Saved by Grace - Class Notes

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?

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.

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

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?

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

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.