The Bible in 1 Year 3 Genesis 22-50
The Bible in 1 Year 3 – Genesis 22-50
Memory Verse: Gen 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.” Gen 1:1
I. Abraham’s great test of faith
Gen 22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." Gen 22:2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Gen 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Gen 22:4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Gen 22:5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.Gen 22:7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Gen 22:8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
A. God requires the sacrifice of an only, BELOVED Son
B. He rode to the mountain on the back of a DONKEY
C. Tradition places the chosen mountain outside Jerusalem on a hill known as Golgotha, or CALVARY
D. Abraham saw it on the THIRD day
E. God would provide the lamb
Gen 22:9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Gen 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. Gen 22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." Gen 22:12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. Gen 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven Gen 22:16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, Gen 22:17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, Gen 22:18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
F. Abraham’s lifelong doubt and lack of trust was here demolished as he came to realize the PROVIDENCE of God
G. God Himself will provide the Lamb.
II. Isaac and Rebekah
A. Sarah died and Abraham was very old. Abraham makes his chief servant take an OATH that he will not allow Isaac to marry a Caananite, but that his wife would be from the “Old Country” (Ch24)
B. Abraham died. Isaac and Rebekah struggled to get pregnant, and when she did it was with twins. It was a very difficult pregnancy, since two BOYS fought within her
III. Jacob
A. Jacob once was cooking stew when Esau returned from the hunt. Esau wanted to eat, but Jacob made Esau promise his BIRTHRIGHT first. Esau agreed. Jacob the schemer, devious one, heel-grabber had supplanted his brother. But he had to escape his brother’s WRATH.
C. Rebekah made Jacob flee to her brother Laban in her home country. During the escape to Haran, Jacob had a dream in which a LADDER rose to heaven with Jehovah at the top, and angels ascending and descending.
D. Jacob made it to Laban’s house where he spotted Laban’s youngest daughter RACHEL.
E. Jacob had these sons by Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel was barren but very jealous of Leah, so she offered her servant Bilhah to bear children with Jacob on her behalf. Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali; another handmaid Zilpah bore Gad and and Asher. Finally, Rachel herself conceived and bore Joseph. These are 11 of the 12 TRIBES, with Benjamin coming later, another child of Rachel.
F. Jacob left Laban, who tried to trick Jacob out of his pay, but God arranged for a miracle to let Jacob’s recompense be more than fair. (ch 30)
G. On the return journey to Canaan, Jacob met up with some of Esau’s servants.
H. In his anxiety Jacob wrestled with a man until the man injured Jacob. Jacob had lost. Still, he would not let go, insisting on a BLESSING from the stranger.
1. This was a Theophany – an appearance of God in bodily form.
I. All went well with Israel’s meeting with Esau. There were embraces and forgiveness.
IV. Joseph
A. Joseph was 17, the favored child
Gen 37:6 He said to them, "Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Gen 37:7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." Gen 37:8 His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Gen 37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." Gen 37:10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?"
B. The brothers decided to put an end to Joseph and his dreams. They tore up his robe and put some goat’s blood on it, and sold Joseph to some slave traders heading towards EGYPT.
C. Joseph was sold to an Egyptian captain of the guard named Potiphar. Joseph turned over a new leaf and worked very hard for his new master, until Potiphar was so pleased with him that he made him OVERSEER of his whole household. (ch39)
D. In prison, God changed Joseph. God showed favor to him. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh to interpret a DREAM.
Gen 41:15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Gen 41:16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
E. Joseph interpreted the dream to mean that 7 years of plenty would come followed by 7 years of FAMINE, and that grain should be stored up during the years of plenty.
F. During the 7 years of famine, a certain family of brothers came from Canaan because they had heard there was grain stored up there.
G. The brothers returned to Egypt, and Joseph planted incriminating evidence against THEM, so he could keep him in Egypt
H. Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons
TEXTING ALTERNATIVE 1: 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
TEXTING ALTERNATIVE 2: To prevail with God one must surrender to him
Small Group Discussion
1. The Bible says Abraham rose up early in the morning to begin the journey to sacrifice his son. What kind of a night do you think he had? What thoughts may have gone through his mind?
2. Do you think it was easy for the Father to sacrifice His Son Jesus to wash away your sins?
3. Rebekah chose to leave her family and friends, go with a stranger to a strange land far away, and marry a man she had never met. What sort of person do you think she was?
4. What sort of changes did God make in Joseph between the time Joseph was sold into slavery and the time he revealed himself to his brothers?
5. Did God use suffering and hardship as an opportunity to refine Joseph’s character? Can you think of an instance in your life when God used such an occasion in your life?
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