#2. THE BEGINNING OF ISRAEL – FOUR HEROIC MEN

(Genesis 12 - 50)

ABRAHAM ... GENESIS 11:27 - 25:11. God called 75-year-old Abraham to become the father of many nations. Abraham traveled from Ur of the Chaldeans, with his wife Sarah and nephew Lot, to Haran where his father Terah died (see A on map, page 4-5). They traveled on to Canaan (see B on map, page 4-5). God promised to bless all of the earth through Abraham, 12:1-3 ... to give the land of Canaan to him, 12:7, 13:14-15, 15:18 ... to give him many descendants, 13:16, 15:5 ... and to give an heir to him with Sarah, 15:4. Advanced in age and not trusting God, Sarah gave her handmaid Hagar to Abraham (at age 86). She bore a son, Ishmael, from whom the Arab nations descended. However, as God promised, Sarah bore their heir Isaac ... in 2065 BC when Abraham was 100 years old. God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, 22:1-19 ... and God provided a ram as a substitute.

ISAAC ... GENESIS 21 - 27. Isaac married Rebekah and had twins in 2005 BC ... Jacob (from whom the Jews descended) and Esau (from whom the Edomites descended). Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for a meal of lentil stew. Later Rebekah helped Jacob (her favorite) trick Isaac so that he would give Jacob the firstborn blessing that was due to Esau. God kept His promise in spite of their sin.

JACOB ... GENESIS 25 - 36. Jacob married Rachel and Leah ... daughters of Laban, Rebekah's brother. Jacob had 12 sons with them and their two handmaidens Bilhah and Zilpah. God renamed Jacob. His new name was Israel, 35:10. God promised Israel that His covenant with Abraham and Isaac would be fulfilled through Jacob, 35:11-12. Jacob's 12 sons are called the 12 tribes of Israel.

JOSEPH ... GENESIS 37 - 50. Joseph had a dream that his family would bow down to him. Because of this and because he was Jacob's favorite, his ten older brothers sold him to a passing caravan. They took him to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar (see C on map, page 4-5). Joseph became second in command in the household but was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and was put in prison ... where he rose to second in command. After correctly interpreting the cupbearer's and baker's dreams, he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph rose to second in command in all of Egypt in 1884 BC. When the famine spread to Canaan, his family came to Egypt for food, and they were reunited with him. Israel and Joseph both died in Egypt.

...................................................................................................................................................................
THE OLD TESTAMENT 4   PAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17     
<< PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT  >>     << PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT  >>
..................................................................................................................................................................
 

Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.