If the 400 yrs starts from the birth of Isaac, then we arrive at 430 years.  It has been suggested
that the 400 yrs should start from the time Hagar and Ishmael were forced to leave Abraham,
Gen 21:9-14, so although we don't know exactly how old Ishmeal was then, the answer comes
out to very near the 400 yrs we have been working towards

The date of the Exodus 1492BC (the commonly accepted date) is also not too far out!

15:13-16 Here we have details about the time Israel would be in Egypt (but note not for 400 years) even before Abram has children!

16:5 So Sarai’s plan blew up in her face. However she was not willing to live with the consequences of her actions. How often do we make hasty plans without thinking of the implications and then find we do not like the outcome? Maybe Abram (16:6) should not have left the decision as to what to do to Sarai. Maybe he should have given counsel. Likewise, brethren, we should not leave our wives to deal with issues of their making just because the decisions that follow are hard.

15:6 Whilst Abraham is counted righteous by faith he is not the first man describes as righteous – we have, for example Noah 7:1. Of course the basis for Noah’s righteousness was the same as for Abraham – he believed what God had told him.

16:2 ‘obtain children of her’ – ‘obtain’ is the same word as ‘made’ in Gen 2:22

15:16 Moses was the fourth generation in Egypt 

15:4   As Abraham’s son was to be ‘out of thy own bowels’ he could not actually be the Messiah – the seed of the  woman. So when Abraham offered Isaac it could only be a ‘figure’. Maybe Abraham understood this.

15:9 The animals shown here represented sin offerings under the Mosaic law which would come into effect later.  The animals ranged from the most valuable to the least.  Everyone could present a sacrifice according to one's means.  All of these animals foreshadowed Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for sin. The heifer, she goat, and ram were three years old.  Three is the number of complete years of Jesus' earthly mission; and also the number of days He lay in the grave.

16:1 Hagar means flight. She was an Egyptian servant.  She was probably one of the maidservants who Pharaoh gave Abram when he stayed in Egypt (Gen 12:16).  

16:11,12 Ishmael means God will hear.  He was to be a wild man.  His descendants, the Bedouins, are fiercely independent desert nomads.

15:1‘I am thy shield and ... reward’ is God’s response to Abraham’s unwillingness to be made rich by the king of Sodom.

First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past
2. Isaac, Abraham's son has a son called Jacob Gen 16 Gen 21:3 Gen 25:19-28
Go to Gen 12:1-5 for more about First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past

First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past
6. 12 tribes of Israel descended from the 12 sons of Israel. They remained in Egypt until the 400 years expired. Gen 15:13 Gen 47:27-31 Exo 1
Go to Gen 12:1-5 for more about First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past

16:11-12God allowed Abraham and Sarah to fulfil their own plans for the promise to be fulfilled. However their plans were to prove disastrous. Ishmael was to be a ‘wild man’. How often do we try to rush God’s purpose only to find that hat we have one brings us problems.

There is a very wide discrepancy regarding the number of stars visible to the naked eye (about 3000 from any one place under ideal conditions to perhaps double that amount if we consider those visible from all points on earth) and grains of sand on the seashore. Many years later, with the advent of the telescope and time exposure photography, science was able to more accurately comprehend that there are countless numbers of stars just as the Bible states -  Gen 15:5;Gen 22:17;Jer 33:22;Heb 11:12.

v.4-6 - David suffered depressions and devastating situations which make our own lives major problems seem insignificant.  David saw his way through these things by calling upon the Lord. Herein is the lesson. Let us heed it. Psa 50:15,130:1,2

18:20   In speaking of God rewarding him ‘according to my righteousness’ David is echoing the situation he speaks of in Psa 7 when speaking of the words of Shimei. He is not seeking himself as righteous but rather that his motives were always sound and that God would recognise that for what it was.

18:4 Whilst David had been delivered – see title – he had been in the state of fearing for his life, for example when fleeing from Saul 1Sam 27:1 but by the end of his life he recognised God’s care – so when Jesus spoke similarly – Mark 14:34– he would hav ebeen able to think about David’s experience.

18:2    When David speaks of God as being ‘the horn of my salvation’ at the end of his life he is seeing the ongoing care that his God has for him – but is also prophesying the coming of Christ – Luke 1:69

18:4    The ‘sorrows of death’ seems to be picked up – Acts 2:24 – and we see that the ‘son of David’ was delivered just like David trusted and so was to be ‘saved from mine enemies’ – Psa 18:3

18:17-18 We may think of David as a mighty warrior however he recognises that his enemies were ‘too strong’ for him. So even though David was a mighty warrior he recognised that deliverance came from God. How often do we think that we can overcome some problem by our own strength?

The context of v6 can be seen in 1Sam 30:6.

