Abraham

In my Wed. morning class at church, we studied the life of Abraham over a year ago. I just never got around to posting my notes till now. Notes on Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron will be posted soon. Right now we are studying the life of David.

Abraham:

Abram- high father, Abraham- father of many nations

In the line of Seth, in the line of Christ.

Gen. 11:31-12:1, past tense, Acts 7:2, God spoke to Abram before he went to Haran. Josh 24:2- Terah served other gods. Moon god worshipped in Ur, Haran, a flourishing caravan city.

Gen. 12:3- a command, but more than a command, a covenant-

1.     Great nation

2.     I will bless you

3.     I will make your name great

4.     You will be a blessing

5.     I will bless those who bless you

6.     I will curse those who curse you

7.     All peoples will be blessed through you.

12:4- Abram responded in faith by answering a calling, being a pilgrim.

12:7- 1^st promise from God that Israel will possess Canaan

 Built an altar, chronicle history with God

Journey of faith-learn to obey, in Egypt-12: 10-20, restoration-13:3-4

Lot chooses to separate, not be a pilgrim- 13: 10-11- like Eve- sees with eyes of human common sense-not with eyes of faith , Sodom wicked-13:12-13.   

13: 14-17- God gives promise of the land in greater detail once Abram is no longer entangled with Lot.

We are Lot-

2Pet. 2:7-8- “…delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds…)”

Gen. 14:1-17- Lot’s capture and rescue by Abram. King of Sodom wants to do Abram homage. v. 18-20- King of Salem (peace), Melchizedek, blesses Abram, Heb.7- the lesser is blessed by the greater. Abram acknowledges his superior by tithing to Him. Was this meeting directed by God to remind Abram that it was God who won the battle, and not Abram himself? v. 21-24- Abram refuses to take goods, wanted the world to see that it was God who prospered him.

Gen.15:1- shield, great reward

2-4- what was important to one who lived at that time

5. promise of descendants

6. believed in God, counted as righteousness-

reckon- to think, to reckon, put together, calculate, imagine, impute, to lay one’s thoughts together, to form a judgment, to produce something in the mind. A consideration of many factors to produce a conclusion. God  added all that Abram’s belief about Him meant to Him and reckoned Abram righteous. See New Testament passages on Abraham quoted below.

7.     Promise based on God’s prior actions. God’s actions showed we was to be trusted.

9-11- The sacrifice. Covenant made with blood.

v.17- God humbled Himself as if He was the inferior party, Hittite Suzeraign Covenant- inferior walked through, “May the gods do to me (and more also) as I have done to these animals if I do not fulfill the terms of  this covenant!” Prefigure Christ. Smoking oven, burning torch a figure of speech, one noun modifies the other into one single flame.

v.13-14- prophesy of  slavery in Egypt.

Gen. 16:1-4-  Hagar and Ishmael- trying to carry out God’s plan man’s way.

See Rom. 4:19-22 below, Abram never wavered in faith.

v.4- Hagar becomes prideful, looks down on barren Sarai

v.5- Sarai blames Abram for her idea. When we sin, we often blame others.

v.6- Abram weak, lets Sarai be harsh with Hagar.

v. 7-9- Even though Hagar does not have part in God’s plan of salvation, He still hears her in her distress.

v. 10-12- given promises for her descendants, Ishmael father of the Arab people.

v.13- 1^st time God given a name by man- “You are the God who sees” –different from all other gods.

Gen. 17:1- walk before Me, and be blameless, be in my presence, after all, God is “You are the God who sees.” Be in God’s presence.

v.2-8- Covenant:

v.2- God will make covenant, already proven He can be trusted to keep covenant.

v.2, 4-  Will multiply Abram’s descendants.

v. 5- name change from Abram to Abraham. To call oneself the father of many nations is an act of faith in the God who made the covenant.

v.6- Kings will come from Abraham, David, the royal line, Christ.

v.7- covenant not just with Abraham, but with his descendants- to be God to them.

v.8- Israel given the land of Canaan.

v. 9-14- covenant to be kept, the sign is circumcision.

v.15-22- Sarai to Sarah (princess).  The promise is through Isaac, through faith.

Gen. 18: 1-8- Even though Abraham a great man, he still  follows customs of hospitality.

v.9-15- God had never done such a thing in human history, so it was understandable that Sarah reacted as she did. God showed He was wthe one who sees, v. 15.

v.16-19- God has chosen Abraham to pass on holiness down through the generations. God decides this honor entitles Abraham to know what He is about to do.

v.20-21- God a different God, knows the affairs of men, hears of injustice when those who suffer cry to Him, God is a God of justice.

v.22-25- there is a standard of right and wrong. By this we know that God is good, because He lives by this standard. He always does because in Him there is no sin. Pagan gods follow no such standard, for they are just super-sized humanity.

v.22-33- God is never angry or weary with our continued intercession.

Gen.19:12-22- Lot righteous, but not completely removed from unholy surroundings. Did he marry a pagan? Did he allow his daughters to do so? His entire family, besides him, was unspiritual. Son-in-laws thought he was joking about judgment. He had to be dragged out of Sodom. He was saved through Abraham’s intercession. Without it, Lot would have perished in the judgment.

v.30-38- Lot’s folly in the way he raised family, not completely separating from paganism, caused daughters to think like pagans, afflict Israel with descendants, Moab and Ammon, which were conceived through unrighteousness. Passed on family character through the generations.

Gen. 21:1-4- God did as He had spoken, given Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. Abraham obedient in circumcising Isaac at 8 days old.

v.8-21- bond woman and son cast out.  Even though have no part in God’s plan of salvation, even though Ishmael mistreated Isaac, God saw and heard Hagar’s anguish and rescued them.

v.22-34- Abimelech saw God was with Abraham, reasoned that God would avenge him against his enemies (see Gen. 20). Knew the value of a covenant, knew if God was with Abraham, Abraham would honor covenant. Abraham planted Tamarask tree is a memorial. Worshipped God there.

Gen. 22- sacrifice of Isaac.

v.12- “…now I know…” God says “I have experienced Abraham’s fear of me.” See Heb. 11:17-19 below.

v.15-18- because Abraham did not withhold only son, God not only repeated earlier promises, not only stated that many nations would come from him, but all nations would be blessed through him because of his faith.

Gen. 25: 1-6- protect Isaac, his seed, from pagan influence, contamination.

New Testament on Abraham:

Jn. 8: 33-59- Only those who live by faith are Abraham’s true descendants.

Rom. 4: 1-4-saved through faith.

              9-12- Father of all who believe.

              See also v.13-25 and Rom 9: 6-8, Gal. 3:29, James 2:21-26.

Hebrews 11:17-19- “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Rom. 4:19-22- “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waiver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore, ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ ”