by Rick Marin | Jun 21, 2022 | Genesis
Why did Jacob say that Dan shall judge his people?
(Genesis 46-50; Heb. 11:21; Rev. 5:5) Blog 19-25 Jun. 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world in six days and placed a perfect couple to live in it. They freely chose to break God’s covenant with them, bringing corruption and condemnation to all who followed. Two thousand years later God destroyed the earth by a flood. After Noah, God made a covenant with Abraham, then renewed it with Isaac and Jacob. Jacob’s special son, Joseph, was sold into Egypt but God turned the curse into a blessing that saved the lives of his entire family.
Moving to Egypt
1. When Jacob realized that Joseph was alive in Egypt, what did he say? Jacob said: “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.” (Gen. 45:27-28).
2. As Jacob and all his family started their journey south where did they stop to offer sacrifices and what happened there? Jacob stopped in Beer-sheba & God spoke to him there in a vision, telling hm not to fear going to Egypt for God would go with him & make him a great nation down there (Gen. 46:1-4).
3. What New Testament timeline finds its starting point where God spoke to Jacob in Beer-sheba? Beer-sheba means “well of the covenant” & it was there that God renewed the Abrahamic covenant (with Jacob) for the last time before the exodus, thus, beginning the 430 years (4 generations of servitude) that God told Abraham his descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs (Gen. 15:13-16; Acts 7:17, 35; Gal. 3:16-17).
4. How does Moses (in Genesis 46) list Jacob’s descendants that came into Egypt? Moses first lists Jacob’s descendants by Leah who total 33, then his descendants by Leah’s maid who total 16, next his descendants by Rachel who total 14, & finally his descendants by Rachel’s maid who total 7, which he adds up to seventy souls including Jacob (it appears that some of his grandsons are not included to make a total of 70) (Gen. 46:8-27).
5. After meeting his father and brethren in Goshen, what did Joseph do? Joseph introduced five of his bothers & his father to Pharaoh who asked what their occupation was & offered them the land of Goshen to live in (Gen. 46:28 – 47:6).
6. If according to Hebrews, the lessor is always blessed by the better, what does that tell us about the interchange between Jacob and Pharaoh? When Pharoah asked Jacob his age & Jacob blessed Pharoah we should understand that Jacob was greater in God’s eyes than Pharaoh (Gen. 47:8-10: Heb. 7:7).
7. As the famine progressed how were the people able to buy food? When their money ran out, Joseph accepted cattle as payment for corn; when cattle ran out, he accepted property as payment; when property ran out he accepted servitude as payment; & eventually Joseph set up a system of sharecropping & enacted an ongoing 20% tax on income (Gen. 47:13-26).
8. Before he died, what promise did Jacob secure from Joseph? Joseph promised to not bury his father in Egypt but rather to bury him back in Canaan where his father & grandfather were buried (Gen. 47:26-31).
Jacob blesses Joseph
9. When Joseph took his boys to see Jacob on his deathbed, what did Jacob do? Jacob sat up in bed & repeated to Joseph God’s covenant promises, then claiming Ephraim & Manasseh as two more sons of his, he blessed the two boys giving them equal standing with their 11 uncles, thus giving Israel 13 tribes (Gen. 48:1-16; Heb. 11:21).
10. When Joseph tried to direct his father’s right hand to Manasseh, what happened? Jacob crossed his arms giving the greater blessing to Ephraim, the younger. This reminds us that both Abraham & Isaac gave the blessing of the firstborn to their second-born sons (Gen. 48:17-20).
11. To what does Genesis 48:22 refer? Jacob tells Joseph that he will receive two portions of the land of Canaan as an inheritance. Then he refers to either an untold story of armed aggression or more likely, a prophesy of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan & the bestowal of land both to Ephraim & Manasseh, giving Joseph the double portion that should have been Reuben’s if he had not defiled his father’s bed (Gen. 48:22; Num. 32:39; 1 Chron. 5:1-2).
Jacob blesses all his sons
12. What does Jacob propose to tell his sons in Genesis 49? As a prophet of God & heir of the Abrahamic covenant Jacob tells his sons what will befall them in the future (Gen. 49:1).
13. How was the tribe of Levi scattered in Israel? What Jacob said of Levi became a blessing rather than a curse for the tribe of Levi became the priests who were given 48 cities all over the land of Canaan (Gen. 49:7; Josh. 21).
