Hi All!

How do you like the reading of Genesis so far? It is a book of real people and all their shortcomings. Can you see any of yourself in it? This week we will read from Genesis 20-36 (for those reading just the NT, the reading schedule and additional questions are at the bottom of this e-mail). We will cover the rest of the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham's life had seven major events. Through each of those events Abraham was in a sense being tested for his faith, obedience, and relationship with God to see if he was a man of God who could be trusted with the new covenant. Abraham pasted more of the "test" than he failed. Can you figure out which ones he passes? We can be comforted by the fact that even a strong man of God fails sometimes but God still uses us!

You will also see this week that each of the 3 main people (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that we will be reading about this week have very different personalities. It should reassure us that God uses each one of us in our own unique way and we don't have to be like anyone else.

Also you will notice that these families are dysfunctional. Mostly brought on by the choices made by the individual and the patterns learned from the previous generation. Just remember, we need to seek God to meet us in our need and help to transform our patterns. He still uses people from dysfunctional families. He can bring helping to situation. But there are consequences also that must be dealt with.

Happy reading! Remember to begin each reading time with prayer!

DAY ONE, JANUARY 8 - GENESIS 20-22
Chapter 20
Does this story sound familiar (you are not rereading from last week - he did it again!)?
How can you see God's grace in this situation?
Have you ever had to learn a lesson the hard way by repeating it?
How could you see God's grace in your situation?
How have your sins affected another person?
Chapter 21
What does verse 1 say?
How have you seen God keep his promises to you?
What were the consequences of Abe and Sarah's choice to use Hagar to produce a child?
How does God take care of Hagar and Ishmael?
How have you seen God answer your cries of desperation?
How does Abraham show concern and respect for his neighbor?
How can you show concern and respect for your neighbors?
Chapter 22
What did God ask of Abe to test his faith and obedience?
How did Abe respond?
What was the one thing that Abe probably loved most? How hard would that be to sacrifice? What is the one thing that God promised Abe that now seemed in jeopardy?
How well are you able to give to God the things you prize the highest? What is God asking you to give up for him?
In verse 5 it says, "we will return" what do you think Abe was thinking seeing he was going up there to sacrifice Isaac? See Hebrew 11:19 for help (vs. 8-19 are interesting to read about Abe).
In verse 14 the name of God in Hebrew is Jehovah-Jireh (God will provide). How has God provided for you?

DAY TWO, JANUARY 9 - GENESIS 23-24
Chapter 23
Buying land often means something is permanent and a person is going to stay put. How does the buying of the land here show that Abe believes God's promise that he will stay and inherit the land?
Is God asking you to do something so show you believe his promises to you?
Chapter 24
How does Abe show in this chapter that he believe God wants him and his descendants to have the land in Canaan? What is Abe asking his servant to do?
How do we see the servant's faith in God?
How do we see God leading and directing the servant with each step?
Whom do you give the credit for when you accomplish something you set out to do?
How willing are you to tell others about the work of God in your life just as the servant did with Rebekah's family?

DAY THREE, JANUARY 10 - GENESIS 25-26
Chapter 25
By giving everything to Isaac, how did Abraham show he believed in the promises of God to him?
How do your action and attitudes show you understand and believe God's promises to you?
What was the prophecy God gave Rebekah concerning her sons?
What are the names of the twins and what do the names mean? Names in Bible times often revealed something about a person's job or character - see if you can figure out something about the boys in the next few chapters.
Seeing Esau was the oldest and therefore the rightful recipient of the promise God past down from Abe, how does Esau's behavior and words show he didn't value what the Lord promised their descendants?
How does Jacob value was God gave his family but how is his behavior in receiving it ungodly yet true to his character (how is that for a question - do you understand it?)?
Chapter 26
What sin of Abraham is evident in Isaac's life? You would think this family would learn don't you?
How does Isaac show great patience in dealing with the wells?
Where do you need exhibit patience as opposed to fighting in your life?
What promise does God give Isaac?
How does Isaac respond?
How did Esau show that he didn't care about raising a family that understood God and his promises?
How difficult is it to live with a person who doesn't value God and his promises? What kind of consequences might there be?

