To Be Written On Your Heart

By Tommy G. Smith

God's Word can't change your life if it is written only on a page in a book or a scroll. It must be written on your heart before it can help you, and it truly is the only medicine for the soul.

To Be Written on Your Heart is intended to he

• Language: English
• Publisher: THE ADVERTERS
• Release date: Oct 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781955403030

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Copyright © 2021 Tommy G. Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

All scripture references and quotations are from THE KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers, or from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.

ISBN: 978-1-955403-02-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-955403-03-0 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Introduction

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

I Samuel

II Samuel

I Kings

II Kings

I Chronicles

II Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

I Corinthians

II Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

I Thessalonians

II Thessalonians

I Timothy

II Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

I Peter

II Peter

I John

II John

III John

Jude

Revelation

Appendix I: Old Testament Kings

Appendix II: Revelation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. After thirty-two years working as a midlevel manager for a single company, Tommy Smith found himself without a job at the ripe old age of fifty-five. He was living in Florida with a degree in textiles, and the future seemed pretty dismal. Although he did not know what to do next, Psalm 32:8 kept running through his mind. That verse, loosely interpreted, says God has everything under control, will guide us and show us what to do next. Indeed, what seemed at first to be one of those curveballs thrown by life proved to be the hand of God at work. In a series of events, that only God could have orchestrated, Tommy and his wife, Debbie, enrolled their only child, Zack, in the University of Florida, loaded some furniture in the back of a truck, and moved seven hundred miles away to Virginia where Tommy found himself starting class as a first-year law student.

Law school is difficult at any age, and Tommy can testify that it seems more difficult when you have been out of school for more than thirty years. Most of his classmates were very smart and less than half his age. By the grace of God, he graduated fifth in his class, worked for almost nine years at an old established law firm in Pensacola where he became a partner, and recently he opened his own firm, Smith Law, PLLC.

God has opened the door to a legal ministry for Tommy, allowing him to assist clients who need legal assistance, but more importantly, many just need to know that someone cares and will take the time to listen.

Tommy is a Board Certified Elder Law Attorney, and he is licensed to practice before all Florida state courts, the US District Court for Northern Florida, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, DC. His undergraduate degree is from North Carolina State University. He has an MBA from the University of West Florida, and he graduated magna cum laude from Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, the National Care Planning Council, Elder Counsel, Wealth Counsel, and Lawyers with Purpose. These professional associations of attorneys are dedicated to improving the quality of legal services for seniors and people with special needs in the areas of public benefits, wills and trusts, probate, estate planning, and long-term care planning. He volunteers with SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the local Area Agency on Aging. Specially trained SHINE volunteers assist Seniors with their Medicare and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential.

Prior to attending law school, Tommy was the business administrator for a short time at a local church after a long industrial career in management and technical capacities. Tommy and Debbie have been active in church for many years. They are members of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Their son is also an attorney.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank God, who graciously guided me through His Word during my early morning devotions. I have had the wonderful privilege of spending time with the King of the universe and the Creator of all that there is. I can only say how very unworthy I am and how gracious, loving, and merciful He is. There are no words to express my gratitude.

This book is dedicated to my family—first to my wife, Debbie. After Jesus, she is the very best part of my life. I thank her for loving me and for always being there. My son, Zack, and my almost daughter, Anna, will never know how much I love them and how proud I am of both of them. There are simply not enough words in the English language, or in all languages combined, to express how much I love them all.

INTRODUCTION

God’s Word can’t change your life if it is written only on a page in a book or a scroll. It must be written on your heart before it can help you, and it truly is the only medicine for the soul. To Be Written on Your Heart is intended to help you begin the process of transcribing God’s word from the written page onto your own living heart. God’s word becomes truly sacred or holy when it is internalized by you, His greatest creation. The Bible is not intended to be a history book, although it does document historical events. It is not a poetry book, although it does contain poems and poetic language. It is not a philosophy book, although it does address the mysteries of life. It is really a how to or do it yourself book because it is all about how to do life, and no one is responsible for how you do your life but you.

Just like Snapshots of the New Testament, there are two things that To Be Written on Your Heart can never be. First, it can never be a substitute for reading the real thing. I The Bible is the real thing. This book is not. I hope that this book reflects the real thing, but just as your image in the mirror is not the real you, this compilation of outlines is not God’s Word. You should not read this book and skip the Bible. To Be Written on Your Heart is intended to be used as an aid in your study of the Bible, not as a substitute for reading it.

Second, this book can never be about me; it can only be about Almighty God and His marvelous plan of redemption through his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the main character of the Bible. There are many understudies in the Bible and many sub-plots, but Jesus has the leading role. He is there from the first chapter of Genesis until the last chapter of Revelation. He and He alone is the author and finisher of our faith, and only He deserves praise, glory, and honor. In Philippians 2:9–10, God said that Jesus has a name above all names and that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. My prayer is that this book will help you to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior if you do not know Him now. However, if you know Him already, my prayer is that this book will help you to develop a closer relationship with Him and grow to love Him more and more.

