The Patriarchs: God Chooses a People

1. The Patriarchs:God Chooses a People 6th Grade

2. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People • Genesis 12:1-7 • The Call of Abram 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, 
   and I will bless you; 
I will make your name great, 
   and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, 
   and whoever curses you I will curse; 
and all peoples on earth 
   will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

3. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People Iraq Iran

4. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People Iraq

5. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People • After hearing God’s message Sarai and Abram headed for Canaan. • This journey symbolized the journey of faith that we make through our lives. • Abram was an unlikely choice – did not argue but had great faith in God. • Abram was 75 • Neither famous nor powerful • Wife Sarai, could not have children.

6. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People • In Canaan, God tested their faith repeatedly. • Abram and Sarai, though chosen by God, struggled like all humans to keep their faith in God. • Testing by God strengthened and purified their faith. • God makes a covenant with Abram. • “Between you and me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” (Genesis 17:2) • In agreement: • Abram and his followers will follow and serve God– • God, in return, will give Abram a son and make a “great nation of him”. • To symbolize their new life as new people, God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah.

7. Abraham and Sarah become impatient • Sarah could not have any children by Abraham. So she sent her Egyptian slave girl, Hagar, to Abraham to conceive a child. • Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar became pregnant. • Sarah became jealous at Hagar’s pregnancy and sent her away. In the wilderness, an angel went to Hagar to tell her to return to Abraham. She did and bore Abraham a son Ishmael. • Muslims trace their line to Ishmael. “Islam”

8. Abraham, Sarah and Isaac • At the impossible age of 90 years old for motherhood, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, and even nursed him; Abraham was 100 • God’s promised (17:15-16) she would have a son and be the mother of nations. This should be taken as a miracle birth. • When Sarah saw Abraham’s son by Hagar, she asked Abraham to send the two away. Abraham was at first reluctant until God told him to do as his wife asked. So Abraham gave the two bread and water and sent them on their way. When they ran out of water, God showed them a well.

9. God Chose Abraham to be the Father of His People • Abraham and Sarah give birth to their long-awaited son, Isaac. • When Isaac was young, God tested Abraham again.

10. Review Questions!!  What does Abraham’s journey symbolize for us? Why were Abram and Sarai an unlikely choice to begin God’s people? What were the terms of the covenant that God made with Abraham?