Monday - Genesis 9:18-29
Sin affects Noah’s family . . . and all people
Insight
Verse 21
“He became drunk.” God is showing the sinfulness of Noah in unblinking honesty. Noah
was a real man, a saint who was also a sinner.
Discussion/Points to Ponder
1. Who were the three sons of Noah? Think for a moment about the time when Moses wrote this book.
Why might he have added the comment that Ham was the father of Canaan?
2. Describe Ham’s sin.
3. Noah’s prophecy set the stage for the rest of world history. How was this prophecy fulfilled?
4. What wonderful blessing did God bestow on his earth by allowing Noah to live for 350 years after the
flood?
Apply
5. How does this prophecy apply to you?
Summary - Noah sinned. His son Ham sinned. The event provided the occasion for Noah’s prophecy in
which he outlined the course of history and renewed the promise of the Savior.
Answers
1) Shem, Ham, and Japheth were the ancestors of everyone in the world. Moses wrote Genesis
when Israel was traveling to the Promised Land. The sad story about Ham recorded here would
put into context Israel’s upcoming occupation of the Canaanite land. Israel would soon be fulfilling
the curse recorded in this chapter.
2) Ham got perverse pleasure from seeing his naked father on the ground. This becomes clear from
the opposite way Shem and Japheth acted. Ham told his brothers what he had seen, thinking
they would enjoy it too.
Ham was the father of the nations to the south—Egypt and the other African nations. Ham would
be cursed through one of his sons, Canaan. Canaan would become a slave of Shem. This was
fulfilled when Israel destroyed the Canaanites and made them slaves. (Note that this curse does
not apply to all of Ham’s descendants, only his children through Canaan. They were the people
who carried on Ham’s characteristics.)
Japheth is the father of the nations to the north and west of the land of Canaan. His tents were
enlarged, and from him came a huge segment of the world’s population.
3) Japheth’s descendants would live in the tents of Shem. This happened when the Savior sent out
his Jewish followers to evangelize the Gentiles and enable them to share the gospel along with
the Jews. (The children of Ham, of course, are included in the term Gentiles, and the gospel was
sent to them also. Think of the Ethiopian official.)
4) Noah was able to tell many generations about the flood and what led up to it. Remember that his
grandfather, Methusaleh, had spent 243 years on the earth while Adam himself was alive.
5) Some may be able to clearly identify themselves as descendants from one or another of the sons
of Noah. Many are able to trace their ancestry back to more than one of his sons. No matter what,
the promise of the Savior who came through Shem is a promise given to all of us. This is the
heart of Noah’s prophecy. His prophecy repeated the blessing God had given to Adam and Eve.
Week 8
Tuesday - Genesis 10
The nations of the earth are born and grow
Insight
It is difficult to know the exact location of some of the ancient cities and places found in this chapter. A
few locations we are sure of from secular history or because they are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.
But all of them would have been known to the Israelites in Moses’ day.
Verse 1
This is the fourth of the ten accounts that make up the book of Genesis. This chapter
contains the so-called Table of Nations.
Verses 2-4
“The sons of Japheth”—These are the future Indo-European peoples, inhabiting the area
around the Mediterranean and extending up into the coastal areas of the Black and
Caspian seas and from there into Europe and Russia.
Verses 6,7
“The sons of Ham”—These are the African people. “Mizraim” (verses 13,14) is another
name for Egypt, the great civilization that dominated the world for centuries. “Canaan” of
course, refers to the nations that descended from him. The list of names in verses 15 and
16 is familiar to us from the rest of Moses’ books, the book of Joshua, and other places in
Scripture.
Verse 18
“Later”—That is, sometime after these descendants of Ham had become nations and
before Israel conquered them. Moses is giving background that was important to the
Israelites of his day.
Verse 22
“The sons of Shem”—God’s people, the Israelites, came from Shem. From them came
the Savior.
Verse 25
“In his time the earth was divided.” This is a reference to what would happen in chapter
11.
Discussion/Points to Ponder
1. From the notes above, we see how Moses is giving his people information about the Canaanites,
whom they were soon to wipe out. In verses 8 and 9, he gave insight into another group of people
who bordered Israel and would play a large role in its future. Perhaps Moses included this information
as a prophet who saw the future. What group of nations does he describe?
