†. Gen 13:13 . . Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
sinners against the Lord.
The precise location of ancient Sodom is uncertain. Some feel it was sited at
the south end of the Dead Sea; but it's really hard to know for sure.
According to Gen 14:1-3, the communities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah,
Zeboiim, and Zoar were situated in an area of the Jordan Valley the Bible
labels "the vale of Siddim; which is the salt sea".
The Hebrew word for Siddim means flats; viz: a flood plain; for example
river valleys; which are of course subject to seasonal flooding. Personally, if
it were me; I would have emplaced my community at the north end of the
vale rather than south since the north end was the better location for a
ready supply of fresh water from the Jordan River for homes and farming.
The author's choice of words is curious. The people of Sodom weren't just
sinners; they were "very wicked" sinners; and not just very wicked sinners,
but very wicked sinners "against" the Lord. Big mistake. The Bible's God is
somewhat lenient with ignorance and foolishness; but His patience has its
limits with outright defiance.
†. Gen 6:3 . . My spirit shall not always strive with man
Note : everything in Genesis occurred quite a few years prior to the
institution of the Ten Commandments so God couldn't prosecute the vale's
people for breaking His laws. He actually came down on them for pretty
much the same reason He came down on the antediluvians-- for ignoring Him.
†. John 3:19 . . And this is the condemnation: light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
†. Gen 13:15 . . And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted
from him: Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the
north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you
see to you and your offspring forever.
Oh the irony of it! If Lot went off only to the Jordan Valley to stake a claim
for his own progeny, then he didn't go far enough away because from
Abram's vantage he could see eastward clear across the Jordan valley and
over into Moab (the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan) and far past the five
cities of the Plain. So Abram, and his progeny, were promised eternal
ownership of not only the highlands of Canaan, but in addition, also the
whole Jordan Valley where Lot moved-- and beyond.
†. Gen 13:16 . . I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth,
so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too
can be counted.
I just hope Abram remembers what God said the next time he feels inclined
to fib in order to save his skin. Will he never catch on that he cannot die
until God makes good on the promises regarding his progeny?
Abram's genetic progeny descend not only from Isaac, but also from Ishmael
and the other boys he had too. But his progeny shouldn't be construed to be
exactly equal to the number of bits of dust that make up the earth's soil. The
expression is a common Old Testament colloquialism for very large
quantities (e.g. Gen 41:49, Josh 11:4, Jdgs 7:12, 1Sam 13:5, 2Sam 17:11,
1Kgs 4:29, Job 29:18, Ps 78:27; et al). The meaning is that they would
simply become too numerous to count. Later God will liken the number of
Abram's offspring to the sand at the beach. Same thing there too-- not the
precise number of grains, but a number so great that any attempt to count
them would be futile-- same with the stars.
Abram lived somewhere in the neighborhood of the 20th century BC;
roughly five-hundred years after completion of the Pyramid of Khafre at
Giza. So Abram lived about 4,000 years ago. Millions and millions of Abram's
kin have lived and died since then. And it's not over yet, not by a long sea
mile.
In Messiah's future millennial kingdom, Jews will multiply exceedingly
because they will all enjoy very long life spans and engender large families.
The Bible says that a man of 100 years age in Israel will be regarded as a
mere child in that era.
†. Isa 65:20 . . No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer
will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be
considered old at one-hundred! Only sinners will die that young!
Abram's offspring truly cannot be tallied; not now or ever. Only The
Almighty could ever get the number right because all the souls belonging to
Abram, among both the dead and the living, have become so numerous.
†. Gen 13:17 . . Up, walk about the land, through its length and its
breadth, for I give it to you.
It's notable that God said: I give it to you. The land was Abram's possession
right then and there and no one can ever take it away from him. Not even
Almighty God can take it away from Abram now because once The Lord
gives His word, He is bound to it like a ball and chain (Rom 11:28-29). That
should be a comfort to Yhvh's people, throughout all the ages, that once God
gives His word on something, He has to make good on it.
†. Ps 119:41-42 . . May your steadfast love reach me, O Lord, your
deliverance, as you have promised. I shall have an answer for those who
taunt me, for I have put my trust in your word.
Although Abram lacked sovereign control over his real estate at the time, it
was his possession none the less.
