In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was lifeless, empty, and dark. Then the Spirit of God moved across the vast emptiness. He said, “Let there be light.” Suddenly light shone around the entire sphere of the earth! God looked at the light, and said, “That’s good.”

Imagine the earth when it was new – before the plants had come up. In those days, God hadn’t yet allowed it to rain on the earth, but caused a mist to come each day to water the land. During this time, God took some soil and shaped the first man. He breathed into his nostrils, and Adam was alive.

God created Adam and Eve and provided all they needed in the Garden of Eden. Like the animals, they had no need of clothes, yet they were not ashamed. The snake was most clever of all the animals. One day he said to Eve, “Is it true God won’t let you eat from all the trees in the garden?”

Adam and Eve had a son and named him Cain. In time they had another son named Abel. Abel became a herdsman – working with animals. Cain became a farmer, tilling the soil. One day, when it was time to bring a sacrifice to the Lord, Cain decided to bring fruits and vegetables, instead of a lamb. Abel also brought an offering, but it was the best lamb from his flock. The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering, but he wasn’t happy with Cain’s.

After people disobeyed God and went into sin, they became extremely wicked. All of their thoughts and actions were evil. God knew he had to destroy the people he created. Yet, a man named Noah walked with God. The Lord said to him, “I’m going to destroy the entire earth with a flood because the people are wicked. Therefore, I’m making an agreement with you to preserve life on the earth. Build an ark. I’ll give you the exact dimensions I want you to use. After you’re done, a flood will kill all the people and animals on the earth. You and your family will be saved, as well as the animals you take with you.”

After the Flood, Noah planted a vineyard. In time he drank some of the wine from his harvest and got drunk. He went to his tent and fell asleep on the floor without any clothes on. His youngest son saw his father lying there, and went and told his brothers what he had seen. His brothers draped a coat between them and walked backwards into the tent, draping the coat over their father...

Terah lived in a place called Ur. He had three sons and at least one daughter. One of the sons had a child named Lot. Another son was Abram, who married his half-sister Sarai. When Lot’s father died, Terah took the entire family and moved north to a place called Haran. They stayed there until Terah died...

Both Abram and Lot were prosperous. Soon their herdsmen started arguing over grazing rights. Abram said, “We shouldn’t be fighting. After all, we’re family. There is plenty of land here. You choose. You go one way and I’ll go the other.”...

After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai became concerned that she hadn’t yet had a child like the Lord promised. She said to her husband, “I have a solution to this problem. Go to bed with my slave Hagar. When she delivers a child, it’ll be the same as if I had the child...

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord said to him, “You’ll be the father of many nations and some of your descendants will be kings! Therefore I’m changing your name to Abraham, which means the ‘father of many nations’...

Abraham had three guests. One of them was the Lord. He served them a meal under the shade of a tree. Afterwards they got up and started walking toward Sodom. Abraham walked with them for a short distance. Suddenly the Lord stopped and said to the others, “I’m going to tell Abraham what I’m about to do...

In the early evening, two angels entered Sodom. They found Lot sitting at the city gate. As soon as he saw them, he went and bowed before them. He said, “I’m your humble servant. Please come to my house so I can make you comfortable. I’ll wash your feet and give you a place to spend the night. Then I’ll wake you up early so you can be on your way.” They said, “No, we’ll just spend the night here in the town square.” “Oh, no, my lords! You must come with me right now. Please follow me.”...

Abraham travelled to an area where Abimelech was king. He told the people there, “Sarah is my sister.” So Abimelech sent people to get Sarah and bring her to his household. Once she was there, the Lord prevented the king from having sex with her. God came to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You’re about to die because that woman you brought into your house is married.”...

When Abraham was a hundred years old, Sarah gave birth to a son. They called him Isaac, which means “laughter,” because Sarah said; “God has put laughter in my heart. And all who hear about me giving birth to a child will laugh with me. Who would have thought that I could nurse a baby?”...

When Isaac was a young man, God came to Abraham and said, “Abraham, take Isaac, the son you love so dearly, and go to a place I’ll show you. There, you’re to sacrifice him as a burnt offering.” So the next morning, Abraham got up early and cut wood for the sacrifice...

