Week 1, Chapter 2: God Builds a Nation

Chapter 2: God Builds a Nation

Hello Loves:  First of all, I'm so sorry this is behind.  It has been a rough month! The job has been ROUGH since my illness in January.  I will keep my head UP.   BUT, here you go.  Again, Michelle, thank you so much for editing and adding your comments.  Muah!  ~CBuff~

With this session you are to read the following associated scriptures: Genesis 12-13; 15-17; 21-22; 32-33; 35; Romans 4; Hebrews 11

Discussion Questions

1.            Abraham left his homeland and family to follow God.  What did God say his reward would be?

God said he would bless him with many offspring.  Abraham was already very old—far beyond child bearing years.  God said if he left his homeland, he would be blessed with many offspring and would build a nation.

Genesis 12:2-4 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.[a]

3 I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.”[b]

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him;

2.            What might God be asking you to give up to follow him? 

For me, I think this Study was my time to just step away from the everyday usual and make time to Study his word.  I had been praying about this off and on but when Michelle offered me to study with the Group I really felt the holy spirit tell me this was something I needed to do.  I would be giving up time for myself.  Time away from the few minutes I get with my family—but ultimately I know this will make me a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, boss and/or employee. 

3.            What made Abraham righteous in God’s sight?

The fact that Abraham kept his faith and still believed that he would bore a son even though he knew his body was “as good as dead.”

Michelle: Abraham followed the Lord. He left his home, his family, and all he knew. He trusted in what God promised him.  The Story tells us that “ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Imagine packing your family, selling your house, quitting your job and leaving the only life you have known, leaving your security, your ability to provide for your family, and journeying to a place you have never been and don’t know the way too. What would you say if God asked you to do this? Would you go?  This is essentially what Abraham did. HE WAS FAITHFUL. He trusted the Lord to provide a way to survive.

How is this fact relevant to your life?

I think this is relevant to my life because no matter what I think, God will always answer my prayers—even though it may not be the answer I want and when I want it, it will be the answer.  We must be patient and trust in the Lord.  I used to ask, “why” did this or that happen but over the more recent years in my life, I now do my very best to trust in the Lord.  I say to myself EVERYTHING happens for a reason.  It is amazing to me that if I step back and review some of the whys in my life; I find there really was a reason!   It just wasn’t my time to know them.

Michelle:  God asks us daily to trust in Him. We can’t anticipate our entire life, can’t plan every detail. We must trust that the Father knows where HE is leading us and that HE knows why.  Jerimiah 29:11 tell us this 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. We know that God never changes. He is the same God today that He was in the time of Abraham. Knowing this, we know that His love never changes. Just as God provided a way for Abraham, He will provide a way for us. His love never fails.

4.            Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac?  What did Abraham and Isaac learn from this experience? 

God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son because he knew it would be a huge test of his faith.  They both learned that if they feared and obeyed the Lord He would provide.  Abraham fathered a nation, just as God promised. It is through his line that Christ descends. He lived to be 175 years old even though he was far too old to bear children.

Michelle: God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the one he waited for. The one God promised would make him into a great nation.  Abraham followed, trusting the Lord so much that he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead. Can you imagine that kind of blind faith?  There is also another parallel here we need to consider. Part of God’s upper story. This story directly points to the coming of Christ. I believe this is God asking Abraham, would you trust me enough, love me and fear me enough, to sacrifice your only child? As we discussed last session, God knew that He would send His only son to die for our sins. In fact, the very hill where Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed is the same place Christ would be crucified.

5.            Because Jacob had shrewdly acquired Esau’s birthright and stolen their father’s blessing, Jacob feared his brother’s revenge.  How did Jacob prepare for is meeting with Esau?

Jacob prepared for Esau’s meeting by trying to give him presents and distract him with good things and hiding from him.  He was afraid of his brother and hoped the time, gifts and distance (hiding) would give him enough for his brother to forgive him. 

6.            What attitude did Jacob have when he wrestled with the “man” who Jacob eventually realized was actually God?

He continued to fight him.  He made himself fight with God until he asked for God’s blessing.  What we learned from this scripture is what Jacob learned.  Jacob had fought with God all this time, and all it took was a touch from God to bring him to his knees.  God taught Jacob how to respect and fear God such that he ASKED God for a blessing before he would surrender the fight.  All his life, Jacob had done wrong things (which would not be God’s wish) but in the fight, he chose to follow the Lord.  He learned how significant he was when compared to God’s power.

