Genesis 21 focuses on three key events in Abraham's life: the birth of Isaac, the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, and the covenant with Abimelech.

The Birth of Isaac: As God promised, Sarah gave birth to Abraham's son Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac's name means "laughter," reflecting Sarah's joy and initial disbelief that she would bear a child in her old age. Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day as commanded by God.

Hagar and Ishmael's Banishment: After Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael (Abraham's firstborn son by Hagar) mocking Isaac. Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. Though upset, Abraham obeyed after God reassured him that Ishmael would also become a nation. Hagar and Ishmael nearly died in the wilderness until God provided water and promised that Ishmael would become a great nation. Ishmael grew up in the wilderness of Paran and became an archer.

The Covenant with Abimelech: Abimelech, king of Gerar, recognized God's favor on Abraham and proposed a treaty of peace between them. Abraham agreed but raised an issue about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized. They resolved the dispute, and Abraham planted a grove at Beersheba ("well of the sevenfold oath") to commemorate their covenant. Abraham continued to stay in Philistine territory.

Genesis 20 provides an account of Abraham's sojourn in Gerar.

Abraham moved to the region of Gerar, where he told people that his wife Sarah was his sister (similar to his earlier deception in Egypt). King Abimelech of Gerar took Sarah into his harem, not knowing she was already married.

God appeared to Abimelech in a dream, warning him that Sarah was a married woman and that he was as good as dead for taking her. Abimelech, who had not yet approached Sarah, protested his innocence to God, saying he acted with a clear conscience since Abraham claimed she was his sister. God acknowledged Abimelech's innocence but instructed him to return Sarah to Abraham, who was a prophet who would pray for him.

Abimelech confronted Abraham about the deception. Abraham explained he feared for his life because he thought there was no fear of God in Gerar — and technically Sarah was his half-sister. Abimelech gave Abraham livestock, servants, and silver as compensation, and he invited him to live in his land wherever he pleased.

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and female servants so they could bear children again (God had closed all the wombs in Abimelech's household because of Sarah).

Genesis 19 recounts the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, focusing on the rescue of Lot and his family.

The chapter begins with two angels arriving in Sodom, where Lot insisted they stay at his house. Before they retired for the night, the men of Sodom surrounded Lot's house, demanding to "know" the visitors. Lot refused and offered his daughters instead, but the angels struck the men with blindness and warned Lot to flee with his family because God planned to destroy the city for its wickedness.

At dawn, the angels urged Lot to leave immediately. When he hesitated, they took him, his wife, and two daughters by the hand and led them outside the city, instructing them to flee to the mountains and not look back. Lot negotiated to go to the small town of Zoar instead.

As Lot reached Zoar, God rained sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities and all inhabitants. Lot's wife looked back — and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19 concludes with Lot and his daughters living in a cave in the mountains. Believing they're the only survivors, the daughters got their father drunk on successive nights and slept with him to preserve their family line. Each daughter bore a son — Moab (father of the Moabites) and Benammi (father of the Ammonites).

Genesis 18 is the account of Abraham's encounter with three visitors at the oaks of Mamre and God's revelation about the coming judgment on Sodom.

The chapter begins with the LORD appearing to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. Abraham saw three men approaching, rushed to meet them, and offered generous hospitality. He had Sarah prepare bread while he selected a choice calf to be prepared, and he served them under a tree.

During the meal, the visitors asked about Sarah's whereabouts and then announced that, when they return in a year, Sarah would have a son. Sarah, listening from the tent entrance, laughed to herself in disbelief because both she and Abraham were elderly. The LORD questioned why Sarah laughed and reminded them that nothing is too difficult for the LORD. Sarah denied laughing (out of fear), but the LORD confirmed she did just that.

As the men prepared to leave and go toward Sodom, the LORD decided to reveal His plans to Abraham. The LORD told Abraham about the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah due to their grave sin and said that He would go investigate the situation.

This led to a remarkable negotiation between Abraham and the LORD. Abraham approached and asked if the LORD would destroy the righteous with the wicked. He began by asking if the LORD would spare the city if 50 righteous people were found there. God agreed, and Abraham progressively lowered the number — from 50 to 45, to 40, to 30, to 20, and finally to 10. Each time, the LORD agreed to spare the city if that number of righteous people could be found.

Genesis 18 ends with the LORD leaving after this conversation and Abraham returning to his place.

Genesis 17 depicts God's covenant with Abram when he was 99 years old. God appeared to Abram, identified Himself as "the Almighty God" (El Shaddai), and established a covenant with several key elements.

God changed Abram's name to Abraham ("father of many nations") and promised that kings would come from his line. The covenant was established as an "everlasting covenant" between God and Abraham's descendants. God promised the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. He instituted circumcision as the sign of the covenant — every male was to be circumcised on the eighth day of their life.

