Home-Study Lesson

Genesis 19–27 (Unit 6)

Preparation Material for the Home-Study Teacher

Summary of Daily Home-Study Lessons

The following summary of the doctrines and principles students learned as they studied Genesis 19–27 (unit 6) is not intended to be taught as part of your lesson. The lesson you teach concentrates on only a few of these doctrines and principles. Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you consider the needs of your students.

Day 1 (Genesis 19)

As students studied about the escape of Lot and some of his family from Sodom, they learned that to forsake sin and evil influences, we must leave them entirely and not look back. They also learned the following principles: If we choose to associate with unrighteous influences, then we may experience consequences we regret, and our choices may not only affect ourselves but others as well.

Day 2 (Genesis 20–22)

From the account of Sarah’s deliverance from King Abimelech, students learned that the Lord will warn us before we commit serious sin, and when we hearken to those warnings, we can avoid sin and its consequences. As students studied the circumstances of Isaac’s birth, they learned that God always keeps His promises to the faithful, even when the fulfillment of those promises seems unlikely. In their study of the account of Abraham being commanded to sacrifice Isaac, students discovered that when we are willing do what the Lord commands us, we show our reverence and love for Him.

Day 3 (Genesis 23–24)

Students learned the following principles from the account of Isaac’s efforts to marry Rebekah: It is worth great effort and sacrifice to obtain the blessings of eternal marriage. If we develop righteous qualities now, then we will be better prepared for eternal marriage. If we are faithful to God, then He will provide a way for us to receive the blessings of eternal marriage.

Day 4 (Genesis 25–27)

As students studied the consequences of Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright for some pottage, they learned that if we value temporary or worldly pleasures more than we value eternal blessings, then we may lose those blessings. They also learned that placing worldly or immediate desires above eternal priorities will eventually lead to sorrow and regret.

Introduction

The account of Abraham’s obedience to the Lord’s command to sacrifice his covenant son, Isaac, is a type and shadow of Heavenly Father’s sacrifice of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Suggestions for Teaching

Genesis 22:1–14

Abraham obeys the Lord, demonstrating his willingness to sacrifice Isaac

Consider using the following activity to introduce the lesson:

Place a light in the room in such a way that you can hold up an object in front of the light and see its shadow on the wall. Ask students to watch the shadow as you hold various objects in front of the light. Invite students to guess what the objects are as you hold them up.

Explain that there are many accounts in the scriptures that are intended to be “shadows” or “types” of something else. A type is a symbol that foreshadows a future event. We can learn more about an event by studying the details of types or shadows that foreshadow that event.

Display the picture Abraham Taking Isaac to Be Sacrificed (Gospel Art Book [2009], no. 9; see also LDS.org). Explain that the account of Abraham and Isaac is a type or shadow of another specific event. Invite students to recall what they learned about the account of Abraham taking Isaac to the mountain to be sacrificed. You may want to ask a student to briefly summarize the story from his or her home study of Genesis 22.

• What significant event do you think the account of Abraham and Isaac could be a type or shadow of?

Next, display the picture The Crucifixion (Gospel Art Book, no. 57; see also LDS.org). Write the following truth on the board: Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is a type of Heavenly Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Explain that by exploring the details of this type, we can learn more about the love Heavenly Father has for us. Invite students to review Genesis 22:1–12 with a partner. Ask them to look for details in the verses that show similarities between Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and Heavenly Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Consider inviting them to mark the similarities in their scriptures, or you could ask them to write what they discover on a piece of paper. It might help them to organize what they find in a chart like the one that follows. Some examples have been provided.

Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac	Heavenly Father’s Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
Isaac was to be sacrificed in place of a lamb. Abraham willingly … Isaac carried …	Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sins. Heavenly Father willingly … Jesus Christ carried …

After students have completed their search, ask them to explain to the class what they discovered. You may want to explain the following additional similarity: Abraham’s name means “father of a multitude,” which parallels Heavenly Father being the father of all spirit children.

• What can Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac teach us about Heavenly Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

Explain that if Heavenly Father had not chosen to sacrifice His Only Begotten Son, then none of us would be able to return to God’s presence.

• Who was Heavenly Father showing His love for by sacrificing His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ? (Help students identify the following: Heavenly Father demonstrated His great love for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. You may want to write this truth on the board.)

If possible, provide students with copies of the following statement by Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Invite a student to read the statement aloud. Ask the class to listen for how Heavenly Father might have felt as His only Son was being crucified.

“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles … , His great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for His Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved His Son, I thank Him and praise Him that He did not fail us. … I rejoice that He did not interfere, and that His love for us made it possible for Him to endure to look upon the sufferings of His [Only Begotten] and give Him finally to us, our Saviour and our Redeemer. Without Him, without His sacrifice, … we would never have come glorified into His presence. … This is what it cost, in part, for our Father in heaven to give the gift of His Son unto men” (in Crusader for Righteousness [1966], 137).

• How does the sacrifice of Jesus Christ demonstrate Heavenly Father’s love for you?

• How do you think we could show our gratitude to Heavenly Father and to Jesus Christ for Their sacrifices for us?

Point out that in Genesis 22:8, Abraham said “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” for the sacrifice. Burnt offerings were how sacrifices were performed in Abraham’s day, following the example set by Adam and Eve when they obeyed the Lord’s command to offer the firstborn of their flocks as sacrifices after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. The phrase also had reference to the Lamb of God.

• When would Heavenly Father provide a “lamb” for an offering? (You may need to explain that one of the titles of Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God” [John 1:36]. The Lamb of God would be offered as the “great and last sacrifice” [see Alma 34:13–14] for the sins of all people many years after Abraham and Isaac’s experience.)

Invite a student to read Genesis 22:13–14 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord provided as a sacrifice in the place of Isaac. Ask students to report what they find.

Invite students to look again at verse 14, and point out what Abraham called the place where he offered the ram (Jehovah-jireh). Use the footnotes to explain that this name means two things: “The Lord will see, or provide,” and “In a mount the Lord shall be manifest (seen).” Explain that the land of Moriah (see Genesis 22:2) included the places that would later be called Gethsemane and Golgotha, where Jesus Christ would suffer and be crucified almost 2,000 years later.

Consider sharing your testimony of Heavenly Father’s love for each of the students in your class. You might also give students an opportunity to share their testimonies.

Next Unit (Genesis 28–39)

To prepare students for their study during the coming week, you may want to invite them to ponder the following: How did Jacob and Rachel meet and fall in love? What deceit did Laban perform on Jacob the night of Jacob’s wedding? How did Jacob respond? Have you ever wondered how someone could stay righteous when his or her life is filled with trials and temptations? In the chapters of Genesis that you will study next, you will learn what Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph did to remain righteous through difficult times.