing out of human brokenness.

LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 11
Unity is a very powerful tool. (Matt. 18:19-20, Deuteronomy 32:30: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). However, unity without humility or righteousness can lead to destructive outcomes. This tells us that not all unity is healthy. Proverbs 11:21a says: “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished”. God's intervention to confound their language and scatter them over the face of the earth shows that true greatness comes not from human effort alone, but from alignment with His purpose.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In last week’s study we looked at how mankind became corrupted to the point where God repented that He created man and decided to wipe the slate and start afresh. He found Noah, a righteous man and instructed him to build an ark and then, sent a catastrophic flood that completely destroyed the earth. In today’s study, we will look out how God began restoring creation through Noah and his family. Genesis chapters 8 and 9 detail the receding waters, Noah’s worship, and God’s covenant with humanity. These chapters mark a fresh start for mankind, revealing God's mercy, justice, and expectations for His creation.

CHAPTER 8
1. The Floodwaters Recede (Verses 1-14)
God remembered Noah & every living thing (Verses 1-3) – The phrase "God remembered Noah" does not imply that God had forgotten him but signifies His faithfulness in acting upon His promise to preserve Noah and his family. God sent a wind to dry the waters, similar to how He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites in Exodus 14:21. This is one factor that often confuses scientists - when God uses His creation to perform the miraculous. (Discuss)
In Genesis 7:11 (AMP) the Bible says: “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that same day all the fountains of the great deep [subterranean waters] burst open, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened". The Hebrew Bible refers to this account as a poetic description of a physical reality. God caused volcanic eruptions to break through the entire earth – across the land and sea that was instrumental to the flood. It is what also caused what the scientist refer to as the “continental drift” because all the land mass on earth were together prior to the flood according to Genesis 1:9-10 the Bible says: “9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Although scientists erroneously believe that this drift of the continents started happening roughly 200 million years ago. The Biblical account in Genesis 7:11, gives the most accurate description of the cause.
• Noah’s Patience and Testing
When God sent a wind to dry up the waters, it was not automatic. It took days. It was after 150 days, that the ark finally settled on dry ground, on Mount Ararat (verse 4). So in Verses 6-12 – Noah sent out a raven and a dove to check for dry land. The dove later returned with an olive leaf, signalling renewal after several attempts. It was only by the second month of Noah’s 601st year, that the land became completely dry. (Verses 13-14)

Lesson #1: When God’s Word or promise comes to us, they do not necessarily manifest immediately. Many times, there is a waiting period we must go through. The wait is usually a time of renewal of strength for believers. (Isaiah 40:31)

2. Noah’s Actions Provokes God’s Blessing and Covenant (Verses 15-22)
We see in Verses 15-19 that Noah, his family, and all creatures left the ark to repopulate the earth on God’s command. “15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.”
The first thing Noah did after they came out of the ark was to build an altar and offer God a sacrifice (Verse 20) – He offered burnt offerings to God in gratitude. And God in Verse 21 was moved by Noah’s worship, He reverted the curse He made in Genesis 3:17 (Cursed is the ground . . .) by saying “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done”. He vowed never to destroy the earth again, and established the covenant of seedtime and harvest. (Verse 22)

CHAPTER 9
3. God's Covenant with Noah (Verses 1-17)
• The Original Covenant Re-Established (Verses 1, 7)
In verses 1 and 7, we see God re-establishing the initial blessing and command given to Adam and Eve. Noah and his sons were instructed to be fruitful and multiply.

• Change to Human Diet (Verses 2-4)
Verses 2 - 3 are very interesting verses with respect to what was before. It implies that prior to these verses, the animals were not afraid of man and vice versa. No wonder they all were able to go into the ark without fear or agitation. Because in many cases, wild animals are not naturally aggressive toward humans unless they feel threatened, cornered, or provoked. Verse 3 also implies that prior, human beings were vegetarians! It was in verse 3 that God gave the go ahead to eat animals. “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”
Although God permitted the eating of meat, He forbade the consumption of blood.As we see in verse 4. “4 But never eat animals unless their life-blood has been drained off".

