Unfolding Grace – Week 5

The Promise of Isaac and the Blessing of Jacob (Genesis 25-28)

Read pages 57-70 in Unfolding Grace this week.

1. What obstacles do God’s promises to Abraham face in these chapters? How does God overcome these obstacles?

2. What does this reveal about God’s character?

3. Over and over again in Genesis we are seeing that God does not choose whom He will use based on human custom or personal virtue. Why do you think that is, and on what does God base His choice? (see Ephesians 1:3–6, 11–12)

4. While Jacob grew up hearing about God from his parents and grandparents, his first real experience with the God of his fathers occurred in a place he named Bethel. List six promises God made to Jacob through his dream at Bethel (28:13–15).

5. What was your first experience with God?

6. God’s love was extended to this sinner at Bethel as He promised great things to Jacob, not because of the kind of person Jacob was but in spite of the person he was. Aren’t you grateful that God did not wait for you to figure it all out, and rid yourself of all selfishness before He came to you, revealed Himself to you, and began to remake you?

7. Take a moment and share how God reached out for you when you were still living for yourself.

8. Read John 1:43–51. How does Jesus compare Nathanael to Jacob? How does Jesus compare Himself to the stairway that Jacob saw in his dream?

9. From Sunday’s sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging?