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• Abraham


  Pivotal figure in the biblical narrative, originally called Abram
• Sarah


  Abraham's wife, her story is intertwined with Abraham's throughout Genesis
• Abraham's Call and Promise (Genesis 12:1-9)


  1. God calls Abraham to leave his homeland

  2. Promise of blessings: Abraham will be made into a great nation, his name will be great, and he will be a blessing

  3. Abraham responds with obedience, journeying to the land of Canaan
• Abraham and Sarah in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20)

  1. Famine forces them to seek refuge in Egypt

  2. Abraham fears for his life because of Sarah's beauty and tells her to pretend to be his sister

  3. Pharaoh takes Sarah into his household, but God intervenes to protect her and Abraham
• Covenant and Promise of Offspring (Genesis 15)

  1. God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants as numerous as the stars

  2. Abraham believes God's promise, and it is counted to him as righteousness

  3. God enters into a covenant with Abraham, symbolized by a sacrificial ritual
• Birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16)

  1. Sarah, unable to bear children, suggests that Abraham have a child with her maidservant, Hagar

  2. Ishmael is born as a result, but tensions arise between Sarah and Hagar
• Covenant Renewed and Promise of Isaac (Genesis 17)

  1. God renews his covenant with Abraham, changing his name from Abram to Abraham ("father of many nations")

  2. Promise of a son through Sarah, to be named Isaac, who will inherit the covenant

  3. The rite of circumcision is instituted as a sign of the covenant
• Visitors and the Promise of a Son (Genesis 18)

  1. Three visitors, who are angels of God, visit Abraham and Sarah at Mamre

  2. They reiterate the promise of a son to Sarah, who laughs in disbelief

  3. The visitors inform Abraham of God's plan to judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness
• Negotiation for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-33)

  1. Abraham intercedes with God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, bargaining for the cities' salvation

  2. He pleads for mercy, asking God to spare the cities if even a small number of righteous people are found

  3. God agrees to spare the cities for the sake of the righteous, demonstrating his justice and mercy
• Key Themes and Lessons

  • Obedience and faithfulness: Abraham's willingness to obey God's call despite uncertainty
  • Covenant and promise: God's faithfulness to fulfill his promises, even when circumstances seem impossible
  • Hospitality and intercession: Abraham's hospitality towards the divine visitors and his role as an intercessor for others
• The story of Abraham and Sarah illustrates themes of faith, obedience, and divine providence
• Their journey serves as a foundation for the covenant relationship between God and his people, emphasizing the importance of trust and fidelity
• Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29)

  1. Lot welcomes two angels disguised as men into his home

  2. The men of Sodom demand that Lot bring out the visitors to them

  3. Lot offers his daughters instead but the men refuse

  4. The angels rescue Lot and his family, warning them to flee without looking back

  5. Fire and brimstone rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities

  6. Lot's wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt
• Themes: Sodom and Gomorrah

  • Judgment for wickedness, hospitality, obedience, divine protection
• Lot's Daughters (Genesis 19:30-38)

  1. Lot settles in a cave with his daughters in fear of living in Zoar

  2. The daughters conceive sons through incest with their father, Moab and Ben-Ammi

  3. These sons become the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites
• Themes: Lot's Daughters


  • Morality, survival instincts, consequences of sin
• Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 20)

  1. Abraham deceives Abimelech about Sarah's identity out of fear

  2. Abimelech takes Sarah, but God intervenes, warning him not to touch her

  3. Abimelech confronts Abraham, who admits to lying

  4. Abimelech restores Sarah to Abraham and gives him gifts

  5. Abraham prays for Abimelech, and God heals him and his household
• Themes: Abraham and Abimelech


  • Deception, divine intervention, consequences of lying, divine protection
• Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21)

  1. Isaac is born, bringing joy to Abraham and Sarah

  2. Sarah insists that Abraham cast out Hagar and Ishmael to secure Isaac's inheritance

  3. Abraham reluctantly sends them away, but God promises to make a great nation of Ishmael

  4. Hagar and Ishmael are miraculously provided for in the wilderness

  5. Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech regarding a well of water
• Themes: Birth of Isaac

  • Fulfillment of promises, faithfulness of God, consequences of actions, provision in the wilderness
• The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)

  1. God commands Abraham to take Isaac, his only son, to Mount Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering

  2. Abraham obeys without question, demonstrating unwavering faith

  3. As Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, an angel intervenes, sparing Isaac's life

  4. Abraham sacrifices a ram caught in a thicket instead

  5. God reaffirms his promise to bless Abraham's descendants
• Themes: The Binding of Isaac

  • Faith and obedience, testing, provision, substitutionary sacrifice
• Death of Sarah and Abraham's Purchase of a Burial Site (Genesis 23)


  1. Sarah dies at the age of 127 in Hebron

  2. Abraham seeks to purchase a burial site for her from the Hittites

  3. The Hittites offer to give Abraham a burial site, but he insists on purchasing it

  4. Abraham buys the cave of Machpelah and surrounding land from Ephron the Hittite for an exorbitant price

  5. Sarah is buried there, and Abraham is buried beside her after his death
• Themes: Death of Sarah and Abraham's Purchase of a Burial Site

