BibleProject | One Story: Foundations of the BibleSample

Today’s reading begins under the dark shadow of pained outcries from yesterday’s story. In the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, human corruption and violence have reached heights not seen since before the flood.

Notice the parallels between the two stories: God acknowledges the grievous corruption (Gen. 6:11-12), humanity desires a sexual encounter that violates the boundary between Heaven and Earth (Gen. 6:1-5), God provides a place of refuge with a door shut tight against the danger outside (Gen. 7:7, 13-16), and a parent escapes the catastrophe only to end up drunk and shamed by his children (Gen. 9:21-23).

These hyperlinks connect both events and reveal that cosmic, divine judgment repeats when God deems it necessary. Later biblical authors will use "Sodom and Gomorrah” as a shorthand for God’s response to dire cases of human injustice.

But just as God’s rescue plan continued after the flood, his plan also continues after the fire. He fulfills his long-awaited promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son. It’s a bittersweet moment. Isaac’s healthy birth testifies to God’s faithfulness, but “Isaac” in Hebrew means “laughter,” forever recalling his parents’ impatient distrust toward God. Isaac’s arrival also rekindles Sarah’s jealousy toward Hagar and Ishmael, leading to vicious behavior and deepening family ruptures.

All of this heightens the tension: God is staying faithful, but Abraham’s trust is faltering. Will this continue, or will God change things up?

Reflection questions:

• As you read the story of Lot and his family in Genesis 19, think back to the stories of Abraham and his family that you read yesterday. Where does each family face similar problems? How do they respond? What happens?
• Compare the two encounters between Abraham and Abimelech in Genesis 20:1-18 and 21:22-34. How does Abraham act in each story? What are the results?