As a law student, I relied heavily on my outlines because my success in law school hinged on a single exam in each class at the end of the semester. Before taking that one important test, I read pages and pages of case law and seemingly never-ending opinions and holdings written by judges that sometimes address only a single point of law. These holdings build on each other until all the elements of a legal cause of action are developed with the Constitution as the final arbiter. Outlines are an essential way for the law student to assemble and organize mountains of information into a precise summary of what the law is. These outlines are indispensable at exam time because there is no way anyone could review, much less remember, such massive amounts of information. Law professors encourage students to begin developing their outlines early in the semester so they can review the material and start thinking like a lawyer.

I want you to use this book as if you are a law student preparing for the Bar Exam, which is the granddaddy of all exams. Your success at the end of this life will depend on one crucial test, and it will pose a single question: What did you do with Jesus? He is the only key that can open the door to Heaven. The Bible is the governing law, and it declares that Jesus alone, not your good deeds or your successful career, is the way, the truth, and the life. My prayer is that you will use this book to help you use that key to unlock to doors of Heaven.

Although the Bible is inspired by God and not one word should be ignored, sometimes it is long, tedious, and difficult to understand. I hope this series of outlines will summarize some key points in a concise manner. Perhaps, this book might even encourage you to develop your own outlines. My ultimate goal is to present God’s Word in a way that is easy for you to review until it becomes a part of the way you think, a part of the way you live your life, and ultimately a part of who you are.

It’s never too early in the semester to start studying. Don’t wait until exam time and try to cram. There is too much to digest. God’s Word is too important to be relegated to some other time. Now is the day of salvation, and now is the time to draw closer to God. Final Exam Day will be here sooner than you may think. You can begin to prepare by reviewing the following verses in your Bible: Romans 3:23 and 6:23; John 1:12 and 3:16, Romans 10:9–10, and Ephesians 8:28. I John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us. You may kneel as a tramp, but you will get up as a lady or gentleman. Remember, you don’t have to be the sharpest pencil in the box to graduate with honors.

OLD TESTAMENT

GENESIS

o Day 1: Day (light) and night (dark);

o Day 2: The sky to separate the waters above from the waters below;

o Day 3: The seas, the dry land with seed bearing plants and trees;

o Day 4: The sun, moon and stars;

o Day 5: The fish, sea creatures, and birds;

o Day 6: The animals, wildlife and mankind (male and female).

• God gave the plants to man for food.

• God saw that everything He had made was good.

• God blessed mankind, and commanded them to multiply, fill the earth, and have dominion over all other living things.

• There was no grain growing on earth because God had not sent the rain yet, and there was no one to cultivate the soil.

• Water came up out of the ground to water the land.

• On Day 6, God formed a man’s body from the dust, and He breathed the breath of life into it so that it became a living soul.

o God placed the man (Adam) in the garden of Eden, which had the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil in its center.

• A river flowed from Eden, which had four branches. The four branches were:

o The Pishon River, which flowed to Havilah, where pure gold, aromatic resins, and onyx stones were found.

o The Gihon River, which flowed to the land of Cush;

o The Tigris River, which flowed east of Asshur; and

o The Euphrates River.

• God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to care for it, and he could eat the fruit from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eating from that tree would result in death.

• Adam named all the birds and animals, but there was no suitable companion for him, and it was not good for him to be alone.

• So God placed Adam into a very deep sleep, and He formed a woman from one of Adam’s ribs.

o When Adam saw the woman, he was very excited. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife. They become as one.

o Both Adam and his wife were naked, but neither felt any shame.

o He asked the woman if God had really forbidden them from eating the fruit of the garden.

o She responded that they could eat any fruit in the garden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eating that fruit would cause them to die.

o The serpent responded that they would not die, and God just didn’t want them to know everything that He did.

o The woman was convinced, and she ate the forbidden fruit. She also gave some to Adam, and their eyes were opened. They were immediately ashamed of their nakedness so they covered themselves with fig leaves.

o When God came to visit them that evening in the garden, Adam was hiding from Him because he was naked.

• God wanted to know how Adam knew that he was naked and if he had eaten the forbidden fruit.

• Adam admitted that he had eaten the fruit, but he blamed the woman, and the woman immediately blamed the serpent.

• God cursed the serpent, caused it to crawl on its belly, and made it an enemy of mankind.

• God told Eve that she would experience pain in childbirth and that her husband would be her master.

• God told Adam that because he had disobeyed, the ground would be cursed, he would work hard and struggle trying to produce enough food to survive, and he would eventually die and return to the dust from which he was made.

o Adam named Eve, and God covered them both with clothing made from animal skins.

o God banished Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden to keep them from eating the fruit of the tree of life, and He placed mighty angelic beings to the east of Eden to keep them from returning.

o She had a boy, and she named him Cain.

o Later she had another son and named him Abel.

• Cain became a farmer, and Abel became a shepherd.

o At harvest time, Cain brought some of his crops as an offering to the Lord, and Abel brought the best of his flock as an offering.

o God accepted Abel’s offering, but He rejected Cain’s offering, which made Cain angry and dejected.

o God asked Cain why he was angry, and God assured him that if he brought a proper offering that He would accept it.