14. How would it be that Judah’s brethren would praise and bow down to him? Judah, like a lion, represents a ruler & from his line David & Jesus were born to rule over their brethren even though they washed their clothes in blood (Gen. 49:8-12; 1 Chron. 2:3; Isa. 63:3; Rev. 5:5).
15. Why did Jacob say that Dan shall judge his people? The name Dan means judge & when the twelve tribes are sealed that is judgment day for Dan is the judge & is not included among the twelve (Gen 49:16; Rev. 7).
16. To which of his sons did Jacob give the longest blessing? Although in front of all his brothers Joseph did not receive a double blessing in behalf of his two sons, he did receive the longest & most positive blessing of his father (Gen. 49:22-26).
17. Where was Jacob buried? After being embalmed (40 days) & being mourned for 70 days, Jacob’s sons & many Egyptian rulers took him to Canaan, mourned 7 more days there, & buried him in the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 50:1-14).
18. What did Joseph request of his brethren before he died? Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel that when they left Egypt, they would carry his bones back to the land of Canaan for he believed God’s covenant (Gen. 50:22-26; Ex. 13:19).
by Rick Marin | Jun 14, 2022 | Genesis
Who does Judah represent?
(Genesis 41:38 – 45:28; Heb. 7:22) Blog Jun. 12-18, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God’s perfect world was corrupted and condemned by sin. Things got so bad that 2000 years after creation, God destroyed the earth by a flood. When Noah’s descendants got worse God called Abraham to be his representative. The promises God made to Abraham were renewed to Isaac and Jacob. When Jacob’s special son Joseph was sold into Egypt both father and son experienced serious trials.
Land of Plenty
1. Why did Pharaoh choose Joseph to oversee the preparations for famine relief? Pharaoh chose Joseph to be in charge of famine relief because the Spirit of God was in him, making him discreet & wise (Gen. 41:38-39).
2. Besides putting Joseph in charge of grain storage what else did Pharaoh do for Joseph? Pharaoh made Joseph second ruler in the land, gave him his signet ring, clothed him in fine linen, put a gold chain on his neck, had him ride in the king’s second chariot, & gave him Asenath as wife (Gen. 41:40-45).
3. What name did Pharaoh call Joseph? Pharaoh call Joseph “Zaphnath-paaneah” which means “treasury of the glorious rest” which must indicate that Joseph was a faithful Sabbath keeper (Gen. 41:45).
4. How old was Joseph when he began working for Pharaoh? Joseph was 30 years old when he began working for Pharaoh (Gen. 41:46).
5. How did Joseph begin and execute his famine relief work? Joseph began by surveying the entire land of Egypt, then he gathered up & stored the surplus grain crops in storehouses throughout the land (Gen. 41:46-49).
6. Who were born to Joseph and Asenath during the years of plenty? Ephraim & Manasseh were born to Joseph & Asenath before the famine struck the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:50-52).
7. What, most likely, do we today call the storehouses that Joseph had built? We call them the pyramids of Egypt in whose temperature-controlled chambers have been found fertile grains of corn thousands of years later.
Land of Drought
8. When the famine began how was Joseph prepared for the crisis? When the people cried to Pharaoh for food, he told them to go to Joseph who had storehouses full of grain & they bought from him (Gen. 41:53-57).
9. As other countries with no storehouses began to suffer famine what did they do? They sent buyers to Egypt to buy corn. So it was that Joseph’s ten older brothers journeyed there for that purpose (Gen. 41:56-57;42:1-5).
10. How did Joseph receive his brothers? Joseph received his brothers roughly & accused them of being spies without revealing himself to them (Gen. 42:6-9).
11. What proposal did Joseph make so his brothers could prove that they were not spies? Joseph proposed that they all be put in prison except one who would return home & bring Benjamin back as proof that they were not spies (Gen. 42:10-16).
12. How did Joseph relax his demand that all his brothers but one stay in prison? Joseph kept Simeon in prison allowing the others to take food back to their families & bring Benjamin back (Gen. 42:17-24).
13. When the need required that Joseph’s brothers make a second trip to Egypt, who interposed? Reuben told his father that he would be responsible if anything happened to Benjamin but Jacob did not accept his offer. But when Judah proposed to be surety for the lad Jacob let Benjamin go (Gen. 42:37-38; 43:1-14).
