Jesus in Genesis: Abraham Plants a Tree

OUTLINE

• God is Faithful (Genesis 21:1-2)

• God is Fun (Genesis 21:5-7)

• God is Father (Genesis 21:9-22)

• God is Forever (Genesis 21:31-34)

QUESTIONS:

1. What stuck out to you from today’s passage?

2. (Genesis 21:1-2) God is faithful, He always does what He says. Where do you most struggle to believe that He is faithful and always does what He says? How has He proven Himself faithful in your life over the decades?

3. (Genesis 21:5-7) God is fun, He brings and causes laughter. How does sin and doubt kill joy and laughter? What are some ways that the Gospel restores joy and laughter? Do you believe God is fun? Where has sin killed your joy and laughter? How might Jesus want to restore the Joy of your salvation?

4. (Genesis 21:9-22) God is a good Father. In verse 17, He seems uncaring and unkind. In view of Genesis 16:7-15, what do you think He was teaching her? Why are difficulty and discipline necessary for our development? (Hebrews 12:6)

5. (Genesis 21:31-34) Abraham plants a tree and worships. He seems to realize that his life is fleeting while God is forever. What keeps you from slowing down? What keeps you running at an unsustainable pace? What would it look like to plant a tree and relax knowing that Jesus hung on a tree to redeem you?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE:

Genesis 20
Abraham’s Treachery
1Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. 2Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” 4Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 5Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”8So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?” 11Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” 17Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 18For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.