Come, Follow Me · Week 9 · February 23–March 1

Genesis 18–23

This Week's Reading

This week’s reading in Genesis 18–23 centers on profound encounters with God that reveal His faithfulness, justice, and mercy. We see Abraham demonstrate radical hospitality to divine visitors who turn out to be the Lord Himself, leading to the promise of a son despite Sarah’s old age. The narrative also highlights Lot’s righteous defense of his guests in Sodom, illustrating the stark contrast between faith and wickedness. Finally, we witness the ultimate test of Abraham’s trust when he is asked to sacrifice Isaac, followed by God providing a ram as a substitute and granting him the patriarchal promise of a burial place. These stories teach us that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises and that true faith involves complete reliance on Him even in impossible situations.

Key Passages

Genesis 18:1–10 This passage shows Abraham rushing to serve three visitors with humility, receiving the miraculous promise that his wife Sarah will bear a son, which points forward to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.
Genesis 19:1–10 Lot’s urgent protection of the angels against the mob demonstrates how righteous individuals stand firm for truth and hospitality, even when surrounded by wickedness, reflecting the Savior’s own defense of the innocent.
Genesis 21:1–7 The birth of Isaac confirms God’s power to bring life from death and joy from sorrow, illustrating that nothing is too hard for the Lord and that He keeps His promises perfectly.
Genesis 22:1–10 Abraham’s willingness to offer his only son teaches us that true faith requires total surrender to God, while the provision of a ram shows that Jesus Christ is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
Genesis 23:1–10 Abraham’s respectful negotiation for a burial place in Canaan establishes the principle of holy ground and foreshadows the resurrection body prepared by the Father for His children.

Questions to Ponder

How does Abraham’s immediate response to seeing the visitors reflect his heart toward God, and how can we apply that same eagerness to serve others today?
In what ways does Lot’s defense of the angels challenge us to stand up for righteousness even when it is unpopular or dangerous in our own communities?
Why was Isaac’s birth such a miracle, and how does this story encourage those who feel they are too old or past their time to experience new blessings?
What does Abraham’s willingness to obey God completely, even when the command seemed impossible, teach us about the nature of true faith and trust in Christ?

A Thought to Take Home

These ancient stories remind us that God is faithful to His promises and that He delights in showing mercy to those who approach Him with humility. Just as Abraham learned to trust God completely, we too can find peace knowing that Jesus Christ is our Provider and our Substitute, ready to meet every need. As we study these accounts, may we be inspired to live with greater faith, hospitality, and courage, always looking to the Savior for guidance and strength in our daily lives.

Further study

Genesis 18:1–10 Genesis 19:1–10 Genesis 21:1–7 Genesis 22:1–10

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This guide was prepared with AI from the scriptures and checked against the text; it can still make mistakes. For the Church's own guidance, read the official Come, Follow Me manual for this week. Nephite Atlas is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Key passages

Genesis 18:1–10

¹And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; ²And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, ³And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: ⁴Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: ⁵And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. ⁶And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. ⁷And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. ⁸And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. ⁹And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. ¹⁰And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Genesis 19:1–10

¹And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; ²And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. ³And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. ⁴But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: ⁵And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. ⁶And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, ⁷And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. ⁸Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. ⁹And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. ¹⁰But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

Genesis 21:1–7

¹And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. ²For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. ⁴And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. ⁶And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. ⁷And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

Genesis 22:1–10

¹And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. ²And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. ³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. ⁴Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. ⁵And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. ⁶And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. ⁷And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? ⁸And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. ⁹And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. ¹⁰And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 23:1–10

¹And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. ²And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. ³And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, ⁴I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. ⁵And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, ⁶Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. ⁷And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. ⁸And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, ⁹That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. ¹⁰And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,