King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Chapters: Genesis 19-21
Message: Genesis: Isaac is Born
Hello My Friend,
As we continue reading in Genesis, the angels departed from Abraham and arrived in Sodom. Lot was sitting at the city gate when he noticed them. In those days, it was not unusual for travelers to rest or camp along the road, and since it was growing late, the angels intended to lodge there for the night. However, they were immediately noticed and welcomed by Lot.
[Genesis 19:1-3 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.]
Notice that Scripture says two angels entered the city, even though three men had earlier visited Abraham. This distinction is important. One of the three was the LORD Himself, who left after visiting with Abraham, while the angels continued on to Sodom, [Genesis 18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.]
There was a reason Lot strongly urged the men to stay in his home. He understood the danger of the city and the wickedness of its people. Sodom had become synonymous with grave sexual sin—so much so that the term sodomy later derived its name from the practices associated with the city. Lot’s urgency reflected his awareness of what would happen if the men remained exposed in the streets. Well, no sooner than the men finished their supper there was a knock on the door.
[Genesis 19:4-7 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. 6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.]
These men were not merely guilty of sexual immorality; they were utterly wicked to the core. Their wickedness had reached the point where violence and domination were normalized, their intent was not consensual behavior, but brutal abuse. The very thought of men seeking to sexually assault others reveals just how far the city had fallen. And to make matters even more disturbing, Lot offered his two young daughters—who were virgins—to the mob outside.
[Genesis 19:8-9 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. 9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.]
This part troubles me every time I read it. I cannot comprehend how a father—of all people—could allow his own young daughters to be placed in harm’s way, even if he believed it would prevent the same abuse from happening to the men. It is a moment that forces us to wrestle with the depth of moral corruption surrounding Lot and the heartbreaking reality of how distorted judgment can become in a godless environment.
That was when the angels had seen enough. By then, God’s judgment was certain. The angels seized Lot, pulled him back into the house, shut the door, and struck the men outside with blindness, leaving them helpless and unable to find the entrance. The men told Lot to gather his family and get out of town because they had orders to destroy it.
[Genesis 19:10-13 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. 11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. 12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.]
God’s presence among His people restrains judgment for a time. Yet there may come a moment when God calls His people to leave, just as He did with Lot, before they are overwhelmed by the iniquity around them. At the same time, it is important to remember this: those who belong to Christ may lose everything in this world—even their lives—as wickedness increases, but their souls are eternally secure. No earthly loss can compare to the safety and assurance of being with Jesus forever, [Luke 21:17-19 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls.]
When evil overtakes a city, the whole city cries out—though often without realizing why. Countless people are abused, murdered, diseased, enslaved by addiction, and consumed by the very wickedness they tolerate. Hope disappears, not because God is absent, but because the people no longer see Him or even know who He is.
Even Lot’s own married daughters refused to leave. Their husbands mocked the warning and treated it as a joke. Judgment, to them, seemed unbelievable—until it was too late. Nevertheless, the time had come. The angels did not merely instruct Lot’s family to leave—they physically took them by the hand and pulled them out.
[Genesis 19:15-17 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.]
The word linger means to delay or put off—and that is exactly what Lot did. He hesitated. He stood there, paralyzed by loss and disbelief, especially as his sons-in-law mocked him and his married daughters refused to leave. All that he owned—his home, his livelihood, his past—was moments away from being engulfed in flames, but all he thought about was what he was losing. While Lot was a true believer and fully aware of God’s mercy upon his soul, he was not like Abraham. Lot was unwilling to go up into the mountains, the very place God had directed him to flee. Instead, he pleaded to remain in a nearby city, fearing obedience more than destruction.
[Genesis 19:19-22 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. 21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.]
Zoar, the city where Lot began his journey, [Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.]
But what must Lot have thought of that “great city” now? The beauty that once drew him had led him step by step into Sodom itself. The fact that he chose to move there in the first place tells us a great deal. Lot made his decisions based on what looked prosperous and safe, rather than on what God desired. Jesus said it this way, [Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.]
However, God did grant Lot his request, Zoar would be spared from destruction—He also declared that judgment would not fall on Sodom until Lot and his family arrived there. This reveals a powerful truth: God does not leave a single soul that belongs to Him behind. Now, as soon as the sun came up, when Lot, two of his daughters and his wife safely got to Zoar fire literally came down from heaven and engulfed the entire city and every other city surrounding it except for Zoar. However, standing at the edge of Zoar, Lot’s wife unfortunately lost her life when she looked back.
[Genesis 19:24-28 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.]
God is not opposed to bringing judgment upon a wicked and corrupt city. Remember, God told Abraham that He would not destroy Sodom if even ten righteous people could be found there. Judgment was not God’s desire—repentance was. Even today, before judgment comes, God warns. Have you seen all the riots in the streets? This is not about protecting the “rights” of illegals, this is about as Jesus put it, trying to take the speck out of someones eye while keeping the beam in their own, [Matthew 7:2-3,5 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.]
Turmoil, unrest, and chaos in the streets are often not random events, but warnings meant to awaken people to their need to repent and turn back to God. He is patient, merciful, and long-suffering—but He will not ignore persistent wickedness forever. Yet if the righteous fail to teach their children to love God more than the world, the next generation will drift right back into sin. This is seen in Lot’s family. Out of fear, Lot took his two daughters up into the mountains—the very place God had originally told them to go. However, his delayed obedience and compromised leadership only led to greater tragedy as the daughters came up with a horrible plan.
