Genesis
The Four People Four Events Four People
First Eleven Chapters Last Thirty-nine Chapters
Creation – Fall – Flood – Babel Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph
Abraham (Genesis 12:1 – Genesis 24:18)
● When we first read about Abraham we find that his name is Abram. God give Abram a new name later. There is great significance in the Bible with naming. A Name is identifying, determining and shows ownership, or dominion.
● We find Abram, a prosperous man living in a wealthy, well populated city called “Ur of the Chaldeans” probably around 2166 BC.
● Then God comes to him (Gen 12:1-3) and gives a command and begins his promises to Abram.
We call these promises that God made to Abram the “Abrahamic Covenant.”
This Covenant is the basis for all of the other covenants God makes with mankind.
God's Promises to Abraham*
“I will make you into a great nation” (you will have numerous descendants) Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:18; et al.
“I will bless you” Genesis 12:2
“I will make your name great” Genesis 12:2
“You will be a blessing” Genesis 12:2
“I will bless those who bless you” Genesis 12:2
“Whoever curses you I will curse” Genesis 12:3
“Divine blessing for Jews as well as gentiles” Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4
See Galatians 3:16
“Your descendants will occupy Canaan” Genesis 15:18; 17:8
“The promise is eternal” Genesis 13:15; 17:7-8, 13, 19; 38:4
Kings will descend from you Genesis 17:6-8
God will be Israel's God forever Genesis 17:7-8
God's promises are unilateral. God tells Abram what He is going to do. All that Abram has to do is have faith in God's promises and follow. God promises that he will do the rest.
■ This is exactly like our salvation. God promises that HE does the saving, not us. All that is required of us is that we have faith in Christ and what he did. All that is left for us to do is have faith in what he has revealed, and abide in Him, thus growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.(Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 16:30-31; 2 Pet.3:18)
Put yourself in Abram's shoes for a moment. You have a nice life, family, and you live in a nice area. Then one day a voice comes to you and tells you that it is time to go and that if you go you will be blessed. Going will be both dangerous and difficult, and it will mean giving up the security you have. Would you go? Or would you stay?
● Abram chooses to go! This shows amazing faith in God
Abraham takes God at his word and goes out in faith. However, it's not as if everything goes easy and peacefully.
Abraham has a big problem. God has promised him that he will have children that outnumber the stars in the sky, or the sand on the seashore. But his wife Sarai is barren.
Even though Abram shows faith in God that these things will happen he thinks what we often think, “Ok, God promised me this, but he probably wants my help in doing it.” And that is the start of all of Abraham's troubles.
● Abraham tries to help God do what He said He would do.
First Abraham tried to get Lot to be his heir.
■ Lot was Abram's nephew. At this time a person who was family could be adopted as a son and heir to take over the family when the father dies. So that was Abrams first act to try and do God's job for Him.
■ However, in Gen. 13, Lot doesn't believe that God has given Abram the Land, or that they are following God's will. When their families get too big to live in one camp Abram offers lot half of the inheritance in Canaan. He says, “If you take the left (north), I will take the right (south), and if you take right (south) I will take the left (north).”
■ Lot instead decides that he will go straight (east) and settles in the plain of Sodom. Basically telling Abraham, “I left Ur with you and followed you based on this promise that God made you. But I think I'll do better out on my own here in this fertile plain, and you can have all of that God stuff for yourself.”
■ This was the choice that Lot stood behind for the rest of his life and it caused him nothing but disappointment and difficulty.
Second Sarai got the idea that Abraham could get her servant, Hagar, pregnant and adopt the child that is born from that union.
■ This was a legal custom during the time, if your slave had a child that child was considered to be the property of the master. If the masters chose to, they could adopt the child in question making them a lawful heir.
■ Abram did it at Sarai's request but he was not innocent. He should have known better than to try to build his family in this dishonest way, especially when he had received assurance from God that God would do make it happen.
■ This attempt also caused nothing but trouble. Sarai and Hagar began to hate each other and fight all of the time. Sarai had suggested it, but perhaps she wanted to hear, “No darling, nothing is worth breaking my dedication and commitment to you.” But instead Abram said, “OK!”
■ God rebukes Abram in Genesis 17, telling him that the child of the Hagar will also be made into many peoples and be successful (the Arabs), but Sarai will yet bear a child and He will be the son of the promise, brought about by the power of God. And with Sarah's child God will make his covenants.
■ When God confirms that he is going to do this for Abraham Sarai laughs because she is too old to have children now. God answers her with one of the most powerful verses yet, “Is anything to difficul for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Sodom and Gomorrah
■ Sodom is where Lot had chosen to live and the people there were particularly vile.
