Day 1
We ended Genesis 20, and now we are starting Genesis 21! In preparation for the lessons to come, let’s read all of Genesis 21 to your Tiny Arrows!
Day 2
God had promised Abraham a baby over 20 years ago. Then the Lord told Abraham that in one year Sarah would have a son! Despite everything that happened, Sarah had a son at the time God promised! Let’s read Genesis 21:1-2 then color and write “promise” on the hour hand, “time is serving me!” On the dotted line between the two hands of time and then “appointed time” on the minute hand!
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham and his old age, at the very time God had promised him. – Genesis 21:1-2 NIV
Day 3
Abraham had a son! And he named him Isaac! Let’s read Genesis 21:3 and color the coloring page of Abraham and the arrow and write Isaac’s name on the arrow!
Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. – Genesis 21:3 NIV
Day 4
God had asked Abraham to circumcise his son, and Abraham did on the exact day he was suppose to! Let’s read Genesis 21:4 then ask your Tiny Arrow if they know of a story in the Bible that something had to be done at a particular time!
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. – Genesis 21:4 NIV
Day 5
Abraham was 100 years old when he had his son! He waited 100 years to have a child with Sarah! Let’s read Genesis 21:5 and ask your Tiny Arrow if they could wait 100 years for something they wanted!
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. – Genesis 21:5 NIV
Day 6
Isaac means laughter, and God brought Sarah laughter! Let’s read Genesis 21:6-7 then look up what your Tiny Arrow’s name means. Perhaps what their name means is what God gave you!
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have born him a son in his old age.” – Genesis 21:6-7 NIV
Day 7
When Isaac turned two Abraham had a big party! Some people think that even kings came to his party! Wow! Let’s read Genesis 21:8, make a crown out of paper or print and assemble the one provided and have a feast! (You can wear the crown during a meal or have a special treat!)
The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. – Genesis 21:8 NIV
Day 8
During Isaac’s party, Sarah saw that Ishmael was making fun of Isaac and told Abraham to send Ishmael and his mom Hagar away since Ishmael was not to inherit what Isaac was to inherit, even though Ishmael was Abraham’s first child. Today let’s read Genesis 21:9-10 then ask your Tiny Arrow if they can remember a story of two brothers, where the younger brother inherited and the older one did not! Jacob and Esau!
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” – Genesis 21:9-10 NIV
Day 9
God told Abraham to do what Sarah said, and that since Ishmael was his son, he would make him into a great nation too! Let’s read Genesis 21:11-13 and go outside and play with chalk! Have your Tiny Arrow draw Isaac than Ishmael, then draw a circle around Isaac for his inheritance, and a circle around Ishmael for his!
The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” – Genesis 21:11-13
Day 10
Abraham sent Ishmael and Hagar off with some food and a skin of water. They left and wandered in the desert. Today let’s read Genesis 21:14, then grab a snack and some water, and talk a walk!
Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He sent them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. – Genesis 21:14 NIV
Day 11
Hagar and Ishmael walked until the water was all gone. With no water they would not be able to survive! So Hagar put her son under a bush to get some shade. Today let’s read Genesis 21:15 and thank the Lord for always helping us when we are in need and for giving us Living Water!
When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. – Genesis 21:15 NIV
Day 12
We learned that Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away and they were in the desert with no water! Hagar walked away from her son and sat down. She was sad because she did not want to see her son die because they had no water! Today let’s read Genesis 21:16 and talk about deserts. Ask your Tiny Arrow if they know when a desert is. There’s lots of sand, like at the beach! Sand can get hot on your feet and burn your toes if your not wearing shoes! There are not rivers or lakes to get water. You have to dig down deep to find it! There are very little trees or bushes because there is very little rain.
BONUS: do an image search on deserts, and the Desert of Beersheba.
Then she went off and sat down about a bow shot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.“ And as she sat there, she began to sob. – Genesis 21:16 NIV
Day 13
Hagar and Ishmael were in the desert with no water. Then they began to cry. God heard Ishmael cry and called to Hagar from heaven and told her to get up because he would make him into a great nation! When they felt like they had no hope, God reminded them of the promise he had already given! God had already promised to Abraham that Ishmael would be a nation, and God was not going to break his promise! Even though Hagar had no water, she had to get up and have hope that God could provide no matter what! Today let’s read Genesis 21:17-18 then read Luke 12:22-24 then go outside and look at the wildlife! They do not have fridges to store food, yet God takes care of the animals!
God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” – Genesis 21:17-18 NIV
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you were wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” – Luke 12:22-24
Day 14
Yesterday we learned that despite having no water, God told Hagar to get up and have hope! Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water! Just what Hagar and Ishmael needed! Let’s read Genesis 21:19 and talk to your Tiny Arrows about times in the Bible, your life, or someone else’s life, where God provided for you!