King Abimelech came to Abraham and said, “We can clearly see that God is with you in everything you do. So let’s make an agreement that there’ll be peace between your people and my people.” Abraham said, “I agree, but there is a problem we need to talk about. Your people have taken one of my wells.” The king said, “I didn’t know anything about this. Why didn’t you tell me before now? I’ll take care of it.” So they made an agreement and Abraham sealed it with giving Abimelech cattle and sheep. But he set aside seven ewe lambs. Abimelech asked about this. Abraham said, “You are to accept these seven lambs as you’re way of saying that I own this well.” The king accepted the seven ewe lambs, and Abraham called the place Beer-sheba, which means, “Well of the Oath.” He planted a tamarisk tree there and worshipped the Lord, the Everlasting God. Soon after the destruction of Sodom, Lot and his two daughters left the little town where they lived because he was afraid of what might happen to them there. They went to the mountains and lived in a cave. One day, the oldest daughter said to her sister, “Our father is old, and we have no hope of getting a husband and having children. Therefore, it’s up to us to preserve our father’s line for future generations. I have a plan. Let’s get our father drunk until he no longer knows what he’s doing. We’ll then have sex with him.” The sister agreed, so that night they got their father drunk. The oldest daughter had sex with him. He didn’t know anything that happened. The next day, the older daughter said to her sister, “Tonight it’s your turn. Remember, we’re doing this to preserve our father’s line.” So they got their father drunk, and the younger daughter had sex with him. Again, Lot didn’t know anything that happened. Both daughters became pregnant by their father. The oldest sister gave birth to a son who became the father of the Moabites. The younger sister gave birth to a son who became the father of the Ammonites. Years later, Sarah died, having lived 127 years. Their encampment was near Hebron at the time, so Abraham went to the Hittites and said, “We both live in this land together. Please allow me to buy a place where I can bury my dead.” They said, “You’re God’s chosen. None of us would hinder you from burying your dead.” Abraham got up and bowed down before them. “One of you owns a particular cave at the end of a field. Talk to him and persuade him to sell it to me at full price.” That man stepped forward and said, “I am that man, and I can tell you that you’re free to bury your dead there at no charge.” So the two men met in front of all the people and Abraham said, “Please allow me to buy this cave at full price.” The man said, “The cave is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me. Bury your dead freely in the cave. So Abraham weighed out 400 shekels and paid it to the man in front of everyone. So Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Hebron, and it became his procession from that day on.

When Sarah died, Abraham realized he needed to find a wife for his son Isaac. He said to his servant, “I’m sending you back to my homeland so you can find a wife for my son. Promise me you won’t choose a woman from the people around here. Make sure she’s from among my relatives.” The servant was concerned. “What if I find a woman, and she’s not willing to leave her home and come here? Perhaps I should take Isaac back there to marry her.” “Absolutely not! You’re not to take Isaac back to that country! Listen, the Lord will send his angel before you. He’ll prepare the way. But if the woman isn’t willing to come back with you, then you’re released from this assignment.” After a long journey, the servant reached the town where Abraham’s relatives lived. He stopped at a well on the outskirts of town and prayed, “Oh God, help me find the right woman for Isaac.” Suddenly he had an idea. “Lord, I’ll ask a woman for a drink of water. I’ll know she’s the right one if she gives me a drink, and then offers to draw water for all ten of these camels!” Soon a young woman named Rebekah came to the well. She was beautiful … and virtuous … and … she wasn’t married. She filled her jar and started to walk away. The servant stepped forward and asked for a drink of water. She gave him one, and then offered to draw water for all his camels. While she was doing this, the servant asked God to help him know for sure that this was the woman for Isaac. After Rebekah was done, the servant gave her several pieces of jewelry and asked, “Who’s your family, and is there room at your father’s house for my men and me to spend the night?” She told the servant the names of her father and grandfather, and the servant knew they were Abraham’s relatives. Rebekah said that there was plenty of room for them to spend the night. She then left the servant and ran home to tell her family about this conversation. Her brother was Laban, and when he saw the valuable jewelry, he hurried to the well to see who had given her these things. He asked the servant, “Come, we’ve prepared a place for you and your servants, as well as your camels!” Once they got to the house, the servant was invited to sit down and eat a meal with them. But he said, “Before we eat this meal, I must tell you my story.” He told them about the assignment Abraham had given him. He then said, “I prayed and asked God to show me the right woman for Isaac. As a sign, I asked that she’d be willing to give me a drink of water and also draw water for all the camels. Rebekah did exactly that. I believe she’s the woman God has chosen to be Isaac’s wife.” Laban and his father were amazed when they heard this story. They agreed with him and immediately gave their blessing. The next morning they asked Rebekah if she was willing to go with Abraham’s servant and marry Isaac. She said she was willing to go. So, they blessed Rebekah and sent her with the servant. Isaac was in the field when he saw, off in the distance, the servant’s caravan of camels. So he started walking toward it. Rebekah saw him coming their way. She asked the servant, “Who is that man?” “Oh, that is my master, Isaac.” So Rebekah covered herself with a veil. The servant told Isaac all about his trip, and how God led him to just the right woman. So Isaac took Rebekah to be his wife, and the love between them was great.