Apply
2. Can you see John 3:16 in the genealogy of Shem? (verses 21-31)
Summary - Moses described those nations that would play a role in Israel’s history. He concluded with a
list of men in the line of the Savior, which was always foremost in his thoughts.
Answers
1) These descendants of Shem were rapacious people, known for their cruelty. They were the future
Babylonians and Assyrians. Nimrod typified this nature by being known as a hunter who preyed
on others rather than God’s ideal of a shepherd who cared for others.
2) The Lord kept his promise of a Savior alive in the years after Noah and his sons died. You might
ask the class to underline the names in the line of the Savior. They are Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber,
and Peleg. The full listing of men in the line of the Savior is given at the end of chapter 11.
Week 8
Wednesday - Genesis 11:1-26
Mankind is dispersed but not forgotten
Insight
Verse 10
“The account of Shem”—This is the fifth of the ten accounts listed in Genesis.
Discuss/Points to Ponder
1. What two important pieces of information does Moses give us in verse 1?
2. Contrast God’s command to Noah in Genesis 9:7 with what the people decided to do. What were their
motives for doing what they did?
3. How did God solve the problem of mankind’s humanistic desires? (Hint: What does Babel mean?)
4. How did God show grace to the fallen world in the days after Babel? (verses 10-26)
Apply
5. The people of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves rather than glorify God. This is a
humanistic impulse rising to the surface. How does humanism rear its head today? What does the
account of the Tower of Babel teach us about humanism?
6. Contrast the Tower of Babel with the events at Pentecost. What did they have in common? What was
different about them?
Summary - The Lord forced people to fill the world. He put a stop to their sinful humanistic impulses.
Answers
1) The whole world spoke one language. We are used to a world in which there are many
languages. Moses needed to remind us it was not always like that. Second, he tells us that
people moved east. Mount Ararat, where the ark landed, is north, in Armenia. The people
traveled from this rugged land to a plain in Shinar, in the vicinity of ancient Babylon.
2) God had commanded Noah and his family: “Be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the
earth and increase upon it.” But the people wanted to do the opposite. They wanted to stay
together and glorify themselves, not God.
3) If mankind didn’t want to carry out God’s command to fill the earth, he would force them to. So he
made them speak different languages. The word Babel sounds like the Hebrew word for
“confused.” Even in English if you say it over and over again to yourself, you can sense the
confusion we feel when we are with people who speak a language we don’t understand.
4) The Lord saw to it that people continued to hear and learn his Word. While not as long-lived as
people in the days before the flood, the people after the flood still lived long enough to remind
many generations of descendants about God’s promise of a Savior. Notice, though, that people’s
lives were getting shorter.
5) Science dominates our thinking. Instead of exploring this world in order to glorify God, many
explore the world to glorify mankind. Many economists argue for a single unified economy that
they claim will take care of our needs. Encourage the class to think of other examples.
6) They were both about language. Man’s rebellion led God to divide people in order to stifle their
sinful ambition. God’s grace in Christ and his outpouring of the Holy Spirit united people in faith
so they could join together in glorifying God and spreading his kingdom.
Week 8
Thursday - Genesis 11:27–12:9 God calls Abraham and blesses him
Insight
11:26,27
“This is the account of Terah.” There are other members of Terah’s line, besides
Abraham (initially called Abram), who will play an important part in God’s plan of
salvation.
11:30
“Sarai was barren.” Later named Sarah, she is the first of several women in the line of
the Savior who were barren. God performed a miracle and enabled them to have children.
This may picture the miracle God performed in sending his Son and the miracle he
performs daily by leading people to faith and making them children belonging to his
church, his group of believers.
12:8
“There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.” We are to
proclaim God’s words and deeds and worship him.
Discuss/Points to Ponder
1. Take a few minutes to sort out the names and events in verses 27-31. This information lays the
foundation for Moses’ account of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The people and places mentioned here
will play a big role in their lives.
2. How does God’s grace come through in each element of God’s promise to Abraham?
•
“I will make you into a great nation.”
•
“I will bless you.”.
•
“I will make your name great.”
•
“You will be a blessing.” The Savior of the world came from Abraham.
