Bereans of Trinity

The aged Abraham has one very important task left to accomplish, to secure a wife for Isaac. What are some of the important things we will learn from this chapter? What are the qualities of the servant he enlists in this endeavor? Why is this endeavor so important? What are the indications of the solemn nature of the oath the servant is about to take? What are the two things a believer must consider when he or she is selecting a life mate? Why did Abraham's servant take so many things with him on his journey?

Abraham needs to secure a place to bury his wife. This encounter occupies virtually the entire chapter. Why is this so important? What is the cultural background to this chapter? Three areas to consider from this passage: Abraham's faith, Abraham and the world, and the importance of remembering. (26 min.)

Abraham receives a report from Haran about his brother Nahor. When did Abraham receive this report, and how is it important to our unfolding story? Shortly thereafter we encounter the death of Abraham's wife, Sarah. It has been a remarkable life, but it ends as it always does, with death. Why? Abraham, the man of faith, mourns for his wife. Why? What is the chief thing about Abraham we will learn as he seeks a place to bury his wife?

Three important ways to look at this story of the Binding of Isaac. What were Isaac and Abraham each thinking as they watched the substitute ram being consumed on the altar? How is the Lord's promise to Abraham at Moriah different from the other several times He has given these promises. What does all of this have to do with you and me? How does Hebrews 6 help us understand this incident? What are the two sets of types we see in this account?

Continuing our study of the "Binding of Isaac," we consider the contrast of the two figures walking together up that mountain in Moriah. What is the contrast of these two? How did this experience affect their relationship? Clearly we are to understand the greatness of Abraham's personal struggle and sacrifice, but what else is it clear that Abraham was thinking. At what point did Abraham consider his son to be dead? Fatalistic faith and pollyanna faith.

We come now to the climax of the story of Abraham's life, what is sometimes called "The Binding Of Isaac." Abraham's happy existence in the the fulfillment of God's promise is brutally interrupted by God's instruction to him to offer his son as a burnt offering on a distant mountain. What is God doing? Why does God identify the the object of the burnt offering four different ways? What is the nature of our tests? Why does this narrative contain so many repetitions and seemingly unimportant details? What are three lessons to be learned from Abraham's struggle? How does this story relate to Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3?

Abraham has another encounter with Abimelech, the King of Gerar. How does this account advance the narrative of Abraham's life? Once again we see the importance of the idea of covenant. By the end of this passage Abraham has two tangible seals of God's promises to him, a small child and a hole in the ground. We reflect on the crucial places in Abraham's walk with God, and on the importance of place in his and our stories. What of the places in your life?

In the middle of a celebratory feast, conflict arises as Isaac's older half-brother, Ishmael, makes sport his young sibling. What was Sarah's motivation for her seemingly harsh demand of Abraham? Why does God tell Abraham to listen to his wife? Why does he tell Abraham not to be distressed? Why is it so important to God that Ishmael have no part in the inheritance, and what is the relevance of that to us today? Why does Scripture call Isaac Abraham's "only begotten son?" What can we learn from Hagar's wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba?

At least five themes reveal themselves in this passage. Sarah, the role of God's Word, sonship, laughter, and impossibility. Sarah, long a seemingly incidental part of this story, is brought forcefully to center stage. What was the importance of her faith to this unfolding story? God's promise and our reality. The contrast between the son of the flesh and the son of faith. Naming your son "Laughter." Sarah says all who hear will laugh with her. Then she asks: Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?

Our story returns now to Abraham, and we contemplate the significance of his travels to the Negev and on to Gerar. But Abraham, like us, is prone to compartmentalize his life. Why does he say that his wife is his sister? This has happened before, but how often have Abraham and Sarah carried out this deception? We learn an important new lesson about Abraham’s love and reverence for God when we consider a fear that has dogged him since he left Haran. We see what an awful mess Abraham has made of God’s promise, with no way to set things right. But God…