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. – Genesis 21:19 NIV
Day 15
Hagar and Ishmael had wandered in the desert, now they made it their home! The place where God opened her eyes was now her home! She knew what God could provide for her there! When Ishmael grew up he became an archer and got a wife from Egypt, where his mother was born! Today let’s read Genesis 21:20-21 and color the coloring page of Ishmael the archer!
God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. – Genesis 21:20-21 NIV
Day 16
Abraham and his family are living in the land of the Philistines as foreigners and Abimelek, the king of the Philistines came to talk with him. He saw that God was with Abraham and he wanted Abraham to promise that he would be kind to the Philistines who lived there. Abraham swore that he would be kind. Today let’s read Genesis 21:22-23 tell them what being a foreigner means. Being a foreigner means you were not born in the country you now live!
BONUS: Talk to your Tiny Arrows about where people they may know were born, then show them on a map where they were born and ask them if they are a foreigner to where they live now!
At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you and everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” – Genesis 21:22-23 NIV
Day 17
We learned that Abimelek asked Abraham to swear that he would treat his people with kindness, and Abraham swore he would! Just like God asked the Israelites to treat foreigners with kindness in Leviticus! Let’s read Genesis 21:24 then Leviticus 19:34 and ask your Tiny Arrow where the Israelites were foreigners in? Egypt! Now when they got to the Promised Land, God was telling them to love foreigners as themselves and treat them like they were born there.
BONUS: Grab a map and show your Tiny Arrow where Egypt is, where Abimelek lived (south central Israel) and where the Israelties would live when they got to the Promised Land!
Abraham said, “I swear it.” – Genesis 21:24 NIV
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 19:34
Day 18
After Abraham said he would treat the people kindly, he told Abimelek that his people were not being kind to him. They had taken a well of water that Abraham had made. Let’s read Genesis 21:25 and remind your Tiny Arrows how important water was. Then ask them who benefited having water from the well? The people and the animals! Then ask them who gives us Living Water! Jesus!
Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized. – Genesis 21:25 NIV
Day 19
After Abimelek asked Abraham to be kind to his people, and Abraham agreed; Abraham told Abimelek about a well that his people had taken control of. Abimelek told Abraham that he didn’t know anything about it. Wells were very important to get water, and took a long time to make. They had to dig very deep sometimes just to find water! If someone else took it, they would have to start again! Let’s read Genesis 21:26 and color the coloring page of the well and how it works or grab some blocks and build your own!
But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.” – Genesis 21:26 NIV
Day 20
Abraham gave Abimelek a gift of sheep and cattle and made a treaty about the well Abraham dug. Let’s read Genesis 21:27 and color the coloring page!
So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. – Genesis 21:27 NIV
Day 21
We learned that Abraham and Abimelek made a treaty and Abraham gave Abimelek some sheep and cattle! Afterwards Abraham set apart 7 girl lambs. Let’s read Genesis 21:28 and circle 7 girl lambs!
Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock. – Genesis 21:28 NIV
Day 22
Abimelek asked Abraham what he set apart the 7 girl lambs for, and Abraham said it was a witness that he dug the well. Let’s read Genesis 21:29-30 and talk about what a witness can be. You may be able to tell you colored a picture, because there is marker on your hands. The marker is a witness that you made the picture. Or you may be able to tell you had a cookie, because there are crumbs on your mouth. The crumbs are a witness. Ask your Tiny Arrow if they can come up with any examples. Abraham is telling Abimelek that he his telling the truth that he built the well, and the gift is a witness.
And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?” He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” – Genesis 21:29-30 NIV
Day 23
Abraham and Abimelek made an oath and the place was called Beersheba. Beersheba means well of the oath or well of seven. They named the place after what they did! Let’s read Genesis 21:31 and think. When we do something special somewhere, we like to remember that place with what we did. Give your Tiny Arrow an example of a place that you remember by what you did, then ask them to do the same. For example, a park you like to visit because it has a certain large slide, and you remember the park by the slide. Abraham would remember that place by what he named it. Now let’s think of names for places by what we did there!
So the place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. – Genesis 21:31 NIV
Day 24
After the treaty, Abimelek returned home. Let’s read Genesis 21:32 and color the map of Israel and find Beersheba and Gerar! Then draw a line from Beersheba to Gerar!
After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. – Genesis 21:32 NIV
Day 25
After Abimelek left, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called upon the name of the Lord, the Eternal God (Yahweh El Olam) and lived in the land for a long time. Today let’s read Genesis 21:33-34 and color the coloring page of the Tamarisk tree and go over the Hebrew name that Abraham used!
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time. – Genesis 21:33-34 NIV
Day 26
Today let’s reread Genesis 21 and remember the activities and verses we learned!