Genesis Part 1 - Week 22

Day 1 

READ 

Genesis 11:20-25 

20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. 21 After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. 23 After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. 25 After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 

This brings the reader down to Terah, the father of Abraham. At this point it mentions only his son Nahor. For background about Terah, read what Joshua said in Joshua 24:2-3. The father of Nahor and Abraham worshiped other gods. They were not followers of Jehovah.  

REFLECT 

If you had parents who did not serve the true God, you can think of Terah and yet how God used his son Abraham. You are not limited by your parents, even if they lived in unbelief. 

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about the parents each of you have. Does one of you have unsaved parents? If they are still living, pray for their salvation. Take encouragement from the life of Abraham who will be studied in Genesis Part 2.  

Day 2 

READ 

Genesis 11:26-28 

26 After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.  

27 This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 

This passage reveals four key people in the story yet to be told: Terah, Abram (name later changed to Abraham), Haran and Lot. Haran never made it to the city by the same name. He never made it out of Ur of the Chaldeans. This area was in lower Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 

REFLECT 

Haran’s son Lot will figure largely in the story as it develops in Genesis. 

RESPOND 

Join with other believers in thanking God for your ancestors. You are much of what you are today because of their history. Those who have a family tree of those who have been Christ-followers can be especially grateful. For others they can be thankful for what their ancestors did during hard times to bring them to where they are today.  

Day 3 

READ 

Genesis 11:29 

29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 

This passage gives the shortened forms of the names Abram (later changed to Abraham) and Sarai (later changed to Sarah). The two of them will be key figures in what God plans to do through their lives. At this time what God would do through them was unknown by them. 

REFLECT 

Do you realize God also has a plan for your life? Trust Him to use you in any way He wishes to glorify Himself through you. 

RESPOND 

Counsel a friend about a verse that has been helpful and encouraging to many. It is Jeremiah 29:11-12. These words were spoken to the Jews who would be deported to Babylon but can apply to all believers today.  

Day 4 

READ 

Genesis 11:30 

30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. 

This single statement is highly significant. In order to keep God’s plan going for Abraham and his descendants it would take a supernatural act for Sarah to become pregnant. God’s promise was to come through their son, Isaac, and it took a supernatural act of God for Abraham’s wife to bear children, which resulted in the births of Jacob and Esau. 

REFLECT 

Are you aware that God can perform miracles to make His plans work out? 

RESPOND 

Do you know of friends who could not become pregnant and God answered their prayers by causing it to occur? Of course, the greatest miracle today is a changed life that results from trusting in Jesus as one’s Savior. Each person who has experienced this can refer to it in witnessing to others about their faith. 

Day 5 

READ 

Genesis 11:31-32 

31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran. 

This passage indicates Terah took his family and was headed for Canaan but he never made it. The family arrived in Haran, northwest of Ur of the Chaldeans. Perhaps this is another incident of God using an unbeliever to aid in accomplishing His purposes. God’s plan was to use Abraham, Terah’s son, and part of the plan was to get Abraham to the Promised Land. Terah got Abraham to Haran. 

REFLECT 

As you read the Scriptures you will see occasions where God used unbelievers to accomplish His overall plans. God is sovereign and is called “God Almighty,” the Hebrew word was El-Shaddai. 

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about the promise of God that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. This was promised in Micah 5:2. How would God arrange it so Jesus would be born in Bethlehem? He used an unsaved ruler of the Roman Empire to make a decree that all the then known world should be taxed. That brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (see Luke 2:1-5). 

This concludes Genesis Part 1 in which four main topics have been examined: creation, fall, flood and Babel. Genesis Part 2 will tell about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.