Lesson #2: All of the time when God instructs us not to indulge in certain things, it is always for our own good. The blood of any creature usually carries bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause diseases and therefore not safe or healthy for humans. And because this was the first time man was going to be eating meat; He had to put safety measures in place to protect man. We see the same reflected in Lev 11 and Deut. 14 about not eating unclean foods.

Although the primary reason God forbade the Israelites from eating unclean foods was spiritual and symbolic, the unclean animals listed in the Bible are now known to carry higher health risks compared to clean animals. For instance,

Pigs (Pork) carry worms, that can cause trichinosis, a disease that causes muscle pain, fever, and inflammation. Pigs also do not sweat, meaning they do not detoxify as effectively as other animals holding onto toxins. Pork has also been linked to heart disease and high cholesterol levels.

Other listed animals are

Shellfish (Shrimp, Lobster, Crab) Shellfish can absorb mercury, lead, and other pollutants, leading to long-term health risks.

Scavenger Birds (Eagles, Vultures, Ravens) eat decayed flesh, and may carry harmful pathogens that can transfer to humans.

These laws would have protected the Israelites in ancient times when proper food handling was difficult.

• Respect and Sanctity of Human Life (Verses 5-6)
In verses 5-6, murder was condemned, and capital punishment was established.
“And murder is forbidden. Man-killing animals must die, and any man who murders shall be killed; for to kill a man is to kill one made like God.”

• The Rainbow as a Sign of the Covenant (Verses 12-17)
God then set the rainbow in the sky as a reminder of His promise never to destroy the earth by flood again. Naturally, Noah and his sons may have had PTSD. God knew that every time it threatens to rain, they would be afraid, and so He once again used natural occurrences to produce the rainbow. When water droplets in the sky act as prisms that bend and scatters light rays to form a rainbow. What I believe provides a re-assurance for mankind that another flood is not on the way and according to Him, when He sees it, He is reminded of His promise – not that He forgets.

4. Actions and Consequences (Verses 18-29)
• Noah’s Drunkenness (Verses 20-21)
To every action, there is a consequence. Although the Bible records this account in two verses, (20-21), the time between when Noah planted a vineyard (which could be shortly after the flood), to when he became drunk would have been between 3-5 years that it takes a vineyard to produce a harvest. But he became drunk. You will agree that his intention was not to expose his nakedness in his tent after drinking wine.
But “Noah took a drink; the drink took a drink and then the drink took him!”

• The Fate of His Sons (Verses 22 – 27)
His indiscretion only created room for another indiscretion. Ham, his 3rd son saw him naked and told his brothers (Verses 22-23), but Shem and Japheth covered Noah respectfully. What could Ham have done? He had already seen his dad naked. He could have simply taken a cloak and covered his dad and not broadcast the incident.

• The Curse of Canaan (Verses 24-25)
Although his brothers respected their father as opposed to Ham, one of them must have snitched on him as we see in verse 24. They didn’t need to have done that. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that love covers a multitude of sins. So, there is a possibility that love was lacking in their relationship. And so in verse 25, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan while blessing Shem and Japheth. This to me was yet another indiscretion. Ham was the offending son, but the curse was on Canaan. Possibly out of anger or the hangover.

Lesson #3: We must be careful of the words we speak and the proclamations parents make over their children. Proverbs 18:21 says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Having said that, there is a school of thought that believe that the “curse” Noah proclaimed was more of a prophecy about future nations rather than an immediate punishment as we will see in future events.

• Noah’s Prophecy and Blessings (Verses 26-27)
In verses 26 & 27, we see Noah blessing Shem and Japhet while stating that Canaan would be their slave. This implies that Canaan’s descendants (the Canaanites) would serve the descendants of Shem (Israelites) and Japheth (Europeans and Asians).
Canaan's lineage is listed in Genesis 10:15-19, and his descendants settled in the land of Canaan (modern Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan). They became known for their idolatry, immorality, and opposition to Israel. God commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanites because of their idolatry and child sacrifices (Leviticus 18:24-25).
Noah’s Prophecy was fulfilled because most of Canaan’s descendants were conquered, displaced, or enslaved by Shem’s (Israel, Assyrians, Babylonians) and Japheth’s (Greeks, Romans) descendants.

