Genesis. Lessons 6 & 7

Transcription

1 Genesis Lessons 6 & 7

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3 Outline of the sessions: Session Six: Chapters 17 through 23 of genesis (the Abraham narrative part two) Session Seven: Chapters 24 through 27 (Isaac) Contents by: Vic Gerson 3

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5 Genesis Session Six Abraham sacrificing Isaac. 5

6 INTRODUCTION: We will cover chapters 17 to chapter 23 in Genesis. This is the second half of the narrative of Abraham s life. SUMMARY: The God of all creation comes and reestablishes His covenant with Abraham as a leader of a whole people. The Lord had generations in mind not just the individual blessing of one man. We also encounter the prophetic picture of Jesus in the story of Isaac being sacrificed. This story reveals the Fathers heart. He is willing to go to any extent to bring redemption of sin. We also see the Fathers heart in the sorrow of judgment. He is willing to hold judgment for even ten. Abraham leaves the story with the promise of offspring and a whole people of promise set up to be the example for all to see. The Father is faithful to His promises through all the generations and will fulfill every promise given to His people. HIGHLIGHTED SCRIPTURES: Genesis 17:1-5 "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. NASU God accomplishes His promise! Father Abraham truly becomes a father. God is good to His word. Abraham became the starting point to many nations. The rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael still plays out today. Genesis 17: "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 "I will 6

7 give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." 9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. NASU We are forced to look at this covenant and ask is it indeed everlasting? If it is everlasting then who does it apply too? Is this linked to an actual physical land? Is this land an everlasting possession? We believe that the Lord God is not done with the decedents of Abraham. We believe these promises still apply and will be fulfilled. Genesis 17: "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13 "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. NASU Circumcision is a sign of covenant. Colossians 3: Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. NASU Notice that there are things in the New Testament that super-cede specifics in the Old. God is after the heart! Food prohibitions are also spoken too. Acts 10:13-16 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." NASU 7

8 Genesis 18: And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 14 "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." NASU God is making a point. He is giving revelation to all of us. His word is true. He is able to accomplish His word even in our weakness and limitations. This son will be the line of Jesus! Genesis 18: And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. NASU This was a practice of sin. prac tice noun: practice verb 1. the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use. "the principles and practice of teaching" o the customary, habitual, or expected procedure of something. plural noun: practices 2. repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it. "it must have taken a lot of practice to become so fluent" training, rehearsal, repetition, preparation; 1. perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency. carry out or perform (a particular activity, method, or custom) habitually or regularly. 8

9 There was a practiced proficiency of sin. We see a little picture of the end of the age. Matt 24:12 "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. NASU It also seems to be a picture of the judgment at the end of the age. Revelation 20: And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. NASU Genesis 18:32 32 Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." NASU Genesis 19:15 15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city." NASU There is a need to come out of the world systems. If we are part of it then we will suffer the loss of it. Revelation 18:4-6 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. NASU Gen 19:24 24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, NASU Sin is destructive and ends in death. We are not given the answer to how this took place but judgment came and wiped away the sin. 9

10 Genesis 19: The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day. NASU We find the Moabites and Ammonites later in the word. What starts out small in a wrong direction can in the end result in conflict and difficulties. Genesis 20:6-7 6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." NASU Look at how God pursued and instructed and loved even pagan kings. Abe responds out of fear and not faith. WE see a broken human causing pain for others but this is the still the chosen human to bring blessing to 10

11 the whole world. This is the second time down this path and both times the Lord covered the fear with His grace. Genesis 21: God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. NASU Notice that the lad was blessed and would be the father of nations. God has good plans for this line of Abraham. Genesis 22: Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 12 He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." NASU The picture of Jesus is so open right here. We see the Fathers heart and desire for redemption. God pursues Abraham and Isaac to show His desire to bring blood covering to all of mankind. There seems to be some indication that this location was the same location generations later that Jesus would be crucified. Genesis 22: "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." NASU This is the line on Jesus! All of mankind will be given the chance to have right relationship with the creator of heaven and earth. Gen 23:1-4 23Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to 11

