{"id":36996,"date":"2018-08-06T11:45:04","date_gmt":"2018-08-06T08:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=36996"},"modified":"2022-02-28T16:12:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T14:12:56","slug":"chapter-summary-genesis-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/chapter-summary-genesis-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Summary – Genesis 18"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"36996","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":false,"related_cahpter":"18","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Chapter 18: Abraham, the activist\r\n\r\n","content":"

We are familiar Abraham (who was Abram at first) already from Chapter 11. But in this chapter we will get to know him closely in two events in which he initiates, acts, and literally goes out of his way to do the things he desires to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first event (verses 1-15):<\/b> Guests come to Abraham’s house. Abraham is very practical (pay attention to the number of actions and verbs in verses 2-8) and turns out to be a polite, generous and energetic host. Later, it turns out that his guests are not ordinary people but rather angels who bring good news, the first of which is the birth of Isaac. \u00a0Abraham, however, was not previously aware of their status when he hosted them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second incident (verses 16-33):<\/b> God shares with Abraham His plan to destroy the sinful cities Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham turns out to be a man with a sophisticated sense of justice (\u201cShall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?\u201d – 18:25). He strongly opposes the collective punishment in which the innocent will die with the guilty and tries to transform the decree to collective salvation, according to which the merit of the righteous in Sodom saves the entire city. Abraham conducts serious and decisive negotiations and tries to bring God to acquit the city if there is a minimum number of \u00a0righteous people who would salvage the rest of the population (that number is ten, but even ten righteous people could not be found in Sodom).<\/span><\/p>\n

Points to ponder:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0<\/span> The chapter begins with the revelation of God to Abraham, “the Lord appeared to him” (verse 1) and immediately shifts to the guests who visit Abraham. Does Abraham have to choose between an experience in the Divine realm and an act of hospitality? (Jewish tradition understood from here that “hospitality is greater than greeting God\u2019s presence.”) Alternatively, are the guests (the angels) the Divine revelation?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0<\/span> The biblical culinary corner: In verses 6-8 you will find first-rate delicacies: flour cakes, curds, milk, a calf.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0<\/span> The Midrash says that Abraham the host exemplifies the behavior of one who “says little but does much.\u201d How so? Look at how “little” he says in verse 5 and how much he does in verses 6-8.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0<\/span> The second set of laughter that accompanies the birth of Isaac is the laughter of Sarah (verse 12), who laughs to herself in disbelief (a laugh that only angels can hear).<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0<\/span> Verse 17 – Don\u2019t miss this: God acts towards Abraham as if he is a true partner, from whom He keeps no secrets: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Finally, we get the answer to the question – why did God choose Abraham and what does God want from him: “For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right\u201d (verse 19). \u00a0To do justice and righteousness. Remember that!<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":86314,"id":86314,"title":"Points to ponder","filename":"Points-to-ponder.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/points-to-ponder-psalm-84\/points-to-ponder\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"points-to-ponder","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":86166,"date":"2021-01-09 20:56:58","modified":"2023-12-28 14:57:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"The Daily Summary","main_caption":"Points to Ponder: Genesis 18","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":86314,"id":86314,"title":"Points to ponder","filename":"Points-to-ponder.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/points-to-ponder-psalm-84\/points-to-ponder\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"points-to-ponder","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":86166,"date":"2021-01-09 20:56:58","modified":"2023-12-28 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