This blog is different from any I have sent you. It cannot be read and processed in a couple of minutes. I intend to challenge you to think deeply about the stories we have covered in Genesis and what they tell you about who God is.
Genesis has fifty chapters, filled with exciting stories about God’s promise to redeem our fallen world. After finishing chapter thirty-two, we are taking a break to remind ourselves about the central character in all the stories we have considered. We have examined the roles humans like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have played in God’s plan. These are great stories, inspiring, and encouraging. But they are all this because of who God is.
The main purpose of the Bible is to teach us about God. He wants to reveal Himself to us. He has done this supremely in the incarnation, coming to us in the human person of Jesus. Our God is a God of Promise. So, what are some things God wants us to know about Himself through the stories we have examined to this point in Genesis?
Let’s pretend that you have never read these stories and that what you are learning about this God is new to you. I know what I’m asking is difficult because you have likely heard or read these accounts most of your life. If you knew almost nothing about the God of the Bible, what would these stories tell you about who He is, and what He’s like?
To encourage you to think about what the Bible tells you about God in these stories, I will raise some questions for you to consider.
Let’s begin at the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. Why did God create the garden? Where did Adam and Eve come from? What job did God give them to do? What does it say about God that He gave them choices and rules to live by? And, what does the fact that God allowed Adam and Eve to suffer the consequences of their disobedience say about Him? And what kind of God would make a plan and a promise to deal with sin? Who is this God in the garden, what is He like?
Now, let’s consider what God is like in the story of Noah and the Ark. What prompted God to tell Noah to build the Ark? What does this story tell you about the God who holds people accountable for wickedness? Does God keep the promises He makes to Noah? What picture of God are you getting about God when you put the Garden and Ark stories together? Who is the God of the Bible?
Finally, we look at the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What do they have to do with God’s plan to save mankind, and what is the promise He makes to them? What does it say about God that He chose human beings to carry out His plan?
How did Abram become part of God’s plan? What miracle did God promise Abram and Sarah to carry out His plan? How long was it before the promise was fulfilled? How did God react when His promise was “laughed” at? What did God do when Abram and Sarah took matters into their own hands? Did God keep His promise? Why did God change Abram’s name to Abraham? What did God tell Abraham to do to prove his trust in God? How did God respond to Abraham’s act of faith?
Isaac was the promised “miracle” child to continue God’s plan. What did the aging Abraham send his servant back to Sarah’s homeland to do? How did God answer the servant’s prayer? What does the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah have to do with God’s plan to save mankind? Does God forget His promises? What happened when Isaac prayed for Rebekah to become pregnant?
Jacob is the third of the Hebrew patriarchs. Pregnant, Rachel prayed to the Lord because of all the commotion inside her. What did God tell her about the younger son Jacob? What did Jacob and Rebekah do to steal the birthright and blessing that rightly belonged to Esau? Why did God allow this to happen? How do you see God working in Jacob’s life to save and prepare him to carry out His plan? What promise did God make to Jacob that He had also made to Abraham and Isaac? Did God keep His promise?
What are some words or ideas that describe the God you have seen in these thrilling biblical stories? How have these stories increased your understanding of God and His plan to save those who are lost? How has your faith in and devotion to the Lord been strengthened by knowing He keeps His promises to those who serve Him?