Genesis 21:1-34
The Birth of Isaac
21:1 The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised.
21:2 So Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him.
21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac.
21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do.
21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.)
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
21:7 She went on to say, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
21:9 But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking.
21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son.
21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset about the boy or your slave wife. Do all that Sarah is telling you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted.
21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, and sent her away. So she went wandering aimlessly through the wilderness of Beer Sheba.
21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved the child under one of the shrubs.
21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot away; for she thought, “I refuse to watch the child die.” So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably.
21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s voice right where he is crying.
21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer.
21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. Show me, and the land where you are staying, the same loyalty that I have shown you.”
21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.”
21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint against Abimelech concerning a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty.
21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves.
21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”
21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof that I dug this well.”
21:31 That is why he named that place Beer Sheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
21:32 So they made a treaty at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned to the land of the Philistines.
21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, the eternal God.
21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time.
Genesis 11:1
The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel
11:1 The whole earth had a common language and a common vocabulary.
Deuteronomy 14:29
14:29 Then the Levites (because they have no allotment or inheritance with you), the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows of your villages may come and eat their fill so that the
Lord your God may bless you in all the work you do.
Deuteronomy 16:11
16:11 You shall rejoice before him
– you, your son, your daughter, your male and female slaves, the Levites in your villages,
the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows among you – in the place where the
Lord chooses to locate his name.
Deuteronomy 16:14
16:14 You are to rejoice in your festival, you, your son, your daughter, your male and female slaves, the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows who are in your villages.
Deuteronomy 26:12-13
Presentation of the Third-year Tithe
26:12 When you finish tithing all your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.
26:13 Then you shall say before the Lord your God, “I have removed the sacred offering from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me. I have not violated or forgotten your commandments.
Deuteronomy 26:2
26:2 you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the
Lord your God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he
chooses to locate his name.
Deuteronomy 6:19
6:19 and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the
Lord said.
Deuteronomy 6:2
6:2 and that you may so revere the
Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments
that I am giving
you – you, your children, and your grandchildren – all your lives, to prolong your days.
Deuteronomy 30:1
The Results of Covenant Reaffirmation
30:1 “When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you.
Nehemiah 8:10
8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not grieve, for the joy of the
LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:12
8:12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food
with others
and to enjoy tremendous joy,
for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.
Job 29:13
29:13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;
Job 29:15-16
29:15 I was eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame;
29:16 I was a father to the needy,
and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;
Job 31:16-20
31:16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired,
or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
31:17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself,
and did not share any of it with orphans –
31:18 but from my youth I raised the orphan like a father,
and from my mother’s womb
I guided the widow!
31:19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing,
or a poor man without a coat,
31:20 whose heart did not bless me
as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,
Proverbs 3:9-10
3:9 Honor the Lord from your wealth
and from the first fruits of all your crops;
3:10 then your barns will be filled completely,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Proverbs 14:31
14:31 The one who oppresses the poor insults his Creator,
but whoever shows favor to the needy honors him.
Proverbs 31:6-7
31:6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those who are bitterly distressed;
31:7 let them drink and forget their poverty,
and remember their misery no more.
Isaiah 58:7
58:7 I want you to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people.
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!
Isaiah 58:10
58:10 You must actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed.
Then your light will dispel the darkness,
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.
Matthew 14:14-21
14:14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
14:15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place
and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
14:16 But he
replied, “They don’t need to go. You
give them something to eat.”
14:17 They
said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
14:18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied.
14:19 Then
he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full.
14:21 Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.
Matthew 15:32-39
The Feeding of the Four Thousand
15:32 Then Jesus called the disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.”
15:33 The disciples said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?”
15:34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.”
15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground,
15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds.
15:37 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
15:38 Not counting children and women, there were four thousand men who ate.
15:39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Matthew 22:10
22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Acts 2:44-45
2:44 All who believed were together and held
everything in common,
2:45 and they began selling
their property
and possessions and distributing the proceeds
to everyone, as anyone had need.
Acts 4:34-35
4:34 For there was no one needy
among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling
them
and bringing the proceeds from the sales
4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds
were distributed to each, as anyone had need.
Acts 9:39
9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and
when he arrived
they brought him to the upper room. All
the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him
the tunics
and other clothing
Dorcas used to make
while she was with them.
Romans 12:13-16
12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.
12:14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.
Do not be conceited.
Romans 12:1
Consecration of the Believer’s Life
12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.
Romans 3:2
3:2 Actually, there are many advantages.
First of all,
the Jews
were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Romans 5:10
5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?
Titus 1:8
1:8 Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled.
Philemon 1:7
1:7 I
have had great joy and encouragement because
of your love, for the hearts
of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Hebrews 13:2
13:2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.