12 the sons of Heth, saying, 4 "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight." NASU Sarah and Abraham lived out their days in the land of promise but that promise of ownership did not come to fruition for generations. They lived blessed and full of years with a promise and a faith that God is good to His word! Hebrews 11: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18 it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. NASU Questions: 1. What is the Abrahamic covenant? 2. What are some things that are required in the OT that are not required in the NT? 3. What are some of the sins of Sodom? 4. How did God show mercy even in the destruction of Sodom? 5. What was Abraham s expectation when he was asked to sacrifice his son? 12

13 Lesson Seven Genesis The search for Isaac s wife. INTRODUCTION: This lesson will cover chapters 24 through 27 of Genesis. This is the narrative of Isaac s life. SUMMARY: We see in this narrative Isaac s marriage and the extension of the line of promise. Abraham passes from the scene and Isaac and Rebekah give birth to two sons. Ishmael s decedents become a great people. Jacob enters the story and becomes the chosen line of promise. We end with Jacob and his mother conspiring to take the family blessing from his older brother. 13

14 HIGHLIGHTED SCRIPTURES: Genesis 24: Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, 4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac." NASU Abraham s desire is rooted in purity and the knowledge of the pagan society he live in. Marriage would have meant mixture of not only family and blood but also traditions and gods. God had made a choice of a line of inheritance and at this point it was a thin line indeed. Mixture at this point could lead to compromise and long term disaster. Genesis 24:14 14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also' may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master." NASU Genesis 24: She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." NASU We see the Lord confirming the choice. We all look for confirmation and the leading of the Lord. The Lord shows mercy to the servant and leads and confirms His will. The Lord is big enough to reach into lives and direct us for His glory and for the generations to come. Genesis 24:65-67 "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself

15 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. NASU Notice Isaac loved her and was comforted. With love comes trust and the promise of God through this line goes forward. Isaac believed in the leading of the Lord for the wife of promise. Genesis 25: These are all the years of Abraham's life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. 9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. 11 It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi. NASU Abraham lived to a ripe old age. We all desire to have this testimony! Notice that both Isaac and Ishmael honored their father! The line of promise was through Isaac. That promise had to do with Jesus! The line is highlighted and kept pure for this very reason. The Son of promise would come and deliver the world from sin and death! Genesis 25: These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirtyseven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives. NASU Genesis 17:20-21 He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, NASU 15

16 Ishmael did become the father of a great nation. I wonder if there is still a purpose for this people to play as this age comes to an end. But there always seems to be a dis-function between the brothers. We are still seeing the defiance of relatives. The question still comes up over and over again; Who is the line of promise? Genesis 25: Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." NASU Here we find the Lord pursuing. He comes and answers Rebekah. Many actions come into play under the word given by the Lord. The Lord answers and makes it clear the choice that has been made. Genesis 25: And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. NASU Notice how Esau despised the blessing. How can this be understood in our own lives? There was a blessing that was given away for a momentary fulfillment. But we also notice that Jacob did not want to help his brother but chose to take advantage and focus upon himself. Many lessons to take home on this one. Genesis 26:6-8 6 So Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," thinking, "the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful." NASU 16

17 The apple does not fall far from the tree. Isaac does the same thing as his father. We don t find much information on Isaac but this one issue is handed down. All the fathers of the faith are real broken humans. The revelation given by the Bible is of the Lord as the only good one! Genesis 26: Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 The LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham." NASU The Lord comes and gives revelation. The Lord is faithful to His word and promise. Has the Lord made some promises to you? He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. Genesis 27: Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that a I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were a hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am." 25 So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that I may bless you." And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son." 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; 28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; 29 May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, 17

18 And may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you." NASU A blessing was given even if it was acquired by deception. Remember the prophecy given to Rebekah. It is interesting to think that Isaac meant this for Esau. Genesis 27: "Now therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my brother Laban! 44 "Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury subsides, 45 until your brother's anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. NASU There is a real sense of wrong but also an understanding of the word of God given. I am not sure how we view this passage. Could it be there was a better way to see this fulfilled? Or are these plans of God unalterable? Questions: 1. What areas in your life do you find mixture that could lead to long term issues? 2. How has the Lord confirmed His word to you in the past? Has He used dreams, visions or answered prayers? 3. The Lord had a blessing for Ishmael it was just different from Isaac. How do you accept the blessings from the Lord in your life? Are we looking for something different or are we thankful for what is given? 4. Has the Lord made some promises to you? 5. Words of blessing can have great affect. How do words of curse affect? 18

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