Abraham and Isaac
Twenty -five years after God’s promise of a son
will be born to Abraham and his wife Sarah, Isaac
is born
Ishmael, the child of Abraham and Hagar treats
Isaac poorly and Sarah has Abraham send Hagar
and Ishmael away
Abrahams faith is tested when God asks him to
sacrifice Isaac
Test of faith: how will God continue to maintain
the promise if the only child is sacrificed?
Test of hope: if Isaac died, how would he
become a great nation and how would all the
nations be blessed through him?
Test of love: Abraham loved his son but he
loved God more
Mt Moriah and Calvary
Gen. 22:14 “And Abraham named that place The
Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: ‘it will be
provided on the Lord’s mountain”
many years later on Mt. Calvary a sacrifice did
occur. On the cross of Calvary Jesus laid down his
life so that “it (salvation) will be provided by the
Lord’s mountain”
God, Abraham, and you and I
God’s love for you and I comes from His
character not from our actions, attitudes or
behaviors
God loved Abraham because of God, not because
of what he did or did not do
God does not get disappointed in you because
He is all wise and is not taken by surprise when
you do something you think will disappoint Him
Isaac, Rebekah: background
Sarah has died, Abraham getting old, and Isaac is
not married
The Canaanites are an idolatrous and immoral
people. Choosing a wife from this nation would
go against God’s commands
If Isaac were to leave the land he would be
leaving the land God told them to stay in
Abraham sends his servant back to his relatives
to find a wife for Isaac
Both Abraham and his servant pray for God’s
direction. That He will lead them to the woman of
God’s choosing
God at Work
God leads the servant to Rebekah who willingly
agrees to go back with the servant and become
Isaac’s wife
Providence: is the way God is directing His
story- moving it forward into tomorrow and
creating His beautifully planned masterpiece
Coincidence: Every once in a while we hear a
whisper from the wings that goes something like
this: “you’ve turned up in the right place at the
right time. You’re doing fine. Don’t ever think
you’ve been forgotten.” Frederick Buechner
Beer-lahai-roi: “God sees me.” Isaac has a firm
belief that God sees him and will provide.
From Isaac to Jacob
Isacc and Rebekah have two children: twins:
Jacob and Esau
Esau is described as very hairy and a “skillful
hunter…an outdoorsman.”
Jacob is smooth skinned. He has a “quiet
tempermant preferring to stay at home.”
Isaac loves Esau and Rebekah loves Jacob
The Birthright and The Blessing (usually for
firstborn)
The birthright: leadership of the family
The blessing: double portion of the inheritance
Jacob: the hustler
Jacob hustles his brother out of the birthright
(Jacob gives Esau stew in trade for the birthright)
Jacob hustles his father into giving him the
blessing (Rebekah wants Jacob to receive the
blessing not Esau, so she makes a costume out
of the animal they cook for dinner and puts it on
Jacob so that he will feel like Esau and Isaac will
think he is Esau and bless him)
Jacob may even be attempting to hustle God into
being his God: Gen. 28:20-21
Rebekah has to send Jacob away so that Esau will
not hurt him and this is the last time she ever
sees her son because in all of her scheming and
trying to do what she thought was best rather
than trusting God will provide she loses her most
beloved son
Faith is living life without scheming.
Yet while Jacob is faithless God remains faithful to
him and His promise.
Jacob is tricked by his uncle Laban into marrying
both Leah and Rachel and into more years of
labor ( he wanted to marry Rachel and he
promised Laban he would work for him for 7
years so he could marry Rachel but Laban made
him think Leah is Rachel and when he realizes
what happened, after the wedding and then has
to work 7 more years to get Rachel.)
After 20 years of service to Laban, God calls
Jacob to head back home and reveals that his
success has come because God has seen how he
has been treated. God continues to be gracious
to Jacob.
Jacob’s Children:
Reuben (leah)
Simeon (leah)
Levi (leah)
Judah (leah, birthright)
Dan (Bilhah)
Naphtali (Bilhah)
Gad (Zilpah)
Asher (Zilpah)
Issachar (Leah)
Zebulon (Leah)
Joseph (Rachel, blessing)
Benjamin (Rachel)
Jacob eventually realizes that Leah is the woman
God meant for him and that Rachel was his
fantasy all along. Leah is the one through whom
the line of Christ descended. He realizes she is
the gift of God in his life.
Rachel dies during childbirth and Jacob buries her
on the side of the road and moves on. Leah is
buried in the family tomb when she dies.
Jacob: the grabber (Gen. 32-33)
Jacob wrestles with God until finally God breaks
him and in his weakness he is now a different
character. He is no longer Jacob he is Israel. (he
prays about having to face Esau and God places
a hand on his hip joint and causes him to have a
limp and now he can’t run from Esau)
Jacob was going to put Leah and the two
servants and all the children in front of him
Brokenness preceded usefulness- As a broken
man Jacob is now completely dependent on God.
It is in and through our weakness that we are
most useable to God.
Jacob meets Esau but he does not go with him
because he is afraid of him
Instead of going with Esau he moves to Shecham
(this is the worst town ever)
God calls Jacob out of Shecham and tells him to
return to bethel
Jacob tells his family to put away all of the idols
and he buries them before going to Bethel to
meet God
From Jacob to Joseph:
Jacob favored Joseph over all his other children
and gave him the coat of many colors. (Gen. 37)
Joseph’s brothers are jealous of him and plot to
kill him. However, they sell him into slavery
instead.
Joseph is eventually sold to Potiphar- an official of
Pharaoh; a royal body guard.
Joseph went to prison, because Potiphar’s wife
falsely accused him of trying to seduce her when
it was her who seduced him (Potiphar
Joseph succeeded, because the Lord was with
him
Joseph released from prison by interpreting
Pharaoh’s dream
Pharaoh put joseph in charge of the whole land of
Egypt
Joseph’s life in Egypt: A Summary
Joseph stored food for seven years
Joseph saved Egypt from a famine that lasted
seven years
Joseph’s brothers bowed before him to ask for
food
The family is reunited in Egypt and given land
appropriate for shepherds and farmers
Years later Jacob dies and is buried in Canaan
Conclusion
Jacob: everything is against me!
Joseph: Gen. 50:20
All of these things were meant bad for me but God
is turning it into good for me
The sinfulness of human beings cannot hinder:
The good purposes of God to restore His good
creation
His good purposes for your life
Nothing is wasted
