Genesis 18-19 -- For Abraham, now a century old, life was to become more pleasant. As his faith grew, his understanding and acceptance of Jehovah's plans put him less often in conflict with His purpose. Abraham laughed in marvel that Jehovah would give him a son at his age. His prayer for Ishmael, though misguided, was nevertheless answered in the affirmative. Three times in one year Jehovah visited Abraham. Even Sarah laughed, though in scorn.
She did so on the day Jehovah set for the final test of Sodom and Gomorrah, in 2067 BC. Abraham recognized the visitors immediately as emissaries of Jehovah. He reacted as a vassal to his Sovereign, lavishing his best on the visitors. During this visit, not only did Jehovah promise to bring about the birth of a legitimate heir for Abraham, He also included him in His counsel. Following normal protocol, Abraham prayed for reasonable limits on the extermination of the Pentapolis residents.
Lot, too, followed the customs of his people. While not a party to the Covenant, it is safe to assume Lot was generally as righteous as Abraham, especially in contrast to the Canaanites. Unlike the native Sodomites, he offered hospitality to the visitors. He probably did so all the more knowing who they were, and how the Sodomites would behave. We are not told the reason why Lot had moved into the city. It is implied he did so out of a lack of commitment, which in turn was due to the apparent lack of calling, or at least lacking a sense of calling.
The sordid episode that followed served to explain to the Hebrew readers that the cataclysm in the Pentapolis was not a simple accident of nature. There were certainly natural elements involved, though. The seismic activity of the area, combined with the volatile mix of free sulfur and petroleum, was a disaster waiting to happen. Thus, a simple volcanic earthquake became a massive explosion. Super-heated salts and rock would have been thrown miles into the air, and rained back down as flaming hail. As late as 2056 BC (nine years later), after-shocks and subsequent explosions still rocked the area.
All life and soil fertility in the area was extinguished, except for Lot and his daughters. They eventually hid in the caves on the eastern side of the Rift Valley. Even in this escape, Lot manages to manifest some of the immoral character of the Sodomites, though his culpabiliy is somewhat assuaged by his daughters' determination. His daughters gave birth to boys, Moab ("From Father"), and Ben-ammi ("Son of My People"). Thus, the Hebrew authors explain the genesis of two enemy nations: Moab and Ammon, who would later hold the eastern heights of the Lower Jordan Valley and of the Dead Sea.
The most obvious lesson is that sin can have far-reaching consequences that no one can predict. While we are properly loathe to oppress another with our personal sense of right and wrong, there are some kinds of sin which can never be seen as merely a personal choice. The gross immorality of one generation can become multiplied to the detriment of numerous generations to come. It's a contagion of immense proportions.
Genesis 20-21 -- There's no doubt Abraham saw the destruction of the Pentapolis from the heights west of the Dead Sea. The disaster in the valley probably released a large amount of pollutants in the air. This may help explain Abraham's move downslope toward the Mediterranean Coast, after a stay in the south.
He had not yet learned from his experience in Egypt simply to trust Jehovah's protection. He commits the same lie to the local king, whose title was Abimelech ("Royal Father"). Once again, the pagan ruler is more honorable than the servant of Jehovah. Abimelech acted from the same customs as the Egyptians, seeking alliance with a very powerful prince. Both a dream and a plague of infertility in the royal household were sent to the king. His reaction to this was also similar to Pharaoh's, except that he offered to Abraham protected residence anywhere in his domain.
It was there in the lands of Abimelech that Isaac ("Laughter") was born. At age 16, Ishmael was afflicted with the same attitude as his mother. He harassed his younger half-brother without mercy. Abraham defied custom in sending Ishmael away from his inheritance. Sent away a second time, Hagar headed in the same direction as the last time she fled Abraham's household -- her homeland in Egypt. She had barely managed to get 15 miles (24 kilometers) before she despaired of finding the Way of Shur, which ran nearby. After her miraculous rescue, she changed her mind about her final destination, and raised her son in the east central area of the Sinai Peninsula.
Abimelech tried another tack at allying himself with Abraham. He brought along Phicol ("Mouth of All" a title meaning commander of troops) and proposed a covenant. The servants of Abimelech were not so enthusiastic as their lord about the presence of such a powerful foreigner. They quarreled with Abraham's servants over water rights. Soon, he had been driven up into the edge of the highlands. This is the same area where Hagar and Ishmael had gotten lost. It may have been the same well, but at last Abraham found water for which he wouldn't have to fight. He was probably on the fringe of, or beyond, the perceived land holdings of Abimelech.
Yet, acting in good faith, they agreed to solemnify the covenant in a ceremony which gave Abraham unquestioned control of a well belonging ostensibly to Abimelech. They swore an oath on seven things ("to seven oneself"). Thus, the name of the well, Beersheba ("The Well of Sevens"). There is a scribal reference in the Scripture text to "Philistines" to identify Abraham's location. The people later known asPhilistines did not arrive in Palestine before 1200 BC, some 800 years after Abraham.
As far as the biblical record, this is the last time Abraham fails a major test of faith. His final test he passes with flying colors.
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Ed Hurst
revised 29 January 2004
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