• God’s warning was, Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, but you must subdue it. Genesis 4:7 NLT

• Cain enticed Abel to go into the fields with him, and he killed him.

o God saw what Cain had done, and He banished him from his fields and condemned him to hard work, homelessness, and a life of wandering from place to place.

• Cain was afraid that people would try to kill him when they found out what he had done; so, God put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who tried to harm him.

• Cain left God’s presence and settled in Nod, east of Eden.

o His wife had a son named Enoch.

o Cain founded a city and named it after his son.

o Enoch’s son was Irad.

• Irad’s son was Mehujael.

• Mehujael’s son was Methushael.

Methushael’s son was Lamech.

o Lamech married two women, Adah and Zillah.

• Adah’s son was Jabal.

• Jabal was the first herdsman to live in a tent.

• Adah’s other son was Jubal.

• He was the first musician, and he invented the harp and flute.

• Zillah’s son was Tubal-Cain, and he became the first to work with metal, bronze and iron.

• Zillah also had a daughter named Naamah.

o One day Lamech told his two wives that he had killed a youth who had attacked and wounded him.

• He declared that anyone who tried to harm him because of the slaying would be punished ten time worse than anyone who tried to harm Cain.

• Adam and Eve had a third son, named Seth.

o Seth was the father of Enosh, and people first began to worship the Lord during his lifetime.

• Genealogy until Noah:

o Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Adam died at 930 years old)

• Seth was 105 years old when Enosh was born (He died at 912 years old)

• Enosh was ninety (90) years old when Kenan was born (He died at 905 years old)

o Kenan was seventy (70) years old when Mahalalel was born (He died at 910 years old)

• Mahalalel was sixty-five (65) when Jared was born (He died at 895 years old)

• Jared was 162 when Enoch was born (He died at 962 years old)

o Enoch was sixy-four (64) when Methuselah was born (God took him at the age of 365),

o He lived in close fellowship with God.

• Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born (he died at 969).

• Lamech was 182 when Noah was born (He died at 777)

• Noah had three (3) sons (Shem, Ham, and Japeth) by the time he was five hundred (500) years old.

• The human population grew rapidly.

• The sons of God had children with the human women, and their children were giants.

• God saw the wickedness of man, and He limited man’s life span to a maximum of 120 years.

o God was sorry that He created man

o Men were so wicked that God decided to destroy all living things.

• But Noah found favor with the Lord because he was righteous; in fact, he was the only blameless man on earth.

o Noah walked with God and trusted God.

o He consistently followed God’s commands.

• God commanded Noah to build an ark:

o It took 120 years to build.

o It was 450 feet long by 75 feet wide by 45 feet high.

o It had an opening all the way around the ark, about eighteen inches (18") below the roof.

o It had three (3) decks (floors).

o There was a door in the side of the ark.

• God commanded Noah to bring on the ark:

o a male and a female of every kind of animal; and

o enough food for Noah’s family and for the animals.

• God promised to protect Noah, his wife, and his sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth) and their wives

• Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded.

o Noah walked with God, even though the people all around him were wicked.

o Noah trusted God. (When God told him to build an ark, he did exactly as God instructed.)

o It rained for forty (40) days and forty (40) nights.

• Before the rain began, God commanded Noah to bring the following on the ark:

o Seven pairs of all animals who were approved for eating and for sacrifice;

o one pair of all other animals.

• God closed the door and shut them in the ark.

o Soon, water covered the earth for one hundred fifty (150) days, and all living things on dry land died.

• Exactly five months after the rain started, the ark came to rest on a mountain peak.

• Two and a half months later, other mountain peaks began to appear.

• Forty (40) days later, Noah opened a window and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth dried.

• Then Noah sent out a dove that returned because the water was still too high.

• Seven (7) days later, Noah released the dove again, and it returned with an olive branch.

• One week later, Noah released the dove one more time, and it did not return.

• Ten and a half months after the flood began [Noah was six hundred one (601) years old], Noah looked outside to observe the water.

• Two months later, God told Noah to leave the Ark and to release the animals and birds that were on the Ark so that they could reproduce.

• So Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives all left the ark, and the animals came out pair by pair.

• Noah built an altar and sacrificed some of those animals approved for that purpose, and the Lord was pleased.

• And God vowed to never again destroy all living things no matter how evil they became, and for as long as the earth remained there would be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.

o He commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth.

• God gave the following to Noah and his family for food:

o Animals, birds, fish, grain and vegetables.

• The animals were to be afraid of man.

• God forbade murder.

o God instituted capital punishment: God commanded that murderers be put to death

• whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed. Gen 9:6

• God made a promise to all living creatures:

o He gave the rainbow as a sign that He would never destroy all living creatures with a flood.

• Noah’s sons were:

o Shem;

o Japheth;

o Ham.

• Ham was an ancestor of the Canaanites.

• Noah was a farmer.

o Noah planted a vineyard, and he got drunk.

• Ham saw his father naked in his tent.

• Noah cursed Ham.

• Shem and Japheth backed into Noah’s tent, and they covered his nakedness.

