Sessions 5-6: Abraham & Isaac
- Teresa
- Aug 16, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 14, 2020
Genesis 12 - 25
Time and generations have passed since the great flood. The number of people have multiplied greatly and Noah's descendants have spread all over the land. We now meet Shem's great (x7) grandson Abram (later known as Abraham).
The story of Abram is split into 2 sessions here to keep it short for the kids, but it can be covered in one longer session as well. Read the kids the story of Abraham, or use the videos embedded here:
Session 5: God makes a promise to Abram
Genesis 12 - 21
Source: Rene Pftizner on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rK_PcEMfA
God asks Abram to move away from his hometown. What does Abram do?
Abram obeys and trusts God. He leaves Haran and travels to Canaan. He was already 75 years old when he left.
What does God promise Abram?
God promises to give him many descendants, more than there are stars in the sky. There are 3 key things which God promises Abram and his descendants:
1) Land promise - In Genesis 13:14 - God shows Abram the land (Canaan) which he will inhabit "For all the land which you see I will give to you and your descendants for ever."
2) Kingdom promise - "I will make you a great nation" (Genesis 12:2)
2) Worldwide blessing through his family - "by your descendants, shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves" (Genesis 22:18)
God later establishes a covenant with Abram, and changes his name from Abram (which means exalted father) to Abraham (the father of nations). Sarai's name is changed to Sarah. Read about the covenant in Genesis 15 and 17.
This covenant sets the stage for salvation history. The covenant gets fulfilled as follows:
1) Land promise - fulfilled when Joshua leads the Israelites into the promised land
2) Kingdom promise - fulfilled when the Kingdom of Israel gets established through David
3) Worldwide blessing - fulfilled in Jesus, who is a descendant of Abraham
Session 6: Abraham is tested
Genesis 22
Years pass, and Abraham still has no children. 10 years after leaving Haran, Sarah takes matters into her own hands and asks Abraham to have a child with her Egyptian maid Hagar. About 14 years later, when Abraham is almost 100 years old, he and Sarah have a baby named Isaac, which means 'laughter'. God has one more test for Abraham:
Source: Sharefaith Kids on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbUqRVsEayU
Sarah asks Abraham to have a child with Hagar. Why do you think she does this?
Sarah does not think that she and Abraham would be able to have children, as they were both very old. She therefore decided to take matters into their own hands to give Abraham a child and a descendant. Abraham listened to her and agreed to it.
In Genesis 18, when angels visited them to let them know that Sarah would be pregnant the following year, she laughed because she did not think it would be possible. God knew that she had laughed, and reminded them "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14).
Reflect: Do we trust God? Or are we also impatient when he does not seem to be answering our prayers?
What happens to Hagar and Ishmael?
When Sarah has a child of her own (Isaac), she asks Abraham to sends Hagar and Ishmael away as she did not want anyone competing for Isaac's inheritance. Although Abraham is reluctant to do so, God tells him to do as Sarah says, for it is through Isaac that the covenant would be fulfilled. He reassures Abraham that he would also make a nation of Ishmael, because he is Abraham's offspring. (You can read more about Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:8-21 or watch a short video with the kids on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RoXlEJvA4A )
[While this is not in the bible - it is believed that Ishmael later becomes the father of Arab nations. In Islam, Ishmael is regarded by Muslims as a prophet and the prophet Muhammad is believed to have come from his family line.]
God subjects Abraham to another test and asks him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. How does Abraham react when asked to sacrifice his beloved son?
Abraham obeys God without question. He has absolute faith in God, and submits his will to him. He trusts in God, that he is a loving father who has his best interest at heart, and will keep his promises.
Reflect: Are we ready to be so obedient to God? Do we trust him, no matter what happens?
Abraham's willingness to sacrifice foreshadows God's ultimate sacrifice of his son. Can you see any similarities between the two events?
Abraham is asked to give his only son, God gives his only son
This incident takes place on Mt Moriah. Jesus' crucifixion is also on one of the hills of Mt Moriah
Isaac obediently walks up the hill carrying the wood which he would be sacrificed on, Jesus bore his cross up the hill.
God provided the lamb for Abraham's offering, while one day he would provide the Lamb of God, Jesus, for the sacrifice.
Abraham's obedience would become a source of worldwide blessing, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Isaac grows up and eventually marries a woman named Rebekah, chosen by God to be his wife (Genesis 24). They have two sons, Jacob and Esau, whom we will meet in the next session.
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