DAY FOUR, JANUARY 11 - GENESIS 27-28
Chapter 27
How dysfunctional was this family!?!
How did Esau show disregard for the oath he had made to Isaac in ch. 25?
How does Jacob live us to his name the deceiver? Where might he have learned this? How important are parental models?
How does Jacob show he values the promise and birthright yet doesn't trust God to give it his way and in his time?
How do you often exhibit a blend of trust/mistrust, obedience/disobedience, and faith/doubt? Which do you act on trust, faith, obedience or disobedience, mistrust, doubt like Jacob did?
How important is it to bless another person?
Chapter 28
Can you sort through all this dysfunction and think about what qualities made Jacob more worthy of the birthright and blessing then Esau - keep watching also in later chapters.
What blessing and promise does God give Jacob? Does it sound familiar?
What hope, encouragement and challenge is there in that promise?
What does it encourage you?
How does the end of the chapter show Jacob is still bargaining and trying to manipulate God?
How have you done that in your life?

DAY FIVE, JANUARY 12 - GENESIS 29-30
Chapter 29
Where does Jacob meet Rachel?
What does he do to support her?
How supportive are you of others?
How did Jacob's behavior come back at him? You know the saying, "What goes around comes around."
Even though' Jacob was in the habit of tricking others, do you think he deserved this treatment?
How do you respond to wrong done to you?
How do you see Leah's attitude changing and going from focusing on herself to focusing on God?
How do thing change when our focus is in the right place?
Chapter 30
How does Rachel repeat the same sin as Jacob's grandmother Sarah? How do the names of the children show selfishness again?
How do you think this kind of jealousy and completion will affect the family?
Note: a mandrake root was suppose to bring fertility - it was like using magic potions. How are the girls now resorting to superstition and magic to get their way? We see a number of instances in this chapter when Leah, Laban, and Jacob use superstitious, magical, and occult ways to get things. Just because God allows the truth of people's lives to be printed in the Bible does not mean they are the way God desires or intends them. You will see through out the Bible in various places that God abhors these practices.
Have you dabbled in the occult, even in a small way, and need to repent of the action?

DAY SIX, JANUARY 13 - GENESIS 31-32
Chapter 31
Although Laban was mistreating Jake, Jake was able to say in vs. 7b, "God has not allowed him to do me any harm." How are you able to see God taking care of you even in difficult situations?
How would like to live in that family? Where has God placed you in your family - can you still obey him and hear his voice? How well are you listening to him?
There is a necklace with the Mizpah agreement on it. Many people think it is a blessing but what is it really?
Have you or someone you know used only part of the Bible to mean something that it is not?
Chapter 32
Why is Jake scared to go any farther?
Have you ever had to return to a situation where you knew you had to face the consequences of your sin?
How can prayer and God's presence help you?
What did Jake do by himself at Peniel? Who do you think he was wrestling with and why?
Have you ever struggled with God over a sin, decision, circumstance, etc?
Why was Jake's name changed? What does that say about his character?
Did Jake come out of the struggle untouched?

How has God touched you in your struggles and what did you learn?

DAY SEVEN, JANUARY 14 - GENESIS 33-36
Chapter 33
Do you think Jacob was expecting the reception he got from Esau?
How have you experienced forgiveness from another and how is that like "seeing the smile of God?"
In vs. 20 it says that Jacob named the place, "El Elohe-Isreal" which means the God of the one who struggles." How can you say that God is your El Elohe-Isreal?
Chapter 34
How are Jacob's sons showing some of the same trait of trickery that Jacob has had in his life?
Is there a sin that has been modeled to you that you need to turn away from?
What other sins do you see in this chapter that people need to confess and turn from before there is a disaster?
Chapter 35
What actions on the part of Jacob show he understands the need for repentance?
Where does his focus turn to now?
How can we see the relationship between Jacob (and his family) and God has been restored?
Have you experienced a renewal of your relationship with God? If not, is there a sin you need to confess?
The first three sons of Jacob are Reuben, Simon, and Levi. Each of them committed a grave sin that showed in their character that they weren't sensitive enough to God to receive the blessing and birthright. Judah ends up being the son from whose line Jesus comes. How does your character show you are sensitive to the things of God or do you need to ask God to work in a positive way on your character?
Chapter 36
What there anyone from this chapter that interested you?
Esau is the father of the Edomites. They were often in conflict with Israel. How did the tension between the two brothers effect all their descendants?

YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THESE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR ANY BIBLE READING:

Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.

Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
     S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
     P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
     A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
     C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
     E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
     P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
     E - Errors to avoid?
     T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.