• Noah blessed Shem and Japheth.

• Japheth:

o His descendants became seafaring people in various lands.

• Ham:

o Nimrod was his descendant (a warrior and a mighty hunter).

• He built his empire in Babylonia (Babel).

• He also built Nineveh.

• Shem’s descendants were:

o Peleg (during his life people were divided into different language groups and dispersed), and

o Abraham.

• They built the Tower of Babel.

o The Tower was a ziggurat (a broad base with upper floors becoming successively smaller).

• It had a pyramid like construction.

o Up until that time everyone spoke the same language, but God divided the people by giving them different languages and scattering them to different parts of the earth, which ended the building of Babel.

o Life expectancy became much shorter at that time.

• Shem was one hundred (100) years old, and he had many descendants:

o Arphaxad,

o Shelah,

o Eber,

o Peleg,

o Reu,

o Serug,

o Nahor, and

o Terah.

• Terah’s (Abraham’s father) children were:

o Haran (died in Ur at a young age);

• Lot; and

• Milcah (Nahor’s wife).

o Abram (married Sarai).

• Sarai was not able to have children.

o Nahor (married Milcah).

• Terah, Abram, Lot, and their families left Ur to go to the land of Canaan, but they stopped and settled in Haran.

o Terah died at Haran when he was two hundred five (205) years old.

• God promised to bless those who blessed Abram and to curse those who cursed him.

• Abram was seventy-five when he left, and he took his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, with him.

• Their first camp was at the oak of Moreh near Shechem, which was inhabited by Canaanites.

o The Lord appeared to Abram there, and He promised to give Abram that land; so, Abram built an altar there in honor of the Lord’s visit.

• He travelled southward from there, and his second camp was between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.

• From there, Abram travelled south toward the Negev.

o Because there was a severe famine in the land, Abram went to Egypt, but he was afraid the Egyptians would kill him so they could have his wife.

• Consequently, Abram convinced Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister.

• The Egyptians were enamored with Sarai’s beauty, and Pharaoh took her to his harem, but God sent a terrible plague on Pharaoh’s household because of Sarai.

• Pharaoh wanted to know what Abram had done to him, and he gave Sarai back to Abram.

• Pharaoh ordered Abram to leave, and he even escorted them out of the country.

o God’s Promises to Abram were the Abrahamic Covenant (a covenant is a promise, contract, oath, or binding agreement):

• God would make of Abram a great nation. Gen 12:2 NLT

• God would bless Abram. Gen 12:2 NLT

• God would make Abram’s name great, and he would be a blessing. Gen 12:2 NLT

• God would bless those who blessed Abram, and whoever cursed Abram, God would curse. Gen 12:3 NLT

• All people on earth would be blessed through Abram. Gen 12:3 NLT

• To Abram’s offspring, God would give this land. Gen 12:7 NLT

o This was the place where Abram built an altar, and he again worshipped God.

• Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold.

• The land could not support the herds of both Abram and Lot; so, arguments broke out between their herdsmen.

• Abram and Lot decided to separate, and Abram gave Lot the choice of land.

• Abram stayed in Canaan.

• Lot moved to the fertile Jordan Valley to a place near Sodom.

o The people of this area were very wicked, and they sinned greatly before the Lord.

• After Lot left, God promised to give Abram and his descendants the land in every direction as far as Abram could see and to make his descendants too numerous to count.

• Abram moved his camp to Hebron to the oak grove owned by Mamre,

o Abram built another altar to the Lord.

o The Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were involved in a battle with King Kedorlaomar of Elam.

• Sodom and Gomorrah lost, and their cities were plundered. Lot was taken along with many women.

• Abram gathered his men (318 in all), found the captives and rescued them.

• On his way home, the King of Sodom went out to meet Abram.

• Melchizedek, King of Salem, also brought Abram bread and wine and blessed him.

o Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe (1/10) of all the goods that he had recovered.

o Abram refused to accept anything from the King of Sodom.

o to give him a son, and

o that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.

• Abram believed the Lord, and God declared him to be righteous because of his faith.

• Abram asked God how he could be sure that God would keep His promise.

o He killed a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtle dove and a pigeon.

o Toward evening Abram fell into a deep sleep, and he saw a terrifying vision of darkness and horror.

o God told Abram that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land.

o They would be slaves for four hundred (400) years.

o That God would punish the nation that enslaved them; and

o Then Abram would die at a ripe old age.

o After four generations, his descendants would return to this land,

• That evening Abram saw a smoking firepot pass among the carcasses.

o God made a covenant with Abram, and He promised to give his descendants this land.

o Abram agreed with the arrangement.

o When Hagar became pregnant, she treated Sarai with contempt.

o Sarai blamed Abram.

• Abram did not deal with the situation, he told Sarai to handle it.

• Sarai treated Hagar harshly.

• Hagar ran away.

• The Angel of the Lord met Hagar in the desert and told her to return to her mistress and submit to her authority.

• The Angel told Hagar that she would have more descendants than she could count.

• The Angel told Hagar to name her child Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery.

• The Angel told Hagar that her son would be wild and would live at odds with his brethren.

