Gen 20, 21, 22

This is a little bit longer because I haven't done it in a few days. Hopefully, I can catch up a little bit more tomorrow.

20:
Now we return from Lot to Abraham and we hear another story of God's justice and love for us as he prevents King Abimelech from sinning and so prevents him from feeling God's wrath.
This chapter also shows us again God's high regard for the sacramental quality of marriage. Obviously, it was important enough for God to be ready to punish Abimelech and his whole house for violating it.

21:
It's curious that in 21:7, Sarah says that she bore Abraham a son in his old age, not hers.
I'm glad that God also takes care of Ishmael and does not forsake him.
In 21:27-32 we see the same number seven signifying an oath or pact as we do in many other parts of the Bible (Revelation comes to mind with the seven seals on the scroll of the covenant there).

22:
Chapter 22 is the famous passage about Abraham almost sacrificing Issac. A lot has been written about this passage, so I won't repeat much, but two of the big takeaways (besides, of course, being obedient) are that we must trust God to 'provide the sheep for the holocaust' or to provide for all our other needs. Abraham brought everything God told him to bring and trusted in Him to provide the rest.
Also, we see a prophesy of Christ's coming when Abraham says that God will provide the sheep, but what He instead provides right now is a ram. Later, He will provide Jesus, the Lamb of God, to save us all from sin.



Here's a quote suitable to our study of Genesis:
"The beginnings of all things are very small"
-Cicero