• Debunking the Myth that Africans are Under Noah’s Curse
From the above, we see that it was Canaan, not Ham that was cursed (verse 25). And Canaan is not the father of Africans but mostly people in the Middle East. And thus, Africans are not under the curse of Noah! However, over time, some people most likely under the influence of the devil, interpreted this curse as applying to all of Ham’s descendants, particularly those in Africa. This misinterpretation is what contributed to harmful racial stereotypes and justifications for slave trade years ago. Let’s not even “waste” the scripture (Galatians 3:13)

• The True Picture
Ham had four sons, Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Cush is often associated with Ethiopia; Mizraim is linked to Egypt (North Africa). Put is associated with Libya (North Africa), while Canaan, settled in the region of Canaan (which is now Israel, Palestine, and parts of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan). Although Ham’s descendants are linked to parts of Africa, as explained above, he is not the literal "father" of all Africans.

CONCLUSION
Genesis chapters 8 and 9 tells us how God exhibited His mercy in preserving Noah’s family and establishing a new covenant with humanity after the destruction of the earth. As an assurance from Him, He orchestrated the rainbow; one of the wonders of God’s creation that serves as a lasting sign of His faithfulness, not what the world has turned it to, today. We have also learnt some other important truths. Such as God using nature and His creations to perform the miraculous. The lyrics of the song “So Will I” state: “And as You speak, a hundred billion creatures catch Your breath, evolving in pursuit of what You said”
We also learnt that (i) when God’s Word or promise comes to us, they do not necessarily manifest immediately. (ii) We must be careful of the words we speak and the proclamations parents make over their children. And (iii) when God warns us against certain indulgences, it is usually for our own good. There is really nothing new that scientists are discovering now that God had not warned us about in His Word. That He did not give the reasons for such commands is because He expected absolute trust in Him.

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
This study is a continuation of the previous chapter which focused on the genealogy of humankind starting from Adam to Noah. It emphasized a drastic shift after the birth of Seth (Genesis 4:26) when man began to serve God. Also, we would realize that humankind lived for many years. For instance, in Genesis 5:5 Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. Genesis 5:6 Seth was nine hundred and twelve years old: and he died. Genesis 5:11 Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. The emphasis today will be on what happened before the flood began, how the flood became a symbol of God’s judgment on humanity, and how God’s mercy prevailed through Noah and his generation to save humanity from extinction.

PART ONE (GENESIS 6):
CORRUPTION OF HUMANKIND AND PRELUDE TO THE FLOOD.
The corruption of humankind refers to corruption of the human nature resulting from the original sin of Adam and Eve.
A. Genesis 6: 1-4. Increase in human population and perversion of marriage:
We will observe at the beginning of this chapter, before the flood that the human population began to surge. Then the Bible brings in a narrative of the sons of God as giants (Nephilim and Anak), marrying the sons of men.

Reflection: How come humans allowed their women to marry strange beings or giants? Could this mean that the fear of God had become very unpopular on the earth at this time? This showed the level of sinfulness among men that led to the contamination of in the family pattern in the early history of humanity on earth.
Firstly, one school of thought might unpack the argument about the description of the sons of God in the Old Testament narrative that is connected to this issue of marriage differently. For instance, let us look at the genealogy of Adam the son of God. (Luke 3: 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God).
Now we observe that from this point, Cain and Abel were sons of Adam, and Adam was referred to as a son of God. However, when Cain killed Abel, a curse was placed on him (Genesis 4:9-16), and we were not told about Abel’s family history. Abel was considered a righteous man, and his family tree ended with his death.
However, due to increased corruption on earth, the sons of Adam corrupted until the time of Seth when humanity began to serve God again (Genesis 4:26). So if we bring back Cain to the equation (Genesis 4:17-25) we might assume that though Cain could also be referred to as one of the sons of God because he was corrupted and his descendant possibly might have taken wives among the generation of Seth. So now there was a contamination in the human race apart from the initial sin of Adam and Eve.

In another instance, going by the law of first mention in the Bible and other occurrences, the sons of God can be linked to fallen angels (Job 1: 6 referred to the sons of God as spirit beings – fallen angels, and while they met, Satan was in their midst).
Going back to the earlier narrative of Genesis 6, these fallen angels married humans and produced giants or Nephilim.

(Genesis 6: 2-4 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.3 And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown).