14. In this story who does Judah represent? Judah represents Jesus who became surety for the human race & unlike Judah, was required to suffer, even hell itself, because he became surety for all of us (Psa. 119:121-122; Prov. 11:15; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:22).
Dreams Fulfilled
15. When Benjamin came with his bothers to Egypt which of Joseph’s childhood dreams was fulfilled? Joseph’s dream of the sheaves of wheat was fulfilled when his eleven brothers bowed to him (Gen. 43:26-28; 44:14).
16. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers how did he assure them of his forgiveness for selling him as a slave? Joseph didn’t tell his brothers of his years of suffering in prison, but rather he told them that God used their cruel act to preserve their lives & that of the promised Seed (Gen. 45:5-8).
17. What command did Joseph and Pharaoh give to the eleven brothers? Joseph and Pharaoh commanded the eleven brothers to bring their father & come occupy the best land in Egypt. They even supplied them with wagons & bountiful provisions for the journey (Gen. 45:9-20).
18. What should we learn from the fact that a severe test and the appeal of a substitute preceded inhabiting the best of the land? Before we inhabit our promised land there will be a severe test & only the appeal of our Substitute & Surety will make that blessing possible (Zech. 3:1-5; 2 Cor. 5:10).
by Rick Marin | Jun 8, 2022 | Genesis
Why did God bless Joseph?
(Genesis 36-41; Psalm 105:16-22; Acts 7:8-10; John 4:5) Blog Jun. 5-11, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world with perfect creatures, but sin changed all that. Things got so bad that 2000 years later God destroyed the earth by a flood. When Noah’s descendants got worse God called Abraham to be his representative. The promises God made to Abraham were renewed to Isaac and Jacob despite the faults in their characters.
Off to a troubled start
1. In Genesis 36 what point is emphasized at least four times? Genesis 36 emphasizes that Esau is the progenitor of the Edomites who settled in Mount Seir. Edom means “red” (Gen. 25:30; 36:1, 8, 19, 43).
2. What things about Rachel’s son Joseph aggravated his ten older brothers? Joseph was his father’s favorite son, he reported the bad deeds of his brothers, he told his brothers dreams that placed him above them, & his father made him a princely coat of many colors (Gen. 37:2-11; John 4:5).
3. What was the first dream that Joseph told to his brothers? Joseph dreamed that in the harvest his sheaf of grain stood tall while those of his eleven brothers bowed down to his sheaf (Gen. 37:6-8).
4. What was the second dream Joseph told to his brothers? Joseph dreamed that the sun & the moon & eleven stars bowed down to him (Gen. 37:9).
5. How did Jacob react to Joseph’s second dream? Jacob reproved Joseph for thinking that his father & mother would bow to him but he believed that God was revealing the future to his son (Gen. 37:10).
6. What kind of reception did Joseph receive from his brothers when sent by his father to enquire of their welfare? Joseph’s brothers threw him in a dry well, thinking to kill him, but then, at Judah’s suggestion, sold him as a slave into Egypt (Gen. 37:12-28; Acts 7:8-9).
7. When Jacob was shown Joseph’s bloody coat of many colors, what was his reaction? Jacob guessed that a wild animal had killed Joseph & that he would only be together with him again in death: so, he mourned uncontrollably (Gen. 37:31-35).
Blessings and Challenges
8. When Judah married a Canaanite who bore him three sons what strange events took place? After marrying his first son to Tamar, that son died, so he gave her to his second son who had no desire to raise up heirs for his dead brother & he died. After promising Tamar his third son when he became old enough, Judah delayed & after his wife died Tamar tricked him into producing twins by her & he recognized that her trickery was more righteous than his failed promise (Gen. 38:1-26).
9. Where does the firstborn of Tamar’s twins appear in the New Testament? Tamar’s firstborn, Pharez, is mentioned in Luke & in Matthew as a progenitor of David & of Jesus (Matt. 1:3-6; Luke 3:33).
10. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, what is happening to Joseph? After Joseph was sold into slavery, he determined to be true to the God of his father & God blessed him as he worked in Potiphar’s house (Gen. 39:1-3).
11. What severe temptation was Joseph faced with after Potiphar put him as overseer in charge of all his house? Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce Joseph, & when she finally grabbed him he fled (Gen. 39:4-15).