■ God told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their awful wickedness.
■ Abraham gives us an amazing picture of the power of prayer in his conversation with God in 18:20-33.
■ God listens earnestly to Abraham, knowing the whole time that Sodom must be destroyed for there is not even 10 righteous men could be found in the entire city. But this shows us that God is a God who listens to us, hears us and responds!
■ Even though God still destroys Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, he spares Lot and his family.
● The Child of Promise – Isaac comes
Isaac is at last born and is named Isaac, which means “he laughs,” is named for the fact that he brought joyful laughter to Sarah in her old Age.
Isaac is born and Sarah is rejuvenated so much that not only could she have the baby,but also even nurse Him. This is a miracle of the Lord.
Finally, the Lord has delivered on his promise, which he was always going to!
● The Sacrifice
At last Abraham and Sarah have everything that they want and then God tests Abraham again. We have seen Abraham's faith waiver a number of times in regard to God's ability to keep his promises and this is the big test of whether or not he trusts in the Lord.
Abraham is told to take his son, his only son, the child of the promise, up on a hill and sacrifice him to the Lord.
And Abraham does.
■ Abraham has full faith in God now. Not just in His promises, but also in His character. This is monumental, he finally begins to understand that this child is the Lord's, and the Lord never does the wrong thing. I will obey!
But as the Knife is raised over Isaac The Lord stops him.
God would not make Abraham kill that person which is most dear to him, but needed to know that it was God who Abraham was faithful to, not just the gifts. He would never make Isaac into his object of worship, but only the Lord!
● This is not unlike another event we find much later in the Bible.
It is amazing that God would test Abraham's dedication and faith in him, but would not let him go through with the pain and the loss of killing his own son.
But God himself sent His Son to die upon a tree because he so much loved each and every one of us. (John 3:16)
God is the mover and the shaker of history. Everything will go unto his plan.
God has shown us that he will pay the price for our problems, our sin, our failure.
As his showed us his love (Romans 5:8) the Son of God hanging on a cross so that we could be reunited to him.
Take Home
There are so many important things that we learn about God and about how we are to live our lives through Abraham, we could read it our entire lives and yet have more truth to apply, that we have never understood ad deeply. Today's take home, however, is that what pleases God is faith in Him. Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? Or do you run around fretting and fearing over your own story, when really he has already promised you what the outcome of your story will be?
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6
The Four People
Four Events Four People
First Eleven Chapters Last Thirty-nine Chapters
Creation – Fall – Flood – Babel Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph
Abraham (Genesis 12:1 – Genesis 24:18)
● When we first read about Abraham we find that his name is Abram. God give Abram a new name later. There is great significance in the Bible with naming. A Name is identifying, determining and shows ownership, or dominion.
● We find Abram, a prosperous man living in a wealthy, well populated city called “Ur of the Chaldeans” probably around 2166 BC.
● Then God comes to him (Gen 12:1-3) and gives a command and begins his promises to Abram.
We call these promises that God made to Abram the “Abrahamic Covenant.”
This Covenant is the basis for all of the other covenants God makes with mankind.
God's Promises to Abraham*
“I will make you into a great nation” (you will have numerous descendants) Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:18; et al.
“I will bless you” Genesis 12:2
“I will make your name great” Genesis 12:2
“You will be a blessing” Genesis 12:2
“I will bless those who bless you” Genesis 12:2
“Whoever curses you I will curse” Genesis 12:3
“Divine blessing for Jews as well as gentiles” Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4
See Galatians 3:16
“Your descendants will occupy Canaan” Genesis 15:18; 17:8
“The promise is eternal” Genesis 13:15; 17:7-8, 13, 19; 38:4
Kings will descend from you Genesis 17:6-8
God will be Israel's God forever Genesis 17:7-8
God's promises are unilateral. God tells Abram what He is going to do. All that Abram has to do is have faith in God's promises and follow. God promises that he will do the rest.
■ This is exactly like our salvation. God promises that HE does the saving, not us. All that is required of us is that we have faith in Christ and what he did. All that is left for us to do is have faith in what he has revealed, and abide in Him, thus growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.(Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 16:30-31; 2 Pet.3:18)
Put yourself in Abram's shoes for a moment. You have a nice life, family, and you live in a nice area. Then one day a voice comes to you and tells you that it is time to go and that if you go you will be blessed. Going will be both dangerous and difficult, and it will mean giving up the security you have. Would you go? Or would you stay?
● Abram chooses to go! This shows amazing faith in God
Abraham takes God at his word and goes out in faith. However, it's not as if everything goes easy and peacefully.
Abraham has a big problem. God has promised him that he will have children that outnumber the stars in the sky, or the sand on the seashore. But his wife Sarai is barren.