• Hagar referred thereafter to God as the God who sees me.

o Ishmael was born when Abram was 86.

o changed his name to Abraham;

o agreed to make him not the father of just one nation, but of a multitude of nations;

o to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants forever; and

o In return, Abraham and his descendants were to do the following:

• Circumcise every male child eight days after birth.

o God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, and He promised to give her a child to be named Isaac.

• Abraham laughed to himself—how could he be a father at 99?

• Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every other male of his household and circumcised them.

o Suddenly, he noticed three men standing nearby

o Abraham asked them to stop, rest in the shade, and allow him to prepare a meal for them

o Abraham told Sarah to bake bread with her best flour, he chose a fat calf, and Abraham served the three men.

o The men asked where Sarah, his wife, was, and Abraham responded, in the tent.

o One of the men told Abraham, about this time next year, I will return, and Sarah will have a son.

o Sarah was listening from inside the tent, and laughed silently to herself

o The Lord asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, is anything too hard for the Lord"

o Sarah denied that she laughed, but the Lord said, that is not true, you did laugh.

• Lot invited the angels to go home with him to spend the night and for a meal.

o The angels refused indicating that they would spend the night in the city square.

o Lot insisted, and the angels consented.

o Lot served them a good meal, including bread without yeast.

o That night, all the men of Sodom (young and old) surrounded Lot’s house demanding that he send the two angels out so that they could have sex with them.

o Lot stepped outside and pleaded with the men not to do such a wicked thing. He offered them his two virgin daughters instead.

o The men revolted and began breaking the door down.

o The two angels reached out, and they pulled Lot back in. They bolted the door and blinded the men of Sodom so that they could not find the door.

o The angels told Lot that they were going to destroy the city, and they gave him a chance to escape with his family.

o Lot rushed to warn his sons-in-law, but they thought he was joking.

o At dawn, the angels became insistent, and told Lot to leave with his wife and two daughters.

o When Lot hesitated, the angels took them by the hand and rushed them outside the city.

o The angels warned them not to stop and not to look back. They told Lot to go to the mountains.

o Lot didn’t want to go to the mountains. He wanted to go to the small village of Zoar. The angels consented.

o The sun was rising when Lot reached Zoar.

o The Lord rained down fire and brimstone from heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah completely, but Lot’s wife looked back while she was following behind Lot.

• Disobedience has consequences, and she became a pillar of salt.

o The next morning Abraham saw the smoke rising from the two cities.

• Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people. He went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.

o The two daughters conspired to get their father drunk.

o The older went in and slept with Lot while he was drunk.

o They got Lot drunk again the next night, and the younger daughter slept with Lot.

o The older daughter’s child was Moab.

o The younger daughter’s child was Ben-ammi, the ancestor of the Amorites.

• Abraham told everyone that Sarah was his sister.

• King Abimelech brought Sarah to his palace

o God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him that Sarah was married.

o Abimelech had not slept with Sarah.

o God told the King to return Sarah to Abraham, or his entire household would die.

o Abimelech called for Abraham, and he asked him why he had done such a thing.

o Abraham said he figured this was a godless place, that they would want his wife, and would kill him to get her.

• And besides, she really was his sister (same father but different mothers).

• When God asked Abraham to leave his home, Abraham asked Sarah to have the kindness to say she was his sister.

o Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham, told him to look over the kingdom to choose a place where he wanted to live, and he gave Abraham sheep, oxen, servants, and money.

• Abimelech told Sarah that he was giving her brother and one thousand pieces of silver to compensate for any embarrassment.

o Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed Abimelech’s household, which had been stricken with infertility.

• Isaac was circumcised when he was eight (8) days old.

• When Isaac was weaned, Abraham threw a party to celebrate, but Sarah saw Hagar and Ishmael making fun of Isaac.

o Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of both Hagar and Ishmael.

o God told Abraham not to be upset, and to do as Sarah demanded because Isaac was the son through whom his descendants would be counted.

o God promised to make a great nation of Ishmael’s descendants.

o Abraham gave food and water to Hagar and sent them away.

o Hagar wandered aimlessly, and when the food was gone, she put the boy in the shade, and she sat down to cry because she didn’t want to see him die.

o God heard the boy’s cries, and an Angel called out to Hagar and told her not to be afraid.

o God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well. She immediately gave her son something to drink.

• God saw the boy as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran where he became an archer.

• Hagar arranged his marriage to an Egyptian woman.

o Isaac was Abraham’s son whom he loved very much.

• The next morning Abraham left with Isaac, two servants, and some wood for the sacrifice.

• On the third day of the journey, Abraham saw the place in the distance.

• Abraham told the servants to stay with the donkey while he and Isaac went further to worship.

o He said that they would come right back.

• Abraham placed the wood on Isaac’s back, and he carried the knife and the fire.

• Isaac wanted to know where was the lamb for the sacrifice.

• Abraham told him that God would provide a lamb.

• Abraham built an altar and placed Isaac on it.

• When Abraham raised his knife to kill his son, an angel of the Lord shouted Abraham’s name and told him not the hurt the boy because he knew that he truly feared God because he did not withhold his son.