•
“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”
•
“And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Apply
3. Evaluate this statement: The better we understand the blessings God gave to Abraham the better we
will understand what God has to say to a world of sinners today.
Summary - God began to create a special people by giving Abraham great promises.
Answers
1) Answers vary
2) Abraham would have many descendants, physical and spiritual. All believers today are a
fulfillment of this promise.
God would be with Abraham and his descendants. When God blesses us, there is nothing else
we need.
Any person, or people, the Lord has chosen for his own enjoys a great name—if not in this world
then in the next.
The Savior came from Abraham. The Savior blesses the whole world with forgiveness and peace.
Satan’s offspring referred to in Gen. 3:15 will continue to be hostile to the believing offspring of
the woman (here Abraham’s believing descendants). But God is always on the side of his people.
This statement clearly points beyond any help Abraham himself or the people of Israel would give
the world. It points to Jesus.
3) The blessings God gave to Abraham are the foundation on which the church is built. By his
descendant and through the same faith Abraham displayed, we have been blessed along with
Abraham and share in the care and protection God gave him.
Week 8
Friday - Genesis 12:10-20
No one is perfect . . . not even Abraham
Insight
Verse 10
“There was a famine in the land.” The Bible contains many accounts of famines in the
land. Because Abraham was an alien, he may have suffered even more than the residents
of the land who had granaries to store up food.
Discuss/Points to Ponder
1. How did Abraham stumble in his life of faith? (Think of the promise God gave Abraham. What part
of the promise did Abraham doubt?)
2. How well did Abraham’s plan succeed? (verses 14-16)
3. How did the Lord protect Pharaoh from adultery?
4. Identify Abraham’s sin against Pharaoh . . . against Sarah . . . against God.
Apply
5. Sometimes believers underestimate the civic righteousness of unbelievers. Moreover, they may not
think that God could work in the hearts of his enemies, even leading them to faith. How was Abraham
reminded of God’s power?
Summary - Abraham lied about Sarah and cost everyone involved heartache and pain. He too had
weakness and sin in his life that God needed to forgive.
Answers
1)
Abraham was forced to move temporarily to Egypt. Complete trust in the Lord’s resolve to fulfill
his promises would have kept Abraham from lying about Sarah. God had told Abraham that
whoever cursed Abraham, God would curse. If the Egyptians had tried to harm Abraham, that
part of God’s promise would have gone into effect.
2)
The plan appeared to be working. Abraham was not mistreated but rather honored. He
increased in wealth. Yet we wonder what was going on in his mind during the weeks or months
Sarah was in Pharaoh’s harem.
3)
He brought sickness into Pharaoh’s home. He revealed to Pharaoh what was going on.
4)
Against Pharaoh: Abraham wasn’t showing a good example. Besides, he caused grief and
trouble to come upon Pharaoh.
Against Sarah: Abraham was willing to put his wife in an extremely compromising situation. He
wasn’t protecting her or showing love to her but was concerned only with himself.
Against God: He wasn’t letting his light shine so that people would see his good works and
glorify God. He wasn’t honoring God by trusting in God’s promises. Yet God forgave Abraham
and had mercy on him.
Note: As you continue to work through Genesis, you will come across two more times when
Abraham and his son Isaac lied about their wives. In all these cases, it is clear that they had
sinned and caused problems for themselves and those around them. Yet the Lord himself never
rebuked the patriarchs. Rather, he protected them and warned the rulers not to touch these men
or their wives. This shows that these accounts are here not just to show us the sins of the
patriarchs but to show their exalted status in the world. They, and they alone, held the key to the
world’s future.
5) Pharaoh would not have taken Sarah for his wife. He appeared to be an upright man, perhaps
even a believer in the true God. Here we have an earthly king taking the father of all believers to
task because Abraham had acted in a wrong and shameful way.
Week 8
Saturday - Genesis 13
Abraham and Lot separate
Insight
Verses 1-3
“Egypt . . . Negev . . . Bethel”—Abraham did not remain in a single location of Canaan.
The land of Egypt lay to the south. Abraham returned from there and settled for a while
in the Negev, the southern part of Canaan. (Later he would live there at a place called
Beersheba.) He went north to Bethel where he had once before worshiped God, and he
worshiped him there again (12:8). Keep Bethel (literally “the house of God”) in mind.