The sons of God that married the daughter of men were referred to as Giants in the Old Testament. Giants were from the tribe of Nephilim or Anak. Num 13:13 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Also, we see in (Num 15: 13 In accordance with the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave a portion of an inheritance to Caleb son of Jephunneh in Judah Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron). (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

Numbers 13: 32-33 (NIV) And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.
1 Samuel 17 referred to Goliath as a giant and was described in 2 Samuel 21: 20 as “where another giant from Gath is mentioned who had six fingers and toes, a distinctive and unusual mark”.

So therefore, we can conclude that the narrative of the sons of God in Genesis 6 is associated with fallen angels and their human ancestry which is different from the usage in the New Testament reference to the sons of God which we can relate to (John 1: 12) refers to righteous believers who now have an inheritance in God through Jesus Christ.

B. Genesis 6: 3 The Lord curtailed the life span of humankind to 120 years due to the level of wickedness. Before this, humankind lived for hundreds of years with Methuselah recorded as the oldest who lived up to 969 years.

C. Genesis 6: 5-8 Humanity did evil before God and they continued greatly in their evil deeds.
God regretted he had made man, and decided to destroy the entire creation (humans, plants, animals all existing infrastures that existed at that time). However, despite this great wickedness, Noah found favour (Grace in the sight of God) meaning that God decided to save Noah from the incoming destruction.

D. Genesis 6:9 Noah was described as a righteous man in his generation. Noah and his family walked with God.

E. Genesis 6: 13-22.
God tells Noah about the wickedness of humanity on the earth and His plans to destroy the earth due to the wickedness through water. This plan meant that God wanted to use Noah and his family to start a new generation of humanity. God also planned to preserve the animal and insect kingdom., and he instructed Noah to build an ark that would serve as a refugee to Noah and his household including a pair of a specie (male and female) of every animal to be preserved in the ark to avoid being killed during the flood.

PART TWO:
THE FOOD BEGINS: JUDGEMENT AND MERCY
A. Genesis 7: 1-16.
Noah preached repentance to humanity before the flood started. 2 Peter 2: 5 If he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others.
Noah built the ark based on the specifications given to him by God almighty.
It rained 40 days and nights until all things on the earth were destroyed except Noah and wife, his family (his 3 sons and their wives, and the animals he took two by two that sought refuge in the ark.

Reflection: What is the significance of the year the flood started: Noah was 600 years old when the flood started.
1. This showed despite all the warnings of destruction to come, the people cared less about God.
2. The people saw Noah building the ark for about 100 years and ignored him completely (Genesis 5:32 Noah was 500 years old when he begat his sons), Genesis 6:9-11 Noah was called a righteous man when he begat his sons). (Genesis 7: 11 Noah was now 600 years old when the flood began).
3. Noah took his wife, sons and their wives, and a pair of animals into the ark. The flood lasted 40 days (Genesis 7:13-17)
4. Metushelah might have possibly died in the flood. We can check the dates from Genesis 5.
Genesis 5: 25-32 We will discover that Methuselah was 187 years old when he begot Lamech and other sons and daughters. Genesis 5: 27 Methuselah died at 969 years old.
Genesis 5:28 Lamech lived 182 years and begat Noah.
Genesis 5:31 Lamech lived 777 years and died.
Genesis 5:32 Noah lived 500 and began Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The corruption and gross wickedness on Earth became extreme during the period Noah had his sons (Genesis 6: 10-11) at this point Noah was about 500 years old.
The flood started when Noah was 600 years old (Genesis 7:6)
This means that it might be possible that Methuselah died at the beginning of the flood going by the calculation from Methuselah’s age when Lamech was born till when the flood started when Noah was 600 years old it sums up to 969 which corresponds to the years Methuselah lived.
Methuselah lived long but nothing about righteousness was accredited to his name, and it could even be that he did as a sinner in the flood.

B. Genesis 7: 17-24 It rained for 40 days and the earth was flooded for one hundred and fifty days.
Humanity was destroyed except all those that were in the Ark, Noah became the heir of a new human civilization because of God’s mercy.

CONCLUSION
God will never back down on his command of righteousness. It is left to us to align with his word and precepts to shape our lives. (Prov 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people). The testimony of Noah would forever reveal that a life of righteousness and faith attracts favour and the blessing of generational preservation from God almighty. Hebrews 11: 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.