Genesis 23 - 25 Death, Marriage, and Birth

1. Main Theme

   1. Even the greatest men and women are called home to the Lord

   2. Through our children we have “eternal life” on earth

   3. God has a plan for every part of our lives, including our spouse, and children

2. Sarah Dies

   1. Sarah lived to be 127

   2. Abraham purchases a burial cave from the Hittites

   3. Again Abraham does not accept the generosity of the ungodly

      1. Abraham pays full price to Ephron, despite Ephrons offer to give the land to Abraham

      2. Abraham knew better than to be in debt

3. Isaac gets a bride

   1. Abraham commisioned his chief steward to find Isaac a wife from his own people

      1. Eliezer of Damascus was a very powerful man in his own right

      2. Abraham did not want for Isaac to leave the land God had sworn to him

      3. Eliezer asks God to give him a sign, and immediately it is given

   2. Rebekah is Abraham's great niece

      1. Rebekah has a servants heart

      2. Rebekah was pure

      3. Rebekah's family knew the LORD

      4. Rebekah chose her husband over her family

      5. Rebekah was a comfort to Isaac

4. Abraham takes another wife

   1. Abraham has many other children

   2. Abraham gave all his inheritance to Isaac

   3. Abraham sent the other children away

5. Rebekah has twins

   1. Esau is firstborn

      1. Esau means hairy

   2. Jacob is born second

      1. Jacob means “he decieves”

   3. Esau despises his birthright

      1. Jacob trades Esau a bowl of stew for his birthright

Genesis 17 - 19 Influence: God's Ours, and The World's

1. Main Topics

   1. Who or what influence our thoughts and actions?

   2. Abraham was influenced by God

   3. Lot was influenced by The world

   4. Abraham was able to influence others, even God

   5. Lot lost his influence over even his own family

2. Abraham trusted God, and allowed his life to be changed by God

   1. Abraham felt it was impossible for him to have a son by Sarah (Gen 17:17)

   2. Abraham believed God's promise (Gen 17:23-27)

   3. Abraham commited himself to the terms of the covenant (Gen 17:23-27)

3. Sarah trusted her own knowledge over God's plan

   1. Sarah laughed when God promised a son (Gen 18:12)

   2. Sarah was ashamed of her doubt (Gen 18:15)

4. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (and Lot)

   1. God knew Abraham's faithfulness, and his future influence (Gen 18:17)

   2. God told Abraham what He was about to do (Gen 18:20)

   3. Abraham intercedes, boldly asking God to be merciful (Gen 18:22-32)

      1. Really Abraham was asking for Lot to be saved

   4. God answers Abrahams prayer

      1. Even though Abraham doesn't specifically ask about Lot, God still knows his heart, and makes a way for Lot to be saved, even though he could not find even 10 righteous men in the city

5. Lot doesn't realize he has lost his influence

   1. God sends angels to Sodom to retrieve Lot and his family, then destroy the city (Gen 19:1)

   2. Lot asks the angels to stay in his home, thinking he could offer them protection (Gen 19:3)

   3. The men of Sodom sought to rape the angels (Gen 19:5)

      1. Hospitality was very important in the time of Lot and still is today in the Middle East

      2. To protect his guests Lot offered his virgin daughters to the mob, even then the men of the city tried to break the door down (Gen 19:8)

         1. Lot had lost his influence, no one had even the slightest bit of respect for Lot

         2. Lot never called out to God to come to his aid, he knew he had lost his influence with God

      3. Finally the angels blinded the mob, as their mission was to protect Lot (Gen 19:10)

   4. The angels told Lot to gather his family and leave the city as they were about to destroy it (Gen 19:13)

      1. Lot went to his family and told them to leave, they thought he was joking, he had even lost his influence with his own family (Gen 19:14)

      2. The angels tell Lot to run to the mountains (Gen 19:17)

         1. Lot uses Abrahams influence to make his escape easier (Gen 19:18)

         2. Lot's own wife is not influenced by him, and is turned to a pillar of salt (Gen 19:26)

   5. Lot's own daughters have no respect for him, they sleep with their drunken father and two of Israel's greates enemies are born (Gen 19:30-36)

Genesis 12 - 14 Abram Becoming Abraham

1. Why we study Abraham

   1. To understand the importance of faith to righteousness.

   2. To understand the history of the people groups that make up the middle east.

   3. To understand God's desire for a relationship with us.

2. Abram misses instructions

   1. Abram was told to leave his fathers house, and yet he still took Lot with him.

   2. As Abram and Lot aquired larger flocks, their servants began to argue and fight over land

   3. Abram divided the land with Lot. Lot chose to stay near Sodom.

   4. Abram put together a private army from the servants born in his house.

   5. Much later, Lot becomes the father of the Moabites, one of Israel's biggest enemies.

3. Abram worships God

   1. God appears to Abram

   2. Abram builds an altar to the Lord, and communes with Him. Calls the place Bethel

4. Abram loses faith

   1. Soon after God appeared to Abram, there was a famine in the land

   2. Abram weathered the famine in Egypt, but was afraid for His life

   3. Abram lied, and made his wife and all of their servants to lie

   4. Pharoh was plagued for Sarai, and confronted Abram.

   5. Pharoh sent Abram out of Egypt

5. God reaffirms His promise to Abram

   1. God wants to comfort Abram after the split from his nephew

   2. God wanted to strengthen Abram's faith, by having him walk all the land of his decendants.

6. Who is Melchizedek

   1. Abram tithes to Him

   2. His name means King of Righteousness

   3. His is the King of Salem(King of Peace)

   4. He is Priest forever