12. When Potiphar’s wife told him that Joseph had tried to rape her, what did he do? In order to save the reputation of his house, Potiphar had Joseph placed in the prison dungeon with his feet shackled in iron (Gen. 39:16-20; Psa. 105:17-19).
13. How did Joseph fare in prison? In prison Joseph behaved so well that soon he was given responsibilities there by the keeper of the prison: so much so that he eventually ran the whole prison (Gen. 39:21-23).
14. What two important officers were at one time placed in Joseph’s charge in the prison? Pharaoh’s chief butler & chief baker were placed under Joseph’s care in prison (Gen. 40:1-4).
15. How was Joseph’s kindly care of the prisoners demonstrated with Pharaoh’s officers? Joseph’s concern & care for the prisons is demonstrated by his kindness & concern for the wellbeing of the butler & the baker, for he listened to their dreams and rightly interpreted them for them (Gen. 40:5-23).
God interprets dreams
16. What request did Joseph make of the chief butler after interpreting his dream? Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him & ask Pharaoh for his release from the dungeon for he was innocent (Gen. 40:14-15).
17. What finally reminded the chief butler to mention Joseph to Pharaoh? Pharaoh had two dreams that all his wise men were unable to interpret & that reminded the chief butler of Joseph who had rightly interpreted his dream while in the dungeon (Gen. 41:1-9).
18. What were the two dreams that Pharaoh had? Pharaoh dreamed that seven fat cows came out of the river & then seven skinny cows came out and swallowed the seven fat cows. Then he dreamed about a stock of corn that had seven fat ears which were then devoured by seven skinny ears of corn (Gen. 41:1-8).
19. When Joseph was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams what principles of interpretation did he use? Joseph first depended on God to interpret the dreams he had given. Next, he reminded Pharaoh that God reveals the future before it happens & that the repetition of the same kind of dream shows that it is sure to take place very soon. Then he explained that the number seven referred to years & that “fat” referred to plenty & “thin” referred to famine (Gen. 41:14-32).
20. What advice did Joseph give Pharaoh and with what results? Joseph advised Pharaoh to get a wise man to oversee the land charging 20% tax in the good years so as to have food for the bad years & Pharaoh appointed Joseph to that task making him second ruler in Egypt (Gen. 41:33-41; Psa. 105:21-22; Acts 7:8-10).
by Rick Marin | May 31, 2022 | Genesis
How did Esau greet Jacob?
(Genesis 31-35; Jeremiah 30:5-7) Blog May 29 – Jun. 04, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world with perfect creatures but when sin entered through one man, all that changed. Things got so bad that 2000 years later God destroyed the earth by a flood. Wickedness soon rose again, and God called Abraham to be his representative to who he made wonderful promises. God kept these covenant promises alive through Isaac and Jacob who experienced tests and trials like their parents Abraham and Sarah had.
The Journey Home
1. When God told Jacob to take his family and return to Canaan from Padan-aram, what happened? Jacob left while Laban was away shearing sheep but three days later Laban pursued him, catching up on the tenth day (Gen. 31:17-25).
2. How did God protect Jacob from the anger of his father-in-law? God spoke to Laban in a dream, telling him not to try to bribe or harm Jacob (Gen. 31:24, 29).
4. How did Laban and Jacob settle their differences? Laban & Jacob made a covenant with witnesses & vows not to pass the pillar of stones raised there to do harm to the other (Gen. 31:44-55).
5. How did Jacob prepare for his dreaded encounter with Esau? Jacob sent messengers to Esau in Seir, telling him that he was returning with flocks & family & requesting that he be gracious unto him (Gen. 32:3-5).
6. With what message did Jacob’s messengers return? Jacob’s messengers returned telling him that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men, which made Jacob very afraid (Gen. 32:6-7).
7. After splitting up his household what did Jacob do? Jacob reminded God that it was he that told him to return to Canaan & that he had promised to do him good & to multiply his seed. After asking God to deliver him, he sent droves of animals ahead for Esau with servants saying: “Behold, they servant Jacob is behind us.” (Gen. 32:9-21).
8. After moving his wives and children across the Jabbok River what did Jacob experience? Jacob wrestled all night with a “man” who put his thigh out of joint. So, knowing it was God, Jacob asked him for a blessing (Gen. 32:24-26).
