The death and burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-23:20)

After living to the age of 127 years old, Sarah died in Hebron. After mourning her death, Abraham approached the Hittites and asked if they would be willing to sell him land he could use as a burial site for Sarah (being a foreigner to the area, Abraham owned no land). Out of respect for Abraham, the Hittites agreed.

The death and burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-23:20)

Abraham is tested by God (Genesis 22:1 - 22:19)

God called out to Abraham commanding he take his son Isaac to the region of Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Following God’s instructions, Abraham cut wood for the offering and the following morning, loaded his donkey and took two servants and Isaac with him to the location of the sacrifice. After three days, they reached their destination.

Abraham is tested by God (Genesis 22:1 - 22:19)

Abraham signs a treaty with Abimelech (Genesis 21:22 - 21:34)

Abimelek (also spelled Abimelech) and his military commander Phicol (who acted as a witness to the events that unfolded) approached Abraham and asked that he swear to an oath, or truce of sorts, promising that they will deal faithfully with each other. Abraham agreed with Abimelek but mentioned his dissatisfaction that a well had been closed off to him by Abimelek’s servants.

Abraham signs a treaty with Abimelech (Genesis 21:22 - 21:34)

The Birth of Isaac and Hagar sent away (Genesis 21:1 - 21:21)

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, felt that at her advanced age, she could have no children so as was traditional for the time, she gave her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham to conceive a son. Ultimately, Abraham and Hagar had a son that they named Ishmael. Unexpectedly, but as promised, God gave Abraham, who was 100 years old at the time, and Sarah a child.

The Birth of Isaac and Hagar sent away (Genesis 21:1 - 21:21)

Abraham tells king Abimelech that Sarah is his sister (Genesis 20:1 - 20:18)

Abraham moved his family, likely in search of better pastures for his herds, to Negev (located between Kadesh and Shur). From there he moved to Gerar where he lived for quite some time. Once again, Abraham and Sarah (his wife) told everyone that Sarah was his sister. Abimelech, the king of Gerar, had the privilege to select whichever woman he wished to add to his collection of wives. Abimelech, thinking that Sarah was not married (because Abraham had told everyone she was his sister), sent for her to add to his concubine.

Abraham tells king Abimelech that Sarah is his sister (Genesis 20:1 - 20:18)

Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters (Genesis 19:30 - 19:38)

Rather than live in the city, Lot fled to the mountains instead where he and his two daughters lived in a cave. Lot’s oldest daughter came up with a sinful idea that would allow her and her sister to have children.

Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters (Genesis 19:30 - 19:38)

The Destruction of Sodom of Gomorrah (Gen 18:16 - 19:29)

Abraham had just finished visiting with God and two angels. God knew Abraham was becoming a great nation with his people doing what was just and right but God had heard that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were very evil.

The Destruction of Sodom of Gomorrah (Gen 18:16 - 19:29)

God tells Sarah she will have a son (Genesis 18:1 - 18:15)

Abraham was sitting outside at the entrance to his tent when he saw three men standing nearby. He recognized the three men as God and two of his angels. Abraham rushed to meet them and asked them if they would like to stay and eat. He told Sarah to make some bread while he gathered some of the best meat from the herd to serve to his guests.

God tells Sarah she will have a son (Genesis 18:1 - 18:15)

Abraham gets a new name (Genesis 17:1 - 17:27)

Still childless, Abram and Sarai were getting old when God reiterated his promise to Abram that he would be the father of many nations. God cemented the deal when he told Abram that he would no longer be called Abram but henceforth, would be called Abraham, a new name that was fitting. Abraham means “father of a multitude”. God also told Abraham that Sarai’s name would be changed to Sarah and foretold that he would bless Sarah and she would have a son.

Abraham gets a new name (Genesis 17:1 - 17:27)

Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1 - 16:16)

Sarai, Abraham’s wife, had not yet had a son as God had promised Abraham. She was getting old and feeling anxious that she may never have a child. At this time, she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. Sarai suggested to Abraham that he take Hagar as his wife so she could give Abraham a child.

Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1 - 16:16)

God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1 - 15:21)

After Abraham returned from Egypt a rich man, God spoke to Abraham in a vision. God told Abraham, “Do not be afraid, I am your shield and your very great reward” meaning, “don’t fret, I will bless you and protect you.”

God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1 - 15:21)

The Separation of Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:1 - 14:24)

Abraham and his nephew Lot returned from Egypt very rich men with each owning a significant share of livestock and other goods. Upon returning, Abraham and Lot found that the land would not support the large number of animals that they were now required to feed. The stress of trying to feed the animals on limited land resources began causing tension between Abraham and Lot’s workers.

The Separation of Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:1 - 14:24)

Abraham's trip to Egypt (Genesis 12:10 - 13:2)

After God delivered Abraham to the land of Canaan, God tested Abraham’s faith again. This time Abraham faltered. After Abraham had lived in Canaan for a while, a great famine spread across the country. Very little rain fell and with little water to put on the crops, food became difficult to find. Abraham and his wife Sarai decided to move to Egypt to live until the famine passed. God did not tell Abraham to do this. Abraham decided to move to Egypt on his own.

Abraham's trip to Egypt (Genesis 12:10 - 13:2)

Abraham and the land of Canaan (Genesis 11:27 - 12:9)

Abraham descended from Shem, Noah’s son, and was Noah’s great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson. Abraham’s name used to be Abram which meant “high father”. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham which means “father of a multitude. Later we will see why God changed Abraham’s name.

