Free The Skeptics Annotated Bible by Steve Wells Page A

“The uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people.” An uncircumcised boy is to be abandoned by his parents and community.
    15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
    16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
    (17.16) “I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her.” God blesses the union between Abraham and his half sister (20.12).
55 Is incest OK?
    17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
    (17.17) “Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed.” Abraham falls down laughing at God for telling him that he and Sarah will have a child, when they are 100 and 90 years old, respectively.
    18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
    19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenan t, and with his seed after him.
    (17.19) “I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant.”
56 Are Old Testament laws still binding?
    20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
    21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
    22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
    23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day , as God had said unto him.
    (17.23-27) Abraham was 99 years old when he circumcised himself, along with his 13 year old son, Ishmael, and his 318 slaves—all in one very busy (and painful) day.
57 How old was Ishmael when he was abandoned by Abraham?
    (17.23) “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money … and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day.” (17.24) “Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.”
    24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
    25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
    (17.25) “Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.”
    26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
    27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
    (17.27) “And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.”
GENESIS 18
    18 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
    (18.1) “The Lord appeared unto him.” Abraham feeds God and three angels.
49 Can God be seen?
    2 And 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,
    3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
    4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
    5 And 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.
    6 And Abraham hastened into the