9. What blessing did God give Jacob when they wrestled together? God gave Jacob a new name: Israel, which means prince of God & he blessed him. In a similar way God’s people are given a new name in the final time of Jacob’s trouble as the seven last plagues are poured out (Gen. 32:27-29; Isa. 62:1-4; Rev. 3:12).
The brothers Meet
10. When Jacob saw Esau coming toward him, what did he do? Jacob arranged the order of his family & went before them, bowing seven times as he neared his brother (Gen. 33:1-3).
11. How did Esau greet Jacob as they neared each other? Esau ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, fell on his neck, & kissed him & they wept (Gen. 33:4).
12. After meeting all of Jacob’s family what did Esau ask? Esau asked about all the droves of animals that Jacob had sent ahead & Jacob said that they were so he would find grace in Esau’s sight (Gen. 33:8).
13. With what grace had Jacob been treated since leaving Laban? Jacob was graciously forgiven & blessed by God & then Esau also received his deceiver with the grace of forgiveness (Gen. 32:26-30; 33:4).
Back in Canaan
14. What is the meaning of Succoth where Jacob first settled back in Canaan? Succoth means “booths” which Jacob built there & should remind us of the Feast of Booths that God’s people are to celebrate after going through the time of Jacob’s trouble (Gen. 33:17; Deut. 15:13; Jer. 30:6-9).
15. Instead of peace, what did Jacob find when he pitched his tent in Shalem? When Jacob pitched his tent in Shalem facing Shechem, his daughter Dinah went visiting the Canaanite girls in the city & was abducted & raped by Shechem, the prince of that land (Gen. 33:18-34:2).
16. How did Dinah’s brothers react to what happened to their sister. Simeon & Levi hatched a plan giving the Shechemites the privilege of intermarrying with them if their men would all become circumcised. Then on the third day after all their men were circumcised the two brothers entered the city & slew all the men of Shechem (Gen. 34:7-26).
17. When Jacob learned what his sons had done, what did he do. After the slaughter of the Shechemites, Jacob moved to Bethel at the command of God & built an altar there where he had dreamed of the ladder to heaven (Gen 35:1-7).
18. What request did Jacob make of his household before moving to Bethel? Jacob requested all in his household to put away all their strange gods, bathe, & change their clothes, & when they gave him the gods, he buried them (Gen. 35:2-4).
19. After God in Bethel reminded Jacob again of his covenant blessings what happened? As Jacob was moving his household towards Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to Benjamin & then died & was buried (Gen. 35:16-20).
20. What lessons should we learn from the events that happened when Jacob returned to Canaan? We should learn that God protects us when we follow his instructions, that taking an outward covenant sign is no guarantee of being included in the covenant blessings & that we worship God best when we bury our idols first (Gen. 34:24; 35:1, 9-12).
by Rick Marin | May 24, 2022 | Genesis
What positive application can be made from the story of Isaac and Jacob?
(Genesis 25-30; Hebrews 11:20; 12:16-17) Blog May 22-28, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: Adam brought guilt and corruption on humanity, but God provided a New Adam in whom is no guilt or corruption. When wickedness became universal, God destroyed the earth by a flood. After the flood Nimrod and his companions built a God-defying tower that God interrupted by confusing their language. Eventually God called Abraham to be his representative on earth. After fulfilling his promise to give Abraham and Sarah an heir, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only-begotten son, but was spared by a divinely provided substitute. After Sarah’s death Abraham secured a non-Canaanite wife for Isaac.
Two Brothers
1. What did God tell Rebekah about the tumult in her womb? God told Rebekah that there were two nations in her womb & that the older would serve the younger (Gen. 25:22-23; Rom. 9:10-12).
2. As Jacob and Esau grew, how are their characters described? Esau was a cunning hunter of the field while Jacob was a plain, household man (Gen. 25:27).
3. How is the word describing Jacob as “plain,” translated in other parts of the Bible? The Hebrew word tam, here translated as “plain,” is translated at “perfect” in Genesis 6, Job 1, & Psalm 37 (Gen. 6:9; Job 1:8; Psa. 37:37).
4. How were Isaac and Rebekah’s affections divided? Isaac loved Esau because he liked the venison he brought him but Rebekah loved Jacob (Gen. 25:28).
