I’m a doer, and I often have a tough time patiently waiting for something to happen. Why waste time? Let’s get it done NOW! I would rather jump in and do my part to prod events along then to watch the grass grown under my feet. This may often be viewed as a positive characteristic in today’s culture, but when it comes to God’s timetable, our need to make things happen our own way usually results in making a huge mess. We need to learn to wait on the Lord and patiently trust his methods and his timing. He is sovereign, and his ways are infallible.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what is going on in this week’s study of Abraham and his family. God had cut a covenant with Abraham and had repeated the details of his promises to him and his family numerous times. God would make great nations out of Abraham and his offspring. He would be his God and give all the land of his sojourning to him and his descendants forever.  Abraham believed, and God was pleased with Abraham’s faith.

But then the waiting game began. Years later, they still saw no sign that God’s promise was in the works at all. They began to second guess what they had heard, and they assumed God would have wanted them to be proactive in this situation. Therefore, Sarah offered her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham, assuming God’s promises must be fulfilled through a surrogate. Perhaps God needed their help to make it happen.

And then comes Ishmael – the boy who represents man’s feeble attempt to make things happen for himself. What a perfect picture of the Old Covenant – dead religion, works of the flesh, legalism, slavery to the Law. This represents the Law given by God through Moses on Mt. Sanai. This law only made the Israelites slaves, and it could never provide the righteousness God requires. Paul describes this example in Galatians 4:21-31, as he explains the difference between the two covenants.

To make a long story short, God had intended for the fulfillment of the promise to come through Isaac on his own terms and in his timing. The Galatians passage describes Isaac as the “child of promise,” but it also includes us. WE are also “children of promise” because of God’s blessings through Abraham’s descendants. Isaac represents the New Covenant that offers freedom and life through the sacrifice of God’s only son, Jesus. Those of us who have put our trust in Jesus share in the promise, and with no works of the flesh on our part to attempt to earn God’s grace. It is his free gift to us that we merely must receive by faith.

When Isaac was born, God commanded that Abraham circumcise his little boy, all other men in his household, and all future Hebrew boys for the rest of time. We learn in the New Testament that circumcision is a work of the flesh that has no benefit for making a person righteous before God on its own. However, when God gave this command, it was a sign to serve as a reminder that they are a covenant people, belonging solely to their God. Eventually, they still had to make the choice to obey God and live for Him.

When Jesus came and fulfilled all of the Law, circumcision was no longer required. We have been set free from the Law of sin and death and have been brought to life through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Under the New Covenant, we are to obey Christ in baptism instead of circumcision. However, while baptism does not make us righteous in and of itself, it is a sign that shows that we belong to Christ. It identifies us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that gives us new life.

Years later, we come upon one of the most staggering moments in Biblical history. There are some who are quite offended by God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on an altar – the one of whom he had waited for decades. What a horrible decision to have to make! Interestingly, we can find multiple connections between his test and what God accomplished when he sent his only son, Jesus, to die for our sins and rise triumphantly over sin, death, hell, and the grave. God put it in a human story so that we could relate on a deeper level to what he has done for us.

We will discuss more of the connections between Abraham’s test as he was wiling to lay down the life of his son and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross in our small groups this week.

As a mom, I would give my right eye to save my children. I love them more than life itself! That love brings it to a more personal level what God has done for us. There could be no greater love!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16 NASB

Week 7 Discussion Questions

Here is a preview of what we will be talking about in our small groups for WEEK 5.

ICE BREAKER:  What are some meaningful ways a family member, friend, spouse, or friend has communicated to you that you are loved?

QUESTION 1:  We saw various examples of laughter this week – Abraham’s laughter when he found out he was going to have a son, Sarah’s laughter on two occasions, Ishmael’s laughter, and the name of Isaac which means “laughter.” Why was Sarah rebuked for her laughter, but Abraham wasn’t? What was the difference in their laughter? Why do you think the idea of laughter is repeated in this story?

QUESTION 2: Galatians 4:28 tells us that like Isaac, we are “children of promise.” What does this mean? Galatians 4:21-31 compares and contrasts the births of Ishmael and Isaac. What are some things you observe, and what are the spiritual implications for us?

QUESTION 3: Some people are offended that God would test Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son, even though Go never intended for Abraham to actually kill Isaac. Why do you think God chose to test Abraham in this way? Describe Abraham’s demeaner as he proceeded to obey God?

 QUESTION 4: What are some ways that Abraham and his son, Isaac, point to God the Father and His Son, Jesus?

 QUESTION 5: The big question of this week was, “How will you know that you are loved by God?” Did you grow up believing that God loves you, or did that become clear to you at some point later on? Do you ever doubt God’s love for you? Why or when?

QUESTION 6: While Isaac points us to the Son of God, the story of his marriage to Rebekah also gives us a picture of the bride the Father seeks for his Son, Jesus. To prepare for an earthly wedding, we often seek the perfect dress, flowers, make up, jewelry, etc. What are some ways we can adorn ourselves as the bride of Christ? What does he seek in his bride, the church?

Week 8 Assignments

LEVEL 1:

1. Read Genesis 25:19-35:21
2. Personal Bible Study, pp. 205-209
3. Teaching Chapter: Unless You Bless Me, pp. 210-228
4. Participate in a small group. (Discussing Week 7)

 LEVEL 2:

1. Look for daily activities in the Heart to Heart Facebook group.
2. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 28, The Son’s of Isaac
3. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 30, The Children of Jacob
4. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 32-34, Jacob Faces His Brother

LEVEL 3:

1. Scripture memory of the week: Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15 NASB
2. SOAP Scriptures: See here for instructions and examples.
   1. Monday: Read Genesis 25-26, SOAP 26:2-3
   2. Tuesday: Read Genesis 27-28, SOAP 28:20-21
   3. Wednesday: Read Genesis 29-30, SOAP 30:22-23
   4. Thursday: Read Genesis 31-32, SOAP 32:28
   5. Friday: Read Genesis 33-35, SOAP 35:2-3
3. (Optional): Watch Video, Week 8

 LEVEL 4:

1. Read Genesis, chapters 26-50
2. Daily journaling or blogging about how God speaks to you through His Word

How This Works

1. If you have not done so already, please register by leaving your name and email address in a comment below.
2. Purchase the book, The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis, by Nancy Guthrie. You can find it at one of these sites:

Nancy Guthrie’s website

Amazon: Paperback, Kindle

Christianbook.com: Paperback, ebook

Barnes and Noble: Paperback Click “View all available formats and editions” for link to purchase Nook book.

LifeWay: This book is no longer available at Lifeway.com. If you would like to pick it up at your local LifeWay store, you may need to request a special order, but they should be able to get it for you.

1. Subscribe to this site to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address in the field to the right, and then click the subscribe button.
2. Join our closed Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for weekly interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. Closed means that no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
3. Small Groups: See the pinned post at the top of the Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for the schedule and instructions. All you need to do is show up at the scheduled day and time, and the discussion will take place underneath the group photo. 
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I look forward to seeing you in a small group this week, and I pray that this will be an extremely blessed, eye-opening, and heart-transforming week of Bible study!

God bless!