Isaac, Jacob and Joseph

Genesis 17-50

Sarai’s Failure to Believe

• Sarai, Abram’s wife, is barren. The author is intentional by noting that Sarai is Abram’s wife and was barren. Why? Because it reveals the magnitude of the promise God made to Abram.

• He is going to bring offspring to a man whose wife is barren.

• Barrenness is seen in the Ancient world as a curse from the gods. Children are seen as a blessing from the gods.

• If a woman was barren, the culture and society looked down on her because of her lack in child bearing.

Sarai’s Failure to Believe

• Feeling this weight, Sarai decides to take things into her own hands.

• She gives Hagar, her servant to Abram.

• She thinks that she can speed up God’s plan for an offspring, by going through someone else. But the promise was meant for Abram and Sarai.

• Hagar becomes pregnant and has Ishmael.

• Sarai becomes hostile to Hagar and looks down on her.

Sarai’s Failure to Believe

• God still sovereignly protects Hagar and Ishmael.

• The line of Ishmael would come the Arab race.

God’s Covenant Renewed

• Genesis 17 – God comes back to Abram, when Abram was 99 years old.

• God promises that he will fulfill his promise to Abram.

• God changes Abram’s name here• Abram – exalted father • Abraham – father of many

God’s Covenant Renewed

• God changing Abram’s name to Abraham shows a new identity for Abraham. It is a stark reminder that God has certainly not given up on his promise to make him a great nation.

• He also changes Sarai’s name to Sarah. Both mean princess, but again this is reveal her identity in God

• The text is clear that both Abraham and Sarah were advanced in years and that there was no way that Sarah could have a child, other than God doing a miracle.

• Sarah still fails to trust God at His Word.

The Birth of Isaac

• God tells Sarah that she is to have a child, she laughs at the prospect at having a child at her old age.

• God reminds both Abraham and Sarah who He is and that nothing is impossible for him.

• This promise was not based on the physical attributes or even health of Abraham and Sarah, but on God’s sovereign will.

• This was to show How great God is in this, not how great Abraham or Sarah was

Interlude: Sodom and Gomorrah

• The promise of the birth of Isaac is somewhat interrupted by Genesis 18:22 – 38, with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

• Beginning in 18:22, Abraham intercedes on behalf of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah.

• He asks God if there are 50 righteous men in the city would he destroy it, then moves to 40, then 30, then 20, then 10.

• Abraham never asked if there was one righteous person, would God destroy it.

• Why? Because Abraham probably knew that there was no one who is righteous in Sodom, including Lot his nephew.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

• Again God’s grace is shown in God choosing to warn Lot and tell him to get his family out of the city before the destruction of the city.

• Why did God destroy the city of Sodom and Gomorrah? Many Christians have argued that it was because of homosexuality that is seen very early in the text, however, that is probably not the MAIN reason why.

• God destroyed these two cities because of their wickedness and their sin and their refusal to turn back to God. God was punishing their sin, but saved Lot by giving him and his family to get out.

Lot’s Sin

• After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s daughters are upset that there is no man for them to marry, so they hatch a plot to deceive their father.

• Both Daughter’s become pregnant• One of the children is named “Moab,” this name

literally means “incest” • The next child was named “Ben-Ammi” or “son of my

people” • Both of these children’s race would become enemies of

the Israelites in later generations, all because of a selfish decision to fail to trust God.

Lies, Lies, sweet little lies

• Genesis 20 picks up the story again with Abraham. This time he interacts with a man named Abimelech.

• Abraham has failed to learn from his past mistake of lying about Sarah being his sister.

• He does it again. But this time the LORD appears to Abimelech in a dream, before he can even take Sarah as his wife.

The Birth of Isaac

• Isaac is born just like God said that he would.

• Abraham is 100 yrs old, Sarah is 99 yrs old.

• But God never forgot his promise to Abraham.

The Sacrifice of Isaac

• Years have passed, Isaac is probably a young child, maybe 7 or 8, maybe 10. We do not know, but Isaac is a small child.

• God tested Abraham’s faith once again, this time in the form of sacrificing his son, Isaac.

• He obeys immediately. He takes his son and Isaac asks, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

The Sacrifice of Isaac

• Abraham obeys God and builds an altar, binds his son and starts to kill his son.

