Old Testament: Psalm 105
New Testament: Galatians 4:21-31
God Has Spoken
“Abraham’s Faith in God’s Promise”
Genesis 15:1-22:19
The main purpose of the events recorded in Genesis 2:4 – 11:26 is to prove to mankind, of every generation, that it is totally impossible for man to achieve God’s purpose in and of himself. We see:
- God’s judgment of man’s sin – expelled from the Garden, reduced longevity, divided language, scattered geographically.
- God’s mercy – He continued to provide food, procreative abilities, and the basic protection.
- God’s grace – He chose the nation of Israel to be “His People”, and gave them privileges like no other nation on earth, including His presence.
THE BASIC TRUTH OF GENESIS 1-11
“Left to himself, man will always deify himself, humanize God, and self-destruct!”
- The events of Genesis 1-11 reveal man’s NEED for redemption.
- The events of Genesis 12-50 reveal God’s PLAN for man’s redemption.
- The CALLING of Abraham (Abram) was the FIRST STEP in the progress of man’s redemption.
- Genesis 12-22 describes the process by which Abraham not only became a man of faith, but also the father of the faithful – exemplifying the kind of faith in God that is necessary to be considered “saving faith”. (Gal. 3:6)
1. The Test of Truthfulness – Genesis 12:10-20 – Vs 18 – “What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Abram began his journey with God as a man of faith mixed with fear.
- During the time Abram walked through the land God promised him, he encountered a famine. Rather than trusting God by remaining in the land of blessing, Abram decided to move to Egypt to survive.
- Out of fear for his own life, he told Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister and not his wife. But the deception only caused more trouble, as Pharaoh desired Sari for his own wife, and gave Abram a huge dowry for her.
- God plagued Pharaoh’s house with barrenness until he discovered that Sarai was Abram’s wife, and he sent them away, with the dowry.
- Abram thought he had to go to Egypt to save his life, and he lied about Sarai for the same reason.
- But in so doing, he jeopardized the “seed” God had promised him through Sari.
- Abram was still trusting himself more than he was trusting God.
2. The Test of Submissiveness – Genesis 13-14 –14:22-23 – “I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most-High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet…lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich!”
God knew Abram’s faith had to be tested before he could totally trust God and lean not upon his own understanding.
- The test of family –
- To keep peace within the family, Abram allowed Lot to choose the best and most productive land.
- Lot’s choice ended in the destruction of his home, his land, and his family.
- God assured Abram that all the Promised Land would be his and his descendants, including the land he allowed Lot to choose.
- Abram moved his tents to the Oaks of Mamre, built an altar and renewed his faith in God.
- The test of fortune –
- The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were attacked and invaded by four kings from the East – the wealth of the cities removed and the people taken captive – including Lot.
- Abram took 318 of his servants, defeated the armies of the four kings, retrieved the wealth of the cities and freed the captives.
- On the way to be rewarded for his heroic efforts, Abram encounters Melchizedek, who reminds him that the victory he just won was not his, but God’s.
- Abram recognized Melchizedek as “deity”, paid Him tithes, and refused the spoils of victory offered to him by the Kings of Sodom.
- Abram’s seed of faith is continuing to grow.
3. The Test of Faithfulness – Genesis 15-22 –22:18 – “…because thou has obeyed My voice!”
- Genesis 16 – Abram’s faith falters again as he listens to the unwise counsel of his wife, rather than God.
- Abram father’s a child through Hagar, one of the handmaids Pharaoh had given Sarai.
- Although Ishmael brought division between Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, Abram treated him as if he was the “seed” of promise.
- Genesis 17 – God appeared to Abram as El Shaddai, the all-powerful, all-sufficient, sovereign God, and promised him a son within a year.
- He changed Abram’s name to Abraham and established circumcision as the sign of the covenant between them.
- He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, and told them to call their son “Isaac” – that it would be through him that God would raise a nation.
- Genesis 22 – God appeared to Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering unto the Lord.
- Abraham obeyed God, had Isaac gather the wood, and they began walking up Moriah.
- Three days later, God directed them to the place, they built an altar, and in obedience to his father, Isaac laid himself upon it.
- As Abraham raised his hand to slay his son, the Angel of the Lord told him to stop, and they saw a Ram, with his horns caught in a thicket – God had provided the lamb.
- Verse 12 – God said to Abraham – “Now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, for me!”
- Abraham’s offering of Isaac was God’s revelation of what would become the FINAL STEP in His plan for our redemption – the crucifixion of Jesus.
