1.9 Genesis 21-24

Melissa Brewer

January 9

Genesis 21-24

Summarize what you read in one paragraph:

In her old age, Sarah has a baby boy and named him Isaac because she laughed at the idea. Sarah and Abraham send Hagar and Ishamel away and God provides for them in the desert when Hagar thinks Ishmael is going to die. Abraham builds a well and makes a treaty with Abimelech with 7 lambs as a witness and calls it Beersheba. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham follows and in the last seconds as he raises his knife an angel stops him and God provides a ram for the sacrifice. Sarah dies and Abraham insists on paying for the land she is buried in from the Hittites. Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac in his home country. The servant obeys and prays for a woman and God answers. The first woman he sees gets the servant water and water for all his camels. Laban & Bethuel agree the request is from God for Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife and Rebekah leaves the next day. Rebekah and Isaac marry.

What is one key verse?

But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay with us for about 10 days. Then she can go.” But he responded to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey a success. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” So they said, “Let’s call the girl and ask her opinion.” They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She replied, “I will go.” 

Genesis 24:55-58

How does what you read change your vision of God? 

Through ch. 21-24 I see that God’s plans don’t make logical sense to me. Sarah had a baby at a really old age. Abraham was called to sacrifice his child. Abraham’s servant is sent to a foreign land to find a woman to leave with him. God calls us out of what makes sense or the traditions in our lives to make sure we fear God and will put him first no matter what. 

How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?

In the response to God’s plans, Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Abraham’s servant, and Rebekah all act with obedience to God. I particularly like Rebekah’s response in ch 24:55-58. Her family wanted her to stay 10 more days before she left to marry Isaac but because she knew it was blessed by God, she left right away. Life as a disciple does not need to make sense. It is a life of obedience to commands we may not understand. We do not need a reason, we just need to obey and fear God. I am very logical and I can be critical of others when someone else does something that does not make sense to me. I need to stop my critical thoughts to realize it is not my place to judge. God is always doing something bigger than I may understand and in these moments I need to just obey.

How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)

If something does not make sense to me, it does not mean I need to change it or even have an attitude about it. I need to obey, surrender my thoughts and trust God. God is always working.

Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)

Jesus’ life was obedience to God. And obedience to which he was sacrificed and killed. Abraham’s calling to sacrifice his son Isaac is a foreshadowing of God actually sacrificing his son on the cross.