Romans 9:6-13 If, as we saw in our last lesson in Romans 9:1-5, Israel seems to have lost out on the blessings that were once hers, can we conclude then that God's word has failed? This is the issue Paul addresses in this week's lesson. What is Paul specifically referring to when he speaks of God’s word? What is the idea of failing that Paul introduces? What is God's purpose for Israel? In Romans 9-11 Paul speaks of two different Israels. In verses 1-5, of what Israel does he speak? The other Israel he writes about is what we refer to as the true spiritual Israel. In some places Paul speaks of the true Israel or descendants of Abraham as being the whole church, Jews and Gentiles. This is not the case here. How do we know this? What is he referring to? How does Paul prove his point that not all the descendants of Israel are the true spiritual Israel? What are the two promises Paul cites which limit true Israel to less than all the descendants of Abraham and Isaac? Of what does God speak when He gives his promise to Rebekah concerning what she is experiencing in her womb? How do we know that this passage is not addressing God's dealing with individuals, but with nations or groups of people? What does God mean when He says "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated?" What is the main point that Paul seeks to establish in Romans 9-11, and how will we know if he succeeds? (62 min)

Keywords Israel, Promise, Predestined, Calling, Jacob, Esau, Ishamael, Isaac

Genesis 27:41-28:9 The wrong done to Esau leaves him with deep wounds and a festering bitterness. How he deals with it reveals him to be, like Cain, of the seed of the serpent. Rebekah's discovery of Esau's murderous intent leads her to take quick action. What are the two things from which Rebekah seeks to protect Jacob? Why does Rebekah tell Isaac that if Jacob marries a daughter of Canaan that her life will be nothing to her? How does Esau respond to the discovery of his father's displeasure? As an aside, to whom is the prophet referring when he speaks of God loving Jacob and hating Esau, and for what did God choose Jacob, and why is it important to know? (62 min.)

Keywords Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, Esau, Exile

Genesis 27:30-41 It turns out to be a very close call as Jacob leaves his father's presence and Esau returns from the hunt. What is Scripture saying to us in recording this? When Isaac discovers he has been deceived by Jacob and given the blessing to Jacob instead of Esau, he begins trembling violently. What has upset Isaac so severely? Esau repeatedly in tears pleads with his father to bless him anyway. But each request is rebuffed with a more severe denial. Why? Hebrews 12 uses Esau's story as an illustration to us of a certain principle. What is it? How is what is at stake in Hebrews different from what is at stake in Genesis? What does it mean that Esau could find no room for repentance? (62 min)

Keywords Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Blessing

Genesis 27:18-29 An old blind father encounters the deceiving son. The picture is not a pretty one. Spiritual blind spots in our lives can have disastrous consequences. How is spiritual blindness different from other faults? How do we avoid spiritual blindness? The lies and deceptions roll off Jacob's tongue like water. By what sophistry does he justify such cold, calculated deception, especially of his father? All the parties in this event behave wrongly. So, what will the outcome be? We see a remarkable turn of events when Isaac prophesies the future, even the future of our salvation. (49 min.)

Keywords Isaac, Jacob, Blessing, Esau

Genesis 26:34-27:17 Returning to the story on the struggle between Esau and Jacob, we encounter the account of the stealing of the birthright from Esau. We find in this passage four different individuals who represent to us four ploys which Satan uses to counter God's spiritual purposes in our lives. Which one of these individuals am I most like? For what is the blindness of Isaac a metaphor? What were Rebekah's strength and weakness? What is wrong with Jacob's response to his mother's proposal. This was an urgent situation. What other options did Rebekah and Jacob have by which they may have prevented Isaac's impending blunder? (55 min)

Keywords Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, Jacob, Blessing, Birthright

Genesis 26:18-33 The account of the conflict between Isaac and the people of Gerar continues. As the herdsmen of Gerar continue to claim the wells Isaac's people dig, he moves on, eschewing conflict. Why does Isaac decline to fight for what seems rightfully his? Eventually Isaac ends up in a "broad place." How did God get him from Gerar to this broad place? Moving on from Rehoboth, he then goes to Beersheba. What is the significance of this place? Who does he encounter immediately upon his arrival? One wonders how Jacob and Esau would have reacted to this scene. Abimelech comes suing for peace. What influences Isaac's ultimate response? We consider again the significance of this whole chapter in the ongoing saga of Jacob and Esau. (36 min.)

Keywords Isaac, Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Blessing

Genesis 26:1-17 Our story line returns in this chapter to the story of Isaac. Why does the narrator interrupt his story of the conflict between Jacob and Esau to tell us these stories about their father Isaac? There is a striking theme in this chapter of the continuity between the lives of Isaac and his father Abraham. What are those continuities, and why are they important to our understanding? How did God want Isaac to think about his stay in the land of Gerar? Why is God’s reference to His oath so important to Isaac? How was it that Abraham so thoroughly obeyed God? Why did Isaac engage in the ruse concerning Rebekah? What precious gleaming gem of truth about Isaac and Rebekah do we find in this mud hole of his deception? How did the remarkable prosperity of Isaac affect his neighbors, the Philistines? Why did Isaac not stand his ground and insist on his rights? (62 min)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Birthright, Blessing

Genesis 25:19-26 We are moving on into the next section or "toledot" of Genesis. Why does Isaac get so much less of his story told than his father, Abraham, or his son, Jacob? Is there a lesson there for us? How does Isaac respond to his wife's inability to conceive a child? The pregnancy that finally occurs turns out to be very difficult. Why? A new major theme surfaces in Genesis. What is it? What is God's explanation to Rebekah for the violent struggle she is feeling? Is it O.K. for us to ask God "why?" How should we respond to His answer? (59 min)