Video Discussion:  You may view this video session at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iHbCvARkDM

Many of the people God called to follow him and do great things had excuses or reasons they though God should not use them.  What are some of the common excuses people still use today when they want to get out of following God’s leading for their life? 

Satan wants us to not follow God.  It is so easy to come up with excuses.  For me, it is listening to CNN.  Silly huh?  I have a whole one hour ten minute or so commute and I choose to listen to CNN.  It is an obsession.  Partly, if I didn’t I would not be up to date with politics, the world?  Heck, I’m a government employee…but how hard is it really for me to turn CNN off—and turn my Sirius radio to the Family Talk channel.  I find that when I do this, I am so much more positive for that day.  I’m sure you have your excuse, right??  Examples given during the study group were Facebook, or “I’m too busy,” or “I finally get time to myself and it’s MINE,” etc.

1.            When God called Abram to follow him, there was a clear sense of partnership.  God promised to do specific things and also called Abram to do his part (Genesis 12.1-5; The Story page 13).  What was God’s part and what was Abram’s part in this great adventure?

Abraham’s part was to trust. To follow the Lord and to be patient. God’s blessings for our lives come in His perfect timing. Not our own. We will see this continue to replay during our study. We may believe that we are ready for the blessing at the exact moment we ask. Remember this; God can see the whole picture, the beginning, middle and the end. He alone knows when the perfect time is to give you what He intends for your life. Trust Him.

2.            What do you learn about Abraham and Sarah’s faith from Hebrews 11:8-9 (a summary of The Story, pp. 13-20)?

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NLT)

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

During this time, and through this scripture, we learn that Abraham and Sarah leave their home and completely have faith in the Lord.  They left home.  They did not know where they were going. They lived in tents.  They knew no one.  Yet, they kept faith that God would be there and take care of them and give them what he promised them.

3.            Tell us about an older person in your life that has been a model of faith and love for God. How have you seen their life affect the lives of others or yours?

Several examples were given in class but for me, I believe it was my Great Grandmother, Memmy.  She was definitely a model of faith and love for God.  She read scripture every night.  I lived with my Great Grandmother for about three or so years before my mom and dad married.  She never seemed to judge people.  She helped everyone.  But she kept her faith.  She turned to her bible every night.  Everyone could see the love and reflection of God in her.  Thinking of her faith did affect and still affects the woman I am still becoming.  During a tough time I think, what would Memmy do…and then, I smile.

4.            Abraham and Sarah were called by God and they followed him in faith.  Tell about a time when God called you to take a step of faith. How did you respond and how did that step of faith work out?

We all may have an answer to this.  I truly do believe, though, that if you keep your faith in God, he will certainly be there with you all of the way.  He will help you succeed but even if you do not succeed, he had a reason.  If you fail, he will be there.  And ultimately you will be stronger and closer to God because if this.  You have to take that leap of faith and know God will be there the entire step of the way.

Sarah did not think God was moving fast enough with the whole “nation building project.” So she decided to help God by giving her handmaid to Abraham to bear a child for her.  Give some examples of ways we jump ahead of God’s timing for our lives in an effort to “help” him. Tell about a time that God said, “Wait,” but you wanted to rush ahead.  Why is it so hard to be patient and wait on God’s will for our lives?

I think so many of us love the fact that we think we are in control of our lives.  It is hard to be patient.  The example that stood out with me during Study Session was the example that Natalie gave…she waited until she was ready to have a baby.  But then, even though she was “ready” she still had to wait until it was time.  When she finally gave up of being stressed out, God gave her the baby.

5.            Abraham and Sarah chose to follow God by faith and trust that he would build a nation through them—and he did.  What step of faith is God calling you to take now, but you are still waiting or even resisting?  What can you do to take a trust filled step and move forward in this area of your life?

You really need to think about this question, and answer it to yourself…pray about it.  Ask God to help you through this new step. 

6.            Read Movement 2 of The Story (p.11 of this participant’s guide).  What is the big theme of this second movement?

Movement 2: The Story of Israel (Genesis 12-Malachi)

God builds a brand new nation called Israel.  Through this nation, he will reveal his presence, power, and plan to get us back.  Every story of Israel will point to the first coming of Jesus—the One who will provide the way back to God. I think the big theme of this second movement is that no matter what you think your path is, your life has a purpose in God’s plan.  If you drift from his path or try to speed or help him with the path you think your life should have, God will always bring you back to the purpose of your existence!  We will constantly be shown his power too.