God changed Sarai's name to Sarah ("noblewoman" or "princess") and promised she would bear a son despite being 90 years old. Abraham laughed at the idea of having a child at his age, but God confirmed Sarah would have a son named Isaac. Abraham asked God to bless Ishmael (his son with Hagar), and God promised to make him fruitful as well.

Abraham, Ishmael, and all the males in Abraham's household were circumcised that same day.

Genesis 16 provides an account of Sarai (Abram's wife), her Egyptian servant Hagar, and the birth of Ishmael.

After ten years in Canaan with no children, Sarai suggested that Abram have a child with her servant Hagar, following a common custom of that time. Abram agreed, and Hagar became pregnant.

Once pregnant, Hagar began to look down on Sarai, who then treated Hagar harshly in response. Hagar ran away to the desert, where an angel of the LORD found her near a spring. The angel told her to return to Sarai and submit to her authority.

The angel also gave Hagar a promise: She would have many descendants through her son, whom she should name Ishmael ("God hears"), because the LORD had heard her affliction. The angel prophesied that Ishmael would be "a wild man" whose hand would be against everyone — and everyone's hand would be against him.

Hagar returned and gave birth to Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old.

Genesis 15 centers on God's covenant with Abram (later renamed Abraham).

God appeared to Abram in a vision, telling him not to fear and promising to be his shield and very great reward. Abram expressed concern about remaining childless, noting that his servant Eliezer stood to inherit his household. God reassured Abram that his heir would come from his own body. God took Abram outside and told him to count the stars, promising his descendants would be just as numerous.

Abram believed God's promise, and this faith was credited to him as righteousness. God then identified Himself as the Lord who brought Abram from Ur of the Chaldees to give him the land of Canaan.

When Abram asked for assurance regarding the promised land, God instructed him to bring specific animals for a covenant ceremony. Abram prepared the animals (except the birds) by cutting them in half, and he drove away birds of prey that attempted to eat the carcasses.

As the sun set, Abram fell into a deep sleep. God revealed that Abram's descendants would be strangers and slaves in a foreign land before returning to Canaan. After darkness fell, a smoking fire pot and flaming torch (representing God's presence) passed between the animal pieces, formally establishing the covenant.

God defined the boundaries of the land promised to Abram's descendants, from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.

Genesis 14 is an account of a regional war and Abram's rescue of his nephew Lot.

Four kings waged war against five kings from the region of Sodom and Gomorrah. The five kings had been subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years but rebelled in the thirteenth year. In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated several peoples in the region before confronting the five kings in the Valley of Siddim.

The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into tar pits, while the rest escaped to the hills. The victorious four kings plundered Sodom and Gomorrah, taking their possessions and food supplies. Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom, was captured along with his possessions.

When Abram learned of Lot's capture, he gathered 318 trained men from his household and pursued the four kings, defeating them near Damascus and recovering all the captives and goods.

After Abram's victory, two significant encounters occurred:

Genesis 13 is the account of Abram (later renamed Abraham) and his nephew Lot separating due to conflicts between their herdsmen.

After returning from Egypt to Canaan with his wife Sarai and Lot, Abram was very wealthy with livestock, silver, and gold. They traveled to Bethel where Abram had previously built an altar.

Both Abram and Lot had accumulated so many possessions and livestock that the land couldn't support them living together. Their herdsmen began quarreling over grazing land and water resources.

To resolve this conflict, Abram generously offered Lot the choice of land. Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan near Sodom, which is described as being like "the garden of the LORD," while Abram remained in Canaan.

After their separation, God spoke to Abram and renewed His promise, telling him to look in all directions — north, south, east, and west — promising to give all the land he could see to him and his descendants forever. God also promised that Abram's offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth.

Abram then moved his tents to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built another altar to the Lord.

Genesis 12 marks a pivotal turning point in the Bible with the call of Abram (later renamed Abraham) and God's covenant with him.

God's Call to Abram (Verses 1-3): God commanded Abram to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house to go to a land that God would show him. God promised to make Abram into a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing to others. God further promised to bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who cursed him, declaring that all people on earth would be blessed through him.

Abram's Journey (Verses 4-9): At 75 years old, Abram obeyed God's call and departed from Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their servants and possessions. They traveled to Canaan, where God appeared to Abram and promised to give this land to his descendants. Abram built altars to the Lord at Shechem and Bethel before continuing his journey toward the Negev.

Abram in Egypt (Verses 10-20): A severe famine struck Canaan, forcing Abram to seek refuge in Egypt. Fearing that the Egyptians might kill him to take his beautiful wife Sarai, Abram instructed her to say she was his sister (she was his half-sister). As anticipated, Pharaoh's officials noticed Sarai's beauty and took her into Pharaoh's palace, while Pharaoh rewarded Abram with livestock and servants. But, God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with serious diseases because of Sarai. When Pharaoh discovered the truth, he confronted Abram, returned Sarai, and ordered them to leave Egypt.