After Sarah died, Abraham married a woman named Keturah. Together they had six sons. Years later, when Abraham knew he was going to die, he gave gifts to Keturah and her sons, and sent them away to the land of the East. He then gave everything he owned to Isaac. Abraham died when he was 175 years old. Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the same cave where Sarah was buried. After twenty years of marriage, Isaac prayed for his wife because she was unable to have children. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant with twin boys. Near the end of her term, she felt like there was fighting inside her womb. She was in so much pain that she prayed, “Oh God, what is happening to me?” The Lord said, “You have two nations inside of you. Two people groups will come from your womb. One will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” At the time of birth, the oldest baby was red and covered with hair. They named him Esau, which means “hairy.” His brother was born holding on to Esau’s heel. They named him Jacob, which means, “heel.” Isaac was sixty years old when the boys were born. As a man, Esau became skilled as an outdoorsman, which included hunting. Jacob was quiet, and preferred to stay home. Rebekah loved Jacob, but Isaac loved the taste of wild game, so he favored Esau. One day, Esau came home exhausted from a trip. He found Jacob cooking a pot of stew. He said, “I’m tired and hungry. Give me some of that red stew.” Jacob said, “I’ll trade my stew for your birthright.” “That’s a deal! My birthright won’t do me any good if I die of hunger. Now give me the stew, I want the whole pot.” Jacob said, “No. You must first swear an oath that you’re giving me your birthright.” “I swear to you. The birthright is yours.” With that, Jacob gave his brother an entire meal of bread, stew, and drink. Esau ate and drank heartily, and then got up and left. From then on, it was said of Esau, “He despised his birthright.” Also, people referred to him as “Edom,” which means “Red.” This was because of the value he placed on that red stew.

A great famine hit the place where Isaac lived, so he realized he needed to move to another area. The Lord appeared to him and said, “Don’t go to Egypt. Stay in this land, even though you’re a foreigner here. I’ll bless you, and give you all the promises I gave to your father Abraham. Your descendants will be as hard to count as the stars. I’ll give them all of this land, and through them all the nations on earth will be blessed.” So Isaac didn’t go to Egypt, but instead settled in the land of Abimelech, king of the Philistines. When the men there saw that Rebekah was a beautiful woman, they asked Isaac about her. He immediately became concerned for his life, thinking they would kill him because of her. So he said, “She’s my sister.” When Isaac had been there for a while, the king looked out of his window and saw Isaac hugging and kissing Rebekah. The king sent for him and said, “This woman is your wife! Why did you tell everyone she was your sister?” Isaac explained how he was afraid he might be killed because of her. The king said, “You’ve put all of us at risk. One of our men could have easily had sex with her. Then we all would’ve suffered because of it.” So Abimelech sent out a warning to all his people. “If anyone harms Isaac or his wife, that person will die.”

Isaac was a farmer while he lived among the Philistines. The Lord blessed his harvest so much that he became more and more wealthy. Eventually, his wealth was so great that the Philistines became jealous. They decided to plug up some wells Abraham had dug. In time, Abimelech asked Isaac to leave their country. He said, “You’ve become too powerful. We feel you’re a threat to us.” Isaac moved to another valley, and his servants unplugged some of Abraham’s wells. They also dug some new ones. Suddenly they found precious spring water. The herdsmen in that area said, “That water belongs to us.” So Isaac’s servants went and dug other wells, and again found water. Again, the herdsmen said, “That’s our water.” They went to another area and dug some more wells. This time, no one argued about the water they found. Isaac said, “Finally! The Lord has made room for us. We can now prosper at this spot. He called that place, “Plenty of Room.” Abimelech and a delegation from the Philistines went to Isaac. When he saw them he said, “You sent me away in anger. So why have you come to me now?” Abimelech said, “It’s clear to us that the Lord has been with you all this time. We want a treaty with you. We were good to you when you lived among us. Yes, we sent you away, but it was in peace. Now, let’s agree that you’ll treat us the same way and won’t harm us.” So Isaac prepared a banquet, and they all ate and drank together. The next morning they each gave an oath that they would live in peace with one another. As Abimelech and his delegation left, servants came and told Isaac about their newest well. They said, “We’ve found water.” So he called the place Beer-sheba, which means “Well of the Oath.”