• In the act, God stays Abraham’s hand and provides a ram caught in the thicket to be sacrificed

• Abraham becomes a faithful person. He values God’s word more than the life of his special son.

• Can you imagine the emotions that both Abraham and Isaac are going through?

The Sacrifice of Isaac

• https://youtu.be/6s9ldacroHM

The Sacrifice of Isaac

• The emotions were high and tense in this story.

• Again we learn of Abraham’s faith in the Lord.

• He obeys the LORD at His Word. Just like he did at his call in Genesis 12.

Isaac and Rebekah

• Isaac marries Rebekah in Genesis 24

• Rebekah is barren and Isaac prays for to the LORD for her.

• The LORD hears his prayers and she becomes pregnant with twins.

• Rebekah asks the LORD why there is a struggle in her womb.

Isaac and Rebekah

• The LORD tells Rebekah that two nations are in her womb and the older will serve the younger.

• Esau came out red, Jacob came out holding Esau’s ankle.

• Esau – Hunter/Gatherer

• Jacob – Homebody/Momma’s Boy

• Isaac love Esau, Rebekah Love Jacob

Esau sells his birthrite

• Esau came in from a long hunt and was hungry.

• Esau’s character was rash and often did not value the things that were important

• Esau is the firstborn and gets two-thirds of the inheritance after his father’s death.

• This is important and Jacob knows this!

• He uses Esau’s exhaustion and hungry against him. (Genesis 25:29-34)

God’s Promise to Isaac

• A famine arises in the land again and the LORD tells Isaac to not to go down to Egypt again, for possibly protecting him from the same thing Abraham did when he was there

• Unfortunately, Isaac repeats his father’s sin and lies about Rebekah to Abimelech.

• But out of this event, God reminds Isaac of the covenant. (Genesis 26:23-25)

Jacob’s Trickery

• Genesis 27

• Isaac was old and blind and could only tell the difference between his sons by feeling.

• Isaac tells Esau to go and hunt for him and to bring it back, cook it and then Isaac will bless him.

• Rebekah was listening in and told Jacob about what Isaac was about to do.

Jacob’s Trickery

• She knows what the LORD had told her in Genesis 25:23 that the older shall serve the younger.

• She tells Jacob to go kill two young goats, she’ll make a stew, clothe Jacob in the skins of the goats.

• Isaac will feel his arms and thinking that it is Esau will bless him instead of Esau.

• Jacob receives the blessing from Isaac and when Esau returns. He hates his brother.

Jacob flees to Laban

• Rebekah hears of Esau’s desire to kill Jacob and tells him to go to her brother Laban.

• This is the same area where Abraham to get a wife for Isaac.

• Jacob goes to Laban.

• On his way, he has a dream where God confirms his covenant to him.

Jacob Flees to Laban

• When Jacob came to Laban he began to work the flock of his Uncle.

• During this time he began to notice Rachel, his daughter. Jacob wanted to marry her and Laban said, “You work 7 years and you can marry her”

• After 7 years, Jacob is duped by his Uncle. He gives him Leah. Jacob has to work another 7 years for Rachel.

Jacob’s Heirs

• As the promise for an heir had been promised and fulfilled to Abraham, Isaac, now Jacob will have heirs.

• Leah gives him 6 total children,

• Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, 2 children

• Zilpah, Leah’s servant, 2 children

• Rachel, 1 child, Joseph then later Benjamin

Jacob’s Trouble with Laban

• Jacob desires to return to Canaan with his family. Laban sees the LORD has blessed him because of Jacob and says “Whatever price, it’s yours”

• Jacob wants a certain piece of the flock

• Laban thinks that Jacob has deceived him once again.

• Jacob flees Laban, but not until after Rachel’s steals the household gods and they agree never to bother each other again.

Jacob’s Encounter with Esau

• Esau wants to meet with Jacob.

• Jacob has no guarantee that Esau will not kill him.

Jacob Wrestles with God

• Jacob splits up his family in order to try to protect his family.

• That night he wrestles with what Scripture says is “man”

• The man touches Jacob’s hip to where Jacob becomes limp.

• Jacob won’t let go unless the Lord blesses him. He changes his name to Israel.