• Abraham named the place the Lord will provide.

• God again promised to bless Abraham and bless the world through his descendants.

• When Abraham returned home, he learned that his brother Nahor (whose wife was Milcah) had eight sons and four other sons with his concubine, Reumah.

o He was Rebekah’s father.

o Abraham mourned and wept.

• The Hittites offered Abraham their finest tombs for Sarah.

• Instead, Abraham wanted to buy (for full price) the Cave of Machpelah.

o Ephron offered to give Abraham the cave, but Abraham refused and paid him four hundred (400) pieces of silver.

• Abraham buried Sarah in the cave.

o Abraham told his servant that Isaac could not go to live among his relatives, but the bride must return with the servant because God had promised the land to his descendants.

o The servant took an oath to follow Abraham’s instructions and loaded ten camels with gifts.

o The servant went to Aram-naharaim, to the village where Abraham’s brother, Nahor, lived

o At evening when the women were coming to draw water, the servant made the camels kneel beside a well outside the village.

o The servant prayed that when he asked one of the women for water, that she would be the chosen one if she replied Yes, and I will water your camels too.

o Rebecca came to the well while the servant was still praying. She was the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son.

o Rebekah offered the servant water and watered his camels also.

o The servant gave Rebekah a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.

o Rebekah offered to let the servant spend the night at her home.

o Rebekah rushed home to tell everyone what had happened.

o Laban, Rebekah’s brother, went out to invite the servant to spend the night, and they also had provisions for the camels.

o When supper was served, the servant did not want to eat until he told them why he had come.

o The servant told his story, and he asked if Rebekah would return with him to marry Isaac.

o Bethuel and Laban responded that she would go.

o The servant worshiped God, and he gave gifts to the family.

o The family wanted Rebekah to stay another ten days, but the servant insisted on returning the next day.

o Rebekah returned with the servant, along with her childhood nurse.

o While Isaac was walking in the fields, he saw the camels coming,

o Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

o Isaac took Rebekah into his tent, and she became his wife.

o Rebekah was much comfort to Isaac after his mother’s death.

• They had 6 sons:

o Zimran,

o Jokshan,

o Medan,

o Midian,

o Ishbak, and

o Shuah.

• Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.

o Before he died, Abraham gave gifts to his other sons, and he sent them to the east away from Isaac.

o Abraham died at the age of 175.

• Ishmael and Isaac buried Abraham in the cave at Machpelah.

• God blessed Isaac.

• Ishmael had 12 sons who founded tribes bearing their names.

o Ishmael died at age 137.

• Isaac:

o Married Rebekah at age 40,

o Rebekah was barren, but God answered their prayers. They had twins when Isaac was 60.

• The two children struggled within her womb.

• The Lord told her that they would become rival nations.

• The descendants of the older would serve the younger.

• Esau, the first child born, was red and covered with hair.

• Esau became a skilled hunter.

• Isaac loved Esau because of the wild game he brought home.

• Jacob was born with his hand on Esau’s heel.

• Jacob liked to stay home.

• Rebekah favored Jacob.

o Esau came home very hungry one day.

• He traded his birthright to Jacob for some stew and bread.

• Esau was indifferent to the trade.

• Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines lived.

• God appeared to Isaac in a dream.

o God warned him not to go to Egypt.

o He gave Isaac the same promise to bless him and make him a great nation that He had given Abraham if Isaac would obey Him.

o Isaac stayed in Gerar.

o Isaac told the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister because she was very beautiful, and he was afraid.

o Abimelech saw Isaac fondling Rebekah, and he confronted him.

o Isaac admitted that she was his wife.

o Abimelech made a public proclamation forbidding anyone from harming Isaac or his wife Rebekah.

• That year when Isaac crops were harvested, they produced a hundred (100) times more than he had planted. He became very wealthy because God blessed him.

• The Philistines became very jealous, and they filled Isaac’s wells with dirt.

o Abraham’s servants had dug the wells.

• Abimelech asked Isaac to leave because he had become too rich.

• Isaac moved to Gerar Valley,

o Isaac re-dug the wells that had been filled, and he renamed them.

o His servants found a gushing spring.

o The local shepherds came, and they claimed the spring. They argued for it, and Isaac named the spring Argument.

o Isaac dug another well, and there was a fight over it. Isaac named it Opposition.

o Finally, Isaac dug another well, and there was no argument. Isaac named it Room Enough.

• Isaac moved to Beersheba.

o God appeared to him again in a dream and promised to bless him because of His promise to Abraham.

o Isaac built an altar, and he worshipped God.

o Isaac’s servants dug another well.

o King Abimelech came with an entourage, and he and Isaac each took a solemn oath of nonaggression. That day Isaac’s servants came, and they told him about the well they had dug

• Isaac named the well Oath.

• At the age of 40, Esau married Judith, a Hittite woman.

o He also married Basemath, another Hittite woman.