5. Which of Rebekah’s two sons did God love more? God loved Jacob more than he loved Esau (Mal. 1:2-3; Rom. 9:13).
6. What was Esau’s attitude toward the family birthright that would make him priest of the family? Esau despised the family birthright & sold it to Jacob for a pot of lentil soup (Gen. 25:29-34; Heb. 12:16-17).
7. What lapse of faith did Isaac exhibit when God told him to outlive the famine in the land of Gerar? Isaac followed the pattern of his father by lying about his wife while living in the land of Gerar (Gen. 26:1-11).
8. What New Testament teaching did both Abraham and Isaac fail to live by? Abraham & Isaac both failed to be willing to die for their wives like Christ did for his bride, the church (Rom. 5:7; Eph. 5:25).
9. After Isaac made a covenant with the king of the Philistines what did Esau do? Esau married two Hittite women which brought great sorrow to Isaac & Rebekah (Gen. 26:28-35).
Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob
10. When Isaac was old and blind what did he ask Esau to do? Isaac asked Esau to go hunt a deer & prepare it for him that he might give Esau the blessing of the firstborn (Gen. 27:1-4).
11. When Rebekah heard that Isaac planned to give the blessing to Esau, what did she do? Rebekah told Jacob to fetch a couple kid goats from the flock so she could prepare a savory meal for Jacob to present to his father so that he might receive the blessing rather than his older brother (Gen. 27:5-10).
13. When Jacob protested against his mother’s idea what did she say? Rebekah told Jacob to just do as she said & that if his father cursed him she would bear the curse (Gen. 27:11-13).
14. Besides the savory food what other preparations did Rebekah provide for Jacob? Rebekah clothed Jacob with his brother’s clothes & placed goat skin on his hands and neck so he would smell & feel like Esau (Gen. 27:14-17).
15. When Jacob took the food to his father and asked for the blessing of the firstborn what did Isaac request? Isaac asked Jacob who he was, how he had shot a deer so fast, & to come near so he could feel him (Gen. 27:18-24).
16. Was Jacob’s deception of his father successful? Yes, his father consumed the flesh & wine & gave Jacob the blessing of the firstborn son (Gen. 27:25-29).
17. What positive application can be made from the story of Isaac and Jacob? Isaac represents God, the Father, Rebekah represents the Holy Spirit, Esau represents Jesus, our Elder Brother who deserves the blessing, & Jacob represents us sinners who receive the blessing if we come before the Father (with flesh & blood) in the name of Jesus & clothed in his righteousness (Matt. 10:41; Col. 1:6).
Far from Home
18. When Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob, what happened? With tears Esau begged Isaac for a blessing also but only received a secondary blessing so became angry & planned to kill his brother, but Jacob fled to his mother’s homeland (Gen. 27:30-46; 28:1-5).
19. As Jacob journeyed toward Padan-aram what experience did he have? Jacob dreamed of a ladder from earth to heaven on which angels traveled & at the top the Lord repeated to him the promises made to Abraham so Jacob vowed to serve God & return the tithe (Gen 28:10-22).
20. When Jacob met his uncle Laban what contract did they make? Jacob agreed to work for Laban 7 years in exchange for his daughter Rachel (Gen. 29:1-20).
21. How did Laban deceive Jacob? Instead of giving Rachel to Jacob at the end of 7 years, Laban gave him her sister Leah, requiring 7 more years work for Rachel (Gen. 29:21-26).
22. What should we learn from Laban telling Jacob to fulfill Leah’s “week” before he would give him Rachel? Marriage covenants were to be ratified or confirmed by sleeping together 7 nights. In like manner Daniel 9:27 says that Jesus would confirm the covenant for one week (Gen. 29:27; Dan. 9:27).
23. After producing 12 children with four wives and caring for Laban’s herds for a number of years what message did Jacob receive from God? God told Jacob that he would be with him & that he should go back to Canaan (Gen. 31:1-16).
by Rick Marin | May 16, 2022 | Genesis
Who does Isaac represent?
(Genesis 20-25; Romans 4:1-12; Hebrews 11:17-19) Blog 15-21 May 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: By choosing to eat the forbidden fruit Adam brought guilt and corruption on the entire human race. God immediately stepped in between humanity and death by offering himself in our place. When Cain, rejected God’s Substitute, he found no forgiveness and in anger murdered his brother. A couple thousand years later after warning earth’s inhabitants for 120 years, God destroyed the earth by a flood because of its violent wickedness. Only those who believed the warning and entered the ark survived. After the flood Nimrod and his companions built a God-defying tower that God interrupted by confusing their language. Eventually God called Abraham to be his representative on earth and promised him an heir and great blessing.
