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First Reading: Genesis Chapter 23 and 24Genesis 23
23:1 Sarah's Death and Burial
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the
life of Sarah. 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land
of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth,
saying, 4 "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for
a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 "Hear us, my
lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our
burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you
may bury your dead."
7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons
of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury
my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for
me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the
end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a
burial place among you."
10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered
Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of
his city, saying, 11 "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the
cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people.
I give it to you. Bury your dead!"
12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he
spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you
will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from
me and I will bury my dead there."
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 "My lord, listen to me;
the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and
me? So bury your dead." 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham
weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons
of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.
17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the
field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field,
which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as
a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at
the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of
Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field
and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property
for a burial place.
Genesis 24
24:1 A Bride for Isaac
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham
in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled
over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will
make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that
you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a
wife for my son Isaac."
5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to
follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you
came?"
6 But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there.
7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land
of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying,'To your descendants
I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife
for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then
you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there."
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore
to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his
master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the
city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well
of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then
he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this
day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the
well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw
water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down
your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your
camels a drink' let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant
Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."
15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who
was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came
out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful
to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled
her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please
let me drink a little water from your pitcher."
18 So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher
down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving
him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they
have finished drinking." 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the
trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21
And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD
had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden
nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing
ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please,
is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"
24 So she said to him,"I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom
she bore to Nahor." 25 Moreover she said to him, "We have both straw
and feed enough, and room to lodge."
26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. 27 And he said,"Blessed
be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His
truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the
house of my master's brethren." 28 So the young woman ran and told her
mother's household these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the
man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets
on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying,
"Thus the man spoke to me," that he went to the man. And there he
stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, "Come in, O blessed of
the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place
for the camels."
32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided
straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the
men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said,"I
will not eat until I have told about my errand."
And he said, "Speak on."
34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master
greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver
and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my
master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given
all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take
a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;
38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for
my son.' 39 And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.'
40 But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with
you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family
and from my father's house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive
among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released
from my oath.'
42 "And this day I came to the well and said,'O LORD God of my master Abraham,
if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well
of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water,
and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
44 and she says to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,"
let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'
45 "But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah,
coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and
drew water. And I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 And she made haste
and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give
your camels a drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also.
47 Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The
daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the nose
ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and
worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led
me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not,
tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left."
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said,"The thing comes from the LORD;
we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take
her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken."
52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped
the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry
of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also
gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night.
Then they arose in the morning, and he said,"Send me away to my master."
55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with
us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go."
56 And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered
my way; send me away so that I may go to my master."
57 So they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her personally."
58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?"
And she said, "I will go."
59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant
and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:
"Our sister, may you becomeThe mother of thousands of ten thousands;And
may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them."
61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed
the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted
his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted
her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had
said to the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?"
The servant said, "It is my master." So she took a veil and covered
herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac
brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became
his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Matthew 11
11:1 John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus
(Luke 7:18-35)
Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that
He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of
his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look
for another?"
4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you
hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached
to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What
did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But
what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who
wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom
it is written:
"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,Who will prepare Your way
before You.'
11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen
one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom
of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive
it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting
in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
'We played the flute for you,And you did not dance;We mourned to you,And you
did not lament.'
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and
a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified
by her children."
20 Woe to the Impenitent Cities
(Gen 19:12-14; Luke 10:13-15)
Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been
done, because they did not repent: 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,
Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre
and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But
I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment
than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought
down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done
in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for
you."
25 Jesus Gives True Rest
(Luke 10:21,22)
At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have
revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son
except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one
to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from
Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
Part 4 of 8
The geography of the Bible centers on a small area of land that borders the Mediterranean Sea on the east. This particular land has been called Israel, Palestine, The Holy Land, Caanan, and The Promised Land. The capital of this land has been called Jerusalem since the time of David and is sometimes referred to as Zion. Much of the history and prophecy of the Bible revolves around this land but also includes areas from the Persian Gulf to Egypt to Rome. The following is a map of Bible lands during the time of the Patriarchs:
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