This is a very important place in the lives of the patriarchs and would be important in the
lives of the Israelites.
Verse 4
“Called on the name of the LORD”—Considering the trouble Abraham caused in Egypt
and his lack of trust, it must have been a great spiritual blessing and a relief to Abraham
to be at this spot and once again worship the Lord there.
Verse 11
“Plain of the Jordan”—Some commentators believe that Sodom and Gomorrah were
located where the Dead Sea is now.
Discuss/Points to Ponder
1. What problem developed in Abraham’s life?
2. How did Abraham settle the matter?
3. Lot did not choose wisely. Explain.
4. What promise did the Lord reaffirm to Abraham? How does this section of Scripture underline the
truth of Matthew 5:5?
Apply
5. What was wrong with Lot’s decision? Are there times when you are forced to make the same kind of
decision? Evaluate how Christians may respond.
Summary - Lot chose the best land, but in the end, Abraham would inherit everything.
Answers
1) Because both he and his nephew Lot were rich, they had a hard time living close together and
finding enough pastureland for both of their herds and flocks.
2) Abraham trusted in the Lord and let Lot choose which land he wanted.
3) He chose the best land, the land along the Jordan. But that’s where everyone else wanted to live
too. To get this land, he had to live among the immoral Canaanites, who created great difficulties
for his faith and his family.
4) Abraham showed great trust in the Lord. The Lord blessed Abraham’s act of faith by saying in
effect, “Abraham, you just gave everything away. But don’t be concerned, the whole land still
belongs to you and your descendants.” The same is true for God’s people today, who will inherit
the whole earth someday when God renews it.
5) Lot used his earthly reason, not his sanctified common sense, to make his decision. He wanted
an easy life, but his life of ease put him in harm’s way. Christians are always called on to choose
between the well-watered plains of the world and the rugged mountains of God’s kingdom. We
must ask the Lord for guidance to keep both feet in God’s kingdom.
Week 8
Sunday - Genesis 14
Abraham rescues Lot
Insight
Verse 1
“Arioch . . . Kedorlaomer, . . . [etc.]”—These kings were from the land that would
become Assyria and Babylon. They were descendants of Nimrod the hunter. This is the
first record of contact between God’s people and the people from the east who would
play such a large role in their future.
Verse 18
“Melchizedek”—Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” He was the king of Salem,
or “Peace.” He remains a mysterious character to us, although Hebrews chapter 7 does
tell us more. He was an Old Testament type of Christ, a priest of a different order than
Aaron. He was Abraham’s spiritual superior. Hebrews 7:3 says about him, “Without
father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the
Son of God he remains a priest forever.”
Discuss/Points to Ponder
1. Describe the terrible situation that developed in the well-watered plain where Lot chose to live.
2. How did Abraham show his faith on this occasion? On what promises of God (12:2,3) did Abraham
rely?
3. Melchizedek served as God’s agent in repeating God’s blessing on Abraham. What is significant
about Abraham’s giving him a tenth?
4. Why didn’t Abraham want to receive anything from the king of Sodom?
Apply
5. When might we have a chance today to exhibit a similar attitude toward “outside help”?
Summary - Abraham trusted God by delivering Lot. The Lord blessed Abraham through Melchiezedek.
Answers
1) The kings from the east had conquered this land in order to exact tribute from it. The kings of the
cities of the Jordan rebelled. The kings from the east punished them by taking them into captivity.
Lot was taken too.
2) Abraham took his men and went to war. He trusted in God, took inexperienced fighters to fight
against a powerful and seasoned army. Abraham may not have known about the strength of the
enemy. No doubt Abraham relied on God’s promise to curse his enemies. He may also have
relied on God’s promise to make him a blessing to all people. Considering the conversation we
will soon see, unbelievers may have come to faith in the true God through Abraham’s actions.
3) Abraham was acknowledging Melchizedek’s superiority. Melchizedek had the right to bless
Abraham, and Abraham viewed this blessing as coming from the Lord himself.
4) Abraham didn’t want the king of Sodom to be able to say that he had contributed to Abraham’s
greatness. That credit would go to God alone.
5) We must be careful when given the opportunity to receive money from the government or others
outside our congregations. We should trust that God will supply the church’s needs through
members of his church.
Week 8