[Genesis 19:30-32,37-38 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.]
In light of everything that had happened—the rescue, the judgment, the mercy—you would think Lot would have raised his daughters to fear the LORD above all else. Apparently, he did not. The legacy of compromised faith became evident, as both of these future tribes turned away from God and created gods of their own. What was spared physically was still lost spiritually because they were never taught to fear God to begin with, [Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.]
Even though God does not acknowledge those who are not His people as His own, that does not mean He is unaware of who they are. God knows every heart—what people are capable of, the paths they may choose, and whether they have the potential to turn and belong to Him. Word spread quickly that God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. In the aftermath, Abraham moved on and settled in Gerar. Sadly, it was there that he repeated the same mistake he had made earlier in Egypt—once again acting out of fear rather than faith.
[Genesis 20:1-5 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. 4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.]
Believe it or not, the world is not oblivious to God’s judgments. Though many refuse to admit it or openly acknowledge it, they understand—deep down—that the violence, wars, pandemics, and relentless conflict we see are tied to the growing evil in the world. They also recognize something else: God protects His people. At some level, they know that God will go to any length to preserve His own. God, however, also knows the hearts of those who have the potential to become His people. This is why He spoke to Abimelech first.
[Genesis 20:6-9 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. 8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.]
I do not blame Abimelech for being upset with Abraham. It was for this reason that God told Abimelech that Abraham would pray for him. Now, Abraham tries to explain why he said that Sarah was his sister, [Genesis 20:11-13 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.]
This was in the same sense as Lot was referred to as his brother; for Sarah was apparently Lot’s sister, and both were the children of Haran, who was the brother of Abraham. Well, after the two patched up their differences, Abraham prayed for them and was even allowed to stay there as long as he wanted.
[Genesis 20:15-18 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. 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.]
Quite often, it is fear that God uses to awaken people to the truth—not only that He is serious about His judgments, but that He is sovereign over all things and rich in mercy. Even in moments of discipline, God reveals His control and His grace. There is nothing we have done—no failure, no misstep—that God cannot use to accomplish His purposes. And after all of this, after fear, correction, prayer, and restoration, the promise of a child was finally fulfilled: Sarah conceived and Isaac was born.
[Genesis 21:1-5 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.]
The birth of Isaac is proof of the miraculous power of God but more important, it was the fulfillment of His Word, and of His faithfulness to us, even when we are not the best of Christians. We are saved by grace no matter what life we live after we are saved, not because of any righteousness of our own, but because we are promised eternal life solely upon our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ as our Saviour. How much more blessed are we when we choose to live our lives in God’s will rather than in our own, [Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.]
Now, after Sarah had Isaac, it was time for God to set His plan in motion, and that meant He wanted Abraham to put his entire focus on Isaac, and that also meant separating Isaac from Ishmael. Why? Ishmael already showed signs that he was not totally committed to God when he mocked Sarah.
[Genesis 21:8-11 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.]
At this point Isaac was about three years old and Abraham was ecstatic that he had been weaned, so he had a great feast to celebrate. This time Abraham does ask God what to do, he was grieved that he would no longer see his first born son. But had Ishmael remained in Isaac’s life things would have turned in another direction rather quickly, which is why believers are not to be yoked together with unbelievers. Well, after his conversation with God, Abraham, gave some food and water to Ishmael and Hagar and sent them on their way.
[Genesis 21:12-15 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.]
Ishmael was no longer a small child at this point—he was likely around fifteen or sixteen years old. Although he was sent away from Abraham, God had not abandoned him. God still had a plan for Ishmael, and His purposes for Ishmael would unfold according to His will, even outside Abraham’s household.
[Genesis 21:17-21 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.]
Now had Ishmael just stayed faithful to God as he was taught by his father, then he would have been blessed even more. However, it was foretold that he would be a wild man and surely did become one, [Genesis 16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.]
All of this actually took place while Abraham was still in Gerar, and he knew it was time to move on. Abimelech, decided that it may be wise to get on Abraham’s side to prevent anything else from happening, [Genesis 21:22-25 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24 And Abraham said, I will swear. 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.]
Before he swore and entered into covenant with him, he thought it wise to first inform him of a matter that had occurred concerning a well of water. In the hot and arid regions of the southern land of Canaan, such a well was of great importance. He therefore brought a complaint regarding the unjust treatment by Abimelech’s servants in connection with it.
[Genesis 21:28-31,33-34 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.]
This was done in gratitude for the former kindnesses he had received from him, and as a token of the friendship that existed between them—and for its confirmation—he showed that he was fully satisfied with Abimelech’s response to his complaint. Though God had made Himself known to Abraham as his God in particular, Abraham did not forget to give Him glory as the Lord of all, the everlasting God, who was before all worlds and will remain when time and days shall be no more, [1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace, for saving a sinner like me the second I believed that Your Son is my salvation, and thank You for the life You have given me. To think about how my life would have been if I looked back is horrifying, but thankfully You intervened and carried me to safety when I received Your Son as my Saviour. Lord, I know I fail You every day, but I am saved to the uttermost, and for that I am grateful and will live the rest of my life here the best I can with You guiding me until You bring me home. Thank You, Jesus! I pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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