• Esau’s wives made Isaac and Rebekah’s lives miserable

o Isaac told Esau to go hunting and prepare some wild game for him, and then he would pronounce his blessing on Esau as his firstborn son.

o Rebekah overheard the conversation.

o When Esau went hunting, she called Jacob and told him to do exactly what she told him to do so that Isaac would bless him instead of Esau.

o She told Jacob to get two young goats from the flock so that she could prepare Isaac’s favorite dish.

o Jacob was worried that Isaac would discover the plot because he was smooth skinned, and Esau was hairy.

o Rebekah prepared the meal, took Esau’s clothes, dressed Jacob with them, and then she fastened a strip of hairy goat skin around Jacob’s neck.

o Jacob took the meat and freshly baked bread to Isaac.

o Isaac asked Jacob, who he thought was Esau, how he found the game so quickly.

o Isaac wanted to touch Jacob to make sure he really was Esau.

o Isaac said the voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.

o Isaac blessed Jacob; then he asked again if he really was Esau.

• Jacob replied in the affirmative.

o Isaac ate the meal.

o He called Jacob over so that he could kiss him. When he smelled the aroma of Esau’s clothing, he gave Jacob this blessing:

• May you be the master of all your brothers.

• May all your mother’s sons bow low before you.

• All who curse you are cursed, and all who bless you are blessed.

o Jacob had just left the place when Esau returned with the game, and he asked Isaac for the blessing.

o Isaac began to tremble because he had already given the blessing, which was irrevocable.

o When Esau understood what had happened, he began to cry and begged his father to bless him too.

• Isaac told Esau that he would live by the sword.

• Although he would serve his brother, he would shake loose and be free.

o Esau plotted to kill Jacob, but Rebekah learned about what he was planning.

o She told Isaac that she was tired of the local Hittite women, and she didn’t want Jacob to marry one of them.

• She sent Jacob to live with her brother Laban in Haran.

• She planned to send for Jacob when Esau got over his anger.

o Isaac told Jacob to marry one of his Uncle Laban’s daughters.

o In his blessing, Isaac wanted Jacob to become the owner of the land where they were foreigners at that time because God had promised to give it to Abraham.

• Esau overheard Isaac.

o He realized his father did not like the local Canaanite women, so he went to his Uncle Ismael’s family, and he married one of his daughters, in addition to the wives he already had.

• On his way to Laban’s home, Jacob stopped for the night, and he found a stone for a pillow.

o He dreamed of a stairway to Heaven with angels going up and down it.

o He saw the Lord at the top of the stairway.

o God promised to give Jacob the land, to bless him, and to bring him back one day.

o When Jacob awoke, he said that God was in that place, and he named it Bethel. He set up his stone pillow as a memorial.

o Jacob vowed to make God his God and to give God one tenth of everything that God gave him if God would protect him and bring him back home safely.

o The well was covered with a rock, and the custom was to wait until all the flocks arrived to be watered at the same time.

o Jacob asked the shepherds if they knew Laban, and they responded affirmatively. They told him that Laban’s daughter, Rachael, was just arriving with her sheep.

o Jacob removed the stone from the well and watered Rachael’s sheep.

o Jacob kissed Rachael, and he began to cry.

• He explained that the was Rebekah’s son.

• Rachael ran quickly and told her father.

• Laban rushed out to greet Jacob, and Jacob told him his story.

• Laban had two daughters.

• Leah, the oldest, had unusual eyes.

• Rachael, the youngest, was beautiful.

• Jacob loved Rachael, and he told Laban that he would work for him for seven years if he could have Rachael as his wife.

• The time flew by because Jacob loved Rachael so much.

• Laban threw a big wedding feast.

• That night when it was dark, Laban brought Leah to Jacob’s tent, and he slept with her.

• When Jacob awoke the next morning, he was furious.

• Laban told him their custom was have the oldest daughter marry first, but Jacob could marry Rachael if he worked another seven years.

• Jacob agreed, and the next week he married Rachael.

o Bilhah was Rachael’s maid.

• Because Leah was unloved, she had four sons with Jacob, but Rachael was childless.

• Leah’s sons were:

• Reuben

• Simeon

• Levi

• Judah

o Rachael told Jacob to sleep with her maid, Bilhah.

• Bilhah’s sons were:

• Dan; and

• Naphtali (Rachael named him this to indicate that she was winning the battle with Leah).

• Leah realized she was not having more children, so she gave Jacob her maid, Zilpah, to sleep with her.

• Zilpah’s sons were:

o Gad (Leah gave him a name, which meant how fortunate I am); and

o Asher (which means, What joy have I.

• Reuben found some mandrake roots (fertility plants), and he brought them to his mother, Leah.

• Rachael begged Leah for the plants, and she offered to let Jacob sleep with Leah that night in exchange.

• Jacob slept with Leah. and she had:

o Issachar.

o Then she had Zebulun, and

o then Dinah (her daughter).

• Finally Rachael had children

• Rachael’s son’s were:

• Joseph, and much later on

• Benjamin.

• Jacob told Laban that he wanted to take his family and go back to his home.

o Laban begged him not to go because God had blessed Laban because of Jacob.

o Jacob offered to stay and work for Laban if he would give him all the speckled and spotted sheep as his wages.