Cont.
/
sinners against the Lord.
The precise location of ancient Sodom is uncertain. Some feel it was sited at
the south end of the Dead Sea; but it's really hard to know for sure.
According to Gen 14:1-3, the communities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah,
Zeboiim, and Zoar were situated in an area of the Jordan Valley the Bible
labels "the vale of Siddim; which is the salt sea".
The Hebrew word for Siddim means flats; viz: a flood plain; for example
river valleys; which are of course subject to seasonal flooding. Personally, if
it were me; I would have emplaced my community at the north end of the
vale rather than south since the north end was the better location for a
ready supply of fresh water from the Jordan River for homes and farming.
The author's choice of words is curious. The people of Sodom weren't just
sinners; they were "very wicked" sinners; and not just very wicked sinners,
but very wicked sinners "against" the Lord. Big mistake. The Bible's God is
somewhat lenient with ignorance and foolishness; but His patience has its
limits with outright defiance.
†. Gen 6:3 . . My spirit shall not always strive with man
Note : everything in Genesis occurred quite a few years prior to the
institution of the Ten Commandments so God couldn't prosecute the vale's
people for breaking His laws. He actually came down on them for pretty
much the same reason He came down on the antediluvians-- for ignoring Him.
†. John 3:19 . . And this is the condemnation: light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
†. Gen 13:15 . . And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had parted
from him: Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the
north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you
see to you and your offspring forever.
Oh the irony of it! If Lot went off only to the Jordan Valley to stake a claim
for his own progeny, then he didn't go far enough away because from
Abram's vantage he could see eastward clear across the Jordan valley and
over into Moab (the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan) and far past the five
cities of the Plain. So Abram, and his progeny, were promised eternal
ownership of not only the highlands of Canaan, but in addition, also the
whole Jordan Valley where Lot moved-- and beyond.
†. Gen 13:16 . . I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth,
so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too
can be counted.
I just hope Abram remembers what God said the next time he feels inclined
to fib in order to save his skin. Will he never catch on that he cannot die
until God makes good on the promises regarding his progeny?
Abram's genetic progeny descend not only from Isaac, but also from Ishmael
and the other boys he had too. But his progeny shouldn't be construed to be
exactly equal to the number of bits of dust that make up the earth's soil. The
expression is a common Old Testament colloquialism for very large
quantities (e.g. Gen 41:49, Josh 11:4, Jdgs 7:12, 1Sam 13:5, 2Sam 17:11,
1Kgs 4:29, Job 29:18, Ps 78:27; et al). The meaning is that they would
simply become too numerous to count. Later God will liken the number of
Abram's offspring to the sand at the beach. Same thing there too-- not the
precise number of grains, but a number so great that any attempt to count
them would be futile-- same with the stars.
Abram lived somewhere in the neighborhood of the 20th century BC;
roughly five-hundred years after completion of the Pyramid of Khafre at
Giza. So Abram lived about 4,000 years ago. Millions and millions of Abram's
kin have lived and died since then. And it's not over yet, not by a long sea
mile.
In Messiah's future millennial kingdom, Jews will multiply exceedingly
because they will all enjoy very long life spans and engender large families.
The Bible says that a man of 100 years age in Israel will be regarded as a
mere child in that era.
†. Isa 65:20 . . No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer
will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be
considered old at one-hundred! Only sinners will die that young!
Abram's offspring truly cannot be tallied; not now or ever. Only The
Almighty could ever get the number right because all the souls belonging to
Abram, among both the dead and the living, have become so numerous.
†. Gen 13:17 . . Up, walk about the land, through its length and its
breadth, for I give it to you.
It's notable that God said: I give it to you. The land was Abram's possession
right then and there and no one can ever take it away from him. Not even
Almighty God can take it away from Abram now because once The Lord
gives His word, He is bound to it like a ball and chain (Rom 11:28-29). That
should be a comfort to Yhvh's people, throughout all the ages, that once God
gives His word on something, He has to make good on it.
†. Ps 119:41-42 . . May your steadfast love reach me, O Lord, your
deliverance, as you have promised. I shall have an answer for those who
taunt me, for I have put my trust in your word.
Although Abram lacked sovereign control over his real estate at the time, it
was his possession none the less.
Cont.
/