Even though Abram shows faith in God that these things will happen he thinks what we often think, “Ok, God promised me this, but he probably wants my help in doing it.” And that is the start of all of Abraham's troubles.
● Abraham tries to help God do what He said He would do.
First Abraham tried to get Lot to be his heir.
■ Lot was Abram's nephew. At this time a person who was family could be adopted as a son and heir to take over the family when the father dies. So that was Abrams first act to try and do God's job for Him.
■ However, in Gen. 13, Lot doesn't believe that God has given Abram the Land, or that they are following God's will. When their families get too big to live in one camp Abram offers lot half of the inheritance in Canaan. He says, “If you take the left (north), I will take the right (south), and if you take right (south) I will take the left (north).”
■ Lot instead decides that he will go straight (east) and settles in the plain of Sodom. Basically telling Abraham, “I left Ur with you and followed you based on this promise that God made you. But I think I'll do better out on my own here in this fertile plain, and you can have all of that God stuff for yourself.”
■ This was the choice that Lot stood behind for the rest of his life and it caused him nothing but disappointment and difficulty.
Second Sarai got the idea that Abraham could get her servant, Hagar, pregnant and adopt the child that is born from that union.
■ This was a legal custom during the time, if your slave had a child that child was considered to be the property of the master. If the masters chose to, they could adopt the child in question making them a lawful heir.
■ Abram did it at Sarai's request but he was not innocent. He should have known better than to try to build his family in this dishonest way, especially when he had received assurance from God that God would do make it happen.
■ This attempt also caused nothing but trouble. Sarai and Hagar began to hate each other and fight all of the time. Sarai had suggested it, but perhaps she wanted to hear, “No darling, nothing is worth breaking my dedication and commitment to you.” But instead Abram said, “OK!”
■ God rebukes Abram in Genesis 17, telling him that the child of the Hagar will also be made into many peoples and be successful (the Arabs), but Sarai will yet bear a child and He will be the son of the promise, brought about by the power of God. And with Sarah's child God will make his covenants.
■ When God confirms that he is going to do this for Abraham Sarai laughs because she is too old to have children now. God answers her with one of the most powerful verses yet, “Is anything to difficul for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Sodom and Gomorrah
■ Sodom is where Lot had chosen to live and the people there were particularly vile.
■ God told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their awful wickedness.
■ Abraham gives us an amazing picture of the power of prayer in his conversation with God in 18:20-33.
■ God listens earnestly to Abraham, knowing the whole time that Sodom must be destroyed for there is not even 10 righteous men could be found in the entire city. But this shows us that God is a God who listens to us, hears us and responds!
■ Even though God still destroys Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, he spares Lot and his family.
● The Child of Promise – Isaac comes
Isaac is at last born and is named Isaac, which means “he laughs,” is named for the fact that he brought joyful laughter to Sarah in her old Age.
Isaac is born and Sarah is rejuvenated so much that not only could she have the baby,but also even nurse Him. This is a miracle of the Lord.
Finally, the Lord has delivered on his promise, which he was always going to!
● The Sacrifice
At last Abraham and Sarah have everything that they want and then God tests Abraham again. We have seen Abraham's faith waiver a number of times in regard to God's ability to keep his promises and this is the big test of whether or not he trusts in the Lord.
Abraham is told to take his son, his only son, the child of the promise, up on a hill and sacrifice him to the Lord.
And Abraham does.
■ Abraham has full faith in God now. Not just in His promises, but also in His character. This is monumental, he finally begins to understand that this child is the Lord's, and the Lord never does the wrong thing. I will obey!
But as the Knife is raised over Isaac The Lord stops him.
God would not make Abraham kill that person which is most dear to him, but needed to know that it was God who Abraham was faithful to, not just the gifts. He would never make Isaac into his object of worship, but only the Lord!
● This is not unlike another event we find much later in the Bible.
It is amazing that God would test Abraham's dedication and faith in him, but would not let him go through with the pain and the loss of killing his own son.
But God himself sent His Son to die upon a tree because he so much loved each and every one of us. (John 3:16)
God is the mover and the shaker of history. Everything will go unto his plan.
God has shown us that he will pay the price for our problems, our sin, our failure.
As his showed us his love (Romans 5:8) the Son of God hanging on a cross so that we could be reunited to him.
Take Home
There are so many important things that we learn about God and about how we are to live our lives through Abraham, we could read it our entire lives and yet have more truth to apply, that we have never understood ad deeply. Today's take home, however, is that what pleases God is faith in Him. Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? Or do you run around fretting and fearing over your own story, when really he has already promised you what the outcome of your story will be?
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6
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