Re-do of reflections on Genesis chapter 17-18, since it was windy earlier and video skips some at the beginning.
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June 2, 2018
Reflecting on Assignment # 9 of Genesis 17 & 18 (2nd one)
Re-do of reflections on Genesis chapter 17-18, since it was windy earlier and video skips some at the beginning.
Reflecting on Assignment # 9 Study Lesson: Gen. 17-18
Kassie shares notes and reflects on assignment #9: Genesis chapter 17-18.
June 1, 2018
Assignment # 9 Old Testament Study Lesson: Gen. 17-18
Hello, welcome
back to our study in Genesis. We have a lot to consider in this lesson, so lets
get right to.
Gen. 17
God Establishes His Covenant
When we finished up chapter 16, it was with the birth of Ishmael.
It has now been 13 years since then. And once again, we find God speaking with
Abram. Notice how God introduces himself: I am the God Almighty. This is the
first time we are introduced to God by this name. Why would God start off His
conversation this way? Because He is fixing to declare what would seem impossible.
- Remember that Abram was 75 years old when God commanded him to leave his home. He was 86 when Ishmael was born. Now he is 99 years old.
As we read chapter 17, there is a key phrase repeated
several times, “I will establish my covenant…” God then goes on to declare what
HE WILL DO. In fact, look at verse 4, He says, “as for Me…” notice at this
point, it is all God, He has yet to say what Abram’s role is to be.
The phrase “I will establish…” God is the one determining
what He wants to do, so since He is the one declaring it, He will also be the
one to bring it to pass.
- Look up Isa. 46:10-11 and write down the key points that reflect what He is saying here in Gen. 17.
- Now look up Ps. 138:8. What does it say?
In verse 5 of Gen. 17, God makes a statement that would
seem contrary… “I have made you…” Notice He did not say, “I WILL make you…” God
spoke as if He already had.
How can He state this? Because He is God and sees the end
from the beginning. He is all-knowing, and because He is, He can declare what
is to be as if it already were.
- Read Isa. 49:8 with me: Thus says the Lord, “In a favorable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation, I have helped you.
- Again, here we see God speaking of something He will do in the future as if He already has accomplished it. And since He has spoken it, His Word will not come back void (as it says in Isa.55).
In verse 19 of Gen. 17, God tells Abraham that his to be
son shall be called Isaac. Again, speaking as if the child were already born.
How does Abraham respond? He laughed (in his heart) as if
to say, “yeah right” and then went on to suggest that God’s promise be brought
about through Ishmael. Why would Abraham suggest this? Maybe because he looked
at how old he was now and was to tired to let his hopes get up again for
something that would seem impossible.
So, what was God’s response? God didn’t take offense, instead,
He reassured Abraham that He would indeed have a son, and what is more, is that
the child will be from his wife (Sarah). Hence starting out His conversation
with the “I am the Almighty God”
- El Shaddai: This name of God means exactly what it says. He is the Almighty One, the Powerful One, or Mighty One. Some think this name also means that He is the All-Sufficient One.
After
declaring what He Himself would do, God goes on to say “And as for you (Abram)…”
He told Abram to walk before Him and be blameless, in
other words to live as God would have him live. This was not to say that he had
not been doing this, but it was a command from God to keep on living as he
should.
God then began to speak of covenant again. He then changed
Abram’s name to “Abraham.”
And what was the promise behind this name? God promised
that nations and kings would come from Abraham.
- NOTE: In Genesis 12:2, it says that God told Abram He would make him a great nation. Here God said He would make him the father of a multitude of nations. The great nation promised in Genesis 12 was the nation of Israel that came out of Egypt in very large number.
What else did He promise? God said that His covenant with
Abraham and his descendants would be an everlasting covenant and that the land
will be theirs forever. In fact, He stated twice that He will be their God.
In Verses 9-14 God talks about the circumcision.
- Abraham and his descendants were to keep this as a condition of the covenant.
Why did God declare a circumcision and not something else
as the sign? What about women? And, isn’t circumcision part of the Law?
- The physical location of circumcision is the place closest to the seed that God told Abraham would come forth from his own body. It was a sign of the promise God made to Abraham for descendants. Also, since the lineage is through the men (and not the women), the sign of the covenant was unnecessary for the women.
- NOTE: The circumcision was instituted as a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, not of the Law as sometimes is assumed. It was given by God many years earlier than the Law was given.
What did Abraham do? He believed God and put action to
his faith. He didn’t mole it over, he didn’t think about it for a few days… No
ON THE VERY SAME DAY Abraham took and active step of faith.
What is faith? The ability to trust that something is true before you see it manifested.
What is faith? The ability to trust that something is true before you see it manifested.
- Look up James 1:22-24 and write it down.
- And then of course read and write down Heb. 11:6
God also made a promise concerning Sarai, and changed her
name to Sarah, meaning “princess.”
God made a promise concerning Ishmael as well. God said
that he would be fruitful and multiply and be the father of twelve princes and
a great nation. But the covenant promises would go to Isaac whom Sarah would
bear to Abraham at the same season the next year.
GENESIS 18
The Time has Come
The Lord appeared to Abraham again by the oaks of Mamre
in Hebron (which is where Abraham had built an alter to the Lord in Gen. 13.
So how did
the Lord appear to Abraham this time? He was one of three men.
Something to consider while reading chapter 18; God could
have given His message to Abraham through a vision, or an angel. But He didn’t.
Instead, God came down in person (this is the second time we see Jesus manifested
in the Old Testament). Not only did God make it personal, but Jesus ate a meal
with Abraham (thus having fellowship with him).
Where was Sarah during all this? Inside the tent listening
to their conversation. What was her reaction about the timing? She laughed. But
there must have been some bitterness in her laugh, or something, because when
Abraham laughed at the idea in Gen. 17, God didn’t say anything. But here,
where we see Sarah laugh, one might almost think it was more of a scoffed
laugh. The reason being is Jesus’ response.
The Lord who asked Abraham why Sarah laughed, which she
quickly denied. However, God being all-knowing, knew better. And His reply? Is
there anything to difficult for God?
We have to
keep in mind, that so far, we haven’t seen God do the impossible yet.
What did the Lord tell Abraham in verses 9-10? At that
time the next year, Sarah would have a son (look back at the timing to Genesis
17:21). So apparently Genesis 17 and 18 were very close in time.
Look up Romans 4:18-21. Even though he knew that there
was no physical way that Sarah and he could produce a child, he believed what
the Lord told him. He wasn’t weak in faith. In fact, he was fully assured /
convinced that what God promised, He was able to perform.
He came to
a decision to believe that nothing was too difficult / hard for the Lord.
Look at the last part of Gen. 18. God didn’t hide from
Abraham what He was going to do, because in him all nations of the earth will
be blessed. God chose him so that he could command all those nations who would
come from him to do right according to the Lord’s ways.
- What does Amos 3:7 say?
Because God considered Abraham a friend, He confided in
him what He (God) was going to do.
- Look up Isa. 41:8
- Look up Ps. 25:14
- And finally look up John 15:13-16 and summarize it.
My friend, only a friend would feel comfortable enough to
“nose in” and ask questions the way Abraham dared to do.
Why do you think Abraham kept dwindling the numbers down?
Who do you think Abraham was thinking about when he asked
if God would spare the city for 10 people? I will give you a hint… Abraham
called him family.
One last thought about this lesson: God said from generation
to generation. So, what are we to do to ensure that generations after knows God’s
ways? We are to teach them.
Look up Ps. 78:1-8 and summarize what you read.
My friend,
that is all for this lesson, I hope you are encouraged and will take God’s
message to heart.
Kassie
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