• Laban removed all the speckled and spotted sheep from his flock, and he placed them in the care of his sons, who took them three days distance away.

• Jacob peeled the branches of the Almond and Popular trees to make the branches have white steaks and placed them near the water where the sheep mated.

• Many speckled and spotted sheep were born.

• Jacob placed the strong female sheep (but not the weak ones) before the streaked branches.

• Jacob’s flock grew rapidly, and he became wealthy.

• The Lord told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers.

• Jacob met with Leah and Rachael in the fields to discuss the matter with them.

• Both wives told Jacob that they were fine with the move.

• While Laban was away shearing his flocks, Jacob left with his family and his flocks.

• Three days later Laban learned of Jacob’s departure, and he set out in hot pursuit.

o God appeared to Laban in a dream and told him to be careful what he said to Jacob.

o Seven days later Laban caught up with Jacob in Gilead.

o Laban wanted to know why Jacob had left secretly without giving him a chance to say goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren. He also wanted to know why Jacob had stolen his household gods.

o Jacob told him that he left quietly because he was afraid, but he denied taking Laban’s gods. (He did not know that Rachael had taken them.)

o Laban searched all the tents but didn’t find them. (Rachael was sitting on them, and she told her father that she could not move because she was on her period.)

• Jacob set up a pile of stones as a witness to the treaty that he and Laban made, which was not to cross the line to harm the other.

• Jacob sacrificed to God and invited everyone to a feast.

• The next morning Laban returned home.

• Jacob sent messengers to Esau to let him know that he was coming home.

• The messengers returned to let Jacob know that Esau was coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men.

• Jacob was terrified.

o He divided his group into two camps. He thought that if Esau attacked one group, perhaps the other could escape.

o Jacob prayed, asking for God’s protection.

o Jacob prepared a present for Esau:

• Two hundred female goats;

• Twenty-nine male goats;

• Two ewes;

• Twenty rams;

• Thirty female camels and their young;

• Forty cows;

• Ten bulls;

• Twenty female donkeys; and

• Ten male donkeys.

o Jacob told his servants to lead ahead with a distance between each group of animals.

o Jacob told his servants to tell Esau that these were presents from Jacob to his master, Esau. He is coming right behind us.

o Jacob wrestled with God.

• That night Jacob sent his two wives and families across the Jabbok River.

• When Jacob was alone in camp, a man came and wrestled with him till dawn.

• When the man saw he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint.

• The man asked Jacob to let him go, but Jacob refused until the man blessed him.

• The man changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means God preserves, because he had struggled with both God and men, and he had won.

• Jacob asked the man’s name, but the man left.

• Jacob named the place Peniel, which means face of God. He said, I have seen God face to face, and yet He spared my life. Genesis 32: 30 NLT

• Jacob limped from that time forward, and the Israelites do not eat meat from near the hip in memory of what happened that night.

o His two concubines and their children up front;

o Leah and her children next; and

o then, Rachael and Joseph last.

• Jacob bowed low before Esau seven times.

• Jacob and Esau embraced. Both were in tears.

• Jacob introduced his family.

• Esau refused Jacob’s gifts, but Jacob insisted.

• Esau offered to lead them the rest of the way, but Jacob told him that they would follow behind at their own pace and meet him at Seir.

• Jacob went to Succoth and built a house there.

• Then Jacob went to Shechem, and he bought the land for one hundred pieces of silver.

o Jacob built an altar there and he called it El-Elohe-Israel.

o A local prince, Shechem (son of Hamor the Hivite) raped her, but he loved her, and he wanted to marry her.

o Jacob learned about what happened to Dinah, but his sons were away in the fields.

o Hamor went to discuss the matter with Jacob. While he was there, Jacob’s sons returned home, and they learned about what had happened.

o The boys were furious.

o Hamor told them that Shechem truly loved Dinah and wanted to marry her.

o Hamor offered them all the opportunity to intermarry and live in peace among the people of the land.

o Then Shechem begged the family to let him marry Dinah, and he offered to pay any dowry (no matter how high).

o The boys intended to deceive them. They declined the offer because Shechem was uncircumcised, but they offered to intermarry if all the men of the land were circumcised.

o So Hamor and Shechem presented the proposal to the town leaders, and all the men were circumcised.

o Three days later, when they were all sore, Simeon and Levi took their swords and slaughtered every man there, including Hamor and Shechem. Then, they rescued Dinah from Shechem’s house.

o Jacob’s other sons plundered the town, and they seized everything that they could lay their hands on.

o Jacob rebuked the boys, but they responded angrily that Shechem should not have treated their sister like a prostitute.

• Jacob told everyone in his household to destroy their idols, to wash and put on clean clothing because they were going to Bethel to worship God.

• Jacob buried their idols in Shechem.

• Jacob built an altar in Bethel, and he called it El-bethel because God had appeared to him there when he first left home.

• Rachael’s old nurse, Deborah died.

• God appeared to Jacob again and told him again that his name would be Israel, that God would bless him, and that he would become a great nation.

o Jacob set up a stone pillow to mark the spot and called the place Bethel, meaning "House