1. God made four promises to Abraham -(1) land, (2) numerous descendants, (3) blessing for him and his descendants, and (4) blessing through him for all nations. The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph) were not always very good at blessing other nations. Abraham passed his wife off as his sister twice, Isaac did the same thing once, Jacob and his uncle defrauded each other, and Joseph did get Egypt through the famine at the cost of everything the Egyptians owned. Christians maintain that Jesus fulfills God's promise of blessing through Abraham that can change the entire world. But Christians still do not enact this blessing to all nations very well. What do you think keeps us as Christians from being a blessing to the nations not just in sharing the gospel but in living the gospel, caring for others, and living for Christ? How can we Christians do a better job?

2. The patriarchal stories occur in a patriarchal society when men were in control. But Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah all seem to do a lot that keeps the narrative moving. What do you think about the role of these women in these narratives? Do they have more power and influence than we often give them credit for? Why or why not?

3. Esau forgave Jacob and wanted Jacob to live with him. Jacob said he would but then turned and went in another direction. Esau and Jacob only saw each other one more time and that was when they buried their father Isaac. Why do you think God chose Jacob rather than Esau? Esau seemed to be a much nicer guy. Is this an example of the first being last and the last being first as Jesus taught in the Gospels? Why or why not?

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1 There are various factors that may hinder Christians from fully embodying the blessings promised t... View the full answer