Saved by Grace - Class Notes

Read James 1:1-18

1.)    What should we do when we face trials?

2.)    When you pray for direction from God, what are your expectations?

3.)    How has God answered your prayers and requests for wisdom?

Read Genesis 26:1-5

4.)    Did God send Isaac to Gerar?  Should he have gone?

Class discussion on faith and fear.

5.)    Why did God tell Isaac not to go down to Egypt?

6.)    Did God give Isaac and new promises?

7.)    Where is a good source of answers for us when we need direction, with new promises or with ones we already have?

Read Genesis 26:6-11

8.)    What was the next test that Isaac faced?  Why did he lie about his wife?

9.)    Why does God protect Isaac in spite of his lack of faith?  Should we have the same expectations?

Read Genesis 26:12-22

10.)    How does Isaac handle the herdsmen filling up his wells?  Should he have kept moving or should he have stood up for his rights?

11.)    What lesson does this teach us about facing persecution?

Read Genesis 26:23-33

12.)    How did God encourage Isaac?

Read Genesis 26:34-35

13.)    Why do you think Esau’s wife made life so bitter for Isaac and Rebekah?  Why did they let Esau marry them in the first place?

14.)    How do you know when to compromise with your children and when to stand firm?  What happens if you compromise too easily or over the wrong issues?

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Read Genesis 25:22-28

1.) What two nations are referred to in verse 23?

Israel (Jacob) and Edom (Esau). Cross-reference 2 Samuel 8:13-14 and Obadiah.

2 Samuel 8:13-14 (ESV)
¹³ And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
¹⁴ Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he wet.

2.) Why did God choose to make the younger rule over the older?

The promise of God to Abraham was to make his descendents a great nation but it did not mean all of Abraham’s descendents were part of the promise. We’ve already seen how Ishmael and the sons from Keturah were not part of Abraham’s inheritance.

Read Romans 9:1-16

3.) It almost sounds as if God “predestined” Jacob for his part in redemption and “predestined” Esau to lose his birthright. Does this sound fair? Does God choose in advance whom He will use? Does He choose in advance whom will be saved?

This is not a question to get in a debate about pre-destination. However, it will be interesting to see where the class takes this question.

God knew that Esau would not rightly carry the cause and faith of his fathers. Even as the preferred son of his faithful father, Esau is sexually immoral and unholy. Whether God predestined Esau to reject his fathers faith or not, he certainly foreknew that he would.

Hebrews 12:16 (ESV)
¹⁶ that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

We’ll discuss Esau in more depth in later studies and questions.

4.) Why did Isaac and Rebekah have favorites? Do parents do this today? Why? Does it cause problems in the family?

Class discussion.

Read Genesis 25:29-34

5.) What was the birthright that Jacob bargained for with Esau?

It was the custom that the oldest son receives twice the inheritance. In the case of Abraham’s family the birthright also continuing the covenant that God made with Abraham. It meant being a man of faith and looking towards the promise that God made to Abraham.

6.) Why was this birthright Esau’s if God had already said the older will server the younger?

It appears that Isaac was intent on Esau still receiving the birthright according to the customs rather than according to God’s direction. This is probably because Esau was Isaac’s favorite and the one he wanted to carry on the family covenant.

7.) What does it mean that Esau despised his birthright?

Esau did not have the respect for everything that the birthright included. He probably figured he would receive the full inheritance due him regardless of the deal he made with his brother and he probably had no interest in the covenant aspects of the birthright.

8.) What is our birthright as born-again believers? Do we take this birthright for granted? When we don’t take our spiritual birthright seriously, have you considered that is the same as despising it?

Class discussion.

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Genesis 25:1-21

Read Genesis 25:1-6

1.) Why was it important for Abraham to send the sons of Keturah away from Isaac?

It’s very similar to Ishmael being sent away. Isaac was the son of promise and it was important that there not be any competition or confusion over Abraham’s inheritance and Isaac’s destiny.

2.) Has God ever had to remove people from your life that could have interfered with the calling he has for your life?
a. Side question: What is your calling from God? Does anyone want to share?

Open discussion.

Read Genesis 25:7-11

3.) Ishmael was sent away from the family camp about 70 years prior to this. However, he returns to help bury his father. You don’t have any of the sons from Abraham’s new concubine mentioned here. Why do you think Ishmael came back to bury his father? What do you think it was like around the camp with Ishmael and Isaac together?

Open discussion.

4.) What experiences do you have with awkward family reunions? Why do we have these?

Open discussion.

Read Genesis 25:12-18

5.) What is significant about Ishmael having twelve sons?

This is the fulfilling of the promise from God that Ishmael would be the father of a nation with twelve princes (Genesis 17:20).

6.) What is significant about version 18?

Again this fulfills are promise that Ishmael will be wild and against everyone (Genesis 16:10-12). With Ishmael being the father of the Arab nations, how has that prophecy held up today?

Read Genesis 25:19-21

Isaac was the seed of promise to Abraham. He was to carry on the family lineage on the way to forming a great nation. Of course Isaac would need to have children to carry out God’s plan. However, verse 21 makes it sound like it was Isaac’s prayers that led to God granting his request so that Rebekah, who was barren like Sarah could bear children.

7.) Did it really take Isaac’s prayers to get God to open Rebekah’s womb? Why did Isaac even need to pray for this if he knew it was already promised from God?

Read and discuss Luke 11:5-13. How do these verses relate?

8.) God want us to pray and to keep praying. Why doesn’t he just answer them right away? Why did he make it difficult for Abraham and Isaac to bear children if through them he was going to build a nation?

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Praying for needs helps keep us aware of need, which helps to keep us alert. Alert for what? It keeps us alert for God at work rather than taking God’s grace and goodness for granted – which we do here in America where our needs are not great.

Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)
3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Perseverance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. How is hope different than wishful thinking?

Abraham and Isaac knew God would fulfill his promise. Their faith was their hope in God’s promise fulfilled. Their struggles in having to wait produced their character and hope.

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Genesis 24:10-12 (ESV)

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.

1.) What can we tell about Abraham’s servant in these verses?

He had faith in God and understood there was a difference between the God Abraham worshipped and the other gods worshipped in the land.

2.) What was the servant’s prayer? What can we learn from this prayer?

He prayed for success in his task and asked for this success to be based on God’s faithfulness. Our daily prayer should include asking for God’s faithfulness to be revealed to us each day.

Genesis 24:13-14 (ESV)
13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."

3.) Why did the servant ask God to show him Isaac’s wife using this scenario?

It was common in this time to ask the gods for a yes-no answer using this “oracle” approach. The condition on the requests that the woman would also offer to water the camels added proof that God had delivered an answer if the condition was met.


4.) Is this prayer from the servant one we should model? Why or Why not?

This is probably not the ideal way to seek out God’s will. It borders on putting God to the test and we are not to do that. What if neither condition we lay down is God’s will? It can be walking by sight instead of walking by faith. Instead, we need to draw closer to God so we can hear and understand His Holy Spirit within us, whom the servant did not have.

Genesis 24:15-16 (ESV)
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.
16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

5.) How did God respond to the servant’s prayer?

God honored the servant’s prayer. In fact he answered it before the servant could even finish. The servant was searching to do God’s will. If we sincerely search for God’s will he will reveal it to us.

Genesis 24:17-21 (ESV)
17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar."
18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking."
20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.
21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

6.) What do we know about Rebekah from these verses?

She was beautiful. She was kind (allowing him to drink and offering to water the camels), she was a hard worker (fetching the water for the family) and most importantly she was God’s chosen bride for Isaac.

7.) What would have happened if Rebekah had not offered to water the camels? Are there any life application lessons here?

The servant would have missed that Rebekah was the chosen bride for Isaac. Even if later God revealed this to the servant, the servant’s prayer and testimony would have not been the same. The servant’s faith may have been damaged.

Offering to water the camels was above and beyond what would have been expected. Each camel could potentially drink 25 gallons of water while the jar used to carry the water would probably hold 3 gallons at the most.

We often server others by doing what is expected but not doing more that what is expected. What opportunities of faith building are we missing by not going above and beyond to serve others?

8.) How did the servant act while he waited to find out if Rebekah was the one?

He was silent and watched. How often do we try to influence events based on our prejudices rather than waiting on God to reveal His will?

Read Genesis 24:22-67

9.) What was Rebekah’s reaction when she heard the servant’s story? How do we react when we hear a story of how God has worked in someone’s life?

Rebekah ran to tell her family. Do we run to tell others about what God has done?


10.) Why did the servant insist on explaining his purpose before eating?

He had a mission and a calling which God had just confirmed as being a divine mission by answering his prayer so directly.

11.) How easily are we distracted for God’s work in our lives?

Class discussion.

12.) Why do you suppose Rebekah agreed to leave right away with a stranger to marry a man she never met?

Class discussion.

13.) What is telling about Isaac at the end of this chapter?

He had taken Abraham’s faith and was a man of prayer.

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Genesis 24:1-4 (ESV)
¹ Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
² And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh,
³ that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,
⁴ but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

1.) Why was Abraham anxious to find a wife for his son Isaac and why not send Isaac on his own to find his wife?

Arranged marriages may have been common but these are usually meant to align families or based on another family providing the best dowry. Abraham’s desire was that his son should marry from his own clan and not marry a Canaanite woman. If he died before Isaac was married, Isaac would be on his own and would either be tempted to find a local wife or travel himself back to Nahor and leave the land God had sent Abraham.

2.) We don’t arrange marriages for our children today. Is that right or wrong? How involved should we be in our children’s lives and at what point should we pull back? Do we tend to pull back too early? Why?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

3.) Why did Abraham insist that Isaac find a wife from his own family and not from amongst the Canaanites?

There is no reason to believe that Abraham’s family in Nahor followed God anymore than the pagans living in Canaan. In following God’s covenant promise, Abraham was called to start and new people in the land. Inter-marrying with a Canaanite would cause Abraham’s line to just be mixed in with the people already there. Later, God establishes a direct law with Israel not to intermarry because that would lead to turning from God and to the Canaanite's gods.

4.) 2.) What is the significance of the title of Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth?

This draws a distinct differentiation between God and the multiple pagan gods in the land. This same distinction is made in Genesis 14 with the benediction of Melchizedek and in Abraham’s oath to God.

Genesis 24:5-9 (ESV)
⁵ The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"
⁶ Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there.
⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
⁸ But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."
⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

5.) Why is Abraham insistent that Isaac is not to go back to Nahor to find a wife for himself?

Isaac was to carry on Abraham’s family line and establish the people God had promised in the land of Canaan. If Isaac were to return to Nahor, he could be tempted to stay. We know when Jacob returns, Laban does his best to keep Jacob from returning to Canaan. He would surely have done the same with Isaac.

6.) How are we tempted sometimes to put ourselves in a position where we can fall out of God’s will for our lives?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

7.) Why does Abraham give his servant an out? What is Abraham not willing to compromise on? Why not?

Abraham knows God will fulfill his promise and produce a great nation from his seed and that Isaac is the next in that generation. He knows God will provide Isaac with the proper wife to carry on the family even if one cannot be found in Nahor that will return. However, Abraham knows God has sent him to this new land and he must not put Isaac in a position where he could decide not follow the family calling.

8.) Do we ever set our children up for failure and sin? How? How do we guard against it?

No notes here…Just class discussion.

Prayer time:

Pray for wisdom with our children. Are we involved enough in the lives of our children? Do we flirt with what the culture has to offer us and put our family at risk? Do we set up our children for failure and sin?

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Genesis 23:1-2 (ESV) 1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

1. What is a good eulogy for Sarah?

Genesis 11:29 – Married Abraham in Ur before he was called to go to Canaan

Genesis 12:11 - She was beautiful

Genesis 16:1 – She was barren for a long time – long enough to give up hope

Genesis 16:2 – She lost patience and talked Abraham into sleeping with Hagar in hopes of providing children to Abraham

Genesis 16:5-6 – She could be jealous and had a temper

Genesis 17:15 – God names her a princess

Genesis 18:15 – She had doubts and could lie with the best of them

Genesis 20:2 – She was beautiful even in old age

Genesis 21:2 – She is the mother of Isaac, the child of promise Genesis 21:6 – She was a believer in God and his promises

Isaiah 52:2 – A promise we can look towards

Hebrews 11:11 – She had faith in the impossible in spite of her doubts

1 Peter 3:6 – She is an example of a godly submissive wife

2. Peter points to Sarah as an example of an obedient wife. Was she and if so, how?

Sarah was obedient in following Abraham out of Ur and Haran in to the land God promised him. She was obedient when he told her to say she was his sister when he was afraid the people would kill him for her. However, Sarah also had a strong will. She encouraged Abraham to have Hagar in order to bear children we she gave up on her own ability. She also told Abraham to have Hagar and Ishmael leave the camp after Isaac was weaned. Submissive and obedient does not necessarily mean silent. It means the husband has the final say but as two have become one, the wife is an important part of the one.

3. What can we take from Sarah's life and apply it to our own?

Our failing faith can lead to a stronger faith as we recognize when God does fulfill his promises in our lives.

Read Genesis 23:4-20

4. Abraham calls himself a sojourner and foreigner in the land of Canaan. Can we relate as Christians to Abraham and his visitor status?

1 Peter 2:11 - We are temporary residents and aliens in our world. We have to live in the world and interact with it as Abraham had to do. However, like Abraham, we must not conform to this world and compromise our faith in return for what the world offers us.

5. Why did Abraham insists on paying for the land to bury Sarah?

Abraham did not want to owe Hittites anything. He knew that could be used against him in the future and perhaps endanger him to compromising his faith in the future.

6. What can we learn from Abraham and how he lived as a foreigner in Canaan as we live as foreigners in our world?

Abraham engaged the world – bought the land following the customs of the land but would not allow them to give the land to him, or take what the world was offering. The world offers us plenty of things and stuff that may appear harmless but could compromise our walk with Christ.

Class discussion on what "stuff" the world offers that we should turn down?

7. What does it mean to abstain?

Merriam-Webster: : to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice

8. What are passions of the flesh?

Galatians 5:19-21 (HCSB)
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul says the works of the flesh are obvious and he also makes it clear that this is not an all encompassing list ("and anything similar").

Class discussion on what other works of the flesh are obvious and similar to the above but not explicitly listed. The litmus test - is what I am doing glorifying God?

9. Do you abstain from passions of the flesh or just dabble?

No notes - just class discussion\challenge.

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Genesis 22

Genesis 22:1 (ESV) 1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

1.)What is apparent about Abraham’s walk with God in verse 1? God initiated this conversation. When God calls his name, Abraham responds with “Here I am.” Abraham was listening and ready to respond to God’s calling, whatever that was to be.

2.)What is the significance of Abraham’s immediate response, “Here I am”, to God’s voice? Read these other “Here I am” verses.

Genesis 22:11 (ESV) 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

Genesis 31:11 (ESV) 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!'

Genesis 46:2 (ESV) 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I."

Exodus 3:4 (ESV) 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV) 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears."

Isaiah 6:8(ESV) 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Isaiah 52:6 (ESV) 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I."

Isaiah 58:9 (ESV) 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

Isaiah 65:1 (ESV) 1 I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that was not called by my name.

Acts 9:10 (ESV) 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

What is our normal response when someone calls our name? Is it, “Yeah” or “What”? In most cases, whatever the response, is the tone one of, “Yes, what can I do for you?” or is it, “Yeah, what do you want from me?” “Here I am” is a response that is ready to listen and take action. It’s a response that knows more is to follow. It’s not a response that is annoyed or skeptical.

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10

3.)What is our response when God calls our name? How’s your response when any loved one calls your name?

Is it, “Here I am, how can I serve you”? If this is not your response to people you say you love, it is probably not going to be your response when God calls on you either. Samuel could have been annoyed with Eli calling him the middle of the night, but instead he was eager to whatever Eli was asking of him, whenever he was asked. If he had been annoyed and ignored what he thought was Eli, he never would have recognized that it was God calling him.

Genesis 22:2 (ESV) 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."

4.)Was this command so absurd that Abraham knew God would not go through with it? Child sacrifices were not unheard of in Abraham’s culture. Many religions sacrificed children to their gods often to insure continued fertility. There is no telling what Abraham felt about this command from God but it would not have been as absurd to him as it sounds to us.

Genesis 22:3-8 (ESV) 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. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 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." 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. 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?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.

5.) How did Abraham respond to God’s command?

He took immediate action. He did not talk it over with Sarah first. God said to go so he went.

6.) Based on Abraham’s response and the fact that he never hid from Isaac that a sacrifice was the intent of the journey, what was Abraham’s belief?

Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV) 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Genesis 22:9-14 (ESV) 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. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." 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." 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. 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."

7.) Abraham responds to the angel’s call with “Here am I” again. What does this say about where Abraham’s head was at during this test?

Abraham was expecting God to do something. He did not know what or how. He was just obeying and relying on God to work it out. He was listening for God and not wrapped up in the sorrow of his own situation. As we go through trials, we need to focus on God’s promises and expect His deliverance. If we get caught up in self-pity we may miss God direction.

8.) While God’s request may not have been as crazy sounding in Abraham’s time as it sounds to us today, it certainly tested him. He had already lost one son (Ishmael was sent off) and now God was asking him to give up Isaac, the child of promise. What might God ask us to give up that might be similar in context?

While none of us expect God to come calling to ask us to sacrifice our children, he may call us to do something that is painful in its own right. We are not to put anything ahead of God, not even our family. This is not an excuse to neglect your family because you have a calling for a particular ministry.

While God may call you to serve in a way that takes you from your family, often we abandon others on our own for tasks we attribute to God when God has no intention for us to go off on our own.

Genesis 22:15-24 (ESV) 15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 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, 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, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. 20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

9.)After the trial, God reassures Abraham of His promise. The promise Abraham held onto to survive the trial. What promises should we hold on to as we face our tests and trials?

James 1:12 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV) 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Our take home today is, “What is there in my life that giving up would as close as can be imagined to sacrifice your child?” Are you willing to give it up?

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Genesis 21 Read Genesis 21:1-7

1.) How patient are we as a culture in America? What are some examples of our cultural impatience?

Fast food
Credit cards
High risk mortgage How we buy cars – other countries order new cars and expect to pick them up 6-8 weeks later. We expect to walk off the lot with the car we want once we have made the decision to buy.

Ecclesiastes 7:8
Lamentations 3:26
Luke 21:19
Romans 12:12
Hebrews 10:36
James 5:7

2.) God’s promise to Abraham required a great deal of patience. Why do God’s promises often require patience?

Romans 5:3-4 (ESV) 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Peter 2:20 (ESV) 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

3.) What happens if you are not patient? We may miss God blessing. We have to live with the consequences. The ongoing strife in the Middle East and the world is the result of Abraham fathering Ishmael because he and Sarah grew impatient and tried to help God along.

Read Genesis 21:8-21

4.) Was sending Hagar and Ishmael out of the camp and into the desert the right thing to do?

5.) Why did God allow this to happen? Ishmael and Isaac would never be able to live together. Ishmael was the son of Abraham own flesh and works. Isaac was the son of promise.

Read Galatians 4:28-31

6.) In what ways are we children of the promise, similar to Isaac?

1 Corinthians 15:46 (ESV) 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

7.) In what ways are we persecuted by the flesh like Isaac was persecuted by Ishmael?

Galatians 5:17 (ESV) 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Read Genesis 21:8 again.

8.) Isaac was the son of promise. Like all newborns there came a time when he had to be weaned. In Jewish custom there is also the bar mitzvah when a boy moves from childhood to an adult. Many of us are well passed our newborn and even childhood state in our Christian life. Have we weaned ourselves or moved on from childish ways? What does this look like in a Christian walk?

9.) A mature Christian does not live by the flesh but neither does he or she bind themselves to a bunch of legalistic rules. How is this done?

Galatians 5:16 (ESV) 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Read Genesis 21:22-34

10.) Why did Abimelech come to make a truce with Abraham? He could tell that God was with Abraham. He probably had concerns because Abraham’s earlier deceit had almost cost him his life.

11.) How did Abraham respond? Abraham swore to deal honestly with Abimelech. He also brought up the issue of Abimelech’s servants seizing Abraham’s well. He gave Abimelech seven lambs as a “receipt” of proof that the well was his. In sharp contrast to how Abraham acted years earlier with Abimelech, he was not being upfront and not afraid of retaliation from the king.

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Genesis 20:1-7

1.) Why did God tell Abimelech that he was a dead man for taking Sarah when for all he knew she was just Abraham’s sister?

Abimelech was a pagan. He would not be convicted over moral right and wrong. God knew the language that Abimelech would understand. Physical affliction and death are powerful motivators.

Abimelech sounds innocent enough. However, we don’t know that he took Sarah without any objection from Abraham. I have to believe that Abraham raised some objection, even if just pretending to be a concerned brother, over Sarah being taken away – obviously against her will.

In any case, it appears that the threat of death was needed for Abimelech to give her back.


2.) God intervened to stop a bad situation from getting out of control. Why didn’t God just let Abraham and Sarah suffer the consequences of their sin?

God made a covenant with Abraham. If you remember, only God passed through the animal carcass to consummate the covenant. It was God’s promise and covenant to keep, regardless of Abraham’s sin.

God promised a nation through Abraham and Sarah. He was going to make sure His promise was fulfilled.

3.) Has God ever bailed you rather than let you suffer for a sinful choice?

Hopefully get the class to share. We all have mistakes we’ve made in the past that could have turned out much worse than they did. I can look back and some of the decisions and choices I’ve made and I’m just amazed. How am I here today with the wife and family I have today?

Think about how God has bailed you out. Obviously he has a purpose for us in this life. Fortunately he gives us plenty of do-overs. However, unless you have a covenant promise from God on some great blessing he has in store for you, don’t expect to get a do-over next time.

Genesis 20:8-13

4.) Why did Abimelch and his men have fear over a dream?

Dreams are one of God’s ways of reaching out to non-believers. There are many testimonies of Muslims being saved after experiencing dream with Jesus talking to them.

Other examples in the bible:
Pharaoh – Genesis 41
Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 2 and 4

In all of these cases, these dreams were vivid enough for these men to be afraid. I’ve not had God talk to me in a dream. My guess is that it is pretty clear that you’re not having a normal dream.

5.) What was Abraham’s sin?

Abraham tries to excuse himself by explaining it as a little white lie. She was his half-sister. He just left out the part about her being his wife.

Are little white lie’s like this a sin? Should you never tell one and just live a policy of brutal honesty, regardless of the consequences?

Besides the sin of the lie there was the sin at the root of the lie. Despite everything God had promised Abraham and in spite of his personal relationship with God, Abraham lost faith, if only for a moment. He let fear convince him that if he did not lie, he would die. His fear led him to not trust that God could or would protect him.

6.) What were the consequences of his sin?

Abimelech almost lost his life.
Abimelech had some type of illness and his wife and female servants were made barren.
Abraham’s credibility was damaged, at least for the time being.

7.) What are some consequences in our lives when we sin that are similar?

Sin usually hurts others. God’s commandment right after loving Him is to love our neighbors. All of sins occur when we violate these commandments and whenever we fail to love our neighbor we hurt our neighbor.

When we sin, particularly against others, we lose our credibility as witnesses to that person.

8.) How is it that Abraham lost his faith and sinned? Why do believers sin?

Abraham was justified by faith (Genesis 15:6) but that did not change his old nature. We all face this battle every day (1 John 1:8).

9.) Are we destined to sin over and over even when we don’t want to because of our old nature?

We do have victory over sin because Christ died for us (Romans 6). However, we must live by the Spirit within us (Galatians 5:16) if we are to realize that victory. Often we choose the flesh over the Spirit.

So while we fail, we must look forward with the expectation to win each battle, not lose.

Genesis 20:14-18

10.) Why do you suppose Abimelech did more than just return Sarah and ask Abraham to pray for him? He gave him sheep, oxen, servants, silver and freedom to live anywhere in the land he chose.

Abimelech was afraid. He literally had the fear of God in him. That must have been one powerful dream.

If only we could be as obedient and live our lives as if God had commanded us in a dream.

Why don’t we live with the fear of God in our lives?

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Genesis 19:10-11 (ESV)
10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door.
11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

1.) Review - How have we gotten to this part of the story?

2.) Once blinded, the mend still tried to find the door. At first sin is easy, but once we’ve given ourselves over to it completely, we go to extreme measures to fulfill our lusts. What are some examples where we might sin, even when we have to work especially hard at it?

Genesis 19:12-16 (ESV)
12 Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place.
13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."
14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city."
16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

3.) What importance does God place on family?

4.) What role or responsibility do you have in the salvation of your family?

5.) Will your family members be saved because of your faith or their own?

6.) Why did Lot linger when he knew the city was about to be destroyed?

7.) How do we linger when it comes to doing God’s will?

Genesis 19:17-22 (ESV)
17 And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away."
18 And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords.
19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.
20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!"
21 He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

8.) Why did Lot not want to flee to the hills but to a small city instead?

Genesis 19:23-29 (ESV)
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

9.) Doesn’t it seem like a harsh punishment for Lot’s wife to be killed just for looking back? After all, there was quite a commotion happening behind her and she had already made it to their safe harbor.

Genesis 19:30-38 (ESV)
30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father."
33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father."
35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.
38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

10.) Originally, Lot begged to be allowed to run to Zoar instead of the mountains. However, after the actual destruction of Sodom he decides to leave this city to go live a cave. What changed Lot’s attitude?

11.) Why didn’t Lot seek out Abraham?

12.) How did the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah affect Lot’s daughters?

13.) What had a bigger influence on Lot’s daughters, their Father, witnessing God’s wrath, or the culture in which they were raised?

14.) What warning should we heed from this?

15.) How many generations can be affected by our sins today?

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Genesis 18:9-15

1.) Why did Sarah laugh when she over heard God telling Abraham that she would bear a child the following year?

The obvious answer is that she was well beyond the child bearing years and she knew it. However, this promise was so far out there that it caused her to actually laugh at the idea.

We all tend to put God in a box. We think we have faith and we say we understand that God can do anything. But most of us draw the line somewhere. Maybe we don’t say that God can’t do it. We usually mask our lack of faith by saying God could do it if he wanted but he probably has other plans.

The problem is that we live in a box. God can do more wonderful things in our life than we can even think to ask about.

Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)
3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Genesis 18:16-33

2.) Why did God tell Abraham what he was going to do to Sodom and Gomorrah?

God saw Abraham as a partner in his redemptive plan. Abraham was more than an unwilling participant but a partner. How great to be a partner is God’s plans as opposed to just a bit player or by-stander. God is going to carry out his ultimate plans. However, he blesses us by allowing us to play a part.

3.) In what ways can you be sure to actively participate in God’s plans? What did Abraham do in order for God to consider him an “insider” with His plans?

Abraham believed and obeyed God.

4.) Why was God sending his angels to check out Sodom and Gomorrah in person? God knows all, so God knew what it was really like there. Why the personal visit?

If God had just wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah without talking to Abraham about it, Abraham would not have had the chance to intercede on behalf of the inhabitants of the city. Part of the reason for God’s personal visit was to talk to Abraham about it, not that Abraham was going to change His mind but that Abraham would have the opportunity to give an interceding request. God also knew that it would take His angels visiting Lot in person to get him to leave the city and God was intent on sparring Lot.

5.) God promised not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if he found ten righteous people in the city. Did Abraham talk God into this decision? If not, what was going on with this dialog between Abraham and God?

God could have told Abraham that he knew there were none righteous in Sodom and that he would give Lot and his family the opportunity to get out. After all, God knows all so he knew he would not find any righteous there.

You’ll also notice that Abraham probably knew that God knew how many were righteous there yet he still pleaded with God for mercy for any righteous God may find. Again, we should take our petitions and intercessions to God and not assume they are not important because God is going to do what He’s going to do anyway.

Genesis 19:1-11

6.) How did Lot end up living in Sodom?

Lot chose to live near Sodom and Gomorrah back when he and Abraham split up and Abraham gave Lot his choice of where to raise his herds. Lot looked around and picked the land that looked the best rather than offering the best to his elder who had taken care of him since his father’s death.

It appears Lot went from living near Sodom to living in the city itself. Lot has some authority in this city as the city gate is where the important men hung out to conduct business. The men of Sodom also had some respect for Lot in that they asked him for the two strangers rather than immediately storming his house.

7.) Why do you suppose Lot was able to live in relatively peace in this evil town that it ready to rape strangers that wander into it?

Lot was enticed by what Sodom had to offer, in spite of immorality all around him. He knew it was so immoral that strangers should not walk the streets at night alone.

Lot was able to fit in somehow. We don’t know for sure why. However, we can make some good guesses by thinking of our own lives. How do we usually manage to fit-in with a lost world? If we are “fitting in” in most cases this is because we are either joining in with their evil deeds or condoning their actions with our silence.
Do you ever condone sin with your silence?


8.) What kind of man was Lot to offer up his daughters so that these two strangers would not be taken by the men of Sodom?

Lot had crossed from condoning evil actions with silence to offering his own daughters to appease the evil men of the city. This is the slippery slope of turning a blind eye to evil around you.

James 4:4 (ESV)
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Open-ended questions for class discussion:

9.) What compromises do we make with our lives and with the lives of our families because of what we are enticed into by the world?


10.) How do we as Christians live in the world but not fall into the trappings of the world? Do we move to the mountains and the desert? How do we separate ourselves but still reach out to a fallen world?

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Genesis 17:15-19

1.) Why did God change Sarai’s name to Sarah?

Sarah means princess and she was to become the mother of nations and kings.

2.) Why do you suppose God blessed Sarah even though she had shown such a lack of faith, selfishness and pride in chapter 16? How has God been faithful with you even when you have not been faithful to him?

God is faithful to keep his promises even when we fail him. We also know from Hebrews 11:11 that with Sarah’s faults, she was a woman of faith.

3.) Did Abraham laugh at God in verse 17? Abraham again appears to doubt God can deliver on his promise through Sarah. He asks God to bless Ishmael so that Ishmael can be the son of promise. Yet, we know Abraham was counted as righteous because of his faith (Gen 15:6). Did Abraham have faith or not?

That is what Abraham did here. God’s promise was beyond what Abraham could conceive so he naturally had doubts. However, he brought his doubts to God and God reassured him.

4.) How did Abraham respond to this latest encounter with God?

He immediately obeyed and had every males member of his household circumcised.

5.) What kind of man, father, master must Abraham been?

Discuss what it must have been like back at camp when Abraham returned and explained what everyone had to do. Note that circumcision was common in the ancient near east as a rite of puberty, fertility or marriage. However, there had to be love, respect, fear, or something for the entire household to do this without a fuss (at least as far as we know).

Genesis 18:1-8

6.) Abraham refers to God as Lord but this is not the Jehovah name. It is just a respectful name to a stranger that is visiting. Why do you think Abraham was so hospital to these strangers?

It could have been Abraham’s nature. It could have been he noticed something special about them. Regardless of the reason, he did more than just welcomed them, he attended to their cares himself. Abraham was a wealthy man. He could have called his servants to prepare a meal for his visitors. In fact, he could have done this to show off to these royal looking visitors that he could snap his fingers and have people get things done for him. However, this 99 year old man, saw to his guests’ comforts himself.

7.) How are Christians called to be hospitable?

Hebrews 13:1-2
1 Peter 4:9
1 Timothy 3:2Titus 1:8

8.) Some of us are more hospitable than others. Why is this hard for us sometimes?

Discuss how busy we have become. We clutter ourselves with activities that we have little time for community and fellowship.We often just don’t think about hospitality or make it a priority in our life.

9.) What other passage speaks to hospitality?

Matthew 25:34-46

10.) Based on these scriptures, is hospitality important to God? So what are you going to do about it?

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Genesis 17:1

1.) For the first time in the Bible God refers to himself as El Shaddai which means God Almighty. What does the name God Almighty mean to you and your relationship to God?

There is nothing God cannot do including miracles that I know in the normal physical world are impossible.

2.) Is it possible to have the world view of Darwinism Evolution and believe in the God Almighty?

No. Darwinism says we were created as a one cell organism by chance and then evolved into what we are today random chance and survival of the fittest over billions of years. At best, liberal Christianity tries to reconcile this with God by saying God initiated the process but after that what happened was out of his control. That is not a God Almighty.

3.) Why did God tell Abram to walk before him blamelessly and how could Abram possibly do that?

We know that no one can be perfect and without sin.

1 Kings 8:46
Romans 3:23

Blameless implies a heart devoted to the Lord not sinless perfection.

Psalms 101:2

Read the following verses:

2 Corinthians 5:21

Colossians 1:21-22

4.) If through Jesus we have the righteousness of God and are blameless before God, how should we live?

