It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word.

But it’s not always easy.

We read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it.

I thought I could try to help you get a little something out of what you are reading by providing you with some questions to ask as you look at the text.  Good questions are a good start to understanding. Sometimes there will be more questions, sometimes less.

You can do this!

So, get a notebook, a pen, your Bible, and if you would like some help, take some time to answer the questions, and you may be surprised by all God teaches you.

Genesis 25

1. Abraham is very old at the beginning of this chapter. And yet what happens after Sarah dies?
2. But, in spite of the fact that he had many sons, who was the heir? How does this text make that clear?
3. What does God do after Abraham dies?
4. What did God promise Hagar in Genesis 17:20? What do we learn has happened in Genesis 25:16?
5. Ishmael who is not the chosen seed has many children. But what problem does Isaac face in verse 21 in this chapter? How does he respond?
6. She is going to give birth to twins, but they are fighting each other in her womb. She asks God what is going on and what does God tell her is happening in verse 23?
7. God makes a prophecy. Who is going to be the leader of these two children and eventual nations? Why is that surprising?
8. What kind of person is Esau? What kind of person is Jacob?
9. It looks like Esau has everything. He is older. His father loves him. But what happens when they grow older. Esau comes in from the field, and what does he say? What name is he called as a result? What does Jacob want him to do, and how does Esau respond? What does the narrator tell us that reveals about Esau’s attitude towards his birthright?
10. Now, that attitude might seem small. But we are talking about the Promised Seed. The one through whom God would bring blessing to the nations. So, despising this birthright is a big deal. He trades the opportunity to be used by God for the salvation of the world for a bowl of soup because he is hungry. In what way does he illustrate here a worldly person’s attitude toward life in this world?
11. We are going to see later that Isaac and his mother do some work to get this birthright and blessing. They are deceptive, but this story tells us that ultimately, the reason Isaac received the birthright is because Esau didn’t want it.