ABRAHAM
GENESIS 12:1-4
INTRO: In the beginning GOD…
WHO ARE THE PLAYERS?
1. God-See lesson 1
2. Abraham
WHAT did God do?
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)
God’s Covenants
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:7-8)
Genesis 13:14-17 Land “…for I will give it unto you.” V15
Genesis 15:3-7 Son …“This shall not be thine heir…” V4
Genesis 15:18-21 Boundaries
Genesis 17: 1-8 Father of many nations “…thou shalt be a father of many nations.” V4
Genesis 17:15-19 Son “…thou shalt call his name Isaac:…” V19 “For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age…” 21:2
Genesis 22:15-18 Blessing “…because thou hast obeyed my voice.” V18
Abraham’s lack of faith
Genesis 16:1-5 Abram failed to believe God would keep His promise
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. V2
Genesis 16: 7-12 Ishmael “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”
Genesis 17: 20-21 “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac…” V21
Genesis 21: 9-12 Conflict Arabs/Jews“…Cast out this bondwoman and her son…” V10
Abraham’s acts of faith
Genesis 22:1-4 Abraham obeys“…and rose up, and went…” V3
Genesis 22:6-10 Abraham ready to sacrifice Isaac “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” V10
Genesis 22:11-12 Abraham sensitive to the voice of the angel “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
As God supplies the ram as the substitute for Isaac, God sent Jesus to be the substitute for our sins.
Why is this a foundational stone?
God’s covenants with Abraham established that God’s people would be Abraham’s descendants
Abraham’s lack of faith instituted the strife between Arabs and what will be God’s people Israel
God provided a substitute sacrifice for Isaac and He did the same for us through the Lord Jesus Christ
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001