Abraham and the land of Canaan (Genesis 11:27 - 12:9)

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1 - 11:9)

During the days of Noah and his sons Shem, Japheth, and Ham, the world spoke one language. God had commanded Noah and his sons to fill the whole earth with people but instead, they began to settle in Babylonia rather than scatter about the Earth as God had commanded.

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1 - 11:9)

Noah's Sons and the Uncovering of Noah (Genesis 9:18 - 9:29)

Noah had three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham (who had a son named Canaan). In the ancient times, seeing your father naked was very bad. It was considered disgraceful to the father. “Honor thy father and mother” was the rule and was so important to their culture, that striking or cursing a parent was punishable by death.

Noah's Sons and the Uncovering of Noah (Genesis 9:18 - 9:29)

Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6:1 - 9:17)

Several generations after Adam and Eve, God saw great evil on the Earth and it made him sad. His mercy came to an end and people of Earth had to be held accountable for the wrong things they were doing. God planned to wipe every man and animal off the face of the Earth and to rebuild the Earth from the family of Noah. Noah was the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson of Seth (Adam and Eve’s third son) and was a good man who followed God.

Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6:1 - 9:17)

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1 - 4:26)

Eve (wife of Adam) gave birth to a son she named Cain. Later, Eve had another son that she named Abel. As Cain and Abel grew, they each chose jobs to do. Cain became a farmer while Abel tended to animals such as goats and sheep.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1 - 4:26)

The story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:4 - 3:24)

God had been very busy. In just five days he had created the heavens, the earth, and light. After creating the animals, he realized that he needed someone to watch over them, to be at the top of the food chain. He decided to create man. Good took some dirt, formed a man out of it, and breathed life into him. He named the first man, Adam.

The story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:4 - 3:24)

The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13 - 3:17)

As John the Baptist had foreseen, Jesus travelled from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John tried to deter Jesus saying, “But, I should be baptized by you!” But Jesus insisted explaining, “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” John baptized Jesus. When Jesus rose from the water, the skies opened and the “Spirit of God” descended from the sky to Jesus. A voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased.”

The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13 - 3:17)

John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus (Matthew 3:1 - 3:12)

John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea, telling his audience, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has come near.” John was the one spoken of in the Old Testament through the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of a man calling in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for God, make a straight path for him.’”

John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus (Matthew 3:1 - 3:12)

Florida atheist group plans to distribute pamphlet depicting Bible sexually assaulting frightened woman

Florida remains a key religious battleground as atheists in the state have once again strategized a means to ensure Bibles are not distributed in area schools, this time with plans to distribute pamphlets depicting a cartoonish human-like Bible sexually assaulting a terrified woman. The pamphlet, titled “An X-Rated Book: Sex and Obscenity in the Bible”, emphasizes biblical passages that mention sex, nudity, and circumcision which The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) describes as “obscene”.

Florida atheist group plans to distribute pamphlet depicting Bible sexually assaulting frightened woman

Herod the Great orders death of all infants in Bethlehem- Jesus on the run (Matthew 2:13 - 2:23)

After the magi (wise men) visited Jesus, an angel told Joseph (via a dream) to take Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt. The angel explained that Herod the Great was about to search for Jesus and kill him. The angel instructed Joseph to remain in Egypt until the angel told him it would be safe to leave. Joseph fled with his family during the night. By morning, they were well on their way to Egypt.

Herod the Great orders death of all infants in Bethlehem- Jesus on the run (Matthew 2:13 - 2:23)

King Herod sends Magi (wise men) to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1 - 2:12)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi (wise men) from the East arrived in Jerusalem (located just five miles north of Bethlehem) asking King Herod where the baby “king of the Jews” was located. The Magi explained that they had seen a star and had come to worship the new king.

King Herod sends Magi (wise men) to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1 - 2:12)

The Creation of the World (Genesis 1:1 - 2:3)

God created our world in six days. The first three days involved acts of separation, progressing from large acts of separation to smaller acts – separating light from darkness, earth from the sky, and land from the oceans and lakes. It was during the first three days that the foundation of our world was created.

The Creation of the World (Genesis 1:1 - 2:3)

Joseph discovers Mary is pregnant (Matthew 1:18 - 1:25)

Mary was pledged to marry Joseph when they found that Mary was pregnant – a perplexing dilemma for Joseph since they had not yet slept together. Joseph did not want to publicly disgrace Mary so he had in mind to break the marriage pledge quietly. Before he could act, and angel of God explained to Joseph (in a dream) that Mary’s conception was through the Holy Spirit. God told Joseph that he should honor the marriage vows and take Mary as his wife. He explained that the child to be born would be a boy and that it should be named “Jesus” because “he will save people from their sins”. This fulfilled the prophesy: A virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son – and they will name him Immanuel (meaning “God with us”).

Joseph discovers Mary is pregnant (Matthew 1:18 - 1:25)

Matthew describes the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1 - 1:17)

The introduction in Matthew sets the stage for the story to follow and serves the purpose of identifying Jesus as a descendant of Abraham and David in order to demonstrate the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David. The book of Matthew opens with a genealogy of Jesus and a note that there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to “exile in Babylon” (when Nebuchadnezzar took the southern tribe of Judah into captivity in Babylon), and fourteen generations from exile to the birth of Jesus.

Matthew describes the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1 - 1:17)

Where was Jesus mentioned in the Old Testament? The Messianic Prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament.

Many may not recognize the Old Testament support for Jesus as the promised Messiah. Called Messianic Prophecies, these Old Testament scriptures support the Christian belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. As you can see from the list below, the set of prophecies from the Old Testament were indeed fulfilled by the events documented in the New Testament.

Where was Jesus mentioned in the Old Testament? The Messianic Prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament.