Saved by Grace - Class Notes

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.