Genesis Part 2 - Week 3

Day 1 

READ 

Genesis 17:9-11 

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. ¹⁰ This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. ¹¹ You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.” 

God gave Abraham what would be the mark of His covenant with him and his descendants. This mark was made on the organ that would produce the descendants. This circumcision was to be done on the eighth day after the birth of a male child. It was always to be a reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. 

REFLECT 

Although Abraham’s physical descendants had a mark of the covenant, this did not make them spiritual descendants. Only a belief in God could do that. 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 17:9-18. This section tells about the mark of God’s covenant; Sarai’s change of name to Sarah; and God’s promise that she would become the mother of many nations. It also reveals Abraham’s reactions. 

Day 2 

READ 

Genesis 17:19-20 

¹⁹ But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.” 

God promised that Sarah would bear the child through whom God would make an everlasting covenant. Ishmael, who was born to Hagar, was not neglected in the promises made to Abraham and confirmed with Isaac. The nation promised to Ishmael would be in conflict with the descendants of Isaac. Even though Ishmael was not in the chosen line, God manifested grace to him in promising to make him a great nation. 

REFLECT 

This is an example of seeing God’s grace in the Old Testament, but His greatest show of grace was in sending His Son to die for lost mankind. All who believe by grace through faith in Jesus have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  

RESPOND 

Read Genesis 17:19-27. Especially notice that Abraham’s circumcision was done after he had already believed God (see Genesis 15:6). This reveals that circumcision—or other religious rituals—are not the same as a person’s salvation.  

Day 3 

READ 

Genesis 18:9-12 

⁹ “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. ¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. ¹² So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 

This was the occasion when three men came to visit Abraham. It is usually thought that they were angels in human form. One of the three, however, was the LORD (Genesis 18:1). When LORD is in all capitals that is the translation of the word for Yahweh or Jehovah. In the Old Testament, when an appearance of God was in human form it is called a “theophany” (appearance of God), or a “Christophany” (appearance of Christ). Likely the other two in Genesis 18 were also supernatural beings. 

REFLECT 

Think how special it was for Abraham to be visited by supernatural persons, even God Himself. 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 18:1-15. This reveals why the name “Isaac” referred to laughter. It seems reasonable that Sarah who was long after child-bearing age would laugh when she heard that she would have a child. 

Day 4 

READ 

Genesis 18:16-19 

¹⁶ Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way. ¹⁷ “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. ¹⁸ “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. ¹⁹ I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” 

This is an example of the Lord sharing His thoughts with believers. This was before the time when His thoughts were written down in the Bible. Because Abraham and his descendants would become a “great and mighty nation,” God believed it important to share His thoughts about Sodom and reconfirmed His promises to bless Abraham.  

REFLECT 

God has now shared His thoughts with mankind by providing His inspired word in the form of the Bible. Hopefully you are engaged in it by reading or listening to it at least four times a week.  

RESPOND 

Read Genesis 18:16-33 with your friend. See how Abraham bargained with God to spare Sodom if he could find at least ten righteous people. Apparently not even ten could be found because the city was later destroyed.  

Day 5 

READ 

Genesis 19:1-5 

¹ That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. ² “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.” ³ But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. ⁴ But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. ⁵ They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” 

Both the “young and old” men of Sodom wanted to commit homosexuality and that is why such is called “Sodomy” today. Some try to negate the seriousness of homosexuality but the Bible does not. Romans 1:18-32 tells of the sins that develop when people are not thankful and turn from God. As the story continues Lot was even willing to give his daughters to these men, but they did not want them. 

REFLECT 

Read Romans 1:18-32 to see and use this passage in the future. 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 19:1-11. Those who think God is only a God of love see Him act differently when confronting sin. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”