  • Death and mourning, honor and respect for the deceased, property ownership, faithfulness to God's promises
• Finding a Wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:1-67)

  1. Abraham sends his servant to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac

  2. The servant prays for guidance and meets Rebekah at a well, who demonstrates kindness and hospitality

  3. The servant recognizes God's providence in leading him to Rebekah and arranges for her to return with him to marry Isaac

  4. Rebekah's family agrees to the marriage, and she becomes Isaac's wife
• Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:1-34)

  1. Abraham marries Keturah and has children

  2. The narrative focuses on the birth of Isaac's twin sons, Jacob and Esau

  3. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew, highlighting his disregard for his inheritance
• Isaac and Abimelech (Genesis 26:1-35)


  1. Isaac, facing famine, moves to Gerar, where he encounters Abimelech, king of the Philistines

  2. Like his father Abraham, Isaac lies about his wife Rebekah, claiming she is his sister

  3. God blesses Isaac, and he becomes prosperous despite the challenges

  4. Isaac digs wells, but the Philistines quarrel over them, prompting him to move elsewhere

  5. Eventually, Isaac settles in Beersheba, where God reaffirms His covenant with him
• Jacob Receives Isaac's Blessing (Genesis 27:1-46)

  1. Isaac, now old and blind, plans to bless his eldest son, Esau

  2. Rebekah, favoring Jacob, conspires to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob instead

  3. Disguised as Esau, Jacob presents himself to Isaac and receives the blessing meant for his brother

  4. Esau returns, but it's too late, and Isaac realizes he has been deceived

  5. Despite Esau's pleas, Isaac confirms the blessing bestowed upon Jacob, recognizing God's will

  6. Esau vows vengeance against Jacob, prompting Rebekah to send Jacob away to her brother Laban in Haran for safety
• Key Themes


  • Divine Providence: God guides the servant to Rebekah, orchestrating the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham
  • Family Dynamics: Conflict and deception within the family lead to consequences, highlighting the complexities of familial relationships
  • Covenant Continuity: Despite human frailty and deception, God's covenant with Abraham and Isaac remains steadfast, guiding their descendants
  • Blessings and Birthrights: The significance of blessings and birthrights in determining familial hierarchy and inheritance is emphasized through the narratives of Isaac's sons
• These passages illustrate the interplay between human agency and divine providence in fulfilling God's promises
• They offer insights into the complexities of family dynamics and the consequences of deceit and favoritism
• The narratives serve as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God's will, even amidst challenges and temptations
• Jacob's Dream and Vow at Bethel (Genesis 28:1-22)

  1. Jacob flees from his brother Esau's anger after deceiving him and receives a divine vision at Bethel

  2. God reaffirms the covenant promises given to Abraham and Isaac to Jacob, promising to be with him and bless him

  3. Jacob vows to make God his God, to tithe from all God gives him, and to return to Bethel to worship
• Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1-30)

  1. Jacob arrives in Paddan Aram and meets Rachel, Laban's daughter, at the well

  2. Jacob agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage but is deceived into marrying Leah

  3. Jacob marries Rachel after fulfilling another seven years of labor for Laban
• Jacob's Children and Strife with Laban (Genesis 29:31-30:24)


  1. Leah bears Jacob's children: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah

  2. Rachel remains barren, and she gives her servant Bilhah to Jacob, who bears him two sons: Dan and Naphtali

  3. Leah gives her servant Zilpah to Jacob, who bears him two sons: Gad and Asher

  4. Leah conceives again and gives birth to Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah

  5. Finally, Rachel conceives and gives birth to Joseph
• Jacob's Prosperity and Departure from Laban (Genesis 30:25-43)


  1. Jacob requests to leave Laban's service and return to his homeland with his family

  2. Laban persuades Jacob to stay by offering him livestock in exchange for continued labor

  3. Jacob employs a breeding strategy to increase his wealth, acquiring a large flock of livestock despite Laban's attempts to deceive him
• Jacob Flees from Laban (Genesis 31:1-55)

  1. Jacob's relationship with Laban deteriorates as Laban's sons become jealous of Jacob's prosperity

  2. God instructs Jacob to return to the land of his fathers, and Jacob, along with his wives and children, flees from Laban's household

  3. Rachel steals Laban's household idols, unbeknownst to Jacob

  4. Laban pursues Jacob but is warned by God not to harm him, and they make a covenant of peace before parting ways
• Jacob Wrestles with God (Genesis 32:1-32)


  1. Jacob prepares to meet Esau, fearing his revenge, and sends gifts ahead to appease him

  2. Jacob wrestles with a divine being throughout the night, refusing to let go until he receives a blessing

  3. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, signifying his struggle and victory with both God and man
• Jacob Reconciles with Esau (Genesis 33:1-20)

  1. Jacob encounters Esau, who welcomes him warmly rather than seeking vengeance

  2. Jacob offers gifts to Esau as a sign of reconciliation, and they part ways amicably
• Dinah's Defilement and Reprisal (Genesis 34:1-31)


  1. Dinah, Jacob's daughter, is defiled by Shechem, the son of a local ruler

  2. Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, take revenge by deceiving and killing Shechem and the men of his city