As Christians we like to claim the righteousness of Christ but we often act like that relieves of the precept to walk blameless before God. Righteousness is our salvation. However, if you are not striving to walk blamelessly before God you are either quenching the Spirit by walking away for God or maybe you need to question the reality of your salvation.
We are called in both the Old and New Testament to walk blamelessly before God.

Philippians 1:9-11
Philippians 2:14-15

5.) What does a blameless walk before God look like as a Christian?

The call for living blameless before God looks the same in our day as it did for Abraham and the New Testament Christians. We must remember that our God is the God Almighty. The decisions we make and the actions we take should reflect our fear and love for our God. We strive for blamelessness not because we strive for salvation as that is ours in Jesus already. We strive for blamelessness because we love God with all our heart, soul and mind and desire obedience and desire to please Him. It means a heart devoted to God, not to the world and its promises and worries.

Genesis 17:3-8

6.) What is promising and hopeful to us about God restating his promise to Abraham?

Abraham and Sarah failed when they gave Hagar to Abraham because they believed it was to late for Sarah to have a child. Despite this setback in their faith, God was still faithful to them.
God will still be faithful to us despite our failures to be faithful to him.

7.) "Abram" means "exalted father"; "Abraham" means "father of a multitude. Who are the multitudes?

Israel, the Arab nations through Ishmael, many more people descended from his sons listed in Genesis 25:1-4 and Galatians 3:7-9.

Genesis 17:9-14

8.) What is different between this covenant and the covenant that God made with Abraham in Chapter 15?

This time God gave Abraham an obligation for his part of the covenant. Abraham and every male in his group had to be circumcised.

9.) It is clear that not getting circumcised was a breaking of the covenant and one would not be accepted by God if refused. However, did circumcision guarantee acceptance by God?

Circumcision was a sign that one was Jewish and in a covenant with God. However, it did not make them automatically accepted by God. God requires a circumcision of our heart – by being totally devoted to God – walking blamelessly before him.

Deuteronomy 10:16
Deuteronomy 30:6
Jeremiah 4:4
Romans 2:28-29

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Genesis 16:1-6

1.) Who was Sarai blaming for being barren up to this point?

2.) In what ways to we blame God when we life is not working out as we have planned?

- Stop praying
- Stop praising
- Self-pity

3.) Offering up your servant to your husband sounds like an extreme act today. However, this was an accepted practice in Abram’s culture. What are some examples of actions completely acceptable in our culture today (even as Christians) but may be counter to God’s view?

- Spending all or our expendable resources and money we don’t have
- Vegging out in front of prime time TV
- Prioritizing our time like it’s unlimited – too man activities
- Being a workaholic
- Willfully breaking the law – speeding

4.) What sins were committed here by Abram and Sarai?

- Failure to seek God’s will
- Failure to wait on God’s timing

5.) Is Failure to seek God’s will and failure to wait on God really a sin or just not being perfect?

Romans 8:5-8

There are two paths. One path is to seek God’s will by walking in the Spirit. The other is to pursue what seems right to the flesh or the things of the world – i.e. what is right according to our culture. There is not a third path or an in-between path.

Not waiting on God’s timing is similar to not seeking His will. However, many times we seek God’s will but when he appears to be silent, we try to help him out.

We’re not a patient people in America. We want everything now and if we really want it we can have most of what we want now. We are the land of credit cards, instant financing, fast food, microwaves. We do not like to wait.

Psalms 27:14
Isaiah 40:31
Lamentations 3:25-26

6.) Waiting on God is obviously a virtue. But is it a sin not to wait? Why or Why not?

Why do we usually not wait? We want it now. We “envy” not having what we want

Romans 1:28-32
Galatians 5:19-21

So what if my impatience is not personal and not selfish but is out of love for someone else or for a worthy cause? Then lack of patience is lack of faith and anything done without faith is sin.

Romans 14:23

7.) Based on Sarai’s and Abram’s reaction when Hagar gets pregnant, were either one really just misguidedly trying to follow God’s will?

Sarai was jealous rather than joyful when Hagar became pregnant. If she really thought giving Hagar to Abram was part of God's plan to fulfill his promise she would have been joyful but her selfish ambition is uncovered. Abram was willing to let Sarai do whatever she pleased with Hagar. He did not appear to believe Hagar was carrying his heir of promise.

Genesis 16:7-16

8.) What were the consequences of Abram and Sarai not seeking God’s direction and not waiting on his timing?

Ishmael is the father of the Arab nations. Our sins can cause more than just consequences for us personally.

9.) What is the hope we have from this passage?

God's grace
God's forgiveness

Romans 5:20
1 John 1:9

In spite of this failure by Abram and Sarai God still delivered on his promise to Abram.

Despite our failures, because of God's grace, we can come to him and receive forgiveness. God can still create glory from our mess.

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