Matthew 10:4 - "Judas Iscariot" - More than likely so called "Iscariot" from Iscarioth, (the place of his birth,) a town of the tribe of Ephraim, near the city of Samaria. This Judas was the only Apostle of the original twelve not to be Galilean. Judas was very astute, probably having good business connections, hence the reason why Jesus entrusted him with the communal funds. I shall show later that Judas was [probably]brother to Lazarus, Mary and Martha and shared their house with them in Bethany.

:13 - This seems a strange turn of phrase  '... but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you' and yet the same idea is found in two other passages:

Psa 35:13  But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

2Cor 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

By this we see that we can but preach and wait and see if God gives the increase.  If He does not, then our preaching returns to us - suggesting that we still benefit, even if the person we speak to does not listen.

During the Christmas holiday just past, Christendom has celebrated the birth of Jesus.  The sentiment of Peace on earth and goodwill towards all men has been proclaimed on behalf of the Christ-child.  Christ, speaking for himself, says that he did not come to bring peace (presently) (Matt 10:34-36).  Throughout history, individuals, families, and states have been in conflict in the name of Christ. Nations have fought wars, and millions have died, all in His Name.  And so where is the peace? Many have become cynical scoffing at this misguided Christmas sentiment, and have denied the existence of God (Psa 14:1).  Global peace will only occur when the Lord Jesus returns to earth from heaven to establish the Kingdom (Isa 9:6,7).  Those in Christendom will never experience that peace as they believe in the myth of heaven going at death rather than the reality the Kingdom of God on earth.  True believers in Christ, however, have the assurance of Christ's peace, even now, as they contend with a tumultuous world and wait for His return (John 14:27).

Salvation is a marathon race of enduring till the end Matt 10:22; 1Cor 9:24-27. To be saved we seek, believe what God says in His word, be baptised, have faith, have works, have endurance and then hope for ultimate salvation when Christ returns.

10:6     In sending the disciples to 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel Jesus is responding to his own concerns for the nation which he expressed in Matt 9:36.

10:17 ‘Beware of men …’ is a very early indication by Jesus that the preaching of the gospel will not always fall on willing ears.

v3 Matthew is the only one who's occupation is given in this list of the apostles names - in his own gospel.

In his instructions, as he sends them out to preach, Jesus goes far beyond the immediate situation, to talk about arrests, betrayal, trials. So this is a prophecy as well.

v37  Relatively how much greater our love for the Lord should be, than our love for our families - so much greater, that our love for our families is termed "hate" Luke 14:26    Family members may turn against each other, but Jesus will never deny us unless we deny him first. v32-35

10:5     Jesus command that the disciples should not go into the Samaritan cities is echoed in his own comment in Matt 15:34 where he makes the point clearly that he is sent to the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’. This does not mean that he had no concern for  Samaritans, rather Israel were his first priority. When they failed to take heed he expanded his preaching.

Vs.1-4 The apostles were given spiritual power.  This was before the Holy Spirit was manifest  at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Judas Iscariot was a recipient of this divine power.  Could Judas have been forgiven over the betrayal of Jesus?  It is a moot point since he chose to commit suicide rather than to seek forgiveness.  Of course, it is folly to second guess the Lord.  However, since Judas had been recipient of the Holy Spirit would not the Word condemn him (Heb 6:4-6)?

V.28 There is nothing mysterious in this verse.  Simply put, man can kill the body, but only Yahweh has power over the life-force (soul = breath) which animates the body.  Thus, He can re-animate the body (bring back to life) at will.  In this we both fear and hope.  We fear the power and majesty of Yahweh and hope in our revival at the last day (Psa 34:9; 2Cor 4:14).

V.37 Jesus is to take precedent over our natural families.  By extension, brethren of Christ must take precedence over our natural families.

10:4 Here and in Mark 3:19we come across Judas Iscariot early in the ministry of Jesus but he is introduced as the one who betrayed Jesus. Whilst clearly the gospel narratives were written after the event the mention of Judas’ behaviour is not simply an afterthought but rather a hint of his ongoing deceit for it was he who took money out of the bag as an ongoing thing throughout the ministry John 12:6

The depth of Jesus' words to his twelve disciples is staggering, when we look at the scripture he quotes to them. We'll take just one example from v30:

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered"

Jesus is referring to Psalm 40 (amongst other passages) where David says:

"innumerable evils have surrounded me ... They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me."

On the face of it this is not very encouraging! But reading the rest of the Psalm shows how perfectly the context fits the situation the disciples were to face. The consolation from the Psalm, in a nutshell, is that God's thoughts about us are as innumerable as the hairs on our head (Psa 40:5) and though we might be in a time of need, He is constantly thinking about us and ready to help and deliver us (Psa 40:17).

"I am poor and needy, yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and deliverer!"

-

10:10 Whilst ‘the workman is worthy of his hire’ is not a direct quotation from the Old Testament it draws on the Old Testament principle in Deut 25:5.