Keywords Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Rebekah

Genesis 25:1-18 We come finally to the end of the story of Abraham. What is this about another wife? What lessons are there for us in the other sons of Abraham? Why does God give Ishmael his own toledot in the book of Genesis? At the end of Abraham's life we learn he was fully satisfied with life. How did this happen? How does this compare to the end of his grandson Jacob's life? Though satisfied with life, Abraham ends his life still longing for something else. What was that? Why does Hebrews say that God was not ashamed to be called Abraham's God? (56 min)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Ishamael, Hagar

Genesis 24:50-67 Having told his story, Abraham's servant awaits an answer from Rebekah's family. While the affirmative answer appears spiritual enough, it reveals a fatalistic view of God's direction, in sharp contrast to the response of the servant. By morning Laban's commitment appears to have waned. How does this change of circumstances fit into God's purposes? Given the choice, how will Rebekah respond to God's call on her life. What kinds of things do you think the traveling party discussed on the return to Canaan? What is the significance of Isaac's recent visit to Beer-lahai-roi? When Isaac and Rebekah are finally united, how will things work out? (60 min)

Keywords Isaac, Rebekah

Genesis 24:29-49 In his search for a wife for Isaac, Abraham's servant arrives in the home of Laban. Much of this passage is a repetition of the story we've already read. Why is this repetition important to us? Why is Laban so eager to invite this stranger into his house? As the servant tells the story about his prayer at the well, what is Rebekah thinking? By the time we reach the end of this passage Rebekah knows that she is being called to be the "second Abraham." What does that mean? Do you recall what it was like to discover God's intimate concern about you, and His involvement in your life? (56 min.)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah

Genesis 24:12-28 Abraham's servant asks for God's help in finding a wife for Isaac. In doing so he asks God for a sign. What does God think about our asking for signs in seeking His will? What is the significance of the particular sign the servant selected? What did the servant discover about Rebekah by her response to his request for a drink? What do the characters in the narrative know at each step in the story? What things did Rebekah discover when she saw and heard the servant in worship? (64 min.)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Will of God

Genesis 24:1-14 The aged Abraham has one very important task left to accomplish: to secure a wife for Isaac. What are some of the important things we will learn from this chapter? What are the qualities of the servant he enlists in this endeavor? Why is this endeavor so important? What are the indications of the solemn nature of the oath the servant is about to take? What are the two things a believer must consider when he or she is selecting a life mate? Why did Abraham's servant take so many things with him on his journey? (55 min.)

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah

Genesis 22:20-23:4 Abraham receives a report from Haran about his brother Nahor. When did Abraham receive this report, and how is it important to our unfolding story? Shortly thereafter we encounter the death of Abraham's wife, Sarah. It has been a remarkable life, but it ends as it always does, with death. Why? Abraham, the man of faith, mourns for his wife. Why? What is the chief thing about Abraham we will learn as he seeks a place to bury his wife?

Keywords Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah

Genesis 22:19-22 (part 2) Three important ways to look at this story of the Binding of Isaac. What were Isaac and Abraham each thinking as they watched the substitute ram being consumed on the altar? How is the Lord's promise to Abraham at Moriah different from the other several times He has given these promises. What does all of this have to do with you and me? How does Hebrews 6 help us understand this incident? What are the two sets of types we see in this account?

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Moriah

Genesis 22:9-19 Continuing our study of the "Binding of Isaac," we consider the contrast of the two figures walking together up that mountain in Moriah. What is the contrast of these two? How did this experience affect their relationship? Clearly we are to understand the greatness of Abraham's personal struggle and sacrifice, but what else is it clear that Abraham was thinking. At what point did Abraham consider his son to be dead? Fatalistic faith and pollyanna faith.

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Moriah

Genesis 22:1-8 We come now to the climax of the story of Abraham's life, what is sometimes called "The Binding Of Isaac." Abraham's happy existence in the fulfillment of God's promise is brutally interrupted by God's instruction to him to offer his son as a burnt offering on a distant mountain. What is God doing? Why does God identify the object of the burnt offering four different ways? What is the nature of our tests? Why does this narrative contain so many repetitions and seemingly unimportant details? What are three lessons to be learned from Abraham's struggle? How does this story relate to Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3?

Keywords Abraham, Isaac, Moriah

Genesis 21:8-21 In the middle of a celebratory feast, conflict arises as Isaac's older half-brother, Ishmael, makes sport his young sibling. What was Sarah's motivation for her seemingly harsh demand of Abraham? Why does God tell Abraham to listen to his wife? Why does he tell Abraham not to be distressed? Why is it so important to God that Ishmael have no part in the inheritance, and what is the relevance of that to us today? Why does Scripture call Isaac Abraham's "only begotten son?" What can we learn from Hagar's wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba?

Keywords Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael, Hagar

Genesis 21:1-8 At least five themes reveal themselves in this passage. Sarah, the role of God's Word, sonship, laughter, and impossibility. Sarah, long a seemingly incidental part of this story, is brought forcefully to center stage. What was the importance of Sarah’s faith to this unfolding story? God's promise and our reality. The contrast between the son of Abraham’s flesh and the son of Abraham’s faith. Naming your son "Laughter." Sarah says all who hear will laugh with her. Then she asks: Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?

Keywords Abraham, Sarah, Isaac

Genesis 17:15-27 Now we discover the place Sarai is to play in God's great covenant promises to Abraham. God gives to Sarai a new name, and prohibits Abraham from using her old name. Why? Complications appear from previous carnal choices. How will Abraham persuade all his men to obey God's instructions?

Keywords Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Circumcision