Another Detour
1. After Lot fled the destruction of Sodom what people groups did he father through his two surviving daughters? Lot became the father of the Moabites & of the Ammonites (Gen. 19:36-38).
2. Where did Abraham next reveal his human weakness? Abraham journeyed southward to Gerar & again lied about Sarah being his wife causing her to be taken by Abimelech, king of Gerar (Gen. 20:1-2).
3. How did God prevent any harm to Abraham and Sarah in Gerar? God came to Abimelech in a dream, telling him he was as good as dead if he didn’t return Sarah to her husband. God closed the wombs of all the women of Abimelech’s household (Gen. 20:3-7, 17-18).
4. When God told Abimelech that he had kept him from sinning, whom did he say he had protected? God said he had kept Abimelech from sinning against God, himself, showing that what one does to God’s people he does to God (Gen. 20:6).
Baby Laughter
5. When Sarah gave birth to the promised son of Abraham at the time God had foretold, what name did Abraham give him? Abraham gave the promised son the name Isaac (Laughter) which is what God said they should name him (Gen. 21:1-3).
6. What happened at the feast Abraham threw for the weaning of Isaac? Ishmael was seen making fun of baby Isaac & Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away (Gen. 21:8-9).
7. Who else told Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her son whom Abraham loved? God told Abraham to listen to his wife & send Hagar & Ishmael away (Gen. 21:11-12).
8. What should we learn from God’s command to cast out the bondwoman? We should not hope to receive God’s promised inheritance because of something we do, but like Abraham, we can only inherit it by faith in Jesus, God’s promised Son (Rom. 4:1-5; Gal. 3:29; 4:30).
9. What can we learn from God’s care for Hagar and Ishmael? We learn that God rewards our good deeds even though they are not the basis of our eternal inheritance (Gen. 22:13-21; Psa. 19:11; Prov. 11:18; Matt. 10:42; 1 Cor. 3:8).
10. How did Abraham and Abimelech settle a dispute? Abraham & Abimelech settled their differences by making a covenant in which Abraham provided 7 ewe lambs as a token or sign of the covenant (Gen. 21:22-32).
The Final Test
11. What final test did God bring to Abraham while Sarah was still alive? God asked Abraham to take his son Isaac & sacrifice him as a burnt offering on a distant mountain (Gen. 22:1-2).
12. How did Abraham answer Isaac when he asked: “where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham answered: “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering,” & God himself became our sin offering (Gen. 22:7-8; Isa. 53:10; 2 Cor. 5:21).
13. What happened when Abraham raised the knife to slay his altar-bound son? God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac & provided a ram caught in a nearby thicket as a substitute sacrifice (Gen. 22:10-13).
14. Was God testing Abraham to see if his character was good enough for heaven? No, God was not testing Abraham’s character but rather he was testing his faith, for it is by God’s grace through faith that we are saved (Gen. 22:12; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 11:17).
15. What shows the extent of Abraham’s faith? Abraham was willing to carry out God’s instructions for he believed that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19).
16. Who does Isaac represent in the journey to Mount Moriah? Isaac represents Jesus, the promised Seed of Abraham, who willingly endured the shame & death of the cross on Mount Moriah, and who was not spared the sacrificial death like Abraham’s “only begotten son” (Gal. 3:16; Heb. 11:17).
17. What did Abraham, the nomad, do when Sarah died at the age of 127 years? When Sarah died Abraham negotiated for a parcel of land in which to bury her (Gen. 23:1-20).
18. After Sarah died what concern occupied Abraham’s mind? Abraham was concerned that a non-Canaanite wife be found for Isaac & he commissioned his servant to make the long journey back to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac from among their kindred (Gen. 24:1-9).
19. How did God bless the mission of Abraham’s servant to find a wife for Isaac? The servant asked God to direct him to the right woman & God did, even to the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, Nahor, & he brought her home to Isaac (Gen. 24:10-67).
20. If Isaac was 75 years old when Abraham died then which of Isaac’s children would have been 15 years old at that time? Jacob & Esau would have been 15 years old when their grandfather Abraham died (Gen. 21:5; 25:7, 26).
