Esau and Jacob. Waiting for an answer from the Lord can be difficult. What can we conclude from His silence. With the answered prayer comes many struggles. These two brothers couldn't be more different. The parents play favorites putting further dissention between them. Jacob covets what he does not have and Esau is not jealous enough to protect it. Is jealousy wrong? How important is status & position?

The Father of Faith. After Sarah died, Abraham had children with his concubine. He died at the age of 175 and was buried in Hebron with Sarah. Today Hebron is in the West Bank and the area is a large source of contention for the 3 major religions, Jews, Christians, & Muslims, who all claim Abraham as their descendant. We talk about modern day Israel some & then summarize Abraham's life & the lessons we should learn from him.

A Wife for Isaac. Sarah dies when she's 127. Abraham send his servant to get a wife for Isaac from his homeland. Abraham tells him that God will send His angel before him to prepare the way & the servant prays a very specific prayer for guidance. This prayer is a great example to us as to how to pray when we are tying to discern the will of God. God quickly gives him a definitive answer. The response is that of praise and willing obedience. If it is God's will then who are we to fight against that

Jesus as our Sacrifice. God tests His people at times. Abraham has incredible faith in the Lord and it continues to grow. When we exhibit our faith to those around us, as Abraham did for Isaac, it grows their faith too. There are many parallels between Abraham and God, and Isaac and Jesus.

Ishmael and Isaac. After Isaac is born, Sarah no longer wants Ishmael around. God reassures Abraham that He will care for Ishmael, but he does need to be sent away. We look at the symbolism behind Ishmael and Isaac. One son being born of the plans of Abraham and Sarah to a slave woman, forever symbolizing slavery to the law that must be cast away to make way for the promised son born in freedom forever symbolizing the inheritance found through freeing grace. Also, the difference between our feelings and actions when we are in control of our circumstances and when they are forced upon us and how we should react so that we do not become permanent victims. With God's help, we can persevere!

Trust God. Lot's Daughters and Abraham both take matters into their own hands, but God still redeems their situations. Sometimes our emotions cloud our thoughts and actions. Our job is just to do what is right and trust God with the outcome. Do not take matters into our own hands. He is able to protect us and provide for us. Also if we hurt someone purposefully or even accidentally or unintentionally, it is still our responsibility to reconcile the situation.

Leave the Sinful Life. When the angels go to Sodom in search of righteous men, they find extreme wickedness, except for Lot and his family. They tell him to leave the city before they destroy it, and when he takes too long, they take them all by the hand and pull them out. Lot's wife looks back at the city and God turns her into a pillar of salt because of her disobedience. Sometimes, we too need God to pull us away from our sinful lives. When He does, we need to go willingly, not looking back at what we are losing but focusing on Him to lead us to a better place.

Wrath, Patience, Mercy, Justice. Is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah an example of God's extreme wrath or does His conversation with Abraham before-hand show His patience and mercy? Abraham pleads for the lives of the righteous and God has compassion on them. We too are asked to have compassion for others and speak up for those that have no voice of their own.

Sarah has Isaac. God changes Sarah's name to the plural form because she will be princess to many now that she is having her own child. When Sarah finds out that she will have her own son, she laughs because she is almost 90 years old. But nothing is impossible for God and she does get pregnant and have a son. Meanwhile, Abraham is concerned for Ishmael because he thought the promises would all be fulfilled through him. God eases his concern by telling him that Ishmael also will become a great nation. The promise will just not come through him.

Setting His People Apart. God changes Abram's name to Abraham. God is detailed and always thinking of what's best for us. He gives them the covenant of circumcision. This sets them apart from the rest of the nations but is also an outward profession of an inward openness to God. How open is your heart to God today?