Sunday, June 20th
Genesis 24: 5-8
“The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” (Genesis 24: 5-8)
- What did you hear?
- I wonder how the servant will choose Isaac’s wife? (The Lord chose her.)
- Do you think Isaac will be happy with God’s choice?
Monday, June 21st
Genesis 24: 12
“Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose, and went to Mesopota’mia, to the city of Na’hor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me success today, I beg you, and show mercy to my master Abraham.” (Genesis 24:12)
- What did you hear?
- I wonder why Abraham’s servant took 10 camels and many choice gifts?
- Who do you think the gifts might be for?
- What did Abraham’s servant pray for?
Tuesday, June 22nd
Genesis 24: 15, 23-24, 26-27
“… behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethu’el the son of Milcah, the wife of Na’hor, Abrahams brother came out with her water jar upon her shoulder. He said, “tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethu’el the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Na’hor.” The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” (Genesis 24: 15, 23-24, 26-27)
- What did you hear?
- Did God lead Abraham’s servant to his kinsmen?
- I wonder who Abraham’s kinsmen were? (clan or tribe)
- Do you think that God answered the servant’s prayer?
Wednesday, June 23rd
Genesis 24: 54-61
And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.” Her brother and mother said, “Let the maiden remain with us a while, at least 10 days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way; let me go that I may go to my master.” They said, “We will call the maiden, and ask her.” And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them!” Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and rode upon the camels and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.” (Genesis 24: 54-61)
- What did you hear?
- Does it sound like everything worked as Abraham had said it would?
- Rebekah’s family gave her a blessing before she left, does it sound like a blessing we’ve heard before?
- Who received the blessing before?
Thursday, June 24th
Genesis 25: 19-21, 24-26
“These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebekah, the daughter of Bethu’el the Arame’an of Pad’dan-ar’am, the sister of La’ban the Aramean. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” “When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came forth red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand had taken hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.” (Genesis 25: 19-21, 24-26)
- What did you hear?
- How many babies did Rebekah have?
- I wonder what the name “Esau” means? (son of Isaac)
- I wonder what that word “mantle” means? (something that covers, envelops, or conceals).
- I wonder what the name “Jacob” means? (supplanter – take the place of)
Friday, June 25th
Genesis 25: 27
“When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.” (Genesis 25:27)
- I wonder what Esau hunted for?
- I wonder what it means to be a “man of the field”? (skillful hunter)
- I wonder why they say Jacob was a quiet man? (commentaries say he was probably “contemplative”.)
- Do they sound alike at all?
Saturday, June 26th
Genesis 26: 1-5
“Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Ge’rar, to Abim’elech king of the Philis’tines. And the Lord appeared to him, and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham you father. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves: because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, by statutes and my laws.” (Genesis 26: 1-5)
- What did you hear?
- Have we heard God promise this before?
- What is God promising?
- I wonder why having so many descendants is important?